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Issue #1430 - 7 February
Brought to you by Yachtworld.com Europe and boats.com Europe, Scuttlebutt Europe is a digest of sailing news and opinions, regatta results, new boat and gear information and letters from sailors -- with a European emphasis. Contributions welcome, send to
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Round Gotland Midwinter Challenge
Recently the SeaCart 30 Playing for Success (GER) arrived in Sandhamn with one thing in mind; Try to beat the standing Round Gotland Record in the multihull 30 class. It's interesting to note that during race history no monohullers have ever attempted to race around Gotland in the middle of the winter. Maybe the multihull sailors are nuts or just love sailing their fast boats so much? Thomas and Michael sailed from Kiel last Saturday and are now on stand by in Sandhamn waiting for a suitable weather window. Calle Hennix and Mikael Lundh will join the German team in Sandhamn for the attempt. Staying at Seglarhotellet the initial crew have recharged their batteries from the trip to Sandhamn.
More than 450 NM in two hand mode in a high speed trimaran is a tough one. Sailonline.org help the team watching the weather development and are responsible to get the team around the track as fast as possible. Sailonline.org will also provide the opportunity for people at home to race the team online using real boat polar files and live updated weather files. So why don't you log on to Sailonline.org , register a boat, and prepare for a racestart around 15:00 on Thursday, February 7.
In 2005 Thomas Reinke at Sportmohr, the multihull specialist in northern Germany, became interested in Calle Hennix's SeaCart 30 project. He fell in love at first sight but the timing was not right for a project start that year. Two years later, 2007, Thomas decided to launch a SeaCart 30 campaign together with Kiel's multihull specialist Michael Walther. Thomas bought the SeaCart 30 "Playing For Success" from the English sailing legend Pete Goss and sailed together with Michael's brother from Plymouth to Kiel in December.
Their dream this week? Under 24 hours Round Gotland.
Record to beat: 2006-2007, 27H58M42S. Name: Business 3. Boat type: SeaCart 30.
Tiger Trophy 2008
241 boats registered online to enter the Rutland Challenge for the John Merricks Tiger Trophy, held last weekend at Rutland Sailing Club for the 15th time, braving weather warnings that would have put most sane people firmly in the warmth preparing for an England slaughter of Wales in the Rugby*. Rutland has it's own micro-climate that has baffled conventional forecasting wisdom for years and by the time the first of 3 handicap races started at midday on Saturday, the forecast 12 knots had given way to a finger biting 20 knot buster.
This years Tiger represented the largest mix of classes ever seen and the usual contingent of 29ers and 420s was bolstered by an influx of B14s, Fireballs, Phantoms, foiling moths, Merlin Rockets and a plethora of other classes.
A third place in the final pursuit race was enough to see Graham VIals win the Tiger Trophy for the second time on his foiling Moth. The first time he won it was 10 years ago, the first year that the event was held in memory of John Merricks.
Interestingly, of the top ten there were no fewer than six classes represented, Nick Craig and Toby Lewis, relative newcomers into the class flying the B14 flag, and with David Winder and Pippa Taylor (Hollingworth Lake) the first Merlin Rocket in 11th place, the story is complete.
James Peters and Ed Fitzgerald (Hayling Island SC) took the Junior Tiger Trophy in fourth place overall, presented for the first time this year courtesy of RSC Manager Lynda Menzies, whilst the Handicap Trophy and first youths went to Ben and Tim Saxton. First all girl team, winning the Lady Tiger Trophy were Frances Peters and Claire Lasko (Hayling Island SC) sailing a 29er into 19th place and first lady helm was Anna Burnett (Royal Northern & Clyde YC) in ninth overall. The Sher Khan trophy (combined crew age 75+) was won by Andy and Lesley Foskett (Staunton Harold) in a Fireball (22nd).
Full figures are not yet in but it looks like the event will have raised in excess of 6000 GBP for the John Merricks Sailing Trust. Full results are available on the event website www.tiger-trophy.com
* Final score Wales over England 26-19
Laser World Championship
Photo by Andrea Francolini.
