Sail Sydney Notice of Race Now Online

2010 world champions Mat Belcher & Malcolm Page. Image copyright www.harvpix.com

by Di Pearson

The 2012 London Olympic Games will be here in the blink of an eye, pushing elite teams from all over the world to make hay while the sun shines, meaning many are expected to sign on for Sail Sydney, Yachting NSW’s regatta in December, with the Notice of Race and online entry now on the official race website at: www.sailsydney.org.au

Round 2 of the Sail Downunder Series, Sail Sydney is one of only two ISAF Grade 1 events in Australia and the big news is that for the first time, the regatta will be run during weekdays only, from 6-9 December, making it a fairer playing field for all.

To be held from Monday 6 to Thursday 9 December, competitors will not have to worry about dodging the weekend traffic, including ships and ferries, so will be able to concentrate on the job at hand – to win qualifying points towards their Olympic campaigns.

Coming on the back of the Perth International Regatta (the test event for the 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships) to be held from 16- 21 November and Round 1 of the Sail Downunder Series at Sail Brisbane from 29 November to 2 December, a good international fleet is expected at Sail Sydney.

Olympic classes for Sail Sydney this year are: 470 Men’s and Women’s, RS:X Men’s and Women’s, Finn, Laser, Laser Radial and 49er.

Following an excellent summer season in Europe, Australian entries will feature largely at Sail Sydney.

Heading the Aussies will be Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page, the reigning 470 world champions, who went on to capture silver at the final round of the ISAF Sailing World Cup at the Olympic venue in Weymouth last month, catapulting them to the top of the ISAF World Ranking list after their win.

Tom Slingsby (Laser) and Nathan Outteridge/Iain Jensen (49er) won Gold at Weymouth. Slingsby went on to win the Etchells Worlds with John Bertrand and Andrew Palfrey in late August, then went immediately to the Laser Worlds where he had a stunning victory to claim his third Laser World title on Sunday.

Outteridge went on to win the Moth European Championship straight after Weymouth. Early in the year, he and Jensen, defending their 49er world title, won the silver medal at the 2010 Worlds.

Brendan Casey who did well to finish eighth overall in the Finn class at Weymouth after an extended break from the class, also did an exceptional job at the Finn Gold Cup (the World Championship) where he finished 10th overall against a class field.

Other Australians will include Krystal Weir, who has moved back into the Laser Radial after competing in the now defunct Olympic class Yngling at the Beijing Games, and triple Olympian Jessica Crisp (RS:X class). Having put her 13th place at this month’s Worlds behind her, Crisp is always on the money on her home waters.

The other major announcement for Sail Sydney, hosted by Woollahra Sailing Club, in conjunction with Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron and Royal Prince Edward Yacht Club, is the inclusion of two of the three Paralympic classes; the 2.4mR single-handed and theSKUD18, a two person boat.

Australians Dan Fitzgibbon (Qld) and Rachel Cox (WA) returned to the SKUD for the first time this year after winning Silver at the Paralympic Games in 2008. They won Bronze at the 2010 IFDS Worlds, their first major competition, and went on to win Gold at the Sail for Gold Olympic and Paralympic event in Weymouth in August.

The duo is expected at Sail Sydney, along with main Aussie rivals, Ame Barnbrook and Lindsay Mason from NSW, who have racked up some great results since joining forces this year, including leading Fitzgibbon/Cox at the IFDS Worlds, but ultimately finished fourth in their first international competition together.

Matthew Bugg finished a brilliant sixth in his early campaign for Paralympic selection in the highly competitive 24mR single-handed class. The Tasmanian, who began competing internationally only this year, will head the Australian line-up at Sail Sydney.

Other classes include eye-catching speed machines; the Moth, 505, Hobie 16, 29er and 29erxx and Bich Techno 293 classes, along with the Laser 4.7 and 420 classes.

Entries for Sail Sydney must be received no later than 1700hrs on 12 November 2010. Entries received after that time will be subject to a late entry supplement.

Sail Sydney is proudly supported by Steve Jarvin Motors, Alphaboat, Tohatsu and Sport and Recreation.

