2012 Olympic Sailing Venue Wins International Architecture Award

Completed facilities at the 2012 Olympic Sailing Venue: Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy. Image copyright Dorset Media Service.

by Cailah Leask

The Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA), has won an acclaimed International Architecture Award. The International Association for Sports and Leisure Facilities (IAKS), the only organisation for sports facilities recognised by the International Olympic Committee, and The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) announced the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy as winner of the ‘IPC/IAKS Distinction for Accessibility 2009’.

This successful awards programme has been running for 20 years and now includes the most important globally recognised architectural award for sport and leisure facilities. During 2009 these unique awards attracted 14 different countries to enter with 54 entries being received for the ‘IPC/IAKS Distinction Award’. The award is aimed at increasing the accessibility of all sports facilities and architectural projects in order to give opportunities to persons with disability to practise and view sport freely and without barriers.


The Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy building. Image copyright WPNSA.

Disabled access to the venue was a huge influence to the purpose built WPNSA facilities, with disabled access hoists on the pontoons providing the safest access to tidal waters for people with disabilities anywhere in the UK.

Helena Lucas, Paralympic Sailor, comments on WPNSA, ‘I love training in Weymouth Bay and Portland Harbour as they offer a wide range of sailing conditions. The Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy is an unbeatable venue for disabled sailors with new, customised facilities. I don’t know of any other sailing venue where the needs of sailors of all abilities are so well catered for’.WPNSA won the distinguished award alongside other prestigious international sports venues including; The Beijing Olympic Stadium - China, La Molina Ski Resort – Spain, Moscow Region Speed Skating Center Kolomna, Colomna – Russia and The National Tennis Centre, London – UK.


WPNSA pontoon facilities inspected by Her Majesty the Queen. Image copyright WPNSA.

John Tweed, Chief Executive, WPNSA, has been invited to attend the official prize giving ceremony to be held during October in Cologne, Germany. ‘We are very honoured that the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy has received such a prestigious architectural award recognised globally by the International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee. We hold accessibility for persons with disabilities to our venue extremely highly as everyone who wishes to experience a water based sport should feel free to do so without barriers’.

Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy

OK Dinghy World Championship races 1 and 2: Purdie of New Zealand Leads

Karl Purdie (NZL) and Nick Craig (GBR) reaching. Image copyright Mary Reddyhoff.

by Mary Reddyhoff

After two general recalls, the race officer, Patrik Schander, used the black flag to get the clear start for the first race of the OK World Championships in Kalmar, Sweden. Sailing in sunshine and a moderate breeze, the 71 OKs set off up the 20 minute beat. The majority of the fleet remained on the starboard side of the course with Thomas Hansson-Mild (SWE) and Jorgen Lindhardtsen (DEN) leading at the windward mark. They created a big lead on the following pack, led by Terry Curtis (GBR) and defending champion Karl Purdie (NZL). The order remained unchanged to the finish.

Hansson-Mild was delighted to continue his winning ways. He won the last race of the World Championship in Warnemunde in 2008 and now starts the 2009 Championship with a win.


Gybe mark rounding. Image copyright Mary Reddyhoff.

Race 1
1st Thomas Hansson-Mild SWE
2nd Jorgen Lindhardtsen DEN
3rd Terry Curtis GBR
4th Karl Purdie NZL
5th Pawel Pawlaczyk POL
6th Nick Craig GBR
7th Andre Blasse AUS
8th Mogens Johansen DEN
9th Greg Wilcox NZL
10th Ralf Tietje GER

After a general recall at the start of race 2 there was a short delay while the wind backed to a more southerly direction.

As it settled back to the original direction, the race officer lost no time in starting the race with a black flag, claiming three premature starters. The moderate breeze persisted, creating a short chop that was difficult to sail over when the wind pressure dropped. Nick Craig (GBR) rounded the windward mark first, with Purdie close behind. Having been penalised by the jury in race 1 Craig sailed a conservative reach, Purdie however, managed to surf past and steadily increased his lead for the remainder of the race. Andre Blasse (AUS) managed to pass Craig, as did Lindhardtsen on the line!


Start of race 2. Image copyright Mary Reddyhoff.

