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49er Worlds
Another day of painfully light winds meant we didn't get much racing in today! The girls from Blue fleet went out to catch up on the race they lost yesterday, after a couple of attempts, the race got underway and we were back level. The plan was then to get another 2 qualifying races in to complete the series before splitting for the Semi-finals tomorrow.
It took a while to get the girls races away today, so the boys launched late in the afternoon, in a dropping breeze. Today, we tracked the Yellow fleets (half of the top 40 in the boys fleet), who got away after one recall. Unfortunately conditions deteriorated, with the wind shifting and dropping meaning the tracked boys didn't get any points on the board today.
The Magic Marine Starting Competition
Unfortunately, as the boys didn't finish any racing, we can only award the green jersey to the girls today. It's fair to say one team nailed their starting today, that's the French team of Steyaert & Bossard in FRA-871, winning both races and giving them the Yellow jersey going into tomorrow's semi-finals. As the girls in FRA-871 will be in the Yellow tomorrow, the green jersey is then given to the second place boat, this is not an easy task as we have 5 people tied on 5 points, however the jersey was awarded to Nielsen & Olsen in DEN-11 on count-back.
The Seiko Queen of Downwind Competition
Due to a good choice of windward marks and great boat speed, the Australian pairing of Price & Elks take the Purple jersey going into tomorrow's semi. Just 3 seconds behind were the British pairing of Peters & Groves (previous Purple jersey winners) showing consistent speed downwind in the light!
49er: Top five after four races (1 throwout):
1. Dylan Fletcher / Alain Sign, GBR, 6 points
2. Jonas Warner / Peter Lang, DEN, 11
3. Marcus Hansen / Josh Porebski, NZL, 12
4. Peter Burling / Blair Tuke, NZL, 12
5. Benjamin Bildstein / David Hussl, AUT, 15
49erFX: Top five after six races (1 throwout):
1. Saarah Steyaert / Juli Bossard, FRA, 21 points
2. Victoria Jurczok / Anika Lorenz, GER, 21
3. Annemiek Bekkering / Claire Blom, NED, 24
4. Giulia Conti / Francesca Clapcich, ITA, 25
5. Griselda Khng / Sara Tan, SIN, 28
Groupama and Hydros Fight for the Little America's Cup
Mylor Harbour, UK: The 2013 International C-Class Catamaran Championship has been characterized by the near-absolute dominance of Franck Cammas and Louis Viat and their brilliant Groupama C design. Until yesterday, the legendary French offshore sailor had only been beaten in one race, and then only because crew Louis Viat snapped a trapeze wire and flew off the boat.
That would change yesterday in the final race of the qualifying round, and not from the second or third place Hydros boats; instead, it was 2010 Little Cup Champ Canaan who would romp to a more than 90-second victory over Cammas to the cheers of the entire spectator fleet - including Groupama's support boats.
Cammas and crew Louis Viat scored a perfect 7 points from 7 races after dropping their two high scores, but the Hydros I boat of Jeremie Lagarrigue and Billy Besson had a far more complicated route to clinch their finals place.
In the final first-to-four for the Little America's Cup:
After the two sessions of match racing contested this Thursday in Falmouth in the battle for the World C Class Champion title, Franck Cammas and Louis Viat aboard Groupama C weren't giving the Swiss team on Hydros any chances. Better in the pre-start phase, faster over the course, the French crew secured two bullets with panache.
It remains to be seen how the wind Gods will behave on Friday and Saturday before we learn if Groupama C will have to compete further or instead wait quietly in port for the latest World C Class Champion title, alias the Little America's Cup. Indeed, in excess of 20 knots of breeze, the Race Committee won't be launching any starts, thus respecting the class' rules, which are not dissimilar to those that prevailed in San Francisco over recent days...
If this is the case, then the results from the three days of fleet racing will prevail.
Event site: theflyingboats.com
Who Will Be The Challenger Of Record?
The future of the America's Cup is still unknown. Ellison said that his team had received the "hip pocket challenge" that is the first step towards the next event. Beyond that, Ellison said an announcement would be made in the near future as to the boat and venue and timing.
"We did get a challenge, we have a challenger of record," said Ellison. "We will be disclosing in the future. We're all going to sit down and talk about what kind of boats we use going forward."