Notice of Race, entry and further information at: www.sailsydney.org.au

Busy, Busy Leading up to Buddy Melges Challenge

Sailing Elliot 6 metres. Supplied image.

by Anna Tunnicliffe

I woke up to a brisk 50 degrees for my morning run today in Sheboygan, WI. The chilly wind was blowing in the mid to high teens, but nowhere near the 30-40kts we had yesterday when we arrived for this year's Buddy Melges Challenge, a women's grade 1 match race sailed in the Elliot 6m's. Despite the chilly temperatures, the sailing for the week looks great, with a good forecast and some great competition. There are 15 teams from eight countries competing over the four day event, including defending champion, Samantha Osborne from New Zealand. The racing starts tomorrow, but we do get a chance to sail this afternoon for a practice.

As a team, we have been pretty busy since our last event at the end of August. Debbie has been working hard at Tina's Italian Ice's, her ice-cream store, Molly moved house and has been coaching out in San Francisco, and I have done a lot of coaching. I have been coaching my husband, Brad, and his team in match racing as they get ready for their national championships, and I also did a clinic over Labor Day weekend for Laser and Laser Radial sailors up in Norfolk, VA. The clinic was organized by my brother's company, Sail Virginia Beach/Tunnicliffe Consulting, and had 35 Radials and Laser full rigs in attendance, which was great.

As well as competing in the Buddy Melges Challenge, we are training hard now for our Women's Match Racing World Championships which are in two week's time.

This week we are here in Sheboygan, then next week we are heading to Noroton, CT for some Sonar training, before we head to Newport on the 19th. We will be taking a detour on the 18th, as we are head back to the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in CT, a camp for sick kids to attend and get away from their everyday lives. I'm very much looking forward to returning again this year.

As for this regatta, they are hoping to have live video streaming from the regatta website, where you will also be able to check out the results. Racing begins tomorrow morning at 9am.

We would like to thank Carmeuse and Trinity Yachts for their continued support of our campaign for the 2012 Olympics in London. We would also like to thank US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics (USSTAG) and its sponsors for their support.

Team Tunnicliffe
Buddy Melges Challenge

5.5 Metre Worlds: One Afternoon Race on Day Three

by Thierry Huguenin

The fleet went out at around 1430 today in Torbole and sailed one race only.

First place went to Finnish boat "Kan-Bej 2" helmed by Kenneth Thelen, followed by two Swiss boats, "Ali Baba" Flavio Marazzi and "Pungin" Hans-Peter Schmid, second and third respectively.

After three races, Marazzi leads the championship with a total of 4 points. Christoph Burger is second with 9 points and Ken Thelen is third with 10 points.

