Scuttlebutt Europe #2384 - 8 July
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Brought to you by Boats.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 Mixed Bag For Aussies at Stena Match Cup Sweden After eight flights of racing it was young skipper Swinton (AUS) Black Swan Racing who emerged as one of the form sailors with three straight wins in tricky conditions boosting him up to the business end of the standings. But it was disappointment for Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing who wound up at the bottom of the table after failing to bag any wins in what was a frustrating day for the four-time World Champion match racer. Torvar Mirsky (AUS) The Wave Muscat, the third Australian competing on the waters of Marstrand Fjord, overcame yesterday's defeat by local skipper Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team to add three wins to his tally, suffering only at the hands of Portimao Portugal Match Cup winner Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar, the day's other stand-out skipper. Results after the second Qualifying Session Flight 8: Keith Swinton (AUS) Black Swan Racing 4-1 Close, But No Cigar
"As the sun sets on the fourth day of the Transatlantic Race, the crew aboard Rambler 100 has settled into the shipboard rhythm of the four-hour watches. The drama this afternoon has been our watch on the numbers for our 24-hour run. We've had some awesome sailing and in the end came just 12 miles shy of the 596 nautical mile (nm) 24-hour record set by the Volvo 70 Ericsson 4. "Our 24-hour run from 1400 EDT yesterday to today was 582 miles. Each hour we kept calculating, hoping for an increase, but the best we could do was 584 nm between the 1500 hours and the same for the 1600 hours. The breeze has backed off a bit now, so the numbers are starting to decrease a bit. "Looking forward - the big tactical decision that could decide this race is coming up tomorrow morning, when it looks like the clocking wind will favor the other gybe for the first time since we started. That's always interesting after a few days sailing on one tack - getting used to the feel of going the other way. The timing of the gybe is crucial because it looks to set up the track of the boat through probably the lightest winds we will see in this race... at the boundary between the low over Labrador and the low that's been hovering over Ireland. It looks like we are going to have some very light winds for what looks like about four hours before we connect into the northwesterly from the eastern low. "So we'll pick a 'lane' tomorrow morning - with the breeze still nice and fresh. A few hours later we'll see how our choice panned out as we enter the light air. The weather models have a much harder time predicting the conditions in light winds compared to stronger winds (right now its blowing 23 knots) so there's a bit of voodoo and luck involved." Rickham and Birrell Toast IFDS Worlds Title with Day to Spare
But the race for the Sonar and 2.4mR titles are still in the balance as the 155 sailors that have done battle on the 2012 Paralympic Waters of the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy this week prepare for one final race tomorrow. In the Sonar, Skandia Team GBR's John Robertson, Hannah Stodel and Steve Thomas currently hold a seven-point advantage over the second-placed Norwegian team of Alex Wang-Hansen, Per Eugen Kristiansen and Marie Solberg, who themselves are tied on 44 points with Bruno Jourdren, Eric Flageul and Nicolas Vimont-Vicary (FRA). Meanwhile it is double Dutch at the top of the 2.4mR standings with defending champion Thierry Schmitter (NED) holding a 12 point lead over his national teammate and training partner Andre Rademaker. Schmitter, who is carrying a discarded 16th, has to make sure he doesn't post a letter score tomorrow, with Rademaker finishing in the top three, to wrap up his hat-trick of IFDS World crowns. However, today was all about Rickham and Birrell as the Brit duo repeated the consistency that has been their forte throughout the week to score a second and fourth and put themselves into an unassailable position in the race for the title. Behind them the race for silver and bronze looks set to go to the wire as a double bullet today for Jennifer French and J-P Creignou (USA), whose scores have improved massively as the week has gone on, helped them leapfrog the Australian duo of Dan Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch into second overall. The Aussies are four points in arrears of their American rivals but with what looks like a comfortable 13 point gap between themselves and the second USA crew of Scott Whitman and Julia Dorsett, silver medallists at the past three IFDS Worlds, in fourth.
