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Three Split Fleets In 48th Transpac
San Pedro, California, USA: As the lead group that started nearly a week ago continue their speedy progress towards Hawaii, the influence of the tropical depression Delores is being felt by the trailing two groups that started on Thursday and Saturday in the 48th edition of the LA-Honolulu Transpac. This has resulted in very distinct weather conditions for each of the groups on the course.

In the morning reports, boats in the lead group reported Northeast winds 15-20 knots, with higher gusts in squalls, and good progress being made to Hawaii, even if they are looking for some sun. Paul Stemler's J/44 Patriot continues to lead Division 7 and the fleet overall, while Ron Simonson's SO44 Sleeper is leading Division 8.

In the group that started yesterday, there seems to be distinct differences in strategy: a group lead by Syd Fisher's Ragamuffin 100 is heading north, while Wild Oats is leading a group going down the middle, with no one appearing to choose a southerly route…yet. This group also has the breeze aft, with mediocre pressure overnight, but improving later in the day. 

Eduardo Saenz's TP 52 Detroyer reported 11 knots at 033° and an "uneventful night...except for the giant kelp island we hit and the half hour it took to get it all off the boat."

But the pressure got better later, with Wild Oats navigator Nick White reporting "Right now we're averaging around 19 knots and aiming straight at the Barn Door – Hawaii. It's fantastic downwind sailing. You couldn't ask for much better…except we'd like some sunshine instead of heavy cloud. 

Tracking: yb.tl/transpac2015

Videos and race analysis: transpacyc.com/transpac-media/videos

transpacyc.com

Racing For Redemption
The wait is finally over for Lloyd Thornburg and the crew of his bright orange Gunboat 66 Phaedo who've been dying to return to the Transpac ever since they suffered a gut-wrenching dismasting during the 2013 edition of this classic offshore race.

"We definitely feel like we have some unfinished business here," said Thornburg before the start today. "But, we're real happy with the work we've done on Phaedo, and we think we'll be even faster than we were before."

And that's a good thing because this year's race is stacked with competition. In fact, now that the maxi trimaran Lending Club has opted out of the race to go for the course record in a different weather pattern before today's start, so the multihull division is now comprised of Thornburg's Phaedo, Pat Benz's Gunboat 66 Extreme H2O, and John Gallager's Gunboat 62 Chim Chim. Phaedo will also be competing for bragging rights with sleds like Syd Fischer's Ragamuffin 100, Manouch Moshayedi's Rio 100, and Roy P. Disney/Robert Oatley's Wild Oats XI that are also starting today.

Being aboard his bright-orange catamaran for the start of the Transpac is also particularly special for Thornburg and the crew who set the elapsed-time record in Transatlantic Race aboard his chrome and lime green MOD 70 trimaran Phaedo3 less than a week ago in the UK. He then rushed to LA for the Transpac start so he can complete a rare owner/driver offshore double by competing in his own boats in the Transatlantic race and the Transpac in the same year. And if all goes well, Thornburg is hoping to add the Transpac to his growing list of wins. 

transpacyc.com

Azzurra Win The 2015 TP52 World Title
Azzurra won the 2015 TP52 World Championship with a race to spare, finishing 14 points clear of second placed Platoon while only one point separated third from fifth, Provezza taking third step on the podium only by virtue of a tie break with both Alegre and Ran Racing/

As the final points table confirms racing was incredibly close and tight for the world title of the world's top grand prix monohull class. Azzurra conclusively proved the most consistent, keeping their scoreline in single figures throughout the five days, seventh being their worst score across the 10 race series on the Bay of Palma.

52 SUPER SERIES champions and 2014 World Champions Quantum Racing slid off the podium with an unexpected 12th in the final race, biggest victims of a big, heading windshift down the final run to the finish line.

TP52 World Championships at Puerto Portals, Mallorca, Overall after ten races

1. Azzurra, Pablo & Alberto Roemmers ARG, 36 points
2. Platoon, Harm Muller-Spreer GER, 50
3. Provezza, Ergin Imre TUR, 56
4. Alegre, Andres Soriano US, 56
5. Ran Racing, Niklas Zennstrom SWE, 56
6. Quantum Racing, Doug DeVos USA, 57
7. Sled, Takashi Okura JPN, 58
8. Bronenosec, Vladimir Liubomirov RUS, 68
9. Phoenix, BRA, Eduardo de Souza Ramos BRA, 71
10. Paprec, Jean-Luc Petithuguenin FRA, 89
11. Gladiator, Tony Langley GBR, 92
12. Xio/Hurakan, Guiseppe Parodi ITA, 92

52 SUPER SERIES Season Rankings Overall after 3 Regattas

1. Azzurra, ITA 110 points
2. Sled, USA 144
3. Quantum Racing, USA 148
4. Bronenosec, RUS 151
5. Alegre, GBR 155
6. Provezza, TUR 161
7. Platoon, GER 168
8. Ran Racing, SWE 171
9. Gladiator, GBR 230
10. Paprec FRA 242
11. Xio/Hurakan, ITA 265
12. Interlodge, USA (Austin/Gwen Fragomen USA) 279
13. Phoenix, BRA 284

www.52superseries.com

Discounts for RYA Members
We are delighted to offer Standard members of the RYA, a 20% discount and Gold members a 25% discount off any item in the current product range, including the popular HW1 range of foul weather gear for offshore and coastal/inshore racing and cruising. RYA instructors benefit from a 35% discount!

