Clipper Race 7 Day 1: Light Wind Lottery Brings Leaderboard Changes | Ocean Cruising Club Announces Awards for 2017 | "Dasher" The World's First Fully Electric Luxury Motor Yacht from Hinckley Yachts | Fun Forecast for the Tiger Trophy | Tricks for a Better Yacht Race Start | Hardy Cup Sydney International set to illuminate the harbour | Southern Spars at the Caribbean Regatta Season | The Warren Jones International Youth Regatta | The Mercy | World premiere at Sandringham for designer Ron Holland memoir | Featured Brokerage
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Clipper Race 7 Day 1: Light Wind Lottery Brings Leaderboard Changes
A testing first 24 hours of Race 7: The Forever Tropical Paradise Race has seen the Clipper Race fleet make slow progress whilst at the mercy of a light wind lottery. With soaring temperatures to contend with and only a light breeze to fill the sails, teams have been working hard to try and break away from the main pack in patches of breeze.
The lack of wind, which has burdened the fleet since the race officially started yesterday, has kept teams closely together and has also brought about changes across the leaderboard.
Sanya Serenity Coast has pipped Dare To Lead to take first place today and whilst the leading team is beginning to make some progress towards the yacht's home port of Sanya, the light wind conditions remain testing for the crew. Skipper Wendy Tuck explains: "It's hot, the competition is even hotter with yachts all around us, the big Code 1 (lightweight spinnaker) is up, although it had a little rest last night as the breeze was really light and the Windseeker made an appearance for a few hours."
Second placed Dare To Lead is being chased by PSP Logistics, now in third place, for the second consecutive day
Looking ahead, the next 24 hours should provide the teams with some cooler and faster conditions but Clipper Race Weather Guru Simon Rowell explains that the tropical depression which was due to bring big winds has moved further East of the course and is bringing less wind than initially forecast.
Team positions were correct at the time of reporting but are changing regularly so, keep up to date with how the changeable weather conditions affect the fleet as it completes the final 200 nautical miles via the Clipper Race Viewer and hear more from the Skippers and crew on the Team Pages.
Race 7: The Forever Tropical Paradise Race will finish in Sanya Serenity Marina in Sanya, and the fleet is expected to arrive between 21 - 25 February after roughly 23-27 days at sea.
Ocean Cruising Club Announces Awards for 2017
The Ocean Cruising Club (OCC) has announced the recipients of awards that recognize achievements in blue water sailing over the past 18 months. The recipients of these awards were selected from among those nominated by OCC members.
The Club's premier award, the OCC Barton Cup, named after Humphrey Barton, founder of the OCC, goes to Germany's Susanne Huber-Curphey, the first woman to navigate the Northwest Passage singlehanded (west to east 6).
The OCC Lifetime Cruising Award, a new award for 2017, goes to British sailor David Scott Cowper, for tackling the world's most difficult sea routes while completing six circumnavigations.
The OCC Seamanship Award, which recognizes acts of bravery or extraordinary seamanship, goes to Lisa Blair for her solo circumnavigation of Antarctica, which included a dismasting.
The OCC Award, which recognizes valuable service to the OCC or the ocean cruising community as a whole, goes to David Register, lead developer of the OpenCPN navigation software.
The OCC Jester Award goes to Josh Ghyselincks for sailing solo 2900 miles in 24 days from Mexico to the Marquesas in Maistral, an Arpege 29, built by Michael Dufour in 1967 (29 foot LOA).
Details on the awards and recipients:
"Dasher" The World's First Fully Electric Luxury Motor Yacht from Hinckley Yachts.
First launched at Newport International Boat Show, September 2017, it has won several prestigious awards including "Best Powerboat under 35ft" and "Best Green Yacht in Show".
Read more at www.hinckleyyachts.com/models/dasher/dasher/
For European Sales contact Innes McGowan :
Fun Forecast for the Tiger Trophy
It looks like it's going to be a good breeze for this weekend's Tiger Trophy, with a lot of big names signed up already...
With a few days to go, almost a hundred boats are entered for the penultimate event in this season's GJW Direct SailJuice Winter Series. The forecast suggests it's going to be moderate to breezy for both days at Rutland Water for the Tiger Trophy in aid of the John Merricks Sailing Trust.
If the breeze is at the upper end then the youth sailors competing in the 420s and 29ers could fare well, although there's a strong contingent of senior sailors taking part in a big fleet of Fireballs that includes a number of champions. Most notably the evergreen duo of Dave Hall and Paul Constable continue their unbroken run of competing at every Tiger Trophy since it began over 20 years ago. Penny Clark, fresh back from Miami where she coached double Olympian Alison Young to a World Cup gold medal in the Laser Radial, will be steering a Fireball crewed by husband Russ.
