Okay, so here’s the deal – we are going to have the best west coast sportboat regatta – ever! To be held in the south bay of San Diego – good breeze, flat water, no kelp – and we’ll run it out of Coronado Yacht Club, September 26, 27. We’re going to gather as many sportboats as possible (that’s where you come in), put them together in at least two handicap classes, run seven races, and have a full slate of food, drink and entertainment as well. Dave Ullman will be speaking, alt rockers Moxy Bullets will be jamming, comedian Russ T. Nailz will be funny, all Saturday Night. And of course there will be giveaways, good prizes, great racing, good times. We are limiting entries to 50 boats

enter here

2009 Mermaid Parade is Saturday, June 20th, 2PM! Rain or Shine!
King Neptune Mr. Harvey Keitel and his Queen Mermaid Daphna
Special Appearances by The Uptown String Band from The Philadelphia Mummers Parade!
Monster Truck ‘Blue Thunder’ performing a parade prelude.
Performers from Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey’s Boom A Ring

Want to be a judge at the Parade?

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The National Football League (NFL) is ranked as the world’s most valuable sports property, with a value of US$4.5 billion. It is followed at the top of the table by three other American properties – Major League Baseball (MLB) (US$3.9 billion), the NBA (US$3.35 billion) and Nascar (US$1.9 billion).

The newest property in the list is the Indian Premier League (IPL), which is valued at US$1.6 billion – a staggering achievement for a two-year-old property.

The highest ranked European team property is the Ferrari Formula One team (7th) at a value of US$1.55 billion, followed by Manchester United Football Club (8th) at US$1.495 billion. The most valuable American sports club is the Dallas Cowboys (10th), the NFL team, valued at US$1.278 billion.

Tiger Woods (11th) is the highest rated athlete property with a value of US$1.25 billion, followed by Jack Nicklaus (16th) at US$1 billion. Golfers dominate the athletes’ table because of the high earnings from designing golf courses; Tiger Woods is expected to earn over a billion dollars from designing courses in the next decade and will almost certainly eclipse his on-course earnings. David and Victoria’s Beckham Brand Ltd property (88th) is valued at US$375 million.

Many single annual events appear, led by the Wimbledon tennis championships (22nd) valued at US$900 million.

Unsurprisingly, the most valuable competition is the Fifa World Cup (5th) valued at US$1.7 billion, ahead of the Summer Olympic Games (15th) at US$1.04 billion. The Uefa Champions League (13th) is valued at US$1.1 billion, eclipsing the Summer Olympics due to its annual status.

So what about sailing. Well not important enough to make the official press release, but we contacted SportsPro and got the list.

The Volvo Ocean Race is valued at US$190 million in 167th position while the America’s Cup is valued at US$500 million in 71st place (just US$4 million behind the Winter Olympic Games in 70th).
Having evaluated the Vendee Globe for a significant period of time, it didn’t quite make the US$115 million cut off point for the Top 200 list.

The ranking confirms what we have all suspected for a while, that the America’s Cup is the biggest thing in sailing, which perhaps explains why the fights to control it are so hard fought, but it also shows that sailing has to work pretty hard for share of voice and sponsorship dollars.

So there are the numbers to beat people. IPL has turned cricket into a massive global sport with big dollars behind it in just 2 years. Sailing certainly has the platforms, but does it have the people and the skills to really become a player in the world of pro-sport?

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Coaches… How do you fit into the new coaching framework?

There are career opportunities in coaching and a real need to up skill and develop our currently certified coaches.

Yachting New Zealand is staging the learning over time and slowly moving away from the long weekend sitting in a classroom. We want these modules to be delivered and worked on so coaches can take a new idea try it out and come back to the class environment with new experiences.

Here is how the framework looks; new logos have been designed to avoid confusion between the course names. Who are you and how do you fit into this?

Assistant Club Instructor (Under 18)
Club/Keelboat Instructor (Over 18)

Race Coach: You do a bit of club sailing yourself, you are over 16 and you have done a Club/Keelboat Instructor course at your club already, or you are a parent of a kid who is now racing. If you want to get into coaching, then this for you.

Regatta Coach: You have a couple of years experience coaching at a national and regional level. Perhaps you have taken a team or individuals to a National Championship or another significant event. If you want to up skill your entry level coach qualification, this course is for you.

Performance Coach: Ok now you’re really getting serious with coaching as a job prospect or part time income. You are dealing with athletes that are looking at competing internationally and you have the technical knowledge and ability to deliver this information well. You will be at this level until you have coached an athlete to success at the Olympic Games.

Olympic Coach: You are in the elite group of coaches who have produced results at the Olympic Games. You are a coach mentor and will be working with performance coaches to give them the knowledge and skills to produce top sailors.

There will be courses run over the winter so get in touch with Rob Hielkema, YNZ Coach Development Manager to register your interest.
rob@yachtingnz.org.nz tel. (09) 361 4027

ARC to phase out Seabed Fees

Last week the Auckland Regional Council resolved to phase out excessive and unfair seabed fees levied on Auckland boaties.

