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Prince Felipe of Spain Joins the 32nd Copa Del Rey MAPFRE
Photo by Max Ranchi, http://www.maxranchi.com. Click on image for photo gallery.
The fleet of the 32nd Copa del Rey MAPFRE has from today a new participant. H.R.H. Prince Felipe has joined the regatta this morning as skipper of Spanish Navy's "Aifos" in the class Hublot IRC 1, one of the three fleets that have competed today in the coastal race, along with the Hublot IRC 0 and Gaastra IRC 52. All monotypes have been able to fulfill its program of two windward/leeward races, while the two G.H. Mumm IRC classes had to settle with a single race sailed.
With the first half of the regatta program raced, the provisional leaders are: British "Jethou" in the class Hublot IRC 0, Italian "B2" in Hublot IRC 1, American "Quantum Racing" in Gaastra IRC 52, German "Elena Nova" in G.H. Mumm ORC 1, Spanish "Movistar" in G.H. Mumm ORC 2, Spanish "Vamos Spain" in Nespresso Soto 40, Italian "Margherita" in La Caixa X-35 and Spanish "Turismo do Algarve" in Mahou J80.
Tomorrow, the 32nd Copa del Rey MAPFRE will be halfway through its regatta with the celebration of its fourth day of racing. The classes G.H. Mumm ORC 1 and G.H. Mumm ORC 2 will sail a coastal race, while the rest of the fleet will compete in windward/leeward races. The first start of the day is scheduled for 13h00
Full results: www.regatacopadelrey.com/resultados2013/resultados_uk.php
Channel Race: Hat Trick For Night and Day
Pascal Loison's JPK 10.10, Night and Day. Photo by Joel Ahrweiler. Click on image to enlarge.
Organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club, 86 yachts in the Channel Race experienced thunder, lightning and all manner of wind conditions, which produced a complex 100 mile race in The Solent and offshore along the south west coast of England.
Pascal Loison's JPK 10.10, Night and Day, was the overall winner of the Channel Race. The French team have excelled winning class in their last three RORC races. However Pascal was not on board for the Channel Race, his son Alexis and Joel Ahrweiler were the crew. Sensationally Night and Day won the overall prize, IRC Three and the Two Handed Class.
In IRC Canting Keel two goliaths had a monumental match race, with the lead on the water changing on many occasions. Andy Budgen's British Volvo 70, Monster Project, had an early set back when one of the crew suffered a hand injury requiring medical attention but the team fought back to challenge IMOCA 60, Artemis Ocean Racing. In a sprint finish, Monster Project passed Artemis Ocean Racing to take Line Honours for the class by under seven minutes but, on corrected time, the class win went to the young crew on board Artemis Ocean Racing.
In IRC Zero Harm Prins' Volvo 60, Pleomax, had a memorable race pacing the canting keel class around the track and finishing the course in the fastest elapsed time. Pleomax won IRC Zero to extend their lead for the RORC Season's Points Championship, as the Dutch team corrected out to win by just over 6 minutes from Derek Saunders' British CM60, Venomous. Dutch Volvo 60, Team Heiner One, was third.
In IRC One Piet Vroon's Dutch Ker 46, Tonnerre de Breskens 3, took line honours by some distance but after time correction the current leader for the RORC Season's Points Championship could only score 6th place for the race.
RORC Admiral Andrew McIrvine racing British First 40, La Reponse, was triumphant in IRC Two, after a close battle with the British Army Sailing Association's J/111, British Soldier, and former RORC Commodore Peter Rutter racing Grand Soleil 43, Trustmarque Quokka.
Night and Day was the winner of IRC Three with Jerome Huillard's French A35, Prime Time, second in class and third overall for the race and John Allison's J/109, Jumbuck, third in IRC Three. Night and Day also won the Two Handed Class with David Gebbett's Dehler 36, Krackpot, in second place and the Artemis Offshore Academy's Figaro II, Artemis 21, in third.
In IRC Four Andy Theobald's Sigma 362, Nokomis, corrected out to win the class ahead of Kevin Sussmilch's Sigma 38, Mefisto, and Chris Choules' Sigma 38, With Alacrity. -- Louay Habib
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Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week
Photo by Rick Tomlinson, rick-tomlinson.com. Click on image to enlarge.
Rupert Holmes looks ahead to the tides for this year's Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week, and takes a look at the weather and changes to the Sailing Instructions...
High water on the opening day is 10:05, so for the first few days of the regatta, the entire start sequence will see the tide setting to the west. At the same time, water levels will be falling during the racing, so be careful if sailing in shallow water to avoid an adverse tidal stream.
Later in the week tides become larger and move later in the day, with high water on the final day at 14:30. This means that early starters will progressively be starting in slack or east-going stream, with the inshore eddy that forms close to the shore likely to play an important part in White Group starts - make sure you have the best tidal information you can find.
