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Like Father Like Son
Those of us who started windsurfing in the 1970s instantly recall the name "Sayre". Nevin Sayre is a world class boardsailor, businessman and all around great guy. A terrific ambassador for the sport. Sayre has 20 national and international titles to his name and is a five-time U.S. National Windsurfing Champion. And he's raised his son well.. for 8th grader Rasmus Sayre is being hailed as a hero for saving the life of an 18 year old Mexican boardsailor...

At the recently concluded Techno 293 North American Championships in Cozumel, in an emotional ceremony, Rasmus Sayre (Vineyard Haven, MA) was awarded "Hero of the Regatta" for his outstanding seamanship and sportsmanship in rescuing Nicole Level (Cancun, MX) who ended up winning the RS:X Youth Women and qualifying for the Youth World Champs in Croatia.

It was a dangerous situation on the far outside of the course when the joint between Nicole's board and rig failed, and she lost both her board and rig in the big waves. Nicole was left swimming alone in the strong off shore current, and was wearing no life jacket. "I thought I was going to die," said Level. "I'm never going on the water without a life jacket again." As Rasmus rounded the final turning mark in the Techno 293 fleet, he happened to see a hand frantically waving at the crest of a wave. He immediately dropped out of his first place position in the U15 Techno Class, sailed out to her, and Nicole, completely exhausted, struggled onto Rasmus' board. Rasmus attempted to sail the two of them to shore but was unable in the big waves, and they were being swept further out to sea by the 4 knot current. Luckily, an alert fishing vessel with high lookout tower noticed Rasmus' sail from a distance. The fishing vessel came alongside, and Nicole had regained enough strength to swim to the boat and was taken safely back to shore. Rasmus was then able to sail to shore alone. Nicole's board was never found.

"I wasn't surprised, but clearly very proud of him," said Nevin Sayre, his father. "He did the right thing immediately, without hesitation. He put himself into great risk, didn't think twice about it."

www.mvtimes.com
and the event site:
www.techno293.org

Seahorse Sailor Of The Month
Last month's winner:

Annabel Vose & Megan Brickwood (GBR))
It was terrific to see so many readers get behind Thailand’s first Optimist world champion – but the wall of support for the young English sailors won through. ‘I’ve known Megan since she was just an egg and she was already sailing then!’ – Mandy Suggitt; ‘Fantastic result, hanging in after losing a mast’ – Steve Parmiter; ‘Splendid effort, true grit!!!’ – Phil Archer; ‘Kept pushing until their (French) rival blew it all in the final race... perfect!’ – Steve Carter.

This month's nominees:


Nathan Outteridge (AUS))
It’s been on the cards for a while but even so Outteridge’s absolute dominance of the foiler Moths, first at the Australian nationals where he won at will and then at the 2011 worlds needs to be recognised. For a man focussing on a 49er gold medal in Weymouth it was a scary demonstration of talent to burn. Nice work too, assembling the Moth Squad and making some big technical gains in what is your ‘second-choice’ class...


Stephen Park (GBR)
Twelve medals (plus two in the Paralympic classes), three gold, five silver and four bronze... the haul by Team GBR at the Miami OCR. This British team manager has had many good days, plenty at the Olympics themselves, but sometimes this can also make it all look too easy. The reality is that the groundwork and planning, from first the funding right through to the execution by the sailors out on the water is colossal


Seahorse Sailor of the Month is sponsored by Harken McLube, Dubarry & Musto. Who needs silverware, our prizes are usable!

Cast your vote, submit comments, even suggest a candidate for next month at
sailor.seahorsemagazine.com/seahorse-sailor-of-the-month.html

* Seahorse has a special six issue subscription offer for those who vote and/or comment on the Sailor of the Month... vote and see!

Set Sights For The Dyneema&Reg; Treasure Trove, Free Rigging and Sailing Master Class!!
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Dyneema Experience Team Win a Complete Re-Rig For Your Boat and Sailing Masterclass

DSM Dyneema, producer of Dyneema®, the world's strongest fiber™, and its partners are recruiting the globe for 40 'skippers' to test running-rigging made with Dyneema® fiber and share their experiences through social media.

