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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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Hugo Boss Claims Second Place in the Barcelona World Race
Photo by Thierry Martinez
British sailor Alex Thomson and Australian yachtsman Andrew Cape have raced 'Hugo Boss', their IMOCA Open 60 class yacht, to a second place finish in the Barcelona World Race.
They crossed the finishing line, just off the Olympic Port in Barcelona, at 05:34:57 GMT on Thursday morning, which was their 95th day at sea. Braving the extremes of Southern Ocean gales along with horrific conditions near Gibraltar, just days from the finishing line, the pair also set a new 24-hour standard by sailing 500 miles during perfect conditions earlier in the race.
The start of the race was a difficult one for Hugo Boss, who battled in the early stages in the generally light conditions. Thomson's new Finot-Conq design is pitched towards high-speed reaching conditions and there was precious little of that early in the race.
But early in December, just under one month into the race, everything came together for Thomson and Cape and they unleashed the potential of the new, black boat, setting a new record for the race and a world record (currently not ratified).
"We've just covered 500 miles in 24 hours," shouted an overjoyed Thomson from the cabin of Hugo Boss during the daily videoconference. Of equal importance, the high mileage day brought Hugo Boss back in touch with the leaders as they streaked into the first stages of the Southern Ocean.
But less than three weeks later, with Hugo Boss in second place, Thomson announced that he was going to have to divert from the course and make a tactical pit-stop in Wellington, New Zealand. Race rules mandated this would be a minimum stop of 48 hours, but the Hugo Boss crew decided that damage to their rudder system was so serious, that not stopping wasn't a sensible option.
Three boats remain at sea racing in the Barcelona World Race. Temenos II is forecast to finish on the 17th of February, with Mutua Madrilena some 30 to 36 hours behind. Educación sin Fronteras is due around the 25th or 26th February.
www.barcelonaworldrace.com
British World Champions Beat the System
Photo courtesy photoboat.com & yngling.org
For the 2008 Olympic Regatta the sailing world wanted to create a system that made the final race more exciting and more decisive for the top results. As you probably know, the Medal Race was created. Through world class performance and consistency in the various wind conditions the system was beaten and before the last race there was a winner. The British team of Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb and Pippa Wilson are the 2008 Yngling World Chanpions.
At tomorrow's Medal Race the team will race for the honor before they collect their Gold Medals and the Championship Trophy the "Linge Cup" named after the Yngling designer Jan Herman Linge. Fighting for the Silver and Bronze is the German team Ulrike Schuemann, Julia Beck and Ute Hoepner, the Australians Krystal Weir, Karyn Gojnich and Angela Farrell and Sally Barkow, Carrie Howe and Debbie Capozzi (USA).
The fight for the final four berths at the Olympics went on further down the fleet. After the three races of today the four top nations, not already qualified are, in ranking order: Norway, France, Greece and Italy.
The best performance in the three races of today was done by French crew Anne Le Helley, Catherine Lepesant and Julie Gerecht. With two wins and a fourth today the team showed their strength in lighter conditions.
For the nations eliminated from a berth in the Olympic games this was the last race day of a very long Campaign.
yngling.org
Ullman Sails Welcomes Three New Lofts
Ullman Sails announces three valuable additions to its international group of sailmakers – Ullman Sails Cleveland (Ohio), Ullman Sails Buffalo (New York) and Ullman Sails Rochester (New York). Owner Greg Koski has worked in the sailmaking industry for over 22 years and owned his own loft for 17 years. He brings a wealth of experience and quality service that every Ullman Sails loft is committed to providing each customer. Located throughout Europe, Australia and North America, Ullman Sails is ready to help you reach your sailing goals.