All the Lasers are rigged and sailors waiting by their boats or sitting in the Terrigal Trojan Rugby Club waiting for the AP flag to drop, signaling the fleet can leave The Haven and head out for Races 1 and 2 of the Championship at this ISAF Grade 1 event which will make or break the Olympic fortunes of many
The lone Singapore entry, Seng Leong Koh, spent the spare time acquainting a small group of sailors with Chinese culture and traditions.
"This is a big deal for me today. It is the start of Chinese New Year," says Koh hoping the Chinese New Year may help him qualify Singapore for the Olympic Games in Beijing.
Andrew Lewis from Trinidad is also hoping to qualify for the Olympic Games and like Koh, is the lone competitor from his country.
"I have to qualify here," says the 18 year-old. "I think I can do it." A big call for the former Laser Radial sailor who has only sailed in the Laser Standard for the last four months. A bigger call considering he is 10 kilos under the average Laser sailor's weight.
"I have been training here at Terrigal for eight days and I did a lot of training in Sydney. I am better in light winds because I am light, but I am happy to sail in all conditions," he says.
Lewis is up against 25 others for the last 10 Olympic qualifying places.
Just after 12.30pm, the AP flag was lowered, and the signal sounded, telling sailors the race was on. All got to their boats quickly, keen to get out for Race 1 of this very important Championship event, the first World's ever held at Terrigal, a picturesque holiday destination on the NSW Central Coast.
A short time later, a call from Sydney warned of 25 knot sou-easterly winds, which did hit the fleet shortly after, bringing all back to shore at 1.30pm to wait. -- Di Pearson
aus08.laserinternational.org
The Rc 44 Class Launches Its 2008 Season
The RC 44 Class is proud to launch its second season with the support of DHL as Official Logistics Partner.
The RC 44 Championship Tour 2008 will comprise six regattas in three different countries. World renowned sailors have been participating in the tour, including James Spithill, Dean Barker, Lorenzo Bodini, Cameron Appleton, SebastienCol, Russell Coutts, Mateusz Kusznierewicz, Ray Davies and Morten Henriksen.
The partnership is especially appropriate as the class combines innovative sailing concepts with new solutions for transporting boats and equipment.
"When Andrej Justin and I started working on the design of the RC 44, we simultaneously tried to develop solutions aimed at simplifying the transportation of the boats, says co-designer Russell Coutts. Our vision was to be able to race in a variety of new locations using simple and cost effective systems. For example, the requirement that the boat and equipment fit within a 40-foot flat deck container was the prime reason for features such as the removable stern and the two parts mast."
"DHL has great experience in moving Formula One equipment around the world. Their expertise and support are a very welcome contribution to building the international circuit of RC44 events."
The 2008 Championship Tour will take the RC 44 fleet to Abu Dhabi (UAE), Cagliari (Sardinia), Traunsee (Austria), Lake Garda, Trieste (ITA) and Dubai.
Seventeen rigorously identical RC 44 one-designs have been built to date with boat 18 due for completion in early March.
RC 44 Championship Tour 2007 rankings:
1. Team Aqua, Chris Bake / Cameron Appleton
2. Team Omega, Russell Coutts
3. Cro-A-Sail, Miroslav Reljanovic / Morten Henriksen
4. Beecom, Isao Mita / Kevin Harrap
5. Team Ceeref, Igor Lah / James Spithill
6. Ekipa 44, Team Ekipa
7. Magia Alike, Team Magia
8. Team ES Bankers Dubai, Patrick de Barros / Dean Barker
9. Mascalzone Latino, Vincenzo Onorato / Matteo Savelli
10. Team Hiroshi / Citta di Milano, Armando Giulietti / Sebastien Col
11. Team Organika, Maciej Nawrocki, Mateusz Kusznierewicz
www.rc44.com
Warren Jones Youth Regatta
Young Kiwi skipper Adam Minoprio has ensured himself a place in the final of the 2008 Warren Jones Youth Regatta on Perth's Swan River, the only thing in doubt now is who he will face in the best of three sail-off on Thursday.
