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Mid Point Of The Regatta
A day of intense racing on Rhode Island Sound marked the mid-point of the 2015 Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup. The south-south west breeze filled in early in the day, which allowed three races to be sailed in 8-10 knots by the international fleet. Like the standard of excellence established by Rolex, the competition has exceeded the expectations of the competitors.
The first race of the day was won by Ireland's Royal Cork Yacht Club, which they followed with back-to-back double-digit finishes. They stand sixth overall with 49 points. The subsequent races were both won by Australia's Middle Harbour Yacht Club, which bumped them up in the standings from eighth yesterday, to now second overall with 40 points. Returning to the top of the leaderboard is London's Royal Thames Yacht Club which consistently finished in the top-five. They have an eight-point cushion over Middle Harbour Yacht Club.
The racing was intense according to Brad Dellenbaugh, New York Yacht Club's Director of Sailing. "If you missed getting off the line and got forced to the wrong direction on the first beat, you spent the rest of the race trying to catch up. Occasionally one side or the other of the course was favored, but not the same side all the time."
Racing resumes Friday with the winning team determined at the conclusion of racing on Saturday, September 19.
www.nyyc.org/yachting/invitational-cup
Livestream with tracking and commentary:
livestream.com/Degan/Invitationalcup
Francesco Bruni Joins Artemis Racing
Artemis Racing has announced today the signing of Italian star, Francesco Bruni.
Bruni, from Palermo, Italy, is a three time Olympian and former helmsman of Italian America's Cup challenger Luna Rossa. He is one of Italy's most successful sailors having won 7 World, 5 European and 15 Italian championships across different classes, and topped ISAF's Match Race World Rankings in 2011.
Francesco, a former champion in 2013, will lead Artemis Racing's team at the Argo Group Gold Cup in Bermuda next month (Oct. 6-11) , alongside Iain Percy, Christian Kamp and Luke Parkinson.
"Bruni brings a wealth of America's Cup experience, with three campaigns already under his belt for Luna Rossa, and will be a great asset to the team", said Skipper Nathan Outteridge.
Hudson Wight On Board With Lizzy Foreman
The dockside in Douarnenez will be heaving with sailors, their families and supporters as the boats and their courageous skippers set off tomorrow on the gruelling 4,020nm Mini Transat Iles De Guadeloupe.
Amongst the ranks of solo sailors accompanied by only a GPS (without cartography and no VHF) is the British 25 year-old, Lizzy Foreman. Lizzy is on that start line owing to sheer grit and determination in her Mini 6.50, Hudson Wight, and is one of only four women competing in this edition.
Hudson Wight has supported Lizzy as her Title Sponsor for the past two years and her safety and well-being is as important to us as it is to her. She has been using Hudson Wight products for the past two years and is proud to be wearing our HW1s and mid layers for this race, commenting:
"I have now sailed over 5,000 nautical miles purely in Hudson Wight kit; offshore, alone, for up to 12 days at a time at sea. Owing to the OceanVent 3-layer technical fabric, the kit quickly sheds any moisture build-up on the inner layer, even when worn for days on end.
"Believe me, I should know! There's no catch to this lightweight, good looking and high performance sailwear. Forget about tearing up £20 notes in the shower. Get a set of Hudson Wight HW1s. Not only will you stay dry, but there will be cash left in your pocket."
The Hudson Wight team wishes Lizzy and all the sailors competing in this edition of the Mini Transat Iles De Guadeloupe, fair winds and a safe race.
Follow the Race here: www.minitransat-ilesdeguadeloupe.fr
Hudson Wight Performance Sailwear is sold online at: www.hudsonwight.com
Phaedo3 Sets Another Record
Photo by Rachel Jaspersen / Team Phaedo. Click on image for photo gallery.
After breaking the Iconic Fastnet race record by a healthy margin on Wednesday, Lloyd Thornburg and his crew of Phaedo3 wasted little time in sinking their teeth into another challenge. The Plymouth-La Rochelle record seemed the obvious choice and within an hour of finishing their Fastnet course, they were off again, this time heading south. The previous record was set by Steve Fosset on Playstation in 2002, with a time of 16h, 14m, 40s.
