LVT: Azzurra Prepares for Auckland

Azzurra sailing in the Louis Vuitton Trophy off Nice, November 2009. Image copyright Stefano Gattini/Azzurra.

by Jill Campbell

The Italian sailing team Azzurra, skippered by Francesco Bruni and with Tommaso Chieffi calling tactics, today finished a training session in Valencia in preparation for the Louis Vuitton Trophy which will take place in Auckland from 9th to 21st March 2010. Azzurra will be one of the favourites in the regatta after beating Emirates Team New Zealand to win the previous Louis Vuitton Trophy event in Nice in November 2009.

The team has been training on SWE63, the version 5 ACC boat used by Victory Challenge in the 32nd America’s Cup.

Azzurra’s skipper Bruni was satisfied with the week’s work: “It has been a challenging week, particularly due to the weather conditions. The team did a great job and the group is working even better together than before. We would have liked to have seen more stable conditions with more wind but nevertheless it has been a great opportunity to try different maneouvres. We were able to do a few training races against Mascalzone Latino and All4One and we are looking towards the next regattas in Auckland – the Omega Cup and the Louis Vuitton Trophy – with confidence.”

Azzurra

Bruno Peyron Relaunches The Race!

by Guillaume Verdon

Three times holder of the Jules Verne Trophy and creator of The Race, the non-stop crewed race around the world without outside assistance and without limits, Bruno Peyron has officially announced that he has decided to relaunch The Race. After several months of studies and some careful thinking and after consulting the main potential competitors, a second edition of the race around the world for the giant G-class boats is therefore planned for 2013-2014, starting from a port in Southern Europe.

Around ten giants

After talks with leading maxi-multihull G-class skippers, it transpires that out of the dozen giants that have so far been built, between eight and ten of them may be lining up for the start of The Race, and that is without counting any new boats, which may be built by then, in particular using moulds from the latest multihulls from the most recent generation.

The ultimate goal remains the same as when the first edition was launched: Bringing together “the ten fastest teams around the world.”

All lights are green

Bruno Peyron, who took some time to think about this before coming to a decision explains: “As I’ve been able to stand back and gain some perspective since I last took part in the Jules VerneTrophy, there are several things I noticed that led me to take this decision to relaunch The Race. First, since the recent America’s Cup that we have just seen, we can conclude that we French are no longer alone in the world of multihulls and that is excellent news. We are entering a new era.

We can see too that since The Race, 12 giant multihulls have been built, including four in the past three years. So today there are certainly enough boats of sufficient quality for us to propose this event relaunch to their skippers and partners, without counting any new multihulls, which may be built following on from this by 2013 or 2014.

I have noticed that some major brands have been looking at the possibilities offered by the Volvo Ocean Race, which I can fully understand, but this does indicate that there is simply no alternative international race for multihulls. And just to conclude, others around me have become aware of this and share this feeling and my discussions with the leading G-class skippers have led me to move things forward in this direction.

The new 100-foot class (of which three are already up and running and a fourth is about to be made ready) has shown what these innovative boats can do sailing around the world via the three legendary capes while budgets remain limited. So, in this respect, it is now much easier to be able to take part in The Race.

Why 2013 or 2014? To place the event in between two editions of the Volvo Ocean Race and to offer the main international challengers the possibility of taking part in the event. This time frame will enable teams to draw up their project and get things moving by attracting a group of ambitious and enthusiastic partners.”

The organising team is being formed

After talks with various agencies specialising in sports marketing, Bruno Peyron has decided to award the overall management of The Race event to Thierry Reboul. Former Head of Advertising for Air France and Head of Communications at Alcatel, Thierry Reboul was the founder of the Ubi bene agency, which specialises in promoting events.

He will in particular be in charge of organising and negotiating with the main partners and the official event sites.

A call for tender will be launched to complete the arrangements with an international team, which will be appointed as executive producers.

Comments:

Grant Dalton, Winner of The Race: “When Bruno Peyron announced he was launching The Race, with my experience of round the world sailing, it immediately interested me. Although the Jules Verne Trophy was fascinating, what really attracted me here was the idea of a real race with other boats. Thanks to Bruno’s vision, I was able to experience the finest moment of my professional career. The maxi-catamaran Club Med was the first of her kind, measuring 108 feet and able to cover more than 600 miles day after day. She was a marvel and I was privileged to be on board. The Race opened the way to more extreme sailing. It pushed back the limits and allowed us to do what had previously been thought impossible. This race remains by far the highlight of my 25 years of professional sailing. The idea of relaunching The Race will move the world of sailing another step forward.”

Pascal Bidégorry, Skipper of the maxi-trimaran Banque Populaire V, holder of the North Atlantic record: “Since Banque Populaire V was built, taking part in The Race has seemed obvious to me. I experienced the first edition as a spectator and I can still remember the enthusiasm that surrounded this race. After a few years of sailing multihulls and when you are lucky enough to sail on a maxi-multihull like Banque Populaire, I can’t imagine taking part in all these record attempts without entering an event like The Race. These are fabulous boats and battling it out around the world in real time is incredible. I admire what they do in the Volvo Ocean Race, but from a race and sailing perspective, there’s nothing like The Race.”

Francis Joyon, the single-handed round the world record holder: “I think that any project, which gets our giant multihulls racing is something that needs to be looked at, particularly when the idea comes from Bruno, who has so much experience in this field.”

Lionel Lemonchois, winner of the last Route du Rhum and who was on board Team Adventure in the first edition of The Race: “It’s great to hear that Bruno is relaunching The Race. He is finally giving us an opportunity to race around the world aboard these incredible maxi-multihulls. Personally, this race led me to discover these fantastic machines and I have some great memories of it. With another challenge ahead, I hope to be there...”

About The Race:

The Race: Created by the French sailor Bruno Peyron, The Race started on 31st December 2000, as a way to celebrate our arrival in the third millennium with a global ocean race. The Race was the first race around the world without limits, in other words it was open to boats without any size restrictions. The total freedom that was given to designers led to the birth of a new generation of sailboats, maxi-multihulls, now known as the G-Class.

For the first edition of The Race, the first giant multihulls ever built set out from the start in Barcelona to sail around the world via the three capes (Good Hope, Leeuwin and the Horn) before crossing the finish line in Marseilles.

The reference time for the race was set by the New Zealander Grant Dalton aboard the maxi-catamaran Club Med, which completed the voyage in 62 days, 56 minutes and 33 seconds.

The Race

When Only the Fastest is Fast Enough...

Paul Larsen and Malcolm Barnsley with Vestas Sailrocket 1. Image copyright Vestas Sailrocket.

by Vestas Sailrocket media

This summer, the huge ‘Union Jack’ doors of the Columbine shed in East Cowes will part and true to the shed's origins, one more and perhaps final, amazing flying boat will emerge. The UK based team behind the VESTAS SAILROCKET project are building a new boat to finish the job of setting the outright world speed sailing record. The new craft will be an evolution of the innovative concept upon which their original craft was based.

The new boat is being built in the VESTAS R&D facilities at East Cowes on the Isle of Wight. It will incorporate many features to make it more versatile and practical to sail at world record speeds in a wider range of winds and sea states. The team will launch the new boat in East Cowes in time for the British summer and hope to carry out testing in the UK over the following months. If initial trials go well, the team will endeavour to bring the world record back to UK waters.

Pilot/project leader, Paul Larsen- “This represents a fantastic opportunity to develop a real breakthrough concept. Our first interpretation of it did a brilliant job of demonstrating the potential. I’m very proud of what we have achieved but also very aware that we haven’t finished the job. I personally can’t live with that. The first boat did what it was supposed to do... but by the time it did, the record had moved on. As it stands we still need to go two knots faster to break the current world record. I still believe our first boat could break that record but I also know she is near her limits. As a team we are now well positioned to design and build a much better, safer and above all faster boat which is more suitable for the challenges to come.

“The fact is that in the world of outright speed sailing, there is nothing of real interest to us below 50 knots. 50 knots has to be a minimum cruise speed for our next boat and it must be able to do it in a wide range of wind and sea states. Some of the problem areas require us to come up with new solutions as we can’t simply force conventional thinking onto an unconventional craft. We have put a lot more effort into making the boat stable in unusual situations. Our first version was a good boat but a lousy aeroplane. The next boat will be stable in both environments. No matter what we come up with... we will be pushing it right to the limit... and be able to bring a passenger along for the ride!

“It’s an ideal situation to be working so closely with VESTAS right in the heart of their R&D facilities. We use the same tools and speak the same language. The only difference is that when we take our design to the limit, I have to strap myself into it!”

Designer, Malcolm Barnsley- “Many valuable lessons have been learned. It’s ideal to be going straight in with a follow up boat while these are fresh in our minds. So many of the unknowns are now known and we have a far greater understanding of the concept and the novel issues surrounding it. Design-wise this provides a strong foundation which gives us the opportunity to deal with the big issues right from the start. Nonetheless we will maintain a highly modular and adjustable boat to best deal with any new issues that might arise.

“There will always be problems when exploring the limits, but we are confident these will be relatively minor in comparison to what we have had to deal with in the past. With the resources, knowledge and skill available, the development period to get above the current record will be very short indeed.”

