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Perfect Scores For Trujillo and Krutskikh
Risk management was the deciding factor on the second day of the Finn World Masters in Torbole as local knowledge and Garda geometry meant that there were many changes in position through the four groups as the 355 Finns battled against strong, cold and remarkably shifty winds all day. Rafael Trujillo (ESP), Vladimir Krutskikh (RUS) and Mike Maier (CZE) all recorded a perfect score with two race wins each, while other race wins went to Harles Liiv (EST) and Yuri Tokovoi (UKR).

After a week of non-Garda like conditions, the pattern seemed to be restored this morning with a northerly wind on the lake in early morning. True to form the breeze died during the morning to be replaced by a strengthening southerly that rose to around 20 knots for most of the day, though with some sizeable calmer patches passing down the lake catching out the unwary, or just the unlucky.

Many of the top sailors increased their points score today with now only Trujillo and Krutshikh on minimum points. The random fleet allocation software randomly decided that these two would not meet at any point until the medal race, so if there is to be a showdown it will have to wait until Friday.

Sailing continues on Wednesday, when in a change to the programme, two races have been scheduled from 14.00 after the Annual Masters Meeting in the morning, where among other matters, the venue - Marsala, Sicily or Balis, Spain - for the 2018 Finn World Masters will be decided.

Results after four races (eight more heats) - Top 10 from 355
1. Rafael Trujillo, ESP, 4 points
1. Vladimir Krutskikh, RUS, 4
3. Michael Maier, CZE, 6
4. Piet Eckert, SUI, 7
5. Harles Liiv, EST, 11
6. Paul Mckenzie, AUS, 14
7. Laurent Hay, FRA, 16
8. Gubi Michael, AUT, 17
9. Marc Allain Des Beauvais, FRA, 17
10. Christoph Burger, SUI, 18

www.finnworldmasters.com

The Atlantic Takes Its Toll On The Transat Bakerly Fleet
Click on image to enlarge.

Phil Sharp Mainsail Strong headwinds and waves are taking their toll on the remaining boats still racing in The Transat bakerly. Every day, there are new reports of torn sails, damage to boats and exhausted, sleep-deprived sailors having to spend time bailing water - but all the skippers are determined to make it to Manhattan.

Erik Nigon on the Multi50 Vers un Monde Sans Sida is the next competitor expected to cross the finish line tomorrow evening. Now battling the changeable conditions of the Gulf Stream, a usually cheery Nigon was this morning feeling the strain.

"The last two days have been particularly complicated," he said. "I have left the winds of the Azores High and entered into the big breeze of the Gulf Stream. I have not been able to put my pilot on and I am exhausted. I cannot sleep - I have to stay at the helm."

Pierre Antoine's Olmix today became the second Multi50 to lose a daggerboard to the concrete waves of the Atlantic. Currently in fourth place, Antoine will continue to the finish line in New York.

In the Class40 fleet, Thibaut Vauchel-Camus on Solidaires en Peloton-Arsep still leads the charge, while third-placed Louis Duc on Carac is piling on the pressure from the south. Still fighting in second position, Phil Sharp on Imerys, is having to sail with the top section of his mainsail ripped in half.

* The detriment of yesterday's torn mainsail has been Phil's biggest challenge to date. The event of sailing without a mainsail would result in many more days out at sea with dwindling supplies of food, fuel, and with no functioning desalinator on board, water. Unable to reef and hide the damage, Phil was faced with the risk of total sail destruction from top to bottom.

"Yesterday evening in very strong headwinds, I was in the process of putting the 3rd reef in the mainsail when it tore itself into two pieces near the top. This is very serious as you cannot go upwind without a mainsail, and New York lies some 500nm upwind of me." Reported Phil.

After considerable time attempting various possibilities with what resources remained on board, Phil has found a solution. A temporary structural system integrated by rope. This has enabled the mainsail to be hoisted and used, bar the spectacularly large window.

"After some time spent with the boat stopped trying to repair the sail, I realised such an extensive repair wouldn't be possible with the limited materials on board, so I have rigged up a temporary solution with rope instead that should hopefully get me to the finish line. It is not pretty or fast but it should get us there." Reported Phil.

The first Class40 is expected to arrive in New York on Thursday.

The class rankings at 20:00 BST - updated every four hours

ULTIME
1. Francois Gabart/Macif - 8 days, 8 hours, 54 minutes and 39 seconds at sea
2. Thomas Coville/Sodebo - 8 days, 18 hours, 32 minutes and 2 seconds at sea
3. Yves Le Blevec/Actual - 10 days, 12 hours, 15 minutes and 59 seconds

IMOCA 60
1. Armel Le Cleac'h/Banque Populaire - 12 days, 2 hours and 28 minutes and 39 seconds
2. Vincent Riou/PRB - 2 days, 4 hours, 50 minutes and 11 seconds
3. Jean-Pierre Dick/St Michel Virbac - 12 days, 17 hours, 28 minutes and 7 seconds
4. Paul Meilhat/SMA - 14 days, 5 hours, 5 minutes and 14 seconds

