Greetings yachties

Audi Melges 32 – Worlds Gets Bliksemed,

Boat Tests – Sunseeker 80, Princess V78, Flemming 65,

Class 40 – Global Ocean Race 2011-12,

iShares – Amsterdam,

Clipper – update,

Match Racing News – US college sailing,

RC44 – Paul Cayard Report,

A Brush with Sail – Latest Issue,

Jessica Watson Responds,

Dalton goes on the money hunt,

Newport Boat Show,

Open Passage Expedition

Enjoy

Audi Melges 32 Worlds Gets Bliksemed

Porto Cervo, Italy (27 September) – Congratulations to the very first Melges 32 World Champion, American Pieter Taselaar on USA-169 Bliksem with Jeremy Wilmot on tactics and crew of Nathan Wilmot, Williem Van Waay, George Peet, Paul Atikins, Michael Coxon and Alex Clegg. This amazing team has come a long way since the 2009 Miami Grand Prix, Audi Sailing Series Events in Scarlino and Cagliari, only to arrive in Porto Cervo and win the World Championship.

In second and third overall is Giovanni Maspero on ITA-999 Joe Fly and Armando Guilietti helming ITA-1 Uka Uka Racing for Lorenzo Santini tied with equal points. Originally leading the event, Claudio Recchi on ITA-93 Team 93 had a tough last couple days in the competitive arena leaving him in fourth overall.

Although disappointment ran deep last evening following a major protest from Taselaar against Claudio Recchi on ITA-93 Team 93, in which Taselaar won, there was still a heated battle for the second place overall position. Recchi, in second by one point over Guilietti, both went into the day’s one and only race, putting spectators on the edge of their seats for the start. The light and shifty air tested the fleet, mixing up the rounding with Wolfgang Stoltz on GER-205 Opus One in first, Maspero, then Edoardo Lupi on ITA-487 Torpyone. Maspero dialed the race in to round the final mark in first, Stolz now in second and in third, Luigi Melegari on ITA-161 Matrix. Maspero blasted downwind for the win, Melegari took second and in third, Stolz.

The Bliksem team did not sail today. Instead they celebrated honors last night at Yacht Club Costa Smeralda that held a fabulously lavish buffet dinner and party in honor of the event.

The International Melges 32 Class Association (IM32CA) would like to extend a sincere gesture of gratitude to all competitors that traveled from around the world to compete in Porto Cervo. Without your presence, support and enthusiasm for the Melges 32, this World Championship would not have been a great success. A very special thanks to title sponsor Audi who has not only supported the Melges 32 throughout the year, but also the Worlds. The IM32CA looks forward to this continued partnership in 2010.

The Class would like to specifically recognize Stuart Simpson on GBR-84845 Team Barbarians for his help and assistance with the acquisition of the World Championship Trophy. The prize, an Elkington Bowl dating back to 1895 graciously wears the Melges 32 World Champion engraving upon a mahogany plinth. Stuart — you are a treasure to the class, your passion and love for the Melges 32, truly immeasureable.

A very special thank you to Filippo Pacinotti, European Melges 32 Fleet President. His leadership, dedication, tireless efforts and hard work have been phenomenal.

Many thanks to Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, most especially Edoardo Recchi and staff. Their constant support and professionalism has been amazing.

The IM32CA is most appreciative of the careful hand and guidance of PRO Peter Reggio and committee, they have exceeded expectations.

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Class40 Association officially endorses the Global Ocean Race 2011-12

In between racing in the final inshore regatta of the Class40 season at The Morhiban Class40 event held in La Trinité sur Mer, France, the Class President, Jacques Fournier, and Class Board Directors held successful meetings with Josh Hall, Race Director of the Global Ocean Race 2011-12.

These meetings focused on the official endorsement of the ISAF affiliated Class40 Association with the Global Ocean Race 2011-12.