For an investment in your performance, contact a local loft and visit www.ullmansails.com
Ian Williams Wins Inaugural Casa De Campo Sponsor Challenge
Casa de Campo, Dominican Republic: Showing the match race skill that led to his being crowned as the reigning World Champion, Team Pindar's Ian Williams from Great Britain has won the first Casa de Campo Sponsor Challenge. Ian and his team of Denis Cartier, Sue Harvey, and Mick Byrne bested US Virgin Islands native and Alinghi alumnist Peter Holmberg in an exciting first-to-three point series held in the harbor at the Casa de Campo Resort. Also assisting Ian in the practice rounds were Jim Read, Jose Rodriguez, and Eduardo Otero. These six and six others racing with Holmberg attended a match race clinic in the morning held at the Casa de Campo Yacht Club, then followed theory with practice out in the club's J/24's.
While the scores went 3-1 in Williams favor, the racing was close throughout as these two veterans of the World Match Racing Tour sparred in a tight course area set by PRO Pete Lawson and his team at the mouth of the Casa de Campo Marina. Conditions were perfect, with a shifty 8-12 knot trade winds providing plenty of opportunity for close action.
Sometimes this action got a little too close, with collisions occurring with boats, rocks, and marks. Holmberg led in the first beat of the second match but then ran hard aground on a rock off the breakwater, allowing Williams to sail off to his second win in the series. In the critical third match, Holmberg fought back to lead Williams around the first mark by a length, but then Williams touched the mark in his rounding, prompting umpire Dobbs Davis to give a penalty to the Briton who could not close the gap enough to try and offset the foul. And in the fourth and final match, it was Holmberg's turn again for contact, this time surging on a wave while chasing Williams back to the start to hit the transom of the Deutsche Bank boat, prompting a penalty for Holmberg.
Tomorrow fleet racing starts at 1130 local time, with two races scheduled on windward-leeward courses set offshore just minutes south of the Casa de Campo Marina, and nightly social events will be held at the Casa de Campo Yacht Club.
Video action of all the racing can be found at T2P Productions' website at www.t2p.tv and photos by Dave Dunnigan can be found on the event website at www.casadecamporegatta.com
The Superyacht Cup Palma
It is four months to go until the next Superyacht Cup in Palma, and following on from the success of the record breaking year in 2007, entries are coming in fast for this favourite regatta. Over 20 yachts have registered since January and with spaces limited to between 30 and 35 in total, there looks like being plenty of demand for places on the dock.
Palma is a popular place for so many yachts returning from the Caribbean after the winter, with excellent facilities and services as well as being such a central location to start summer cruising all over the Mediterranean. The timing for SYC was changed from October to June last year to fall between the Louis Vuiton Cup and the America's Cup, and this successful move has been adopted for 2008.
The yachts will all tie up stern-to at Dique del Oeste providing a breathtaking backdrop to the regatta village. The historic Castillo de San Carlos overlooking the yachts and the Bay of Palma will be the picturesque setting for some of the evening social functions.
Several new boats are expected this year including Gaia, a recently launched 30.3m sloop built by Spirit Yachts of Ipswich in the UK and some of the regular participants such as Anny, Hyperion and Gliss. The immaculately prepared J- class, Ranger, is planning their return complete with 'mother ship' and full shore-support team. The new IRC class is also attracting more of the performance superyachts such as the Reichel Pugh, My Song and the Wally, Open Season.
www.thesuperyachtcup.com
*And speaking of Superyachts... a new Superyacht magazine prepares for launch
SuperYacht World will breathe fresh life into the market with a combination of world-class editorial, high-end production values and a unique distribution network. IPC's links with parent company Time Warner, publishers of Time, Fortune and CNNmoney.com, will enable SuperYacht World to be delivered directly into the hands of many of the world's wealthiest individuals as well as through more conventional retail outlets.
The launch is being spearheaded by highly experienced superyacht writers including David Glenn, Phil Draper, Alan Harper and Frances and Michael Howorth. It is being aimed at new and existing owners of boats over 30m (98ft) - both sail and power. The first issue publishes in April and will complement IPC Media's existing range of marine titles, including Motor Boat & Yachting, Yachting World, Superyacht Business and IBI, among others.
