Scuttlebutt Europe #2234 - 7 December
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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 Ainslie Rues New Direction The British sailing legend, who has won three Olympic gold medals, is fearful of losing his long-time America's Cup dream. He feels BMW Oracle's decision to switch from traditional monohulls to multihulled catamarans might have serious implications for a generation of the world's finest match racers. "I have to say [the decision] was very disappointing," says Ainslie. "Guys like myself have spent the last 10-15 years learning the game and learning how to match race big monohulls in the hope of being competitive in the America's Cup. "It feels like it is all wasted because the game has changed. I think that match racing will be a very small part of the next regatta. It will mostly be about trying to develop the fastest boat possible." Ainslie was the reserve skipper for Team New Zealand from 2005 before switching to the British-based Team Origin after the 2007 campaign in Valencia. Along with previous holders Alinghi, Origin have announced they will not be mounting a challenge in 2013. Team owner Sir Keith Mills cannot see a future with the proposed new format. "As a competitor and a sailor I hope [the new format] can be a success," says Ainslie. "It remains the pinnacle of big-boat sailing and what we all want to achieve. I hope in the long term it will be viable but I have some doubts." America's Cup veteran Peter Gilmour has a similarly dim view of the competition's prospects. "To effectively wipe out 160 years of match racing and go into catamaran sailing is just remarkable to me," he says. "It's incredibly brave and ballsy, especially given the closeness of the event in 2007. "I have no doubt the America's Cup will eventually transition back to monohulls. -- Michael Burgess in the New Zealand Herald Full article: www.nzherald.co.nz Patchy Airs at Sail Sydney
Some surprise leaders after the first day of sailing. Alexandra South, a 2010 ISAF Youth World Championship representative from NSW tops the Laser Radial board with a win and a sixth place. Seventeen year-old South is one point ahead of the world ranked No., Marit Bouwmeester (NED), who opened her regatta with 6-2 results. Beijing Olympian and former Radial world champion Krystal Weir (AUS) is in 10th place. "I was shell-shocked winning the first race, I mean, look at the talent. It was like Christmas came early," said South who went on to explain: "That's probably why I didn't do so well in the second race! It was all a matter of picking the right side of the course in the shifty breeze. Bouwmeester has previously raced at Sail Sydney and described her day as: "Looking back, it wasn't so difficult. It was nice and light, but I was surprised with the right hand shift in the first race - I went left - so it didn't work out." Breezes swung back and forwards between 070 and 090 degrees on the Harbour course. Out on the 49er course, Olympian and double world champion Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen (who won the 2009 Worlds with Outteridge), did not clean up the rest of the fleet In the three races held. Peter Burling/Blair Tuke (NZL) stayed in sync with the Aussies and are on equal points with them. A surprise appearance in the 49er was West Australian match racing guru Torvar Mirsky. After finishing second to the great Ben Ainslie in the Monsoon Cup late yesterday, Mirsky jumped on a plane for Sydney late last night, ready to fill in for David Gilmour, son of match racing legend Peter. David suffered torn ligaments in his foot when it was caught during the 49er Nationals last week. "I heard about David and put my hand up - I really wanted to do this. We had a fantastic day - we didn't capsize once - which was the first goal," Mirsky said laughing. Triple Laser world champion Tom Slingsby (AUS) did not have the sort of day he was imagining; a seventh place in Race 1 and 10th in Race 2. "We sailed on the Sound (Manly). It was sloppy, no wind, choppy and there were power boats coming through our course which didn't help. The breeze was on the right and I was on the left," he said. Race officials had a hard time on Day 1. The 420, 470 and Laser Radial classes were all a little frisky and officials were forced to eventually start them under the Black Flag rule, which soon settled the fleets down, but they were also dealing with having to shift marks to accommodate the shifty winds on some course areas. Due to changes to sail numbers, there are inconsistencies in results that will be resolved on Tuesday. -- Di Pearson The Desire For Lightweight, Breathable Clothing Continues To Grow The technical products not only serve a purpose, they are also very fashionable. With solid color schemes, Hawaiian prints, and multi-functional designs. Check them out at www.camet.com Low Winds, High Drama
