Wellingtonian Takes CentrePort International Youth Match Racing 2010

"The man who walks on water", Matt Steven, RPNYC, won the final 3-0 over Will Mackenzie from the CYCA, Australia. Steven had an all-girl crew: Anita Trudgen, Heather Trudgen and Hana Maguire


Matt Steven sorting halyards on his E6 during the CentrePort International Youth Match Racing 2010. Image copyright Russell Brooking/RPNYC.

by Matt Chan

Wellington has turned on a cracker of a day for the finals. Racing resumes in front of the club today in an unusual 10 knot easterly (will it last?). Finals will be held first followed by the 5th - 8th sail-offs.

Finals Flight 1: Steven wins start and builds a 40 second win in 10 knot warm breeze. In match 2 Coltman loses start by half a boat length and Reece slaps close cover for first beat. Coltman closes to 2 boat lengths but Reece holds him out for a 33 second win. (Coltman flying red flag possibly because of green flag in the pre-start.)

Similar breeze for Flight 2 of the Finals. Tight start Steven right at the pin with leebow on Mackenzie. In the petit final there is an excellent start with win to Coltman at the committee boat. Reece leads Coltman by 4 boat lengths at mark one.

Steven beat Mackenzie by 9 seconds after a furious gybing duel downwind. Steven covering perfectly to take a two-nil lead in series.

Flight 3: 6-8 knot breeze. Match 1 both boats early with Steven controlling. Both tack back with Steven hitting the committee boat end at speed and on the correct side of the left shift. Well ahead at mark 1, finals may be over...

Match 2, Coltman cleaned out by Reece in start by 3 boat lengths showing perfect time on distance, however they have split and the wind is dying. Reece may have new breeze earlier.

Bottom mark Steven by 15 second over Mackenzie. Match 2 around top mark in little wind. Reece leads Coltman.

Coltman leading to bottom mark right in front of Committee Boat, blanketed, bascially even, Coltman leading by a quarter of Boat length around the bottom mark.

Steven halfway down last leg coming into finish - Mackenzie hasn't made it to top mark. Looks like Steven has won the CentrePort International Youth Match Racing Regatta 2010.

STEVEN WINS! A big left shift exagerates the win to 3 minute 17 seconds.

Coltman wins by 11 seconds but red flag on Reece.

Third, fourth and lower placings are still outstanding. A full report will follow.

Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club

RC44: Paul Cayard reports from the fleet racing in Dubai

by Paul Cayard

Three races were held today in a southeast to south wind blowing between 15 and 25 knots. It was incredibly dusty, with the wind blowing sand into the air.

Artemis had the best day with a 2,3,1. Onboard Katusha, we did not have a great day as we made big errors in the first two races finishing 8,7. In the last race we sailed well, getting to the first mark just behind Artemis and staying close all the way around. We closed in on them a lot on the final run, with a nice puff, but they managed to hang on to beat us by a couple of meters.

In the first race of the day, we were not in great shape coming down the first run. It was windy and just before the leeward mark, we broached and got stuck on our side for a couple of minutes. Fortunately, Aqua was very heads up as we were heading for them in the middle of the broach. They had to tack onto port to get out of our way and that saved the two boats from colliding. We hurt their race as they were in the lead at the time and they eventually finished 4th. We apologize for that. We did our penalty turn even though one had not been signaled and we were well into last place. We had a bit of luck in someone else's misfortune and we ended up passing Austria on the final run as they had a problem too.

In the second race, we were doing pretty well up the second windward leg battling away for third or fourth when a massive gust came down the course and shifted the wind 30 degrees. Sea Dubai had gone from last to first on this leg and were sailing past us in the new wind. So, I thought we should dig into it as it seemed it was filling. We got into it and were looking ok until that wind collapsed and the left filled back in. We lost 3 or 4 boats right there at the top of the beat and finished 7th.

Very frustrating for all of us.

So, it was nice to put a good race together in the last race of the day and come back to the dock feeling a bit better.

We really need to raise our game. We all know we can sail better. For sure the competition is tough but we must find a way to improve. With all that we are still in the same place we were in when we left the dock this morning...5th. Aqua still leads and Artemis is nipping at their heels.

Tomorrow, the forecast is the same, strong southerly winds which means the wind coming off the land and massive shifts of both wind strength and direction.

Cayard Sailing
RC44

JVT: Peaceful and Pacific for Groupama 3

Distance to finish 10,509 miles; advance on record 468 miles - at 1800 UTC on 26th February 2010


"We passed within three miles of Auckland Island, which is the first land we've seen since setting out from Ushant..." Image copyright Team Groupama.

by Vincent Borde and Caroline Muller

Sixty miles better in 24 hours: Groupama 3 is continuing to extend her lead in relation to Orange 2's course in 2005. The weather conditions remain excellent for making fast and effortless headway towards Cape Horn, around 3,000 miles ahead on the same latitude...

This is beginning to become a habit. Indeed it's been a week now that Groupama 3 has been accumulating 650 to 750 mile days! 5,650 miles in eight days, that is almost twice the distance of an Atlantic crossing... It just goes to show then that the situation is also favourable for devouring the Pacific, since Franck Cammas and his crew are now ahead of a front, which is pursuing them, as was the case in the Indian Ocean. And should the phenomenon continue as far as the tip of South America, this will give them an added bonus to the 430 miles that the giant trimaran has already amassed since Tasmania!

The days follow on...

"It's dark but there is a beautiful moon. There's a clear sky and it's nice to be able to see the stars... We hope to see the reflection of Antarctica in the early hours as the moon falls below the horizon. We may even see the aurora australis! We have between 22 and 25 knots of NW'ly wind and we're sailing under one reef mainsail and medium gennaker. It's not overly cold, we're not wet and the water is still at 8°C: all's well! The weather's superb... And we still have a rather pleasant sea state which is easy to negotiate. We're not going crazy!" said Ronan Le Goff at the 1130 UTC radio session with Groupama's Race HQ in Paris.

This is certainly the case but looking at their progress from land, this pace seems incredibly fast along what has been an amazingly straight course over the past eight days! Tracking along at 55° South, Groupama 3 is ensuring that she's keeping a long way away from the ice and, at that same time, is able to reduce the distance to make Cape Horn. After Auckland Island, which they just skirted on Thursday, there is no more land before Drake's Passage...

