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TWICE AS NICE, MICHAEL KISS NAMED 2011 MIAMI WINTER SERIES CHAMPION

2011-03-15T09:34:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to 2011 Melges 20 Miami Winter Series Champion Michael Kiss, with San Diegan Chris Rast calling tactics. More than 30 teams competed in the three part series ranking, with Kiss, successfully defending the title. Paul Reilly takes home a very deserving second place trophy. Tony Tabb on Elevation Racing was third, tied in points with Mary Anne Ward in fourth. International Audi Melges 20 Class Chairman Marc Hollerbach on FU rounded out the top five. PHOTO CREDIT: ©2011 JOY

International Audi Melges 20 Class Association

View The Full Series Ranking

Katusha wins inaugural RC-44 Cup before large crowds on San Diego Bay

2011-03-07T13:49:00.000-08:00

It is hard to tell who was the biggest winner of inaugural Oracle RC-44 Cup of San Diego.

Katusha, with Bob Little driving and former San Diego resident Paul Cayard calling tactics, claimed the title of the four-day, 14-race event on San Diego Bay with a pair seconds and a protective eight-place finish in the series finale Sunday afternoon.

But the biggest winner might have been the sponsoring Sailing Events Association of San Diego.

The four-day "stadium" event with a start-finish line located within shouting distance of the Broadway Pier brought much larger than expected crowds to viewing areas stretching from the flight deck of the Midway Museum to the Broadway Pier to the Embarcadero to Harbor Island.

The Oracle RC-44 Cup was the first event landed by SEA-San Diego, which hopes to bring other spectator-friendly sailing events to San Diego Bay.

"We’ve exceeded our expectations for delivering a really good spectator friendly event," said SEA-San Diego president John Laun. "We hope to have the RC44s back every year, we’ve had a great time with them."

And the high-performance, RC-44 sloops apparently had a great time with San Diego in a series of close and exciting races over twice-around, 2 1/2-mile, windward-leeward courses on the bay.

"It’s been really nice sailing in San Diego," said Islas Canarias Puerto Calero owner-skipper Daniel Calero. "It’s like playing football with all the crowds behind you, screaming and clapping. San Diego Bay is amazing, great atmosphere."

The Russia-based Katusha took the series lead in the third race of the second day and steadily pulled away over the final seven races. Katusha all but clinched the title with second-place finishes in each of Sunday's first two races and finished with a seven-point margin.

The Larry Ellison-skippered Oracle, with America's Cup icon and class founder Russell Coutts calling tactics, won Sunday's opening heat and finished second in the final standings by a point over the Scott Young-skippered Team Aqua, which finished seventh in Sunday's opening heat after drawing a pair of penalties.

"We're very happy," said Coutts. "The San Diego is one of our best for sure, it was just a great venue, lots of variables on the race course, lots of people here and lots of interest, it’s been fantastic. We are hoping to be back here again.’

First-day leader Artemis, which won a series-best fourth race Sunday, finished fourth another point behind.

Katusha won only one of the 14 races. But it had five second-place finishes and three thirds to make it a special win for Cayard, who lived in San Diego for 12 years around three America's Cup campaigns.

"It’s been fun to be here this week," said Cayard. "It means a lot to win this regatta in a town that I spent so much of my life in, and it’s been fun seeing all of my friends from some time past."

ARTEMIS & KATUSHA : RC44 Cup - San Diego Day 1

2011-03-03T09:04:00.000-08:00

March 2, 2011 - A very good day for both Artemis Racing and Katusha with four wins each out of five races.

On Katusha we were happy with our results but I would not characterize our sailing as smooth. Yet, we got the job done.

For our first three races of the day, we had the "Curmudgeons" onboard as guests. First Craig for two races, including the all important Russian National Championship, then Tom for the third. As soon as the Lewecks left us, we lost. We pulled ourselves back together to win our last race of the day.

We ended up tied with four other teams, some of whom raced six races. There is no final scoring for match racing at each event this year, it just rolls on and the final score is tallied at the end of the year.

Tomorrow, starts the fleet racing which will see Bob "Peaches" Little on the helm and I will move to tactician.

The forecast for tomorrow is more of the same, Westerly winds at about 10 knots.

Paul

ARTEMIS & KATUSHA : RC44 Cup - San Diego

2011-03-02T08:26:00.000-08:00

March 1, 2001 - We just finished up two days of practice down here in San Diego. Beautiful, sunny but chilly both days with 10-17 knots of Northwesterly wind. The race course for this event is inside the Bay where it should be. The boats are berthed at the Broadway Street Pier. Looks like about 12 teams are here.

We had fleet racing practice yesterday which meant Bob (Peaches) Little was on the helm and I was tactician onboard Katusha. We competed in about three races with 10 other teams around a short 1.25 mile course. Today we had match race training with our friends on Artemis Racing in which Bob and I inverted our roles from yesterday. Tomorrow in the first day of racing and will be Match Racing and we are first up against the other Russian team Synergy in the first flight. The format of the regatta's is different this year with the match racing becoming just one day of the event and having only an annual score. So at each event competitors will work their way through a portion of a round robin and by the end of the season we will have completed about three round robins in total. The podium for match racing will be determined only at years end.

The remaining four days of each event will be fleet racing which features the owners as the drivers of the boats. Unfortunately neither Torbjorn Tornqvist (Artemis) nor Guenaddi Timtchencko (Katusha) could attend the event in San Diego this week. Sarah Gundersen is helming Artemis with Morgan Larson calling the shots.

It is fun for me to be in San Diego. I lived here for 12 years. My son was born here and both kids started school here. I have lots of friends here some of whom I am hoping to get to see this week. I raced in the finals of the two America's Cups held in San Diego in the early 90's. I went for a run along the bay front this morning down to where the Stars and Stripes base was in 1995 when I sailed with Dennis Conner and his team. The base is now a harbor for large boats and the Rowing Club restaurant is no longer a Chart House but a Crab Shack.

Things change. That's life.

Paul

San Diego gets ready for the RC44 class

2011-03-01T08:19:00.000-08:00

San Diego is ready to once again put on a sensational sailing show as the opening round of 2011 RC44 Championship Tour gets underway in Southern California.

Eleven teams will go head-to-head for the Oracle RC44 Cup San Diego between 2-6 March, as for the first time in its five-year history the RC44 Tour visits America’s West Coast.
San Diego is etched in yachting folklore having hosted the America’s Cup on three successive occasions from 1988 to 1995 and being home to some of the sport’s most iconic figures such as Dennis Conner, Lowell North and Malin Burnham.

With the event line-up reading like a who’s who of modern day sailing greats, the city again gets the chance to shine as a venue that attracts the best of the world’s top talent. This include's American yachting legend Paul Cayard, four-time America’s Cup winner Russell Coutts and, joining the class for the first time in 2011, America’s 2004 Olympic 470 Class champion Kevin Burnham.

Olympic gold and silver medallist and multiple America’s Cup campaigner Rod Davis, who is coaching the crew of Igor Lah’s Ceeref, grew up sailing on San Diego waters. He is looking forward to seeing the RC44s doing battle in the Bay he knows so well.

“Some of my best memories are of my younger sailing days at the Coronado and San Diego yacht clubs with people like Chuck Hope, Jerry LaDow and Lowell North,” Rod reveals. “San Diego has a long history of yachting; it’s the culture that you compete at a high level when you sail here, it’s expected of you, which raises the level of everyone.

“You almost always get breeze in San Diego, and 80 per cent of the time it’s between 8-12 knots, which will suit the RC44 really well. The crew has a lot on to get the best out of the boat but all the crews are very good so you have to be at your best if you’re going to be competitive and your very, very best to win.”

The defining spirit of the RC44 Championship Tour is amateur owners racing alongside the biggest names in professional sailing on thoroughbred one-design racing machines. No-one gives an inch, with skippers pushing the boats and their crews to the boundaries of their extensive capabilities.

Over the five days in San Diego, the owners will be at the wheel for four days of fleet racing while the pro sailors get their chance to shine at the helm on one day of match racing. Three to four fleet races are scheduled per day with no discard, every race placing really counts.

Long Beach native Bob Little, an experienced one-design and offshore sailor, will helm Katusha for the fleet racing alongside Paul Cayard, who will steer in the match racing. He added: “I know San Diego will host a fantastic event. I expect a great result from Katusha as we’ve learned a lot sailing together in previous events and hope to build on that. I’m fortunate to be on a team with such great sailors.”

Racing will take place directly in front of the new, spectator friendly Port Pavilion at the Broadway Pier, giving the audience a perfect view of the action in a natural amphitheatre.
For full information about the Oracle RC44 Cup San Diego and the RC44 class visit www.rc44.com - view the full crew lists for San Diego here.

2011 RC44 Championship Tour dates:
2 – 6 March- Oracle RC44 Cup San Diego, USA
11 – 15 May- RC44 Austria Cup Gmunden, Austria
29 June – 3 July- Italy / France
17 – 21 August- RC44 Marstrand Cup, Sweden
28 September–2 October -Spain
15 – 20 November- 2011 RC44 World Championships, Puerto Calero, Lanzarote

List of entrants – Oracle RC44 Cup San Diego
AEZ RC44 Sailing Team (AUT)
Owner – Rene Mangold (AUT)
Professional Skipper – Peter Evens (NZL)

Artemis Racing (SWE)
Owner – Torbjorn Tornqvist (SWE)
Professional Skipper – Morgan Larson (USA)

Ironbound (USA)
Owner – David Murphy (USA)
Professional Skipper – Kevin Burnham (USA)

Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (ESP)
Owner– Daniel Calero (ESP)
Professional Skipper - Jose Maria Ponce (ESP)

Katusha (RUS)
Professional Skipper – Paul Cayard (USA)

No Way Back (NED)
Owner – Pieter Heerema (NED)
Professional Skipper – Rod Dawson (NZL)

ORACLE Racing (USA)
Owner – Larry Ellison (USA)
Professional Skipper – Russell Coutts (NZL)

Peninsula Petroleum Sailing Team (GBR)
Owner – John Bassadone (GBR)
Professional Skipper - Iñaki Castañer (ESP)

RC44 Team CEEREF (SLO)
Owner – Igor Lah (SLO)
Professional Skipper –Michelle Ivaldi (ITA)

Synergy Russian Sailing Team (RUS)
Owner – Valentin Zavadnikov (RUS)
Professional Skipper – Evgeniy Neugodnikov (RUS)

Team Aqua (UAE)
Owner -Chris Bake (CAN)
Professional Skipper- Cameron Appleton (NZL)

Sailing regatta championship set for San Diego Bay

2011-02-28T10:23:00.000-08:00

The following article was found today on www.signonsandiego.com, and written by Bill Center

Sailboat racing as a stadium sport comes to San Diego Bay this week with the inaugural RC-44 championship regatta.

The five-day event starts Wednesday and concludes next Sunday and will feature 11, high-performance RC-44 sloops.

While most San Diegans have no idea what an RC-44 is and who is actually racing, although one of the favored boats is owned by Larry Ellison of Oracle America’s Cup fame, the regatta will give event the most land-locked among us a chance to see close-quarter sailboat racing.

All the starts — and finishes — during the racing will be just off the end of the Broadway Pier.
Depending on the direction of the wind and the day of the racing, the courses will take the boats up along the Embarcadero or toward Harbor Island.

“I think this promises to be an exciting event even for those not into sailboat racing,” said John Laun, the president and CEO of the SEA San Diego responsible for bringing the RC-44s — and eventually other sailing events — to San Diego Bay. “The boats will be big enough to see from the shore because they are going to be close to shore. And the boats are exciting. They are very high-tech and very demanding to sail. They are capable of reaching speeds of 20 knots.”

And rather than sailing away from the shore, the RC-44s will be racing on very short courses close to the bayfront. Wednesday’s match races, for example, will likely be contested on a half-mile course with pairs going off every five minutes. The twice-around windward-leeward races (that’s back-and-forth for rank novices) will last around 20 minutes. And race officials are hoping to get in as many as four rounds starting at 11:30 a.m.

The program switches to fleet races Thursday through Sunday with each leg being 1 1/4 miles for a five-mile race. Officials expect the races to take 45 minutes apiece with hopes of getting in three to five rounds each day.

The 11 boats entered will represent nine nations. For those more knowledgeable of sailing, the list of skippers reads like a Who’s Who. Among the world-class skippers entered are Russell Coutts, the hero of New Zealand’s America’s Cup victory off San Diego in 1995, Paul Cayard, Coronado native Rod Davis, Kevin Burnham and Morgan Larson.

The series champion in 2010 was Oracle Racing featuring Ellison and Coutts.

Prime viewing areas will be the tip of the Broadway Pier, the Embarcadero (for Wednesday’s match races) and Harbor Island (for the longer fleet races Thursday through Sunday).

Perhaps the best viewing spot will be the flight deck of the Midway Museum. The viewing area will be free with a paid admission to the carrier museum.

What better way to spend a day?

Boating notes
•Five Olympic class boats numbering San Diegans as either the skipper or crew have been included on the US Sailing Team for 2011. The team includes at least two boats in each Olympic class. The Star class has a pair of boats skippered by San Diegans Andrew Campbell (Ian Coleman crew) and George Szabo (Mark Strude). San Diego’s Graham Biehl is crewing for Stu McNay on the top-ranked U.S. Men’s 470 boat while the San Diego team of Adam Roberts and Nick Martin are ranked second. San Diego’s Molly Vandemoer joins Debbie Capozzi as the crew for top-ranked Anna Tunnicliffe in the Women’s Keelboat class.

Bill Hardesty Returning to San Diego

2011-02-27T10:42:00.000-08:00

San Diego Yacht Club (SDYC) and Etchells Fleet 13, co-hosts of Etchells Worlds 2011, today reported that hometown icon Bill Hardesty, (Etchells World Champion, Chicago, 2008), is returning to his home yacht club of SDYC to begin a concerted campaign to win the 2011 Etchells World Championships, to be sailed in Hardesty’s home waters off San Diego. Hardesty’s entry brings to five the number of former world champions who have been participating in the local regattas for purposes of tuning up for the world title (Dennis Conner,Judd Smith, Vince Brun, Dirk Kneulman). Hardesty plans to have Point Loma High School sailing coach Steve Hunt on board for the worlds. Hunt recently finished 2nd out of 47 boats while sailing Line Honors, hull number 979, on loan from Hardesty.

The Etchells is a fixed keel racing sloop which weighs 3250 pounds and is sailed by a weight limited crew of three or four. First designed in 1968 by world class boat designer Skip Etchells as a potential competitor in the Olympics, the Etchells class is known for its fiercely competitive yet close knit competitors. Despite beating the eventual Olympic selection, the Soling, the Etchells (then referred to as an Etchells 22 for its 22 foot long waterline), instead relied on grass roots growth and a strong commitment to its one design integrity. In addition to a timeless design and strong fleet organization, the Etchells class remains one of the few classes open to professional crew and weekend warriors alike. It remains a draw to the fleet that the weekend sailor can compete, and occasionally (and usually temporarily) prevail over sailing greats such as Dennis Conner, Gary Jobson, Ian Murray, Vince Brun, Judd Smith and Kenny Read.

The 2011 Etchells World Championships will draw approximately 75 boats from 12 different countries, from as far away as the UAE, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Australia. Although the event commences with boat measurements on June 2-4, and racing on June 5, thereare several feeder regattas for which sixty boats will compete. The SLAM Etchells Midwinters will be April 8-10, and the Sailing Supply Orca Bowl - Pre-Worlds will be on May 21-22. With some teams already taking up part time residence, the Point Loma area is abuzz with Etchells sailors and added economic activity has been welcomed by the local businesses. For more informationgo to www.etchellsworlds2011.com or call San Diego Yacht Club 619.221.8400 http://sdyc.org.

SAN DIEGO WELCOMES INTERNATIONAL SAILING FOR THE 2011 ORACLE RC44 CUP

2011-02-14T15:19:00.000-08:00

World-class sailing event on San Diego Bay, March 2 – 6, marks opening of the 2011 RC44 Championship
Tour

SAN DIEGO – The Oracle RC44 Cup San Diego, a world-class sailing regatta featuring the RC44 class fleet and sponsored by ORACLE, will take place on San Diego Bay, March 2 – 6, 2011. The regatta brings together the biggest names in international sailing and global business for the opening round of the 2011 RC44 Championship Tour.

After the inaugural U.S. event in Miami at the end of the 2010 season, and an outing at KeyWest Race Week, the class is now heading west to make its debut at the Oracle RC44 Cup SanDiego. The event features 11 RC44 teams representing nine nations.

The RC44 class was conceived and co-designed by four-time America’s Cup winner Russell Coutts. With an evenly split amateur and professional crew line-up, the class attracts some of the world’s leading business minds as their owner-drivers, along with many of the world’s top sailors.

Racing will take place over five days in San Diego, with four days of fleet racing, where theboats can only be driven by their owner, and one day of America’s Cup-style match racing, when the pro sailors can get their chance to shine at the helm. Spectator viewing is free from portions of Broadway Pier, Harbor Island and numerous areas along the downtown waterfront.

Among the top sailors set to compete on the 2011 RC44 Championship Tour are class designer Russell Coutts (NZL), American yachting legend Paul Cayard and San Diego native son Rod Davis, Audi MedCup winners Morgan Larson (USA) and Jose Maria Ponce (ESP), Olympic Gold medalist Kevin Burnham (USA), along with some of the world’s top match racing talent including Cameron Appleton (NZL).

The 2011 RC44 Championship Tour takes in six venues, including in Austria, France, Sweden and Spain, before coming to a close with the 2011 RC44 World Championships in Lanzarote in the Canary Islands in November.

With Coutts’ ORACLE Racing team, led by Larry Ellison, winning the 2010 RC44Championship at a thrilling Miami showdown in December, each of the 2011 teams – established and new – will be vying to topple ORACLE from its throne.

The Oracle RC44 Cup San Diego marks a poignant return to the city for Coutts, who won the first of his four historic America’s Cup titles in San Diego in 1995. He believes the 2011 RC44 Championship Tour is gearing up to be the most compelling and closely-fought yet.

“Last year’s Championship came down to the wire in Miami and with more owners coming into the class, the level and intensity of the competition is going to be greater than ever,” said Coutts. “It’s always great to race in San Diego, it will be a natural amphitheatre those watching from onshore. I’m looking forward to a great regatta.”

The Oracle RC44 Cup San Diego is organized by Sailing Events Association San Diego, a leading sailboat racing events organization, positioning the city as a top sailing destination by bringing world-class sailing events to San Diego. Racing will take place directly in front of the magnificent new spectator friendly Port Pavilion at the Broadway Pier, giving fans the chance to get close to the action.

“All of San Diego is looking forward to great racing on San Diego Bay," said JJ Fetter, Olympic silver medalist and event coordinator for the Oracle RC44 Cup San Diego. "This will be a unique opportunity to see such high-caliber America’s Cup talent, like Russell Coutts, Paul Cayard and Rod Davis, return to do battle on San Diego Bay, and we will be encouraging the public to come and watch the action for free from the Broadway Pier."

The RC44 Championship Tour was launched in 2007 and in its first four seasons visited multiple venues across Europe, the Middle East and the U.S.

For more information vist the regatta website: www.oraclerc44cupsandiego.com

Estrella Damm, Shooting Stars

2011-02-08T13:38:00.000-08:00

BWR: Nineteen miles is all the separates Estrella Damm from second placed MAPFRE, with the Barcelona duo Pepe Ribes and Alex Pella quicker over the final period of Tuesday and on the one hour speed-gun. They have gained a further seven miles, chipping away steadily at their Basque rivals Iker Martinez and Xabi Fernandez. Estrella Damm have been the fastest over the last 24 hours, making 464 miles.

Meanwhile the GAES Girls, between the Crozet and Amsterdam gates, are doing some nice work holding off the Hugo Boss duo Andy Meiklejohn and Wouter Verbraak this evening, Hugo Boss gained only five miles this afternoon to 1900hrs UTC.

And here is the latest from Pachi Rivero on Renault Z.E Sailing Team. The duo have gained around 10 miles on Groupe Bel this afternoon, 141 miles behind Kito de Pavant and Seb Audigane

Hi From Renault Z.E:
First of all I would like to say thank you for all the incredible support we are receivingon board Renault Z.E things goes good; we are a Little bit isolated here but we had been taking care of our lady, Renault Z.E.. and here you never know….
Yesterday we left Amsterdam gate; another gate, another step forward.
Step by step, but without a switch off, we know in this Race all the sailors are great sailors and all of us want to get the situation difficult to the others. We had been heading South to look for other low, to look for faster downwind conditions

Now life on board had changed a lot since the last 2 or 3 days now it´s really good as soon as we stopped reaching. The boat was all time in 'submarine' mode with winds of 27-30 knots. It was like the boat was under the water half the time, it was pouring everywhere and it seems we got a huge river down the deck with waterfalls over the cockpit, dropping over Toño and me. Now we got have great days with sun, downwind (18-20 kts and gusts of 23-25) and with several squalls that shift the direction and the speed of the wind.We don´t seem to evenr stop trimming and the watches are quite intense. Now, that we are downwind we are helming all time. The automatic pilot works great but we think the Renault Z.E performance is best when we helm.

Toño has told me he thinks yesterday he had seen a seal. I hope to see more animals around but I don´t want to sea whales. I prefer to see these great animals when I am on holidays or on TV but not here!.

I love to see the Albatross; amazing birds.
You can see their eyes really clear and it´s amazing how they hold you in their gaze.. I can spend hours watching them it´s amazing their aerofoils and how they soar endlessly.

A big hug from the South Indian ocean (not so South) on board Renault Z.

Extreme 40: Full Team Line-Ups Unveiled

2011-02-08T07:27:00.000-08:00

February 08th 2011
Full Team Line-Ups Unveiled

THE 2011 EXTREME MAGAZINE IS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE...

World Champions and ocean racing record holders, will be squaring up against Olympians and America’s Cup hotshots, in the impressive roll call for the Extreme Sailing Series™ this year. The full crew line-ups are unveiled today ahead of the first Extreme Sailing Series™ Act to be hosted in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman in February (20th-24th, stadium days 22nd-24th).

With a wealth of new teams and crew representing 15 nationalities, the 2011 Extreme Sailing Series season promises to be the most competitive yet with 11 boats manned with talent from every corner of competitive yacht racing – and the stats are impressive:

29 Olympians
12 Records set/broken
97 World Championships contended
11 Round the World navigations
69 America’s Cup sailed
4 Olympic Gold Medals
2 Olympic Silver Medals
2 Olympic Bronze Medals

You can find the full crew line-ups in the TEAM section of the website and the 2011 EXTREME magazine is now available to browse online.

Olympic and America’s Cup sailors dominate the teams this year - Terry Hutchinson (USA) Artemis Racing, Dean Barker (NZL) Team New Zealand, Roland Gaebler (GER) Team Extreme, Roman Hagara (AUT) Red Bull Extreme Sailing and Sidney Gavignet (FRA) Oman Air, are just some of the superstars for 2011 who will be raising the bar ever higher.

Torvar Mirsky (AUS) The Wave, Muscat will inherit the ‘young-gun’ title from the skipper he is replacing, Paul Campbell-James. Campbell-James’ unabashed and aggressive style saw him grab the 2010 title from the more seasoned skippers and, no doubt, his new Luna Rossa team will be hoping for a repeat performance. At the other end of the age spectrum the experience is mind-blowing - Olympian Roman Hagara has attended the Olympic Games six times, winning two gold medals and Team Extreme skipper Roland Gaebler won bronze. 2008 Yachtsman of the Year Terry Hutchinson and his Artemis Racing team have between them competed in the America’s Cup an impressive 15 times.

Terry Hutchinson onboard Extreme 40 Artemis Racing

Groupe Edmond de Rothschild will return for their third Extreme 40 season having finished second overall for the past two years, but this time the all-French team will be headed up by Pierre Pennec replacing Yann Guichard who is now driving for Alinghi. Pennec, who represented his country at the Sydney Olympics in the Tornado Class, has been instrumental in the team’s success to date and is relishing the chance of leading the team. Guichard, having made the switch to Alinghi, is in good company under the leadership of Tanguy Cariou (previously with Franck Cammas’ Groupama 40) and seasoned mulithull sailors Nils Frei and Yves Detrey. On team Niceforyou an all-Italian line-up, skippered by Alberto Barovier, will use their combined America’s Cup experience to the max. Team GAC Pindar will return for a full season in 2011, at the helm match racing supremo Ian Williams who is stepping from one hull to two in his first Extreme 40 venture. This diverse range of competitive skills and experience is going to turn up the heat on the 2011 circuit making the outcome almost impossible to predict.

Going into this season probably at least two thirds of the teams have the experience, talent and sheer nerve to win, and they could all climb on to the podium. Paul Campbell James, helmsman of the 2010 winning team, now signed with Luna Rossa gives his assessment: “Artemis Racing and The Wave, Muscat again will be strong. They [The Wave, Muscat] have Torvar, who has done a bit of 49ering and a lot of match racing and they have Nick [Hutton] and Khamis [Al Anbouri] back with them. You can’t rule out Alinghi and Team New Zealand. It is going to be wicked season!”

Torvar Mirsky and his 2011 team onboard The Wave, Muscat

Read the full Form Guide by DailySail editor James Boyd.

Join us on Facebook and Twitter for the 2011 season. Find out the news first on Twitter.

THE 2011 EXTREME MAGAZINE IS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE... Find out more about the skippers and crews, read entertaining and insightful features by BBC Sport’s Rob Hodgetts, DailySail editor, James Boyd and YachtSponsorship.com guru, David Fuller. Packed with stunning photography and vital stats for the season ahead. To request a copy, please email media@extremesailingseries.com.

OMEGA Onboard as Official Timekeeper for a Fifth Season

OMEGA’s role as Official Timekeeper to the Extreme Sailing Series™ is confirmed for another season, making the Swiss watchmaker the longest-running official series partner since they came onboard at the inception of the circuit in 2007. OMEGA is proud of its nautical history and has an undeniable connection to the sea, being the only company ever to have produced a wristwatch that received marine chronometer certification. Its timepieces have long been the preferred choice of some of sailing’s greatest names. Last year, 2010 champion, Paul Campbell-James won the UK round at Cowes Week and was presented with an OMEGA Seamaster Planet Ocean watch. Find out more about Omega here.

Paul Cambell-James wearing his OMEGA Seamaster Planet Ocean watch

SLAM Shops and Point Loma Outfitting Announces US Super Yacht Collection from SLAM

2011-02-07T18:55:00.000-08:00

SLAM Shops and Point Loma Outfitting offers the latest in sailing and foul weather gear from the SLAM. The New 2011 US Super Yacht collection from SLAM is Italian designed and inspired by Yachtsmen from around the world.

The US Super Yacht Collection for 2011 is a complete Re-Invention of the SLAM Clothing line from skin to shell. Fresh Italian designs for the 2011 SLAM line begins with new and updated technical fabrics offering better protection from the elements and body temperature control. SLAM's Italian designers utilize these fabrics to create comfortable, functional everyday fitting clothes for men and women that feel good and look great. Highlights of the 2011 SLAM US Super Yacht Collection are as follows:

New in the SLAM Foul Weather Line is the addition of the BOR Spray Top. This spray top was tested and worn by top sailing competitors and major competition winners. It is flexible, comfortable and best of all protects you from the environments.

