Brought to you by Boats.com Europe, Yachtworld.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 Hull & Humber Skipper To Be Medivac'd Piers was on deck at the time of the incident which was reported to the race office at 0935 GMT. The crew reacted quickly and after seeking medical advice through Falmouth Coastguard they applied a leg splint to the injury and administered painkillers. Hull & Humber was situated 400 nautical miles east of Japan at the time of the incident. The crew onboard Hull & Humber are experienced offshore racers having completed an intensive pre-race Clipper training programme; the round the world crew members onboard now have more than 18,000 miles of ocean racing experience. As a precautionary measure, two of the Clipper 68s also competing in Clipper 09-10, Spirit of Australia and Cape Breton Island, were instructed to rendezvous with Hull & Humber in case they could be of assistance. Cape Breton Island has since resumed racing and Spirit of Australia is currently shadowing Hull & Humber as both boats make their way west towards Japan. Over the next 24 to 36 hours a decision will be made on whether the skipper will be evacuated by helicopter or boat, depending on conditions and range. Spirit of Australia, crew member Joan Clancy, an A&E consultant doctor, is standing by to provide medical advice if required. At 1340GMT the Japanese Coastguard despatched a rescue boat with a doctor onboard to rendezvous with Hull & Humber. Friday Racing Cancelled At Louis Vuitton Trophy Regatta In the Viaduct Basin, flags and banners for the Auckland International Boat Show snapped and fluttered in the gusty early morning breeze as exhibitors checked the security of their signs, displays and tents. Winds were expected to increase in the afternoon. Today's forecast called for winds ranging from 20-30 knots. Principal Race Officer Peter 'Luigi' Reggio said it was important to protect the equipment and the crews from their competitive instincts. "When we start getting wind that's steady above about 20-22 knots, that's getting pretty windy for this event," Reggio said. "Remember we only have two race boats [plus a spare] here, so if we get significant damage the regatta is in trouble. "But we're happy to race in winds approaching the higher end. Yesterday we had some gusts near 25 knots at times and the racing was spectacular. Hopefully we'll have more of that over the next few days." Weatherman Roger 'Clouds' Badham advised that the sou'westers are here to stay - meaning robust winds on the Waitemata Harbour for the rest of the Louis Vuitton Trophy regatta. The pairings for Saturday are: All4One (NZL92) vs. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL84); TEAMORIGIN (NZL92) vs. ALEPH (NZL84); Azzurra (NZL92) vs. Artemis (NZL84); Mascalzone Latino Audi (NZL92) vs. Synergy (NZL84). "Alchemy" Wins At 2010 Mexorc For your high performance sails visit www.ullmansails.com Open Championship For International 6 Metre Yachts Hosted By RCYC 20 -23 May 2010 A 10 race series is planned with up to 4 races per day on windward leeward courses culminating with Prize Giving on the Sunday. Fifteen to twenty boats are expected to enter coming from France, the Solent, and the West Country. The magnificent sailing waters in Falmouth bay and the deep waters for Carrick Roads and Falmouth harbour combined with the expert RYA trained RCYC race teams make Falmouth the perfect venue for major sailing championships. The boats will be rafted up on Pendennis marina after racing making an interesting and unusual picture for visitors to the town. More information may be obtained from: RCYC That's Going To Leave A Mark... Fred Meyer, commodore of the Society Nautique de Geneve, the Swiss yacht club that sponsored Alinghi, is trying to find scapegoats for Alinghi's embarrassing loss and deflect heat that rightfully has come from around the sailing world about the unsportsmanlike behavior of the Swiss during and after the event. But there are no excuses, not for the sailing mistakes nor the way the SNG members demeaned themselves and sullied the oldest competition in team sports. The reason Alinghi V drew penalties before each race started was that Bertarelli and his crew made boneheaded mistakes that should have been avoided. Because Bertarelli was the guy holding the wheel, he's going to get the blame for an opening-race penalty when he failed to give right of way to BMW-Oracle's USA-17. He just blew it. But the penalty in the second race, for failing to clear the starting box in time, is much harder to understand. I mean, these guys are Swiss. You'd think one would have a decent watch. Meyer now claims that the penalty was the result of spectator boats that impeded Alinghi's movement, but photographs prove that the nearest boat was a couple of hundred yards away. As for Meyer's contention that a 3-foot swell was too dangerous for those boats, Paul Lewis of the New Zealand Herald said that was like a rugby team refusing to play because the grass was too long. If they can't sail a 115-foot boat that cost $100 million in conditions that wouldn't phase kids in a weekend Hobie event, then it's time for