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Robertson Muscles His Way To The Top In Windy Marstrand
Marstrand, Sweden: Phil Robertson has been sailing out of his skin to be joint top of the leaderboard with Simone Ferrarese after a stunning day of sunshine and strong wind at Stena Match Cup Sweden.
The Kiwi skipper of WAKA Racing sits on 7 wins and 1 loss, a hit rate that he attributes to three days of training before this regatta, the third event on the Alpari World Match Racing Tour. "Our training in Oslo helped with tidying up the on-board communication since the Korea Match Cup, making sure we're doing things as they should be done within each of the roles on the team. We're keeping it simple."
WAKA's one loss came against Keith Swinton and Black Swan Racing.
It was an action-packed, dramatic day, even by the standards of the Alpari World Match Racing Tour. With the wind blowing hard and the sunshine attracting the crowds to the beautiful island of Marstrand, it was a classic day's racing, one that would have brought a smile to the face of the late and much-missed Peter Klock.
Klock, who passed away just before Christmas after a brief battle with cancer, co-founded the Stena Match Cup Sweden in 1994. At the opening ceremony in Marstrand last night, Peter Klock was announced as the fourth inductee into the Hall of Fame, next to Magnus Holmberg, Peter Gilmour and Pelle Pettersson. It was a fitting tribute to a man who dedicated much of his life to growing the sport of match racing, and who was instrumental in turning the Stena Match Cup Sweden into such an enduring and successful regatta.
Tomorrow the action continues as Qualifying draws to its conclusion.
Qualifying Session Day 2
Skipper/ Nationality/ Team/ Win-Loss/ Points
Simone Ferrarese (ITA) Ferrarese Racing Team 7-1, 7
Phil Robertson (NZL) WAKA Racing 7-1, 7
Adam Minoprio (NZL) Team Alpari FX 5-3, 5
Ian Williams (GBR) GAC Pindar 5-3, 5
Bjorn Hansen (SWE) eWork Sailing Team 5-4, 5
Mathieu Richard (FRA) GEFCO Match Racing Team 4-4, 4
Staffan Lindberg (FIN) Alandia Sailing Team 4-5, 4
Pierre-Antoine Morvan (FRA) Vannes Agglo Sailing Team 4-5, 4
Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Stena Sailing Team 4-5, 3.5
Keith Swinton (AUS) Black Swan Racing 3-5, 2.5
Taylor Canfield (ISV) USone 2-5, 2
Henrik Eyerman (SWE) Team Henrik Eyerman 0-9, 0
Kjellberg Secures A Spot In The Semifinals
Anna Kjellberg and her team won their two matches today and have taken the lead in the competition for the Stena Match Cup Sweden Womens Trophy. She stopped Stephanie Robles winning streak and ended the day with a win in the hometown derby against Anna Kjellgren.
Stephanie Roble (USA) and her crew entered the regatta today with three straight wins but their luck ran out in a tight race against Team Anna Kjellberg. The Swedish crew are looking really strong and have secured a spot in the semifinals.
Caroline Sylvan and her New Sweden Match Racing Team lost their two races today but thanks to a good start of the regatta, they have a good chance at getting through to the next round just like Roble and Meldgaard. Anna Kjellgren's team are still wating for their first win and they need to grab all the remaining points in order to stay in the race.
Spindrift 2 Unveiled
Photo by Chris Schmid / Spindrift Racing. Click on image to enlarge.
Outlining the plans of the Spindrift racing team, Dona Bertarelli and Yann Guichard unveiled the new colours, design and program of the maxi trimaran, Spindrift 2 The former Banque Populaire V, the boat is the largest racing trimaran in the world and holder of nine world records, including the Jules Verne trophy. Spindrift 2 will start a summer racing program of records and training to allow Bertarelli and Guichard intimate knowledge and control, with a view to their ambitions to rewrite the greatest records in sailing.
All the Spindrift racing team has spent time during Route des Princes working on optimising a boat that was tried and tested, but Bertarelli and Guichard want to apply the latest technology to improve performance wherever possible. A new rig is well on the way, with a lighter mast suitable for the envisaged record campaign.
