2009 Flying Fifteen Winter Series starts at RAYC this Sunday

16 May 2009

With 7 boats back from the 2009 Worlds things are heating up for the Winter Series at Royal Akarana Yacht club. Expect close racing, it’s not uncommon for several boats to finish within seconds of each other. 16 boats have expressed interest so it’s likely to be more than the low of 7 and high of 11 starters for the 2008 Winter Series.

There are some boats available for use including a club boat, plus we’re working with owners to put together a lease/rent options.

Images from the last few years

more details here

Cory E. Friedman/Scuttlebutt

Part 38 -

Wedgies and Gun Jumping

“Don’t get mad, get even.” – John Fitzgerald Kennedy.
“Stuff happens and it’s untidy,. . . .” – Donald Rumsfeld.

(May 12, 2009) For many years I have known a Star sailor who is not a good loser. In his prime, if he lost a club race he was out of sorts for the rest of the week. Nevertheless he has always been a gracious loser – one of the marks of a real gentleman sportsman. Did anyone expect behavior like that from Société Nautique De Genève (SNG) after its 6-0 drubbing in the New York Court of Appeals? Fugedaboudit. Instead, SNG has devoted all of its efforts to giving Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) a wedgie. Unfortunately, GGYC may be forgetting JFK’s famous advice and rising to the bait.

If anyone has forgotten, the Court of Appeals remanded the case to the Commercial Division, which then entered judgment that provides that the Match be held 10 months hence (February 7 or 8 depending on which side is doing the calculating), that it be held in Valencia or wherever SNG chooses, and that SNG provide GGYC 6 months’ notice (August 7 or of the venue. The order is about as clear as an order can get. While SNG claims that its argument that no match may be held before May was never considered because of the “procedural posture” of the appeals, the short answer is that it was considered by Justice Cahn and the reason it was not considered by the Appellate Division or the Court of Appeals is that SNG dropped the ball and did not press the issue on appeal or cross appeal. Even if the judgment is totally wrong (it is not), that is the judgment and SNG has to suck it up and comply. SNG can tell it to the chaplain.

more here

Once again the sleuths at Sailing Anarchy are in the thick of the action. I reckon these guys could find a brown mouse in the desert when it farts.

In yet another absolutely bizarre move from the desk of Alinghi lawyer Lucien Masmejan, SNG today filed an affidavit with the NY Supreme Court that has to be the strangest yet. The 39-page document adds only one thing to the record; a transcript of an interview between French police and BMW sail design team member Jean Antoine Bonnaveau. It gets weirder: The transcript claims that Bonnaveau is being questioned in connection with a complaint (from an unnamed source) that he was ‘violating privacy using a camera.’

A quick reading of the transcript reveals that Bonnaveau’s job was to learn more about the now-infamous VAB tent in Villeneuve – its size and feasibility for building a DoGmaran. It also reveals that the ‘spy’ was never on Alinghi’s property at all. Unsurprisingly, no charges have been filed by the French even though Bonnaveau was questioned almost two weeks ago. Read on.

Ellison Hired Yachting Spy Team, Alinghi Says in Court Papers

By Aaron Kuriloff and Patricia Hurtado

May 12 (Bloomberg) — Larry Ellison’s America’s Cup team hired spies to dig up information on the defending champions’ boat, according to court papers filed by the Swiss syndicate that holds yachting’s oldest trophy.

Billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli’s Alinghi team alleged that they caught a spy hired by Ellison’s BMW-Oracle Racing with a camera on Swiss property last month, and that the person later admitted he was part of an espionage squad hired “to illegally break into facilities to take photographs and secure information about the defense boat.”

Jean Eagleson, a spokeswoman for BMW-Oracle racing, didn’t immediately return a voicemail message left on her mobile phone seeking a comment on Alinghi’s allegations.

Jean Antoine Bonnaveau, a French national living in Spain, told police he was functioning as part of a BMW-Oracle “recon cell” when he visited and photographed Alinghi’s construction facility in the Swiss Villeneuve highlands on April 28-29, according to papers filed yesterday in New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan.