...in similar fashion


"We passed within three miles of Auckland Island, which is the first land we've seen since setting out from Ushant..." Image copyright Team Groupama.

"We saw another island yesterday so we don't really feel all alone in the world. In addition, it's not taking as long as all that! In five days time we're going to see land again... As regards icebergs, our navigator Stan Honey has told us that we're not going to pass through any zones of `ill repute'. Of course the sky will soon become overcast since the front is catching up with us, but that will enable us to stay in a stable NW'ly breeze for a good while... There will be one to three gybes in store, but after that we'll be on a straight track towards Cape Horn."

Life goes on and the ten men on Groupama 3 are punctuating their days with hours spent on watch, sleeping or on stand-by, eating or talking in the "gas corner"... Indeed the kitchen is the place to be for all the different communities onboard who want to exchange thoughts and discuss all manner of topics that are a far cry from the preoccupations of landlubbers. After 26 days at sea, the separation between those on the water and those on land is perceptible and the day's questions are more geared around the composition of lunch or the recognition of seabirds than paying the electric bill...

"Life onboard is different on Groupama 3 in relation to Orange 2: for sure there were two habitable hulls and it was more spacious and more comfortable on Orange. However, despite there being less privacy on the trimaran, it's going very well. It really is a fine voyage, but we've seen fewer birds like petrels, cape petrels and albatrosses over the past few days..."

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)
Day 20 (20th February 1400 UTC): 672 miles (deficit = 211 miles)
Day 21 (21th February 1400 UTC): 584 miles (deficit = 124 miles)
Day 22 (22nd February 1400 UTC): 607 miles (deficit = 137 miles)
Day 23 (23rd February 1400 UTC): 702 miles (lead = 60 miles)
Day 24 (24th February 1400 UTC): 638 miles (lead = 208 miles)
Day 25 (25th February 1400 UTC): 712 miles (lead = 371 miles)
Day 26 (26th February 1400 UTC): 687 miles (lead = 430 miles)

WSSRC record for the Pacific Ocean crossing (from the South of Tasmania to Cape Horn)
Orange 2 (2005): 8d 18h 08'

The crew and organisation aboard Groupama 3
• Watch No.1: Franck Cammas / Loïc Le Mignon / Jacques Caraës
• Watch No.2: Stève Ravussin / Thomas Coville / Bruno Jeanjean
• Watch No.3: Fred Le Peutrec / Lionel Lemonchois / Ronan Le Goff
• Off watch navigator: Stan Honey goes up on deck for manoeuvres
• One watch system on deck, one watch on stand-by ready to help manoeuvre, one watch totally resting

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

RC44: Artemis masters the wind of the desert and closes in on Team Aqua

Chris Bake and his Team Aqua still lead the fleet race ranking of the Al Maktoum Sailing Trophy RC 44; however Torbjorn Tornqvist’s Artemis is now only two points behind ahead of the last day. Igor Lah’s Ceeref isn’t far either, currently third overall and eight points behind. The last day will be intense!


A great start for Artemis during today’s last regatta, whilst team Aqua struggles at the Committee boat end of the line. Image copyright Nico Martinez/RC44.

by Bernard Schopfer

It was another very interesting day off Dubai, with a very hot wind blowing up to 25 knots and the sky covered with sand and dust from the desert. Torbjorn Tornqvist and his team enjoyed those tough conditions: they got the best results today with a second, a third and a first place and are now only two points away from the leader Team Aqua.

The first regatta of the day was the closest one, with the top five boats crossing the arrival line in less than fifteen seconds. Leading during most of the regatta, Team Aqua had to avoid Katusha – who broached brutally in front of them – at the windward mark, by crash-tacking and heading to the less favoured right hand side of the course. Ceeref, Artemis and No Way Back benefited from this incident to take the lead and cross the arrival line in this order. “We were not far from seeing two RC 44’s sink", explained Chris Bake at the end of the day. “It was a really close one and we were all quite shaked by this incident!"

Team Aqua recovered well during the second regatta of the day, sailing to the left of the course before tacking at the first big left shift and extending its lead throughout the race. The second beat saw a different – and rare – scenario, with Team Sea Dubai recovering from a fairly big deficit by sailing on their own to the right and climbing up to the second place, just ahead of Artemis.

The third race gave Torbjorn Tornqvist the opportunity to close in on Team Aqua. Artemis took an excellent start whilst his main opponent struggled at the Race Committee end of the line, suffering during the beat as the wind was slowly shifting left. The boats then started heading for the windward mark, tacking one after the other over Team Aqua. “That’s the game", commented Bake. “I would have done the same." As a consequence, Artemis, Katusha and Team Austria started extending their lead, finally crossing the arrival line in this order after a fabulous fight. “I just can’t tell you how much I have enjoyed today", said Torbjorn Tornqvist a few minutes later. “Those boats are really something special in those conditions. It’s just fantastic."

Three to four more races are scheduled tomorrow weather permitting it. A bad storm is announced over Dubai tonight, and even rain is expected. A rarity in Dubai!

The results so far show that all the teams have managed to finish races in the top five whilst seven of them have achieved top threes. As for the leaders, their worse result is a sixth for Team Aqua and a fifth for Artemis. Last but not least, four different teams have managed to win races. The consistency in the top five definitely seems to be the key to victory!

They said:

Torbjorn Tornqvist, helmsman, Artemis: “The wind was strong but we were within the limits of this boat and I never worried. We had no failures and could concentrate entirely on our racing."

Chris Bake, helmsman, Team Aqua: “We had a very good day and we sailed well. However, there were some little details that cost us a lot."

Bob Little, helmsman, Katusha: “The level is very high and it is tough for me. I have made several mistakes that have cost us a lot. But it got better in our last race. It’s the first time I steer this boat with so much wind, so I need to adapt. Luckily the team was great and they helped me a lot."

Raimondo Tonelli, helmsman, Team Sea Dubai: “I usually steer foiling Moths and I am a bowman on bigger boats, so it isn’t easy for me here, especially with this wind: the competition is very tough. But it is great and I enjoy it a lot. I am impressed how precise and sensitive the helm is."

