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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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La Route de L'Or New York - San Francisco
Photo by Erik Simonson, www.h2oshots.com
New record for Gitana 13 of 43 days 38 minutes
Gitana 13 crossed the finish line of La Route de l'Or, situated just off the island of Alcatraz in San Francisco Bay, at 1707 (UT). After over 43 days 38 minutes at sea, including a forced five and a half day stand-by at Cape Horn, Lionel Lemonchois and his nine crew improved on the reference time held since 1998 by Yves Parlier and his men by 14 days 2 hours and 43 minutes. The maxi-catamaran in the colours of the LCF Rothschild Group covered the 14,000 miles, which separate New York from San Francisco at an average speed of 15.88 knots and thus set their first record time in their 2008 record campaign.
Setting out from New York on 16th January 2008, Lionel Lemonchois and his crew made San Francisco this Thursday 28th February shortly after sunrise on the Golden Gate Bridge. After over six weeks' navigation, their names will be listed as the new titleholders of this legendary record, created in honour of the 'Gold' seekers of the XIXth century. The winner of the Route du Rhum 2006 at the helm of Gitana 11, now 'captain' of the maxi-catamaran, gives us his first impressions.
Interview with Lionel Lemonchois:
You've improved on the reference time held by Yves Parlier since 1998 by over 14
days. What are your first impressions?
"It's evident that the potential of Yves Parlier's boat (60 foot monohull Aquitaine Innovations) and that of Gitana 13 are beyond comparison. What is interesting to compare are the weather conditions. In 1998, Yves - I remember as I was there -, benefited from more advantageous conditions: Cape Horn didn't make him wait for five days and the climb up the Pacific was very favourable. Personally this is the third time I've sailed this course and I've always found it to be of the same meteorological complexity. The route is riddled with obstacles and tricky passages to negotiate. Furthermore it's very long! This record requires you to perfectly manage the boat: in order not to break it, you have to know when to go fast and when to ease off the pace."
Why did you choose to attack La Route de l'Or, when no other maxi-multihull has previously attempted it?
"We did it for the very fact that no maxi-multihull had ever tackled it and I wanted to be the first to attempt it... I hope this will give others the idea and the drive to set off on it. For me, La Route de l'Or is one of the most interesting courses and it has a real historic legitimacy. Furthermore, it fits perfectly into the Round the World record programme, which we have set ourselves this year with the Gitana Team. During my two participations alongside Isabelle Autissier, I was just a 'simple crew member'. Personally, setting out on the New York - San Fransisco again as a skipper of a 33 metre long catamaran and commanding a crew of nine men for several weeks was a real challenge."
What is next on your programme and that of Gitana 13?
"Our next objective is the record from San Francisco - Yokohama (held by Geronimo with a time of 14 days 22 hours 40 minutes), with an intended departure in three to four weeks' time. In the meantime, the boat will remain on standby in San Francisco and we'll sit it out there until we can benefit from optimal conditions for this course. It will also be an opportunity for a well earned rest for my crew after over six weeks at sea. The whole crew will return to France for a few weeks, with the exception of one person who will remain here to keep an eye on Gitana 13."
The crew of Gitana 13 between New York and San Francisco
Lionel Lemonchois (Skipper / helmsman / watch leader)
Dominic Vittet (navigator)
Thierry Duprey du Vorsent (helmsman/ watch leader)
Ludovic Aglaor (helmsman/watch leader)
Olivier Wroczynski (trimmer /onboard computer manager)
Fred Le Maistre (trimmer)
Nicolas Raynaud (trimmer / Video manager)
David Boileau (No.2 / trimmer/ Manager of deck fittings)
Leopold Lucet (No.1 / Supplies and Medical Manager)
Florent Chastel (No.1 / trimmer)
By the numbers:
New reference time established by Gitana 13: 43 days 38 minutes (Provisional time awaiting approval from the WSSRC)
Lionel Lemonchois and his nine crew members improved on Yves Parlier's time by 14 days 2 hours 43 minutes -- Translation by Kate Jennings
www.gitana-team.com
Educacion Sin Fronteras Finish 5th in the Barcelona World Race
Servane & Albert celebrating onboard with flares, Photo by Joan Roca
Barcelona-born sailor Albert Bargues and French yachtswoman Servane Escoffier sailed into home waters this morning at 06:55:02 GMT to finish the Barcelona World Race in 5th place, after an epic 108 days 18 hours, 55 minutes and 2 seconds, sailing a total distance of 27,892 miles at an average speed of 9.45 knots.