Results after 3 races
1 SUI 224 Marazzi Flavio, Male, Palfrey Andrew/Wilke Christof, M, TYC & GYC Ali Baba 4,0 1 1 2
2 NOR 65 Christoph Burger, Male, Marcel Simon/Mathias Daheman, M, TYC / GYC ODLO 9,0 2 3 4
3 FIN 66 Thelen Kenneth, Male, Hallberg Thomas /Nyberg Robert, M, Nyländska Jaktklubben Kan-Bej 2 10,0 5 4 1
4 NOR 57 Nergaard Kristian, Male, Moberg Peer/Morland Pedersen P, M, Royal Norwegian Yacht Club Artemis XIV 13,0 6 2 5
5 SUI 214 bernard haissly, Male, bernard haissly/nicolas bertho, M, sng caracole 18,0 3 9 6
6 SUI 213 HANS-PETER SCHMID, Male, Gilbert Dürr/Jürg Baumgartner, M, SC MURTEN PUNGIN 18,0 8 7 3
7 BAH 19 McKinney Gavin, Male, Hauff Peter /Westergaard Bjorn, M, Nassau Yacht Club John B 18,0 4 6 8
8 FIN 49 Gullichsen Johan, Male, Lundberg Henrik/Telkola Timo, M, NJK addam 4 23,0 9 5 9
9 NED 26 Arend Jan Pasman, Male, Ron Azier/Kin Chabani, Braassemermeer Feng Shui 28,0 10 8 10
10 NOR 64 Fjeld Petter, Male, Borgen Thomas /Johannessen C, M, Fredrikstad SF Clark Kent 32,0 12 13 7
11 SUI 222 Jürg Menzi, Male, Léonard Gaume/Daniel Stampfli, M, TYC Thunersee Yachtclub, GYC G Marie-Françoise XVIII 37,0 7 10 20
12 NED 31 Victorine Bredero, Female, Jeroen Behrend/Wiebe de Witte, M, ws braasemermeer Duchess of B 41,0 11 14 16
13 SUI 210 Rolf KELLENBERGER, Male, Martin HUBER/Andreas KINDLIMAN, M, TYC SHAOLIN 42,0 17 11 14
14 GER 42 Queisser Hans-Juergen, Male, Kruse Gerhard/Blenckner Klaus, M, NRV RTYC SNR For Fun Too 46,0 18 16 12
15 NOR 62 Huser Are Andenæs, Male, Ferner Car-Christian /Bellingh, M, KNS Plan B Redux 46,0 16 12 18
16 SUI 215 Thomas TREIB, Male, Patrick RÜFENACHT/Katja SCHEID, M, YCB Yacht Club Bielersee RANA 47,0 14 18 15
17 SUI 211 Jörg Hotz, Male, Marc Dangel/Ernst Schiess, M, ZYC Forza Del Destino 53,0 15 17 21
18 GER 30 Andreas Christiansen, Male, Jens Rathsack/Andreas Föh, E, NRV CRIOLLO 54,0 13 15 26
19 GER 33 Lutz Dr. von Meyerinck, Male, Felix von Meyerinck/Oskar de F, C, SVAOe Blueprint 58,0 20 19 19
20 ITA 73 Delli Alfredo, Male, Gianluca Marolli/Claudio Mazza, C, CVMV CARABELLA 61,0 19 20 22
21 SUI 201 Tobias Isler, Male, Kaspar Stubenrauch/Jörg Sonnta, M, SCE / WSV 1921 ZICCA 63,0 24 22 17
22 SWE 50 Gustafsson Jan, Male, Kellner Håkan/Kellner Rickard, C, Tulka SS Apriori 66,0 21 21 24
23 NED 11 van Opzeeland Piet, Male, Eijkman Tom/De Coster Dave, E, W V Braassemermeer Woelgeest 71,0 23 23 25
24 SUI 217 Jack Frei, Male, Thomas Frei/Roland Ledergerber, M, Yacht Club Romanshorn TOPAS III 73,0 dnf dns 11
25 BAH 20 Symonette Craig, Male, Vlasov Peter/Boisen-Moeller Je, M, Nassau Yacht Club Silver Fox 75,0 dnf dns 13
26 SUI 175 Frédéric de Rutté, Male, Frédéric Saudan/Matthieu MacGi, E, SNR Bellagioia II 76,0 22 dnf 23
27 SUI 152 Gilbert-Xavier MARTINET, Male, Marc-Antoine MONNARD/Sébastien, E, SNR Société Nautique Rolloise BARA-GWEN XI 83,0 25 dnf 27
28 ITA 14 Pozzo Vittorio, Male, Marolli Enzo/Marolli Alessandr, C, C.V.P. MAVI 85,0 26 dnf 28
29 ITA 57 Leupold Richard, Male, Giorgetti Paolo /Rossi Andrea, E, CVMV Whisper 91,0 dnf dns 29
30 AUT 21 Münnich Hans-Peter, Male, Werr Phillip/Rottner Bernhard, M, Union Yacht Club Wolfgangsee Schakal 93,0 dnf dns dnc

5.5 Metre Worlds

Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup: Out of the Cannon and Gone

HIGHLAND FLING, Irvine Laidlaw. Image copyright Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi.

by Jill Campbell

What had the makings of a mammoth encounter between the dark side of mother nature and the maxi yacht class, on day three of the 2010 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, turned out to be far happier collision than expected, following some quick thinking by the Race Committee. The forecast weather for today was always tainted with unpredictability.

With yachts on the racecourse heading for an unannounced swiftly forming violent thunderstorm, Peter Craig made the call to abandon racing and take refuge until the forty-knot squall had passed through. What a call to have to make. Vindication came in the 25-nautical mile race sailed later in the day by all classes in bright sunshine and a 20-knot westerly that brought the crews home grinning from ear to ear.