As usual the entry list is chock full of champions, including Andy Couch in the Phantom, Charlie Cumbley in the Solo, Sam and Megan Pascoe (respectively International 14 and 2.4mR World Champions) in the Merlin, and also in the Merlin, multiple Endeavour Champions Nick Craig and Alan Roberts. 49er double Olympic medallist Simon Hiscocks could be dangerous in the International Moth if the breeze works out right for the high-speed foiler.
Other classes homing in on the Tiger include a trio of Challenger trimarans and a trio of National 18s including Peter Gray's team who won the Datchet Flyer at the end of last year.
Tricks for a Better Yacht Race Start
In the video below, North Sails expert Mike Marshall talks us through a ten-boat start where one boat, in particular, had the opportunity to contain the fleet and have a low-risk start with just one small decision change. Instead, because they were too early, they had to sail down the line which then forced them into a high-risk starting situation that gave them no control of the race, or their competition.
Hardy Cup Sydney International set to illuminate the harbour
Some of the best Trans-Tasman youth match racing teams will traverse the continent to be part of two hotly contested Australian match racing regattas, one of those the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron's longstanding Hardy Cup Sydney International Match Racing Regatta.
Perth is hosting the Warren Jones International Youth Regatta January 29 to February 2 then a coast-to-coast flight later some of those teams will arrive in Sydney to join the rest of the field preparing for the Hardy Cup, to be sailed February 4 - 8 on Sydney Harbour.
The competition then switches to New Zealand and the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, home of the Nespresso Youth International Match Racing Cup, February 9 - 13.
Twelve youth teams of males and females aged 18 to 25 will represent two nations, three Australian states plus the Northern Territory and eight different yacht clubs in Australia and New Zealand at the Grade 3 Hardy Cup the RSYS first hosted back in 2001.
America's Cup and Olympic sailor Sir James Hardy put his name to the prestigious trophy at the outset and he's still Patron, saying "It is a tremendous pleasure to watch Australia's future champions developing their skills on Sydney Harbour."
George Anyon from the RNZYS placed fourth at the 2017 Warren Jones and the world ranked number 14 is now in Perth with his team endeavouring to better that result. His crew will start the Hardy Cup as favourites.
The five-stage Hardy Cup competition is as follows: stage 1 - a single round robin, stage 2 - a single round robin, stage 3 - quarter final knockout & semi-final knockout, stage 4 - petit final knockout and lastly, stage 5 - the final knockout.
www.rsys.com.au/sailing/hardy-cup
www.facebook.com/hardycup/
Southern Spars at the Caribbean Regatta Season
The upcoming regattas include the RORC Caribbean 600, the St Barths Bucket Regatta, with Southern Spars proud to be an official Friend of the Bucket, and also Les Voiles de St Barths. During which some of the world's elite racing yachts and high performance superyachts will be showcased, sporting Southern Spars rigs.
The RORC Caribbean 600 already has over 80 entries for the 10th edition of this Caribbean classic, including Southern Spars rigged Proteus, the Maxi72 who scored a second overall last year, and Rambler 88 who won Monohull line honours also carrying a full set of Southern Spars rig and ECsix rigging. Superyachts that will be competing include the Dixon 100 Danneskjold and the Southern Wind 102 Farfalla, who both also sport a Southern Spars package.
As well as witnessing first-class racing, at all three of these regattas you will be able to receive first-class service with Rig Pro, Southern Spars' service division. They will be present for any yacht that needs professional and comprehensive repair or maintenance.
The Warren Jones International Youth Regatta
A really tough day for Race Management on day 3 of the Warren Jones Interna-tional Youth Regatta with shifting light winds all day on Perth Waters. PRO Kim Laurence and his team were fully tested as the faint breeze flicked around from East to South and back playing havoc with course setting. This coupled with high and low tides due to the new full moon provided a new test for the 12 teams.
The crews have been bashed by two days of medium to strong breezes which ben-efitted the bigger stronger teams however the lighter crew combinations added a new dynamic to racing today. A number of teams have mixed male / female crews and two teams have very young tacticians learning from the best of youth skippers.
Will Boulden and his Alpha Racing Team from Royal Freshwater Bay YC continues to tick off the wins in Round 2 with 14 year old Will Drew riding as after-guard. The two Will's stand at 4 wins and no losses in Round 2.
Jelmer van Beek and Team Dutch Wave have Arienne van de Loosdrecht working the pit and 13 year old Jared Clark on the back of the boat. Jelmer's team won all three matches raced today to be in the mix for a semi-final spot.
