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Remembering Bart
Today marks the two year anniversary of the loss of our great friend and team mate Andrew "Bart" Simpson. Artemis Racing held a small private ceremony this morning out on the Great Sound in Bermuda, and were joined by members of Oracle Team USA. A wreath was laid on the race course of the 35th America's Cup, and a minute silence was held to remember the great man.

The last time Andrew was on the island he left a lasting legacy, spending time and inspiring young sailors during the 2008 Argo Group Gold Cup, shortly after winning Olympic gold in the star class at the Beijing Olympics. In his memory, Artemis Racing team members will visit Royal Bermuda Yacht Club later this afternoon to give a talk to the junior section of the club, carrying on where he left off.

We hope that everyone takes a moment to remember Bart in their own way - a loving husband and father, a fierce competitor, and a friend to all who knew him. -- Artemis Racing, artemisracing.com

Andrew's career highlights:
2013 - 34th America's Cup, San Francisco
2012 - Olympic Games, Star, Silver
2010 - Star World Championships, Gold
2008 - Olympic Games, Star, Gold
2007 - Star World Championships, Bronze
2007 - 32nd America's Cup, Valencia
2003 - ISAF World Championships, Finn, Bronze

For more information on the charity please visit www.andrewsimpsonsailing.co.uk

Team Brunel Call Up Minoprio
New Zealander Adam Minoprio, the youngest sailor to become match-racing world champion, has been called up by Team Brunel for the last three legs of the Volvo Ocean Race.

Minoprio replaces Spain's Javier de la Plaza, who has pulled out of the Dutch crew because of other sailing commitments, a team statement issued on Monday announced.

The 29-year-old newcomer brings a formidable in-shore and offshore pedigree to Bouwe Bekking's crew, which finished third in Leg 6 from Itajai to Newport.

At the age of seven, Minoprio experienced competition sailing for the first time. Aged 11, he won his first national competition in an Optimist and a year later he sailed in his first world championships in the same class.

In 2009, at the age of 24, Adam Minoprio became the youngest sailor to become match-racing world champion, joining an élite group of illustrious sailors such as Chris Dickson, Dean Barker and Russell Coutts.

He was helmsman and trimmer in the CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand crew that finished second in the 11th edition of the Volvo Ocean Race in 2011-12.

Team Brunel currently lie third in the overall standings after six legs with 21 points, 10 points behind leaders Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (Ian Walker/GBR) and four behind Dongfeng Race Team (Charles Caudrelier/FRA).

www.volvooceanrace.com

Join The HW Party & Keep Your Bosuns Happy!
Hudson Wight Performance Sailwear is offering new and existing Affiliates two sets of its best-selling HW1s - either an HW1 Jacket or HW1 Smock teamed with HW1 Salopettes branded with your Club or corporate logo - for just £600 inc. VAT while stocks last. Just email: .

By joining the Hudson Wight Affiliate Scheme, members and friends of Affiliates also receive discounts off all HW products including special promotions.

Spread the good news! Yacht Clubs, Sailing Clubs, Class Associations, Charter Companies and Sail Training and Sailing Schools can apply to become Affiliates. We will also consider applications from other marine-related organisations or individuals as appropriate.

Affiliates that actively promote Hudson Wight products to their members and friends will earn up to 15% commission on the value of orders placed using their Affiliate code excluding any delivery charges and VAT. Accumulated commission can be redeemed against orders placed by the Affiliate for Hudson Wight products or Hudson Wight gift vouchers. Vouchers can then be used against any purchase on the Hudson Wight website or can be given away; for example they can be used as event/regatta/rewards or prizes. Vouchers are valid for 12 months from the date of issue.

If you're in the market to try something new and innovative on the clothing front, your first port of call must be Hudson Wight - either online www.hudsonwight.com or pop into our showroom at One The Parade, Cowes.

12-Meter Regatta On San Francisco Bay
A former America's Cup executive is launching a new international regatta, the Golden Gate Yacht Racing Challenge, which will be sailed annually on San Francisco Bay beginning in July 2017 in an updated version of the venerable 12-meter class.