While it's too early to predict exactly what's likely to happen with the weather this year, early indications are of a ridge of high pressure pushing northwards over the south coast, shielding the Solent from more inclement weather that may affect areas further north in the UK. At the same time, the indications are of a sufficiently strong pressure gradient to give perfect winds for racing, most likely a force 4 or 5 over the first few days.
Following a general simplification of the Sailing Instructions over the past few years, there are relatively few changes for this year's event. The biggest of these, however, will affect all Black Group competitors, as the start line is moved further east than last year, to the south of the Bramble Bank. It's again shorter than it has traditionally been, and is now known as the Bramble line.
It's worth getting along to the skippers' briefings at the Events Centre in Cowes Yacht Haven - these are at 18:30 on Friday 2 August for White Group Classes and at 19:30 for Black Group competitors.
Anyone still thinking about entering for this year still has time to do so. Entries are accepted until 17:00 the day before any given day of racing but entries received after 17:00 on Wednesday 31st July must be made in person at the Regatta Centre.
Oldest Known 470 Takes To Water, But No Breeze For Racing
Photo by Breschi / SRR. Click on image to enlarge.
Hot, humid and no wind was the order of play here in La Rochelle on race day 3 of the 470 Junior World Championships. The Masters' Cup and Open Classic fleets were enjoying a day off, but for the junior fleets it was a long wait hoping for a breeze that never materialized.
Racing was called off at 1540 hours, with the Race Committee hoisting AP over A.
Racing at the 470 Junior World Championships will resume on Thursday 1 August, with three races planned and a scheduled start time of 0930 hours for the women, followed by the men's gold and silver fleets. The Masters' Cup and Open Classic fleets will race another two races, with the first start scheduled for 1400 hours. The forecast is for 9-10 knots from the south, veering a bit east, to end the day from the south west.
The star performance today went to the oldest known 470, sail #13 which was built in 1964 by Jean Morin and has been meticulously maintained by its owner. Christian Piot and Nicolas Guichet, author of the 470 Great Book, were onboard and took their stately lady for a sail near the old harbour of La Rochelle.
When not on the water, 470 #13 is part of the historic line up of 470s tracing the boat's evolution from 1964 to the present day in a shoreside exhibition. Everything on #13 is original, including the buoyancy aids worn by the crew today.
Following on from the 1964 boat, the next oldest 470 was built in 1972 also by Jean Morin, and is practically a modern 470 with fittings that are used today. Onto 1981 and we have a 470 from Fountaine Pajot, one of the most popular builders at the time. Next in the line-up is the 1988 Olympic Gold medal winning 470, which was sailed to victory by France's Thierry Peponnet/Luc Pillot in Seoul and now belongs to Club Nautique d'Ablon. The renowned Peponnet/Pillot team also won the 1984 Olympic bronze medal and were the 1986 World Champions and will be one of the teams taking part in the Legends' Trophy on Sunday 4 August. Move on a decade and we have another iconic French boat, the 470 sailed to 1998 World Championship gold by Gildas Phillippe/Tanguy Cariou, which now belongs to Nicolas Guichet. The exhibition ends with a bang up to date 470 built in 2012, showcasing the very latest in technology and on loan from Nautivela.
Clipper Race Stop In Albany
Click on image to enlarge.
The 2013-14 edition of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race will stop in Albany, Western Australia, at the end of Leg 3 from Cape Town later this year.
Amateur crew from all walks of life competing in the 40,000-mile Clipper Race will be welcomed with a community festival at Albany's waterfront marina in late November after completing the notorious 'Southern Ocean Sleigh Ride' leg from Cape Town.
City of Albany Mayor, Dennis Wellington, said the Clipper Race's global focus will provide a great opportunity for Albany to position itself as an international tourist destination.
Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the chairman and founder of the Clipper Race: "I first heard of Albany 45 years ago in October 1968 during my solo non-stop Golden Globe circumnavigation as I was sailing past and heard about the wool auctions there from the local radio.
"That created a curiosity to see the town and the Clipper Race visit will give me that opportunity at last. The crews are looking forward to enjoying the legendary hospitality of Western Australia."
The Clipper 13-14 Race will set off from St Katharine Docks, in front of Tower Bridge in London on Sunday, 1 September on a 40,000-mile journey around the globe.
UV Protection. Gill Have Got You Covered
The Gill UV Collection is sun protective sailing sportswear designed with technical performance at its core. Getting the right sailing kit for summer is just as important as it is for foul weather. Comfortable lightweight garments with UV protection are vital. Your clothing should wick moisture away from the body and be fast drying to ensure you remain cool and comfortable all day long.
Gill's UV protective garments, all of which offer 50+ UV protection (the highest there is) include a selection of shorts, t-shirts and long sleeved tops with high necks offering increased protection from the sun's harmful rays. This technical collection is available in both men's and women's styles and a selection of colours - perfect for team co-ordination on and off the boat.
