In This Issue
CQS Second; Dongfeng first VO65; IMOCA Triumph for SMA | V and B prevails in the Class 40s | IRC Fleets | Pierre Casiraghi and Boris Herrmann take 3rd on their 1st Fastnet | A new breed of carbon racer | Chicago To Host World Match Racing Tour American Stopover | North Sails Clients Claim 16 Divisions At Cowes Week | Hamble Classics meets Antigua Classics | Kinsale set for Half Ton Classic showdown | Clipper Fleet Heads to Liverpool | Extreme Sailing Series Hamburg | Featured Brokerage
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CQS Second; Dongfeng first VO65; IMOCA Triumph for SMA
The Volvo Ocean 65 Dongfeng, skippered by Charles Caudrelier of France clinched a hard-fought class win in the 47th biennial Rolex Fastnet Race with just a 54 second lead on VO65 MAPFRE
Some of the world's most high profile ocean racing yachts arrived in Plymouth in the early hours of this morning at the end of the Rolex Fastnet Race.
Following Rambler, Ludde Ingvall's 100ft maxi CQS and Nikata, (at 115ft LOA, the longest yacht in the race), came the fleet of seven identical VO65s competing on Leg Zero of the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race. However, in an exceptional performance, arriving before all of these fully crewed heavyweights was a nimble French two handed IMOCA 60.
Paul Meilhat and Gwenole Gahinet on the SMA crossed the Plymouth finish line at 03:24:02 UTC this morning, after an exceptional Rolex Fastnet Race. Their boat, formerly the 2012-3 Vendee Globe winner MACIF, was the last of the 'conventional' IMOCA 60s fitted with daggerboard before the new semi-foiling breed was introduced for the 2016-7 solo non-stop round the world race.
As expected, the Volvo Ocean Race fleet sailed as close a race as any leg of the event proper. During the race at least four of the seven boats led at various times and there were numerous lead changes as the boats weaved their way in along the shore or out to sea, playing shifts as sailors would on an inshore race. As expected, the two boats hogging the limelight were the Charles Caudrelier-skippered Dongfeng Race Team and MAPFRE, led by two time Olympic 49er gold medallist and multiple round the world sailor Xabi Fernandes. The new Team Akzonobel came close to leading the VO65s around the Fastnet Rock, but were overtaken by Dongfeng Race Team.
"The one design aspect makes the racing very, very close," observed Caudrelier. "Also the teams are very strong and on each you have a very good navigator, so even if the race was very complicated everyone did a nice job. We were ahead at the beginning, but we lost the lead many times and we came back. It also was very difficult, especially over the last day with the clouds - I have never seen such big shifts as that. We dropped back to last, came back to first, etc. It was a very difficult day."
Track the fleet in the Rolex Fastnet Race: cf.yb.tl/fastnet2017
www.rolexfastnetrace.com
V and B prevails in the Class 40s
Aside from the Volvo Ocean Race seven, another tight competition in the Rolex Fastnet Race has been between the twenty six Class40s racing.
These boats are designed to a box rule created in France in the early 2000s. With more than 150 examples launched in the last 13 years, it is also highly international with boats competing from crews as far afield as Oman, South Africa and Japan, ranging from professionals (both old timers and budding youngsters) to enthusiastic amateurs.
The Class40 leaders arrived in Plymouth this afternoon, with victory finally going to V and B skippered by Frenchman Maxime Sorel. He arrived at 14:32 after 3 days 3 hours and 22 minutes.
According to Sorel they had been swapping the lead with Imerys, skippered by Jersey's Phil Sharp down the Channel but, "after Wolf Rock it became difficult for us - we had no wind on two occasions and then we lost second place." By giving the Bishop Rock TSS a wider berth than the front runners, V and B was able to pull into the lead, which she held to the finish.
Racing on board V and B was Sam Manuard, the boat's designer, also an accomplished sailor and possibly another reason for their victory. The latest v3 incarnation of Manuard's Mach 40 is a powerful reaching machine and they proved untouchable between Bishop Rock and the finish.
