Bentley Geneve Match Race: Bertrand Pacé Wins

Bertrand Pacé remporte le BENTLEY GENEVE MATCH RACE




Bertrand Pacé with the trophy, thanking the organisers for the event. Image copyright www.bgmr.ch / JF Hervo.

by Laurence Clerc

Cinq des meilleurs barreurs mondiaux étaient présents dans la rade de Genève ce week-end pour la 8ème édition du BENTLEY GENEVE MATCH RACE. Les marins chevronnés ont une nouvelle fois démontré tout leur art dans cette discipline où la maîtrise des règles de course prévaut. A l'issue de matchs d’une qualité hors du commun, c'est le français Bertrand Pacé qui confirme sa suprématie.


Close racing at the Bentley Geneve Match Race. Image copyright www.bgmr.ch / JF Hervo.

Dès samedi matin, les airs permettent aux premières rencontres de s'effectuer à un rythme soutenu. Rappelons que la formule d'un "round robin" prévoit que chaque concurrent rencontre au moins une fois chacun de ses adversaires. Le vent forcit dès le milieu de journée et se stabilise pour atteindre la force de 18 à 20 noeuds. On entend alors claquer les voiles des Surprises engagés dans des duels sans pitié.

Le nombre de concurrents permet de boucler deux round robin complets, soit 10 matchs au total. Au terme de cette première partie, c'est clairement la valeur des équipages qui s'affirme. Les demi-finales se courent alors au meilleur des trois matchs. Grand favoris de la journée, c'est Bertrand Pacé qui termine devant Eric Monnin. Accompagné de l'équipage du Team Alinghi, le genevois Arnaud Psarofaghis mène ensuite devant l'australien Keith Swinton, vainqueur de la précédente édition.


Alinghi versus Black Swan Racing. Image copyright www.bgmr.ch / JF Hervo.

Le ciel de dimanche se dégage sur le coup des 11 heures, laissant place à des conditions favorables pour lancer les premières manches. Comme à son habitude dans la discipline, les matchs se jouent serrés. La finale (1ère et 2ème place) démarre en même temps que la petite finale pour les 3ème et 4ème place. Les premiers à totaliser trois points sont gagnants. Au final, quatre matchs seulement sont courus et chaque finaliste se retrouve en avoir remporté deux. Un cinquième match ne pouvant être couru, le format de l'événement prévoit de départager les finalistes ex-aequo sur la base des résultats atteints à l'issue des deux Round Robins.

Classement final :
1. Bertrand Pacé /France
2. Eric Monnin / Suisse
3. Arnaud Psarofaghis / Suisse (équipage Alinghi)
4. Keith Swinton / Australie
5. Jérôme Clerc / Suisse (équipage du CER / Centre d'Entraînement à la Régate)


Bentley Geneve Match Race against the backdrop of Geneva and the Jet d'Eau. Image copyright www.bgmr.ch / JF Hervo.

Commentaires :
Heureux vainqueur de l’événement, Bertrand Pacé revient sur sa deuxième expérience genevoise : "Très différente de la 1ère où nous avions eu froid avec une Bise très forte. Cette fois, c'était comme je m'y attendais avec des airs lacustres très changeants. Je suis très content d'avoir pu partir chaque fois du bon côté de la ligne et dans un bon timing. Tout est positif. L'organisation est parfaite, ce qui n'est pas toujours évident."

3ème et vainqueur de la petite finale, Arnaud Psarofaghis conclut sur son expérience avec Alinghi : "Nous avons effectué une très belle progression par rapport aux premiers matchs. C'est la première fois que je naviguais en Match Race avec des membres du Team Alinghi, Je suis très content de notre excellente coordination. Ca a bien fonctionné tant au niveau de la communication qu'au niveau des manoeuvres et je suis très satisfait de cette 3ème place."

