Brought to you by Seahorse magazine, 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
Classic Garda Conditions
Riva Del Garda, Italy - Three additional races were added to the scoreboard on Thursday, Day Two of the 2014 Audi Melges 20 World Championship hosted by Fraglia Della Vela Riva. With a substantial 14-point lead, American John Kilroy on Samba Pa Ti is in first place overall.
Monaco's Guido Miani aboard Monaco Racing Fleet had a phenomenal day, winning two of the three daily races.
Stellar conditions were in store for the fleet in Races Five and Six. A beautiful 13-15 knots, a 2-3 foot chop and 57 breeze-hungry Audi Melges 20s enjoyed afternoon racing in Garda to the fullest. An over-anxious fleet resulted in the first general recall of the regatta in Race Five.
Friday marks the third day of racing in Riva with a 1 o'clock start, which is perfect since teams will be enjoying a Championship dinner tonight.
Top five after six races, one discard:
1. John Kilroy/Paul Goodison, Samba Pa Ti, 13 points
2. Guido Miani/Gabriele Benussi, Monaco Racing Fleet, 27
3. Dario Levi/Niccolo Bianchi, Fremito D'Arja, 27
4. Achille Onorate/Malcolm Page, Mascalzone Latino, Jr, 33
5. Alessandro Rombelli/Daniele Cassinari, STIG, 46
melges20.com
www.yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=1189
First-Ever Turkish Extreme 40 Team
The first-ever Turkish Extreme 40 syndicate, TeamTurx, has been confirmed to compete at the Extreme Sailing Series™ Act 6 Istanbul as an invitational entry, bringing the tally of boats on the startline up to 12. The event will be further bolstered by support from co-Host Venue partners Yandex, one of Europe's largest technology and internet companies, and Palmarina, a world class marina located in Bodrum, south Turkey.
Just three days after the successful conclusion of Act 5 Cardiff presented by Land Rover, the containers are packed and the fleet of Extreme 40s en-route to Istanbul to join TeamTurx. The Turkish squad supported by ARKAS Sport Club of shipping company ARKAS Holding, is made up of Olympic level sailors including founder Edhem Dirvana, who have been busy training over the last few months with Extreme 40 veteran and class co-designer, Mitch Booth.
The action in Turkey will begin on the 11 September.
Team Turx crew list:
Co-skipper/Helm: Mitch Booth
Co-skipper /Floater: Edhem Dirvana
Mainsheet Trimmer: Selim Kakıs / Deniz cinar reserve
Headsail Trimmer: Ateş cinar / Cem Selcuk reserve
Bowman: Anıl Berk Baki / Can Bayulken reserve
Reserve: Cem Gozen
Win A Trip For Two To The Round The World Race In 2015 - With ECsix Carbon Rigging
Scott Vogel, President of Composite Rigging, announced that the company is sponsoring the "ECsix T-Shirt Design Contest."
According to Vogel, "Everyone and anyone have a chance to win an expense paid "trip for two" to one of seven ports-of-call along the Round the World Race. We are sure this promotion will create a stir within the sailing community."
ECsix is the sole rigging supplier for the next two editions of this historic ocean race. As the world leader in carbon rigging ECsix has over 3000 stays in service on more than 500 sailing yachts, ranging from 11' moths to 250'+ superyachts. Since 2005 ECsix stays have sailed over 1,000,000 nautical miles in all conditions and have not had a single failure due to age, wear, waves, weather or water.
Vogel says, "Composite Rigging has refreshed the look of ECsix with our new "When Your Mast Must Stay Up" campaign, highlighting the strength and durability of ECsix products. We are now inviting the sailing world to have fun with the brand by entering our T-Shirt Design Contest. The winner can take a guest to either Sanya, Auckland, Itajai, Newport, Lisbon, Lorient or Gothenburg.
To apply go to www.ecsix.com/contest for contest rules and information.
International Fleet Bound For Malta
Organised by the Royal Malta Yacht Club, the 2014 Rolex Middle Sea Race will start on the 18th October in the spectacular Grand Harbour opposite the Saluting Battery in Valletta, Malta. The 606-mile yacht race takes place in the heart of the Mediterranean and covers one of the most beautiful courses in the world. Starting and finishing in Malta, the route includes the deep azure waters around Sicily including the Aeolian and Egadi Islands, as well as Pantelleria and Lampedusa. One of the most stunning vistas is Stromboli, the active volcano which is a course mark. Last year, a record 99 yachts took part and with less than two month to the start of the 35th edition, 69 yachts have already entered from 17 different nations.
The Line Honours favourite for the Rolex Middle Sea Race is Igor Simcic's Maxi, Esimit Europa 2, skippered by by multiple Olympic and America's Cup winner, Jochen Schumann. The 100ft canting keel maxi has taken line honour victories in the years from 2010 - 2012, becoming only the second yacht in the history of the Rolex Middle Sea Race to take it three times in a row.
