Greetings yachties

12meters

The Knowledge Zone,

BlackMatch – Report from Bermuba,

Des Top News

Black Hole,

Louis Vuitton World Series – 2 more enter

Americas Cup Trust,

Class 950,

Jessica Watson,

TP52 Worlds,

Pacific Mini Games 2009,

World Match Racing Tour – Mirsky leads

Enjoy,

Greetings from BlackMatch in Bermuda,

Today was the opening day of racing at the Argo Group Gold Cup World Tour Event. This is the penultimate event on the World Tour and with a host of legendary past winners that include Kiwi’s Russell Coutts and Chris Dickson, we are hoping to go one better on our second placing here last year. The Gold Cup is unique in that it is sailed in the beautiful classic International One Design Yachts that date back to the 1930’s and it also has a format unlike any other match racing event, which allows 24 teams to compete.

Teams are divided into 3 groups of 8 and after racing each other in a round robin, only the top 2 teams from each group proceed through to the quarterfinals. 3rd and 4th from each group are left to battle it out in a repechage series to decide the remaining two quarterfinalists while the bottom four from each group go home. We have an extremely tough group which includes triple Olympic gold medallist Ben Ainsile and his Team Origin America’s Cup team, however today we managed a decisive win in our first and only match against local sailor Paula Lewin.

Unfortunately for the race committee the wind that threatened to fill in never did and only one match of our group was completed. It was a different story for this morning’s group who managed to get in all of their four scheduled matches in a steady 10 knot breeze. There was action a plenty this morning with over a dozen penalties handed out in some heated racing, Torvar Mirsky and Ian William’s showing great early form to be unbeaten in group one.

With big breeze forecast for tomorrow it should be a different story as our group gets underway early in the morning and we are looking forward to the windier conditions.

BlackMatch would like to again thank our sponsor FedEx Express. We would also like to send a special thank you to Steven Goddard and his partner Janine from Latin America Fedex who joined us on the water, although there was not too much action for you today your support was amazing and we hope you enjoyed your day. To the RNZYS, Emirates Team New Zealand and everyone else, thank you for your support.

blackmatchracing.com is Adam Minoprio, Tom Powrie, Nick Blackman and David Swete

This composite image of the Hydra A galaxy cluster shows 10-million- degree gas observed by Chandra in blue and jets of radio emission observed by the Very Large Array in pink. Optical data from the Canada- France-Hawaii telescope and the Digitized Sky Survey shows galaxies in the cluster.

Detailed analysis of the Chandra data shows that the gas located along the direction of the radio jets is enhanced in iron and other metals. Scientists think these elements have been produced by Type Ia supernova explosions in the large galaxy at the center of the cluster. A powerful outburst from the supermassive black hole then pushed the material outwards, over distances extending for almost 400,000 light years, extending beyond the region shown in this image. About 10 to 20 percent of the iron in the galaxy has been displaced, requiring a few percent of the total energy produced by the central black hole.

more here

For Immediate Release
October 6th, 2009

Two more entries for Louis Vuitton Trophy – Nice

The World Sailing Teams Association (WSTA) and Louis Vuitton are delighted to announce the addition of two world-class sailing teams for the Louis Vuitton Trophy regatta to be held in Nice next month (7th to 22d November). This brings the regatta total to eight confirmed teams, which is the ideal number for end-of-summer expected weather conditions.

“We are extremely pleased to welcome TeamOrigin, the British team led by Sir Keith Mills, which becomes a preferential shareholder in WSTA and intends to compete at all of the Louis Vuitton regattas over the next 12 months,” says Laurent Esquier, CEO WSTA.

TeamOrigin, skippered by three-times Olympic gold medallist Ben Ainslie with two-times Olympic gold medallist Iain Percy as tactician and managed by round the world winning yachtsman Mike Sanderson, will also provide their training boat GBR-75 for the Nice event.

“When looking at our team’s future sailing programme we knew we wanted to compete in events that would give all parts of our team and not just the sailing team, further hands-on operational experience,” said Sir Keith Mills, Team Principal.

“Having sailed in the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series earlier this year we quickly realised the concept of the WSTA’s Louis Vuitton regatta projects completely fit the bill for our team and so we knew we had
to be there.’’

The second new entry sees the return of an iconic Italian sailing brand, the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda’s (YCCS) Azzurra. In 1983, Azzurra was Italy’s first-ever America’s Cup challenger. The new Azzurra team will be led by YCCS member Giovanni Maspero of Joe Fly, and on the water skippered by Francesco Bruni with Tommaso Chieffi as tactician, whilst managed by multiple Olympic medallist Alessandra Sensini and others.