Bentley Geneve Match Race

Bentley Geneve Match Race: Alinghi Finish Third

Arnaud Psarofaghis, Alinghi. Image copyright www.bgmr.ch / JF Hervo.

by Paco Latorre

Alinghi's new match racing team with Arnaud Psarofaghis at the helm took third at last weekend's Bentley Geneva Match Race, behind Bertrand Pace and Eric Monnin. The group, including Alinghi America's Cup sailors Yves Detrey and Nils Frei, and fellow D35 sailor Tanguy Cariou, was match racing together for the first time and by the end of the three day event, Arnaud declared himself 'happy' with their third place: “We progressed very well throughout the event and given it is the first time I have match raced with members of the Alinghi team, I am really pleased with our excellent coordination. Our onboard communication worked well as did our manoeuvres and I am very happy with our ranking.”

After a light start on Friday, the breeze kicked in Saturday afternoon with 18-20 knots and the race committee was able to run two round robins and the semi-finals. Sunday saw the first to three point finals and petit finals caught short when the wind died and so the winner was decided based on the round robin results. Two-time America's Cup sailor, Nils Frei commented on their first outing as a group: “It was a good result considering this was our first match race with Arnaud on the helm. There is no doubt that he is talented and a fast learner with lots of potential.”

Ranking:
1. Bertrand Pacé /France
2. Eric Monnin / Switzerland
3. Arnaud Psarofaghis / Switzerland (Alinghi crew)
4. Keith Swinton / Australia
5. Jérôme Clerc / Switzerland

Alinghi
Bentley Geneve Match Race

Bentley Geneve Match Race: Semi-Final Loss for Black Swan Racing

Eric Monnin vs Keith Swinton in Geneva. Image copyright www.bgmr.ch / JF Hervo.

by Keith Swinton

Just a quick update. Unfortunately we lost our semi-final to local sailor Eric Monnin.

"Conditions on the lake were very difficult. We managed to battle our way through the round robins to make the semi-final but still hadn't quite come to terms with sailing the boats to their maximum. Tomorrow we will sail off for 3rd place this will also provide us with more practice for our next event The Grade 1 Berlin Match Race in just over a week" Keith Swinton Black Swan Racing.

Black Swan Racing would like to thank our following supporters: South of Perth Yacht Club, Kerman Contracting, Westrac Pty Ltd - the Equipment Management Company, Abbotts PTY LTD Chartered Accountants, McNally Group PTY LTD, Musto Australia & Sweden

Black Swan Racing
Bentley Geneve Match Race

Bentley Geneve Match Race: Professional Match Racing in the Bay

« Des matchs de pro dans la rade »



by Laurence Clerc

Genève accueillera la 8ème édition du BENTLEY GENEVE MATCH RACE du vendredi 22 au dimanche 24 octobre 2010. Dix des meilleurs barreurs mondiaux seront là pour s´affronter dans des matchs de voile serrés qui leur permettront de remporter des points et gravir les échelons au classement annuel mondial de l´ISAF (équivalent au classement ATP pour le tennis).

Neuf skippers internationaux confirmés répondront présents à l´invitation de la Société Nautique de Genève pour venir disputer le BENTLEY GENEVE MATCH RACE. Le prestigieux événement de voile (grade 2) prévoit une série de matchs pour accéder en demi-finale puis en finale, le dimanche.

Le dixième skipper aura la chance d´être sélectionné à l´issue du week-end de Match Race précédent (16-17 octobre) puisqu´une place est attribuée au vainqueur de l´épreuve de sélection. Accédant ainsi au niveau des meilleurs, il aura l´occasion de venir s´essayer aux côtés des barreurs les plus affûtés du moment.

Au programme des festivités, le sponsor principal Bentley Genève - André Chevalley SA, présentera vendredi 22 octobre la nouvelle Bentley Continental GT, un modèle dévoilé la semaine précédente en première mondiale au Salon de Paris. Les dispositifs d´accueil prévus à cette occasion sont ouverts à tous publics désireux de venir admirer la dernière technologie dans une ambiance sportive détendue. Avis aux amateurs !

