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 Leads Lost And Gained Under Steady Wind Race committees on all three courses completed three races in 8-14 knot easterly winds. With five races in the bag, organizers with Premiere Racing are already halfway to the stated goal of holding 10 races during the five-day regatta. There was a lead change in the Farr 40 class with Charisma (Nico Poons, Monaco) and Struntje Light (Wolfgang Schaefer, Germany) overtaking Groovederci (John Demourkas, Santa Barbara, Cal.). Struntje Light has posted a pair of seconds and finished no lower than fourth in the seven-boat fleet, but Charisma holds the overall lead via tiebreaker by virtue of winning Race 5. Renowned Italian professional and America's Cup veteran Vasco Vascotta is calling tactics aboard Struntje Light, which has competed in Farr 40 class at Key West ever since 2002 with a top finish of third. PowerPlay lived up to its name by making a strong move in IRC 2 class with a strong line of 1-3-4 on Tuesday. Owner Peter Cunningham, a resident of Georgetown in the Cayman Islands, has a nice mix of amateur and professional crew with tactician Tony Rey, trimmer Dave Scott and bowman Geordie Shaver among the superstars aboard. Quantum Racing, skippered by Doug DeVos, continues to set the pace in the 52-foot class and leads PowerPlay by six points. Terry Hutchinson, helmsman for the Swedish syndicate Artemis Racing that is Challenge of Record for the America's Cup, has made strong tactical calls in leading Quantum to victory in three races and second in the two others. In other classes, the three-race day merely served as an opportunity for the early leaders to extend on the competition. Ran, a Judel-Vrolijk 72-footer, continues to sail impressively in the Mini Maxi class (IRC 1), winning all five races so far. Red, skippered by Joe Woods of Great Britain with Paul Goodison aboard as tactician, has accomplished the same feat in the inaugural Farr 400 class. * The second day of racing at Quantum Key West 2012 proved to overnight leaders (and, the rest of the fleet for that fact) that winning this championship isn't going to be as easy as yesterday may have made it seem. With three additional races now complete, Benjamin Schwartz with tactician Ed Baird on Pisces now leads the Melges 32 fleet in Key West. Overnight leader John Kilroy on Samba Pa Ti is in second place. To make things more than very interesting, the two are tied with 14 points each. Alec Cutler with Richard Clarke as tactician on Hedgehog is third some eleven points back. Top three after five race: Mini Maxi (IRC 1) (IRC - 3 Boats) 52 Class (IRC 2) (IRC - 8 Boats) IRC 3 (Shared start with High Performance) (IRC - 5 Boats) Farr 40 (One Design - 7 Boats) Farr 400 (One Design - 5 Boats) High Performance (Shared start with IRC 3) (4 Boats) Melges 32 (One Design - 19 Boats) Melges 24 (One Design - 15 Boats) Farr 30 (One Design - 7 Boats) J 80 (One Design - 18 Boats) PHRF 1 (ToD) (PHRF - 10 Boats) PHRF 2 (ToD) (PHRF - 11 Boats) J Boats Subclass (ToT) (ToT - 7 Boats) A Sad Sight This was the boat that started life in 1982 as Mike Birch's Formule TAG. In it Birch set the fastest 24-hour speed record of the modern era, then 512 miles in a day. Not forgetting that this was 30 years ago when, for most people, a 200-mile day was so noteworthy it was worth calling home via Portishead Radio. This amazing boat began at 75ft LOA, was cut and shut and repeatedly modified to end up at 105ft. It went through many famous evolutions. It was Sir Peter Blake's and Sir Robin Knox-Johnston's Jules Verne Trophy winner ENZA New Zealand and later Tracy Edward's all-women round the world challenger Royal & Sun Alliance. It was also Team Legato in The Race in 2000, the first ever round the world race for maxi multihulls (the one Pete Goss's Team Philips was built for, remember?) then Team Daedelus in Tracy Edwards's Oryx Quest, and still later known as Doha 2006. The big boat still belonged to Tony Bullimore when the boat capsized on a delivery trip across Biscay in 2010. This is where it now lies, forlorn in Brest. I spotted it a couple of weekends ago on the same pontoon as the glistening new recordholder Banque Populaire V. It is a sad reminder of where these big boats end up in the end, white elephants excluded from the circus. -- Elaine Bunting in her blog: www.yachtingworld.com/blogs/elaine-bunting Royal Yacht Backers to Launch Public Appeal for Funds The £80m project originated as a replacement for the Royal Yacht Britannia and has won the private backing of the Queen and Prince Philip, according to project insiders; but construction is to be funded by members of the public and corporate sponsors. The proposed 157m-sailing ship is to double as both a training vessel for young people and secure accommodation for members of the royal family when they are abroad. The charity behind the project, Future Ship Project 