An incredible achievement for one of only two mixed crews in the race, the Spanish-French duo were the least experienced in terms of circumnavigations; a first round the world race for 26 year old Escoffier, and the first offshore experience in 20 years for Bargues, for whom the arrival in his home city was particularly emotional,
Educacion sin Fronteras, along with Paprec-Virbac 2 were the only two teams to complete the Barcelona World Race without stopping - a huge accomplishment for both crew and boat; the former "Kingfisher" was the oldest on the fleet by two generations , although already sporting an impressive track record (a second place finish in the 2001 Vendee Globe with Ellen MacArthur and victory in the 2002 Route du Rhum).
At 26 years old, the youngest co-skipper in the race has a gleaming future ahead of her after a true voyage of initiation; to the tough sailing of the world's harshest oceans and to the concept of double-handed racing, a challenge on its own:
"This is a very big experience in my young life," admitted Servane a few days before the finish, "I never thought I could do this just two years after turning professional. I am very lucky, it is an incredible adventure - I have learnt so much, especially on a human level. Three months every day with just one person is a new challenge; important for my future and will remain in my memory forever."
www.barcelonaworldrace.org
Z-System Ultra Rigging -
Higher Performance Through Lower Weight And Windage
Navtec has taken PBO rigging to the next level with Z-System Ultra - fully continuous fiber rigging that allows all shrouds to pass over the spreader tips without termination. That means fewer parts, 10% weight reduction over traditional PBO, 20% less windage and a lower chance of failure when you're out on the water. According to designer Alan Andrews, "In the case of It's OK, Navtec continuous rigging has 10 fewer end fittings than discontinuous rigging, making installation, tensioning and maintenance of the rig a lot easier." To find out more about Z-System Ultra, call + 1 203-458-6200
More on Z-System Ultra at en.lewmar.com/news/index.aspx?newsid=329
French Still Lead at Tornado Worlds
Yann Guichard and Alexandre Gaebler of France still hold the lead at the 2008 Tornado World Championship now past the mid way point in Takapuna, North Shore City, Auckland.
While the forecast wasn't promising Takapuna turned it on today with fabulous sailing conditions and warm, sunny skies. Racing started on time and sailors enjoyed a north easterly breeze which built through the afternoon to around 12 knots for the second race of the day making for exciting sailing.
The snakes and ladders on the leader board continued today with constant shuffling in the overall standings. Now past the midway point in this ten race series, the one discard for the series has come into play which saw some competitors make big gains on the board.
Defending world champions Bundock and Ashby were the big movers of the day shifting up to 2nd just six points adrift of the leaders putting themselves right back in the game for the title. They were 8th in race 5 and then followed that up with a win in race 6 to rocket six places up the leaderboard aided by the first discard coming into play.
It was a mixed day for Canadian's Oskar Johansson and Kevin Stittle who took the overall lead after a 4th in race 5. But in race 6 they were 19th across the line and now sit in 3rd place overall at the end of the day. Still looking to qualify their country for an Olympic spot they are well out in front in this race which sees ten nations who are yet to qualify fighting it out for four remaining places.
Lying second in the race for Olympic qualification is the kiwi pair of Aaron McIntosh and Mark Kennedy.
Austrian's Hagara and Steinacher who are reigning Olympic champions improved their overall standing today from 14th up to 9th which also puts them in a good position to earn Olympic qualification.
Racing concludes on Saturday.
Top Ten standings after six races
1. Yann Guichard & Alexandre Guyader, FRA, 21 points
2. Darren Bundock & Glen Ashby, AUS, 27
3. Oskar Johansson & Kevin Stittle, CAN, 28
4. Francesco Marcolini & Edoardi Bianchi, ITA, 34
5. Roland Gaebler Gunnar & Struckman, GER, 37
6. Billy Besson & Arnaud Jarlegan, FRA, 41
7. Aaron McIntosh & Mark Kennedy, NZL, 43
8. Mitch Booth & Pim Nieuwenhuis, NED, 45
9. Roman Hagara & Hans Peter Steinacher, AUT, 48
10. John Lovell & Charlie Ogletree, USA, 55
www.takapunaworlds.org
Emirates Maktoum Sailing Trophy
Photo by Jacques Vapillon / DIMC
Dubai, UAE: Australian boat Ichi Ban maintained its dominance at the top of the standings in Division 1, while Westin Mina Seyahi and North Star stayed on course for the titles in Division 2 and 3 respectively at the end of the third day at the Emirates Maktoum Sailing Trophy being held off the Mina Seyahi waters at the Dubai International Marine Club (DIMC).
