Thursday, September 30, 2010

Minoprio Lays Down Gauntlet to Richard


Photo Credit Loris von Siebenthal
London – 30 September – Reigning ISAF Match Racing World Champion Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing has stepped up the pressure on series leader Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team, declaring he is now within striking distance of overhauling his French rival in the run in for the 2010 Championship. The World Match Racing Tour moves onto Bermuda next week (5-10 October) for the Argo Group Gold Cup, the penultimate round of the Championship, and after his stunning victory in Denmark earlier this month Minoprio lies just 17 points behind the season pacesetter, Richard.

Richard will have cause for concern with Minoprio’s young Kiwi team having launched a devastating end of season run last year which saw them take second in Bermuda before capturing victory in the season finale, the Monsoon Cup in Malaysia, to lift the title for the first time and announce their arrival on the world stage of match racing.

A confident Minoprio laid down the gauntlet to Richard, declaring, “At the moment we are close enough to Mathieu Richard to have a really good crack at winning the World Match Racing Tour. At Bermuda we will be completely focused on improving our points score and putting more pressure on Mathieu before The Monsoon Cup”.

With both skippers so evenly matched they will be looking for any small advantage they can establish over one another. While Minoprio can point to having defeated Richard in Bermuda last year in the Quarters, Richard can draw on the fact that he is a previous winner at the Argo Group Gold Cup. The Frenchman has also proved himself to be more consistent and resilient than ever before this season as he aims to win his first ever ISAF Match Racing World Championship title.

However, both Richard and Minoprio will need to make sure they don’t take their eye off the chasing pack. Both two-time World Champion Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar sponsored by Argo Group and Australia’s Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team are hot on Minoprio’s heels and still in with a fighting chance of winning the Tour.

With a possible 24 teams taking to the water in Hamilton Harbour, The Argo Group Gold Cup represents one of the toughest challenges of the year for the teams and a potential banana skin for the big name skippers. The opening rounds will see teams compete in three groups of eight with only two going through to the next round and leaving the six ‘fastest losers’ to battle it out in the repecharge for the final two quarterfinal places.

- Ends - - http://www.wmrt.com/

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Pete's New Class 40


GOSS GOES SOLO AGAIN – The Route du Rhum 2010
Pete Goss has answered the question most asked of him in recent years: “When are you returning to solo ocean racing?” with an announcement that he is to compete in the gruelling Route du Rhum race.

Pete has partnered with Team Concise, winners of last year’s Class 40 World Championship, to enter a brand new boat in the 3,500-mile race commencing on Sunday 31st October 2010. Together with title sponsors DMS, this formidable team believe they can be very competitive in this gruelling test of man and boat.

The Route du Rhum is a major fixture on the sailing calendar attracting a fleet of some 60 boats. Hundreds of thousands of people visit the race village prior to the start off St Malo and see the boats as they track down the French coast before they head out across the Atlantic for the Caribbean, finishing at Pointe-à-Pitre in Guadalupe. You can follow Pete’s progress in the race on the Tracker.

Racing a Class 40 is going to be very different to his last challenge of sailing ‘Spirit of Mystery’, a 37-foot wooden lugger weighing 16-tonnes, to Australia at an average speed of about 4 knots. The Class 40 weighs a quarter of that and can sail consistently at speeds in excess of 25 knots.

Pete says that he is excited by the new boat 'Concise 2'. During sea trials it more than lived up to his expectations. He said: “It has been a few years since I have sailed such a fast and high-tech boat and the systems have come on leaps and bounds. She is fun, responsive and eager to please so I am looking forward to working up to, and competing in, the Route du Rhum which is one of the greats that I have always wanted to do. The competition will be tough and I look forward to fighting for a result and then enjoying Guadeloupe for I have never sailed in the Caribbean”.

‘Team Concise’ is made up of two halves, with the current young World Championship crew working up the boat to defend their title in Gijon in July before they compete in the Seven Star Round Britain and Ireland race. Pete will be working in parallel with this programme until Concise 2 moves to Plymouth in August when he will start his own full-time preparations. According to Pete, “mixing it up with the young guns” will be a tremendous help as he gets to know the boat.

The 48-year-old from St John in Cornwall is no stranger to sailing solo in high performance boats though. He is perhaps best known for his single-handed rescue of Frenchman and fellow competitor Raphael Dinelli during a severe Southern Ocean storm in the 1996 Vendee Globe, for which he was awarded the MBE by Her Majesty The Queen and the Legion d’Honneur by the President of France.

It is this sort of experience that Pete brings to the ISAF World Championship winning team. Team Concise owner Tony Lawson said: “This is a truly symbiotic relationship. Pete will race a brand new boat prepared by my boys as part of his short-handed offshore racing program. Meanwhile we can benefit from the advice and inspiration of this world-renowned offshore sailor, building on our knowledge base as we prepare for bigger challenges ahead. We hope it is the start of a long-term relationship”.

Asked if this race signals a return to a career as a solo ocean racer, Pete said: “I have never had a career, just a series of adventures and who knows where this one will lead. I never say never, so let’s see where this adventure takes us.”

Pete’s entry in the race has also been made possible thanks to the support of a number of sponsors, including: -
http://www.petegoss.com/routedurhum/index.php

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Whites Dragons





photo by Lorenzo Cavallari


Today was the first session with big long waves and it was a success! - More to come as we gather more information on this project.

ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards

Athens, Greece - ISAF AND ROLEX PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THE NOMINEES FOR THE ISAF ROLEX WORLD SAILOR OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2010

ISAF received nominations for the 2010 Awards from across the world for sailors representing all aspects of the sport. In deciding the nominees, the achievements of sailors made during the qualifying period of 1 September 2009 and 31 August 2010 are taken into consideration. There can be only one winner in each of the two categories, male and female, and we are delighted to announce the names of those sailors now vying for the coveted and prestigious 2010 ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award.

The 2010 nominees are:

Female
Kristin Boesse (GER) – Nine Time Kitesurf World Champion
Siripon Kaewduang-Ngam (THA) – Youth Olympic Games gold medallist
Blanca Manchón (ESP) – RS:X World Champion & Double World Cup Winner
Lisa Westerhof & Lobke Berkhout (NED) – 470 World Champions

Male
Antoine Albeau (FRA) – Professional Windsurfing Association & Formula World Champion
Mat Belcher and Malcolm Page (AUS) – 470 World Champions and World Cup winners
Lorenzo Bressani (ITA) – Melges 24 and 32 Champion
Franck Cammas (FRA) – Record breaking offshore racer
Tom Slingsby (AUS) – Laser & Etchells World Champion
Ed Wright (GBR) – Finn World Champion and double World Cup Winner

International Sailing Federation (ISAF): www.sailing.org

ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards: www.sailing.org/worldsailor

Regattanews: www.regattanews.com

Selection Trials Over as Jonny Malbon starts leg 2 of Cap Istanbul

The first round of the Artemis Offshore Academy selection trials came to an end at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy last week. A total of 33 candidates, hoping to be chosen for the Development Squad, were put through their paces under the scrutiny of the selection committee led by Artemis Offshore Academy Performance Director, John Thorn.

The selection committee will now have to make some difficult decisions over the next week, before the Development Squad is announced in early October. The selection trials activities were purposely kept secret so as to not give an advantage to candidates attending a later session, and the set tasks certainly delivered some surprises. Here is a short extract from an article written by Jocelyn Blériot, ex-editor of Course Au Large and Scuttlebutt contributor, who spent a day at the trials:

Those who thought that the tests would only involve a demonstration of boat handling skills were in for a surprise when they were greeted by the Artemis Offshore Academy staff at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy. Along with the ‘Dragon’s Den’-like test, candidates were soon discover that some rather creative minds had been at work, designing challenges that would test their teamwork capabilities, sense of initiative… or pure ‘MacGyveresque’ potential. For those who had to give their presentations after the fitness tests did not have their score hampered by a ‘straight-out-of-the-shower’ appearance. The jury were magnanimous!

You can read the full feature online at www.artemisoceanracing.com/academy

From UK waters off Weymouth to the Mediterranean where Artemis Figaro sailor Jonny Malbon is competing in the WOW Cap Istanbul race. The race is divided into five legs starting from Hyères (France) and finishing in Gallipoli (Istanbul). Jonny completed the first leg to Ragusa, Sicily last Friday in a time of 4 days, 12 hours, 11 minutes and 20 seconds, 16 hours and 51 minutes after the leg winner Gildas Morvan of France. It proved to be a testing and frustrating leg: “The first night was pretty windy and the aim was to get as far south as possible in the mistral with the routing suggesting we should gybe once the wind started to drop, and get over to the coast of Sardinia which meant crossing a light patch,” explained Jonny. “Everything was going to plan and just before dawn I gybed with a load of other boats. But after I gybed I just stopped in my own lovely private little wind hole! Even the guys close to me seemed to have their own band of pressure and kept moving. They came from underneath me, overtook me and I just sat there sails just flapping and feeling totally pretty helpless. It was hard to finish so far behind and watch your time clocking up. I was severely disappointed with the leg… But I have to put that behind me and got on with the next leg.” CLICK HERE to read Jonny’s full update online.

