Greetings Yachties,

Laura Dekker

Waka

La Solitaire

Tsuboi Yachts

GP33

Queensland’s Pollution

The Coastal Passage and Hamo

505 Worlds

Melges

Billy T James

Enjoy, 

Teenager seeks Kiwi home so she can sail away alone

4:00AM Wednesday Aug 26, 2009
By Vaimoana Tapaleao

A 13-year-old Dutch girl born in New Zealand is fighting to be declared a Kiwi so she can sail around the world alone.

Laura Dekker is battling child protection authorities in her Netherlands homeland who are taking the case to court in a bid to stop the teenager from making the trip.

But the teenager, who was born on a yacht off the coast of New Zealand during a seven-year world trip her parents were making, is now looking to gain residency and a New Zealand passport to get away from Dutch authorities and make the solo trip from here.

Laura and her father, Dick Dekker, yesterday spent the day pleading with judges and child protection authorities to let her make the trip.

She told a Dutch television news show: “Since I was 10 years old, I’ve known that I would like to sail around the world. I want simply to learn about the world and to live freely.”

Social workers and child protection authorities are fighting to have the teenager made a ward of court so her parents – who support her plans – will lose the right to make decisions on her behalf, for a short period of time.

more here

more here

her website here

Phil Robertson Wins Chicago Match Cup

Chicago Match Cup Chicago, Illinois, USA: On a day challenged by light winds and irregular seas off the Belmont waterfront, Phil Robertson (NZL) and his Waka Racing team of Garth Ellingham, Sam Bell, and Jim Williamson has won the inaugural Chicago Match Cup against Keith Swinton (AUS) and his Black Swan Racing team. The rivalry pitted two of the top four-ranked skippers against each other in what was dubbed the battle of the “Young Bucks” for the relative youth of these skippers and their teams compared to the “Old Bulls” faced off in the Petit Finals.

After a lengthy wait for enough breeze and having found a few favorable shifts, Robertson and team appeared to keep up their momentum to make short work of the close-fought Finals, winning 2-0.
Final Results, Chicago Match Cup:
1. Phil Robertson (NZL), Waka Racing
2. Keith Swinton (AUS), Black Swan Racing
3. Juan Grimaldi (ARG), Tag Heuer Sailing team
4. Lars Nordbjaerg (DEN)
5. Takumi Nakamura (JPN), Albatross Sailing team

more here

Tsuboi Yachts, one of the oldest yacht builder Japan……has closed it’s doors for what may be the last time.

Due in part to the lack of demand for new yachts in the current financial climate, and the relatively high prices of Japan built yachts, Nagoya based Tsuboi Yachts, one of the oldest yacht builders in the country, has closed it’s doors for what may be the last time.
Founded in 1933, Tsuboi began with production of pleasure yachts. During the war years, they produced patrol boats, lifeboats and other utility vessels, but it was after the war when occupying U.S.officers placed orders for over 100 sailing cruisers for the export to the American market, providing much needed jobs for the decimated local workforce.
Tsuboi pioneered many construction techniques in Japan, most recently Carbon and kevlar prepreg builds and RIV construction.
Sadly, the demise of Tsuboi leaves a gaping hole in the Japanese yacht building community, their having been the only yard with the facilities and know-how to undertake these modern methods. It remains to be seen if anyone steps up to rescue the company or take over the facilities with a view to yacht production.

more here

GP33

In the beginning of 2008 the Polish yachtsman Konrad Smolen commissioned to the Ceccarelli Yacht Design the design for a yacht of 33 feet to be conform to the ORC GP 33 Class Design, one of the 3 level class that the ORC generated, this boat go to replace the old ¾ Ton IOR.

The owner of the Gp 33 already had a boat of Ceccarelli design, a nice 27 feet IMS racing boat that gave him a lot of satisfaction winning many race in the Baltic Sea.

This boat was build in 2005 by the yard  Stocznia Ustka Sp.z o.o. in Ustka Poland on the Baltic sea   and was the sister ship of another important design of Ceccarelli   the previous Sea Winner 42 an IMS cruiser racer that won many race in Italy and now is sailing in Chile with the name Maestra Nuevo and is also winning now after a new configuration of the appendages.

more here

The GP 33 Class appears to be gaining momentum and popularity in Japan, where just a few months ago the Nelson/Marek-designed Century First made its successful debut. Now another GP 33 designed by Akihiro Kanai is under build at Tsuboi Yacht, where tooling is being made for a production version of this design to be introduced in early 2009.

We have an exclusive interview with Kanai on his views of this boat and the GP 33 class:

Why do you think the GP 33 will be popular in Japan?
The box classes such as GP42 and TP52 look very exciting in Europe, and I think such level races will have the potential to get popular also in Japan compared to the existing rating races. The GP-series boats are also more fun with more speed and maneuverability, quite different in their performance from existing cruiser/racers, and once owners and sailors have known this I think they will be impressed and have interest in the boats.

The GP42 is, however, a little too big in size to get popular in Japan due to expensive mooring costs and limited places - the majority of sizes in Japan is around 33 feet. So I think the GP33 is a good size and will get popular in Japan. I expect the series of races in GP33’s could be held in Japan and hopefully throughout Asia.

The Nelson/Marek-designed ‘Century First’ has that been doing well in Japan – has that maybe prompted interest in more boats of this type? How is your design different than the N/M design?
‘Century Fast’ was very impressive with its good speed competing with 40 footers under the IRC rating races although the rating value seemed a bit too high. Maybe some modifications will be needed to race under IRC rating. The exciting performance is the key of this boat, so I think it will get more attention while CF gets more tuned and faster and my GP33’s are launched.

more here

Concerns Over Pollution Levels in Qld’s Waters

Thu, 11/06/2009 – 8:12am

Peak State recreational marine industry body, Marine Queensland has spoken out over concerns regarding the increased levels of pollution being reported in our waterways following the recent storms.

