|
Issue #1504 - 6 May
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
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
First Race Goes To Ainslie
Photo by Robert Deaves. Click for photo gallery.
After a three hour delay to wait for the wind to arrive, the 2008 Finn Open and Junior Championship got underway in Scarlino, Italy with a single race in 6-8 knots of patchy breeze. Ben Ainslie (GBR) made his intentions quite clear, with a clean race win, after leading at each and every mark. Piotr Kula (POL) was the best of the juniors finishing in 11th place.
Following last night's spectacular opening ceremony and yesterday's fantastic weather it was with some disappointment that sailors arrived at the Club Nautico Scarlino this morning to find intermittent showers, and very little wind. However by 13.00 the rain had started to dry up and by 14.00 the sun was trying to break through the low cloud and a light breeze was starting to develop. The fleet was sent afloat at 14.15 for a single race at 15.30. A double windward/leeward course was set.
Ainslie gradually extended his lead to win by nearly two minutes from Florent and Birgmark. These three were followed across the finish in the dying wind by Kljakovic Gaspic, Høgh-Christensen and Italy's 1992 Olympic representative, Emanuele Vaccari (ITA), making a comeback for this regatta.
After the race, Vaccari, who finished 14th in the 1992 Olympic Regatta said, "This was the kind of race where even the amateurs can have their say because of the light winds. It was great for me to come back into the world of international sailing and kick it off with this kind of a race. It truly made me happy and I'm ecstatic. I stopped sailing in 1996 and I think I can definitely say that I've had my moment of glory here, although I hope to keep on sailing this way."
Two races are scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, and the forecast is for the 10-15 knots breeze that welcomed the sailors to Scarlino and the Gulf of Follonica, Maremma to return. Many are hoping that it does. -- Robert Deaves
www.eurofinn2008.it
www.finnclass.org
Fisher's View: Olympic Thoughts
The Olympic Games brings out the best, and the worst, in a variety of people. In certain areas, it is all about winning, and ONLY winning. I hardly think that was what Baron Pierre de Coubertin had in mind when he formulated the Games back in 1896.
But that's what seems to have driven the agendas of many at the ISAF Annual Conference at Estoril, Portugal, last November when the Multihull event was ousted from the 2012 Olympics. Olympic medal counts seemed to be the all pervasive factor on the Councilors' minds and collectively they didn't see the Tornado as a medal winner for their masters.
Mention of the Tornado brings back memories of 41 years ago when, given a summer off from my job at the BBC, I was concentrating on preparation for the Little America's Cup with Lady Helmsman.
While time consuming, it did allow me to work with the Tornado's designer, Rodney March, and builder, Reg White, on the rig for the prototype. It presented a new set of challenges, but they were overcome with sufficient lead time for us to take the boat to Sheppey, on the north Kent coast, for the IYRU trials to select suitable boats for international classes for two-handed and single-handed boats.
Reg and I sailed the standard Tornado while Terry Pearce and the designer sailed a similar boat but with a wing-mast una-rig. They had a slight speed edge on us until the mast fell down, but it was close. The wing mast would, undoubtedly, have clouded the selection issue, but the two Tornados were well ahead of the rest and the Tornado's selection was almost automatic and the class has gone from strength to strength, at least until last November.
It is interesting to muse that the B-class (20ft overall and 235 square feet of rig area) has subsequently died, but the A-class has become the leading edge in single-handed catamaran sailing. Whatever happened to the Australis, the boat that won those trials at Sheppey in 1967?
John Fisk, as Chairman of the IYRU Multihull Committee, was one of the selectors at those trials, and subsequently worked tirelessly to ensure that there was a suitable class in the Olympics. He was rewarded when the Tornado was chosen for the Montreal Games in 1976, which he attended despite suffering from the cancer that was to take his life shortly afterwards. John would, however, have been very amused at the America's Cup taking place in mega-multihulls.
As I said at the Opening Ceremony for the Tornado World Championship at Takapuna, John will be turning in his grave at the decision made in Cascais.
