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 Transatlantic Race 2015 and the Atlantic Ocean Racing Series 2015 The four organizing clubs announce as well the Atlantic Ocean Racing Series 2015 as a companion to the TR 2015 and modeled on the AORS 2011. For more information or to be added to the distribution list please email . On the web at www.transatlanticrace.com Media seeking further information, contact Michael Levitt Clipper Race 9: Qingdao fo Oakland, San Francisco Bay Feeling the full wrath of Mother Nature's fury is Singapore, who has slipped down to third place on the leader board after what skipper, Ben Bowley describes as, "Another busy, frustrating and eventually rewarding 24 hours of hard work aboard the 'Big Red Bus'. Describing the arduous conditions, Ben says, "The severe conditions of yesterday were certainly reminiscent of the Southern Ocean and the powerful weather systems that prevail down there. There is one distinction that we felt the effect of yesterday: In the Southern Ocean, the swell sets and waves could have been arranged by a librarian, very ordered in their procession. It seems that a Schizophrenic was let loose setting up the wave pattern for the North Pacific. Emerging from Stealth Mode at 0000 UTC today is Welcome to Yorkshire, who are currently in the middle of the fleet. After a hampered 48 hours grappling against strong winds that saw breakages to useful equipment, skipper Rupert Dean reports, "Welcome to Yorkshire is 'back online again!'" "After two days of running before serious gales with the Yankee 3 halyard stuck on the forestay due to a damaged sheath, Chris Leivers scaled the mast today, in calmer conditions to free it. Positions at 1200 UTC, Wednesday 14 March 2012 1. Gold Coast Australia, 3598nm to leg finish www.clipperroundtheworld.com 2012 29erXX Seiko World Championship The 29erXX has been actively racing on 5 continents with rigs in over 30 countries around the globe. For more information about the 29erXX go to www.29erxx.org Boatspod: Deal Of The Week 25% off 3H Italia OceanDiver watch To receive BoatsPOD, and to benefit from this weeks deals, register at www.boatspod.co.uk (Note: BoatsPOD is only available in the UK) Argo Group Renews Bermuda Gold Cup Title Sponsorship This year will mark the 62nd staging of match racing for the King Edward VII Gold Cup. The Cup was originally presented in 1907 by King Edward VII to Sherman Hoyt at the Jamestown Tri-centennial Regatta marking the commemoration of the 300th anniversary of the first permanent settlement in America. Racing for the 2012 Argo Group Gold Cup will take place from the 2nd to the 7th of October. The spectator friendly racing in Hamilton Harbour adjacent to the Royal Bermuda YC Marina is a spectacular attraction for tourists and Bermuda residents. The Argo Group Gold Cup stands as the 8th and penultimate stage of the Alpari World Match Racing Tour where the teams compete for the ISAF Match Racing World Championship. The 24-team format of the Argo Group Gold Cup is unique on the Alpari World Match Racing Tour. Nine of the team slots are available for Tour's Card Holders, three are selected from qualifying events - the Knickerbocker Cup and the Detroit Cup in the USA, and the Bermuda National Match Race Championship. The remaining teams are selected by application and invitation from among the top international match racing sailors in the ISAF Match Race Rankings as well as up-and-coming sailors identified by the RBYC. By having 24 entrants, room is available for young competitors to take on the world's best match racers. Match racing for The King Edward VII Gold Cup is recognized as one of the classic events on the Alpari World Match Racing Tour. It has always been a highlight for sailors and attracts the top sailors in the International Sailing Federation and Alpari World Match Racing Tour rankings as well as top America's Cup skippers. In 2008 Bermuda introduced sailing to all Bermudans with the first Family Festival of Sail. That will be bigger and better in its fifth year in 2012. rbyc.bm ISAF World Match Race Rankings Despite not competing in a match racing event since the Monsoon Cup, Ian Williams (GBR) continues to sit at the top of the rankings followed by Francesco Bruni (ITA) and Torvar Mirsky (AUS). Reuben Corbett (NZL) continues his steady climb back up the Open Match Race Rankings following his second place finish at the Miami Open Elliott 6m Invitational. Corbett lost out to Anna Tunnicliffe (USA) 2-0 in the final as she solidified her position as one of the best female match racers in the world. Despite the loss, Corbett moves up one place to World #15. For the sixth rankings release in a row ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Anna Tunnicliffe (USA) holds top spot in the Women's Rankings. Tunnicliffe leads Lucy Macgregor (GBR) by 27 points at the top of the pile and with the first European ISAF Sailing World Cup regatta, Trofeo S.A.R. Princess Sofia MAPFRE, just weeks away, and London 2012 Olympic qualification on her mind, the American will face pressure from the chasing pack for the World #1 spot. Marinassess Women's Match Racing Regatta winner Sophie Lahey (AUS) is the biggest mover in the rankings. She climbs from World #95 to a best rankings position of #56. Lahey overcame Kirstin Norris (AUS) 3-0 in the final to take the honours. The next release of the ISAF World Match Race Rankings will be 16 April 2012. Open Top Ten Women's Top Ten The Westward Cup The Westward Cup is being run by an association of three of the most prestigious yacht clubs in the world, the Royal Yacht Squadron (RYS), the Yacht Club de Monaco (YCM) and the New York Yacht Club (NYYC). Boat International Media has again also confirmed its support of the regatta. The organisers have set out to replicate a style, class and regatta atmosphere matching the period when Westward and the Big Class yachts all raced in Cowes. The racing area will predominately be in the Solent and courses will be, where possible, set to mirror those used by Big Class yachts in those glory days. A "Round the Isle of Wight" race may be included, if weather permits. In a unique move to encourage interest and experience in classic yacht racing on Big Class yachts, up to 30 young sailors aged between 18 and 23 are being hand-picked by the RYS, NYYC and