Jonny started leg 2 from Ragusa to Athens yesterday and is now over 100 miles into the 520-mile leg. You can follow Jonny’s progress including latest news and race tracking map online HERE

www.ArtemisOceanRacing.com

Monday, September 27, 2010

The winds of the future blow from the sea - Mascalzone Latino’s school of sailing




In operation since 2007, Mascalzone Latino's Sailing School inaugurates new facilities

Napoli, 27 settembre 2010

The city of Naples greatly differs from the stereotypes depicted in the local news: It’s a capital of great artistic and cultural prestige, history, light and above all sea. It’s indeed from the sea that comes a unique opportunity, representing a strong will to change and offering a vision of growth for the young: “I believe that the answer to the future of the youth in Naples can come from the sea”, has always argued Vincenzo Onorato, owner of Mascalzone Latino. In fact it is from this personal conviction that Mascalzone Latino’s school of sailing – and life – was born in 2007, exclusively for children between the ages of 8 and 16, with special attention given to the most underprivileged social groups, which recently obtained the patronage of the Ministry of Youth, thanks to the results achieved and its educational vocation.

The Sailing school offers classes absolutely free for children coming from the poorer segments of the most underprivileged neighborhoods in Naples. The path alternates three phases: The first one is educational, offering a stable place to meet and exchange. The second one focuses on training, and through it, pupils participate in activities both in a classroom and on the water, having a direct dialog with the instructors and alternating theoretical instruction with practice on yachts. The third phase is a true insertion into the labor market, with the possibility of transforming a passion into a profession, through internships organized by Mascalzone Latino in the sectors of communication, sailing, commercial shipping, etc.

Body and soul of this praiseworthy initiative is indeed Vincenzo Onorato, President of Moby and Mascalzone Latino – the sailing team he founded in 2003 – who, besides being himself a sailor and the manager of the shipping Company, was able to create with the passion and spirit of a seaman a real alternative to the social ills the young are very often victims of.

“In 2007 we set our sight to this school», reminds Onorato. «My wish was – and still is – to share my passion for the sea with the young people of the city and with the less fortunate ones. Our goal is to raise awareness, through an educational sport such as sailing, of fundamental values such as group work, loyalty, force, mutual respect and courage”.

It was Vincenzo Onorato himself that inaugurated, today, the sailing school’s new facilities in via Ferdinando Acton 1 of Naples.

Mascalzone Latino’s Sailing School wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for the constant and attentive support of the Italian Navy that from the outset believed in the vocational and social spirit of the idea promoted by Vincenzo Onorato in order to bring the young closer to the sea.

One of the main partners of the project is the Fondazione Vodafone Italia that supports the project of the Sailing School, aiming at actively contributing to the reduction of youth discrimination through the multiple initiatives promoted by Mascalzone Latino in the sports and social fields and the renewal kindly granted by the Italian Navy.

The School also enjoys the financial support of Kinder+Sport, created to spread and promote sport as a healthy daily habit, especially among the young.

"Sensitive to issues of social problems, the Fondazione Vodafone Italia – states its President Antonio Bernardi – that in Naples has already supported other initiates aiming at reducing youth discrimination through sports, supports Mascalzone Latino’s Sailing School and in particular the renovation of the structure dedicated at the Sailing School, with the goal of providing the underprivileged and at-risk children integration into the civil society and the labor market through the practice of the sport of sailing and all sea activities in general, stimulating the teamwork spirit and the respect of rules in a fair-play competition.”

Inside the school – in a central area of the city – there are living areas, changing rooms and bathrooms (including for disabled persons), an infirmary, a kitchen, a dining room, offices, a relax area for the instructors, a classroom, a gym, a hospitality area, a TV area, a security room, a sail loft as well as storage rooms.

In short, a renovated and comfortable space for a reality to be admired and rewarded.
Mascalzone Latino’s Sailing School has obtained the patronage of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers of the Italian Republic, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Youth and the Ministry of Labor and of AMOVA, Association of Gold Medals to Athletic Value. -

Let's race


3 masts schooner Creole Vs 3 masts schooner Atlantic, this happened today at "Les Voiles de Saint Tropez". - Photo by Gilles Martin-Raget.

LES VOILES DE ST TROPEZ KICKS OFF

The grande finale of the yachting season – certainly for the classic yachts that all summer-long prowl the Mediterranean in search of competition and camaraderie – began today. Close to 300 yachts filled the Vieux Port and nearby marinas for the weeklong Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, a ‘don’t miss’ stop on the yachting circuit. Spectacular fall weather conditions, a brisk mistral from the north with clear blue skies, prevailed on the first day to please competitors and photographers alike.

The Tradition class boats, which start racing tomorrow, don’t have the stage to themselves however; there is a impressive grand-prix fleet of “moderns” from maxi yachts such as the Judel Vrolik 72-footer Rán, straight from a win at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in Porto Cervo, the Wally class’ towering 44 metre Tripp-designed Esense, to the Tofinu class, most of which at 9.5metres are just below the official minimum length, but this local fleet have been grandfathered in and seemingly up to the challenge of sailing on the same body of water as these comparative behemoths.

But it is the solely the Traditional class and, within this grouping, only boats 16 meters and over, that can compete for the Rolex Trophy – this year there are 50 entries eligible. The winner will be the boat with the overall low point score after the week of racing. The winning boat and skipper will be awarded the Trophy and a Rolex Submariner timepiece.

Racing for the Rolex Trophy is the 25-meter cutter-rigged, Hallowe’en, created by the renowned Scottish yacht designer, William Fife III, from whose drafting table many famous, head-turning, and seakindly lines came, from the turn of the 19th century through the early 1900s.

Hallowe’en was launched in 1926 and was a new type of design for Fife, sort of a cruising version of the successful 15-Metre class, which included Tuiga and Lady Ann. With her original rig, Hallowe’en was – and in fact still is – a powerful boat: shortly after her launch, she won the Fastnet Race and set a course record of 93 hrs, 13 mins (with the start/finish off Cowes).

The boat changed hands and names several times over the years; as the yawl-rigged Cotton Blossom IV she was a force to be reckoned with, winning many races in the 1950s and ‘60s. She spent a decade in the Caribbean as a charter yacht, and was re-fit in the late 1980s in Newport, RI. Then, sold again and taken to the Med, Hallowe’en was returned to her original name and cutter rig, as per Fife’s original design. In a subsequent re-fit her mast was lengthened and boom shortened to allow for a more easier to manage permanent backstay.

Hallowe’en newest owners bought her in 2006. Two of them, Michael Cotter and Dan O’Connor, were racing Dragons in the Med where they were told the 83-foot classic was for sale, and what started as an innocent inquiry ended up as an addition to the fleet.

The owners, in fact, include five keen Irish sailors, from around Dublin, who have known one another for over 20 years, many of them active in the Dragon fleet and other classes as well. One of them, Michael Cotter, also owns a similar sized Reichel/Pugh-designed modern maxi yacht that he’s actively campaigned at the Rolex Fastnet Race, Rolex Middle Sea Race, and Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, where he won class in 2009. But that carbon fibre and Kevlar-built boat is light years from the likes of Hallowe’en’s teak planking on oak frames, yet Cotter and his happy-go-lucky band of friends seem to enjoy the best of both modern and classic sailing worlds.

While the boat is regularly used, and shared, by all owners in a seemingly easy-going arrangement, it is also chartered for cruising and racing. Only a few classics with such a rich history as Hallowe’en offer an opportunity to compete in an event such as Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez. - http://www.regattanews.com

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Lalli Captures 2010 Melges 32 World Championship Title


For Immediate Release
International Melges 32 Class Association
25 September 2010

Lalli Captures 2010 Melges 32 World Championship Title
San Francisco, California - Congratulations to 26-year old Luca Lalli on B-Lin Sailing as he has clinched the 2010 Melges 32 World Championship title, two points ahead of his strongest adversary John Porter on Full Throttle. Aboard Lalli's Melges 32 was tactician Lorenzo Bressani, Flavio Favini, Federico Michetti, Carlo Zermini, Luca Faravelli, Lorenzo Del Rio and Stefano Nicolussi. Jeff Ecklund on STAR had a phenomenal week pulling up to secure third overall.