Fleet race, provisional results after seven races:

(Ranking, name of team, helmsman, results, points)

1) Team Aqua (Chris Bake), 1, 2, 1, 2, 4, 1, 6 – 17 points
2) Artemis (Torbjorn Tornqvist), 3, 4, 5, 1, 2, 3, 1 - 19 points
3) CEEREF (Igor Lah), 2, 7, 3, 3, 1, 5, 4 - 25 points
4) Team No Way Back (Pieter Heerema), 4, 1, 7, 7, 3, 4, 5 - 31 points
5) Katusha (Bob Little), 5, 5, 2, 8, 8, 7, 2 - 37 points
6) Team Sea Dubai (Raimondo Tonelli), 6, 6, 8, 4, 6, 2, 7 - 39 points
7) Team Austria (René Mangold), 8, 3, 9, 5, 9, 8, 3 - 45 points
8) Team Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (Daniel Calero), 7, 8, 4, 9, 5, 6, 9 - 50 points
9) BMW ORACLE Racing (Mike Perris), 9, 9, 6, 6, 7, 9, 8 - 52 points

RC44

Entries looking strong for 2010 Top of The Gulf Regatta - Pattaya

More international entries than ever before. Strong turnout from Thai sailors.


Top of the Gulf Regatta. Supplied image.

by Chanut/Nungruthai

The 2010 Top of the Gulf Regatta will take place 30th April to 4th May, at Ocean Marina Yacht Club (OMYC) on Jomtien Beach, Pattaya, Thailand. Now in it's seventh year, the global economic crisis has not slowed down the growth and interest in the Gulf of Thailand's largest sailing event.

Entries for the big boat classes are already coming in and interest is high. 2009 IRC Racing 1 class winner, Matt Allen, plans to return to defend his crown on his Beneteau First 44.7, Ichi Ban. After winning 8 races out of 9 at the 2009 Phuket King's Cup Regatta, he may not this year have his own way with probable entries likely to come from Ben Copley on his Swan 42 Katsu, and Mark Mizner's Babe.

Ray Roberts, who in 2009 chartered a Platu and won the Coronation Cup, is this year looking to bring his own boat and join the big boat classes along with Neil Pryde. New OMYC Harbour Master Scott Finsten, is working hard on suitable berthing for the larger boats and entries will be confirmed soon thereafter.


Top of the Gulf Regatta. Supplied image.

While word travels fast on the popularity of the TOG Regatta, a number of boats and crews from Singapore and Malaysia are are planning to take part and the first official entry this year was in the Optimist class from a sailor in Myanmar!

In addition to the international entrants, local Thai-based boats are looking to be out in force. Particularly in the Ocean Multihull class. Of the large fleet of Corsairs, seven or more are expected to take part and with a Phuket contingent and Henry Kaye's Seacart 30 Thor showing interest, the Ocean Multihull fleet could grow to be 12-15 boats this year.

Optimists are again looking to be numerous this year and expectations are high that the 2008 record of 128 Optimist may be exceeded this year. In addition, a Laser fleet and some Byte II's are expected to join the 2010 TOG Regatta.


Ocean marina, Pattaya. Supplied image.

Despite the difficult times around the world, the TOG Regatta welcome back Major Sponsors Ocean Marina Yacht Club, PTTEX and the Tourism Authority of Thailand, and welcome new Major Sponsor Lexus cars. Other sponsors and supporters include Bangkok Hospital Pattaya, Bank of Ayudhya, Coca Cola, Corsair Trimarans, Grampian Country Food Group, Gulf Charters Thailand, QBE Insurance, Nivea, OCEAN Portofino, Pattaya City, Raimon Land, Royal Varuna Yacht Club, Singha Corporation, SEAT Boats and the Yacht Racing Association of Thailand. 2010 Media Partners include Asia Pacific Boating, Ensign Media, SEA Yachting and The Nation.

Top of the Gulf Regatta

Seb Col to Compete in the Omega Auckland Match Racing Regatta

by Stéphanie Nadin

Some of the world's top international match race teams are set to descend on Auckland for the Omega Auckland Match Racing Regatta from March 2 to 6. 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.

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 - Team Origin); Francesco Bruni (ITA - Azzurra Sailing Team); Sebastien Col (FRA-GER - ALL4ONE); Karol Jablonski (POL - former Desafio Espanol); Magnus Holmberg (SWE - former Victory Challenge); Chris Dickson (NZL - former BMW ORACLE Racing); Bertrand Pacé (FRA - former BMW ORACLE Racing); 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.

Seb Col: "it is very good to do this event before the Louis Vuitton Trophy Auckland, as you face more different tactical situations in small boats racing. For the afterguard, and especially for the decision making process, it will be particularly interesting for me and John Cutler to do this event in small boats with some of our key team members."

Sebastien will sail with ALL4ONE crew members John Cutler (tactician), Gilles Favennec (pit), Christian Scherrer (jib trimmer), Jean-Marie Dauris (bow) and Philippe Mourniac (mainsail trimmer for the match race event).

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.

Sébastien Col
Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron

Trans-Tasman Clash in CentrePort Wellington International Youth Match Racing Championship Final

Close racing at the CentrePort Match Racing 2010. Image copyright RPNYC.

by Matt Chan

Light southerlies on day 3 meant racing took place around the corner in Evans Bay. Another fantastic day in Wellington and perfect conditions for match racing!

Day 3 seemed to start where day 2 finished with a minor gear incident. After the first race of the day there was a minor delay as a halyards untwisted on boat 2, raising the question “How do you fix a halyard on a E6?”.

You walk up the mast... after first capsizing the little keeler, RPYNC skipper Matt Steven untangled the halyards on his boats, apparently by walking on water!

Crunch time quickly approached and just before 1pm RPNYC skippers Tim Coltman and Josh Porebski were vying for a spot in the semi finals. Coltman prevailed shortly after by winning his last 2 matches and finished second after both rounds. By this stage Matt Steven had already sewn up first place.

The other two semi finalists were Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron skipper Jordan Reece and Cruising Yacht Club of Australia skipper Will Mackenzie.

In a strange twist Matt Stevens selected fellow Wellingtonian Tim Coltman for his semi-final opponent. Doing so ensured there will be a Wellingtonian in either 1st or second and 3rd or 4th and ensured an eventual Australia - New Zealand final!