SLAM Force 2 Inshore / Coastal Foul Weather Gear: The Force 2 Series offers Jacket and Pants combinations in Red, Steel and Grey. The SLAM Force 2 series coastal weight foul weather gear is very affordable for sailing crews. The Force 2 complements the current Women's New Racing Foul Weather Gear. Read more

Celebrating the AC45 in New Zealand

2011-02-07T12:02:00.000-08:00

Auckland, New Zealand:, Monday, February 07, 2011
Boat One Officially Commissioned Upon Its Hand-Over to America’s Cup Race Management

With its technical shakedown now complete, it is handover day for the new AC45 wing-sailed catamaran, marking the beginning of the next era of the America’s Cup. America’s Cup Race Management (ACRM) will now manage the logistics, care and maintenance of the prototype as competitors test the boat over the coming weeks. The AC45 is the forerunner to the larger AC72, which will be used in the 34thAmerica’s Cup.

A traditional Maori blessing will start the day as competitors, prospective competitors and New Zealand dignitaries converge to see the latest in America’s Cup technology and celebrate the tireless effort of the New Zealand marine industry to make this occasion possible.

“To see the AC45 come together from just a concept in September to a full-fledged racing machine by January is a true testament to the skill of the New Zealand marine industry,” said Iain Murray, America’s Cup Race Management (ACRM) CEO and Regatta Director. “In particular we would like to thank the team at Core Builders Composites who have produced an incredible boat that is fast yet robust. They remain hard at work on the balance of the AC45 fleet, which will be delivered to the teams for testing through April, before we leave Auckland to compete in the 2011 America’s Cup World Series.”

Dignitaries in attendance include:

Len Brown, Mayor of Auckland
Jonathan Coleman, Associate Minister of Tourism
Ngati Whatua Orakei, an Auckland iwi (tribe)
Iain Murray, ACRM CEO and Regatta Director
Team members from Artemis Racing and ORACLE Racing
Jo Aleh, Olivia Powrie, Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, top New Zealand youth sailors

WHEN:

February 8, 2011

WHERE:

America’s Cup Race Management Boat Shed, 101 Halsey Street, in the Viaduct, Auckland

Hard graft and total dedication for GOR Team Mabire-Merron

2011-02-07T08:48:00.000-08:00

Global Ocean Race:

Of the 19 teams so far entered in the double-handed, Class40, Global Ocean Race 2011-12 (GOR), the campaign of the Franco-British duo, Halvard Mabire and Miranda Merron, is one of the most ambitious. In late September last year, the Finot-Conq Design Pogo 40S² hull #101 – the fifth, new generation Pogo - left Christian Bouroullec’s Structures Chantier Naval yard in Brittany and was transported 330 miles on a low-loader to Mabire and Merron’s boatyard-base in Barneville, Normandy. Since the yacht’s arrival, work has rarely ceased in the duo’s immaculate boatshed.

One of the first, major tasks, undertaken in mid-November, was installing the Lombardini engine: although slightly heavier and more compact than a French, back-row, international rugby player, Mabire compared this complex operation with manoeuvring the inert form of Sébastien Chabal through the companionway hatch and into the bilge. Once the L’homme des Cavernes (Caveman) was bolted in place, the duo focused on the ballast system: “The ballast tanks were built and fitted at Structures,” explains Mabire. “But we had to design and fit the plumbing, scoops and pump.” Recently, the duo has been concentrating on the deck layout: “It’s complicated to design a really efficient deck plan that suits us both,” he continues.

While Mabire’s professional background has been divided between racing and boatbuilding, the shed-environment is relatively new territory for Miranda Merron. “Halvard’s the expert here and I’m the apprentice,” she admits. “But I am learning many of the essential skills and can complete a number of the jobs myself,” Merron continues. “Right now we’re building the mainsheet track support.” However, Mabire is fully involved with the design process and this vital element eats into each day: “There really aren’t enough hours in a day to complete manual work on the boat and spend time developing the drawings for the mast, keel and so on,” says Mabire. The boat’s mast is currently under construction at Eric Duchemin and Philippe Boclet’s Axxon Composites facility in Romania, but this has barely reduced the workload: “It’s seven, long days a week, pretty much every week, just working on the boat and the project,” adds Merron.

While the duo was concentrating on their boat and campaign, four Pogo 40S²’s raced in the 44-strong, Class40 Route du Rhum fleet and Merron was following the competition. “I did manage to follow the race as I had a number of friends competing,” she says. Three of the latest Pogo’s were in the top ten finishers - Nicolas Troussel in 2nd with Crédit Mutuel de Bretagne; Damien Grimont in 5th on Monbana and GOR entry Jean-Edouard Criquioche in 7th with Groupe Picoty – and while this result is impressive, Mabire is pragmatic: “It is good, but they certainly had the right people driving those boats!”

read more

AC45 - From the driver's seat

2011-02-03T10:40:00.000-08:00

ORACLE Racing shows us what's like on board the AC45...

Entries Surge for 31st Edition of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta

2011-02-02T16:17:00.000-08:00

Fleet Numbers Surpass “Century Mark” as Entries Surge for 31st Edition of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta

St. Maarten, N.A. (February 2, 2011) – With less than a month to go before the kick-off of the 31st St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, which this year runs from March 3-6, the entry list continues to grow at a rapid pace, and now surpasses over a hundred yachts (the “century mark”) competing in a half-dozen different classes. The numbers are also growing for the Gill Commodore’s Cup, the separate one-day event for hard-core racers that precedes the three-day St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. At the latest count, the Gill fleet rounded out at an even twenty boats.

As always, the more laid-back bareboat class is historically one of the largest divisions at the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, and it appears that trend will continue for 2011. With nearly four-dozen entries thus far, the “bareboaters” will once again be in the thick of the action.

With over fifty entries to date, however, the lion’s share of entries will be racing in the CSA Monohull classes, and it’s a truly international field, with competitors flying home flags from France, Germany, Great Britain, Holland, Italy, Puerto Rico, South Africa, Turkey, the United States, and a host of Caribbean nations.

While the sailors themselves represent a wide and varied background, the respective yachts also form a diverse and eclectic fleet. At the smaller end of the spectrum are the Melges 24, Budget Marine/Gill, as well as a host of boats in the 30- to 35-foot range, including Tanner Jones’s J/30, Blue Peter; the Beneteau First 310, Americano Café; a pair of swift Melges 32s, David West’s Jurakan and Mark Plaxton’s Team INTAC; Todd Mahoney’s Sigma 33, Overtime; Schrijverke, a Victoire 34; No Face to Face, a J/105; and the radical Kiwi 35, Wild Devil.

On the other end of the scale, Sir Peter Harrison’s sensational Farr 115, Sojana, a perennial favorite at the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, will once again be soaring around the racecourse. But Sir Peter will have plenty of company in the big-boat divisions in a fleet that includes another big Farr design, Peter Buckley’s 98-foot I-Sea; a Swan 100, Varsovie; a Swan 82 and 80, Nikata and Team Selene, respectively; a Carbon 82, Aegir II; and Bella PITA, a custom 75-footer designed by Bill Tripp.

In the middle ranges of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta field, Bill Alcott’s Swan 601, Aquarius, is always a dangerous presence. Puerto Rican Sergio Sagramoso, who was often a dominant competitor in his old Beneteau First 40.7, Lazy Dog, will be no less of a threat in the Grand Soleil 54 of the same name that he now campaigns. The popular 40.7 is still a favorite Caribbean racer/cruiser, and four have entered thus far: Coyote 2, Mystery, Smile and Wave, and Spirit of Venus.

In fact, some of the hottest action on the racecourse will take place among the 40-footers, which also include Rich Wesslund’s well-sailed J/120, El Ocaso; Wild T’ing, Lawrence Aqui’s Dufour 40; Lenjohn Van der Wel’s Class 40 flyer, Van Der Wel Racing; and Otra Vez, a J/122 skippered by William Coates. The “sleeper” in this competitive group, however, may well be Bob Read’s J/40, Nepenthe. The veteran New England sailor knows a thing or two about yacht racing, and is also the father of a couple of pretty good racers: sons Brad and Ken, both multiple World Champions in the J/24 class, and the latter a former America’s Cup skipper who now heads up the Puma Volvo Ocean Race campaign.

All in all, it’s shaping up to be another stellar year for the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. And there’s still plenty of time to make sure you’re part of it.

For full information on the Budget Marine Match Racing Cup, Gill Commodore’s Cup and the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, as well as entry lists, past results, photos, videos, party and band information, the Notice of Race, Sailing Instructions and much, much more, visit www.heinekenregatta.com.

ORACLE Racing: Shipping out

2011-02-01T12:07:00.000-08:00

AC45 : testing the limits

2011-01-31T13:21:00.000-08:00

Photos: Gilles Martin-Raget
30/01/2011 - Auckland (NZL) - 34th America's Cup - AC45 sea trial n ° 8 - Anniversary day - Round Rangitoto Island.

31.01.11 After participating in the Auckland Anniversary Day regatta, a race that took competitors around Rangitoto Island in the Hauraki Gulf, ORACLE Racing skipper Jimmy Spithill was confident he’d shattered the speed record for the prototype AC45.

Overnight analysis of the GPS logbook shows that confidence was justified. Spithill and crew topped out at 29.9 knots (approximately 34 MPH/55 km/h) in the race with winds blowing between 25 and 30 knots.

Although one-tenth of a knot shy of the 30-knot barrier, the new speed record surpasses the 28-knot mark set by Murray “The Captain” Jones last week.

When they got shoreside, some crewmembers thought that Jones had fiddled with the speedo, hindering its readings particularly off the wind. But there’s no denying the AC45 has speed to burn.

The AC45 surpassed 20 knots during its maiden voyage on Jan. 17. Two days later the crew was sailing comfortably at 25 knots. Then Jones set the 28-knot mark on Jan. 21.

Today’s outing proved that the AC45 is capable of handling extreme conditions.

“We put the bow in a couple of times at 30 knots and loaded everything up,” said Matt Mason. “We were on our toes the whole time and it was great for the boat and the crew to come out of it relatively unscathed.”

View the gallery, ‘Testing the Limits’.

Silver At US Sailing's Rolex Miami OCR

2011-01-29T16:07:00.000-08:00

Miami, FL - We finished the US Sailing's Rolex Miami OCR regatta with a silver medal. We lost the women's match racing finals 3-1 to France's Claire Leroy and team, who sailed a very good series. The bronze went to our USSTAG teammates, Sally Barkow and team. We are happy with our overall performance this event. However, we do wish we could have back some moments in the finals.

Intense Concentration Photo: (c) John Payne 2011

The first two races of the series, Claire and team hit the shifts correctly up the first beat and launched into the lead and took the two races handidly. The next two races, however, were a different story; much more intense.

The third race, we were behind off the line and around the first lap but up the second beat, we sailed smart and took the lead and the race.

The fourth race was the most intense race of our whole regatta. There were four or five lead changes throughout the whole race.

Off the line, we were to the right and were ahead, but shortly thereafter, a big left shift came in and put Leroy into the lead by one length. Coming into and at the top mark, Leroy held the advantage, as well on the downwind leg. Up the next leg, Molly and Debbie found all of the correct shifts which then put us one length ahead at the top mark. By now the wind had died to about 6kts so we knew going downwind to the finish was going to be very tough. We took it in turns to roll over the top of each other and each of us took the lead several times. In the end, it came down to who could roll the other team last before the finish. Unfortunately for us, she rolled us just before the finish and we couldn't get it back in time. This gave her the third win of the series and the gold medal for the event.

Like I said, we were disappointed after the racing because we feel as though we gave away a couple of races, but after a debrief and evaluation of the whole regatta, now we are excited to have sailed well all week long and to come away with a silver medal.

Next up for us, we have two weeks off as a team. We are looking forward to our break before we start training again on February 14th.

We would like to thank Carmeuse and Trinity Yachts for their continued support of our women's match racing campaign for the 2012 Olympics in London. We would also like to thank US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics (USSTAG) and its sponsors for their support. Also, thank you to our private donors. Please remember that any and all donations/contributions to our campaign should be made payable directly to The Sailing Foundation of New York (tax deductible) memo'd Anna Tunnicliffe, or to Anna Tunnicliffe.

Sail Hard

Anna
Team Tunnicliffe

Getting to the South

2011-01-28T11:15:00.000-08:00

It was 5.56 am (Paris time) this morning when the Maxi Trimiran Banque Populaire V crossed the Equator, just 5 days 17 hours 44 minutes and 15 seconds since leaving Ushant. The maxi trimaran skippered by Pascal Bidegorry recorded the second fastest time in history on this section of the record attempt (Ushant to Equator). In doing so they have covered 3575 miles, at an average of 25.9 knots, keeping a slight advantage on the reference time of the Jules Verne. The crew is now recovering after a difficult crossing of the Doldrums and before the next challenging obstacle: The Saint Helena High.

Crossing the Equator
Crossing the equator is a not just a geographic area of note, but it also remains a true religion for sailors and the passage of this imaginary line has been celebrated as it should be on board the Maxi Banque Populaire V. The fourteen men have were glad to ease off the pressure they were under through the Doldrums and enjoy the mixture of superstition and tradition.

Three crewmen (Ronan Lucas, Xavier Revil and Pierre-Yves Moreau), who were crossing it for the first time, qualified as rookies for the traditional ‘crossing the line’ ceremony. For this impromptu party, Yvan (Ravussin) made a mixture of olive oil, tea, Tabasco, soya sauce, lemon, nuts, pepper and coffee! “I asked them to wake me up to celebrate it altogether” explained Xavier. “Yvan’s preparation was really tasty! I am sure he put everything he could find on board! But it was important to share this moment as we had been fighting hard for the past 24 hours to reach the Equator! And the sailing conditions were perfect to do so, at 28 knots under gennaker: rather exceptional apparently.”

It was then Neptune’s turn to be celebrated. For Brian Thompson, who was crossing it for the thirteenth time, this moment was particularly important : “ I made an offering to Neptune of some of France’s finest saucisson, something I would have enjoyed , but better to propitiate the god of the sea, just in case, and to keep the tradition. This is my 13 crossing now, so it has worked so far!”

The Santa Helena dilemma

Getting through the Doldrums was not an easy task for the Maxi Banque Populaire V as the skipper, Pascal Bidegorry, explained: "It's liberating to get out of there! It was pretty tense yesterday as it is not obvious how to sail in under 2 tiny knots of wind! We should gradually reach better conditions and we are now sailing at 27 knots in 15-17 knots of wind with full mainsail and solent. The wind still oscillates a little, but should stabilize in few hours with a clearer sky.” Such conditions give the crew some time to recover a little, before having to tackle another tricky system.

Indeed, the weather situation is not very clear off the Brazilian coast. With the Saint Helena High blocking the shortest route to the Cape of Good Hope, Banque Populaire V might have to get round this high pressure area spread out from East to West. “The situation is not very clear for now but we might have to go around the northern side of it, which would imply taking a big detour to reach Good Hope. We are attentively looking at the satellite images received every hour. One certain thing is that we do not have a crystal ball to look into but we definitely won’t let any opportunity go, and make everything we can to increase our lead on the reference time” concluded Pascal. -
http://www.voile.banquepopulaire.fr/press/Maxi-Trimaran-Banque-Populaire-V/Getting-to-the-South-3663.html

Preparations underway for Alinghi’s busy 2011 season

2011-01-27T15:55:00.000-08:00

The racing season is fast approaching for Alinghi as the Swiss team carries on with its preparations for the double multihull programme planned for 2011.

First to kick off will be the Extreme Sailing Series, with a busy calendar of nine regattas in nine different countries around the world and a very competitive field. Alinghi is returning to this championship, sailing with the X40 catamarans, after their victory in 2008. The Swiss team will be facing respected international teams such as Artemis Racing, Emirates Team New Zealand, Groupe Edmond de Rothschild, Luna Rossa, Oman Air Masirah, Red Bull Extreme Sailing Team, Team Extreme, Team GAC Pindar, Team Niceforyou and The Wave.

The other important competition in Alinghi’s schedule for this year will be the D35 series, which will travel abroad for the first time since its inception in 2004. The lightweight and innovatively designed catamarans will sail two regattas in open seas off the Mediterranean coast of France. A three-time winner of the D35 championship, Alinghi will try to regain the crown in 2011 against its traditional Swiss and French rivals which include many of the best multihull specialists in the world.

In total, Alinghi’s calendar for 2011 includes 15 events in 10 countries throughout 11 months.

Boat set-up and crew preparation for Alinghi began at the start of the year and the team will be ready for their first meeting, the debut round of the Extreme Sailing Series in Oman, on February 20-24.
The Alinghi crew for the 2011 season is made of a blend of Swiss and French sailors, with many of them playing a part inthe team’s adventures since its creation more than ten years ago. This year will see the addition of French X40 expert, Yann Guichard who will be teaming up with Ernesto Bertarelli, Tanguy Cariou, Yves Detrey, Nils Frei, Coraline Jonet and Pierre-Yves Jorand.

Extreme Sailing Series

20-24 Feb Muscat, Oman
13-17 April Qingdao, China
25-29 May Istanbul, Turkey
30 June-4 Jul Boston, USA
6-12 Aug Cowes,UK
14-18 Sept Trapani, Italy
28 Sept-2 Oct Nice, France
12-16 Oct Almeria, Spain
7-11 Dec Singapor

D35

5-8 May GP Corum
21-22 May Realstone Cup
11 June Genève-Rolle-Genève
12-13 June Pro-Am Versoix
18 June Bol d’Or
1-4 Sept Beaulieu sur mer
22-25 Sept Antibes

Alinghi crew

Ernesto Bertarelli
Tanguy Cariou
Yves Detrey
Nils Frei
Yann Guichard
Coraline Jonet
Pierre-Yves Jorand

Wing walking

2011-01-27T11:09:00.000-08:00

AC45 action video

2011-01-27T11:04:00.001-08:00

Maxi Banque Populaire V update by the crew

2011-01-26T19:33:00.000-08:00

Day 3.75 0600 1545N 2923W - Update from Brian Thompson

15 degrees and 45 minutes North….quick calculation….15 times 60miles is 900 plus 45 makes a total of 945 nautical miles to the equator. That’s the first major milestone after the Ushant start. Looks like we will get there in a similar time to Groupama. We had a great run till yesterday afternoon when the NW wind dropped, and we trickled along waiting for the wind to shift to the typical NE winds of this latitude.

We are now in light tradewinds of around 12- 15 knots, but the wind feels much less powerful in this tropical air. However we should have a good wind angle soon as the wind swings more towards the East. The seas are very flat so only a couple of knots more wind and we will be flying again. The forecasts are not for much more wind than this though, and at this point Groupama was going fast in strong tradewinds.

But we are not perturbed by them catching up as if it was a real race in the same weather conditions - in the big picture we are within our target to the equator, in fact remarkably similar to the timings of the routing simulations we had at the start.

It was a great run till the wind dropped, a point to point 2,100
miles in 3 days, all VMG running with several gybes in there as well.

Incredible going. My best run before that was 697 on Maiden 2, the ex Club Med, which for several years was the record, that was a great trip and a story in itself with a great mixed team including Adrienne Cahalan and Sam Davies, in fact there were more girls than boys on board.

Out here life is good, everyone has change into their tropical wear of shorts and longsleeve shirts, with maybe a jacket at night.

Normally at this point; the first dry day, the boat would be looking a bit like a Caribbean laundry with clothes attached everywhere to catch the sun, but I put away my perfectly dry thermals ready to put on in about a weeks time..3 days of constant spray, 2100 miles and not a drop, thanks Musto!

Incredible stars again and was steering towards one called Canopus tonight…and in case you are wondering how I know…I do have an app for that!

Ok, lets hope the wind exceeds the forecast today…

A demain
Brian
Posted by Brian Thompson Sailing

US Sailing's Rolex Miami OCR - Satisfactory Day Despite Wind Shift Delays

2011-01-26T19:09:00.000-08:00

January 26, 2011
Miami, FL

It was a long day on the water for only three gold races, but it was a successful day finishing 2-1. The wind swung around as the cold front approached and moved through the Miami area, but the race committee of US Sailing's Rolex Miami OCR did a great job in getting in as many races as they did given the conditions.

Looking For .....? Layline? Competitor?
Photo: (c) Amory Ross / US SAILING 2011

The day started with a light southerly ahead of the front, and then swung to the west as it approached. Group A finished their last race before the big swing and while the race committee waited for the breeze to settle in, a protest hearing was heard to determine who in group A would advance to the repecharge, and who would be in silver. Eventually the results were resolved, the wind settled and racing started again. The repecharge group completed three races and we quickly rotated into the boats to do our three races before sunset.

By 3pm, we were finally racing. Our first race was against France's Claire Leroy. In the pre-start, Leroy got a penalty for gybing too close in front of us. We had an even start at opposite ends of the line, us at the pin and her at the boat. When we came together half way up the leg, she was slightly ahead of us, but we held close and rounded right behind her at the top mark. Downwind, we hung tight and rounded again right behind her at the bottom mark. Upwind was the same story which inevitably, would lead to an exciting downwind leg to the finish, where she would try to draw a penalty back against us. Molly and Debbie did a great job controlling the boat and we waited for the opportune moment to gybe with the spinnaker and dive down to beat her to the finish line.

The second race was against our Finnish friends, Team Lehtiman. We had a similar start with them only this time with no penalties. At the top mark, we were bow to stern. The race was close all around until the last leg where we managed to roll over the top of her with our spinnaker, but didn't have quite enough distance to get around her before reaching the port layline. It was a tough loss because we had managed to take the lead, but we learned a few things from the race.

Our last race was against Ekaterina Skudina and team. At the start she earned a penalty. We rounded the top mark ahead of her and she accidently hit the mark as she rounded earning a second penalty which meant that she had to take one of them immediately. We extended on the leg and held on to the lead to take the win.

Tomorrow, racing begins at 9:30 with the repecharge group wrapping up their two races. Then we race our last two races to finish the seeding for the quarterfinals. The quarterfinal racing starts on Friday morning.

There are live twitter feeds online with updates. You can find results at the regatta website here.
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. Also, thank you to our private donors. Please remember that any and all donations/contributions to our campaign should be made payable directly to The Sailing Foundation of New York (tax deductible) or to Anna Tunnicliffe.

Sail Hard

Anna
Team Tunnicliffe

And as usual, don't forget, email us your questions and comments. We love getting them and sharing our love of sailing.

Barcelona World Race: Jan 26 - Virbac Paprec Videoconference

2011-01-26T18:51:00.000-08:00

Short news - Barcelona World Race

2011-01-26T18:44:00.000-08:00

Give or take a mile:

For Jean-Pierre Dick and Loick Peyron on Virbac Paprec 3 today has provided an unwelcome breather, thanks to the retirement of close rival Foncia. And with the looming arrival of a high pressure zone the French duo look set to experience another relative pause, as their pace begins to ease this evening to around 15 knots.

No doubt the Spanish teams of MAPFRE and Estrella Damm, now in second and third respectively, feel their promotions were equally unasked-for. However, both making the most of their opportunities as Estrella Damm claims the top speed this afternoon with nearly 18 knots average VMG since 1500hrs, while MAPFRE were sailing at a similar rate at this evening's 2000hrs sched. At that pace, the Spanish contenders are clearly keeping pace with the race leaders – Estrella Damm's mileage deficit has increased by less than 0.5 mile over the course of the afternoon, likewise Renault Z.E. in fifth by just 1.5 miles.

MAPFRE's Xabi Fernandez (ESP) explained how that pace translates into life on board: “We've been sleeping with our boots on for two days now, ready to jump up onto deck at any moment should our companion need a hand, a sail change or a squall moves in and the wind picks up lots. You can't be too careful down here. You've really got to watch out, whilst thinking about the race at the same time.”

Behind the leading trio, both the rankings and relative positions are virtually unchanged: Groupe Bel remains in constant fourth, Mirabaud and Neutrogena have each shed just 10-25 miles from the leader. The only marginally more significant mileage losses are for those boats currently placed 8th to 12th, still above the critical 40th degree line of strong breeze, with 30-50 miles lost to the leader.

3-1 Today Takes Us Into The Gold Fleet - Miami OCR

2011-01-26T07:29:00.000-08:00

Miami, FL- We wrapped up the group C round robin today and had a successful day. We finished the day 3-1 making our round robin score 6-1, tied with Lucy MacGregor from Great Britain. We both advance onto the gold fleet that will seed us for the quarterfinals of the US Sailing's Rolex Miami OCR.

Close Quarter Calls
Photo: (c) Dave Hein 2011

We woke up to windy weather this morning and headed out under partly sunny skies to watch the last two races of group B's racing. The wind was up and down, 12-18kts, puffy and shifty. We hopped into our boats around noon and racing got underway soon after that. Our first race and win was against New Zealand's Stephanie Hazard. It was a good close race and got us warmed up and ready for the rest of our races for the day. Our second and third races were against France's Anne-Claire Le Berre, and our USSTAG teammates, Sally Barkow and team, with us taking the win in both races.

The last race of the day was against MacGregor, and it was by far our most exciting race of this regatta so far. We had a very good pre-start and we led her off the line after pinning her outside of the race committee boat. Up the first leg we were ahead by about a boat length leading to the right, but misjudged the layline. This put her in a powerful position on our hip and we ended up following her into the top mark.

Downwind, we were quite fast and almost got into a position to where we could pin her out past the layline for the leeward mark, but missed a wave. She pulled ahead and soaked down into the zone. We had a better mark rounding than her which gave us more speed, and in trying to round on the outside and force her to tack, we hit her and drew a penalty.

But we sailed fast upwind and again rounded just behind her. She had a slow spinnaker set and we were able to jump her and roll over the top of her to take the lead with the chance to burn our penalty. Shortly thereafter, she soaked inside of us so we gybed at her. We luffed, she broached, we caught a puff and a wave and surged ahead by a bit more. We slowed and tried to make a move right at the finish against her, but instead ended up drawing another foul and losing the race. It was a great race and a lot of fun, although our mistakes were rather silly which rather displeased us.

Tomorrow we start racing after group A finishes their last race, and the repecharge group completes three of their races. The forecast is for big breeze and rain; we are hopeful the rain holds off for a while, and we just have the wind.

There are live twitter feeds online with updates. You can find results at the regatta website here.
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. Also, thank you to our private donors. Please remember that any and all donations/contributions to our campaign should be made payable directly to The Sailing Foundation of New York (tax deductible) or to Anna Tunnicliffe.

Sail Hard

Anna
Team Tunnicliffe

Foncia describe their mast break and retire from the Barcelona World Race. - News - Barcelona World Race

2011-01-26T07:21:00.000-08:00

The report was sent from Foncia’s Michel Desjoyeaux and François Gabart at 0659hrs this Wedenesday morning.

“ On January 26th 2011 at 0240hrs UTC positioned at 41°12,6 S and 8°59,8 E Foncia was sailing a course of 115 degrees at an average of 18 knots under Solent and one reef with the wind at 140 degree blowing at 25-30 knots, wind swell, and had the same conditions for around eight hours.

The mast broke above the solent hound, in other words around 25 metres above the deck (27.3m long tube). The rigging is still up held in place by the lower shrouds, the runners, the staysail stay and main jib stay. The broken sectiont is hanging down at 20m up and is still held in place by the halyards. The solent, unfurled, because in use when the damage occurred was twisted around the whole mast.

The mainsail is held by its halyard at the third reef. Everything has stayed on board, nothing lost overboard. I can’t hide our disappointment, but we are healthy except I have a little pain in my right thumb which I got when I was trying to get the Solent under control.