2013 program
Rolex Fastnet
Spindrift 2 will participate in the Rolex Fastnet race on August 11. Under the colours of its former owner (Banque Populaire V), the boat is the record holder of the event, with a time of in 1 day 8 hours and 48 minutes, at an average speed of 18.1 knots.
The Discovery Route. Cadiz (Spain) - San Salvador (Bahamas)
Dona Bertarelli and Yann Guichard will then consider an attempt on the Discovery Route in the autumn. The record time belongs to the maxi trimaran Groupama 3 (Franck Cammas) and was established in May 2007 in 7 days 10 hours 58 minutes and 53 seconds.
Transatlantic return
A transatlantic return to Europe is the plan for this winter, with, if the opportunity arises, an attempt for the 24-hour distance record (90 miles, 37.8 knots average) set by the same boat - then Banque Populaire V.
The Channel Record between Cowes (England) and Dinard (France)
A record held by Maiden 2 (Brian Thompson) since 2000 in 5 hours 23 minutes and 38 seconds, at an average speed of 25.60 knots.
Marinepool Teams Up With Spindrift Racing
Marinepool proudly announces the 3 year partnership with Spindrift Racing as the "Official Clothing Supplier" of the high profile French/Swiss multihull racing project.
The Spindrift Racing Team, based in La Trinite-sur-Mer (FRA), will exclusively use Marinepool performance sailing clothing and leisure wear across all 3 Spindrift managed sailing projects: Ladycat D35, skippered by Dona Bertarelli and a top contender in all major competitions on Lake Geneva; Spindrift MOD70, winner of the 2012 Multi One Design Championship; and the Maxi trimaran Spindrift 2 (formerly known as Banque Populaire V), recently acquired to conquer new records.
After today´s christening ceremony and presentation of Spindrift 2 in her new colours, the giant multihull will be run through a series of training sessions off the French coast before the kick-off of its first race: the Rolex Fastnet Race in August where it is clearly one of the favorites for line honours.
Through this long-term collaboration, Marinepool and Spindrift will closely work together in the optimization of Marinepool´s performance sailing clothing range and the development of new offshore products tested by Yann Guichard, one of the most experienced skippers in multihull ocean racing and his crew.
www.spindrift-racing.com
www.marinepool.com
The Final Thousand Miles for Marc Guillemot
Having started his attempt to grab the prestigious North Atlantic record four and a half days ago, Marc Guillemot is due to begin the final thousand miles he needs to sail to get to The Lizard. Safran is currently 95 miles ahead of the record pace set by Alex Thomson. The goal is to finish before 2027hrs UTC (2237hrs CET) on Saturday evening.
"The seas are quite heavy and the wind has become variable. The proof can be seen now, as Safran is sailing at 20 knots as I speak to you, while just a minute ago we were at 16 knots. The visibility has improved slightly. I even managed to catch a glimpse of the horizon. But to make it clear, it's dull, grey damp and misty..." Right in the middle of the Atlantic, the four gybes carried out yesterday were tough and he has to battle against the tiredness, which is starting to be felt. "I had a two-hour nap during the night, my second since setting off. I really needed that, as I was exhausted."
Late this afternoon, Marc begab the final thousand miles to The Lizard. He has just over four days left to hope to finish in less than 8 days and 21 hours. On paper, maintaining an average distance of over 250 miles in 24 hours seems to be within the ability of a 60-foot boat, but a word of caution...
"Nothing has yet been won or lost," warned the skipper of Safran. "As I think the final stretch is likely to be uncertain and may even be tricky. If we manage to smash the record, it will be down to hours at best. Let's just say that for the moment, I can see myself finishing some time on Saturday, but I can't be any more precise than that."
Safran has to cross the line by 2227hrs on 6th July to see her name in the record books. And if possible too, by winning the duel currently underway in real time with Energa, the boat skippered by the Polish skipper, Zbigniew Gutkowski.
Interlodge Lead After Light Winds Opener In Ibiza
Photo by Ingrid Abery, www.ingridabery.com. Click on image for photo gallery.
Austin and Gwen Fragomen's American flagged 52 Interlodge leads the Royal Cup MarinaIbiza after two very light wind races at the 52 SUPER SERIES second regatta of the season. Victory in the second race paired with a fourth leaves them just one point ahead of a tight trio of teams all resident on six points: Quantum Racing, Gladiator and Ran Racing.