Dubarry Storm - Style Over Fashion Dubarry Storm - the calm within the Storm. Peeking Under The Dice Cups
Even with a strategically built-in six-hour delay, the boat tracks as displayed on Transpac's Yellowbrick transponders tell a visual story. From the squiggly tracks of night one, with boats short-tacking in barely a breath of breeze, the tracks are now "straight." However, the leaders are passing through yet another band of relatively light wind, with the big breeze still out front. Friday's starters include potential first-to-finish boats such as Doug Baker's 80-foot Magnitude 80 and Chicagoan Hap Fauth on a Left Coast tour with his 69-foot Bella Mente. There is also a group in the 50-foot range that should produce very tight competition. They will rally for a start off Point Fermin, San Pedro, with a warning signal at 12:55 pm and a starting gun at 1 pm. For many participants, this is the first Transpac in memory without the late Roy Disney in the ranks. He was a presence from his first race in 1975, a Barn Door record holder off and on, a longstanding member of the board of directors of the Transpacific Yacht Club, and a philanthropist who cast a long shadow. Disney's one-time course record holder, the Santa Cruz 70, Pyewacket, is now owned by Bill McClure of Los Angeles Yacht Club, who is campaigning the boat as a tribute to Roy. On Wednesday, McClure had Pyewacket blessed the way Roy would have done it, flying-in Disney's favorite Hawaiian priest, Danny Kaniela Akaka, for the ceremony. -- Kimball Livingston Fastnet: Past Winners Return "It is a very hard race to win overall," commented Piet. "First of all you have to have a good boat and crew but also you need to have the same wind as everybody else. Often the bigger boats get different weather to the rest, so it makes it much harder to win with a smaller boat. If we all get the same weather, then everybody has a chance. Last time was the first Rolex Fastnet with the new boat and we were second in our class. However, we would like to do better than that this year, we know the boat a lot more, we have better sails and a good crew, so I have high hopes for the race. At my age, I am old enough to be the grandfather of all of the competitors but there comes a time when I have to stop, so I will enjoy this one as if it is my last." Jean-Yves Chateau will be racing again this year in Class Four. Chateau is one of only three sailors from France that have lifted the Fastnet Trophy, winning with his Nicholson 33, Iromiguy in 2005. The only two previous French winners were the legendary Eric Tabarly (Pen-Duick III - 1969) and Catherine Chabaud (Whirlpool-Europe 2 - 1999), the only female skipper to have won the race overall. Iromiguy's win in 2005 was quite exceptional as it was one of the smallest yachts in the fleet in a race traditionally dominated by big boats. Iromiguy's victory was a dream come true, proof that just occasionally the Corinthian weekend enthusiast can prevail in an unremarkable boat. What is remarkable is that you have to go back to 1975 for the last time that a yacht less than 40 feet long won the offshore classic. "In 2005 I came to win my class," said Chateau. "But I didn't think it was possible to win the whole race. It was unbelievable, a childhood dream." The St. Malo skipper has owned Iromiguy for nearly 30 years. "Every year I go to the French boat show and I say I must buy a new boat, but every year I find myself sailing this one. The sails are worth more than the boat," he admitted. J/80 Worlds - Day Two
By 1430 hours, there was a sufficient breeze that the PRO sent out the teams to race their second day in a 6-10 knots onshore wind, with the fleet framed in the background by the famous Oresund Bridge connecting Denmark with Sweden- the longest road and rail bridge in Europe at 5 miles end-to-end. Glenn Darden's American team on LE TIGRE continued to hang on to their lead but now only by one point. Glenn's first race of the day, an 18th, didn't help to stave off the expected onslaught from the top European teams. And sure enough, they came at him hard and fast. Only a 4th place in the second race saved the day for Team LE TIGRE, now counting a 2-5-5-18-4 for 34 pts. As was anticipated, the Spanish contingent were not content to be flailing around in the top ten nor even in the middle of the fleet. Nor was Swedish Champion Ingemar Sundstedt. The standings now have Ingemar's team with a 5-7-14-2-7-for 35 pts, one point back from Darden. J/80 World Champion Ignacio Camino from Spain leapt up to third overall adding an 8-5 to his scores of 1-4-21 for 39 points. Another World Champion, Spaniard Carlos Martinez, also jumped up the leader-board and lies fourth with a 3-26-4-6-8 score for 47 pts. Fifth is yet another Spaniard, Olympic Champion Jose Maria van deer Ploeg, overcoming a slow start the first day to post the best scores for the entire fleet on the second day. Jose Maria now has a scoreline of 27-17-11-5-1 for 61 pts. Past J/80 World Champion Rayco Tabares from the Canary Islands sailing HOTEL GRAND CANARIAS added a 9-13 to his 4-9-51 day one scores for a total of 88 pts, so he's looking good