Yachting News 16th October 2009

Oct 16th 2009
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Greetings Yachties

Monty Python on Youtube

SYZ & Co – Crash

Volvo Ocean Race 2011 – The New Rules

Mystery Components

Rolex Middle Sea

Beached As Bro

Abby Sunderland

Geoff Holt – She’s Off

Waiheke Boating Club – Race Report and Open Day

IBI News – America’s Cup: Ras al-Khaimah is safe

No Pants Day 2009 – New York

Valencia Sailing

Enjoy

Balloon boy:

hoax rumours as Falcon Heene says ‘we did this for the show’
Speculation is mounting that the story of six-year-old American boy Falcon Heene who was feared to have floated away on a home-made weather balloon was a hoax organised by his family to gain publicity.

more here

Speed record attempt

Yesterday’s strong wind conditions had attracted several candidates trying to break the Lake’s different speed records.

The northerly “bise” was blowing at over 25 knots when the SYZ & CO sailed out of the Société Nautique de Genève’s harbour yesterday in an attempt to break the 1 km speed record, with two reefs in a a small jib.

After sailing upwind and showing that she was able to fly against the wind, the hydrofoil catamaran eased downwind to attack the record.

Unfortunately, as she was flying at 30 knots, she hit a rogue wave and the fore portion of her starboard hull suddenly snapped.

Fortunately, no one was hurt on board and the boat was kept afloat.

All the pictures of the attempt are in the gallery.

more here

photos Nicolas Lieber

more images here

rules here

Volvo Ocean Race TV here

Mystery Components

“BMW ORACLE Racing has completed work on a set of important new components at its Anacortes boat-building facility in Washington State – Core Builders. The new parts will be trucked this week to the team’s testing base in San Diego.”

“The carbon fiber components rolled out of Anacortes early Saturday morning and will soon be bound for San Diego. These latest structures will be used in future modifications to the BOR 90, the giant trimaran that the team is preparing for the 33rd America’s Cup. This next phase of development will be unveiled in San Diego in a few weeks.”

“The team’s boat construction managers were pleased to see the latest build project on its way to San Diego.”

“‘Our Anacortes crew have been a vital part of our last two America’s Cup campaigns,’ said Tim Smyth (NZL), who, along with Mark Turner (NZL), has been overseeing the boat-building project for the team.”

“‘For this campaign, and with this boat, we’ve been building on a scale that hasn’t been attempted in the modern America’s Cup,’ Smyth said. ‘For all of us, this has been a big test of our skills and ability, and the team here in Anacortes has more than responded to the challenge. I’m very proud of what’s being accomplished here.’”

more here

October 15, 2009

The Rolex Middle Sea Race has attracted its share of characters over the years and more often than not in the double-handed division. This year is no exception and there are a number of crews embarking on the short-handed challenge including the monohulls Cambo III (GBR), Cymba (ITA), and Nemesis CredalTrust (MLT), and, the multihulls High Q1 (GER) and Silver Chiller (GER). Sailing 606 nautical miles fully crewed is a physical endeavour. Sailing the same distance with just two onboard is just as much a mental one. Invariably, the boats tend to be amongst the smallest in the fleet, so would already be at sea the longest even if fully crewed.

Two of the monohulls mentioned are racing the course double-handed for the first time. Mark Schranz and Isaac Borg, the Maltese co-skippers of Nemesis, are on a rite of passage. Amongst the more macho of the Maltese yacht-racers there seems to be a view that you have not done the Rolex Middle Sea Race properly until you have done it this way. “This has always been an ambition for me,” says Schranz. “I’ve often been told it is something you must do. It is a challenge, but one I am looking forward to.” Schranz has done the race three times and Borg, six times so both have some experience to draw on.

Nemesis is the biggest of the double-handers at 50-feet. “She is bigger than we are used to racing,” says Schranz, “my other Rolex Middle Sea Races have been on a 35-footer. We are happy though, because she is solid and perfectly set up for this race. Safety is a priority for us.” Schranz expects it to be strenuous, but believes mental preparation will be more important than physical. “I am very comfortable sailing with Isaac, we have known each other for 15 to 20 years. I am not so sure about the solitude of being on watch alone. I have taken the opportunity to discuss this with some of the other Maltese that have done the race this way such as Darius Godwin, Ben Stuart, John Dougall and Anthony Camilleri. This has been very useful.”

more here

more images here

Photos credit: Rolex / Kurt Arrigo

Well, decision day came, and ended with us having to wait another day to find out for sure, then another day. But we do now know whats happening. It could all work, as long as every thing goes according to plan (how often does that happen!) We can afford to buy the boat, fixing her up will be a bit of a stretch, but it is do-able.