With two additional races on PRO John Craig's agenda, ultra light conditions greeted the fleet as they made their way out to Berkeley Circle for the final showdown between top seated Lalli, Porter and Andy Lovell on Rougarou. With a mere 6 knots of breeze, the fleet went racing with Don Jesberg on Viva rounding the top mark in first, followed by Yukihiro Ishida's Yasha Samurai, then Alex Jackson's Leenabarca in third. The three raced downwind with Jesberg holding on for first with Lovell coming in from the right to slide in for second. Back upwind Lovell stretched his lead with Ishida overtaking Jesberg. Lovell took the win, Ishida was second. Porter, although rounding the first mark about mid-fleet, recovered well to challenge Jesberg for the third position at the finish. Jesberg had a little more momentum, just barely making the line to take third. Porter settled for fourth. Ecklund was fifth.

At this stage of the day, Porter had the title in hand with a one-point advantage over Lalli. As the race committee scrambled to fire off the second race of the day, prior to the 2:30 p.m. cut-off, teams were just as anxious to get in one more heat. The breeze was still light and fickle, lots of sunshine and flat seas prevailed as they went into almost immediate sequence once the line was set, Z-flag in effect. As the fleet approached the line, the first start resulted in a general recall with a Z-flag penalty applied to Porter and Kip Meadows on roXanne. Jackson, on the other hand shot off the line making a lane for the top spot around the mark, followed by Steve Howe on Warpath and Pieter Taselaar's Bliksem rounding third, Lalli in fourth. Firmly in the lead, Jackson took the win with Howe maintaining a second. Lalli finished third, sealing the deal for the championship win and title a substantial 11 points ahead of second overall Porter.

On behalf of the International Melges 32 Class Association, a very special thanks to every team that traveled to make this the largest Melges 32 Worlds ever. A great round of appreciation is extended to PRO John Craig and his entire race office staff, especially Melanie Roberts, Regatta Chair Nadine Franzyck and the St. Francis Yacht Club for the warm reception and hospitality. Extra special thanks to Sailgroove's Chris Love, St. Francis Yacht Club Junior Director Mike Kalin and guest commentator Offshore Rules' Justin Chisholm, presented by Velocitek.

T2Ptv has been on site all week long filming the 2010 Melges 32 Worlds. Please check out their website this upcoming week as a highlight reel will be posted.

The 2011 Melges 32 World Championship takes place on September 20-25 in Palma de Mallorca, hosted by Real Club Nautico de Palma.

Top Ten Results (After 10 races, 1 discard)
1.) Luca Lalli/Lorenzo Bressani, B-lin Sailing; [15]-6-1-8-8-2-7-4-9-3 = 48
2.) John Porter/Jonathan McKee, Full Throttle; 3-[23]-10-4-4-11-4-2-4-17/ZFP = 59
3.) Jeff Ecklund/Harry Melges III, STAR; 6-[19]-9-13-1-8-1-10-5-10 = 63
4.) Andy Lovell/Johnny Lovell, Rougarou; 2-4-3-25-13-6-8-6-1-[31] = 68
5.) Steve Howe/Morgan Larson, Warpath; [33/DSQ]-9-17-5-12-1-11-7-13-2 = 77
6.) Alex Jackson/Rob Greenhalgh, Leenabarca; 10-5-4-21-6-5-[24]-21-8-1 = 81
7.) Doug Douglas/Russell Coutts, Goombay Smash; 13-1-14-1-[25]-9-9-16-20-4 = 87
8.) Joe Woods/Paul Goodison, Red; 7-20-5-9-10-[33/DNF]-6-8-11-5-6-17 = 88
9.) Pieter Taselaar/Jeremy Wilmot, Bliksem; [23]-12-2-14-2-13-16-22-11-5 = 97
10.) Yukihiro Ishida/Tony Rey, Yasha Samurai; 4-21-11-16-11-[24]-17-5-2-12 = 99
Full Results
Full Entry List
Full Crew List

Photo Galleries
Sharon Green
International Melges 32 Class Association

Saturday, September 25, 2010

BREEZE ON FOR THE FINAL DAY OF THE AUDI MEDCUP, TEAMORIGIN FINISH THE SERIES IN FOURTH OVERALL


AUDI MEDCUP FINAL EVENT: CAGLIARI, DAY FIVE, SATURDAY 25TH SEPTEMBER 2010
It was an exciting day on the race course today with the north westerly mistral blowing dogs off chains in the Bay of Angels, Cagliari.
TEAMORIGIN had a great last race of the season surfing the downwind legs in excess of 20 knots of boat speed to take second place behind Audi A1.
Matt, Catflap, Cornwell, TEAMORIGIN bowman “We had a great race in 25-30 knots of wind. Even saw a couple of 32 knots gusts down the last run which was good fun! We hit our top boat speed which was nice, 23 knots down wind, it was on the edge but really great fun and nice to see a good result to end the series. We’ve earned our beers today!”

Matador were looking good for continuing their winning streak of this event until disaster struck going round the first mark, they ripped their spinnaker and were buried to the middle of the fleet as they retrieved it and re-hoisted another. Unfortunately this put an end to their quest to wrestle second place in the series from Quantum Racing so they stay on the podium in third overall.

Matador won this event but it's Emirates Team New Zealand who take the series once again this year having won overall in 2009 as well.

TEAMORIGIN finish the Audi MedCup series in fourth place overall, slightly disappointing given that a podium place was still possible going into this event . The team will now get ready for the last match race event of their season in Bermuda and then the final Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai regatta in November before turning their attentions to multihull sailing in preparation for the America’s Cup

Ben Ainslie, skipper and helm, TEAMORIGIN “It’s been a great season. As a team we have come a long way and improved in many key areas. We are looking forward to the next event in Bermuda and also finding out more information regarding the next America’s Cup”

For full results go to: http://www.medcup.org/results/venue.php?trophy=5
Follow TEAMORIGIN on twitter and facebook
http://twitter.com/TEAMORIGIN


To follow racing with live race coverage streaming with virtual eye go to:
http://www.teamorigin.com/
http://www.medcup.org/

For images go to:
http://www.teamoriginimages.com/

Friday, September 24, 2010

San Francisco Delivers, Lalli Takes The Melges 32 Worlds Lead

San Francisco Delivers, Lalli Takes The Melges 32 Worlds Lead

San Francisco, California - It was another incredible day of racing at the 2010 Melges 32 World Championship, hosted by the St. Francis Yacht Club. Three heats delivered three different winners under absolutely stunning conditions. Overnight leader Andy Lovell on Rougarou was toppled by Luca Lalli's B-Lin Sailing now in first place overall, while Alex Jackson's Leenabaca remains in third.

An early postponement led to getting started about an hour later than scheduled with the breeze beginning to settle in for the first race start. The third attempt was the charm with Doug Douglas' Goombay Smash stepping out front of the fleet and Martin Knetig's Black Mamba pouring on the speed as they rounded the top mark in first and second. "There was a little more pressure on the left, and a little line bias. We were fast off the line in that first race for sure." said Marco Constant, on board with Douglas. "No matter what, we are having heaps of fun." Douglas was simply lit downwind as he passed through the gate in first, this time followed by Jason Carroll on Argo. The two finished respectively with France's Jean Francois Cruette on Teasing Machine finishing third.

Race two witnessed the speed of Jeff Ecklund's STAR. Taking to left side early as the breeze filled in further, Ecklund rounded the weathermark in first, followed by John Porter on Full Throttle in second and Lalli's B-Lin Sailing. Ecklund pulled away from the fleet leg-by-leg to take the win. Reigning World Champion Pieter Taselaar on Bliksem got in on the mix to take second. Finishing third, Steve Pugh on Taboo had an incredible race.

The last and final race of the day took place around 4:30 p.m., yet brought on the best breeze of the day with another five-legged upwind finish. First around was Steve Howe on Warpath with a solid set taking him to the gate firmly in the lead. "Today was great." said Warpath tactician Morgan Larson. "We finally got around the course quite well." Howe dominated that late afternoon racing scene with Lalli grabbing on for second place position, chasing for the top spot. Kip Meadows and his roXanne Melges 32 had a much better day taking third. All finished in respective order.

After six races and a discard, Lalli now leads the Melges 32 fleet in San Francisco, moving him up a full three notches to take first place, sliding overnight leader Andy Lovell into second. Alex Jackson remains in third, Porter moves up five slots for fourth and Jeff Ecklund's outstanding performance today edged him up three places to finish fifth overall.

Special thanks to everyone who tuned in to Watch LIVE from the course, presented by Velocitek. Sail Groove's Chris Love and commentator, St. Francis Yacht Club Junior Director Mike Kalin kept everyone entertained. Everyone is encouraged to tune in as the racing in San Francisco is by far, the most incredible Melges 32 competition ever seen. Updates will also be made available on the official Melges 32 Facebook and Twitter pages. Live Tracking is also available by Kattack.

