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Royal Canadian Yacht Club Wins NYYC Invitational Cup
Photo by Rolex / Kurt Arrigo. Click on image for event gallery.

NYYC Invitational Cup Newport, Rhode Island, USA: There was no stealing the gold away from Royal Canadian Yacht Club (RCYC) on thefinal day of racing at the 2011 New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup presented by Rolex. For the fourth consecutive day RCYC flew the Rolex gold spinnaker indicating their position at the top of the standings. The Toronto-based team would convert their 10-point lead over the defending champions - New York Yacht Club - into a win by 20 points when they were first across the finish line in the 11th race of the series.

With McLaughlin at the helm, RCYC had finished second overall in 2009 when this Corinthian event (amateur participants) made its debut. With four of the team, including McLaughlin, having sailed together since the 1983 America's Cup Challenger Series, and seven of the crew back from the 2009 edition, McLaughlin noted hat it took a team effort to win: "I make the final decisions, but I'm relying on guys that A make the boat go fast and B tell me what's going on."

When asked whether there was one turning point where RCYC just walked away with the regatta, NYYC tactician Phil Lotz cited their recovery in the first race on the penultimate day of the series. "They sailed a phenomenal regatta as it was, and to come back from practically dead last, when we were in the top-five, to save all those points, that was their regatta. Hats off to them."

One of the big changes to the event came through on-the-water umpiring. "We're confident it's a better system, and hopefully more events will start using on-the-water umpiring," said Chief Umpire Peter Shrubb (Bermuda). "It's certainly better for the event, especially when you have a large social component, to have people being able to join in after the sailing for the festivities and not have to spend hours in a jury room. It saves the competitors having to file protests against each other, so it takes it out of their hands, puts it into our hands and makes for a friendlier, more Corinthian event."

Final scores:

1. Royal Canadian, CAN, 47 points
2. New York, USA, 67
3. Annapolis, USA, 72
4. Eastern, USA, 89
5. Newport Harbor, USA 105
6. Japan, JPN, 105
7. Royal Ocean Racing Club, GBR, 112
8. Royal Cork, IRL, 115
9. Royal Hong Kong, HKG, 120
10. YC Argentino, ARG, 121
11. Royal Yacht Squadron, GBR, 122
12. NJK, FIN, 127
13. CYC Australia, AUS, 133
14. CN de Cascais, POR, 137
15. NRV, GER, 138
16. Royal Bermuda, BER, 144
17. Royal Cape, RSA, 148
18. Itchenor, GBR, 150
19. Royal Norwegian, NOR, 154
20. YC Capri, ITA, 167
21. RCN Barcelona, ESP, 197
22. YC Punta Ala, ITA, 220

invitationalcup.org

America's Cup World Series
Photo by Ingrid Abery, www.ingridabery.com. Click on image for photo gallery.

America's Cup World Series ORACLE Racing Spithill won the Plymouth Fleet Racing Championship after an action-packed final day of the America's Cup World Series in south-west England.

James Spithill made amends for a lackluster Match Race Championship with an emphatic victory in today's winner-takes-all race in the fleet racing. "It's redemption after the match racing," said Spithill, who seemed unfazed by the breeze that bulleted across the course. With winds gusting up to 30 knots (55 km/h / 35 mph), merely avoiding a capsize or a collision was a major challenge but Spithill commented: "I still think we had a bit left in the tank to be honest. The puffiness and change in direction made it challenging, but what a fun race!"

Other sailors might have a different perspective on today. In the anxious minutes leading up to the start, Energy Team capsized trying to avoid Team Korea, although Loick Peyron's crew managed to get the boat upright very quickly and rejoin the race. Moments later there was a dramatic collision with Artemis Racing riding up over the back of Green Comm Racing, with the skipper Vasilij Zbogar falling off the back of the Spanish boat and suffering a minor injury to his hand. With their boat damaged in the collision, Green Comm retired without crossing the start line.