We do not ask for any assistance. We are currently trying to head for Cape Town under sail, around 600 miles off. Our current speed is 11 knots course 76 deg. The forecasts for the next few days show no risk (today 25 to 30 knots from the S, weakening and clocking W). In two days the passage of the anticyclone (bringing light winds). If the seas are slight then maybe we will have the chance to climb the mast to recover the pieces and to be able to drop the mainsail. After that we should see 20-25 knots from the SE in to Cape Town.

Our ETA Cape Town then should be 30th or 31st January. We retire from the Barcelona World Race.” - http://www.barcelonaworldrace.org/

Going For the America's Cup

2011-01-25T17:10:00.000-08:00

Blast from the Past... Dennis Conner on the cover of Time Magazine in 1987.

Tom Blackaller predicting the America's Cup in SF

2011-01-25T17:00:00.000-08:00

Tom Blackaller talks about having an America's Cup in SF on Catamarans back in the 1980's!

Big Boats, Big Names Making Plans for the 31st Edition of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta

2011-01-25T15:42:00.000-08:00

St. Maarten, (January 25, 2011) – As the anticipation mounts for the 31st running of the annual festival of sailing, music and parties known as the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta—this year’s event is scheduled for March 3-6—the entry list continues to grow…in more ways than one. Not only is the fleet of big boats growing daily, so is the roster of big-name sailors who will be making their way to the Caribbean for this next edition of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta.

For sailors seeking a long-distance challenge followed by the closed-course and point-to-point day races that remain a signature of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, the 2011 Caribbean racing season is shaping up as one of the best ever, with an intriguing and diverse series of events…all of which are conveniently centered around the 2011 St. Maarten Heineken Regatta.

First off, beginning on February 21st, is the 600-mile Caribbean 600 starting in Antigua. And following the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta later in March is Nautor’s ClubSwan Caribbean Rendezvous in the British Virgin Islands.

The Caribbean 600 is proving to be an ideal “feeder” race for the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. A half-dozen strong entries have already entered both of these stellar races, and several more yachts—with a few interesting surprises—are rumored to announce plans to compete in both regattas in the weeks ahead.

The confirmed entrants for both the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta and the earlier Caribbean 600 range are an interesting mix, including Brian Benjamin’s Carbon Ocean 82, Aegir II; Meghan Grundy’s Custom Tripp 75, Bella Pita; a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 52, Great Escape of Southampton; Allie Smith’s Beneteau First 50, Hydrocarbon Logic; the Rob Humphrey-designed 54-footer, Oystercatcher XXVII; and Lloyd Thornburg’s spanking new Gunboat 66, Phaedo.

There are some big-name sailors in that diverse fleet, including several aboard Phaedo: professional sailor and Volvo Ocean Race veteran Mikey Joubert, American multihull legend Cam Lewis, and Jan Dekker of Club Med, America’s Cup and VOR fame. Speaking of offshore sailing heroes, one of the most accomplished long-distance sailors ever, five-time round-the-world racer Bouwe Bekking, will reportedly be competing aboard the Grand Soleil 43, Antilope. And behind the wheel of Oystercatcher XXVII will be one of the most accomplished British yachtsman/boatbuilders of this era, Richard Matthews.

A closer look at some of the big boats racing in both the 2011 St. Maarten Heineken Regatta fleet and the Caribbean 600 suggests the competition in the upper echelons of the field will be tight and dramatic. The all-carbon Aegir II, designed by Simon Rogers and sporting a carbon fiber, three-spreader rig, will easily make over ten knots sailing upwind; off the breeze, powered by a massive masthead asymmetric spinnaker spreading over 650 square meters of sail, the sleek 82-footer is capable of 20-knots speeds and more. Aegir II made a stunning debut last September, winning their class at the Rolex Maxi Yacht Cup.

Though somewhat smaller, given the right conditions, Bella PITA—a 75-foot Bill Tripp-designed Maxi Dolphin, which notched a third in the 2010 BVI Spring Regatta—could give Aegir II a run for their money. With its deep, lifting keel complimented by some 1,250 liters of water ballast, Bella PITA is an extremely versatile boat for cruising, short-handed passage making, and the fully crewed racing she’ll enjoy at the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta.

When it comes to the sheer spectacle of sailing, however, it’ll be difficult for competitors and spectators alike to keep their eyes off the 66-foot, South African-built catamaran Phaedo, one of the newest offerings in the outrageous Gunboat line…and painted in an unmistakable Metallic Lamborghini Orange. In the three previous decades of racing at the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, it’s safe to say there’s never been anything on the racecourse quite like Phaedo.

Once again, the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta will be making history. Shouldn’t you come to the Caribbean this March and make some history of your own?

For full information on the Budget Marine Match Racing Cup, Gill Commodore’s Cup and the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, as well as entry lists, past results, photos, videos, party and band information, the Notice of Race, Sailing Instructions and much, much more, visit www.heinekenregatta.com

MEDIA ALERT - OFFICIAL DATES OF 34TH AMERICA’S CUP RELEASED

2011-01-25T11:16:00.000-08:00

San Francisco, Calif., Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Louis Vuitton Cup Starts In July, America’s Cup Match (Finals) In September of 2013

WHAT:
The 2013 race dates for the Louis Vuitton Cup and America’s Cup Match (Finals) were confirmed today by Regatta Director Iain Murray.

Since 1983, the Louis Vuitton Cup – the America’s Cup Challenger Series – has been held when more than one Challenger is vying for the right to race the Defender for the America’s Cup (as is the case for the 34th America’s Cup). The role of the Louis Vuitton Cup is twofold – not only to select the best Challenger, but also to help prepare that the team to race successfully against the Defender in the America’s Cup Match (Finals).

The winner of the Louis Vuitton Cup will race the Golden Gate Yacht Club’s (GGYC) defending team in the finals, a first-to-win-five (best of nine) race series known as the America’s Cup Match (Finals).

WHEN:
Louis Vuitton Cup: 13 July – 1 September 2013*
America’s Cup Match (Finals): 7-22 September 2013**

WHO:
Under the Protocol Governing the America’s Cup, GGYC as the Defending Club has the responsibility to select the dates.

The official notice of these dates to the currently entered six teams, and other prospective teams, from Regatta Director Iain Murray is now available at www.americascup.com under the Gallery section.

WHERE:
San Francisco Bay

*subject to the final number of Challengers and the precise format of the racing TBD by the Challengers and Regatta Director.
**subject to the whether the America’s Cup Match (Finals) is won in five races, or goes the full nine races.

About the America’s Cup
Nearly 160 years old, the America’s Cup is the oldest trophy in international sport. Initially a one-on-one competition between teams representing foreign yacht clubs, the America’s Cup has evolved into one of the world's leading sporting competitions – featuring the best sailors on the world’s fastest boats – the wing-sailed AC45 and AC72 catamarans. The 34th America's Cup Finals will be held in San Francisco in the fall of 2013, with the new America's Cup World Series beginning in 2011. For more information, visit www.americascup.com

Rolex Baltic Week

2011-01-25T11:01:00.000-08:00

Photo credit: Rolex / Nico Krauss
Flensburg, Germany - WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLE FOR 2011 WITH KING HARALD V OF NORWAY AT THE STARTING LINE

The Metre yachts and Flensburg Fjord have always had a very special relationship, and next year it will reach new heights at the eighth Rolex Baltic Week, when both the Robbe & Berking 12-Metre World Championship and the Eights’ world cup will be held here. The event will even see His Royal Highness Harald V of Norway take part at the helm of his 8-Metre yacht “Sira”.
In conjunction with Kieler Yacht-Club (KYC), Flensburger Segel-Club (FSC) will welcome the crème de la crème of these classic vessels – including those participating in the Robbe & Berking 6mR Sterling Cup – from 28 June to 3 July 2011. The 12-Metre owners first staged their World Championship in Gluecksburg in 2008 after the 8-Metres held their Euro Cup there in 2005.

The first official entry for a sailing regatta is always very special, but when that entry is filed by a member of a European royal family, it instantly brings a little extra gloss to even a top class event. King Harald V of Norway, who has been known and loved for decades as an excellent offshore sailor and passionate competitor, will come to Flensburg Fjord from his Oslo Fjord home waters. Besides being the owner and helmsman of a number of top notch regatta boats named “Fram”, the Norwegian monarch will pay tribute to his love of classic boats by taking “Sira” (launched in 1938) with sail number NOR 33 to the starting line. Boat captain Kjell A. Myrann was responsible for dispatching the entry form for the seven-man crew skippered by the King, and he also announced a support boat. Whether it will be the Royal Yacht “Norge” who will come to the Rolex Baltic Week, remains as yet open.

Norwegian insiders have let on that as many as three 12-Metre yachts might accompany their royal team to Flensburg. The competition for the Twelves – an America’s Cup class from 1958 to 1987 – will take place on familiar waters for Gluecksburg’s two gems. Both “Sphinx”, built 1939 and relaunched in 2008 following extensive restoration, and “Anitra” (1928), which has been returned to its former glory after an equally lengthy makeover, have chosen Flensburg Fjord as their home ground. This means that in the midst of this top-notch fleet, we will see an exciting intra-club duel in this majestic class.

However, the number one favourite is “Nyala” (1938), with the American sail number US-12, which took the prize back in 2008. Owned by the Italian Prada boss Patrizio Bertelli, the Twelve is usually crewed by a professional team with America’s Cup experience. At the event two years ago, the fashion tsar beat “Trivia” (1937), belonging to Hamburg-based internet pioneer Wilfried Beeck. In 2010, “Trivia” won the Robbe & Berking 12mR Sterling Cup ahead of both “Sphinx” and Patrick Howaldt’s “Vanity V” (1936) from the Royal Danish Yacht Club Copenhagen (RDYC) in a thrilling conclusion to the Rolex Baltic Week.

Also expected to go head to head are Hamburg’s “Heti” and “Erna Signe” from Sandefjord in Norway. Both ships belong to the “Antique” division, meaning they date back to the early days of the Metre classes. The grand old lady from Norway will be celebrating her 100th birthday next year. What could be better than taking part in the World Championship to mark the occasion? Not to be outdone by “Heti”, “Erna Signe” is a mere 99 years old. “Heti’s” design and gaff rig sail plan alone give away her age, however, as the vessel has undergone years of restoration by the Hamburg Maritime Association as part of its youth training project “Jugend in Arbeit”. She has been back on the water with her historic rigging for several years.

Flensburg won over the race organisers from the International Eight Metre Association (IEMA) to be selected as their World Championship hosts, ahead of bids from France and Italy. “The 8-Metre class association was delighted to accept the FSC’s offer to host the World Cup. We were very impressed by our positive experiences both back in 2005 and at the Euro Cup during the Rolex Baltic Week 2010,” said Andreas Lochbrunner from Lindauer Segler-Club, who welcomed the fleet of Eights in 2006 for the World Championship on Lake Constance. He also praised the smooth collaboration between the two host clubs, FSC and KYC.

Lochbrunner, who is the owner of the 8-Metre “Elfe”, expects a large fleet of at least 15 boats to enter the Flensburg Fjord event. “With the Twelves holding their World Championship at the same time, the only problem is that it is more difficult for some owners to take part as they are active in both classes. We will do our best to organise charters to help out,” Lochbrunner promises. He certainly plans to enter with his unusual boat – the smart Abeking & Rasmussen design is the only double-masted Eight. The ketch also features a rare wishbone rig.

Once again, “Elfe” will face Richard Gervé’s “Sposa” in a Lindauer SC intra-club contest. Like “Elfe”, the gaff-rigged yacht was constructed in 1912 and is therefore classed in the First Rule division (vessels built between 1907 and 1919). Following the Rolex Baltic Week 2010, “Sposa” stayed up north, meaning she will be ready to race in 2011 without the need for land transport. Andreas Lochbrunner hopes that other First Rule division yachts will enter the competition. They could include “Lucky Girl”, built by William Fife III, which was completed in 1910 and is now shipshape again following refurbishment. Owned by Siegfried Buss, she sails under the British flag but is berthed on Lake Constance. Another candidate, “Edit” belonging to Wilhelm Wagner from Bodman, will turn 100 next year. She was also built in Finland in 1911 based on a design by Alfred Mylne for the Olympic Games, which were held in the Swedish capital Stockholm in the following year.

“Classic” Eights (vessels built between 1920 and 1966) will make up the largest division. “We fully expect to see a number of ships from Scandinavia. There are lots of classic Eights in Finland alone,” explains Lochbrunner. It goes without saying that the “Modern” 8-Metre yachts (built between 1967 and the present day) are expected to be the fastest on the regatta course. The organisers expect a field of three or four modern vessels in this attractive, classic design to pit themselves against their historic predecessors. Favourites include the Swiss “YQuem II” owned by Jean Fabre, which triumphed at the 8-Metre Euro Cup in summer 2010 during the Rolex Baltic Week in Kiel. Her greatest competitor is expected to be Iris Metten’s “Aluette” (constructed in 1995 and also from Switzerland), which bagged a third World Championship title in Toronto, Canada in 2010 – assuming the yacht is transported back to Europe from North America.

Approximately 20 Eights could line up under starter’s orders in Gluecksburg. They will sail windward-leeward courses within sight of the shore. The ORC World Championship races in September 2010 showed that the idyllic inner fjord between Germany and Denmark is an ideal venue. Both the Robbe & Berking 12-Metre and 8-Metre World Championships are due to consist of nine races, which will commence on 29 June. The FSC’s Principal Race Officer Claus-Otto Hansen is already looking forward to the competition: “The Rolex Baltic Week 2011 will be an outstanding event which will further establish Flensburg Fjord’s good reputation as a championship venue.”

(end)

America’s Cup-winning trimaran USA 17 bound for San Francisco

2011-01-25T10:59:00.000-08:00

USA 17 has only ever competed twice, but she sailed the races of her life to dominate the Swiss defender, Alinghi, off Valencia, Spain, last year and win the 33rd America’s Cup.

The extraordinary carbon-fiber machine is being loaded onto the freighter M.V. Star Isfjord this week for the long delivery trip to San Francisco via the Panama Canal. The freighter carrying both USA 17 and her extraordinary 223ft wingsail is scheduled to leave Valencia on January 29 or 30 for the 7,900-nautical-mile passage to the Bay Area.

The estimated arrival in San Francisco, dependent upon on-time loading, sea conditions en-route and transit time in the Panama Canal, is March 1.

The trimaran’s arrival will mark the first time that USA 17 visits the city that ORACLE Racing calls home. She was launched in Anacortes, WA, in August 2008, and after initial testing there moved to San Diego, CA, for a further period of training before being moved to Valencia for the 33rd Cup Match last February.

Measuring more than 100 feet long and 90 feet wide and powered by a 20-storey tall wingsail, USA 17 is the fastest yacht to ever win the America’s Cup. It has been in storage in Valencia since winning the Cup on Feb. 14, 2010.

With the ORACLE Racing team fully focused on laying the groundwork for its 34th America’s Cup campaign in 2013, the provisional plan is to continue to keep USA 17 in storage after unloading. An announcement about the vessel’s sailing plans will be made later this year.

“The handful of us privileged to sail on USA 17 would love to sail her again in an instant. I dare say all those who never had this chance would like to as well,” said ORACLE Racing skipper James Spithill.

“But the stark reality is that every aspect of the boat, every component, was built right to the limit so that for every hour’s sailing USA 17 required 20 hours of painstaking and rigorous maintenance. For the time being the team’s focus will be on the America’s Cup ahead.”

Atlantic crossing - Day 7 and 8 - 2130 nm to go - The World Tour

2011-01-24T19:51:00.000-08:00

Rain is gone. Although it took around 15 hours to get rid of. Fantastic how different the world can appear in different lights. We are now definitely in the tropics, with a position of N 19.20° W 24.55°, and finally have those warm nights arrived, making the watches much easier to go through. I'm thinking by the way of having a swim in the deep blue sea very soon as the heat is quite unbearable at times. Alex tells me there might be sharks and tries to scare me but I don't intend letting either him or the movie "The Reef" stand in between me and my mid Atlantic dive, for there can't be sharks in the middle of the deep Atlantic ocean, can there? And if there is, how great would the risk be to have a hungry one just around our boat when I dive in? The Reef was by the way a good movie, thanks for the tips whoever that was of our dear readers suggesting us to see it. A bit frustrating though to watch people taking such stupid decisions like the ones taken in the movie.

No flying fishes here yet as far as I am concerned, only a very strange fish swimming along with us next to the hull of our boat, just like a dog or some other type of pet following it's owner. Please let me know if anyone can identify this weird animal. Is it eatable?

We have now been out here for seven days and only two ships have we met. Definitely thought there would be a bit more traffic around here, although we do not mind the loneliness at all. Feels good to have the ocean all to ourselves. Definitely better for the tan as well, as we're able to be naked as much as we want to without curious eyes watching. Speaking of tan, the tone of my skin is slowly turning into something reminiscent of raisins, I might look like an old, dry grapefruit when we're done with this passage although everything is better than the pale white winter look I was sporting earlier.

Although we were earlier convinced that we had found those tradewinds, they quickly died out on us after a few days. It's been some slow and frustrating last 24 hours here with ultra light winds and terribly uncomfortable rolling seas. I can't believe I once was dreaming of dead calm mid Atlantic days, they are the worst to ever have to encounter. Especially when we've decided to not make a stop in Cape Verde to refuel. Will the fuel last all the way to the West Indies is the question of the day. Or no, that is actually not a question any longer, it just has to last as we do not have other options any longer. We're now heading further down SW to catch up with the established trades which we've found on the grib-files and we're having some 300 nm to go before we can turn completely to the West.

I can by the way see that we have +200 new friend requests on Facebook, unfortunately we can't accept them from here so bare with us for two more weeks, will you. Also we're sorry that we can't answer much emails and comments from the sea, will take care of it all when we're back on normal Wifi connection again.

/Taru -
http://sailingaroundtheglobe.blogspot.com/2011/01/atlantic-crossing-day-7-and-8-2130-nm.html

New America's Cup AC45 wing-sailed catamaran : first sailing session in ...

2011-01-24T19:45:00.000-08:00

Trophee Jules Verne of Banque Populaire : start on heaver weather

2011-01-24T19:44:00.000-08:00

ALL4ONE announce three year sponsorship deal and new boat build to compete on the 2011 Audi MedCup

2011-01-24T19:32:00.000-08:00

The Franco-German team, managed by Jochen Schümann, becomes “Audi Sailing Team powered by ALL4ONE”, following a new three-year agreement reached with title partner Audi. The team have confirmed the build of a new TP52 in Sydney, with which they aim to finish among the podium positions on both the Audi MedCup Circuit and at TP52 World Championship.
ALL4ONE introduce both a new name and a new boat in 2011 as a result of reaching a sponsorship agreement with main sponsor, Audi. The campaign, led by France’s Stephane Kandler, will be known as “Audi Sailing Team powered by ALL4ONE”. The team have confirmed they are building a new TP52 designed by Judel/Vrolijk at McConaghy in Sydney, Australia. Their objective is to finish the 2011 season on the Audi MedCup Circuit in a top three overall position, and then will compete on the TP52 World Championship in October.

The new boat launch is expected to take place in Valencia in May in time for the boat to be ready for training prior to the first Audi MedCup Circuit competition event.

Expectations for Audi Sailing Team powered by ALL4ONE crew and skipper, Jochen Schüman, triple Olympic gold medalist and two-time winner of the America’s Cup, are high:

"First, we are pleased that the new Audi contract allows us to take part next season in the Audi MedCup Circuit. With the new TP52 our goal is to finish among the top three in the overall standings and win one of the season’s five events," said the German skipper.

There will be no major crew changes from 2010 line up:

"Jochen Schumann (GER) will be our skipper and Sebastien Col (FRA) will continue as tactician. There is no reason to make big changes. The three-year collaboration with Audi and their confidence in our capabilities is great news for "ALL4ONE" and all this allows us to work in ideal conditions: continuity, a permanent base in Valencia, a media agreement and a competitive boat. This is the recognition of a great new team in 2010," said Kandler, whose team will continue to enjoy the support of the French television group, Canal +, partners since 2004, by following of Kiel Woche, the 2011 Audi MedCup Circuit and TP52 World Championships.

The Franco-German campaign will particularly encourage the integration of young talent to the team, which, in the words of Jochen Schumann “it allows for German sailors in the Audi Sailing Team Germany, the German national sailing team, to train with us and participate in the boat deliveries. This is a great scouting opportunity which could see between 25 and 30 young sailors sailing in TPs over the next years and maybe even a skipper to replace me.”

"ALL4ONE" is a pan-European team founded and directed by Stephan Kandler, ex-crew member of the French America's Cup syndicate K-Challenge, and Jochen Schumann, triple Olympic gold medalist and double America’s Cup winner, with crews members from France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Holland and Italy.

Day 1, Late Finish, 3-0, Good Day - US SAILING’s Rolex Miami OCR

2011-01-24T19:04:00.000-08:00

Miami, FL - We have just gotten home from a late day of sailing, finishing up day 1 of US SAILING’s Rolex Miami OCR. Group C completed three races this afternoon hitting the dock at 6pm. We had a good day finishing with three wins in our three races. It was a beautiful day, cloudy, but the wind was up around 12-15kts and mostly flat water. The temperature was in the high 60's/low 70's which made it very pleasant.

Team Tunnicliffe Leading Dellenbaugh M3F15
Photo: (c) @RMOCR_CourseF
The day had a very relaxed start for us. We were not scheduled to race until the other two groups had completed three races each, which meant that we didn't have to leave the house until 12:30pm. We left and got to the club in time, changed and headed out to watch two of group B's races. We wanted to head out so we could see what the wind was doing on the race course to help get us clued in for when it was our turn.

We finally got into our boats, and after a bit of time to get ready we started racing. Our closest match was the last race against Sweden's Anna Kjelberg. In the prestart, we gave her a penalty, we maintained control and led her off the line. Up the first beat we were within half a boat length for a while and then we correctly hit a couple of shifts at the top to extend to a two length lead. Downwind, we sailed the shifts but coming into the leeward mark, Kjelberg rode a puff into us and rounded half a length behind us. Upwind again, we extended on the shifts and continued to increase our lead downwind to cross the line to take the win. At this point the sun was about 30 minutes from setting so the race committee sent us in for the day.

Tomorrow's racing starts at 9:30 for the match racers. Group B will start the day, and we will race second. The plan is for the RC to wrap up the round robins which means four flights for each group. Luckily the forecast is for 10-20kts tomorrow so there should be no problem in getting the races in.

There will be live twitter feeds online with updates. You can find results at the regatta website here.

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. Also, thank you to our private donors. Please remember that any and all donations/contributions to our campaign should be made payable directly to The Sailing Foundation of New York (tax deductible) or to Anna Tunnicliffe.

Sail Hard

Anna
Team Tunnicliffe

Wanna lose a little weight this year?

2011-01-23T07:07:00.000-08:00

Foilfeed® has worked on a development project based on the Foilfeed® M1 for mainsails. Basically, the M1 can replace the traditional headboards and rivets, saving weight and time, still saving the mast and luff tapes from the tear and wear.

The focus of this development was aimed at small keelboats and dinghies, that - by tradition - sail around with traditional heavy headboard solutions in their mainsails, adding excess weight and material.

This is not to say, that headboards are redundant from now on, but merely that there is a useful and better alternative for the majority of one design classes around now, substantiated by the Foilfeed® M1. Especially if you're looking for margins like saving weight aloft, saving your spar and avoiding luff tape problems... lose weight at www.foilfeed.com

SDYC Hoist Area Time Lapse Etchells Worlds Qualifier 1.8.2011

2011-01-22T07:09:00.000-08:00

Jules Verne Trophy record attempt

2011-01-22T06:57:00.000-08:00

The Maxi Trimaran Banque Populaire V left this morning on her first attempt on the Jules Verne Trophy record

The boat and the crew have been set for weeks. They set off this morning from the Port du Chateau in Brest and crossed the start line off Ushant at 11h11m45sec (UTC) for the Maxi Trimaran Banque Populaire’s first attempt on the Jules Verne Trophy. Pascal Bidegorry and his 13 crew have to be back in less than 48 days, 7 hours, 44 minutes and 52 seconds in order to beat the record time established by Groupama 3 in March 2010.
A tricky window

It was just before 9 am this morning when the Maxi Trimaran left the dock, in the Port du Chateau in Brest. Between the excitement of leaving and the emotion of leaving families, the moment was really intense for the 14 crew.

Extremely focused on attacking this first attempt, the skipper Pascal Bidegorry is happy about leaving today, even though the weather conditions are not that clear: «we will be leaving downwind and sailing around a depression. Below this depression, we cannot hide from the fact that the forecast is not straight forward. However, we have been waiting for this moment for a long time and we cannot let this opportunity go. I am really excited to be going to sea and I really think that we deserve it. I am looking forward to tomorrow morning, tomorrow night or in two days time and realising: “that’s it ! We’re there!”. These stand-by periods are somewhat painful and I am really looking forward to saying that we are in the Jules Verne Trophy, the objective of the past four years. This is a great moment in my life. "

The Canaries, a central concern
Indeed, the weather situation is not that clear over the Atlantic, as Brian Thompson explained just before leaving the dock: “We are confronted by two different weather models: the European and the American ones. They are showing us different things so we decided to go for the pessimistic one, the European, in order to avoid falling in light winds. In fact, there is a low pressure off the Canaries which is going to kill the trade winds a little bit and then another massive low crossing the Atlantic. As this latter comes closer, it might completely kill the trade winds. We are just trying to sneak pass a little low over the Canaries, turn round that and get down to the South before the big depression comes over.”

It will be no mean feat for the Skipper, Pascal Bidegorry and his 13 crew onboard Banque Populaire V, and for them the 10th March will be highlighted in their diaries as the date to aim for as they attempt to sail into the record books.

ORACLE Racing: Eye in the sky - aerial shots of the AC45

2011-01-21T13:03:00.000-08:00

sailing vid

2011-01-21T12:57:00.003-08:00

On Board Oracle - Key West Race Week 2011 - By Leighton O'Connor

2011-01-21T12:17:00.000-08:00

New build TP52 Container to compete on 2011 Audi MedCup Circuit

2011-01-21T08:18:00.000-08:00

The new Container, owned by Udo Schütz from Germany, will debut in the world’s leading monohull class, the TP52 Series on the Audi MedCup in 2011. She will compete with an experienced, professional crew led by Markus Wieser, a European Champion and World Championship runner-up in the Dragon Class. Wieser is also experienced match racer and has frequently sailed in the afterguard aboard TP52s.

Udo Schütz’ Container, known for its campaigns recently in the Mini Maxi class and further back as a winner of the Admiral’s Cup as part of the German team, will campaign in the TP52 class of the 2011 Audi MedCup with a new Judel & Vrolijk design. The team will make its debut at the first event of the circuit in May.
“It is a great opportunity to lead the Container team into a new era – a highly skilled group of people, some of whom already have experience in the TP52 class,” said Wieser. “We remain realistic and we know that competition is very strong but anything can happen during the short windward-leeward races.”

“It was a logical step for us, based on our experiences from the Mini Maxi class”, explained Team Owner, Udo Schütz. “There is no higher professional way of sailing on monohulls in the world – the
perfect environment to showcase and develop our products.”

Schütz is a successful businessman who’s state of the art technology is used in the construction of lightweight components for principally the aerospace and automotive industries.

The new TP52 Container is being built by Green Marine in Lymington, UK and is expected to be delivered in a record time of just four months. Container is the sistership to another new TP52 under construction at Green Marine, Niklas Zennström’s Ràn.