“I specify that I was officially authorized by my company to carry out this reconnaissance,” he told police, according to a report from Montpellier, France, that was included in the court filing. “In fact, I am part of the design team but the entire staff can provide useful information, particularly on opposing teams. We call that a ‘recon cell’ for reconnaissance.”

Private Photographs

Paco Latorre, a spokesman for Alinghi, said team employees saw Bonnaveau taking photographs at the facility in an area that wasn’t public and eventually filmed him and his car, tracking him down in southern France where he was interviewed. Latorre said French and Swiss authorities are investigating the case.

Bonnaveau told police that he was hired by BMW-Oracle in December 2007 as a sail analyst and received a salary of 10,000 euros ($13,600) a month. He said he didn’t think his activities were criminal or outside the bounds of America’s Cup competition.

“Being insistent and bothersome in order to obtain technical and sport-related information on the competition has been a part of the event for 150 years,” he said.

The papers were filed in connection with a hearing scheduled for May 14 in New York State Supreme Court before Justice Shirley Kornreich. The hearing is part of an almost two- year legal fight between Ellison and Bertarelli over the rules for the 157-year-old event.

The case is Golden Gate Yacht Club v. Societe Nautique de Geneve, 602446/2007, New York Supreme Court (Manhattan).

and read the rest of the forums here

That Practice Race

First Five Practice Race MedCup Alicante.

1. Bribon (ESP)
2. Bigamist 7 (POR)
3. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL)
4. Matador (ARG)
5. Quantum Racing (USA)

Quotes:

Thierry Peponnet (FRA), Bribon, helm:
“ This has been a good debut for me. We are happy with the atmosphere on board. It is pretty relaxed but at the same time we are very focused.”
“ Today’s result is due to several things, just 2,30 minutes before the start we caught a plastic bag with the keel, so we had to completely stop the boat to take it out. In fact we wanted to start closer to the committee boat, but we haven’t been able to do that and were closer to the buoy instead.”
“ Ross’s tactic was excellent, who together with Marcel predicted the evolution of the wind, and we chose the right time to cross the fleet, and to take the right side at the moment where the pressure came back.”
“ We have a crew which knows each other very well, and know how to trim and place the boat in relation to the wind pressure. With our boat, even if it’s older, we can gain more advantage from the wind.”

Pedro Mendonca (POR), Bigamist 7, owner and navigator:
“ It was a great training race. The boat is a bit faster this year, the tactics we chose today were good and we managed to maintain the second place. We didn’t let the gap with Bribon get bigger.”
“ We have trained a lot really this year already, we have worked on our jibes, the boat handling and among the crew members we have someone who knows the boat very well from last year Mikkel Rosberg. We also have a new Italian guy trimming the main and overall the crew gets along well.”

Grant Dalton (NZL), Emirates Team New Zealand, CEO and mast man.
“ In theory we have been working full time this year but because the America’s Cup is still in court that means that the guys haven’t got a lot of work other than this. The first time we have been out together was in Auckland at the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series, and we sailed a little bit on the boat together but not so much. But, it’s not really hard to get the combinations going because we know each other very well, we speak the same language, understand each other’s jokes, and we have sailed together through the America’s Cup so getting the crew to actually go together is very simple. Some of us have been sailing together forever !”

