Yachting News 5th August 2010
Greetings yachties,
In this issue:
Artemis Even Keel @ Cowes Week,
1851 Cup,
ISAF Making Waves – latest issue here,
Laura Dekker – sets sail for Portugal,
Winged Foiling Moth,
Solitair du Figaro,
Lectronic Latitude – latest issue here
Cowes Week and Extreme 40′s,
M34,
Des Top News,
505 World Champs,
Enjoy,
The race around the Isle of Wight today sets out to re-enact the event held on 22 August 1851 for the 100 Guineas Cup, that would subsequently become known as the America’s Cup, today the pinnacle of international inshore yacht racing.
Once again today’s race features English and American teams as was the case 159 years ago, although on this occasion the American team only has one British boat to face up against, instead of 14, and there is no real technological advantage as the two teams are racing near identical boats.
The man who knows most about the race that took place in 1851 is Guardian and Observer sailing correspondent and historian Bob Fisher, author of the weighty America’s Cup bible entitled An Absorbing Interest.
Spectacular match racing between America’s Cup teams
Thu 5 Aug 2010 10:12 BST
Britain’s TeamOrigin leads 4-1 after thrilling racing on day two of The 1851 Cup off Cowes, Isle of Wight.
1851 Cup Regatta. Day 2. TeamOrigin and BMW Oracle Racing. Credit Ian Roman / TeamOrigin.
Despite a 180 degree wind shift prior to proceedings getting underway at the 1851 Cup on Wednesday, 4 August, causing the race committee to move the course just to the east of Cowes, fans were treated to one of the most spectacular displays of match racing with protests galore and a large chunk of each team’s play books being enacted, in winds that built to over 20 knots.
In race one TeamOrigin held the favoured starboard entry and the key moment came when mid pre-start the British team afterguard made the call to go for the left side.
As British skipper and helmsman Ben Ainslie explained: “We quite liked the right, but then Bart (Andrew Simpson), Mark (Mendelblatt) and Iain (Percy) saw some breeze coming down the left, so we switched just as we were coming back about two minutes 30 before the start. It was a crucial call because we could have gone for either side.”
TeamOrigin extended through being on the left of the first beat to round the top mark 46 seconds ahead and from there James Spithill and his crew on BMW Oracle Racing were unable to get back into the race, so 3-0 to TeamOrigin.
The second race of the day Ben Ainslie described as being one of the most exciting in his whole sailing career. “It had everything. I guess the reason why it is so close is that the courses are relatively small and there are two really good teams who are fighting really hard and handling their boats really well.”
more Gilles Martin-Raget Photography here
Dutch teenager Laura Dekker sets sail for record bid
Laura Dekker on her boat, Guppy, in the harbour of Brouwershaven on July 27, 2010 Laura Dekker was born on a yacht and began sailing solo when she was 10
A Dutch teenager hoping to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world has set sail for Portugal, where she will begin her effort.
Related stories
Laura Dekker, 14, was granted permission to attempt her voyage by a court ruling last week.
Dozens gathered in her home harbour of Den Osse to wave off Laura and her father Dick Dekker, who is accompanying her to Portugal.
“We want to be sure that the boat is completely ready,” he said.
‘Not really afraid’
Ms Dekker is planning to spend about two years aboard Guppy, her 8m (26ft) boat, to break the record set in May by Jessica Watson, 16, of Australia.
For pretty much as long as I’ve sailed I’ve had a fascination with the futuristic looking C Class cats, and their wing sails. I’ve always wanted to do a wing, but had imagined it would be as part of a C Class team one day. But what about building a nice scale version to get to know about them that bit better? Good plan – unless your own boat is already one of the most extreme sailing boats out there…. Oh well, got to be a bit bold sometimes.
I’ve got a whole bunch of cool stuff in my little black book of design ideas, and was getting frustrated at seeing other people do things that I’d been pondering long ago. Rigs had received much thought, regarding what the next step might be. Rigging configs, wing masts and a variety of things have been sketched, but a wing was always at the end of the list as an end game solution. So why not give it a go, and miss out those intermediate steps?
Solitaire du Figaro second leg, skippers leave sunny Spain for Brest
The 45 sailors competing on the 41st edition of La Solitaire du Figaro got off today at 14:00 from the Spanish town of Gijon, under sunny skies with 8/9 knots of breeze from the North. Internationally renowned skipper Yann Elies on Generali Europe Assistance takes the lead.
On perfect time, under clear skies and with a good northerly breeze of around 7/8 knots the 45 boats strong fleet crossed the starting line, just two miles outside the harbour of Gijon, on the Atlantic Spanish coast. The Race Committee promptly hoisted the individual recall flag as five skippers were over the line: Sébastien Josse, Jeanne Gregoire, Erwan Tabarly, Jérémie Beyou and the Italian Pietro D’Alì.
13 minutes later, Yann Eliès (Generali Europ Assistance) was first around the Seamobile mark, with a good 15 lengths led on the second placed, Alexis Loison (All Mer Ineo Gdf Suez). They were followed by Laurent Gouezigoux (Trier c’est préserver) in third and Nicolas Jossier (Impulsion Entreprendre en Pays Granvillais) in fourth. Fifth was Kito de Pavant (Groupe Bel).
Mitch Booth breaks main beam in Extreme Series
On the penultimate day of the Extreme Sailing Series at Cowes Week, the pace was fast and furious. After a light wind first afternoon race in 8 knots, the wind accelerated to 15-18 knots and the Extreme 40s were off – power reaching at speeds of 20-25 knots. It was fast, it was wet and hugely physical for the crews as they pushed hard, playing a balancing act on a high wire. It was potential capsize conditions – the windward hulls flying insanely, leeward bows digging into the waves – misjudge the situation and it would be game over. The fifth man guests were having the ride of their lives and the spectators were loving it…
Professional offshore sailor, Mike Golding, has won £10,000 for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution in the Artemis Challenge yacht race at Cowes Week.
Mike, who has sailed around the world single-handed in both directions, took line honours in yesterday’s race claiming the prize money for the charity that saves lives at sea.
The Artemis Challenge pits professional sailors and their celebrity guest crew against each other to win a prize for their chosen charity. Yesterday’s race saw the Open 60 boats race around the Island in changeable conditions.
One year from the M34′s first “Tour de France à la Voile” (TFV), we can confirm that 12 boats of this type have already been ordered, among which 2 boats for export.
Other ten or so projects are going to materialize in the next 2 months. This constitutes a promising fleet yet…
The interest in this boat does not end with the TFV. With its complete program which will also be composed of several events such as a French championship, a Helmsmen-Owners championship or a transatlantic team race, the M34 appears to be a multi-purpose one design par excellence.
The French Sailing Federation and the organizer of the TFV (“Editions Larivière”) committed themselves to buy 2 M34 each. This agreement is a pretty good evidence of the fad for this boat.