In the first semi final Matt Steven won the first match but the Wellington derby between Steven and Coltman wasn’t over. The second match was a tight race with both boats over the line at the start. There was never more than 2 boat lengths difference and the lead changed hands more than five times with Coltman ultimately leveling the series.

In the first match of the Australian series Mackenzie drew first blood and in the second match Reece sailed a tight race from start to finish to comfortably beat Mackenzie.

It was winner takes all in both semis!

The first finalist after a tight pre-start but establishing a solid cover off the startline was Steven and crew who sailed a strong conservative final match to beat fellow RPNYC skipper Tim Coltman.

The prestart in the battle of the aussies was a vigorous affair. Both boats hitting the line at pace but unfortunately Reece was early. Mackenzie beat Reece by a considerable distance after his start line indiscretion.

Cruising Yacht Club of Australia Skipper Will Mackenzie makes it to the final in a trans Tasman clash with RPNYC skipper Matt Steven setting the stage for a great final day tomorrow!

Results

Place Skipper RR2w-l TotalPts
1 Steven RPNYC 7-0 11
2 Coltman RPNYC 4-3 9
3 Mackenzie CYCA 4-3 9
4 Reece RSYS 3-4 9
5 Porebski RPNYC 4-3 7
6 Waterhouse RPAYC 4-3 5
7 Pooley RNZYS 2-5 4
8 Dawson RNZYS 0-7 1

Semi-Finals
Steven 2 - Coltman 1
Mackenzie 2 - Reece 1

Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club

First Entries Received for Audi Sydney Offshore Newcastle Yacht Race

Steven Proud's Sydney38 Swish. Image copyright Andrea Francolini/Audi.

by Jennifer Crooks

Current leader of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s prestigious Blue Water Pointscore, Syd Fischer, owner of Ragamuffin, was the first to submit an entry for the Audi Sydney Offshore Newcastle Yacht Race, which starts at 12 noon on Friday 19 March.

The 213 nautical mile category 2 event is the last race in the CYCA’s seven race Blue Water Pointscore (BWPS). With one point separating Ragamuffin (15 points) and Bob Steel’s Quest (16 points) for first and second place, Fischer needs to sail a near-faultless race, finishing ahead of Quest, to win his tenth Blue Water Pointscore.

One of the early line honours favourites and defending race record holder Stephen Ainsworth’s RP63 Loki, holds fifth place in the Blue Water Pointscore. Only four points separate the top five, which all represent the CYCA.

This last race will be an exciting encounter, as the current top five battle it out to win the prestigious event.

Ed Psaltis and Bob Thomas know only too well how hard it is to win the BWPS. The duo won the title in 2006/07 with their modified Farr 40 AFR Midnight Rambler finishing third in the last race to win the title by two points.

AFR Midnight Rambler currently sits in third place on 17 points, two behind Ragamuffin. Next best placed is Geoff Ross’ RP55 Yendys in fourth place on 18 points.

Another early entrant for the race is Steven Proud with his Sydney 38 Swish, fresh from his successful fourth overall, divisional second and Sydney 38 OD win in the Rolex Sydney Hobart.

Both Swish and Ragamuffin have applied to enter in the IRC division as well as ORCi. Swish finished second under the new ORCi rating category; whilst Ragamuffin finished 9th. Colin Woods’ Pretty Fly III, a Cookson 50, will also race under both rating systems.

Should five of more yachts enter the Audi Sydney Offshore Newcastle Yacht Race with valid ORCi rating certificates, the CYCA will offer an ORCi division as well as IRC and PHS. The overall winner of the race will be declared using IRC.

For Steven Proud, his crew’s request to ‘do the Hobart’ was the beginning of a season campaign. “We decided as a crew that if we were going to sail the Rolex Sydney Hobart, then we had to be prepared; so we entered the Blue Water Pointscore to gain valuable offshore racing experience,” he said.

“We performed well in the Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race and the Rolex Sydney Hobart, so we are aiming for a strong finish to the season with this race.” Proud added.

“The Audi Sydney Offshore Newcastle Yacht Race is a great race – it’s distance is long enough to stretch the boat’s capabilities, and the finish is nice and close to home. In last year’s race we finished first in IRC Division 3, which was much better than the 2008 race where we were forced to retire due to damage just off Norah Head.”

Swish is currently tied with Anthony Paterson’s Tow Truck for second place in the Tasman Pointscore Series (PHS Division of Blue Water Series) and Proud was looking forward to competing against the team from Tow Truck in this race.

However, Paterson, who was also running sixth in the BWPS, has recently sold his Kerr 11.3 Tow Truck to new owners who are based at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania, who have renamed the boat Dump Truck.

“The boat went on the market shortly after the Rolex Sydney Hobart. The new owners took a good look at the boat when she was in Constitution Dock and made a very generous offer,” Paterson said.

“We are sad not to have finished the Blue Water Pointscore Series with the boat, but I am very happy with what we’ve been able to achieve over the last two seasons,” said Paterson, who was quick to keep the band of loyal Tow Truck followers poised as he quipped, “So stayed tuned for the next adventures of Tow Truck.”

The Audi Sydney Offshore Newcastle Yacht Race will start at 12 noon on Friday 19 March from Sydney Harbour and take the fleet to a laid mark around 20 nautical miles east of Crowdy Head before the yachts head for Newcastle and the finish in the Hunter River.

A total of seven yachts have entered since the Notice of Race and entry forms became available on the official race website http://sydneynewcastle.cyca.com.au.

Entries close at 1700hrs, Friday 5 March 2010 and it is anticipated that a fleet of 30 yachts will take part in the third edition of the Audi Sydney Offshore Newcastle Yacht Race.

Cruising Yacht Club of Australia

IRC Al Maktoum Trophy - Great Conditions on Day One

Racing in the Al Maktoum Trophy: Team Premier. Supplied image.

by Sharon Allison

The winners of the three divisions of the IRC Al Maktoum Sailing Trophy at Dubai International Marine Club all made the same comment Thursday - that the conditions were great. Haines Waimer who won Division One sailing Team Premier, David Rostant the winner of Division Two sailing EPI Mattafix and Mikhail Rassoudov who took first place on Victoria in Division Three all said that they loved the strong shifty conditions. The average wind speed during the day was between fifteen to twenty knots with gusts of up to twenty six knots from the south making very exciting sailing conditions. Team Premier managed to stay ahead of Yo, the 2008 winner of the Al Maktoum Sailing Trophy, sailed by Toby O’Connell after finishing the first race behind him in second place. ‘We were unlucky on the first race,’ said the skipper of Team Premier, ‘we got a tear in our jib and we had to make some repairs, but we had a spare and managed to change it for the second race but then our spinnaker tore and blew right out. It was an expensive race but great fun,’ he added.