This is the first of a number of team announcements expected for the coming season.

Boat Specifications

CONTAINER
Class: TP52
Length: 15.85 m (52 feet)
Width: 4.42 m
Draft: 4.35 m
Weight: 7,300 kg
Mast Height: 23:80 m
Upwind Sail Area: 93,5 m² (main sail) and 65 m² (foresail)
Gennaker: 260 m²
Capacity: 13 crew
Design: Judel / Vrolijk & Co
Builder: Green Marine Ltd., Lymington/UK

On A Warpath In Key West

2011-01-19T07:09:00.001-08:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
INTERNATIONAL MELGES 32 CLASS ASSOCIATION

Key West, Fla. - The Melges 32 fleet enjoyed absolutely stunning conditions today at Key West Race Week. With two additional races complete, Steve Howe on Warpath (Morgan Larson, tactician) now leads the overalls just ahead of Alex Jackson’s Leenabarca (Rob Greenhalgh, tactician) in second, followed by overnight leader Doug Douglas on Goombay Smash (Chris Larson, tactician) now third.

Plentiful sunshine, an initial 6-8 knots of breeze, manageable seas and temperatures in the mid-70’s made it a perfect day for sailboat racing as the Melges 32s prepped for the Course 4 first gun. It was an all around good start for Howe and his Warpath crew as they easily won the pin end start with Douglas alongside. Douglas was blistering fast upwind launching out front of the fleet almost immediately, nailing the first mark rounding with Bob Hughes on Heartbreaker (Chris Rast, tactician) in second and Jackson in third. Downwind, Jackson made his move rounding through the gate first coming in from the pressure driven right, closely followed by Hughes. Douglas’ speed served him well on the final upwind beat. He slowly, but surely overtook Jackson for second, leaving a very determined Leenabarca in third.

Race two commenced under the same conditions and bearings as the first (190 @ 1.7nm), this time a Course 5 with the breeze noticeably diminishing. It was a devastating start for Jackson as he was called OCS, yet recovered to finish seventh. On the contrary, Howe offered nothing but complete domination holding off stiff competition from Phil Lotz’s Arethusa (Ed Baird, tactician). The two assumed the first and second fleet positions from the very start to finish, to win. Fleet newcomer Mark Plaxton on INTAC (Peter Holmberg, tactician) had a wonderful final race of the day to take third, Yukihiro Ishida’s Yasha Samurai (Hamish Pepper, tactician) finished fourth while Terry McSweeney’s Flat Stanley rounded out the top five.

Going into Wednesday, everyone clearly has their work cut out for them as it will put six races (potentially) on the board and discards go into effect. Howe leads by one point, Jackson is right behind and Douglas is third some 12 points out of first. Depending on how well each of the top teams perform, Wednesday may determine their fate with only three days to go in Key West.

MELGES 32 MEDIA
Friends, family and fans of the Melges 32 are able to tune-in and enjoy the racing action and developments from a distance, special thanks to Sail 22’s all new Sailing Updates. They anticipate bringing as-it-happens coverage from the water. A very special thanks to Steve Rhyne's Mojo Team.

Daily race reports, press release and photos will be available at the official website of the International Melges 32 Class Association. If you are unable to attend Key West Race Week 2011, 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.

TOP TEN RESULTS (After four races)
1.) Steve Howe/Morgan Larson, Warpath; 2-6-5-1 = 14
2.) Alex Jackson/Rob Greenhalgh, Leenabarca; 3-2-3-7 = 15
3.) William Douglas/Chris Larson, Goombay Smash; 4-1-2-15 = 22
4.) Joe Woods/Paul Goodison, Red; 8-9-4-10 = 31
5.) John Kilroy, Jr./Nathan Wilmot, Samba Pa Ti; 5-10-6-11 = 32
6.) Phil Lotz/Ed Baird, Arethusa; 11-3-17-2 = 33
7.) Bob Hughes/Chris Rast, Heartbreaker; 7-21-1-8 = 37
8.) Yukihiro Ishida/Tony Rey, Yasha Samurai; 13-7-14-4 = 38
9.) Peter Rogers/Ruairdah Scott, Highlife; 1-20-11-9 = 41
10.) Oscar Strugstad/Andy Beadsworth, Dawn Raid; 6-5-21-12 = 44
View Full Results
View Full Crew List
2011 Key West Race Week Official Event Website

View 2011 Key West Race Week Photo Gallery
A very special thanks to Alex Jackson's Leenabarca.

###

MORE MELGES 32 RACING IN 2011
2011 Key West Race Week is the second of three, major 2011 Winter Series events for the Melges 32 in North America. On March 4-6, the fleet will assemble for the final series event in Miami, Fla. — the Melges 32 Miami Championship.

In Europe, things will heat up in the spring with yet another spectacular line-up of Audi Sailing Series events beginning in March, leading up to Copa Del Rey on August 1-6, culminating at the 2011 Melges 32 World Championship in Palma de Mallorca, Spain.

Mascalzone Latino holds the provisional leadership

2011-01-19T07:06:00.000-08:00

Mascalzone Latino holds the provisional leadership
after the second racing day of the 2011 Key West Week

Key West (USA), 19th January 2011

Yesterday it was a fabulous day for Mascalzone Latino, who is taking part in the 2011 Key West Week. Vincenzo Onorato’s team won both races and this achievement granted it the first position on the provisional scoreboard.

The weather conditions were perfect for a regatta, with a Southerly wind averaging 12 knots; conditions that enabled the Regatta Committee to arrange two races: the first one on a four-sided route (two upwind and two downwind legs), the second one on a five-sided route (three upwind and two downwind legs).

Two good starts (the first one better than the second), right tactical decisions and crew hard work let Mascalzone Latino leave behind, in both races, Team Aqua with tactician Cameron Appleton and ORACLE Racing with Russell Coutts calling tactics.
During the whole day the leading positions changed several times at each mark, with Mascalzone Latino always on top of the fleet, making life hard for the competitors.

“It was the case of a hard battle in both regattas, from start to finish – stated Vincenzo Onorato, visibly happy – today was a great day for Mascalzone Latino. Two first places added to the first position on the scoreboard are a good achievement, for the crew’s motivation also, even though we can’t forget we are only at the beginning of this championship. There are still many regattas to race, and the other competitors are at least on the same level as we are; nevertheless we are on the right track and believe to be quite capable to carry on as well as we started.”

Today there are two more regattas on schedule, starting time again at 10H30. The weather forecast is for very light breezes.

Provisional general score-board

1. Mascalzone Latino, ITA , (Vincenzo Onorato-Francesco Bruni), 3-2-1-1, 7 pti
2. Team Aqua, UAE, (Don Wilson-Cameron Appelton) 1-1-2-3, 7 pti
3. Oracle Racing, USA, (Chris Museler-Russell Coutts), 2-3-3-2, 10 pti

Douglas’ Goombay Smash And Jackson’s Leenabarca Rule The Melges 32s In Key West

2011-01-17T18:35:00.001-08:00

17 JANUARY 2011

Douglas’ Goombay Smash And Jackson’s Leenabarca Rule The Melges 32s In Key West

Key West, Fla. - Positioned in first and second respectively, Doug Douglas’ Goombay Smash (Chris Larson, tactician) and Alex Jackson’s Leenabarca (Rob Greenhalgh, tactician) lead the twenty-one strong Melges 32 fleet with five points a piece. Steve Howe’s Warpath (Morgan Larson, tactician) finished nicely three points behind to place third overall.

Light breezes, warm temps, a Course 4 at 180 degrees and lumpy, bumpy seas set the stage under partly- to mostly-cloudy skies for the opening day. Great Britain’s Peter Rogers on Highlife (Ruaridh Scott, tactician) managed to get off the line well taking the early lead with Douglas and Jackson fighting for the top spot slot. While Rogers maintained his lead, Jackson and Douglas also had second place runner Howe to contend with. Howe, like Rogers, held steadfast and true the entire race defending his fleet position. Rogers took the win with Howe in second and Jackson beat Douglass for third. Defending Key West Champion John Kilroy on Samba Pa Ti (Nathan Wilmot, tactician) finished fifth sporting a new paint job, new gear, new everything for his return to Key West and the 2011 Melges 32 racing circuit.

The final race of the day was a Course 5 providing lighter winds, and the seas sort of calmed as well. With a shift right at the start of race two, a couple of teams found themselves instantly in trouble being called OCS. Douglas was quick to advance up the first beat to round behind race leader Geoff Pierini on Shakedown (Gavin Brady, tactician). The key moment of the race took place at the last leeward gate when Douglas had just barely caught up with Pierini, the two splitting the difference. Pierini’s mistake was that he chose the left gate, while Douglas took the right and the right is where the pressure was. Taking full advantage of the situation, Douglas and Jackson gained substantial ground back upwind to surpass Pierini, finishing first and second. Phil Lotz on Arethusa (Ed Baird, tactician) moved up to take third, while Pierini slipped to fourth and Oscar Strugstad’s Dawn Raid (Andy Beadsworth, tactician) rounded out the top five.

MELGES 32 MEDIA
Friends, family and fans of the Melges 32 are able to tune-in and enjoy the racing action and developments from a distance, special thanks to Sail 22’s all new Sailing Updates. They anticipate bringing as-it-happens coverage from the water. A very special thanks to Steve Rhyne's Mojo Team.

Daily race reports, press release and photos will be available at the official website of the International Melges 32 Class Association. If you are unable to attend Key West Race Week 2011, 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.

TOP TEN RESULTS (After two races)
1.) William Douglas/Chris Larson, Goombay Smash; 4-1 = 5
2.) Alex Jackson/Rob Greenhalgh, Leenabarca; 3-2 = 5
3.) Steve Howe/Morgan Larson, Warpath; 2-6 = 8
4.) Oscar Strugstad/Andy Beadsworth, Dawn Raid; 6-5 = 11
5.) Phil Lotz/Ed Baird, Arethusa; 11-3 = 14
6.) John Kilroy, Jr./Nathan Wilmot, Samba Pa Ti; 5-10 = 15
7.) Joel Ronning/Bill Hardesty, Catapult; 9-8 = 17
8.) Joe Woods/Paul Goodison, Red; 8-9 = 17
9.) Yukihiro Ishida/Tony Rey, Yasha Samurai; 13-7 = 20
10.) Peter Rogers/Ruaridh Scott, Highlife; 1-20 = 21
View Full Results
View Full Crew List
2011 Key West Race Week Official Event Website

View 2011 Key West Race Week Photo Gallery
A very special thanks to Alex Jackson's Leenabarca.

Caribbean Sun, Trade Wind Fun and the Planet’s Best Sailing Party:

2011-01-17T17:58:00.000-08:00

The Countdown to the 31st St. Maarten Heineken Regatta Is On

St. Maarten, N.A. (January 16, 2011) – These days, it’s almost impossible to fathom—now that the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta has become an international phenomenon, a one-of-a-kind festival of world-class sailing, music and parties that over the years has attracted tens of thousands of sailors from every corner of the planet—but once upon a time, it was simply a boat race.

It was meant to be fun. Then it got serious. Seriously. Fun.

That inaugural event was over three decades ago. But now, once again, sailors of all stripes, from near and far, are making plans to congregate on the blue waters of the Caribbean for the 31st edition of the largest, best, most unique sailing event in the islands: the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. The traditional kick-off to the racing season, including the Gill Commodores Cup—the one-day match racing series prior to the three-day St. Maarten Heineken Regatta—is scheduled for March 3-6.

But the time to make your plans to attend is…now.

As always, for sailors competing aboard yachts ranging from charter boats to Grand Prix thoroughbreds, the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta is an equal opportunity celebration. The racing, featuring a mix of round-the-buoys contests and point-to-point destination races against the backdrop of the sensational coastal views of St. Maarten, simply doesn’t get any better, whatever or wherever the venue.

Yes, the sailing is spectacular, but so too is the other star of the show: the half-Dutch, half-French island of St. Maarten. From the café’s in Marigot, to the pubs in Phillipsburg, to the sizzling barbecues up and down the beaches, St. Maarten has something for everyone. Indeed, the island has it all—boutique hotels, high-rise resorts, upscale casinos and marinas, and some of the best nightlife in the Caribbean. Especially during the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta.

Do you like music? You’ve come to the right place. Every night of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta is a veritable battle of the bands, with multiple sound stages at that evening’s party venue. The best is saved for last, at the Sunday night Awards Ceremony. Previous headliners have included Ziggy, The Wailers, Shaggy, the Marley Brothers, Jimmy Cliff, The Black Eyed Peas and the Neville Brothers.

Serious talent. Serious fun.

For 2011, the entry list is growing by the day. Once again, the fleet is comprised of one-designs and Superyachts, multihulls and daysailers. Geographically, the competitors come from near and far. Many of the local names are familiar to long-time Caribbean racers, including Ian Hope-Ross’s Beneteau First 36.7, Kick ‘em Jenny; Richard Wesslund’s J/120, El Ocaso; Sergio Sagramoso’s latest Lazy Dog, a Grand Soleil 54; and the Melges 24, Budget Marine/Gill.

On the other end of the spectrum, the 2011 St. Maarten Heineken Regatta will be a showcase for some of the grandest, most impressive mega-yachts ranging across the world’s oceans, many of which will make their way to St. Maarten following the Caribbean 600 ocean race…a perfect feeder event for the Heineken. This remarkable contingent includes Aegir II, a Carbon Ocean 82; Bella Pita, a Tripp 75; I-SEA, a Farr 78; the Swan 100, Varsovie; and POS, a Reichel/Pugh 78.

Looking back at the history of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, which in its first thirty years attracted literally thousands and thousands of sailors, the evolution is clear. The fine sailing started it. The people of St. Maarten welcomed it. The wondrous island nurtured it. Heineken Beer quenched its thirst. The parties and music and organization kept people coming back. Word spread. The little boat race became one of the most anticipated, successful yachting events ever.

It’s the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. And you’re invited.

But only if you’re serious…about your fun.

For full information on the Gill Commodore’s Cup and the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, as well as entry lists, past results, photos, videos, party and band information, the Notice of Race, Sailing Instructions and much, much more, visit http://www.heinekenregatta.com/.

AC45 photos out sailing - 20 knots

2011-01-17T11:51:00.001-08:00

Click on images to enlarge!

Photos by Gilles Martin-Raget - 16/01/2011 - Auckland (NZL) - 34th America's Cup - AC45 1st sail.

The buzz around the AC45' maiden voyage on the Hauraki Gulf in Auckland brought a number of internationally-renowned sailing aficionados to the dock where the high-tech wing-sailed catamaran returned after a short shakedown sail.

The test team completed the first sail and were back at the dock by noon in New Zealand before a tropical storm system began to move into the area. The early start afforded the team the chance to launch and sail before returning to the Viaduct base to tuck the boat platform and wing safely back into the shed. The rain came just moments after the shore operations were finished. With flat seas and 10 knots of breeze out of the northeast, the crew had near-perfect testing conditions, but some stormy weather is on the way so the next sailing session will be later in the week.

Here's what was heard from around harbour:

Harold Bennett (PRO 33rd AC)

“It’s an awesome looking boat. I saw it sailing, flying a hull almost immediately and it was pretty impressive. It will be great to see more of them trialling together soon; I reckon the future of the America’s Cup is looking good.”

Peter Lester (Americas’ Cup veteran and sailing TV commentator)
“It’s great to see the first one and it’ll be fantastic when we get a few of them sailing out on the harbour. What also really impresses me is the way the team behind it have really thought about the detailing – and getting it in and out of water efficiently.

Andy Hindley (America's Cup Race Management, COO)
It was an unbelievable first sail. We were in 8-10 knots of breeze and we were sailing at more than double that speed .. .up to about 20 knots at one point.With a bit more breeze we could be going 28 – 30knots.

We were only sailing for a couple of minutes and flying the hull. It’s a great start. There’s a bit of work to do onshore now, but then we will get it back onto the water and sail it as often as we can.

Jimmy Spithill (AC45 Test Skipper and ORACLE RACING Skipper)
"It’s fantastic ...everyone at the dock is smiling. It’s an awesome tool and it’ll be a lot of fun.

The wing’s big and the boat powers up quickly and is easy to sail and maneuverability is not a problem. Straight off the bat we were talking about going racing and how good it is going to be.

We’ll have no problem having close racing. We were doing 20 knots at times.

The wing sail is so much quicker to unload (depower) than a main – with the wing its instant. Teams will get up to speed quickly with these boats and they should be really happy with them.

They are pushing the boundaries and there is a bit of risk in there and that’s what you need in the America’s Cup. I can’t wait to get back out on the water again in this boat.

From a boat off a piece of paper to its first sail, it’s the most impressive I’ve ever seen. Within minutes we were flying a hull and fully loaded. We have the latest technology here with the wing and that’s what the America’s Cup is all about.”

Here are some more photos from Gilles Martin-Raget - just click Here

-Jane Eagleson

AC45 Wing-Sailed Catamaran Under Sail in Auckland

2011-01-16T12:58:00.000-08:00

Auckland, New Zealand:, Sunday, January 16, 2011

New Cat Class Centerpiece of 2011-2012 America’s Cup World Series
Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour showcased a glimpse into the future of the America’s Cup with the debut of the wing-sailed AC45 catamaran. The forerunner to the next generation of America’s Cup boats, the AC45 made its maiden voyage, the first of many sea trials planned over the coming weeks.

“Thanks to the efficiency of the New Zealand boat building industry and a huge effort by our team, the first AC45 is now ready for sea trials just a mere four months after this exciting new multihull class was first conceptualized,” said Tim Smyth, co-construction manager for Core Builders Composites of Warkworth, New Zealand.

The AC45 will be the centerpiece of the 2011-2012 America’s Cup World Series, which will start mid-2011. The high-tech carbon fibre catamaran is the first in a fleet of the new 45-foot one-designs that will be tested by America’s Cup teams before racing on the America’s Cup World Series circuit.

The AC45 is an essential element of the vision for the 34th America’s Cup, which will feature 72-foot catamarans raced on San Francisco Bay in 2013. Focused on creating more on-the-water excitement for both the teams and the fans, the AC45 is designed for both speed and close racing. While capable of closing speeds of up to 30 knots, the AC45 was designed to remain nimble enough to handle the tight race courses planned by America’s Cup Race Management (ACRM).

“The biggest challenge with multihulls is learning how much to anticipate. With the AC45 being a big, powerful multihull capable of tripling the wind speed, your reactions and skills are accelerated. It’s all about being ahead of the cycle,” said ORACLE RACING skipper James Spithill. “I think the AC45 will enable all teams to advance to hard-core race mentality very quickly.”

The AC45 was designed by the ORACLE RACING design and engineering team, which developed the catamaran on behalf of the America’s Cup community. At task was designing a boat that would not only meet the racing criteria, but could also fit inside a 40-foot container, which is the shipping vessel for the America’s Cup World Series.

“The boat was designed for all-around performance so it can be sailed in wide range of conditions, and that means the next America's Cup will see races start on time,” said Ian Burns, ORACLE RACING design coordinator. “Plus it’s a regatta boat, meant for lots of racing, so quick assembly and disassembly was a must to accommodate an active competition schedule.”

The AC45 had to be robust enough to sail through a wide wind range, from 5 to 30 knots, as well as survive in the event of collisions, which are foreseen as teams learn to adapt to multihull closing speeds.

Utilizing the same technology used in the aerospace industry, the hulls are built in carbon epoxy with honeycomb cores, making them extremely stiff and light structures. The sandwich construction involves two carbon skins less than 1mm thick laminated over an ultra-light honeycomb core.

“The new America’s Cup is for those who are hungry for a challenge and the AC45 is really a fresh take on the multihull,” said Vincenzo Onorato, President, Mascalzone Latino.

“We plan to run tight race courses that will force boats to engage with each other, creating really close racing situations. Multihulls are very fast boats and will therefore reach the course boundaries sooner, so races will become a true test of skill and strategy, not just speed,” said Iain Murray, CEO, America’s Cup Race Management and Regatta Director. “The AC45 will fast-track teams to state-of-the-art wingsail technology and crew technique in the first season, and will greatly prepare them for the AC72.”
Specifications:

LOA: 44.13’ (13.45m)
BEAM:22.6’ (6.9m)
DSPL:1,400 kg
Mast Height:70.5’ (21.5m)
Sail Area:1430 sq’ (133 sqm) (up w/main & gennaker), 2,259 sq’ 210 (sqm) (dwn w/main & reacher)
# # #

Mascalzone Latino will race at the XXIV Key West Race Week

2011-01-16T08:50:00.000-08:00

Key West (USA), 16th January 2011

After their fine victory in the ORACLE RC44 Cup in Miami last December, Mascalzone Latino, is preparing to race at the Key West 2011, in Florida, sailing again on the one-design designed by Russell Coutts.

The Key West Regatta has always been a ‘must’ for Mascalzone team, a great chance to warm up for the coming racing season, and the team has always shown its strength at this venue, by winning the top prize in 2006 and 2009 in the Farr 40 Class, and getting the second place in 2000 and 2008.

From the 17th to the 21st of January Vincenzo Onorato’s crew will attempt to repeat their winning performance of last month, under similar sailing conditions, as Key West is situated only four hours south of the metropolis where Mascalzone had its last race in the year 2010.(?) On board, together with the Neapolitan owner, will be: tactician Francesco Bruni, two trimmers, Andrea Ballico and Matteo Savelli, mainsail trimmer Paul"Flipper" Westlake, the mastman Simone de Mari, the grinder, Iztok Knafelc and the bowman Davide “Manolo” Scarpa.

Challengers in the RC44 had already been met in Miami, and they'll be: Team Aqua, with Donald “Don” Wilson (USA) as helmsman and Cameron Appleton (NZL) calling tactics, Team Synergy (RUS) with the owner-driver Valentine Zavadnikov (RUS) and Anton Sergeev (RUS) as tactician, ORACLE Racing with Russell Coutts (NZL) as tactician and a driver not yet announced, and also Ironbound with David Murphy (USA) at the wheel and Ian Williams (GBR) calling tactics.

The program does not follow a typical RC44 circuit’s regatta format. Instead of the usual match race plus fleet race format.

Starting from Monday and up to Friday next week, the five contenders will take part only in fleet regattas.
The upcoming regatta will be the second official event for the RC44s in the U.S.A., and it will be the first time that these boats will be present at the legendary Key West’s regatta.

This event, which in many marks the start of the world sailing season, is also a good occasion to prove the level of excitement and performance these boats can offer.

First AC 45 has been launched in Auckland today

2011-01-15T20:49:00.000-08:00

More photos here

Monster Ribs

2011-01-14T19:29:00.000-08:00

Everything is big on this boat!

Why not! 1200 hp.

SpeedDream Prototype to be built

2011-01-13T18:13:00.000-08:00

In order to test some of the innovative ideas of SpeedDream, a 35-
foot prototype will be built.

As the design and engineering for SpeedDream continues to advance, a
decision has been made to build a scaled down 35-foot version of the record
setter monohull. Hundreds of hours of computer engineering and analysis has
already been completed for the SpeedDream design, but there is nothing like a
scaled prototype version out sailing in actual conditions to test the unique ideas and
technical solutions that are at the heart of this project.

“For a typical evolutionary design you start with a set of known performance
parameters and work to gradually improve them,” said Vlad Murnikov, the lead
designer and creative force behind SpeedDream. “But the SpeedDream concept is
so radical and innovative there are no analogs to compare to and improve upon.
While CFD analysis and tank testing are extremely important, they can only get us
so far. It will be very useful to check both the general concept and the hull shape,
appendages and rig configurations on a real scaled version of SpeedDream.

Appendages like the extreme canting/telescoping keel and the lifting/stabilizing foil
have to be tested and optimized in a real sailing environment and this is why we
believe that building the prototype is necessary. I feel that a 35-foot version is the
right size to provide a superb realistic platform to test all the critical SpeedDream
components.”

To achieve heretofore unattained speeds and bridge the performance gap
between multihulls and monohulls, SpeedDream relies upon two very innovative
appendages to greatly enhance the boat’s performance; a canting keel that lifts
clear of the water when the boat is fully powered up, and a foil to leeward that
provides not only lift, but also resists leeward force.

“The geometry of most modern canting systems allow for a maximum cant
angle of up to 50 degrees,” said Murnikov. “For SpeedDream we have developed a
proprietary system that allows much higher cant angles while at the same time
being able to significantly reduce loads. The goal ultimately is to sail the boat with
the keel completely out of water thereby removing a significant amount of drag
while maximizing righting moment. In addition, the keel will be telescoping. This
will allow us to fine tune the angle of heel as well as make it more practical to get
the boat in and out of marinas where depth may be an issue.”

Lifting foils have been used in hydrofoil ferries and military craft for decades.
Recent applications in sailing yachts include the DSS stabilizing system developed
by Hugh Welbourn. Curved lifting daggerboards find widespread use in offshore
racing multihulls and in record setting projects like the extreme foiler L’Hydroptere,
the boat that holds the outright speed record.

Cam Lewis, the skipper of SpeedDream said; “I have followed developments
in both monohull and multihulls for decades. This latest Americas Cup was a great
example of how some new developments in foils radically changed the performance
of both boats. It’s these innovative technologies like the telescoping keel and lifting
foils that will set SpeedDream apart from all other monohulls and allow the boat to
not only break, but smash all existing records. We will test these features, along
with others in the SpeedDream-35 prototype and prove to us and the sailing
community that this boat is a step ahead of anything else out there.”

There is a new SpeedDream website - www.speeddream.org.

AC45 Hulls

2011-01-13T08:09:00.001-08:00

Photo copyright Gilles Martin-Raget / America's Cup

Barcelona World Race: Taking a long term view?

2011-01-13T07:50:00.000-08:00

Cloud activity is increasing a little bit for the leaders, their trade winds are still quite light but they will emerge into stronger SE’lies today. As they do so – in the knowledge that they will get lifted as they go west towards the Brasilian coast – the leaders are likely to crack sheets a little to build speed.

In fact on the 0900hrs ranking this morning we have just seen Virbac-Paprec 3’s speed jump to 13.5 knots and they have made a small gain relative to second placed Foncia.

Estrella Damm in third seem to have had a very straightforward Doldrums crossing emerging with a lead of 49 miles over fourth placed MAPFRE.

In fact for this leading group there will be a strategic decision to be made over the next 24-48 hours, longer for the boats just behind, as to how they set up for the descent into the south Atlantic.

The basic options are to sail wide, west to the Brasilian coast, which will look expensive on the leader-board but making a long term investment in hooking first into a low pressure system as it is generated and being able to ride it right it fast right down into the Southern Ocean, or to sail the more direct southerly course which dices with the vagaries of the Saint Helena high pressure system.

There are risks associated with both, and both choices have not much in the way of a safety net.
On the western route if the system does not generate at just the right time you sail extra miles west and ultimately south waiting, and waiting while the opposition have sailed down inside you.
On the more direct route there is a risk of ending up upwind on the north side of the high pressure system which still holds the propensity to move east and that course becomes a cul de sac of upwind sailing.

Both decisions are based on predictions seven days down the line, and so the longer they can be postponed, as the weather models become increasingly accurate with time.

For Foncia, their hand is played for them as they choose to make their technical stop.

But what will Jean-Pierre Dick and Loïck Peyron choose to do, will they try to protect the inside lane, the direct route? Or will they see a low pressure target to aim for, stay with Foncia and prepare themselves to see their taken by anyone who chooses the direct route towards the waypoint? Decisions will certainly be easier made from behind than in front.

