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Oracle Team USA Draws Even
Oracle Team USA has forced a winner-take-all final race for the 34th America's Cup after posting a come-from-behind win in Race 18.

Kiwi skipper Dean Barker started the race to leeward of rival Jimmy Spithill and held the lead around the first turning mark. The Kiwis kept the lead by 7 seconds at the leeward gate but Oracle Team USA has speed to burn on the upwind legs and simply sailed past the Kiwis. Oracle Team USA led by 57 seconds at the windward gate beginning the penultimate leg and finished with a 54-second advantage.

"It's not over. We've got to finish it off," said skipper Jimmy Spithill. "We've worked very, very hard to come back from where we were. And, the guys want it. You can sense it onboard and you can sense it around the base - the whole team just wants it. There's this huge wave of momentum we've been riding for the past few days and it just build and builds and builds, and we're going to carry that in to tomorrow."

Race 17 began with a double penalty off the line for Emirates Team New Zealand for not keeping clear as the windward boat. ORACLE TEAM USA was able to pull ahead and round the first mark 17 seconds in front. The team defended their position and held on to cross the line 27 seconds ahead of Team New Zealand.

Tomorrow's Race 19 is scheduled to start at 1:15 p.m. PT and the winner will win the 34th America's Cup.

Race 17 Performance Data
- Course: 5 Legs/10.11 nautical miles
- Elapsed Time: OTUSA - 24:04, ETNZ - 24:31
- Delta: OTUSA +:27
- Total distance sailed: OTUSA - 11.8 NM, ETNZ - 11.6 NM
- Average Speed: OTUSA - 29.62 knots (34 mph), ETNZ - 28.63 knots (33 mph)
- Top Speed: OTUSA - 44.02 knots (51 mph), ETNZ - 46.33 knots (53 mph)
- Windspeed: Average - 16.8 knots, Peak - 20.0 knots
- Number of Tacks/Jibes: OTUSA - 8/6, ETNZ - 7/5

Race 18 Performance Data

- Course: 5 Legs/10.11 nautical miles
- Elapsed Time: OTUSA - 22:01, ETNZ - 22:55
- Delta: OTUSA +:54
- Total distance sailed: OTUSA - 11.7 NM, ETNZ - 11.9 NM
- Average Speed: OTUSA - 31.92 knots (37 mph), ETNZ - 31.23 knots (36 mph)
- Top Speed: OTUSA - 45.79 knots (53 mph), ETNZ - 47.57 knots (55 mph)
- Windspeed: Average - 19.3 knots, Peak - 21.8 knots
- Number of Tacks/Jibes: OTUSA - 7/7, ETNZ - 10/6

americascup.com

Double-Bullet Dominance and a Singapore Surprise Open
It was a very light, tricky opening day to the Seiko 49er & 49erFX World Championships in Marseille, not the kind of day where anyone could have expected a particular team to dominate the racing. But with the 97-boat men's fleet split three ways for qualification, each flight was dominated by a double-bullet winner. Marcus Hansen and Josh Porebski led a Kiwi charge in Blue Fleet, the young New Zealanders winning both heats and getting the better of their Olympic silver medal winning team mates, Pete Burling and Blair Tuke, who still got off to a solid start with scores of 4,7.

Jonas Warrer won a light-airs Olympics in China back in 2008, and put those gold-medal skills to good use today with his 2012 bronze-medal-winning crew Peter Lang, winning both their heats in Yellow Fleet. Good starting and great speed downwind placed the Danes as winners of the Magic Marine Starting Competition (green jersey) and Seiko King of the Downwind (purple jersey).

European Champions Dylan Fletcher and Alain Sign were similarly dominant in Blue Fleet, the British team starting on or near the pin end of the start line on both occasions.

Reigning Olympic and World Champions, Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen, only flew out of San Francisco last week after a summer of America's Cup sailing with Swedish challenger Artemis Racing. Marseille is the first time the Aussies have raced in the 49er since London 2012 more than a year ago. Even so, Outteridge and Jensen still acquitted themselves well with a score line of 3,4 today, placing them 6th overall.

For qualifying, the 53-boat 49er FX fleet was divided into two groups, with the women heading out into the bay for two heats in the late afternoon. The Singapore team of Griselda Khng and Sara Tan turned a few heads today, their scores of 3,2 propelling them to the top of the leaderboard.