Top Ten Results (After 6 Races 1 discard)
1.) Luca Lalli/Lorenzo Bressani, B-lin Sailing; [15]-6-1-8-8-2 = 25
2.) Andy Lovell/Johnny Lovell, Rougarou; 2-4-3-[25]-13-6 = 28
3.) Alex Jackson/Rob Greenhalgh, Leenabarca; 10-5-4-[21]-6-5 = 23
4.) John Porter/Jonathan McKee, Full Throttle; 3-[23]-10-4-4-11 = 32
5.) Jeff Ecklund/Harry Melges III, STAR; 6-[19]-9-13-1-8 = 37
6.) Doug Douglas/Russell Coutts, Goombay Smash; 13-1-14-1-[25]-9 = 38
7.) Pieter Taselaar/Jeremy Wilmot, Bliksem; [23]-12-2-14-2-23 = 43
8.) Steve Howe/Morgan Larson, Warpath; [33/DSQ]-9-17-5-12-1 = 44
9.) Kip Meadows/Andy Horton, roXanne; 17-7-13-6-[19]-3 = 46
10.) Jean Francois Cruette/Christian Ponthieu, Teasing Machine; [22]-17-6-3-16-7 = 49

Full Results
Full Entry List
Full Crew List

Photo Galleries
Sharon Green
International Melges 32 Class Association

Visit the official website of the International Melges 32 Class Association. If you are unable to attend the 2010 Melges 32 World Championship, stay in touch by subscribing to the IM32CA RSS Feed or visiting the Official Melges 32 Blog. The Melges 32 can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

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Melges 32 Worlds : Viewer Friendly
The St. Francis Yacht Club is considered one of the world’s most spectacular venues for sailboat racing, with the club perched high on the shore of San Francisco Bay. Competitors, friends and fans can follow the regatta online at melges32worlds.com. Race results and updates direct from the race course, GPS-based boat tracking, live video, sailors interviews and daily highlights videos will be made available.

About St. Francis Yacht Club
Founded in 1927, St. Francis Yacht Club, within view of the Golden Gate Bridge, is a year-round host of over 40 regattas on San Francisco Bay. The club is renowned for its expertise in running world and national championships.

Dive... Dive... Dive!


www.lloydimages.com

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Overwhelming support from Punta del Este for the Global Ocean Race


Carlos Ferreira Silva (Port Captain of Punta del Este), Josh Hall, Horacio Garcia Pastori (Commodore of the YCPE

At a press conference held on Thursday 23 September at the Yacht Club Punta del Este (YCPE), Uruguay, full support for the South American stopover of the Global Ocean Race 2011-12 (GOR) was confirmed by local groups and national government bodies. Concluding a six-day site visit to this popular and famous staging post for round the world yacht races, GOR Race Director, Josh Hall, formalised the extensive arrangements that are now in place for an extremely welcome stopover at the end of the double-handed circumnavigation’s tough Leg 3 from Wellington, New Zealand.

The event has been granted a status of National Importance by the Uruguayan Government and coupled with the full support of the Ministry of Tourism; The Uruguayan Navy; The Hydrographic Department; The Department of Maldonado; The City of Punta del Este and the Yacht Club Punta del Este, the month long stopover during March 2012 promises to be a highly successful return of round the world yacht racing to this stunning venue.

With the Southern Ocean and Cape Horn behind them, the GOR sailors will receive a warm Uruguayan welcome in Punta del Este where excellent facilities for repairs and boat preparation can be utilised and the GOR teams can enjoy the stylish benefits offered by one of the world’s finest beach resorts. It is anticipated that a large entourage of family, friends and sponsors will take the opportunity to visit this unique destination during the race stopover and although March is just outside the city’s busy high-season, the fabulous weather of the Southern Hemisphere late-summer remains.

In addition to their support of the GOR, all the parties involved have committed their practical support for the Global Vision Sailing Trust programme that will operate out of the YCPE throughout the stopover with up to 24 young people from the region undertaking an inspirational and educational experience each day.

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Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Regates Royales Cannes 2010 onboard Shamrock V.






Photos by Christophe Launay www.sealaunay.com

For more information and results please go on: http://www.regatesroyales.com

TP52 Accident Cagliari




Photo: Stefano Gattini-Guido Trombetta/STUDIO BORLENGHI-Audi Med Cup

Alberto Roemmers’ Matador lead the Region of Sardinia Trophy after winning two of today’s three races.

Their two well won victories sandwich a fifth place which proved an equal measure of their tenacity and resolution, coming back from last place through the first half of the race.

Matador’s consistency keeps them five points clear of Synergy going into tomorrow’s coastal race which carries a 1.5 points multiplier.

Audi MedCup Circuit champions Emirates Team New Zealand followed a similar pattern to their opening day, starting badly with a tenth, but fighting back to a second and third to lie third on the overall regatta standings.

If on Tuesday it had offered something of a one sided race track, Cagliari’s Bay of Angels may have had a devil’s influence at times today because the breeze pattern altered from race to race as the split winds on either side of the course offered big opportunities for gains and losses, especially on the downwind legs.

Matador won the first race which was contested in near perfect sea breeze conditions of nine to ten knots. Quantum Racing lead through the early stages of the race but chose to gybe set at the final windward mark while Vasco Vascotto and Francesco Bruni conspired to go right down the run to gain more than half a minute, stealing across the finish ahead of the 2008 Audi MedCup champions.

In the second race it was Synergy’s tactician Rod Dawson (NZL) who read the first beat best. They flipped right early and were able to take command as the breeze lifted progressively, ensuring they lead all the way around ahead of Emirates Team New Zealand. Approaching half way up the first beat Matador fouled Quantum Racing, tacking too close to them, and had to take a penalty. That dropped them to round the windward mark as tail enders. They made little impression on the run, but their never say die attitude and inspired downwind sailing saw the world champions restore themselves to a useful fifth.

With dark clouds covering the race area and an oppressive, humid air replacing the early sunshine, the final race of the day was marred by a first beat collision between Audi A1 powered by All4ONE and Bribon. The Franco-German team lost control in the final, painful seconds as the tried to duck the Spanish boat and struck them hard one third of the way from the back of their port topsides. Both boats had to retire and Bribon will not be able to take any further part in the regatta.

Ironically the iconic Spanish crew suffered a similar sad fate in the last regatta of the MedCup in 2006 in Ibiza. The only other big collisions of recent years on the Circuit was at a messy top mark approach in Marseille in 2007, but both times these incidents were as the fleet converged, nearing the windward mark.

Matador lead the race from the first turning mark and at one stage were over 200 metres ahead of second placed TeamOrigin (GBR), while Emirates Team New Zealand took third.

42 Series: The leader leads
Madrid-Caser Seguros (ESP) showed today why they are the overall leaders in the 42 Series: good starts, excellent crew work, solid tactics, and an edge in boat speed that, when given the chance, gets them from behind to ahead before the end of the race.

Their scores of 1-2-1 today have given them a four point lead for the Region of Sardinia Trophy, and an extends to 11 points their overall series lead over the defending 2009 42 Series Champion, Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (ESP).

And while the Canarias team today did well to win Race 2, they are but tied on points with a resurgent AIRISESSENTIAL (ITA), who are also showing to be a possible threat on scores of 2-4-2. Owner/driver Roberto Monti (ITA) had to step off before Race 3 to attend to business commitments in Milan, and was replaced on the helm by project manager Cesare Bressan (ITA).

Even Peninsula Petroleum (GBR) showed moments of promise today in Races 1 & 2, and even closed down a big gap with the pack suffered after an OCS in Race 3.

--------------------------------

Region of Sardinia Trophy

52 Series
Day 2
1. Matador (ARG), 2+8+2+1+5+1= 19 points
2. Synergy (RUS), 6+5+3+4+1+5= 24
3. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), 8+2+1+10+2+3= 26
4. TeamOrigin (GBR), 7+4+4+8+4+2= 29
5. Audi A1 powered by ALL4ONE (FRA/GER), 5+1+5+6+3+11(DNF)= 31
6. Quantum Racing (USA), 9+3+7+2+6+4= 31
7. Bribón (ESP), 1+9+8+3+8+11(DNF)= 40
8. Artemis (SWE), 3+6+10+5+9+8= 41
9. Cristabella (GBR), 4+10+6+9+7+6= 42
10. Luna Rossa (ITA), 10+7+9+7+10+7= 50

42 Series
Day 1
1. Madrid – Caser Seguros (ESP), 1+2+1= 4 points
2. Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (ESP), 4+1+3= 8
3. AIRISESSENTIAL (ITA), 2+4+2= 8
4. Península Petroleum (GBR), 3+3+4= 10



Dubai regatta to mark the close of the Louis Vuitton Trophy

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Emirates Airline, the top international sailing teams in the world will face-off in Dubai in November to contest the Louis Vuitton Trophy.