On Saturday Emirates Team New Zealand won the Plymouth Match Racing Championship after halting the rapid rise of Team Korea with a 2-0 victory in wildly variable winds on Plymouth Sound.

Earlier in the day, Chris Draper's crew on Team Korea continued their giant-killing ways with a resounding 2-0 victory over Artemis Racing in the second Semi-Final. With four of Team Korea's crew from Great Britain, Draper's success was very popular with the Plymouth crowds cheering on The Hoe. The wind was up and down, the sun battled to break through the rain clouds scudding across the Devon sky, but still the crowds were engaged and enjoying the action, especially Draper's march to the final.

Hutchinson's Artemis team made amends for their Korean defeat by beating ORACLE Racing Coutts in the race-off for 3rd and 4th places. Russell Coutts fell foul of the course boundary just meters from the Plymouth shore, the ORACLE penalty turning a tight match into a relatively easy win for the Swedish crew.

The America's Cup World Series now moves on to San Diego, with the first practice races scheduled to take place beginning Saturday November 12. On Wednesday, November 16, the San Diego Match Racing Championship begins, along with television and YouTube live-streaming of the races.

FInal results

Plymouth Fleet Racing Championship
1. ORACLE Racing Spithill
2. Emirates Team New Zealand
3. ORACLE Racing Coutts
4. Aleph
5. Team Korea
6. Energy Team
7. China Team
8. Artemis Racing
8. Green Comm Racing

Plymouth Match Racing Championship
1. Emirates Team New Zealand
2. Team Korea
3. Artemis Racing
4. ORACLE Racing Coutts
5. ORACLE Racing Spithill
6. Energy Team
7. Green Comm Racing
8. China Team
9. Aleph

ACWS Fleet Racing Championship Overall Standings

1. Emirates Team New Zealand, 19 points
2. ORACLE Racing Spithill, 18
3. ORACLE Racing Coutts, 15
4. Aleph, 12
5. Artemis Racing, 12
6. Team Korea, 10
7. Green Comm Racing, 9
8. Energy Team, 8
9. China Team, 7

ACWS Match Racing Championship Overall Standings

1. Emirates Team New Zealand, 19 points
2. Team Korea, 16
3. Artemis Racing, 16
4. ORACLE Racing Spithill, 16
5. ORACLE Racing Coutts, 13
6. Energy Team, 10
7. Green Comm Racing, 8
8. China Team, 6
9. Aleph, 6

www.americascup.com

Dubarry Lahinch - Inspired By Design
Dubarry Lahinch If you were designing the perfect bowman, you’d want them to weigh nothing, never slip up, react instantly, give you maximum support and get a round in after the race. When Dubarry was designing its new sprint deckshoe, Lahinch, they used modern materials for featherlight, quick-drying super-strength, giving you the speed and durability. Its D-chassis footbed system, inspired by Formula 1 technology, means it protects and actively supports, and its sole gives you award-winning grip. It won’t get a round in of course, but when did you last see a bowman at the bar?

Dubarry Lahinch - performance perfected.

www.dubarry.com

Quantum Racing and Iberdrola Team are 2011 Audi Medcup Champions
Barcelona, Spain: In the closest finish since the conclusion of the 2007 season Quantum Racing secured the 2011 Audi MedCup Circuit 52 Series title on the year's penultimate race.

Having ended the challenge from Spanish icons Bribon the previous day, and so relieving themselves of a pressure build that had haunted them since their middle of the season fifth place finish in Sardinia, the Quantum Racing Team which is skippered by America's Cup winner Ed Baird (USA) clinched the title with a showcase race victory.

Although Quantum Racing had lead since the fifth day of this five month, five regattas 2011 Audi MedCup Circuit season, the 2008 title winners arrived for the showdown Conde de Godo-City of Barcelona Trophy with a Circuit shrunk to only 3.5 points.