To him, and to many others, the incomprehensibility of that decision beggars belief. One only hopes that ISAF, at the mid-term meetings, can distinguish the level of urgency of a re-think of the decision and act quickly to restore some balance to the nominated disciplines.
There is an overwhelming case for the restoration of a multihull and care must be taken to avoid the lobbying that led to its demise. I have no need to point fingers - you all know who you are.
To disenfranchise the multihull sailors was a travesty of thought last November. It is a huge constituency that deserves to be treated properly.
One could understand the move coming from a tyrannical body seeking total authoritarian control, but from a democratically constituted body formed to administer a sport, it was outrageous and must be rectified. -- Bob Fisher, writing in Sail-World.com: www.sail-world.com
The Perfect Nautical Gift
Click for a larger image.
Latitude Kinsale's 3D charts are proving very popular as gifts for special occasions, birthdays, anniversaries, weddings or simply treating yourself, made to commission- they are truly unique and personal. A new feature is surround lighting built into the frame, adding a whole new dimension to 3D charts. Have a look at the website and you will see examples including Newport & Hawaii. "Story board" charts are popular for capturing an event and are great mementos of that lifetime cruise or racing campaign... "From all the crew, thank you skipper!!!"
Check out the website today and talk to Latitude Kinsale about your commission.
www.latitudekinsale.com
BMW ORACLE Racing Partners With VPLP
Photo Gilles Martin-Raget / BMW ORACLE Racing. Click for larger image.
Valencia, Spain: The leading French multihull design firm of Van Peteghem Lauriot Prevost (VPLP) is working with BMW ORACLE Racing's design team in developing its new mulithull boat for the America's Cup Deed of Gift match, the team confirmed today.
Firm principals Vincent Lauriot Prevost and Marc Van Peteghem are integrated with the BMW ORACLE Racing core design team for the project. VPLP are the lead designers in conjunction with the BMW ORACLE Racing team, led by design coordinator Mike Drummond. BMW ORACLE Racing's Michel Kermarec heads up the performance prediction and appendage design.
"We are enjoying working with and learning from the vast experience of VPLP in multihulls," Drummond said. "The French multihull community, in general, are leaders in these yachts and we are benefiting greatly. When we first looked at a multihull in the event of a Deed of Gift challenge, we were impressed with the record of the Groupama series of racing multihulls. Franck Cammas and VPLP designed yachts have been breaking speed records and leading this field, so VPLP was the natural choice."
VPLP's list of achievements is simply huge, with victories in almost all offshore multihull regattas including the Route du Rhum, Transat Jacques Vabre, OSTAR, and Jules Verne Trophy as well as speed records. VPLP are also involved in special projects such as l'Hydroptère, Groupama 3, and many more.
www.bmworacleracing.com
Brad Butterworth on the Coming Match
Alinghi's Brad Butterworth warns that the sailing public will be in for a shock when the new boats are finally unveiled. "I don't think anyone really envisages what they'll see with these boats when they are launched in terms of the size of them and the power of them and the speed of them. It will be something that hasn't been seen before. The multihull fraternity hasn't had this much money thrown at it for a while. As a yachtsman who has come through Cup cycles, you see what happens when these Cup teams get behind a new rule: A lot of resource gets put into designing these boats to the nth degree. Everything is custom designed. It will be quite spectacular."
He is almost certainly stirring, but according to Butterworth the rumour is that the rig on the BMW Oracle multihull will be 64m (209ft) tall - bear in mind that this will be on a 27.4m (90ft) long platform. One suspects that this may be exaggerating the case, but we can certainly expect skyscraper rigs in some form. Butterworth warns that to simply get the mainsail on board you'll need a crane. "They are huge, powerful boats."
But while the boats individually will be spectacular, he reckons the racing between them will be boring. "I think it is going to be two very different boats starting and one boat will be dominant and will probably sail away. It will be boring. It will exciting from the point of view of the size of the boats and the loads. But the racing - I wouldn't stay up to watch it. Tactics might come into play - it will be interesting to see how both teams sail the boats." -- the full article in The Daily Sail, www.thedailysail.com
The Fleet Are Here And So Are The Public
Click for a larger image.