If you are selected as part of the 2011 Dyneema® Experience Team, we will re-rig your boat completely free of charge with ropes made with Dyneema®. All we ask of you is that you test and experience rigging with Dyneema® and share this with us, your friends, family and other sailors worldwide, through social media channels like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.

The most active social media 'skipper' of the 2011 'Dyneema® Experience Team' will also enjoy a masterclass with a friend on one of the Volvo Ocean Race Yachts in Alicante.

Dyneema® has proven to be highly versatile for a wide range of products in the yachting industry. The combination of high performance and durability makes it the ideal material, for running rigging for performance cruisers and professional sailors.

The closing date for applications is March 4, 2011. The 2011 Dyneema® Experience Team ends on September 23rd 2011.

Register now at www.dyneemaexperience.com

Join the team www.dyneemaexperience.com

UK's Oldest World Cruise Cancelled
A round the world sailing rally, due to set off from Gibraltar this October has been cancelled due, in part, to the threat from pirates. The 2011-2013 Blue Water Rally would have been the company's ninth global cruise via the Trade Winds route. This route takes in the northern sector of the Indian Ocean into the pirate-infested Gulf of Aden.

BWR's decision was taken before the killing of the four kidnapped American yachtsmen at the hands of pirates. The yachtsmen, skipper Scott Adam, 68, and his wife Jean, from California and their crew Phyllis Mackay, 59, and Bob Riggle, 67, of Seattle were sailing Quest, a 58ft Davidson a pilot house double-headsail cutter, as part of the current BWR round -the-world rally.

But they dropped out of the rally at the crucial moment: just as it was about to cross the Indian Ocean. Adam, described as 'very independent' may have become frustrated travelling in convoy, but whatever the reason it was a fateful decision.

Negotiations were taking place between the military and the pirates when gunshots were heard. It seems a row had broken out between the pirates: one theory being examined is that the gunmen were from different warlord clans - there were an incredible 19 pirates on the yacht - and that a 'surf war' - as opposed to a turf war - had broken out and two pirates were killed in a rival shoot-out.

Whatever the truth, the stand-off then escalated into a boarding by US Navy Seals who shot one and stabbed another pirate to death. They then made the grim discovery that all four yachtsmen had been attacked. Two were already dead and two more died later.

For the full story on Blue Water Rally's cancelled world cruise see Yachting Monthly April.

www.yachtingmonthly.com

Musto Wellington Match Race Cup
After four days of very close racing Stephanie Hazard has taken out the women's section and Full Metal Jacket Racing skippered by William Tiller has taken out the Men's section of the Musto Wellingotn Match Race Cup.

This event incorporated both the men's and women's racing into one. The women were sailing in the Elliot Sixes which are the Olympic women's match racing yachts whilst the men competed in MRX's.

For the men the teams were looking to prove themselves as New Zealand's best up and coming match racers and were also preparing for their campaigns in Europe throughout the year. Full Metal Jacket Racig as the winner of the event received the added bonus of a wild card entry to Match Race Germany in the 2011 World Match Racing Tour.

Jenna Hansen, Susannah Pyatt and Stephanie Hazard: winners of the Musto Wellington Womens Match Race Cup. Image copyright RPNYC.

The Women were vying for selection into the NZL Sailing Team's Olympic Squad. There are spots up for grabs and with the Olympics only two years away, the prospective Women sailors needed to be firing at this year's event. -- Matt Steven

Women's Results Overall
1. Hazard
2. Bowater
3. Osborne
4. Trudgen
5. Maguire
6. Hargreaves

Men's Results Overall
1. Tiller
2. Coltman
3. Corbett
4. Junior

From SailRaceWin.com:
sailracewin.blogspot.com

Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club: www.rpnyc.org.nz

Laserperformance at 2011 RYA Volvo Dinghy Show - Stand B10
Laserperformance LaserPerformance will be attending the 2011 RYA Volvo Dinghy Show at Alexandra Palace, London on Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th March. We will be displaying a range of products, including the newest member of the range, the Vapor Optimist which is available in standard and XD specs. Skandia Team GBR's Paul Goodison will be dropping by the stand.