In the Multihull Class a battle is emerging between last year's winner, Henry Kaye on Thor, and a new contender to the throne, Andy Pape on Da Vinci. In 2009 Thor dominated the division claiming nine straight wins but this year is already shaping up to be a much closer contest. Old rivals Ray Roberts, on Evolution Racing, and Neil Pryde, on Hi Fi, locked horns once again in the Racing Class. It was first blood to Hi Fi which won the opening race of the day with Evolution Racing lagging behind in fourth spot. The second race provided some high drama with nothing to separate the two boats as they bore down on the finish line. The situation was further complicated by the presence of Hannes Waimer's Team Premier which made for a photo finish. Evolution Racing beat Team Premier by a solitary second on-the-water and finished just four seconds ahead of Hi Fi, which has an almost identical rating. Team Premier dropped to fourth after the results had been adjusted with Hi Fi the runner up behind Evolution Racing. The third and final race of the day featured a far more emphatic win for Evolution Racing which finished comfortably ahead of King's Cup veteran Frank Pong who came in second on Jelik 3. The most popular class at the 2010 King's Cup Regatta is Bareboat Charter which boasts an impressive fleet of 22 boats. Darren Shipard's Bourgeois Tag emerged victorious from the only race of the day but the unpredictable nature of this class means it is likely to provide plenty of thrills and spills before the regatta ends. Matt Allen on Ichi Ban is used to having things his own way at the King's Cup Regatta. He won every race he started in 2009 and is looking to win the IRC 1 Class for the third consecutive year. Ichi Ban did not make the most auspicious start when they were recalled after being on course side at the start but the crew recovered to win the opening race. Yasuo Nanamori's Babe claimed honours in race two consigning Ichi Ban to the unfamiliar position of second place and ensuring that it would not be a clean sweep for Ichi Ban in 2010. The Phuket King's Cup Regatta runs from December 4th - 11th 2010 under the Royal Patronage of His Majesty the King. The Regatta is organised by the Phuket King's Cup Regatta Organizing Committee under the auspices of the Royal Varuna Yacht Club, in conjunction with the Yacht Racing Association of Thailand, the Royal Thai Navy and the Province of Phuket. Christophe Bullens Arrives In Cape Town
The smile on the Belgian's face said it all as he blasted over the finish line at 2.55pm local time in his Eco 60 yacht Five Oceans of Smiles too concluding an epic first leg which saw Christophe overcome several major setbacks including boat breakages and illness. In the last week alone Christophe's yacht took on around a tonne of water following problems with his generator. Days later he hit a whale and the last quarter of his passage has been sailed without a forestay, which broke off the coast of Brazil. Even the final approach to Cape Town was frustrating for Christophe, who had to battle against the 'Cape Doctor', the notoriously strong summer south-easterly wind that blows down off Table Mountain. Blowing at more than 40 knots, it also whipped up a three-metre swell making the last ten nautical miles exasperating. During the sprint Christophe sailed 8,138 nautical miles at an average of 6.79 knots, including stopovers. Scores from ocean sprint one, the first of five that make up the Velux 5 Oceans, will be announced on Friday. Ocean sprint 1: Brad Van Liew finished November 14, 28 days, 1 hour, 51 minutes Imperia Winter Regatta: No Racing on the 2nd Day
Next start is scheduled for tomorrow at 10.30am Twentyfour countries are represented in the 20101 IWR fleet with teams coming from Austria, Belgium, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Lithuania, Norway, Netherland, Poland, Portugal, Russia, San Marino, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerlan, Turkey, UK, Ukraine. The event is organized by Yacht Club Imperia. Top three by class after the first day of racing: Laser Standard Laser Radial L'Equipe 470 Women 470 Men 420 Open 420 Ladies 
Get A Deal On The Racing Rules! To order the Rules DVD or learn more about it, go to: www.LearnTheRacingRules.com First ARC Yacht 'Berenice' Arrives Safely Into Saint Lucia's Rodney Bay