MULTI 50
1. Gilles Lamire/French Tech Rennes St Malo - 12 days, 7 hours, 51 minutes and 17 seconds
2. Lalou Roucayrol/Arkema - 14 days, 7 hours, 13 minutes, 20 seconds
3. Erik Nigon/Vers un Monde Sans Sida - 277.5nm to the finish
4. Pierre Antoine/Olmix - 303.7nm to the finish

CLASS40
1. Thibaut Vauchel-Camus/Solidaires en Peloton-ARSEP - 459.8nm to the finish
2. Phil Sharp/Imerys - 44.03nm to the leader
3. Louis Duc/Carac - 102.74nm to the leader

thetransat.com

Gabart Wins Transat Bakerly, Claims "Grand-Slam" Of Offshore Sailing With North Sails 3Di Endurance™
North Sails On May 10th, Francois Gabart finished the Transat bakerly to mark his first solo victory aboard the 100' MACIF Trimaran. It signified the "Grand Slam of Offshore Sailing" for Gabart, who in just four years has claimed victory in the four pillars of offshore racing: 2012-2013 Vendee Globe, 2014 Route du Rhum, 2015 Transat Jacques Vabre, and 2016 Transat bakerly.

For every landmark win, Gabart chose North Sails 3Di ENDURANCE sails. North Sails 3Di is a patented technology where Dyneema, Carbon and/or Aramid filaments are spread flat, pre-impregnated with thermoset glue, and laid into featherweight tapes. Unmatched in sailmaking, it's a perfect fit for MACIF.

More at bit.ly/TransatGrandSlam

Hat-Trick For Adam Minoprio On Lake Traunsee
The GC32's first ever match racing event, the GC32 Alps Challenge Traunsee concluded on Austria's breathtaking Lake Traunsee on Sunday with a clear victory for the French team, NORAUTO, helmed by New Zealand's Adam Minoprio.

Four teams competed in the four day event, which started with two days of fleet racing. The winner from this got to choose his opponent for day three's match racing, leaving the remaining pair of boats to fight it out. The winners and losers respectively from these matches then went on to line up in the final and petit final on the last day.

Organised by Austrian sports marketers PROFS Consulting GmbH in association with the GC32 Racing Tour, the GC32 Alps Challenge Traunsee was the fourth occasion the foiling one design catamarans have begun their season on scenic Lake Traunsee, surrounded by snow-capped mountains. Austria's 'mini Lake Garda' has delivered erratic conditions for GC32 racing previously, but this year there was enough wind not only to complete the full racing schedule, but also for the foiling GC32s to show off their flying ability.

Teams are now gearing up for the start of the GC32 Racing Tour proper. This kicks off on 26-29 May with the GC32 Riva Cup, held at Riva del Garda on Italy's Lake Garda, where nine GC32 teams will compete.åœ

Results

Finals (match racing, best-of-seven):
NORAUTO v ARMIN STROM Sailing Team: 4:0

Petit finals (match racing, best-of-seven):
Team ENGIE v PROFS I Youth America's Cup Team Austria: 4:1

Semi finals (match racing, best-of-five):
NORAUTO v PROFS I Youth America's Cup Team Austria: 3:0
Team ENGIE v ARMIN STROM Sailing Team: 2:3

www.gc32racing.com

Single Handed Farallones: The Freedom To Go It Alone
Photo by Erik Simonson, www.pressure-drop.us. Click on image for photo gallery.

Farallones The Northern California short handed sailing scene is one of the strongest in the US and presents sailors with a unique set of challenges found in few other places in the world. With the Single Handed Sailing Society as the root base, those who choose to go it alone, can find a number of various events to push themselves to the extent of their comfort limit and establish new ones.

Of the available events, the SSS Single Handed Farallones can only be surpassed by the Long Pac and the Single Handed Pac Cup. For some it is a steppingstone to bigger and better challenges, and for others it marks the apex of their personal offshore experiences.

Be it the never ending stream of commercial traffic entering and exiting the Golden Gate. Large ships, which in many cases, might never see a small vessel in its path, or avoid a collision due to inertia.

The weather. It can blow like stink in the Gulf of the Farallones in spring. Gear busting, mast breaking, white knuckle 25-35 knots with temps in the low 50's and water temps even lower. Or it can be calm and pleasant, which is a blessing and a curse, as moving across the course at sub 5 knot speeds makes for a long day, and a DNF for missing the 0600 Sunday finish time.

Then there are the Islands themselves. A nasty, cold, forbidden remnants from the Sierra Nevada, the last pile of stone before the continental shelf, where the ocean plunges thousands of feet into the deep abyss. There is little comfort there. So safe harbor. No tavern or overnight accommodations.

It turned out to be a fine day for sailing, all told, with 42 signed up, only 8 no shows, leaving 34 boats in 7 divisions hitting the starting line, (31 monohulls and 3 Multis) with just 4 retiring without completing the Rockpile Loop. While the return was lighter than projected, with boats flying their lightest gennakers , the 1st boat to finish, Amy Wells F-27 Wingit crossing the line at a respectable 16:18:42, with just 07:43:42 elapsed. Not too shabby.

