Yachting News 28th February 2010
Greetings yachties,
In this issue:
Even Keel
Tara Oceans Expeditions
Revenge Supercar
BMW Auckland Regatta
RORC Caribbean 600 – Beau Geste Wins
RC44 – Cayard Sailing Report
America Cup : le mot de fin de Bertarelli
Jules Verne Trophy – Peaceful and Pacific – where is Groupama3 now?
Google Maps - new app
Tiger Apology
Louis Vuitton Trophy
Jessica Watson
3M Drag Reduction Riblet Film
DNS of Bubble Induced Drag Reduction
Enjoy
Empowering individuals to conquer their dream
Following last year’s successful season for The Even Keel Project, the fleet of six boats that is based at UKSA in Cowes will be available for anyone to ‘Try Sailing’, whether disabled or not, from mid-April.
The Even Keel Project offers the disabled and able bodied the opportunity to compete against each other on equal terms in their Artemis20 racing keelboats, which are specifically designed with the disabled in mind but equally exciting for the able bodied.
Leaders of disabled groups who would like their members to experience sailing at no cost are invited to contact The Even Keel Project. Individuals who show real promise have the opportunity to progress to the highest level.
Interview with Eric Karsenti, co-director of Tara Oceans
A short time ago, you attended a scientific meeting in Heidelberg at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory where you reviewed the present state of Tara Oceans. Apparently you were very enthousiastic at the end of the meeting. Why?
Since the start of the expedition in September 2009, we hadn’t found the time to reflect upon the details of the scientific aspect. For the first time, I was able to assess the real coherence of the expedition and the totality of the work accomplished onboard and on land.
The coordinators spoke of their visions of the project, but the reports were grouped thematically (ranging from viruses to zooplankton, but also by methods, those of sequencing, imaging and modelling of oceanographic ecosystems).
Thus I was able to visualize global results which can emanate from the expedition and their analysis which has already begun. It is now clear that we will be able to establish a cartography of marine ecosystems based on physico-chemical characteristics of oceans. It is also very probable that this will lead to new theoretical models on the geographic distribution of species and their reactions to climate changes.
Images supplied by Ivor Wilkins
join the chatter on crew.org here
more from ocean phogography here
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Hat-trick for Beau Geste
Friday, 26 February 2010 17:45
Karl Kwok’s Beau Geste is the winner of the 2010 RORC Caribbean 600 Race. Photo: Tim Wright, photoaction.comAlthough several boat are still racing, Richard Bamford’s Swan 38 Dolfijn retired this morning which means that at tonight’s prize giving Karl Kwok’s Farr 80, Beau Geste, will be awarded the RORC Caribbean 600 trophy for best yacht overall under IRC, the line honours trophy for monohulls and Class trophy for IRC Super Zero.
“I have never cleaned up as well before so it feels really good,” smiled Karl Kwok upon hearing the news. “There may have been a lack of wind but we kept on going all the time and when the wind was with us we had flat water and some fantastic sailing. Beau Geste has a great spirit, I have been friends with Gavin Brady for two decades and we sit down and decide who we will have on board. Friendship is very important to me, we choose the best sailors but also the right people. I have to say a big thank you to Gavin Brady and the two watch captains, Jonno Swain and David Endean but all of the crew did a great job.
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Paul Cayard
Copyright: Nico Martinez / RC44 Class Association
Three races were held today in a southeast to south wind blowing between 15 and 25 knots. It was incredibly dusty, with the wind blowing sand into the air.
Artemis had the best day with a 2,3,1. Onboard Katusha, we did not have a great day as we made big errors in the first two races finishing 8,7. In the last race we sailed well, getting to the first mark just behind Artemis and staying close all the way around. We closed in on them a lot on the final run, with a nice puff, but they managed to hang on to beat us by a couple of meters.
In the first race of the day, we were not in great shape coming down the first run. It was windy and just before the leeward mark, we broached and got stuck on our side for a couple of minutes. Fortunately, Aqua was very heads up as we were heading for them in the middle of the broach. They had to tack onto port to get out of our way and that saved the two boats from colliding. We hurt their race as they were in the lead at the time and they eventually finished 4th. We apologize for that. We did our penalty turn even though one had not been signaled and we were well into last place. We had a bit of luck in someone else’s misfortune and we ended up passing Austria on the final run as they had a problem too.
In the second race, we were doing pretty well up the second windward leg battling away for third or fourth when a massive gust came down the course and shifted the wind 30 degrees. Sea Dubai had gone from last to first on this leg and were sailing past us in the new wind. So, I thought we should dig into it as it seemed it was filling. We got into it and were looking ok until that wind collapsed and the left filled back in. We lost 3 or 4 boats right there at the top of the beat and finished 7th.
Very frustrating for all of us.
So, it was nice to put a good race together in the last race of the day and come back to the dock feeling a bit better.
We really need to raise our game. We all know we can sail better. For sure the competition is tough but we must find a way to improve. With all that we are still in the same place we were in when we left the dock this morning…5th. Aqua still leads and Artemis is nipping at their heels.
Tomorrow, the forecast is the same, strong southerly winds which means the wind coming off the land and massive shifts of both wind strength and direction.