A special '60 Minute Sale' will take place from 12 noon until 1pm on Saturday and Sunday to commemorate the RYA Dinghy Show's 60th Birthday, a great opportunity to grab a "diamond deal". We'll be offering attractive, customer tailored deals across our products, including a sail deal to all of our classes.

"We are looking forward to welcoming visitors to our stand, meeting up with old friends and launching the 2011 sailing season," said Mark Henry, Managing Director, LaserPerformance Europe.

A Laser Pico is up for grabs in the RYA's competition and Laser sailors from the SailJuice Global Warm Up will receive their prizes on the Volvo Main Stage.

Representatives from the Laser, Laser 2000, Laser Vago, Laser Pico, Laser SB3 and Bug Class Associations will all be on hand to provide information about the events planned for the 2011 season, so make sure you pop by to have a chat.

Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/LaserPerformanceSailboats

USA 17 Comes Home To San Francisco
The giant America's Cup-winning trimaran arrived in the Bay today aboard the freighter M.V. Star Isfjord after a 7,900-mile passage from Valencia, Spain, via the Panama Canal.

The ship carrying USA 17 passed underneath the Golden Gate Bridge at 0530 PST and berthed alongside San Francisco's Pier 80 at 0650.

The timing of unloading the game-changing 115ft trimaran and its wingsail will be determined by prevailing wind conditions. Both will be placed in short term storage in ORACLE Racing's new base on Pier 80. Longer term, there are plans to put the yacht and her impressive 223-foot wingsail on public display.

The trimaran may not sail again, her place in history assured by two brief, glorious moments in February 2010. USA 17 has only ever contested two races in her life. She won both convincingly to win the oldest trophy in international sport from the Swiss Alinghi team.

USA 17's arrival is her first visit to the city that ORACLE Racing calls home. She was launched in Anacortes, Wash., in August 2008. After initial testing there, she was moved to San Diego, Calif., for a further period of training before being shipped to Valencia for the 33rd America's Cup.

Measuring more than 100 feet long and 90 feet wide and powered by a 20-storey tall wingsail, USA 17 is the fastest yacht to ever win the America's Cup. It has been in storage in Valencia since winning the Cup on Feb. 14, 2010.

oracleracing.com

Great photos by Erik Simonson at
www.pressure-drop.us/forums/content.php?1166-NO-SAIL

AC72 Class Rule Amended
America's Cup competitors this week amended the AC 72 class rule, the design rule that will govern the development of the Cup class wing-sailed catamarans for the 34th America's Cup and the America's Cup World Series events in 2012.

The rule had been introduced in October and was modified this week following recommendations from the Measurement Committee and reflected the unanimous support of the Competitor Forum that represents all entered teams.

The single most notable change is the reduction of the number of wing masts required, simplifying design and logistics as well as saving time and costs. Initially the rule called for both a small and large wing.

"We have already learned a lot about the performance of the next generation of America's Cup boats from the initial sea trials of the AC 45 in New Zealand," said Iain Murray, Regatta Director and ACRM CEO.

"With teams already working on their ultimate America's Cup designs of the AC 72, all agreed that one wing size of up to 40-meters (131-feet) could be raced across the wind range. This also allows for more efficient logistics with only wing size rather than two different size rigs. This is a good example of the teams working together to improve efficiencies and reduce costs for all competitors."

The number of rigs per team was reduced from eight wing-spar sections to six. The resulting efficiency will result in significant cost savings.

www.americascup.com

WMRT'S "Magnet Effect"
While the popularity of match racing in North America has traditionally lagged behind the levels of enthusiasm seen elsewhere around the world, a recent steep rise in the number of events and participants indicates that the tide is starting to turn.