Tom Ehman, who most recently had been with the America's Cup Event Authority, said he wants to restore stability and style to yacht racing. The regatta will offer yacht racing's largest purse, $500,000; have a strict nationality rule; and be contested in the strong, steady breeze that blows in through the Golden Gate Bridge.

Ehman said he envisions the Golden Gate Challenge as the Wimbledon of yacht racing in that it will be held every year at the same venue. Unlike the America's Cup, all teams will be challengers, meaning they'll start on equal footing each year.

While Ehman hopes to attract some big-name owners and skippers, the star of the regatta could be the 12-meters. They were used in what many consider the golden era of the America's Cup, from 1958-87, when bigger-than-life personalities such as Dennis Conner and Ted Turner dominated racing held in Newport, Rhode Island, and then Fremantle, Australia.

The 12-meter era ended when Conner won back the America's Cup in the big wind and waves off Fremantle in 1987.

Ehman said he's having designers look at modernizing the 12s and hopes to keep the cost below $3 million per boat. All boats would have the same hull shape, which would make the regatta a test of sailing skill rather than a design competition, helping to hold down costs.

He'd like the hull to look like Freedom, which Conner sailed to victory in the 1980 America's Cup.

Beyond the cost of a boat, Ehman believes a team can compete in the Golden Gate Challenge for less than $1 million a year, far less than staging an America's Cup campaign. -- Bernie Wilson, Associated Press

ggyrc.com

Corinthian Sailing- Critical To The Growth Of The Sport
According to Heather Gregg-Earl, "no victory is sweeter than one you win with friends!"  In the world of one design sailing today, those words have special meaning. With so many professional teams racing across so many one-design classes in the US these days, the Corinthian team (all Group 1's per ISAF classification, no professionally paid sailors on board) is becoming a rare bird.

Many one-design fleets are finding themselves now with about 3/4 of the fleet categorized as professional teams with a small contingent, a fourth, being sailing by Corinthian teams. However, it's critical to the growth of the sport that we encourage Corinthian teams within our classes.

Maintaining Corinthian type competition brings more sailors into the class, period, as it is a great outlet for those that place a high value on the experience yet still want to compete at a high level to do so.

The key to a strong Corinthian team is chemistry. There is no rock star aboard to bail you out.

www.jboats.com/news/sailing-news-articles

Race Coach / Bosun Vacancy
The Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, one of the oldest sailing and rowing clubs in Hong Kong, is looking for a talented and youthful dinghy sailor to fill the post of Race Coach / Bosun.

This is a full-time contract based in Hong Kong commencing July or August 2015. Reporting to the Middle Island Sailing and Marine Manager, the successful applicant will coach up and coming cadets to higher levels of racing expertise. Classes of boats include the J80, Optimist, Laser, 420 and 29er. Coaching and mentoring at international events will be involved. Off-water there will be basic fibreglass repairs and maintenance of sailing craft and RIB's to be completed. Middle Island has a clubhouse, sailing academy, hardstand, marina and launching areas serviced by a regular club ferry.

We are looking for people with:

- Extensive dinghy racing experience.
- Graduation from an internationally recognised sail training academy.
- Race Coach qualification is essential with Keel Boat Instructor preferred.
- Excellent interpersonal, team and leadership skills.
- Fibreglass repair experience and confidence to install small boat rigs and deck equipment to a professional standard.
- Flexibility to work weekends and midweek shifts.

We offer attractive remuneration and excellent fringe benefits to the right candidate. Closing date for applications is 15 June 2015. Interested parties should submit a comprehensive CV together with a recent photograph to The Human Resources Manager, Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, Kellett Island, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong or e-mail to

The German Grand Prix Of The World Match Racing Tour
Langenargen, GermanyThe countdown to Match Race Germany is running: on May 21 the first starting signal for the German duel sailing classic on Lake Constance falls for twelve teams from ten countries. The field was completed by the deadline and will be led by Eric Monnin (ISAF Ranking #4) and his Swiss team SailBox.

On May 20st, all teams have a chance to get to know the boats in a free practice. One day later, the only German tour stop of the World Match Racing Tour will begin and also the huge sailing festival at Lake Constance which will be commented live by ZDF reporter Nils Kaben for five days.

