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47 Trofeo S.A.R. Princesa Sofia Iberostar - Day 2
If Day 1 of the Trofeo Princesa Sofia IBEROSTAR proved a close to perfect, straighforward boatspeed day in moderately brisk breezes, Tuesday's races were much more about being in the right place, in the best pressure for more of the time. And so while there a small posse of top sailors who returned a perfect scoreline on the opening day, such consistency was much, much more difficult to achieve today.

The result table toppers in the Men's 470 and the Laser Radial classes both count all first places - though both Olympic medallists Mat Belcher, and crew Will Ryan of Australia and Evi Van Acker discard their one bigger score, albeit a third and sixth respectively.

New Zealand's singlehanders are showing well so far. Josh Junior and Andrew Maloney now lead the Finn and Laser classes respectively after today and Sarah Winter, counting 2,2,7 to date, is fourth in the Laser Radials.

In the Laser Men's fleet Andy Maloney leads Norway's Kristian Ruth and the USA's Charlie Buckingham. Ruth is part of a strong Norwegian squad who have trained this winter on the Bay of Cadiz with 1996 Olympian Anton Garrote.

Despite the short postponement this morning the regatta schedule is pretty much on course. Three races were sailed for the 49ers, RS:X and Nacra 17s while the other classes completed two.

470
1. Mathew Belcher/ Will Rya, AUS, 3 points
2. Stu Mcnay/Dave Hughes, USA, 5
3. Anton Dahlberg/ Fredik Bergstrom, SWE, 6

470 Women
1. Amy Seabright/Anna Carpenter, GBR, 4
2. Fernanda Oliveira/Ana Barbachan, BRA, 4
3. Annika Bochmann/Marlene Steinherr, GER, 8

49er
1. Nico Delle/Nikolaus Resch, AUT, 11
2. Diego Botín/Iago Lopez, ESP, 14
3. Ryan Seaton/Matt Mcgovern, IRL, 14

49 FX
1. Jena Mai Hansen/Katja Steen, DEN,10
2. Annemiek Bekkering/Annerre Duetz, NED, 16
3. Martine Grael/Kahena Kunze, BRA, 17

Finn
1. Josh Junior, NZL, 9
2. Giles Scott, GBR, 15
3. Pieterjan Postma, NED, 15

Laser
1. Andrew Maloney, NZL, 5
2. Kristian Ruth, NOR, 7
3. Charlie Buckingham, USA, 8

Laser Radial
1. Evi Van Acker, BEL, 3
2. Alison Young, GBR, 8
3. Tuula Tenkanen, FIN, 10

NACRA
1. Billy Besson/Marie Riou, FRA, 11
2. Paul Kohlhoff/Carolina Werner, GER, 25
3. Thomas Zajac/Tanja Frank, AUT, 26

RS: X Men
1. Tom Squires, GBR, 4
2. Vyron Kokkakanis, GER, 5
3. Andreas Cariolou, CYP, 8

RS:X Women
1. Olga Maslivets, RUS, 4
2. Lilian De Geus, ISR, 7
3. Charline Picon, FRA, 7

Full results

Spectacular Day For BVI Sailing Festival - Round Tortola Race
Tortola, British Virgin Islands - The BVI Sailing Festival Round Tortola Race for the Nanny Cay Cup and Nanny Cay Challenge started promptly at 09:30 on Tuesday morning in seas a little rougher than normal due to last week's high winds, and an easterly breeze of 18+ knots. The trimaran Triple Jack, owned by Richard Wooldridge and Steve Davis (BVI), charged off the start to an early lead in the CSA Multihull class, making its way around the island in corrected time of 3:46:38, taking first place overall in the 2016 Nanny Cay Cup.

Penalized by an over early in the start of the CSA Racing Class was not enough to hold back TP52 SPOOKIE, owned by Steve and Heidi Benjamin (USA) from taking first in class. More significantly, however, SPOOKIE broke the Monohull Nanny Cay Challenge record in an elapsed time of 3:08:43, a whopping 21 minutes off the previous record of 03:29:44, set in March 2013 by Peter Corr's Aiyana, an Alia 82. With a new record under his belt, Steve Benjamin, SPOOKIE's skipper, was one happy guy when his boat pulled into the dock after a fantastic ride around Tortola.