Whilst full details will be confirmed at the Salon Nautique de Paris (Paris Boat Show) in December, it can be confirmed that contracts have now been signed and that the Global Ocean Race 2011-12 is the only round the world race to be officially endorsed by the Class40 Association.

“The  Class40 Association are extremely pleased and proud to confirm that we have signed an exclusive contract with the organisers of The Global Ocean Race 2011-12,” said Jacques Fournier, President of the class.  “Class40 members now have an around the world race in the calendar that is officially and unanimously endorsed by the Class40 Association,” continied Fournier.  “We greatly look forward to working closely with Josh Hall and his team who did such a fantastic job managing the Portimão Global Ocean Race in 2008-09 and we will be announcing more details of this partnership in December,” he concluded.

For Josh Hall, who devised the concept of the event with American yachtsman  Joe Harris as they raced to a class win in the 2005 Transat Jacques Vabre and subsequently organised and managed the 2008-09 Portimão Global Ocean Race, this is a rewarding milestone.

“We are an event for Class40 yachts and we have the proven experience and abilities to operate a well –organised, successful and safe round the world race for these fantastic boats,” said Hall.  “We are absolutely delighted that the Class40 Association has now officially endorsed our event and will be bringing their support and expertise to the organisation.  We can now move forward together building on the success of our last event and, I believe, help shape the future of round the world yacht racing.”

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Gitana Extreme – LCF Rothschild Group pull out all the stops

27/09/2009 – 18:38

This fifth meeting of the season has proved to be incredibly intense! Indeed, it wasn’t until the very last tack of the last race of the Amsterdam grand prix, the race which is worth double points, that we found out the name of the winning crew. At the end of the seventeen races contested during the past three days of racing, coloured in the main by a light breeze, Gitana Extreme – LCF Rothschild Group scored a brilliant win ahead of Oman Sail Renaissance and Groupama 40. After their victory in Venice, Yann Guichard and his three crew have made the double today and as such the race for the 2009 title is very much on with one stage to go.

For this last day of racing in Amsterdam, the tension was evident aboard Gitana Extreme – LCF Rothschild Group as Yann Guichard and his men launched into a fierce duel with Oman Sail Renaissance… At the head of the provisional ranking last night, with just a two point lead over Loïck Peyron’s crew, the men of Gitana Team knew that the slightest mistake would cost them very dearly today. However, the four sailors didn’t flinch and handled the pressure brilliantly: “From the first race of the day we were right in the thick of the action and we really sailed very well despite the high stakes of these last races. Once again the cohesion of our crew was one of the keys to our success. We are one in both the good and the bad times. It’s a great atmosphere aboard and that notably enabled us to dig deep and get back in the match during the last race where there was everything to play for… This final race was really tense: we knew that Loïck shouldn’t finish more than two boats ahead of us and we finished just behind him! It’s the perfect scenario and we’re really happy with this latest victory” admitted a very fulfilled Yann Guichard.

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Checking for chafe

“The fleet has been blessed by brilliant sailing conditions since leaving the Bay of Biscay,” says skipper of Jamaica Lightning Bolt, Pete Stirling. “In fact the conditions are typical of what you would expect to find in the Trade Winds – the same consistent wind speed and direction from behind providing fast downwind sailing.”

This morning these fantastic downwind conditions are starting to fade, however, as the wind decreases in strength and the teams report shorter runs over the last 24-hours.

Yesterday a battle took place at the front of the fleet between Spirit of Australia, Qingdao and Hull & Humber, with pole position appearing to swap at every 6-hourly schedule. Despite holding on to the lead for a short while yesterday afternoon, Qingdao has since lost out to Hull & Humber, with skipper Piers Dudin and his crew managing to put some distance between themselves and the Chinese entry.