There are nine nations in the top 10 and five continents in the top 15 after day one, with a number of European teams making a strong early showing behind Singapore.

Qualifying continues tomorrow, with the soft breezes predicted to continue for some days to come.

49er.org

Gurit Congratulates The Defender and Challenger On Some Great Racing In The America's Cup!
Since the 1980s, Gurit has provided America's Cup teams with cutting-edge composite solutions, including structural engineering design, materials and technical support services. Composite product innovations from Gurit, such as ultra-high performance prepregs, have become an integral part of America's Cup development programmes.

We are proud to have been involved in this thrilling and often breathtaking event at the pinnacle of global sailing, and look forward to some more exhilarating racing!

For more information about Gurit's high performance prepregs and other winning composite solutions, visit: www.gurit.com

A Race To The Southern Hemisphere As Tactics Play Out
As the Doldrums continue to try and test the patience of the 12 strong fleet of matched ocean racers competing in the Clipper 13-14 Race, the battle to make gains in the midst of 'nothingness' sees the race heat up as it's all change at the top of the leader board.

After clinching the lead from Great Britain early yesterday afternoon Mission Performance is now in second place with Henri Lloyd top of the leader board once again with a lead of just five miles. 

As the fleet continue to battle through the challenging and uncertain conditions of the Doldrums, tactics are more important than ever as each team desperately try to claw back valuable miles. As Mission Performance head west, and Jamaica Get All Right, Qingdao and PSP Logistics head east the rest of the fleet are heading south east; destination the Southern Hemisphere in search of stronger trade winds. 

Old Pulteney has been celebrating after moving into fifth place (now currently in sixth place), their highest position in Race 2 to date.

https://www.clipperroundtheworld.com

Mahe Takes Generali Solo First Stage
Tuesday, September 24th at 1:27 p.m, Gildas Mahe crossed the finish line of the first stage of the Generali Solo 2013, a race from Cavalaire-sur-Mer to Barcelona. The skipper of Ports d'Azur - Interface Concept took 2 days, 27 minutes and 36 seconds to travel the 225 miles in a race which saw many lead changes. Corentin Horeau (Bretagne Credit Mutuel-Hope) and Thierry Chabagny (Gedimat) completed the podium.

After a break of two years the Finisterien has taken a major step forward... with a small budget and a boat a lent by the class president.

What return on Beneteau Figaro tour! After two years of break, Finisterien is offered the first major step in the Generali Solo 2013. With a small budget, on a boat lent by the class president, Didier Bouillard Gildas made ​​a winning return in humility. This marine experience already seemed serene and confident from Cavalaire-sur-Mer: "On short races with little time, you should never panic and to be patient... not think about your competitors".

Top ten places after the first stage:

1. Ports D'azur - Interface Concept, Gildas Mahe
2. Skipper Macif 2012, Fabien Delahaye
3. Skipper Herault, Xavier Macaire
4. Agir Recouvrement, Adrien Hardy
5. Bretagne - Credit Mutuel Espoir, Corentin Horeau
6. Skipper Macif 2011, Paul Meilhat
7. Gedimat, Thierry Chabagny
8. Sepalumic, Frederic Duthil
9. Cercle Vert, Gildas Morvan
10. Bretagne Credit Mutuel Performance, Anthony Marchand

www.generali-solo.com

Iain Percy Joins the RC44 Tour
Photo by Sander van der Borch / Artemis Racing, sandervanderborch.com. Click on image to enlarge.

Artemis Racing has consistently been on the podium of the RC44 Championship Tour for the past four seasons. Currently sitting on equal points with third placed Synergy, the Swedish team has announced their America's Cup Team Manager, the two time British Olympic gold medallist, Iain Percy as their new RC44 tactician.

Joining the team for the penultimate event of the 2013 season, it will be Percy's first time racing in the RC44 Class. Percy maybe new to the RC44 class, but has competed at the host venue, Cascais, Portugal on many occasions. "Cascais is one of my favorite places to race in the world. Results normally come from good starts, upwind speed and safe boat handling. Artemis will have to be at the top of our game to make an impression in this incredibly strong fleet".

The fourth event of the 2013 RC44 Championship Tour will return, for the second year, to the picturesque bay of Cascais, Portugal from the 2-6 October 2013. In 2012 the venue unleashed everything it had at the fleet, from boat breaking conditions to a light sea-breeze, sun to torrential rain.