Arriving on the heels of V and B was a fight between two of the more comfy racer cruiser catamarans, the TS42 Guyader Gastonomie of Christian Guyader, narrowly beaten on the water by the larger HH66 R-six of Pole Robert Szustkowski. On board the former was 2015 outright Rolex Fastnet Race winner Gery Trentesaux. He was pleased they had arrived within five minutes of their substantially bigger rival and ahead of all but one Class40, despite the predominantly upwind race.
IRC Fleets
The boats in IRC One are due to arrive Thursday with Jean Claude Nicoleau and Nicolas Loday's Grand Soleil 43 Codiam and the Mylius 15e25 Ars Una skippered by Vittorio Biscarini both vying for victory.
Runaway leader in IRC Two remains Gilles Fournier and Corinne Migraine's J/133 Pintia with Nick and Suzi Jones' First 44.7 Lisa, skippered by RORC Commodore Michael Boyd currently in second and another seasoned campaigner, Ross Applebey's Scarlet Oyster in third.
IRC Three and Four are again being dominated by the French-built JPKs. In the former is a very tight battle between the JPK 10.80s, Marc Alperovitch's Timeline and Stephen Hopson's Blue Note, while in the latter it is between two JPK 10.10s the Loisin father and son's 2013 winner, Night and Day and Noel Racine's Foggy Dew.
Pierre Casiraghi and Boris Herrmann take 3rd on their 1st Fastnet
For their first outing in the Rolex Fastnet Race, Pierre Casiraghi and Boris Herrmann clinched a well-deserved 3rd in the IMOCA 60' category on Malizia II, covering the 608nm course from Cowes to Plymouth via Fastnet lighthouse in 2 days 17 hours 55 minutes 11 seconds.
It's also a first for a boat flying the Yacht Club de Monaco colours, and an excellent result given that three of the nine IMOCA 60s competing were on the podium of the last Vendee Globe. Early on, the Monegasque duo opted to go up the west side of the Traffic Separation Scheme off Land's End, north to the Celtic Sea. It was a bold decision that saw them catch the group led by group winner SMA, caught out by a lull in the wind.
Neck and neck with the top three on the long downwind leg to Plymouth, Malizia II played their cards right, taking full advantage of a 15-knot north-westerly to slip leeward of Generali and Initiatives Cœur and take 3rd.
"We never dreamed of such a result, especially as we only had two days training together beforehand. But we sailed intuitively and never stopped attacking – we didn't sleep for the last 24 hours!"
There's no let-up for Team Malizia as Boris Herrmann, again on the IMOCA 60', heads to Sicily for the 13th Palermo-Montecarlo on 21st August. Organised by the Circolo della Vela Sicilia, Yacht Club de Monaco and Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, this 500nm race counts as the fourth and final stage of the Mediterranean Maxi Offshore Challenge.
A new breed of carbon racer
For racing sailors seeking action packed, high level, fast performance, Grand Prix 40 footer style racing at a fraction of the cost, the BR31 offers similar features and feel.
This high-end, affordable, semi-custom racer, from Ben Rogerson Yacht Design has been optimized so you can compete under ORC or DLR, and as a highly competitive HP30 Class contender.
Designed for a maximum crew of seven, and packed with many of the features found at the top of the sport. The BR31 appeals to sailors seeking to make the step up from smaller sports boats, and those wanting a smaller and exciting alternative within IRC & ORC racing.
- High quality construction and British build
- Lightweight carbon fibre construction
- Fast competitive IRC & ORC racing
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- Estimated IRC Tcc: 1.14
www.bryd.uk/yacht-designs/br31
Chicago To Host World Match Racing Tour American Stopover
The fifth championship level stop on the 2017 World Match Racing Tour will take place September 26th-October 1st on the Chicago lakeshore in front of Navy Pier. Chicago Match Race Center and Chicago Yacht Club return as co-hosts for the 2017 season stopover after organizing successful Tour events in 2012, 2013 and 2014.
Chicago's hosting of the Louis Vuitton Americas Cup World Series in 2016, thrilled Midwest sports fans with the excitement of high-performance catamaran racing for the first time with Lake Michigan proving to be a world-class venue for sailboat racing. With a turnkey infrastructure in place and a skyline that is second to none, hosting the World Match Racing Tour event this fall will bring back stadium racing to the America's Cup racecourse.
