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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 Russia Scores First Win at Louis Vuitton Trophy Synergy, led by Polish skipper Karol Jablonski, scored an historic triumph by beating the French/German team ALL4ONE. Synergy got the early jump off the start line when ALL4ONE became entangled with the race committee boat (going OCS and earning a penalty for hitting the committee boat) and then sailed to a victory of 1 minute, 30 seconds. Only once before has Russia attempted to field a team for the Louis Vuitton Cup: That was in 1992, but the team never made the series. Synergy is here with an eye towards the future and the win was welcome because of the team's hard luck the past few days. On Sunday, it led Emirates Team New Zealand before "hitting the wall" just three lengths from the finish line and could only watch as the Kiwis sailed past to take the win. Yesterday, Synergy led Artemis up the first beat until the mainsheet broke. Such are the growing pains for a fledgling team. At the top of the scoreboard, Emirates Team New Zealand kept its perfect record intact with a 23-second win in its lone match against Artemis of Sweden. Team New Zealand has 5 points on a 5-0 record. Britain's TeamOrigin, the only other undefeated team at 4-0, holds second place with 4 points. Italy's Azzurra is third with 4 points on a 4-1 record, and BMW Oracle is fourth with 2 points on a 2-2 record. Fifth is held by Artemis (2-3), which is followed by ALL4ONE (2-6), Synergy (1-4) and TFS - Pages Jaunes (0-6). The wind conditions were again tricky on the Baie des Anges. The morning offshore flow died during Flight 9 and led to a lengthy postponement before the start of Flight 10. The day's second flight was started in winds around 5 knots, and it was difficult for crews to pick a side of the racecourse. TeamOrigin's lone win, with a decisive 2-minute delta over BMW ORACLE Racing, came in the trying conditions. The interrupted schedule means teams are struggling to keep their consistency from day to day with the sometimes long stretches of inactivity. Tomorrow's schedule Flight 12 * If you're going to put on a yacht racing regatta in Nice in November with less than 6 months notice to the public, you need a way to let people watch. Monohulls miles offshore sailing in little or no wind and an air temperature of 9-12 degrees celcius means that only the most hard-core race fan is going to be watching the action on the water. The Louis Vuitton Trophy is giving race fans sitting in the warmth of their offices with an internet connection a way of watching and hearing the action. While the addition of radio commentary to any feed adds incredible depth to the coverage, the Louis Vuitton Trophy is also utilising the 3D animations provided by Virtual Eye. Unlike the initial regatta in Auckland, where the Virtual Eye coverage was not available outside New Zealand, the rich live coverage in Nice points to the way that sailing can be a compelling media product. One of the highlights of the recent Volvo Ocean Race was the live on-the-water commentary, by none other than organiser CEO Knut Frostad, for race starts and in port races. The Volvo Ocean Race live coverage also featured 2D tracking feeds, but the Virtual Eye shows what can be done. -- from YachtSponsorship.com, www.yachtsponsorship.com The Home Stretch Ten knots, spinnaker up and a starry sky, Tanguy de Lamotte at the helm. On watch, he is soaking up moments of sheer happiness. Out in the lead for the past 11 days, de Lamotte/Hardy can pat themselves on the back for having made and maintained this 100 mile (200 km) lead over Soldini-D'Ali (Telecom Italia) and Jourdren-Stamm (Cheminees Poujoulat). No way are they going to lower their guard. Along the southern coats of Cuba, the ranking change all the time ! The suspense will not end before Firday afternoon (French time), the ETA for the first across the line in the Solidaire du Chocolat in Progreso, Mexico. Soldini-D'Ali (Telecom Italia) is lying second, Jourdren-Stamm (Cheminees Poujoulat) third with only nine miles to separate them. Boat speed is identical, wind is too. Class 40 match-racing in the Solidaire du Chocolat! A similar bitter battle is going on between the Chilians on Cubilos-Bravo Da Silva (Desafio Cabo de Hornos) 6th and the Brits Harding-Merron (40 Degrees), 7th and just 10 miles apart. The first 5 boats in the 16h UTC position report 1. Initiatives - Novedia, Tanguy De Lamotte / Adrien Hardy, 679.54 miles to finish Full rankings on lasolidaireduchocolat.geovoile.com
