Key West Racing Week 2011 ended yesterday in the waters of Key West, Florida. The winner was clarified after three races, southern wind varying between 5 and 8 knots.
Mascalzone Latino Audi Team from Italy and its owner Vincenzo Onorato did a great job, winning after ten races Key West Racing Week for the third time. The competition was fierce fight until the final leg of the last regata coming out.
Mascalzone’s crew got four first positions, two seconds, three thirds and one fifth position (their worst outcome) thereby ending the competition as leader of general score-board getting the same number of points as Don Wilson’s Team Aqua with the tactician Cameron Appleton, and one point ahead of ORACLE Racing with the tactician Russell Coutts.
The dramatic situation developed in favour of Mascalzone Latino Audi Team due to their larger number of best outcomes: four first positions for the Italian team versus three ones for the UAE team.
On Friday morning Mascalzone Latino Audi Team was one point behind Team Aqua, holder of the leading position on the score-board, with ORACLE Racing in tie third place.
Yesterday it was all or nothing day; winner takes all: the crew was totally focused, excellent aware – nothing was lacking to achieve another victory in this Class: boat’s speed, crew spirit and teamwork is the key.
In the first of the three races, Mascalzone Latino started on the right foot reaping an excellent leading position controlling the race from start to finish. This result ranked Vincenzo Onorato’s team with the tactician Francesco Bruni from Palermo, Italy, back in the first place of the score-board, with just one point advantage.
However, in the next race, number 9, Mascalzone’s crew had a poor performance, they got trapped between two boats and were forced to tack towards a less favourable racing area. This option costed them the race: all their efforts did not help to regain the lost ground. Their predicament was getting even worse caused by a fishing net letting them loosing speed, thereby making impossible to catch up other boats.
This regatta is won by Team Aqua, taking back the leadership on the score-board, followed by I’s American team and ORACLE Racing (third). Mascalzone Latino ends in fifth position.
The tenth and last race shows real teamwork spirit and true men fight. Mascalzone Latino Audi Team’s starts not in a good shape, their position compels the tactician Francesco Bruni to tack. Mascalzone Latino falls behind the other boats and after a pair of tacks moves to the left hand side of the racing area, the crew is gambling, knowing that there will be no more chances. ORACLE and Team Aqua are sailing on the right hand side and watching each other.
Shortly after having reached one half of the first upwind leg, the boats are approaching to the fatal cross-over point. The distance is large in this moment, and the minutes before the crossing finish line seem lumbering slowly. Moment of truth finally comes: Mascalzone eases ahead of all.
It’s not good enough: in order to win it is necessary to put a boat between Mascalzone and Team Aqua. Unfortunately, leg after leg, while Mascalzone is leading alone ahead of all, Team Aqua regains positions and, in the middle of the second upwind stage is second. Bruni realizes the danger and orders his helmsman to gybe to interfere with the breeze blowing towards Aqua, hoping making it easier for ORACLE to overtake Team Aqua.
The next step is a text book operation: although Aqua was already in layline compelling to tack, letting ORACLE to pass, reaching second place.
Mascalzone Latino Audi Team wins convincingly the race, ahead of ORACLE and Team Aqua.
“It is a great satisfaction, to win against competitors of such calibre – comments Vincenzo Onorato – today it has been difficult, but at the moment of truth we showed our mettle. It happened for the first time while sailing upwind I heard my tactician telling me to gybing instead of tacking. It has been the decisive action to take. Well done boys!”
Crew members on board, beside the Neapolitan owner and Bruni: two trimmers, Andrea Ballico and Matteo Savelli, mainsail trimmer Paul "Flipper" Westlake, the mastman Simone de Mari, the grinder, Iztok Knafelc and the bowman Davide “Manolo” Scarpa.
Virbac Paprec 3 at full pelt. Image copyright Yvan Zedda/Virbac Paprec.
by Barcelona World Race media
Virbac Paprec 3, currently lying second in the Barcelona World Race has sailed 516 nautical miles over the past 24 hours, potentially establishing a new speed record for the IMOCA 60 class.
The total of 516.37 miles was calculated as the distance covered by Jean-Pierre Dick (FRA) and Loick Peyron (FRA) by Barcelona World Race tracking between 0900h (UTC) on January 21 and 0900h today, January 22 2011. This equates to an average speed of 21.51 knots.