Chris Stanmore Major, skipper of Qingdao, is quite philosophical about the recent swapping of positions, saying, “Its a strange thing to push yourself in such a competition – it is a choice you make with a team of likeminded individuals, your team, which cause a series of events to unfold that, once entered into, cannot be escaped from and the only course of action is total commitment. Whether we are at the front, or at the back, one thing that characterises Qingdao’s crew today and everyday is commitment. Hard work? We eat it up! Long hours? Bring it on! Sleep? We’ll sleep when we’re dead thanks!”

The forecasted wind direction and strength is looking very stable over the next 48-hours and many of the teams are taking advantage of this stability to undertake routine checks and essential maintenance. “It is in these conditions that the crew has to be particularly conscious of chafe as sails and ropes can stay in the same place for hours or even days on end,” explains Jamaica Lightning Bolt’s Pete Stirling. “Several crew kept themselves busy yesterday as the anti-chafe police. This involved checking every conceivable area of the boat for chafe and finding a solution for it when required.”

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Valencia Sailing

Giant leap in US match racing in the making?

A major shift appears to be taking place in US college sailing. College/University sailing in the US will likely be making a change next year, scrapping its sloops/keel boat championship and switching to match racing. The philosophy behind the change is that match racing is a big part of the future of sailing and it is the one aspect of the sport where US colleges do not produce experts straight out of school.

The ICSA (Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association of North America) produces just about all elite US sailors, including Ed Baird, Terry Hutchinson, and Anna Tunnicliffe,as well as the last several world team racing champions. If this change is made, one can expect the caliber of US produced match racers to grow rapidly.

In the ICSA board meeting that took place last January in Park City, Utah it was decided that a “Sloops Working Party” be created in order to investigate the future of college sloops, specifically looking at match racing. In the following meeting in San Francisco last May, Stanford University Coach John Vandemoer (husband of US Olympic Match Racing sailor Molly Vandemoer, who finished 3rd last week at Sail for Gold in the UK) presented his “Report of the Sloops Working Party”. The minutes of the ICSA board meetings can be accessed here.

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Bank Sarasin – RC44 Portoroz Cup

Paul Cayard
Sunday, September 27, 2009

We had a very good day of practice today on Katusha, our new Russian RC44. A lot of work has gone into getting the brand new boat ready for our first event here in Slovenia. Brad and JR have been here a month putting the keel on, getting the bottom perfect, assembling the rig and fine tuning all the bits and pieces. They have done a great job and we have a very nice boat to sail.

The Katusha crew is all new, so we have not sailed together before. These boats are really demanding from a crew stand point. The boats are very powerful and agile, so things happen fast. We have made great strides since our first day sailing together last Wednesday, but we have a ways to go to be as proficient at the teams that have sailed together for the past two seasons.

Tomorrow is the practice race. Since the practice race is a fleet race, we will do three or four practice match races with the Team Artemis beforehand. I know this is confusing, as I usually sail on Artemis. But that is the Artemis TP52 and this is the Artemis RC44, which has Dean Barker as helmsman.

The RC44 class allows four professional sailors and the remaining sailors must be non-professional. The owner or his representative, in any case an amateur, may helm the boat in the fleet racing. This has proven to be good for sailing in many other classes like Farr 40 and Melges 32. The pros, who are the tacticians in the fleet racing, helm the boats in the Match Racing. This is a lot of fun for us.

The format is that the first two days of the event are match racing and the last three days are fleet racing. There is placing for each discipline, as well as an overall combined placing.

The forecast for the next few days is for light winds.

For more information go to www.RC44.com

The latest issue here

In this issue…’Where The Wind Blows…’The NYYC Invitational Cup Regatta, India International Regatta Sponsored By Volvo, The Rolex Big Boat Series, The International One Design, 6 Metre World Cup, The Melges Dynasty: Part Two, Everything’s OK in Wellington! Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, The 2011-12 Portimao Global Race, The Perini Navi Cup Regatta, Going Green – Century 21 America’s Cup? 2009 Rolex Fastnet Race, The Around Australia Race, 2009 World Yacht Racing Forum, The Tail End

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It’s 26 years ago, since the America’s Cup was sailed on Newport water. Painting © Jim Bolland 2004,

news.com.au

Jessica Watson warned after collision: Do not sail

By Michael Crutcher and Greg Stolz – The Courier-Mail

September 26, 2009 12:00am

Jessica Watson told to abort her solo trip around the world after a damning report of her skills

TEENAGE sailor Jessica Watson and her parents have been given a clear warning by authorities to call off the 16-year-old’s solo trip around the world after a damning assessment of her skills.