President of Vestas Technology R&D, Finn Strom Madsen- “It has been a great ride so far. We are both trying to efficiently and practically extract as much energy from the wind as we can. Similarly, we share a passion to be the best in the world at what we do. We are looking forward to the new boat and have great faith that it will set the outright world speed sailing record.”


Sailrocket 1. Image copyright Vestas Sailrocket.

VESTAS SAILROCKET 1 will be on public display in all her battle scarred glory at the upcoming RYA VOLVO Dinghy Show, Alexandra Palace, UK, March 6-7th.

Achievements to date– Emerged in 2008 as fastest sailing ‘boat’ in the world, Current B class world record holder, Best 500 meter average 49.38 knots, Best peak speed 52.78 knots (60.75mph).

The current Outright world record sits at 51.36 knots (59.1 mph) and is held by the French ‘Hydroptere’ project.

The outright world speed sailing record is set by taking the average speed of the craft between two points set 500 meters apart. All records are ratified by the sports governing body, the WSSRC (World Speed Sailing Record Council).

Vestas Sailrocket

JVT: Groupama 3 is Shooting Across the Indian Ocean

On board Groupama 3. Image copyright Team Groupama.

by Vincent Borde and Caroline Muller

The miles have been streaming by since Thursday lunchtime: 763.4 miles across the water in 24 hours at an average of 31.8 knots! The stable W to NW'ly wind is enabling Groupama 3 to maintain a constant speed thanks to a sea, which remains manageable for a thirty metre long trimaran. The deficit in relation to the reference time has shrunk away to less than 240 miles...

Time is ticking by! After amassing a deficit of over 430 miles following 18 days at sea at 1400 UTC on Thursday, the time spent in the Indian Ocean was beginning to drag for Franck Cammas and his nine crew. However, having now succeeded in getting ahead of the front circulating around the Roaring Forties as it shifts quickly across towards Tasmania, Groupama 3 has finally clawed back some miles this Friday. And as this wind-fuelled boost of speed is set to continue as far as the Pacific, the deficit on Orange 2 will be recovered over the course of the weekend, transforming into a lead at the start of the third ocean... However the sailing conditions are particularly wet for now...

"We're going to unfurl the heavy gennaker as the NW'ly wind is easing off a little. In fact we're switching between the solent jib when there's 30-35 knots and the small gennaker when there's no more than 27-32 knots of breeze. We're really copping it at the helm... It's raining a lot and there are big seas. That's why we're avoiding sending anyone up to the foredeck. I prefer a helmet but some of the others are wearing ski masks to stand up to the spray as it slaps against your face. Fortunately the water isn't cold..." stated Fréd Le Peutrec, at the 1130 UTC radio link-up with Groupama's Race HQ in Paris.

Constant speed

The current script for this round the world sprint began at midday on Thursday and is continuing to record some incredible average speeds for a `normal' sailor: 32, 33, 34, or even 36, 37 knots. Such a pace doesn't seem to be unsettling the crew of Groupama 3 who are confident in the boat's structure, which isn't suffering impact from the sea. Furthermore this tempo with over 700 mile days across the water should last the whole weekend, or even longer! Indeed from Sunday evening, the giant trimaran should pass the longitude of Cape Leeuwin (SW Australia), and by Tuesday Tasmania will already be in their wake... A crossing of the Indian Ocean in a little more than eight days in prospect then! Should this prove to be the case, the crew will have a good handful of miles on the reference time and look set to explode the WSSRC record between Cape Agulhas and Southern Tasmania, set by Orange 2 in a time of 9d 11h 04'...

"We look to be on target to maintain this pace as far as Tasmania, or even as far as New Zealand. We may have to put in a few gybes to reposition ourselves, but the trajectory will remain very straight, in contrast to Orange 2 in 2005... For 48 hours, we're still going to be pushed along by this thirty knot wind, then it will ease a little but the W'ly breeze will accompany us as far as the Pacific. Furthermore, if the depression stagnating over Auckland Island evacuates, we won't have any real transition to negotiate at that point, which would be quite good!"

By passing over 200 miles to the North of the Kerguelen Islands, the continental shelf hasn't altered the sea state, which has remained orientated in the direction of the wind. This has enabled Groupama 3's helmsmen, currently taking turns at the helm every half hour, to benefit from the waves to power up. Franck Cammas and his men still haven't seen any landfall since leaving Ushant as the giant trimaran's course hasn't taken them close to the austral islands. However there are numerous seabirds around...

"It's soaking both outdoors and in, both on the inside and the outside of our foulies! The levels of humidity have reached 100% and the heating doesn't work... As such there isn't a little corner by the `fireplace', despite Ronan's best efforts to fix the problem. Fortunately it's fairly mild since we're on the southern edge of a zone of high pressure, with wind dropping down off Africa. We're being tailed by petrels and albatrosses..."

Groupama 3's log (departure on 31st January at 13h 55' 53'' UTC)
Day 1 (1st February 1400 UTC): 500 miles (deficit = 94 miles)
Day 2 (2nd February 1400 UTC): 560 miles (lead = 3.5 miles)
Day 3 (3rd February 1400 UTC): 535 miles (lead = 170 miles)
Day 4 (4th February 1400 UTC): 565 miles (lead = 245 miles)
Day 5 (5th February 1400 UTC): 656 miles (lead = 562 miles)
Day 6 (6th February 1400 UTC): 456 miles (lead = 620 miles)
Day 7 (7th February 1400 UTC): 430 miles (lead = 539 miles)
Day 8 (8th February 1400 UTC): 305 miles (lead = 456 miles)
Day 9 (9th February 1400 UTC): 436 miles (lead = 393 miles)
Day 10 (10th February 1400 UTC): 355 miles (lead = 272 miles)
Day 11 (11th February 1400 UTC): 267 miles (deficit = 30 miles)
Day 12 (12th February 1400 UTC): 247 miles (deficit = 385 miles)
Day 13 (13th February 1400 UTC): 719 miles (deficit = 347 miles)
Day 14 (14th February 1400 UTC): 680 miles (deficit = 288 miles)
Day 15 (15th February 1400 UTC): 651 miles (deficit = 203 miles)
Day 16 (16th February 1400 UTC): 322 miles (deficit = 376 miles)
Day 17 (17th February 1400 UTC): 425 miles (deficit = 338 miles)
Day 18 (18th February 1400 UTC): 362 miles (deficit = 433 miles)
Day 19 (19th February 1400 UTC): 726 miles (deficit = 234 miles)

WSSRC record for traversing the Indian Ocean (from Cape Agulhas to Southern Tasmania)
Orange 2 (2005): 9d 11h 04'

Reference time from Cape Agulhas to Cape Leeuwin
Orange 2 (2005): 7d 05h 35'

Cammas - Groupama

RC44: Young guns versus rock stars at the Al Maktoum Sailing Trophy RC 44

Invited by Russell Coutts to skipper BMW ORACLE Racing in Dubai next week, the World Match Race Tour champion 2009 Adam Minoprio gets a fantastic opportunity to test his skills against the world’s best match racers


Adam Minoprio and his BlackMatch Racing team will be sailing on board BMW ORACLE Racing next week, during the Al Maktoum sailing Trophy RC 44. Image copyright Raffaello Bastiani/RC 44.

by Bernard Schopfer

The first regatta of the RC 44 Championship Tour 2010 will take place next week in the United Arab Emirates. Organised by Dubai International Marine Club (DIMC), the Al Maktoum Sailing Trophy RC 44 will reassemble nine world Class teams and sailors including Ray Davies, Terry Hutchinson, Cameron Appleton, Rod Davis and many more.

Unable to attend the event due to their America’s Cup post-victory commitments, Russell Coutts and Larry Ellison have decided to give the opportunity to an up & coming team to test its skills at the world’s top level. Adam Minoprio and his BlackMatch Racing team - the winners of the World Match Race Tour 2009 - have been chosen; they will sail onboard BMW ORACLE Racing for this event.

"The boys and I are really looking forward to sailing on an RC 44 yacht" said Adam Minoprio. "I have heard so many great things about the class, so it’s going to be really exciting to finally venture into the class with my core team from the match racing circuit. Even though it’s just for one regatta, we are still going to go out there to win. Sailing in the RC 44 class is an amazing opportunity for us as we will be racing some of the best teams in the world. We feel very fortunate to be given this opportunity from BMW Oracle and very humbled to be asked by Russell to take over and get them a good result while they are busy."

Adam Minoprio will be steering BMW ORACLE Racing during the match races on Monday and Tuesday, whilst will Mike Perris will be at the helm during the fleet regatta (Thursday – Saturday). Other members of the team include David Swete (main), Collin Orsini (grinder), Tom Powrie and Lorenzo Deflice (trim) as well as Revelin Minihane (pit) and Nick Blackman (bow). As for Russell Coutts, he will be back on his boat for the next regatta: “I will be re-joining the RC 44 circuit at the following event in Austria", he said. "After the demands of the AC, I am very much looking forward to it."

Other new faces in the circuit include Terry Hutchinson, who joins the RC 44 Class for the first time on board Artemis and Raimondo Tonelli, who will steer Team Sea Dubai in the fleet races.

