Yachting News 4th January 2010
Greetings yachties,
Just back from a fantastic sailing adventure of the Hauraki Gulf on Outrageous Fortune, more on that later, meanwhile, what’s been happening in the world of yachting??
In this issue,
Ice Boating in Denmark January 2010
Puma – Leg 4 Boom Breaking
Both DOG’s are in Valencia
Anchoring tips and links
Splash Worlds Regatta – Takapuna
Rumregatta 2009
Abby Sunderland
Jessica Watson – Happy New Year – Where is she now?
Sydney Hobart
Greenbird – iced up
Alinghi
Geoff Holt
DesTop News
Tasman Trespasser 11
Yacht Sponsorship top 10 stories
A Brush with Sail – latest edition
Rex Sellers – New Years Honours List
Tara Expeditions,
Waves
Clipper
more later 
enjoy
![VLC1-D1_0362 []](http://yachtyakka.co.nz/wp/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/VLC1-D1_0362-.jpg "VLC1-D1_0362 []")
photo Gilles Martin-Raget
Do you worry about your anchor dragging?
World’s top teens making a splash
By Yvonne Tahana
4:00 AM Monday Jan 4, 2010
Some of the world’s best teenage sailors will compete in the Splash World Sailing Championships at Takapuna Beach this week.
The splash dinghy is a single-handed craft designed for sailors under the age of 19. It’s a step up from the Optimist and a training vessel for the Laser class raced at the Olympics.
A fleet of 75 from 12 countries begin a week-long competition today, among them top Kiwi performers including reigning world champion Declan Burn from Picton, world champion Optimist sailor Chris Steel and 2008 Splash champion Ben Lutze from Taipa.
Whether training to win or just sailing with your friends, games are a great way to add variety to your sessions.
This book is a collection of forty games, ten for on shore and thirty for on the water. Each game has a description, rules, variations on how it can be played, the equipment required and tips for smooth running and the aim of the game, useful if you’re looking to practise a particular skill.
These games can be played in all types of boats from dinghies to windsurfers, catamarans to keelboats, and many of the games can be played with as few as two boats.
Rumregatta 2009
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30 KNOT WINDS BUT PROGRESSING WELL
Sunday, 3 January 2010 (8.50pm AEDT)
Jessica is currently sailing in 30 knot winds and a 4 metre swell as she battles another storm on her way to Cape Horn.
The air temperature has dropped below 7 degrees and she has experienced sleet, rain and hail.
But the good news for her growing army of loyal fans all eagerly awaiting another update, is that Jessica has again performed admirably today in these testing conditions
Two True Wins Tattersall’s Cup
Matteo Mazzanti, Rolex SA presents Rolex Yacht-Master timepiece to Andrew Saies, IRC overall handicap winner and Matt Allen, CYCA Commodore
©Rolex/Daniel Forster
Andy Saies’ Two True survived a protest this afternoon to be confirmed as overall winner of the Tattersall’s Cup, the major prize in the 2009 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race for the overall IRC handicap winner.
After a two-hour hearing, the International Jury dismissed the protest entered by the Inglis 39 She’s the Culprit (Todd Leary), the Hobart yacht damaged in a crush of boats approaching the first rounding mark after the race start on Sydney Harbour.
Two True, one of the first new Farr-designed Beneteau First 40 stock production racer and cruiser to be imported into Australia, won IRC overall by 42 minutes from another new First 40, (Mike Welsh) after a close race-long duel in which they followed a similar strategy – stay well east of the rhumbline.
Ian Mason’s Sydney 38 Next, in third place, another 1hr 19min behind, was similarly pushed by close competition in the six-boat Sydney 38 fleet racing one-design, as well as on IRC handicap. Another Sydney 38, Swish (Steven Proud) from the strong Sydney fleet, was fourth and Tony Kirby’s Jeppersen X-41 Patrice Six, fifth.
![dscn1172 []](http://yachtyakka.co.nz/wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/dscn1172-.jpg "dscn1172 []")
Despite being more technically prepared than ever, ahead of the ice season, the weather has just not cooperated this freeze.
After the snow and rough ice of last year, I had counted on the smooth ice of the first freeze to give us the best chance of high speeds. By the first freeze, I mean the time between when the ice gets thick enough to sail on (6 inches) and when it snows.
