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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 Optimist Worlds: Second in a Rowfor Team Singapore
Among the favorites, we find Singapore, Peru, Nederland and USA. In New Zealand, the 2011 OptiWorlds, the Singaporeans dominated over the Peruvians with 2 wins and one loss at the grand final. However, here it is a different story. Swallow waters and shifty weather make the things more complicated. The racecourse is a unique one. Singapore started the day with one victory over the Germans. Same did the Kiwis and the Thais. At the same time, the Dutch and the Swedish, as well as the Americans, won their rivals and qualified for the next round. The Americans kept on winning all their rivals one by one and qualified for the Grand Finals early enough. However, this was not the case for the 2nd team that would go to the finals. Singapore was among the favorites; however, they had to win over Chile and Nederland. Both teams were really well trained and the Singaporeans did not have an easy day at all. However, at the very end, they managed to beat them both and were now in the finals. The nation to win 2 races would be the 2012 world champion. The Americans had already won the Singaporeans in the qualification races. However, their rivals had now learned their lesson and this would prove to be a valuable one. In both races, the Singaporeans were the absolute leaders and gave no chance to the Americans. They finished in top 3 places in both races and were the 2012 World Champions. 29er World Championship - Day 1
With results still not available at 10pm, some of the early leaders (less one green race) form the other fleets are Lucas Rual/Kevin Fischer (FRA) lead with 5 pts, Aussies Tom Signanto/Joel Turner 8 pts; ISAF YW gold medallists Carlos Robles/Florian Trittle (ESP) 12pts. The remainder will have to be seen. The Race Committee will hold one more race for the Green fleet in the morning then reshuffle and sail the fleets again. Australian Harry Price, sailing his first international regatta commented that he wasn't very nervous but when asked about the conditions commented, "sort of our stuff, a bit tricky and light." Harry's plan for the remainder of the week? "just continue to get some good results, get some experience and have a bit of fun." Franco Greggi, 2011 World Champion from Argentina commented that it was a "very difficult day; we started very good and we didn't expect to win the first race, but we continued and are happy with the day." He and crew member Victoria Travascio scored a 1-9-3. When asked about their plan for the rest of the week, he commented "to go race by race, don't hit any marks, don't hit anybody and don't get any letters." Good words for any one to sail by! Racing continues on Tuesday, July 24 with two more days of the qualifying series followed by three days of the final series. The prizegiving will be held on Saturday, July 28. Live reports and daily results: www.29erworlds.org Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup: Overnight Driftathon Expected
While conditions this year have been mainly blustery, the start today was in the same summery conditions as yesterday, with brilliant sunshine but precious little wind. The race management team has set up a complex course for the offshore race, taking the boats east out of the Solent and through the Forts, before heading south to a virtual mark 17 miles out into the Channel. Once round this the boats retrace their steps north towards the Outer Nab mark, before taking a long leg east to the CS1 mark, 15 miles south of Brighton and back. In total the proposed race is 154 miles long, but it seems highly likely it will be shortened. Mid-afternoon the boats were still struggling to make headway down to the waypoint out in the English Channel, due south of Bembridge. With the tide due to change from eastbound to westbound at 1430 BST, all the boats were getting their easting in early with La Reponse taking the most extreme easterly route south as the faster Ker 40s, anticipating an earlier rounding, were playing out a braver strategy on a shorter more direct route to the mark. A small problem is that this virtual mark is described as a 'port rounding' and this could prove challenging, as tactician Phil Lawrence on the Hong Kong team's EFG Bank Mandrake observed: "The big issue is that we're going to a mark out in the Channel, and we're on spring tides at the moment, and when we get there the tide will be ebbing very strongly [ie westbound], the wind will be a very light easterly, and we've got to get round it to port, which may prove mission impossible. I'm expecting a lot of issues there..." So if crews find themselves becalmed down tide of the mark then they will be forced to kedge. Phil Lawrence was forecasting that the boats might see 2-5 knots during the night. "It's going to be more of a tidal race than a weather routing race - you've got to stay on top of what you've got, so very local. My prediction is that a Ker 40 or Yeoman will win." The boats are expected back into Cowes tomorrow afternoon. Irish Sailing Raid