Jules Verne Trophy
Whilst the wind has finally kicked in again, Groupama 3 has passed the second legendary point in this round the world, Cape Leeuwin to the SW of Australia. A vast low, which is coming up behind them, should propel the giant triamaran as far as New Zealand, but the crew will be subject to violent winds and will have to bend its course again towards the NE.
Cape Leeuwin was finally passed (longitude 115 degrees 08 East) this Thursday at 0951 UT: in so doing Franck Cammas and his nine crew have established a new reference time between Ushant and the SW tip of Australia, in 21 days 02 hours 43 seconds. They have improved on the time held by Bruno Peyron and his men since 2005 by eleven hours six minutes. However, this section of the Indian Ocean has been marked by a net loss of nearly half a day on the time established by Orange II between Cape Agulhas and the Australian cape (7d 05h 35'). Groupama 3 in fact covered these 3,800 miles or so in 7 days 17 hours 13 minutes. However, Franck Cammas and his crew are still managing to hold onto a twelve hour lead over the maxi catamaran's overall record time, with two days to the mid-course mark.
Sylvain Mondon from Meteo France was fairly reserved about the next stage of the course as a tropical low has installed itself to the East of New Zealand and may well drop down and mix with the disturbance, which has been pushing Groupama 3 along for several hours. The upshot of this will be winds of 60 to 80 knots and waves of over ten metres! Once again, all this will come down to just a few hours and the boat's trajectory, which should be bending in quite dramatically to the Tasman Sea, may well climb further North again after Stewart Island. The latter is a place the navigator, Yves Parlier, knows well, since it is there that he made a stopover to repair his mast prior to completing the Vendee Globe 2000. -- Translation by Kate Jennings
Detailed cartography at: cammas-groupama.geovoile.com/julesverne
Record Entries For Accbank Cork Week 2008
Having secured a major title sponsor for the event, organisers of Europe's Premiere Regatta, ACCBank Cork Week are buoyed up by the fact that entry levels for the 2008 event, which takes place from July 12th to 18th in Crosshaven, Co Cork, Ireland, are significantly up on 2006.
Dave Meagher, Chairman of the Cork Week Race Committee, is excited by the sheer range and mix of boats entering, "We already have six confirmed TP 52s entered who will compete for the Carroll Challenge Cup and the SB3s will have more than 60 boats racing on the One-Design Course."
ACC Bank Cork Week's unique attraction is that it offers the amateur sailor the opportunity to compete against the best in the world and the 2008 event has attracted, amongst others, Dan Myers' new Judel Vrolijk 66, 'Numbers' and 'Rambler' which smashed the Middle Sea and Transatlantic Records in 2006.
The Gentlemen's Class looks like being the biggest IRC Class with fifty to sixty boats competing and a large fleet of Farr 45s are expected.
For further information please visit www.accbankcorkweek.ie
ORC International European Championship
Marstrand, Sweden: Still months away from the start, officials from the Royal Gothenburg Yacht Club (GKSS) say interest is remarkably strong already for the 2008 ORC International European Championship Regatta to be held in Marstrand over 3-9 August. Kerstin Holmberg, Race Manager for the regatta, expects that there will be more boats than usual on the race courses due to use of the new ORC International rule. Entries are expected to exceed the 50 participants scored in last year's event, with many new sailors coming to the island.
"At this point we have received interest already from approximately 20 boats from Germany, 10 from Sweden, 10 from Norway, a few each from Finland and Denmark, and also boats from Russia, Poland, Estonia, Great Britain, France and the Netherlands," said Holmberg.
While the final format of the racing and class divisions has not yet been announced, use of the ORC International rule does allow for determination of one overall winner of the championship title.
"The new measurement rule means that both new boat designs and older boats can compete in the same race. Older designs may not have been on the race arena for several years so the competitiveness of those boats is thus hard to predict, but under the new ORC International rule all boats will have new rating values and can be scored together. The result will be only one European Champion," says Holmberg.