Meyer and his pals to take up racing model yachts on the local park duck pond. Full article at www.freep.com/article/ New Global Freight Forwarding And Boat Shipping Business Based In Palma, Mallorca Complete Marine Freight has recently started operations in Palma with a new business aimed at all aspects of cargo handling for leisure craft, from the smallest race boat to the largest superyacht. Tom Sell and his experienced Team are well versed in worldwide freight forwarding and providing services to the yachting industry. Prior to setting up CMF, Tom has been in the freight forwarding and shipping business over a decade. Their client list already boasts some of the best in the industry, North Sails Superyacht Service, Artemis Racing and Matador from the TP 52 circuit and the superyacht SY Kokomo, as well as the Superyacht Cup now in its fourth year. www.completemarinefreight.com Sponsorship Agreed For Double-Handed Yacht Racing Royal Southampton's Double Handed Series is recognised as the premier event for double handed yacht racers in the UK. The first race of this type at the club was the "Island Double" which took place in 1981 with 131 entries. It was the brainchild of Neil Cox whose company Solent Rigging supported the growing series into the late 1990s. The Coors Light Main Series is now eight race event, with four Solent races constituting the Coors Light Inshore Series and four passage races comprising the Coors Light Offshore Series. It is the first time that the offshore series is a series in its own right with trophies for the class winners. The Coors Light Double Handed Series is comprised as follows: Coors Light Inshore Series Coors Light Offshore Series Double Handed Prize Giving - 30th October RYA Club Of The Year Announced The Devon based sailing club were picked as winners from five strong finalists; Bury Lake Young Mariners, Donaghadee Sailing Club, Spinnaker Sailing Club and Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club. The shortlisted sailing clubs were selected by an awards panel who judged them on how well they encouraged people to get out on the water, the range of quality and safe activities provided and how well they managed to engage with the local community. With a full membership and a current waiting list, Exe Sailing Club immediately stood out to the awards panel. They offer a year round racing and training programme for both dinghies and cruisers as well a wide range of social activities for their club members including a Christmas pantomime. For more information about Exe Sailing Club visit www.exe-sailing-club.org From Yachting Monthly: The New PRB to be Launched on Thursday Mila Macky Dunn Last night, New Zealand time, a new member became part of the Mascalzone Latino team: Mila Macky Dunn, with the important role of mascotte. The baby was born a few hours ago and she's doing very well as is Sarah, her mother. All the "Latin Rascals" celebrated with daddy Cameron, early on that day. Cameron was onboard as afterguard in the race versus ETNZ; he went directly to the delivery room. A new member to join the Italian team, we are always glad to welcome new elements from every nationality. Industry News According to a statement from Raymarine, the Raymarine board continues to progress discussions regarding a possible sale of Raymarine Holdings Limited in parallel with discussions regarding the Potential Offer. Raymarine and its banking syndicate remain in constructive discussions in relation to an extension to the Group's existing banking facilities which are currently scheduled to expire on 31 March 2010. -- International Boat Industry (IBI) news, www.ibinews.com * METS and Superyacht Pavilion (SYP) organiser Amsterdam RAI invites government approved marine related public charities to apply for the registration proceeds from the Design Award METS (DAME) competition. "Since the decision was made in 2007 to charge a fee of 150 Euros per product registration and donate the sum total to charity, on the advice of the Exhibition Committee, we have taken responsibility for selecting a worthy cause," explains METS/SYP senior product manager, Irene Dros. "Now that the process is established, we've decided it's time to give charities whose work is connected to the international leisure marine industry an opportunity to apply for the donation." Charities interested in applying should contact the METS project team at for terms and conditions, and an application form. All applications must be received by April 12 and will be assessed by the Exhibition Committee in May. The DAME donation will be announced and presented at the Breakfast Briefing on the morning of 16th November, the official opening day of METS 2010. -- IBI, www.ibinews.com * Tartan/C&C Yachts announced it acquired Legacy Yachts of Middletown, Rhode Island, USA. All Legacy manufacturing and business operations are being relocated to Tartan/C&C's Ohio USA location. The acquisition was completed in early January, sales manager Andrew Drumm said in an e-mail to Soundings Trade Only. Drumm said the company was in the process of working out the logistics of the move, but planned to move the tooling this