Des Top News
Abby Sunderland
Moth Camp
Sydney Hobart – Update
Stewart 34 to White Island and back
A Brush with Sail – 43ft Dhow Sailing Championships
Jessica passes 6000 Mark
The Round Britain Race 2012
The World Yacht Racing Forum
Brad Butterworth is to attend the World Yacht Racing Forum
Google Goggles
RC 44 Championship Tour 2009
IBI News – Multi One Design
Climate Change ???? who’s to blame ?? us or mother nature
Gala Christmas Party,Gala Holiday Party,Happy Holidays,Generic Holiday Party
The F*%^ing Holiday Party
Merry Christmas
Update from Marina del Rey
Its been great having Wild Eyes here. Today we had the rigger come out and the electrician. We’ll hopefully be pulling the boat out of the water on Thursday. We’re waiting for her custom cradle to be delivered from Mexico.
Its been pretty busy around here but I’ve got a bit of time now so I thought I would address some of your concerns. A lot of the criticism I have received is understandable and somewhat due to a lack of information. First, I will be doing a shakedown trip before I leave. The weather around our local Channel Islands is some of the worst you can get around here.
Second, Cape Horn is not for sure. I am keeping open the option of going through Panama as Mike Perham did depending on weather and timing. Also, the non-stop part of my trip is an attempt, and I acknowledge that it is a very difficult thing to achieve.
Super sized assembling for SOLAS Big Boat Challenge
The super sized and super quick are quietly assembling in Sydney Harbour for one of the greatest days on the Australian sailing calendar, the SOLAS Big Boat Challenge maxi boat race.
The annual charity day offers the public a once-only opportunity to see some of this year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart line honours aspirants being put through their paces prior to the Boxing Day start of the summer ocean classic.
It also offers the many big boat crews gathered in Sydney at this time of year a clear runway and the chance to flex their muscles around the one of the world’s most scenic waterways without having to manoeuvre around a fleet that typically includes much smaller and therefore slower boats.
The 16th edition of the SOLAS Big Boat Challenge will start off Steele Point at 12.30pm on Tuesday 15th December and will finish in spectacular fashion off the steps of the Opera House mid afternoon.
Bob Oatley’s Reichel Pugh 100, Wild Oats XI, is deliberately being preserved for its attempt at five Rolex Sydney Hobart line honours wins in succession with the SOLAS Big Boat Challenge its one and only public outing in full race mode.
Wild Oats XI’s biggest threat for Tuesday’s 14 nautical mile sprint around a number of Sydney Harbour’s best known landmarks is likely to be Neville Crichton’s like maxi, Alfa Romeo, making its Australian racing comeback having been campaigned overseas since 2006.
“While it has no bearing on the outcome of the Rolex Sydney Hobart, it’s a really fun day out for the crews,” said Crichton today.
“Typically whoever wins the start wins the race, trying to pass 100 footers on the harbour with all the wind shadows is pretty difficult.”
Alfa Romeo and Wild Oats’ last encounter was in Sardinia more than two years ago when Wild Oats XI was dismasted. Given all the Rolex Sydney Hobart waterfront talk, there is plenty of interest in next Tuesday’s outcome, even if skippers are talking down results from the day.
Their heads were green and there hands were blue, and they went to sea in a sieve.
What a ride, 20.9 knots in a Stewart 34, didnt realise these bathtubs could go so fast. 2 handed, no.2 kite, full main and 30+kn of breeze. Had lots of 18s on the speedo and topped out near Cuvier at 20.9….Didnt know whether to be terrified or exhilerated…. Adrenalin, got to love it, an essential ingredient to convince us that being cold and wet for three days is fun……
Started out as any other day except that if anyone asked what I am doing today, ‘going to White Island’ would have been the response. Two of us and Promise. Mad frantic dash to get Cat 3++ and ready for the race, still running jackstays and sheets etc as we cross the start line with mainsail only. I am up front hooking up kite. No.2, Hatch hoist, up she goes no twist, great set. Off to Bean Rock flat off or even a bit by the lee, bit of rolling but 8s and 9s with the odd 11 thrown in. Sheet on to keep control in the puffs, flat water, 20-25kn Westerly, great sailing..