Peaceful and Pacific
Jules Verne Trophy 2009 – 2010
Sixty miles better in 24 hours: Groupama 3 is continuing to extend her lead in relation to Orange 2′s course in 2005. The weather conditions remain excellent for making fast and effortless headway towards Cape Horn, around 3,000 miles ahead on the same latitude…
Stève Ravussin at the helm of Groupama 3 – © Team Groupama
This is beginning to become a habit. Indeed it’s been a week now that Groupama 3 has been accumulating 650 to 750 mile days! 5,650 miles in eight days, that is almost twice the distance of an Atlantic crossing… It just goes to show then that the situation is also favourable for devouring the Pacific, since Franck Cammas and his crew are now ahead of a front, which is pursuing them, as was the case in the Indian Ocean. And should the phenomenon continue as far as the tip of South America, this will give them an added bonus to the 430 miles that the giant trimaran has already amassed since Tasmania!
The days follow on…
“It’s dark but there is a beautiful moon. There’s a clear sky and it’s nice to be able to see the stars… We hope to see the reflection of Antarctica in the early hours as the moon falls below the horizon. We may even see the aurora australis! We have between 22 and 25 knots of NW’ly wind and we’re sailing under one reef mainsail and medium gennaker. It’s not overly cold, we’re not wet and the water is still at 8°C: all’s well! The weather’s superb… And we still have a rather pleasant sea state which is easy to negotiate. We’re not going crazy!” said Ronan Le Goff at the 1130 UTC radio session with Groupama’s Race HQ in Paris.
Tiger Woods dumped by Gatorade
1:11 PM Saturday Feb 27, 2010
NEW YORK – Add Gatorade to the list of endorsement deals that Tiger Woods has lost.
A representative for the drink, sold by PepsiCo, confirmed that it had ended its relationship with the golfer, who made a lengthy public apology last week for his infidelities.
“We no longer see a role for Tiger in our marketing efforts and have ended our relationship,” a Gatorade spokeswoman said. “We wish him all the best.”
The spokewoman said Gatorade would continue its relationship with his charity, the Tiger Woods Foundation serving disadvantaged children.
Gill to supply Emirates Team NZ
By IBI Magazine
Gill has been chosen to serve as the official technical clothing supplier to Emirates Team New Zealand. The company will supply a range of clothing for both the Louis Vuitton Trophy events in 2010 and the TP52 taking part in this season’s Audi Medcup.
“We have been developing high performance technical clothing for exactly these environments and this partnership offers a great opportunity to have the gear on the water with a fabulous team which are at the absolute pinnacle of performance sailing,” says Gill founder and chairman Nick Gill.
Two America’s Cup boats in Auckland Viaduct Basin
Part of the Auckland Festival of Sail organized by Emirates Team New Zealand, the Louis Vuitton event will overlap with the Auckland International Boat Show.
Mascalzone Latino Audi Team, the recently-annointed Italian Challenger of Record for the 34th America’s Cup, joins seven other Cup contenders in Auckland next month to race on New Zealand’s Waitemata Harbor for the Louis Vuitton Trophy Auckland.
In France last November another Italian team, Azzurra, led by Francesco Bruni won the Louis Vuitton Trophy Nice Côte d’Azur, defeating the favorite Emirates Team New Zealand and its skipper Dean Barker 2-0. Both teams are part of the eight-syndicate entry for Auckland.
The only syndicate from last year, other than Emirates Team New Zealand, is Great Britain’s TEAMORIGIN, skippered by four-time Olympic medalist Ben Ainslie.
Speeding, Surfing and Dancing Along
Thursday, February 25, 2010
It’s my sister’s 18th birthday today so first off, happy birthday Emily!! It’s the second year running that I’ve been away, so I’ll have to find a special way to make up for the late presents next year!
Loving the fast sailing at the moment. It’s a bit breezy and the sea is up enough to give Ella’s Pink Lady something to surf. She’s really dancing along, climbing up each wave, surfing down and rolling with the gusts of wind. But it’s not too uncomfortable with the wind gusting to just over 30knots and the third reef in the mainsail. The sun is out again after a drizzly overcast night and morning, which means the waves are a lovely shade of turquoise blue and the streaky white caps look pretty, rather than menacing.
Valencia Sailing
3M Reveals Successful Collaboration with BMW Oracle for 33rd America’s Cup Match
3M today announced its successful collaboration with BMW ORACLE Racing as an Official Supplier for the 33rd America’s Cup Match in Valencia, Spain.
Brian Winke, 3M Marine global business manager, explained that, “3M has incorporated new technology advancements into 3M Drag Reduction Riblet Film. We can now more accurately design the most appropriate riblet film for each application according to the unique fluid dynamics requirements, resulting in more efficient energy use.”
“The 3M technology makes an already fast boat even faster. Our hulls were more slippery and therefore moved more efficiently through the water than ever before”.
3M Drag Reduction Riblet Film is based on the microreplication technology that 3M has utilized effectively in several industrial applications since Dennis Conner’s successful America’s Cup challenge in 1987.
“3M supported the last US team to challenge and win the America’s Cup and is proud to have supported Golden Gate Yacht Club’s victory some 23 years later,” added Winke.
