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Sailing Prowess Spans The Generations
Entries have closed at a very respectable 1,533 for the 2016 Round the Island Race, sponsored for the twelfth and final year by J.P. Morgan Asset Management.
The oldest boat competing in this year's Race is almost certain to be Thalia (Sail #11). Built in 1888, she was one of the last yachts by George Wanhill of Poole who was boatbuilding from the 1850s onwards.
In the 1890s Thalia went to Cork and was raced from the Royal Cork Yacht Club, returning to the south coast of England in 1918. After a more recent stint in the Caribbean, she was bought by David Aisher in 2010, and returned to England for a refit at the Elephant Boatyard in Hamble where a new mast was fitted with new standing and running rigging and sails. She was also re ballasted, rewired and replumbed.
A veritable powerhouse of racing experience and RTI know-how is the seemingly invincible Jock Wishart who describes himself as "Adventurer/America's Cup/Past Holder Round the World Powered Record/Rowed to North Pole/Winner Queens Cup Thames A- Raters". His 2015 JPK 10.80 boat Shaitan is entered for the Commodores Cup as part of the Celtic Team as well as for this year's RTI.
Jock has recruited some serious sailing talent including Thomas Lundquist as Helmsman, a Finn Gold Cup Winner & Olympic Gold Medallist, plus Julian Smith, co-Helm and the 2014 National Finn Champion; Andy Sinclair, Trimmer and Red Bull Youth America's Cup helmsman; Jamie Joel, rigger, instructor etcetera and then these three musketeers, Ruaridh Wright, Peter Cameron and Angus Grey Stephens, all three of whom are Scottish Student Sailing Champions.
The Class 40 Concise 2 features a highly experienced all-girl crew on a fast boat with good pedigree, and as proven time and time again they can mix it up with the front of the fleet. Already confirmed for 2nd July are Skipper Joy Fitzgerald, Sammie Evans, Hannah Diamond and Annabel Vose.
Competitors are invited to the Island Sailing Club at 18:00 on Friday 1st July, for the live Raymarine Weather Briefing, presented by Chris Tibbs, a professional meteorologist and Met Office-trained. Chris will share his tactical advice, giving competitors the latest weather and tidal information. If you can't make it to the ISC the Briefing is also being streamed LIVE to the Royal Southern YC, the mainland HUB Club, or sign up at www.raymarine.eu/rtir-weather and watch the Raymarine Weather Briefing streamed live to you!
First start: 0830 Saturday July 2nd.
Helsinki Women's Match
All of the quarterfinals in Helsinki Women's Match were won 2 - 0. As winner of the round-robin, Renee Groeneveld (NED) can now choose her semi final opponent among Camilla Ulrikkeholm Klinkby (DEN), Pauline Courtois (FRA) and Anna Ostling (SWE).
Thursday morning in Helsinki, Finland, offered a mostly grey sky with occasional showers and in between also a little sun. But the very light wind bothered the race committee and the sailors more, as racing had to be postponed for several hours around midday. Finally the small patches of wind spread out and allowed the last flights of the round-robin to be sailed, but still in very light conditions.
Quarterfinal results:
Renee Groeneveld, NED - Antonia Degerlund, FIN, 2 - 0
Camilla Ulrikkeholm Klinkby, DEN - Rikst Dijkstra, NED, 2 - 0
Caroline Sylvan, SWE - Pauline Courtois, FRA, 0 - 2
Anna Ostling, SWE - Marinella Laaksonen, FIN, 2 - 0
Round-robin results (skipper, nationality, wins - losses):
1. Renee Groeneveld, NED, 10 - 1
2. Camilla Ulrikkeholm Klinkby, DEN, 10 - 1
3. Caroline Sylvan, SWE, 8 - 3
4. Anna Ostling, SWE, 8 - 3
5. Marinella Laaksonen, FIN, 7 - 4
6. Pauline Courtois, FRA, 6 - 5
7. Rikst Dijkstra, NED, 4 - 7
8. Antonia Degerlund, FIN, 4 - 7
9. Susanna Kukkonen FIN, 3 - 8
10. Diana Kissane, IRL, 3 - 8
11. Sanna Hager, SWE, 2 - 9
12. Sanna Mattsson, SWE, 1 - 10
Friday July 1 will see the event wrap up with semi finals and final at Hernesaari (Artholmen).