The gains for the group which are still in the remnants for the NE’ly trades seem to continue, Renault ZE Sailing Team and GAES both making around 35 miles on the leaders sicne last night.
Quickest boat on the rankings just now is Central Lechera Asturiana which is still hitching to the west as are Hugo Boss.

And there is disappointment for We Are Water who lost their spinnaker last night when it went in the water and go badly wrapped around their appendages.

Better by design

2011-01-11T07:22:00.001-08:00

Cool hologram machine.

ROLEX FARR 40 WORLDS FLEET HEADS DOWN UNDER

2011-01-11T07:18:00.001-08:00

An international Farr 40 fleet is gathering in Australia to contest the 14th Rolex Farr 40 World Championship next month. Twenty boats have entered to date, representing five countries, and include defending champions Massimo Mezzaroma’s Nerone, from Italy.

The event will be hosted by the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron (RSYS) from 23 to 26 February. Principal Race Officer, Peter “Luigi” Reggio will lead the race committee assisted by members from the RSYS, with racing scheduled to take place on the waters outside of Sydney Heads. Immediately preceding the Worlds, the RSYS will host the Australian Championship from 18 – 20 February.

Martin and Lisa Hill will be competing on their boat, Estate Master. Martin, the Farr 40 Australian Class President, reports that, “excitement is growing for the Worlds: the Sydney waterfront is already abuzz with news of professional calibre teams, and top-gun tacticians that include America’s Cup and Olympic stars such as James Spithill, Tom Slingsby, Hamish Pepper, Grant Simmer, Michael Coxon, Adrian Stead, Chris Larson, and Vasco Vascotto.”

“Teams have been taking on coaches and doing good old-fashioned training drills to sharpen up the skills required for sailing the highly competitive Farr 40, and cutting it in a fleet containing some of the best sailors in the world. The Farr 40 class continues to live up to its reputation as providing the highest-level one-design competition for offshore racing yachts and their owners and teams.”

One secret to the longevity and success of the Farr 40 Class is the strict the owner/driver requirement. Another key factor is the limitation on the number of professional sailors on board. Over the years the Farr 40 has attracted owners interested in pitting their helming skills directly against their peers, and in building a team that works at the highest level. Added to this dynamic package, the World Championship moves each year around the world to venues that not only offer challenging conditions, but appeal to the owners.

The last time the Rolex Farr 40 Worlds were held in Sydney, in 2005, local sailor Richard Perini, on Evolution, won a hard-fought championship decided on the final race of the series. The racing is expected to be no less tight this time around. Several past World Champions will be on hand to contest this year’s title including: Jim Richardson on three-time winner, Barking Mad (1998, 2004, 2009); Steve Phillips, Le Renard (2002), John Calvert-Jones, Southern Star (2000), and Nerone (2003, 2010).

Steve and Maxine Phillips, from Annapolis, Maryland, on Le Renard, have not competed at the Worlds since Copenhagen in 2006, but prior to that they were on a roll, starting with the 2002 Worlds in Nassau, Bahamas, which they won, and then racing in the 2003, 2004, and 2006 events. Having missed out the 2005 Worlds in Sydney, what has enticed them Down Under this time? Steve Phillips admits, “during my last trip to Sydney, after several bottles of the best Australian wines that Max and I have ever enjoyed, Lang Walker (of the Farr 40 Kokomo) talked me into chartering his second boat. It was not really a difficult decision, as Sydney is one of the greatest cities and sailing venues in the world.”

The Phillips’ will have Michael Coxon onboard as tactician. Coxon was tactician on the second-placed boat at the 2005 Worlds, so certainly knows the fine margins for winning and losing in this neck of the sailing world. Absent from the World’s fleet for the past five years, Le Renard’s crew is taking their event preparation seriously, as Steve Phillips says, “I intend to arrive early and practice in the very difficult Sydney ‘seaway’, with the opposing tides versus wind direction. These conditions will present a challenge for me, since I am used to sailing in the mild Chesapeake Bay with light winds and minimum wave action. I need some ‘tiller time’ to be competitive against the other very talented helmsmen who are more used to a seaway, or as we say in America, some ‘chop’!”

While acknowledging the disadvantage of not having sailed Le Renard since 2006, Maxine Phillips has an upbeat outlook, saying, “we have decided to approach this event with the attitude that we are going to be sailing in one of the greatest sailing venues in the world, in one of the most competitive classes in the world, and with and against some great friends and amazing fellow competitors. What could be better than all of that?!“

The 2010 Rolex Farr 40 defending World Champion, Nerone, won in the Dominican Republic despite helmsman Antonio Sodo Migliori’s absence. Sodo Migliori was involved in a helicopter crash last winter and suffered serious back injuries. He has since mostly recovered, and is back on the helm. Thus far Sodo Migliori has competed in two events, the Farr 40 European Championship in October – which Nerone won. Nerone was then shipped to Sydney to compete in the Rolex Trophy One-Design Series in December. It seems that that too was a good idea, as the Italian boat made a strong showing, winning six of the eight races, and finishing 25 points ahead of the second placed boat: a clear marker for the home-grown entries that the international crews are not coming just to make up the numbers.

The 2010 Worlds was another closely fought regatta, and local Australian entry Guido Belgiorno-Nettis’ Transfusion ended only two points out of first place on the last day, after an exciting nail-biter of a final race. In the immediate aftermath, Belgiorno-Nettis was enthusiastic and already looking ahead to this year’s rematch, serving the Italians on Nerone notice when he said, “it was a fantastic opportunity to see how the world’s best sailors sail, and know that we can mix it with them.”

Belgiorno-Nettis has every intention of improving on last year’s position and readily acknowledges the conditions will play their part in determining the eventual victor, “we have challenging conditions that can vary from quite light to quite heavy. Most of the racing will be offshore and we’ve got a complex wave pattern that comes from everywhere – south, east, sometimes from the north. When the waves mix it up and you get the reflection back off the rocky coastline, it’s a big tumbler. It’s going to be challenging for everybody.”

Martin Levy, Commodore of the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron is “looking forward to welcoming all the teams in the 2011 Rolex Farr 40 Worlds and especially the international participants. We expect some wonderful competition on the waters off the Sydney Harbour Heads.”

The RSYS was founded in 1862, as 'The Australian Yacht Club'. The Patron is HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the yacht club was established in its present location at Wudyong Point, on the eastern side of Kirribilli on the northern shore of Sydney Harbour, in 1903, The club premises include the original stone cottage, along with a sizeable marina and travel lift.

For more information about the 2011 Rolex Farr 40 World Championship, including full entry list and media accreditation please visit www.farr40worlds.com.

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

West Marine Revenues Up 3.3% in Q4

2011-01-11T07:17:00.001-08:00

SportsOneSource Media Posted: 1/11/2011

West Marine, Inc. reported net revenues for its 2010 fiscal fourth quarter ended Jan. 1, 2011 of $107.3 million, an increase of $3.4 million, or 3.3%, from net revenues of $103.9 million a year ago.

Comparable store sales for the fourth quarter increased 1.6% or $1.3 million. Revenues increased $6.4 million from stores opened during fourth quarter 2009 and fiscal year 2010. However, the impact of stores closed during these same periods effectively reduced revenues by $4.8 million. The majority of the closures occurred in connection with the company’s on-going real estate optimization program to evolve into having fewer, larger stores.

“We are delighted to have finished 2010 with overall sales growth of 5.8% to $623 million in total net revenues," Geoff Eisenberg, CEO of West Marine. "The revitalization of West Marine during the last few years, in an environment that has been so very challenging for boating, has resulted in both total sales and comparable store growth for six consecutive quarters when you adjust for the calendar shift in 2008 and evaluate the reporting periods so that both 2008 and 2009 are based on the same number of weeks.

“We were quite pleased with our fourth quarter total net sales growth of 3.3%. While unfavorable weather during November and December negatively impacted us in many markets, we experienced noteworthy increases with some of our key strategies, including our new larger store formats, casual and performance apparel initiatives, expansion of our Port Supply wholesale business through our more than 320 West Marine stores, and our increased focus on westmarine.com.

Net revenues in the Stores segment for fiscal fourth quarter of 2010 were $94.0 million, an increase of $3.0 million, or 3.3%, compared to the same period last year. The primary driver of this growth was gains in sales to Port Supply (wholesale) customers through our store locations as part of our ongoing efforts to better serve this group and to leverage our store facilities. Our Port Supply segment revenues from our distribution centers for fiscal fourth quarter of 2010 were $5.6 million, a decrease of $0.1 million, or 1.0%, compared to the same period last year. Net revenues in the Direct Sales segment for fiscal fourth quarter of 2010 were $7.6 million, an increase of $0.4 million, or 5.4%, compared to the same period last year.

Net revenue and comparable store sales growth has taken place for six consecutive quarters after adjusting to remove the impact of the extra week in fiscal 2008 and the calendar shift that occurred in that year versus 2009. For more details, see “Non-GAAP Financial Information” below.

Net revenues for the 52 weeks ended Jan. 1, 2011 were $622.8 million, an increase of $34.4 million, or 5.8%, from net revenues of $588.4 million for the same period a year ago. This increase was primarily due to a comparable store sales increase of 6.3%, or $30.7 million. Stores opened during fourth quarter 2009 and fiscal year 2010 generated $30.4 million in sales; however, stores closed during these same periods effectively reduced net revenues by $25.8 million.

The Wing

2011-01-05T17:34:00.000-08:00

Will this be the end of sailmakers?!?

San Francisco celebrates a new America’s Cup

2011-01-05T17:25:00.000-08:00

San Francisco, Calif., Wednesday, January 05, 2011
New vision, new boats, new formats meet a new venue

San Francisco will play host to a very different America’s Cup Finals. With a focus on enhancing the overall event experience, substantial enhancements are being added to both on and off the water elements.

“San Francisco couldn't be prouder to host the 34th America's Cup. With our natural stadium at the footsteps of the City and our consistent, heavy winds, San Francisco Bay will be an arena for some of the most spectacular racing the world has ever seen,” said Mayor Gavin Newsom.

“Paired with the plans of the America’s Cup Event Authority to stage the ultimate fan experience on shore, the 34th edition of the America’s Cup will fast forward the sport of sailing globally.”

The America’s Cup Event Authority, the organization tasked with running the 34th edition, announced its on-shore plans for the Challenger Selection Series for the Louis Vuitton Cup and the America’s Cup Finals at a public celebration held at San Francisco’s famed City Hall.

“Our goal is to create a sustainable sports event that gives teams the opportunity to become long-term sports franchises,” said Richard Worth, Chairman, America’s Cup Event Authority. “We’re focused on creating a new era for the America’s Cup, one that both honors its history as well as grabs the attention of new audiences.”

New elements include:

* Groundbreaking new boats - the wing-sailed AC45 and AC72 catamarans - capable of close to 40 knots to enable unparalleled racing competition and on-the-water excitement
* New course formats to create tight, tactical racing that showcases the speed of the boats and the skill of the sailors
* Enhanced online broadcasting to deliver a personalized viewer experience
* New broadcast formats including magazine programs, reality formats and racing packaged for live television
* A comprehensive sustainability program focused on the world’s oceans
* New race formats in new race venues through the America’s Cup World Series
* A clear path for young athletes through the Youth America’s Cup

“The addition of these elements gives us the ability to respond to the needs of sponsors and broadcasters,” said Craig Thompson, CEO, America’s Cup Event Authority. “For example, the new World Series will provide access to more markets and more audiences. We’ll be able to showcase tighter, more tactical races on cutting-edge boats, which is more attractive to both broadcasters and fans worldwide.”

Plans call for Piers 30/32 for the team bases, the public Race Village to be staged at Piers 27/29, regatta operations on Pier 23, and the media center at Pier 19.

The world-famous San Francisco Bay will be home to the 2013 America’s Cup Finals and the Challenger Selection Series for the Louis Vuitton Cup, as well as an America’s Cup World Series event in 2012. This will be the first time the America’s Cup has been hosted in the United States since 1995.

In the summer of 2011, America’s Cup teams will commence racing in the new America’s Cup World Series in the new AC45 catamaran. The America’s Cup World Series calendar of events will be published in early 2011.

2011 29er World Championship: day 3

2011-01-05T13:53:00.001-08:00

January 5, 2011

2011 29er World Championship: day 3
Mar del Plata, Argentina

Tavella-Greggi Lead into the Finals

Belen Tavella and Franco Greggi will finally meet Pepe Bettini and Fernando Gwozdz on the race course for the beginning of the finals for the 2011 29er World Championship. These two Argentine teams have been tied for the first two days of racing and both are sailing excellent regattas. Today’s tie was broken with Tavella/Greggi sailing a 1-3-1 in the final 3 races of the 9 race qualification series. Discarding their two worst races (OCS and 3) they have a 2-point lead over Bettini/Gwozdz who finished the day with a 2-2-3. Commenting on her race day, Belen Tavlla said “we finished first in the qualifying series and we’re very happy – we hope tomorrow we will win. I think our course was easier than the other today.” Franco Greggi added; “I’m very confident and we hope tomorrow will be a very good day.”

The conditions were quite different then the previous days with lighter wind, a little rain and confused seas left over from the previous day. Changes in conditions kept everyone on their toes, including the race committee. The wind began at 16 knots but by the end of the day, both courses had velocity drops to around 11 knots. The wind also shifted to the southeast after serving up the morning easterly for the first race.

Bettini and Gwozdz raced on the north course for today’s racing and, crew Fernando Gwozdz commented that they “had a good day but unfortunately it wasn’t enough to win the qualification series, but it’s alright, because tomorrow a new regatta starts. We will go with everything we have.”

Argentine teams currently hold the top 6 positions going into the finals with Australians Byron White and Ash Rooklyn being the top foreign team. The Aussies liked the lighter conditions and sailed to a 3-4-4 putting them in 7th overall. The French team of Gael Jaffrezic/Julien Boyet who are also the top youth team, had a tough day sailing their two drop races but keeping a 6th and they stand in 8th overall. The top female team of Ida Baad Nielsen and Marie Thusgard Olsen stand in 19th overall.

Tomorrow’s finals will have the top 25 teams in the gold fleet on the north course. The silver fleet will consist of the remaining 35 teams who will compete on the south course.

Racing continues on Thursday, January 6 with three days of the final series. The prizegiving will be held on Saturday, January 8. Photos provided by photographer Matias Capizzano, www.capizzano.com. Live reports and daily results: www.29erworlds.org; Facebook: 29er Worlds 2011 and Int 29er Class.

2011 29er World Championship: Day 1

2011-01-03T19:56:00.000-08:00

29er Worlds 2011 - Race Day 1 - Photos by Matias Capizzano
PRESS RELEASE
2011 29er World Championship: day 1
Mar del Plata, Argentina

Challenging conditions greeted the competitors for the opening day of the 2011 29er Worlds held in Mar del Plata. With the starting gun at 11am, all 60 teams headed out in 18 knots of breeze and large swells to the two separate race courses.

The Argentine team of Pepe Bettini and Fernando Gwozdz started off winning the first two races and finishing 2nd in the final race for today. When asked about the conditions, Bettini commented that "we had steady winds but a big swell with waves breaking on the top. At the beginning of the downwind legs it was like surfing the Pipeline against pro surfer Kelly Slater! Our PRO Tino Mora did a really good job and we're happy with the days results. We're tied with Tavella and Greggi in points."

Belen Tavella and Franco Greggi, also from Argentina led the south course with the exact same finishes. The French team of Gael Jaffrezic and Julien Bloyet are 3rd with Argentine team Gonzalo Pollitzer and Jose Maria Diez 4th and fellow countrymen Juan Krevisky and Billy Lopez Segura rounding out the top 5.

Racing continues on Tuesday, January 4 with two more days of the qualifying series followed by three days of the final series. The prizegiving will be held on Saturday, January 8. Photos provided by renowned photographer Matias Capizzano, www.capizzano.com. Live reports and daily results: www.29erworlds.org; Facebook: 29er Worlds 2011 and Int 29er Class.

Costa Española, Costa Marroquí - Barcelona World Race

2011-01-02T08:55:00.000-08:00

02-01-2011

Parar y reiniciar. La historia se ha repetido esta noche pasada y aún podría volver a repetirse antes de que los barcos lleguen al Atlántico. Es lo que los navegantes llaman 'zonas de transición'. Quien mejor sabe salir es quien normalmente se pone al frente de la flota. Hoy el grupo de cabeza ha decidido alejarse de la costa española y arrumbar hacia la marroquí a la búsqueda del preciado viento. Nadie debe quedarse por el camino.

Esta mañana, el Foncia de Michel Desjoyeaux y François Gabart era quien marcaba el ritmo y poco a poco parecía que iba abriendo hueco por la popa. Pero al ser el primero en virar hacia el sur ha perdido millas relativas a la ruta más corta (la ortodrómica) lo que ha motivado que el Virbac-Paprec 3 le tomara la delantera en la clasificación general. A medida que el viento ha ido descendiendo este mediodía, tal como pronosticaban las previsiones meteorológicas, el grupo de cabeza se ha ido reagrupando según el clásico “efecto acordeón”: entre el líder y el sexto, el Estrella Damm, apenas había a primera hora de la tarde 4 millas, a pesar de que esta mañana Alex Pella y Pepe Ribes estaban a más de 20 millas del primero.

Si se cumplen estos pronósticos que prevén una gran encalmada esta noche, cualquiera podría coger una pequeña racha de viento y escaparse de los demás. O, a la inversa, podría ser que uno se quedara más parado que los rivales, en un pozo sin viento, y ver cómo todos los esfuerzos de estos dos días parece que se tiren por la borda en pocos minutos.

Hacia la costa africana, tratando de no descolgarse

Esta tensión se notaba esta mañana al conectar por teléfono con diferentes regatistas. "Nos espera una gran encalmada en Gata", confesaba Bruno García desde el Président. "Habrá una gran calma y tendremos dos opciones, o vamos hacia el sur, hacia África, o nos pegamos a tierra, en el Norte. Aún no lo hemos decidido, y tendremos que ver qué hacen los otros barcos que están en el grupo", indicaba Xabi Fernández desde el Mapfre.

Sin embargo, un par de horas después de esta conversación el Mapfre y los 8 barcos que lo acompañaban en el grupo de cabeza iniciaron un progresivo viraje al sur. Decididamente allí está el viento y allí parece que se va a mantener por lo menos hasta la noche.

El miedo a quedarse descolgados sigue dominando la estrategia de los participantes. El mismo Xabi Fernández confesaba esta mañana que durante la noche ha habido un momento en que se pensaban que los otros buques arrancaban y ellos se quedaban atrás: "Apenas teníamos 1 nudo de viento ... Al final, ha sido el Mirabaud quien se ha quedado rezagado ".

También el GAES Centros Auditivos ha perdido unas cuantas millas durante la noche como consecuencia de una decisión de alejarse de tierra que no les ha salido muy bien. "Pero no hemos perdido ni la ilusión ni la moral", matizaba Anna Corbella durante la videoconferencia de esta mañana.

Además, las previsiones no siempre se cumplen al 100%, y aquí es donde se ven los mejores navegantes. Lo comentaba esta mañana François Gabart desde el Foncia: "Siempre hay un factor inesperado que se debe gestionar tanto mejor posible levantando la cabeza, tratando de adaptarse lo más rápidamente posible para diferenciar entre lo que se preveía y lo que se ve".

La gestión del cansancio, un factor a añadir

Otro tema importante es saber gestionar el cansancio. Aunque sólo llevamos dos días de regata, los navegantes están acostumbrados a pensar a varios días vista y muchos son los que planean cómo va a ser la aproximación y el paso del estrecho de Gibraltar. De cumplirse las previsiones, los primeros alcanzarán el famoso paso hacia el Atlántico durante la noche del lunes al martes. Esto significa redoblar la guardia ya que hay que estar muy atentos al intenso tráfico marítimo. Bruno García, a bordo del Président dejaba entrever esta mañana la importancia de ahorrar fuerzas: “Nos hemos ahorrado algunas maniobras para no cansarnos más de la cuenta. Hasta ahora hemos podido dormir y comer bien”. Y esto es importante, ya que el ritmo de ceñida de las próximas horas va a ser duro.

Más sobre la meteorología de Barcelona a Gibraltar: lee el artículo del magazine. http://www.barcelonaworldrace.org/

AC45 Production 2nd Stage, Warkworth, New Zealand

2011-01-02T08:47:00.000-08:00

34th America's Cup

2011-01-02T08:44:00.001-08:00

San Francisco Wins Right to Host 2013 America’s Cup

2011-01-01T07:08:00.001-08:00

San Francisco, Calif. (December 31, 2010) – , Saturday, January 01, 2011
Competition for oldest trophy in international sport once again returns to American waters

San Francisco has been selected as the host venue for the 34th America's Cup. An official celebration event will be hosted in San Francisco on January 5th, event location details to be announced.

"We sought a venue that fulfills our promise – to showcase the best sailors in the world competing on the fastest boats," said Richard Worth, Chairman, America's Cup Event Authority. "And hosting the America's Cup in San Francisco will realize that promise."

"We thank Mayor Newsom, Board President Chiu, Supervisor Mirkarimi and all of the Board of Supervisors, the staff at City Hall and the Port Authority, Mark Buell and San Francisco America's Cup Organizing Committee, and all who have worked so diligently on securing the bid," Worth continued. "We look forward to working closely with City of San Francisco over the coming months to create a world-class America's Cup event, and a large and lasting beneficial impact on the City."

The world-famous San Francisco Bay will be home to the 2013 America's Cup Finals and the Challenger Selection Series for the Louis Vuitton Cup, as well as an America's Cup World Series event in 2012. This will be the first time the America's Cup has been hosted in the United States since 1995.

"Today is one of great celebration, with San Francisco winning the right to host the America's Cup, and all of the economic benefit, jobs and excitement that comes with it," said Mayor Gavin Newsom. "San Francisco is the best place on Earth to host an event of this stature, and we could not be more proud to be the city that brings the America's Cup back home to the United States."

Independent studies show that the America's Cup delivers the third largest economic impact in sport to host countries, behind the Olympic Games and soccer's World Cup. The 34th America's Cup is projected to pump an estimated $1.4 billion dollars into the San Francisco region.

"As a native San Franciscan, I grew up sailing in front of the City. Racing for the America's Cup in San Francisco is something I have dreamt of my whole life," said Paul Cayard, CEO of Sweden's Artemis Racing, a challenger for the 34th America's Cup. "By hosting sailing's most important event in the Bay, the world will see sailing as it never has before. As a team, Artemis Racing is particularly looking forward to competing in San Francisco."

Racing will be held on the iconic San Francisco Cityfront and be visible from world-renown tourist destinations such as the Golden Gate Bridge, the Marin Headlands, Crissy Field, the Embarcadero and Fisherman's Wharf. An influx of millions of tourists is expected for the Challenger Series for the Louis Vuitton Cup and the America's Cup Finals in late 2013.

"My support for San Francisco hosting the America's Cup goes beyond the opportunity to see our team competing on home waters," said Russell Coutts, CEO, ORACLE Racing, the current America's Cup defending team. "We are excited to sail for our sport's greatest trophy, on a stretch of water legendary among sailors worldwide."

The Race Village will be constructed on Piers 19 and 29, with the team bases at and around Pier 30/32. As part of the plan, the America's Cup Event Authority will redevelop these piers as well as the surrounding infrastructure to support the racing, while rehabilitating the piers for the enjoyment of generations of San Franciscans to come.

With a goal of creating the most dynamic America's Cup in history for fans and participants, changes have been introduced to the 34th edition. Enhancements include the introduction of groundbreaking new 72' wing-sailed catamarans capable of speeds in excess of 40 miles per hour, new race formats and rules, and a transformed media and online broadcasting approach to enable an interactive viewer experience.

In the summer of 2011, America's Cup teams will commence racing in the new America's Cup World Series in the new wing-sailed AC45 catamaran. The America's Cup World Series calendar of events will be published in early 2011. - www.americascup.com

Live feed Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race

2010-12-25T17:40:00.000-08:00

To follow the fleet in the Rolex C go to www.rolexsydneyhobart.com and click on Yacht Tracker. Seven Network will broadcast the start live from 12.30pm AEDT and webcast via Yahoo!7 http://au.sports.yahoo.com/. The Australia Network will also broadcast the start program through 45 countries throughout Asia, Indian and the Pacific including Australian troops serving in Afghanistan.

CREWS READY FOR CLASSIC SOUTHERLY BUSTER START CONDITIONS

2010-12-25T17:33:00.000-08:00

December 24, 2010

Meteorologists have predicted that this year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race will be a “classic” with conditions forecast to be rough all the way south to Hobart — one of the signatures of this challenging international offshore yacht race. The adverse weather means that yachts will not necessarily attempt to break records, they will just try to keep from suffering any breakdowns in the predicted tumultuous seas and high winds. Almost all participants have indicated that just getting to Hobart will be their main goal.

At this morning’s official race briefing at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia – compulsory for each boat entered – the Bureau of Meteorology provided a race outlook to skippers and crews, telling them that they should prepare for tough conditions. Michael Logan from the Bureau said, “Things will change very dramatically on Monday evening with the arrival of an old fashioned southerly buster off the New South Wales coast.”

For those without local knowledge, the southerly buster is a phenomena caused by the east Australian current running at one to two knots against the southerly breeze, very quickly resulting in a confused sea state and big waves.

Logan continued, “There is a 20-30 knot southerly wind expected to be around Wollongong at 8pm [on the first night] and that will herald a period of strong winds and rough seas for the next 36 hours or so.”

The notorious Bass Strait – where cold wind from the Southern Ocean meets the warm water and air of the Tasman Sea – should be in full force when the front-runners approach on Monday. Conditions should temper by Tuesday, which would slow the boats at the back of the fleet, potentially taking away their chance to be rewarded for the hard slog south, once finishing times are corrected to produce the overall winner.

Conditions aside, this year’s race, like nearly all before, sees a wide range of international yachts and sailors joining the offshore challenge. One such participant is world-famous yachtsman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston. In 1969, he became the first man to complete a single-handed non-stop circumnavigation of the globe, doing so in his 32-foot (9.8-meter) boat Suhaili.

Surprisingly, this will be Sir Robin’s first Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. He revealed, “It’s one of the major races that I haven’t competed in and I’ve always wanted to do it. I mean, after all, the Rolex Sydney Hobart is one of the world’s toughest and well-known classic yacht races.”

Knox-Johnston thinks he and his crew aboard the British registered Swan 68 Titiania of Cowes definitely have a challenge on their hands. The salty, grey bearded sailor explained, “We’re a cruising boat, not a racing boat. If the winds are favorable to our type of vessel we’ll do well. If the winds are against us, it will be hard going.”

When asked how old he was, Sir Robin gave a smile and asked, “You mean how young am I?” About whether age is a problem, the 71-year old added, “No, not at all— age is all in the mind. Besides, I keep fit. I love the challenge. Remember, it was only four years ago that I sailed around the world.” (In 2006 he became, at 67, the oldest yachtsman to complete a round-the-world solo voyage in the VELUX 5 Oceans Race.)

Another international team joining the 66th edition of the Rolex Sydney Hobart are the father and son team Bill and Will Hubbard. Bill Hubbard’s son, Will, sailed their Baltic 46 Dawn Star from San Diego last February to be in Sydney for the race. This will be the first Rolex Sydney Hobart for the pair.

