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First Time Victory In Germany For Ian Williams
Langenargen, Germany: Lake Constance left it right until the last moment to get uncooperative at Match Race Germany. An ominous-looking rain cloud was on its way across the third largest lake in Europe from Switzerland, sucking all the wind out of the vicinity and causing PRO Rudi Magg to draw proceedings to a close.
This handed victory at Match Race Germany to British helm Ian Williams and his American/Australian crew of Mal Parker and Bill Hardesty, supplemented on this occasion by stand-ins Graham Spence and Willem Van Waay. Williams' GAC Pindar crew won today's single Finals match against Adam Minoprio and his all-Kiwi Team Alpari FX crew of Nick Blackman, Chris Main, Tom Powrie and David Swete; reigning Alpari World Match Racing Tour champion (Williams), up against the 2009 champion (Minoprio).
A little slow out of the blocks in the Semi Finals yesterday, Williams was 1-2 down against Johnie Berntsson's Stena Sailing Team crew as proceedings came to a close last night. However the GAC Pindar crew fought back this morning to take the next two points, to gain their berth in the final.
In his Semi Final match Minoprio had less to do this morning, scoring a come-from-behind win against France's experienced Mathieu Richard and his GEFCO Match Racing Team to take him through on a 3-1 scoreline.
In this afternoon's only Finals race, held once again in very light winds, Minoprio held up his hand, acknowledging that he had made a meal of the pre-start. "I forgot how long these boats take to gybe and I wasted a minute doing two gybes so we were late for the line. It was my mistake, I was kicking myself at the start of the race."
From there all he could do was chase the GAC Pindar crew around the course, who in turn did an immaculate job of covering their Kiwi opponents.
Final Results
Ian Williams (GBR) GAC Pindar vs Adam Minoprio (NZL) Team Alpari FX 1-0
Petit Final Results
Mathieu Richard (FRA) GEFCO Match Racing Team vs Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Stena Sailing Team 1-0
Final Semi Final Results
Mathieu Richard (FRA) GEFCO Match Racing Team vs Adam Minoprio (NZL) Team Alpari FX 1-3
Ian Williams (GBR) GAC Pindar v Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Stena Sailing Team 2-2
Leaderboard After Stage 1 - Match Race Germany
1. Ian Williams (GBR) - Team GAC Pindar, 25 points
2. Adam Minoprio (NZL) - Team Alpari FX, 22
3. Mathieu Richard (FRA) - GEFCO Match Racing Team, 19
4. Johnie Berntsson (SWE)- Stena Sailing Team, 16
5. Taylor Canfield (ISV) - USone, 14
6. Björn Hansen (SWE) - Mekonomen Sailing Team, 12
7. Karol Jablonski (POL) - Jablonski Sailing Team, 10
8. Pierre-Antoine Morvan (FRA) - Vannes Agglo Sailing Team, 8
9. Phil Robertson (NZL) - WAKA Racing, 4
10. Keith Swinton (AUS) - Black Swan Racing, 2
11. Philip Buhl (GER) - STG/NRV Youth Team, 0
12. Sven Erick-Horsch (GER) - NRV Match Race Team, 0
Atlantic Cup
Newport, Rhode Island, USA: After racing 231 nautical miles in just over a day, the fleet of seven Class 40s competing in The Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing all finished within 45 minutes and 20 seconds of each other, the closest finish in Atlantic Cup History!
#118 Bodacious Dream, skippered by Dave Rearick and Matt Scharl, crossed the finish line first at 21:06:15 ET on Sunday, May 18, with an elapsed time of 30:09:39 to complete the 231 nautical mile second off-shore leg of the Atlantic Cup from New York Harbor to Newport, RI. The race, the first carbon neutral sailing event in the United States, saw USA's Bodacious Dream finish 4 minutes 59 seconds ahead of #121 Lecoq Cuisine (30:14:38), followed 5 minutes and 12 seconds later by #106 Gryphon Solo 2 (30:19:50).