www.wimseries.com
www.njk.fi/sailingcenter/2016-helsinki-womens-match
A Fistful Of Winners
Photo by Max Ranchi, www.maxranchi.com. Click on image for photo gallery.
The overall regatta lead at the Audi Settimana delle Bocche regatta on the Costa Smeralda has changed with each and every race so far. But by winning the second race today, a windward-leeward, Quantum Racing take a clear two point lead at the top of the standings at this second regatta of the 2016 52 SUPER SERIES season.
So far Bronenosec, Provezza, Azzurra and Quantum Racing have all led the table and the points remain extremely tight. Quantum Racing, with Doug DeVos on the helm, achieved their own points goal for the day. Their target was to add eight points or less from the 12-miles coastal race and one windward-leeward contest. With a sixth and first that was achieved but tactician Terry Hutchinson came ashore chastising himself for some of his decisions that he felt contributed to their sixth place.
"I expect more of myself in the decision making elements. You hate to be the one costing the team points. But at least we know where the problem is!"
Standings after five races:
1. Quantum Racing, USA (Doug DeVos USA) (9,1,3,6,1) 20 points
2. Ran Racing, SWE (Niklas Zennstrom SWE) (2,6,10,2,2) 22
3. Azzurra, ITA (Pablo/Alberto Roemmers ARG) (8,4,1,4,6) 23
4. Provezza, TUR (Ergin Imre TUR) (3,3,11,1,8) 26
5. Bronenosec, RUS (Vladimir Liubomirov RUS) (1,11,8,3,4) 27
6. XIO Hurakan, ITA (Guiseppe Parodi ITA) (6 DNS/13,2,7,5) 33
7. Platoon, GER (Harm Muller-Spreer GER) (7,2,7,9,9) 34
8. Gladiator, GBR (Tony Langley GBR) (5,8,4,8,11) 36
9. Sled, USA (Takashi Okura USA) (11,7,6,10,3) 37
10. Alegre, GBR (Andres Soriano USA) (10,5,9,5,DNF/13) 42
11. Sorcha GBR (Peter Harrison GBR) (4,9,12,11,7) 43
12. Paprec FRA (Jean-Luc Petithuguenin FRA) (12,10,5,12,10) 49
Dubarry Ultima - Loved by Sailors
It's hard to love a pair of boots. They either do a job or they don't. Some will have great grip and others will send you crashing down to the deck like some slapstick comedian. Some will keep the water out, others will leak like a pair of bespoke footbaths. Some will breathe to keep you comfortable, others will slowly baste your feet in their own sweat. Some will look great, others like you've just escaped from a circus.
Even if you do find a pair that ticks every box, that looks good, grips well and keeps you warm, dry and comfortable, you'd still struggle to love a boot. Unless, of course, it's a Dubarry boot. Take the Ultima, with its blend of rich, supple leather and durable man-made fibres, the hi tech GORE-TEX liner that acts like an air conditioner, the award-winning grip of the sole - yes, those are all there, recognised benchmarks of quality, but what you can't see or touch or smell is the soul. Ultima boots have it in abundance because, like you, they change. They gain experience at sea and improve with age just as surely as you do. That's why sailors love them.
Dubarry Ultima - Where will you go in yours?
Aarhus Welcomes Future Stars To U23 Finn World Championship
While most sailors are looking ahead to the Olympics in a few weeks time, for the younger generation of Finn sailors there is still the important matter of the Finn Silver Cup to decide. Nearly 40 Finn sailors from 14 nations and three continents are beginning to assemble in Aarhus, Denmark to challenge for the 2016 Finn Silver Cup, recently rebranded as the U23 Finn World Championship.
