Scuttlebutt Europe #2682 - 21 September
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 Designed To Win Chicago architect Helmut Jahn has won the 2012 Rolex Farr 40 World Championship after nine races across four days of competition on Lake Michigan. A stalwart of the grand-prix class, Jahn's previous best result was a fourth place at last year's Rolex Farr 40 World Championship which was contested in Sydney, Australia. After more than a dozen times racing in the world championship, it seems fitting that Jahn claims the 2012 Rolex Farr 40 World Championship title while racing from his home club, Chicago Yacht Club, against a backdrop of the city that is graced by some of his work. With the race committee hoping to run three races for the final day of the series, the first race of the day got underway in a westerly breeze of 13 knots with gusts to 24. John Demourkas, on Groovederci (USA), led the fleet around the first two marks of the 6.4 nautical mile course, only to be overtaken by Hasip Gencer on Asterisk Uno (TUR) who cruised on to cross the finish just four hundredths of a second ahead of him. Enfant Terrible (ITA) was third across the line, followed by Charisma (USA) and Barking Mad (USA). Standings leader Helmut Jahn, on Flash Gordon 6 (USA), was sixth which was enough to both keep him in the lead and also increase his points cushion from 10 to 13. After a wait for the wind to stabilize and then two general recalls, the second race got underway in approximately 12 knots with gusts to 17. Enfant Terrible won and was followed 10 seconds later by Nightshift and Heartbreaker, with Struntje light and Transfusion rounding out the top-five finishers. With a seventh place finish, their worst of the series, Flash Gordon 6 secured the championship crown. With the time limit for starting another race running out, the championship was determined with nine races. 2012 Rolex Farr 40 World Championship FInal top ten 1. Flash Gordon 6, Helmut Jahn, USA, 41.0 points Event site: farr40worlds.com 'The Fabulous 40s' The Farr 40 One-design Class is unique within the world of offshore yacht racing, having been a pathfinder during a period of great change within the sport. While major events around the world like the Admiral's Cup in the UK and Kenwood Cup in Hawaii were in terminal decline, this 40ft Bruce Farr® designed yacht has shone like a beacon on a distant shore. The lavish, limited edition The Fabulous 40s book produced with the support of long-time Farr 40 Class sponsor Rolex, tells the story behind this remarkable Class. 152 of these boats are now spread across 19 countries, making it the most successful internationally recognized offshore racing class in the world. Key to this success lies only partially with the enduring beauty and sleek lines of its design. What really made this Class so successful is the fact that the yachts are owner-driven, quite literally. It was the idea, unique at the time, that owners - all amateur helmsmen - should be alone in having their hands on the helm during Class racing. Previously, owners had, by and large, become hostage to their crews, forced to hire the best 'guns' in the sport to gain any success, while they rode the stern as passengers, their only active role, to write the cheques. Lavishly illustrated with more than 350 pictures, many of them double page spreads taken by some of the best photographers in the world, including Carlo Borlenghi, Daniel Forster and Kurt Arrigo, this 240 page book captures the close racing and comradeship between crews competing in many of the best locations in the world. This is a book for all yacht race enthusiasts and lists the results of all the Rolex world champioships from 1998-2011 as well as owners and their yachts. 'The Fabulous 40s' RRP - £60 + P&P (approx €70, $100US) To preview the book and place an order, visit www.southatlanticpublishing.com Tornado Worlds Day four was the complete opposite to day three with sailors waking up to beautiful sunshine across Lake Garda and the wind building. The racing started at 1PM CET with race 6 of the 2012 World Championships. Clear skies and the famous Ora winds kicking in from the South to set up perfect conditions for the sailors. There was a steady 10 - 12 knots of breeze across the race course for race one. Of course in first place were Team Redbull followed by Roland and Nahid Gaebler who had a consistent day on the water. In third place were Nikos Mavros and Alexander Tagaropoulos. The wind picked up for race two with 18 - 20 knots blowing but still the right hand side of the course being the best route as it always is in Lake Garda. The sailors who judged the upwind lay line best came out at the front of the fleet but others missed the lay line losing up to 20 places in the fleet. Matteo Ferraglia and Lorenzo Bianchini who are currently sitting in second place overall were unable to start the second race due to a boat breakage which they managed to fix this evening. Again Iordanis and Kostas came out with another bullet followed by Roland and Nahid then Brett and Ryan who sit in 3rd place overall. The Greeks are now only one race away from winning the World Championships for the second time in a row. There is a big gap in the fleet after 8th place but with lots of individual battles making great racing for the whole fleet. Top 5 1. Iordanis Paschalidis and Kostas Trigonis Full results - www.tornadochampionships.com To follow the latest news head over to our Facebook page ( www.facebook.com/tornadoclass ) or follow us on Twitter ( www.twitter.com/tornadoclass ) Minoprio Returns To The Tour Minoprio (NZL) Black Match spent the 2011/2012 season crewing on CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand on the Volvo Ocean Race. Having been out of