The Courier-Mail has obtained a copy of the report into a collision between Jessica’s yacht and a Chinese bulk carrier this month which shows basic problems led her to a potentially fatal crash off southeast Queensland.

Maritime Safety Queensland inspectors concluded the Sunshine Coast teenager:

* Most probably dozed off before her vessel hit and was dragged alongside the 63,000-tonne cargo ship.

* Did not turn on a device that would have warned her of a potential collision.

* Could not produce a clear, plotted plan for her journey.

* Had not developed a fatigue management plan.

* Kept a log with “irregular latitude and longitude entries”.

Acting Premier Paul Lucas last night said Jessica should abandon her attempt to become the youngest person to sail solo non-stop and unassisted around the world.

“I’ll be honest. On this evidence I don’t think she’s ready to do this,” Mr Lucas said.

“We all admire this young woman’s spirit, but sailing solo around the world is a demanding and dangerous venture. It’s not a task anyone young or old should undertake lightly.

“The decision about whether she undertakes this trip is one for Jessica and, ultimately, her parents.

“But I’ll say this much – just because our maritime safety experts may not have any powers to stop her, it doesn’t mean they don’t have a duty to talk to her parents about any concerns and how they could be addressed.

“Our authorities have officially cautioned her and her parents and they’ve sat down with them to talk about Jessica’s plans.

“The fact is the ball is in their court,” Mr Lucas said.

“But it’s clear to me, and I think most Queenslanders, that no record is worth putting a young life at risk. I’m the first to admit, I’m not an expert in this area.

“But this is something I’d rather be proved wrong about, than right.”

Jessica’s parents were last night defiant, saying they had full confidence in their daughter as she prepared to sail her mended yacht from the Gold Coast to Sydney to officially start the voyage.

Jessica’s mother Julie confirmed the family had received an official letter from Maritime Safety Queensland but that they would not be deterred.

“They have made some recommendations and we have followed them,” she said.

“I was confident beforehand and I’m even more confident now.”

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couriermail.com.au

Jess ready for solo sail – mum

Article from: AAP

September 28, 2009 10:10am

THE mother of teenage sailor Jessica Watson has rejected suggestions not enough preparation has gone into her daughter’s around-the-world solo expedition.

Acting Queensland Premier Paul Lucas has appealed to the 16-year-old’s family to call off her world-record attempt, after a report suggested she was inadequately prepared.

A Maritime Safety Queensland report into the collision between Ms Watson’s yacht Ella’s Pink Lady and a 63,000-tonne cargo vessel off North Stradbroke Island on September 9 showed basic problems led to the crash.

The report said Ms Watson kept “irregular latitude and longitude entries” and that the young sailor had no course plots nor a fatigue management plan.

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From Sail-World

‘Over the last few years gaining offshore sailing experience, I have been learning all that I can from experienced skippers, studying Yachtmaster courses and speaking to sailors and adventurers who have completed similar voyages. Of course the collision has made us all ask these questions again. As you well know, there are many incidences of professional skippers and sailors having similar collisions all ages and genders.’

Don McIntyre, who donated the yacht to Jessica for her journey, has supplied the following as Jessica’s sailing qualifications:

Jessica has been issued with the following RYA course completion certificates:

RYA/ISAF Offshore Safety course (ISAF SR 6.01) Cat zero
RYA Diesel Engine course
RYA Radar course

YAs issues Certificates of Competence on the advice of accredited YA instructors
Jessica holds YAs Safety and Sea Survival certificate

OMTC issues Certificates of Competence for Apply First Aid HTLF301B
Jessica holds this certificate

Jessica also holds IMO compliant Elementary First Aid Table A VI/1-3 STCW95

She also has the Yachtmaster Ocean theory certificates and about 6000 coastal and 6000 ocean miles experience, has her radio operator’s licence and all of the other required certificates.