the YCM, the three yacht clubs organising the Westward Cup. Each Club will underwrite the travel and subsistence costs of their trainees and the RYS will also ensure that the young sailors' accommodation requirements are met whilst they are in Cowes taking part in the Westward Cup. The provisional schedule comprises four days of racing and one lay day. The yachts will be racing for a different Trophy each day after which owners, captains and their guests will be able to enjoy an evening ashore in Cowes. Peters & May Delivers Genuine Risk To Hong Kong For The Rolex China Sea Race The 2004 Dubois designed, McConaghy built carbon race yacht, was discharged by Peters & May's expert loadmasters, in the presence of new Boat Captain, David Witt. Past event wins for Genuine Risk include the Newport to Bermuda Race 2010, Fort Lauderdale to Montego Bay Race 2011 and Antigua Race Week 2011. All at Peters & May wish her and her crew every success in for the coming season. Russian Yachting Federation Celebrate Jubilee It is remarkable that on top of the Jubilee, Russian yachtsmen are celebrating another jubilee of 100 years since the first Olympic (bronze) medal gained by Russian sailors in 10-meter class at the Stockholm Olympic Games. In line with the Jubilee celebrations the Russian Federation is planning to run various events. The official start of such events will take place at the International "Moscow Boat Show" which will be exposed at the main Crocus-Expo from March 20-25 2012. This will be followed by major regattas and National championships in Olympic, Non-Olympic, and youth classes of boats. Amongst them the "Sails of Russia" Festival will bring thousands of people out onto the water in every corner of the country. The climax point will be marked by gala-party "Yachtsman of the Year" in the December of this year which will be fully devoted to this solemn date. The official site of the Russian Yachting Federation is www.vfps.ru Preparing For First Major Figaro Race of the Season The British skippers will be facing tough competition from Figaro veterans like Nicolas Lunven (Generali) who won this race in 2010 and 2011, and finished 4th overall in the 2011 Solitaire du Figaro. Fred Duthil (Sepalumic) who has had an impressive three podium finishes in the Solitaire du Figaro. As well as Fabien Delahaye (MACIF 2012) who came second in the 2011 Solitaire du Figaro, won the Trans-Atlantic AG2R in 2010 and won the Solo Figaro Massif Marine in 2009. All these top sailors will also be competing in the Solitaire du Figaro later this year giving the Artemis Offshore Academy 'rookies' first-hand experience competing against the best in the class. From the start in Les Sables d'Olonne which is also the start and finish port of the legendary non-stop solo round the world, Vendée Globe Race, the Solo Massif Marine route takes the single-handed skippers around the islands of Ré, Yeu and Belle covering 320nm in two days before finishing back in Les Sables d'Olonne. Whilst the squad remain realistic about the outcome, in the short term this race poses a great opportunity to compete against the best whilst learning as much as they can, as the Academy continues to focus on the long term: "We are delighted to be able to support so many British sailors with the Artemis Offshore Academy by competing on the Figaro circuit in 2012, as well as Becky Scott in the Mini. It marks a significant increase in activity for our programme since last year and 5 boats on the start line here is a major milestone in our long-term goal of putting a British sailor in a position to win a Vendée Globe in the future," said Thorn. Event information (French and English): www.artemisoffshoreacademy.com Mills and Clark Lead the Charge at WPNSA The weekend was the first of the two regattas contested as part of the 2012 RYA Olympic Classes Spring Series in Weymouth and Portland and welcomed both seasoned campaigners and new faces as the sailors battled it out in sunny, breezy conditions on the Saturday followed by much lighter winds on the Sunday. In the 49er class, James Peters/Ed Fitzgerald were unstoppable out on the Olympic waters of Weymouth Bay as the pair notched up six out of six race wins to secure regatta honours in emphatic style. Last year's 2011 Spring Series champion James Hadden was once again amongst the top half of the fleet in the Finn class as he posted a first and second on the Sunday to leave him third overall. Allen Burrell leads the way after securing two bullets on the opening day to cement him at the top of the Finn leader board, five points above second place Peter McCoy competing at his first ever Finn Regatta. The final weekend of the 2012 RYA Olympic Classes Spring Series for all nine Olympic and Paralympic classes will commence on the 14th-15th April, with an entry deadline of the 9th April. For full details on the 2012 RYA Olympic Classes Spring Series and for a full list of results please visit the RYA Racing website at www.ryaracingevents.org.uk Podium positions: 49ers: 1. James Peters/Ed Fitzgerald 470 M 470W RSX 9.5 RSX 8.5 2.4mR SKUDS Race Cayman This Week Visitors will be treated to the ideal sailing conditions of North Sound with racing taking place over three days, each starting at 12 noon, under the guidance of race officers Peta Adams and Andrew Moon along with visiting international judges Gilmour Manuel and Harry Keith. Cayman's sailing team is made up of top junior sailors Alena Rankine, Florence Allen, Pablo Bertran and Finley McDougall in the Optimist Class and J22 teams led by Jane Moon, Simon Farrington and Mike Farrington. Check Facebook page www.facebook.com/#!/RaceCayman2012 for more information, race updates and results. Featured Brokerage "Manta" benefits from a road trailer specially designed and built for Melges 32, the trailer tilts the boat so the load is 2,55 meters wide. She also has mast which can be taken to two pieces for transports. She has North Sails racing set, most of the sails have been used 5-6 times so all in extremly good condition, everything shows as new with this boat. She's ready for Melges 32 OD racing or having some fun with mixed fleet. Brokerage through Vinces Oy: www.yachtworld.com/vinces/ Complete listing details and seller contact information at The Last Word |
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