The World Match Racing tour has been a forum for the next generation of America's Cup champions to learn and refine their craft including the 35th America's Cup Champion Peter Burling who won some of his first multi-hull match races in a WMRT qualifying event earlier this year.
The racecourse will be located just off the end of Navy Pier with the city landmark offering unrivalled viewing opportunities for spectators. In addition to the WMRT Tour Card holders, qualifiers from Coconut Grove Cup and Croatia Match Cup will be invited to the event as well as Wild Card positions which will be announced in the coming weeks. As ever the action will be covered in full on wmrt.com
North Sails Clients Claim 16 Divisions At Cowes Week
This year with 34 classes spanning PHRF to offshore racers, Cowes showed her true colors, and her thousands of competitors made history on the race course. North Sails clients dominated podium positions in both IRC and One Design racing, including the Class 40+, IRC0 - IRC4, Dragons, Etchells and more, overall winning 16 divisions in total.
History was made by Spanish Volvo Ocean Race team MAPFRE, when they completed the 50 mile course around the Isle of Wight in 3 hours, 13 minutes and 11 seconds, setting a new outright Around Isle of Wight world record by a monohull yacht.
Hamble Classics meets Antigua Classics
Thalia. Photo by Jonty Sherwill. Click on image to enlarge.
The Hamble Classics will be welcoming a special guest to this year's regatta over the weekend of September 16-17th. That guest is Jane Coombs, who, together with her late husband Kenny Coombs, created the Antigua Classics Regatta, an event that has been going for 30 years and become a benchmark for other classic regattas around the globe.
At the Hamble Classics Jane will be sailing aboard David Aisher's 1888 gaff cutter 'Thalia', a yacht she knows well having awarded her with the Concours d'Elegance prize at the Antigua Classics in 2008. David Aisher bought the yacht in 2010, and returned her to the Solent for an extensive refit and re-rigging at the Elephant Boatyard on the River Hamble.
In response to David's invitation Jane commented : "Thalia was my favourite Concours winner of all time. The judges and I were enthralled with her beauty and story. I will look forward to sailing with you".
All types of classic yachts of pre-1971 design are invited to enter this year's Hamble Classics, plus invited production yachts including Folkboats, SCOD, Twister, Contessa 26 and 32, Rustler 31, She 31, Nicholson 32, 35 & 36, Cal 40, S&S Swans and Spirit Yachts. Owners of other classic style GRP yachts are requested to make contact with the sailing office. Full details of the social programme, the Notice of Race and online entry can be found at: www.royal-southern.co.uk/Afloat/2017/Hamble-Classics
The current live list of entries is available to view at: yachtscoring.com
Kinsale set for Half Ton Classic showdown
With a 21-strong record entry, three new boats, a formidable defending title-holder and a two-times runner-up all in the mix, next month's Euro Car Parks Half Ton Classics Cup has all the ingredients for a memorable championship (Sunday 13th to Friday 18th August 2017, Kinsale YC, Ireland).
New owner Phil Plumtree will carry on Swuzzlebubble's pedigree and will be aiming to make 2017 her third title win since successfully launching in 2014 under Peter Morton. Greg Peck followed this with victory again in 2016 so on paper appears to present a huge challenge and a good reason to be the bookies favourite.
But three new boats represent unknown challenges and include Checkmate XVIII owned by Nigel Biggs, Paul Wayte's brand new un-raced Headhunter and Kinsale's own George Radley whose new Half Tonner Cortegada should have the edge for local knowledge.
However, a handful of other contenders could yet upset the form guide.
Trastada from Scotland also has a strong track-record as does General Tapioca from Belgium that has several titles under her belt. The Kinsale championship represents unfinished business for Paul Pullen's gorgeous Falmouth entry Miss Whiplash who has been runner-up for the last two years and he will be on a mission to take the Cup in 2017. There are also six Irish boats participating, all of whom have had success but Dave Cullen's recent victories on Checkmate XV at Dun Laoghaire Week and the Sovereigns Cup places him best of the home fleet.
Amongst the six nations taking part, Finland will be represented by Superhero that is campaigned by long-standing Finnish Sailors Toni Stoscheck and Janne Tukolas.