The distance is subject to ratification by the World Sailing Speed Record Council (WRSSC), but if confirmed will set a new 60ft monohull 24-hour speed, which was set by Hugo Boss in the previous edition of the Barcelona World Race in 2007 when Alex Thomson (GBR) and Andrew Cape (AUS) covered 501.3 miles at an average speed of 20.88 knots. That edition of the race was won by Jean-Pierre Dick, then sailing with Damian Foxall (IRE).
Virbac Paprec 3is currently in second place behind Foncia, sailed by Michel Desjoyeaux (FRA) and Francois Gabart (FRA), racing in the South Atlantic on their way to Gough Island, a waypoint of the course south-west of the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa.
Note from SailRaceWin: Tweet from Alex Thomson (GBR) today (previous holder of the record, along with Andrew Cape (AUS)) - "big congrats to Virbac Paprec 3 for breaking mine and Capey's world record. 516 miles in 24 hours!!"
Banque Populaire V crosses the starting line on her Trophee Jules Verne attempt. Image copyright B. Stichelbaut/BPCE.
by Virginie Bouchet
The boat and the crew have been set for weeks. They set off this morning from the Port du Chateau in Brest and crossed the start line off Ushant at 11h11m45sec (UTC) for the Maxi Trimaran Banque Populaire’s first attempt on the Jules Verne Trophy. Pascal Bidegorry and his 13 crew have to be back in less than 48 days, 7 hours, 44 minutes and 52 seconds in order to beat the record time established by Groupama 3 in March 2010.
A tricky window
It was just before 9 am this morning when the Maxi Trimaran left the dock, in the Port du Chateau in Brest. Between the excitement of leaving and the emotion of leaving families, the moment was really intense for the 14 crew.
Extremely focused on attacking this first attempt, the skipper Pascal Bidegorry is happy about leaving today, even though the weather conditions are not that clear: «we will be leaving downwind and sailing around a depression. Below this depression, we cannot hide from the fact that the forecast is not straight forward.
However, we have been waiting for this moment for a long time and we cannot let this opportunity go. I am really excited to be going to sea and I really think that we deserve it. I am looking forward to tomorrow morning, tomorrow night or in two days time and realising: “that’s it ! We’re there!”. These stand-by periods are somewhat painful and I am really looking forward to saying that we are in the Jules Verne Trophy, the objective of the past four years. This is a great moment in my life. "
The Canaries, a central concern
Indeed, the weather situation is not that clear over the Atlantic, as Brian Thompson explained just before leaving the dock: “We are confronted by two different weather models: the European and the American ones. They are showing us different things so we decided to go for the pessimistic one, the European, in order to avoid falling in light winds. In fact, there is a low pressure off the Canaries which is going to kill the trade winds a little bit and then another massive low crossing the Atlantic. As this latter comes closer, it might completely kill the trade winds. We are just trying to sneak pass a little low over the Canaries, turn round that and get down to the South before the big depression comes over.”
It will be no mean feat for the Skipper, Pascal Bidegorry and his 13 crew onboard Banque Populaire V, and for them the 10th March will be highlighted in their diaries as the date to aim for as they attempt to sail into the record books.
Maxi Banque Populaire V’s crew list
The crew of Banque Populaire V wave goodbye at the start of their Trophee Jules Verne record attempt. Image copyright B. Stichelbaut/BPCE.
Off Watch : Pascal Bidégorry : skipper Juan Vila : navigator
Watch n°1 Yvan Ravussin : Watch leader, in charge of video and composite Brian Thompson : Helmsman / Trimmer Thierry Chabagny : Helmsman / Trimmer Pierre-Yves Moreau : Bowman, in charge of fittings and composite
Watch n°2 Fred Le Peutrec : Watch leader Emmanuel Le Borgne : Helmsman / Trimmer, in charge of medics Erwan Tabarly : Helmsman / Trimmer, in charge of electonics Ronan Lucas : Bowman, in charge of security
Watch n°3 Jérémie Beyou : Watch leader Kevin Escoffier: Helmsman / Trimmer, in charge of video Xavier Revil : Helmsman / Trimmer, in charge of food Florent Chastel : Bowman, in charge of medics and rigging
Marcel van Triest : Shore weather routeur
Videos on the departure of Banque Populaire V from Brest (mostly in French):
Top départ pour le Maxi Banque Populaire V !