Today’s lucky stars were: Bella Mente (USA) in Mini Maxi; Esimit Europa 2 (SLO) in Maxi; Gibian (GBR) in Wally, and, Visione (GER) in Supermaxi, with Ranger (CAY) top of the J Class.


RANGER leads VELSHEDA from Monaci I. Image copyright Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi.

A coastal race was always on the menu for the whole fleet. First thing this morning conditions seemed remarkably benign after an orchestral, but silent electrical storm in the northern sky had entertained Porto Cervo residents last night. By race time we had a building breeze from the northwest but some very dark clouds on the horizon. Not black enough to foretell doom, but certainly time to put on the foul-weather gear. The Mini Maxi Division, starting the sixth race of its projected nine race series Mini Maxi Rolex Worlds, got underway in 15 knots and an unsettling lumpy sea. Rán (GBR) led the drag race fetch to Capo Ferro, entering ‘Bomb Alley’ with Shockwave (NZL) immediately behind and Container (GER) on the right hand wing.

It was at this point that news of a postponement of the Maxi Division start filtered over the radio, closely followed by the abandonment announcement that took sometime to reach the frontrunners. The return to Porto Cervo was a dignified scurry. Forty-nine maxis hurriedly trying to dock in a confined harbour requires good sense from boat captains and some skill from the marina staff. The buffeting arrived on cue, but was short-lived.

By 1330 CEST, the situation had improved sufficiently for the fleet to return to the field of combat and embark on short coastal course that involved a beat into the channel at Capo Ferro, a sharp right turn onto a reach at Secca di Tre Monti, another right turn at Monaci and a huge reach down to Mortoriotto to the south of Porto Cervo. From there it was back on the wind again and a fetch up to Golfo Pevero and on to the finish.

In the Maxis, Igor Simcic’s Esimit burnt up the strip in rather dismissive one hour forty-one minutes. Irvine Laidlaw’s Highland Fling (MON) followed her home some thirteen minutes later, to correct out three minutes behind. Esimit is in overall control of this class, but only one point separates her from Fling, so she is a long way from certain victory.

Olympic silver medallist and America’s Cup winner, Peter Holmberg is tactician for the week on Highland Fling; he felt that some key sail calls were the difference between a good result or not, “it went well for us today. A good beat up into the passage, cross-tacking in 20 knots. Then the first test was the reach across the top. It was two-part: broad to start and getting tighter. The big decision was asymmetric sail or jib reach. We put up our A3 and the boat speed shot up another 4-5 knots. We tightened up around the gybe mark (Monaci) and had the long run back down to the bottom of the course. We faced another decision [on this leg] over jib or A-sail, we waited a while and when we deployed it we wished we had done so eight-minutes earlier because we just took off – a great, exciting blast with 27, 28 knots of boat speed.”


Race postponed. Image copyright Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi.

Mike Toppa is another America’s Cup winner onboard Highland Fling, “this was the most fun racing I’ve done in a long time. Lots of reaching off the wind: that is when this boat really lights up. We talked ourselves into putting up a bigger sail than the range suggested for the first beat to avoid having to change at the first mark. We kept it up all race, putting up other sails around it and you rarely do that!” Toppa explained a little of the philosophy behind Fling and why she motors in these conditions like few others her size, “she’s only a year old. Irvine (Laidlaw) wanted a boat that would plane like other grand-prix boats, but it had to have to have an interior. So it’s got four staterooms and teak decks, but it gets up and planes. It’s got chines on the sides for stability and two rudders for more control. The big bonus is that it is just a really nice boat to sail.”

For once, king of the heap in the Wallys proved to be a relative unheralded combatant. Gibian (GBR) has been to Porto Cervo twice before, never winning a race. Her owner, Armando Grandi, has though tasted success here previously albeit with a different boat. Today Gibian did enough for her maiden Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup victory, correcting out 20 seconds ahead of the highly competitive Y3K, whose second-place gives her a perfectly ordered series score line of 2,2,2. If Claus Peter Offen’s crew continues with that level of consistency, none of the chasing pack will be able to outdo her.