Last year, Esimit Europa 2 damaged their mast on the way to the race and was unable to compete but the Slovenian yacht, with a world class international crew is returning with the goal of taking Line Honours for an unprecedented fourth occasion.
The battle for the overall win after time correction is already developing into a fascinating competition. Niklas Zennstrom's Team Ran have won numerous blue ribbon offshore events and world championships but an overall win in the Rolex Middle Sea Race, has eluded them on three separate occasions. Niklas Zennstrom's latest Mini Maxi, Ran 5 will be competing in October and their immediate rivals on the water will include Roberto Tomasini Grinover's Mini Maxi Robertissima.
Entry for the Rolex Middle Sea Race closes on October 3rd 2014. -- Louay Habib
JOG Channel Race To St Peter Port
Guernsey over the late August bank holiday weekend is always a firm favourite for the Junior Offshore Group fleet and 41 boats in the four IRC classes came to the west-going Cowes start line on the Friday evening.
Class 6 were first away at 19:00 into the strong easterly tide and despite 2.5 knots against competitors were close to the line - a couple of boats made an excellent start a few seconds early and had to return.
Most boats tucked into the island shore on starboard, some exiting the Solent without a tack as darkness arrived while others in the larger classes starting later opted for the mainland side. 40 sets of nav lights were a great sight as the fleet cracked off on a close reach towards the Casquets.
Reaching kites were readied and some were deployed to varying effect but maintaining stability and the right course/speed was testing in the lumpy sea so it was white sails for most across the channel.
A pretty quick crossing to the Casquets and down to the Little Russel with much delight as a school of dolphins played chicken with competitors just before the finish at Castle Cornet where Hooligan VII was first to finish at 06:02.
There is just one offshore race remaining, to Cherbourg starting on Friday 26th Sept where final series results will be determined. -- Peter Cover
JOG St Peter Port class winners:
Class 3: J Fever, J 120, Tim & Frances Lester
Class 4: Fastrak X, Sunfast 3600, Nigel Colley
Class 5: Exocet, Sunfast 3200, Deb Fish
Class 6: Xara, Swan 38 SR, Jonathan & Anne Rolls
Double-Handed: Exocet, Sunfast 3200, Deb Fish
2nd Fastrak X, Sunfast 3600, Nigel Colley
3rd With Alacrity, Sigma 38, Chris & Vanessa Choules
The Phaedo Pirate Is Back On The High Seas
The 66ft carbon catamaran, Phaedo, followed by so many over the past few years with it's distinctive Lamborghini orange hulls, is now firmly back in the water in Newport Beach, California.
In July 2013, Phaedo was dismasted a few days into the Transpac race to Hawaii. This was after blitzing various personal bests including covering 427 nautical miles in 24 hours. Owner Lloyd Thornburg was faced with many options for his yacht when he and his crew, minus the mast, limped back to California just over a year ago. He took his time. Invested his time into researching the innovations needed to optimise a boat of this type especially optimising upwind performance.
So underneath the luminous new "more orange than orange" paint job is a boat that has been studied and reengineered from stem to stern. The weight, balance, and performance of the boat were all reanalysed.
The lost rig was replaced with a new custom wing mast from Southern Spars. Not only is the new rig taller but the wing section now gives better flow attachment to the mainsail. The sail inventory from North Sails now includes the latest 3di technology and has been balanced for finger tip control. A jib topper for light air performance has been added to the sail wardrobe. The new rudders and boards were designed and engineered by McCollough yachts. The boat now has the righting moments of "Wild Oats" and the sail area of a "Volvo 70"
Munster Blackwater
The Munster Blackwater is one of Ireland's mystery rivers writes W M Nixon. Despite comparisons to the Rhine, it keeps much of its long and beautiful length well hidden. And even when it reaches the sea at Youghal, that ancient seaport town manages to be shaped in such a way, with a clutter of waterfront buildings obstructing the view, that it's often impossible to see the water, and whether it's river or sea or both.
As for seeing the boats based there, it's hit or miss. They may be hidden away in muddy little docks, or lying to moorings in the strong tidal stream, or else in the anchorage across the estuary on the east shore at Ferry Point. One way or another, they're well scattered. So anyone voicing the ambition of making Youghal "the Kinsale of East Cork" has a mountain to climb.
But a Youghal schoolboy, Adrian Lee, has come up with a good idea for promoting sailing in Youghal. And while he may not be climbing any mountains, he's planning to take a small fleet of boats - mostly GP 14s - sailing towards the hills and high lands this Saturday, going sixteen miles up the Blackwater, to Cappoquin in West Waterford nestling under the handsome Knockmealdown Mountains.