C'est à 12 heures 11 minutes et 45 secondes (Heure de Paris) ce samedi que le Maxi Banque Populaire V a coupé la ligne de départ du Trophée Jules Verne entre Ouessant et le Cap Lizard, mettant ainsi fin à une attente patiente et ouvrant une nouvelle page du grand livre des records. Cette première tentative s'engage dans des conditions météorologiques encore sujettes à incertitudes pour le Maxi Trimaran armé par la Banque de la Voile, mais vient libérer les marins dont l'envie d'en découdre était ce matin irrépressible.
Partir entre Ouessant et le Cap Lizard, faire le tour du globe par les trois caps - Bonne Espérance, Leeuwin et Horn - et revenir au point de départ. 21 760 milles d'un parcours mythique et difficile, mettant en avant autant le défi sportif que l'aventure humaine. Après celui de l'Atlantique Nord, de la plus grande distance parcourue en 24 heures et de la traversée de la Méditerranée, ce record autour de la planète est forcément celui que les marins du Maxi Banque Populaire V rêvent d'accrocher à leur tableau de chasse. Pour cela, il leur faudra boucler la boucle en moins de 48 jours 7 heures 44 minutes et 52 secondes, soit le temps de référence établi par les hommes de Groupama 3 en 2010 et donc être de retour avant le 11 mars 2010 à 18 heures 55 minutes 37 secondes (Heure de Paris). Un challenge à la mesure de la motivation, de l'enthousiasme et de la préparation du projet.
Libération !
Passée la "libération" du départ du ponton brestois, Pascal Bidégorry et ses équipiers ont mis à profit le temps nécessaire pour rallier la zone de départ pour se mettre dans leur bulle de marins partis en quête d'un record autour du monde. Dans des conditions légères, ils déclenchaient le chronomètre du WSSRC*, actionné depuis le phare de Créac'h à 12 heures 11 minutes et 45 secondes. Dans les heures à venir, bénéficiant d'un flux se renforçant, le Maxi Banque Populaire V laissera dans son sillage la pointe Bretagne pour entrer dans le vif d'un sujet complexe.
A chacun sa vision
A bord de Banque Populaire V, Pascal Bidégorry et Juan Vila, navigateur embarqué, focaliseront toute leur attention sur l'immédiateté météorologique et les conditions rencontrées dans les prochaines heures. A terre, le routeur Marcel van Triest, aura quant à lui la charge d'une vision à plus long terme et notamment de donner à l'équipage les "clés" de l'entrée en Atlantique Sud. Mais d'ici là, quatorze hommes vont soigner leur entrée en jeu autour de la planète.
*WSSRC : World Sailing Speed Record Council. Organisme qui gère les records à la voile.
Banque Populaire V crosses the starting line on her Trophee Jules Verne attempt. Image copyright B. Stichelbaut/BPCE.
Ils ont dit :
Pascal Bidégorry, skipper : "On va partir avec du vent portant. On va faire le tour d'une dépression. En dessous de cette dépression on ne va pas se cacher que ce n'est pas extraordinaire. Toutes les secondes sur le record seront importantes. Il faut aller vite, il faut être clairvoyant. Il ne faut pas casser le moindre truc. Il faudra accepter éventuellement d'avoir du retard parce que la météo aura fait son choix.
Je suis impatient qu'on se retrouve sur l'eau parce que je pense qu'on le mérite bien. J'ai hâte que, demain matin, demain soir ou dans deux jours, on se dise : "ça y est, on y est !". Je pense qu'on est tous prêts depuis bien longtemps, maintenant il faut vivre tout ça. Je suis content de partir parce que ce stand by a quand même été un peu pénible et donc c'est libératoire tout ça. J'attends avec impatience de pouvoir me dire qu'on est dans le Trophée Jules Verne, ce pour quoi on travaille depuis quatre ans. Ce sera un petit instant de vie super agréable. Je suis également ravi de partir avec cet équipage, parce qu'indépendamment de leurs compétences sportives, ce sont vraiment de belles personnes et il y a une super ambiance à bord. C'est agréable de partager ça avec ces gens là et je me réjouis de vivre avant tout une belle histoire d'hommes.".