The 1st monohull to complete the course was Greg Nelsen's Azzura 310 Outsider, which to the gun, err, air horn at 17:28:30, for an elapsed time of 08:28:30, correcting out by 24 second over Bob Johnston's J-92 Ragtime.

Results By Division

www.pressure-drop.us

French Sailor Rescued From Sinking Vessel Off N.J. Coast
A French sailor attempting to travel solo from New York to the United Kingdom was rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard after his sailboat began sinking off the southern New Jersey coast.

Officials say Olivier Jehl's 21-foot sailboat hit a submerged object and began sinking early Monday about 90 miles off Atlantic City.

Jehl deployed his emergency raft and used an emergency position-indicating radio beacon to alert searchers and sent up flares to show them his location. An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from the guard's Atlantic City Air Station arrived on scene and rescued Jehl, who was not injured.

According to a crowdfunding page to fund the mission, he planned on traveling 2,800 nautical miles in less than 15 days, setting a "North Atlantic sailing record for the smallest boat to make the journey," according to gcaptain.com.

www.newsworks.org

IMOCA Ocean Masters Announce Two New Race Partners
Following the recent UNESCO-IOC partnership announcement, IMOCA Ocean Masters is pleased to confirm innovative Forex trading platform Currency House and intelligent asset management experts SpaceCode as presenting partners for the IMOCA Ocean Masters New York - Vendee Race. Starting on 29th May from Downtown New York, this single-handed sprint across the Atlantic to Les Sables D'Olonne, promises to be an exciting warm-up ahead of the 2016 Vendee Globe.

A final line-up of 17 skippers is registered to compete in the New York - Vendee Race presented by Currency House & SpaceCode. Starting 6 months before the 2016 Vendee Globe, the race has attracted all of the major competitors in the IMOCA Ocean Masters fleet. With seven IMOCA60s fitted with innovative foil technology the race is eagerly anticipated by yacht racing fans around the world.

The race boats will arrive in IGY North Cove Marina at Brookfield Place, Downtown Manhattan from Sunday 22nd May, having raced overnight from Newport, RI as part of the SpaceCode Newport to New York prologue race.

On Friday 27th May, the fleet will compete in the Currency House New York - Vendee Charity Race on the Hudson River, with the winning boat receiving a $5,000 USD cheque to be donated to the charity of their choice. 11am (EST) on Sunday 29th May will see the start of the New York Vendee - Race presented by Currency House & SpaceCode, the 4th leg of the IMOCA Ocean Masters World Championship 2015-2016.

www.ny-vendee.com
www.imocaoceanmasters.com

Shakti Wins De Guingand Bowl
The 2016 Royal Ocean Racing Club's De Guingand Bowl Race was held in the Solent and South Coast of England in highly changeable conditions. During the course of the race the wind direction swung to every point on the compass and the wind strength varied from zephyrs to 16 knots.

RORC racing manager, Nick Elliott, chose a longer course of 123 nautical miles for the faster yachts and a shorter course of 105 nautical miles for the smaller and slower boats, with the overall result being decided on average speed.

Christoph Avenarius & Gorm Gondesen's German Ker 46, Shakti had a fantastic race, taking Line Honours, Class IRC Zero and the overall win for the best corrected time under IRC for the fleet. It is a great start to the season for Shakti. The key regatta for the German team is the RORC IRC National Championship in late June, where Shakti will be competing with about a dozen Fast 40+. Second overall and winner of IRC Three was Arnaud Delamare & Eric Mordret's JPK 10.80 Dream Pearls. Hugo Tardivel's A31 Columbus Circle was third overall and first in IRC 4. However the results in IRC 4 are subject to a pending protest.

In IRC 1, Nick Jones' British First 44.7 Lisa was the winner. Michel Peretie's French prototype Stamina was second with Seb & Michael Blair's King 40 Cobra third.

In IRC 2, Roderick Stuart & Bill Ram's Corby 37, Aurora was the winner. RORC Admiral, Andrew McIrvine racing First 40, La Réponse was second with the Army Sailing Association's J/111, British Soldier in third.

Whilst in IRC 3, Arnaud Delamare & Eric Mordret's class win, racing JPK 10.80 Dream Pearls, was enough to put the French team into the class lead for the season. Thomas Kneen's JPK 10.80 Sunrise was second in IRC 3 for the race and James Chalmers' Weymouth team racing J/35 Bengal Tiger was third.

In IRC 4, RORC committee member, Stuart Greenfield racing Silver Shamrock was second to Hugo Tardivel's A31, Columbus Circle, with Noel Racine's JPK 10.10, Foggy Dew third. Robert Nelson's J/105, Bigfoot was fourth in IRC 4, which was enough to put the Two-handed team in first place overall for the RORC Season's Points Championship.

www.rorc.org

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Shipyard: Harkey Yachts (South Africa), July 1998
Design Botin & Carkeek
Construction Sandwich Vinylester / Kevlar

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The Last Word
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