In division two, David Rostant on EPI Mattafix was also happy with his win crossing the finish line minutes ahead of Mike Jelfs on MACE, ‘it was a fantastic day, the wind was good and we played the wind shifts to the best of our ability,’ commented the winning skipper.

Newcomers to the racing circuit won in division three, Mikhail Rassoudov and his crew on his boat Victoria beat the young under eighteen hopefuls on Go North with Frederic Jacobs at the helm who will be dreaming tactics tonight ahead of tomorrow’s races. ‘Winds are set to strengthen over the next two days, it was great racing today, the sea was flat and the boat speed was amazing, we really enjoyed it,’ said Mikhail. Racing resumes at 11:00 Friday with three races and concludes on Saturday 27th February.


MACE. Supplied image.

Results:

Pos – Div 1 Name Skipper Points

1st Team Premier Haines Waimer 4
2nd YO Toby O’Connell 6
3rd Drilling Systems Francis Carr 8

Pos – Div 2

1st EPI Mattafix David Rostant 3
2nd MACE Mike Jelfs 6
3rd The Office Mike Lawton 9

Pos – Div 3

1st Victoria Mikhail Rassaudov 3
2nd Go North Frederic Jacobs 6
3rd DIMC 2 Conrad Scwhindt 10

Dubai International Marine Club

RC44: The RC44 is (a lot) more than just a big dinghy...

Sea Dubai. Image copyright Nico Martinez/RC44.

by Sharon Allison

Sea Dubai Sailing Team's best result Thursday was fourth place in the last race. The race committee, with Peter Reggio in charge, ran four races altogether to start the first day of the fleet races of the Al Maktoum Sailing Trophy at Dubai International Marine Club, but after a brilliant first place in the match race event we really disappointed ourselves in Thursday’s fleets races.

The conditions were fantastic, strong winds with plenty of shifts to get our hands on but we were completely plagued by mistakes. We ended up in sixth place with twenty four points behind Katusha with twenty points. The second race should have been our best but we totally misjudged the shifts. We were first around the windward mark after a great start and upwind leg but we went to the left side of the course, everyone else went right and caught the best wind so we ended up finishing in sixth place.

All our starts were good but we just couldn’t get the boat speed because our tactics were bad and we ended up with two sixth places a fourth and eighth at the end of the day and not a good feeling overall. It will take time for Raimondo to understand the boat, this was his first real experience of being at the helm of the RC44; he has done a lot of big boat sailing but mostly as crew. His helming has been mostly on dinghies and although a lot of people call the RC a big dinghy, it’s a lot of boat to handle especially in strong winds. But we are a team and becoming stronger, we had a bit of a honeymoon during the match race which was nice but we need days like today to bind us together more solidly.

Congratulations to Team Aqua, they had a great day and came first overall. Artemis ripped a hole in their spinnaker in the third race which just got bigger and bigger until finally it blew out and they came last because of it but managed to come seventh at the end of the day. Stronger winds are predicted for the next two days which is going to mean some pretty exciting stuff on the water especially around the marks. Racing starts at 11:00 on Friday.

Results

Pos Teams Pts Race 1 Race 2 Race 3 Race 4
1 AQUA 6 1 2 1 2 Chris Bake / Cameron Appleton
2 Artemis 13 3 4 5 1 Torbjorn Tornqvist / Terry Hutchinson
3 CEEREF 15 2 7 3 3 Igor Lah / Rod Davis
4 No Way Back 19 4 1 7 7 Pieter Heerema / Ray Davis
5 Katusha 20 5 5 2 8 Bob Little / Paul Cayard
6 Sea Dubai 24 6 6 8 4 Raimondo Tonelli / Markus Wieser
7 Austria Team 25 8 3 9 5 René Mangold / Christian Binder
8 Islas Canarias Puerto Calero 28 7 8 4 9 Daniel Calero / José Maria Ponce
9 BMW ORACLE 30 9 9 6 6 Mike Perris / Adam Minoprio

Dubai International Marine Club
RC44

CentrePort Wellington International Youth Match Racing Championships Update on Day 3

Matt Steven walks on water! Image copyright Russell Brooking/RPNYC.

by Matt Chan

Light southerlies on day 3 so racing will be taking place around the corner in Evans Bay. The teams piled aboard Te Ruru and made their way out.


Image copyright Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club.

Flight 8 complete in perfect 15 knot southerlies, gusting 20 Porebski beat Mackenzie by 37 seconds, the latter had halyard problems which didn't affect the result. In the second match Reece beat Pooley by 6 seconds after being behind at the last mark .

Currently delayed as halyards untwisted on boat 2.

Perfect conditions for match racing!

How do you fix a halyard on a E6?

You walk up the mast... after first capsizing the little keeler. Yep, Matty Steven just untangled the halyards on his boats, apparently by walking on water.


Image copyright Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club.

In Flight 9, match 1, penalty against Waterhouse in the pre-start.

Flight 9, Mackenzie beat Waterhouse by 15 seconds. In the first local derby of the day, Steven beat Coltman off the line and sailed away to a 26 second win.


Image copyright Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club.

Flight 10, no prestart issues. In match 1 Steve beat Waterhouse by 43 seconds, leading from start to finish. In a clean match, Coltman beat Mackenzie by 11 seconds.

Flight 11, clean starts all round. Reece beat Dawson by 43 seconds leading from start to finish . Steven beat Porebski by 17 seconds who picked up an on course penalty.


Image copyright Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club.

Flight 12, once again clean starts all around. Steven blew Reece away cleanly by 42 seconds, Porebski beat Dawson in a similar fashion by 1 minute 36 seconds. Dawson experienced kite problems down the first run.