Juan Vila, navigateur embarqué : "Finalement on peut partir et c'est une bonne sensation. C'est toujours une nouvelle expérience, il n'y a pas deux départs qui se ressemblent. Je n'ai pas forcément beaucoup dormi ces dernières nuits parce que j'ai beaucoup regardé les fichiers. En termes de sommeil, j'ai déjà le rythme du bateau. On attend un départ au portant avec des vents de Nord-Est. Ensuite on va contourner une petite dépression au Nord des Canaries et après cette dépression il y a la transition vers les alizés. C'est d'ailleurs ce phénomène qui a déterminé notre choix quant à l'heure de départ de ce matin".
Frédéric Le Peutrec, chef de quart et détenteur du Trophée Jules Verne : " On ressent de l'impatience. Le moment qu'on attend tous c'est qu'on soit voiles hissées, sur le terrain, entre nous tout simplement. Ce qu'on attend, c'est de se retrouver en mer, au large de la pointe Bretagne face à la ligne et de se dire c'est maintenant, on part en route pour l'aventure. J'aurai forcément envie de dire quelque chose aux équipiers à ce moment là, je ne sais pas quoi encore, ça viendra spontanément. Sur ce nouveau Trophée Jules Verne, je pars chercher de l'intensité, de l'exactitude, du plaisir, la sensation de collectif, le partage d'une arrivée, quelques images, quelques photos, quelques trouilles aussi parce qu'on aime bien de temps en temps se faire peur. C'est un melting pot, mais évidemment ce qu'on attend au bout du compte c'est le succès".
View from the top of the mast of Banque Populaire V:
Temps de référence à battre : 48 jours 7 heures 44 minutes et 52 secondes (Franck Cammas et son équipage sur Groupama 3)
Date limite de retour pour battre le record : 11 mars 2010 à 19 heures 55 minutes et 37 secondes (Heure de Paris)
Equipage du Maxi Banque Populaire V
Pascal Bidégorry : skipper, hors quart Juan Vila : navigateur, hors quart
Quart n°1 Yvan Ravussin : Chef de quart, responsable vidéo et composite Brian Thompson : barreur-régleur Thierry Chabagny : barreur-régleur Pierre-Yves Moreau : Numéro un, responsable accastillage et composite
Quart n°2 Fred Le Peutrec : Chef de quart Emmanuel Le Borgne : barreur-régleur, responsable médical Erwan Tabarly : barreur-régleur, responsable électronique Ronan Lucas : Numéro un, responsable sécurité
Quart n°3 Jérémie Beyou : Chef de quart Kevin Escoffier : barreur-régleur, responsable vidéo Xavier Revil : barreur-régleur, responsable avitaillement à bord Florent Chastel : Numéro un, responsable médical et gréement
Banque Populaire V. Image copyright B. Stichelbaut/BPCE.
par Virginie Bouchet
Peu après 8 heures, l'ensemble de l'équipage a rallié le bord du Maxi Trimaran, émergeant d'une nuit si longue et finalement si courte. Entre pudeur des au revoir aux proches et excitation manifeste de voir le grand rendez-vous arriver, c'est à 8h50 que les quatorze hommes du bord ont salué le public et largué les amarres. Une fois la Rade de Brest dans leur sillage, Pascal Bidégorry et ses hommes mettront le cap sur la zone de départ matérialisée par l'alignement du phare de Créac'h sur l'île d'Ouessant et le Cap Lizard. Le passage de ligne est devrait intervenir avant midi... déclenchant ainsi le chronomètre !
Equipe technique, familles, amis, journalistes ou supporters... tous étaient sur le pont dès les premières heures du jour, répondant au compte à rebours lancé par la cellule météo du Maxi Banque Populaire V. Baigné par l'intimité du lever du jour sur le port de Brest, dans une ambiance feutrée, les quatorze marins ont quitté le ponton en douceur. Entre concentration extrême et inévitable pincement au cœur à l'heure de quitter les proches, le départ s'est paré de la couleur des grands moments. Accompagné par les semi-rigides de leur équipe technique jusqu'à la sortie du goulet de Brest, les hommes vont à présent entrer dans leur bulle avant l'entrée en scène océanique. Les quelques instants qui les séparent du passage de la ligne au large de Ouessant n'appartiendront qu'à eux. Une fois cette parenthèse refermée, l'Atlantique s'ouvrira devant leurs étraves...
