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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 Kiteboarding Trials Dates Announced In May 2011 ISAF Council selected Windsurfing and/or Kiteboarding as a possible event for the 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition. In November 2011 ISAF Council agreed that a specialist evaluation team be appointed to look at the format and event management implications for Kiteboarding. The evaluation team has been selected for their in depth Kiteboarding knowledge and is made up of representatives from both ISAF and the IKA: Kamen Fillyov - Chairman of the ISAF Windsurfing & Kiteboarding Committee ISAF has also appointed a panel of windsurfing, Kiteboarding and race management experts to prepare a final report for the ISAF Mid-Year meeting: Tomasz Chamera - ISAF Events Committee ISAF and the IKA have proposed the following format options for Kiteboarding to be trialled in Santander: short track, slalom, course racing and enduro: Download PDFs: Throughout the five day trials, sailors will sail the different formats and provide feedback. ISAF is inviting Member National Authorities, National Kiteboard Associations and Kiteboarding manufacturers to nominate a maximum of one man and one woman to attend the format trails. Please complete and return the application for before 24 February. ISAF and the IKA will then select a maximum of 12 sailors to attend the trails in Santander. Sailor nomination form: www.sailing.org/37803.php The RS X Class is also holding its own independent Equipment Evaluations in Cadiz, Spain from 9-13 March. ISAF will be attending the RS:X Equipment Evaluation Event with the aim of testing possible changes to foils and/or sails that will allow the equipment to evolve without increasing costs. In Autumn the RS:X Class is also planning a Format Evaluation in order to look at optimal windsurfing formats. US$45,000 Prize Fund for 2012 RS:X Worlds With nine Olympic qualification places still to be allocated, the 2012 RS:X World Windsurfing Championships represents the last chance for nations to qualify for the London 2012 Olympic sailing regatta. Now there promises to be a battle royal amongst the top guns for a place in the medal races and a share of the prize money. The NeilPryde RS:X one-design windsurfing equipment was selected by ISAF in 2004 as the result of evaluation trials to replace the Mistral one-design for use at the 2008 Olympic Games in China. It was then re-selected in 2008 for use in London 2012. More than 65 nations on six continents compete in Olympic windsurfing. At the 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships, that took place in Perth, Australia last December, more nations participated in the RS:X Men's event than in any other event raced there. No Respite in South Pacific Horrible Windward Weather Ahead of us Cessna Citation sailing at similar speeds to us, behind Phesheya Racing has encountered some very nasty cross seas and has been forced to heave-to, heaving to is a school book technique to basically stop the boat and wait for things to get better, it is surprisingly comfortable and after all the slamming and banging all goes quiet and you can preserve boat and materials in conditions which may otherwise be too risky to sail in... We are doing well on board and have adopted a 6 hours on and 6 hours off watch sistem, this allows to eat, trim, email, check the weather and perhaps watch a movie during your watch followed by a long rest in the bunk, you dont really get to sleep the entire time as the slamming and banging is so loud and uncomfortable that you just drift in an out a weird state of daydreaming. We have another 12 hours before any significant improvement, as usual we simply hope meanwhile everything holds together as we venture further and further away from any land, we are now 1700 miles directly south of Papeete in the French Polynesia. -- Marco Nannini * Meanwhile, 1,300 miles to the north-west, the Fields on Buckley Systems and Halvard Mabire and Miranda Merron on Campagne de France are just 200 miles from New Zealand. Halvard Mabire has immense respect for the three Class40s heading east: "We are, of course, following with admiration our brave fellow sailors who are continuing their route towards the east, come what may," says the 55 year-old round-the-world veteran. Withdrawing from Leg 3 was a very tough call for Mabire and Merron: "Campagne de France has already carried us to the far side of the world and we intend to get home with the boat in one piece and in good condition," Mabire confirms. "We will have to get over our huge disappointment to tackle the various problems that have arisen with this unforeseen scenario," he explains. "But real life is like that - if everything always went perfectly to plan, the world would be a boring place." The GOR's Race Ambassador, Dee Caffari, has been watching events unfold in the Southern Ocean: "I felt terrible to hear the news of two boats retiring from this leg of the race, but relieved that both crews had made a seamanship decision," comments Caffari. "Injury or illness is every shorthanded sailor's nightmare and dealing with that in uncomfortable upwind conditions is not ideal, combined with the fact that there is a huge expanse of ocean to cross before another safe haven is available makes seamanship decisions crucial," she continues. "At all times when racing you are responsible for both the vessel and the people on board and I am pleased both parties are safe." NZL Sailing Team Lead at Sail Auckland New Zealand's selected Olympians for 2012 are all proving their status as top in their fleet of NZ, and two National Champions are about to emerge as favourable conditions continued today. The NZL Sailing Team's Paul Snow Hansen and Jason Saunders (Mens 470), Jo Aleh and Olivia Powire (Womens 470), Andrew Murdoch (Laser), Sara Winther (Laser Radial) and Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (49er) are all atop their