The teams involved in the Al Maktoum Sailing Trophy RC 44:

Team No Way Back (Pieter Heerema / Ray Davies)
Artemis (Torbjorn Tornqvist / Terry Hutchinson)
CEEREF (Igor Lah / Rod Davis)
BMW ORACLE Racing (Mike Perris / Adam Minoprio),
Team Aqua (Chris Bake / Cameron Appleton)
Team Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (Daniel Calero / José Maria Ponce)
Katusha (Paul Cayard)
Team Sea Dubai (Raimondo Tonelli / Markus Wieser)
Team Austria (René Mangold / Christian Binder)

RC44

Aussie 18 Foot Skiffs: Giltinan Championship, Race 3 (Resail)

In the thick of the fleet. Image copyright Frank Quealey.

Sponsored by De’Longhi Australia Pty Ltd

by Frank Quealey

Five times Giltinan champion Trevor Barnabas turned the clock back more than a decade when he won the resail of Race 3 of the Giltinan Championship on Sydney Harbour today.

Trevor took over as replacement skipper on Fisher & Paykel for this regatta and showed that despite his ‘retirement’ he has lost none of his skills in an 18ft Skiff.

Along with crewmen Gerard Smith and Brent Dennis, Barnabas came with a late challenge to win by 21s from series leader Thurlow Fisher Lawyers (Michael Coxon, Aaron Links, Trent Barnabas).


Fisher & Paykel. Image copyright Frank Quealey.

Project Racing (Andy Budgen, James Barker, Matt Mc Govern) was a further 15s back in third place, with Gotta Love It 7 (Seve Jarvin, Sam Newton, Tom Clout) fourth.

Sharks/Coldwell Banker Real Estate (Evan Walker) was fifth and Panasonic (Jonathan Whitty) sixth.

These placings are provisional at this stage as there are protests pending.

With discards taken into the pointscore, Thurlow Fisher Lawyers leads on 8 points, followed by Project Racing on 10, Gotta Love It 7 on 13 and Rag & Famish Hotel (John Harris) on 18.

Western Australia’s Slam (Grant Rollerson) is next on 26 points, followed by Smeg (Nick Press) on 28, Yandoo (John Winning) 30 and Fisher & Paykel 32.


Thurlow Fisher. Image copyright Frank Quealey.

Today’s race was the re-sail of last Tuesday’s Race 3, which had to be postponed due to strong winds.

Ironically, today’s race was sailed in a 5-knot ENE wind over a three-lap windward-return course.

Most of the fleet favoured the southern side of the harbor with Project Racing, Fisher & Paykel and Gotta Love It 7 sharing the lead at the windward mark.

This is where the pending protests are centred.

After the downwind leg to conclude the first lap, Project Racing held a narrow lead over Gotta Love It 7, followed by Sharks/Coldwell Banker Real Estate, Fisher & Paykel and Thurlow Fisher Lawyers.

Gotta Love It 7 picked up a shift along the southern shore to grab the lead from Project Racing off Steel Point.

7’s margin was 30s over Project Racing at the windward mark while Fisher & Paykel had edged ahead of Sharks/Coldwell Banker Real Estate.


Mark rounding. Image copyright Frank Quealey.

At the bottom mark the second time Gotta Love It 7 was just 7s ahead of Project Racing, Fisher & Paykel, Sharks/Coldwell Banker Real Estate and Thurlow Fisher Lawyers, which was 1m15s from the lead.

The race took another turn on the final windward leg as Project Racing led by 30s from Fisher & Paykel. Gotta Love It 7 was now 1minute from the lead.

Down the spinnaker run to the finish the race took yet another turn as Gotta Love It 7 and Thurlow Fisher Lawyers gained rapidly on Project Racing.

Trevor Barnabas took Fisher & Paykel to the northern side of the course while Project Racing, Gotta Love It 7 and Thurlow Fisher Lawyers were all close together off Rose Bay.

When the two groups met near the finishing line, Barnabas’ move had paid dividends as Fisher & Paykel crossed the line as the others jostled in the almost non-existant wind.

Race 6 will be sailed tomorrow (20 February) with Race 7 concluding the championship on Sunday.

Race 3 (Resail) Provisional Results

Finish Placings - Recall # - Boat Name - Finish Time - Elapsed Time - Handicap Corrected Time - Handicap Position

1 21 Fisher & Paykel 17:00:11 1:13:11 7 1:06:11 2
2 2 Thurlow Fisher Lawyers 17:00:32 1:13:32 1 1:12:32 9
3 11 Project Racing 17:00:47 1:13:47 0 1:13:47 15
4 1 Gotta Love It 7 17:00:54 1:13:54 1 1:12:54 11
5 23 Sharks/Coldwell Banker Real Estate 17:00:56 1:13:56 10 1:03:56 1
6 24 Panasonic 17:02:26 1:15:26 7 1:08:26 4
7 5 Slam 17:03:37 1:16:37 4 1:12:37 10
8 3 Smeg 17:03:59 1:16:59 4 1:12:59 12
9 14 De’Longhi 17:04:15 1:17:15 9 1:08:15 3
10 6 Yandoo 17:04:40 1:17:40 4 1:13:40 14
11 16 Yamaha 17:06:14 1:19:14 8 1:11:14 6
12 12 Asko Appliances 17:06:35 1:19:35 5 1:14:35 18
13 4 Rag & Famish Hotel 17:06:44 1:19:44 0 1:19:44 30
14 10 Pure Blonde 17:06:46 1:19:46 8 1:11:46 7
15 25 Boatmate Shipwrights 17:07:00 1:20:00 10 1:10:00 5
16 27 Club Marine 17:07:01 1:20:01 7 1:13:01 13
17 20 Kinder Caring Home Nursing 17:07:08 1:20:08 8 1:12:08 8
18 8 Benny/PSP Aust-Asia 17:07:29 1:20:29 3 1:17:29 27
19 7 appliancesonline.com.au 17:07:38 1:20:38 5 1:15:38 21
20 13 Bassett Plumbing & Drainage 17:08:00 1:21:00 6 1:15:00 20
21 9 Harken 17:08:27 1:21:27 7 1:14:27 17
22 18 Team Gill Sweden 17:08:55 1:21:55 8 1:13:55 16
23 19 Thurlow Fisher Consultants 17:10:54 1:23:54 9 1:14:54 19
24 26 Red Claw 17:11:01 1:24:01 8 1:16:01 24
25 15 Gill 17:11:25 1:24:25 8 1:16:25 25
26 28 Maersk Line 17:12:42 1:25:42 10 1:15:42 22
27 22 Coldwell Banker New Homes 17:12:50 1:25:50 10 1:15:50 23
28 31 RWD Technologies 17:13:33 1:26:33 10 1:16:33 26
29 30 Sydney Football Stadium 17:14:12 1:27:12 9 1:18:12 28
30 29 CT Sailbattens 17:14:44 1:27:44 9 1:18:44 29

Provisional Current Overall Placings

Position Name Nation Crew H1 H2 H3 H4 H5 H6 H7 CBTotal Dropped

1) Thurlow Fisher Lawyers Aust Michael Coxon, Aaron Links, Trent Barnabas 2 2 2 2 7 0 0 15 15
2) Project Racing UK Andy Budgen, James Barker, Matt McGovern 7 1 3 3 3 0 0 17 17
3) Gotta Love It 7 Aust Seve Jarvin, Sam Newton, Tom Clout 3 4 4 6 2 0 0 19 19
4) Slam Aust Grant Rollerson, Anthony Young, Peter Nicholson 9 10 7 5 5 0 0 36 36
5) Rag & Famish Hotel Aust John Harris, Scott Babbage, Peter Harris 32 3 13 1 1 0 0 50 50
6) Fisher & Paykel Aust Trevor Barnabas, Brent Dennis, Gerard Smith 8 23 1 9 14 0 0 55 55
7) Smeg Aust Nick Press, Dan Phillips, Jim Beck 32 6 8 4 10 0 0 60 60
8) Yandoo Aust John Winning, Andrew Hay, Dave Gibson 5 11 10 32 4 0 0 62 62
9) Yamaha NZ Scott Kennedy, Andrew Fenwick, Nick Catley 4 17 11 8 24 0 0 64 64
10) Benny/PSP Aust-Asia UK Rob Greenhalgh, Dan Johnson, Phil Harmer 6 5 18 32 13 0 0 74 74
11) appliancesonline.com.au Aust John Winning Jr., David Ewings, Tim Austin 12 7 19 32 6 0 0 76 76
12) Asko Appliances Aust Archie Massey, Dan Wilsdon, Cameron McDonald 14 32 12 15 8 0 0 81 81
13) Gill Aust Dave Alexander, Niall Kinch, Paul Schulz 13 13 25 12 20 0 0 83 83
14) Team Gill Sweden SWE Anders Lewander, Peter Mickos, Peter Warner 15 24 22 7 15 0 0 83 83
15) Club Marine Aust Marcus Ashley Jones, Stewart Wells, Bert Schandevyl 1 19 16 26 22 0 0 84 84
16) Bassett Plumbing & Drainage NZ Chris Skinner, Luke Gower, Dave Healy 32 9 20 18 9 0 0 88 88
17) Pure Blonde Aust James Francis, Brad Phillips, Rob Bell 16 21 14 19 19 0 0 89 89
18) Sharks/Coldwell Banker Real Estate Aust Evan Walker, Ted Hackney, Rob Scrivenor 32 18 5 18 18 0 0 91 91
19) De’Longhi Aust Simon Nearn, Craig Ferris, Chris Cleary 32 14 9 14 23 0 0 92 92
20) Panasonic Aust Jonathan Whitty, Dan Higlett, Greg Dixon 32 32 6 11 11 0 0 92 92
21) Harken USA Howie Hamlin, Fritz Lanzinger, Matt Noble 32 8 21 13 21 0 0 95 95
22) Red Claw Aust Matthew Searle, Darren McKavanagh, Cameron McDonald 32 15 24 10 16 0 0 97 97
23) Boatmate Shipwrights Aust Jason Waterhouse, Jeremy Roberts, Michael McCormick 10 22 15 27 27 0 0 101 101
24) Coldwell Banker New Homes Aust Mark Kennedy, Tom Anderson, James Fleet 11 12 27 25 28 0 0 103 103
25) Kinder Caring Home Nursing Aust Brett Van Munster, Paul Montague, Drewe Waller 32 16 17 16 26 0 0 107 107
26) Sydney Football Stadium Aust Oliver Merz, Gareth Collins, Matt Walker 32 25 29 17 12 0 0 115 115
27) CT Sailbattens NZ Alex Vallings, Chris Kitchen, Josh McCormack 32 20 30 21 17 0 0 120 120
28) Maersk Line NZ Riley Dean, Murray England, Sam Trethewey 32 26 26 22 25 0 0 131 131
29) Thurlow Fisher Consultants Aust Bruce Savage, Greg Windust, Chris Thomas 32 28 23 23 29 0 0 135 135
30) RWD Technologies Aust James Birdsall, Tim Barraclough, Pedro Vozone 32 27 28 20 30 0 0 137 137
31) JF Hillebrand NZ Did not compete 32 32 32 32 32 0 0 160 160
33 33 33 33 33 33 33 231 231

