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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 Technical Repair Stop In Brasil For Barcelona World Race Leader A length of around 2.50 metres of the track is reported to have been lifted away from the deck. Virbac-Paprec 3 is sailing presently off the coast of Brasil in SE'ly winds of 15 knots under full main and Solent headsail. The duo lead the race by approximately 50 miles from Foncia, Michel Desjoyeaux and Francois Gabart, who are also preparing for a stop in or near Recife, arriving between Friday night and Saturday. Dick and co-skipper Loick Peyron have made the decision to head for Recife, Brasil which is 434 miles to their SW, to repair this vital control. The duo are expecting to arrive in the Brasilian port in around 48 hours (Saturday) where their technical team will be waiting for them. Jean-Pierre Dick (FRA), winner of the first edition of the Barcelona World Race contacted by phone said: "I was outside when it happened. Loick was sleeping. The mainsail track came away for 2.5 m. We can't really trim the mainsail. It happened in the conditions which were bizarrely benign. There was a little choppy, 14-15 knots, nothing exceptional. It was an otherwise nondescript afternoon. There was not even great pressure on the track, we were under full mainsail and Solent. I don't really know exactly what happened. We will head for Recife to repair it. It is better to have it happen, than in the South!" Visioconference with Jean-Pierre Dick and Loick Peyron ( www.jpdick.com/multimedias/videos.html# ) has recently shown the extent of the damage to the mainsheet track on Virbac-Paprec 3, the race leading IMOCA Open 60. Dick explained that the track just exploded, with the screws pulling out of the carbon below it. Around 75% of the track appeared to be missing and the duo have fashioned a running repair, sheeting the main to a pair of spectra strops. The gains have continued for the Barcelona duo Alex Pella and Pepe Ribes on Estrella Damm, ready to pounce now at just 83 miles behind the leaders. Could they, in time, become the first ever Spanish leaders of a Barcelona World Race? Mirabaud, Dominique Wavre and Michele Paret, are back to fourth place ahead of MAPFRE who have had a little bit of a slow spell, perhaps feeling the effect of a bad cloud, or couple of bad clouds as the Doldrums expand again? Certainly looking at the speeds that the likes of Neutrogena have returned, perhaps the Doldrums have kept a sting in their tail. Tonight's fastest boat is Hugo Boss, making 17 knots, now gybed south again in 11th place. Zhik Moth Worlds Finals Race 5: "Absolute Carnage Everywhere"
"It's like the Gorge [2009 Moth Worlds]," said Lindsay Bergan, "I leave just enough time for 1 wipeout on the way to the start line." Her teammates agreed - you don't want to be out there long than you have to. Clear start, carnage ensues. First with Moth Squaddie Joe Turner (AUS), capsizing he emerged with foils in hand. He managed to salvage all the bits and make the upwind haul back to shore. A Moth without foils? "Felt like a Sabot," he reported. Tom Slingsby (AUS) was next. After a rocky start, he bolted up the course and assumed control after the first 3 boats sent it in at the windward mark, with Rob Gough (AUS) and Bora Gulari (USA) hot on his heals. At the leeward mark it was "Absolute carnage everywhere" according to Rescue Rib Driver John Fullerton. The full top flight stacked it - Gulari was the first to recover, and fired off lap 2 in the lead. Slingsby had a tough time recovering, as did Peter Burling (NZL) and Iain Jensen (AUS). Nathan Outteridge (AUS) went over landing on his side-stay, taking a big hit to his leg and forearm. Sheer determination drove him to a 2nd place finish, and as soon as he hit shore he was on ice and analgesics. Burling said he stacked it about 20 times, but with his scores from yesterday he said, "I knew I had to soldier on." Solid racing for 2008 World Champion John Harris who finished 3rd, and more new faces in the top 5: Andy Budgen (GBR) and Josh McKnight (AUS). McKnight describes his upwind strategy, "I just sailed really high - I wasn't really hiking, and my main was right in." Ultimately getting the gun was Gulari. "I love it out there, I hope we race again!" After a 2 hour postponement, he is about to get his wish. Top ten at press time, five races sailed: Henri Lloyd - Experience The Shockwave Deck Armour - Putting the Shock Resistance into Shockwave. The DECK