Flight 13 includes an important match for Coltman. He must win one of the last two to make the semis and if wins both will finish second. Steven is the clear winner. Mackenzie and Reece also in with a chance.

Porebski will go through if Coltman loses both.


Image copyright Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club.

Flight 13, clean starts with Coltman holding slight advantage over Pooley at the start and ahead at first cross.

Note from SailRaceWin: Matt Steven (RPNYC) has won Round Robin 2 with a win-loss record of 7-0. Mackenzie (CYCA) finishes RR2 on 5-2. This gives them 12 and 10 points combined, respectively. Reece (RSYS) has dropped on RR2, winning only 2 matches out of 6 so far, to add to the six points he obtained from winning RR1, making a total of 8 points at present.

It is the combined total of points from the two round robins that will determine the top four to go through to the semi-finals. Wellingtonian Matt Steven has secured his place in the semis.

Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club

Aussie 18 Foot Skiffs: Video of the J.J. Giltinan Championships 2010

Race 7 - Final Race - Gotta Love It 7 wins



Aussie 18 Footers League

RC44: Paul Cayard reports on Day One of the Fleet Racing in Dubai

by Paul Cayard

The fleet racing portion of the Maktoum Trophy started today with four very competitive races in great sailing conditions. The wind strength was between 20 and 12 knots from the south all day. It was shifty with the wind coming off the land so that made things tricky and it did get a bit softer toward the end of the day but the boats were powered up and planing downwind all day.

There was so much dust and sand flying in the air that you could not see more than a mile. We were only 2 miles offshore and we could not see land in the first two races.

Team Aqua had a "blinder" as the Kiwis would say. They sailed very well in three of the races and got really lucky in the last one to come out with a 2,1,2,1. On Katusha we had an ok day with a 5,5,2,8 and we are in 5th. The fleet stays very close together in these conditions and small mistakes can cost 3-4 boats. We were over the start line early in the first race and battled back to 5th. Even in the race we were second, we were back in the pack at the first mark. So, there is plenty of mixing and you just have to hang tough all the way to the end.

There is no "coastal" race here this time, so just more of the windward leeward racing tomorrow.

The forecast for tomorrow and Saturday is for more of the southerly winds, even going southeasterly, and a bit stronger. Four races in this breeze is a good work out for everyone.

Cayard Sailing

Aussie 18 Foot Skiffs: Awesome Images of the J.J. Giltinan Championships 2010

Image copyright Frank Quealey.


Image copyright Frank Quealey.


Image copyright Frank Quealey.


Image copyright Frank Quealey.


Image copyright Frank Quealey.

Gotta Love It 7 avoids the Manly Ferry and capsizes


1... Image copyright Frank Quealey.


2... Image copyright Frank Quealey.


3... Image copyright Frank Quealey.


Gone. Image copyright Frank Quealey.

More racing images


Image copyright Frank Quealey.


Image copyright Frank Quealey.


Image copyright Frank Quealey.


Image copyright Frank Quealey.


Image copyright Frank Quealey.


Image copyright Frank Quealey.


Image copyright Frank Quealey.


Image copyright Frank Quealey.


Image copyright Frank Quealey.


Image copyright Frank Quealey.


Image copyright Frank Quealey.


Image copyright Frank Quealey.


Image copyright Frank Quealey.


Gotta Love It 7 wins the last race and the series. Image copyright Frank Quealey.


The winners: Gotta Love It 7. Image copyright Frank Quealey.

Flying 18s

JVT: The antipodal point for Groupama 3

Jacques Caraës on board Groupama 3. Image copyright Team Groupama.

by Vincent Borde and Caroline Muller

At 52° S and 172° E, Groupama 3 is positioned at a point which is practically antipodal to the finish point off Ushant! With a 360 mile lead over the reference time this Thursday lunchtime, which is the equivalent of a good half a day, Franck Cammas and his men are carving out a course in almost ideal conditions to the South of New Zealand.

In fact it isn't quite the Créac'h lighthouse which corresponds with the point on the globe which is diametrically opposite to where Franck Cammas and his men were located this Thursday noon, but rather Dublin... Indeed the 25 to 30 knot SW to W'ly wind blowing offshore of Campbell Island, 350 miles to the South of New Zealand, has enabled the giant trimaran to make good headway to the SE, which is particularly positive in terms of the gains made in relation to the goal. Indeed the further South the boat sails, the shorter the distance she will have to cover to make Cape Horn. This is the principle behind the "La mer est ronde" (The Sea is Round - Deniau): not only has Groupama 3 been stretching out her lead over Orange 2 since the Crozet Islands, but she also has less distance to cover to get to the third cape in the Jules Verne Trophy!

"The moon has been visible again over the past two nights: there's a wonderful light which is facilitating control at the helm and any manoeuvres that have to be made. Furthermore, we've passed behind a front so we can see some beautiful breaks in the cloud, which are filled with stars. Earlier on we passed within three miles of Auckland Island, which is the first land we've seen since setting out from Ushant... It was nice: a very wild island, without human life, with waterfalls running into the sea! It's the end of the world, lost in the Pacific Ocean..." said Franck Cammas at the 1130 UTC video conference with Groupama's Race HQ in Paris, in the presence of French TV presenter, Maïtena Biraben.

Tomorrow the International Date Line

Still behind a depression circulating at 60° S, Groupama 3 is making headway in a slightly irregular breeze, both in terms of strength and direction, though the sea is undulating in an increasingly harmonious manner. As such making thirty knots of boat speed isn't a hard pace to maintain and the boat and crew alike are not suffering. Their excellent VMG (velocity made good) is also scheduled to continue over the next few days too. Indeed a front is in the process of catching up with the giant trimaran, which will cause the breeze to shift round to the NW; an extremely favourable rotation for slipping along towards Cape Horn. In fact current routing is announcing a rounding of this bare rock at the end of next week; a moment which will be synonymous with liberation, the way out, the end, the boundary stone, which marks the far edge of the Southern Ocean on a circumnavigation of the globe.

"By Thursday we won't be far off Cape Horn and it'll be a real deliverance because we'll be back in milder, warmer lands again. Right now though, it's becoming increasingly cold! Yet this type of sailing is also a part of what we came here for... The `No Exit' life we've been leading over the past 25 days isn't a problem: mood changes are always negative, so we restrain ourselves and come to terms with it... we're getting to know each other well though!"