Slight right turn at Bean, head to Emu, wind on quarter. Started 100m behind 9 others in the Corinthian division. Now mid fleet. Oracle with us all the way. After Emu the next mark is Channel Island. Brace kept pinging off the pole all the way to channel. Kite flying itself, mostly. Gybe main now and then to untwist, Also let brace go then wind it back in every now and then, to reseat the pin in the pole. Wind has gone slightly north by the time we get past Channel. Promise and Oracle bow for bow. Must be 30knots by now. Kite strapped in to the forestay, pole at 30-40 degrees off 90. Wind almost square. Good speed 12s and 13s and odd 15,16. Sea getting bigger. 1-2m I guess at the moment of wind swell/slop..A fun kite ride. Ideal sailing.
Promise and Oracle are the first boats to Channel.
Wind builds more as we head to Cuvier. Seriously surfing down waves. Oracle a little quicker in this breeze. We fly the no.3 genoa inside the kite to try to get a jump on Oracle, but to no effect. Not slower, no faster. We are running too square for it to be of use. We drop the sail and throw it downstairs. Oracle on our port side slightly advanced, then they go into a big broach, laying over kite flapping, then it shreds, bugger…Now its our turn, we broach as the gust that took them out hits us. I am helming, dump main and vang. Boom in water, around we go. Dump the kite sheets, Promise stands up, helm down to get some speed, Ok sheet on and the spinnaker fills and away we go again, dead downwind (090 degrees) we need to go 120 eventually but cant…bow goes down, is it coming up? yep, up she pops and away we go, 18s down waves, spray everywhere, hard to see past the shrouds, yeeha, me and the helm are wedged in the cockpit, it is all i can do to keep the blurry end pointing downhill.. We hit a top speed of 20.9kn….Decide to call it quits and get the kite down before the kite or the rig self destructs…
During the drop the brace snags and the kite fills with air after getting it to collapse, I reach for a knife and cut the brace free but too late. Trawling the spinnaker at 10kn or so and we trash it. I lay Promise beam on to the sea to kill the boatspeed so we can retrieve the pieces of kite. Away we go downhill again bare-headed. Need a headsail. It is too difficult for one person to get the number three back in the bag and too windy for one person to handle it on deck unwrapped. Decide to set the No.2 and both Oracle and Promise are two sailing heading 120 degrees to White Island. We see Danaide pull into Cuvier as Oracle and Promise trundle on into the night. Barometer has been dropping all day…Oracle run deep as the wind builds. We put two tucks in the main and as the wind gets up more we (me!)get rid of the headsail. Absolutely buggered after a kite ride from Orakei to Cuvier and reaching as far as we could till the sea/wind/exhaustion forces us to reduce sail, Ok so now for dinner. I go down to get food. Have frozen prawns and some shrimp creole. Just need to heat it up enough to cook the prawns…After 5 minutes I have to come up to spew. Hmmm, dont remember this happening before except with a hangover. Too rough for me. Geoff suffers the same, looks like muesli bars and biscuits for dinner. We are both fine when on deck but if we spend 5 minutes below trying to navigate or even change clothes then we need a bucket. Always wondered why you need 4 buckets for cat 3..so we settle in to our 2 hour shifts as darkness overtakes us. Steering 120 all night, a hot drink would be nice, but not worth being sick. The wind drops in the early hours to 15-20kn around 3 or 4 am, sea still messy. We arrive at WI with 3 other boats at daybreak. We find out later Danaide and Oracle are long gone..Oracle went around White at ~3am….
Its a gorgeous sunrise and we pass by Mix T Motions in the lee of the island who are going around in circles, apparently unwrapping a jammed furling headsail….