The team will certainly enjoy their Nanny Cay Challenge prize: a jeroboam of "Drappier" champagne, sponsored by Tico, a BVI distributor, dinner for 15 crew at Peg Legs restaurant at Nanny Cay, and a donation of $250 to benefit BVI youth sailing, which the team has generously matched.

Renato Faria and his Brazilian team steered his Dufour 500 Ventaneiro 3 to an early lead and first place in the CSA Cruising Class, followed by Peter Hopps' British Sigma 38, Sam of Hamble who have competed twice before with Patricia Nolan's Moorings 445, Seabiscuit from Tortola.

Warvor, the Sunsail 44i skippered by Willem Ellemeet and his team from the Netherlands took first in CSA Bareboat, with Larry Caillouet's Sunsail 50, Mary Jewell from Kentucky, USA in third place in the competitive Bareboat fleet.

Wednesday takes the fleet racing to Scrub Island, located off the north east end of Tortola, for the Scrub Island Invitational. Race start time is 1000 and the exact course will depend on weather and conditions.

www.bvispringregatta.org

No Ordinary Job: World-Class Skippers Wanted
Clipper Skippers Wanted The world's longest ocean race is seeking 12 extraordinary Skippers to lead its crews around the globe in the next edition of the Clipper 2017-18 Round the World Yacht Race. Are you good enough to take on the job?

Founded by legendary sailor Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the Clipper Race gives Skippers the opportunity to tick off the ultimate sailing bucket list - circumnavigation.

Clipper Race skippers are extremely special individuals, able to withstand huge physical and mental challenges to successfully lead their team through Mother Nature's toughest environments.

To apply you'll need to hold an RYA Yachtmaster Ocean certificate [commercially endorsed] and have at least 30,000 miles offshore experience on big boats, but also the skills needed go well beyond the professional requisites or normal job requirements.

As well as outstanding sailing skills, successful Skippers will need excellent people management and leadership skills.

Clipper Race founder and chairman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston warns skippers must be prepared to be truly exhausted, physically battered and mentally fatigued.

Clipper 2013-14 Race winning Skipper Eric Holden added: "A Clipper Race skipper is not a job to be undertaken lightly. It requires your full dedication for 18 months. You will be responsible for the welfare of over 50 individuals as you lead them around the world.

"If you're up for it you will be rewarded with incredible adventures, amazing sailing, and lifelong friendships. To win not only requires top notch seamanship and navigation, but the ability to bring the team along with you."

Clipper 2017-18 Skipper interviews are taking place right now. Click here for the full list of qualifications and skills and how to apply.

clipperroundtheworld.com/jobs

New Irish Cruising Club Directions For Ireland's South & West Coasts Is Published
The ultimate dreamworks for those who cruise the Irish coast, or indeed those who just hope to do so one day, has been reaching distributors and subscribers this week with the 14th Edition of the Irish Cruising Club's Sailing Directions for the South & West Coasts of Ireland coming hot off the press writes W M Nixon.

It's only three years since the 13th Edition was published, but as Ireland emerges from recession, new harbour developments are taking place. And as well, Honorary Editor Norman Kean, ably assisted by his wife Geraldine Hennigan, is constantly up-dating information, and receiving input from ICC members and other interested folk in all sorts of out of the way places, adding to the already enormous shared stock of top class local knowledge about harbours and anchorages large and small.

While those of us who have cruised the coastlines involved many times will find pleasure in visiting old haunts as they now appear, one of two places where the new book has seen detailed fresh research have been that strange unknown area between Achill Island and Belmullet, a large yet secret location where the noted smuggler Captain James Mathew from Rush in Fingal used to anchor his ship in the 1830s, and small craft would emerge from every nook and cranny nearby. Those aboard each currach would be carrying dockets bought from Mathew's agents ashore which, once they reached the ship, they could exchange for punitively taxed goods without any money actually changing hands. It was all extremely businesslike, yet the legendary Captain Mathews was chased to his destruction by the Revenue cutters off Donegal in an October storm.

afloat.ie/sail/cruising

America's Cup Racing Returns To New York For First Time In 96 Years
The America's Cup - which will return to New York Harbor for the first time in almost a century - today unveiled details of its highly anticipated race program, public event village, activity schedule, and local charity initiatives related to the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series racing on May 7 and 8.