RC44 Championship Tour Overall Fleet Race Ranking
(After three events)
1. Team Aqua - 4 points
2. Katusha - 11
3. Synergy Russian Sailing Team - 13
4. Artemis Racing - 13
5. Team Nika - 19
6. RC44 Team CEEREF - 22
7. Peninsula Petroleum Sailing Team - 22
8. Ironbound - 22
9. Aegir racing - 23
10. Team Italia - 28
11. Aleph Racing - 28
12. RUS7 Sail Racing Team - 32
13. Bronenosec Sailing Team - 39
14. MAG Racing - 40

RC44 Championship Tour Overall Match Race Ranking
(After three events)
1. Katusha - 14 points
2. Team Aqua - 13
3. Synergy Russian Sailing Team - 12
4. Artemis Racing - 11
5. Aleph Racing - 10
6. Team Nika - 7
7. RUS7 Sail Racing Team - 7
8. Aegir Racing - 6
9. Peninsula Petroleum Sailing Team - 6
10. RC44 Team CEEREF - 5
11. Team Italia - 5
12. MAG Racing - 2
13. Ironbound - 2
14. Bronenosec Sailing Team - 0

extremesailingseries.com

Future Fibres Completes Work On 76 Metre Mast For Perini Navi's Latest Superyacht
Click on image to enlarge.

Following almost 18 months in design, development and construction, Future Fibres this week shipped its latest carbon fibre mast to Perini Navi's La Spezia yard in Italy. Destined for the 60 metre sloop C.2218, as she is currently known, the 75.8 metre mast was built and shipped in two sections and will be joined over the next six weeks in the Perini yard. The accompanying Future Fibres furling boom and bespoke composite rigging package will be shipped later this month, with dressing and stepping of the rig due to take place in November.

The brief for project C.2218 focused on achieving the highest levels of performance and meant Future Fibres was able to utilise its extensive Grand Prix experience, incorporating many of the developments identified through its racing clients. However, with Future Fibres' trade mark, milled aluminium, tooling they have managed to produce a tube with a perfect exterior surface and a flawless Clearcote, gloss carbon finish. The result not only looks impressive but with zero filler - which can add up to 3 per cent to the weight of a mast - further reduces unnecessary weight to deliver a mast with both performance and style.

More info: futurefibres.com/News-Downloads/

www.futurefibres.com

'Choppy Sea' Wins Front Cover Status for the IRC Yearbook 2014
Photo by Barry James Wilson. Click on image to enlarge.

In a unanimous vote from the panel of judges, the winner of the IRC Yearbook 2014 cover photograph competition, run over the Summer by the RORC Rating Office in Lymington, Hampshire, is Barry James Wilson, an amateur photographer from Wiltshire, UK. Barry is well-known on the Solent racing events circuit and has been taking photographs at many of the key events such as AAM Cowes Week and the JPMAM Round the Island Race for ten years.

Barry's photograph 'Choppy Sea' was described by judge and professional yachting photographer Ian Roman as 'exciting'. Ian commented, 'It is clearly windy as all the boats are reefed, and the small detail of the pennant off the backstay shows that rather than being a collection of boats randomly beating in the same direction, they are racing. More than any of the other entries this image says "competitive racing for all".

The runner-up and also highly commended by the panel is Kevin Larkin's 'Spring Regatta' (UAE) captioned, "Competitors in the keel boat class beat up wind during their race in the Airbus Spring Regatta 2013 off the coast of Dubai, UAE."

Published for the RORC Rating Office by Yachting World in January 2014, the IRC Yearbook is distributed to over 4,500 boat owners, clubs and industry professionals in 20 countries around the world.

www.rorcrating.com
www.ircrating.org

Regates Royales - Trophee Panerai
Photo by Jerome Kelagopian / Regates Royales. Click on image to enlarge.

Despite being a bit late, the breeze finally set in on the Bay of Cannes on the opening day of the Regates Royales - Trophee Panerai and the fleet enjoyed ideal conditions for the first skirmishes. The Classics and the Broad One Designs completed one race, while the Dragons had two.

The faster and bigger boats quickly covered the 12 mile long course in the Bay of Cannes, hoisting their huge sails. The first line honours went to Elena, followed a few minutes later by Cambria, the J Class Shamrock V and Savannah.