Up we go with the No.2 genoa, and climb out of the lee of white on our way home. On the wind, big long lay to Cuvier. Two boats go to the beach and we stay out to sea with the 4th. Bashing into a lumpy sea, still snack food only, too rough for me to stay below. 2 hour shifts on the wind. One driving, one asleep. Bash, bash, hmmm this is going to take a while…Breeze drops during the day, lovely and sunny, I can see why they call it blue water, beautiful colour. Lots of birds, even have an albatross soaring around…
Listening to channel 16, we hear that Oracle lost their rudder and are limping to Whitianga. Bummer. They were looking good for a podium finish….
Paid off for those who went left. Funny thats what the weather forecast said. Perhaps we should think about what we are doing? Nah too tired, sleep is much more important. We cross just behind and bang the westernmost corner about 20 miles from Cuvier. Manage to lay within a mile or so just as dark sets in and the premier fleet are coming the other way….have passed all the boats we rounded the island with.
Darkness again, no dinner…again…hmmm this is fun. By this time we are pretty tired, not much interest in anything but sleep. Ocean racing two handed takes its toll….The SSANZ series is a breeze by comparison. For us newbies this has been a learning experience. Lots of things to improve upon, We missed channel and ended up on the wrong side of the barrier. Damn. Took a couple of hours to get back on track. No breeze for a while in the lee of the island, did a circle, an unecessary mistake. Lots of phosphorescence, but the fleet will have gone past…went from fast to last…We finally rounded channel after fighting the tide daybreak Saturday morning.
No swell, plenty of dolphins, and I can finally go below without needing a bucket.
What a mess. Everything is wet and strewn everywhere, water and that really nice mix of oil/diesel is up to the floorboards, and then we discover our manual bilge pump doesn’t work. Several buckets later and we are hardly making a difference to the level, but its not getting deeper, lets eat instead, I do bacon and eggs for breakfast, what a difference hot food makes. Life is good again, wet but good. At least its not cold and I dont have to wring out spare clothes to put on to keep warm. Wind is 10-15kn still on the nose, well slightly cracked sheets, port tack to the Motuihe channel.
We finish just in time for a rum at 12:54pm Saturday, 7 minutes behind Mix T Motions, even after our 2 hour detour. The biggest leeward-windward I have ever sailed. That shrimp creole never tasted so good as it did when i got home!
Will Promise be back? You bet, after we seal up a few leaks…and this time I wont be a virgin…
Brett
Reach to the finish. Photo © Ashraf Al Amra.
Dubai Traditional 43ft Dhow Sailing Championships Heat 3, 5th December 09.
A win for Atlas scuppered the winning streak of Maqasas today. In a race, which saw shifting, temperamental wind conditions and a trip around the World Islands, Atlas skipper Ahmed R. Al Suwaidi gave much of the credit for his first place to his new sail but added ‘My crew worked really well together, they are good team, we were lucky and made the right choices. The wind was up and down, around ten knots, at the top of the World Islands the wind was really fickle and we had to concentrate hard and make no mistakes.’
The race took two hours for the winners to complete and the first three boats crossed the line within three minutes of each other. In second place was Barraq, sailed by Rashid M. R Al Rumaithi, winner of the last seasons Championships, who was happy to beat his brother Khalid, skipper of Maqasas who has dominated the last two heats. ‘I’m looking forward to give back some of the round the dinner table teasing,’ he joked.
Southern Ocean Awaits As Jessica passes 6000 Mark
Tuesday, 8 December, 2009 (9.45pm AEDT)
On day 51 of her solo circumnavigation, Jessica this evening passed the 6000 nautical mile mark and is preparing to take on the Southern Ocean.
She is currently on the same latitude as the iconic surfing town and Australia’s most easterly point, Byron Bay. She is some 3,000 nm east of Cape Byron .
Having safely negotiated the testing French Polynesia region and heading south to Cape Horn, Jessica has been very busy in recent days, adhering to detailed checklists as she prepares her boat Ella’s Pink Lady to take on the rougher conditions of the Southern Ocean. She changed over to a heavy weather staysail this afternoon.