Equipage du Maxi Banque Populaire V pour le Trophée Jules Verne
Pascal Bidégorry : skipper, hors quart Juan Vila : navigateur, hors quart
Quart n°1 Yvan Ravussin : Chef de quart, responsable vidéo et composite Brian Thompson : barreur-régleur Thierry Chabagny : barreur-régleur Pierre-Yves Moreau : Numéro un, responsable accastillage et composite
Quart n°2 Fred Le Peutrec : Chef de quart Emmanuel Le Borgne : barreur-régleur, responsable médical Erwan Tabarly : barreur-régleur, responsable électronique Ronan Lucas : Numéro un, responsable sécurité
Quart n°3 Jérémie Beyou : Chef de quart Kevin Escoffier : barreur-régleur, responsable vidéo Xavier Revil : barreur-régleur, responsable avitaillement à bord Florent Chastel : Numéro un, responsable médical et gréement
Marcel van Triest : routeur à terre
Temps à battre : 48j 7h 44mn 52s établi par Franck Cammas et son équipage en mars 2010
Yachting Australia is giving sailing fans from around the world the opportunity to following the action at the opening round of the 2011 Audi IRC Australian Championship, Audi Victoria Week, from their computers with live tracking available throughout the week.
Racing got underway this morning with the Audi Victoria Week Passage Race with the 48 yachts in the three IRC classes to race from Geelong through until January 26.
The live tracking will be available online from Sunday onwards with links on the Yachting Australia, www.yachting.org.au, and Audi Victoria Week, www.victoriaweek.com.au, websites.
Yachting Australia first used the TracTrac system in the 2010 Sail Down Under Series, with live tracking available from Sail Brisbane, Sail Sydney and Sail Melbourne, and then at the OAMPS Insurance Brokers Australian Youth Championship two weeks ago in Sydney.
Audi Victoria Week will be the first time that Yachting Australia has provided the service for the Audi IRC Australian Championship and is designed to allow those with an interest in the racing to follow it from wherever they are in the world.
For 2011 yachts competing in the Audi IRC Australian Championship will compete in three separate divisions, with the divisions being consistent across all four events of the series. By following the links on the Yachting Australia and Audi Victoria Week websites visitors will be able to choose which race to watch with IRC Class A appearing in a different screen to IRC Classes B and C.
Veloce was well-placed at the start and came home well. Image copyright Andrea Francolini/Audi.
by Di Pearson
Nick Bartels sailed his Cookson 50 from Melbourne to an overall win in Division 1 of the Passage Race at Audi Victoria Week today, while Christopher Opielok (Rockall III) a newcomer to Australia and the event cleaned up in Division 2.
While so many of big boats of Division 1 were fighting it for last overall, Bartels and his Terra Firma crew sailed with patience to claim the win from two other Victorians, Phil Simpfendorfer and his Elliott 44CR, Veloce and Tony Donnellan’s RP Shamrock.
Scarlet Runner, which finished the race second online and is also from Victoria, was fourth overall.
“It’s always good to start a regatta off with a win,” said Bartels, who finished the Audi IRC Series second overall last year after leading until the final day.
The Passage Race is the opener of the Audi IRC Series, so Bartels is away to a good start. “It was difficult racing. The breeze that was predicted, and what actually happened, did not match up. It threw people into disarray,” Bartels said.
The Melbourne yachtsman told of breezes from every direction. “We got a good start, but we were way behind at Sandringham – the wind was all over the place, but we never gave up,” he said.
“We went south with Scarlet Runner and Pretty Fly III and the weather let us back into the race,” Bartels said, referring to the light southerly 10 knots that came through in the nick of time.
Pretty Fly III and Terra Firma came up trumps today. Image copyright Andrea Francolini/Audi.
While he was surprised with Terra Firma’s win, Rockall III’s owner wasn’t terribly surprised by his.