The multi-day sailing event will feature the world's best sailors, racing the fastest boats, in front of the backdrop of New York's iconic harbor and landmarks.

Additionally, for the first time, the America's Cup will be bringing stateside its non-profit AC Endeavour program for partnerships with three area youth sailing organizations.

The event village at the Brookfield Place Waterfront Plaza will be open on Saturday, May 7 and Sunday, May 8, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and feature entertainment, vendors, as well as sponsor activity and hospitality, all free to the public.

www.americascup.com

Not Sailing... But A Sailor's Wine Collection
On May 19th, 20,000 bottles of wine from William I. Koch's wine cellar will go to auction at Sotheby's. The blockbuster sale, spread across three days, (May 19- 21) represents close to half of the billionaire's total collection, and was acquired over the course of nearly 40 years.

"He's bought on scale," said Connor Kriegel, the head of auction sales for Sotheby's wine, who organised the sale. "Whenever he saw an opportunity to buy the things he loved, he bought."

Koch's collection, which will be broken up into approximately 2700 lots, is estimated to total between $US10.5 million and $US15 million. There are over 120 lots from the coveted Chateau Latour, including one comprised of six 1961 magnums, which carries an estimate of $US42,000 to $US60,000. There are also over 80 lots of Chateau Mouton Rothschild; one, comprised of 10 bottles of Mouton's 1945 vintage, is estimated to sell for $US80,000 to $US120,000. "That's one of the most legendary wines," said Kriegel. "It's the wartime vintage, and it's one of the greatest wines they've ever made. To see it on such a scale is pretty spectacular."

www.afr.com/lifestyle/

From The Ashes
The Annapolis Yacht Club moves into 2016 with a full slate of activity on and off the water. AYC is operating out of its Eastport facilities as well as an interim clubhouse located at 12 Dock Street in Downtown Annapolis. Members and their guests are warmly welcomed at 12 Dock Street where ongoing food and beverage service, meeting space, and special events space are available.

The Annapolis Yacht Club is more than a brick-and-mortar building, it is a community. In this spirit, a full schedule of club activities and programs is underway. The 2016 racing season is packed with events for boats of all sizes and sailors of all interests. AYC's community fundraising regattas and related events will continue as scheduled. The Annapolis Yacht Club Foundation continues to make grants to deserving sailors and organizations throughout the mid-Atlantic region. The club is accepting applications for membership.

On December 12, 2015, a fire damaged AYC's Main Clubhouse. The damage to the Main Clubhouse is still being assessed. The AYC Board of Governors is committed to re-building the clubhouse in the current location. More information will be announced as it comes available.

www.annapolisyc.com

Women's Sailing Conference Slated For June 4
The 15th Annual Women's Sailing Conference, organized by the National Women's Sailing Association (NWSA), will take place June 4 at the Corinthian Yacht Club in Marblehead, Massachusetts. Through hands-on workshops, seminars and on-the-water experiences, participants will learn or hone sailing skills, and network with other women sailors from all areas of the country. Contributing sponsors include Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) and New England-based Black Rock Sailing School.

A range of workshops includes the popular hands-on Diesel Damsels, Suddenly Singlehanded and Preparing for Heavy Weather at Sea. Others run the gamut from Rules of the Road to Knots to Know. New workshops include Demystifying NMEA Networks, Fresh Water Systems, Ten Things I Wish I Knew Before I Went Offshore, the "Miss" Adventures of S/V Etoile', 'Sail Care, Personalizing your Boat, and Culinary Food and Provisioning. Also included is a workshop on running races and basic race strategies. The Crew Overboard workshop starts with a retrieval demonstration at the float and then participants take out boats and practice the drill on the water.

Conference registration includes a continental breakfast, buffet lunch, dinner, workshops and a raffle ticket. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis and will be available in the spring at womensailing.org

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The Last Word
I was thinking about how people seem to read the Bible a whole lot more as they get older; then it dawned on me - they're cramming for their final exam. -- George Carlin

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