The inaugural Audi MedCup Circuit 40 Series title was Iberdrola Team's with a day to spare, but the Spanish team which is skippered by Jose Maria Torcida, also won their fourth Trophy of the season with another pair of race wins today.

If the Valencia based title winners proved a class apart in the early season, there has been clear indications not only of a very rosy future for this exciting 40 foot high performance one design with a big number of potential owners sailing on board as guests in Barcelona, but also that the level of competition has evened.

Inaki Castaner's Noticias IV took second place on the 40 Series Circuit with Tony Buckingham's Ngoni finishing their season third overall after winning in Cartagena last month.

After Quantum Racing (USA) wrapped up the 2011 Audi MedCup Circuit 52 series with a win in the penultimate race of the season earlier today, Niklas and Catherine Zennstrom (SWE) and their RAN (SWE) team lifted the Conde de Godo City of Barcelona Trophy this afternoon when they finished with a final fourth place with their regatta title rivals Bribon (ESP) in seventh and Quantum Racing eighth.

With RAN winning in Barcelona, trophy regattas have been shared evenly through the Audi MedCup 52 Series fleet. Quantum Racing won in Cascais in May, Container in June in Marseille, Audi ALL4ONE in July in Cagliari, Italy. Last month Bribon won in Cartagena, Spain and RAN triumph in Barcelona.

Jose Maria Torcida and the Iberdrola Team complete the double in Barcelona in the Soto 40 class. After they tied up the inaugural Audi MedCup Soto 40 Circuit title yesterday, the Spanish crew won both races today to secure their fourth regatta title of the season. -- Andi Robertson

medcup.org

BMW J/24 European Championships
Photo by Gareth Craig, fotosail.com. Click on image for photo gallery.

J/24 European Championships In ideal conditions - moderate to fresh south-easterly winds and sunshine - the BMW J/24 Europeans Championships concluded at Howth (Thursday 15th) with four back-to-back races to complete the full 10-race programme.

Top of the table was 'Reloaded' (Mark Penfold), sailing under US colours, with 34 points, three ahead of the leading European entry 'Il Riccio' (Ian Southworth/Chris McLaughlin) which takes the European Championship trophy.

With the exception of their discard of a 20th in the fifth race, 'Reloaded' was consistently in the top four in most races and had one bullet, while closest rivals 'Il Riccio' had two bullets and only a 9th to discard.

That they had some 28 points to spare over the third placed 'Serco' (Bob Turner) emphasised their dominance over the series. The German champion 'Rotoman' (Kai Mares) was only a point behind in 4th place and won the final race of the regatta while Stuart Jardine, the oldest helm in the championship, had the distinction of winning three races, including the first two races of the final day. Another German boat 'Hungriger Wolf' (Johann Huhn) had six top ten results to earn 6th overall.

Local boat Jibberish (O'Kelly/Wormald/Walsh) enjoyed its best result when finishing second behind 'Stouche' (Jardine) in the seventh race while German entry 'JJone' (Frithjof Schade) was looking at the same transom in the eighth race. The Southworth/McLaughlin crew topped the fleet in the penultimate race followed by the Hungarian boat 'Naviscon' (Farkas Litkey) while 'Serco' took second behind 'Rotoman' in the final race.

Needing to beat their US rivals by several places in the last race to take 1st overall, 'Il Riccio' could only manage an 8th to 'Reloaded's' 5th.

The leading Irish crew was 'Hard on Port' (Flor O'Driscoll, HYC) in 10th overall with 'Jamais Encore' (John-Patrick McCaldin, Lough Erne YC) next best in 17th.

Full results: www.hyc.ie/J24Europeans2011/

Laurie Jury and Claire Leroy Win the 2011 ISAF Nations Cup
Sheboygan, Wisconsin, USA: Open division Laurie Jury (NZL) and women's divison Claire Leroy (FRA) won the ISAF Nations Cup Grand Final in racing marked by strong winds and big waves on Lake Michigan. 

