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Danes In Top Two Places At Women's Match Racing World Championship
The Danish crews skippered by world #1 Camilla Ulrikkeholm and #4 Lotte Meldgaard Pedersen immediately took command when racing began today with the round-robin stage of the 2014 ISAF Women's Match Racing World Championship in Cork, Ireland. Both are undefeated so far in this first event of the 2014 Women's International Match Racing Series (WIM Series).

"We're of course happy for the results, but I have to admit we struggled a bit with our boat handling" says Ulrikkeholm, topping the score board with 5 wins and no losses.

The Cork J/80s have their spinnaker halyards on the other side of the mast compared to what the Ulrikkeholm team is used to from their Royal Danish Yacht Club J/80s, causing some problems before the crew adapted to the new circumstances. The very challenging conditions on the Cork waters, with puffy winds changing both in strength and direction, together with a rather sturdy tide, also caused the Danish world ranking leaders some problems: "We've had only around 4 knots of wind when practising this spring, so it took some time for us to find ourselves in these tougher conditions" Ulrikkeholm says, referring to the wind speed that during the day reached up to 25 knots.

The Irish sun was shining brightly also over Ulrikkeholm's fellow club member Lotte Meldgaard Pedersen. With one match less sailed she stays at a 4 - 0 record after the first day of round-robin, hence holding second place in the regatta

Results after day 1 of the round-robin

1. Camilla Ulrikkeholm, DEN, 5 - 0
2. Lotte Meldgaard Pedersen, DEN, 4 - 0
3. Stephanie Roble, USA, 4 - 1
4. Anna Kjellberg, SWE, 4 - 2
5. Caroline Sylvan, SWE, 4 - 2
6. Claudia Pierce, NZL, 4 - 2
7. Anne-Claire Le Berre, FRA, 3 - 2
8. Klaartje Zuiderbaan, NED, 3 - 4
9. Annabel Vose, GBR, 2 - 4
10. Mary O'Loughlin, IRL, 2 - 5
11. Anne-Christianne Kentgens, NED, 1 - 4
12. Lucie Scheiwiller, FRA, 0 - 4
13. Laura Dillon, IRL, 0 - 6

www.matchracing.ie

Superb Conditions On Day Three Of Sail For Gold
Photo by Paul Wyeth, www.pwpictures.com. Click on image for photo gallery.

Racing stepped up a gear on the third day of the Sail for Gold Regatta (Wednesday 4 June), with sailors revelling in big breeze, strong gusts and spells of sunshine at this third leg of the EUROSAF Champions Sailing Cup series.

Wind speeds of 15-20 knots which built to 25 knots across Weymouth Bay and Portland Harbour made for exciting racing for the eight Olympic and two Paralympic classes.

Racing is scheduled to start at 10.30am tomorrow (Thursday 4 June) with a 12-15 knot forecast in store.

RS:X Men
1. Nick Dempsey, GBR, 8 points
2. Tom Squires, GBR, 23
3. Matthijs Van't Hoff, NED, 35

RS:X Women
1. Bryony Shaw, GBR, 8
2. Blanca Manchon, ESP, 18
3. Isobel Hamilton, GBR, 25

2.4 Metre
1. Helena Lucas, GBR, 15
2. Megan Pascoe, GBR, 16
3. Matt Bugg, AUS, 18

Sonar
1. John Robertson / Hannah Stodel / Stephen Thomas, GBR, 8
2. Andy Cassell / Tom Abrey / Chris Ogden, GBR, 20
3. Adam Parry / Jonny Stephenson / Liam Cattermole, GBR, 24

470
1. Luke Patience / Elliot Willis, GBR, 10
2. Sophie Weguelin / Eilidh McIntyre, GBR, 30
3. Tom Kinver / Hugh Brayshaw, GBR, 35

49er
1. David Evans / Edward Powys, GBR, 19
2. Nic Asher / Fynn Sterritt, GBR, 31
3. Stephen Morrison / Chris Grube, GBR, 35

49er FX
1. Annemiek Bekkering / Annette Duetz, NED, 17
2. Kate Macgregor / Katrina Best, GBR, 21
3. Charlotte Dobson / Sophie Ainsworth, GBR, 30

Finn
1. Giles Scott, GBR, 13
2. Mark Andrews, GBR, 22
3. Andrew Mills, GBR, 25

NACRA 17
1. Lucy Macgregor / Andrew Walsh, GBR, 18
2. Pippa Wilson / John Gimson, GBR, 19
3. Ben Saxton / Hannah Diamond, GBR, 28

www.sailforgold.co.uk

Fuel Cells - Winning The Race For Power
The technology is not new but the newest compact lightweight design makes Fuel Cell the winning solution for on-board power.

Ideal for the racing yacht where less diesel needs to be carried, and in some cases fewer domestic batteries are needed; making small but vital weight savings. While for cruising; a noisy generator/engine disrupting the quiet calm at the end of a days sailing is avoided.