Notes: Sharks/Coldwell Banker Real Estate is receiving average regatta points in H4, as redress for a successful protest.

Aussie 18 Footers League

The National Bank International Youth Match Racing Championships 2010: Day Two - Racing Abandoned

Mackenzie (CYCA) versus Hazard (RNZYS) on day one. Image copyright RNZYS.

by Barry Davies

Racing was abandoned for the day on Friday. The Race Committee has been out on the course all day with a constant 30knots plus. Racing is scheduled to start at 10am tomorrow, Saturday.


Josh Junior, RPNYC, Wellington, heads the leaderboard after day one. Image copyright RNZYS.

Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron

Omega Auckland Match Racing Regatta

Dean Barker vs. Ben Ainslie in match racing in the New Zealand National Match Racing Championships in the Farr MRXs on Auckland's Waitemata Harbour. Image copyright Chris Cameron.

by Warren Douglas (as modified by SailRaceWin)

Some of the world’s top international match race teams are set to descend on Auckland for the Omega Auckland Match Racing Regatta in March. A mix of America’s Cup experience plus rising young talent will do battle in the invitational regatta on the Waitemata Harbour.

The regatta kicks off the Auckland Festival of Sailing, which will see a crowded calendar of thrilling yacht racing through most of March. Now that the America’s Cup is once again back in play following the recent Deed of Gift Match in Valencia, top match racing skippers are honing their skills once more in preparation for a multi-challenger event expected to take place in 2013.

The Omega Auckland Match Racing Regatta will be run by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and will take place off the Westhaven breakwater, where spectators will be able to watch the action.

Skippers who have accepted invitations to compete are: Dean Barker (NZL – Emirates Team New Zealand); Ben Ainslie (GBR – TeamOrigin); Francesco Bruni (ITA – Azzurra Sailing Team); Sébastian Col (FRA – ALL4ONE); Karol Jablonski (POL – Synergy); Magnus Holmberg (SWE – Victory Challenge); Chris Dickson (NZL – formerly with BMW ORACLE Racing); Bertrand Pacé (FRA – Team Aleph, formerly Team French Spirit); Adam Minoprio (NZL – BlackMatch Racing); Torvar Mirsky (AUS – Mirsky Racing Team).

Racing will take place in identical Farr-designed MRX yachts and will comprise a double round robin, semi-final and final. Weather permitting, the semi-finals and finals will be decided by the first skipper to win three matches.

As the regatta approaches its climax on Thursday, Friday and Saturday (March 4 – 6), spectators and fans will be able to follow the action live on a dedicated radio station on 103fm organized through Live Sport. International yachtsman and commentator Peter Lester will provide expert analysis and blow by blow accounts of the racing.

The Auckland Festival of Sailing comprises a series of on and off the water events. The Omega Auckland Match Racing Regatta is followed by the Louis Vuitton Trophy Auckland (where five of the skippers from the Omega regatta will also compete) and by the BMW Sailing World Cup Final. Also part of the festival is the Auckland International Boat Show.


Chris Dickson leads younger brother Scott Dickson upwind in match racing in the New Zealand National Match Racing Championships in the Farr MRXs on Auckland's Waitemata Harbour. Image copyright Anne Hinton. All Rights Reserved.

Skipper Profiles

Ben Ainslie
A triple Olympic gold (Sydney, Athens in the Laser, and Beijing in the Finn) and silver medallist (Laser in Atlanta) Ben Ainslie is Britain’s most successful yachtsman. He has won the world Finn Gold Cup five times. He is skipper of the British America’s Cup syndicate TEAMORIGIN and was backup skipper to Dean Barker for the Emirates Team New Zealand 2007 America’s Cup challenge. He has been the ISAF sailor of the year three times and British sailor of the year five times.

Francesco Bruni
Italian Francesco Bruni is an accomplished match racing skipper, winning the Louis Vuitton Trophy Nice regatta in November 2009. He won the Italian match race championship in 2006 and was runner-up in that event in 2008. Bruni competed at the Athens Olympics in the Star, the Sydney Olympics in the 49er and Atlanta in the Laser. He was Italian Laser Champion from 1992-96, Laser World Champion in 1994 and topped the world 49er rankings in 2000. He is skipper of the recently re-formed Azzurra sailing team.

Sébastian Col
Frenchman Sébastian Col has earned his stripes in world match racing. Ranked No. 1 match racer in the world by the ISAF from December 2008 to June 2009, Col was runner-up on the World Match Racing Tour in 2008. Col was the French match racing champion in 2000, 2001 and 2003. He has been involved with French America’s Cup challenges since the Le Défi 2000 campaign, more recently at the helm and member of the afterguard on the 2007 Areva challenge, and currently with ALL4ONE Challenge.

Dean Barker
Dean Barker had a successful 2009, winning the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series in February and leading Emirates Team New Zealand to the position of overall champion on the Audi MedCup circuit. At Nice in November he helmed Emirates Team New Zealand to runner-up at the first Louis Vuitton Trophy regatta. Barker first sailed with Team New Zealand leading up to the 1995 campaign and was back with the team for the successful defence in 2000 and again in 2003. As skipper for the 2007 challenge, he led the sailing team through the pre-regattas of 2005 and 2006, and the victory in the Louis Vuitton Cup in 2007.

Chris Dickson
A professional yachtsman for 25 years, Chris Dickson returned to competitive sailing at the end of 2009 after a two-year break. He has won more than 20 international match racing regattas, has been the World Match Racing Champion three times and won 12 World Championships. Sailing with a youth crew, he was third at the recent NZ Match Race Nationals, and won both the San Francisco Big Boat Series and the Bay of Islands race week.

Karol Jablonski
He topped the ISAF world match racing rankings for 18 months and Pole Karol Jablonski has a string of top placings in World and European match racing championships to his credit. In 2007, he helmed the Spanish entry Desafío Español in the 2007 America’s Cup and last year sailed the fast-improving Russian entry Synergy in the Audi MedCup circuit and Louis Vuitton Trophy in Nice. He’s also an ice-yacht racer of note, having won the World Championships three times.

Magnus Holmberg
Magnus Holmberg sailed with Victory Challenge as skipper and helmsman in the America’s Cup 2003 and 2007. He has represented Sweden at the Olympics three times, has six medals from European and World Championships, won gold at the Infanta Cristina (world match racing) Championships in the Soling in 1996. He has been ranked No. 1 in the world match racing rankings and was overall winner of the World Match Racing Tour in 2000-2001.

Adam Minoprio
Racing under the BlackMatch Racing and Emirates Team New Zealand banners Adam Minoprio and his young crew of Nick Blackman, David Swete, Tom Powrie and Dan McLean, swept all before them to emerge as the 2009 ISAF World Match Racing Champions. Along the way they won three regattas, were second four times and third once. This consistent performance earned them the title of ISAF World No. 1 ranked match racing team.

Bertrand Pacé
Frenchman Bertrand Pacé is no stranger to the waters of the Waitemata Harbour. He was back-up helmsman for Team New Zealand in the lead-up to the 2003 America’s Cup. His first America’s Cup campaign was in 1987 at Fremantle, followed by San Diego in 1992 and 1995, Auckland in 2000 and 2003 and Valencia in 2007. Pacé won the World Match Racing Tour in 2000 and was World Match Racing Champion in 1994 and runner-up in 1998 and again in 1999.