Jessica has been in daily contact with all her shore team including Project Manager Bruce Arms, whom she has been cross checking lists with.
“Jess has prepared well and has been kept busy sealing small leaks and finding little jobs that are all very important as she heads into the tougher conditions down south. We went over the checklists that we had created especially for this part of the journey and I can’t fault her attention to detail,” said Bruce.
Get ready for Round Britain 2012 – land, sea, and air
The Round Britain Race 2012 (RB12) will be the biggest multi-faceted event to have been staged in Britain.
Scorpion RIBS have entered RB12 SEA
Seventy-five powerboats, 100 super and vintage cars and 50 aircraft will visit 12 venues around Britain during the first two weeks of July 2012, providing a thrilling spectacle for the public and a challenging and demanding event for participants. It is envisaged that there will be over 1,000 contestants with 1,500 supporting crew complementing this extraordinary occasion.
Response to the news that entry for RB12 SEA is now open has been very positive so far and 41% of places have already been taken.
Two RIB manufacturers, Scorpion RIBs of Lymington, Dorset, and Goldfish Boat of Norway, have been quick to demonstrate their commitment to RB12.
Patrick Byrne, Managing Director of Scorpion RIBs commented: “RB12 has got to be one of the greatest opportunities to showcase our boats to keen novices as well as the most knowledgeable of enthusiasts. After the resounding success enjoyed by Scorpion RIBs in the 2008 Round Britain Offshore Powerboat Race, the company is announcing its intention to enter a factory team.
“Scorpion’s team entry is all about highlighting the company’s continued commitment to developing safe and reliable boats and racing is a sure way to evaluate and fully test its products at the sharp end.”
Henrik Sollie, Marketing and Sales Manager for Goldfish Boat, stated: “Goldfish won two Classes of the 2008 Round Britain Race, classes RB3 and 4. RB12 will be a great adventure with fantastic people and provide excellent product testing!”
Alinghi team skipper and four-time America’s Cup winner Brad Butterworth is to attend the World Yacht Racing Forum in Monaco on Thursday 10 December for an update on Alinghi, the Defender of the 33rd America’s Cup, and to take part in a panel discussion about the 34th America’s Cup alongside a group of potential challengers.
Second edition of World Yacht Racing Forum set to exceed expectations
Impressive turnout of over 350 delegates expected at the second World Yacht Racing Forum tomorrow. Michel Desjoyeaux, Russell Coutts, Brad Butterworth, Tom Whidden, Juan Kouyoumdjian, Cam Lewis and Knut Frostad are amongst the event’s headline speakers.
Monaco, 8 December 2009 – The principal actors of the world yacht racing scene are on their way to the second World Yacht Racing Forum from 9-10 Dec in Monaco. Over 350 delegates are expected whilst 50 speakers and 80 journalists from all over the world have confirmed their participation.
The event begins tonight, December 8, with an official cocktail reception at the Yacht Club de Monaco. WYRF Chairman and World Champion Sailor Peter Gilmour will then officially open the Forum on Wednesday 9 December before handing over to keynote speaker Tom Whidden, President of North Sails, who will talk about the “state of the industry”. Debates and presentations addressing some of the key issues our sport faces will follow. Topics include:
* The commercial case for yachting sponsorship – Can sailing deliver value for money?
* Can yacht racing deliver economic returns for host cities and ports?
* The measure of success – evaluating the impact of sponsorship value
* Leveraging a sponsorship deal – how do we maximise the investment?
* Tapping into new media audiences – The future of sailing on the web, in gaming and television
The traditional ‘Track & Ocean’ cocktail reception, jointly hosted with the Motor Sport Business Forum, will close the day and offer an opportunity for delegates and exhibitors from both conferences to meet and network with each other. Both events’ exhibitor areas will be accessible to all delegates throughout the two days.