The 13 IMOCA 60s and 11 Class40 boats competing in The Artemis Transat 2008 are now all berthed at Sutton Harbour, Plymouth having arrived over the weekend. The Race Village has come alive with the arrival of the fleet and thousands of visitors over the Bank Holiday weekend have already been through the village taking in the spectacle of these high-tech ocean racers and all the exhibits within the village, as well as enjoying the bars and restaurants down in the Barbican.
Six boats took part in the prologue delivery race from Douarnenez, France to Plymouth leaving at 1800hrs on Saturday (3.5.08) with the IMOCA 60 boats of PRB, Foncia and Brit Air arriving this morning, enjoying a bit more breeze than was forecasted a few days ago, and the three Class40s of Appart'City, Beluga Shipping and Prevoir Vie followed shortly.
The Race Village at Sutton Harbour was officially opened at 10.00am on Saturday (3.5.08) by Councillor Glenn Jordan, Plymouth City Council Cabinet Minister for Healthy Communitis and Leisure alongside Niegl Godefroy, Chief Executive, Sutton Harbour Group shared the duty of cutting the ribbon to declare the race village open. Since then the public have arrived en masse to view 24-strong race fleet, the Tall Ship 'Earl of Pembroke', the legendary Gipsy Moth IV and the Ocean Racing Exhibition that forms part of the education programme. The entertainments package is extensive with street entertainers plus the inaugural Barbican International Jazz and Blues Festival.
The Race Village is open daily from 10.00am through to next Sunday, 11th May.
For more information and details of the Barbican Jazz & Blues Festival: www.barbicanjazzandbluesfestival.com
www.theartemistransat.com
Inside Track
Click for larger image.
IRC Nationals, Commodores Cup, Olympic Centenary, Cowes Week?
Charter "Platonic Affair"
Racing this season? Family, friends, colleagues and sponsors can share the thrill of yacht racing.
Charter "Platonic Affair" a classic Sunseeker and watch the racing in style. Understand the race track, watch the action and catch the atmosphere ashore and afloat. Commentary from Solent experts with top level yacht racing, RORC race committee and judging expertise.
For details, contacts and quotations check out "Platonic Affair's" website:
www.charterasunseeker.co.uk
Okalys Won the Grand Prix Chopard
After three days of races, Okalys (skippered by Loick Peyron) won the Grand Prix Chopard. Alinghi won the two regattas on the last day of the Grand Prix Chopard, putting them within a single point of winner Okalys. The women on Ladycat finished second in both races, raising them to fifth overall. A total of 8 races were run over the weekend.
The Bertarelli family dominated the final day... Ernesto Bertarelli is the skipper of Alinghi, Dona Bertarelli Spaeth is the owner of Ladycat.
Final ranking :
1. Okalys - Loick Peyron
2. Alinghi - Ernesto Bertarelli
3. Foncia - Alain Gautier
4. Cadence - Jean-Francois Demole
5. Ladycat - Karine Fauconnier
6. Zen Too - Steve Ravussin
7. Smarthome - Christian Michel
8. Zebra 7 - Loic Forestier
9. Julius Baer - Philippe Cardis
10. Romandie.com - Frederic Moura
The next event in the Challenge Julius Baer is the Open de Rolle 24 - 25 May.
www.challengejuliusbaer.ch
World Match Tour: Match Race Germany
Stage 2 of the World Match Racing Tour will head for the southern German town of Langenargen on Lake Constance for Match Race Germany. Fresh from his win at the Brasil Sailing Cup, new World Tour leader Paolo Cian of Team Shosholoza will head up a field of 12 teams including America's Cup skippers and crews.
The 12 team field will include:
1. Paolo Cian (ITA) - Team Shosholoza
2. Matthieu Richard (FRA) - French Match Racing Team
3. Ian Williams (GBR) - Team Pindar
4. Bjorn Hansen (SWE) - Alandia Sailing Team
5. Sebastian Col (FRA) - K Challenge/French Match Racing Team
6. Peter Wibroe (DEN) - Team Wibroe
7. Staffan Lindberg (FIN) - Alandia Sailing Team
8. Adam Minoprio (NZL) - Emirates Team New Zealand
9. Jes Gram Hansen (DEN) - Trifork Racing
10. Damien Iehl - French Match Racing Team
11. Eric Monin (SUI) - Search.ch 'Qualifier from the German Championship'
12. Markus Wieser (GER) - Team Sea Dubai 'Qualifier from the Berlin Match Race'
Team Shosholoza are on top of the World Championship standings with their win at the Brasil Sailing Cup. They are the favorites going into Germany having won the event last year sailed in matched Bavaria 35's.