Leaving in the darkness of the early morning off Plymouth on Thursday, Phaedo3 blasted across the channel and Bay of Biscay and arrived just as the moon was coming up off La Rochelle. The 70ft tri slithered past the "Marie Anne" channel marker that marked the end of the course and a new record of just 14h 05m 27s. (Still to be ratified WSSRC) Yet another successful night for Lloyd and his crew. -- Rachel Jaspersen
2015 Snipe Junior World Championship - Wind Wins, Racing Abandoned
Photo by Matias Capizzano. Click on image for photo gallery.
Talamone, Tuscany: Strong wind was true winner of day 4 at the Snipe Junior World Championship underway in Talamone Tuscany on Thursday. In the morning, the 36 crews from 11 nations were greeted by frothing seas with winds 27 knots gusting to 37 knots from the southeast.
Given the weather conditions, the Race Committee hoisted and initial 2-hour postponement that then became a 5-hour one. Many were impatient to get on the water, as it is possible to discard the worst result after Race 6. With safety first in mind, the Race Committee lowered the postponement flag shortly after 4 p.m. and the young sailors set out towards the racecourse under sunny skies, a 19-21 knot breeze from the east south east and rolling waves.
After five races with no discard, the provisional scoreboard sees Montoya-Cuenca (ESP) in the lead at 19 pts, followed by Meotto-Cassandro (ITA) at 27 points and by Noguera-Vallespir (ESP) in third place at 28 points.
Meanwhile, participants of the 2015 Snipe World Championship that will take place from the 19th to 26 September are streaming into the Tuscan village with measurements already underway. Front-runners for the 2015 Snipe World Champion tile include Augie Diaz (USA), two-time world champion, Luis Soubie (Argentina), Alexandre Tinoco (Brazil), Raul de Valenzuela and Jordi Triay (Spain).
Gwenole Gahinet Confident For The Generali Solo
Gwenole Gahinet is all systems go for the Friday start of the Generali Solo, the last race of the Figaro Beneteau circuit this season, between Sete, Nice and Barcelona. The young skipper of Safran-Guy Cotten is perfectly prepared for the event, which will alternate between coastal routes and offshore stages, and he is aiming for the podium.
On Friday and Saturday in Sete, 23 Figaro sailors will be vying hard in coastal or tactical (windward-leeward buoy) races. On Sunday at 1500hrs (French time) the signal will be given for the start of the first offshore stage (354 miles) to Nice via Porquerolles and the island of Giraglia (North Corsica). On September 25 and 26 in Nice, more technical courses are scheduled before the second stage (420 miles) to Barcelona, via Port Cros and the island of Menorca (Balearic Islands). In the Catalan capital, the competitors will contest the last two days of racing, on October 2 and 3. The ranking will be finalised with points given according to the following ratios: 4 for offshore racing, 1.5 for coastal courses and 1 for tactical courses.
"The originality of the Generali Solo lies in alternating between short races and long offshore stages," said Gahinet, who is back racing solo after his 5th place in La Solitaire du Figaro.
"On the technical courses, the slightest mistake can be costly. On the offshore stages, it will be full of great discoveries because I've never done such long races in the Mediterranean. The rounds are back-to-back, the pace will be intense. We'll have to step up physically."
Yann Elies and Jeremie Beyou will not be competing but Gahinet will find other big names from the circuit.
www.gwenolegahinet.com
www.generali-solo.com
Don't Miss The Yacht Racing Forum!
The annual conference and exhibition is turning into a "must attend: event, with confirmation of attendance from some of the sport's most engaged personalities and companies. Don't miss the opportunity!
The Yacht Racing Forum will take place in Geneva, Switzerland, on December 7-8. In order to benefit from the early bird registration fee, you need to register before September 30!