Now the original creators of the concept, French organisers Albacore-Dacmar, are back with an event in one of the most beautiful and unspoilt corners of Europe. The first Lakelands & Inland Waterways Ireland Sailing Raid will take place on the Shannon River in September 2012, and promises to be the raid with the most craic. For anyone new to the concept, the idea of a 'raid' is to gather a fleet of small open boats - usually traditionally-inspired, though not necessarily wood, and usually under 24ft long - and send them off on a series of passage races, exploring scenic areas. There are one or two racing legs per day - either under sail alone or under sail and oar - and a different stopover every night. The Lakelands & Inland Waterways Ireland Sailing Raid will take place over seven days, from 14-21 September, and cover 120 miles of the most delightful riverain scenery Ireland has to offer - from the tranquility of Lough Erne in Northern Ireland, across the border through the Shannon River (the longest river in the British Isles) to the great lakes of Lough Ree and Lough Derg. The event will finish with a big knees-up in the picturesque town of Killaloe. There will be a wide range of boats from all over Europe taking part. The events have stimulated a resurgence of small boat racing/cruising designs, and the Open Class is likely to feature vessels by luminaries such as Iain Oughtred, Swallow Boats, Francois Vivier and Gilles Montaubin. The requirements in this class are deliberately 'open', featuring traditional designs or types, as well as recently-built boats inspired by tradition (or not), using traditional or modern materials. For the first time, two one-design classes will race in this event: the Morgan Giles-designed Shannon One-Design (SOD), which boasts the biggest fleet of traditional boats in Ireland, and the historic Water Wags, at 125 years old the oldest one-design class in the world. The entry fee for the event is 475 Euros per boat. In addition, accommodation is available on the accompanying motor cruisers at a rate of 390-480 Euros per head for the week. Special rates are available for anyone wanting to hire an entire boat for family and friends. For more information see www.sailing-raids.com or call +33 2 97 57 94 00. The New Cat Splashes
On a cool winter's evening at Auckland's Viaduct Harbour, an audience of more than 6000 watched skipper Dean Barker's wife Mandy splash the yacht with champagne. Simultaneously, flames gas lines around the yacht and fireworks lit the sky as 18 months of work by the design and build teams were revealed for all to see. Mandy Barker named the cat "New Zealand" - team member's acknowledgment of their gratitude for the country's support through the difficult times since Valencia in 2007. Team managing directorGrant Dalton said the night could not have happened with the support of theGovernment and sponsors who backed the team with such enthusiasm. "New Zealanders should be proud that their team attracts the support of these major international companies," Dalton said. "The same can be said for the international designers, engineers and analysts who augmented our design team. "We are proud of what we have achieved so far, working in a tin shed in Auckland. "We carry the New Zealand flag sponsors' brands proudly and pledge that the mission of every member of this team is to bring the America's Cup back to New Zealand." As the countdown to the big moment got underway Prime Minster John Key, Auckland Mayor Len Brown and sponsor representatives were led to the yacht by a Maori warrior. With the yacht in the background, 1000 people pulled on a hemp rope to "load" the catapult which smashed the champagne bottle and sprayed the boat. Snake and Ladder Conditions The American team of Conrads and Haines took the early lead in the first race of the day, currently ranked 14th placed boat in the regatta. The leaders were making huge gains opting to beat towards the beach, team Conrads/Haines win boosts them an incredible 9 positions up the leaderboard to 5th overall. With a lay day scheduled for tomorrow (Tuesday 24th July) many crews will be making the most of the time by taking in the surrounding area of La Rochelle and preparing themselves for race 6 of the 2012 SAP 505 World Championship - Racing will resume at 13:00 CET on Wednesday 25th July Results from day 3 were as follows. Race 4 Race 5 Overall After 5 Races Pavesio's Audi Fratelli Giacomel Fra Martina Wins Malcesine Three heats were sailed in the last day of racing, completing the scheduled program of eight races. The first, in the morning, with a wonderful Peler conquered by Mauro Mocchegiani's Rush Diletta. The final two completed in the early afternoon with Ora, won respectively by Vincenzo Onorato's Mascalzone Latino and Lanfranco Cirillo's Fantastica. TOP TEN RESULTS (after 8 races, 1 discard) 1. Edoardo and Vanni Pavesio/Gabriele Benussi, Audi F.lli Giacomel Fra Martina; 28 points Full results: Panerai Transat Classique