Perhaps no other venue on the World Tour is as stunning as Lake Constance which is bordered by Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Measuring 40 miles in length and 8.5 miles in width, Lake Constance, also called Bodensee, covers 220 square miles, making it central Europe's second largest freshwater lake. With over 20,000 spectators last year, the event prides itself on its public access and festival atmosphere that takes place along the promenade of Langenargen at Lake Constance. With a large beer tent, many food vendors and bands playing everything from Dixieland to reggae, the event offers a slice of Oktoberfest in early summer.
Racing starts May 7 at 9.00hrs GMT subject to weather conditions. The format will see the teams split into two groups of 6 with the top three from each going to the quarter finals and the bottom three from each sailing a repechage for the final two places in the quarter final. From there the knockouts begin culminating in a first to three point final on Monday, May 12th which is a public holiday in Germany.
www.worldmatchracingtour.com
A Long And Cold North Sea Race
Scheveningen, Netherlands: The Pinta-M of skipper Atse Blei (NED) is the big winner of this year's North Sea Race, organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club and part of the ABN AMRO North Sea Regatta. With an average breeze of nine knots the North Sea Race took a very long time. The smaller boats sometimes had to fight not to stay in one place, but according to organiser R.O.R.C. none of the boats had to anchor. The fastest boat, the Pleomax from Harm Prins, crossed the finish line on Saturday May 2nd at 4:38 hours PM. It took the former Withbread racer 29 hours and 9 minutes to make the 185 NM crossing from Harwich to Scheveningen. That is 18 hours longer than the current record, set by the VO70 Mean Machine in 2007. The slowest boat sailed for almost two days, and arrived Sunday morning at about 10:30 in the Scheveningen harbour.
The start on Friday morning around 10:30 British time was quite messy. Because of the current, many boats had problems starting off. The Formidable 3 from Piet Vroon had become entangled with the pin-end buoy. Peter de Ridder's Checkmate was involved in an incident with a British boat. Due to severe damage both yachts could not continue the race.
In IRC0 ROARK and Eclectic battled for victory. Roark boat manager Geert de Krom: "Our first upwind leg didn't work out. The wind shift we counted on came half an hour late. As a result, we were 25 minutes behind Eclectic at the upwind mark. This made everyone on board focused on one thing: catching up with Eclectic." The crossing of the North Sea was an upwind leg for the first boats. Thanks to navigator Rutger Krijger ROARK came out well. De Krom: "After a long port tack we tacked in time, so we could take advantage of the current and the wind shift." De Krom is very pleased with the concentration on board: "It's most wonderful to see that for 31 hours, there are constantly 10 men on deck, all highly focused on making the boat go faster." Eventually, the Eclectic finished half an hour before ROARK, which means that ROARK won on handicap.
Kees de Walle and Bart Jan Ijzerman from team Fandango won the double-handed prize in their FF110, and were sixth in the IRC2 class. Though each of them slept for only three hours during 30 plus hours, they had a perfect method to stay awake. De Walle: "Turning up the volume of the speakers on deck, with good music." -- Diana Bogaards
Complete results at www.nsr.nl
Featured Brokerage
46' DK Yachts Performance Racer/Cruiser, 640,000 USD, Located in California, USA
Brokerage through Maurice Drent Boating Services (MDBS): www.yachtworld.com/mdbsaustralia/
Complete listing details and seller contact information at
uk.yachtworld.com/core/listing/boatFullDetails.jsp?boat_id=1898418
The Last Word
The secret of freedom lies in educating people, whereas the secret of tyranny is in keeping them ignorant. -- Maximilien Robespierre
|