Full results and points breakdown: atlanticcup.org/race/2013-results/
* Well... we came pretty darn close to winning this one but somehow manage to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. As we approached Montauk and Block Island in first place, we studied the Eldridge tide tables, pulled down weather info and finally decided to go around Block Island to the East, hoping for stronger winds and a more neutral (less unfavorable) tide. We also thought the pack of boats we were leading - Bo Dream, Le Coq Cuisine and Forty Degrees were going the same way. As it turned out, we bet wrong. Once we committed to the eastern path, Bo Dream and Le Coq peeled off to leeward, telling me later that they did not think they could catch us so they opted for the westerly route.
The distance sailed in that route is slightly less than on our easterly route, so as we came back together just past point Judith, Bo dream was slightly ahead and we were about even with LeCoq. However, they had a slightly hotter sailing angle to Newport and they ended up finishing slightly in front of us, so we took third place instead of first. Disappointing.
Oh well - we hit the dock at Newport Harbor Hotel, congratulated all competitors, as everyone had sailed well and finished within 46 minutes of each other, which is pretty amazing after more than 260 miles of racing. The whole group retired to the Clark Cook House on the waterfront in Newport for burgers and beers and it was nice to unwind and get out of the rain.
So, in retrospect, the good news is that we sailed the boat well and confirmed that we have boat speed comparable to any boat given the right sail choice, ballast configuration and trim, so we go into the inshore series optimistic for better result. We currently sit in third place, and hope to move up in the standings over the six inshore races in Narragansett Bay.
Joe Harris: www.gryphonsolo2.com
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Musto Vice Admiral's Cup
Photo by Fiona Brown, www.fionabrown.com. Click on image for photo gallery.
Cowes, UK - "Good weather for ducks" is probably the best way to describe conditions on the final day of the 2013 Musto Vice Admiral's Cup, where grey was the predominant colour and oilskins were the preferred attire (good news for sponsor Musto!). Fortunately nothing could dampen the spirits of the 58 competing teams who took on two final races to decide this hugely competitive series.
Winds were predominantly from the northeast, but with some very big shifts and velocity ranging from sub five to around ten knots the tacticians and trimmers certainly got a strenuous workout. Once again Rob Lamb took the small boat fleet onto the Bramble Bank and Bob Milner returned to the Ryde Bank area with the big boats.
Tony Langly's Weapon of Choice continued to dominate the TP52s of Class 0, scoring two further wins to take the series by a five-point margin. Sir Keith Mills 5 West and Johnny Vincent's Pace traded places through the day with each boat claiming a second and a third place but it was 5 West who took the second podium step with Pace five points behind her. After racing double Olympic Silver Medallist and Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing Volvo Race skipper Ian Walker, who was guest staring as tactician aboard Weapon of Choice, was full of praise for his crew's teamwork and expertise and also paid tribute to the race committee saying "They did a good job to get the racing in, particular in today's conditions. It was a fun regatta and we had some really close racing."
The Quarter Tonners in Class 4 saw their second dead heat of the series, between Sam Laidlaw's Aquila and Louise Morton's Espada for fourth place in race seven. Once again this historic revival class provided some of the best thrills and spills of the day with two different race winners in the shape of Willy McNeill and Mike Pascall's Illegal Immigrant in race seven and Rob Gray's Cote in race eight. Peter Morton aboard Bullit had to be content with a pair of second places, but this was enough to give him the overall series by 4.5 points. The tousle for second and third went down to the closing moments of the final race with Aquila grabbing second from Rickard Melander's Alice II by two points.
For many of the Quarter Ton teams this was a first opportunity to test their metal against their competitors in preparation for the 2013 Quarter Ton Cup, which will be hosted by the Royal Corinthian from 15-17 July.
Full results for all classes: www.rcyc.co.uk
Finn Masters
Photo by Robert Deaves. Click on image for photo gallery.
They said come to France, it will be sunny and hot. They said the water will be warm and they said it never rains here. They lied. However they were right about one thing. The racing on the opening day of the 2013 Finn World Masters in La Rochelle was simply fantastic. Despite the cold inclement weather, with low cloud, non-stop drizzle and temperatures around 10 degrees, about 95 per cent of the fleet went racing and a grand time was had by all.
The fleet of 285 Finns was split into two starts of around 140 boats each. After the first two races, three times champion Andre Budzien (GER) shares the lead with Erik Lidecis (USA), sailing his first Masters, after both sailors won both races in their respective fleets. Karl Purdie (NZL), in his first year in the Finn is in third after a 4, 2.