more here

Valencia Sailing Report here

Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

SR 26 Championships 2009

Results based on Elapsed time.
Races this series: 8 Series completed, 1 discarded to date
Low Point (ISAF) scoring system, ISAF Rule A9 applies
Race 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Points Place
Fleet race, 9 entries
5716 SR 26 Mercenary 1 1 2 1 1 -4 1 1 8 1
8039 SR 26 Rattle N Rum 3 3 1 3 -4 2 3 3 18 2
526 SR 26 Aqua Vitae 2 4 4 4 3 -5 4 5 26 3
5595 S R 26 Trainsmash 4 -5 5 2 5 3 5 4 28 4
6772 SR 26 Jagged Edge 5 2 6 (dnc) dnc 1 6 2 30 5 The swimmers
6086 SR 26 Gaucho -7 6 3 5 2 6 2 6 32 6
5754 SR 26 New Force 6 -7 7 6 6 7 7 7 46 7
5159 SR 26 T-Rex (dnc) dnc dnc dnc dnc dnc dnc dnc 70 8 =
5411 SR 26 Markone (dnc) dnc dnc dnc dnc dnc dnc dnc 70 8 =

more here

yesterdays submarine todays party ship

TP52 / Learnings from Le Mans?

New Race Villages for Audi Med Cup
Learnings from Le Mans? New Race Villages for Audi Med Cup

May 12, 2009 by admin
Filed under Audi Med Cup, Europe, Sponsorship Activation, TP52

For better and worse sailing does not require a stadium to run events. One of the downsides of not having a stadium is managing the fan experience at an event.

However, it’s not just sailing that is spread over large distances. The Le Mans 24 Hour race is run on a track that is 13.650 km long. Hundreds of thousands of fans camp around the track to watch brands like Porsche, Ferrari, Lola and Audi.

Audi has dominated sports-car racing since 2000, so if anyone can bring expertise about delivering a fan experience across large sporting arena’s – it should be Audi.

As title sponsor of the Med Cup, Audi is introducing to the first race in Alicante, the Audi MedCup visitor experience within the extensive regatta village.

For 2009 there has been a major investment in the Audi MedCup Regatta Village in order to make the sport and the Circuit as accessible as possible to visitors to each of the five host cities this season, Alicante, Marseille, Cagliari, Portimao and Cartagena.

The entrance to the Regatta Village now includes an official information and welcome point. This is accompanied by a small exhibition area and cinema showing an inspiring, adrenalin pumping eight minutes film.

Just so the sponosr gets a little bit of activation, the latest range of shiny Audi cars is on display and because Audi is a savvy sponsor, there is also cross-promotion of promotions using an interactive games arena where visitors can race Audi cars at Le Mans on the Play Station simulators.

For the first time, the racing will be shown live on giant screens fed with the real time simulation from Virtual Eye, supported by live Audio and Text Commentary.

More motorsport analagies are used to describe fan’s ability to get up close to the boats in the dockside ‘pit -lane’.

It’s great to see professional operators treating sailing like a proper spectator sport.

More here

Record breaking yachtsman Alex Thomson has been making the most of HUGO BOSS being back in the water and enjoying some ‘foiling’ off his IMOCA Open 60 in the Solent.

Alex, always one for a challenge was thrilled to get out on the water and found the ‘foiling’ an exhilarating experience and was able to execute some complex moves thanks to the technology of the Carafino ‘Hydrofoil’ board, one of the most highly innovative designs available.

Photo copyright Mark Lloyd
“The conditions were perfect with good breeze and sunshine adding to the feel good factor on the day. I haven’t been ‘foiling’ before but I loved it. It’s pretty extreme – at a certain speed the hull is lifted above the water and the craft skims along on the hydrofoils at great speeds. It’s like snowboarding, just on water,” explained Alex.

Richard Thompson from Carafino UK was on board Hugo Boss with Alex last week and was hugely impressed with not only the Open 60, but also with Alex.

“What a guy! He has this tremendous confidence with the water you don’t see very often and was straight up and gone first time. His level of fitness is staggering and served him well on the Hydrofoil, I really was blown away by his performance. Alex looked completely at ease and was in control all the time.”

more here

Riviera receiver: “Business as usual” as it prepares for

Sanctuary Cove next week

By IBI Magazine

Riviera’s receiver, Chris Campbell, said today that the company will operate on a “business as usual” basis. The receivers will investigate Riviera’s financial affairs, and develop a restructuring plan over the next few weeks. Last Friday, Campbell and two other Deloitte partners, Vaughan Strawbridge and Richard Hughes, were announced as receivers and managers for Riviera.