The American sailing duo has always wanted to compete in the Rolex Sydney Hobart. Bill said, “There are a couple of reasons. My grandfather was Australian and we have a number of relatives here. Over the last ten years we’ve competed in a number of world-class races, including the Rolex Transatlantic Challenge and the Newport Bermuda Race, and have done well. The Rolex Sydney Hobart was a natural and we thought we must add this race. It’s one of the premier, if not the premier, rough ocean passage races of the circuit. We thought, what the heck, let’s do it.”

Asked if the weather conditions predicted for this race are a cause for concern the younger Hubbard said, “It doesn’t worry me too much.” With a slightly worried look in his face, Will’s 76-year-old father added, “I’ll fare less well than him.” The 26 year-old Will continued, “And the boat will fare better than all of us. Dawn Star is built to a standard that has been long forgotten. She’s probably stronger than 90 percent of the fleet out here. She’ll look after us better that most boats would. Don’t worry, we’ll get there.”

Another international racing team joining this year’s race is the Russian entry Vamp (Corby 49), which sees an unlikely alliance in champion Australian offshore yachtsman Roger Hickman and well-known Russian International Dragon sailor Mikhail (Misha) Muratov. This will be Hickman’s 34th Sydney Hobart while it will be Muratov’s first.

The two sailors met while racing Dragons in Europe and became close friends. When Hickman announced he was participating in this year’s race he invited Misha to join him. Muratov explained, “As an ocean sailor, the Rolex Sydney Hobart is one of the world’s most well-known races. I had to do it. To bring your own boat from Europe to Australia is not cost effective and takes a long time. By teaming up with Roger, he offered us a turnkey solution that would allow us to participate in this race.”

Hickman said about the conditions, “Even though I’ve done 33 races so far, I haven’t seen all the conditions, just the ones I’ve been in.” He continued, “One of the sayings the yachties’ have is ‘to win the Rolex race to Hobart, first you have to get there.’ It sounds like a silly statement, but this race is so tough that just getting there is an achievement, let alone winning it.”

While the Rolex Sydney Hobart has an international appeal it is not easy to forget that this is an Australian event. Most punters are betting on the Australian maxi yacht and four-time winner Wild Oats XI as a good bet for Line Honours, because of her seasoned, professional crew.

One of those experienced crew aboard the 30-metre maxi is Adrienne Cahalan, professional sailor and veteran of 18 previous Rolex Sydney Hobart races. The internationally acclaimed ocean-racing navigator, Australian Yachtswoman of the Year 2004-2005 and mother of two, is one of the most experienced and qualified sailors in this race. She sees this Rolex Sydney Hobart as, “definitely a big challenge.”

When asked what it is like to be one of only two women aboard Wild Oats XI’s crew of 17 she said, “Oh, we all have our jobs. I don’t do much heavy lifting but take care of navigation and the electronics; we all get along really well. We’re a well-oiled team.”

Asked if she’s worried about the squalls, giant waves and high winds, that have been forecast for this year’s race, Cahalan explained, “To be honest, yes. It can be a little terrifying at times, but still I’m looking forward to the race. While we won’t be trying to break any records, we will be trying to keep the boat in one piece during our race south.”

Three boats have retired, Wild Rose, Sassy and Pappilon, bringing the total of entries to 87 yachts that will be on the start line in Sydney Harbour at 1300 AEDT, on 26 December 2010. The Rolex Sydney Hobart fleet will include six international entries from the USA, UK, Italy, France, as well as two partly-crewed Russian boats and entries from seven of the eight Australian states and territories.

Official race website
To view the complete list of entries go to www.rolexsydneyhobart.com

First Kiwi 40FC Class40 completes 180 degree inversion test

2010-12-22T14:08:00.001-08:00

The first KIWI 40FC Class40, Peráspera, was launched at Pier 21 in Auckland in late September. 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 on Friday 17 December, after three months of sea trials and test sailing, the boat successfully completed the mandatory 180 degree inversion test demanded by the double-handed, Class40, Global Ocean Race 2011-12 (GOR).

The two-man crew for the inversion was Francesco Piva of BT Boats and regular Peráspera crewmember, Luca Zaccoli. Initially, strong breeze across Auckland Harbour threatened the safety of the controlled inversion and the delicate operation was delayed. Lapo Ancillotti explains: “Wind conditions improved earlier than expected and the whole team was on stand-by and ready to go,” he reports. “So, with less than one hour’s notice, we were all on to it.”

From inversion until the boat self-righted took just 24 minutes and splashdown was celebrated by a chorus of fog horns from the yachts moored in Viaduct Basin. “There were no problems, no dramas,” Ancillotti confirms. “The boat came upright and rolled easily with one ballast tank full and one still only half full. There was no need to fill up the forward compartment,” he continues. “Full credit to Farr for the design and Francesco and Luca did a great job inside the boat.”

Peráspera is the second of the GOR entries to complete the 180 test with Class40 Association President, Jacques Fournier, and his co-skipper, Jean-Edouard Criquioche carrying out the same test on their new Pogo 40S² Groupe Picoty in Bénodet, Brittany, in mid-June. A second Kiwi 40FC Class40 is currently in-build at Cookson Boats for Belgian sailor, Michel Kleinjans, and is also entered in the GOR.

View video of the self-righting test here

read more

First all-female GOR team is confirmed

2010-12-19T20:14:00.000-08:00

British yachtswoman, Hannah Jenner, has confirmed that her co-skipper for the double-handed, Class40, Global Ocean Race 2011-12 (GOR) is German sailor, Anna-Maria Renken. Jenner and Renken are currently the only all-girl GOR team.

Hannah Jenner secured her GOR entry in April this year and had originally planned to take advantage of the GOR’s Team Entry option and swap co-skippers at each stopover. “When putting together a global race campaign that relies on external funding, you really need a unique selling point,” explains the 30 year-old, professional sailor. “I started with the idea of a team entry with the focus on taking young sailors with me, but, in the back of my mind, I also really liked the idea of entering as an all girl team,” she continues. “It was just a question of finding the right girl!”

Meanwhile, 20 year-old German sailor, Anna-Marie Renken, was simultaneously planning a GOR campaign with a female co-skipper, but when Renken’s co-skipper was forced to withdraw, she contacted Jenner in October and suggested joining forces. “When I first wrote to Hannah, I wasn’t sure what her reaction would be to the concept of an all-girl team,” admits Renken. “It was a really positive response that came back and we discovered that we had a lot in common and wanted to achieve the same things from the race.” Communications between the duo were exciting and intense. “After many emails, Skype video calls and finally a meeting in Hamburg, we are convinced that we will work very well together and I am really looking forward to getting out on the water and sailing with Hannah,” adds Renken.

Between them, the duo has sailed over 200,000 nautical miles including valuable ocean racing and shorthanded sailing experience. At 28 years-old, Jenner was the first female skipper in the Clipper Round the World Race and took her team to a podium finish, while Renken has moved to sailing from a windsurfing and semi-pro swimming background as one of the very few female sailors in the German offshore racing circuit and she skippered and trained a German team in the 2009 Rolex Fastnet Race. Most recently, Renken was the first German woman to participate in Sweden’s extremely demanding, double-handed Watski Skagervak 2 Star. The Anglo-German duo are now expanding their hunt for a title sponsor: “We are fully aware of the marketing potential of an all-girl team and are seeking a sponsor who shares our ambition, energy and commitment to standing out amongst the crowd,” Jenner concludes.

With 19 teams already confirmed for the race, Josh Hall, Race Director of the GOR, is delighted by the latest news: “There is no doubt that this entry will be highly competitive in the GOR,” Hall believes. “We believe that the GOR and Class40 offer a quality platform for every sailor to showcase their talents in a round the world race with manageable boats and achievable budgets,” he continues. “Hannah and Anna-Maria have individually achieved great success in offshore racing and as a duo they will be formidable – watch out boys!”

read more

The Farr 30 Worlds are coming to San Francisco!

2010-12-18T21:12:00.000-08:00

Santa Barbara, CA FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Farr 30 International One Design Class Association is pleased to announce that the prestigious St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco, California will host the 2011 Farr 30 World Championship in conjunction with the renowned Rolex Big Boat Series, September 8th to 11th.

This will mark the first time in the history of the Class that they will see a World Championship held on the west coast of the United States. San Francisco Bay, with her notorious breeze and strong current is an ideal venue to showcase what the Farr 30 was built for.

“I am truly delighted to have the pleasure of working with the St. Francis Yacht Club and Race Manager John Craig on this historic event. The St. Francis Yacht Club have a long history of hosting world class events with generous hospitality and this is an honor. Racing on the Bay is always a challenging and exciting venture and I couldn’t be happier about the venue” said Farr 30 International Class President Deneen Demourkas.

As further information becomes available it will be posted on the Farr 30 International Class website www.farr30.org

2010 470 Junior World Championships

2010-12-18T20:57:00.000-08:00

2010 470 Junior World Championships, 16-22 December 2010, Doha, Qatar
Event Preview

The sailors are ready, 40 brand new 470s are lined up in the boat park, the Championship has been officially opened and racing will get underway tomorrow, Friday 17 December, for the teams gathered in Doha, Qatar ready to do battle for the 2010 470 Junior World Championships.
Organized by the Doha Sailing Club and the Qatar Sailing and Rowing Federation, the 2010 470 Junior World Championships is a “pay and play” event. The competitors who have flown in from around the world will be competing in gleaming new 470s supplied by the Organizing Committee. The concept of supplied equipment is a first time experience for many of the teams, but one which the 470 Class is keen to promote. With supplied equipment, all teams will compete on an equal footing with only minor adjustments allowed to settings as the boats will be rotated between the two fleets. Teams got on on the water today for some boat familiarization – and there were many smiling faces as they enjoyed the new boats supplied by BlueBlue of Poland.

In the men/mixed fleet, hot favourites are the seemingly unbeatable team of Sofian Bouvet and Jeremie Mion (FRA). They are the defending 470 Junior World Champions and reigning 470 Junior European Champions and have enjoyed their position as the world's top junior 470 team. A successful Worlds title defence is certainly on their wish list to add to their every growing trophy cabinet. We have seen the Trophies prepared by the Organizing Committee – and they are big and shiny! "We have a good feeling about the Championship," commented Mion. "We like the idea of supplied equipment and feel happy after the training day yesterday," he continued. The pair are already a force to be reckoned with on the senior 470 circuit and hold a world ranking of #12. Whilst there is always room for others to move on up, any team with serious intent on winning the 2010 Junior World Championship title will have to put in a world class performance from the outset to take the World Championship away from Bouvet and Mion. According to Mion, they will approach this Championship the same as others, "We will aim for some good results on the first day, with three races. If we do well at the start of the Championship, it makes it easier!"

Read more at http://www.juniorworlds.470.org/

The legendary Peyron Brothers on the move

2010-12-18T20:53:00.001-08:00

Loick, Arno & Bruno at Delivery in Le Pouliguen (La Baule )(pic by Jean Marie Liot)
Loick wants a new chance at the cup after sailing with Alinghi 5, with his brother Bruno they'll try to challenge BOR in the game these two top multihull sailors know best. More info from the Peyron bros below by Arno.

We've been following the DNA since day one, in fact at a given time CSN was the only place where you could get info about it, the same with Alex Udin and SI and other cat projects.
Now the DNA has become almost a OD design inside the A-Class, the top 3 A (& Australian) sailors and 15 of their mates will race them in next Nats in January, currently the DNA is THE boat to buy in the A-Class. A truly great achievment for Arno and PJ, right now they've made the perfect boat, something that in other box rules classes the Tiger has achieved in the past, but now the F18 has at least 3 top competitive designs, clearly the F18 has reach a stall point as pont by Fischer too, while that stage will be reached by the A-Class with the new designs to come that will try to emulate or impove the DNA.... lets wait to see if Martin Fischer new A can match it-
Read more at http://catsailingnews.blogspot.com/2010/12/loick-peyron-training-dna-class-for.html

Dominique Wavre and Michèle Paret’s yacht Mirabaud christened today by Ainhoa Arteta

2010-12-18T20:50:00.001-08:00

Friends and supporters of the Franco-Swiss team were in Barcelona today to take part in the christening of their yacht Mirabaud by the famous Spanish singer.
Barcelona, 18th December 2010 – With only two weeks to go before the start of the Barcelona World Race, Dominique Wavre et Michèle Paret’s yacht was officially baptised ‘Mirabaud’ this evening by Spanish singer Ainhoa Arteta.

Mirabaud & Cie, banquiers privés, have been involved in competitive sailing for many years. From 2003, the bank has also been an avid supporter of classical music, in particular through the ‘Mirabaud Concerts’ at the Lauenen Chamber Music Festival and in their partnership with the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

As Mirabaud Associate and CEO Antonio Palma explains, “This christening ceremony brings together two of Mirabaud’s great passions. We are extremely proud to have Ainhoa Arteta as the yacht’s godmother and we are sure she will bring our team plenty of luck.”

Ainhoa Arteta attended the San Sebastian Conservatoire and later studied at the Actor’s Studio in New York before her debut at the Palm Beach Opera in Florida. She is hailed as one of the Iberian Peninsula’s greatest classical singers. "My career has offered me the opportunity to live moments of exception such as this one, and to meet extraordinary people like Dominique Wavre and Michèle Paret", she said. "I wish you good luck for this extraordinary adventure."

On the 31st of December, Mirabaud will line up for the start of the Barcelona World Race: the non-stop double-handed race around the globe. Following a long period of boat development and sea trials, Dominique Wavre and Michèle Paret are raring to go. “It’s a poignant moment for us,” Wavre explained during the christening. “Having Mirabaud’s backing has meant we have been able to prepare exactly as we wanted for this latest round the world race. We finished third in the last Barcelona World Race, and we intend to at least match that position for this edition. I’m really looking forward to getting started as I think we’re very well prepared; we have an excellent boat and all the elements on our side for a successful race.”

Thanks to the support of Mirabaud, Dominique Wavre and Michèle Paret have been able to carry out major improvements to their boat. The keel box has been replaced, in addition to many modifications designed to improve the balance, and therefore the performance, of the yacht. An improved chart table has been designed and fitted, and a new lighter engine installed in the bilges.

All that remains now is to provision the boat for three months at sea and check a few final details before casting off for what is shaping up to be one of the most exciting round the world races ever.”
- END -

CAMPER WITH EMIRATES TEAM NEW ZEALAND

2010-12-15T06:52:00.000-08:00

CAMPER WITH EMIRATES TEAM NEW ZEALAND REVEAL 2011-12 VOLVO OCEAN RACE TEAM MEMBERS 15th December 2010

Chris Nicholson, skipper of the CAMPER campaign for the 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race has today confirmed the line up of the sailing team and key shore team members.

Collectively the CAMPER team, which is being run by Emirates Team New Zealand, brings a wealth of experience to the race. Team members have between them no less than three Olympic campaigns, 17 America’s Cups, 22 Volvo/Whitbread races and numerous world championship titles.

Alongside the initial crew announcements the team features America’s Cup and Volvo/Whitbread Race veterans Stuart Bannatyne, Tony Rae and Rob Salthouse, renowned offshore navigator Will Oxley and up and coming young talent. Nicholson also announced two key shore team roles: Neil Cox as CAMPER shore manager and world respected meteorologist Roger Badham as the team’s weather expert.

CAMPER Sailing Team
Skipper: Chris Nicholson (AUS)
Watch Captain: Stuart Bannatyne (NZL)
Navigator: Will Oxley (AUS)
Driver/Trimmer: Roberto Bermudez de Castro (ESP)
Driver/Trimmer: Adam Minoprio (NZL)
Driver/Trimmer: Rob Salthouse (NZL)
Driver/Trimmer: Tony Rae (NZL)
Bow/Boat Captain: Mike Pammenter (RSA)
Bow/Sailmaker: Daryl Wislang (NZL)
Pit/Trimmer: Andrew McLean (NZL)
Media Crew Member: Hamish Hooper (NZL)

Just six months ago Camper, the Spanish footwear brand, announced that it would take part in this historic race, with Emirates Team New Zealand to manage the campaign. Camper is a family-owned company that started making shoes on the island of Mallorca in 1877. This is the company’s first entry in the Volvo Ocean Race and a big step onto the international sports sponsorship stage.

Dalia Saliamonas, Project Director, CAMPER in the Volvo Ocean Race, says: “Six months after announcing our participation, it is fantastic to announce this exciting team. We are incredibly proud to be working with such a talented, experienced and passionate crew, and we are looking forward to the journey ahead.”

Skipper Chris Nicholson said of his crew: “This is one of the hardest events to win in sailing and we set out to bring together the best sailing team possible.

“We have a great mixture of experience and youth; I have been lucky enough to sail with most of them over the years and we have a team that will work really well together.

“The spirit within the CAMPER team, and by that I mean everyone, from the design, office, management, build, sponsors, reflects a real genuine passion to achieve. I believe that we have created a team that can win the Volvo Ocean Race. We have a great sponsor in Camper and we are looking forward to sharing this race with them.”

Since announcing the entry, CAMPER and Emirates Team New Zealand’s principal designer Marcelino Botin and the build team at Cookson Boats have begun construction of the CAMPER yacht in Auckland. The build is currently well underway with the hull now complete. The team plan to have the boat in the water by late April 2011 where it will undergo sea trials before being shipped to Spain.

CAMPER SAILING TEAM
Chris Nicholson
Age: 41
Nationality: Australian
Position: Skipper
Overview: An electrician by trade, Nicholson has been sailing professionally for over 20 years. He has represented Australia at two Olympic Games (2000 & 2004), and has won no less than six world championships across the 49er and 505 classes. Nicholson is a veteran of three Volvo Ocean Races, his first as a watch captain in 2001-02 on Amer Sports 1, which was skippered by Grant Dalton. In 2005-06 he was a watch captain on board Spanish entry Movistar and in 2008-09 he was watch captain onboard Puma, which finished second.

Stuart Bannatyne
Age: 39
Nationality: New Zealand
Position: Watch Captain
Overview: Stuart Bannatyne has been a professional yachtsman for 16 years, specialising in ocean racing. In addition to five circumnavigations he has competed on the Grand Prix regatta circuit for 15 years, winning numerous inshore championships and ocean races. He has sailed on yachts that have broken the 24-hour world record distance for a monohull on five separate occasions (the most by any person). He is the only person to have won the Volvo Ocean Race, previously the Whitbread, on three different classes of yacht – maxi ketch (New Zealand Endeavour), Volvo Ocean 60 (illbruck) and VO70 (Ericsson 4). He was named New Zealand Sailor of the Year in 2009.

Will Oxley
Age: 45
Nationality: Australian
Position: Navigator
Overview: A marine scientist by trade, Will spent 18 years working on the Great Barrier Reef, and other coral reefs of the world. He is respected offshore sailor with more than 200,000 nautical miles of ocean racing on his CV, including the BT Global Challenge (2000-01)skipper Compaq NonStop finishing second overall Oryx Quest Non Stop RTW (Doha 2005/6), Brunel Synergy as navigator (Volvo Ocean Race 2005-06), and Puma as the team’s land based navigation consultant (Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09).

Roberto Bermudez de Castro
Age:40
Nationality: Spanish
Position: Driver/trimmer
Overview: An industrial engineer, Roberto (Chuny) has a wealth of sailing experience on his CV, including two America’s Cup Campaigns (1995 & 2000) and representing Spain at the Athens Olympics in 2004. He has notched up four circumnavigations of the planet, most recently as skipper of Delta Lloyd in the 2008/09 Volvo Ocean Race, and also as watch captain on Brazil 1 (2004/05) and onboard the Spanish entry GaliciaPescanova in the 1993/94 Whitbread race. This will be his fifth Volvo Ocean Race.

Adam Minoprio
Age: 25
Nationality: New Zealand
Position: Driver/trimmer
Overview: Minoprio has been a rising star in yachting. In 2009 he made his mark by winning the World Match Racing Tour as skipper and helm of the BlackMatch team. He led the young team to victory after only two years on the professional circuit. Minoprio and his team were recently named 2010 Singapore Airlines Sailor of the Year, this will be his first Volvo Ocean Race.

Rob Salthouse
Age: 45
Nationality: New Zealand
Position: Driver/Trimmer
Overview: Rob, a sailmaker by trade, has a sailing career spanning more than 25 years. He has taken part in no less that eight Sydney Hobart races, five Admiral’s Cups, and four America’s Cups as part of Emirates Team New Zealand. This will be his third Volvo Ocean Race; his first was with Tyco in 2000/01 and most recently with Puma in 2008/09.

Tony Rae
Age: 49
Nationality: New Zealand
Position: Driver/Trimmer
Overview: Tony Rae brings a wealth of experience to the CAMPER team, he has a professional sailing career spanning over 20 years. He was onboard Steinlager 2 during the 1989 Whitbread where the crew won every leg of the race, in 1993-94 he raced on board the winning maxi New Zealand Endeavour. A core team member of New Zealand America’s Cup campaigns since 1987, he was part of the winning team in 1995 and 2000.

Michael Pammenter
Age: 27
Nationality: South African
Position: Bowman
Overview: A finance and economics graduate, his first experience of the Volvo Ocean Race was in 2008 when he joined Telefonica Blue as one of the new “under-30s” and was the youngest sailor in the race. Mike has sailed on a range of big boats and holds several records including smashing the round the Isle of Wight record at Cowes Week aboard the 98ft super maxi Maximus. He was also crew onboard the Groupama Volvo 70 setting a new Round Britain and Ireland Course and Race record in 2010.

Daryl Wislang
Age: 29
Nationality: New Zealand
Position: Bowman
Overview: A sail maker by trade, Daryl started sailing when he was ten and it is a passion that has turned into a career. His previous race history includes being sailmaker and part-time in-port racer with Movistar in 2005-06, and as bowman alongside fellow CAMPER crew member Mike Pammeter on board Telefonica Blue in 2008-09. In 2006 he won the Rolex Middle Sea Race onboard Morning Glory and in the same year also became world champion in the maxi class with the Wally 95 Magic Carpet. He was also a key member of the sail management team in the 32nd America’s Cup with United Internet Team Germany.

Andrew McLean
Age: 31
Nationality: New Zealand
Position: Pit/Trimmer
Overview: A qualified mechanical engineer, Andrew was part of the winning Emirates Team New Zealand team during the Louis Vuitton Cup challenger elimination series in 2007. He took part in his first round the world race onboard Green Dragon in the last edition of the Volvo Ocean Race. Since completing the race, he has competed in the Louis Vuitton Trophy regattas, sailed on board ECOVER Extreme 40, and on big boats such as Leopard and Ran during 2010. When he isn’t sailing professionally he works as an engineer for Southern Spars New Zealand.

Hamish Hooper
Age: 32
Nationality: New Zealand’
Position: Media Crew Member
Overview: Hamish had a background in TV commercials and advertising but a slight turn of fate one day found Hamish being involved in sailing television work. This was to change the direction of his professional career and he has been involved in filming sailing events and working alongside teams ever since.

CAMPER SHORE TEAM
Neil Cox
Age: 41
Nationality: Australian
Position: Shore Manager
Overview: Coxy has three Volvo Ocean Races to his name, he was boat captain of the winning entry ABN AMRO ONE in the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-2006, and most recently Shore Manager for PUMA Ocean. He participated in the 1995 America’s Cup with One Australia and was build manager and shore crew team member on Aloha Racing in 2000. He is an accomplished sailor having served as boat captain for the Maxi Z86 Windquest and has competed in many offshore and inshore regattas around the world.

Roger Badham
Nationality: Australian
Position: Weather consultant
Overview: Roger Badham, or ‘Clouds’ as he is more commonly known, is a world respected meteorologist who specializes in sailing projects. He has been involved in numerous Whitbread Round the World Races and Volvo Ocean Races, four BOC races, as well as many major international ocean races, including the Admiral's Cup, Kenwood Cup, Sydney-Hobart, Transpac, Bermuda, Capetown-to-Rio, Melbourne-to-Osaka and the Global Challenge. He has been the Australian and New Zealand Olympic Yachting Team meteorologist and worked on many America’s Cup campaigns. He has been with Emirates Team New Zealand since 2001.

Ends

BMW ORACLE Racing clinches RC 44 season championship

2010-12-13T11:56:00.000-08:00

The crew – including Russell Coutts (tactician), Dirk de Ridder (mainsheet), Ryan Godfrey (bow), Ross Halcrow (trimmer), Revelin Minihane (pit), Colin Orsini (grinder) and Chris Schirmer (trimmer) – placed second in the fleet racing portion of the ORACLE RC 44 Cup Miami.

Coupled with their sixth-place finish in the match racing portion, BMW ORACLE Racing placed fourth overall in the event. They also won the RC 44 Austria Cup in April and the RC 44 Copenhagen Cup in June and finished with a 2-point advantage over Artemis Racing in the season championship.

“We knew the season was hanging in the balance,” said Ellison. “Everyone was intense, but Russell did a great job of calling tactics and the whole crew did a fantastic job. We didn’t make any cataclysmic mistakes and we used our opportunities to pass boats. We did OK.”

The RC 44 World Champion yacht 17, with guest helmsman William “Doug” Douglass and tactician James Spithill, won the fleet racing portion of the regatta with the low score of 39 points.

“Today was a little windy and we saw how the boats could get wicked up and go,” said Douglass, a veteran of the Farr 40 and Melges 32 one-design classes. “We were a little asleep today.”

The crew – including Jonas Hviid Nielsen (trimmer), Kyle Langford (grinder), Joe Newton (trimmer), Philippe Presti (mainsheet), Bryce Ruthenberg (match racing trimmer), Piet van Nieuwenhuyzen (bow) and Matt Von Bibra (pit) – led the fleet racing throughout the three days.

They survived today despite a couple of mishaps in the final race, including an early start, twisted spinnaker and the temporary loss of van Nieuwenhuyzen overboard on the first downwind leg. He was recovered without incident.

“I think it was impressive for Doug to come in the first time and win,” said Spithill. “It took us time to get him up to speed, but he did a great job. Full credit to the guys for hanging in there.

“Today was very shifty and hard to read,” Spithill continued. “It was also a bit warmer, so Piet went for a swim. We kind of broached and he fell off. It took forever to get him back aboard.”

Like 17, BMW ORACLE Racing, which also won the 2010 Fleet Racing Championship, had an early start, but the crew was able to dig its way out of trouble to prevent the points from accumulating, especially on the downwind legs.

“We probably won it downwind today,” said Coutts. “We didn’t make any big errors and were able to pass boats because of the shifts and puffs. That was the winning factor.”