after a throw-out after six races. Also of note was the sparkling performance in the first race of the day by French champion Luc Nadal, winning race 4, as well as Massimo Rama's J/80 Italian Championship team getting a third in the same race. Fellow Frenchman Eric Brezellec is sailing a very strong series, getting a 3rd in Race 5 and the Danish/American team on GULDFAXE sailed by Tom Klok and Will and Marie Crump got a strong 2nd for their best race to date. Leroy Won Light Wind Final The wind died in Marstrand and the ladies' finals dragged out in time so that only three flights could be sailed. Just before eight in the evening Claire Leroy and her two crew members sneaked over the finish line. The water was like a mirror and after a tight and exciting final match the wind had almost died for the American Anna Tunnicliffe, who barely could make it to the finish. But up till then the both finalist had fought an even and exciting battle in feather light winds. Russian Ekaterina Skudina sailed in on third spot before Lucy MacGregor, Great Britain Results Final Petit final Others
Get A Deal On The Racing Rules! To order the Rules DVD or learn more about it, go to: www.LearnTheRacingRules.com Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta Nearly 3000 sailors and 420 boats are afloat for the four day regatta that is the biggest sailing event in the Irish Sea area. An impressive line up of 14 Class Zero boats has made Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta the biggest turnout this year for the 40-footers and it was appropriate yesterday that Howth's well campaigned Crazy Horse should make the running in the big sea conditions. The Chambers/Reilly skippered Mills 36 beat Fairlie visitor Christine Murray's Elf too, a Beneteau First 40 on the windward leeward course. Third was another visitor Grand Cru (Jamie McGarry) from the Clyde. Anthony O'Leary's put on a David vs Goliath performance in yesterday's dramatic opener of the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta which was a result of the surfing conditions that gave his modified 1720 a real chance to show her speed downwind against some boats seemingly twice the size in IRC One. The gutsy performance would have put the Royal Cork yacht 'Antix Beag' top of the 19-boat fleet except the Cork crew lost their rig. It is still unofficial but Debbie Aitken's Elan 380 Animal from Royal Northern and Clyde Yacht Club is the probable winner. Second is the locally based Sigma 38 Errislannan skippered by Paul Kirwan. In class two Sligo visitor Ruthless, a Corby 26, sailed by Conor Ronan beat the locally based half tonner Dick Dastardly from the DMYC. Another vintage half tonner, King one, from Howth and skippered by Dave Cullen was third. Last year's winner of the overall Volvo trophy Flor O'Driscoll is back in contention again. His J24 Hard on Port was the winner of the regatta's biggest fleet yesterday, taking a win from Ken Lawless's Supernova in the 38-boat class three division. In the one design divisions there were plenty of familiar names at the top top of the fleets given the testing southerlies that prevailed. Tim Goodbody leads the Sigma 33s, David Gorman the Flying fifteens, Patrick Boardman the Mermaids, Colin Galavan the SB3s, first race winner Ben Duncan did not sail the second race. Pat Kelly's Storm leads the 10 boat J109s who are also racing for national championship honours. Full results on dlregatta.org/sandbox/2011index.asp Cowes Dinard St Malo Race
This year, the race will finish just outside St Malo; the medieval walled port will have well over 200,000 residents and visitors this weekend. In IRC Zero Harm Prins' Volvo 60, Pleomax, is the highest rated boat and is in a three-way tussle with Derek Saunders' CM 60, Venomous, and Franck Noel's TP52 Near Miss. The wind may go light towards the end of the race and this would suit Near Miss's lighter displacement. Twenty four yachts are entered for IRC One, including Piet Vroon's Ker 46, Tonnerre de Breskens, which is the current leader overall in the RORC Season's Points Championship. The St Malo race will see another interesting match with Jonathan Goring's Ker 40, Keronimo. Chaz Ivill's Grand Soleil 54, John B, and Mike Greville's Ker 39, Erivale III, are both having an excellent season and are also entered for the race. In IRC Two 48 yachts are entered in what could be one of the most competitive divisions. Niall Dowling's J/111, Arabella, leads the class for the season but RORC Commodore Andrew McIrvine racing his First 40, La Reponse, is very much in contention. Ross Applebey's Oyster 48, Scarlet Oyster, has been very competitive in heavy airs racing this year; it will be interesting to see how they fair if the conditions are lighter. Another hotly contested class racing to St Malo is IRC Three. Nick Martin's J/105, Diablo-J, currently leads the class for the RORC Season's Points Championship but Noel Racine's Foggy Dew is also competing and is always hard to beat. Diablo-J's success so far is even more remarkable as the yacht is also sailed Two-Handed. In all 23 yachts will be racing to St Malo in the Two-Handed Class and the other