Clipper Fleet Heads to Liverpool
Today the Clipper 2017-18 Round the World Yacht Race fleet began its delivery to Liverpool, ahead of Race Start on Sunday 20 August.
Locals turned out on both sides of Portsmouth Harbour to bid the Clipper Race fleet, Skippers, and crew farewell, as they began the almost 500 nautical mile delivery to Albert Dock in the vibrant heart of Liverpool's world-famous UNESCO waterfront.
The twelve matched Clipper 70 ocean racing yachts are due to arrive in Liverpool on Monday 14 August, and after a white sail parade of the fleet on the Mersey, the teams will be treated to an Official Civic Welcome ceremony.
The arrival will also coincide with the official opening of the Clipper Race Village. The six days of entertainment and activities will include open boat tours, crew presentations, and displays and exhibitions from Official Clipper Race Partners and Suppliers.
Race Start on Sunday 20 August will begin with a Departure ceremony at 0915 in Albert Dock, and after a spectacular parade of sail on the River Mersey, the start gun at 1230 will mark the start of the eleven month, 40,000 nautical mile circumnavigation.
The first of eight legs that make up the Clipper Race, the Atlantic Trade Winds Leg, will see the twelve teams race from Liverpool to Punta del Este, Uruguay. At around 6,400 nautical miles, this will be the longest opening leg in the 21 year history of the Clipper Race.
Extreme Sailing Series Hamburg
The Extreme Sailing Series returns to Hamburg for the third successive year, from 10 - 13 August, for the fifth Act of the 2017 season which will be presented by the Series' Exclusive Automotive Partner, Land Rover.
The iconic British 4x4 manufacturer has been a partner of the Series since 2013, with the Extreme Sailing Series providing a natural platform to showcase the Land Rover brand through its unique sponsorship opportunities, both in the public Race Village and the VIP Extreme Club.
Land Rover's commitment to the Series extends to its sponsorship of two of the Series' full-season entries, Land Rover BAR Academy and Red Bull Sailing Team.
Act 5, Hamburg, presented by Land Rover, starts on 10 August with a day dedicated to media. The free-entry Race Village, which is located at the Hamburg HafenCity Cruise Centre (Chicagokai), will be open to the public from 11 - 13 August, providing front row seats for GC32 Stadium Racing along with plenty of on-shore entertainment.
* Stevie Morrison returns to Extreme Sailing Series for Hamburg showdown
A second British-flagged squad has entered Act 5, as the Extreme Sailing Series returns to Hamburg's River Elbe from tomorrow, presented by Land Rover. The wildcard entry, Team Extreme, will be skippered by British Olympian Stevie Morrison.
The star of the show among Morrison's international crew is local German hot-shot Linov Scheel, a 20-year-old 49er campaigner from Kiel, who will make his debut in the Extreme Sailing Series as bowman.
British sailor Tom Buggy brings valuable experience to the table as headsail trimmer, having competed in the Series as part of many wildcard crews, including in the previous Act in Barcelona.
Morrison draws on some fellow Olympic veterans to complete the crew, in the form of Portuguese duo Frederico Melo and Luís Brito, who both sailed last season on board Visit Madeira.
Racing kicks off at 13:30 UTC+2 Thursday and fans can follow the action online via the live blog for the first two days. Racing will be streamed live on the official Facebook and YouTube channels from 13:30 - 17:00 UTC+2 on 12 and 13 August.
Featured Brokerage
2005 TP52 - ORLANDA. 199,950 EUR. Located in East Coast, Italy.
Original spec TP52 that has had a 2013 refit, including new paint, and has been little used since. Full offshore interior with heads and galley.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
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Ben Cooper
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2007 X-46 - VITAMINA X. 190000 EUR. Located in West Coast, Italy.
3-cabin version of this popular X-46 performance cruiser. With super cool carbon rig, she has been well looked after and is well equipped for coastal cruising. She has spent her life in the Med being well cherished.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
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Ben Cooper
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2008 Corby 36 - Stratisfear. 95000 EUR. Located in Pwhelli, Wales.
The pocket rocket "Stratisfear" is now available for the 2017 season and as ever with these Corby designs, they come with IRC potential in abundance.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
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Sam Pearson - Ancasta Port Hamble
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See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/
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