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Jessica told TVNZ’s Sunday programme she had a number of collision avoidance systems running at the time but admitted she was catching “a few cat naps”.

The narrow brush with death was “terrible for her confidence” but showed she could handle such a situation and come out of it.

“In a big way it was a relief to know now I can cope with that sort of emergency at sea.

“I accept responsibility, you can’t have a collision without two boats.”

She still planned to embark on the eight-month journey before the Pacific cyclone season starts.

Meanwhile, her New Zealand-born parents Roger and Julie, believe she can still complete the journey.

Mrs Watson said she did not feel they were being irresponsible, they were putting every precaution into place. The family was not in it for the money and Jessica could earn millions if successful, but wanted to support her daughter in her dream, she said.

Mrs Watson said she would feel more concerned about her going to a night club rather than sailing around the world.

Meanwhile, a Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ) report into the collision showed basic problems led to the crash.

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Dalton seeks cash for twin challenge

5:00AM Sunday Sep 27, 2009
By Paul Lewi

Grant Dalton. Photo / Janna Dixon

Emirates Team New Zealand boss Grant Dalton leaves New Zealand again this week – heading for Europe to look for financial support for the new world series and possibly the Volvo round the world yacht race.

Fresh from winning the Med Cup in Europe, Team NZ have moved from a potential yachting famine to a possible feast even as the America’s Cup continues to choke on litigation.

They have now set their sights on the new Louis Vuitton World Series which will start in Nice in November before moving to Auckland in March and then Sicily in May, with other venues to be announced soon.

America’s Cup holder Alinghi and challenger BMW Oracle continue to trade legal blows and press releases in a series of tedious actions in the US courts while both camps ready themselves for the “big boat” challenge in the United Arab Emirates in February.

While there is no suggestion yet that the date for the showdown between Alinghi’s giant catamaran and Oracle’s giant trimaran is in peril, yet more legal action is expected – possibly over the venue. It is also highly likely there will be more legal action after the event.

Which is why the Louis Vuitton is so important to the other challengers waiting for an end to the seemingly perpetual, now almost impenetrable, legal battle which has plagued the Cup ever since Alinghi defeated Emirates Team New Zealand in Valencia in 2007 – and then announced a protocol for the next regatta deemed so self-serving that Oracle began the court action which has stymied another multi-challenger event.

Rather than wait for the rot to set in further, Team NZ (and Oracle) partnered with Louis Vuitton – a long-time America’s Cup sponsor also disaffected with Alinghi – to stage the inaugural Louis Vuitton Pacific Series in Auckland last February. That event was so successful that it prefaced the new world series, which has venues like Athens, Valencia, Newport (Rhode Island), Cape Town, Hong Kong and Abu Dhabi interested in staging legs.

The next venue or venues will be announced during the Nice event but the Louis Vuitton has already thrown a life preserver to Cup teams who were otherwise slowly starving to death through lack of action and lack of a vehicle for their sponsors’ continued support.

The series provides that – and the prospect of a prestigious alternative should the America’s Cup continue to slosh around in its own legal bilges.

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Business Brisk!

Newport Boat Show Sees Double Digit Attendance Increase.

Newport, RI…Bright sun and a light at the end of the (economic) tunnel are thought to be some of the reasons for a boost in attendance by over 12% at this years Newport International Boat Show!  Exhibitors indicated that there was a lot of interest in all areas of boating powerboats, sailboats and boating products of all kinds — and a good number of boats were sold!  Gate sales alone were back to levels seen two and three years ago, and exhibitor guests and other tickets are yet to be counted!