Grandi, though, was delighted with today and despite one hiccough. “These boats are meant to be sailed,” said Grandi, who is 83 and enjoys cruises extensively in between bouts of racing. “We had a very good day, although unfortunately we tore our gennaker. It happened on last leg at Mortoriotto. We were taking down the gennaker and made a little mistake. The sail fell in the water and tore. We hope we can borrow one to continue racing!” After today’s brief brush with glory that is a heartfelt hope for the crew that includes three generations of the Grandi family.


STIG, Alessandro Rombelli. Image copyright Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi.

In the Mini Maxi Rolex Worlds, Hap Fauth’s Bella Mente outplayed all of her bigger rivals to win on the water and handicap. Two minutes ahead of Rán (GBR) at the finish is as comprehensive as it gets in this class. For the time being, Andres Soriano and Alegre (GBR) retain the overall lead, but the wolves are circling. The lead is now down to one point, after Alegre’s fourth place today.

Fauth is renowned for a big grin and it was in fine form this evening, dockside, as he described the race, “just a great day, really fun. It was the normal jungle course. Long first beat, reach, long reach down, tight reach and then a windward beat to finish. We had a good start, in the top three at the first mark.” Here too, sail selection was a key part of the exemplary performance, according to Fauth, “we had a little sail that really worked for us, a fractional code zero. We threw that boat on the plane and we were gone…gone…shot out of the cannon. Full tilt, fill the main up, get on the rails and go! It was a fun day…”

Amongst the Mini Maxi Cruiser/Racers, Brian Benjamin’s Aegir (GBR) was not the best performer today – that honour went to Riccardo De Michele’s H20 (ITA) – but Aegir’s series results so far appear to give them a slim lead over Grande Orazio (ITA).

Tomorrow is a layday at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. A day to recharge the batteries and lick wounds, all the time making ready for two more days of highly charged racing. The Mini Maxi Rolex Worlds fleet expects to return on Friday with a coastal race on their schedule, before the final showdown windward/ leewards on Saturday. The Supermaxis and Maxis have two more coastal races to complete their programme. The Wallys, meanwhile, have one coastal race and a day of windward/leewards to close out their Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup series. Shockwave is seven points off the pace and Neville Crichton’s team will be scratching their heads hard to find some answers. Crichton is too competitive to concede this event with three races to go.

The 2010 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in conjunction with the International Maxi Association (IMA), runs from 5 to 11 September. Racing recommences on Friday and with racing scheduled for Saturday too, the prize giving on Saturday will be the culmination of an intense week of big boat competition. From the most luxurious, through the most traditional, to the most advanced monohulls afloat today, the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup is nothing if not an astonishing line up of sailing power.


Maxi division heads upwind. Image copyright Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi.

Provisional Standings after Day 3

Place, Boat, Skipper, Races 1-2-3, Total Points

Maxi Racing & Racing/Cruising
1) Esimit Europa 2, Igor Simcic, 1-2-1, 4.0 points
2) Highland Fling, Irvine Laidlaw, 2-1-2, 5.0
3) Singularity, Deniy Yacht Mngmt, 4-3-3, 10.0

Wally
1) Y3k, Claus Peter Offen, 2-2-2, 6.0
2) Magic Carpet 2, Lindsay Owen Jones, 5-1-3, 9.0
3) Indio, Andrea Recordati, 4-3-4, 11.0

SuperMaxi/J Boats
1) Ranger, R.S.V. Ltd, 1-1-1, 3.0
2) Velsheda, Tarbat Investment, 2-3-7, 12.0
3) Hetairos, Rockport Ltd, 8-2-3, 13.0

Place, Boat, Country, Skipper, Races 1-2-3-4-5-6, Total Points

Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship
1) Alegre (GBR), Andy Soriano, 1-1-(4)-1-1-4, 8.0
2) Ran, Niklas Zennstrom (GBR), (6)-2-1-2-2-2, 9.0
3) Shockwave (NZL), Neville Crichton, 2-3-2-(5)-5-3, 15.0

Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup

Longtze European Tour: new victory for Eckhard Kaller

An unforgettable 4th stage!