Sunday's conditions were brisk, with a strong onshore southeast 15- to 18-knot breeze with gusts to 20, and the seas built to 3 to 6 feet, with larger breaking waves roaring through the starting area, putting boat handling at a premium.

Claire Leroy (FRA, crew Elodie Bertrand, Marie Riou) went 3-0 against Rita Goncalves (POR, crew Mariana Lobato, Diane Neves) in the women's division, sailed in Elliott 6m's. This is the third straight Nations Cup win for Leroy, a first in event history.

With a 2-1 lead going into race four of the open division sailed in Sonars, Jury (crew Logan Frasier, Mike Edmonds) sailed clean while top-seeded Mads Ebler (DEN, crew Soeren Toender, Chris Keene Boye) was able to clear his first penalty, but received another at the final top mark during a luffing match. Jury was able to sail ahead to the finish to win.

In the Petit Final for third and fourth place, Olivia Price (AUS, crew Lucinda Whitty, Nina Curtis) won 2-1 over Mandy Mulder (NED, crew Merel Witteveen, Shannan Marck) in the women's division. In the open division, it was Henrique Haddad (BRA, crew Mario Trindade, Victor Demaison) 2-0 over Lucy Macgregor (GBR, crew Annie Lush, Kate Macgregor).

www.nationscup2011.org

Seahorse October 2011
What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine

Taking a fresh look
IRC design maestro JASON KER is now threatening to take a closer interest in the ORCi rating system...

Textiles to composites - Part 4
BILL PEARSON looks at the machinery needed to handle the thinnest of composite raw material

Update
TERRY HUTCHINSON survives Cascais, ROB WEILAND on widening-out the 2012 Audi MedCup and Aberdeen CEO MARTIN GILBERT on better defining value for sponsors

Three-way communication
VO70 comms... faster and lighter than ever

If you haven't subscribed to Seahorse already we're keen to help you attend to that! - Please use the following promotional link and enjoy the hefty Scuttlebutt Europe discount... and it gets even better for 2 and 3 year subscriptions...

www.seahorse.co.uk/shop/subs

The Wave, Muscat Makes it Two in a Row
Photo by Mark Lloyd, www.lloydimages.com. Click on image for photo gallery.

Extreme Sailing Series Leigh McMillan's team on The Wave, Muscat made it two in a row winning Act 6 of the Extreme Sailing Series in Trapani on the back of their Act 5 win in Cowes, UK.  It was an incredibly close finish to Act 6 - after 34 races in total, The Wave, Muscat took it with 283 points [11pts for a race win], just 9 points ahead of the French team Groupe Edmond de Rothschild on 274, and Oman Air, with Ben Ainslie at his first Extreme Sailing Series regatta, in third on 266.5.

A mere 3.5 points behind were Max Sirena's Luna Rossa, and only three points behind them Hagara's Red Bull Extreme Sailing.  The compensation for Sirena and British helmsman, Paul Campbell-James, is that Luna Rossa's result here elevates them to the top of the 2011 Overall Extreme Sailing Series leaderboard, 1 point ahead of Groupe Edmond de Rothshild.

Ben Ainslie at the helm of Oman Air once again demonstrated how quickly he has got a handle on these boats and raced strongly throughout the afternoon, only a poor start in the final race was the team's undoing: "I've have really enjoyed it," said Ainslie. "We have a lot of improvements to make and I am just learning the ropes, the guys are fantastic and have pulled me through. It's great to be in the top three for my first event."

The next stop is Nice for Act 7 between 28th September to 2nd October.  Artemis Racing will be back and Team Extreme will be racing under the colours of the city of Nice with solo offshore ace Jean-Pierre Dick at the helm.