“Our common objectives and the faith placed in our team by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda and Commodore Bonadeo is extremely rewarding for our entire sporting group. We feel an enormous responsibility but I am firmly convinced that our sailing team’s merit will provide excellent conditions to compete at the highest level,” says Giovanni Maspero.

The event in Nice, to be sailed over the dates 7th to 22d of November, is to be called the ‘’Louis Vuitton Trophy – WSTA – Nice”. The event is sanctioned by the world authority of sailing based in England, the International Sailing Federation (ISAF).

Following the merger of Joe Fly with Azzurra, eight teams will compete for the Louis Vuitton Trophy Nice: Azzurra (ITA), BMW ORACLE Racing (USA), Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), K-Challenge (FRA), Swedish Challenge Artemis (SWE), Synergy Russian Sailing Team (RUS), TeamOrigin (GBR) and Team French Spirit (FRA).

The Louis Vuitton Trophy in Nice is jointly promoted and organised by the teams, through the World Sailing Teams Association (WSTA), Louis Vuitton and the Club Nautique de Nice (CNN) with the FFV support .

The organizing team is already in Nice, working closely with the city officials to make the event a great success in the wake of the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series.

more here

The America’s Cup Trust has been established as a Charitable Trust under the laws and codes of the United States of America by JohnTommy Rosas for the purpose of protecting the America’s Cup from damage, past, present, and in the future. The US Department of Treasury/IRS has provided documented confirmation and verification of The America’s Cup Trust. Here is the link to the IRS documentation. This is a global charitable trust now, by the authority of the Hague Convention on the law applicable to trusts and on their recognition.

I have been in constant contact with JohnTommy since January of this year, about why he wanted to, and then did in fact create the America’s Cup Trust, how he has been able to pull it all together, with the support of the Department of Treasury. I am the authorized spokesman for the America’s Cup Trust and JohnTommy Rosas on this matter.

The Trust for the Americas Cup has always been there, it was just never formally recognized by the US Federal government. The purpose of the America’s Cup Trust is to serve both the Ultimate and Specific beneficiaries. The America’s Cup Trust will be fully transparent, within the limits of any litigation.

Now that the fact the America’s Cup Trust has been created and formally recognized by the US Federal government is public knowledge, two things are going to instantly happen:

more here

new Class 950

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Dry Land Again!

I might have passed through the Heads and arrived in Sydney yesterday butI’m telling you Australia is still rolling. Since I stepped off Ella’s PinkLady yesterday afternoon my head has been spinning and I’ve been doing abit of stumbling into things! Getting my land legs again has taken a while. I can’t image what I’m going to be like after 8 months at sea, rather than 5 days! The last day at sea I was keep busy keeping Ella’s Pink Lady moving withvery little wind and light rain squalls. The sea flattened out after apretty bouncy few days and I even had the chance to tidy her up before coming in. In fact on Sunday afternoon I covered the whole cockpit with cosmetics and had a good scrub up myself! As is becoming a bit normal lately we had a full media circus turn out to meet us, helicopters and a few boats pushing their way a bit too close. But it was a nice welcome into Sydney really and I have to say I started to get pretty excited (and a little nervous!) about leaving. It’s starting to feel so real. All up the sail down was a good test for both Ella’s Pink Lady and I. We found a few more little things that need to be modified and had a bit of fun. Thanks to Bruce and Suzanne on ‘Big Wave Rider’ for sailing alongside me for the last few miles and escorting me into the Heads yesterday and to my brother Tom for jumping on board at the last minute to help me dock.

more here

TP52 World Championship

Paul Cayard

Tuesday, October 06, 2009

We had the practice race today in 8-10 knots of wind. Quantum won the pin end of the start and the race. This race course is all left sided and the race committee did not bias the line to the right, so that was pretty much it.

We did not have a great start and we battled away between 4th and 6th. We finished 5th.

Tomorrow’s forecast is same as today, light. The format for the World Championships is ten windward-leeward races and one coastal race which is scheduled for Friday.

Gold Medals For Cook Islands, Tahiti And New Caledonia At Pacific Mini Games

Helema Williams celebrates winning gold for the host nation

©David Brookes/ISAF

Pacific Mini Games 2009

Rarotonga, Cook Islands

The Cook Islands, Tahiti and New Caledonia all won gold medals in the sailing events of the 2009 Pacific Mini Games held in the Cook Islands.