Seahorse October 2013
What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine
Principles
In the first part of his extended interview with Australia’s secret sailing weapon - Victor Kovalenko - Blue Robinson reflects on life immediately following London 2012
Update
Emirates take a shower, Terry Hutchinson makes it home (briefly), Steve Benjamin is working hard to promote the virtues of HPR, a new take on racing shorthanded offshore plus mangling the science... a physicist writes
Rod Davis
Just treat AC34 like any other sailboat race...
RORC news
Eddie Warden Owen
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Kim Dotcom Prepared To Put Millions Behind Team NZ
Multi-millionaire internet mogul Kim Dotcom has thrown his weight behind a future Team New Zealand America's Cup challenge.
Prime Minister John Key said yesterday he had not yet discussed whether the Government would fund another cup campaign.
Dotcom, who has a tense relationship with Mr Key, said this morning his file hosting website Mega would fund a Team NZ campaign for 2017.
Dotcom told ONE News he was serious about contributing millions into an America's Cup challenge, regardless of whether the Government contributed or not.
He said he was yet to speak to anyone from Team NZ about the project, but said he could not think of a better brand to be associated with.
He said he identified with the sport's focus on technology and innovation and liked the idea of going head to head with another technology mogul, Larry Ellison.
Dotcom, who founded file sharing website Megaupload, is fighting extradition to the US where authorities allege the firm and its owners had committed mass copyright infringement and money laundering worth more than US$500 million.
30 Years Of Sylt
This September marks the 30th anniversary of the biggest windsurfing event on the calendar, as the finest wave, freestyle and slalom sailors on the planet prepare to flock to the famous shores of Westerland, Sylt, Germany, once again, from 27 September until 6 October in front of crowds in excess of 200,000 people.
Located 186km northwest of Hamburg, Westerland is Germany's northernmost town situated on the beautiful North Sea Island of Sylt.
Some say that variety is the spice of life and in this sense Sylt never disappoints, as you never quite know what to expect - thanks to the huge variation of conditions that this wonderful island can produce. In strong onshore winds a colossal shore break develops - ready to crush the hopes of any unsuspecting competitors - along with powerful waves of up to three or four meters in size, which provide amazing wave sailing conditions, whilst producing a real challenge for the slalom and wave fleets. On the other hand Sylt can also produce idyllic racing and freestyle conditions, when offshore winds grace the island with their presence.
ISAF: www.sailing.org/news/36051.php
'Spirit Of Oysterhaven' Takes Line Honours In Tall Ships Regatta
In the first leg of the Lycamobile Meditteranean Tall Ships Regatta, Spirit of Oysterhaven crossed the finish line in Toulon, France in first place in Class C this afternoon. Competing in a fleet of 26 vessels Spirit of Oysterhaven, skippered by Tom O'Leary, started the 250 mile race in Barcelona on Tuesday.
Before the race Tom was awarded a special presentation by the Mayor of Barcelona for having made the longest journey to get to Barcelona in the shortest time. The next leg commences in Toulon on Monday 30th with the fleet sailing to La Spezia in Italy. You can follow the race on Yellow Brick:
www.sailtraininginternational.org
From Afloat magazine: afloat.ie/sail/tall-ships/
Launchings
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Following the outstanding successes of the Carkeek 40's , Stephen Murray's Decision, and Steve and Heidi Benjamin's Spookie, Premier Composite Technologies has been chosen to build Carkeek Design Partners' new Mk II Carkeek 40's, an updated second generation boat with subtle improvements to the winning sister ships which were really the first grand prix 40 footers to be built to the HPR rule.
The first of these new Carkeek 40's has been ordered for a Japanese client who will race primarily on the Asian circuit. Shaun Carkeek and his team are presently completing the fine detail design. The build of the first boat is due to start in September and will launch in March.
Premier Composite Technologies is also set to build a dual purpose mid tech Carkeek 40 which will be slanted towards IRC/ORC orientated owners. It will be built in E-glass and use the same deck mould as the HPR/IRC 40 Mk II, but the hull is approximately 200mm's wider and is slightly heavier than the all-carbon version.
www.pct.ae/marine_composites.php
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The RS CAT16 will become the newest addition to the RS range and the first RS catamaran when it is unveiled in September. Easy to handle, exciting and highly durable, the RS CAT16 is aimed at sailing schools, beach clubs and family recreational sailing.
With significant technical developments in key structural aspects of the boat, the RS CAT16 not only looks modern, it also incorporates important practical benefits. The beams are secured without requiring holes that penetrate into the hull, so the boat can be quickly assembled without need for sealant. Bolts securing the beams and shrouds fasten into stainless steel bars located in channels on either side of the hulls, giving exceptionally strong, simple and fast assembly.