Wet Feet celebrate their victory on Lake Garda. Image copyright Longtze Yachts.

by Catherine Ecarlat

11 Longtze Premiers met up last weekend on Lake Garda in Italy, to race the 4th stage of the Longtze European Tour 2010. The German team “Wet Feet”, led by Eckhard Kaller once again took out the event, followed by Ljarmo Wieland’s Swiss team “Shensu”, and the Longtze “Voiles et Voiliers”. After this superb Italian stage, the circuit finale will be played out, like last year, on Lake Constance at Kreuzlingen from the 22nd to the 24th of October.

A pleasant stage under a gentle Italian sun, a challenging stage in a light tactical breeze, a perfectly organized stage, a stage simply superb for its ambiance and countryside…The Trofeo Gorla will leave all the crews involved in the Longtze European Tour with a magnificent memory.

The Trofeo Gorla : absolutely fantastic !


Racing on Day One on Lake Garda. Image copyright Longtze Yachts.

“It’s an absolutely fantastic event!” remarks Pierre Mas. “ Perfect organisation, an incredible Italian ambiance, splendid countryside, no-one would regret making the journey!”

The first two days, the Longtze raced short windward-leeward loops and on the Sunday, with 300 other skiffs and race boats, the “Dragon’s Sons” took off on the “centomiglia” (100 miles round trip) of the Trofeo Gorla.

Wet Feet persists and wins


Day One Racing on Lake Garda. Image copyright Longtze Yachts.

The first Italian trip for the Longtze has been marked by a new victory by Eckhard Kaller’s German crew (Wet Feet). The master sailor and his crew have sailed together since the beginning of 2009 on the circuit; they have gained the ease and expertise necessary to be competitive in all conditions.

The 2010 competition has intensified and been refined with each race particularly with the Swiss team "Shensu" led by Ljarrmo Wieland, they were racing only their second event there in a Longtze but they are progressing very quickly. Note also the fine performance of the team “Voiles et Voiliers”, third, with Alain Chourgnoz at the helm, selected for the 470 at the Moscow Olympic Games.

“I would really like to come back!”


Racing on Day Two on Lake Garda. Image copyright Longtze Yachts.

Even if the first two crews have stalled on this event, thanks to the versatility and experience of the sailors engaged in the circuit, thanks to the easy handling of the boat, the tactical and technical game remains open and exciting, as Alain Chourgnoz says : " the boat is very interesting. The fact that this is a strict monotype adds even more spice to the racing. The Longtze is well bred, well-balanced, really well rigged, it doesn’t require much effort, and it planes really quickly... There were fun and games on the short rounds at the beginning of the race: you had to get a good start and be creative! It was a first for our crew ... And I would really like to come back! "

And, as always, the curious have not failed to notice this new boat, simple, efficient and great fun at the same time, also accessible financially and technically. "It’s one of the extraordinary charms of the class to be able to race in such different countries and sites: Monaco, Britain, Solent and now Lake Garda! And with crews from different backgrounds: five different nationalities at this event. It is a pleasure to meet up again, stage by stage", says Xavier de Lesquen, president of the Longtze Class.

The next and last meet of the Longtze European Tour 2010 is scheduled for the 22nd to the 24th October 2010, at Kreuzlingen on Lake Constance.

Longtze ranking from the Trofeo Gorla (Best 7 out of 9 legs)
1 - Eckhard Kaller (Germany) – WET FEET - 7 points
2 - Ljarmo Wieland (Switzerland) – SHENSU - 14 points
3 - Laurent Berjon (France) – VOILES & VOILIERS - 24 points
4 - Georges Asperti (France) – OVIK - 29 points
5 - Markus Ziltener (Switzerland) – CARISSIMA - 30 points
6 - Pierre Mas (France) – WAZABEE - 34 points
7 - Silvio Muller(Suisse) – 804 – 44 points
8 - Edouard Danel (France) – TCHIKK - 50 points
9 - Manuel Vaccari (France) – 65 points
10 - Ewald Aichinger (Austria) – 68 points
11 - Laurent Sailly (France) – P'TIT PIDUCE - 71 points


The fleet moored up. Image copyright Longtze Yachts.