The Yacht Racing Forum will deliver ideas and concepts in three key areas that affect everyone in the yacht racing industry: Business & Marketing, Design & Technology and Risk Management & Safety.
Don't hesitate: this will be a great event, both informative and fun, and an excellent opportunity to network and do business!
Quantum Racing Lead In Cascais
Photo by Max Ranchi, www.maxranchi.com. Click on image for photo gallery.
Twice in a row today Quantum Racing stuck to and executed their game plan perfectly. Consequently they won both races today at the Cascais Cup to take the overall regatta lead, three points ahead of Azzurra. The champions elect composed two excellent second places to keep their 2015 title chase on target.
Although strong sunshine made a welcome return and added a late season sparkle to the crests of the big Atlantic rollers, the breezes remained uncharacteristically light and so the challenge for the helms and sail trimmers stayed equally acute all the way through Race 3 - a windward leeward - and Race 4 which was a short, upwind downwind Coastal Race out just around Cabo Raso and back.
Live coverage showing all the action from the race course will run through Friday, Saturday and Sunday and is available on the 52 SUPER SERIES Virtual Eye mobile which is available through iTunes and Google Play on line stores. More wind is expected for Friday.
Standings 52 Super Series - Cascais Cup (After 4 races)
1. Quantum Racing, USA (Doug DeVos USA) (3,3,1,1) 8 points
2. Azzurra, ITA (Pablo/Alberto Roemmers ARG) (5,2,2,2) 11
3. Vesper USA (Jim Swartz USA) (1,6,4,3) 14
4. Spookie, USA (Steve Benjamin USA) (2,1,8,8) 19
5. Platoon, GER (Harm Muller-Spreer GER) (4,5,7,6) 22
6. Provezza, TUR (Ergin Imre TUR) (9,4,3,9) 25
7. Sled, USA (Takashi Okura JPN) (7,8,9,5) 29
8. Bronenosec, RUS (Vladimir Liubomirov RUS) (6,9,6,10) 31
9. Alegre, GBR (Andres Soriano USA) (12,10,11,4) 37
10. Paprec FRA (Jean-Luc Petithuguenin FRA) (10,11,10,7) 38
11. Xio/Hurakan, ITA (Guiseppe Parodi ITA) (11,12,5,11) 39
12. Gladiator, GBR (Tony Langley GBR) (8,7,12,12) 39
Syd Fischer And Ray Roberts Lining Up For 2015 Hong Kong To Vietnam Race
The 673nm race from Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour to Nha Trang in Vietnam, which starts on October 15, constitutes one of Asia's most exhilarating Category 1 offshore races, offering competitors a predominantly downwind race at the height of the north east monsoon.
Several fresh crews are taking part in this year's race, with Race Chairman, Geoff Hill (Custom Smith 72 Antipodes) summing up the fleet thus: "We have a very competitive fleet for this year's Hong Kong to Vietnam race. Whilst small, the fact that it attracts talented and world class sailors like Ray Roberts, Syd Fischer, Matt Humphries and David Witt as well as the cream of Hong Kong's offshore sailors is a great indicator of its quality. It has also managed to snare the Chinese sailing team on ARK323 ahead of the Sydney to Hobart Race, which I believe is a tribute to the reputation of this race as the best offshore yacht race in Asia."
Having set a new race record of 42h 41m 20s with Ragamuffin 90 in 2013, in a race he described as 'a nail-biter', veteran racer Syd Fischer has already entered Ragamuffin 100 for the 2015 edition, clearly hoping to smash his own record.
Fellow Australian Ray Roberts is also back with TP52 Millenium Racing, having missed out on the IRC Racer 0 title in 2013 - Roberts vowed then that he would be back, describing that edition as "pretty hard running conditions with 25 to 30kts, but very exciting sailing … fabulous racing".
Another returning TP52 is FreeFire owned byHong Kong sailor, Sam Chan. In the 2013 edition Chan rued the exciting sailing that cost the boat its A3 halyard, then blew its A4 sail, costing them 30 minutes on the water and leaving them with an inadequate sail selection for the remainder of the race.