Conditions in the Bay of Cannes proved to be almost to the limit for the Broad One Design Class, more at ease on their familiar protected waters. "The conditions were pretty tough today. The Broad One Design is a boat that thrives in choppy waters, but it was almost un-sailable for us today. Unfortunately, one of our boats dismasted". said Guillemot's skipper Stuart Rix. Despite the difficult conditions the BODs managed to complete one race that was won by Mark Duffield's Moorhen with a slight margin on Ken Clabburn's Flittermouse, that shortly after was dismasted. Daniela, the only French-flagged BOD, skippered by Roger Quenet, scored a fourth.

The Dragons, faithful to their reputation, were the only class to wind up two races both sailed in pretty tricky conditions, debuting at the Regates in the best possible way.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, the weather forecast is set for calmer conditions with a SSW wind that should not exceed ten knots.

www.regatesroyales.com

Dellenbaugh Earns Third U.S. Match Racing Championship
Sheboygan, Wisconsin, USA: In a clash between two teams representing the Pequot Yacht Club and two of the winningest U.S. Match Racing Champions of all-time, Dave Dellenbaugh (Easton, Conn.) won his third Prince of Wales Bowl by defeating four-time champion Dave Perry (Southport, Conn.), 3-1, on Sunday. Team Dellenbaugh went 20-2 this week, including 14-0 in the double round robin. Dellenbaugh has won three championships in three decades (2013, 2002, 1984).

Dellenbaugh sailed this week with his daughter Rebecca Dellenbaugh (Easton, Conn.), a 2010 ICSA All-American at Dartmouth, Janel Zarkowsky (Annapolis, Md.), who won the championship last year as crew for Taylor Canfield, and accomplished team racer Amanda Callahan (Portsmouth, R.I.).

Crewing for Perry was Mike Rehe (Harper Woods, Mich.) and Chris Museler (Portsmouth, R.I.).

Scott Dickson (Long Beach, Calif.) defeated Stephanie Roble (East Troy, Wis.) in the petit finals, 2-1, to take third place in the regatta.

This US Sailing National Championship was raced in Sonars and hosted by Sail Sheboygan (Wis.). For winning, Dellenbaugh receives an invitation to race at the Ficker Cup, a grade 3 event and a Congressional Cup Qualifier.

www.ussailing.org

Optimists of the Northern Capital Series
Photo by onEdition. Click on image for photo gallery.

The final event on the four-event Optimists of the Northern Capital - The Gazprom Cup 2013 Series has concluded in Saint-Petersburg, Russia. Organised by the Yacht Club of Saint-Petersburg, the series was designed to provide young Russian sailors with a pathway into sailing on an international level and competing against global competitors.

Taking place from August 29th to 31st at the Yacht Club of Saint-Petersburg, Russia, competitors were greeted to the final event of the series with fantastic sunshine and a moderate wind. Over the course of three days, a total of 9 races were completed and the winners of the series were revealed.

In the Boys Division first place was won by Artem Sudakov, followed by Leonid Pushev in second and Danill Usachev in third. Ksenia Gromova took first place in the Girls Division, with Anastasia Deryagina coming second and Anastasia Levakhina third. The Junior Division was won by Vasili Andreev; Andrey Mikhailov finished in second place and Anton Khomenko took third.

The Optimist Series is part of the Yacht Club of Saint-Petersburg's goal to promote youth sailing in Russia and to provide more opportunities and facilities in order to fulfil this ambition.

opticup.ru

Featured Brokerage
2010 Salthouse TP 52. EUR 700,000. Located in United Kingdom.

TEAM ORIGIN which is a 2010 Juan K design is now for sale. Built for the 2010 med Cup circuit, and built by Salthouse Boats in New Zealand, there was no expense spared to make her the very best boat in the TP 52 class.

Sailed by the former Bristish AC contenders, she was always in the hunt for podium finishes in every race of the five event program. In the Winter of 2011 TEAM ORIGIN had her bow modified and a new fin and bulb installed along with new sails. Her one and only regatta was 2011 Cowes week where she won her class and then 3rd overall at Key West race week 2012, and is now back in England.

Her full brochure is available, just contact us to be sent all her information and pictures and her asking price has just been reduced. Owner is ready for an offer

Brokerage through Thoroughbred Yacht Sales: www.yachtworld.com/thoroughbred/

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

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