Whatever you call your foul weather sailing clothing...... oilies or foulies, in all conditions, from long offshore racing to coastal cruising, sailing jackets and sailing trousers made with 3-layer fabric technology, are lighter, keep you drier and breath better, keeping you more comfortable for longer.

Hudson Wight Performance Sailwear and OceanVent Technical Laminated Fabrics make sailing clothing made with 3-layer fabrics far more affordable because we sell our products direct to you with no distribution costs and no retail mark up.

That means you really can expect better for less. Indeed, our mission is to offer the very best quality, high specification foul weather gear, using the most waterproof, durable and breathable fabric technology available, at prices normally only seen on inferior products.

Many satisfied customers include seasoned offshore racers, long distance cruisers, competitive day racers and family coastal cruisers and their unanimous feedback is that Hudson Wight sailing gear performs better than any other kit they have used previously…and they love our prices.

For Members

For Gold Members

For Instructors

Larsen/Van West Winners Formula 18 Worlds 2015
Photos by Jasper van Staveren. Click on image for photo gallery.

Saturday it was time for the medal races at the Formula 18 Worlds 2015 in Kiel – Germany. With a very competitive fleet of 167 catamarans from 24 different countries. This was the biggest fleet ever at a Formula 18 Worlds! Gunnar Larsen and Ferdinand van West (NED) won for the second time in a row. In two spectaculair final races the Flying Dutchmen showed that they can do the unexpected: Having a bad start, get at the top mark in 15th position and still finish in 3rd place. Oscar Zeekant and Charlie Begemann (NED) tried their best this year to be on the highest stage of the podium, but like at the F18 Worlds in 2012 in Los Angeles they were second again. The last chance for Zeekant/Begemann to win the World Championship was taken away by Mother Nature by increasing the wind to 30+ knots. Glenn Ashby and Brett Goodall (AUS), who didn't sail together for a year, were able to get on the podium this year.

Winning the event again next year in Argentina will absolutely be their goal. Only Mitch Booth has won the F18 Worlds 3 times in a row.

This year we had a surprise, a new type of boat was sailed called the 'Scorpion'. This boat was sailed by multitalent Mischa Heemskerk and showed the boat was very fast. Unfortunately, due to a broken tackline, Heemskerk missed 3 races to do repairs and lost any chance to be in the overall top 10.

Top 10 final results:
1. Larsen/Van West (Nacra Infusion) 21 points
2. Zeekant/Begemann (Nacra Infusion) 26
3. Ashby/Goodall (Goodal C2) 35
4. Reiss/Whitehead (Goodal C2) 49
5. Veenman/De Waard (Nacra Infusion) 75
6. Booth/Booth (Hobie Wild Cat) 87
7. Robert/Perron (Nacra Infusion) 101
8. Sach/Sach (Nacra Infusion) 114
9. Ferrec/Delaplace (Nacra Infusion) 118
10. Boulogne/David (Cirrus) 120

Full results

www.f18-international.org

Replays: www.tractrac.com

America's Cup Comes To Portsmouth
The America's Cup World Series Portsmouth event in 2015 will deliver an incredible four days of world class sport and entertainment action, family friendly, fun filled and action packed. Portsmouth will offer spectacular views of AC45 (45 foot flying catamarans) racing from the shore and on water. Thrilling and exciting fleet racing with these impressive boats will be a spectacle not to be missed.

With an expected 200,000 visitors to the seafront for the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series (ACWS) Portsmouth we want everyone to enjoy the experience, so whether you live locally or are travelling to the event there is plenty of travel advice.

We want to minimise the amount of traffic coming into the city so 6000 additional parking spaces have been provided through park and sites at the M275 and Cosham. High frequency buses every few minutes will take you direct to the race village, or there's the option to stop at Gunwharf Quays and view the team bases.

A free shuttle bus service from Gunwharf Quays straight to the race village is also available for everyone getting involved with the ACWS action

Portsmouth is a flat city making it perfect to explore on foot or bike. If you live locally, or used the park and ride and stopped off at Gunwharf Quays, you can easily make your way to the race village. The route is clearly signposted and travel advisors will be on hand pointing you in the right direction.

Schedule

* People using aviators and drones are being reminded by police that a temporary restricted airspace will be in place during the America's Cup World Series in Portsmouth.

The yacht-racing event takes place between July the 23rd and 26th. Five hundred thousand spectators are expected to desend on the city over the four days.