RC 44 2010 Season Championship

1. BMW ORACLE Racing (USA) Larry Ellison/Russell Coutts – (8)-1-1-4-2-4 – 12 points

2. Artemis Racing (SWE) Torbjorn Tornqvist/Terry Hutchinson – 1-(8)-4-2-5-2 – 14 points

3. 17 (USA) William Douglass/James Spithill – (11)-3-5-3-1-3 – 15 points

4. No Way Back (NED) Pieter Heerema/Ray Davies – 2-2-3-5-3-(6) – 15 points

5. Team Aqua (UAE) Chris Bake/Cameron Appleton – 4-6-2-1-(8)-5 – 18 points

6. Team Sea Dubai (UAE) Harm Müller-Spreer/Markus Wieser – 3-4-6-7-6-(9) – 26 points

7. Katusha (RUS) Guennadi Timtchenko/Paul Cayard – 6-5-(8)-6-4-8 – 29 points

8. Ceeref (SLO) Igor Lah/Rod Davis – 5-7-7-(9)-7-7 – 33 points

9. Mascalzone Latino (ITA) Vincenzo Onorato/Francesco Bruni – 11-(12)-12-11-9-1 – 44 points

10. Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (ESP) Daniel Calero/Jose Maria Ponce – 7-9-10-8-(11)-11 – 45 points

11. AEZ RC 44 Sailing Team (AUT) René Mangold/Christian Binder – 9-10-9-10-10-(14) – 48 points

12. Synergy Russian Sailing Team (RUS) Maxim Logutenko/Evgeniy Neugodnikov – 11-12-12-(13)-13-10 – 58 points

13. Peninsula Petroleum (ESP) John Bassadone/Inaki Castaner – 11-12-12-(13)-12-12 – 59 points

14. Ironbound (USA) David Murphy/Ian Williams – 11-12-12-13-(15)-13 – 61 points

ORACLE RC 44 Cup Miami Final Standings

(Boat, match racing-fleet racing – total)

1. Mascalzone Latino, 3-3 – 6 points

2. Artemis Racing, 2-5 – 7 points

3. Yacht 17, 7-1 – 8 points

4. BMW ORACLE Racing, 6-2 – 8 points

5. Team Aqua, 1-9 – 10 points

6. No Way Back, 8-4 – 12 points

7. Ceeref, 10-6 – 16 points

8. Katusha, 9-7 – 16 points

9. Sea Dubai, 5-11 – 16 points

10. Synergy Russian Sailing Team, 4-12 – 16 points

11. Islas Canarias Puerto Calero, 13-8 – 21 points

12. Peninsula Petroleum, 12-10 – 22 points

13. Ironbound, 11-13 – 24 points

14. AEZ RC 44 Sailing Team, 14-14 – 28 points

Follow BMW ORACLE Racing
Online at: www.bmworacleracing.com │ bmworacleracingblog.blogspot.com

Image(s) Copyrights
Gilles Martin-Raget / BMW ORACLE Racing
Gilles Martin-Raget / BMW ORACLE Racing

For copyright-free photos, please visit: www.bmor-photo.com

RC 44 Miami

2010-12-11T07:00:00.001-08:00

Paul Cayard
Friday, December 10, 2010

Yesterday we finished up the match racing with a win on Katusha over Cereef. Aqua was the overall winner of the match racing beating Artemis in the one race final.

Today was the first day of fleet racing and four races were held in 9-12 knots of wind from the north. The temperature has come back to normal here in Miami with 76 degrees and sunshine today. The wind was fickle and very challenging.

We had medium day today with most of our finishes mid fleet. Artemis had a great day winning one race and is in second place over all one point behind "17" with James Spithill as tactician.

Tomorrow's fore cast is for a rather light northeasterly sea breeze. 6 more races are scheduled over the weekend.

For complete results go to www.rc44.com

Paul

Oracle RC44 Cup Miami 2010 / Day 1 Video

2010-12-08T06:48:00.000-08:00

youtube sailing

2010-12-07T20:14:00.000-08:00

ORACLE RC44 Cup Miami off to rollicking start

2010-12-07T18:33:00.001-08:00

Strong winds dismast Islas Canarias Puerto Calero while others tear sails

MIAMI (7 December 2010) – The RC 44 class made its debut in American waters today in conditions that make Miami a renowned racing venue: a northwesterly breeze gusting over 20 knots and the boats planing around the racecourse north of Government Cut at speeds of 17 to 20 knots.

The ORACLE RC 44 Cup Miami commenced today with the 14-boat fleet split into two groups of seven for preliminary match racing. If time permits by mid-Thursday, semifinals and a final will be held for the top two from each group.

Wintertime racing off the southeast coast of Florida has long been a sailor’s playground. The sun is brilliant, the water is warm and the conditions usually challenge the best of crews.

Although the Northern Hemisphere winter is still officially two weeks away, chilly temperatures this morning had the sailors thinking it came early. The passing of a cold front helped stir up the strong northwesterlies, and the fleet completed eight flights of five matches for 40 races in total.

In Group Alpha, Cameron Appleton has Chris Bake’s Team Aqua tops in the group with a 5-1 record, followed by Harm Müller-Spreer and Markus Wieser in Team Sea Dubai. Sea Dubai actually posted a 6-0 record, but had penalty points applied by the umpires.

In Group Bravo, Terry Hutchinson guided Torbjorn Tornqvist’s Artemis to the top of the group with a 5-1 record. Vincenzo Onorato’s Mascalzone Latino enjoyed its best day since returning to the class and is second at 4-1 with one flight to complete the round. BMW ORACLE Racing, with Larry Ellison and Russell Coutts, is third at 4-2.

The conditions taxed many of the crews, who were sore from being thrown about the light-displacement yachts, but none other than Daniel Calero’s crew aboard Islas Canarias Puerto Calero. The Spanish crew from the Canary Islands was forced out of action with a broken mast before morning had turned to afternoon.

Islas Canarias had just completed a jibe in its Flight 1 race when the mast broke about five feet above the gooseneck, where the boom attaches to the mast, and the spar went over the port side.

“We had just completed our jibe when we heard a big crunch," said Calero. “There wasn’t much we could do to save the mast."

Crewman Carlos Hernandez jumped into the warm Atlantic Ocean to help the crew recover some of the sails and disassemble the rigging so the mast could be brought back aboard the yacht for the motor to the harbor.

Islas Canarias Puerto Calero returned to shore where the crew began stepping a spare mast that the RC 44 Class Association has available at each regatta for just such an incident.

“This is the good side of this class, there’s a mast ready to go and we’ll be ready to race tomorrow," said Calero. “We were enjoying the great conditions today and can’t wait to get back out tomorrow."

ORACLE RC44 Cup Miami Day 1 Quotes

Cameron Appleton, Team Aqua: “We came off the water with one loss and that was good on a day like today. It was very shifty. Wind started out with puffs up to 28 knots or more, we saw the first rig come down in the class, and everyone seemed to be handling the conditions in different ways. It was a good test for the crews. A really good crew was rewarded today by sailing the boats well. Today was tricky because of a little cross swell and change in pressure. It kept us all on our toes.

Francesco Bruni, Mascalzone Latino: “We’re very happy, obviously. We had four good starts. We’re making big progress from Valencia to here and are now starting to win some races. We’re learning the boat more and more. It’s normal to struggle in the beginning, but now we’re learning again. We had 20 knots, sunny and breezy. It was puffy, shifty, a very nice challenge. It was just a bit too cold, but everything else was brilliant."

Pieter Heerema, No Way Back: “Today was exciting, a beautiful wind but tough. Lots of people had problems in boathandling. That makes the sailing exciting. We had an up and down day. We sailed well, no problems with the boathandling, but we didn’t always grab the opportunities we created for ourselves. At a certain point you just have to nail it."

Terry Hutchinson, Artemis: “It was an incredibly difficult day. Our guys sailed very well. This was our first regatta since Dubai where we had any training prior to the first day of racing and it showed. Sailing north of Government Cut (the channel leading to Miami Harbor) was pretty good. The course gave options for both sides to work."

Harm Mueller-Spreer, Team Sea Dubai: “We had six wins, good boatspeed and very good starts. We had a bit of bad luck in the second to last race because we hit the Russians (Synergy Russian Sailing Team). But our boathandling is good, the maneuvering is good and the feeling for the pre-start is good. I feel very comfortable. First off we had not so much wind and then it increased to 25 knots or more and slowly decreased all afternoon."

Ian Williams, Ironbound: “The boat’s fantastic. The best thing is that you only have eight guys and lots to do. Everybody needs to pull their weight and be aware of what’s going on, doing right things at the right time. It makes it a great challenge as a team to do well."

ORACLE RC44 Cup Miami Provisional Results
(Through 8 flights)
Group Alpha
1. Team Aqua (UAE) Chris Bake/Cameron Appleton – 5-1, 5 points
2. Team Sea Dubai (UAE) Harm Müller-Spreer/Markus Wieser – 6-0, 4 points*
3. Synergy Russian Sailing Team (RUS) Maxim Logutenko/Evgeniy Neugodnikov – 2-3, 2 points
3. No Way Back (NED) Pieter Heerema/Ray Davies – 4-2, 2 points*
3. Katusha (RUS) Guennadi Timtchenko/Paul Cayard – 2-4, 2 points
6. Peninsula Petroleum (ESP) John Bassadone/Inaki Castaner – 1-4, 1 point
7. Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (ESP) Daniel Calero/Jose Maria Ponce – 0-6, 0 points
(* penalty points applied)

Group Bravo
1. Artemis (SWE) Torbjorn Tornqvist/Terry Hutchinson – 5-1
2. Mascalzone Latino (ITA) Vincenzo Onorato/Francesco Bruni – 4-1
3. BMW ORACLE Racing (USA) Larry Ellison/Russell Coutts – 4-2
4. 17 (USA) William Douglass/Jimmy Spithill – 4-2
5. Ceeref (SLO) Igor Lah/Rod Davis – 2-4
6. Ironbound (USA) David Murphy/Ian Williams – 1-4
7. AEZ RC 44 Sailing Team (AUT) René Mangold/Christian Binder – 0-6

Photo: Copyright Nico Martinez / RC 44 Class. Artemis leads David Murphy’s Ironbound, who makes its debuts in the RC 44 Championship Tour.

Some San Diego Sailing

2010-12-07T11:16:00.001-08:00

RC 44 class debuts in American waters off Miami Beach

2010-12-06T19:31:00.000-08:00

Ellison, Coutts, BMW ORACLE Racing hope to secure season championship

MIAMI (6 December 2010) – In style befitting a class brimming with talent, the 2010 championship of the RC 44 Class will be decided this week at the season’s final event, the ORACLE RC 44 Cup Miami.

Leading the fleet after the first five events is BMW ORACLE Racing, led by Larry Ellison and Russell Coutts. The crew has the low score of 8 points and leads Pieter Heerema’s No Way Back, last season’s champion, by 2 points.

Two crews are tied for third, James Spithill’s 17 and Torbjorn Tornqvist’s Artemis Racing, while Chris Bake’s Team Aqua holds fifth with 13 points.

With such a tight grouping and a windy forecast over the next few days the standings could well see a shuffle. A cold front that has pushed across the South Florida region brought with it cooler temperatures and strong northwesterly winds.

“We haven’t changed our setup since the previous event in the Canary Islands,” said BMW ORACLE Racing mainsail trimmer Dirk de Ridder of the regatta where BMW ORACLE Racing placed second overall. “We have used all our sail cards and are ready to slide back into action.”

Ray Davies, the pro helmsman and tactician for No Way Back, sees many opportunities to overtake the leader. The racecourse will be to the north of Government Cut instead of the south, which will make the predicted offshore breeze shiftier.

“It’s good that it’s all come down to the wire, it’s all on,” said Davies of New Zealand. “And with a few more boats in the class there’ll be plenty of opportunities to make up the 2 points we’re behind.”

The ORACLE RC 44 Cup Miami represents the class’s first foray into U.S. waters. The fleet is the largest ever for an RC 44 event with 14 boats on the entry list including newcomer David Murphy and Ironbound.

“We have entered this fleet because it represents the highest level of competition in sailing today,” said Murphy, who has attracted an all-star crew including pro helmsman Ian Williams of Great Britain, a match racing specialist, and tactician Kevin Burnham of the U.S., a gold medalist at the 2004 Olympic Regatta in Greece.

Another American, William “Doug” Douglass, is set to helm the yacht 17 in the fleet racing portion of the regatta, which requires amateur helmsman as classified by ISAF, the world governing body for sailing.

Led by Spithill, 17 won the RC 44 World Championship in October and now Douglass, a veteran campaigner of the Farr 40 and Melges 32 one-design classes, will try his hand later this week.

“We’re looking forward to working him in the crew,” said Spithill, the skipper of 17. “The fleet is loaded.”

ORACLE RC 44 Cup Miami Entry List
(Based on overall season standings)
1. BMW ORACLE Racing (USA) Larry Ellison/Russell Coutts – 8 points
2. No Way Back (NED) Pieter Heerema/Ray Davies – 10 points
3. 17 (USA) William Douglass/Jimmy Spithill – 12 points
3. Artemis (SWE) Torbjorn Tornqvist/Terry Hutchinson – 12 points
5. Team Aqua (UAE) Chris Bake/Cameron Appleton – 13 points
6. Team Sea Dubai (UAE) Harm Müller-Spreer/Markus Wieser – 19 points
7. Katusha (RUS) Bob Little/Paul Cayard – 21 points
8. Ceeref (SLO) Igor Lah/Rod Davis – 26 points
9. Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (ESP) Daniel Calero/Jose Maria Ponce – 34 points
10. AEZ RC 44 Sailing Team (AUT) René Mangold/Christian Binder – 38 points
11. Mascalzone Latino (ITA) Vincenzo Onorato/Francesco Bruni – 43 points
12. Peninsula Petroleum (ESP) John Bassadone/Inaki Castaner – 47 points
13. Synergy Russian Sailing Team (RUS) Maxim Logutenko/Evgeniy Neugodnikov – 48 points
Debutante: Ironbound (USA) David Murphy/Ian Williams
Note to media: The event's opening press conference will take place tomorrow at 5:00 PM in Miami Beach Marina, on the yacht Miami Lady

Rod Jabin Wins Second Consecutive Melges 32 Gold Cup Title

2010-12-06T07:19:00.001-08:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
INTERNATIONAL MELGES 32 CLASS ASSOCIATION
05 DECEMBER 2010

Rod Jabin Wins Second Consecutive Melges 32 Gold Cup Title

Three races and stunning conditions conclude the 2010 Melges 32 Gold Cup Regatta in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. - Three final races at the 2010 Melges 32 Gold Cup Regatta, hosted by the Lauderdale Yacht Club (LYC) enabled Annapolis' Rod Jabin on Ramrod to win his second consecutive Melges 32 Gold Cup title. This is also the first time ever that anyone has won the event two years in a row. Jabin's team consisted of tactician Chris Larson and crew of Richard Clarke, Curtis Florence, Ray Wulff, Scott Holmgren and Vann Walke.

"This is pretty special. Unbelievable really, but I have to give credit where credit is due. The crew work this weekend has been awesome." said an ecstatic Jabin after racing. "Thank goodness for a third race. The Ramrod program is really coming together and we now feel like we're making some progress. Our only expectation for this event was to be competitive. My crew, they worked so hard and never gave up. That's what this win is about."

In second overall, one slim point behind was Steve Howe on Warpath and tactician Morgan Larson. Overnight leader Ryan DeVos and tactician Ed Baird on Volpe struggled in Sunday's three races leaving them to settle for third.

"The Gold Cup certainly delivered some great racing. I think the Melges 32 fleet has really come into its own." said newly elected North American Fleet President, John Taylor on Ninkasi. "Getting 21 boats in Fort Lauderdale for a little wind and sun, a great time and plenty of Heineken makes it a spectacular event."

Sunday's original schedule called for only two races, but after Saturday's light air conditions, the impeccable LYC race committee delivered the goods and fulfilled every owner's hopes for three more heats. Gorgeous sunshine and a pleasant 10-15 knots of breeze was pumping for the start with Jeff Ecklund putting his signature gold STAR on the first two races of the day. His lead was not instant, but well-earned beating out Jabin, Taylor, Bob Hughes helming Dalton DeVos' Delta and Howe with brilliant upwind performance and fantastic downwind speed.

Race three of the day sealed the deal on victory for some, while others, such as Ecklund, ended with tragic results. Three attempts were made to start race three, but the fleet couldn't come up with anything better than general recalls. The race committee put the black flag into effect. Ecklund simply couldn't hold the reigns back, being called OCS and forced out of the race. As if the first two races of the day weren't disastrous and disappointing enough for the young DeVos, he too was called OCS in race three. Instead, Lanfranco Cirillo's Fantastica pulled ahead of the fleet and looked fast as he extended his lead with each passing beat of the five-leg race. Cirillo won easily, miles ahead of second place finisher Hughes and third place finisher Jabin.

The International Melges 32 Class Association would like to extend a very special thanks to the Lauderdale Yacht Club, race committee and the dozens of volunteers that helped ensure the success of such an amazing event, in particular Mark Smith, Lisa Friesecke, Bob Meagher and Mike Toppa who organized the league of youth sailors for Take A Junior Sailing Day. The list goes on. Thanks to Melges USA and Melges Service whose unwavering support is incredible. Additional thanks to Team Ninkasi and Heineken Beer for all the beer each day after sailing.

MEGA MEDIA
All during the event, friends, family and fans of the Melges 32 were able to tune-in and enjoy the racing action and developments from a distance, special thanks to Sail 22’s all new Sailing Updates. Thanks Sail22 for making this happen!

Photo galleries are now online:
View JOY | International Melges 32 Class Association Gallery
View John Payne Gallery
View Sail 22 Gallery

Each daily race report, press release and tons of photo galleries are available at the official website of the International Melges 32 Class Association. Stay in touch with the Melges 32 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.

TOP TEN RESULTS (FINAL, After eight races)
1.) Rod Jabin | Chris Larson, Ramrod; 4-2-1-12-8-2-[18]-3 = 32
2.) Steve Howe | Morgan Larson, Warpath; [8]-8-1-5-4-8-3-4 = 33
3.) Ryan DeVos | Ed Baird, Volpe; 3-2-3-1-5=14=11=[22/BFD] = 39
4.) Joe Woods | Paul Goodison, Red; 6-[11]-5-9-6-5-6-7 = 44
5.) Jeff Ecklund | Harry Melges, III, STAR; 15-6-8-8-7-1-1-[22/BFD] = 46
6.) Dalton DeVos| Chris Rast, Delta; 11-9-12-3-[12]-7-2-2 = 46
7.) Lanfranco Cirillo | Michele Paoletti, Fantastica; 7-19-4-2-14-[22/OCS]-4-1 = 51
8.) Alex Jackson | Rob Greenhalgh, Leenabarca; 1-7-7-15-1-12-[17]-11 = 54
9.) Joel Ronning | Bill Hardesty, Catapult; 5-15-13-6-10-4-9-[17] = 62
10.) Jason Carroll | Dave Ullman, ARGO; 10-10-6-7-9-[18]-12-8 = 62
View Full Results
View Full Crew List
2010 Melges 32 Gold Cup Official Event Website

World Match Racing Tour – Monsoon Cup Quarter Finalists decided

2010-12-03T07:10:00.000-08:00

On day 3 of the Monsoon Cup, the final event of the 2010 ISAF World Match Racing Tour, the World Championship was still wide open. Tension was high as this was a make or break day for several of the World Championship contenders.

A 12-15 knot northerly breeze greeted competitors, with one knot of current running down the Terengganu River.

There were many pivotal matches in this busy day, with the current ISAF World Match Racing Tour leader Mathieu Richard (French Match Racing Team), Adam Minoprio (ETNZ/ BlackMatch Racing), the 2009 World Champion and dual Monsoon Cup winner Peter Gilmour (YANMAR Racing) all in danger of missing the quarter finals.

It did not start well for Gilmour when in flight 11 Bjorn Hansen (Hansen Global Racing) beat Gilmour by just one heart breaking second.

Ben Ainslie (TEAMORIGIN) and Adam Minoprio (ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing) met in the next match.

Ainslie won the start but closing on the top mark Minoprio managed to lee-bow Ainslie and luffed up hard. Firmly in control Minoprio accelerated away to victory.

Next up Francesco Bruni (Team Azzurra) defeated Minoprio leaving the World Champion pensive at the stern of his boat, rubbing his trademark stubble.

The afternoon session started with Flight 13. The wind was blowing eight knots, with current down the river on the right so PRO David Tallis moved the start line to equalise the course.

Torvar Mirsky (Mirsky Racing Team) on 5-3 and Richard was an important match for both skippers. Richard was tied in knots and early in the pre-start. Mirsky was fast away on the right and in pressure and extended for a big win. The luckless Richard recounted ‘We made a mistake in the pre-start, we were definitely too early, they did a good job.’

Mathieu Richard (French Match Racing Team) had to defeat Phil Robertson (WAKA Racing) or his regatta was over.

Down the last run Robertson and his crew were faster and closing as the finish line loomed Robertson gybed and it looked like Richard faked but that’s not what happened as Richard explained dockside. ‘We were going to follow when he gybed, I started to but felt the solid puff and made a snap decision to go with the pressure and it paid off.’

So came the climax of the day. It was in flight 15 that Richard met Minoprio. Both were on three wins and six losses, the loser would miss the quarter final cut.

A sensational start as Richard was penalised just 10 seconds before the start and was over early - a dream for Minoprio. On the first cross Minoprio was ahead but Richard had more speed and then the tables turned. Richard rounded and with a fast hoist was three boat lengths ahead.

However the race stayed close until the second bottom mark was reached and Richard rounded in pressure while Minoprio stalled. A giant gain for the Frenchman who sailed away and was able to do his penalty comfortably at the finish line.

A jubilant Richard said ‘A great win for us. Our start was a disaster but we did not give up. We stayed focused on our sailing and we managed enough of a lead to take the penalty and win.’

Adam Minoprio is leaving the ISAF World Match Racing Tour having crashed out of the Monsoon Cup and World Championship contention. He will have three months to get over this result before he joins the Emirates Team New Zealand Volvo Ocean Race campaign.

Immediately after the finish of the Richard v Minoprio match, Race Commentator Andy Green cruelly or cheekily (you decide) asked Minoprio ‘Three qualifiers, Phil Robertson, Keith Swinton and Jeremy Koo, as well Minoprio look to have missed the cut. Was last year’s World Championship win a fluke?’

A wry smile from the defeated Minoprio as he replied, ‘That race was very disappointing. We had a great pre-start, but we missed a left hand wind shift on the first beat and that was all Richard needed.’

Reflecting on his defeat, a downcast Minoprio commented ‘This is the number one disappointment in my sailing career. We are shattered not to have made it through to the last eight and be out of the World Championship. Perhaps we should’ve gone to Perth. This will bug me for a while - it’ll take three months to get over this. We’ll take some time out to reflect on this now.’

In the next match Peter Gilmour and his YANMAR Racing crew forced Torvar Mirsky (Mirsky Racing Team) over early, then sailed away to an important win for the four times World Champion, who made the quarter finals with that result.

A big smile from Gilmour as he said ‘Folks like us from the Facebook generation (NOT) are fighters. It all starts again now.’

There are still two flights to finish the round robins of the Monsoon Cup.

The final comment of the day came from Adam Minoprio. ‘You learn more from losing than winning (often) and today we’ve learned a great deal.’

Monsoon Cup - Day 3 Leader board

Quarter Finalists are:
Ian William (Team GAC Pindar) 8-1
Ben Ainslie (TEAMORIGIN) 8-2
Jesper Radich (Gaastra Racing Team) 8-2
Francesco Bruni (Team Azzurra) 6-3
Bjorn Hansen (Hansen Global Team) 6-4
Torvar Mirsky (Mirsky Racing Team) 6-5
Peter Gilmour (YANMAR Racing) 4-5
Mathieu Richard (French Match Racing Team) 5-6

Update from ALEX AND TARU

2010-12-02T20:11:00.001-08:00

Photos from http://sailingaroundtheglobe.blogspot.com/

From ALEX AND TARU WORLD TOUR BY SAILBOAT

So finally comes the day when we're able to leave also Gibraltar behind us. We both were thinking this day might never come - when looking at the weather and the list of things we had to finalize. It is never ending, isn't it. To live on a boat. Especially now in the beginning of this journey. And it is most definitely a full time job. A sometimes painful but oh so rewarding job. Because what else could we do, that could possibly give us more satisfaction in life than this? Nothing.

Tomorrow there is a good weather window which we'll take advantage of and hopefully we'll be safe over in Rabat, Morocco some 25-40 hours thereafter. Cannot wait to stroll around on African land and get the hell out of Europe.

Rounding off the day today with a glass of an aromatic Ripasso di Valpolicella and some beautiful Corsican classical tunes. Alex is reading for me from an Atlantic passage guide and life is just how it is supposed to be. Us two, on our boat - our home, sweet music in the background and some rustic wine. What else could I ever ask for? Not even the cold and the rain seem to bother me in this very moment.

By the way, we are so sorry if we have been late in responding emails or comments, but we've been so extremely busy over here and at the same time super dizzy and tired from all of the vaccinations.. Will catch up on it all very soon. Thanks for taking your time to write to us! /T

We got escorted out from the Gibraltar strait by a big pod of dolphins this afternoon. Hello Atlantic! It is by the way the first day in a week that the sun decided to show up for real and give some heat so it was a good time to leave and get out on the sea again. Plus a wonderful day to try our new sexy sails. Beautiful that jib, isn't it?

Goodbye for now Gibraltar and Europe and hello Morocco! We will arrive in Rabat tomorrow afternoon, inshallah. Follow our journey here if you'd like. /T&A - Read more at

http://sailingaroundtheglobe.blogspot.com

Melges 32 Fleet Readies For Gold Cup Competition

2010-12-02T20:01:00.000-08:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
INTERNATIONAL MELGES 32 CLASS ASSOCIATION
01 DECEMBER 2010

Melges 32 Fleet Readies For Gold Cup Competition

Twenty-one teams have registered to compete at the 2010 Melges 32 Gold Cup Regatta, hosted by the Lauderdale Yacht Club, December 3-5.

Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. - On December 3-5, the International Melges 32 Class Association (IM32CA) will proudly usher in yet another classic Gold Cup Regatta, hosted by the Lauderdale Yacht Club (LYC). The red carpet has been rolled out for this first-class event welcoming every owner and competitor, promising the best in Melges 32 competition, racing conditions and camaraderie.

Twenty-one teams have traveled from all across North America, Great Britain and Italy to compete. Among those poised for victory are defending Gold Cup champion Rod Jabin (Annapolis, Md.) on Ramrod with 2009 Melges 24 World Champion Chris Larson serving as tactician. One of Jabin's top adversaries, 2010 Winter Series and European Champion Joe Woods (Torquay, UK) with tactician, Olympic Gold Medallist Paul Goodison on Red is also in attendance. "The pressure is on." said a very relaxed and smiling Jabin prior to Wednesday afternoon practice. "Our team is a little different this year, but we're looking forward to some great racing, so it should be fun." Jabin debuted in the Melges 32 class at the '09 event beating Woods by a single point.

Other teams expected to excel and do well include Kip Meadows (Rocky Mount, N.C.) and tactician, multiple match racing champion Andy Horton on roXanne; the young and energetic 2010 U.S. National Champion Ryan DeVos (Macatawa Bay, Mich.) on Volpe pairs up with the extraordinary Ed Baird on tactics; East Coast Champion Alex Jackson (Riverside, Conn.) on Leenabarca will be assisted by Volvo Ocean Racer Rob Greenhalgh's tactical expertise, and Lanfranco Cirillo (Torri del Benaco, Verona, Italy) on Fantastica employs the incredible talents of the legendary Michelle Paoletti.

The IM32CA would like to welcome fleet newcomers Alexis Michas (New York, N.Y.) with tactician Mark Mendelblatt on VIVA; A Scow-boy Joel Ronning (Excelsior, Minn.) on Catapult with tactician Bill Hardesty and Oscar Strugstad (Bournemouth, Dorsett, UK) will be joined by tactician Andy Beadsworth on Dawn Raid.

"The class is thrilled to be back in Ft. Lauderdale for Gold Cup." commented International Chairman and Class President Jeff Ecklund (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.), who will take the helm of STAR. "This is the best fleet of grand prix performance yachts to be a part of right now. Our World Championship in San Francisco produced a record-breaking 32 Melges 32s further proving the health of the class. It’s really awesome to see a fleet as robust as this, and it seems that with almost every event we see new faces."