Race 2
1st Karl Purdie NZL
2nd Andre Blasse AUS
3rd Jorgen Lindhardtsen DEN
4th Nick Craig GBR
5th Thomas Hansson-Mild SWE
6th Greg Wilcox NZL
7th Terry Curtis GBR
8th Pawel Pawlaczyk POL
9th Antoni Pawlowski POL
10th Bo-Staffan Andersson SWE

Day 1 reflections
Purdie, who leads the fleet, reflected on the day's racing. "The first race was OK, but I did not get a good start, spending most of the time on Curtis' transom. The shifts are predictable, and with everyone travelling at very similar speeds, it is difficult to get past your opponents. In the second race I had a better start and was able to be more aggressive than Craig in my sailing of the reaches as he had received the yellow flag in the first race. I am pleased with my results - though they are not as good as last year's." He won both races last year.


Jorgen Lindhardtsen. Image copyright Mary Reddyhoff.

Ex-Olympian, Lindhardtsen continues to show the rest of the fleet how to sail an OK Dinghy. He is currently in second place, on equal points with Purdie. Now 64 years of age, more than 20 years Purdie's senior, he commented that it could have been so much worse as, whilst trying to break out from Curtis' cover, he did a bad tack, just saving a capsize by pirouetting back onto his original tack.

Blasse commented, "It was a good day", as he made the most of the breezy conditions, while seasoned campaigner Curtis said, "this is my best ever first day at a World Championship."

OK Worlds

Reuben Corbett Wins Bucks Match Race Edition Three

Reuben Corbett: the weekend's winner. Image copyright Bronwyn Hyland.

by Laurie Jury

Eight top match racing teams lined up in the weekend for the third event of the Bucks match racing series at Bucklands Beach Yacht Club.

Light winds plagued the event with the race committee have to cut the format to a just a single round robin.

The light winds didn’t stop the fierce competition; the umpires had their hands full with protests and penalties.

Reuben Corbett and his team sailed very well in the trying conditions, to finish the round with no losses. In second place was Adrian Short with 1 loss and David Wood finishing in third.

Laurie Jury and his Slam Kiwi Match Team finished in fourth place to move up to first equal in the overall series standings with Micheal Bullot.

There is one more event in the series the ‘Doyle Match Cup’ which is held on the 12th and 13th September. Up for grabs for the series winning team is an entry to the Noumea Cup, an ISAF grade 3 international Match Race.

The Doyle Match Cup will count double points and is a non-discard event, with the points so close there are seven teams in with a chance to take out the overall series.


Adrian Short involved in close racing. Image copyright Bronwyn Hyland.

Bucks Match Race Three Results
1st Reuben Corbett
2nd Adrian Short
3rd David Wood
4th Laurie Jury
5th Chris Kitchen
6th Stephanie Hazard
7th Graeme Sutherland
8th Samantha Osborne

Bucklands Beach Yacht Club

Audi MedCup: Images from Racing in the Mistral off Cagliari by Juerg Kaufmann

Emirates Team New Zealand heading for victory in the Mistral off Cagliari, Sardinia. Image copyright Juerg Kaufmann/Go4Image


Quantum Racing, Artemis and Matador at the start. Image copyright Juerg Kaufmann/Go4Image


Quantum Racing reaches the bottom mark. Image copyright Juerg Kaufmann/Go4Image


Synergy. Image copyright Juerg Kaufmann/Go4Image


Quantum Racing. Image copyright Juerg Kaufmann/Go4Image


Emirates Team New Zealand and Quantum Racing. Image copyright Juerg Kaufmann/Go4Image


Audi Q8. Image copyright Juerg Kaufmann/Go4Image


The TP52 fleet. Image copyright Juerg Kaufmann/Go4Image

Go4Image
Audi MedCup

OK World Championships: Practice Race Won by Kiwi Karl Purdie

Lining up for the start. Supplied image.

by Mary Reddyhoff

With measurement completed with smooth effectiveness, there was an air of optimism in the dinghy park. Just centimetres away from the channel accessing the race area, sailors were able to complete their final preparations in sunshine with a moderate breeze blowing. Andre Blasse (AUS) said "I will be happy to finish 7th behind the six previous World Champions this year. Achieving a top ten place will be very difficult with so many of the top OK sailors present at this event".

Keen to get the Championship underway, many were premature starters at the start of the Practice race and a general recall resulted. The AP was raised seconds before the second start as a major wind shift occurred under thunderous clouds. Once passed, the wind settled back to the SW and the race began in 20 knots of breeze, with a short steep wave pattern well established in the breezy conditions. Nick Craig (GBR) led the fleet to the pin end, tacking onto port as the gun fired. Another wind shift saw the port side of the course paying, with the leaders fetching into the windward mark, well ahead of the committee boat end starters.

