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Gold Cup Winner Canfield Honored with Jordy Walker Trophy
Photo by Talbot Wilson. Click on image to enlarge.

Canfield Honored with Jordy Walker Trophy Hamilton, Bermuda: Taylor Canfield not only led his Chicago Match Racing Center team to win the King Edward VII Gold Cup at the 2012 Argo Group Gold Cup, but he also won the second annual Jordy Walker Trophy as well. The Jordy Walker Trophy recognizes the most improved young match race sailor who competes in Alpari World Match Racing Tour events or other events that automatically qualify a skipper for a Tour event.

The Match Racing Association (MRA), formerly known as the World Match Racing Association (WMRA), donated the Jordy Walker Trophy in 2011. Mary Walker presented the trophy to Canfield in memory of her late husband B.W "Jordy" Walker. 

"Winning the Jordy Walker Trophy is a highlight for me," Canfield said, "and I'd like to thank the Match Racing Association for the award. Jordy has had a huge impact on youth development of sailing in Bermuda but also throughout the Caribbean."

"One of the biggest examples of this," Canfield added, "was his role in changing the Bermuda Gold Cup to the modern day format. [The Gold Cup has a 24-team format rather than 12 like many other events]  This has allowed young match racers like myself the opportunity to compete against not only some of the best match racers in the world but also some of the greatest sailors of all time."

"The passion of people like Jordy," he concluded, "has raised the bar for modern day match racing. It is an honor to receive this award in Jordy's memory."

The Jordy Walker Trophy is on permanent display in the King Edward VII Gold Cup Trophy display case in the entrance foyer of the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club.

argogroupgoldcup.com

Peter O'leary Wins Ireland's Most Prestigious Sailing Championship
2012 Olympic sailor Peter O'Leary has won Ireland's most prestigious sailing championship; the ISA (Irish Sailing Association) All Ireland Sailing Championship which was kindly sponsored by Waterways Ireland. The three day invitational regatta concluded in Lough Derg this afternoon (Sunday 7th) with Peter dominating the final three-race series and claiming the Helmsman Trophy for the second time, having first won title in 2006. A total of 24 of the nation's top sailors, along with a crew of their choosing, received invitations for the annual event which first began in 1947. Their selection was based on their performances throughout the year in their respective classes.

Competition in the final series was fierce. Amongst the eight helms were three former Olympic sailors including Peter O'Leary and Ryan Seaton who both competed in 2012 Games and Mark Mansfield who competed at four consecutive Olympics from 1992 to 2004. Also sailing was reigning champion, George Kenefick who was back to defend his title and the youngest of all the competitors, 17 year old Fionn Lyden who only two weeks ago won the ISA Junior All Ireland Championship in Schull, Co. Cork.

The deciding three races began in the early afternoon in winds that steadily grew to 12 knots for the final race. Peter O'Leary, who was sailing with his brother Robert O'Leary and Robbie English, quickly made his presence known by taking the lead and winning the first race.

Another race win followed by a second place finish and the title was Peter's. Young Fionn Lyden sailed a magnificent regatta and beat off two Olympians to claim the silver. In third place was last year's winner George Kenefick who clawed his way up from the back of the fleet to win the final race and take the bronze. -- Rachel Solon

sailing.ie

French Boat's Rescuer Seeks $200k Award
On Sept. 30, Tholke was a hero when he went out on the bay in the middle of the night to single-handedly rescue the runaway French catamaran Energy. The America's Cup World Series boat snapped its mooring line at Piers 30-32 that night and drifted off into the darkness, unmanned and out of control. It fetched up on the rocks of Treasure Island, where it was spotted from the land by Tholke.

At 3:30 a.m., Tholke pulled it off the shore with his 14-foot Boston Whaler. He then towed it to the Treasure Isle Marina and handed it back to the racing team.

The French were so grateful they offered to give Tholke a ride on the bay.

But Friday, as the French prepared for the regatta, Tholke's representatives presented them with a warrant from U.S. District Court to "arrest" the boat and take it into custody as soon as Sunday's races were over.