© DIMC - The Dubai event will mark the final regatta of the Louis Vuitton Trophy

Racing is scheduled to start on November 14th on the waters of the Arabian Gulf, off the spectacular Dubai International Marine Club (DIMC), and will continue through November 27th when the final Louis Vuitton Trophy champion will be crowned.

The Dubai event marks the last of the Louis Vuitton Trophy regattas, as the teams begin to shift their focus to the 34th America’s Cup and its series of multihull regattas.

“The Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai is going to be very special for us,” confirmed Yves Carcelle, the Chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton. “We have had a long association – over 25 years – with the America’s Cup. This chapter of the story is coming to an end but we are very proud and happy that the Louis Vuitton Trophy has been able to provide a competitive outlet over the past two years for so many of the teams.”

Among those scheduled to participate in Dubai is the most recent winner of the America’s Cup, BMW ORACLE Racing (USA), as well as Emirates Team New Zealand, who have captured the last two Louis Vuitton Trophy events, in La Maddalena, Italy and at home in Auckland, New Zealand.

Teams from Russia, Italy, Sweden, France-Germany and Great Britain, boasting some of the top sailing talent in the world, will also be competing, with the Kiwi and American teams supplying the four ACC boats to be used for the races.

“We’ve witnessed some fabulous racing at the Louis Vuitton Trophy and brought the very best sailing teams in the world to some incredible venues,” said Paul Cayard, the President of the WSTA, and skipper of the Artemis (SWE) team.

“As a sailor, I am sure Dubai will be no different. We can expect more intense competition in great racing conditions as the teams begin to gear up for the next America’s Cup.”

In Dubai, the teams will compete for two weeks in a one-on-one match racing format, through a Round Robin, and elimination rounds, culminating in a final between the two strongest competitors.

The Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai is the fourth and final regatta of its kind, the result of a partnership between Louis Vuitton, the World Sailing Teams Association (WSTA) and the regatta venues. In Dubai, Emirates has come aboard as a Principal Sponsor for the event.

In addition to the Louis Vuitton Trophy racing, which will take place very close to shore, making for fantastic viewing, there will be plenty of other activities at the race village adjacent to the DIMC.

The Louis Vuitton Junior Trophy will gather up to 40 of the best young sailors in the region to compete in the Open BIC class. The winner will have the honour of sailing with their America’s Cup heroes in one of the coveted ‘18th man’ spots on board one of the race boats during the final weekend of competition.

On Saturday, 20th November, the America’s Cup sailors will have to adapt to a new style of racing as they compete in a traditional dhow race. Foreigners have never been permitted to compete in this traditional style of racing, making this an historical opportunity.

“The UAE has always had strong links with the sea and has focused on preserving the traditional sailing dhow of this region. From a working fleet, which dwindled in the late 1980’s we are proud to see fleets of up to two hundred boats today,” explained Saeed Hareb CEO of DIMC.

“The Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai is a great opportunity in countless ways but it also gives us the chance to unite cultures in a unique sporting event by inviting the America’s Cup sailors to experience racing on our traditional dhows.”

There will be full coverage of the Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai on the event website, www.louisvuittontrophy.com. The final three days of racing will be shown live on Dubai TV.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

The BT Boats Class40 KIWI 40FC hull #1 is launched in Auckland



BT Boats KIWI 40FC launch in Auckland - photos Renata Minetto

At 08:00 on Tuesday morning New Zealand-time, the first KIWI 40FC Class40 was launched at Pier 21 in Auckland. The brainchild of Lapo Ancillotti and Francesco Piva of BT Boats, the latest Class40 design is the result of a collaboration between Farr Yacht Design and Cookson Boats and the forthcoming sea trials will be closely followed by Class40 sailors.

For Lapo Ancillotti of BT Boats, the project has been highly-demanding, but exciting and rewarding: “Our first objective has been reached with the launch of the first KIWI 40FC,” he confirmed on Tuesday. “Everything has gone according to plan so far and the boat will now begin an intense program of speed tests and sea trials in Auckland and Wellington.” Following the launch, the yacht was moved to the Viaduct basin as a temporary base. “The launch of the first boat is a landmark moment for us,” admits Ancillotti. “After ten long and intense months, we finally get to go to sea and test the boat that we have dedicated so much energy to. On behalf of myself and Francesco, I would like to thank Farr Yacht Design and Cookson Boats for the excellent job they have done, the professionalism shown, and the dedication that allowed us to realize an outstanding Class40 yacht.”

The KIWI 40FC is the first Class40 for Farr Yacht Design (FYD) and their offshore racing background was invaluable throughout the design process. Patrick Shaughnessy, President of FYD explains: “Farr Yacht Design's work on Volvo Open 70 and IMOCA 60 designs has had a big influence on the development of the KIWI 40FC,” says Shaughnessy. “Our experience in these classes has certainly improved our understanding of boat handling and ergonomics when sailing shorthanded in the open ocean.”

Part of the early design process utilized CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamic) programs in collaboration with the Stevens Institute of Technology. “Developing this design, we utilized many of the research techniques, including CFD, that have been refined for Volvo Ocean Race development,” he continues. “We have utilized our whole tool set to produce a powerful, low drag hull shape well-suited to offshore sailing.” Through the design evolution process, hull form; chines; transom immersion; longitudinal hull shape; bow-fullness and section style were refined and FYD estimate that they have reduced overall drag by three to five per cent in some conditions.

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ISAF Women's World Match Racing Championships

September 21, 2010
Newport, RI

Racing started today at the ISAF Women's World Match Racing Championships and our team had a great day starting 3-1. After a morning of sitting and waiting, we finally got racing mid-afternoon and raced until the sun went down.

Team Tunnicliffe Rounding Ahead Of Brazil Late Afternoon
Photo: (c) http://isafwomensmatchraceworlds.wordpress.com/


The other group started racing at 9:30 this morning in a dying northerly breeze. As they were scheduled to do four flights before we hit the water, our group had the morning off. We headed out to an island to watch the racing, and saw the tail end of their first flight before the breeze completely died and they were sent ashore as they waited for the sea breeze to come in. We decided to head home and continue working on our jigsaw puzzle and read to relax before we were told to head out. The breeze filled in around 1pm; the other group headed back out to start racing again.

Our group finally headed out at 2:15 and got into our boat by 3pm. Our first two races were pretty close up the first beat but we had great speed and boat handling downwind enabling us to stretch it out and finish with a five or six boat length lead.

Our third race of the day was against our fellow Americans, Sally Barkow and team. We had a great race with them up the first beat, tacking at each other numerous times in 15-18kts of breeze. At the top, both boats were neck and neck, but Barkow had the inside berth at the mark. As she rounded, she had problems bearing away which allowed us to get inside and have a great spinnaker set. Once Barkow finally bore away, she started to broach to windward and we extended a little more. We both gybed to starboard, she headed up high, then swung low to get underneath us. Shortly thereafter, there was contact between her spinnaker pole and our boom. We were penalized, but the race was still on. As we closed to the leeward mark, it was close as to whether or not we had room. I made the call that we did and rounded inside of her. As it turned out, we didn't have room and we were penalized again, resulting in us having to spin our second penalty immediately giving her a bit of a lead from which we couldn't recover. It was rather unfortunate because it was such a good race, and a bit silly on our part. New goal for regatta: not to make silly mistakes like that for the rest of the event. It was an important lesson that if it's windy like that, our red-zone (our danger zone around the other boat and marks) is a bit wider than normal, so we should be careful.

Our fourth race started with us in a strong position and we led all around the course to take our score to 3-1. Our group starts racing again tomorrow morning at 9:30, so we ate a quick dinner, are about to have our debrief and then off to bed so we will be fresh and alert for the five races left in our round robin tomorrow.

You can check out the results at the regatta website. There is also live tracking online so you can follow along with the racing too. Another link to follow: http://isafwomensmatchraceworlds.wordpress.com/

We would like to thank Carmeuse and Trinity Yachts for their continued support of our campaign for the 2012 Olympics in London. We would also like to thank US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics (USSTAG) and its sponsors for their support.

Sail Hard,

Anna
Team Tunnicliffe

TP52 Cagliari


52 Series: © Guido Trombetta_Studio Borlenghi/Audi MedCup

Region of Sardinia Trophy © Ainhoa Sanchez/Audi MedCup
Paul Cayard
Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Today was the first day of the Audi Med Cup-Cagliari. Three races were held in 8-18 knots for the ten boat fleet of TP52s.