Ichi Ban, owned and skippered by Matt Allen, stayed clear of the rest of the field to keep the first spot overall in the Division 1 standings with eight points.
Yo!, skippered by Toby O'Connell kept up the pressure on the leader with two fine races in dull sailing conditions with 13 points. Team Aqua, who were in third place at the end of the second day, were overtaken by Pal Zileri SG skippered by Kristian Tzanov with 24 points.
As usual, most of the excitement was concentrated in Division 2 with Le Meridien Mina Seyahi and AGMC BMW trying to tussle with leaders Westin Mina Seyahi, skippered by Sultan Hareb and Marcus Wieser.
But Westin Mina Seyahi managed to keep a strong hold on the leadership spot with seven points, followed by Le Meridien in second with 15 points and Yousuf Bin Lahej-skippered AGMC BMW in third with 19 points.
If it was low wind conditions that was affecting the two races early in the day, it was a series of protests that held up final result proceedings towards the end.
"Ultimately, it was a good day for sailing where we had plenty of action on and off the water," stated Saeed Hareb, Managing Director of DIMC.
Among the action off the waters was the visit of sailing legends Loick Peyron from France and Gunter Persiehl from the North German Race Club-NRV. Peyron, who is planning to bring his boat to Dubai in the near future will be a special guest this weekend, while Persiehl has come for talks for a possible exchange programme with the DIMC.
www.maktoumsailingtrophy.com
The Ultimate Nautical Prize / Gift
Latitude Kinsale create the ultimate nautical Gift/Prize with their 3D charts. This is what the organisers of Key West 2008 had to say:
"The framed 3D Nautical Chart of Key West from Latitude Kinsale was presented to each of the Boat of the Day winners at Acura Key West 2008. There is no question that this is one of the most impressive awards we have presented in my 15 years with this prestigious international event. The comments from the recipients reflect that view as well." -- Peter Craig, Event Director, Acura Key West 2008
Any chart anywhere in the world! www.latitudekinsale.com
2008 M 30 World Championship Dates Announced
Annapolis, Maryland, USA: The M30 Class Association has announced that the 2008 M 30 World Championship will be raced on October 1-4, 2008. The event will be hosted by Sail Newport in Newport, RI, USA in conjunction with the M 30 Class Association. The Goat Island Marina will serve as regatta headquarters and will dock the boats for the duration of the regatta. Registration and measurement will begin on Saturday, September 27 at Sail Newport's facility on Fort Adams. The sail Newport Race committee, headed by Principal Race Officer Peter "Luigi" Reggio, will be conducting a Pre-Worlds regatta on the day before the championship racing begins.
The Worlds in Newport will cap off an exciting year of racing in North America for the M 30 fleet which kicked off last week at Acura Key West 2008, where Deneen Demourkas and her Groovederci team bested a strong fleet of fifteen boats. The next stop on the North American Circuit will be the Annapolis NOOD, held April 25-27, where another good turnout is expected, before the action heads to New England for the Cedar Point Yacht Club One Design Regatta, June 6-8, and the Sail Newport Regatta, July 11-13. The North American Championship will also be held in Newport on August 22-24 and will be hosted by the Storm Trysail Club in conjunction with the M 30 Class Association.
The M 30 class is experiencing a strong resurgence in popularity and the 2008 racing season should prove to be one of the best in years. For more information on the events or how to get involved, please visit the class website www.mumm30.org or contact the M 30 class office
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* USWatercraft, LLC, of Portsmouth, RI is set to begin production of new M 30 One Design sailboats. USWatercraft has been building Farr 40s since 2003 and is now ready to reactivate the M 30 tooling and begin building boats for this popular international one design class.
Invest In Your Performance With Ullman Sails
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Clipper Race 7: Qingdao - Hawaii
Tactical Decisions Required As Fleet Approaches Pacific Ocean
The drag race down through the Yellow Sea to Japan has continued during the 24 hours and the winners are those that have not broken anything. The leading pack of New York, Glasgow: Scotland with style Clipper and Hull & Humber have reported that everything is going well and none have had any breakages in these extreme downwind conditions.