The numbers alone show the dramatic increase in the sport. From 2007 to 2010 the number of graded match races nearly doubled from 34 to 65 events. This year will see a host of both open and women's Grade 1, 2 and 3 events, many inter-connected with each other as qualifiers, as well as "clinegattas" for youth sailors and the annual international youth match racing championship the Governor's Cup.

This focus on getting youth involved in match racing is also prominent with the Intercollegiate Sailing Organisation adding match racing to their programme by introducing a new national championship in 2010.

US Sailing's Match Racing Committee Chairman Dave Perry says the World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) - the nine event international series which sees the crowning of the ISAF Match Racing World Champion - is "having a magnet effect on the growth of interest" in match racing in the region.

The Chicago Match Race Center has announced a new open Grade 1 event in late September, timed to try and lure WMRT teams to come prior to the Argo Group Gold Cup, and offering the highest amount of prize money of any event in the US.

Dobbs Davis, Media Consultant for Chicago Match Race Centre, said they are particularly proud that they are able to offer so much at Chicago even though the event is only in its third year.

"In the course of the season we have grown and expanded so much and are still hopeful that we can realise the continued growth potential. We are one of the unique venues for match racing in the US and I would argue that we have the most potential for achieving the goals that the WMRT want to see at all their events, namely an urban high traffic spectator friendly venue; proximity to a large market place that offers commercial and sponsor opportunities; a streamlined event that's not affiliated with a particular club and new equipment. We really offer a complete package that's dedicated solely to match race sailing."

www.wmrt.com

Just Four Sleeps Until The RYA Volvo Dinghy Show - Don't Forget To Get Your Tickets
RYA Volvo Dinghy Show There are just four more days until the start of the RYA Volvo Dinghy Show, when Alexandra Palace, London becomes the centre of all things dinghy sailing.

The show, in association with Yachts & Yachting and Suzuki, takes place over the weekend of 5-6 March when more than 200 exhibitors, in some 12,000 sq. metres of halls will be showcasing all the very latest boats, books, kit and more.

There are some fantastic talks and presentations lined up from some of the dinghy sailing world's best sailors and coaches. From simply putting your new boat together, to honing your skills to get advantage at the start line and improving body condition there is something for everyone from getting started to how to sail harder and faster.

The halls will be packed to the rafters with some spectacular boats from the old time classics of the Cherub Class, who will be showcasing 60 years of the history with a selection of boats from across the decades, to the breath taking 'Invictus', the only C- Class wing sail Catamaran in Europe and some of the latest dinghy designs on the market.

"The RYA Volvo Dinghy Show is always a highlight in any dinghy enthusiast's calendar, with a great range of workshops and resources to really bring the show to life. I look forward to attending on the 5th March for a great day out!" commented double Olympic gold medallist Sarah Gosling (nee Webb).

To find out more about what's on at the show or to book your tickets visit www.dinghyshow.org.uk or call the ticket hotline on 0844 081 0409.

A Busy Groupama Sailing Team
Since 15 February, Groupama Sailing Team has really been getting down to business at their base in Lorient, France. From the four corners of the globe and France, the crew of the future Groupama 4 are back on Breton soil to get back down to training.

The crew of Groupama Sailing Team has until 15 March to carry out sail trials aboard Groupama 70, an earlier generation boat which won't be racing in the next edition of the Volvo Ocean Race.

Franck Cammas has some well defined objectives for the last sail trials on a Volvo 70 prior to the launch of Groupama 4, which is scheduled for early May. There are a number of depressions during this season, bringing regular rainy spells and steady winds of over 35 knots to Brittany and its sailors. These are an opportunity for Franck to push the men and their boat to their limits.

In build at the Multiplast yard in Vannes, the new boat, owned by Groupama and designed by Juan Kouyoumdjian, is entering the final phase of construction.