Interlodge, with John Cutler as tactician, were quietly efficient in the difficult light airs, making good starts in both contests and showing a clear ability to knit together the best lanes of breeze and avoid the potholes. Often the middle of the course was where the wind folded, but overall it was a day when patience and an open mind were almost as valuable as boat speed.
The current holders of the Royal Cup, Ran Racing were the most regular team today, like Gladiator they were taking places consistently rather than losing them. Their two third places also marks them out as potential regatta winners
Royal Cup MarinaIbiza - Standings after Day 1
1. Interlodge, USA, Austin and Gwen Fraogmen, 5 pts (4,1)
2. Quantum Racing, USA, Ed Baird 6 pts (1,5)
3. Gladiator, GBR, Tony Langley 6pts (2,4)
4. Rán Racing, SWE, Niklas Zennström 6pts (3,3)
5. Azzurra, ITA, Alberto Roemmers, 7pts (5,2)
6. Paprec, FRA, Jean-Luc Petithuguenin 13pts, (7,6)
7. Provezza, TUR, Ergin Imre, 14pts, (6,8)
8. Rio, (USA) Manouch Moshayedi, 15pts, (8,7)
Yard Manager
Fox's Marina and Boatyard have an opportunity for a yard manager to work alongside our existing team. The successful candidate will have a proven record in the marine industry either as a professional yachtsman, in boatyard management or yacht building.
Key criteria will be relevant experience and the ability to manage people and projects.
Written applications in confidence to our MD Will Taylor-Jones by email:
Maserati To Sail The Transpac
Maserati S.p.A. has just announced Giovanni Soldini's next challenge at the helm of the 70 ft Maserati monohull: they will participate in the 47th Transpac Race. Together with Soldini will be a nine-member crew, including John Elkann, owner of Maserati.
The Transpac is a 2,225 mile nautical team race that runs from Los Angeles to Honolulu, open to monohulls and multihulls, with delayed starts from the 8th July according to the classes in the race. 52 boats are entered in total, 7 of which belong in the same class as Maserati.
For Maserati the start will be on July 13th. An international crew of nine people will be on board with skipper Giovanni Soldini: Guido Broggi, Boris Herrmann, Corrado Rossignoli, Jianghe "Tiger" Teng, Gwenael Riou, Carlos Hernandez, Michele Sighel and John Elkann.
The race will see the start from the cliffs of Point Fermin, San Pedro, Los Angeles, and the finish line in front of the lighthouse at Diamond Head, Oahu, Hawaii (East of Honolulu).
The Transpac first took place in 1906, the year of the terrible earthquake in San Francisco: it originated from the motivation of Hawaiian sailor Clarence MacFarlane who was inspired at the thought of the ancient leader of Hawaii, King Kalakaua, convinced that a race to Hawaii could strengthen economic ties and cultural relations with the mainland. The fastest ever monohull to make the journey throughout the history of the Transpac was Alfa Romeo, skippered by Neville Crichton, in 2009, with a time of 5 days, 14 hours and 36 minutes.
Wooden Classics In The Hand Of Nature
Latifa's splendid port tack start across all of the other Class 1 yachts was an enthralling beginning to another day of racing for the Fife Regatta. Competitors from as far as Italy and California dressed for Scottish Sailing in full waterproofs and had a true experience of our west coast. The strong south westerly breeze reaching 30 mph at times gave exhilarating sailing for those on board and spectacular sight for those watching from the shores.
Class 1 and 2 boats left behind the lovely villages of Kames and Tighnabruaich after a superb visit. The village had hosted a BBQ, wooden boat skiff rowing races, a meal for 100 guests and a ceilidh. Yesterday a sunny cruise was enjoyed through the scenic Kyles with boats cross taking through the 'narrows' on their way from Rothesay.
Mother Nature influenced class 3 today and their race was cancelled due to the strong winds and sea state. Prior to this announcement, Ayrshire Lass, the oldest of our fine Fifes had set off having made her decision to cruise to our destination, Portavadie marina. At 126 years she was the first to reach Portavdie after four hours of sailing.
