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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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Paprec-Virbac 2 Wins the Barcelona World Race
Photo by Thierry Martinez, http://www.thmartinez.com
At 20h 49.49 GMT Jean-Pierre Dick and Damian Foxall steered Paprec-Virbac 2 across the finishing line to win the Barcelona World Race. Their 25 000 mile journey, non-stop around the planet, has taken exactly three months, and been an impressive display of speed and seamanship.
"This was our whole life, and all our energy and we are obviously very emotional," said skipper Jean-Pierre Dick, leaning over the lifelines and addressing the media as his boat pu! lled up to the pontoon in Barcelona.
The victory has been hard earned and impressive. The French-Irish duo has held the lead for the majority of the race, fending off early challenges from PRB and Veolia Environnement to grab the lead for good on December 7th. More recently, it's been Hugo Boss clipping at the heels of Jean-Pierre and Damian as they made their way back up the Atlantic Ocean.
Shortly after passing through Cook Strait, they hit an object in the water, seriously damaging their rudder system. But the were able to fix this without stopping. Then, after rounding Cape Horn, their forestay broke, and dismasting was a likely outcome. But again, quick thinking and on-board acumen allowed them to fashion a repair that would hold to the finish.
"I have done this for years, but today I have done it all. I'm still in shock so I'm not sure what my baby must be feeling," said an emotional Damian Foxall, moments after being handed his seven-month old son. "If I were to stop sailing now, and I'm not saying I will, I have done everything!"
Second placed Hugo Boss crossed into the Mediterranean last night and is due to finish on Wednesday.
www.barcelonaworldrace.com
The Barcelona World Race Was Rigged!
25,000 miles, sailing short-handed, non-stop round-the-world.…Paprec-Virbac 2's victory was totally rigged by Southern Spars and EC6+ rigging. In a race that saw nearly half the fleet drop out from breakages, Southern wishes to acknowledge Paprec-Virbac 2's outstanding performance in the Barcelona-World-Race, along with the four other finishing teams' equally brilliant achievements. All 5 yachts use Southern Spars. Paprec-Virbac 2 also uses EC6+ carbon-rigging. "We're thrilled with this result. Having our spars on yachts that undergo the harshest conditions for 3 months along with the winning yacht also using EC6+ rigging, says everything," comments Mark Hauser, Southern Spars.
www.southernspars.com
WMRT Announces New Event in Korea
London, UK: The World Match Racing Tour has announced the inaugural Korea Match Cup from 11-15th June this year in Jeongok, Hwasung City in the Gyeonggi Province of Korea, approximately 45 kilometres South West of Seoul. The event will be staged in conjunction with a boat show, part of a US$232m government initiative to expand and promote the leisure boating industry in Korea including the construction of four large scale marinas. The British Marine Federation, organisers of the successful London and Southampton Boat Shows in the UK, are assisting with the planning of the show in Jeongok.
The event will offer a minimum prize purse of US$320,000 and the organizers are building a brand new fleet of Bakewell White 36ft match racing yachts for the event. The boats are being built at a facility close to the event venue.
'Korea is a totally new venue for the World Tour and I am delighted that the Gyeonggi Province has selected the Korea Match Cup to headline their considerable investment of leisure boating in the region' commented Tour President, Scott Macleod. 'The Korea Match Cup prize purse of US$320,000 is also the highest on the Tour for 2008 which takes the total Tour prize purse to over US$1.9million'.
With a coastline that stretches over 350 kilometres and tidal flat areas that encompass more than 150 square kilometres, the West Coast of Gyeonggi is an ecological treasure trove. It provides an ideal foundation for the marine recreation and tourism industry that is developing rapidly in Korea.
www.worldmatchracingtour.com
State of the Art Racing at the Yngling Worlds
At right: The winners of race 4 at the Yngling Worlds, Ulrike Schuemann, Julia Bleck and Ute Hoepfner (GER)
Photo courtesy the Yngling Class, http://yngling.org
Miami, Florida, USA: Not less that four of the boats in the Yngling fleet owns a Gold Medal from the Olympic games in Athens 2004. There are numerous of World and Continental Champions from the Yngling and other classes. In fact all female gold medallists from Athens (except RSX) are right now sailing in the Yngling Worlds.