Barreurs annoncés :
- Keith Swinton /AUS (16ème ISAF, vainqueur de la dernière édition qui vient défendre son titre);
- Arnaud Psarofaghis /SUI (équipage «ALINGHI»);
- Eric Monnin / SUI (23ème ISAF, équipage du «CER»); - Philippe Presti /FRA (21ème ISAF);
- Bertrand Pacé /FRA (46ème ISAF)

Bentley Geneve Match Race

Bentley Geneve Match Race: Black Swan Racing To Defend Title At Bentley Geneva Match Race

Black Swan Racing at the Bentley Geneve Match Race 2009. Image copyright www.bgmr.ch / JF Hervo.

by Keith Swinton

We are back in action at the Bentley Geneva Match Race. Since our event in Helsinki the team have been spreading our skills across a number of other sailing opportunities. We are really happy to be back together and match racing. Last year we had a great regatta here on Lake Geneva, the conditions were quite varied, I am sure we will see similar again this year.

"Its great to be back in Geneva. It's going to be fun defending our title, they have a strong field here again this year including the French sailors Bertrand Pace and former winner Phillipe Presti. We have the same team as our last event in Helsinki where we finished strongly so we are confident." Keith Swinton Black Swan Racing.

For footage and interviews from last year's event click here.

Black Swan Racing would like to thank our following supporters: South of Perth Yacht Club, Kerman Contracting, Westrac Pty Ltd - The Equipment Management Company, Abbotts PTY LTD Chartered Accountants, McNally Group PTY LTD, Musto Australia & Sweden/ Trendmark.

Bentley Geneve Match Race
Black Swan Racing

VOR: VO70 Designs and Designers, delving into the past

PUMA. Image copyright Dave Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race.

by Andi Robertson

When the Volvo Open 70 class rule was introduced for the 2005-6 edition of the Volvo Ocean Race, it effectively opened the door for a new generation of designers to start with an entirely blank sheet of paper, to apply their thinking to what would get round the planet fastest, safest and in one piece.

History records that this 2005-6 edition of the race was a baptism of fire for many of the new, relatively unproven designs, especially pushing the newly introduced canting keel systems and their supporting structures. At this time, the engineering and its application to the new class was still pretty new.

This epic first race in VO70s really brought the name of Juan Kouyoumdjian to global prominence.


PUMA. Image copyright Dave Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race.

First-time sponsor ABN AMRO adopted a strategy similar to the blueprint previously drawn by past winners, EF Language and illbruck: funding in place early, selecting key sailors early, building two boats and developing from one to the other, and maximising training and development time; however, their choice of the Argentinian designer displayed something a leap of faith by Roy Heiner, who got the project off the ground for the Dutch bank.

With no signature high-profile global success to his name, Juan K received strong support from Heiner during the pitch for the ABN AMRO project.

"Roy knew of me from Star boat sailing and that kind of thing - we knew each other, but were not friends," he recalled, "but he was convinced all along that we could do a good job. He was especially impressed with the tools and the set up of the office that we had then. He never hesitated and asked us very early on."

The bank also did not hesitate. "They trusted Roy and asked us to go in and do a presentation of how we were going to provide this winning boat. I presented my philosophies and they said, ‘let's go'."

As the race got underway it became increasingly apparent that ABN AMRO 1 - ‘Black Betty' - was a real weapon in the hands of skipper Mike Sanderson and crew. ABN AMRO 1 categorically dominated the race, winning six of nine legs, while ABN AMRO 2 set the world 24-hour record of the time and Juan K's concepts set the template which has become the benchmark for the VO70 - very wide, powerful stern sections, a hard chine aft, twin rudders.

Throughout the race, the designer was very clear and up front on the performance profile of the two boats, their relative advantages and disadvantages. Kouyoumdjian has invested heavily in developing his own CFD programming since he set out, and he has endeavoured to retain that advantage ever since.

"Back then, the world of yacht design was very tank testing related and experimental," he explained. "Since 2001-2002 really we took it full-on from a CFD point of view, developing seven core tools."


Ericsson 4. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.