On Tuesday June 9th the ARC met to deliberate on its annual long term plan and to consider submissions from the people of Auckland. Following a petition last November and many submissions from Auckland boaties, Chairman Mike Lee and his Councillors resolved to phase out the unpopular fees over a four year period. Further the ARC will write to Rodney and Manukau City Councils for similar action in support of Pine Harbour and Gulf Harbour boaties.

Half Moon Bay spokesman and campaigner against the fees, Geoff Burgess says, “It was a great day for Auckland boaties. This is the city of sails, we have a magnificent harbour and boating is what it’s all about for thousands of Auckland families.”

With the ARC resolution occupation costs to boaties will reduce significantly at Half Moon Bay, Bucklands Beach Yacht Club and Westpark, and will bring them in line with Westhaven, Bayswater, OBC and Orakei as recreational boating facilities.” Boaties now look to Rodney and Manukau City Councils to support boaties at Pine Harbour and Gulf Harbour.

Geoff Burgess says, “Auckland boaties owe a huge vote of thanks to ARC Chair Mike Lee in the ARC action to support boating as an affordable sport and recreation for Aucklanders.”

Opti Worlds team competes in Singapore

The New Zealand Optimist World Championship team is taking advantage of a generous offer from the Singapore Sailing Federation to compete at the Singapore Nationals.

After having such a great experience competing at the New Zealand Optimist Nationals over Easter at Worser Bay, Wellington the Singaporeans decided to offer the New Zealand Worlds team free accommodation, free boat charter and free food to compete at the Singapore Nationals.  This seemed like a great opportunity for the kiwis to get in some light air training at a regatta which will probably reflect the light airs expected off Rio where the Optimist Worlds will be held in early August.

With limited regattas held locally at this time of the year, the New Zealand team jumped at the chance to go to the warmer climate of Singapore where they are competing in a 230 boat fleet.  The Worlds team of Taylor Burn, Naomi Mannering, Erica Dawson, Keith Inglis and Jack Collinson have also taken with them three younger development sailors to give them early international experience.  They are Cole Rippey, Ava Mannering and Scott Inglis.

more YNZ Briefing here

TELEFÓNICA BLUE LEG NINE DAY 6 QFB;

received 19.06.09 0838 GMT

We have been teasing Daryl Wislang over the last 24 hours. Why, because he is the only one of the crew sailing the boat back to Spain after the race is finished.

We told him the wind is always comes from this direction, and most of the time with more pressure and that the current is most likely to change direction as well, so that it is against them. This will mean a slow beat all the way to Kiel. Talking about the current, we have been dodging current against us all the way, in some places it was running over three knots, but luckily we have kept some  breeze, so progress has been ok.

On Saturday, we will most likely lift the boat quickly out of the water, to have a good look at the repair we did and to adjust the rollers on the canard, as it is running a bit stiff. Our inshore grinders have prepared the sails already for the inshore on Sunday, so most of our guys will have a day off.

There is no time to have a sail in the area where we do the inshore race on Sunday, but I am not too worried about that.  I have been sailing a lot on lakes, and know what to expect. It will be very shifty and puffy, and scenarios where one minute you look good and the next minute your position might look terrible will appear. So we start with a clean sheet of paper, and try keep our track record of podium places going, of course the best will be winning the last one.

33 miles to go to Almagrundet, the lighthouse where we turn the corner into the finish. Let’s hope we keep the wind pressure, to get this horrible leg over as quick as possible!

Bouwe Bekking – skipper

more here

Joakim Rechnitzer/baadmagasinet.dk

TELEFÓNICA BLUE COMPLETES LEG NINE

Leg nine of the Volvo Ocean Race is one that the skipper and crew of Telefónica Blue would rather forget.  Instead of anticipated heated racing against PUMA for second place in the event overall, Telefónica Blue became securely wedged on a rock just outside Marstrand moments after the start last Sunday and had to return to the harbour for repairs.

Today, as the team completed the leg and arrived in safely Stockholm, the mood was sombre onboard and what turned out to be more of a delivery from Marstrand to Stockholm had been no fun for the crew who had sailed silently, reflecting upon their misfortune.

“Finally we have finished, but not easy,” wrote skipper Bouwe Bekking shortly after the crossing the line. “No cheers, no handshakes, as we crossed the line. We know we had an absolute shocker and have given a better podium place away.

“On a personal note, this was the leg I have been looking forward so much to; sailing through home waters, going around a lot of corners, a leg which suited us well on paper, but the opposite happened. Now we will focus on the in-port race, where have the best track record by far, and then it will be sweet to finish on top in St. Petersburg.”

His feelings were echoed across the team: “Since we left, there was not much talking going on.  Everyone was pretty much into his own world, dealing his theoretical philosophy of what has happened,” said MCM Gabri Olivo.

The team will be ready to race in Sunday’s in-port race and the crew is hoping to salvage their pride by winning both this, the final of the in-port race series, and the last leg of the race to St Petersburg in Russia.

“This is the only way we can finish this race on a decent note.  There is a lot of talent onboard as well as a lot of pride.  We are a team and, as such, we want to show it to everyone.  We will be back on the water as strong as never before.  This is a must,” said Olivo.

