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Brought to you by Boats.com Europe, Yachtworld.com Europe, Scuttlebutt Europe is a digest of sailing news and opinions, regatta results, new boat and gear information and letters from sailors -- with a European emphasis. Contributions welcome, send to Back To Roots Camper, the Emirates Team New Zealand entry in the Volvo Ocean Race, is taking powerful shape. There is every sign, too, that the mammoth yacht will make Team NZ and yachting fans happy campers. Team boss Grant Dalton will use it to reclaim interest in yachting lost amid the America's Cup squabbles and bickering of the past three years. When it is launched, scheduled for April, the VO70 yacht will undergo sea trials but its other early duty will be PR - a tour of New Zealand, starting in Dunedin towards the end of April and working up the coast. Camper has a 31m mast, about the same height as the last America's Cup monohull yachts (which were up to 85 feet long but much more narrow-beamed than Camper). Its broad girth is designed to find the balance between the optimum amount of water contact, endurance and speed. It takes a crew of only 11, with four per watch. Dalton's verdict: "It's a big, powerful boat." Dalton thinks two or three more entries might come into the VOR yet - although it is probably getting too late to build a new boat now (the race kicks off in Alicante, Spain, next October). The rest of the Camper crew will be announced in December. "There could be seven or eight entries, about the same as last time," he said. "It won't be like the days of Steinlager and F&P because there is only one New Zealand entry but we are ... we are getting back to our roots." -- Paul Lewis in the New Zealand Herald, full article at www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10681156 AC72 Class Rule Finalized and Published The AC72 Class Rule moves America's Cup racing to catamarans with a speed potential of three times the wind speed, putting the venerable competition back at the forefront of technology. The finalized class rule represents a tireless effort by Pete Melvin and his team at Morrelli & Melvin Design & Engineering Inc to create a new boat on behalf of the America's Cup community. On July 2, to ensure the rule was created independently, the defending Golden Gate Yacht Club and its sailing team BMW ORACLE Racing presented a two page concept paper to US SAILING and Morrelli & Melvin and asked them to turn it into a fully- formed multihull design rule. On September 16 a draft was circulated to potential teams and the sailing community at large. Since then over 500 comments were received and assimilated by Melvin's team. Many have been incorporated into the final rule. Teams may design and build a maximum of two AC72 catamarans. The AC72s will be raced from the 2012 season onwards in America's Cup World Series events that will lead to the Selection Series and the America's Cup Match in 2013. In 2011, teams will compete in identical AC45's, "the little sister with attitude." This one-design catamaran will provide teams with state-of-the-art wingsail technology and fast-track their multihull racing skills. The AC72 Class Rule is available for download at: www.americascup.com/official-documents Sail Faster And Smarter! Whether you race a one-design or big boat, at the top or bottom of your fleet, you'll find lots of valuable ideas in Speed & Smarts. In fact, when you consider the cost of other go-fast items you can buy, this newsletter gives you extremely good "bang for your buck." View a sample issue at www.speedandsmarts.com/BackIssues/SampleIssue Subscribe at www.speedandsmarts.com 18ft Skiffs Life Members Trophy
De'Longhi took the race by 1m58s from Matt Searle, Archie Massey and Mike McKenzie in Red Claw, with Gotta Love It 7, Seve Jarvin, Sam Newton and Scott Babbage, a further 1m12s back in third place. The race got off to a false start when the original race was set for a west course, in very light winds. A lack of wind halfway up the windward leg, then a massive wind change to a north east sea breeze saw the starter abandon the race a reset a north east course. -- Frank Quealey, Australian 18 Footers League Next Sunday's race is the Mick Scully Memorial Trophy. WOW Cap Istanbul Only 110 miles out of a 1600 was enough to upset the balance on this decisive final race of the French Open Sea Solo Championship. The race was just over 24 hours but effective enough to bring to the surface the talents of some and bring down the hopes of others. Joy and sorrow were side by side for a range of sailors, from the winner of the last day Francois Gabart to Gildas Morvan, who had to leave his hopes of victory behind. Naturally the biggest defeat of the final leg belonged to the skipper of the Cercle Vert boat, Gildas Morvan. Upon leaving Gelibolu he was the leader of the race and the closest contender to the French Championship. But all his hopes melted away in the calmness of the Marmara Sea. As the championship title slipped by him, he had to be content with the fourth place. Jeanne Gregoire (Banque Populaire) was another racer who was disappointed after trying so hard to keep her fourth position following Fabien Delahaye in the general ranking. By the end of the final leg she was 1 hour and 30 minutes behind Fabien. While Fabien moved up two ranks, she went down one to fifth