Although Christopher Opielok only relocated to Perth in Western Australia from Hamburg in Germany just three months ago, he is an experienced sailor who is having his first stab at Audi Victoria Week.
“I like it very much,” he said of the event tonight after packing up his Corby 36. “We knew we were doing well, because we were looking good on the water. I thought we might finish in the top five,” the confident yachtsman who has represented at the Commodore’s Cup in Cowes said.
“It was a tough race though – a lot of wind shifts – we had to be in the right place at the right time. Also a good start made a big difference,” Opielok said.
Second overall in Division 2 was claimed by Paul Buchholz’s Extasea (Vic) which had famed US yachtsman Dave Ullman calling tactics. Third overall went to 2009 Sydney Hobart winner Two True, owned and skippered by Andrew Saies from South Australia.
In Division 3, it was no surprise to find Peter Sorensen (NSW), the 2008 Audi IRC Australian Championship winner, in first place. Sorensen sailed his Sydney 36CR The Philosophers Club to a win of over 31 minutes from Grant Botica’s Adams 10, Executive Decision (Vic). Gienah, a Seaquest RP36 owned by Rod Miller (Vic), was third.
All in all, it was a successful day for Victorian yachts, whose crews perhaps read the weather better than the rest.
Racing continues in the Audi IRC Series tomorrow, with two windward/leeward races planned starting from 12.30pm.
Loki finally gets a bit of wind. Image copyright Andrea Francolini/Audi.
by Di Pearson
On stepping ashore in Geelong after taking line honours in Audi Victoria Week’s Passage Race this afternoon, Loki’s sailing master Gordon Maguire described the protracted 36.8 nautical mile race as “painful.”
Maguire was not alone in his thoughts, as many of the grand prix yachts expected to do well struggled to make the finish line and the bulk of the fleet was still out on the course at 5.30pm.
After taking an early and sizeable lead with Michael Hiatt’s Living Doll (Vic), Loki, an RP63 from NSW, fell into a big hole on Port Phillip Bay. “We parked it for a couple of hours,” confirmed Maguire. “It was fly-ridden and windless.”
The international yachtsman is still trying to figure out why his owner, Stephen Ainsworth, was smiling and ready to enjoy the hospitality Geelong and the Royal Geelong Yacht Club (host of the event), offers to the thousands of sailors each year.
The 400 plus fleet got away to a good start in 8 knots of breeze on their new start line near St Kilda Pier in Melbourne at 9.30 this morning, but the predicted 14-22 knot east-sou-easterly winds never arrived.
Shortly after, the wind vanished from the course, and local sailor Rob Date made the best of a bad situation, sailing his RP52 Scarlet Runner further to the south and into the lead of the race.
“We thought the sea breeze would come, so we kept going south. We’ve done a lot of sailing in these parts, so felt we had it right. We kept tacking to stay close to the shore and finally we got a light sea breeze.
“We overtook Loki near the entrance to King George Bank,” said Scarlet Runner’s owner/skipper Rob Date, who was more than happy with their finish.
“We went so close to shore we only had 200 millimetres under our keel. We got out the goggles in case we caught a mussel farm!”
Scarlet Runner led the race for some time before taking second on line. Image copyright Andrea Francolini/Audi.
Loki only reclaimed the lead from Scarlett Runner in the final stages of the race, first overtaking Calm, Colin Wood’s Pretty Fly II (NSW), and Nick Bartel’s Terra Firma (Vic), before finally beating Date to the line by little over two minutes. Loki finished at 15.47.06, and Scarlet Runner at 15.49.59.
Calm, a TP52 owned by John Williams and Jason Van Der Slot was third over the line at 15.55.35, followed by others including the well-sailed Terra Firma and Pretty Fly III, their individual performances impressing their fellow yachties.
On Loki, Maguire said they had sailed to the opposite side of the course. “It filled in from the west for us and others that came with us, but for those who went south, the southerly was more dominant. The race was a bit of a lottery though.”
Maguire confessed he was relieved there was a race drop in the Audi IRC Series, of which the Passage Race was the first race. “Along with a few others, we can’t afford another bad one.
“This race has certainly given a few people the incentive to sail the best for the remaining six races,” Maguire said of the rest of the series which will comprise windward/leeward courses on Corio Bay.
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