The design house invested heavily in the development of those tools, which allowed them to take an accurate look at many different options including the hydro and the aero packages.

"This was a real transition time, going from the Whitbread/Volvo Open 60 to the Volvo Oopen 70," he said. "It was in effect a generation change - Marcelino Botin was doing well at this time too - and it was very exciting to have this opportunity, a project I took to with all my heart."

Botin Carkeek, the Santander-based firm of Marcelino Botin and Shaun Carkeek, came into the last Volvo Ocean Race as PUMA designers on the strength of an acclaimed track record. Botin worked in the 33rd America's Cup as lead hull designer with Emirates Team New Zealand, while their IMS designs had won at least six of Spain's key Copa del Rey regattas outright and many IMS world championships.

Shaun Carkeek maintains that in an event as complex as the Volvo Ocean Race, prior experience in the race is a vital element of success. "To win as a designer from a start-up situation seems very unlikely," he said.

"We put together a proposal for PUMA which drew on our very extensive experience and success at grand prix and IMS level and in the TP52 class," he explained, "and PUMA bought into our commitments to delivering a winning design in six months."


Telefonica Blue. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.

"That was largely based on the very strong methodology, processes and skills that we had built up. Having no previous data or practical experience of the race was a disadvantage, but what we were very strong on was delivering an optimal package. And we came very, very close to delivering."

"But without a doubt it is huge, massive to have previous experience and data to fine tune everything, from the naval architecture, CFD, VPP, weight info, and how that all translates makes a huge difference."

The next race will once again pitch three key design teams against each other: Juan Yacht Design, which is unbeaten in the class, Botin Carkeek and Farr Yacht Design. Carkeek is unfazed by the competition.

"We're not too concerned about other design offices and tend to focus on our game plan," he asserted. "The most important factor for us is a client's trust, belief, shared vision and work ethic."

"A top design office can handle two, maybe three teams without compromising the quality and support. Although we initially prepared for multiple teams we're feeling good with one and believe it's advantageous in some respects."
Juan K feels they have a clear advantage in their winning track record, both from their database from the racecourse and from two-boat testing programmes of two successive well-funded and successful Volvo Ocean Race campaigns.


Telefonica Blue. Joakim Rechnitzer/baadmagasinet.dk

"We have just finished designing our sixth generation of boat," he revealed. "After four or five, you feel a lot more comfortable."

"There is data rolling forwards, of course, and we are lucky that both the previous programmes were nice, well-funded programmes, particularly Ericsson. You learn a lot from that, like why some specific sails work or not, and the level of resolution from two-boat testing is much higher."

Just as the sailing teams do on the water, Juan K thrives on the competition between the designers and would love to see more design teams in the race.

"I think the rule does now favour designers who have the experience, benefiting us," he said. "I would like to see it giving a lot more chances to younger designers. I pushed really hard for Guillaume Verdier to get into it. He showed interest and I promoted him to teams. It would be great to see more designers."

"We take yacht design and compete prior to the race as well as during it. It's part of the high tech evolution. The more we are all out there competing, the better it is, and the better the winning feels!"

Volvo Ocean Race

Máster de España Match Race, Day 3: Morvan and Marinho to Meet in Finals

Alexis Littoz-Baritell, from France, and the South African, Ian Ainslie, will fight for the 3rd and 4th places

The French sailor, Morvan, and the Portuguese one, Marinho, will decide the winner of the Máster de España ISAF Grade 2 at the Monte Real Club de Yates de Baiona


Image copyright Monte Real Club de Yates de Baiona.

by MRCYB media (in translation by SailRaceWin)

The Master of Spain Match Race that finishes tomorrow in the seafaring village of Baiona has its finalists. They are the French sailor Pierre Antoine Morvan, number 7 in the ISAF World rankings, and the Portuguese sailor Álvaro Marinho, number 18 in the ISAF rankings. These two will be the skippers who, tomorrow, Saturday, will try to obtain the maximum reward from this international Match Race, Grade 2. The other Frenchman who was in the semi-finals, Alexis Littoz-Baritel, and the South African, Ian Ainslie, will determine who finishes in the 3rd and 4th places.