Torvar Mirsky
After competing with distinction in a number of dinghy classes and youth match racing events in Australia and New Zealand, Torvar Mirsky formed Mirsky Racing Team. At the start of the 2006 sailing season Mirsky and his crew began their climb up the world match racing rankings. Two years later, aged just 23, he is in second place in both the ISAF and World Match Racing tour leader boards.

Emirates Team New Zealand

Azzurra in World Match Racing Tour 2010

Francesco Bruni of Team Azzurra. Image copyright Stefano Gattini/Azzurra.

by Jill Campbell

Team Azzurra (ITA), with helmsman Francesco Bruni will participate in the World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) 2010. The tour is sanctioned by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) and is valid for the assignation of the title of World Match Racing Champion. Top international sailors who will be participating together with Bruni include:

Ben Ainslie (GBR)
Peter Gilmour (AUS)
Bjorn Hansen (SWE)
Adam Minoprio (NZL)
Torvar Mirsky (AUS)
Bertrand Pace (FRA)
Mathieu Richard (FRA)
Ian Williams (GBR)

Azzurra will compete in WMRT events in Denmark, France, Korea, Portugal, Sweden and Switzerland from April to September of this year.

“I am honoured to have the opportunity to compete in this circuit.” commented Bruni. “We have worked very hard towards this objective and last year’s victories in the Master de Espana and Louis Vuitton Trophy events have contributed to reaching it. This takes the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda’s Azzurra project, a top-level professional structure, one step further.”

Azzurra

Audi MedCup: Barcelona and Cascais Join the Audi MedCup Circuit

After several years as potential candidate venues for the Audi MedCup Circuit, two of Europe's most desirable cities, Barcelona and Cascais/Lisbon, have now been confirmed on the competition schedule for 2010.




Caja Mediterraneo Region of Murcia Trophy, 18 09 2009. Image copyright © Ian Roman/Audi MedCup.

by Sabina Mollart-Rogerson

World Sailing Management and city representatives of Barcelona and Cascais have now reached agreements to ensure that these venues will be two of the five which will constitute the 2010 Audi MedCup Circuit.

“ It’s realising a dream for us in many ways. We have been wanting to go to Barcelona for a long time. In sailing it is one of the most renowned Spanish venues for every sailor, and also to Cascais, where strong wind should be assured”, said Nacho Postigo, Technical Manager of the Circuit.

Cascais, in May


Estoril, Cascais, Portugal. Image copyright © Turismo de Lisboa.

The Audi MedCup Circuit 2010 schedule opens with an entirely new venue. The year's first event will take place between the 11 and the 16 of May in Cascais, Portugal.
Few cities in Europe can offer the weather conditions which the Portuguese city enjoys in spring and summer.. The reputation for strong, consistent winds was apparent when the city hosted the 2007 ISAF World Sailing Championships, and the venue is open to the Atlantic which should ensure big swells.

“The usual race courses for the regattas held in Cascais start within the bay, where the prevailing wind can reach 10 knots, and from there, the boats sail to windward towards a mark set infront of the cape. There you can find 25 knots wind”, Postigo adds.

It could be the Estoril Circuit of sailing, potentially one of the most exciting regattas of the season, a great curtain raiser, which would have a good chance to provide images reminiscent of the ones which emerged from the big days off Cartagena, where the boats surfed spectacularly on, and through, lumpy swells several metres high.

After the Cascais Premiere, the Audi MedCup Circuit moves to Marseille, where the second trophy of the season will be disputed, between the 15th and the 20th of June.

Barcelona, in July


Barcelona. Image copyright © Turisme de Barcelona/Espai dOImatge.

Barcelona will host the third event of the 2010 Audi MedCup Circuit between the 20th and the 25th of July. At this time the Catalan capital city enjoys great thermal winds of the southwest, known as Garbí.

As well as the pleasant summer weather conditions, Barcelona is the perfect showcase for the Circuit, richly endowed with the experience and infrastructure of a city which holds many sailing competitions in Spain including the 1992 Olympic Sailing Regatta. The 2010 Audi MedCup Circuit event benefits from the full participation of the city hall in the organization of the events which will ensure a lively public village while the races take place on the water. And of course as a backdrop, the major European city needs no introduction as a cultural, architectural, culinary and nightlife capital that few can rival.

With these new two additions, Nacho Postigo stresses the importance of having made it to bring the Circuit to three of Europe's big cities: “ Cascais is very much a satellite suburb of Lisbon, and we can highlight then that this year that the Audi MedCup Circuit will be held in three big European citites: Lisbon, Barcelona and Marseille.”

After Cascais, Marseille and Barcelona, for the third time the Circuit is guaranteed an enhusiastic welcome in Cartagena in Murcia, Spain (24th till 29th of August) and on the Italian island of Sardinia, Cagliari (20th to 25th of September).

New rules mean a better show

The 2010 season will not only have new venues, but also new rules, which will make the boats faster and more spectacular. The TP52's new configuration includes a square topped mainsail, as well as bigger assymetric spinnakers on bowsprits instead of a spinnaker pole. Crew numbers are cut by two, which makes sailing more testing and more exciting. Also new is the new guest spot onboard every boat for each race.

TeamOrigin, in motion

Nacho Postigo was in Valencia to meet Mike Sanderson, CEO of TeamOrigin the British America's Cup syndicate, one of the new entrants to the 2010 TP52 Series of the Circuit. The Kiwi Round the World Champion and former World Sailor of the Year updated the Audi MedCup's Circuit Technical Manager on his team's status, the boat's construction schedule prior to its debut in Cascais for the first time.

Audi MedCup Circuit's Schedule 2010:

Event 1: Cascais (Portugal), 11th to 16th of May
Event 2: Marseille (France), 15th to 20th of June
Event 3: Barcelona (Spain), 20th to 25th of July
Event 4: Cartagena (Spain), 24th to 29th of August
Event 5: Cagliari (Italy), 20th to 25th of September

Audi MedCup

JVT: Projected second third... for Groupama 3

Fred Le Peutrec. Image copyright Team Groupama.

by Vincent Borde and Caroline Muller

Though Groupama 3 has paid a heavy price at the entry to the Southern Ocean, she should soon get paid dividends from her investment in the Indian front... The very straight trajectory announced as far as the longitude of Tasmania is particularly favourable, not solely for making up her deficit on the reference time, but above all amassing a fair bit of credit at the beginning of the Pacific.

Just a few weeks from the tax declaration, Franck Cammas and his men have really been hit hard by the wind crisis since passing South Africa! Fortunately the VAT only amounted to 2.5% in the end, which is the percentage of Groupama 3's deficit in relation to Orange 2's reference time established in 2005... In total then the current balance stands at around 440 miles in the red on this eighteenth day at sea. This Thursday lunchtime the giant trimaran, positioned to the South of the island of Crozet, had finally tracked down a twenty-five knot NW'ly wind, which she had been after for the past three days. With this new system the average speeds have really been given a boost at nearly thirty knots!

"We're happy to have finally tracked down the wind we were expecting so it's pedal to the metal now! We've been making an average of thirty knots since this morning, and though conditions aren't quite stable yet, the speeds are becoming reasonable again... The past few days have been frustrating with this front which could easily have set us free: on three occasions we attempted to traverse it but it didn't work until the fourth attempt. Finally the front came to a halt but we had to bide our time... Right now it's not that cold as we're only at 42° South, though there's quite a bit of rain beneath the front. It's a fairly good sign because it's synonymous with us having escaped this latest obstacle" said Franck Cammas at the 1130 UTC radio link-up with Groupama's Race HQ in Paris, in the company of French news presenter Patrick Poivre d'Arvor.

A `contrary' Indian


Sunset. Image copyright Team Groupama.

Despite a rather uncooperative Atlantic, despite a `contrary' Indian at the start of this crossing, despite a fairly N'ly trajectory which is extending the course in relation to the optimum route (around 55° South, but in the middle of the ice...), Groupama 3 has never racked up as much as a day's deficit during this third attempt at the Jules Verne Trophy. Furthermore, on starting out on this eighteenth day at sea and hence the second third of this round the world course, Franck Cammas and his nine crew aren't having to stand again for a second ballot, quite the contrary in fact! Indeed, the next stage of this `contorted' Indian Ocean promises to be rather clearer: a long straight line towards the tip of Tasmania without many manoeuvres in prospect, save for trimming the sails according to the strength of the NW'ly wind and with a great deal of care at the helm and on the sheets...

"We're going to remain ahead of the front in around twenty knots of NW'ly wind (with some brief spells of thirty-five knots and over) throughout nearly the entire crossing of the Indian Ocean. We'll be able to follow what is almost the perfect trajectory with seas which aren't too hard to negotiate. As such we'll be making an average speed of over thirty knots!"

Sylvain Mondon from Météo France explained that Franck Cammas and his men weren't to put their steed under too much pressure as it would be pointless getting to New Zealand too early: a depression moving across from Australia is currently forming a barrier at the entrance to the Pacific. With less than 16,000 miles to go before reaching Ushant, that is two thirds of the round the world to cover, Groupama 3 still has every chance of making it back in well under fifty days at sea... However, this is also the toughest section for the crew as they will be very exposed to the outside elements aboard their trimaran.