The options for the other place in the final have been narrowed down to two, defending champion Torvar Mirsky of Fremantle and another Kiwi, Laurie Jury from the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron.
Minoprio, who won the event as a skipper two years ago, and crewing for his brother three years ago, was on fire on Weddnesday, going through eight races undefeated to have a three point advantage over second placed Laurie Jury.
For the third day the sailors have had to contend with a very fickle easterly breeze which has really tested their skills, with the wind shifting in direction by up to 50 degrees, and fluctuating between 5 and 15 knots.
Defending skipper Torvar Mirsky has his back against the wall, and needs to win all his remaining round robin races to make the final.
The final is a best of three race sail off between the top two teams in the double round robin series. -- John Roberson
Leaderboard:
1. Adam Minoprio, NZL, 17 - 2
2. Laurie Jury, NZL, 14 - 5
3. Torvar Mirsky, AUS, 13 - 6
4. Robert Gibbs, AUS, 12 - 7
5. Keith Swinton, AUS, 11 - 8
6= Phil Robertson, NZL, 10 - 9
6= Evan Walker, AUS, 10 - 9
8= Tom Spithill, AUS, 8 - 11
8= Stuart Pollard, AUS, 8 - 11
10 John Back, SWE, 7 - 12
11= Richard McPharlin, AUS, 2 - 17
11= Dylan Clark, AUS, 2 - 17
Fedor Completes First Stage
Russian sailor Fedor Konyukhov passed through the Cottee Gate (140E) at 15:17:56 UTC on Feb 5 to complete the first stage of his solo record attempt around the 14,000 mile Antarctica Cup racetrack. It has been a slow start, but with classic Southern Ocean winds - and snow - forecast for the next few days, the 56 year old adventurer expects to reach the next gate - Wilkes - in much shorter time.
His Open 85ft yacht Trading Network Alye Perusa covered the 400 mile distance from Gate 1 Dumont D'urville in 2 days, 13 hours, 16 minutes, and 56 seconds.
Lee Bruce, Fedor's American weather router has advised: "We need to get some more south into Fedor's course - a heading of about 115-130True whenever possible with 53'S 160'E as an aiming point. If we can't leave Campbell Island to port, it's not a big problem, but we are working with that in mind. A front will move through within the next 12 hours, bringing colder air—cold enough to result in snow showers. The upper-level air will be plenty cold enough to support snow, but the water temperature will help keep the temperature on the boat from falling too far. Still, snow or sleet may make it to the boat before melting".
Forecast or next 3 days: NNW 20-25 knots gusting to 30-35 knots. Squalls.
"The ocean is empty with hardly a sign of any life. I have seen Just one albatross which is very unusual. Normally I would expect to see some whales at this area - but not yet.
My GPS shows I have covered 1,500 nautical miles since the start. Not very impressive, but the first week was very light, with several calm periods. I have plenty of miles ahead and plenty of wind and think I will catch up. Today was one of those rare days you would like to frame. I wish it could stay like this for the rest of the voyage, but know it won't!" -- Fedor Konyykhov.
www.antarcticacup.com
www.konyukhov.ru
BMW Oracle Takes Extreme 40 Catamaran for a Spin
A mere two days after receiving its first Extreme 40 catamaran in Valencia, BMW Oracle took it out for a spin inside Port America's Cup, in very light conditions. The American team couldn't sail with the yacht out of the port since the canal that leads to the sea will be blocked for a couple of days due to the ongoing construction of the F1 race tracks. Construction crews are placing the bridge that will allow F1 cars to cross the canal.
The test sail lasted a couple of hours and the crew consisted of 5 men. We were unable to recognize any of the sailors, especially the Tom Cruise look alike that was helming the yacht, wearing two watches. Who knows, maybe Larry Ellison in his effort to bring some life back to the America's Cup hired some German movie celebrity to helm his catamaran. If any of our readers can shed any light we would appreciate it.