Onboard Artemis our first and second races were good with a 3,6 and we were 2nd overall at that point. Then a bad start and going the wrong way on the first windward leg of the third race put us way behind the fleet. We fought back to battle on the last run with Bribon and Luna Rossa but we failed to pass them at the finish.

After light to moderate Southeasterly winds for three-quarters of the day the wind really piped up for that last race. The water was very choppy.

Emirates Team New Zealand came out of the day in first, with Matador in second.

Tomorrow racing begins at 1300 and moderate Southeasterly winds are forecast again.

For complete results go to http://www.medcup.org/

Paul

Cayard Sailing Website

gp42 practice race photos





audi med cup cagliari
gp42 practice race
photos max ranchi

Between racing and final checks: no downtime for the Gitana Team

In a month’s time, the maxi-trimaran fitted out by Baron Benjamin de Rothschild will make her entry into the port of Saint Malo on France’s North coast. Her arrival in the Corsair Town will mark the home straight for the team before the start of the 9th Route du Rhum – La Banque Postale, scheduled a week later on Sunday 31st October. During this period, where every day counts, the members of the Gitana Team aren’t wasting a second. Indeed, whilst Yann Guichard is taking off for Sicily this Tuesday, for the fourth event of the Extreme Sailing Series 2010, the shore crew is honing the final details and putting Gitana 11 through one last check-up.

General check-up for Gitana 11

With the Route du Rhum fast approaching the team’s schedule is being fined down to the nearest millimetre… For Yann Guichard and the Gitana Team’s shore crew, the first three weeks of September have been entirely devoted to preparing the flagship of the Gitana fleet. Indeed the skipper of Gitana 11 has used the varied conditions of the past few weeks to best advantage by making a number of solo sails. Alternating between day sails and nights spent at sea, Yann has been able to improve and perfect his knowledge of the ‘machine’.

Yesterday, the team made the most of another session on the water with Gitana 11 before the maxi-trimaran revisits the familiar surroundings of the team’s hangars. This final return to the yard prior to the start of the Route du Rhum will be an express pit stop, dedicated exclusively to service checks prior to a solo transatlantic crossing, as well as a thorough clean of the hull. “It’s a short but perfect timeframe. Yann is overseas for virtually the whole week to defend the colours of the Edmond de Rothschild Group at the helm of the team’s Extreme 40, and we’re spot on with our pre-start timing. Following the May refit we had thought that would be the last time we would lift the boat out onto the hard. However, this latest session in the yard doesn’t alter Gitana 11’s sailing and preparation programme in any way so it was important to make the most of this opportunity. We’re once again working along the principle of precaution as the team always prefers to give the boat a general check-up before an event like the Route du Rhum, especially as certain inspections require Gitana 11 to be out of the water” explains Cyril Dardashti, General Manager of the Gitana Team.

Gitana 11’s technical manager and boat captain, William Fabulet, explains the aims of this final pit stop: “We have a week to inspect the boat, which will take the form of a visual scan and possibly a sounding check. This general check-up isn’t compulsory but given that the schedule allows for it we prefer not to leave anything to chance. All the lines and onboard systems will be checked and anything which shows signs of wear will be replaced. We’re also going to concentrate on the mast so as to dismantle the various elements which make it up, degrease and put everything back in place. To round all that off, the team will make the most of the opportunity to buff up the hull so that Gitana 11 can slip along perfectly.”

Trapani plays host to the Extreme Sailing Series for the first time

As explained above, the Gitana Team’s shore crew will be making the most of the racing in Trapani and the resulting absence of their skipper on Breton waters, to carry out an express trip to the yard. Indeed, in 48 hours’ time, the fourth and penultimate Grand Prix of the Extreme Sailing Series 2010 will begin. From Thursday to Sunday – 23rd to 26th September – seven crews will be battling it out in the nautical arena of Trapani, a famous port town to the North-West of the island. And though the Sicilian town is playing host to the 40 foot one-designs for the very first time, this certainly won’t be its first ever nautical event. In fact, back in 2005, the Louis Vuitton Cup races were held there, as was the Orma 60’ multihull Grand Prix two years later.

“Despite my Sicilian roots, which I get from my mother, I know very little about the island and have no experience at all of the race zone in Trapani. I’m really looking forward to discovering it. I’m also delighted that I’ll be doing some crewed racing again after several weeks dedicated to solo sailing aboard Gitana 11. The two exercises are completely different, but I find that they have a certain complementary nature about them in my preparation for the Rhum!” explains Yann Guichard.

After its victory in Germany at the end of August – the second success of the 2010 season – the crew of Edmond de Rothschild will doubtless be closely monitored by the competition… but it’s going to take more than that to unsettle the Gitana skipper: “We’re leading the championship and our latest victory in Kiel a few weeks back, was very important. Right now we still have two Grand Prix events to compete in and the first three have clearly demonstrated that the situation can change in the blink of an eye, as the top four crews are so similar. As a result my crew aren’t going to change the way we’re sailing. We’re just going to take it one race at a time and do our best to get on the podium again. I reckon that’s the best way of winning the 2010 championship” concludes Yann Guichard.

The crew of Edmond de Rothschild Group in Trapani

Yann Guichard - Skipper, helmsman / Pierre Pennec – Mainsail trimmer / Hervé Cunningham – Headsail trimmer / Yves Detrey - Bowman

Provisional ranking in the Extreme Sailing Series 2010 (after three Grands Prix)

1. Edmond de Rothschild Group (Yann Guichard) - 22 points
2. The Wave, Muscat (Paul Campbell-James) - 20 points
3. Ecover Sailing Team (Mike Golding) - 19 points
4. Oman Sail Masirah (Loïck Peyron) - 17 points
5. Red Bull Extreme Sailing (Roman Hagara) - 10 points
6. Groupama 40 (Franck Cammas) - 9 points
7. The Ocean Racing Club (Mitch Booth) - 8 points
8. Team GAC Pindar (Nick Moloney) - 3 points

Find all the latest news from the Gitana Team at www.gitana-team.com

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Short Film about 2 USSTAG 49er Sailors


Team Barnegat Bay: Voyage to the Olympics
by jjchando on 14. Sep, 2010 in Films


I feel compelled to share with you my latest documentary short film about two incredible sailors with olympic dreams. Peet Must and Carl Horrocks have been sailing and training all over the world on a sailing campaign to get to the 2012 olympic games. They are on the US Sailing Team Alphagraphics (USSTAG) which is the sailing team that actually sends the top USA boat to the olympics. We were able to catch up with them during a training day back home at Toms River Yacht Club in NJ. I’m happy to have been a part in their journey.

My objectives for this film were to take these two sailors and put their journey into perspective, as well as to reveal a little taste into what olympic sailing is all about. They have been training so hard for two years now, and this film reveals what they have been working on over the past few years.
I’d like to say that this film showcases two sailors in a way that hasn’t ever been done before. I shot the whole thing with the RED one digital cinema camera, and we used a variety of really cool techniques to capture the footage. Filming the 49er sailboat is one of the hardest things to do. They are both incredibly talented, and they just fly across the water. The 49er is by far the most competitive high-performance sailing in the world.

I am really proud of my team that help me put this all together, and I couldn’t have done it without any of them.
Let me just list the credits here, because they all worked very hard, and I really appreciate all of the time they put in on this project. Putting this film together was no easy task.
Director and Producer
Justin J. Chando
Executive Producer
Jeff Mack
Editing
Justin Chando
Jeff Mack
Colorist
John Cappuccino
Original Score
Frank Watkoskey (how about that music? completely original..all written from scratch for this film)
Sound Engineer
Jon Lynch
Director of Photography
Justin J. Chando
1st Assistant Camera / DIT
Khan Kwon
Motion Graphics
Kyle Gallagher
Special Thanks
Mr. and Mrs. Must
Mr. and Mrs. Horrocks
Walter Matthew Marvin
Silvio DeCristofano
US Sailing Team Alphagraphics
Toms River Yacht Club

By the way, please check out Team Barnegat Bay’s sailing campaign at www.barnegatbay49er.com. I hope you enjoy the film.

Largest Melges 32 World Championship Ever Is San Francisco Bay Bound

San Francisco, California - The International Melges 32 Class Association (IM32CA) is just days away from commencing its second World Championship, hosted by the St. Francis Yacht Club (StFYC) in San Francisco, Calif. on September 22-25 with a record-breaking 32 entries. The fleet is naturally dominated by 23 North American entrants, 3 from Japan, 2 from Great Britain and one each from the Czech Republic, France, Italy and New Zealand. The illustrious Rolex Big Boat Series (RBBS) provides the perfect stage acting as Pre-Worlds. It is the ideal warm-up opportunity that promises a full serving of Bay Area breeze and stiff current for the 26 registered teams as they hone in on the class’ World Championship trophy.