fleet. The other four members of the London 2012 Olympic Sailing Team are not at this event as JP Tobin (Men's RS:X ) is giving time for his foot wound to heal, and Women's Match Racing is not part of Sail Auckland, so Stephanie Hazard, Jenna Hansen and Susannah Pyatt have a chance to cheer on their teammates from the shore. The Access Liberty National Championships also end on Monday and is expected to have a close finish too. Today, Brendan Tourelle of Sailability Auckland has reeled in several points on leader John Buchanan, and is within striking distance of winning the National Championship, as is Lindsay McGregor. Several other fleets saw drastic changes in the overall standings. For example, the Women's RS:X now sees Kohimarama Yacht Club's Steffanie Williams in the lead, with Australia's Jessica Crisp and the NZL Sailing Team's Natalia Kosinska only a handful of points behind. The highly competitive Men's RS:X standings have remained the same today, with Switzerland's Richard Stauffacher maintaining a narrow lead over 2011 Men's RS:X World Champion Dorian Van Rijsselberghe of the Netherlands. Full results at www.sailauckland.org.nz Get Involved in the RYA Volvo Dinghy Show SailX Championship
The regatta, powered by the inshore sailboat racing and training game SailX.com will be open to everyone, with heats taking place in the weeks leading up to the Show, culminating with a live final at the Show on the Volvo Main Stage. So far 175 people representing 40 different classes have registered for the Championship. The Laser and 18ft Skiff classes are already showing good form, b ut it's not too late to get involved and 's from here on in that the racing really starts to count. There are still plenty of points up for grabs, so why not sign up and you could be racing against competitors from all over the UK and from 20 countries around the globe including the US, Ireland, Australia, Italy and New Zealand, in a bid to win the Championship and the virtual Endeavour Trophy. Getting started To play SailX all you need to do is register as a user at www.sailx.com/ryavolvodinghyshow. Registration and racing is completely free. You can get involved in the championship at any stage in the process, quarter finals, or semi-finals. You can even compete to gain a wildcard entry to the finals at the show itself if you don't (or can't) qualify for the finals through the quarter-finals and semi-finals. However the sooner you get started the more practice you'll have and the more opportunities you will have to clinch those all-important finals qualification points. Endeavour Trophy The famous Endeavour Trophy will also be associated with the championship, with the winning class being awarded the RYA Volvo Dinghy Show SailX Championship Trophy 2012, and the winning individual being awarded with the Virtual Endeavour Trophy 2012. If your temped to take part then check out the dates below and get sailing, what are you waiting for…. Timetable of racing 30 Jan - 12 Feb 13 Feb - 26 Feb 3 - 4 Mar To find out more about the RYA Volvo Dinghy Show and buy your tickets visit www.dinghyshow.org.uk Telefonica Undergoes a Service in China
The Team Telefonica shore crew will put eight days into resolving any issues off the water. According to the team's Technical Director and the man in charge of the shore crew, Horacio Carabelli, that will be enough time to get all of the jobs on their list done. There are the two gear issues occurring during the third leg to be tended to; the jib damage on the first stage of the leg to Sharjah (UAE) and then the boom tensioner issue upon departure from Male (Maldives). "Despite the incident at the start, which was quite worrying, the crew did a great job and resolved the boom problem, which could have turned into something critical and may have even resulted in a broken boom which would, in turn, have cost us the leg", said Carabelli. "We are going to put a new tensioner in, which is the spare we've got with us. Due to the failure of this piece gear we are going to modify the specifications of the part somewhat to make it stronger than it was before. It's ready to be installed and tomorrow everything will be back in place", confirmed the Brazilian. In just 12 days, on the 18th of February at 14:00 local time (06:00 UTC) the fourth in-shore race of this edition of the regatta will take place. There will be more points in play and another opportunity to improve on the in-shore racing. Overall Provisional Standings. Volvo Ocean Race 2011-2012. 1. Team Telefonica (Iker Martinez), 95 points John Merricks Tiger Trophy Nine different classes filled the top 10 places, with 139 boats coming to Rutland to compete at the two-day regatta despite a heinous weather forecast. With ropes and boats icing up even as the fleet set out for three back-to-back races on Saturday, the challenge was to stay warm enough to be able to race effectively. International Moth sailor Ricky Tagg was concerned about his foiling mechanism icing up, but in the moderate breezes he hammered out of the congested start line at full pace and made mincemeat of the trapezoid course, winning two of the three races on handicap. Former Musto Skiff World Champion Richard Stenhouse professed to 'feeling rusty' but still did enough to hold a top-three position after the Saturday, and there was a good variety of classes well in the hunt. With the prospect of a two-hour pursuit race in fog, melting snow and next to no wind, some competitors called it a day. But more than 80 boats braved the final, no-discard race to see how they would fare. Stuart Bithell, recently selected in the 470 for the British Olympic Sailing Team, steered a Merlin to victory with crew Ed Clayson, ghosting across the line ahead of fellow Merlin sailors Biggs and Hollis in second. Peter Gray and Rachael Rhodes in a Scorpion were third across the line, but title contenders Jeffcoate and Pygall were further back in 15th place. A close finish, but in the end that proved just enough for the