Round Robin 2 matches continue on Thursday with a start time of 1230hrs (local time). -- Jonny Fullerton
1. Will Boulden, AUS, 10-1
2. Harry Price, AUS, 8.5-2
3. Jelmer van Beek, NED, 8-3
4. Mark Spearman, AUS, 7-4
5. James Hodgson, AUS, 6-5
6. George Anyon, NZL, 5-6
7. James Wilson, NZL, 5-6
8. Nick Egnot-Johnson, NZL, 4-7
9. Conor Nicholas, AUS, 4-7
10. Ethan Prieto-Low , AUS, 3-8
11. Clare Costanzo, AUS, 2.5-8
12. Marcello Torre, AUS, 1-10
Full Standings:
www.swanriversailing.com/warrenjonesregatta-results/
www.facebook.com/WarrenJonesRegatta/
The Mercy
The latest sailing movie hitting the screens around the world is a well-known and ever-intriguing story with deep undertones relevant to society in general.
'The Mercy' takes its title from the last words written by Donald Crowhurst before he disappeared off his yacht Teignmouth Electron while competing in the first ever single-handed, non-stop race around the world. Starring Colin Firth and Rachel Weisz these two actors bring to life a tragic story that had its beginnings well before Crowhurst decided to fake his circumnavigation that slowly led to his mania and probable suicide.
Using this movie launch as a backdrop, Australian sailing magazine Cruising Helmsman has commissioned a psychologist and long-term cruiser to pen an article for its March issue discussing the causes and path taken by Crowhurst during his life and that final, tragic sail. Also included are the mental health danger signs all sailors should keep a weather eye out in themselves and fellow crewmembers when out at sea.
As a collaboration the producers have kindly offered Cruising Helmsman 10 double passes to see the movie in Australia when it launches on March 8. All you have to do is 'like' the magazine's Facebook page and post in 25 words or less: what keeps you sane when at sea?
Following that article is an account of possibly the polar opposite of Crowhurst, Bernard Moitessier who also competed in the same race but famously pulled out to continue his trek back to the beloved French Pacific.
The subject of mental health holds a special place for Cruising Helmsman editor Phillip Ross. He regularly attends a social game of touch football in his neighbourhood, the members of which have recently been touched by the loss of two players to suicide from mental illness. He and his fellow players, deciding to try and do something to assist, set up a 12 hour marathon touch football match. Named The Hope Challenge in honour of the last player to suicide, Dr Rick Hope.
The idea is that players register and gather sponsorships for each hour they manage to play the game during the 12 hour period. The first game in 2016 had an objective of raising AU$10000 for the Australian Black Dog Institute, a research and educational charity for mental health disorders.
They thought this would be a good target. What occurred was 210 players raising over $45000 in just 12 hours. Such a fantastic result that they decided to make it an annual event and Ross would like everyone to know it is on again on the 25th March.
Its website, where anybody can sponsor a player or make a donation, is about to go live in next week: www.thehopechallenge.com.au
The Hope Challenge logo is designed to highlight one of its major philosophies: the black dog is dwarfed by its white dog 'shadow' in the hope that all mental health disorder sufferers come to realise that the disease they suffer is but one part of what makes them human. The white dog also symbolises the support that is readily available from medical to loved ones, family, friends and the wider community.
Always strive for Hope, that is the Challenge. If you or someone you know suffers then contact your local GP or helplines for support and treatment.
World premiere at Sandringham for designer Ron Holland memoir
Celebrated yacht designer Ron Holland drew his first yacht at 19 years of age and rapidly made a name for himself as one of the most successful and sought-after designers in the highly competitive world of international ocean racing, before advancing to bigger things.
Holland's seminal influence on the then-new category of superyachts, those toys of the rich and super-rich, brought him fresh success, and an introduction to a world of fascinating personalities: business tycoons, royalty and rock stars. For over 50 years Ron's innovative designs have repeatedly shaken up the world of sailing.
His memoir 'All The Oceans - designing by the seat of my pants' is being launched in Australia in February 2018.
Join us for the world premiere book launch at Sandringham Yacht Club where Holland will share tales from his new book and give insights into being one of the world's leading yacht designers.
The book will be available to purchase ($75 RRP) on the evening and you will have the opportunity to have your book signed after the presentation.
Event Details:
Guest Speaker: Ron Holland - world premiere book launch
Venue: Port Phillip Room, Sandringham Yacht Club, Jetty Road, Sandringham Victoria
Date: Wednesday 21 February 2018 No RSVP required, all welcome
Time: 7:30pm
Alternatively:
Night with Special Guest Ron Holland
Royal Yacht Club of Victoria, 120 Nelson Place, Williamstown
Tickets: $55 includes dinner - phone: (03) 9397 1277
Date: Thursday 22nd February
Time: 7pm
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The Donovan 26 OD is an evolution of the successful GP26 built by Wrace Boats
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
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+1.410.268.1001
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See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
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+44 (0) 1590 679 222
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See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
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nautorswanbrokerage.com
See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/
The Last Word
Tolerance implies no lack of commitment to one's own beliefs. Rather it condemns the oppression or persecution of others. -- John F. Kennedy
Editorial and letter submissions to
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