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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 Rolex Yachtsman & Yachtswoman Of The Year Established in 1961 by US SAILING and sponsored by Rolex Watch, U.S.A. since 1980, the annual presentation of US SAILING's Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year awards are considered the sport's ultimate recognition of an individual's outstanding on-the-water achievements for the calendar year. Over its history the coveted award has been presented to 39 men and 32 women. 2010 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year: Stan Honey (Palo Alto, Calif.), previously nominated for the Rolex Yachtsman of the Year Award in 2006 as the Volvo Ocean Race winning navigator aboard ABN Amro One, was cited as "one of the most outstanding offshore sailors known world-wide" by a member of the award's selection panel that recognized him as the 2010 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year. Honey becomes the second American in the history of the award to receive the honor for the fastest circumnavigation of the globe. Having been shortlisted for the Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year Award for the sixth consecutive year, Snipe Women's World Champion Anna Tunnicliffe (Plantation, Fla.) has become the first woman in the award's history to earn it three consecutive years. The achievement is the latest milestone for this sailing phenom as she joins Jane Pegel (1964, '71, '72) and Jan O'Malley (1969, '70, '77) in the record book as three-time winners of the Yachtswoman of the Year distinction. Only two women have won the Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year title more: JJ Fetter Isler (1986, ' 91, '97, '00) and Betsy Alison, whose five honors (1981, '82, '84, '93 and '98) have eclipsed even Ted Turner's four title wins, the most for any American man. Tunnicliffe's position at the forefront of women's sailing, both nationally and internationally, appears deceivingly effortless. The selection panel lauded the number of classes in which she competes and is competitive in. "She hardly trains in the Laser Radial anymore, yet wins when she sails that boat," remarked one panelist about the 2008 Laser Olympic Gold Medalist who won the 2010 Laser Radial Women's North American Championship. Another panelist commented that "she is our modern-day Betsy Alison - doing it all." about.ussailing.org/Awards/Rolex.htm In The Eye Of Storm After managing to sleep less than an hour in the past 24 hours, Derek was this morning taking advantage of the lighter winds found in the very centre of the depression to catch up on some desperately needed rest. But it was by no means over yet for the skipper of Active House - Derek must face the storm again, the second half of it standing in between him and his escape into more favourable conditions. The relentless mauling then suddenly subsided as Derek reached the eye of the storm. Despite providing a rest from the gale force winds, Derek had to face a different and equally dangerous situation: huge, confused waves, with no wind to power Active House over them. "It was horrendous," added Derek, who has shot into second place ahead of Zbigniew 'Gutek' Gutkowski'. "Huge pyramids of water smashing around all over the place. It was the worst banging and crashing off waves I have ever had. Even on the small waves the boat was falling off them and slamming down bow first. It's a wonder the mast is still attached to the boat." It was a similar situation onboard Gutek's Operon Racing, now trailing Derek by 15 nautical miles. "Only the swell is left and it is hitting Operon Racing badly," Gutek said. "I am in the eye of the storm just waiting for the next big blow." Chris Stanmore-Major is also been hit by storms. Ocean sprint two positions at 00h00 UTC: Skipper / distance to finish (nm) / distance to leader (nm) / distance covered in last 24 hours (nm) / average speed in last 24 hours (kts) Brad Van Liew, Le Pingouin: 2589.8/ 0 / 298.7 / 12.4 
Exit Engineering Product of the Year Designed for medium and big yachts, the exclusive carbon fibre gangway can hold a maximum load of 350 kg! And the weight is a mere 6.9 kg! Sailors particularly like its lightness and manageability. The very latest innovation in the ultra high end gangways range is both elegant and well proportioned. It's gifts time: check promotions. www.exitengineering.com -- The Smart Solution Kamikaze Tactics and the Fight to Foil The fight to foil was the name of the game. Getting to that first puff and flying up and out of the pack meant everything - and with a pin favoured start line, the fleet was chock-full of kamikaze port-tackers risking all to foil first. Local hot shot Joe Turner took race 1, who 4th at the first windward mark made impressive gains and by lap two lead into the finish. Iain Jensen landed 2nd a whole 6 places in front of his 49er skipper Nathan Outteridge who suffered a bad start and worked back to 8th. Rob Gough, Scott Babbage and Tom Slingsby rounded out the top 5. After two generals, racers finally got out the gates for race 2, with Nathan Outteridge pulling a kamikaze manoeuvre. He nailed a port start, terrifying more than a few starboard tackers with a few close ducks, and launched into clear air. Outteridge cleaned up with minutes over 2nd place Scott Babbage. Race 3 started in a puff that cut out when the top guys hit the first mark - further separating those that foiled and those that did not. ISAF Sailor of the Year Tom Slingsby lead the 1st first beat, but the lighter and faster Outteridge and Babbage quickly overtook him on the run. Outteridge took the win, after Babbage went for a quick swim putting him back to 2nd. The mixed fleet of international sailors suffered more than a few general recalls and black flags dragging out the 3 races to a staggering 6.5 hours. Lake Macquarie's light and shifty South Easterly clocking North challenged the visitors, favoured the locals (top 4 in race 1 were all Lake Macquarie boys), and was universally frustrating. Forecast promises 10-15 knots and sailors hope to have a full day on the foils. Day One Results: Follow all the action at www.mothworlds.org including race updates, news, results, daily video highlights and excellent imagery from Thierry Martinez. 29er World Championship: Tavella-Greggi Lead Into The Finals