Liverpool 08 reported a broken guy during the day yesterday and further down the fleet, Durban 2010 and Beyond has been pushing hard to make up ground on the leaders
Tactics are now coming into play and the next decision will be have to be made later today as the teams approach the southern tip of Japan. Uniquely Singapore is in an interesting position as the most southerly boat, a move that could pay off - and so far they have not broken any equipment.
With the winds still between 25 - 40 knots from the north, later today the teams should fly like a cork from a champagne bottle out of the relative confines of the Yellow/East China Sea into the wide open expanse of the Pacific Ocean.
The first of the yachts are due to arrive in the next port of call, Honolulu in Hawaii, on approximately 20 March. The fleet will be berthed in the Ala Wai Small Yacht Harbour.
Positions At 1200 GMT, 27 February 2008
1. Hull & Humber: Distance to Finish (DTF) 3857
2. New York: DTF 3857 (Distance to Leader 0)
3. Glasgow: Scotland with style Clipper: DTF 3861 (+4)
4. Liverpool 08: DTF 3866 (+9)
5. Qingdao: DTF 3900 (+43)
6. Uniquely Singapore: DTF 3902 (+43)
7. Nova Scotia: DTF 3904 (+47)
8. westernaustralia2011.com: DTF 3936 (+79)
9. Durban 2010 and Beyond: DTF 3961 (+104)
10. Jamaica: DTF 3993 (+136)
clipperroundtheworld.com
RORC Spring Lecture Programme
B & G - Know your Numbers
8th April at 1900
B & G - Deckman Introduction
22nd April at 1900
David Moody - The Moody Legacy
13th May at 1900
B & G - Deckman Advanced
27th May at 1900
To be held at: Royal Ocean Racing Club, 20 St James's Place, SW1 A 1NN
Tickets cost: 25 GBP per person (RORC Member) 30 GBP per person (Non RORC Member) Including a one course supper
Please book your tickets and pay in advance by contacting Sandy Hall on 0207 493 2248 or email
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ABN AMRO North Sea Regatta 2008 Attracts One Design Classes
Edwin Lodder appointed as new Race Director
Scheveningen / Netherlands: The ABN AMRO North Sea Regatta 2008 (Netherlands) attracts more and more one design classes. In the last couple of months, interested class organisations received an invitation for participation. As a result so far, the Olympic Star and former Olympic Dragon were added to the sailing program. The Scheveningen regatta includes 26 racing disciplines in total. Yachts will compete under IRC and ORC, but double scoring is no longer possible. The event starts with the 110-nautical miles offshore race from Scheveningen to Harwich (Vuurschepenrace) on April 29th. The inshore competition will be sailed from May 9 until May 12, Whitsun weekend.
After 15 years of dedicated race leadership, Max Behrend left the organisation. Edwin Lodder, organiser of the Aruba Catamaran Regatta and Co-ordinator of the Round Texel Race, is appointed as new Race Director of the ABN AMRO North Sea Regatta.
Since the Holland Regatta doesn't coincide with the ABN AMRO North Sea Regatta 2008, the Laser Standard sailors will return to Scheveningen. As a result, the sailing program includes both the Olympic Laser Radial (Women & Youth) and the Olympic Laser Standard (men). The Yngling fleet will not line up for the annual regatta, due to their Europeans at the same time. The Dutch Dart 18 class will compete for the national title and the Dutch FD class for qualification for the Vintage Yachting Games in September 2008 (Medemblik). About 500 boats are expected on the five racing courses during Whitsun Weekend.
The ABN AMRO North Sea Regatta starts on Tuesday April 29 2007 with the traditional Vuurschepenrace for IRC and ORC yachts. This offshore of 110 nautical miles goes from Scheveningen to Harwich. On May 2 after a lay-day, the starting gun will be fired again for the North Sea Race of 185 nautical miles back to Scheveningen. The inshore races will be sailed from Friday May 9 until Whit Monday May 12 off the Scheveningen coast. The fleet consists of dinghies, beach catamarans, Olympic- and one-design classes, modern and classic yachts. -- Diana Bogaards
www.nsr.nl
The Last Word
Be nice to people on your way up because you will meet them on your way down. -- Jimmy Durante
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