Open 60's arrive in Sutton Harbour

Photo credit: onEdition/OC Events

The Open 60 racing yachts arrive in Sutton Harbour prior to the start of the Artemis Transat. Organised by OC Events, the 13th edition of The Transat, now known as The Artemis Transat will start 11th May, 2008 from Sutton Harbour, Plymouth (UK), and finish in Boston, USA.

Created in 1960 by Sir Francis Chichester and Blondie Hasler, and often known until 2004 as the OSTAR, the oldest solo race in history has created many legends over the last four decades.

The 2008 edition will be a monohull only race for the first time since multihulls were introduced in 1964. Two monohull classes are confirmed as IMOCA 60 and Class 40 - a mix of pre-eminent ocean racing IMOCA skippers with a class that contains aspiring ocean racing professionals and accomplished amateurs.

-For full information on the Race and programme of events, please visit the website http://www.theartemistransat.com/

Less drag? Generali keel out of water...

Photo by Sally Collison

This is one way to reduce drag! Yann Elies's Open 60 Generali racing out of the Solent at the start of the Fastnet Race.

Jonathan McKee reports in...

It is to an enthusiastic Jonathan McKee that the Sailing Team spoke to this morning as he reported in from there Open 60 Estrella Damm:
“Things are going well onboard. We are just coming up to Ushant, it's been a good test of the boat, last night was really dark and quite windy but it feels good to be leaving the Channel. It is good to be double-handed at last, we are getting into the routine, sleep wise we are not too bad we have been doing a normal 4 hours watch system and it seems to be working for us. We haven’t been very good with food so far but all is well onboard, and we're just happy to be out here.” To follow Estrella Damm during her qualifying sail to Barcelona, please click here
http://www.estrelladammsailingteam.com/
photo by OnEdition

Estrella Damm Sailing Video

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Open 60's So Cool! - Update: A closer look

Copyright onEdition: Click to see large image

Copyright onEdition: Click to see large image

Copyright onEdition: Click to see large image

Copyright onEdition: Click to see large image

Barcelona WorldRace Prologue took place at the Fastnet Race off Cowes, UK.

The Barcelona World Race duos are racing in the same two-up format for the 608-mile race that starts Sunday, 12th August. The Barcelona World Racestarts in November and will be held every four years. For the first time, this race will see the world's best professional sailors from both solo andfully crewed disciplines coming together to compete against each other inteams of two.

Racing 25,000 miles over three months across the planet's mosthostile and challenging oceans in high-performance IMOCA Open 60 monohulls. Never before has a two-handed, non-stop around the world race been stagedand there has never been a crewed, non-stop round the world race inmonohulls. This concept opens up a whole new world of possibilities in thesport of extreme offshore sailing both in terms of competition and racecommunications.

A day in the life: Fastnet

Copyright onEdition 2007©

Aviva Racing Open 60 - Dee Caffari and Aviva retire and head home
As first light appeared I realized that it was not just the night making it difficult to see but the visibility was very poor with the constant drizzle that was still falling. I checked the boat and found some areas of chafe on the mainsail that had resulted in some holes and the extra pressure had a knock on effect. While I was repairing what I could of the damage, Mike checked the weather ahead. We needed to reach the Fastnet Rock before the feared NW winds arrived otherwise we would be beating into 45 knots of wind once more. At our current prediction this was not going to happen. I had to ask myself if I really wanted to put my seasick crew and Aviva through another hard night to reach the rock?

After a chat we all decided unanimously that we could repair the damage now and still enjoy a sail home with reduced stress levels rather than risk severe damage that would be expensive and put us all at risk in the Irish Sea. So we are now broad reaching at 16 knots in poor visibility to return to Portsmouth. The seas are still large and sloppy and the wind is still gusting in excess of 25 knots. I can see smaller yachts still making their way along the south coast of England and wish then safe and sensible sailing. http://www.avivaoceanracing.com/

Before... After Pindar dismasted

Copyright onEdition 2007© Click on image to enlarge

Copyright onEdition 2007© Click on image to enlarge

Copyright onEdition 2007© Click on image to enlarge

Pindar and Estrella Damm were almost neck and neck on the south side of the island, when the mast of Mike Sanderson's new Juan Kouyoumdjian designed Open 60 simply went over the side. Conditions were pretty calm - a wind of about 12 to 15 knots and the yachts were under spinnaker, so why it happened is anyone's guess for now. Artemis can safely report that the crew is all safe and that the mast has been recovered.

Not good for Mr Jaun K another failure? -SK

Update: Pindar was towed back to her base in Gosport to be repaired and owner Andrew Pindar is hoping she will be Fastnet fit come Sunday.“I am very disappointed,” he said. “I don’t know why it happened. We heard ‘Bang! Bang!’ and then it seemed like a fast sort of slow motion as the sails came down. I am glad the designer Juan Kouyoumdjian was on board and we are now looking at what could have caused it.”

Mike Goldings The Green Blue Challenge Video

Cool sailing video with a great message regarding our oceans!
If you are in the marine business, enjoy boating or are a watersports enthusiast, the Green Blue has practical advice and information to help you think and act in an environmentally conscious way. Inland or coastal, individual or boating business, there is something here for you.
http://www.thegreenblue.org.uk/ or the U.S. http://www.surfrider.org/

Open 60 Ecover 3 in Auckland

Photos Mike Golding Yacht Racing and © Gareth Cooke Photography
Team Blog Entry 30.07.07 // Mike Golding Yacht Racing
It's now late Monday evening, we have today all relocated to Auckland from Wellington after a last brief visit to the yard this morning to thank the Hakes Marine build team for the hard graft they have put in over the past few weeks. Now begins the next critical phase on route to the TJV in November. Tomorrow morning (Tuesday), fingers crossed, the yacht and her keel will arrive in Auckland by truck having traversed the length of the north island over 36 hours. Its an exceptional load, in all sorts of ways, but this one requires a team of "pilots" in three vehicles that surround the boat transporter. These pilot vehicles scout ahead and each side of the yacht, stopping traffic where necessary and informing the drivers of potential difficulties ahead. Then over the coming days, the boat, keel, mast and rigging will come together for the very first time.

Read more on Mike's entry @ http://www.mikegolding.com/