Smile, be happy!

Deauville International Week was certainly born under a lucky star. 4 editions, 4 forecasts with wind, 4 forecasts with sun and 4 sessions of top quality competition.
For the final day of racing, conditions were ideal once again: 2O knots of S/SW’ly to delight competitors. “It’s the first time I’ve raced in Deauville and it’s been excellent, so I’ll be back!” Bruno Staub, tactician aboard the J 80 VOG.
As far as racing was concerned the 4th edition of Deauville International Week had nothing to be ashamed of with its schedule. The results were positive with 11 races on the Sportsboat round, 9 on the IRC round and 8, including one Offshore race spanning 116 miles, for the Farr 30s.
This year has once again seen a high class line-up in the Baie de Seine. From Luc Gelusseau in the Longtze to Daniel Souben in the Farr 30, to Erwan Tarbarly in the Sportsboat as well as Cyrille Legloahec in the IRC, all of them were present during the event, adding a little something special to the atmosphere…
“Deauville International Week enables amateur racers to do battle with professionals, which is fantastic! There were only 14 protests in 4 days right across the various fleets, so we can be satisfied with the high level of the competitors. It’s a very fine event, a beautiful region and some great boats” said Trevor Lewis, international judge during Deauville International Week.

more here

Quantum Racing win the coastal race.

After an exciting, full stretch coastal race Emirates Team New Zealand lead the 2008 champions by 12 points with four scheduled races to go. Roma lead the GP42 Series

Defending champions Quantum Racing stepped up their challenge for the overall lead of the Marseille Trophy regatta today on the Audi MedCup Circuit when they won an exciting, stamina-sapping 39.7 miles coastal return race east to Cassis, but a steady third place for Emirates Team New Zealand ensures that the Kiwi team hold a cushion of 12 points going forward to the final two days of windward-leeward racing on the Rade Sud.

With NW’ly winds blowing anything between 12 knots in the bay to 22-24 knots offshore on a long, fast sleigh ride downwind to the easternmost, leeward turning mark, this was a race which was doubly fulfilling, close and exciting to the end, with five boats finishing within two minutes after the long beat home, but the backdrop – the stunning limestone calanque cliffs and sheer valleys – is the most awesome of the Circuit.

Four different boats lead the race, but it was Quantum Racing’s afterguard who were able to take advantage, seizing the initiative to use the additional pressure in under the cliffs and the consistent favourable lift, to take the lead early on the beat which they were able to hold to win by 33 seconds from the Russian boat Valars III.

Valars and Pisco Sour read the split breeze on the downwind leg to their advantage. After the mid race gate at the Isle Riou they hitched inshore and hooked into a turbo boost of extra wind pressure closer to the land which also gave them a much more favourable downwind slant, allowing them to pop out in front, Vasco Vascotto’s (ITA) crew on the black hulled Pisco Sour leading the former Mean Machine round the leeward gate on to the short reach inshore to turn for home at the entrance to the bay of Cassis.

It was a tough day for Matador. The Argentine team lay second this morning, firmly in contention and were sixth at the first mark, but at the leeward turn, Mark 2, they appeared to suffer a headfoil problem. It took them some minutes to try and effect a repair, but ended up having to sail the next one sided beat, out to Rattoneau island, with just a tiny storm jib. They struggled on to finish 11th, but slipped to third, ten points behind Quantum Racing.

Lighter SE’ly winds are expected for tomorrow, Saturday’s two races with a concluding pair scheduled on Sunday.

Quotes of the day:

Morgan Larson (USA), tacticican Quantum Racing (USA):
“ I think what was critical today was that on the long run down to Cassis that the split breeze was important with more of a sea breeze offshore and the land breeze closer inshore. We were first to make the gain down the run on the shore side and then probably got a little too conservative after that. And then we ended up getting passed by guys who went a little further, but at least by that stage in the race we were up there.
It was very similar to last year.”
“ We knew that on the final beat you needed to be inshore. At the spinnaker set we were probably not close enough to the leaders but by the leeward turn we were OK, and we stayed with our game plan, staying on the right on the beat back, and that paid off for us.
It was a tough race on the trimmers and grinders. The wind was anything from 12-25 knots and was shifting up to 20 to 30 degrees.”

Adam Beashel (NZL), strategist Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL):
“ETNZ It was not quite the Mistral we would have liked, but a nice long run but it makes it hard then when there is a long beat home, its nicer the other way around.”
“ We sailed well for the first half of the race. The second half of the run we got a little out of phase and missed some pressure, hard under the cliffs. From there the long beat home was about staying close to our main competition, and we did that staying close to Quantum who had come through the other guys on the points score table, just so trying to minimise the damage that Quantum were able to do to us. We were able to get Synergy and then got Pisco Sour. We both went to Code Zeros but Pisco had a problem with their lead. We slipped through them then.”
“ We were close to our game plan. We knew there was a good chance of pressure in under the cliffs and we thought we were safe staying a little bit offshore where we did. I should probably have gone up to the spreaders at the gate to see if there was more pressure but I don’t think anyone else did, I think they just knew it was there, so hats off to them.”

Audi MedCup Circuit 2009, Marseille Trophy

TP52 Series
Overall – Day 3
1. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), 1+3+1+2+1+2+4,5= 14.5 points
2. Quantum Racing (USA), 8+5+2+6+3+1+1,5= 26,5 points
3. Matador (ARG), 2+6+4+1+2+5+16,5= 36,5 points
4. Bribón (SWE), 7+28+5+5+3+7,5= 41,5 points
5. Bigamist (POR), 5+4+6+3+10+4+10,5= 42,5 points
…

Tactical chess in the GP 42 Series

Roma lead the GP42 Series

While the TP52’s enjoyed their tour of coastal Provence, the GP42’s enjoyed near-perfect conditions for interesting games of tactical chess in today’s three buoy races in this series. Unlike yesterday’s steady big-breeze conditions, today’s wind was much more varied in speed and direction and therefore gave teams ample opportunities to play the shifts and turn losses into gains… and vice versa.