Entries are currently open for the second edition of the doublehanded Barcelona World Race, which begins on December 31, 2010. Race organisers Fundacio Navegacio Oceanica Barcelona are providing an extensive benefits package for IMOCA 60 competitors who pre-enter before December 31 2009, intended to reduce costs by an estimated 20 per cent and maximize sponsor returns. These include return shipping from Guadeloupe to Barcelona for competitors in the Route du Rhum, logistics areas and free team and guest accommodation, as well as a spectator boat for start day. Race organizers will also provide targeted advertising for each entry in their own country or preferred territory. Full details, part of the preliminary Notice of Race, can be found at www.barcelonaworldrace.org Butterworth V Coutts - The Stage Play Now, organisers of the World Yacht Racing Forum in Monaco in December have announced that Brad Butterworth and Russell Coutts will join a panel of America's Cup challengers and personalities in a debate about the future of the America's Cup after AC33. Last year, the America's Cup panel at the forum exposed the deep disagreements between the two sides. 12 months on, not much has changed, but a month is a long time in this crazy world of massive multihulls and exotic venue choices - perhaps the two will stand side by side on stage and announce that they found mutual consent behind the couch. Organisers of the Forum say that the event will include a presentation by Russell Coutts, CEO and skipper of BMW ORACLE Racing. Team Alinghi skipper Brad Butterworth will then explain his team's point of view to the audience. Both Russell Coutts and Brad Butterworth will then join Paul Cayard, Stephane Kandler (All4One), Sotiris Buseas (Greek Challenge), Marcus Hutchinson (Team Origin), Nicolò Bastianini (Green Comm) and Magnus Holmberg (Victory Challenge) for a panel discussion entitled "The America's Cup - What is the future for the challengers after AC 33″. The panel will be the final session of the 2009 Forum. More at www.worldyachtracingforum.com 40th Annual Peg Legs Round Tortola Race Records on the best times are a little sketchy but Triple Jack's 2002 time of 3 hours and 55 minutes from Road Town to Nanny Cay, and just shy of a complete circumnavigation of Tortola, is the target. Sprightly 30-year old Triple Jack, a Kelsal 47, is expected to compete this year along with last year's overall winner, Willy T (Olson 30) and fastest boat, Jurakan, a Melges 32. All classes will start in the Sir Francis Drake Channel off Nanny Cay and then head anti-clockwise around Tortola. After the beat East up the Sir Francis Drake Channel, the fleet will turn the corner at Great Camanoe and head on a downwind run to West End where, after a quick wiggle through Soper's Hole, it will be a beat back to the finish off Nanny Cay. Classes will be racing, cruising and multihull with all eligible for the overall prize. -- Alastair Abrehart Bill Lee Elected Commodore Of The Transpacific Yacht Club The first winner of that trophy, Neville Crichton, had planned to attend Transpac YC's Friday-night biennial meeting, to re-set the Transpac clock to 5:14:36:20, the new course record set last summer by his maxi yacht, Alfa Romeo. En route across the Pacific, however, Crichton's aircraft developed a mechanical issue and returned to Australia, leaving this small task undone. The 2009 Transpac was the 45th running of the Los Angeles-Honolulu classic, and Alfa Romeo took 26 hours off the previous best time. Bill Lee sailed his first Transpac in 1971, on a Cal 37, fulfilling a dream that began when he was a teenager following the race by radio. His first Transpac win, as a designer, came in 1973 with Chutzpah. In 1977, as designer, builder, owner and skipper, he sailed Merlin to a new course record and redefined the game at the top. With his Santa Cruz 70s, he set the stage for a new era. Also elected to flag officer positions were Dave Cort, Vice Commodore, and Leslie DeMeuse- Disney, Rear Commodore and now the first woman to serve on the flags of the Transpacific Yacht Club. Duly noted: the absence (with leave) of board member Stan Honey, navigating a round-the-world record attempt on the trimaran, Groupama 3, which reeled off a 708-mile day. The biennial meeting also offered an opportunity to award remaining Transpac, 2009 trophies to Bob Lane, whose 63-foot Medicine Man corrected to first place on time allowance in the unlimited division, and to Larry Malmberg, whose Catalina 38, Hassle, arrived last at Diamond Head after 17 days at sea. Yes, Larry, we know that's not the most-coveted of Transpac trophies, but somebody's got to do it. The first start of the 46th Transpac is set for July 4, 2011. 