At the time of the incident, skipper Bouwe Bekking offered his special thanks to Kimo Worthington, Neil Cox, Shaun Healey and Will Oxley from the PUMA team, all of whom were out on a chase boat at the leg start and did not leave Telefónica Blue’s side until she was back in the harbour, even taking over the towing ropes to the big vessel.

Ericsson  Racing Team quickly offered the use of their work container with all its boat building equipment, and it took the crew and shore crew two and half days to repair the boat in order to restart the leg on 17 June at 1916 GMT.

Bekking and his men now trail PUMA by seven points. In the immediate aftermath of the grounding, Bekking conceded that “most likely, second place is gone.”

However, PUMA’s skipper, Kenny Read, is taking nothing for granted.  “It was a huge shame what happened to them.  We are really happy that everybody is healthy and that nobody got hurt.  They are, mathematically, not out of it by any means.  We still have a battle on our hands,” said the skipper whose team claimed line honours in the leg.

Telefónica Blue has just one in-port race worth half leg points and the final leg to St Petersburg in which to make up the deficit.  It will be a thrilling finish.

more here

Diving south-east to the finish line

With the exception of solo sailor Michel Kleinjans on Roaring Forty, the Portimão Global Ocean Race fleet have picked up the pace since Thursday afternoon. While Kleinjans is dealing with 13 knot headwinds and making just under six knots as he prepares to sail through the Azores Archipelago 50 miles off the bow of his open 40, the double-handed Class 40s continue their descent towards the final turning point of this 30,000 mile, eight month circumnavigation.

In the 0620 UTC position poll on Friday morning (19/06), the fleet leaders, Felipe Cubillos and José Muñoz are 249 miles from the finish line and 180 miles off the Portuguese coast due west of Lisbon having increased their lead by 26 miles since yesterday afternoon. The Chilean duo are making the best speed in the fleet at just over 12 knots while Boris Herrmann and Felix Oehme on Beluga Racer in second place are delivering slightly under nine knots 116 miles to leeward off the race leader’s starboard quarter. Trailing the German duo by 75 miles, Jeremy Salvesen and David Thomson on Team Mowgli are currently averaging 7.7 knots with 541 miles of Leg 5 remaining.

Since Desafio Cabo de Hornos hit a personal light patch two days ago, Cubillos and Muñoz have gradually stretched away from the chasing boats. “Surely, for our German rivals, Wednesday night must have been magical as they clawed back half the distance we had built up ahead of them,” commented Felipe Cubillos yesterday. “It does not matter too much as we’re beginning to match their speed and from the look of the latest weather files, we’re out of the danger zone and lined up for a direct route to Portimão,” he says of the weather analysis.

Current weather models suggest that Desafio Cabo de Hornos is in approximately 18 knots of north-easterly breeze and this should hold until Cubillos and Muñoz approach Cabo São Vincente on the south-western extremity of Portugal when the wind may turn northerly and drop slightly this evening. Beluga Racer and Team Mowgli are in the same band of north-easterly breeze with similar wind speeds and may hold the breeze fractionally longer in their descent towards the finish. Meanwhile, with 1,000 miles to the finish line, Michel Kleinjans and Roaring Forty have the tough prospect of continuous 10-15 knot headwinds with the Azores Archipelago directly in their path.

more here

2011-2012 Global Ocean Race confirmed

With the successful conclusion of the inaugural 2008-09 Portimão Global Ocean Race in Portugal imminent, the Race Director, Josh Hall, has released details of the next edition of the event.

Scheduled to start in September 2011, the Global Ocean Race will follow the same route raced by the yachts competing in the 2008-09 event and will start from a European port. In close affiliation with Class 40 Association and following the successful circumnavigation of three Class 40s, it has been decided to make the race exclusively for Category 0, Class 40 yachts, split into two divisions: single-handed and double-handed.

Currently, Hall is in close negotiation with the City of Portimão as well as other ports with a North Atlantic coastline and the decision of which city will act as start and finish port will soon be finalised. Having built a strong, enthusiastic and committed relationship with the stop over ports of Cape Town, South Africa; Wellington, New Zealand; Ilhabela, Brazil and Charleston, South Carolina, the same route will be taken in the 2011-2012 edition of the race and will further boost the growing interest in Class 40 that has become a feature of the event’s stop over ports. Following the established route will also introduce leg and distance records to the event.

Entry enquiries for the next edition of the Global Ocean Race have been highly encouraging, increasing exponentially with each country visited by the event and as media and spectator involvement flourished. Both professional and amateur yachtsmen have recognised that the race and its format are affordable, yet provide demanding and intensely competitive round–the-world racing. To increase the appeal of the race, each double-handed boat is allowed a maximum of six crew, permitting teams the option of alternating crew at each stop over throughout the circumnavigation. This places access to a competitive round-the-world race firmly in the domain of keen Club Racers as well as sponsored professionals.

This post is tagged Coney Island Mermaid Parade, Etchells, Optimist Worlds, portimao, sailing anarchy, scuttlebutt, Seabed Fees, telefonica blue, volvo ocean race, yacht sponsorship, YNZ Briefings