Options for the RS CAT16 include a basic training version; S spec with main, jib and trapeze and XL spec with main, jib, gennaker and twin trapezes. Buoyant hulls allow the boat to be sailed singlehanded or with a family crew.
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Buckley Yacht Design (BYD) annouced the launch of their latest design the B38 PUMA, at this years Southampton Boat Show. The 38 foot yacht is the latest addition to their semi-custom range which can be purchased in two versions - a cruising or racing (an ultra-light version of the boat is also available). With a conceptual sporty exterior it houses many of the traits Buckley Yacht Design like to exploit in a yacht. The B38 PUMA evolved from a bespoke deign commissioned by a client requiring a 38ft racer with plenty of head height that maximised on room, and the effect of subtle design changes to give a feeling of different spaces within one. Working through the design process BYD realised this was a robust design that could be appealing to other potential clients, so they decided to release the design for the market.
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Currently in development between Humphreys Yacht Design and Oyster Yachts for an existing owner as a custom one-off, the Oyster 115 marries the expert skills and experience of both the Oyster Custom team and the Refit and Classic Yacht division at our Southampton Yacht Services base.
To be built in the UK for a 2017 launch, the Oyster 115 complies with the demanding requirements of MCA LY3 coding for charter compliance, and offers accommodation for 10 to 14 with a master suite and four double guest cabins aft, with a fifth guest cabin forward planned as a children's suite that with foldaway bunks quickly and simply converts to become their 'TV den'. The captain's double cabin opposite could also be used as a supplementary, sixth guest cabin.
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 Eddie Mays: It has been very interesting to see the bias that the British Press have put on Ben Ainslie's involvement with the successful Oracle defence of the America's Cup. As a Limey I feel it has gone some way to balancing the American biased commentary that has accompanied the action. Ben was undoubtedly a factor in the change round of fortunes but it must have been a sum of the parts.
Mark Jardine raises an interesting point on 'his' website about the possible re-introduction of the Nationality Rule into the next edition and I agree with him but I believe there are further implications. If the defender goes down the path of revolutionary and very expensive machines then the number of teams will again be very small (a major failing of the LV Cup) and there will be many brilliant sailors who will not be involved, to the detriment of the overall event. Let us hope that Mr. Ellison now having proved that throwing money at a problem does make it go away will consider the greater good of the event and frame his next edition of the Deed to enable more teams to participate.
I congratulate him and his team on their achievement and send my heartfelt sympathies to Team NZ for a wonderful effort, realising that that is no consolation. I also congratulate the live coverage of the racing, with the mute button switched on. It has been a thrilling event.
* From Adrian Morgan: Having whetted the appetite of every TV producer in the world who switched on to the last race of the recent Cup, the Facebook generation will be looking for similar thrills in future and, alas, will be hard pushed to find them. Not to denigrate the ultimate success of the 34th Antipodes, or rather America's Cup, but it has unfortunately raised expectations of yachting among the hitherto uninitiated to an unrepeatable high. Without foils, or clever graphics yachting will seem a disappointment to those whose first taste of it was robotic handle pumpers on foiling catamarans.
But they should look again. Yacht racing is about more than speed and the ability to fly above the water. To have half your team aboard simply to pump up hydraulics is rather a waste of talent when in the old days you'd have trimmers and pit men, bowmen and tacticians, halyard jumpers and all the other specialised manpower needed to make a boat fly. Thanks to the Cup, that's all gone, replaced by half a boat load of robots, backed by an army of wing lifters. No trimming, no spinnakers, no sail changes, no gybe sets or peels; none of what makes watching crews at work on yachts interesting.
So, keep the graphics and short courses; make it understandable with all the clever stuff we saw in San Francisco, but ditch the cats. In short, a monohull 35th America's Cup on San Francisco Bay could be just as exciting, perhaps even more visual and a whole lot cheaper than what could in retrospect come to be seen as a ruinously expensive flash in the pan. It would attract, with a nationality clause, genuinely national teams, not a bunch of hired hands. Team USA? Pah! Even shorter courses for slower boats makes for similar elapsed times for those with short attention spans. Expect plenty of tight manoeuvres, crossings and near misses. The last Cup could be a one-off spectacle we will remember but, hopefully, never see again.
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