Based on a law from the 1800s, Tholke's attorney John Edgcomb said in court documents, the rescue had established "a valid maritime salvage claim" and Tholke was entitled to "a liberal maritime salvage award." Edgcomb said the amount was up to the court, but something "in excess of $200,000."

The French officially said in a statement that they were "surprised and disappointed," but it would be more accurate to say they were flabbergasted.

Full story by C.W. Nevius and Bog Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle:

www.sfgate.com/bayarea/nevius/

Hydros Takes Off: Projects Underway
The Swiss Hydros team, based in the Parc Scientifique d'Ecublens, is jointly pursuing three projects.

In September 2013, Hydros will enter two state-of-the-art Class C multihulls in the Little Americas Cup at Falmouth, UK. The yachts are currently under construction at the Decision SA boatyard in Lausanne. They will be the first yachts ever built using the thin ply technology (TPT), an innovative Swiss invention which will result in a lighter and stiffer structure.

The rigid wing that will replace the sails is also under construction at Decision.

The first Class C crew will comprise Jeremie Lagarrigue and Billy Besson, who recently came third in the Formula 18 World Championships (sport catamarans) at Long Beach. The selection process is currently underway for the second catamaran crew.

At the same time, some members of the Hydros team are developing the HydroContest, a competition that challenges universities to find solutions to some of the issues maritime transport faces. The idea is to involve engineering schools worldwide along with today and tomorrow's thinkers in addressing a major problem: dwindling reserves of fossil fuels and the need to reduce their consumption by transport ships.

Davy Moyon, Hydros engineer, assisted by Robin Amacher, is coordinating the project in partnership with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne and is working on the details of the competition. Starting in September 2013, universities will receive a starter kit in the form of a prototype, which they will be able to optimize at their convenience. The project will be piloted and closely monitored by Hydros, and the results will lead to specific applications that will eventually serve to improve the ecological balance of maritime transport.

Finally, Hydros is developing a mobile application that will be used within the Hydro Speed Tour. The objective is to encourage people to beat speed records using any mode of transport by land, water, over ice, or by air. The Hydro Speed Tour is a global speed record competition. It aims to increase public awareness of the need to use energy efficiently and save energy without compromising performance. The results will take account of sporting performance as well as the energy balance of the vehicle used.

Round Britain Challenge
Singlehanded sailor, and four times Scottish Islands Peaks Race class winner, Alan Rankin has launched the Trade Winds Solo Round Britain 2013 Challenge where he plans to sail 2,200 miles around Britain and run 1,000k to raise funds for: Cancer Research UK, Parkinson's UK, MS Society, British Heart Foundation and Ocean Youth Trust Scotland.

Alan will set off in June 2013 to sail around the British Isles and Ireland. The course will take Alan outside the Isles including the Hebrides, Shetland, Scilly Isles, Ireland and St Kilda. The voyage will be broken with stop overs where Alan will swop his sailing boots for running shoes and undertake a series of 10k fundraising runs at ten ports around Britain.

The voyage starts and finishes at Ullapool on the NW coast of Scotland and will head clockwise around Britain and its islands calling at; Lerwick, Blyth, Lowestoft, Brighton, Poole, Falmouth, Dingle, Broad Haven and Stornoway. Alan has support from a shore crew that includes a round-the-world-skipper, international sleep advisor, renowned weather forecaster and nutritional advisors as well as a team of fundraisers, web and social media specialists.

Not all plans have yet been finalised and Alan is contacting yacht clubs, marinas and local running clubs in each port seeking support and assistance. The whole trip will take up to six weeks with 48 to 72 hour stop-overs with departure dependent on weather forecasts.

Alan will be undertaking the voyage in his F27 trimaran. The boat is currently undergoing a full refit with support from marine trade sponsors.

www.soloroundbritain.com

From YachtingWorld.com:

www.yachtingworld.com/news/

Feeling Funky? 5 Ways To Stop Being Seasick
Many boaters get that awful feeling of seasickness every time they leave the dock, but these tips could keep your lunch where it belongs.

Here are five seasickness fixes that could work for you:

1. Go Barefoot
Remove your shoes, and leave your feet exposed. Why would this matter? Who knows? But in some studies, it's been shown to ease those queasy feelings in nearly one third of the sickies onboard.