It is estimated that 100,000 marine mammals and turtles are killed annually from litter around the globe.

“We all share a responsibility in keeping our waterways and beaches clean” said Don Jones, General Manager Marine Queensland.

“Contrary to popular belief as to the source of marine pollution, it is those who use the water the most – recreational boaties and fishermen – who are most passionate about preserving our marine environment”.

Whilst deliberate littering is a major issue for our beaches, bays and waterways, the greatest contributor to waterways pollution is the waste that occurs as a result of run-off from streets and roads via storm water drains.  A recent report released by the United Nations indicated that as much as 80% of the rubbish found in our waterways has come from the land.

“In Queensland, significant research and debate has been centered on designating ‘marine parks’ and ‘green zones’ to preserve our marine environments and the marine life therein.  It makes a mockery of the process when the hard work is undone by stray plastic bags, water bottles and other rubbish that has drifted into the ocean from the mainland” said Jones.

“The only way we will be able to reduce the pollution in our oceans and pristine waterways is to reduce the pollution on our mainland.”

Marine Queensland has identified measures we can all take, both on and off the water to reduce our impact on the environment:

* Be conscious of rubbish. Always make sure your rubbish ends up in the rubbish or recycle bin at the end of a fishing trip. Pick up a stray bit of rubbish floating by your boat or washed up on the beach.
* Be careful when refuelling or conducting boat maintenance whilst out on the water. Take care to avoid spilling fuel and oil.
* When emptying sewage holding tanks make sure you do so at a designated sewage collection outlet or at the very least, in accordance with the rules and regulations set out by the local government or port authority.
* Do not dispose of solvents, oils, paints, varnish, thinners, paint strippers, pesticides, poisons, fertilisers, acids and solid objects down the drain. Check with you local council as to the correct, and environmentally friendly, methods of disposal for these items.
* When washing the car and boat at home, try to do so on the lawn or a grassy area. This will minimise the run off of detergents that will find their way into storm water drains and into the ocean.
* Ensure all rubbish from cars and around the home ends up in rubbish bins.

more here

24 August 2009

Day three lottery at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week

For the almost 200 crews contesting day three of Audi Hamilton Island Race Week it was a case of take a number and wait your turn for wind.

Today’s lottery meant that at one point this afternoon, as the sea breeze tried its best to shoo away this morning’s light sou’easter, the different course areas were experiencing wind from opposite sides of the dial. While some boats were becalmed, others had full kites and reasonable speed. There was oodles of guesswork involved, and it left many scratching their heads.

The IRC grand prix, IRC Passage and Invitational and Performance Racing divisions had their island race cut short at the southern tip of Pine Island, Bob Oatley’s RP66 Wild Oats X drawing level in the line honours tally by edging out Peter Harburg’s Queensland registered near sistership Black Jack by five minutes.

The two Reichel Pugh 66’s slunk along the far western shoreline of the Whitsunday Passage with their Code 0’s flying, trying to stay out of the remnants of the south running flood tide and hunting a light easterly shore breeze.

Michael Hiatt’s Farr 55 Living Doll from Victoria followed the big boats’ lead to finish third over the line, a mere 16 seconds behind Black Jack, and first on corrected time.

Ray Roberts’ Evolution Racing was one of three boats caught in a local back eddy on the south side of Ann and Cole islands and was looking less than famous until they picked up a 12 knot easterly that rocketed the Cookson 50 to the finish line and into second on the IRC results sheet for today’s race.

more here

PDF here

SAP 505 World Championship

Paul Cayard
Monday, August 24, 2009

Day two of the 505 worlds, day one for me. One race today in about 20-22 knots of wind. We got 6th and are in third overall. Mike Martin and Jeff Nelson won the race and are definitely the boat to beat in the breeze.

We were deep at the first mark, probably 30th, and just clawed our way back through the fleet. Tomorrow we should try for a better start and first beat and see how we go.

That’s it for now. Tired and Jet lagged. Hitting the rack.

more here

Melges Roundup

Angry Dutchman

Pieter Taselaar is one of the dominant Melges 32 owner/skippers in that tough fleet, having won two major European events this year enroute to his bid to become World Champion next month in Porto Cervo with “Bliksem”.  Last weekend, Pieter chartered one of the factory Audi Melges 20s for their first-ever US National Championship in Holland, MI – and going into the final day, Taselaar was in the lead.  But the final two-leg race was a yard sale, with boats sailing every which way in barely a breath of wind, and the regatta ended with Eric Wynsma’s Superfly and Marc Hollerbach’s Black Jack finishing 1-2 while Taselaar and a handful of others never getting close to the finish line.  A request for redress to toss the race was disallowed, resulting in part of the fleet happy and part very much not. Thanks to composites expert Ed Wheatley and his awesome Fountain 38 (our dream OTW Anarchy comand ship),  We got some good videos and photos that you can check out on the thread: There’s some light air racing, great shots of catching salmon and drifting around, and interviews with a big pile of Audi Melges 20 sailors – many of them overjoyed about their fleet and first-ever Nationals.  But not all.  Taselaar sent us this:

here

……………….Audi Melges 20 class rules, which states that there has to be a consistent breeze of 4 knots or more in order to start a race. There were about 5 minutes during the sequence where the wind was 4 knots or above but in no way did we at ANY time during the morning have a breeze that lasted above 4 knots for more than 2-5 minutes. I requested redress and asked for the race to be thrown out……………

This post is tagged 505 Worlds, Bill T James, GP33, La Solitaire du Figaro, Laura Dekker, melges, Queensland Pollution, The Coastal Passage, Tsuboi Yachts, Waka Racing