The general recalls for the second race took their toll with 39 black flag disqualifications across both fleets.
While the real surprise of the day was that four time champion Maier got beaten twice, Karl Purdie put in two great results to sit one place ahead of Maier. Twice the OK Dinghy World champion, he switched to the Finn last year.
Two more races are scheduled for Tuesday, with less wind forecast and also less rain. The sailors live in hope. The championship concludes on Friday.
Top ten results after 2 races
1= Andre Budzien, GER, 2.00 points
1= Erik Lidecis, USA, 2.00
3. Karl Purdie, NZL, 6.00
4. Michael Maier, CZE, 6.00
5. Tauras Rymonis, LTU, 9.00
6. Stefan Fagerlund, SWE, 11.00
7. Laurent Hay, FRA, 15.00
8. Allen Burrell, GBR, 15.00
9. Marco Buglielli, ITA, 20.00
10. Uli Breuer, GER, 21.00
www.srr-sailing.com/finn-world-master/
Collective Spirit Reigns Supreme
Photo by Michael Austen. Click on image to enlarge.
Keep your eyes peeled for the remarkable Rogers Olympiad 30, Collective Spirit (GBR7512L). The Boat Project, as it is perhaps better known, is a living archive of people's stories and lives, a 30ft vessel made from donated wooden items. From February to July 2011 the public donated their wood to the project, but not just any old wood. Pencil or piano-exotic as Zebrawood or as familiar as pine - every piece had a story behind it. Donations arrived in their thousands, from the highly personal to pieces of national importance. All of these donations were used to build a state-of-the-art seafaring yacht named, appropriately, Collective Spirit.
The boat's builder Mark Covell, who will also skipper the boat in the J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race on Saturday 1st June, trained as a traditional boat builder and has worked in the marine industry and campaigned boats all his adult life. Together with Ian Walker, his Olympic team mate in Sydney 2000, he won a silver medal in the Star class.
If you haven't already entered this year's Race, you have just one last chance to do so until midday on Saturday 25th May. rtir.me/entries
Marine Litter: Steps To Cleaner Seas
Marine rubbish is a problem for us all... but there is a way to reduce the issue, and educate to minimise it in the future...
Marine rubbish is a problem for us all - not only does it build up on beaches across the world, it forms great islands out to sea. Rubbish, be it a plastic bag on a centreboard that costs a dinghy sailor a race, or gets wrapped round a prop, or a bigger item like a container that presents a serious hazard to sailors is just one side of the problem. But that's just the tip of it - it's the effect on wildlife that is even more serious, both at sea and once it washes ashore... and ashore of course there's also the unsuspecting humans as well, especially the smaller ones, for which it can present a danger.
Sebastien Josse Teams Up with Charles Caudrelier for Transat Jacques Vabre
For the past two months, the Gitana Team has been linking together a series of sessions out on the water, alternating between crewed and double-handed configuration. After their MOD70 victory in the ArMen Race, Sebastien Josse and his men now have their sights on the Route des Princes; a tour of Europe in five legs, which will officially kick off on 7 June 2013 in Valencia, with the first inshore races.
During this event, Sebastien Josse will be teaming up with Charles Caudrelier, among other, who will take up the role of navigator-helmsman aboard the Multi70 Edmond de Rothschild. It's alongside this talented Breton, that the skipper of Gitana Team has also opted to set sail on the Transat Jacques Vabre, a double-handed race between Le Havre and Itajaï (Brazil), which will be contested this coming November.
Sebastien Josse and Charles Caudrelier have known each other and appreciated the other's talent for some 15 years. Often rivals, particularly in the highly selective Figaro Beneteau Class, but very rarely associated on the same boat, these two sailors do share a number of similarities, which are as much to do with their track records as their characters. On 3 June 2013, they'll set sail together from Le Havre for the 10th running of the Transat Jacques Vabre; a thrilling challenge for which the duo have already put in a countless number of hours on the water, and fully intend to surpass their 'rookie' status.