Shop UV protection www.gillmarine.com
Change Of Leaders In The 29er Worlds Finals
Aarhus, Denmark: With the fleet now split into Gold, SIlver, Bronze and Emerald, competition heated up with every race on the line. Three races were held on the four courses simultaneously but with differing winds as they were spread across Kaløvig Bay
With a noon start for all, the first races were held in light to moderate breeze on the Bronze and Emerald courses while the Silver and Gold had 6-8 knots. Two small rain squalls crossed the course bringing rain, increased wind with puffs to 18, and shifty conditions for the sailors and Race Committee to monitor. Once the squalls had passed the wind dropped again below 10 knots with enough to complete the scheduled races.
Leaders of the other fleets are: Silver - Don and Dylan Whitcraft (THA); Bronze - Joshua Belben and Robert Masterman (GBR); Emerald - Marco and Matteo Bucalossi (ITA).
After racing, the sailors were able to meet 2008 49er Gold Medallist Martin Kirketerp (DEN) and try on the medal for a photo with future aspirations of their own in the 49er or 49erFX.
Twenty-five nations are representing all continents with 213 entries in this highly competitive fleet.
The finals continue on Thursday, August 1 followed by one more day of the final series.
Pink Kite on Day One of SB20 Grand Slam
Click on image to enlarge.
The SB20 UK Association is delighted to confirm the return of the "pink kite" to the SB20 Grand Slam at Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week. Specialist marine leisure logistics operators GAC Pindar provided the SB20 class with the pink kite, which will be flown by the winner of the previous day's racing.
The pink kite will be flown on day one of the SB20 Grand Slam at AAM Cowes Week by 2012 class winner, Jerry Hill (SportsboatWorld.com). From Sunday onwards (Day 2), the pink kite will be flown by the overall winner of the previous days two races. The SB20 class will enjoy a new format of racing this year, with two races scheduled per day instead of the traditional, one race per day format.
The pink kite was first introduced in 2004 and has always been a talking point at Cowes Week. Spectators lining The Green in Cowes can easily see who won the SB20 class racing the day before, and perhaps more importantly how they are fairing on the Solent the following day!
Thirty one SB20's will compete in the SB20 Grand Slam at AAM Cowes Week which runs for the first four days of the regatta (Saturday 3rd - Tuesday 6th August). Racing will continue for the SB20 Class on Wednesday 7th August, when the fleet will return to the traditional one race per day format for the remainder of the event.
ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne Notice of Race Published
The Notice of Race is online and entries are now being accepted for ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne, the second regatta of the 2013-2014 ISAF Sailing World Cup series.
The regatta will run out of the world acclaimed Sandringham Yacht Club in Melbourne Australia, from 1 to 8 December 2013.
The full suite of classes that have been confirmed for the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, will be contested in Melbourne; 470 Men's, 470 Women's, 49er, 49FX, Finn, Laser, Laser Radial, Nacra 17, RS:X Men, RS:X Women, 2.4mR, SKUD18 and Sonar.
Registrations are starting to come through and amongst the early birds confirming their attendance is 2012 Olympic 470 Gold medallist Mathew Belcher. The 2013 regatta is also set to see the return to Olympic competition of many of Australia's 2012 London Olympic heroes after their America's Cup duties.
Download the Notice of Race
sailmelbourne.com.au/website/racedocuments.html
Enter Online
eventoffice.com/sm/team_product_selection.asp
ISAF Sailing World Cup Website
www.sailing.org/worldcup
Tall Ship Lost But All Aboard Saved
The Tall Ship Astrid, a 42m Dutch training vessel taking part in Ireland's Gathering Cruise, has hit rocks inside the Sovereign Islands at Ballymacus Point, near Kinsale in Ireland with 30 people on board. Thanks to those standing by and the RNLI, all on board were rescued.
Four RNLI lifeboats were involved - the both Kinsale and Courtmacsherry RNLI lifeboats together with Ballycotton and Crosshaven. There was a 2m swell and winds were force five to six.
Irish Coast Guard helicopters from Waterford and Shannon were also on scene along with ambulances and medical crews from Cork.
The vessel experienced engine failure as it was leaving Oysterhaven as part of The Gathering Cruise parade of sail into Kinsale.
The rescue teams were able to safely rescue all 30 crew, who were brought to Kinsale on board the yacht Spirit of Oysterhaven and the lifeboat.
They were then brought to Kinsale Yacht Club, where they were provided with showers, food and dry clothing. All of those rescued were given medical checks and found to be in good health.
Sail Training Ireland and Kinsale Yacht Club are working together to make arrangements for accommodation and for returning the crew to their homes.
www.sail-world.com/index.cfm?nid=112400
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