Piece of mind is provided as the fuel cell constantly monitors the battery and only starts charging once it drops below your predetermined level. Installation is simple; a few mounting and connection steps and you are ready to go.

Small in size but big in power; the most popular marine fuel cell is the EFOY from SFC. Ranges from 40w to 105w are available. As a guide, the EFOY 140 (72w) will produce 1.7kWh each day and on a 30-40ft yacht daily usage averages at around 1.4kWh. Therefore in conjunction with your batteries the fuel cell ensures you will have more than enough power.

With zero emissions, silent operation and low operational supervision required…you can race while the fuel cell looks after your power.

www.fuelcellsystems.co.uk

Finn World Masters In Poland Opens This Weekend With 221 Entries
One way or the other history will be made next week in Sopot, Poland, the venue for the 2014 Finn World Masters Championship. Registration and measurement take place from Friday 6 June to Sunday 8 June, with the practice race on Sunday afternoon. A series of eight races is scheduled from Monday to Friday June , ending with a medal race on Friday afternoon.

Surprisingly, it is the first time in the event's 45 year history that it has been held in Poland, despite Polish sailors' long support of the event. That is being put right this year with a visit to one of the most beautiful locations in the country. And, with 221 confirmed entries from 27 countries, so far, the Masters Finn fleet is anticipating a great event.

The racing will take place on the Gulf of Gdañsk. It is protected from the wider Baltic by Hel's Peninsula which circles from the north round the bay to the east of Sopot. This makes the waters off Sopot's beaches much warmer than other places in the Baltic.

Michael Maier (CZE) will be going for an historic sixth Finn World Masters title, which if he achieves it, will be a record for the class. This year he is also a Grand Master for the first time. Three time champion Andre Budzien (GER) finished as runner up to Maier last year, but will also be defending his Grand Masters title. -- Robert Deaves

www.finnmasters.pl

Looking To Get Lucky On Lake Constance
Langenargen, Germany: It's the start of the Alpari World Match Racing Tour and the time of year when every team wonders if 2014 could be their year. They're champing at the bit and ready to go. Practice time is a critical part of preparation for teams competing on the Tour, and today the 12 crews from 10 nations were spending their limited hours on Lake Constance to get ready for the start of Match Race Germany Thursday.

The six teams that were allocated the boats for the morning session on the Lake had lovely sunshine, but barely a breath of wind. They would have happily traded places with the other six who caught some light rain but also benefited from some light to medium winds. By the evening the breeze was blowing hard, showing how quickly things can change here.

Last year was Taylor Canfield's first time in Germany, and he came 5th. However, the USone skipper improved during the season and went on to win the World Championship in his rookie year.

Match Race Germany takes place from 5 to 9 June, beginning with Qualifying at 9am local time on Thursday.

Stage 1 Match Race Germany, Alpari World Match Racing Tour

Taylor Canfield (ISV) USone
Ian Williams (GBR) GAC Pindar
Phil Robertson (NZL) Waka Racing
Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Sailing Team
Keith Swinton (AUS) Team Alpari FX
Mathieu Richard (FRA) LunaJets
Francesco Bruni (ITA) Luna Rossa
David Gilmour (AUS) Team Gilmour
Carsten Kemling (GER) Reporters Match Race sailing team
Eric Monnin (SUI) Sailbox
Karol Jablonski (POL) Jablonski Sailing Team
Nicolai Sehested (DEN) TRE-For Match Racing

wmrt.com

'Hudson Wight' Races Three-Up In The J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round The Island Race
The Mini 6.50 Hudson Wight is entered for the 2014 J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race on 21st June with solo offshore sailor Lizzy Foreman on board, this time accompanied by Hudson Wight's M.D. Jamie Scrimgeour and Jill Stevenson, Sailing Secretary of the Royal London Yacht Club in Cowes.

Lizzy is one of the great British female hopes for next year's gruelling Mini Transat, having now completed all her solo racing miles to qualify and with Hudson Wight on board as her title sponsor. Lizzy is also being supported by the Royal London Yacht Club in Cowes. The Club has granted her immediate temporary Club membership for the duration of her Mini Transat campaign and, in a further generous gesture, the Club has awarded Lizzy a grant from its charitable Youth Trust.

Hudson Wight is also delighted to announce that Yellowbrick has joined the Lizzy Racing team of supporters and is delighted that everyone will be able to follow Lizzy's progress on Hudson Wight's website. The Yellowbrick wakes up periodically (e.g. every 15 minutes), obtains a position using the GPS satellite network, and then transmits that position back to an online map, which will be embedded on www.hudsonwight.com

Followers can also keep up to date with Lizzy's solo racing exploits on Twitter by following @hudsonwight

Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta
Photo by Ingrid Abery, www.ingridabery.com. Click on image for photo gallery.

Porto Cervo, Sardinia, Italy: It was an explosive start to the 2014 edition of the Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta, as Sardinia's Costa Smeralda served up near perfect conditions for the first day of racing. Glorious blue skies and a northwesterly breeze that started at 12 knots and built to 22 knots meant the 21 sailing superyachts taking part in the event - organised by Boat International Media and the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda - were in for a real treat.