All pictures were shot by our friend and excellent Valencian photographer Ignacio Baixauli. More of Ignacio's photos here: www.ignaciobaixauli.com
While BMW Oracle is testing its catamaran, it is puzzling to see Alinghi's two Extreme 40's getting covered with dust inside the China Team base. The two yachts were supposed to be rebranded with Alinghi's colors and logos but to the best of our knowledge they have been sitting inside the Chinese base. -- Pierre Orphanidis, Valencia Sailing, valenciasailing.blogspot.com
Short Tacks
* The Artemis Ocean Racing team is now extremely busy working on Jonny Malbon's new 60-foot Open, which is gradually taking shape at Neville Hutton's yard in Lymington, near Southampton, England. Yesterday, the hull received a coat of primer and it will shortly be painted with a coat of gloss in the colours of Artemis.
The ballast tanks are almost complete and the deck fittings ready to be installed, once the final painting is done. The assembly of the deck and hull will be a giant leap forward this week, as afterwards, the team will be able to concentrate on the electronics and hydraulics. The mast and boom are almost ready too, and just waiting for a final coat of paint, while the sails have already received Artemis's logos. Nevertheless, time is passing by, with the first major voyage planned for Jonny Malbon during the Artemis Transat in May, so there will be little time to fine tune the boat before this transatlantic crossing. However, as Graham Tourell points out, "What really counts for the team is the Vendee Globe, which is our main goal and the Artemis Transat is only a step towards that objective. The Transat does need to be completed safely, so that we can really fine tune the boat to get 100% from her for the major race next November." -- www.vendeeglobe.org/uk/
See also www.artemisoceanracing.com
* IRC Notice 2008/02 relating to the measurement of Headsail Half and Three-quarter Widths (HHW & HTW) has just been published on the RORC Rating Office website www.rorcrating.com
* The 2008 RYA Olympic Classes Handbook and Fixtures Booklet is now available to download from the Skandia Team GBR website ( www.skandiateamgbr.com ).
As the definitive guide to the Skandia Team GBR World Class Development and Performance programmes, sailors, whether existing squad members or future hopefuls, have access to all the information they need to progress in the Olympic Classes arena.
The handbook includes fixture details on all Olympic and Paralympic Classes and grant eligibility for both squad and non-squad sailors and is a must read for aspiring and current sailors in those classes.
Squad selection criteria is also to hand as are all the Skandia Team GBR and class contact details a sailor could need if they have any questions or need advice.
* RNLI "Sailing by the Lee" lunch 2008, sponsored by North Sails Ireland saw 350 of Irelands' yacht racing community warmly entertained by Mr Brad Butterworth, OBE at the Maryborough Hotel & Spa. Born in Te Awamatu, New Zealand, Mr Butterworth, one of the most successful yachtsmen of our time, regaled his successes in world yachting premier events, including the America's Cup and what was the Whitbread Round the World Race. Mr Butterworth is four times winner of the America's Cup and was tactician for the Swiss Alinghi team, who won the event in 2007 in Valencia, Spain.
Funds raised on the day tallied at 31,500 Euros exceeding 10% of the fundraising target for the imminent construction of a Lifeboat Station in Kinsale. RNLI crew are volunteers who risk their lives to save others at sea. The Kinsale Crew put in an enormous two days' work in providing superb hospitality for Mr. Butterworth and his guests on Friday 1st and in going to the aid of a distressed fishing vessel off Kinsale on the morning of Saturday 2nd.
* Ericsson Racing Team's new boat for the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09 will be officially named in Barcelona, Spain, on the evening of 12 February. The naming ceremony will take place at the World Trade Center
Built by Killian Bushe next to Ericsson's headquarters in Stockholm, Ericsson 3 will be named in the presence of Ericsson's key customers and skippers Torben Grael, head of the International crew, and Anders Lewander, captain of the Nordic crew.
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The Last Word
All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them. -- Galileo Galilei
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