2. Take A Bath
Jumping overboard and floating next to the boat (when conditions allow, obviously) is a near sure-fire way to stop the seasickness. It allows your brain to merge the motions it feels with what the eyes see, and as long as you tread water, you'll feel great. The down-side? Most people get sick again, as soon as they climb back onto the boat.

3. Root Out The Problem
Chewing on ginger root is a seasickness cure that dates back to the time of the Vikings, so it's worth giving it a shot. No ginger root handy? There are several ginger-based drinks on the market, which supposedly help ease seasickness.

4. Band Together
Pressure on your wrist is also supposed to help with seasickness, and you can find "pressure point" wrist bands in any well-stocked nautical supply store. For a short term fix, apply pressure with your opposite thumb and forefinger.

5. Let It Fly
Most people who suffer from seasickness feel a lot better after they heave-ho, so swallow your pride, hang your head over the side, and set your last meal free. Added bonus: you've just created a chum slick - keep your eyes peeled for fish! -- Lenny Rudow in his boats.com blog

blog.boats.com

One For Race Supporters: Win A Sailing Trip On Steinlager II
Click on image to enlarge.

Steinlager II Followers of the NZMYC Coastal Classic: put forward your best guesstimate of the winning time in next Friday's race, and be in to win a trip for you and a friend aboard Steinlager II.

The NZ Sailing Trust was originally established for the preservation of Lion New Zealand. It has now grown with the recent acquisition of Steinlager 2. Sir Peter Blake took the lessons learned from the 85-86 race with Lion NZ and applied all of it into the design and build of Steinlager 2. She became a world class competitor winning every Whitbread leg over the line and on handicap, a record still standing today.

Steinlager II was planned to enter into the Coastal Classic but unfortunately has had to withdraw due to work being required on her rig. The Trust is currently raising money for this and other projects to see her fully restored so we can all enjoy seeing her out on the water.

Win an opportunity to spend an afternoon sailing Steinlager II. All you have to do is guess the finishing time, and the name, of the winner of the 2012 Coastal Classic. You can enter up to five times, and the person to guess not only the right boat, but the closest finish time, will receive the prize. Email your entry, including your name and email address, to

The Coastal Classic starts at 10am on Friday 19 October, and it is 119nm in length. To give you an idea of the fastest speeds so far, TeamVodafoneSailing set a new record last year when it finished the race in 5hr44:31 - an average speed of 20 knots across the course, and peaking at 34.8 knots. The supermaxi AlfaRomeo still holds the monohull record, of 6hr:43:32. As far back as 1996, Satellite Spy set the Under 12.19 record of 10hr33.53, and in the same year, the Mumm30 set the Under 10.66 record of 11hr53.25. In 2009 Overload broke the dry spell with a record of 10hr:23:56, as did Frantic Drift, setting a new record for small multihulls, of 7hr58:35.

Using a long range wind forecast obtained today from PredictWind.com, an Orma 60 similar to TeamVodafoneSailing starting the race next Friday would complete the event in just under 7 hours, and an Open 8.5m multihull would finish in around 9 hours. A TP52 like Kia Kaha would finish in about 14.5 hours, and a 30 foot keelboat such as a Young 88 would finish in about 18 hours. A more detailed and accurate prediction will be issued in the middle of next week, and the offical PredictWind forecast will be issued at the race briefing on Thursday night.

The winner of this prize will get to spend an afternoon on board Steinlager 2 for a sail around the Hauraki Gulf. Sailing starts at 4pm from the Auckland Viaduct, and involves a 2 1/2 hour sail. This will take place in February 2013 (with the specific date to be confirmed directly with the NZ Sailing Trust). The prize will be announced on the race website and Facebook page in the week after Labour Weekend, conditions apply, and the judge's decision will, of course, be final.

www.coastalclassic.co.nz

GBR IRC Rule Authority Introduces Limited Validity TCCs for Occasional Racers
The RORC Rating Office acting as the GBR IRC Rule Authority will be introducing a new initiative in GBR in 2013. Owners who only enter one or two IRC races a year will be able to apply for an IRC Limited Validity (LV) TCC at a reduced price.