Principle Race Officer Peter Craig chose a course that would make the most of the conditions, sending the yachts anticlockwise around the islands of Caprera and La Maddalena before giving them a long run home through bomb alley and past Capo Ferro.

The fleet, comprising 19 superyachts, was divided into three divisions and the start sequence sent the yachts over the line in staggered starts, with the slowest rated yacht crossing first. The line-up includes a wide variety of the world's finest sailing superyachts, ranging from the 24m Bloemsma van Breemen-built Drumfire to the 46m Vitters yacht Ganesha. Notable names include the latest WallyCento Magic Carpet 3, the 33m Vitters yacht Inoui, Claasen Shipyards' F Class Firefly, Loro Piana Caribbean division winner Moonbird, the beautiful 30.6m Spirit Yachts Gaia and the Royal Huisman-built regatta regular Unfurled.

In addition, a fleet of Southern Wind yachts scattered throughout Classes B and C - including the 28.6m Windfall, new 24.7m Grande Orazio and 30.26m Cape Arrow, chartered for this event by Lord Irvine Laidlaw - will be battling for additional honours as the event incorporates the 2014 Southern Wind Trophy.

Racing resumes on Thursday.

loropianasuperyachtregatta.com

Fair?
Rob Weiland has his own slant on the Oracle Team USA cheating scandal and its repercussions

Reading the Yachting New Zealand (YNZ) Complaints Commission report on the AC45 cheating saga raises questions. The report concludes, after following a long and winding road of some 26 pages, by recommending not to take further action against the two Kiwi Oracle Team USA team members it was asked to advise on. The report does lift the carpet a few millimetres more than the AC International Jury Notices. What we see is not pleasant.

The names of three fellow countrymen pop up and I read the names of many others who should know better to stay well clear of rule infringements. At this level members, whether sailing or non-sailing, of any sailing team should a) know and b) know better. To know what goes on is essential for daily improvement. It's no use having highly skilled pros working on assumptions of what others are doing. Not knowing is never an excuse in this environment.

Being told to do this or that without giving the instruction any thought or thinking that others are taking care of things in a 'proper way' is no excuse either. Your mother will have tried to get this between your ears many years ago.

Full article in Seahorse magazine:
www.seahorsemagazine.com/current-issue/212-fair

Letters To The Editor -
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 Eddie Mays: Ginny Jones's letter today stirred a long forgotten memory but it wasn't just the kids that had fun. Once a season the club ran a "Seamanship" race. Everything was included. A Grand Prix start with just the helm on board, anchored on the start line with the sails down. At the gun sails up, anchor up, sail out solo to a fishing boat to collect the crew. Extra good fun in anything approaching Force 3 or more. Then a series of tests; Man overboard, 720s, Paddling or rowing your boat, etc. Last one home was a sissy! The club is not named to protect the innocent.

* From Frank Newton: Over the years youth sailing has become more and more intense as highlighted by Russell Coutts. For some eight years I had the privilege of looking after RYA Youth Race Training. On one occasion I was invited to talk to the Irish Sailing Association and the focus of my talk was upon a progression of enjoyment and fun and learning during the early years of a youngster's introduction to competitive sailing. I shared the meeting with an expert who stressed that to progress to the top of a sport required no less than 10,000 hours of training. We were poles apart!

For a period from 1970 I had acted as the Hon Team Doctor for GB Olympic Sailing. At that time I frequently sat in on coaching sessions both on and off the water. As time has passed I note that these 'tips' are now passed on to even the youngest sailors. I wonder what is left to pass on to them as they progress to adult competition?

I find it sad that at youth events I see at WPNSA many of the youngsters have their boats rigged by their parents. Why do they not rig the dinghy themselves. Do they learn anything if they have a key part of the competition taken over by their parents? So maybe I am a stupid old man missing some important point. But maybe the kids are missing some fun, too?

For what it's worth my idea of progression for a young would be sailor was that they should enjoy the first two years in a single sail boat , probably an Optimist , with more fun than competition. Then progress to two years with a little more competition but still with fun in a two sail boat of their choice. Two years of this followed by more structured competition, learning go faster techniques, rules. This in a dinghy with conventional spinnaker and or an asymmetric spinnaker.

At some stage an individual youngster may decided to take the single handed route . But in the early years the emphasis should be on enjoying our sport. When tested in later years for 'fitness' scores these should NOT be published for all to see. Each young sailor is different . Each matures at their own pace. Girls are not boys , though up to about 13 years of age they can be their physical equal in a dinghy. Then testosterone takes over and they are no longer physical equals. Fortunately skill is not testosterone linked! They should be given time to grow.

I do not favour parents enjoying a second chance in any sport by taking over their children's early years in that sport. They are paying for it but cannot buy a 'second chance'.

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See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/

The Last Word
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