The same day twice!

"When things are monotonous it's a good sign! It means that the trajectory is straight and we're making fast headway... and that the wind is stable and steady. It's down to the fact that it was monotonous that we were able to go so fast in the Indian Ocean! Right now things have changed a bit in the sense that we're further South and on port tack. The sea is different too and the sky is clearer. We're still using UTC time but it's dark: it's midnight local time here."

The next virtual line to mark this round the world is the International Date Line, along the longitude of 180°. It lies around 600 miles to the East of New Zealand and is diametrically opposite to the Greenwich meridian! As Jules Verne explained in his novel "Around the World in Eighty Days", Franck Cammas and his men will earn the right to experience 26th March twice over...

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)
Day 20 (20th February 1400 UTC): 672 miles (deficit = 211 miles)
Day 21 (21th February 1400 UTC): 584 miles (deficit = 124 miles)
Day 22 (22nd February 1400 UTC): 607 miles (deficit = 137 miles)
Day 23 (23rd February 1400 UTC): 702 miles (lead = 60 miles)
Day 24 (24th February 1400 UTC): 638 miles (lead = 208 miles)
Day 25 (25th February 1400 UTC): 712 miles (lead = 371 miles)

WSSRC record for the Pacific Ocean crossing (from the South of Tasmania to Cape Horn)
Orange 2 (2005): 8d 18h 08'

Cammas - Groupama

RC44: Team Aqua is back on top in the Al Maktoum Sailing Trophy

Chris Bake and his Team Aqua dominated the first day of the fleet regatta with two victories and two second places. The team from the UAE sits seven points ahead of Torbjorn Tornqvist’s Artemis and Igor Lah’s Ceeref after four races


A great start at the pin end for Team Aqua during one of Thursday's fleet races. Image copyright Nico Martinez/RC44.

by Bernard Schopfer

The conditions were absolutely fantastic today for the first day of the fleet regatta, with 15-18 knots breeze and a very warm sunshine.

Coming back to the top in style after a difficult match race, Chris Bake’s Team Aqua dominated the day and currently leads the overall ranking ahead of Torbjorn Tornqvist’s Artemis. "It’s a relief", said Bake at the end of the day. “We had a tough time last year in the Gold Cup and earlier in the week in the match race, so it is great to be back on top. In fact we all know how to sail well. Our main issue was to understand the mistakes we did and not to repeat them. Today our boat speed was great and we sailed well; I am very happy."

Team Aqua started the day with a bullet, sailing conservatively in the middle of the course and extending its lead at every shift. Igor Lah’s Ceeref finished second whilst Paul Cayard’s Katusha, with Bob Little at the helm, managed to climb back up to fifth after a premature start.

Team Sea Dubai was first to reach the second race’s top mark. They immediately jibed whereas all the other teams carried on sailing on starboard tack. The punishment was immediate, and Sea Dubai rounded the bottom mark in seventh. Team No Way Back benefited from this to take the lead and win the race ahead of Team Aqua and an excellent Team Austria. It was a nice revenge for the Dutch team, unfortunate in the first race when they got a knot in their spinnaker, finishing fourth instead of fighting for victory.

The wind started to drop a little bit during the third race, becoming shiftier as the sun was going down. Katusha and Puerto Calero started at the Committee boat and immediately tacked to port whilst Team Aqua went to the left. Paul Cayard’s strategy initially seemed to pay, until a massive left shift gave the lead to Aqua. Bake then controlled his opponents, winning for the second time ahead of Katusha and a very consistent Ceeref. We improved a lot”, said the Slovenian owner and helmsman Igor Lah. “Especially in the pre-starts: our tactician Rod Davis made me work hard and it really paid off. However what I love most is the spinnaker rides, when we are surfing at full speed. It was very exciting."

The last race could have cost a lot to Chris Bake and his team. Recalled for a premature start, Team Aqua rounded the top mark a long way behind the leader Artemis, and jibed immediately instead of following the pack. Seven minutes later, Team Aqua rounded the bottom mark in third, before overtaking Team Sea Dubai and finishing second behind Artemis. A great come-back! "Team Aqua did a fantastic job and I congratulate them”, said the Swedish team’s helmsman Torbjorn Tornqvist. "I am very pleased with our day", he added. “Our team is entirely new; there’s not one guy left from last year. So we are learning to sail together, and the guys need to discover the boat. Our results so far are very good."

Indeed, Artemis is currently second overall, seven points behind Team Aqua and two points ahead of Ceeref. The fleet regatta carries on until Saturday, with eight more races on the schedule. There is still a long way to go.

They said:

Chris Bake, helmsman, Team Aqua: "We are a strong team because we can overcome bad results and stay focused as a group. Our main strength is our team spirit, our hard work and Cameron’s leadership. Our goal this year is to remain competitive."

Torbjorn Tornqvist, helmsman, Artemis: "I haven’t sailed for five months and our team is entirely new, so I am very pleased with our day. I know Terry Hutchinson from the TP 52s, but we have never sailed together. Today was a great day. We had everything: a good wind, interesting strategic choices, a competitive fleet. It was very difficult and absolutely great."

Adam Minoprio and Mike Perris resp. tactician and helmsman, BMW ORACLE Racing: "It’s the first time we have sailed together, the first time Mike has steered this boat, the first time we have sailed with a jib, the first time... We feel that we are getting better at every race, so it is positive. But we know there is still a long way to go. The level is very good and there are only good people around; we need to practice a lot."

Igor Lah, helmsman, Ceeref: "The core of our crew is always the same, so we have a good routine on board. When it is as shifty as today, Rod Davis and Michele Ivaldi talk a lot about the stragegy. And at the end, Rod makes the decisions. It works well."

René Mangold, helmsman, Team Austria: "I am very happy and surprised by our results. We are pure amateurs, so it is difficult to find people available and our team changes from one race to the next. But we are improving a lot, our starts were good and I am happy with our speed. In the past, when we were reaching the top mark in a good position, it was total panic on board: "What shall we do now..." But now we are very relaxed about it, we just do the best we can."

