The first Flying Tiger 7.5 arrives in a rainy (shocking!) San Diego. The boat is getting put together to go sailing hopefully this weekend, with your (SA) Ed racing it new Year’s Day. Bob Pattison from Neil Pryde and Moose McClintock from Dimension-Polyant are racing the boat in Key West so that should be something to follow. We know of at least one boat on order here in town already.

Pic by Geoff Davis

Press Release

December 16, 2008

Annapolis Maryland

M30 Class Announces New Name – Farr 30 International One Design Class

The M30 International Class Association announced today its Owners have voted unanimously to change the name of the Class Association to the Farr 30 International One Design Class.  In November, the Class successfully completed an agreement with Farr Yacht Design, Ltd and Bruce Farr to rename the Class.   The agreement was subject to approval by M30 Owners in a Class vote under the Class Constitution.  The name change and adoption of new logos will now be effective January 1, 2009.

The Class operated for 10 years under a naming rights and sponsorship arrangement with Champagne Mumm. Due to corporate reorganizations and a sale of the Champagne Mumm brand the arrangement was not renewed.  After operating as the M30 Class on an interim basis, the Class is very pleased to announce its new name, reuniting the image of the Class with the original designer of this very successful One Design boat.

Nelson Stephenson, Class and World Council President noted that following the adoption of a new Class Constitution in October, the Class has been managed by its World Council and operated through a central Class Office located in Annapolis Maryland.  Stagg Yachts, Inc. will continue as the Class Manager.   Regional Fleets are being organized to conduct local racing under Class Rules around the World.

Adopting a new name provides a great opportunity for the Class to renew its marketing efforts and move positively into its second decade. Over 225 One Design boats have been built and are racing worldwide.  New boats are presently being built by Waterline Systems, Inc in Portsmouth, Rhode Island and orders will be accepted by DK Yachts in Malaysia.   Major Fleets are active and growing in Australia, Europe, Russia, Canada, the United States and many other countries around the World.

Stephenson said today, “Farr Yacht Design Ltd, working with Dave Irish, Barry Carroll, and Geoff Stagg, designed a great boat that has provided our Owners with a great One Design racing platform. The Farr 30 brings together Owners for a high level of competition, resulting in a very high fun factor at an affordable cost.”

Bruce Farr commented, “At Farr Yacht Design, we are delighted by the decision to rename as the Farr 30 Class and honored to renew and strengthen our involvement in the Class”.  “This boat has been one our favorite designs and is one of the most successful 30 foot One Designs built, so it is gratifying that it now carries our name.

“Our goal in designing the boat was to create a state-of-the-art small offshore One Design that would be fast and exciting, yet uncomplicated and economical.  It exceeded expectations and has generated incredible enthusiasm amongst owners and crews, being fun and basically straightforward to sail whilst rewarding skill and effort with extra performance.  Strict one design rules and strong Class management have ensured incredibly close, fair racing and competitive fleets in many areas of the world, aboard a fantastic and delightful small Offshore One Design”.

Dehler Yachts went into administration on Tuesday, with orders for 200 boats, a slimmed down production line and a beefed up workforce, because the banks demanded their cash back.

‘It’s really unfair,’ Udo Erbe, the head of the company’s research and development department, told YM, ‘but we hope there will be a future. There are new people who want to invest and we plan to make a comeback for Dehler Yachts, the yard and the dealerships. There is a chance to survive this.’

Dehler Yachts are planning to have boats on display at the London Boat Show at ExCel in January. ‘It’s really a pity that the banks wanted to jump out of the project because we are now ready with the boat and the designs.’

Udo admitted that the company was a victim of its own success. It’s growth over the last four years had seen the company overstretch itself. Dehler in 2005 had 90 employees and 100 boats to build. By 2008 they had 230 employees, but although they had 200 boats to build the yard was not ready to to handle the increase. But in recent weeks they had made the production system more efficient. Alas, not in time to survive the credit crunch paranoia.