"It's beginning to get very wet: it's important to stow your things away securely and adopt a very methodical attitude. There isn't a great deal of visibility and we can't see a single bird or marine mammal on the horizon! Each of us has our own sleeping bag, but we share the three bunks up forward according to the watches. It's not easy to keep your clothes dry as far as Cape Horn..."

Groupama 3's log (departure on 31st January at 13h 55' 53'' UTC)
Day 1 (1st February 1400 UTC): 500 miles (deficit = 94 miles)
Day 2 (2nd February 1400 UTC): 560 miles (lead = 3.5 miles)
Day 3 (3rd February 1400 UTC): 535 miles (lead = 170 miles)
Day 4 (4th February 1400 UTC): 565 miles (lead = 245 miles)
Day 5 (5th February 1400 UTC): 656 miles (lead = 562 miles)
Day 6 (6th February 1400 UTC): 456 miles (lead = 620 miles)
Day 7 (7th February 1400 UTC): 430 miles (lead = 539 miles)
Day 8 (8th February 1400 UTC): 305 miles (lead = 456 miles)
Day 9 (9th February 1400 UTC): 436 miles (lead = 393 miles)
Day 10 (10th February 1400 UTC): 355 miles (lead = 272 miles)
Day 11 (11th February 1400 UTC): 267 miles (deficit = 30 miles)
Day 12 (12th February 1400 UTC): 247 miles (deficit = 385 miles)
Day 13 (13th February 1400 UTC): 719 miles (deficit = 347 miles)
Day 14 (14th February 1400 UTC): 680 miles (deficit = 288 miles)
Day 15 (15th February 1400 UTC): 651 miles (deficit = 203 miles)
Day 16 (16th February 1400 UTC): 322 miles (deficit = 376 miles)
Day 17 (17th February 1400 UTC): 425 miles (deficit = 338 miles)
Day 18 (18th February 1400 UTC): 362 miles (deficit = 433 miles)

WSSRC record for traversing the Indian Ocean (from Cape Agulhas to Southern Tasmania)
Orange 2 (2005): 9d 11h 04'

Reference time from Cape Agulhas to Cape Leeuwin
Orange 2 (2005): 7d 05h 35'

The record to beat

Currently held by Bruno Peyron on Orange 2 since 2005 with a time of 50 days 16 hours 20 minutes at an average of 17.89 knots. Lionel Lemonchois, Ronan Le Goff and Jacques Caraës were aboard at the time.

Cammas - Groupama

Newport Bermuda Race chooses New York YC as Newport Race Headquarters

Newport Bermuda Race chooses New York Yacht Club as Newport Race Headquarters




New York YC Sailing Center at Newport. Image copyright Dan Nerney.

by Talbot Wilson

The Bermuda Race Organizing Committee has announced that the pre-start race headquarters for the 47th Newport Bermuda Race will be the Sailing Center at the New York Yacht Club’s Newport clubhouse, Harbour Court. Crews may use the clubhouse and its facilities before the race’s start on June 18, 2010.


Image copyright Dan Nerney.

The announcement was made by Bjorn Johnson, chairman of the Bermuda Race Organizing Committee. “After an intensive selection process we chose the New York Yacht Club’s Sailing Center as the best possible site for our Newport headquarters. The club’s generous offer is only the most recent event in a long, healthy relationship between the NYYC and the Newport Bermuda Race. For years the race has been started by the club’s race committee, and many NYYC members (including me) have raced to Bermuda.”

Since opening in 2008, the Sailing Center has served as headquarters for numerous regattas, including the NYYC Invitational Cup in September 2009.


Image copyright Dan Nerney.

NYYC Commodore David K. Elwell Jr. congratulated the Cruising Club of America and the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, the race’s organizers, on their ocean racing classic. “Having raced in ten Bermuda Races myself, I understand how important the race is to sailors and also how valuable a good central operations center can be.” He called the partnership between the race and the NYYC “a natural.” “This is exactly the job we had in mind for the Sailing Center when we built it as a facility for all the things that sailors, race officials, and the press have to do before they head out on the water for the start.”


Image copyright Dan Nerney.

Built in memory of former NYYC Commodore Robert G. Stone Jr., a veteran of 24 Bermuda Races, the Sailing Center has extensive office and meeting space, as well as press facilities, showers, and ready access to parking.

2010 Newport Bermuda Race


Image copyright Dan Nerney.

The race starts on June 18 at Newport, where the New York Yacht Club’s Sailing Center will serve as race headquarters. Applications for entry are accepted from January 18 through March 30 (registration is on-line). For all race information, go to www.BermudaRace.com.

The Notice of Race and entry information are posted. The Offshore Racing Rule (ORR) will again be the primary handicapping system. Those electing to race for the IRC trophy will need an endorsed IRC certificate as well. If your boat needs to be measured or re-measured, notify US Sailing at offshore@ussailing.org. All boats must be inspected by Bermuda Race inspectors.

The race’s Safety-at-Sea Seminar will be held at Newport on March 13, with other events on the 14th. Crew training rules and registration information are posted.


Image copyright Dan Nerney.

Divisions and prizes: The top boat in the St David’s Lighthouse Division (amateur crews) is the overall winner. The Gibbs Hill Lighthouse Trophy goes to the winner of the professional division. The Cruising Division’s top award is the Carleton Mitchell Finisterre Trophy, the Double-Handed Division’s is the Philip S. Weld Trophy, and the winner of the Open Division (cant-keelers) is presented with the Royal Mail Trophy. The top IRC finisher receives the North Rock Beacon Trophy, presented by the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club.

There also are prizes for first to finish, the winning navigator and family participation, plus the famous Galley Slave Trophy for the cook in the last boat to finish.

Newport-Bermuda Race Facts


Image copyright Dan Nerney.

The Newport Bermuda Race is a sailing classic that stands with the Fastnet, the Sydney-Hobart and the Transpac as one of the world’s top four ocean races. One of very few international races, it is historic, prestigious, and challenging. It inspires remarkable loyalty among the many thousands of sailors who have raced 635 miles across blue water since the first 'thrash to the Onion Patch' in 1906. More than 50 men or women have sailed at least 15 races. Since 1968, an average of 160 boats has competed, in good economic times and bad. The biggest turnouts were in the most recent races—the 265-boat fleet in the 2006 Centennial Race, and the 198 starters in 2008.

Newport-Bermuda Race

America's Cup: America's Cup Victory Tour

by Jane Eagleson

Following Sunday’s race victory, which resulted in a 2-0 sweep of the 33rd America’s Cup Match, the BMW ORACLE Racing team is preparing to bring the Cup home to the United States.

The America’s Cup Victory Tour presented by ORACLE and BMW EfficientDynamics will begin tomorrow afternoon February 19, when the trophy touches down in San Francisco following a flight in a first-class seat to SFO from Valencia via Frankfurt. After being welcomed at the airport, the trophy and team will proceed to the Golden Gate Yacht Club – the team’s patron and the Cup’s new home – for a reception with club members and special guests.

Saturday morning, a public viewing is planned at the San Francisco City Hall Rotunda. At 11:30 am Mayor Gavin Newsom will formally welcome the Cup and team, including team owner Larry Ellison, back to the United States in a City Hall ceremony open to the public. A press conference will follow.

On Sunday afternoon, the America’s Cup will head south to San Diego, where the team operated a training base for 16 months in 2008 and 2009. At 4:00 pm the America’s Cup will be on public display at the USS Midway museum on the city’s waterfront.

Following a 5:00 pm ceremony with Mayor Jerry Sanders, the trophy and team will head to the San Diego Yacht Club on the replica of the yacht America, for which the trophy is named. A flotilla of San Diego boats will parade along with America for a sunset sail across San Diego Bay to former Cup holder San Diego Yacht Club.

The homecoming tour may be extended to the East Coast of the United States the following week – details to come.

BMW ORACLE Racing

Aussie 18 Foot Skiffs: Giltinan Championship, Race 5

Sydney Football Stadium. Image copyright Frank Quealey.

by Frank Quealey

The Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship look as though it will go right down to the wire as the points tighten amongst the leading contenders.

Rag & Famish Hotel was again sailed brilliantly by John Harris, Scott Babbage and Peter Harris to win their second consecutive race in race 5 on Sydney Harbour today.

‘The Rag’ once again dominated the fleet to score by 3m4s from Gotta Love It 7 (Seve Jarvin, Sam Newton and Tom Clout), with Project Racing (Andy Budgen, James Barker and Matt Mc Govern) in third place a further 58s back.

The outright pointscore shows Thurlow Fisher Lawyers (Michael Coxon, Aaron Links and Trent Barnabas), 13, with a one point lead over Project Racing on 14 and Gotta Love It 7 on 15.


Near miss with the Manly ferry for Rag & Famish. Image copyright Frank Quealey.

While Rag & Famish Hotel appears to be trailing in fifth place, behind Grant Rollerson’s Slam, ‘Rag’s’ placing is much stronger after discard.

Her 37 points would be reduced to five points and a one point lead over Thurlow Fisher Lawyers with three races still to sail.