Fleet race, provisional results after four races:

(Ranking, name of team, helmsman, results, points)

1) Team Aqua (Chris Bake), 1, 2, 1, 2 – 6 points
2) Artemis (Torbjorn Tornqvist), 3, 4, 5, 1 - 13 points
3) CEEREF (Igor Lah), 2, 7, 3, 3 - 15 points
4) Team No Way Back (Pieter Heerema), 4, 1, 7, 7 - 19 points
5) Katusha (Bob Little), 5, 5, 2, 8 - 20 points
6) Team Sea Dubai (Raimondo Tonelli), 6, 6, 8, 4 - 24 points
7) Team Austria (René Mangold), 8, 3, 9, 5 - 25 points
8) Team Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (Daniel Calero), 7, 8, 4, 9 - 28 points
9) BMW ORACLE Racing (Mike Perris), 9, 9, 6, 6 - 30 points

RC44

IRC Classes join the Al Maktoum Sailing Trophy

Image from the last Maktoum Sailing Trophy in 2008, copyright Jacques Vapillon.

by Sharon Allison

Two distinct elements form Al Maktoum Sailing Trophy this year; the first has already begun with the RC 44 Match Race, and the second, the IRC classes race will start in conjunction with the RC 44 fleet racing Thursday on a separate course in Mina Seyahi. Both organized by Dubai International Marine Club with the assistance of a full international Race Committee another eighteen boats will join the nine RC 44 teams.

There are three IRC class divisions split according to the size and weight of the boat with the largest boat at sixty feet in length and the smallest twenty-four feet. The wind tomorrow is expected blow up to eighteen knots and build towards the weekend with an early morning forecast on Friday of twenty two knots calming to nine knots in the middle of the day with predictions of twenty plus on Saturday. It all makes for interesting racing and for one of the teams, Go North, it will be quite an experience. All on board are below eighteen years old and skipper, Frederic Jacobs will be entering the Al Maktoum Sailing Trophy for the second time with a rookie crew as far as the Trophy is concerned. Taher Adil Ismail Mohd. Taher and Ahmed Ismail Mohd. Taher both from the UAE have been racing on Go North for two seasons with Frederic and have had many successes. They recently came first in the Jumeirah Regatta and were proud of the fact that they were the youngest competitors.

The IRC class boats had a practice race today in very light winds and racing will start at 10:00 on the 25th February with three days of fleet racing finishing with prize giving on the 27th February.

Entrants:
No. Yacht Name IRC No Skipper Name Owner Div
1 Drilling System 1.103 Francis Carr Francis Carr 1
2 Carrera Sun Glasses 1.156 Kristian Tzanov Kristian Tzanov 1
3 Yo! 1.238 Toby O' Connell Toby O' Connell 1
4 Team Premier TP 52 1.362 Hannes Waimer Hannes Waimer 1
5 Mattafix 1.049 David Rostant Gowen / Rostant / Thomson 2
6 TWISTER 1.020 Karen Rowlands Glywn Rowlands 2
7 Privateer 0.978 Matt & Bekky Britton Ed Bowen Matt , Bekky and Ed Bowen 2
8 Boracic 1.039 Calum Mckie Calum Mckie 2
9 MACE 1.010 Mike Jelfs Mike Jelfs 2
10 UNWIND 1.023 Dominique Leroux Emiliano Boccaletti 2
11 The Office 1.037 Michael Lawton Michael Lawton 2
12 Rush Knot 0.992 Phil Hosking Lee Turn Bull & Phil Hosking 2
13 VICTORIA (AMC TEAM) 0.868 Maxim Taranov Mikhail Rassudov 3
14 Go North 0.918 Frederic Jacobs Sh Khaled Bin Zayed Al Nehayan 3
15 DIMC 1 1.022 Peter Eldreige DIMC 3
16 DIMC 2 1.022 Conrad Schwindt DIMC 3
17 Kernowek 0.872 David Stuckey David Stuckey 3
18 Tosser 0.886 Bill Coutts / Tom Coldcott Tom Coldcott 3

Dubai International Marine Club

CentrePort Wellington International Youth Match Racing Championship - Day Two

by Matt Chan

Racing resumed this morning outside the club and Round Robin 1 was was completed just before lunch today.

Royal Sydney Yacht Squardron skipper Jordan Reece topped Round Robin 1 followed by fellow Australian Will Mackenzie, Matt Steven finished in 3rd and rounding out the top four was Tim Coltman.

Day 2 of the CentrePort International Youth Match Racing Regatta was just one of those days. Earlier in the day a side stay jumped out of the spreader and in the afternoon a traveller cleat was replaced. In the flight 7 re-match Mackenzie beat Reece by a 3 minute 33 second margin who had a temporary mainsheet failure.

RPNYC skipper Matt Steven got off to a great start in Round Robin 2 with 3 consecutive wins, matched only by Cruising Yacht Club of Australia skipper Will Mckenzie. Round Robin 1 winner Jordan Reece was unable to sustain the momentum and has dropped his first three matches in round robin 2.

At 4.30pm Thursday afternoon the halfway mark of Round Robin 2 was reached but the winds had risen too high to continue. All sailors retired to the Wardroom to enjoy the social side of the regatta and Round 2 will resume Friday.

Results to date

Round Robin 1

1) Reece RSYS 6 wins - 1 loss
2) Mackenzie CYCA 5-2
3) Steven RPNYC 5-2
4) Coltman RPNYC 5-2
5) Porebski RPNYC 3-4
6) Pooley RNZYS 2-5
7) Waterhouse RPAYC 1-6
8) Dawson RNZYS 1-6

Round Robin 2 - part results

Mackenzie CYCA 4-2
Steven RPNYC 4-0
Waterhouse RPAYC 2-1
Porebski RPNYC 2-2
Pooley RNZYS 2-3
Coltman RPNYC 1-2
Reece RSYS 1-3
Dawson RNZYS 0-3

Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club

Images from Day One of the Centreport International Youth Match Racing Championships

Great weather for match racing in Wellington!


Taken from Oriental Bay, Wellington. Image copyright RPNYC.


Taken from Oriental Bay, Wellington. Image copyright RPNYC.


Taken from Oriental Bay, Wellington. Image copyright RPNYC.


Taken from Oriental Bay, Wellington. Image copyright RPNYC.


Taken from Oriental Bay, Wellington. Image copyright RPNYC.

Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club