"We are also quite excited about our Take A Junior Sailing Day program at Gold Cup." continued Ecklund. "Twenty-one lucky youth sailors will get the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity on Saturday, December 4 to sail with and against the very best in the sailing world." Ecklund has been a strong supporter and advocate of the Lauderdale Yacht Club Junior Sailing Program, as well as a driving force behind its integration with the Melges 32 Gold Cup Regatta. A complete list of junior sailors and the boats they will sail on will be published shortly.

Full Entry List
1.) Phil Lotz | Dalton Bergan, Arethusa
2.) Jason Carroll | Dave Ullman, Argo
3.) Michael Dominguez | Anthony Kotoun, Bronco
4.) Joel Ronning | Bill Hardesty, Catapult
5.) Malcolm Gefter | Jon Mollicone, Celeritas
6.) Oscar Strugstad | Andy Beadsworth, Dawn Raid
7.) Dalton DeVos | Chris Rast, Delta
8.) Lanfranco Cirillo | Michele Paoletti, Fantastica
9.) Bob Hesse | Brad Boston, Lake Effect
10.) Alex Jackson | Rob Greenhalgh, Leenabarca
11.) Steve Rhyne | Charlie Smythe, Mojo
12.) John Taylor | Andrew Campbell, Ninkasi
13.) Rod Jabin | Chris Larson, Ramrod
14.) Joe Woods | Paul Goodison, Red
15.) Kip Meadows | Andy Horton, roXanne
16.) Geoff Pierini | Max Skelley, Shakedown
17.) Jeff Ecklund | Harry Melges, III, STAR
18.) Stuart Simpson | Nigel Young, Team Barbarians
19.) Alexis Michas | Mark Mendelblatt, VIVA
20.) Ryan DeVos | Ed Baird, Volpe
21.) Steve Howe | Morgan Larson, Warpath

View Full Crew List
2010 Melges 32 Gold Cup Official Event Website

Brits Lead The Charge

2010-12-02T06:04:00.000-08:00

The Monsoon Cup, the prestigious final round of the 2010 ISAF World Match Racing Tour being sailed in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia has turned the hard fought world of top level match racing upside down.

Two British sailors are leading the event after a tough day two out on the water.

Ian Williams (Team GAC Pindar), the 2006 and 2007 World Match Racing Champion, was a distant fifth on points going into this event. Today he sailed outstandingly, showing great skill in the light and very tricky conditions, qualifying for the quarterfinals with a 7-0 scorecard.

Ben Ainslie (TEAMORIGIN), the triple Gold Olympian is close on Williams’ heels having lost just one match yesterday to Phil Robertson (WAKA Racing). After two days of racing Ainslie sits at 5-1, having completed one less match than Williams.

Torvar Mirsky (Mirsky Racing Team), the West Australian skipper who is also mathematically in the World Championship running, is close behind the leaders, having suffered just two losses from seven matches (5-2).

Mirsky went down to Williams and Francesco Bruni (Team Azzurra) in hard fought matches.

The leaders can only look back in amazement at the chaos behind them.

In the middle of today, the World Match Racing Championship tour leader Mathieu Richard looked anything but relaxed, seemingly suffering a serious form slump in this event.

Down, Richard did not seem to be making good decisions. In the critical match against Francesco Bruni (Team Azzurra) Richard just won the start on the pin, in light and shifty conditions. After a slow tacking duel Richard was three lengths ahead. On the left Bruni was in pressure and reduced Richard’s lead to less than one length. A bad tack from Richard and a gain on a shift from Bruni, meant a lead change before the top mark. Richard struggled back and into the lead down the run but Bruni went hunting for pressure and shifts. Richard inexplicably did not cover, the number one match racing rule, and so conceded the match to Bruni.

The afternoon did not improve for Richard and a loss to Ben Ainslie(TEAMORIGIN) left him 0-4 and in 11th place. But clearly the determined Richard was not yet ready to give up the Championship title dream and things turned a little his way. Richard finished the day 5-3 and in seventh place.

Looking despondent the French skipper explained ‘We have not been sailing well. We still have a lot of work to do, we need six wins to be sure to get into the quarterfinals and we have to beat Minoprio (ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing), Mirsky and Robertson to get there. Right now it does not look good.’

In match racing mind games abound and Ben Ainslie is not adverse to loading on the pressure.

When asked why some of the favourites were not going so well, Ainslie replied ‘It’s the conditions more than anything. It’s very tough out there. There can be just metres between a win and a loss in these very light conditions; it’s hard for the whole team just calling the breeze.

‘Mathieu would be no doubt be doing better if there was a steadier breeze, so it’s more about match racing.

‘Yesterday and today the results have been coming more from general sailing ability - finding the pressure, picking the right side of the course and it’s probably easier for dinghy sailors than for some of the match racers. (Particularly those with three Olympic Golds and one Silver it seems.)

‘It’s going to be difficult for Richard from 3-5 but there is time yet, and it’s going to be hard for Adam Minoprio too… maybe harder.

‘They are very good sailors so they will probably claw their way into the quarters, but if they don’t it would be a dream for us’ concluded Ainslie.

Adam Minoprio (ETNZ/Black Match Racing) had a horror day on the water.

They were defeated soundly by Jesper Radich and suffered a second loss to Peter Gilmour and YANMAR Racing. Then Ian Williams inflicted a third defeat on Minoprio, leaving the reigning World Champion smarting with three losses in five matches.

The race against Williams said it all today. The Kiwi skipper picked up a penalty in the pre-start and crossed the line prematurely, allowing Williams to get away with a good lead.

Minoprio fought back strongly, closing what had at one stage appeared to be an invincible lead for Williams to just six seconds at the finish, but wasn't able to get ahead of the Brit.

It’s clear that all is not well in the Minoprio camp.

Asked whether this was because it is Minoprio’s last season, (he is joining the Team New Zealand Volvo Round the World campaign), the defending World Champion replied ‘We should be over that; we should be concentrating on getting on with this event.’

The skipper continued. ‘We just have not yet hit our straps. We’ve been making amateur mistakes and yes there’s been some frustration.

‘We are 2-4 so its crunch time now. Today we just had a succession of poor starts … we are just glad today is over.’

Tomorrow the task is ahead of the ETNZ/Black Match Racing Team who have to win at least four races against this list of opponents - Richard, Bruni, Ainslie, Hansen and Koo - a tall order the way they are currently sailing.

The harsh reality is that unless there is a big lift in spirits and concentration, it could be unhappy final match racing days for the 2009 ISAF World Champion.

At the end of day Press Conference, a confident Ian Williams subtly applied the pressure on Richard and Minoprio.

Williams stated ‘We are pleased with 7-0… into the quarterfinals. The guys are keeping me calm and focused and we are looking forward to the finals.

‘Right now there is a bunch of sailors doing their best to make sure Minoprio and Richard have to fight all the way.’

‘Both times I won the World titles I did it from eighth place in the round robins. Losing races is a valuable learning experience. You have to just not lose too many and you do make the cut.’

So the mind games continue.

Looking at the leader board Williams has plainly qualified and Ainslie, Mirsky and Radich look comfortable.

Behind them it seems there are six crews fighting for four quarterfinal placings.

Monsoon Cup - Day 2 Leader board

Ian Williams (Team GAC Pindar) 7-0
Ben Ainslie (TEAMORIGIN) 5-1
Torvar Mirsky (Mirsky Racing Team) 5-2
Jesper Radich (Gaastra Racing Team) 5-2
Francesco Bruni (Team Azzurra) 4-2
Bjorn Hansen (Hansen Global Team) 3-3
Mathieu Richard (French Match Racing Team) 3-5
Peter Gilmour (YANMAR Racing) 2-4
Adam Minoprio (ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing) 2-4
Keith Swinton (Black Swan Racing) 2-4
Phil Robertson (WAKA Racing) 2-5
Jeremy Koo (Koo Racing Team – Evernew) 0-8

Richard Confident of Claiming the World Championship

2010-11-30T08:47:00.000-08:00

Matthieu Richard has arrived at the Monsoon Cup confident that he can silence his critics and claim his maiden ISAF Match Racing World title. The Frenchman has led the World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) from the opening regatta of the season at Match Race France in April and heads into the season ending event in Malaysia with a 15th point advantage over Adam Minoprio.  

The pressure has been mounting on Richard in the recent weeks after failing to make it through the qualifying stages of the last event in Bermuda, while people have also questioned the Frenchman’s decision to race in Perth last week with Richard having a poor track record of racing back to back.

  Richard remains unfazed by other people’s thoughts and is confident he can stand up to the pressure and win the title saying, “We thought long and hard about going to Perth and chose to go there to purely prepare for the Monsoon Cup. Our goal was to build up to this week and get a good feeling. We wanted to practice our starts against high quality opponents and overall i'm delighted with how we sailed. It would have been nice to beat Robertson but we only lost 3-2 and it gave us some time off to relax and have a break.  

“We've come here with the lead on the Tour and its great to have the number one ranking. Adam and Ben are close and with so many points on offer anything can happen. We can't afford to try and calculate where we need to finish, we need to aim to win.”   

To read Richard’s thoughts on the Monsoon Cup visit http://www.wmrt.com/

Image Caption: Mathieu Richard puts a finishing touches to his preparations for the title deciding Monsoon Cup. Photo: SubZero Images/WMRT

One week to go to the RC 44 Championship Tour Grand Finale

2010-11-30T07:28:00.001-08:00

The winner of the RC 44 Championship Tour 2010 will be crowned at the end of the regatta, alongside the match race and fleet race champions. The ORACLE RC 44 Cup Miami will also be the first ever RC 44 regatta on US territory.

November 30, 2010 – Miami, Florida, will host the sixth and final regatta of the RC 44 Championship Tour 2010 on December 7-12. Organized by the RC 44 Class Association, the ORACLE RC 44 Cup Miami will reassemble 14 strict one design RC 44’s.

The event will be special in many ways. Indeed, it will be the first ever RC 44 regatta on US territory; it will reassemble a record number of entries and it will be the culmination of the season, with the overall, fleet and match race titles awarded to the best teams and sailors of the year.

The ORACLE RC 44 Cup Miami will start on December 7-8 with the match race contest, featuring some of the world’s best champions of the discipline such as Terry Hutchinson and Paul Cayard (USA), or America’s Cup winners Russell Coutts (NZL) and James Spithill (AUS).

The second part of the event – December 10-12 – will be dedicated to fleet racing, with the team owners at the helm.

The RC 44 Championship Tour 2010 will be awarded to the best team in the combined fleet race / match race rankings. With one last event to complete, the annual ranking is currently led by Larry Ellison’s BMW ORACLE Racing (USA). Pieter Heerema’s No Way Back (NED), James Spithill’s “17” (USA) and Torbjorn Tornqvist’s Artemis (SWE) are within reach and will be fighting hard to grab the title.

The first regatta of the RC 44 Championship Tour 2011 will also take place in the US, in San Diego, on March 2-6 whilst five teams will compete in Key West Race Week in January.

-ENDS-

Louis Vuitton Trophy - Dubai - Day 9 - Artemis Racing

2010-11-22T20:27:00.000-08:00

Team Update

It was a disappointing day. All the races are important, but we needed to win this one against Mascalzone Latino to ensure a place in the semi-finals.

We controlled most of the pre-start, but struggled a bit in the dial up bailout. This in turn meant that we were a bit rushed for the start and did not get the side of the course that we wanted. So, it was a split tack start with the Italians taking the left side of the course, while we went right. Mascalzone Latino took advantage of the shift at the top of the course and were off. They just extended their lead from there to win.

In the other matches, Synergy beat ALL4ONE, BMW ORACLE Racing defeated Emirates Team New Zealand and Mascalzone Latino also won over Synergy.

It was a good day for the Italians who moved into third place on the leader board, while ALL4ONE and Synergy are now tied for fourth.

Tomorrow, we will race ALL4ONE. A win in that race gives us a chance to get through to the semis.

Cameron

what?

2010-11-22T20:20:00.000-08:00

Gear failure affects Mascalzone's race against Synergy

2010-11-16T07:00:00.000-08:00

Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai - Dubai, 15 November 2010

It was another tense day on the waters off Dubai for Mascalzone Latino Audi Team that lost the only race against Synergy when a defective halyard clip suddenly opened, causing the spinnaker to come down.

The Italian team’s third race in the Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai got off with an intense duel in the prestart that cost the Russians a penalty flag after they hit the sticks at the stern of the Mascalzone Latino Audi Team yacht. The two yachts crossed the starting line neck and neck and although the Italians, led by Gavin Brady (NZL), managed to stay close, the Russians were able to make small gains that eventually became four boatlengths at the leeward gate.

In the second beat, the “Latin Rascals” were able to catch up, closely following their opponents that still had to offload their penalty. While approaching the second weather mark, Synergy decided to carry out their penalty circle, most probably an extremely risky move since the distance from the Italian boat was too short to guarantee they would be able to hold on to their leadership.

It didn’t take long to prove it was an unwise decision, as Gavin Brady (NZL) with great precision and timing, succeeded in getting through to leeward of them and beat them around the mark. It was a spectacular move by Vincenzo Onorato’s boat and the race was wide open once again.

It truly was a feat that allowed the “Latin Rascals” to gain an advantage of a mere 3 seconds that then increased as the race went on.

Then disaster stroke onboard the Italian boat: The spinnaker went in the water and the race turned upside down. It was gear failure while the crew was not to blame but the race was inevitably compromised. When the spinnaker was hoisted again and Mascalzone came back into the game it was too late. The Italians crossed the finish line 1 minute 14 behind the Russians.

Unlucky Rascals but also substandard gear provided by the organizers. Today, onboard NZL-84, the yacht assigned to Onorato’s team, the first breakage was the gearbox of the winch, forcing the team’s grinders to Herculean efforts while seriously compromising the strategic options given the inability to tack or gybe effectively. The first failure was followed by the accidental opening of the halyard clip that according to Mascalzone Latino was defective and compromised the race.

Tomorrow, weather allowing, Mascalzone Latino onboard USA – 87 will face in the first and second flight the German-French team ALL4One.

The third flight will actually be the match that couldn’t be sailed today and Mascalzone will once again race against Synergy. In that match as well, Mascalzone Latino Audi Team is assigned a New Zealand yacht, NZL – 84.
The first race is scheduled at 1pm local time, 10am CET.

Mascalzone Latino Audi Team get ready for the Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai

2010-11-08T07:49:00.000-08:00

Dubai, 08 November 2010

Mascalzone Latino Audi Team are getting ready for the 2010 season closing event in Dubai that will also mark the end of the Louis Vuitton Trophy cycle. The appointment in the most famous and populated of the United Arab Emirates will start on November 12th with the inauguration of the Race Village and the opening press conference, while racing will kick off on Sunday, November 14th and will conclude on the 28th of the same month.

Vincenzo Onorato, President of Mascalzone Latino, is moved by this last commitment of the ACC. "In Dubai, the "old ladies" that have accompanied us in the last 20 years of America's Cups will go on the water. These boats have made Italians dream and get passionate and allowed to deliver new technology standards applied to sailing and boatbuilding. The next Cup, as everyone knows, will be sailed on much faster and complex yachts, but everyone will remember with affection this era. I think Dubai will be able to write the last page of this era’s history with great pomp, in a parade of the world’s the strongest teams. "

Marco Savelli, Team Vice President, looks confident in this historic event: "I think that after the excellent second place in Auckland, and the fifth in La Maddalena, where we almost got into the semifinals, this year our crew has proved capable of achieving good results. On this occasion as well, despite the top level of the competing teams, I expect a fight to the last gybe. I trust that Mascalzone Latino will obtain good results, and I can assure that we will do our best because we are aware of the responsibility to mark the history of this generation of boats with a nice final memory. "

Vincenzo Onorato’s crew is led by skipper and helmsman Gavin Brady and will consist of Morgan Larson - tactician, Cameron Dunn and Flavio Favini - afterguard, Paul Westlake – mainsail trimmer, Steve Hayles - navigator, Rob Salthouse and Thierry Fouchier - trimmers, Matthew Welling – mainsail grinder, Scott Crawford and Andrea Pavan - grinders, Jamie Gale - travelers, Massimo Gherarducci - mastman, Alberto Barovier – mid bowman, Chris Dougall – grinder/travelers, Alan Smith – bowman and Santino Brizzi – afterguard/grinder.

The Latin “Rascals” in Dubai will have to face BMW ORACLE Racing (Defender of the 34th America’s Cup), Emirates Team Zealand, Russia’s Synergy, the French-German team ALL4One and Artemis from Sweden.

The host of the regatta will be Dubai International Marine Club will hold the regatta, usual organizer of the most important marine events in the southern part of the Gulf.

As mentioned, in accordance with the Middle East custom of their will to be part of the history of an increasing number of international sports, by opening or closing a season as was the case in last few years with various classes of automobile, motorcycle and motorboat races, in this case, the event will enter the UAE annals as the last Louis Vuitton Trophy to be sailed on the current generation of America's Cup Class monohulls. The ACC has been used in racing in five different versions, with a total of completed 100 units, starting at the 28th edition in 1992 in San Diego and ending at the 32nd America's Cup, held in Valencia in 2007.

"To be the culmination of a generation of America's Cup boats is a very significant and exciting for us and for everyone involved and passionate about sailing. Dubai will have the opportunity to once again be in the spotlight of the international world of sport," states an enthusiastic Saeed Hareb, Managing Director of DIMC.

The Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai is under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Emirates Airline, Principal Sponsor of the event.

Swedish challenge for the 34th America’s Cup

2010-11-08T07:31:00.001-08:00

PRESS RELEASE

Swedish challenge for the 34th America’s Cup

Artemis Racing and the Royal Swedish Yacht Club (KSSS) outline their challenge for the most iconic and oldest trophy in sport, the America’s Cup

STOCKHOLM, Sweden (8 November 2010) – Artemis Racing confirmed today the team’s entry as a Challenger for the 34th America’s Cup, which will include competing in the America’s Cup World Series in 2011-2012 and culminate with the Challenger Selection Series in 2013.

Speaking at today’s press conference Torbjörn Törnqvist, Chairman of Artemis Racing, shared his vision for the team and endorsed the new format for the America’s Cup. Torbjörn Törnqvist also spoke of the important role of the Royal Swedish Yacht Club (KSSS) in the team’s challenge.

The Royal Swedish Yacht Club (KSSS), one of the world’s oldest yacht clubs, has a longstanding history with the America’s Cup, having had three Challenges since the America’s Cup began in 1851. KSSS Commodore Jacob Wallenberg stated: “KSSS is honoured to be alongside Artemis Racing for the next America’s Cup. This is an important milestone for the Club and sailing in Sweden. It is also important for Swedish junior sailors, as a project of this magnitude will inspire them and provide excellent role models.”

Over the course of the next three years, Artemis Racing will be focused on designing and building two AC72 yachts, while also developing a strong sailing team to compete in the AC45 World Series and the Challenger Selection Series. The clear goal is to challenge Cup holders BMW ORACLE Racing for the America’s Cup in 2013.

“We have been orienting Artemis Racing toward the America’s Cup for more than a year. With much of the plan for the 34th America’s Cup now defined by the Defender, and an early start for the team, we have a tremendous opportunity to mount a winning campaign.” said Paul Cayard, CEO of Artemis Racing.

Paul Cayard announced that world champion sailor Terry Hutchinson (USA) will be the team’s helmsman and that the design team will be led by Juan Kouyoumdjian, well known for his success with winning designs in the Volvo Ocean Race such as ABN Amro and Ericsson.

Also speaking at today’s press conference about the new America’s Cup format was Richard Worth the recently appointed Chairman of the America’s Cup Event Authority. Worth said:“The challenger period has only just opened so we are delighted to welcome Artemis Racing to the 34th America’s Cup. They become the third team to officially join the event (after BMW ORACLE Racing and Challenger of Record - Mascalzone Latino) and we hope that, for the drama of a true sporting spectacle over the next three years, they will be the first of many. As we plan for new, exciting formats and boats it is great to have a team consisting of world class sailors under the leadership of Torbjörn Törnqvist and Paul Cayard.”

The next event for Artemis Racing is the Louis Vuitton Trophy – Dubai, which begins on 14 November. Looking ahead to 2011, Artemis Racing will continue to compete on the RC44 World Championship tour, while joining the Extreme 40 Circuit and the America’s Cup World Series, which will be raced in AC45s.

ENDS

The sense of anticipation

2010-11-05T12:08:00.001-07:00

Route du Rhum - La Banque Postale 2010
From Saint Malo to Pointe-a-Pitre
Normally, during this time of year, the tradewinds are generally nice and steady, yet it has to be said that this doesn't appear to be the case for the competitors in the Ultimate Class competing in the Route du Rhum La Banque Postale.

Positioned 300 miles to the North of Groupama 3, Thomas Coville's Sodebo is enjoying stronger wind from a better direction to maintain a high average speed. In this way, the skipper has been able to make up 86 miles on the leader over the past 24 hours.

Similarly, Francis Joyon, who is positioned to the East of Groupama 3, has made up 60 miles of his deficit, whilst Yann Guichard has lost around a hundred miles.

On the Atlantic race zone then, things aren't exactly sticking to the usual routine. Variable both in terms of strength and direction, the wind is imposing a fast physical rhythm on the sailors, who not only have to keep watch for sudden surges of breeze to avoid capsizing, but also wind holes, so as they don't lose ground on their rivals by keeping an unsuitable sail configuration up for too long.

To spice things up a bit, you have no prior warning about how long this phase will last: you think it's going to last a good while so you manoeuvre by hoisting or reducing the sail area. Lots of physical effort is involved at that point, as well as a drop in speed as you perform the manoeuvres. If your forecast proves to be right then it's BINGO. There you are carrying the correct sail configuration, happy with the efforts you've made to get where you are. Where the opposite is true, it's hell. You're stuck fast or forced to go up on deck to avoid the risk of capsizing.

Such is the life of the multihull skipper, who only sleeps in 20 minute chunks.

Suffice to say that as the skippers begin to tackle the sixth day at sea, just 1,338 miles from the finish, the fatigue must be seriously beginning to make its presence felt. There's no question of easing off the pace though: you have to earn a Rhum!

Positions at 1500 hours on Friday 5th November
1/ Groupama 3 some 1,338 miles from the finish
2/ Sodebo 260.6 miles from the leader
3/ Idec 309.4 miles astern
4/ Gitana 11 some 453 miles astern
5/ La Boite à Pizza 905.2 miles astern
...

Find all the latest about the Groupama trimarans on:
www.cammas-groupama.com

Attacking the ocean

2010-11-02T12:39:00.000-07:00

Route du Rhum - La Banque Postale 2010
From Saint Malo to Pointe-a-Pitre
Leading the fleet of 84 competitors still racing since the skipper of Côte d'Or had to be airlifted to hospital, Franck Cammas is continuing to extend his lead aboard Groupama 3. Never dipping below an average of 20 knots, the maxi-trimaran is now positioning her bows westward in a NE'ly breeze of around twenty knots, which is highly reminiscent of the tradewinds.

Decidedly Franck Cammas likes challenges. Not only has he set off on this ninth edition of the Route du Rhum La Banque Postale aboard the largest and most powerful trimaran ever to be raced single-handed, but he has also opted for a S'ly option which a fair number of his rivals didn't believe would pay off.

By making headway along a tiny vein of air along the Spanish coast in the same way as he did during his third and victorious attempt at the Jules Verne Trophy back in the winter, the skipper of Groupama 3 forced the pace so as to make it through before the gateway to the favourable winds closed behind him.

Determined but also confident about the capacity for speed that his giant trimaran has displayed since leaving Saint Malo, Franck has really set a furious pace in this race: "It's true that sailing aboard Groupama 3, which is less flighty than the others thanks to her wide beam, enabled me to keep more sail aloft on traversing the Bay of Biscay".

As such the skipper of Groupama 3 is confidently carving out his course towards the West Indies, without being overly concerned about his rivals. Some of these, like Idec and Gitana 11 are behind him on the same course, while others like Sodebo and Oman Air Majan are also behind but on a completely different course, further to the North, the outcome of which may or may not be relevant: "It's not easy to know if they're right. It'll come down to very little in my view. One thing for sure is that I couldn't see myself taking the N'ly option with Groupama 3".

2,700 miles from the goal, don't expect Franck Cammas to shout victory though, despite this great start to the race: "We still have a long way to go and it's not going to be a clear run. I'm going to have to traverse some zones with light airs, but it's true that for now I'm pretty much ahead of my routing whilst those on a N'ly option are behind".

On a physical level, the skipper of Groupama isn't sparing any effort with the frequent, exhausting manoeuvres. However, thanks to Groupama 3's stability, he's managing to relax and even sleep in small 20 minute chunks when he gets the chance.

This is no longer a constraint Bertrand Quentin will have to deal with and he is sure to be very disappointed to have had to retire his Côte d'Or from the race, but he will also be happy to know that physically he is completely safe tonight.

Position report at 1500 GMT on Tuesday 2nd November
1/ Groupama 3 some 2,731 miles from the finish
2/ Sodebo 65 miles behind the leader
3/ Oman Air Majan 106 miles astern
4/ Idec 160 miles astern
5/ Gitana 11 some 208 miles astern
...

Find all the latest about the Groupama trimarans on:
www.cammas-groupama.com

Catering to the professional skipper!

2010-11-01T11:49:00.000-07:00

November 1, 2010-Simpson Bay, St.Maarten-The Budget Marine Match Racing Cup which will take place March 1st 2011, will once again showcase the skills and abilities of professional skippers from around the world. This 3rd edition of Match Racing which is a pre-event for the 31st St.Maarten Heineken Regatta will open its doors and host sailors from around the world. In the past teams from Poland, USVI, the United States and Russia have participated in this event and organizers are looking forward to hosting international sailors. Peter Holmberg of the USVI has won this race the first 2 years and many wonder if he will take home 1st place for a third time. Budget Marine is the title sponsor and is offering $10,000 in prize money this year.

Match Racing started its journey with the America’s Cup races over 100 years ago and has been evolving steadily since then. History tells us that the first match race in one-design boats was the Omega Gold Cup in Bermuda over 50 years ago. The Budget Marine Match Racing Cup will use identical Jenneau SunFast 20’s for the race which are owned and operated by Lagoon Sailboat Rentals here in St.Maarten. With places up for grabs for eight teams, it is imperative that those who wish to partake send in their sailing CV’s to the regatta office at regatta2@heinekenregatta.com Once the selection process has been made teams will be notified of their participation in this 3rd edition Match racing event.

The organizing committee has gone to great lengths to make sure that each year this event remains competitive and professional while still allowing the participants to enjoy the near perfect conditions of Caribbean sailing. It is their goal to host teams from around the word and showcase what the tiny island has to offer the world of sailing. Past participants of this regatta such as Peter Isler, Gavin Brady and Eugeny Nikiforov go head to head for the shot at taking home the grand prize, but Peter Holmberg has steadfastly held them at bay.

Once teams have been selected to participate in this Match Racing Cup they must place a $500 deposit to secure their spot. Entry fee is minimal and once selected teams will be notified immediately. Applications are being accepted from all sailors, male or female who think they have what it take to compete. An ISAF ID is appreciated when sending in your information. Organizers are pleased to say there has never been a lack of interest for this race so make sure you send in your information as early as possible. The final date to send in your information is January 7th 2011, applications will not be accepted after this date.

The Notice of Race for this event will be posted online at http://www.heinekenregatta.com/ for those who are interested in more information and any additional questions can be sent to director@heinekenregatta.com