spring. In terms of jobs, Drumm said production at Legacy had slowed or stopped "some time ago," so many positions were lost prior to the acquisition. The company plans an expansion of its North American, as well as international, distribution through several new marketing initiatives, Tartan said. -- Beth Rosenberg in Soundings Trade Only, www.tradeonlytoday.com * The 2010 Helsinki International Boat Show closed with a slight 3.1 per cent drop in visitor numbers. Around 77,000 people visited this year's event, which ran from February 12-21 at the Helsinki Fair Centre, compared to 79,500 in 2009 and 89,000 in 2008. The 2011 Helsinki International Boat Show is scheduled to take place from February 11-20, 2011. The Finnish Marine Industries Federation Finnboat and the Finnish Fair Corporation have renewed their agreement for the organisation of the event. -- www.ibinews.com * The Holt company - originally set up by Jack Holt and Beecher Moore in 1945 - has gone into administration. From making Merlin Rockets and Cadets, the pair branched out into producing fittings with Glen and Tony Allen, forming Holt-Allen in the 1950s. The company reigned supreme in dinghy fittings for many years, but a recent move by Beecher Moore's son, Chadwick, to manufacture fittings in Brazil sparked a split with the Allen family. While the Allen side has benefited and moved on, the Holt side seems to have faltered. The company entered into administration on February 23, 2010, with Simon Thomas and Fred Satow of Moorfields Corporate Recovery LLP appointed as Joint Administrators. 'The company's having cashflow problems,' said a Moorfield's spokesman. 'Essentially we've put it into administration and we're trading it on a normal basis, so all customers are receiving goods as per normal and we're looking to find a purchaser in the next four or five days to turn it around quickly.' -- Boating Business, www.boatingbusiness.com * RS RACING have announced that Rondar Raceboats Ltd have now assumed responsibility for the UK marketing and distribution of the K6 keelboat. Martin Wadhams, MD of RS Racing, said that "Although we have strong affection for the class, and wish it well, the success and expansion of the RS brand in other areas, and particularly our overseas markets, means that our future focus has to lie in other directions. Rondar are already involved with the class as builders, and market it overseas, so it is a very natural progression for them to take on the UK." Peter Kirby, of the K6 Association, also understands the move saying "That from the owners perspective, Rondar are already a well known and integral part of the class and we look forwards to working with them in the UK. The Class Association shall remain within the RS owners association." The K6 is a two to three person, one design, 6m sports boat, with a light weight, high tech epoxy construction and a carbon rig. * Cowes Week Limited is delighted to announce a new partnership with Gill, the technical sailing clothing specialists, who have become the official technical clothing sponsor of one of the world's best-known sailing regattas for the next 3 years. As part of its investment, Gill will be developing a merchandise range with Cowes Week organisers, running a series of competitions to win exclusive prizes, introducing a voucher scheme for daily winners at Cowes Week, as well as providing the regatta team with clothing. Look out for details on the introduction of the official Cowes Week merchandise range by Gill, as well as full details of the planned Cowes Week activity, over the course of the next few months on the Cowes Week website. -- cowesweek.co.uk * The 34 shareholders of Finland's Baltic Yachts have sold a minority stake in the business to local entrepreneurs Caj-Anders Skog and Jan Fors. Christer Lill, Jan-Erik Krokvik, Stig Ostdahl and Mikael Kasslin, acting on behalf of the present shareholders, said that their main aim was to find new owners from the region. Both Skog and Fors live in Jakobstad, where the company recently opened new waterfront facilities. Baltic's main office and production plant are located in Bosund, around 20km north of Jakobstad. Negotiations have been ongoing for more than a year at Baltic, and the new owners will at this stage be minority partners with the possibility to increase their shares at a later date. A preliminary agreement has already been signed that will see all shareholders owning an equal stake in the company. The deal is expected to be finalised later this month. "Local ownership is the best thing for us, and I'm sure it will be appreciated by our clients and partners," says Baltic CEO Marjo Keiramo. Established in 1973, Baltic Yachts builds semi-custom yachts from 15m-20m (50ft-66ft) and full custom yachts up to 61m (200ft). -- Superyacht Business, www.ibinews.com/auto/newsdesk/20100210142214syb.html Featured Brokerage Sydney 40 in good condition and very well equipped: Brokerage through Bach Yachting International: www.yachtworld.com/bachyachting/ Complete listing details and seller contact information at uk.yachtworld.com The Last Word |
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