place. Similarly Francisco Lobato (Roff Tempo Team) succeeded in racing mostly in the front lines of the fleet and challenging the favourites of the race. Unfortunately his exceptional efforts didn't result in victory on any of the legs. Especially at the last leg his dreams for the general ranking were also crushed. But it didn't matter. No one has any doubts that the Portuguese young talent will achieve his goals in the upcoming seasons, with the help of all the experience he has gained at WOW Cap Istanbul. Final Top Ten Velux 5 Oceans Racers Settle into Life at Sea After 24 hours of racing, American skipper Brad Van Liew is leading the fleet as they make their way through the notorious Bay of Biscay. Renowned for its raging storms, the Bay of Biscay is actually being kind to the sailors. After leaving La Rochelle in a fresh breeze the sailors have now hit light winds of around six knots as a high pressure system moves in. Hampered by the light winds, the fleet are not expected to reach Cape Finisterre in the north west corner of Spain until tomorrow. It's good news for Belgian sailor Christophe Bullens, who will return to La Rochelle following a 48-hour qualification passage onboard his new yacht Five Oceans of Smiles too. Christophe already qualified in his first boat Five Oceans of Smiles but she was cruelly dismasted on the way to La Rochelle just three weeks before the race start. Christophe will spend a day making final preparations and is expected to set sail from La Rochelle on Thursday. By that time, he could find himself in much more favourable weather conditions than the rest of the fleet. * The Velux 5 Oceans today announced Nautica Watches as the official timekeeper of the solo round the world race. Nautica Watches will provide the official countdown to the start of each of the five ocean sprints that make up the 30,000-mile Velux 5 Oceans. Each of the Velux 5 Oceans racers and race VIPs will also be presented with a Nautica NST Yachtimer chronograph watch featuring a race countdown timer and stopwatch. Being able to accurately tell the time is vital for the skippers while at sea. Knowing the right time is key to being able to plan for oncoming weather systems. Watches can also be used to determine a yacht's position using navigation by the stars - crucial for skippers if electronic navigation systems fail. Seahorse November 2010 Design - Step in the right direction Seahorse build table - Getting under the skin RORC news - Record challenge Sailor of the Month Mini Barcelona 4 knots on the start line, a sun like an August French (in the south ;-)), the atmosphere was relaxed on the water in Spain. 10 prototypes and 7 series boats set off on a course suited to the weather forecast: Barcelona - Palamos - Casablanca - Besos - Barcelona. About 215 miles. Series class results: Proto results: Norway's King Harald Wins The Baltic Irc Trophy The Baltic IRC Series has been set up by the German Offshore Owners Association in cooperation with owners of offshore racing organizations from Scandinavia and launched for the first time in 2010. The aim is to improve the active participation in regattas on an international basis and to encourage the exchange between North European Sailors. The idea is much appreciated: 70 international yachts have participated in the series this year. Within the sophisticated Baltic IRC scoring system regattas are rated higher that have larger registration numbers. The Færdern Race for example is the most popular long distance regatta in Norway. This year 1040 boats participated and sailed about 120 nautical miles south to the Færder lighhouse on Tristein at the end of the Oslo fjord and back. At the departure of the Oslo fjord the yachts can sometimes be whipped by heavy Skagerrak storms. Due to this the Færder lighhouse has a similar importance as Fastnet Rock has for the Britons. Thus, a victory in the Færder race is highly rated. Swan 45 Tarok`s victory at the end of the KDY Autumn regatta, the last race of the Baltic IRC scoring, did not take the top scoring of King Harald V. of Norway. Erik Berth's Swan from Denmark gained the second position with 72.5 points. Andrew Pearce's IMX40 Magnum from Finland was third with 69.7 points. Norway's Camilla, a Cookson 50, owned by Ole Martin Vordahl gained the fourth place. By the way: this fast yacht has a canting keel. The Uijuijui was the fastest German yacht, a twenty year old Rainbow 20 owned by Friedrich Hausmann. The ship had won in the German regattas Warnemünder Woche and Flensburger Herbstwoche that belong to the Baltic IRC series. Based on the idea of many the scoring system of the North European series will be extended. From 2011 on everybody can participate in a kind of "Baltic ranking" which will be independent of the scoring system. Thus the name "Baltic IRC" will be changed into "Baltic Open". The modernized concept takes different rating systems into the scoring without leading to different ranking lists. Additionally to IRC ships also yachts which have been measured by the ORCC or the ORCi as well as yachts measured by national rating systems like Dansk Handikap and Lys can take part in the series. The series is now also open to offshore standard class. Word-Doc: www.stockmaritime.com Speed Sailors Hope To Push The Limits In Portland Harbour Competitors help develop the sport and grow it internationally, to push