The scene was set for world class sailing with 15-18 knots building a moderate chop in the green water of Biscayne Bay. Spectators, organisers, officials and coaches enjoyed watching the wonderful show of racing and from more than one boat a grunt was heard that they wished they were racing themselves.
The shifts were more even over the course compared to yesterday and even if most wind shifts were not very big there were many of them. The Yngling being a very speed similar boat made the race be a mind game of strategy and tactics.
The GBR team of Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb and Pippa Wilson keeps the lead with a third and a second of today's races. A coach commented that 'it's about keeping the number of mistakes to a minimum'. The British team just managed to most of the time be on the right side of a shift and on the inside lane up to layline.
A surprise in this regatta is the performance of the Australian team of Krystal Weir, Carol Gojnich and Angela Farrell. The helmswoman, Krystal, have spent only 8 weeks in the boat and is replacing Nicola Bethwaite who tragically got injured in a biking accident. Nicola was helming the boat when the team qualified Australia for the Olympics in Cascais. Krystal Weir was runner up to sail the Laser Radial at the Olympics and also have a Radial World Championship title. With a series of 4-6-2-3 the Australians are currently ranked second in the Worlds.
www.yngling.org
Round Gotland Midwinter Challenge Record Nailed by PFS
Photo by Calle Hennix
The four challengers onboard "Playing for Success" were in good spirit after a well sailed first 150 NM at an average speed near 13 knots. Less than 12 hours to reach the most southern checkpoint in the 311 NM long Round Gotland Midwinter Challenge.
This was the third challenge ever in the multihull 30 Class. The two before were launched in the middle of the night in December, a time of year when daylight is down to a few hours a day. This time the challengers calculated the start to be able to sail the final stretch in daylight.
After the final gybe outside Faro (on the north tip of Gotland) PFS was lined up for a fast homerun, speeding along at 16 knots.
For the last miles a fresh 12 knot WSW established itself. This was their last chance to settle the record ... they made it with a small margin of 32 minutes and 3 seconds, or for the record book the new record for the multihull 30 class reads: 27 hours 26 minutes and 39 seconds.
The new record crew in the multihull 30 class: Thomas Reinke, Calle Hennix, Mikael Lundh and Michael Walter.
Skipper: Thomas Reinke, GER (1964), one of the owners of the Sportmohr Company. Apart from dealing Hobie Cats and Corsair Multihulls, he is also the winner of many national catamaran races. Crew: Michael Walther, GER (1981) has sailed for 15 years with his older brother Thomas with different catamarans national and international races. The last three years he competed in the Archipelago Raid in different Formula 18 catamarans. 2007 he and his brother won the German Hobie Tiger Championships and the national ranking as well. Crew: c, SWE (1963) ex. Round the World and Americas Cup racer, founder of the SeaCart 30 One Design trimarans Class. Crew: Mikael Lundh, SWE (1972) ex. Whitbread with Swedish Match and V.O.R. with Djuice, Admirals Cup Fastnet Race to name a few races he has participated in.
Standing Records 2005-2008
60 ft multihull.
Time: 17h37m25s. Name: HIQ. Boat type: ORMA 60 Trimaran. Established: 2005.12.05 - 2005.12.06
30 ft multihull.
2007-2008: Time: 27h26m39s. Name: Playing for Success. Boat type: SeaCart 30. Established: 2008.02.07 - 2008.02.08
2006-2007: Time: 27h58m42s. Name: Business 3. Boat type: SeaCart 30. Established: 2006.12.09 - 2006.12.11
2005-2006: Time: 35h58m10s. Name: AUDI. Boat type: SeaCart 30. Established: 2005.12.01 - 2005.12.02
The Mini B Scuba Systems From Ocean Safety
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For further information: www.oceansafety.com
Laser World Championship - First Day of Finals Underway
Photo at right: Robert Godwin, GBR. Photo by Andrea Francolini
World champion Tom Slingsby is the 2008 Laser World leader as the first of the Ross Fehlberg Austorient Finals Races got underway off Terrigal shortly after 1.00pm today NSW time.