Dehler Yachts
Yachting Monthly, 18 December 2008

Pro wind surfer Florian Jung is the first man to windsurf in Alaskan waters  Photo: BARCROFT MEDIA
Mr Jung wore a special thermo neoprene-suit to cope with the 1-2 Celsius water temperature – Windsurfer becomes first to test skills in Alaskan waters
Mr Jung wore a special thermo neoprene-suit to cope with the 1-2 Celsius water temperature Photo: BARCROFT MEDIA

Surfing just yards from the unstable 150 metre high walls of the Chenega glacier pro windsurfer Florian Jung became the first man ever to windsurf in the barren wilderness of Alaskan waters.

Facing Arctic winds and water temperatures of just one degree Celsius Mr Jung achieved a life long dream.

“I have always dreamed of windsurfing near a glacier,” said the 24-year-old German. “No one else has surfed in front of the glaciers in Alaska before and I wanted to be the first.

“I normally surfs big waves in Hawaii and when I revealed my dream to a surfing friend back in Hawaii, he told me it couldn’t be done. So I put my 1972 VW van on the line and off I went.”

Flying out to the small town of Whittier in the glacier region of Alaska in August, Mr Jung set about his unusual adventure accompanied by a marine biologist in a boat.

He said: “The population there is only 183 and when we arrived they couldn’t believe what we were attempting to do.”

Measuring one mile in length the Chenega Glacier is highly unstable with giant ice rocks breaking off and crashing into the water almost every half an hour.

“I studied the region and talked to a lot of scientists about the clima-change and what happens with the glaciers there at the moment,” said Mr Jung.

“I am used to travelling from one sunny surf-spot to the next.

“When you see a glacier calving it is very impressive – but very dangerous. If an ice rock fell too close to myself or the boat then it could prove to be fatal for everyone.”

Mr Jung wore a special thermo neoprene-suit to cope with the 1-2 Celsius water temperature.

Chenega Glacier is a tidewater glacier located in Prince William Sound and on the Kenai Peninsula in the American state of Alaska.

The glacier is a tourist attraction, drawing many kayakers and small cruise lines to Nassau Fjord where the glacier meets the ocean.

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Committees finalised

Yachting New Zealand’s Committee lists for 2009 have now been confirmed. They are:

Committee for Sailors with Disabilities
Don Manning – Chairman
Dave Allerton
Mark Mulcare
Michael Jones
Brendan Tourelle
Jo O’Callaghan
Andrew May
Tim Dempsey
Kristine Lederis – YNZ Exec
Ralph Roberts – Board Rep

High Performance Committee
Philip Rzepecky – Chairman
Sarah Powrie
Janine Williams
John Woolley
Dean Stanley
Alastair Rowland
Marty Watson – YNZ Exec
Jim Murdoch – Board Rep

Race Management
Shane Borrell – Chairman
John Parrish
Wayne Boberg
John Bullot
Ross May
Jim Park
Andrew Clouston – YNZ Exec
Graeme Robinson – Board Rep

KORC
Ken Burt – Chairman
Ray Hasler
Brian Ward
Fendall Haliburton
Zoe Hawkins
Martin Hannon
John Bennett
Brian Weenink
Philip Hart
Lee Jordan
Jenny Egnot – YNZ Exec
Michael Churchouse – YNZ Exec
Mike Coupe – Board Rep
Mark Mulcare – PHRF Sub Committee

Junior Classes
Leslie Egnot – Chairman
John Gibbs
Brian Peet
Gary Smith
Roger Tweddell
Kevin Brown
Kim Admore – YNZ Exec
Ralph Roberts – Board Rep

Olympic Committee
Terry Nicholas – Chairman
Leslie Egnot – Convenor
Grant Beck
John Clinton
Rod Davis
Andrew Knowles
Richard Gladwell – Board Rep

Crusing & Powerboat Committee
Peter Head
Philip Milne
Barry Potter
Doug Smeal
Rodger Kerr-Newell – Board Rep

Audit Committee
Jan Dawson
Rodger Kerr-Newell
Joe Butterfield

Note: President and CEO are Ex officio members of all committees.