The Cook Islands hosted the eighth Pacific Mini Games, a scaled-down version of the main Pacific Games which allows the smaller nations of the region to compete against one another. Sailing was included on the sports programme for the second time, thanks to the hard work behind the scenes of John Tierney, President of Sailing Cook Islands, assisted by ISAF International Judge Andre Raoult. Three sailing events featuring racing in the Laser, Laser Radial and Hobie 16 classes. Gold medals went to the Cook Islands Helema Williams in the women’s Laser Radial event, Jessee Besson of Tahiti took the title in the men’s Laser, whilst the Cook Islands’ duo of Rudolf Chichemanian and Tracy Rolland won gold in the Hobie 16. Other nations to compete in the sailing events were Fiji (who won a silver and a bronze medal), Samoa, Wallis and Futuna, Papua New Guinea and American Samoa. The Games demonstrated the talent pool in the region; with the youngest competitors just 14 years old.

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PENALTY FLAGS FLY IN EARLY STAGE OF ARGO GROUP GOLD CUP

Undefeated in all four matches current Tour leader Torvar Mirsky (AUS) and his Mirsky Racing Team leads Group 1 on opening day of Argo Group Gold Cup.

Hamilton, Bermuda (6 October, 2009) – Beautiful blue skies and sunshine are what competitors awoke to on day one of the Argo Group Gold Cup. Racing conditions of 5-7 knots presented itself to the eight teams in Group 1 who were able to complete four flights in total this morning.

Damien Iehl recieves a black flag in the first match of Argo Group Gold Cup 2009

Article by Talbot Wilson

The first match of the day was between Damian Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team and Reuben Corbett (NZL). At the first leeward mark, Iehl gybed onto port in front of Corbett forcing him to gybe which earned Iehl a double penalty. Ihel then luffed Corbett inside the zone and earned a third penalty for his trouble. Iehl was black flagged and the match automatically went to Corbett. Umpire Henry Menin said “Iehl had two penalty flags and if he had more flags on the boat they would have pulled them out, too.”

“This is the first time I have ever received a black flag, the boats are heavy and hard to manoeuvre” said Iehl.

Following that display, the penalty flags flew fast and often. In the feature match of the morning, current Tour leader Tovar Mirsky was able to put a penalty on Eric Monnin (SUI) and his Search.ch team. Monnin drew the penalty in the pre-start dance when he was pushing Mirsky away from the line. Mirsky still won the start and held the lead all the way around the course.

“We started well,” the young Aussie said. “It was tough sailing in the light and shifty conditions. We were able to roll some of our competitors downwind to get the wins. In the race against Monnin he couldn’t get far enough ahead of us to make up his penalty turn.”

Monnin made a gallant effort, non-the-less. He came within a boat length at the finish even after making his penalty turn. That loss set Monnin at 3-1 and he had earlier defeated two time world champion Ian Williams.

Despite his loss to Monnin, Williams defeated fellow Brit Robbie Allam after an amazing comeback. “We got a leeward overlap and Robbie didn’t keep clear so our penalty got offset. He then gybed in front of us and took control so he got a red flag immediate penalty. So it was great for us being in behind with a penalty going in coming out with no penalty and ahead.” said Williams. He joined Monnin with a 3-1 score card for the day. Group 3 will sail their final three flights of the round robin on Wednesday.

Group 2 got off to a slow start and just finished one flight before the wind shifted and went from the 5-7 knot south westerly to about 3 knots or less from the south southwest.

Bermuda favourite Paula Lewin Crews, sailing with an all woman crew, was beaten by Adam Minoprio (NZL) in the first flight when the wind dropped away to a whisper at her start. Minoprio is the top ranked match racer in the world in the International sailing Federation (ISAF) rankings and second on the World Match Racing Tour.

Following that last match of Flight 1, the wind completely failed and the sailors were called back to Royal Bermuda Yacht Club to wait for the wind to come back. The committee had hoped to get in four flights for each group on the first day but the wind gods wouldn’t cooperate.

The sailors will have their skipper’s meeting one hour earlier on Wednesday at 07.00hrs and sailing is scheduled to start at 08.00hrs. Organizers are keen to finish four flights for all three groups before foul weather is expected with a front late Wednesday and into Thursday pushes through.

more here

This post is tagged 12meters, Americas Cup Trust, Black Hole, Blackmatch Racing, Class 950, Des Top News, Jessica Watson, louis vuitton, Mirsky leads, nasa, Pacific Mini Games 2009, The Knowledge Zone, TP52 Worlds, World Match Racing Tour