An armada of local boats met the first sailing yacht to finish as the crew doused the spinnaker and hoisted their headsail to round Pigeon Island on the wind to cross the finish line in Rodney Bay. The Berenice crew concentrated hard on their final beat to the finish line watched by staff from the Saint Lucia Tourist Board, the ARC staff, and Rodney Bay Marina Manager, Adam Foster. Local press on board were treated to a splendid spectacle as the yacht skipper Marco Rodolfi steered the yacht across the finish line. Having completed some brief interviews and photographs, the crew reported that their crossing had been successful, with no major damage. Skipper Marco commented "We had some tough conditions, with 6 hours of 35 to 40 knots early on in the trip, but the last three days have been fantastic down wind sailing. We are all very pleased to be here in Saint Lucia." Now safely docked, the crew can look forward to many parties and activities on the lovely island of St Lucia. Unusual weather patterns have dominated the crossing this year, with the much awaited trade winds only now becoming established. The next yacht is expected to arrive on Tuesday, with further arrivals during the course of the week, before a constant stream starts closer to the weekend. Carlos Aguilar Match Race Both divisions started this final day of racing by completing the Semi-Finals, then moving right into the Finals. In the Women's Division, Great Britain's Lucy MacGregor handily beat the Netherland's Klaartje Zuiderbaan (3-0) in the Semi-Finals and the USA's Genny Tulloch bested the USA's Sally Barkow in extremely close matches (3-2) to give both MacGregor and Tulloch berths into the Finals. In the Finals, both MacGregor and Tulloch sparred so closely that after two races the score was tied with each team winning one race. The decider came in the third race when Tulloch took the start and handed MacGregor a penalty at the same time. MacGregor fought back and caught a puff the USA team missed to overtake them at the first windward mark. Tulloch caught up and passed MacGregor on the second upwind run and stretched her team's lead over the Brits to nearly eight boat lengths by the finish. In the Open Division, Semi-Final action saw the U.S. Virgin Islands' Peter Holmberg beat the USA's Dave Perry (3-1) and Portugal's Alvaro Marinho/Seth Sailing Team triumph over the USVI's Taylor Canfield (3-1), thus launching both Holmberg and Marinho into the Finals. Holmberg, Open Division defending champion, didn't let 14th-ranked Marinho off easy and the first two finals races, like the women, ended at an even score with each team winning one race. In the final race, Marinho pulled ahead of Holmberg at the start and held his lead, albeit sometimes a very slim one over Holmberg and his ace crew, right to the end with the Virgin Islander's nipping at the Portuguese team's heels the whole way. "This win is huge for us," says Marinho. "Not only was it great to win the event, but to beat someone as good as Peter Holmberg was incredible. The local guys were very tough. My crew did a great job and I think our success came in calling the shifts right." Women's Division Open Division For The Record Record : World Sailing Speed Record As there were a number of subsequent claims on the World Record during the month-long Luderitz speed event, the Council will announce them in chronological order as they are ratified. This will give due recognition to each holder, even though it may have only been for a limited period. The WSSR Council announces the ratification of a new World Record: Record: World Women's Sailing Speed Record Charlotte is the first women to have exceeded 50 kts. John Reed Minis At Salon Nautique The Classe Mini will be present from Saturday 4th to Tuesday 7th on the stand of the Grand Pavois Organization, organizer of the next Transat. The General Assembly of the classe will be Saturday, December 4th at 1:30pm. It is also here that GPO will unveil the harbor of arrival of the 2011 edition. The Sports Nautiques Sablais present the retrospective of the 3rd edition of Les Sables - The Azores - Les Sables Saturday, 4th at 6pm on the stand Vendee. Transgascogne 2011 will be presented Tuesday, December 7th at 4pm on the stand Vendee. Featured Brokerage Sistership to the famous " Kriter " of the Whitbread round-the-world-race. Built in France by Nautic Saintonge and designed by G. Auzepy-Brenneur, being one of the only five built. Constructed of cold moulded Mahogany and GRP sheathed, teak decks laid on marine ply, laminated mahogany frames, stainless steel keel and clipper bow. Totally rifitted in June 2005. Brokerage through Maritimo Yachts: www.yachtworld.com/maritimoyachts/ Complete listing details and seller contact information at uk.yachtworld.com The Last Word |
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