The Scottish owned, Saskia, the elegant 8m pure racing boat, has achieved some excellent results, but due to other racing commitments at Cowes this weekend, she is unable to complete the regatta and sadly we have to say goodbye to her tomorrow.
Class 1 winner was Latifa, the first of the regatta, now lying second overall. Class 2 continues to be closely contested between The Truant and Mikado, with Mikado claiming first place.
Esimit Europa Fastest Around Gotland
As expected, the 100-footer Esimit Europa 2 took "line honor" in the AF Offshore Race 2013. Around 03:30 on Tuesday morning she passed, as the first boat, the finish line in Sandhamn.
It was a very beautiful - if slightly cool - morning in the archipelago when the blue boat glided across the finish line. She has been sailing the race more or less alone as she left the competitors behind already minutes after the start in downtown Stockholm on Sunday at 11:00 AM.
As Esimit, with skipper Jochen Schumann at the helm, crossed the finish line, much of the rest of the boats were near the west coast of Gotland, from Visby to Hoburgen. About 40 boats had rounded the southern tip of Gotland. But nearly a hundred boats had not yet passed Visby on their way south.
Second to finish was Hugo Boss. She was seven hours behind Esimit at the rounding of Hoburgen, but gained some ground and was four hours behind at the finish. Who finally will win this year's AF Offshore Race remains to be seen. Hopefully a final result will be available Wednesday afternoon.
Attached photos can be used, editorial, for free. Photographer: Oskar Kihlborg
For more information, please visit www.ksss.se or contact Mats Olsson at
Marine Sales Executive
Harken Inc is a leading global manufacturer and distributor of quality sailboat hardware and accessories, operating across 48 countries worldwide to supply products including blocks, travellers, furling systems and winches.
The UK operation, Harken UK, based on the South Coast, are looking for an ambitious marine sales executive to join their highly successful and expanding team.
The Role:
- Field based Sales, including account management and business development to both existing customers and new accounts
- Selling marine hardware and accessories
- Will include work at Boat Shows interacting with trade and retail customers
The Candidate:
- Proven track record in B2B sales
- Keen sailor, preferably in dinghies and yachts
- Technically credible
- Ability to understand business issues and identify opportunities
- Effective organisation and time management
- Experienced in CRM
- Graduate level preferred, but not essential
- Willingness to travel
- Ability to communicate clearly
- Clean Driving licence
Type: Permanent
Position: Sales Executive
Industry: Marine Hardware and Accessories
Salary: Dependent on experience
Contact: CV's and covering letters to be emailed to by 15th July 2013.
As Good As It Gets
The America's Cup has always been a quest for lightweight solutions, producing better and lighter structures, and the 34th edition of the competition is no exception. What is different from previous campaigns is that this time around the financial climate dictated that finding cost-effective solutions had to play a larger role. To meet these demands Oracle Team USA turned to TeXtreme® Spread Tow carbon reinforcements, with which substantial weight savings were ultimately realised.
TeXtreme® Spread Tow carbon reinforcements are a novel type of composite reinforcements typically used to reduce weight, increase performance and give better surface smoothness in advanced composites. The principle behind the TeXtreme® technology is to weave a fabric using thin Spread Tow unidirectional tapes instead of weaving with yarns as in conventional fabrics. TeXtreme® Spread Tow reinforcement is already used in Formula 1 and in high-end sporting goods including bicycles, golf shafts, ice hockey sticks and advanced aerospace applications, and has now taken the step into AC72s and the America's Cup.
Chasing lightweight, cost-effective solutions is a major theme of this campaign for Cup Defender Oracle Team USA. Development at the start of the campaign focused on qualifying new materials to save weight and achieve the structural performance required for the new high-performance catamaran class. With time pressures and a requirement for the highest possible performance typical of the Cup, Core Builders Composites evaluated TeXtreme® for both practical manufacturing considerations and mechanical strength and stiffness qualities. After seeing positive results from the initial evaluation both Core Builders Composites and Oracle Team USA discussed and identified the benefits that TeXtreme® could offer to a challenging build.
From Seahorse magazine: www.seahorsemagazine.com/current-issue/123-as-good-as-it-gets
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