However, it froze last week during an arctic storm, meaning that some parts of the lake are very rough. A few days later, it snowed, effectively putting a stop to the season before it had even started. To add to the problems, a few pressure ridges have now also formed that are very difficult to cross and divide the sailing area into smaller sections. All this means that Canyon ferry is probably out of service for the immediate future, but may well get better again later in the year as the air temperature warms up during the days and can smooth the surface back to perfection.
Sunday, January 03, 2010
Alinghi 5 just arrived in Valencia?
Update, 7pm Valencia tine: It is indeed the cargo ship carrying Alinghi’s catamaran that arrived today (Sunday) at noon (Valencia time) in Valencia. The ship is now waiting outside the commercial port and will enter on Monday but it will not unload before Tuesday.
On the other hand, OceanLady, the cargo carrying BOR90, is now off the coast of Andalucia in southern Spain and is expected to arrive in Valencia on Monday morning at around 6am.
World Sailing Speed Record Council
The World Sailing Speed Record Council was established by the International Yacht Racing Union (now renamed the International Sailing Federation) in 1972. The object was to provide impartial results for increasing numbers of claims to high speed sailing craft (on water: never on ice nor land!). Early on the decision was made to base such speed ratifications on a one-way leg of exactly 500 metres. Meetings were held every year, often several meetings a year, in various suitable places in the world and speeds climbed with boats of various configurations and with sailboards.
In 1988 following several controversial claims about the times and status of long voyages, WSSRC was asked to take over additionally offshore sailing records.
Since 2001 the organization has a full time Secretariat. Hardly a day goes by without some form of activity in what is now a separate and increasing branch of the sport of sailing. The undoubtedly expert council draws members from Australia, France, Great Britain and the USA. Its most immediate duty is the ratification, or otherwise, of timed claimed records, inshore and offshore, which have been achieved in accordance with the rules of WSSRC. Certificates are issued to record holders and their times are listed. WSSRC has a facility for issuing Performance Certificates to sailors who wish to be officially times over accepted courses, but are not expecting to beat a record. Another service is a continuous coordinated list of best elapsed times of offshore racing events in all parts of the world, accepting the times of the race committee
Happy New Year
Well, one of my New Year wishes came true; wind – hence my lack of contact recently, I’m sorry.
We had a celstial treat on NY Eve with perhaps the most perfect sunset I have ever seen (and yes, we did see the “green flash”, Digby even filmed it), followed ten minutes later by the rising of a perfect full moon in the east, so bright I could easily read outside. New Year’s Day started memorably. After a live interview with BBC Breakfast at 0730 (in complete darkness here – and exactly how few people were awake at that time on NY day anyway?), I started to set the sails but the wind was all over the place. But just as the sun rose and we lined up to do our next live with BBC World, BANG!, the wind hit like a brick, 25 knots on the beam. After a mixed fortune in the wind stakes since leaving Lanzarote 22 days ago, Impossible Dream got up on her haunches and started to fly; don’t tell Mike the owner but I wonder if ID has ever hit 13.8 knots under sail before? Do you remember that rollercoaster analogy I used in a blog a few weeks ago to describe the motion of the boat? Well, it was like that except someone pushed the turbo button. If you saw the 1025 live BBC piece, you may have seen the excitement, thrill and terror in my eyes – if not, then Digby’s shaky camera work may have given the game away. The wind has stayed with us, although is now 12 knots from astern so we are making a modest, if not more comfortable 6 knots. As I type, we have 780 miles to go – current ETA, lunchtime on Thursday 7th, but don’t hold me to it.
TVNZ Interview Shaun and Colin on the imminent departure of Tasman Trespasser II and the differences between crossing the Tasman in 1977 and 2010.
Father and Son – Setting their sights on another history making expedition
By Tasman Trespasser II
Adventurer Shaun Quincey, 24, plans to row solo from Australia to New Zealand. If successful, Shaun will make the only solo crossing of the Tasman, other than his father, Colin Quincey, who made history in 1977 by completing the first ever and only since successful solo Tasman crossing from New Zealand to Australia.
Shaun arrived in Australia this morning and his father Colin Quincey is arriving tomorrow, New Years Day to make final preparations before Shaun’s departure. Shaun’s 23 foot Woodvale Ocean Rowing Boat is clearing customs and his father Colin plans on spending the first few days of the New Year out on Sydney Harbour in it giving his son a few final tips before he departs Coffs Harbour early January.
The New Year marks almost 2 years planning, building, training and preparing for the journey only his father has survived in a rowing boat. Shaun has been documenting his preparation on his blog at the expedition website and twitter. Shaun has ensured that during the 70 day journey that he can continue to tweet the experience to the world.