Scorpion to hold off the challenge of the Merlins. Thanks to Rule 26 for event logistics and site branding, and Everards Brewery for all the umbrella prizes and Tiger beer for every entrant. John Merricks Tiger Trophy 2012 winners: John Merricks Lady Tiger Trophy Vicki Payne & Stephanie Orton Shere Khan Trophy Richard Stenhouse Youth Trophy Toby Morsley & Matt Wallis Full results: Industry News Hall's mast for the Wally 50m is constructed of high-modulus carbon. Because of its impressive length, the mast tube was shipped in two pieces. Hall's carbon technicians will travel to the Wally factory in Fano, Italy, at the end of February to complete the joining of the structure utilizing Wally's facility. Stepping and sail trials are expected at the end of March. The four-spreader mast is a highly custom design by Hall's in-house engineering team, tailored to meet Wally's criteria of high performance combined with high style. The double mainsheet is led forward from the boom through the mast, then down through mast-mounted turning blocks located just above deck level. This allows the mainsheet reels to be located farther forward in the boat. The system will be completely covered for the crew's safety. In addition, special care was taken at the halyard entries at the masthead, as well as at the mainsheet entry, to reduce line chafe. Custom rollers were designed by Hall for both areas. -------------------------------------- Joff Brown and Simon Clay have joined forces to create Whitecap, a company aimed at delivering comprehensive management and brokerage services to private and sponsored campaigns, performance yachts and the super yacht industry. Whitecap operates from offices in Hamble, Monaco and Genoa and already has a number of high profile IMOCA/Open 60's on its books, including the competitive IMOCA 60s 'AVIVA' and 'Artemis' as well as the Tripp 92 'Shaman'. Whitecap directors Simon Clay and Joff Brown have a combined total of twenty three years practical and commercial experience within the yachting industry working in a variety of areas from new build, refit and campaign management on the racing side through to yacht management for private owners. Simon and Joff are proud to have brought high profile multi million pound projects to fruition. -------------------------------------- Visitors to the all-new Karpaz Gate Marina (KGM), the only luxury marina in Northern Cyprus, can now benefit from a range of new services and facilities which have been added over the course of the past few months, following the soft-opening of the marina in June 2011. The next phase of the marina development will soon be launched. The marina is part of the Karpaz Bay Resort, which is being developed as a first class tourist destination which will allow guests to enjoy the range of activities of the local "Karpaz" Peninsula, an undiscovered cruising ground which has only recently been opened up to international visitors. Visitors to the marina can now enjoy the sheltered marina with berths for 300 yachts, including 15 for super yachts and mega yachts. Access control and comprehensive CCTV security systems have been installed, and the stylish promenade has also been completed, offering uninterrupted views of the marina. A new 300 ton travel lift, which can service vessels of up to 10m beam, 4m draft and more than 45m length, including mono- and multi-hulls, is now operational. Also, laundry facilities and wireless internet access is available within the marina, and a Mini Market - selling everything needed for a comfortable stay at Karpaz is now open. Car rental is also available from various local vendors should visitors wish to explore the local region to visit tourist attractions and leisure facilities such as golf courses, and surrounding villages and towns. -------------------------------------- Nautor's Swan has appointed a new Commercial Director for 2012. The role has been taken by Luca Lucheschi marking a turning point in the evolution of the luxury yacht brand. Nautor's Swan will now be influenced by a fresh new approach from the young and forward focused Lucheschi working alongside Managing Director, Enrico Chieffi. Lucheschi has worked with Nautor's Swan for nearly 10 years across the extensive range of international markets to which the SwanLine is available. His sheer knowledge on the design and build of all models has been highlighted as a strong asset coupled with his commercially orientated tactics in today's marine market place. Luca moves up from his previous position, Area Manager to the Americas and Southern Europe, now as Commercial Director he is responsible for the overall commercial strategy of Nautor's Swan. His former role has offered exemplar training for this commercial position having been tasked with analysing local markets and supporting regional Agents through promotion of effective campaigns, as well as matching forecasted sales targets. Featured Brokerage With a beautiful Grey hull, this Elan 37 Performance has been spared no expense by present owner to bring her up to present condition with all the 'go faster' kit, upgraded pulleys and a superb sail wardrobe for the owners cruising pleasure. Lightweight bulkheads, and an unending list of modifications complements this superbly equipped fast cruiser. With beautiful teak wood furnishings, complemented with blue upholstery, this Elan 37 is truly a must see boat. Opening Lewmar side windows give a light and airy feel to the saloon and with large bathroom with pressurised hot and cold water and shower. Also included on this Elan 37 are Electric bilge pump; teak gratings; Wet weather gear storage; Folding racing propeller; 3 batteries with split isolaters and charging 220v circuit; shore power and battery charger; Electric anchor winch 700 watt lofrans. Brokerage through Think Yachts: www.yachtworld.com/thinkyachts/ Complete listing details and seller contact information at uk.yachtworld.com The Last Word |
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