Not only is there a new name, but also a new format with 13 races being held over five days at Kaløvig Sailing Club, which is located a little to the north of Aarhus on the western most landmass of Denmark, Jutland. Racing runs from Tuesday 5 July to Saturday 9 July.
The name, and the age limit, of the Finn Silver Cup, for the Jorg Bruder Trophy, were changed earlier this year to bring the class into line with other classes and other sports that set an U23 age limit on their 'junior' events. This year the event has attracted its biggest entry since 2009.
The entry list is also one of the most diverse and deep ever to attend a Finn Silver Cup with competitors from as far away as Australia and Argentina. Not unexpectedly, after the creation of their development youth squad, the British team will field the largest entry with eight sailors attending.
The defending champion is Ondrej Teply (CZE), who took his first title last year in Valencia. Another former champion, Arkadiy Kistanov (RUS) is also back again, and fights on after failing to qualify Russia for the Olympics.
The event will be officially opened on Sunday 3 July, with the practice race on Monday before racing starts in earnest on Tuesday 5 July. -- Robert Deaves
SYRF Offering Data Analysis For Bayview-Mac And Nyyc Rolex Race Week Entries
Newport, RI - For the big boat sailor, self-evaluating performance data has always been a challenge. On-board instrumentation can be a valuable tool, but often needs careful calibration and integration with software programs to become of practical use in developing meaningful performance targets for the team.
The Sailing Yacht Research Foundation (SYRF) is partnering with KND Sailing Performance to offer a select group of boats in two upcoming racing events the opportunity to enhance the analysis of their instrument data. Using the data collected from their instrument logs, KND will provide analytical reports for participating entries that can be used to better evaluate what the true wind conditions were across each race course and to better calibrate instruments.
In this program SYRF and KND will provide a customized performance analysis package for selected entries in the upcoming Bell's Beer Beer Bayview-Mackinac Race starting on July 16 and the New York YC's 2016 Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex being held over July 9-16. After racing, each boat will provide their log files and KND will then process this raw data to create a report of the True Wind Speed and True Wind Direction, along with a graphical depiction of the wind field and position of the boat in each race.
Boats entered in the Bayview-Mackinac Race on the Cove Island course and those racing in New York YC's 2016 Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex may fill out the online interest form through the SYRF Website and contact SYRF Executive Director McKenzie Wilson if interested in participating in this unique program.
Foil Fest Bermuda
Bermuda celebrated the America's Cup with Foil Fest on Saturday, as the three Bermuda-based Cup teams put out the welcome mat for the local community.
ORACLE TEAM USA and SoftBank Team Japan opened their doors to the public for the first time.
The American defender had the wing and boat sheds open, with team sailors and designers on hand to talk about their work.
Sailors from all three teams were signing autographs, teams were giving away kit and posters and AC Endeavour, the youth education and sailing program was giving 'first sail' opportunities to dozens of youngsters, with ORACLE TEAM USA sailors doing the honors.
Artemis Racing isn't currently based at Royal Naval Dockyard, but the team set up a tent and signed autographs and met the community.
By early afternoon, the wind had picked up and the teams took to the water for some speed trials. A large number of spectator boats were on the water to watch as the teams faced off in front of the future America's Cup venue.
SoftBank Team Japan took honors for the day, and earned the right to send a $12,500 joint donation from all of the teams to its choice of charities - The Center Against Abuse and The Reading Clinic.
Team Bridge Smash Two World Records Racing Around The Isle Of Wight
British kitesurfer Guy Bridge dramatically beat his brother in a race around the Isle of Wight by just two seconds, setting a new World Sailing Speed record for the fastest single handed sailor in the process.