The Josse - Caudrelier duo and the Transat Jacques Vabre
Sebastien Josse: 3rd participation, 1st in a multihull
Charles Caudrelier: 4th participation, 2nd in a multihull, 1 victory in 2009 (Imoca class with Safran) -- Translated by Kate Jennings
RNLI Gallantry Medals Awarded to Seven Lifesavers
The courage of seven RNLI volunteers from Port Isaac and Anstruther lifeboat stations and the charity's Flood Rescue Team will be awarded Medals for Gallantry - the RNLI's highest accolades - at a ceremony at the Barbican in London on 23 May.
Port Isaac lifeboat station:
For a launch in rough and dangerous conditions to two people swept into the sea very close to cliffs off the North Cornwall coast in April 2012:
Damien Bolton: Senior Helmsman at Port Isaac lifeboat station will be awarded the RNLI's Silver Medal for Gallantry.
Nicola-Jane Bradbury: Crew Member at Port Isaac lifeboat station will be awarded the RNLI's Bronze Medal for Gallantry.
Matthew Main: Crew Member at Port Isaac lifeboat station will be awarded the RNLI's Bronze Medal for Gallantry.
RNLI Flood Rescue Team:
For a launch where the RNLI's Flood Rescue Team negotiated strong currents, debris and darkness to rescue a woman who had been swept from her car near Umberleigh, Devon on 23 December 2012:
Paul Eastment: Boat Team Leader, Porthcawl lifeboat station volunteer and RNLI staff Divisional Assessor/Trainer, will be awarded an RNLI Bronze Medal for Gallantry.
Chris Missen: Helmsman and Porthcawl lifeboat station volunteer will be awarded an RNLI Bronze Medal for Gallantry.
Martin Blaker-Rowe: Crew Member and Poole-based RNLI Trainer will be awarded an RNLI Bronze Medal for Gallantry.
Anstruther lifeboat station:
For the rescue of two people from a motor vessel that had been driven onto rocks amidst breaking waves and in total darkness 10 miles south east of St Andrews, Fife on 1 August 2012.
Barry Gourlay: Helmsman at Anstruther lifeboat station will be awarded an RNLI Bronze Medal for Gallantry
Family Of Killed Bounty Deckhand Sues Shipowners
The fight to point blame in the deadly last voyage of the HMS Bounty is headed for federal court.
Family members of deckhand Claudene Christian, one of two Bounty crew members who died in the sinking, filed a $90 million civil lawsuit this week against the owners of the three-masted square-rigger, which appeared in several Hollywood films, including the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise.
The suit alleges the Bounty was unseaworthy and its captain -- Robin Walbridge -- was negligent when he set sail with his crew of 15 as Hurricane Sandy steamed toward the U.S. Eastern Seaboard.
Walbridge was also lost in the shipwreck. His body was never recovered after the vessel took on water in stormy seas and sank on October 29. Wind gusts above 100 mph and waves as high as 30 feet flipped Bounty on its side, tossing Walbridge and his 15 shipmates into the Atlantic off the coast of North Carolina. Fourteen crew survived.
The lawsuit accuses the Bounty's owners of "intentionally placing the lives of the crew at extreme risk for the sole purpose of financial gain." It also provides detailed examples of allegedly poor maintenance and inadequate crew training, which it says contributed to the sinking and Christian's death. -- Thom Patterson, CNN
Letters To The Editor -
Letters are limited to 350 words. No personal attacks are permitted. We do require your name but your email address will not be published without your permission.
* From Laurence Mead: Congrats to Owen Sharpe for writing one of the few sensible responses to the untimely and tragic death of Andrew Simpson. The idea that Andrew's death is somehow noble because it was done at the cutting edge and in the pursuit of something he loved has to be nonsense, my sincere condolences to his family for a tragic loss, but the fact that someone dies shouldn't damn the whole circus (yes I use that word deliberately) with some of the rubbish that has been coming out of certain camps / mouths.
Everyone knew these boats were dangerous, and of course the organizers and teams need to look at the safety issues anew (stable door / bolted?) but AC 72's are majestic. Fine craft that would grace any stretch of water the world over. It doesn't matter whether you agree with the "facebook generation" argument about the new America's Cup or not, but don't ever think these boats are anything other than awesome. As Owen Sharpe said, have faith Russell.
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