the match racing circuit for twenty months, he feels that now is the time to return as a more versatile, all-round sailor: "I'm excited to be back, although the format is very different to when I competed last. The game's evolved and there have been a couple of new rules in that time. I'm looking forward to it but we'll be chucked in the deep end, that's for sure. "It would be nice to do the Volvo again in the future but it's a massive project. The Tour is a good challenge with fantastic events around the world and a good bunch of the world's top guys involved. It's certainly something I'd like to be involved with again." The necessary discomfort of a year on the water with the Volvo Ocean Race is a contributing factor in Minoprio's happy memories of previous Tour competition, admitting that he "definitely missed coming ashore, having a warm bed and a warm home cooked meal to go home to every night!" As he prepares to rediscover his match racing skills at the Match Race France practice day on Monday amongst a fleet of teams which includes three Kiwi skippers, Minoprio feels confident that he will be able to pick up where he left off in 2010. Commenting on the overall Tour leaderboard, Minoprio disagreed that the race for the 2012 ISAF Match Racing World Championship crown is now a two horse race, with Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Mekonomen Sailing Team and Ian Williams (GBR) GAC Pindar 24 and 18 points from their nearest rivals respectively. He said: "Williams and Hansen have the advantage going into the end of the season and they both have Monsoon Cup experience which is helpful. Having said that, there are teams that can take a lot of points with two more events to go before the Monsoon Cup. Swinton, Robertson, Morvan, Gilmour are all still in the mix if they can put themselves in with a decent shot before Monsoon Cup." The world's top match racers will arrive in Marseille this weekend to begin preparations for Match Race France (24 - 29 September), where eight of the nine Tour Card Holders will compete alongside wildcard entries Tamara Echegoyen (ESP), Damien Iehl (FRA) Wind 2 Win and 2009 Tour Champion Adam Minoprio (NZL) Black Match, as well as qualifier, William Tiller (NZL) Full Metal Jacket Racing. Underway To Marseille In a light six knot breeze from the southwest, Yann Guichard and Spindrift racing made the best start to windward of the fleet. Before departing on the leg proper, the trimarans sailed a five mile inshore course in the mouth of the Tagus estuary. Spindrift racing went on to win this, in turn gaining them three bonus points, vitally helping to reduce their six point deficit on FONCIA going into this penultimate leg of the MOD70 European Tour. The Michel Desjoyeaux-skippered FONCIA was third to complete the inshore course behind Stève Ravussin and Race For Water in second. "The bonus points are very important," said Guichard. "Those three points are almost the difference you get between first and second on the offshore leg." The five MOD70s are now heading south under mainsail and gennaker in six knots of breeze, bound for the first turning mark of the course at Cape St. Vincent. With at least 1071 miles to sail to Marseille, the routing for leg four, through the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean and on to the south of France, is suggesting it will take even the rapid MOD70 trimarans four days to complete. At present there is a weak depression located over northwest Spain, while some 1000 miles to the west, out in the middle of the Atlantic, ex-cyclone Nadine has been reaping havoc around the Azores, although this is due to track south over the next few days. Between Nadine and the Portugese coast lies a giant ridge and with this easing east later today, the wind is forecast to veer dramatically into the north or NNW overnight. Forecasters suggest that on the opening section of the leg down to Cape St. Vincent, and probably beyond, there will be localised calms to be avoided. Cascais Scoring gate: ISA Junior All Ireland Sailing Championship Each competitor will sail with one crew member of their choice in one of the TR3.6 dinghies. Following an optional practice day on Friday, all sailors will compete in up to five fleet races on Saturday. Up to a further three races will be sailed on Sunday with one additional final double points medal. Upon the completion of five fleet races, one discard will come in to play. Many of Ireland's top up and coming sailors will be competing at the regatta. Among them will be Laser Radial sailor Finn Lynch who is the reigning U17 Laser Radial European Champion and only this summer took home the silver medal at the ISAF Youth Sailing World Championships. He will be joined by fellow ISA Academy sailors Robbie Gilmore, Fionn Lyden and Seafra Guilfoyle as well as numerous other youth sailors, across seven classes, with vast national and international experience. On The Starting Blocks for the Grand Prix Grange & Cie After the Open de Versoix II sailed in very light winds, the sailors involved in the Vulcain Trophy, presented by Business & Decision, are eager to race in stronger winds! In the overall standings, Realstone Sailing is still in the lead (6pts) and could even win the Vulcain Trophy 2012 this weekend at the Grand Prix Grange & Cie, even though a turnaround is still possible. Alinghi (13pts) led by Ernesto Bertarelli showed his tenacity last week in Versoix by winning the regatta. Ladycat (17pts) helmed by his sister Dona Bertarelli moved up to the third position of the provisional overall ranking, on equal points with de Rham Sotheby's skippered by Philippe Cardis. The fight will be tough between these two competitors. Torbjorn Tornqvist's team on Artemis Racing (23pts) might as