GKSS is organising the racing to take place just outside the island Marstand, which has been the main venue for international regattas on the west coast of Sweden for over 100 years.
"The European Championship sailing week concludes with a 24-hour offshore race, and the Goteborg Offshore Race is also an offshore race of 24 hours held yearly. So, we are planning to have both races to be sailed on the same course, but with starts one hour apart. This means that we expect many additional boats and offshore sailors at Marstrand during this week. The GKSS volunteers therefore have to manage two great events at the same time" says Holmberg.
Last year over 50 boats also gathered for the IMS European Championship in Croatia, organized by the Sailing Club of Rijeka. Local skipper Bartul Misura won the gold in the largest class with his Ola, a Grand Soleil 56, while skipper and owner Fausto Pierobon won the small boat class with Sagola GS, a Grand Soleil 37 BC.
www.gkss.se and www.orc.org
Offshore Race Rolex Buenos Aires - Rio De Janeiro
Photo by Daniel Forster / Rolex
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - While the crew of "Rambler" celebrates their elapsed time victory and a new record for the Offshore Race Rolex Buenos Aires Rio de Janeiro, nine boats remain offshore racing towards the finish in the Baía de Guanabara at Rio.
"Fortuna III", a Frers 60 crewed by sailors from the Argentinean Navy including skipper Gabriel Malnati, is expected to cross the finish line around midnight tonight local time, on track to take 2nd place. Their finish time will be approximately 24 hours after the US super-maxi "Rambler", which finished at 12:55am earlier today, taking line honours.
Close to 230 miles behind "Fortuna III", "Esperanza" is sailing relatively on their own, looking at a potential 3rd place finish. Behind them, battling for 4th place is Ricardo Umpierre's Beneteau 40.7, "Clipper", and the oldest boat in the fleet, Pedro Ferrero's Giles 52, "Cangrejo", built in 1958. After more than 750 miles of racing, the boats are only four miles apart.
Twelve boats started the race from Buenos Aires on Feb 9th. Since then, two have retired: "Abbey Sea Baccarat" dismasted on the third day in breeze gusting to 35+ knots, and the double-handed entry "Mistico Farmastore" returned to shore shortly after the race start, with electrical problems.
Already in the comfort of the Iate Clube Rio de Janeiro is American Ken Read, skipper of "Rambler", who talked about the challenges for the American crew on the 1,123 nautical mile race between Argentinean capital city of Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro.
Read said, "This is clearly very much two races in one, and it was something we had a pretty good feeling it was going to be like that and it turned out to be quite a challenge. The first two days were fun.just fun, fast, exciting sailing, blast reaching, two-sail reaching, 1-2 reefs, averaging 380 miles a day. Then we hit a transition zone and the second race began which was light air, upwind, a lot of minefields, a lot of places that could turn into disasters, a lot of navigational challenges. The technical brain trust, our navigator Wouter Verbaack and I, spent a lot of time behind the computers trying to figure next steps, and I think we managed it okay..so, two separate races, two very clear challenges and we're quite pleased with the end result."
The powerful 90-foot Reichel Pugh "Rambler" has been showing a notable skill for offshore racing. In only one year she won the Super Zero Class at the Rolex Fastnet Race, managed a treble at the Rolex Middle Sea Race: line honours, corrected time winner, and race record. And now this double victory in the Rolex Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro with the new race record and a line honours win - and still a chance they still could win on corrected time as well.
The new record achieved by "Rambler" for the 1,123 miles of the Rolex Buenos Aires - Rio de Janeiro was 4 days, 9 hours, 55 minutes, 45 seconds, with an average speed of 11 knots. This cut the record set in 1987 by the Brazilian Navy's Cisne Branco by 8 hours, 57 minutes, 12 seconds.
To track the fleet, go to the Virtual Race Monitor at: www.hmh.com.ar/vrm/vrs/
www.regattanews.com
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The Last Word
If you're going to kick authority in the teeth, you might as well use two feet. -- Keith Richards
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