METS2009: Smar-Azure Launches Two New Products Everyday SMAR Azure will also hold an open workshop about SA-Evolution, the revolutionary technology to optimise string sail design. Sabrina Malpede will run the event at 1pm (STAND 03.322). Special guest speakers include Paolo Semeraro of Bank Sails (Tue 17th), Brad Stephens of Dimension Polyant (Wed 18th) and Sandy Goodall (Thu 19th). If you want to reserve a personal meeting at METS09, please send an email to or contact directly: Dr Sabrina Malpede, MD Industry News Sir Robin has said that he is "delighted to accept the position of chairman of the Steering Group" and will be working with both the city and the Northwest Development Agency to launch the first show, 29th April - 8th May 2011. With a vast complex of docks, surrounded by Britain's largest single collection of Grade 1 listed buildings, and a highly impressive waterfront Liverpool is an ideal venue for a major regional boat show. With 25m people living within an hour of the city it's simply a no brainer. -- AllAtSea, www.allatsea.co.uk * French boat and leisure home builder the Beneteau Group has posted results exceeding expectations for the financial year 2008-2009. Income from ordinary operations totalled 8.7m Euros for the financial year 2008-2009, a threefold increase on an initial forecast of a loss of 4m Euros. Boat sales for the period totalled 494.3m generating a loss of 3.3m from ordinary operations, but an improvement on a forecast of sales totalling 473m and a loss of 14m. The group's total sales for the period came to 659.2m, up two per cent on the forecast of 646m. The group says its boating business has benefited from cost reductions and that sales outperformed forecasts thanks to the diversity of its brands, close ties maintained with customers and the extension of its motorboat range from 9m-15m (30ft-49ft). -- International Boat Industry, www.ibinews.com * The Moscow City Administration will officially support the 2010 Moscow International Boat Show (MIBS), making it the first yachting event in Russia to receive government recognition. MIBS 2010 will be included in the administration's event schedule for the year, as one of its 'industrial and effective specialised events that have a major impact on and play a vital role in the development of the city's infrastructure, as well as the economy of Moscow'. The next edition of MIBS will run from April 15-18, 2010 at Crocus Expo, Moscow. The 2009 event featured 217 exhibitors from 26 countries and attracted 20,408 visitors. MIBS is organised by the ITE Group Plc. -- IBI, ibinews.com * Media statistics published today for the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09 show a huge increase over the 2005-06 event. The race is in tune with the new media age, and in 2008-09, plenty of high quality content was streamed to websites and mobile handsets. The new addition of each boat carrying a Media Crew Member, who was a dedicated reporter equipped with the latest technology in High Definition filming and satellite communication, has also proved to be a big step forward. Media reach was generated through a multi-channel communication approach with a sharper online focus including the official website, broadband TV, a mobile portal in partnership with Ericsson, a highly successful online game and use of social media such as Facebook and Twitter. The cumulative broadcast audience was 1.3 billion. Over 3,300 hours of coverage was generated through 11,000 broadcasts in 46 different territories on 217 channels globally. This resulted in a television media value for Volvo alone of USD107 million. It was also significantly improved by the introduction of new territories on the racetrack and China, for example, delivered an audience of 600 million, 45 per cent of the race total. Programming reached Western, Central and Eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East, Central Asia, the Far East and the Pacific Rim in countries as diverse as Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Iran, Iraq, Latvia, Slovakia and South Korea. Full report on www.volvooceanrace.org * High Modulus has announced the expansion of its European team. Julian Smith rejoins High Modulus as Senior Engineer. After twelve years with High Modulus from the mid 1990s, Julian has over the past couple of years been working independently on some exciting projects such as the VOR campaign Green Dragon, and the Hanse, Moody and Fjord production ranges. The European design team is further strengthened by Thomas Letanche, Design Engineer, who has recently relocated from the High Modulus head office in New Zealand. The company also welcomes Tony Bertram, veteran of the European marine industry, who takes on the role of Sales Executive. Tony has spent most of his working life on or around the water, from completing a boatbuilding apprenticeship to becoming a professional yacht skipper, to working for leading companies such as Bainbridge International and Edson. High Modulus (Europe) remains in Hamble, on the South Coast of the UK, but has moved to brand new, larger premises on Ensign Way. For further information about the team and recent projects, and to discuss your composite engineering requirements, please visit High Modulus at METS: Composites Pavilion Stand 01.305 -- www.high-modulus.com Featured Brokerage Colen II (ex Colleen II) was designed and built by William Fife III. She had a short racing career in UK and was subsequently sold in Spain where she has sailed in the Atlantic as well as in the Mediterranean coast. She is well known in the Mediterranean races of classic boats and although today her general conditions are no longer original, she constitutes a perfect chance to restore an historic vessel. Brokerage through Barcos Singulares S.L.: www.yachtworld.com/barcos-singulares/ Complete listing details and seller contact information at uk.yachtworld.com The Last Word |
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