Scuttlebutt Europe #1973 - 24 November
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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 Safran Expected In Costa Rica Tonight
There is thunder in the air, with lightning flashing across the tropical night sky above the big spinnaker, which is propelling Safran along towards Puerto Limon, although she is now "invisible". Like Groupe Bel, the boat chasing after them, Marc and Charles have switched to stealth mode for this final stretch of the race. So there will be no positions for the two doing battle before they reach the finish. Surfing along as they did in the past few days at more than twenty knots where there is the permanent threat of damage now belongs to the past. Marc is tired, but he knows now that the hardest part is behind him. "We still have a few more gybes to go and the final 50 miles look like being rather sluggish, but the lead we currently have allows us to remain composed. The lead over Groupe Bel could be cut, but we're certainly not going to give anything away now." Groupe Bel never managed to find any greater potential to catch them up. But perhaps the best measure to show this high speed pace is to look at Mike Golding's 60-foot boat. After the storm, as they sailed north of the Azores, the British sailor was just thirty miles behind Safran. Now he is more than 300 miles behind. "With one or two exceptions, we always sailed with the maximum amount of sail. That requires a lot of energy. It really drained our reserves to carry out these manoeuvres and there were many of them. If we do manage to win, it will certainly feel good, as we really gave it our all throughout this race." A big spinnaker torn just before they passed through the Antilles, a mainsail that was slightly damaged in the worst moments of the storm... that is the only damage that Marc and Charles have to report. The boat itself did not experience any damage, even if she is known to be the lightest of the fleet of 60-foot IMOCA boats. AYRE Challenge Presents Its Volvo Ocean Race Project
The presentation of this 10-year-long project and milestone in Spanish yacht racing took place in Denia, a city that has strong ties with AYRE Challenge. Two years ago, the Spanish team presented its challenge for the 33rd America's Cup representing the Real Club Nautico de Denia (Royal Yacht Club of Denia). The city of Denia also belongs to the province of Alicante, starting point of the next three editions of the Volvo Ocean Race, highlighting AYRE's firm commitment to participate in all of them. The speakers in the presentation were Ana Kringe, mayor of Denia, Knut Frostad, Volvo Ocean Race CEO, Pedro Perelló, General Manager of AYRE Challenge, Manuel Gonzalez-Devesa, President of the Denia Royal Yacht Club, and Augusto Sanguinetti, Sports and Technical Director of AYRE Challenge. In addition, during the act were present, among others, Arantxa Valles, General Director of the Sociedad Gestora para la Imagen Estrategica y Promocional de la Comunitat Valenciana - showing the institution's support of the project-, Edouard Legendre, AYRE Challenge Commercial and Marketing Director, as well as Jose Juan Parets, AYRE Challenge Financial Director. Team AYRE Challenge will rely on 2 active bases during the preparation and actual competition of the next VOR: The base in the Valencia Region will be the Team's permanent one, housing its headquarters and used for both logistics and maintenance operations as well as for the organization of various events by the Team. The sports base, on the Atlantic Ocean coast, will be where the most important tests for the new boat development will take place. Tullett Prebon London International Boat Show: It's Your Show Come along and enjoy the thrill of being on board one of the hundreds of fascinating boats on display; from historic replica vessels to the latest in marine technology. With over 500 exhibitors* showcasing power and sail boats, dinghies, deck equipment, charter holidays and sailing courses the Show promises to offer something for enthusiasts and first time visitors alike. Don't forget 'Kids Go Free' aged 15 and under provided they are with a paying adult. For the more discerning visitor looking for that little bit of luxury; the new, exclusive Platinum Ticket. Numbers are limited so make sure you secure your place! For more information visit www.londonboatshow.com *taken from 2009 London International Boat Show Frenchmen Dode / Moreau Take Early Lead at Dart 18 Worlds