ELITE COMPETITION
To no one’s surprise, the entry list is long and right on target with class estimates. It is also safe to assume that the World Championship in San Francisco will produce intense competition as a vast number of teams have an excellent chance of doing well. A quick glance down the Official Event Crew List gives every indication that not only is sailing’s elite present, but the racing will be tight, competitive, fast and seriously fun. From top to bottom it includes many of the season’s owner/driver regatta champions. 2010 Key West Race Week Champion John Kilroy with tactician Stu Bannatyne on Samba Pa Ti, Jean-Francois Cruette’s Teasing Machine and Miami Grand Prix winning tactician Christian Ponthieu, Gold Cup winner Rod Jabin on Ramrod with Chris Larson on tactics, East Coast Champion Alex Jackson on Leenabarca with tactician Rob Greenhalgh and Northeast Regatta Champ John Porter with tactician Jonathan McKee on Full Throttle will all be on task for a win.

The European contingent is equally strong. Front and center is 2010 Melges 32 European and USA Winter Series Circuit Champion Joe Woods on Red in true form with steady tactician Paul Goodison. Recently crowned 2010 Audi Melges 32 Sailing Series Champion Luca Lalli on B-lin Sailing will be in very good company with tactician, double (reigning) Melges 24 World Champion Lorenzo Bressani. Also, amongst his crew is former America’s Cup helmsman Flavio Favini and triple Melges 24 World and multiple European Champion Federico Michetti.

"The Melges 32 is the most exciting one design class in the world." says North American Fleet President Stephen Pugh. "We are very excited about welcoming everyone to what is unequivocally the most beautiful and popular sailing venue in the world. The always exciting San Francisco Bay will fully satisfy the thrill seekers. Pair that with StFYC’s world-class race committee led by John Craig and you have the makings of a monumental event."

If one were to attempt to narrow down the field and examine who potentially is in best position for trophy contention, it would include Kilroy’s Samba Pa Ti. He has had a phenomenal year with exceptional high-end results beginning in Key West, simultaneously acquiring the prestigious Boat of the Week award. Kilroy has ventured beyond his backyard multiple times in 2010 in preparation for Worlds. He competed in Europe twice then returned in late August to win the inaugural California Cup/San Francisco Race Week.

Luca Lalli’s B-lin Sailing will be a force to be reckoned with. His strong and consistent performances throughout Europe in 2010 places him high on the list alongside of fellow European Woods. His collection of accolades span regattas in North America and Europe that include second place finishes in Ft. Lauderdale and Key West, a fifth in Miami and a fourth in Harbor Springs. The icing on the cake was a more than well-deserved win in Cagliari at the European Championship.

Porter’s powerful Full Throttle should not be underestimated either. A nice finish in Miami, a win in Newport and a fourth at Nationals is nothing to take lightly. He is also a former Melges 32 Division Champion at the Rolex Big Boat Series.

Returning to Worlds in full defense of the title and trophy, is Pieter Taselaar on Bliksem. Like Kilroy, Taselaar realizes the value in racing the European circuit and that it effectively raises the bar regarding crew work and pushes more aggressively for acquired boat speed. Two components, that Taselaar can attest, to win a World Championship is more than required, it’s mandatory.

RBBS/Melges 32 Pre-Worlds competition commences on Thursday, September 16 and runs through Sunday, September 19. Official World Championship racing begins on Wednesday, September 22.

PORTER, WOODS & KILROY HEADLINE 2010 USA SAILING SERIES
Moving forward into World Championship competition, seven of the eight scheduled 2010 USA Sailing Series events are complete with Porter leading by two slim points. In second overall is Woods and Kilroy is third. Woods captured the Winter Series title back in March (Gold Cup, Key West and Miami). Kip Meadows on roXanne, currently seated in fifth, had control for a short period of time, as did fourth place Jabin. Clearly the chase is on. Only seven points separate first from fifth positions.
View 2010 USA Sailing Series Standings


Full Entry List
1.) Phil Lotz/Rick Merriman, Arethusa
2.) Jason Carroll/John Baxter, ARGO
3.) Derek Campbell/Dalton Bergan, Banshee
4.) Martin Knetig/Martin Trcka, Black Mamba
5.) Pieter Taselaar/Jeremy Wilmot, Bliksem
6.) Luca Lalli/Lorenzo Bressani, B-lin Sailing
7.) Michael Dominguez/Anthony Kotoun, Bronco
8.) Naofumi Kamei/Kan Yamada, Bros.
9.) Malcolm Gefter/John Mollicone, Celeritas
10.) Ed Tillinghast/Charles Enright, Dark n’ Stormy
11.) John Porter/Jonathan McKee, Full Throttle
12.) Doug Douglass/Russell Coutts, Goombay Smash
13.) Bob Hughes/Chris Rast, Heartbreaker
14.) Alex Jackson/Rob Greenhalgh, Leenabarca
15.) John Taylor/Andrew Campbell, Ninkasi
16.) Philippe Kahn/Mark Christensen, Pegasus-MotionX
17.) Jim Swartz/Gavin Brady, Q
18.) Rod Jabin/Chris Larson, Ramrod
19.) Joe Woods/Paul Goodison, Red
20.) Andy Lovell/Johnny Lovell, Rougarou
21.) Kip Meadows/Andy Horton, roXanne
22.) John Kilroy/Stu Bannatyne, Samba Pa Ti
23.) Geoff Pierini/Brad Read, Shakedown
24.) Takashi Okura/Francesco de Angeles, SLED
25.) Jeff Ecklund/Nathan Wilmot, STAR
26.) Stephen Pugh/Mark Ivey, Taboo
27.) Stuart Simpson/Nigel Young, Team Barbarians
28.) Jean Francois Cruette/Christian Ponthieu, Teasing Machine
29.) Stefan Goldwater/Andrew Wills, Tirade
30.) Don Jesberg/Zarko Draganic, Viva
31.) Steve Howe/Morgan Larson, Warpath
32.) Yukihiro Ishida/Hamish Pepper, Yasha Samurai

Full Entry List : 2010 Melges 32 World Championship

Visit the official website of the International Melges 32 Class Association. If you are unable to attend the 2010 Melges 32 World Championship, stay in touch by subscribing to the IM32CA RSS Feed or visiting the Official Melges 32 Blog. The Melges 32 can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

SWANS FLY THE COOP


Photo credit: Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi

For the 92 yachts at the dock in Porto Cervo it was a somewhat frustrating beginning to a promising week of racing in the biennial Rolex Swan Cup. The fleet was held at the dock for four hours waiting for the breeze and, more importantly, the seas to abate.

The strong northeasterly breeze that blew relentlessly through the night gave Principal Race Officer Peter Craig and his race committee cause for concern. The resulting sea state, while probably not boat breaking, was potentially gear-busting, and most ashore seemed content with the decision to postpone the original 1130 start time.

Then, at 1400 with the AP flag down, boats headed out to a northeasterly breeze of 15-18 knots and a 2-meter sea. Shortly after the race committee’s announcement, the crew of the Swan 42 Long Echo (GBR), finished their cappuccinos and headed for the boat. Tactician Roger Yeomans, ready to get racing said, “We’re absolutely delighted to sail here, it’s actually been on my bucket list for a long time, this regatta.”

About the postponement, Yeomans said, “We didn’t really have time to get too frustrated because we had too much scrutineering to tick off, and once we ticked that off it was time for coffees…and what a great place to sit and cogitate!

At 1530 the warning signal for the Maxis was sounded and the 22-boat fleet, from 60-footers to the 112-footers of Highland Breeze (NED) and Mystery, were sent on a 25-nautical mile course that had a short upwind beat, than a reach into the Golfo delle Saline to round Secco di Tre Monti, a beat up and around Ile di Monaci, a downwind run to Ile di Mortoriotto, up to a buoy in Golfo Pevero, and to the finish off the entrance off Porto Cervo. Leading the fleet around the course was the Swan 80 Berenice (ITA), the newest Swan here. By the turn at Mortoriotto however, the Swan 90s DSK Pioneer Investment (ITA), and White Lie (ITA) got by Berenice (ITA) to cross the finish line ahead. But it would be Johan Killinger’s year-old Swan 60 Emma, that corrected out ahead of both the Swan 90s to win the Maxi Class A’s first race of the regatta.

Roberto Saletti, tactician on White Lie said, “The race was very nice, the race committee waited for the right time to get the start after a very windy morning became a nice wind to race. We were very close with DSK, a very fast boat, and the new 80, Berenice. We were very happy as our boat was very fast today. Our crew is a good group, we are friends and we enjoy racing together very much.”