The participants (skipper, age, city/nation, team)

1. Eric Monnin , 39, Stafa/Switzerland, Team SailBox
2. Joachim Aschenbrenner, 21, Niva/Denmark, Aschenbrenner Racing Team
3. Reuben Corbett, 27, Kerikeri/New Zealand, Corbett Racing
4. Tomislav Basic, 40, Split/Croatia, TB Race Team
5. Mark Lees, 23, Poole/Great Britain, GBR Match Racing
6. Przemyslaw Tarnacki, 37, Danzig/Poland, Energa Yacht Racing Team
7. Matthew Jerwood, 22, Perth/Australia, Redline Racing
8. Dejan Presen, 33, Ljubljana/Slovenia, Lumba Match Race Team
9. Christian Binder, 52, Schwechat/Austria, Flat Lake Sailing Team
10. Max Trippolt, 24, Bregenz/Austria, Trippolt Sailing Team
11. Tino Ellegast, 35, Konstanz/ Germany, Team Ellegast
12. Tim Kroger, 50, Hamburg/Germany, New Wave by adidas

www.matchrace.de
www.wmrt.com

Past and Present To Meet In Great Sound
The past will catch up with the present when two America's Cup defenders - both boasting cutting-edge technology for their era - grace Bermuda's Great Sound today.

Taking centre stage at the venue for the 35th America's Cup is a replica of the J Class yacht Rainbow and Oracle Team USA's wing-sail foiling AC45S catamaran.

The original Rainbow defended the "Auld Mug" in 1934.

Incidentally, the original Rainbow was built in a New England shipyard owned by legendary yacht designer Nathaniel Herreshoff who designed the first racing catamaran in 1876, which was regarded as "the fastest yacht afloat".

Rainbow is one of the yachts that will participate in the J Class Regatta to be held in Bermuda in June 2017 between the conclusion of the America's Cup Challenger Play-offs and the America's Cup Match.

The present J Class fleet comprises seven boats, including three original Js, two of which raced for the America's Cup. The seven J Class boats sailing are: Endeavour, Hanuman, Lionheart, Ranger, Shamrock V, Velsheda and Rainbow. An eighth J Class yacht is expected to be launched in May 2015.

The majestic J Class yachts will be moored in the America's Cup Village in Dockyard, providing as elegant a sight at rest as their beauty and power are impressive under sail.

Rainbow is en route from Antigua to her birthplace in Amsterdam, Holland and arrived in Bermuda on Tuesday with a crew of ten.

The original Rainbow was sold for scrap in 1940. But in 2007, Dykstra Naval Architects was commissioned to redesign Rainbow taking into account the original lines plans from William Starling Burgess.

The modern 131ft Rainbow, which has been put up for sale for $10.4 million, is built in aluminium with carbon spars. -- Colin Thompson

www.royalgazette.com

Solo Concarneau Trophee Guy Cotten
Cold, wet, frustrating, tiring and insane were just some of the words the Artemis Offshore Academy squad used to describe the Solo Concarneau Trophee Guy Cotten.

Finishing the 330-mile course on Saturday 9th May, the Solo Concarneau was the sailors' toughest race yet and their final test ahead of the 2185 mile Solitaire du Figaro - Eric Bompard Cachemire at the end of this month.

Comprised of long legs between islands, through rough waters and around rocks and fish farms, the Solo Concarneau course allowed for very little sleep. Add to that shifty winds and 30-knot gusts caused by two weather systems passing over the course, the skippers were lucky if they got a 10 minute nap in almost 48 hours - a real baptism of fire for the 11 Rookies taking part, including three Brits.

Relishing in the rougher weather along the rugged Brittany coastline, Sam Matson (Chatham) put in his best performance of the season so far. Securing a strong position early on in the race, Sam saw it through all 330 miles to finish 11th overall - one up from his 12th position in the race in 2014.

Top ten:
1. Conrentin Horeau, Bretagne Credit Mutuel Performance
2. Gildas Mahe, Qualiconfort The Beautiful watches
3. Yann Elies, Groupe Queguiner Leucemie Espoir
4. Charlie Dalin, Skipper MACIF 2015
5. Xavier Macaire, Skipper Herault
6. Thierry Chabagny, Gedimat
7. Gildas Morvan, Cercle Vert
8. Sebastien Simon, Bretagne Credit Mutuel Espoir
9. Gwenole Gahinet, Safran - Guy Cotten
10. Alexis Loison, Groupe FIVA

soloconcarneau.blogspot.co.uk

Royal Yacht Squadron Bicentenary - More History In The Making
Dorade - back to the Solent 84 years on. Photo by Christophe Jouany. Click on image to enlarge.