The 16-year old finished a lap of the island in just 2 hours, 32 minutes and 25 seconds, to add a new world record to his two British HydroFoil Championships.
He was not the only member of the Bridge family to set a new record on a dramatic day of racing, as his mother, Steph, became the fastest female to ever race around the Island, with a time of 3 hours, 3 minutes and 24 seconds.
Fortunately the teenager's week of racing is not yet at an end, as he will board the Mod 70 boat Concise in an attempt to break another World Record during the J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race, which takes place on Saturday.
The Bridges' Round the Island World Sailing Speed Record attempt was sponsored by Swedish car brand, Volvo Car UK. -- Guy Bridge in the Telegraph
Team Japan Seen Spying On Team New Zealand
The America's Cup might still be a year away, but there's plenty of clandestine behaviour going on between teams.
Team Japan technical director Nick Holroyd was spotted watching the launch of his old crew Team New Zealand's boat earlier this month.
Chief executive and skipper of Team Japan Dean Barker, says it's part and parcel to keep an eye on what everyone else is doing.
Barker says Holroyd's camouflage didn't work too well.
U.S. Approves Boat Insurance For Cuba Travel
Common sense has finally prevailed. Pantaenius, a U.S. marine insurer, said it will offer coverage for American boats traveling in Cuban waters. This eliminates a major barrier to cruising and fishing in Cuba, in my opinion.
Ten months ago, the division of the U.S. Treasury Department that regulates interactions with Cuba under the U.S. embargo announced that U.S. citizens with a legal reason to travel to Cuba could do so by boat - their own boat. However, the regulations did not permit U.S. insurers to offer hull insurance.
Thus insurance issues have proved the major disincentive for the many American boaters dreaming of visiting Cuba. This was true when AIM Marine Group, parent company of Soundings Trade Only, organized a rally that went to Cuba in April and as articulated to us by the many boaters who have sought to visit the island nation on their own.
Pantaenius is a German insurer with a U.S. division. Cary Wiener, the president of Pantaenius USA, said his legal team petitioned OFAC months ago, seeking a change in regulations to allow his company to pay claims that happened in Cuban waters. The problem was an embargo prohibition on paying dollars to Cuban government entities or individuals.
Claire Bateman RIP
The death yesterday of Claire Bateman of Cork has deprived the world of Irish sailing and her own community of one of the kindest, most decent, obliging and quietly yet infectiously enthusiastic people, someone who put far more into our sport and the world of boats than she took from it.
Boats and the people around them were one of Claire Bateman's great personal interests and pleasures, and her many contributions to Afloat.ie were always inspiring to receive. Yet somehow she also found the time to be a whole-hearted wife, mother, grandmother, and partnership supporter of her husband Robert in his uniquely dedicated and gifted approach to photography of all kinds, particularly on the water.
Claire gallantly took on the task of providing the words to go with the pictures, and became so adept at recording the Cork Harbour scene afloat that her narratives became every bit as important as Robert's evocative photography.
Claire was Chair of the Irish Sailing Association's (ISA) Southern Branch for a five year period where her organisation of the annual meeting in Murphy Brewery at Ladyswell was a sailing highlight of the winter months. Claire also served as a member of the ISA's Olympic committee that selected the sailing team for the 1992 Barcelona OIympics.
The unique joint giving of their talents for the greater good of sailing saw Robert and Claire Bateman being made Honorary Members of the Royal Cork Yacht Club, a tangible and very well-earned recognition of the extremely high regard in which they have been held by the sailing community for many years.
Our heartfelt thoughts are with Claire's husband Robert, her sons Robin and Roger and their wives Marcia and Ada, their families of eight grandchildren, and Claire's many friends. We share their profound grief in a very personal loss. -- WM Nixon
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The JPK brand of yachts are world IRC beaters and Lann Ael is a beautiful example of her class. She is complete with an excellent sail inventory and trun key ready to go to the next rega
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The Last Word
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