As is normal at this level, there were the usual general recalls before the Gold fleet got away at around 1.30pm. Javier Hernandez (ESP) led around the first two marks of the course followed by Paul Goodison (GBR), Tom Slingsby (AUS) and Michael Bullot (NZL), Andrew Campbell (USA) and Brad Funk (USA).
Racing is close and it could go any way in the early stages. Winds are light east/south-easterlies in the 8-10 knot range. A north-easterly change is expected later in the day at 15-20 knots.
It was just after 2.00pm by the time the Silver and Bronze fleets had also got racing.
Race Officials plan to hold two races today.
* Jeemin Ha made a name for himself overnight as his point score on reaching shore following three races at the Laser World Championship last evening guaranteed him a place in the 53 boat Gold fleet Finals and hence Beijing Olympic Games qualification for Korea.
The only non-qualified nation sailor to make the Gold fleet, Ha said he felt proud to be in the Gold fleet, from where the Championship winner would come, and to qualify Korea for the Games, but now wanted to concentrate on the rest of the Championship, due to finish on Wednesday afternoon. Only nine places for the Beijing Games in the Laser class remain.
Others in the running to qualify their nations at the Worlds being held off Terrigal in Australia are in the Silver Fleet and include; Andreas Geritzer (AUT), Raul Aguayo (DOM), Juan Maegli (GUA), Gyorgy Fazakas and Zsombor Berecz (HUN), Anthony Craig and Ryan Seaton (IRL), Hisaki Nagai, Yoichi Iijima and Yoshihiro Okinishi (JPN), Kevin Lim (MAS), Igor Lisovenko and Maxim Semerkhanov (RUS), Leong Seng Koh (SIN) and Christoph Bottoni and Max Bulley (SUI).
This is the final opportunity for nations to qualify for Beijing. The best nine unqualified nations at the end of the Laser World's will gain the final places.
* Revolutionary results system at Laser World's
A digital pen, mobile phone with Bluetooth and normal paper with mathematical dots is new technology that is set to revolutionise results systems at major sailing events including the Laser World Championship at which it is providing a quick mark round and results service that can be viewed at the Laser World's site as racing is happening.
The system was first tested worldwide at the November Laser Masters Championships hosted by Georges River Sailing Club in Sydney and William Crendal, the system's integrator, has brought the technology to the Laser Worlds here at Terrigal on the NSW Central Coast.
The dots on the paper form a unique pattern which the digital pen recognises. Race officials pen the top 20 or so competitors sail numbers mark rounding and pen the finish time of each boat as it crosses the finish line. Sailing enthusiasts will be able to log on to the Laser Worlds official site to view the roundings once racing is underway.
Once the last boat has crossed the line, the official ticks a box with the digital pen which immediately activates and sends the results through the phone and on to Crendal's server, which converts the dots back to the written results that are then transferred to the official website within minutes.
To be used at this ISAF Grade 1 Laser World Championship in tandem with the normal result service, mark roundings will be available on the official site as each race is in progress.
The Destiny Digital Pen system is expected to make life a lot easier for race management and event media managers like me, who sometimes don't leave a job till late in the evening due fleet size and the sometimes cumbersome systems we usually use. -- Di Pearson
To view mark roundings and results at the Laser World Championship go to: aus08.laserinternational.org click on 'Standard' on menu and then 'Mark Roundings'.
British Olympic Team Told Silence Is Golden
London, England: British athletes selected for this year's Olympic Games in Beijing will be asked to sign a contract that forbids them from criticizing China's human rights record.
British Olympic Association chief executive Clegg says the team must conform to an appropriate code of conduct.
Graham Nathan, spokesman for the British Olympics Association (BOA), told CNN that "British athletes will have to sign a contract promising not to comment on any politically sensitive issues."
He added that they won't go further than what is required by the International Olympic Committee charter which restricts demonstrations of political propaganda at an Olympic Games.
Athletes who refuse to sign the agreement will not be allowed to travel to compete in the Games from August 8-24, according to a sunday newspaper report.