Overall standings after 34 races

1. The Wave, Muscat (OMA), Leigh McMillan / Kyle Langford / Nick Hutton / Khamis Al Anbouri, 283 points
2. Groupe Edmond de Rothschild (FRA), Pierre Pennec / Christophe Espagnon / Thierry Fouchier / Herve Cunningham, 274
3. Oman Air (OMA), Ben Ainslie / Kinley Fowler / David Carr / Nasser Al Mashari, 266.5
4. Luna Rossa (ITA), Max Sirena / Paul Campbell-James / Alister Richardson / Manuel Modena, 263
5.Red Bull Extreme Sailing (AUT), Roman Hagara / Hans Peter Steinacher / Matt Adams / Craig Monk, 260
6. Alinghi (SUI), Tanguy Cariou / Yann Guichard / Nils Frei / Yves Detrey, 256.9
7. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), Adam Beashel / Jeremy Lomas / Richard Meacham / Rob Waddell, 206.5
8. Team GAC Pindar (GBR), Ian Williams / Pierluigi De Felice / Andrew Walsh / Ed Smyth, 171
9. Niceforyou (ITA), Alberto Barovier / Stefano Rizzi / Lorenzo Mazza / Simone de Mar, 161
10. Team Extreme 'Sailing Seacily' (EUR), Sebbe Godefroid / Patrick Demesmaeker / Jan Coppens / Vince Thery, 145

Extreme Sailing Series 2011 Overall standings after 6 Acts

1. Luna Rossa, 51 points
2. Groupe Edmond de Rothschild, 50
3. The Wave, Muscat, 49
4. Emirates Team New Zealand, 49
5. Red Bull Extreme Sailing, 43
6. Alinghi, 39
7. Artemis Racing, 38
8. Oman Air, 31
9. Team GAC Pindar, 17
10. Niceforyou, 15
11. Team Extreme, 13

extremesailingseries.com

Running The Rhumblines
Whitsunday Sailing Club skipper Kevin Fogarty can safely say he gained some valuable sea time racing the Kim Swarbrick designed Space Sailor Idle Time.

The sloop originally bought by his partner Heather Sievers has become known as one of the top performers in Performance Handicap racing in the Whitsundays having proudly raced under the WSC burgee in numerous regattas and races including the Dent to Dunk, the interclub Whitsunday Ocean Racing Championship and the Airlie Beach Race Week.

However not unlike all other past generation ocean racing yachts Idle Time has over extended her use-by date and will gracefully enjoy a rest at her mooring while her skipper and crew dry out their deck shoes and wait for the arrival of the new and faster Beneteau First 40.7 class sloop.

This high performance class yacht with the applied crew experience promises to become involved in racing at the head of the fleet which will be a welcome change for the happy team who have proudly worn the Idle Time crew colours.

"There have been many great memories with racing on Idle Time and they will never change, she has a sea kind nature and still remains as a good boat to sail." Kevin Fogarty said.

Hopefully Idle Time will have the opportunity to spend the rest of her sailing days casually cruising around the Whitsunday Islands while her past crew step aboard to prepare for a new challenge of learning the 'ropes' and racing the Beneteau to her handicap rating.

Meanwhile the present club pacesetters Sandpiper (Colin Pruden), Queensland Marine Services (John Galloway), Wobbly Boot (Craig Piccinelli) and Another Fiasco (Damien Suckling) remain to form a spirited welcome when Kevin Fogarty sets his personal challenge in place to become a front line contender on Pioneer Bay.

As expected the experienced Kevin Fogarty who has struggled to remain competitive with the race weary Idle Time has invested his cash and experience into a very competitive racing yacht which indicates he has the ambition to become a serious challenger for a major title when the Whitsunday Sailing Club hosts the 2012 Airlie Beach Race Week regatta next August.

Naturally the new sloop has the potential to provide the former Idle Time crew with the expectation to compete at the top level but it will become a demanding new learning curve to make sure the human element related skills can be successfully transformed from the deck of the old and slow Idle Time to the faster Beneteau First 40.7. -- Ian Grant.

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

The Last Word
When the character of a man is not clear to you, look at his friends. -- Japanese Proverb

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