Today’s race was sailed in a 10-12knot SE wind that had many holes and variations.

After a good, even start, the fleet quickly split into two groups with several teams electing to go to the west of Shark Island while most went to the east.

The breeze went to the right and favoured those on the western side of the island.


Kinder Caring Home Nursing. Image copyright Frank Quealey.

At the windward mark Oliver Merz’s Sydney Football Stadium led narrowly from Rag & Famish Hotel, CT Sailbattens (Alex Vallings NZ), Boatmate Shipwrights (Jason Waterhouse) and Team Gill Sweden (Anders Lewander SWE), which was the first from the eastern side of the island.

Rag & Famish Hotel was quick to grab the lead on the long spinnaker run to Robertson Point then opened up a break of more than one minute on the following windward leg to the mark off Clarke Island.

A near collision with the spectator ferry soon after was costly for Rag & Famish and allowed Project Racing and Thurlow Fisher Lawyers to reduce the margin at Chowder Bay.

Gotta Love It 7 was back in fourth place but elected to tack early after rounding the Chowder Bay mark.

Once again, going west of Shark Island was a winner as Gotta Love It 7 was only two or three boat lengths behind Project Racing and Thurlow Fisher Lawyers at the next mark.

For Rag & Famish Hotel, however, it didn’t matter as Harris and his crew had extended their lead again – this time to more than two minutes.

Obviously, with good boat speed and excellent crew work ‘The Rag’ was never in any danger over the concluding legs of the course as she powered away for an easy win.


Rag & Famish. Image copyright Frank Quealey.

Gotta Love It 7 continued her move on the minor placings and comfortably took second placing while Project Racing was equally comfortable in third.

Down the final spinnaker run Bassett Plumbing & Drainage (Chris Skinner NZ) and Thurlow Fisher Lawyers were neck and neck for fourth place but suffered badly over the final leg in totally unpredictable wind.

Within the final 200 metres Thurlow Fisher Lawyers dropped from fourth to seventh while Bassett Plumbing & Drainage fared worst by finishing in ninth place.

The re-sail of last Tuesday’s Race 3 will held tomorrow with the last two races of the championship to be sailed on Saturday and Sunday.

Race 5 Results

Finish Placings - Recall # - Boat Name - Finish Time - Elapsed Time - Handicap Corrected Time - Handicap Position

1 4 Rag & Famish Hotel 16:19:02 1:14:02 0 1:14:02 10
2 1 Gotta Love It 7 16:22:06 1:17:06 1 1:16:06 17
3 11 Project Racing 16:23:04 1:18:04 1 1:17:04 21
4 6 Yandoo 16:23:42 1:18:42 4 1:14:42 12
5 5 Slam 16:23:43 1:18:43 5 1:13:43 8
6 7 appliancesonline.com.au 16:23:48 1:18:48 5 1:13:48 9
7 2 Thurlow Fisher Lawyers 16:24:11 1:19:11 1 1:18:11 26
8 12 Asko Appliances 16:24:23 1:19:23 6 1:13:23 5
9 13 Bassett Plumbing & Drainage 16:24:39 1:19:39 6 1:13:39 7
10 3 Smeg 16:24:49 1:19:49 4 1:15:49 16
11 24 Panasonic 16:25:22 1:20:22 8 1:12:22 3
12 30 Sydney Football Stadium 16:25:47 1:20:47 10 1:10:47 1
13 8 Benny/PSP Aust-Asia 16:26:04 1:21:04 3 1:18:04 25
14 21 Fisher & Paykel 16:26:06 1:21:06 6 1:15:06 13
15 18 Team Gill Sweden 16:26:16 1:21:16 7 1:14:16 11
16 26 Red Claw 16:26:33 1:21:33 8 1:13:33 6
17 29 CT Sailbattens 16:27:08 1:22:08 10 1:12:08 2
18 23 Sharks/Coldwell Banker Real Estate 16:28:13 1:23:13 10 1:13:13 4
19 10 Pure Blonde 16:28:19 1:23:19 7 1:16:19 18
20 15 Gill 16:28:33 1:23:33 8 1:15:33 15
21 9 Harken 16:28:34 1:23:34 6 1:17:34 23
22 27 Club Marine 16:29:10 1:24:10 7 1:17:10 22
23 14 De’Longhi 16:30:04 1:25:04 8 1:17:04 20
24 16 Yamaha 16:30:06 1:25:06 6 1:19:06 29
25 28 Maersk Line 16:30:11 1:25:11 10 1:15:11 14
26 20 Kinder Caring Home Nursing 16:30:29 1:25:29 6 1:19:29 30
27 25 Boatmate Shipwrights 16:31:31 1:26:31 10 1:16:31 19
28 22 Coldwell Banker New Homes 16:31:42 1:26:42 8 1:18:42 27
29 19 Thurlow Fisher Consultants 16:31:45 1:26:45 8 1:18:45 28
30 31 RWD Technologies 16:32:55 1:27:55 10 1:17:55 24

Current Overall Placings

Position - Name - Nation - Crew H1 H2 H3 H4 H5 H6 H7 Total Dropped
N.B. H3 is to be sailed Friday

1) Thurlow Fisher Lawyers Aust Michael Coxon, Aaron Links, Trent Barnabas 2 2 0 2 7 0 0 13 13
2) Project Racing UK Andy Budgen, James Barker, Matt McGovern 7 1 0 3 3 0 0 14 14
3) Gotta Love It 7 Aust Seve Jarvin, Sam Newton, Tom Clout 3 4 0 6 2 0 0 15 15
4) Slam Aust Grant Rollerson, Anthony Young, Fang Warren 9 10 0 5 5 0 0 29 29
5) Rag & Famish Hotel Aust John Harris, Scott Babbage, Peter Harris 32 3 0 1 1 0 0 37 37
6) Smeg Aust Nick Press, Dan Phillips, Jim Beck 32 6 0 4 10 0 0 52 52
7) Yandoo Aust John Winning, Andrew Hay, Dave Gibson 5 11 0 32 4 0 0 52 52
8) Yamaha NZ Scott Kennedy, Andrew Fenwick, Nick Catley 4 17 0 8 24 0 0 53 53
9) Fisher & Paykel Aust Trevor Barnabas, Andrew Cuddihy, Gerard Smith 8 23 0 9 14 0 0 54 54
10) Benny/PSP Aust-Asia UK Rob Greenhalgh, Dan Johnson, Phil Harmer 6 5 0 32 13 0 0 56 56
11) appliancesonline.com.au Aust John Winning Jr., David Ewings, Tim Austin 12 7 0 32 6 0 0 57 57
12) Gill Aust Dave Alexander, Niall Kinch, Paul Schulz 13 13 0 12 20 0 0 58 58
13) Team Gill Sweden SWE Anders Lewander, Peter Mickos, Peter Warner 15 24 0 7 15 0 0 61 61
14) Club Marine Aust Marcus Ashley Jones, Stewart Wells, Bert Schandevyl 1 19 0 26 22 0 0 68 68
15) Bassett Plumbing & Drainage NZ Chris Skinner, Luke Gower, Dave Healy 32 9 0 18 9 0 0 68 68
16) Asko Appliances Aust Archie Massey, Dan Wilsdon, Cameron McDonald 14 32 0 15 8 0 0 69 69
17) Red Claw Aust Matthew Searle, Darren McKavanagh, Cameron McDonald 32 15 0 10 16 0 0 73 73
18) Harken USA Howie Hamlin, Fritz Lanzinger, Matt Noble 32 8 0 13 21 0 0 74 74
19) Pure Blonde Aust James Francis, Brad Phillips, Rob Bell 16 21 0 19 19 0 0 75 75
20) Coldwell Banker New Homes Aust Mark Kennedy, Tom Anderson, James Fleet 11 12 0 25 28 0 0 76 76
21) De’Longhi Aust Simon Nearn, Craig Ferris, Chris Cleary 32 14 0 14 23 0 0 83 83
22) Boatmate Shipwrights Aust Jason Waterhouse, Jeremy Roberts, Michael McCormick 10 22 0 27 27 0 0 86 86
23) Sydney Football Stadium Aust Oliver Merz, Gareth Collins, Matt Walker 32 25 0 17 12 0 0 86 86
24) Panasonic Aust Jonathan Whitty, Dan Higlett, Reece Goldsmith 32 32 0 11 11 0 0 86 86
25) Kinder Caring Home Nursing Aust Brett Van Munster, Paul Montague, Drewe Waller 32 16 0 16 26 0 0 90 90
26) CT Sailbattens NZ Alex Vallings, Chris Kitchen, Josh McCormack 32 20 0 21 17 0 0 90 90
27) Sharks/Coldwell Banker Real Estate Aust Evan Walker, Ted Hackney, Rob Scrivenor 32 18 0 24 18 0 0 92 92
28) Maersk Line NZ Graham Catley, Hayden Whitburn, Riley Dean 32 26 0 22 25 0 0 105 105
29) RWD Technologies Aust James Birdsall, Tim Barraclough, Pedro Vozone 32 27 0 20 30 0 0 109 109
30) Thurlow Fisher Consultants Aust Bruce Savage, Greg Windust, Chris Thomas 32 28 0 23 29 0 0 112 112
31) JF Hillebrand NZ Phil Airey, Murray England, Sam Trethewey 32 32 0 32 32 0 0 128 128

Aussie 18 Footers League

New Zealand Women's Match Racing Championships 2010

The Leith Mossman Memorial Tray - awarded to the New Zealand Womens Match Racing Champion. Kindly Donated by the New Zealand Womens Yachting Trust in memorial of our friend Leith. Image copyright RNZYS media.

by Barry Davies

The 2010 New Zealand Women's Match Racing Championships will take place at the RNZYS, 3-7 March.