ARMOUR system revolutionises the way sailors protect their bodies from impact and injury - a shock resistant and super lightweight 3D mesh which can be integrated within Shockwave garments at critical areas whilst still guaranteeing freedom of movement for the wearer. The lattice design of the DECK ARMOUR also ensures the breathability of the Shockwave products is not compromised. Fabric Technology - Minimal Contact, Maximum Airflow. A hydrophilic laminate is applied directly to a microporous coating that further increases breathability and ensures the fast transition of internal moisture to the outside. Optivision Window Panels - See the Advantage. Following the huge success of our OPTIVISION Hood System that has received critical acclaim from racing teams and media alike, the system has been extended into watch and course map windows being engineered into Shockwave garments - aiding the perfect start and race strategies. Watch Out For That Boom Through an on-line survey completed by sailors, researchers at Rhode Island Hospital have pieced together a report of the injuries that occur on two types of boats - dinghies (small boats with crews of one or two) and keel boats (larger boats like those used in the America's Cup races with a crew of up to 16). With a total of 1860 respondents, there were a total of 1715 injuries reported, with 79 percent of the sailors reporting at least one injury in the prior 12 months. The study, led by emergency medicine physician Andrew Nathanson, MD, of Rhode Island Hospital, found the most common causes of the injuries were trips and falls, being hit by an object, or being caught in the lines. Nathanson says, "What is most alarming about this survey is the fact that only 30 percent of the sailors who responded reported wearing a life jacket. According to the United States Coast Guard, two thirds of recreational boating deaths are caused by drowning. Lifejacket use rates can be increased not only by education but also by improving the aesthetics and comfort of jackets, and by enforcing use at regattas and sailing schools." Full story at www.rhodeislandhospital.org Broo Premium Lager Musto Performance Skiff World Champions
At the finish, Daniel Henderson had extended on the fleet to take a comfortable win from Ramm with Dan Ward GBR 286 pulling through to 3rd and Tim Hill AUS 424 just beating Annan to 4th. Following a general recall at 14:40, the wind shifted to 060 at 10knots the fleet got away at 15:05 under black flag in race 6. Dan Ward maintained his lead to take the win from Tom Wright GBR 432 and Marcus Hamilton securing second place. A initial general recall led to a black flag start as the breeze had settled at 090, and the fleet were too eager in the gradually increasing breeze... Tom Wright GBR took a well deserved win and was followed home by Ian Renilson GBR 449 and Hamilton AUS 453. The drama had not finished here, as Daniel Henderson slipped mid gybe only 50m from the finish and capsized dropping a number of places from his 4th at that point. Tomorrow is a lay day with many sailors going off to visit Melbourne or the local Nature reserve on a tour. Racing will re-commence on Saturday at 11:00 local time. 2 days racing remain with 5 races to complete for a full 12 race series. Current overall standings Marcus Hamilton AUS 453 Full results: Reports from previous days and the pre worlds can be found here: AC45 In Auckland
The AC45 has been under construction at the Core Composites facility in Warkworth, 40 minutes north of Auckland. The prototype will be assembled in the old Team New Zealand building at the Viaduct harbour, ahead of the provisional launch date of 17th January 2011. Each team will be required to own at least one of the AC45 yachts which will be used for competition in the new America's Cup World Series of 13 regattas which will precede the 34th America's Cup. Camet Code Zip Performance Shirt For more information please see Etchells Australian Championship Under blue sky and in a steadily building south-westerly breeze the fleet went into sequence preparing for the 12.35pm start. Race 5 of the series was set as a three lap race, with 1.8mile leg lengths. Today, the Race Committee sent the fleet up the bay towards Corio Quay, avoiding the shipping lanes. At the gun Robert Hanna (Smoking Gun), Cameron Miles (Are We There Yet?) and Graeme Taylor (Magpie) were OCS and all three went back. The sun is continuing to shine and the breeze is building steadily as they head up to the mark for the