At the end of 2011 the Rating Office undertook an online survey primarily aimed at owners and clubs that do not currently use IRC. One finding of the survey was that a potentially considerable number of boats do only a single event each year and are deterred by applying for an IRC certificate because of the cost. Mike Urwin, RORC Technical Director, explains the idea behind the initiative:

"The Limited Validity TCC is aimed at encouraging these boats to try IRC with the hope that they will then upgrade to a full certificate in the future. It will be offered on a trial basis in GBR only for 2013, with a view to extending it to other IRC countries if the trial is successful. It will be a loss leader for the Rating Office since producing an LV TCC will involve the same amount as work as a standard certificate, but this is all about encouraging people into IRC racing".

The LV TCC is not available to boats that hold a current valid certificate, and is defined as "an IRC TCC issued by the IRC Rating Authority for use by a boat for a race or regatta (or part of) comprising races run over not more than 9 consecutive days including any lay days". Boats will be limited to holding two separate LV TCCs per year. The TCC will be compatible with standard IRC ratings so that Clubs can incorporate boats into their IRC classes with no changes other than some extra words in the Notice of Race. However, no certificate will be issued and the boat will not appear on the online IRC listings; clubs and events that have been approved to accept LV TCCs will receive a list of the ratings specific to their event. Clubs are encouraged to consider LVs for their main events and contact the Rating Office in good time if they want to participate.

The cost of an LV TCC in 2013 will be £1.50 per metre LH plus £5.00 per day of validity. An example cost comparison for a 10 metre boat entering a single 4-day event would be: Standard IRC certificate £101.50 (online fee), LV TCC £35.00. In addition, if an owner subsequently wishes to upgrade to a full IRC certificate a discount will be applied to the application fee.

More details and the full terms and conditions can be found on the RORC Rating Office website www.rorcrating.com

Transat Jacques Vabre 2013
The 2013 edition will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Transat Jacques Vabre, marking a step forward for the race and at the same time honouring its long heritage. The organizing body, Association Transat Jacques Vabre, has thus decided to elect Manfred Ramspacher and Sylvie Viant from Sirius Evénements, as the new race directors.

The 11th edition of the double-handed transatlantic race that will start in the autumn of 2013 is taking a new route, the first step being the appointment of Manfred Ramspacher and Sylvie Viant as Race Directors.

"Our mission will be: to prepare and manage carefully the sports aspects of the race, to establish a good relationship with the various classes to have an excellent lineup and to oversee the technical aspects of race direction. It's undoubtedly a huge responsibility that we will share with the other directors under the authority of the Association Transat Jacques Vabre" underlined Manfred Ramspacher.

"I've first worked for the Transat Jacques Vabre back in 1995, it was the second edition. At that time there was no real race direction but being the president of the race committee I had a role in running the race too. I'm happy and delighted to be working with the organizers and with Manfred, with whom I co-operated in the past for the Tour de France a la voile and whose human and professional qualities I appreciate highly." Declared Sylvie Viant, the newly appointed Transat Jacques Vabre 2013 race director.

The first rendez-vous of theTransat Jacques Vabre will be at the Paris Boat show on Saturday, December 8th 2012.

www.transat-jacques-vabre.com

Featured Brokerage
Featured Brokerage Boat 2012 11m Dufour 375 Grand Large. 134,950 GBP. Located In Hamble, United Kingdom.

Dufour 375 Grand' Large, Brand New model, specification includes 2 cabins, upgrade to Volvo 40hp engine, retractable bow thruster, autopilot, 2 ST70s, teak side decks, cockpit floor and roof, extra port lights in aft cabins, Adventure pack (including: folding prop, lazy jack and bag, spray hood, fully battened main, microwave, electric windlass, cockpit table, cockpit shower, main anchor, fenders and warps) and more. In stock at Hamble Point.

Price includes commissioning and VATwhich is a significant saving on list price.

Brokerage through Marco Marine: www.yachtworld.com/marcomarine/

Complete listing details and seller contact information at
uk.yachtworld.com

The Last Word
Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It is already tomorrow in Australia. -- Charles M. Schulz

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