At the gybe mark Karl Purdie (NZL), the current World Champion, had established a several boat length lead on Jorgen Lindhardtsen (DEN), with Craig, Christian Olesen (DEN) and Oliver Gronholz (GER) in hot pursuit. The second and third beats were good, favouring the big breeze sailors. Craig capsized on the gybe at the leeward mark "I did not let off the kicker" he said "as I have only done one event this year!" The majority of the fleet peeled off home in the choppy conditions, leaving thirty three to finish, the last Mathieu Chenuil (FRA). He was not the least discouraged "I am determined to finish every race and learn as much as I can at my first Worlds".

It is common for the leader not to finish the Practice race on the suspicion it will mar his performance later in the week; however Purdie sailed to take the gun with the comment "I am out for what I can get this week!". Gronholz was 2nd, although slow upwind, he was pleased with his tactics on the shifts, saying "I was happy with my speed on the reach and the run".

Lindhardtsen surprised the leaders with his speed upwind, shrugging his shoulders he said "my back is still a bit sore". Greg Wilcox (NZL) President of the OK Dinghy International Association, passed Craig, finishing 5th.


Rounding the gybe mark. Supplied image.

1st NZL 531 Karl Purdie
2nd GER 717 Oliver Gronholz
3rd DEN 1364 Jorgen Lindhardtsen
4th DEN 1340 Christian Olesen
5th NZL 522 Greg Wilcox
6th GBR 2134 Nick Craig
7th SWE 100 Thomas Hansson-Mild
8th SWE 2782 Jan-Erik Engholm
9th SWE 66 Jan-Erik Nystedt
10th DEN 1377 Jorgen Holm Nielsen

OK Worlds

Audi MedCup: Final Day Report from Paul Cayard

Dean Barker with the region of Sardinia Trophy won by Emirates Team New Zealand. Image copyright Stefano Gattini/Audi MedCup.

by Paul Cayard

Three races today on the Gulfo di Cagliari in a Mistral of 15 to 27 knots. We had our worst day with a 9, 8, 6. Still we hung on to third place overall. Team New Zealand won the regatta although they did not win any of the races today.

Matador had a first in the first race then a last in the last race. It was all pretty mixed up.

The racing was very tight in the smooth water and the narrow tacking angles. We were just a few meters short of crossing starboard tack boats at the windward marks and had to duck them several times today. This added up to a lot of places.
Anyway, all in all, it was a very good week on the Artemis.

Next appointment is in Portimao, Portugal mid August.

Flying home to SF tomorrow and 505 training with Howie on Monday.

Cayard Sailing
Audi MedCup

Audi MedCup: Forza Kiwi

Emirates Team New Zealand add the Region of Sardinia Trophy to the Marseille Trophy after a composed final day of racing in a building Mistral breeze, while Islas Canarias Puerto Calero win the GP42 Series Regatta.


Emirates Team New Zealand head to victory. Image copyright Stefano Gattini/Audi MedCup.

by Sabina Mollart-Rogerson

Emirates Team New Zealand’s boss and mast-man Grant Dalton (NZL) had his wish today as the Mistral breeze returned to present a final crescendo as the Kiwi team sailed cleanly through three final races to secure the Region of Sardinia Trophy, their second successive regatta title after also winning last month in Marseille, France.

Dalton spoke this morning of hoping for a decent wind-strength for the final day of racing, declaring his team were just trying to ‘hang on’ after Friday’s changeable sea-breeze conditions.

Not only did the New Zealand crew ‘hang on’, they sailed with exceptional patience and composure while their two principal rivals – Matador (ARG) and Artemis (SWE) – suffered their own, largely self inflicted problems.

In the GP42 Series Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (ESP) won four of the final five races to take the Region of Sardinia Trophy, needing only to finish in the final race to be sure of their first regatta win this season.

Artemis (SWE) made infringements in both the first and second races, while Matador blotted an otherwise strong day when they tacked too close to Emirates Team New Zealand and had also to take a penalty, then spectacularly hooked the windward mark and could not release it until 100 metres down the final run.

In contrast Emirates Team New Zealand sailed with precision across their races to score a third, a first and, as a final flourish in the 22 knot Mistral, a second place which ensured they topped the final standings by 14.5 points ahead of Matador. Artemis who started the day in second slipped to third place ifor the regatta.

After arriving in Cagliari with a lead of 16 points last week, the Emirates Team New Zealand’s second regatta triumph ensures they head for Portimao for next month’s Portugal Trophy having more than doubled their lead, whilst Matador have climbed to second overall at the expense of Quantum Racing (USA). The current Audi MedCup champions best race finish came today with a second in the second contest, but they ended the regatta in seventh place.