first time. Today's race results are important to the Overall leader standings, with the drop coming into effect at the completion of race 5. Top ten: www.etchells.org.au/nationals/default.asp New Owners Reveal Gipsy Moth Plans Rob Thompson and Eileen Skinner, who own and manage the company that manufactures and markets Cambridge weight management programmes, enlisted an advisory group to decide on a programme for the boat after they bought her in October. And the group, which includes Giles Chichester MEP, the son of Sir Francis Chichester, Jon Ely, the CEO of sailing school UKSA and David Orton, secretary of the British Classic Yacht Club, has met for the first time at the London Boat Show. Ms Skinner said: 'We want the boat to continue to be available to the public and are looking to have her sailing in five or six events each year. 'These are likely to include the Round the Island Race, Cowes Week, British Classic Week and others both in the West Country and East Anglia.' Mr Thompson is particularly keen to have the yacht visit their East Coast base. He said: 'Gipsy Moth IV is such an important part of Britain's maritime heritage, I can remember Chichester returning to Plymouth in a blaze of media coverage in 1967. England had just won the World Cup. We were in the midst of the Swinging Sixties and there was a buzz about. 'They were particularly good times and Chichester's triumph was a part of this. When I read she was being sold, I picked up the phone to Eileen and she agreed with me that we should buy the yacht to maintain her for the nation. The advisory group is advising how best to utilise the yacht, including maximising public access to her, keeping her in the UK for future generations and raising enough money for young people to sail on the boat each year. Yachtbroker Search The field we would most like the successful applicant to concentrate on is the listing and sales of motor yachts from 60 ft upwards. Experience in the yachting industry would be a benefit, although not necessarily in the area of brokerage as we can train you on the job. Applicants should have: a commercial mindset - show dedication - be hard working - be goal oriented - be self disciplined - have some Patience - be fluent in English and preferably other languages. From the same office, as well as being N&J Spain, we operate as Nautor's Swan Spain and Portugal (for the sale of new and used Swan yachts). When you are interested, please send your details and CV to: and I will contact you soon after. Gutek Goes For Broke It's a bold and risky move by the second-placed sailor but one that just might pay off if Gutek can take advantage of the strong south westerly winds round the back of the South Island. But in order to beat Brad into port Gutek will have to punch through 40 knot headwinds forecast to develop in the Cook Strait towards the end of the week. "The plan is to go round the southern side of the South Island so I will be entering Wellington from the Pacific Ocean," said Gutek, 872 nautical miles from the finish line according to the 00h00 UTC position report. "Brad is sailing the opposite way and he still has a lead of 300 nautical miles. There is a chance that if I push very hard and make my boat perform to her best, I could maybe fight with him. I am very curious to see what weather Brad will get. Looking at the GRIB files it looks like it will ok for him and for me but as for how it will be for real we'll have to wait and see." Gutek's yacht Operon Racing is, at 19 years old, the oldest boat in the VELUX 5 OCEANS fleet and is seven years older than Brad Van Liew's Le Pingouin. 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: 508.2/ 0 / 310.5/ 12.9 Offshore Racing And The Media: The True Value While the professionals may juggle the figures to determine the dollar value of each Route du Rhum campaign, The GOR analysis concentrates on the relative internet media performance among the 85 Route du Rhum skippers split across four classes. Read the analysis: Featured Brokerage One of the iconic designs by Beneteau, the First 40.7 offers the comfort and practicality of a cruising yacht, yet is still very competitive on the racing circuit. This yacht has been taken care of and has an extensive inventory. A fast, fun yacht that is easily manageable. Brokerage through Mediterranean Yacht Sales Ltd.: www.yachtworld.com/medyachtsales/ Complete listing details and seller contact information at The Last Word |
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