the limits of other national and world records, including the present 54.10-knot record. Signed up to push those boundaries this year are the legendary Bjorn Dunkerbeck and Zara Davis the current women's No. 1. The course at Weymouth is suited to all competitors from boats to the kiters, so if the wind blows, and they are due a good year, the harbour record set by Anders Bringdal in 2008 could fall. The lack of rules provides the ideal opportunity for both experts and dreamers to build the type of boats which, but for Dakine Weymouth Speed Week, would never see the light of day. There are no restrictions as to who may enter and all types of craft are welcome. The 2010 Dakine Weymouth Speed Week will continue to expand upon previous years' innovations. The event has proved its credibility each year, and steps are being taken this year to further increase the measurement accuracy. The new timing system will run solely using Navi GT31 GPS devices and software designed by Manfred Fuchs from Germany. * Editor: A note from the World Sailing Speed Record Council's secretary John Reed informs that the claims made by the Luderitz Speed Challenge, ie, that their records are WSSRC sanctioned... not so... "Claims from Luderitz are not official. No claim has yet been submitted to the WSSRC for ratification, so they remain 'Subject to WSSRC Ratification'." Typhoon Postpones VinaCapital Hong Kong to Vietnam Race Sponsored since 2004 by Vietnam investments and real estate company, VinaCapital, this 656nm race is described by 2008 winner and regular competitor, Neil Pryde, as "one of the great Ocean races, combining an exhilarating downhill slide with a very interesting tactical challenge that unfolds as the fleet approaches the Vietnam coast …the race that nobody wants to miss". Race Chairman, Geoff Hill, went further, describing it as "one of the best offshore warm water events in the world". The race also enjoys the support of Saigon Tourist, as the race is currently the only international yacht race to finish in Vietnam, which with its beautiful coastline is becoming of increasing interest to Asian sailors This year's entrants, together with Hill, RHKYC Vice Commodore and RHKYC Rear Commodore Sailing, gathered on Sunday for a Skippers' meeting to discuss the weather patterns and likely forecast for the week of the race, and possible alternatives to Thursday's scheduled start. Rear Commodore Sailing, Russ Parker, stressed that "RHKYC regards safety as its first priority for all its events, particularly for its international Category 1 Offshore events. It would be unthinkable to send the boats out in front of such a storm." In considering the potential impact of Super Typhoon Megi in the South China Sea, in particular the position relative to the rhumb line during the race, it was with great regret that the unanimous decision was taken to postpone the 2010 VinaCapital Hong Kong to Vietnam Race. Instead, competitors and RHKYC were fully supportive of running the race in mid-October 2011. The date is expected to be set soon, to allow international entries to plan their racing calendars. Sandhamn Race Week And The Round Gotland Race "Sweden has now a established Sandhamn Race Week as a big sailing event internationally and KSSS wants to attract the worlds best sailors and keen amateurs," said Therese Ahlström, Club Director for KSSS. The Round Gotland Race is the largest ocean race in the Nordic region, often a tough race, attracting both leading ocean racing sailors from even tougher races such as the Volvo Ocean race, as well as hundreds of amateur sailors in the yardstick rating SRS. Sandhamn Race Week and Round Gotland Race will take place in the first week of July in 2011, from the 2nd to the 9th of July, with the Round Gotland Race starting on the Wednesday and the finish on latest Saturday. Before this is the Race Week, which opens the event with the inshore racing program from the 2nd to the 4th of July, with one of the highlights being the Swedish Championship for the Express class. Letters To The Editor - * From Anders Boenaes: Quick comment from a keen Scuttlebutt reader and long-time Seahorse subscriber: How can they call it "The Ultimate Solo Challenge"? I guess the Vendee Globe is tougher, being non-stop??? What's your take? Featured Brokerage This is the most famous of the Ron Holland designs. ALARIFE is the sister ship to the famous IMP that was so instrumental in winning the Congressional Cup. She was commissioned by one of Mexico's top ocean racers after he watched IMP destroy the Congressional Cup fleet. She is a bare bones race boat that has raced here in Bandares Bay and up and down the west coast of the US & MX for many years including a number of International Yacht Races. With a little work she can still be a competitive racer. This boat would be ideal for a performance day charter business or just continue with her racing. Seller would like to have a quick sale and is motivated. The boat has a very breif galley, two settees, sea head, one automatic & one manual bilge pump, VHF radio, folding prop, lots of blocks, etc. and many used sails in verious condition. Brokerage through Vallarta Yachts Sales & Service: www.yachtworld.com/vallartayachts/ Complete listing details and seller contact information at uk.yachtworld.com/core/ The Last Word |
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