IRC Double Handed National Championship
Organised by the Royal Southampton YC, in conjunction with the Royal Ocean Racing Club. The second edition of the IRC Double Handed National Championship will take place in the Solent, this weekend. A huge variety of keelboats have entered with about 40 teams taking part. Three races are scheduled with no discard. The variety of courses are designed to test all the elements of Double Handed racing with a laid marks course, a round the cans race and a long passage race.
Last year's IRC Class 1winner, Paul Griffiths' J/109 Jagerbomb will be defending their title and Paul will be once again be sailing with his son Mark. Jagerbomb has been competing in the Two Handed class for this year's RORC Season's Points Championship, including the Rolex Fastnet Race.
Artemis Ocean Racing have entered four double handed teams racing Figaro II skippered by talented young aspiring short handed sailors. RYA Match racer and 49er FX sailor Mary Rook. Will Harris, University Student and past Laser 4.7 National Champion. Hugh Brayshaw, Silver medallist at the 470 Junior European Championship. Andrew Baker, Solitaire du Figaro sailor, will be racing with Solo Round the world sailor, Mike Golding.
Herbert H. Pearcey
It is with deep sadness that I have to report the passing of Herbert H. Pearcey the renowned British aerodynamicist and member of the British America's Cup Challenge of 1985/6.
Herbert pioneered, amongst many other achievements, the development of supercritical wing sections which allow the modern traveller to travel large distances economically at speeds just below that of sound. . His work was carried out in the 50's and thus, as far as I am aware, preceded that of NASA's Richard Whitcomb in the early 60's.
Herbert's work first influenced the wing design of the Vickers VC10, which, to this day, has the fastest economical cruising speed of any commercial subsonic transport aircraft, which is a testament to the efficiency of his wing sections. His work also influenced the wing design of the BAC 111, the Hawker Siddeley Trident and the Hawker Siddeley 125 executive aircraft. Additionally, his work was also used in the wing design of the first airbus the A300B and it was only when Eastern Airlines, which had number of the aircraft on trial, realised that it was 33% more economical than the Lockheed Tri-Star's it was then operating, that sales of the aircraft, which had been sluggish, took off. He also influenced the wing design of the Avro Vulcan Bomber.
He had been the Principal Scientific Officer, Aerodynamics Division, at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), but when I first met him he had retired from that position and was a consultant at the NPL as well as being Professor of Aeronautics at City University, London. He had been retained by the Challenge to oversee the testing of the output of the design team of which I was a member. At first, relations were not brilliant but slowly a mutual respect developed which became, over time, a very firm friendship and until his death we were in regular contact.
Herbert believed very strongly in the power of intuition and encouraged me to follow my hunches and to think outside the box as he had done in his research work. He gleefully told the story of the mathematicians who had told him that what he was trying to achieve with supercritical airfoils was mathematically impossible and it gave him great pleasure that his hunches were correct and their mathematics were wrong.
As with many people in their later life Herbert was loath to change old habits. Not in the use of new ideas, which his agile mind was quick to appreciate, but in some of the tools he used. We would all turn up to a design meeting with our scientific calculators at the ready whilst Herbert turned up with his trusty slide rule but he still very often beat us to the answer.
Although originally hired to organise the testing and collate the results of that testing Herbert contributed much to the flow of ideas that are the lifeblood of any design or research program. With two competing design teams rivalry between them was often intense and Herbert was not reticent in putting forward to management the merits of our boat latter to become "Crusader 2". At one stage "Crusader 2" was very nearly not built and it was only Herbert's constant lobbying and the generosity of Cougar Marine, who built the boat on speck, with no guarantee of payment, that the boat ever saw the light of day.
When the boat went to Fremantle Herbert was invited out to see the boat perform but he declined because he didn't like flying which makes one wonder what he knew and we don't.
Herbert had the most interesting of lives but he will be sorely missed. Rest in peace Herbert you will not be forgotten. -- Dave Hollom
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The Last Word
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