well ogle at the podium with a good performance at the final stage on 14-15 October at the Société Nautique de Genève. Guy de Picciotto's Zen Too will certainly come back in good shape this weekend with its helmsman Fred Le Peutrec which was awarded second place in the Trophée Clairefontaine a few days ago. Another fight should be interesting too, featuring Nickel with Fred Moura, Okalys Corum with Nicolas Grange and Marco Simeoni's Veltigroup, helmed by Boris Lerch, all three tied with 32 points. Geneva harbor should host a fantastic spectacle this weekend. Overall ranking Vulcain Trophy 2012: 1. Realstone Sailing, 6 points Oracle Team Usa 17 Returns To Action "We continued the commissioning process of our AC72," said Grant Simmer, general manager. "It was only our second day on the water, so we were focusing on loading the boat slowly to make sure there are no structural issues. We sailed with the Code Zero and the Gennaker for the first time, and we were checking all of the systems. "It went well," Simmer said. "We went out a little bit jury rigged, but it was still a valuable day for us. As we're limited to 30 days of sailing between now and February 1, we want to get as much out of each day on the water as we can." The boat was sailing for the first time since August 31 when testing was cut short due to daggerboard failure in the starboard hull. Temporary daggerboards were used during today's exercises. "We had a great day out there today - we ticked through all of the sails in the morning, and in the afternoon we concentrated on the wing," said helmsman Jimmy Spithill. "We have a list of things to work on now, but it was a very good day and fantastic to get the boat back out on the water." The sailors' attention now turns back to training on the AC45s in preparation for the upcoming America's Cup World Series in San Francisco from October 2-7. The crews will be sailing on the AC45s throughout the week. Yachtworld Showcases Women In Yachting Nominations The SeaKeepers Award will be presented to an individual who has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to marine conservation at the Bal de la Mer during the Monaco Yacht Show. This year's winner is agnes b., founder of the Tara Expeditions. The women selected to be on the Honorary Host Committee have an exceptional background in yachting and marine advocacy. YachtWorld will recognize Muffett and the other host committee members by promoting them in a social media campaign encouraging recognition of other women with similar credentials. These women who are making a difference in yachting and ocean advocacy will be recognized on the YachtWorld Facebook page. YachtWorld invites individuals to nominate women for this honor by sending emails to . Entries should include an explanation for the nomination and a photo of the nominee. Muffett founded YachtWorld.com, the world's largest selection of brokerage boats for sale, in 1995, semi-retiring as publisher emeritus in 2006. She is also the founder of YachtWorld Heroes, launched in 2010 to recognize individuals promoting ocean health and the joy of boating. -- James Nolan yachtworld.com European Offense Aligns For Melges 32 Worlds One team in particular that has great aspirations of victory in Newport is Mascalzone Latino owned by Italy's Vincenzo Onorato, current leader of the 2012 Audi Melges 32 Sailing Series and European Champion. With 2008 470 Olympic Gold Medalist Nathan Wilmot as tactician, and the additional likes of Alberto Bolzan and Andrea Ballico, Onorato is clearly prepared to position himself to win. Onorato's next greatest rival from Europe is fellow Italian owner Lanfranco Cirillo aboard Fantastica. Cirillo, endearingly referred to by everyone in the fleet as 'Momo', packs a real punch of consistency with Michele Paoletti as tactician, Niccolo Bianchi and Claudio Celon forming the core of this very successful Melges 32 team. The Japanese will also be well represented at Worlds with an impressive six teams. From Keisuke Suzuki aboard Swing with tactician Jesper Radich, to Roberto Tomasini Grinover's Robertissima locked and loaded with the legendary Vasco Vascotto on tactics, the European and Australasian offense looks promising. The 2012 Melges 32 World Championship will present five days of competition and a fantastic social events schedule. Onsite registration will begin on September 20th, Pre-Worlds warm-up competition will be held on September 22nd and 23rd, and five days of full on World Championship racing starts on September 25th running through September 29th. Post Worlds, the final chapter of the 2012 Audi Sailing Series concludes in Naples on October 19-21. www.nyyc.org/melges32worlds-sep20-29/ Featured Brokerage SAVVY is a cutter rigged sloop that combines the elegance of the 1930's style; a flush deck with an aft cockpit, a low deckhouse, sweeping sheer, moderate freeboard and long overhangs; with a modern underwater hull configuration. She is fast and manoeuvrable, and won the Spirit of Tradition class at Antigua Race Week three years in a row, as well as the overall prize for Spirit of Tradition Races in the Mediterranean at the Voiles de St. Tropez, Monaco, Antibes, etc. SAVVY is an exceptionally pretty boat, described by Yachting Monthly magazine as "a truly beautiful classically built dream boat that instinctively looks right from all angles". She is of cold moulded construction using Western Red Cedar, epoxy and S glass and E glass. SAVVY is strong and lightweight for her size, making her very responsive to the helm and very quiet below. Brokerage through Northrop and Johnson Spain: www.yachtworld.com/nandjspain/ Complete listing details and seller contact information at The Last Word |
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