With less than 80 days until the start of the Royal Yacht Squadron's Bicentenary International Regatta in Cowes, for some competing yachts, preparation is even more frantic than for others. 

They are getting ready for the Transatlantic Race which starts in less than two months from Newport RI, and are headed towards the UK bringing them closer to the RYS Bicentenary start line in Cowes, England.  Amongst those going the extra few miles to be in the line-up, when the regatta celebrating the club's 200 years starts on 25th July, are the beautiful S&S ketch Dorade built in 1930, McCurdy & Rhodes 48′ Carina and Swan 57 Noonmark V.  None of the three are any stranger to long distance racing.  In fact despite being a lady of a certain age, Dorade carries her 39ft waterline length, 53ft overall, to ever new achievements. 2015 will see her take part in another Transatlantic Race and another Fastnet Race - just as she did both in 1931.

From Newport RI to Cowes is a long way but, along with the rest of the now nearly 70 strong fleet, it will be worth being part of the dramatic line up of modern, ultramodern and vintage yachts including four of the magnificent J Class, vying on the Solent start line in front of the Royal Yacht Squadron Castle which dominates the water's edge at Cowes.

The Royal Yacht Squadron also takes pleasure in announcing an exclusive line up of event sponsors which include Rolex, UBS, Hiscox, North Sails and Moet et Chandon, with Slam as official clothing supplier.

rys.org.uk

IMOCA General Meeting: Two Fine Years Of Racing In Store
Jean Kerhoas, President of IMOCA, applauded the Class's good health with some seven new boats built or being built and a very real prospect of a fleet of twenty-five competitors at the next Vendee Globe.

The IMOCA Ocean Masters World Championship continues to consolidate its position. For this new 2-year period, which began with the conclusion of the Barcelona World Race, the IMOCA Class has validated a programme that alternates between double-handed and single-handed races. In addition to the traditional events - the Transat Jacques Vabre and the Vendee Globe - the championship will hinge around two events that are taking root, the Rolex Fastnet Race, which will be run double-handed, and the single-handed Transat B to B, which is the return transatlantic sprint back to Europe after the Transat Jacques Vabre.

The IMOCA class has opted to follow through on the suggestion by OSM Open Sports Management - organiser of the championship - to add a new single-handed race between New York and Les Sables d'Olonne to its race programme. This unique event setting sail from New York and finishing in the port that hosts the Vendee Globe is designed as a warm-up race before the competitors take the big plunge in November 2016, with both races involving predominantly downwind conditions.

The General Meeting also saw the election of the new administrators: three outgoing advisors were reappointed, namely Jean Kerhoas, Alex Thomson and Marc Guillemot. Jeremie Beyou joins the Executive Committee as a replacement for Bernard Stamm, who after a number of years of loyal service wished to pass his seat to others wanting to steer the destinies of the IMOCA Class.

The programme for the IMOCA Ocean Masters World Championship

- Rolex Fastnet Race (double-handed), Cowes - Plymouth (GB), start 16 August 2015
- Transat Jacques Vabre (double-handed), Le Havre - Itajai (BR), start 25 October 2015
- Transat B to B (single-handed), Saint Barts - Roscoff, start 6 December 2015
- Transat New York to Les Sables d'Olonne (single-handed), start 29 May 2016
- Vendee Globe (single-handed), start 6 November 2016

www.imocaoceanmasters.com
www.imoca.org

Featured Brokerage
2002 M32. 190,000 EUR. Located at Lake Garda/Malcesine.

Perfectly ready to race, with tralier container, custom trolley, also prepared for long distance sailing.

Code 0, double forestay, nothing broken in the years.

Twice Centomiglia and Gorla Winner, Bol ' 7th, Blaues Band Bondensee 4th.
Sailed only on Lakes

It comes with everything except a road trailer.

Details

Contact
Gregor Stimpfl
mobile +39 335 6254900

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

The Last Word
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