21st Century, said it hopes public interest around the Queen's diamond jubilee celebrations in June will help fill the project's coffers. The prospect of a vessel designed in part to host the royals being funded by the public at a time of austerity could cause political embarrassment, and Downing Street has been quick to say there will be no government money for the project, despite the suggestion by the education secretary, Michael Gove, that might be a possibility. Leading British companies will also be asked to donate funds in exchange for naming rights to various decks and facilities on board. Companies listed in the FTSE 100 will be approached, said Rear Admiral David Bawtree, chairman of the FSP21 consortium, leaving open the possibility that firms from British American Tobacco to Marks and Spencer could be asked to contribute to the royal vessel. So far two unnamed Canadian businessmen have pledged a possible £10m, but there are no other firm offers as yet. The ship's backers are understood to be keen for the vessel to be built in the UK and that goal would be jeopardised if the project received government money because tenders would have to be sought from across the European Union to meet public procurement rules. -- Robert Booth in the Guardian: Boat Builders Wanted Boatbuilders should: - Have a minimum of 5 years experience in prepreg, infusion techniques Work to be carried out in Bergamo, Northern Italy. Remuneration package depending upon experience. Candidates should forward their Curriculum Vitae to Spinnaker Tales They have plans to set the benchmark in Australian fleet racing at the 2012 Australian championship on the tricky River Derwent next month before contesting the Queensland championship during the Southport Yacht Club Sail Paradise regatta in March. In actual fact their sailing wet suits will have little time to dry out with the Club Marine Blue racing team nominated to contest all of the major class regattas in Victoria, Tasmania, New South Wales and Queensland with the month of May the only period left vacant in their racing diary. The trio of talented one-design sports boat sailors were in brilliant form when they recorded a runaway win in the Audi Hamilton Island Race Week series on the windy Dent Passage course last August. Glenn Bourke a former Australian Olympic Laser class helmsman and CEO of the international standard Hamilton Island resort expressed his skills with his Sunshine Coast crewmates Rod Jones and Greg Macallansmith has set a promising challenge in place to end the high performance English sailors domination at the past four World championships. This will not be an easy assignment but the Club Marine Blue crew promise to press home a decisive local course advantage when the first World championship to be decided in the Southern Hemisphere is contested in the warm tropical Whitsunday Islands from December 12-20. Meanwhile the exciting standard of fleet racing in Australia has attracted the attention of the exceptionally talented skippers Nathan Outteridge and Matthew Belcher who have been selected to represent Australia at the 2012 Olympic regatta in London later this year. Both skippers have shown an interest in being on the starting line at the 2012 World championship with Matthew Belcher and his 470 class Olympic team mate Malcolm Page gaining valuable fresh wind sailing experience during the 2011 Queensland championship at Hamilton Island in August. The high performance Club Marine crew are excited about the opportunity to race against a number of the World's high profile sailors including the Olympians Nathan Outteridge and Matthew Belcher and World Dragon class champion Nick Rogers from Tasmania plus the defending champion Geoff Carveth of England. After winning the State championship in August Glenn Bourke said "We were happy with a strong result from a fresh wind regatta which tested our skill and endurance". "However that result is history and our attention will now be focused on being physically and mentally prepared to be on the pace for the World championship". That long campaign starts in the cooler latitudes of Tasmania next month where local idol Nick Rogers is expected to be the pacesetter when the strong fleet of SB3 sailors test their tactical reputations to become the 2012 Australian champion Female Wins Starling Match Racing Title fFor First Time in 21 Years The 17-year old Warkworth sailor sailed strongly against eleven other under 19 regional competitors throughout the 132 race regatta, only losing 2 races in the testing conditions. In a new format the competitors sailed two round robins over two days. However, strong winds on the last day prevented the semi-finals and finals from being held. This year, for the first time, competitors rotated through a set of 6 equalised starling centreboard yachts, rather than competing in their own boats. Although competing against