The Forum’s second day will begin with a keynote address by double Vendée Globe winner Michel Desjoyeaux. It will be followed by four debates on the following subjects:
* Cost cutting measures – Who is trimming event costs for today’s economy?
* Governing the sport – What can sailing learn from other sports?
* What is the case for multihull racing?
* The America’s Cup – What is the future for the challengers after AC 33?
Sponsors of this years Forum include Presenting Sponsor Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, and Official Sponsors Horus Watches and the Barcelona World Race. The Volvo Ocean Race also joins the Forum as Associate Partner with courtesy cars provided by Volvo Cars France in collaboration with the Volvo Ocean Race. Delegates will also receive a complimentary copy of the award winning book Spanish Castle to White Night written by Mark Chisnell.
The World Yacht Racing Forum is for the first time this year co-located with the inaugural Yacht Racing Design & Technology Symposium and 1st International Superyacht Coatings Conference. The three events have attracted a huge amount of interest from the Yacht Racing community and an impressive line-up of speakers, sponsors and delegates will be reassembled in Monaco.
The Yacht Club de Monaco is once again the official host of the conference, under the Patronage of HSH Prince Albert II.
A fourth place in the Championship Tour 2009
Pieter Heerema and his team No Way Back have conquered the RC 44 Championship Tour 2009 head of Artemis, Ceeref and BMW ORACLE Racing. Due to the proximity with the America’s Cup, Russell could unfortunately not participate in the Gold Cup.
The scenario of the RC 44 Sea Dubai Gold Cup was full of promises ahead of the event, with five teams in a position to win the overall Championship Tour. Russell could unfortunately not participate in the event and was replaced by Neville Crichton.
The match race turned out to be fatal for the favourites of the event, Dean Barker’s Artemis and Chris Bake’s Team Aqua. Due to the lack of wind, the event had to be shortened and Aqua only sailed four matches. Bad luck and a collision with Organika cost the team a massive amount of points and the overall Championship Tour. Indeed, the team finished with a negative number of points and fell down the annual ranking in one bad afternoon. Leader of the season ranking in the morning, the team fell down to fifth in the afternoon! Artemis also had a terrible day, finishing ninth of the event and offering the victory to Igor Lah’s Ceeref, with Rod Davis at the helm for the occasion.
Multi One Design retains Multiplast
By IBI Magazine
Multi One Design SA has retained Multiplast for the construction of its one design trimaran floats.
The company has just confirmed the construction of the first five examples of its 20m (66ft) trimaran one design. In the long term, this series of 12 boats will compete in transatlantic, round Europe and round-the-world races.
The participation of Multiplast in the Multi One Design project represents the outcome of three years of preparatory work.
“Technically, in Europe, the organisation set up by Multi One Design SA Ltd groups together what it best knows how to do in terms of manufacturing multihulls and offshore racing project management experience,” says general manager Yann Penfornis.
“We are therefore proud that our team will be making 10 70ft floats (approximately 20m) to start with, and we hope, then the 14 others, which will race 12 perfectly identical trimarans in two to three years.”
The manufacture of the plugs and 100 per cent carbon moulds will begin early January to enable the delivery of the first set of floats in summer 2010.
Company Memo
FROM: Patty Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO: All Employees
DATE: October 1, 2009
RE: Gala Christmas Party
I’m happy to inform you that the company Christmas Party will take place on December 23rd, starting at noon in the private function room at the Grill House. There will be a cash bar and plenty of drinks! We’ll have a small band playing traditional carol s… feel free to sing along. And don’t be surprised if our CEO shows up dressed as Santa Claus! A Christmas tree will be lit at 1:00 PM. Exchanges of gifts among employees can be done at that time; however, no gift should be over $10.00 to make the giving of gifts easy for everyone’s pockets. This gathering is only for employees!
Our CEO will make a special announcement at that time!