Many competitors at the Rolex Swan Cup are here racing on their own boats, while others charter for the biennial regatta. While American Wendy Schmidt has her own Swan 80 in the U.S., she chartered the Swan 80, Astro del Este for the regatta. Schmidt said, “We’re here on Astro to see what it’s about here in Sardinia, thinking about bringing Selene in a couple of years for the next Rolex Swan Cup. This is great competitive racing, and it seems like a wonderful boat and we have a wonderful crew. We’ve brought a lot of people from Nantucket and Newport who sail with us. We have a good core team and we’ve added the crew of Astro, and some other folks who are here in Sardinia.

“We’re thrilled to be here, nobody has oversold Sardinia, we thought we’d died and gone to sailing heaven when we came out of our jet lag we said ‘are we really here?’ Yesterday at practice – we sailed one of the courses around the lighthouse – we sailed right up to the rocks. We have a wonderful navigator, he’s got his laptop and he’s telling us ‘you have 10 seconds to tack” and he really means it!”

The 24-boat Grand Prix class went off on a 20-nautical mile course that followed closely the Maxis though without the leg down to Motoriotto, while the 22-boat Classic fleet went on a similar course, though slimmed down to 17 nautical miles to get them home before dark.

In the Grand-Prix Class B, it was Amanda Hartley’s Swan 56 Clem (ESP) that finished first ahead of P.H.J. Bakker’s Silveren Swaen. On the dock before heading out to race Hartley said, “To tell you the truth, we have a lot of hopes of doing well in this race. It is a regatta we have been taking very seriously since we put investment and very good people onboard.” Hartley didn’t leave any stones unturned enlisting Jordi Calafat (America’s Cup, Volvo Ocean Race sailor and Olympic gold medalist) on helm, Nacho Postigo calling tactics, and Olympian Javier Plaza as main trimmer.

In Classic Class C, it was battle of the Swan 65s with Peter Simon’s Swan 65 Monsoon Jaguar (GBR) first over the line, as well as on handicap ahead of Giuseppe Puttinni’s Shirlaf.

Both the Swan 45 and Swan 42 one-design classes sailed two windward-leeward races, twice around with 1.7nm legs. The Swan 45s are sailing their World Championship and the 2009 World Champion Nico Poons on Charisma (NED) is here to defend his title. Save for Volvo Ocean Race sailor Ray Davies who is onboard as tactician, the crew is made up of amateurs who have been with the boat for the last 2-1/2 years as they worked their way through the back ranks to World Champions last year. Charisma seems to be ready, as Poons said, “It is wonderful to be here, the weather is good, the sailing conditions are good, the atmosphere is good and we are well prepared. I have a good feeling about what is coming this week.”

But today it was Andrea Masi’s Swan 45 Ulika (ITA), which posted a 2-1 to lead the regatta on this first day. Masi said, “We really have a very good speed, we found the right tuning which was not easy at all today with the choppy sea and high waves coming from all sides, even more difficult to sail than with light winds – so really it was great fun to find the right path. It’s the first time this crew works together, we were not really able to practice these days, so it really went well today.”

In the Swan 42 class it was Enrico Scerni’s Kora 4 (ITA) that led the day with a score of 1-1. Tactician Diogo Cayolla said, “We played the shifts and went were the wind was, and we had speed. So everything together, it seems easy. It was a very good day for us. Tomorrow will be different day as the wind will be lighter. We still have to work on that and make a prefect day like today. Other teams are really strong, and even though there are fewer boats, the level has gone up, so it will not be easy.”

Racing continues tomorrow, Tuesday through Sunday (Saturday for the Swan 45s); all classes will sail an Islands Distance Race on Thursday. Friday is a layday for all classes but the Swan 45s.

Following racing their will be post-race refreshments on the Piazza Azzurra, as well as glamorous social events throughout the week, including the Owners' Dinner hosted by Rolex and the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda on Friday and Rolex Crew Party on Saturday.



ROLEX SWAN CUP - PROVISIONAL FINAL STANDINGS


Place, Boat, Nation, Skipper

Maxi - Class A

1) EMMA (GER), Johann Killinger,
2) WHITE LIE (ITA), Galperti Immobiliare,
3) DSK Pioneer Investment (ITA), Danilo Salsi

Grand Prix - Class B

1) CLEM (ESP), Amanda Hartley,
2) SILVEREN SWAEN (NED), P.H.J. Bakker
3) CRILIA (GER), Heinz-Gerd Stein

Classics - Class C

1) MONSOON JAGUAR (GBR), Peter Simon
2) SHIRLAF (ITA), Giuseppe Puttini
3) DREAM (ITA), Francesco Persio

Place, Boat, Skipper, Races 1-2 Total Points


Swan 45 - Class D

1) ULIKA (ITA), Andrea Masi, 2-1, 3.0 points

2) EARLYBIRD (GER), Hendrik Brandis, 1-2, 3.0
3) CHARISMA (NED), Nico Poons, 3-4, 7.0



Swan 42 - Class E

1) KORA 4 (ITA), Enrico Scerni, 1-1, 2.0 points

2) NATALIA (ROM), Kdf Energy Romania, 2-2, 4.0
3) LONG ECHO (GBR), Barry Sampson, 3-3, 6.0 



For more information about the Rolex Swan Cup 2010, including the entry list and results please visit www.yccs.it.

To receive daily reports during the event and to download high-resolution images, copyright free for editorial purposes, register online at www.regattanews.com

Monday, September 13, 2010

AC72 wingsail catamaran


The America’s Cup, sailing’s most iconic event, has been re-energized and rejuvenated, ready for 2013 and the future.

The best sailors in the world will race on the fastest boats with the introduction of an exciting wingsail catamaran.

To build interest and audiences ahead of the 34th Match in 2013 is a new annual World Series, commencing in 2011.

A clear vision for the future led to analysis of the best practices in other major sports. Six months of dialogue with potential teams and stakeholders followed, resulting in the transformed competition details that were released today.

Highlights include:

■New, exciting class of boat, the AC72 wingsail catamaran
■New annual World Series starting in 2011
■New Youth America’s Cup from 2012
■Transformed media for television broadcast and online
■Shorter, action-packed race format
■Race delays minimized – new boat and venues with reliable wind
■Independent race management and fully empowered International Jury to avoid show-stopping disputes
■Effective cost-cutting measures
■Branding freedom for teams
■One global website for all team and racing content
The annual America’s Cup World Series has been designed to create exposure and commercial sustainability for teams and their sponsors. The series featuring the cutting- edge catamaran will deliver exciting racing to new audiences ahead of the America’s Cup Match in 2013.

The AC72 class will be raced from 2012, and a second new boat will be used in next year’s competition for the America’s Cup World Series. Also powered by a wingsail, the AC45 is a scaled down one-design version of the AC72, and will provide a fast-track for competitors in wingsail technology.

“We believe this new format and new boat will put the America’s Cup back at the pinnacle of our sport. These changes will give equal opportunity to competitors and long-term economic stability to all teams and all commercial partners. We promised fairness and innovation and this is what we’ve delivered,” said Russell Coutts, CEO of BMW ORACLE Racing.

The Regatta Director of the independent organization America’s Cup Race Management, ACRM, will be appointed jointly by the Challenger and Defender board members. A financial model for the next Defender to maintain this vision of independent race management allows teams and partners to plan long-term involvement.

“I think that we need to acknowledge that the Defender has kept its word. The America’s Cup is going to have fair rules and a truly independent management of the racing,” said Vincenzo Onorato, President of Mascalzone Latino.

“This change should’ve happened years ago in my opinion. I can see why this important development could last for many years in the future,” Onorato said.

Limits on the number of boats, sails, equipment and support boats, as well as the introduction of no-sail periods will bring significant cost savings for all competitors. Crew sizes will be reduced to 11 members from 17.

For the first time onboard cameramen will be part of the innovative media model that is designed to significantly enhance the television broadcasts and internet content in an effort to grow audiences and bring added value to teams and partners.

In releasing the Protocol, the Defender has forfeited some of the rights traditionally enjoyed by the holder of the trophy in the interest of making the competition more balanced and fair. Majority approval of the competitors is required to amend the Protocol.

“During our six months of planning we spoke to the teams, to commercial partners, to media and to the fans. A clear and compelling vision emerged – that to capture and communicate the excitement our sport can produce, we need the best sailors racing the fastest boat in the world,” Coutts said.

In an effort to develop the next generation of best sailors, the new AC45 will be used for the Youth America’s Cup beginning in 2012, a new initiative to provide young sailors a pathway to the America’s Cup.

With today’s release of the Protocol, class of boat and year in which the match will be held, three of the four cornerstones for the 34th Match are in place. The final piece, the venue, is scheduled to be announced by the end of the year.

Download the Protocol for the 34th America’s Cup here.

Read this news story in Italian here.

Watch a replay of the Valencia Press Conference here.