other former junior New Zealand sailing representatives, Alice's knowledge of tactics acquired through her extensive team sailing experience with Mahurangi College contributed to her success. -- Gay Noyer www.sail-world.com/index.cfm?nid=92991 Rick Tomlinson Calendar Rick selects all the pictures himself, based on their artistic and action appeal. The pictures can be viewed for a whole month and still offer something new. This years pictures include the Rolex Maxi Cup Porto Cervo, Melges 24 action, the Volvo Ocean Race, Cowes Week, Superyacht art, plus other action from the international racing circuit. Company branded calendars are also available. Order the Portfolio Wall and the freestanding Desk Calendars online at www.rick-tomlinson.com Entries Open for J.P. Morgan Asset Management Falmouth Finn Gold Cup The Finn Gold Cup will be part of the qualification criteria for the London 2012 Olympics for a number of countries. It will attract the very best sailors from around the globe with many competitors challenging for their Olympic qualification and others, who have already qualified, using the event for crucial tuning ahead of the summer Olympics. A total of 11 races will be sailed, with two races per day for five days, the sixth and final day (Friday 18th May) will see a "Medal Race" featuring the top 10 placed competitors. Last month saw Team GB sailor, Giles Scott win the 2011 Finn Gold Cup at the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) Sailing World Championships in Perth, Australia. The Royal Cornwall Yacht Club wishes to congratulate Giles and in recognition of his achievement has awarded him a free entry to the Finn Gold Cup in 2012. The Falmouth Finn Festival will be hosted by the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club (RCYC), situated in an idyllic waterfront setting in Falmouth; the RCYC was formed in 1871 and is the 15th oldest "Royal" yacht club in England. The first patrons of the Club were Queen Victoria and the Duke of Cornwall, the current patron of the Club is HRH Prince Charles who succeeded his father, the Duke of Edinburgh, in 1977. The Gold Cup forms part of a wider Falmouth Finn Festival, starting with the British UK Open Finn National Championships from the 4th - 7th May. Entries for the Finn Nationals are also now open. To enter either the Finn Gold Cup or the UK Open Finn National Championships and for further information visit www.falmouthfinnfestival.com See also 41st BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival The event includes a four-day Sailing Festival followed by a three day Regatta, punctuated with some fabulous shore side parties and events. For over 40 years, the BVI Spring Regatta has attracted some of the world's most famous yachts and sailors and this year is no exception. The legendary 80ft Whitbread Maxi, Rothmans was one of the early entries. The boat is in original and fantastic condition and has been continuously maintained by its present Scandinavian owners. Briton, Richard Balding's magnificent Swan 60, Fenix was best placed Swan in last year's RORC Caribbean 600 and his team have won the Swan European title on several occasions. In December, Croatian X-65 Karuba had a victorious arrival into the British Virgin Islands, winning the Transatlantic Superyacht Regatta by over six hours against very impressive opposition. Early entrants boast competitors from the four corners of the world including; BVI's, Canada, Croatia, Great Britain, Puerto Rico, Holland, Russia, South America, Scandinavia and the USA. The GILL BVI International Match Racing Championship - March 28-29 BVI Spring Regatta - March 29-April 1 This year the BVI Spring Regatta will host the third edition of the International Yacht Club Challenge (IYCC). Racing in one design Sunsail yachts, the victor will win the generous prize of a week's charter from the IYCC partner Sunsail. The BVI Spring Regatta has multiple bareboat classes, a range of yachts is available from regatta Charter partner The Moorings, ranging in size from 37 to 55 feet. A variety of independent charter options are also available. For more information and to enter online visit: www.bvispringregatta.org Featured Brokerage This Cookson 50 has had no expense spared since new, including a thorough preparation for the 2010 Sydney to Hobart resulting in a 4th overall in IRC open and 2nd in ORCi open. Build 2004 in New Zealand by Cookson, she won the NZ Coastal Classic, around North Island Race, Auckland Race Week and Bay of Islands Race Week, before arriving in Sydney. Complete with an extensive cruising inventory for fast comfortable passages, she is a great compromise. Alternativly, in race mode she is capable of being at the sharp end of any fleet. Brokerage through Yoti: www.yachtworld.com/yoti/ Complete listing details and seller contact information at The Last Word |
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