Creation of a Swiss Longtze Class August 2010

Frank Beat, President of the Swiss Longtze Class : “We have created a national Longtze Class to provide the Swiss owners with a structure dedicated to this superb sportboat. Many boats have been bought this year by owners based in the Zurich region, it’s the right time to give the Longtze a push in Switzerland.

"Our objective is to gather together a strong fleet. The Longtze have all the assets for this : it is very fast, really fun and extremely easy to manage. It is also simple to transport and its price is truly attractive compared to other sportboats of the same type.

"We are working on putting together a race calendar, essentially following on from the existing events that the Longtze could slot into, and it covers all the Swiss territory so we can present the boat as widely as possible. As soon as the fleet is sufficiently strong, in association with the international Longtze Class, we will organise our own events. And we will of-course encourage our members to participate in the Longtze European Tour.”

Longtze European Tour 2010
Primo Cup-Trophée Crédit Suisse – Monaco (11 - 14 February)
Grand Prix de l'Ecole Navale - Lanvéoc (13 - 16 May)
Cowes Week – Ile of Wight (31 July - 7 August)
Trofeo Gorla – Lake Garda (3 - 4 September bananes et 5 september le Trofeo Gorla : 50 milles)
Longtze Final – Kreuzlingen- Switzerland Lake Constance (22nd – 24th October)

Longtze European Tour

America's Cup: Live Video of the Announcements on 13th September 2010 at 1300 CET

Points to be revealed in this press conference:

* Protocol for 34th America's Cup
* New class of boat for the America's Cup
* Announcement of the year of the competition



America's Cup

Sunseeker Australia Cup; a WMRT Qualifier

by John Roberson

The Sunseeker Australia Cup, to be sailed on the Swan River in November, has been confirmed as the final qualifying event for the World Match Racing Championships, to be held in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia.

This will give Australia’s premier international match racing regatta a significant boost to its standing on the world scene, making it a “must attend” event for any ambitious skipper who has yet to qualify for the World Championships.

The Sunseeker Australia Cup, which will be hosted by the Royal Perth Yacht Club and Swan River Sailing from 24th to 27th November, is already attracting the attention of some of the world’s very best skippers.

“Mathieu Richard of the French Match Racing Team has been in touch with us already,” said Swan River Sailing’s Skip Lissiman, “he is so far ahead on the World Tour he doesn’t need to come here to qualify, but he wants to.”

“What this accolade means to the Sunseeker Australia Cup, is that the best performing skipper here, who hasn’t already qualified for the worlds, will get an automatic entry,” explained Lissiman.

The event is also a perfect warm-up opportunity for the World Championships, being held the week before the Malaysian regatta, and using identical boats, so the organisers are expecting a rush of interest from the world’s best skippers in the coming weeks.

Already committed to defending the trophy he won last year, is local skipper Torvar Mirsky, who not only joins an illustrious list of previous winners, but is also the latest in an impressive line of Western Australian skippers who have performed at world class level.

The Australia Cup was introduced in 1982 to hone the match racing skills of John Bertrand before what was to be the historic Australia II campaign for the America’s Cup in 1983. It obviously worked, and the America’s Cup became Australia’s America’s Cup for the first time.

Since then the list of winners, whose names are engraved on the trophy, includes many others who have made their name through the America’s Cup, as well as Olympic medallists and world champions.

Previous Australia Cup Winners

1982 – John Bertrand, AUS
1983 – Muaro Pelaschier, ITA
1984 – Harold Cudmore, GBR
1985 – Colin Beashel, AUS
1986 – Colin Beashel, AUS
1987 – Peter Gilmour, AUS
1988 – World Championships in Perth
1989 – Peter Gilmour, AUS
1990 – Chris Dickson, NZL
1991 – Rod Davis, NZL
1992 – Chris Law, GBR
1993 – Rod Davis, NZL
1994 – Rod Davis, NZL
1995 – Jesper Bank, DEN
1996 – Peter Gilmour, AUS
1997 – Chris Law, GBR
1998 – Dean Barker, NZL
1999 – Gavin Brady, NZL
2000 – Peter Gilmour, JPN
2001 – Peter Gilmour, USA
2009 – Torvar Mirsky, AUS

Sunseeker Australia Cup