Merry Christmas to you and your family,
Patty
Company Memo
FROM: Patty Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO: All Employees
DATE: October 2, 2009
RE: Gala Holiday Party
In no way was yesterday’s memo intended to exclude our Jewish employees. We recognize that Hanukkah is an important holiday, which often coincides with Christmas, though unfortunately not this year. However, from now on, we’re calling it our “Holiday Party.” The same policy applies to any other employees who are not Christians and to those still celebrating Reconciliation Day. There will be no Christmas tree and no Christmas carol s will be sung. We will have other types of music for your enjoyment.
Happy now?
Happy Holidays to you and your family,
Patty
Company Memo
FROM: Patty Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO: All Employees
DATE: October 3, 2009
RE: Holiday Party
Regarding the note I received from a member of Alcoholics Anonymous requesting a non-drinking table, you didn’t sign your name. I’m happy to accommodate this request, but if I put a sign on a table that reads, “AA Only”, you wouldn’t be anonymous anymore. How am I supposed to handle this?
Somebody?
And sorry, but forget about the gift exchange, no gifts are allowed since the union members feel that $10.00 is too much money and the executives believe $10.00 is a little chintzy.
REMEMBER: NO GIFTS EXCHANGE WILL BE ALLOWED.
Company Memo
FROM: Patty Lewis, Human Resources Director
To: All Employees
DATE: October 4, 2009
RE: Generic Holiday Party
What a diverse group we are! I had no idea that December 20th begins the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which forbids eating and drinking during daylight hours. There goes the party! Seriously, we can appreciate how a luncheon at this time of year does not accommodate our Muslim employees’ beliefs. Perhaps the Grill House can hold off on serving your meal until the end of the party or else package everything for you to take it home in little foil doggy baggy. Will that work?
Meanwhile, I’ve arranged for members of Weight Watchers to sit farthest from the dessert buffet, and pregnant women will get the table closest to the restrooms.
Gays are allowed to sit with each other. Lesbians do not have to sit with Gay men, each group will have their own table. Yes, there will be flower arrangement for the Gay men’s table.
To the person asking permission to cross dress, the Grill House asks that no cross-dressing be allowed, apparently because of concerns about confusion in the restrooms. Sorry.
We will have booster seats for short people.
Low-fat food will be available for those on a diet.
I am sorry to report that we cannot control the amount of salt used in the food. The Grill House suggests that people with high blood pressure taste a bite first.
There will be fresh “low sugar” fruits as dessert for diabetics, but the restaurant cannot supply “no sugar” desserts. Sorry!
Did I miss anything?!?!?
Patty
Company Memo
FROM: Patty Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO: All F*%^ing Employees
DATE: October 5, 2009
RE: The F*%^ing Holiday Party
I’ve had it with you vegetarian pricks!!! We’re going to keep this party at the Grill House whether you like it or not, so you can sit quietly at the table furthest from the “grill of death,” as you so quaintly put it, and you’ll get your f*%^ing salad bar, including organic tomatoes. But you know, tomatoes have feelings, too. They scream when you slice them. I’ve heard them scream. I’m hearing them scream right NOW!
The rest of you f*%^ing weirdoes can kiss my *ss. I hope you all have a rotten holiday!
Drive drunk and die,
The B*tch from H*ll!!!
Company Memo
FROM: Joan Bishop, Acting Human Resources Director
DATE: October 6, 2009
RE: Patty Lewis and Holiday Party
I’m sure I speak for all of us in wishing Patty Lewis a speedy recovery and I’ll continue to forward your cards to her.
In the meantime, management has decided to cancel our Holiday Party and give everyone the afternoon of the 23rd off with full pay.
Happy Holidays!
Joan
This post is tagged 43ft Dhow Sailing Championships, A Brush with Sail, Abby Sunderland, brad butterworth, Climate Change, Des Top News, Google Goggles, IBI News, Jessica Watson, Moth Camp, RC 44 Championship Tour 2009, Rolex Sydney Hobart, Round Britain Race 2012, stewart 34, White Island, World Yacht Racing Forum Google Goggles, yachtyakka yacht club
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