Yann Eliès rescue procedure under way

As Yann Eliès has to be evacuated the rescue process is under way, in close cooperation with the Vendee Globe race safety adviser based in Australia David Adams.Contact was made immediately with the MRCC, the Marine Rescue Coordination Centre, in Canberra who are responsible for Australian waters. hey have detailed an ANZAC class Frigate which will leave Perth at 1950hrs GMT. It is anticipated that it will take around 48 hours to reach Generali.

As requested by the Vendée Globe race directors Marc Guillemot, French skipper of Safran, and British skipper Sam Davies have been asked to change their courses and head to the location of Yann Eliès.

At the time of the incident, 0900hrs GMT, Guillemot was less than 100 miles to the south of Eliès while Davies was approximately 525 miles to the east.

more here

Another!

Yacht hijacked in Gulf of Aden

‘East African Seafarers’ Assistance Programme officer Andrew Mwangura who reported the hijack REUTERS/Celestine Achieng (KENYA)’    .
Pirates have just hijacked a yacht in the Gulf of Aden, but there is no information to hand about the nationality of the boat or its crew. There were only two people on board so it is likely that it was a private cruising yacht. Sail-World is endeavouring to get more information.

It was the third vessel to be taken within 24 hours off Somalia despite the presence of international navies, and only one day after the United Nations gave approval for those nations already present in the Gulf of Aden to pursue pirates on land as well as on the ocean.

Andrew Mwangura of the Kenyan-based East African Seafarers Assistance programme, who has reported many times on the pirate situation, brought the news to the world. Several months ago, Mwangura was arrested for his part reporting to the world the fact that arms were aboard the hijacked ship Faina, destined for the Sudan, not Kenya. He has only recently been released pending trial.

Pirates also hijacked an Indonesian tugboat used by French oil company Total off the coast of Yemen and a Turkish cargo ship on Tuesday, Mwangura said.

However, Chinese sailors backed up by international navies fought off Somali pirates trying to hijack their ship yesterday. The dramatic high-seas encounter was among a fresh wave of attacks by pirates in the Gulf of Aden.

A band of pirates boarded the Chinese-owned vessel Zhenhua 4 yesterday, but the sailors prevented them from invading their crew accommodation for several hours — enough time to seek help from the coalition forces.

“I’m actually very surprised that the crew managed to hold back the pirates. I don’t know how they did it, but they did it,” said Noel Choong, head of the International Maritime Bureau piracy reporting center in Kuala Lumpur.

“Because of this action, the military helicopters came and they managed to chase the pirates away. The pirates on board eventually left the ship and the master is proceeding on his course,” he said.

The rescue of the Chinese crew was the latest successful intervention from the newly created EU naval task force, which took over patrols off the Horn of Africa from NATO on Dec. 8.

The force kept pirates from hijacking a Singapore tanker, an Italian cargo ship and a Greek ship last week, Choong said. ‘Coalition forces deployed a helicopter to ward off the attacks. The three ships managed to escape,’ he said.

The EU naval force, which started operations on December 8, has six warships, three surveillance planes and four helicopters. More than a dozen ships and hundreds of crew are still being held in various pirate hideouts along the Somali coast.

Start of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race to be Webcast Live Around the World via Yahoo!7

In what is regarded as a world first for the sport of yachting, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia is pleased to announce that the Seven Network and Yahoo!7, will provide a live 90 minute webcast of the start of the 64th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race to a global audience.

This means that in addition to Seven Network’s live television broadcast in Australia, anyone, in any country around the world will be able to watch the start of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race provided they have a computer and broadband internet access from 12.30pm AEST until 2:00pm AEST.