Here are our top stories of 2009, determined by the number of times they were read.
1. Measuring Sports Sponsorship – ROI? ROO?
2. Two More Open 60’s Go Up for Sale.
3. Is Yacht Racing a Pretend Business?
4. The World’s Top 200 Sports Properties? Did Sailing Make it?
5. Where to Spend £10 Million… in Sailing
6. Sponsorship Value – The Commerical case for a DOG Match.
7. The Changing Face of Yacht Racing. Oman Sail Launches A100.
8. Louis Vuitton World Series Shows Promise.
9. iShares Cup 5th Man – The Best Seat in Sport?
10. Who’d Sponsor AC33?
Rex Sellers named Member of New Zealand Order of Merit
By Yachting New Zealand
Double Olympic medallist Rex Samuel Sellers has been recognised in the New Years Honours List for his services to New Zealand Yachting.
Sellers was today named one of New Zealand’s greatest contributors and highest achievers, when he was named a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
Born in Nelson in 1950, Sellers is one of the country’s most successful yachtsmen, and his contribution to the sport of sailing and to New Zealand’s sporting success on the world stage is of the highest level.
In 1984 he won an Olympic Gold Medal, and in 1988 he won a Silver Medal, sailing with Chris Timms in the Tornado Class. He finished fourth in 1992 at the Barcelona Olympic Games in 1992, and he was third (with Mark Rayner) at the 1982 World Championships in Canada.
Interview with Etienne Bourgois, Co-director of Tara Oceans and President of theTara Foundation
As the year ends, Etienne Bourgois talks about the Copenhagen summit meeting on climate, and reviews the first months of the expedition.
What do you think about the recent Copenhagen summit?
We all believed in an international consensus, but we’re very far from that goal. We already lost 8 years under the Bush administration. More than ever we need to maintain the pressure on political leaders. Climate change is a reality. The Earth is going to become 2° C warmer by 2050. The “United Nations system” definitely showed its limits during the summit meeting. We’ll have to think about an international governorship that can impose the necessary changes with clear objectives for the next 20 years. A governorship that would go beyond the mandates of political leaders who are elected for much shorter time periods. Investments made by big companies must be considered for the long term, in order to make the right choices concerning energy, transportation, etc.
I also understood at Copenhagen the important role played by non-governmental organisations. If we at Tara can add something to the enormous work accomplished by NGOs, then I’ll be very happy. Let’s continue to inform people and influence politicians. We can’t let this energy subside.
Finally, it’s striking to see that countries found resources to face the financial crisis, but they are inefficient at finding ways to meet this environmental challenge. More and more humans depend on biodiversity and not the opposite. It’s no longer just a matter of saving seals and whales.
howstuffworks
Why are the waves on the U.S. West Coast larger than the waves on the East Coast?
Some of the best surfing spots in the world are located along the U.S. West Coast and in Hawaii, and the reason is simple: the waves! But why are waves on the West Coast bigger than those on the East Coast? There are three primary factors that determine a wave’s height:
* the prevailing winds
* the continental shelf
* the ocean fetch
According to the Encyclopedia of the Sea, a wave is “the oscillations of the sea caused by the wind blowing along the surface and moving in the direction in which the wind blows.” The important thing to remember about waves is that the water isn’t moving — the energy from the wind is moving through the water. On the West Coast, the prevailing winds are behind the waves, which increases the waves’ energy. On the East Coast, the prevailing winds blow against the incoming waves, decreasing the waves’ energy.
Spirit of Australia was first across the start line to the delight of the home crowd as Race 5 of the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race got underway. Hundreds of supporters lined the breakwater in Geraldton, Western Australia, and cheered as the Australian team raced past with the other nine internationally sponsored yachts in hot pursuit. Conditions were perfect for the beginning of the next leg to Singapore with a strong southerly breeze blowing 15-20 knots.
Speaking ahead of the race start, Spirit of Australia’s skipper, Brendan Hall, said, “I’m really looking forward to this one, it’s going to have a different flavour – a bit of an ocean race to start off with but then going up through Indonesia the navigational hazards are going to be a real challenge. It’s something a bit different but also something to sink our teeth into.
“The enthusiasm and the effort put into this stopover by the people of Geraldton has been absolutely fantastic. Words can’t describe the welcome we’ve had, all the crew have had a fantastic time in Western Australia and we’ll all be very sad to leave.”