contenders for the class are all competing. IRC Four also boasts a large entry of 48 yachts. Matthias Kracht's Ultreia!, which is also a Two-Handed contender, is leading the class but most of the class contenders are also doing this race. -- Louay Habib Industry News French cruising catamaran builder Fountaine Pajot says that its first half results for this year "confirm the recovery of [its] activity", as the completion of a capital increase worth €1.5m bolsters the company's plans for 2011-2013. -- .ibinews.com ----------------------------------------------- Oyster Marine signed a preferred supplier agreement with marine electronics manufacturer Raymarine, the companies announced. The agreement will see Raymarine's full range of integrated electronics installed onboard Oyster Marine's hand-built, modern bluewater cruisers and superyachts. Each yacht will start with a suite of Raymarine products that owners can extend and enhance. ----------------------------------------------- Sailtime, the boating membership organisation company operated by franchise holders around the world, has confirmed that three of its UK bases at Hamble, Gosport and Poole are to be run under new management. Sailtime Bases Ltd, the company that ran these bases, has ceased to trade and has instructed the insolvency practitioner RSM Tenon to assist in convening statutory meetings of members and creditors to appoint a liquidator. In order to try and maintain a continuity of service for members at the affected bases, Richard Davies and Richard Bowden-Doyle are looking to re-establish SailTime bases at Gosport, Hamble and Poole under new management, with the support of SailTime Group LLC, the US-based franchisor. "The day-to-day business of these SailTime bases was viable and membership levels have risen throughout the year," said Mr Davies. "However, the business was struggling under a number of onerous contracts and historical debts. Even with a significant injection of funds and with new management working strenuously over the past few months to reduce the cost base of the business, the weight of this historic debt has made it impossible to continue operating. We have therefore been forced to look to place the company into Creditors' Voluntary Liquidation." A CVL will have no impact whatsoever on any SailTime bases or members beyond Hamble, Gosport and Poole, he stressed. ----------------------------------------------- Following a fire which completely destroyed the factory and offices of Ocean Safety's depot in Port Glasgow, the UK's biggest independent supplier of safety equipment to the marine sector has opened its doors once again, just four months after its stock and offices were almost completely destroyed. The company has re-located the Scottish office to Greenock, in a strategic waterfront position close to the Customs House and the site of a proposed new marina. "We are back in business as of today," comments Ocean Safety's Managing Director Charlie Mill, himself a former Greenock resident, but now based at the company's head office in Southampton. "As previously we are offering full liferaft and lifejacket servicing and the branch is re-stocked with our range of marine safety equipment. Van runs have started up once again delivering to our dealers and outlets in Scotland." He also added in a relieved tone, "And the premises is located just behind the fire station..." The new office is also endorsed by the MCA and also for SOLAS by its key commercial liferaft brand Zodiac. Despite its losses Ocean Safety managed to contact all the customers from a temporary office within four days and went on to fulfil orders within a matter of weeks. ----------------------------------------------- A new marine business has launched along the Bristol Rhode Island waterfront this summer. Herreshoff Yacht Sales (HYS) has officially opened at 18 Burnside Street, the same campus that hosted the historic Herreshoff Manufacturing Company from 1878 to 1945, which built famed America's Cup winners such as Columbia and Reliance. HYS is located on the first floor of the same building as Herreshoff Designs, led by Halsey Herreshoff and Adam Langerman. HYS is dedicated to sales of all Herreshoff-designed craft, including those designed by Captain Nathanael Greene Herreshoff, L. Francis Herreshoff, Sidney Herreshoff and Halsey Herreshoff. HYS also represents builders of Herreshoff designs, including Bristol Boat Companies' Herreshoff 20, Brion Rieff's Herreshoff Alerion 26, and Artisan Boatworks' Herreshoff 12.5 and 15 Footer. Featured Brokerage Noonmark VI has an outstanding race pedigree and has achieved excellent results in regattas and offshore races on both sides of the Atlantic and in both the north and southern hemispheres. She is also a good fast cruising yacht and may be sailed by two persons. The custom detailing on this yacht is superb - from her modified interior (to suit cruising and racing use), to her custom rig and deck plan. Carefull maintenance by the same full time crew has ensured her excellent condition. 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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