With spectator numbers on Sydney Harbour and the Sydney Harbour foreshore expected to reach around 500,000 people, together with Seven Network’s Australia wide television audience of 500,000 viewers, and the addition of Yahoo!7’s national and international audience reach, it is predicted that the start of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race will be one of the most viewed sporting events in the world in the month of December.

CYCA Commodore Matt Allen today announced, “I am delighted to announce this wonderful initiative and a first for the sport of yachting through our broadcaster Seven Network in which we have extended the rights for the start of the 64th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht race to incorporate a live webcast on Yahoo!7.  This enables a truly global audience to view the race start – and with the large number of international entrants in this year’s race, this will generate an even greater worldwide interest to one of the world’s most iconic ocean races.”

Saul Shtein, Seven Network Head of Sport commented “Seven Network and Yahoo!7 is delighted to work with the CYCA to extend both the broadcast and webcast of the start of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.  With Yahoo!7’s video streaming technology, we are now able reach a global audience who otherwise would have had to rely on edited news vision and photographs to see the start of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race”.

Kath Hamilton, General Manager, Media for Yahoo!7 said, “Yahoo!7 Sport’s audience has grown enormously in 2008 on the back of our comprehensive coverage of international sporting events the calibre of the Olympics Games, Australian Open and Melbourne Cup Carnival.  This new initiative means that Australians who are away from their television and people right around the world can now view the race start.  It is exciting for our users and our business and it’s the perfect event for us to end the year with.”

In addition to the live 90 minute broadcast and webcast, Seven Network and Yahoo!7 will be presenting up to 4 race updates per day until the overall winner of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is determined.

Seven Network’s broadcast will be hosted by Gordon Bray and yachting expert Rob Brown.  Gordon has a long association with the race, including making the journey by sea six times onboard the radio relay vessel. Rob Brown is a highly regarded yachtsman with nine Rolex Sydney Hobarts under his belt and is a former 18-foot skiff world champion and was part of the winning Australia II crew in the 1983 America’s Cup.

To see all the colour and action of the start of the 64th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race tune into the Seven Network or the official race website www.rolexsydneyhobart.com and follow the links to www.yahoo7.com.au/sport from 12.30pm AEST on 26 December 2008.

Entries here

GOLDING DISMASTS IN SOUTHERN OCEAN WHILE LEADING VENDÉE GLOBE

ECOVER 3, skippered by Briton Mike Golding, dismasted at 0647hGMT this morning 830 miles south of Cape Leeuwin, Australia, while leading the Vendée Globe.

“I was below deck when a squall came through with winds of 55knots.  I had the main with two reefs and a reacher and had been like that for two hours.  Overnight we had winds of up to 45k so I had two reefs and a staysail and then changed to the new configuration in the early morning,” commented a very calm Golding, this morning.

“It basically went from being a near gale to a hurricane, and the mast didn’t like it.”

Overnight Golding had managed to secure a 30-mile lead over second-placed Paprec Virbac 2 after 36 days of racing.

“I was just getting into my jacket and going out on deck when the boat rounded up and then heeled right over.  I heard a bang and immediately went back below and waited until the noise had stopped.”

“The whole rig is down, there is not even a stump left.”

“Once everything had settled down a bit I went back out and the mast was lying across the deck and was acting as an anchor.  When things stopped moving about dramatically I set about cutting off the rig. There is some superficial damage to the boat, but nothing major.”

“My options now are controlled by what I can set up as a jury and unfortunately I don’t have much left.  I am about 970nm from Perth and Fremantle, so whatever the deal is I will have to cover some 1000-odd miles, somehow.”

“I managed to save the boom but have lost all my sails, other than storm staysail, but this will probably fit and then I will how to work out how to fly something off the back of that.”

“But whatever I do, I will only be able to reach and will not be able to go up or downwind.”

“I am gutted. But there is not much I can do about it.”

This post is tagged Dehler Yachts, ecover, Farr 30, Florian Jung, Flying Tiger, Mike Golding, Rolex Sydney Hobart, vendeeglobe, Yachting New Zealand, yachtyakka