Ben Ainslie Says Extreme Series Is Perfect For Auditioning America's Cup Crew Members
Across four days of a high speed, quick turnover series of races, run near the shoreline, the 90,000 spectators who crowded the dockside in Cardiff were gifted close quarter view of endless tight turns and swift inshore tacks involving the best of British and international sailing talent.
"It's sailing's version of dodgems," said Ainslie, who was competing in home waters for the first time since his golden triumph in the Olympics in Weymouth in 2012. "It's wacky races. Quite often the guy steering the boat doesn't know what's coming next."
In the middle of putting together a bid for a British challenge for the America's Cup, he sees the Extreme boat as offering the best testing ground to audition potential crew members for the big one.
"Although the boats are different, this is part of process for skilling up to the America's Cup," he said of his all-British crew. "We've brought in sailors we are looking to use in that. In terms of keeping race sharp, it's important to stay out there and keep racing." -- Jim White in The Telegraph
For The Record
The World Sailing Speed Record Council announces the establishment of a new World Record:
Record: Around Britain and Ireland. Monohull 40ft and less
Yacht: "Swish" Class 40
Name: Roderick Knowles. GBR, and a crew of 3
Dates:.11th August to the 20th August 2014.
Start time: 09;00. 11/08/14
Finish time: 04;06;49. 20/08/14
Elapsed time: 8 days 19 hours 6 minutes and 49 seconds
Distance: 1773 NM
Average speed: 8.4 kts
Comments: Previous record "Concise 2". Ned Collier-Wakefield. GBR Aug 10 9d 13h 32m 20s
John Reed
WSSRC Secretary
Industry News
One of the biggest sailboat names in British boat building, Southerly Yachts, has folded again.
This latest debacle comes just 13 months after the brand had been 'rescued' from an earlier receivership with debts of £1,972,520.
The builder, which once employed 165 people at Itchenor Shipyard and its moulding operation in Havant, went down with the loss of 50 jobs.
A creditors meeting held at the Gatwick Hilton Hotel on 22 August was told that efforts to refloat the building arm of the business had failed and that once three yachts currently under construction for customers were completed, production of the Southerly brand would cease.
Chris Stephens from FRP Advisory was once again appointed receiver but, like last year, when the assets available to offset debts amounted to little more than the office furniture and a database of potential clients, there are precious few pickings.
The first sign of problems came at the beginning of August with the removal of mould tools that had littered the Itchenor foreshore ever since Northshore's moulding facilities in Havant were wound up and moved suddenly to a field behind the Northshore production facility.
A week later, staff arriving for work found the yard locked and a note posted on the door telling them to return home.
A small team of builders was later recalled to complete the three remaining yachts in construction. -- Barry Pickthall / PPL, pplmedia.com
From Practical Boatowner:
www.pbo.co.uk
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One of the most respected global leaders in sport to oversee all business aspects of one of the sporting world's most storied events
The America's Cup organizers have appointed Dr. Harvey Schiller as Commercial Commissioner for the 35th America's Cup. The role of Commercial Commissioner is new to the America's Cup. Dr. Schiller will be responsible for supervising, managing and protecting the commercial interests of the America's Cup. He will work closely with all of the competitors, the Regatta Director and the America's Cup Event Authority.
His personal accomplishments away from sport include a Distinguished Flying Cross for his service in the United States Air Force (where he retired as Brigadier General), and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Michigan. He also currently serves on the board of the World Baseball Classic and the Baseball Hall of Fame. Dr. Schiller has also served on the America's Cup Advisory Board since 2010.
Dr. Schiller starts the role with immediate effect. Items on the to-do list include finalizing the America's Cup World Series schedule, format and venues, and securing international broadcast agreements.
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Gurit (SIX Swiss Exchange: GUR) reports a 28.8% sales increase to CHF 167 million (1HY 2013: 129.7 million) for the first six months of 2014, versus the same but weak period of last year. Compared with the second half of 2013, sales grew 10.2%, confirming the recovery started in summer 2013. Operating profit for the period improved to CHF 7.7 million or 4.6% of net sales.
In the first half of 2014, Gurit Composite Materials achieved 18.1% higher net sales of CHF 128.8 million (1HY 2013: CHF 109.1 million). Largely driven by the business with American and Asian customers, material sales to the wind energy market grew by 22.8% and thus recovered from of the contraction Gurit had faced during the first half of 2013. While the operating profit in Gurit Composite Materials is improving and achieved reasonable levels in the industrial, marine, and aerospace markets, it still holds significant upward potential in the wind energy business.
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The Last Word
There was no respect for youth when I was young, and now that I am old, there is no respect for age, I missed it coming and going. -- J. B. Priestley
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