Coming into the day, Filippo Faruffini’s Roma 2, driven by Paolo Cian (ITA), led the fleet by two points, a slim but defensible margin. But straight away into the first of today’s three buoy races, Daniel Calero’s Islas Canarias Puerto Callero evened the score by taking a convincing win and putting Roberto Monti’s Airis between them and Roma in third, thereby leading the series in the tie-break.

Their time at the top was short-lived, however, since in the second race there was a heated exchange of tacks among all six teams coming in the final approach to the first top mark, from which Javier Goizueta’s Caser-Endesa emerged from the cloud of dust (and a flurry of protest flags) at the front of the pack for the first time, followed closely by Roma and Islas Canarias taking up the rear. A huge right shift on the last windward leg then vaulted Roma into vying for the lead, with enough margin gained to cruise to their third victory of the regatta.

And in the last race, the course area was relocated even further south of Pointe Rouge. But it was still far not enough, as another big right shift helped Caser-Endesa and Turismo Madrid now take and hold the lead, even after a course change to square up the course. Endesa held on long enough to take their first-ever MedCup win and finally realize the potential they’ve shown in numerous other races in this series.

GP42 Series
Overall – Day 2
1. Roma (ITA), 1+2+1+3+1+2= 10 points
2. Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (ESP), 2+1+3+1+5+4= 16 points
3. Caser-Endesa (ESP), 3+3+4+5+2+1= 18 points
4. Turismo Madrid (ESP), 4+4+2+4+3+3= 20 points
5. Airis (ITA), 5+7(DNF)+7(DNF)+2+4+5= 30 points

more here

Is Professional sailing living in its own bubble?

The Volvo Ocean Race and the America’s Cup are two of sailings top professional events; or in other words, the ones with the biggest budgets and salaries. In-between events, the sailors compete on various circuits such as the Med Cup Series (TP 52’s), RC 44’s or the World Match Racing Tour, each of which have financial benefits to the sailors either in salaries or prize money. But how is the sport of sailing breeding new talent and where are the opportunities for tomorrow’s champions to prove themselves?  We ask professional sailors Karol Jablonski (POL) and Paul Cayard (USA) what they think about it.

WYRF: Are there enough young sailors & helmsmen in the AC and VOR?

Paul Cayard: “Many helmsmen in the America’s Cup come from the World Match Racing Tour; it’s a good training ground for the Cup. Seb Col (FRA) has come from the Tour, Peter Gilmour and many others; crewmembers as well. It’s a bit different in the Volvo Ocean Race because it’s an offshore race. Well known people get offered the job more easily. There are some Classes that limit the number of professionals, for example the RC 44’s; it’s a good way for young guys to get in touch with professional yacht racing.”

Karol Jablonski: “You need a lot of time to get the necessary experience in the sport of sailing. The America’s Cup or the Volvo Ocean Race are not a sailing school; only the results count. It is difficult to get a job at top events; you need to have good connections and to be involved. The project managers are usually conservative, and employ people who already have a name. Basically, it’s like in any other job.”

WYRF: Isn’t the professional side of sport living in its own bubble, with the same pros jumping from one event to the next?

Paul Cayard: “A bit. I guess the mixing that goes on is approximately 40%. The fact is you need the experience in key positions. Once you are there you can sail at a top level as long as you are fit; there are many examples, Buddy Melges, Paul Elvström… “

Karol Jablonski: “It’s like in any other sport: the top people compete at the top level. Like in normal life: the top managers are usually not young people. There is less money in sailing than in other sports, but a top career can last much longer.”

*

WYRF: What are the best platforms for a young sailor to turn pofessional?

Paul Cayard: “First you need to have the skills; then you need to be able to show it off. There are two ways to get there: some Classes like the TP 52’s or the RC 44’s, and the Olympic Games. The Games remain a good platform; many countries have good Olympic programs. In New Zealand, they have a scheme focused on match racing that was established by Harold Bennett. This country has been putting a lot of emphasis on match racing for years; that’s why there are so many good kiwi sailors. It’s an interesting lesson for other countries.”

Karol Jablonski: “That’s what we are missing at the moment. The match race events are quite useful, but it would be a much better platform if match racing was an Olympic discipline. There should also definitely be a keel boat in the Olympics. It would teach young sailors how to work in a team environment. For the moment all they can do to get the experience on bigger boats is sail Melges 24 or 32 or this type of boat. But it’s not cheap! In Poland, there are no big boats. Many people compete in the Olympics and then they stop sailing. It’s a shame.”

*

WYRF: What advice would you give to young sailors who want to become professional?

Paul Cayard: “I would recommend that they get on boats with the best people and learn from them. They have to be willing to do whatever it takes and work hard.”

Karol Jablonski: “They need to get in contact with the best projects. It’s all down to networking and meeting the right people at the right time. You need to be able to jump on the opportunities and do it for free if needed. I also believe that young sailors should sail on different types of boats. Many of them sail only on Olympic Classes and that’s all they know. Sailing on bigger boats can bring a very valuable experience for an Olympic campaign and vice versa.”

more here

This post is tagged audi med cup, Deauville International sailing Week, Emirates Team New Zealand, Farr 30, Karol Jablonski, mike perham, paul cayard, Quantum Racing, tp52, world yacht racing forum