The Newport International Boat Show, traditionally the first show of the new boating season, is the place to see the largest selection of boats and boating products in the Northeast.  It is a showcase of the latest boats and boating products, presented in the luxurious setting of Newport, RI.

One of the five largest in-water boat shows in the country, the 2009 Newport International Boat Show presented more than 650 exhibitors with over 500 boats ranging in size from 16 to 92 feet, including express cruising yachts, racing sailboats, ocean-going trawlers at PassageMaker magazines TrawlerPort, a Multihull Lagoon, plus DownEast styles, sport fishing boats, runabouts and inflatables.  In addition, there were engines, sails, equipment, safety products, electronics plus thousands of accessories and marine services, as well as seminars, demonstrations and workshops.

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Silent Sound Sails The Northwest Passage While Researching the Effects of Climate Change

SILENT SOUND sailing through ice in the Northwest Passage; she is an Amor 40, built in British Columbia.
SILENT SOUND has made it through the toughest parts of the Northwest Passage, now she just has to sail south down the coast of Baffin Island and cross the Arctic Circle to make it official.
The crew have put on more than 5,500 nautical miles since leaving Victoria on June 6, and they have about 2,500 miles left to sail. The last few months have been tough as the boat has wound its way through thick ice. The crew have been forced to make major repairs and heavy winds and seas have slowed their progress. There has been more ice this summer than in recent years, and two of the nine boats attempting the passage this year have required Coast Guard assistance while a third dropped out.
The four-man crew are stopping in as many Arctic communities as time allows in order to learn more about how this part of the world is being impacted by climate change. However, ice conditions are heavier this year than in 2007 and 2008.
“There’s a reason there’s not many yachts up here. It’s tough. We’re pleased we’ve made it this far without any major problems and have our fingers crossed that our luck will continue,” Cameron Dueck, Captain of the SILENT SOUND says.
The crew is hoping to arrive in Halifax on October 10. Some of the highlights of the expedition blog in August and early September:

–Stopping in Tuktoyaktuk and meeting the local hunters
–Making major, and very unpleasant, repairs on the toilet while at sea
–A detour to Sachs Harbour and Holman as they waited for the ice to clear
–Sailing through thick ice in the Dolphin and Union Strait
–Making major repairs to the engine mounts in Cambridge Bay
–Going caribou hunting in Gjoa Haven
–Sailing through the infamous Bellot Strait

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Goodbye Nain

We were fed, bathed and watered by the good people of Nain. They did our laundry for us, told us stories and sang us songs. We’ve entered so many communities like this throughout this summer, where people took us in as strangers and treated us royally, and when we left it felt like we were leaving an entire town of friends behind. We’re nearing then end of our journey, and we know that there can only be a few more ports like this in our summer, making the experiences all the more valuable.

Silent Sound pulled into Nain on Tuesday afternoon. We were welcomed ashore by Harry Webb and we saw a lot of his extended family over the next few days. The Webbs are originally from Webbs Bay 50 miles north of town, a fishing family that goes back several generations in Labrador. Today, the band of brothers and one sister run the stores, the hotels, the fishing boats and the charter boats of Nain. Sarah Webb, in particular, was very kind to us. As usual we camped out at the hotel to use their phone (the only pay phone in town!) and internet connection, and before long we were being fed and given the keys to a room so we could have hot showers. Charley and Virtue Simms, who pastor one of the churches in town, also welcomed us in for tea and let us use their washing machines.

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This post is tagged A Brush with Sail - Latest News, Audi Melges 32 - Worlds Gets Bliksemed, Boat Tests - Sunseeker 80, Class 40 - Global Ocean Race 2011-12, Clipper - update, fleetwood mac, Flemming 65, iShares - Amsterdam, Jessica Watson, marine finance, Match Racing News - US college sailing, Newport Boat Show, nzsailfinance is marine finance, Open Passage Expedition, Princess V78, RC44 - Paul Cayard report