The conditions were quite different then the previous days with lighter wind, a little rain and confused seas left over from the previous day. Changes in conditions kept everyone on their toes, including the race committee. The wind began at 16 knots but by the end of the day, both courses had velocity drops to around 11 knots. The wind also shifted to the southeast after serving up the morning easterly for the first race. Tomorrow's finals will have the top 25 teams in the gold fleet on the north course. The silver fleet will consist of the remaining 35 teams who will compete on the south course. Racing continues on Thursday, January 6 with three days of the final series. Top ten: Musto Reveals New Collection for 2011 Come and see the new collection and ask our knowledgeable staff for advice to suit your kind of sailing. Also, be in the running to win the chance to sail aboard the Maxi-Trimaran Banque Populaire by entering our competition at the show! Visit us on stand B75 in the retail village or buy your Musto 'must-haves' from our retailers: Andark D75, Marine Superstore A78, Seateach C66, TCS Chandlery C57. San Francisco Celebrates a New America's Cup
"Paired with the plans of the America's Cup Event Authority to stage the ultimate fan experience on shore, the 34th edition of the America's Cup will fast forward the sport of sailing globally." The America's Cup Event Authority, the organization tasked with running the 34th edition, announced its on-shore plans for the Challenger Selection Series for the Louis Vuitton Cup and the America's Cup Finals at a public celebration held at San Francisco's famed City Hall. "Our goal is to create a sustainable sports event that gives teams the opportunity to become long-term sports franchises," said Richard Worth, Chairman, America's Cup Event Authority. "We're focused on creating a new era for the America's Cup, one that both honors its history as well as grabs the attention of new audiences." Plans call for Piers 30/32 for the team bases, the public Race Village to be staged at Piers 27/29, regatta operations on Pier 23, and the media center at Pier 19. The world-famous San Francisco Bay will be home to the 2013 America's Cup Finals and the Challenger Selection Series for the Louis Vuitton Cup, as well as an America's Cup World Series event in 2012. This will be the first time the America's Cup has been hosted in the United States since 1995. In the summer of 2011, America's Cup teams will commence racing in the new America's Cup World Series in the new AC45 catamaran. The America's Cup World Series calendar of events will be published in early 2011. * Editor's note: A helpful hint for those visiting San Francisco for the first time: The Piers are NOT in numerical order. Even numbered piers are south of the Bay Bridge (the grey double decked bridge, not the iconic red Golden Gate Bridge). Odd numbered piers to the north of the Bay Bridge. I was quite sure that my cab driver was taking me on a very expensive "tourist special" trip when I said to go to Pier 38... assuming it was next to famed tourist attraction Pier 39. Nope, he said.. it's down by the ball park. And he was right. Pier 38 and Pier 39 are about as far apart as you can get. It's madness.. makes absolutely no sense at all. I can only imagine the city planner / cartographer in the 1800s thinking to himself "wow... imagine how many out of town rubes I can f*** over with THIS plan. They'll be walking for miles!" Aegir Makes The Church On Time
The brand new Carbon Ocean 82 had sailed there, 300 miles from Rhode Island but Virginia was not it's final destination, not by a long chalk. It was snowing heavily but Norfolk's astonishment turned to utter amazement, as Aegir only stopped for three days, before putting to sea once more. "Arriving in Norfolk was pretty memorable." Admitted Aegir crew member, Ruaraidh Plummer. "It was not far off a full-on blizzard. We docked, slept and then woke up to a foot of snow covering the deck. After a few snowball fights and a decent rest with solid meals and a spot of boat maintenance, we got our next weather window and so we were off again." Benjamin's dazzling new Carbon Ocean 82 was destined for the British Virgin Islands to fulfil its first duty, as a wedding carriage for the owner's daughter, Kerry. Aegir's boat captain, Shreda Duke, has hundreds of thousands of sea miles under his belt, including the Volvo Ocean Race, he is one of the most respected and experienced in the business. "Safety is always my first consideration when I am running a boat and if I didn't think it was right to take this trip, we wouldn't have left the dock. It was a cold one, until we got passed the Gulf Stream. But we prepared well, analysed the weather and we knew what our limits should be." The Caribbean is a yachting heaven; warm breeze, blue seas and brilliant sunshine, but for the first few days of the delivery, the conditions on deck were bitterly cold. Typified by Jo Chatterton, resorting to stuffing a