* Results could affect the AC Match in 2017:  the winner of the round robin phase of racing in 2017, if they make it to the America's Cup Match, carries a bonus point into the Match. Ties at the end of the round robin phase will be broken based on AC World Series standings, so these races are important! -- Jack Griffin, CupExperience.com

acws-portsmouth.americascup.com/en/home.html

RORC IRC National Championship
The final day of the RORC IRC National Championship was blessed with phenomenal racing conditions which the RORC Race Team, led by Stuart Childerley, used to great effect. Three races were held in the Central and Eastern Solent with a solid southwesterly wind ranging from 12-20 knots and brilliant sunshine. The three classes racing under the IRC rule enjoyed thrilling action on two quick-fire windward leeward courses followed by a dramatic reaching start to the final race, in which the overall championship winner was decided by a single point. 

Peter Morton's JND 35, Salvo scored a 2-1-1 on the final day to win IRC Three and the prize of overall IRC National Champion. All of the Salvo crew, including Peter Morton work in the sailing industry in Hampshire but none of them are professional racers. The core of the crew have been together for over a decade and despite winning class at the championship in the past, this is the first time Peter Morton has skippered his team to the national title. Second overall, winning the Jackdaw Trophy was Piet Vroon's Ker 51, Tonnerre 4.

IRC One
Piet Vroon's Ker 51, Tonnerre 4 scored a 1-1-2 on the last day to win the high performance class by a big margin.

IRC Two
Steve Cowie's Scottish First 40, Zephyr showed tenacity on the last day to reclaim the class lead, posting a 4-2-1 for the last three races.

The RORC Season's Points Championship continues on Saturday 1 August with the Channel Race, starting and finishing in the Solent. -- Louay Habib

www.rorc.org

Results

3D Printed Vintage Sailboat Floats The Filament Sea
Click on image to enlarge.

There is a sailboat I have always wanted to build for myself, the Herreshoff 12 ½-footer. Originally designed by "The Wizard of Bristol" N.G Herreshoff and first built in 1914, this boat has become the archetype of small, wooden sailboat design. Inspired by the elegant lines, Joel White, a modern naval architect, developed a shallow water version with a retractable centerboard, named Haven 12 ½. Mr. White's willingness to take a fresh look at this sailboat rekindled a huge interest in the vintage design. Soon, a new generation of professional and amateur boat builders began constructing Havens in workshops and garages around the world using modern techniques and materials, while staying true to Herreshoff's charming daysailer lines.

Unfortunately, due to the time, materials, and cost involved in building a full-sized boat, I had accepted that my dream would probably never be realized. Thanks to inspiration from the #makeitfloat challenge on Thingiverse, I decided to put a fresh twist on this boat using desktop 3D design and printing methods. My boat dreams were going to become real, just on a smaller scale.

I started scouring the web for images to use as visual references for the printed sailboat. Not surprisingly, I had to revise the boat's details to accommodate the size, printability, and purpose for which my design was intended in the same way Joel White reinterpreted, yet respected, Herreshoff's classic design. -- Will Newton

Details:
3dprint.com/81733/3d-printed-dailboat/

J/World J/70 Workshop
San Diego, Callifornia, USA: Prior to the J/70 North Americans in San Diego, a sailing workshop will be held featuring special guest instructor and J/70 expert Willem Van Waay. In a hot fleet like this, learn from the hottest crew in the 70 class. In a fleet this competitive, you really need every advantage. That's why we here at J/World have put together the ultimate coaching team to get you up to speed. 

Willem Van Waay was a regular staffer at J/World San Diego until he went pro. Now, after a number of World and National titles, we are excited to have him back on our team for a couple of special J/70 workshops. 

The clinics will be August 28-30 and September 4-6. Four boats only in each session. Individuals or full teams may attend. Charter boats available.

More J/World J/70 workshop information here:
sailing-jworld.com/j70-racing-clinics/

Prof Peter Joubert Am Dies At 91
Emeritus Professor Peter Numa Joubert AM, who died on 13 July 2015, aged 91, was a man of many remarkable skills and achievements, ranging from being a distinguished academic and noted authority on fluid mechanics to being the only 'amateur' to design a Sydney Hobart Yacht Race overall winner.

A member of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia since 1973, Prof Joubert designed Zeus II, a Currawong 31 which won the 1981 Sydney Hobart, as well as other yachts that won their divisions of the ocean classic. Zeus II is still racing, aged 37, although now restricted to competing on Sydney Harbour.

He will be remembered as a designer of ocean racing and cruising yachts but perhaps more significantly for his role in offshore yachting safety and in road safety, including the design and mandatory installation and use of car seat belts.

An active sailor from the time he grew up in Sydney, Prof Joubert competed in 27 Sydney Hobart races, mostly skippering yachts of his own design which he named after Australian birds, including the Currawong 31 and Brolga 35. More than a hundred yachts have been built to his designs. -- Peter Campbell

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 Adrian Morgan: Rather than querying the nationality of AC crew, we should wonder why no true-born Americans are deemed capable of sailing these machines. From a nation of high achievers, competitive to the core, skilled in so many sports, surely America can must a handful of guys capable of bouncing on a trampoline, after all, they are the World Freestyle trampolining champions (I might have made that up).

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The Last Word
Rudeness is merely an expression of fear. People fear they won't get what they want. The most dreadful and unattractive person only needs to be loved, and they will open up like a flower. -- M. Gustave

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