Campbell said in a statement that his first priority was to “turn the supply chain back on,” while also reassuring customers that Riviera is still “up and running.”

Riviera currently employs about 550 workers. In January, it laid off 117 workers. Last year, it cut more than 300 workers as global demand for boats trended downward. Riviera exports boats to more than 30 countries.

Campbell said he has already received “expressions of interest” in buying the company, and that he would continue to “test the market” for interested buyers. “However, given the current economic climate it is likely that the best return to creditors is likely to come from a restructure and turnaround of the operations of the business rather than an immediate sale,” he said.

Riviera will participate in next week’s Sanctuary Cove International Boat show as its largest exhibitor. Campbell also seemed to want to calm the market by stating that warranties would be honored. “Customers should bear in mind that warranty is not only provided by Riviera and dealers but also is supported by the original equipment suppliers,” he said. “In addition the dealer support network and mobile servicing remains available.”

Campbell declined to say who the main creditors were and how much Riviera owes them and the workers. “It is too early in the appointment to provide this information,” he said.

(12 May 2009)

more here

Paul Cayard and Ray Davies to join the

RC 44 fleet for the Austria Cup

The third event of the RC 44 Championship Tour 2009 will take place in Austria on May 22 – 26. Team New Zealand’s Ray Davies joins the RC 44 Class on board Pieter Heerema’s No Way Back, whilst Paul Cayard steps onboard Igor Lah’s Ceeref. The four leaders of the Tour are separated by four points only.

May 12, 2009 – Following two successful regattas held in Lanzarote (SPA) and Cagliari (ITA), the RC 44 fleet is getting ready for the third stage of the RC 44 Championship Tour 2009. The RC 44 Austria Cup will take place on May 22 – 26 on the beautiful Lake Traunsee, in the middle of snow-capped mountains and on a lake well known for its consistent thermal breeze.
Four teams are currently dominating the Championship Tour: Chris Bake’s Team Aqua, who currently sails with the Championship Tour leader’s gold wheel, Larry Ellison’s BMW ORACLE Racing, Igor Lah’s Ceeref (who will sail the Austria Cup with Paul Cayard) and Torbjorn Tornqvist’s Artemis. These teams are only separated by four points.
The battle is also fierce amongst the followers. Pieter Heerema’s Team No Way Back will sail for the first time with Emirates Team New Zealand’s tactician Ray Davies. Led by Christian Binder, the local Austrian team expects a good race in front of its public. These two teams have already been training together on Lake Traunsee, hoisting the sails as early as 6:00 AM to make the best of the local breeze.
Team Sea Dubai will also be keen to climb up the provisional rankings after showing a great potential in Cagliari, obtaining an excellent fifth rank in the fleet regatta with its new fleet race helmsman Yousef Lahej. As for Karol Jablonski, he certainly hopes to take Organika to a level – and ranking – that corresponds to his huge talent. Finally, Team Puerto Calero will be keen to confirm its results from the beginning of the season.
The flat water and sometimes tricky tactical conditions could well change the Class’ hierarchy. The strict one-design concept of the Class also favours changes, giving all the teams the opportunity to fight for victory. The statistics speak for themselves: since the beginning of the season, all the teams involved in the Tour have finished at least one race in the top three whilst six of them have won regattas.
The RC 44 Austria Cup will be organised by PROFS. The company’s CEO, Christian Feichtinger, says he is proud to host this regatta for the second consecutive time. “It is a great honour for us. The level has improved since last year and it is really impressive. Our organisation is ready. We will have a big vessel for our “Special Guest Club”, with 200 people following the races every day.”
The RC 44 Austria Cup will take place just after the Traunsee Woche; a regatta that unites 650 sailors on 220 boats.

coming soon

This post is tagged alex thomson, audi med cup, hugo boss, paul cayard, ray davies, riceiver, russell coutts, sr 26, tp52