The Dutch F18 teams of Xander/Mark Pols and John Moret/Paul Smissaert were smoking today. Just minutes after the gun, they already left their thirteen competitors far behind. The Pols brothers hoisted the spinnaker first and kept their Nacra Infusion upright. Moret and Smissaert did not succeed in keeping their heads dry. They capsized twice and still managed to finish second, followed by the German duo Dieter Maurer and Gunther Mortl. They were the only finishers. Xander Pols: "At the committee boat, I did not expect they would continue the starting procedure. I can't even remember the last time I sailed in such a strong breeze. The only tactic was to choose the right moment for a gibe, so we would not nose dive." All racing in the afternoon was cancelled due to the stormy conditions. However, tomorrow's lay day will be used to catch up on two lost races. Top five Dart 18 Worlds 2009: 1. Emmanuel Dode & Fred Moreau, FRA Top three Aruba Heineken Catamaran Regatta: 1. Xander & Mark Pols, NED www.arubaregatta.com Spinnaker Start for the 24th Atlantic Rally for Cruisers Mostly sunny skies and a light north-easterly breeze provided a picture perfect start for spectators on and off the water. After crossing the start line in light 8-10 knot conditions, a colourful display of spinnakers were hoisted to help the yachts on their way. Winds are forecast to increase to 18-23 knots and, with the Azores high strengthening today, crews can expect moderate trade wind conditions for the first part of their crossing. 18 yachts competing in the ARC 2009 Racing Divisions, run under the auspices of the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) were first to start from a line that ran from the Committee Vessel, the Spanish Navy Ship Medas, to a laid mark inshore to the west south-west. As the start signal was given, the expected winds had not yet filled in, so it was a struggle to keep spinnakers flying in the awkward swell. In testing conditions, the IOR Maxi Umatalu (Anthony Balme, UK) was early over the line, earning a 3-hour time penalty. The first clear starter, a Grand Soleil 50, Katawa (Andreas Costa, Italy), was closely followed by the sleek black Wally 80 Bagheera, (Kemal Cingilliogle, Turkey) and the German JV53, Auliana II. For the first time, all the yachts in the ARC Racing Division have been fitted with Iridium satellite trackers, provided by Yellowbrick Adventure Tracking. A special leader board on the event website will show estimated finish times and predicted corrected rankings as the race progresses, with yacht positions polled every six hours, all visible at: www.worldcruising.com/arc/viewer.aspx At 1300, the cruising yachts, forming the majority of the fleet, created the now familiar ARC spectacle as 190 boats, of varying sizes and design, including the smallest yacht in the fleet, the Sadler 29 Zahara (GBR), set off towards St Lucia. A Modern Twist on a Classic Look Outfit your crew today at: www.camet.com Sunseeker Australia Cup In 2008 young Perth match racer Torvar Mirsky cheekily issued personal invitations to the World Match Racing Tour Champion Ian Williams and the then third placed Mathieu Richard, to come to Perth to train with him on the Swan River, in Foundation 36 match racing boats. The issued invitation was for practice racing before the Monsoon Cup, which is also sailed in the Foundation 36's. The pre-event preparation yielded results with Mirsky making it to the Monsoon Cup Semi Finals. Williams also made it through, giving Williams the points to take the overall 2008 World Match Racing Tour crown. A year later and 23 year Mirsky and his New Zealand rival 24 year old year old Adam Minoprio are the top two on the World Match Racing Tour leader board. This year, just a week before the Monsoon Cup, they will be two of the crews participating in the premier international match racing event on the Australian calendar, the Sunseeker Australia Cup. The Australia Cup was first held in January 1982 at the Royal Perth Yacht Club. The inaugural winner John Bertrand, went on to win the 1983 America's Cup in Newport, Rhode Island onboard Australia II. Since the last series in 2002, the Australia Cup has remained in the Trophy cabinet at the Royal Perth Yacht Club. The Sunseeker Australia Cup will be sailed from November 26th through to November 29th and features a heavy weight line up, with seven of the eleven crews chosen for the final World Match Racing Tour event of the year, deciding they need to be on Perth's waterway for some serious pre-Monsoon Cup training. www.worldmatchracingtour.com Imperia Winter Regatta At press time teams from 25 different countries (Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Lituania, Monaco, Netherland, Norway, Poland, Russia, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, Ucraine) have already entered the event. The Norwegian team is already training and tuning on the Imperia race area. In 2009 the 420 (open and female), Olympic classes 470 (man and women) and Laser /Standard male, Radial (man and women) as well as 29er and L'Equipe boats will race in a series of races on the sailing area in front of Imperia town. Ten races are scheduled for 470 and Laser classes, nine for 420, 29er and L'Equipe classes. In IWR 20th edition will display an important new event running during the same days: IWR has been appointed as venue for 2009 Byte CII European Championship (man and women), the sailing class appointed for 2010 Youth Olympic Games due to be held in Singapore. A maximum of 16 races will be sailed in the championship. -- Laura Jelmini Dubarry for Xmas: Jingle Smells LiveLoveGoSailing http://www.dubarry.com/marine.cfm Industry News Courses are available for all levels of expertise, ranging from complete beginners to Yachtmasters certification. Cruising areas include the local waters of Malta, Gozo