History of the Event

The New Zealand Womens Match Racing Championships have been held at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron since 2000 when Amy Waring representing the RNZYS was the first winner and received the Leith Mossman Memorial.

Honours Board

2009 RNZYS, New Zealand: Jessica Smyth, Aimee Famularo, Amy Mulcahy and Anna de Fluiter
2008 France: Claire Leroy, Marie Riou, Claire Pruvot and Elodie Bertrand
2007 RPAYC, Australia: Nicky Souter, Kylie McKillop, Lilly Taylor and Rayshelle Martin
2006 RPAYC, Australia: Katie Spithill, Stacey Jackson and Angela Farrell
2005 RNZYS, New Zealand: Jessica Smyth, Sonya Swinburne and Anna de Fluiter
2004 RPAYC, Australia: Nicky Souter, Stacey Jackson and Nina Curtis
2003 RPAYC, Australia: Katie Spithill, Nicky Souter and Emma Bollough
2002 RNZYS, New Zealand: Aimee Famularo, Sonya Swinburne and Emilie Linden
2001 RNZYS, New Zealand: Sharon Ferris, Keryn McMaster and Lani Butler
2000 RNZYS, New Zealand: Amy Waring, Amber West and Paula Knauf

Leith Mossman - an inspiration to us all!

Leith Mossman packed more into her 45 years than most of us would in a lifetime. An avid sailor, she races on many yachts in Auckland, including Krasna (Townsen 36), The V Team (Farr 1020), Rhythm (S&S 45) to Fiji, Brighstone - Sydney-Hobart, Share Delight and Waiwera Naturally Hot (Mumm 30). Leith was alsways full of enthusiam and fun, whether racing with the boys, with the girls, match racing, fleet racing or offshore - an inspiration to us all. Unfortunately she lost her battle with breast cancer in 1998.

The Leith Mossman Memorial tray was donated to the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron by the New Zealand Womens Yachting Trust in 2000 in memory of our friend Leith. The Trophy is the principal prize for the annual New Zealand Womens Match Racing Championships held by the RNZYS.

List of entries for 2010

1. Kim Stuart - USA
2. Sara Winther - NZL
3. Sam Osborne - NZL
4. Katie Pellew - AUS
5. Stephanie Hazard - NZL
6. Silja Lehtinen - FIN
7. Danielle Bowater - NZL
8. Katie de Lange - NZL
9. Nicky Souter - AUS

Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron

The National Bank International Youth Match Racing Championships - Day One

Last year’s winner Josh Junior is back and on top of the Leader Board



by Barry Davies

Josh Junior and his team from the Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club in Wellington are back to defend their 2009 title and they have certainly started the right way!

Winning all seven of their races today they are on top of the leader board after day one.

Junior commented at last night's Opening Ceremony that he was “very lucky to have the same team sailing with him this year”, which certainly paid off today as his team didn’t make any mistakes and won all their matches by large margins.

Second overall on six wins and one loss each are Jordan Reece representing the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron and William Tiller representing the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron. Reece’s only loss of the day was in flight two to Stephanie Hazard and Tiller’s only loss was to Reece Tailby.

Stephanie Hazard is next in fourth place overall with five wins and two losses. She started the day off in style winning all five of her races and was sitting on equal wins with Josh Junior. However in Flight Six she lost to Junior by 57 seconds and then lost to Tiller by 50 seconds.

The next three teams are grouped together on four wins, Josh Porebski representing the Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club, Will Mackenzie representing the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia and Reece Tailby representing the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club.

The Race Committee had a great start to the day getting five flights in quickly, but then a 90 degree wind shift slowed the racing down as the course and committee boat had to be moved.

The breeze was a constant 6 – 10 knots during the day and racing was very close!

Racing begins at 10am Friday morning, with Flight Nine of Round Robin One.

Thursday’s Results
Round Robin One

Flight One
Hazard beat Mackenzie by 16s
Lancaster beat Austin by 1m02s
Banks beat Tailby by 1m07s
Junior beat Morvan by 44s
Reece beat Porebski by 31s
Bye Tiller

Flight Two
Banks beat Lancaster by 25s
Porebski beat Mackenzie by 31s
Hazard beat Reece by 22s
Tiller beat Morvan by 35s
Tailby beat Austin by 22s
Bye Junior

Flight Three
Porebski beat Morvan by 47s
Reece beat Tailby by 47s
Junior beat Austin by 2m15s
Tiller beat Banks by 1m55s
Mackenzie beat Lancaster by 26s
Bye Hazard

Flight Four
Tiller beat Austin DSQ
Tailby beat Mackenzie by 1m33s
Reece beat Lancaster by 38s
Junior beat Banks by 15s
Hazard beat Morvan by 25s
Bye Porebski

Flight Five
Porebski beat Banks by 17s
Junior beat Lancaster by 1m06s
Mackenzie beat Morvan by 1m58s
Hazard beat Austin DSQ
Tailby beat Tiller by 7s
Bye Reece

Flight Six
Reece beat Morvan by 19s
Tiller beat Lancaster by 18s
Porebski beat Austin by 1m26s
Hazard beat Banks by 19s
Junior beat Tailby by 1m01s
Bye Mackenzie

Flight Seven
Tiller beat Porebski by 11s
Junior beat Hazard by 57s
Lancaster beat Morvan by 2s
Mackenzie beat Austin by 13s
Reece beat Banks by 6s

Flight Eight
Tailby beat Morvan by 17s
Junior beat Porebski by 45s
Tiller beat Hazard by 50s
Reece beat Austin by 1m02s
Mackenzie beat Banks by 30s
Bye Lancaster

Points Table
Josh Junior RPNYC - 7 wins / 0 losses / 7 points
William Tiller RNZYS - 6 / 1 / 6
Jordan Reece RSYS - 6 / 1 / 6
Stephanie Hazard RNZYS - 5 / 2 / 5
Will Mackenzie CYCA - 4 / 3 / 4
Josh Porebski RPNYC - 4 / 3 / 4
Reece Tailby RPAYC - 4 / 3 / 4
Codie Banks RNZYS - 2 / 6 / 2
Dillon Lancaster KHYC - 2 / 6 / 2
Peter Austin RHKYC - 0 / 8 / 0
Guenael Morvan CNC - 0 / 8 / 0

Event Schedule
Friday 19
0830 Daily Briefing
1000 Racing begins
Saturday 20
0830 Daily Briefing
1000 Racing begins
Sunday 21
0830 Daily Briefing
1000 Racing begins
1600 approx Prizegiving RNZYS Dinghy Locker Bar

Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron

Entries Open for Superyacht Cup in Palma 2010

Windrose. Image copyright rawphoto.co.uk

by Kate Branagh

Entries are now being accepted for this year’s Superyacht Cup in Palma and already more than a dozen yachts have registered. The event will take place June 23rd – 26th in the same central Palma location as the successful event in 2009. A wide-range of yachts are expected, from the most competitive racing superyachts to cruising yachts who come to enjoy the sailing spectacle and camaraderie of this unique event which is now in its’ 15th year.


Superyacht Cup racing in Palma in 2009. Image copyright clairematches.com

The racing will follow the pursuit format with ratings calculated by Jim Teeters of Bucket Ratings fame, ensuring that the sailing is closely contested and the finishes as exciting as possible. The recent Superyacht Cup in Antigua was the first chance to put the new Superyacht Racing Protocol rules to the test and it benefited from valuable input from some of the most experienced superyacht helmsmen, tacticians and crew in the world.

The social programme so popular last year with all the owners, guests and crew comprises an Opening Welcome Cocktail Party on the first night, a themed fancy dress party on the dock on the Thursday night and a Yacht Hop and crew party on the Friday night. The Prize-Giving Evening will once again be held in the spectacular location of Es Baluard Museum overlooking the harbour and bay of Palma.


Windrose. Image copyright rawphoto.co.uk

Returning sponsors already confirmed for Palma 2010 are presenting sponsors Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, gold sponsors Slam and Silver sponsors Atollvic Shipyard, Dimension Polyant, Ship Equip, Astilleros de Mallorca, Pantaenius and The Rolling Stock Group. Among the new silver sponsors this year are Elvstrom Superyacht, who have recently opened a new state-of-the-art sail loft in Mallorca. They are planning a superyacht sail trimming seminar at their new premises just prior to the Superyacht Cup in June and will invite participating yacht captains to a presentation and tour of their new premises.

There is limited space (around 18 – 20) berths on the Superyacht Cup Dock and the total number of entries will be limited to no more than 25 yachts.

Please contact Patrick@thesuperyachtcup for further information and entry forms.

The Superyacht Cup