Racing for the first time at this regatta in the NW’ly breeze, the Mistral direction, with the windward turn less than one mile from the weather shore, at the top of the U-shaped Bay of Cagliari, the course offered a rich choice of gusts and shifts for the tacticians to work their magic.

TP52 Series Race 9
Matador won the first race when they recognised the small gain to the right of the first beat which they hooked into after an excellent start, to chase Valars 3 around the first windward turn. Emirates Team New Zealand took third, while Artemis’ frustrations were enhanced after taking a penalty for fouling Audi Q8 (ITA), when they partially dropped their gennaker on the final run.

TP52 Series Race 10
In response to his afterguard’s call for the right side on the first beat of the second race helm Dean Barker responded with a swift, neatly timed port tack departure which ensured they could dictate terms to the fleet. Whilst Matador kept the pressure on their Kiwi rivals with a fourth, Artemis fouled Audi Q8 (ITA) and had to take a penalty turn.

TP52 Series Race 11
Bigamist (POR) won the final race when Bribón could not set their jib at the leeward gate, rounding bare-headed in 23 knots of breeze, whilst Emirates Team New Zealand, fighting to the end stole third place from Synergy (RUS). Artemis took a second successive penalty, this time on the final run, close to the finish.

GP42 Race 9
After a general recall Islas Canarias Puerto Calero fought back to win after being one of two boats which were individually recalled. At the leeward gate as Caser Endesa (ESP) and Airis (ITA) tussled, they chose the opposite mark and were able to extend in to clear air and clinch the regatta title.

GP42 Race 10
Caser Endesa won the final race after being first to earn the dividend presented by extra wind pressure on the right of the first beat, enough to take second by two points from third placed Airis.

Audi MedCup Circuit 2009
Region of Sardinia Trophy

TP52 Series
Final standings after 11 races
1. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), 1+1+1+5+4+3+5+2+3+1+2= 28 points
2. Matador (ARG), 3+3+4+1+2+7,5+2+5+1+4+10= 42,5 points
3. Artemis (SWE), 2+2+7+3+3+1,5+1+7+9+8+6= 49.5 points
4. Bigamist (POR), 6+5+9+6+1+9+4+1+6+9+1= 57 points
5. Synergy (RUS), 4+8+2+2+5+15+7+6+2+3+3= 57 points
...

GP42 Series
Final standings after 10 races
1. Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (ESP), 3+2+3+4+4+1+1+1+1+3= 23 points
2. Caser Endesa (ESP), 4+4+2+2+1+3+2+3+4+1= 26 points
3. Airis (ITA), 1+1+4+3+5+2+4+4+2+2= 28 points
4. Roma (ITA), 2+5+1+1+3+4+3+2+5+4= 30 points
5. Turismo Madrid (ESP), 5+3+5+5+2+5+5+5+3+5= 43 points
...

Audi MedCup Circuit 2009
Overall after Alicante (ESP), Marseille (FRA) and Cagliari (ITA)

TP52 Series
1. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), 38+27,5+28= 93,5 points
2. Matador (ARG), 36+47,5+42,5= 126 points
3. Quantum Racing (USA), 40+41,5+65= 146,5 points
4. Artemis (SWE), 37+62,5+52,5= 149 points
5. Bigamist (POR), 46+55,5+56= 158,5 points
...

GP42 Series
1. Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (ESP), 20+23+23= 66 points
2. Roma (ITA), 22+17+30= 69 points
3. Caser-Endesa (ESP), 33+27+26= 86 points
4. Airis (ITA), 21+38+28= 87 points
5. Turismo Madrid (ESP), 35+35+43= 113 points
...

Quotes of the day:

Grant Dalton (NZL), CEO and mast-man Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL):
“ We did not sail that well, we started badly once and just with the breeze and so on…. but we sailed with composure too, we managed to not crack under pressure while people were cracking around us, but that is just the way we sail. Credit to the guys, though just having been sailing together for a while. The points flatter us a bit, as they did in Marseille in the end, Artemis were right there, but it certainly did not feel like that after the first race this morning. The second race did not hurt. But I thought our best race was our last race. We knew what had to be done. Matador helped by getting their penalty, but we were sailing ourselves out of the course but we got right back into when the breeze came on.”

Guillermo Parada (ARG) skipper-helm Matador (ARG):
“When we look back now, second is OK, it’s good. We obviously took some risks in the last races and they did not come off. But we are happy with our boat speed and we sailed pretty well, so we are looking forward to the next two events.”

Audi MedCup