The other positions have already have been determined according to their merits in this event. Thus the fifth place belongs to the Majorcan, Manu Weiller, the best of the four crews who today disputed their position in 5th to 8th places. The Danish youth, 16 year old Joachim Aschenbrenner finished in 6th place. Seventh place went to the Spanish sailor Támara Echegoyen in a disputed encounter with the Sevillian Juan Luís Páez, who was eighth.

The weather did not distingush itself today in Baiona. After the terral wind in the morning, as with every other day, the Máster de España fleet returned to land. Only one Flight had been disputed. At 1600 the Race Committee found in conditions in which to make a new start. After the change of 180 degrees in the direction of the wind from 1000 hours in the morning, there was also a 300 degree change, with feeble pressure.


Image copyright Monte Real Club de Yates de Baiona.

The final between Marinho and Morván will be the first to obtain 3 points, and the "petit final", between Littoz-Baritel and Ainslie, the one that obtains two points.

The awards ceremony will be celebrated at 1600 in the Main Parlour of the Monte Real Club de Yates, in the presence of the Mayor of Baiona, Jesus Vázquez Almuiña, and of the representatives of both sponsor firms, VALIANT and SLAM, as well as of the Provincial Delegate for Sports of the Junta of Galicia, Daniel Benavides, coordinator of the Máster de España, and also in the presence of the President of the Federación Gallega de Vela, José Angel Rodriguez.

Match Race Extreme Team Morbihan (Morvan, FRA) report that they won their semi-final against Ian Ainslie (RSA) 3-0, to earn a spot in the finals, against Marinho (POR) tomorrow. They also report that, having finished as runners up twice at this event, they are determined to win tomorrow!

In Spanish:

El Máster de España que mañana finaliza en la villa marinera pontevedresa de Baiona ya ha definido a sus finalistas. El galo Pierre Antoine Morvan, número 7 del mundo, y el luso Álvaro Marinho, número 18 en el ranking de la ISAF, serán los patrones que mañana sábado intentarán llevarse el máximo galardón de este Match Race Internacional, puntuable en el Grado 2. El otro francés de esta cita de alto nivel, Alexis Littoz-Baritel y el sudafricano Ian Ainslie, determinarán quien se queda con la 3º y 4ª plaza.

Los demás puestos ya han sido adjudicados según sus méritos en este evento. Así la quinta plaza se la queda el mallorquín Manu Weiller, el mejor de entre las cuatro tripulaciones que hoy disputaban su puesto en el listado del 5º al 8º. Le sigue el joven danés de 16 años Joachim Astrenbenner en el 6º lugar. La 7ª plaza se la quedó la gallega Támara Echegoyen en un disputado encuentro con el sevillano Juan Luís Páez, que fue octavo.

El meteoro no se dejó ver mucho hoy por Baiona. Tras el terral de la mañana, como cada día, la flota del Máster de España regresó a tierra. Sólo se había disputado un Flight. A las 16.00 horas el Comité se encontraba en condiciones de dar una nueva salida. Tras el 180 en la dirección del viento de las 10.00 horas de la mañana, la fuerza motriz en el campo de la regata la aportaba un 300, también flojo.


Image copyright Monte Real Club de Yates de Baiona.

La final entre Marinho y Morván se la llevará el primero que consiga 3 puntos, y la "petit final", entre Littoz-Baritel y Ainslie, el que antes sume dos puntos.

La entrega de premios se celebrará a las 16.00 horas en el Salón Principal del Club de Yates, con la presencia confirmada del Alcalde de Baiona, Jesús Vázquez Almuiña, y de los representantes de ambas firmas patrocinadoras, VALIANT y SLAM, así como del Delegado Provincial de Deportes de la Xunta de Galicia, Daniel Benavides, colaboradora del Máster de España y el Presidente de la Federación Gallega de Vela, José Ángel Rodríguez.

Máster de España Match Race