It was a breathtaking spectacle! The twelve classic yachts setting out on the first leg of the Panerai Transat Classique 2012 gave the crowds watching from the shore a show to remember. A warm 12 knot wind made for an ideal start, the organizers could not have hoped for better conditions. At 2 o'clock the starting signal finally liberated the competitors from their enforced inactivity in Port Rosmeur which had lasted four intense days. To add a touch of excitement to the proceedings, a special Panerai buoy was moored about two miles away from the starting line to oblige the yachts to come in close to the shore before heading out to the mouth of the bay. First to the Panerai buoy, the final race mark that the crews will see until they arrive in Cascais, was the Italian-crewed Emeraude under the command of Vittorio Cavazzana. The entire fleet is expected to be safely through the tricky Raz de Sein by this evening. In honour of its historic links to the sea, Officine Panerai has promoted classic sailing culture for many years through its sponsorship of the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge, the leading international circuit for these vintage craft. In 2007, the company also acquired and restored the Bermudan ketch Eilean. Built in 1936 by the legendary Fife yard at Fairlie in Scotland, she is now the brand's ambassador at vintage and classic boat rallies and regattas. Allen Flying Fifteen UK National Championships
The Championship rested on the first two days of racing, in particular on the two races on Day 2, when Simon Kneller and Dave Lucas from Grafham Water SC took a win and a third place in two tricky light weather races. Very few competitors managed two good results on a difficult day. Kneller and Lucas, improving with every race at this event, thus rose to the top of the leaderboard, to take the Allen Flying Fifteen National Championships. Kneller and Lucas were sailing in their tenth successive National Championship, and it was tenth time lucky as they landed the title for the first time. Just two points behind, three teams were tied on six points, but the tiebreak gave Steve Goacher and Phil Evans second place, with husband and wife pairing David and Sally McKee third. Fourth in a brand new boat, launched on the first day of the Championship, were Irish visitors John Lavery and David O'Brien. They were one of three Irish visiting boats from Dun Laoghaire, who joined Scottish, English and Welsh boats at this Championship at Largs. This Nationals was a Qualifier event for the 2013 World Championships, and the final Worlds Qualifier event in the class will be the Scottish Championship at Loch Lomond on October 6/7, where a strong entry of over 30 boats is expected. Top five Allen Flying Fifteen Nationals 1. Simon Kneller/ Dave Lucas, Grafham Water SC, 4 points Top Scots: Hamish Mackay and Andy Lawson, Royal Highland YC in 15th overall. Full results on www.scottishsailinginstitute.com Letters To The Editor - * From Rees Martin: The Border Agencies are rightly getting stick for their chaotic approach to immigration. One would think their hit-and-miss approach hardly affects it the yachting industry. Not so. In trying to stop dodgy universities being set up over kebab houses by introducing swingeing accreditation approval systems, they hit those thoroughly reputable specialist training establishments; it now costs several thousand pounds to open boat restoration/building courses to foreign students. These students pay the full fees, contribute to the local economy and spread the word about that we are pro-active in boat building. I understand the registration, inspection and subscription fees can cost nearly £10,000! I also gather the eminently respectable Pru Leith Cooking school is also suffering. Money for old rope takes on a new meaning... Featured Brokerage This is a One-Off design from the well known Norwegian yacht designer Eivind Amble. She is a double ended ketch and is in superb condition. At present she is being used as a sloop for more flexibility. In the 90's she completed a 21 month "Round the World" trip. "Golden Apple" has had a number of refits (total refit in 2002/2003) and has been continually updated every year. Her list of upgrades is endless i.e. 2009 Perkins 185HP engine, hydraulic winches, bow thruster, generator, water maker, heating and much more. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to purchase a really special "Blue Water Cruiser" Brokerage through Crosshaven Boatyard: www.yachtworld.com/crosshavenboatyard/ Complete listing details and seller contact information at The Last Word |
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