British Olympic team members have long been required to sign a contract, but for the first time the commitment will include an undertaking not to comment on any politically sensitive issues.
The document refers athletes to Section 51 of the IOC charter which "provides for no kind of demonstration, or political, religious or racial propaganda in the Olympic sites, venues or other areas."
Shadow culture secretary Jeremy Hunt hit out at the ruling, telling Sky News: "I think the BOA have been a little bit heavy-handed on this.
"They, I think, have rather over-interpreted (the IOC charter) by making all our athletes sign this declaration.
"I think that given America, Canada, Australia are explicitly saying that their athletes can say what they want when they go to Beijing, I think it is inappropriate to put this restriction on our athletes."
Full story at CNN:
www.cnn.com/2008/SPORT/02/10/olympics.britain/index.html
Boston Ready to Welcome the Artemis Transat Fleet
Two new entries now confirmed for the 13th edition of the race: Arnaud Boissieres with his Open 60' Akena Verandas and Thierry Bouchard/ Mistral Loisirs-Elior in Class 40 category. With these two further French entries, the official entries now stand at 12 boats so far - six in Open 60' and six in Class 40 - with the entry deadline of 15th February looming.
For nearly fifty years the world's elite sailors have been drawn to the challenge of crossing the large and demanding Atlantic ocean along the 2,800-mile northern route. Even in early summer, huge low-pressure systems bring gale force winds and steeps seas into the paths of competing boats. Then, as the fleet close in on the Newfoundland coast, the threat of icebergs becomes a reality combined with the risk of dense fog, making the final section of this 2,800 mile race a stressful one for the! already physically exhausted skippers.
For the second and consecutive edition, Boston, USA will welcome the IMOCA 60 fleet at the finish of the arduous course.
The IMOCA 60 fleet will be moored in front of the Boston Harbor Hotel at Rowes Wharf. The Class 40 fleet will be expected at the Corinthian Yacht Club in Marblehead, about 18 miles in the North East of Boston where a warm welcome will be extended to the skippers of this burgeoning class.
The Artemis Transat 2008 entries:
IMOCA:
FR Arnaud Boissieres/ Akena Verandas
UK Dee Caffari/ Aviva
UK Mike Golding/ Ecover
FR Sebastien Josse/ BT
UK Jonny Malbon/ Artemis
UK Brian Thomson/ Pindar
Class 40
UK Alex Bennett/ Fujicolor
FR Thierry Bouchard
FR Christophe Coatnoan/ Groupe Partouche
FR Louis Duc/ Ocean Eleven
FR Yvan Noblet/ Appart'City
IT Giovanni Soldini/ Telecom Italia
www.thetransat.com
New Secretary General For The Optimists
The International Optimist Class is delighted to announce that Sally Burnett has accepted the position of Secretary General Designate of IODA.
Sally who is from the English North Midlands combines the knowledge of international sailing and the small-business experience which are the principal requirements of the position.
An ISAF international judge and umpire since 1988, she has most recently been involved in the revival of the ISAF Nations Cup, focused on bringing keelboat match racing to countries with little experience in this discipline.
A university graduate in design Sally has 25 years experience as a partner in a small specialist ceramics business and has also worked in the healthcare recruitment industry.
It is intended that after training - and a "holiday" at the Olympics where she is on the jury - Sally will assume the position of Secretary General in September. Robert Wilkes the present secretary will then remain as a consultant.
The long recruitment process which produced a number of other excellent candidates has been greatly assisted by the services of David Sprague, a recruitment consultant who, as current vice-chair of the International Classes Committee, brought a unique insight into this exciting and challenging position.
Letters To The Editor
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Letters are limited to 350 words. No personal attacks are permitted. We do require your name but your email address will not be published without your permission.
* From John Donnelly: I am puzzled by John Rousmaniere's comments about the various editions of The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. I have a paperback of the first edition which was first published in 1976 and a paperback of the edition published in 2005 which declares itself to be the second edition - not the third. There is no sign of a 1985 edition in the publishing history. Are there publishing pirates about?
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The Last Word
Justifying space exploration because we get non-stick frying pans is like justifying music because it is good exercise for the violinist's right arm. -- Richard Dawkins
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