and Comino, with advanced courses covering more testing passages to the south of Sicily. -- IBI news, www.ibinews.com * Organisers hail a 'show of confidence' at METS incorporating the SuperYacht Pavilion 2009 as the show closed yesterday in Amsterdam, with visitor levels virtually equal to those of 2008. The three-day show attracted a total of 18,454 visitors compared to 18,485 visitors in 2008. Exhibiting companies numbered 1,261 compared to 1,210 last year. METS is organised by Amsterdam RAI in association with ICOMIA and is the world's largest trade exhibition for equipment, materials and systems for the international leisure marine industry. The SuperYacht Pavilion targets the superyacht sector and is METS' 'show within a show'. -- IBI, www.ibinews.com * Raymarine's troubles don't appear to be easing. In the wake of its latest trading statement, shares fell to an all-time low of 7.5p on Friday after the company admitted it was unable to meet its debt covenants. Yesterday Raymarine told the market that it could not meet certain financial covenants and it reported a 23 per cent drop in sales in the first 10 months of 2009. Raymarine developed a strong leadership in manufacturing and supplying navigation systems, which was fine while the market was strong. The downturn and the company's heavy indebtedness of some 91.6m GBP at the end of October have seen its fortunes reversed. -- IBI, www.ibinews.com * Multi One Design S.A. announced at METS a partnership with Advance Composites Group as official supplier for the construction of the 12 Multi One Design 70' trimarans. Advanced Composites Group Ltd (ACG) is an international company which has been active for more than 30 years in sports highest level projects such as Formula 1. MOD S.A. and ACG Ltd are committed, not only to supply carbon fiber to the official MOD 70' shipyards, but also to comply with the qualitative standards and the tracking process defined for the construction of the 12 MOD 70'. -- www.multionedesign.com * For the 2009 edition, the SIBEX - China (Shenzhen) International Boat Show was coordinated between Shenzhen Yubo Exhibition Group, Exposalons and Grand Pavois Organisation (GPO), organizer of the International Afloat Boat Show the Grand Pavois in La Rochelle (France). They were almost 100 exhibitors at the 2009 edition and 40 boats were displayed afloat, Established in 2007, the Sibex - China Shenzhen International Boat Show has grown to become in two editions, one of the important appointments in the Asian marine business calendar. Held in Shenzhen (China) Marina Club located in Da Mei Sha Bay, this boat show is conveniently located near Hong Kong and provides an in-water exhibition . -- www.sibex.net.cn * Italian sailboat builder Sly Yachts has sent a letter appealing to its investors for support, according to a report on the website of Italian sailing magazine Solo Vela. Sly Yachts used the letter to inform its investors that it is unable to honour its commitments, according to Solo Vela. The yard says that recent trading conditions put pressures on funding for R&D: "Sly is a small Italian yard, which has made research and innovation its strongpoint. The last 18 months of world economic difficulty have certainly not supported the investment for the research and development that the marine sector requires." Sly Yachts stresses that despite these pressures, the company attended Genoa International Boat Show 2009 and presented its flagship Sly61. Based in Cesena, Sly Yachts builds sailing yachts from 13m-19m (42ft-61ft). -- IBI, www.ibinews.com * The western Irish port of Galway has established a firm strategy to make marine leisure a key element of its local economic activity. A major regeneration and expansion plan for the port and dock area is being proposed for development over the next five years or so. The total scheme has a value in order of 2bn Euros with marine works including a new marina estimated at some 200m. The city recently played host to the Volvo Ocean Race. This proved very successful for the city bringing in revenues of 55m. The new marina will be part of the first phase of a four phase development plan extend to about 2020. Planning permission for the first two phases will be sought after April next year with completion of the first phase in 2015. -- www.ibinews.com Featured Brokerage This is a very well kept and constantly maintained, late example of the popular Swan 68 class. Always cared for by a full-time crew, she is in perfect condition. She has a dark blue hull, extended transom, providing extra deck and lazarette space, hydraulic swim platform and an attractive four cabin interior layout with separate crew's quarters. She is completely equipped, including air conditioning, large generator, water-maker etc. Easily sailed by virtue of hydraulic powered winches and hydraulic head stay. Ideal for private use or charter, cruising or racing. Refits were carried out in 2001/2, 2005 and 2008. Brokerage through Nautor's Swan Spain & Portugal: www.yachtworld.com/swan-spain/ Complete listing details and seller contact information at The Last Word |
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