"It's the final sprint. As such we've chosen to return to Lorient to train so the sailing team can come together with the boat building team and the research department. The sailors also have to lend a hand in the assembly of the onboard systems so as to be capable, after having built Groupama 4, to repair them if the need arises." Pierre Tissier, head of construction of the monohull, and around thirty other people, are currently working on the hull and deck structure at the yard in nearby Vannes.

At Lorima in Lorient, the workforce are busying themselves with the drape forming of the mast on Groupama 4, with her launch scheduled for early May. -- Translated by Kate Jennings

www.groupama.com
www.volvooceanrace.com

Doyle Frostbite Series Races 7 & 8
It was fresh bright sunny morning with a moderate breeze from W to NW and a rapidly ebbing tide which set the challenge for the race management team this week.

With the committee boat near Hover 1 all 4 Classes were sent off to Royal Southampton buoy newly laid after its winter overhaul before continuing round laid marks before cascading back down to the finish at Netley. Class 1 saw NJOS a Corby 35 win with a good margin over Malice. a HOD 35 .In Class 2 Blazer a Laser 28 took the honours by only 4 sec. on Jammin a J92. Class 3 - Jammy a J80 won with Vader a Cork 1720 runner up and Class 4 Fusion III a Gibsea 284 was first beating Escapade a First 305 into 2nd place.

The ebbing tide caught a couple of hapless skippers out who parked on the putty between races but both managed to escape and get started on a reconfigured course after the wind veered enabling a wind ward - leeward course to be set for the first time this series however as all those avid meteorologists know it was a front going through that caused the wind shift and with it came rain. Lots of it and heavy!

After timid starts in Race 7 Class 2 were all up for the start this time and there were 3 OCS unlike some starters in the classes who were a minute late.

It was J Dream a J109's turn to win Class 1 with NJOS 2nd. Class 2 saw J92's take 1,2 and 3 J'ronimo, Blackjack then Wizard. Class 3 saw a reversal with Vader 1st and Jammy 2nd .Class 4 was again won by Fusion III this time 2nd was Ellie a Dheler 36cws.

With 2 races to go on the last day of the Frostbite it's all to play for with only Class 2 1st place decided.

Royal Southampton YC: www.rsyc.org.uk

Francis Prout
Francis Prout, who with his brother Roland created the world's first production catamarans, has died aged 89. The two brothers began building Prout catamarans more than 40 years ago in Canvey Island, Essex, pioneering cruising multihull production.

Their ideas grew after the duo canoed for Great Britain in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics and decided to tie two of their kayaks together with bamboo poles to produce a efficient, high-speed vessel. Their father Geoffrey founded Prout Folding Boats in 1935, shipping folding dinghies and canoes worldwide.

Francis and his elder brother Roland, who died in 1997, grew the business after their successful kayak experiments into possibly the most famous catamaran builders in the world. They scooped a Queen's Award for Industry and in 1964 a Prout catamaran became the first multihull to circumnavigate the globe.

After a decline in sales the company was sold in July 2000 to Quest, a subsidiary of the Canadian Winfair group, but a year later Prout went into receivership.

Production of the larger boats was moved to Thailand, leaving the reborn Prout UK to construct two models with two new models planned, but this was unsuccessful and in early 2002 Prout again declared bankruptcy.

It was bought by Broadblue, who hired several key Prout staff and continues to develop Prout models.

www.yachtingmonthly.com

Featured Brokerage
Featured Brokerage Boat 2003 Nautor Swan 48, EUR 459,000 JUST REDUCED. Located in Palma de Mallorca, Spain.

This Swan 48 is a beautifully designed German Frers model, extremely comfortable for cruising and equally adept on the racing circuit.
55 hp Volvo Penta engine.
2 cabin layout version, sleeping 5 guests.
Some new equipment 2008/9, including new racing sails 2008.
She has been raced only a few times and lightly used for family cruising.

Brokerage through Nautor's Swan Spain & Portugal: www.yachtworld.com/swan-spain/

Complete listing details and seller contact information at uk.yachtworld.com

The Last Word
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