hot water bottle inside her jacket, just to keep out the chill North Atlantic air. Down below, surroundings were quite different; Aegir is fitted out to an impeccable standard with a master cabin, generous guest cabin and additional crew quarters complimented by a saloon fit for a luxury hotel. Below deck and off watch, the six crew enjoyed a comfortable rest in palatial surroundings. Moral was boosted by Ship's Cook, Rebecca, serving up some gourmet winter-warmers from the fully equipped galley. In extreme conditions, it took Aegir just over two days to reach the Gulf Stream from Virginia with the boat showing remarkable speed and excellent reliability. Brian Benjamin's Carbon Ocean 82, Aegir will be making its racing debut on the 21st February in Antigua, competing in the RORC Caribbean 600. -- Louay Habib London Boat Show Offer On Optimum Routing From Seatrack
Further new features from Seatrack include wireless display transfer from a PC to a tablet, iPad or an android phone. Visit the stand A2 at London Boat Show from 7th - 16th January 2011 at Excel to take advantage of this offer or call +44 (0) 7798 871025. Warm & Windy For This Saturday's Bloody Mary Online entry for the event closes later today, although you can enter on the day. Also, make sure you've signed up to the SailJuice Global Warm-Up 2011, of which the Bloody Mary is the second event in this four-event, one discard travellers series. Entry to the Series is free, and it enters you into a competition with hundreds of pounds worth of prizes up for grabs, not just for the top sailors but for competitors throughout the fleet. Last weekend the Phantoms dominated the singlehanded division at Grafham, taking the top five places. However it's less likely we'll see such single-class dominance at Queen Mary. The Bloody Mary organisers started to use their own Portsmouth Yardstick numbers in last year's event, and have planned to do the same this year. The Bloody Mary is the first of four events in this year's SailJuice Global Warm-up, with competitors counting their best three results from the following events: Grafham Grand Prix, Grafham Water Sailing Club Bloody Mary, Queen Mary Sailing Club Steve Nicholson Trophy, Northampton Sailing Club John Merricks Tiger Trophy, Rutland Sailing Club www.sailracer.org/globalwarmup RYA Expert Sessions At London Boat Show Whether you want to pick up lifejacket tips from Spinlock or discover a new career working on the water, don't forget to join us for the RYA's Expert Sessions which will be running throughout the show on the stand (A85). Kicking off the talks will be Yachtmaster examiner John Elliot who will be sharing invaluable tips on how to pass your Yachtmaster exam. Meanwhile Rob Gibson, author of the RYA Sail Trim Handbook will be giving his exclusive top tips and techniques on sail trim and author and powerboat trainer Jon Mendez will be sharing his expertise on how to handle powerboats in large waves. Over the weekend of 15-16 January, visitors will get the chance to hear RYA Race Officials Education Officer Chris Watts share his in-depth knowledge on racing rules, whilst quadriplegic yachtsman Geoff Holt will be giving exclusive talks about his personal endeavour. Catch exclusive updates from Skandia Team GBR's top talents Giles Scott (Friday 7th, Lucy Macgregor (Saturday 08), Annie Lush (Sunday 09) and Andrew Simpson (Tuesday 11) on their bid to remain the world's top Olympic Classes sailing nation. Session schedule: Letters To The Editor - * From Alastair Soane: In the issue of 5 January you carried a piece about the regattas to be held as part of the Liverpool Boat Show from 29 April to 8 May 2011. These are open events and the Notice of Race and the Entry Form can be downloaded from www.liverpoolboatshow.com We look forward to welcoming entrants from around the Irish Sea and further afield. *From Adrian Morgan: How can we claim the wind is free or sailing is environmentally friendly when cynics point to the scores of support boats, committee boats, mark boats, umpire launches, safety boats and (outnumbered 100:1) a few (whisper it quietly) spectator boats at sailing regattas? It is absurd, ludicrous, polluting and unnecessary to have a support boat for every competitor at any major, let alone minor, Olympic or other sailing event, cf the Laser Worlds in Weymouth. One RIB for every dinghy! Madness. And what about all those propellers churning up the otherwise level playing field, petrol fumes wafting over the water? Not to mention the fuel used to tow the RIBs behind huge 4 x 4s from countries far afield. Isn't it time to let the sailors do the sailing, and keep all but essential motor boats off the water. You don't have coaches running alongside runners, or vaulting coaches beside vaulters, or swimming coaches beside swimmers? Seems to me that the lesson sailing has to learn in 2011 is to remember what it is: sailing, not courtroom battles, or complex rules or expensive equipment that only the elite can afford or fleets of support boats or crass commercialism or TV coverage. Sailing will be out of the Olympics unless those in charge look sharp. Featured Brokerage "Green Dragon" was built to a very high standard by McConaghy Yachts at their Zuhai plant in China. The build was project managed by Tom Braidwood and under the watchful eye of Mark Evans of McConaghy yachts. The attention to detail for the best quality, lightweight, racing craft is very evident throughout the yacht. Brokerage through Boat Sales International Ltd.: www.yachtworld.com/bsi/ Complete listing details and seller contact information at uk.yachtworld.com The Last Word |
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