The problem we had been trying to sort out over the past couple of days was shipping. The last ship that was scheduled to go to Newport, RI was canceled. If that were to happen to the next ship, we would have the boat stuck in Newport with not enough time to get it to another ship.

So, in the end, the ship is not going to be going to Newport. Its not all bad though, because there is a ship that will be in Fort Lauderdale, a ten day sail away. It will be a little difficult to get out there and get the boat ready and to Fort Lauderdale, but it will be good to be able to get to know the boat even before we get her over here.

Its going to take a lot for everything to fall into place… but it very well could all work out. Its so exciting getting closer and closer to the dead line! If we end up doing this, my dad and I will be flying to RI in a day or two. I’ll let everyone know whats happening as soon as I find out myself!

more here

She’s Off

0900 hours Tuesday 6th October, Impossible Dream slipped her mooring lines on the Beaulieu River and began the 3,000 mile delivery voyage to Lanzarote in the Canary Islands where I will begin my journey in December. It seemed really strange knowing that the next time I see ID will be in Lanzarote.

ID at the Royal Southern YC

She arrived back in the UK from Malta early July for her refit at Multimarine in Cornwall but she didn’t arrive back to Southampton until the 31st July. Since then, in just 9 weeks, the boat has been worked on just about every day. It’s been a busy summer with no time for a holiday with all of the preparations, installing the electronics, calibrating the electronics, working with existing sponsors, checking and double-checking all of the procedures on the boat, the generator, the engines, the sails, learning the various power systems, working with my PR and Comms agencies to maximise exposure of the project plus all the hands-on training at sea. And amongst all that, we had even found time to be at the PSP Southampton Boat Show and had a Royal visitor to endorse the project. The time has just flown by.

more here

Hi all,
What a great turnout with eight on the start line with no wind and pouring
rain! Fortunately a light breeze filled in and with flat water a drag race
to C buoy saw Panui round first followed by Red Rum and Euphoria with the
rest of the fleet close behind. Red Rum overtook Panui on the run to A buoy
having set her spinnaker while Panui did not. (More crew training required
here!) The breeze came and went and the rain finally stopped but the order
of the top three stayed the same.
They were followed home by Free Willy and Sheila with a battle for 6th
around the course between Good News and Zilch (Both Stratus 747′s) with Good
News holding out to the finish and in the dark. Results on corrected time
were Red Rum, Panui, Sheila, Free Willy, Euphoria, Good News, Zylch. It was
good to see Zylch (Kent Forsyth) and Eshara ( Beatle Treadwell) join in for
the first time.

Despite the painfully slow progress so far the new facilities at KP
are due to be finished by labour weekend and we should then have some
shelter for Trevor and crew for starting and finishing races. We will be
meeting shortly with “the powers that be” to fine tune these things. Start
time on Sunday is 1015 as usual with the finish at Oneroa.

more here

Please come on down and join the fun and frivolity on the beach.

We plan to wrap up the keel boating and senior dinghy sailing with another
sausage sizzle at the Oneroa Bowling Club around 5pmish so if you can’t make
the days events come on down to the OBC for a drink and a get together with
like minded types for a game of pool, darts and waffling about all things
boating, formation of the Waiheke Island Revolutionary Navy and general acts
of piracy.

America’s Cup: Ras al-Khaimah is safe

By IBI Magazine/Yachting World

An adviser to the sheik of Ras al-Khaimah in the UAE filed a brief in a New York court this week countering claims by US challenger BMW Oracle Racing that the Persian Gulf port is not a safe venue for the America’s Cup because of its proximity to Iran.

Khater Massaad, CEO of the Ras al-Khaimah Investment Authority, wrote that RAK is safe and has the infrastructure to host powerhouse sailing teams. The brief filed with the New York State Supreme Court is in response to BMW Oracle Racing’s motion asking a judge to reject RAK as the port for the 33rd America’s Cup beginning February 8, 2010.

“If we perceived even the slightest threat to the security and success of the 33rd America’s Cup, we would not have pursued this opportunity, as RAK stands to lose the most were there to be any disruption to the event,” Massaad explained.

more here

Jessica to depart soon

Thursday, 15 October, 2009

We understand that many people are eager to find out when Jessica is departing on her around the world voyage. It is very soon now and she is the final throes of her preparations.

We can assure you all that Jessica will not be attempting to sneak out under the cover of darkness. We promise that we will advise all the supporters and media in advance of her departure from Sydney.

“Each day our team are inundated with enquiries as to when I will be departing, but please have patience. We will advise the media and post details on the website as soon as we get a favourable weather window for me to depart,” said Jessica.

more here