Yachting News 12th December 2011
Greetings yachties,
A very busy past couple of week here at yachtyakka head office with Stewart34 Sprints, Gold Cup Racing, Not White Island Race, Summer mid week racing on Sudden Impulse and local Waiheke Boating Club Summer Sunday. Stories & video soon 
In this issue:
Kings Cup – day 5,
Volvo Ocean Race – leg 2 start – follow the race here – facebook page here
Volvo Ocean Race – live feed here,
Jules Verne Trophy – latest news here,
Extreme 40 Sailing Series,
Enjoy
Introducing a new link on yachtyakka – a new online store – where you can buy online all you need to go sailing – check it out.
Less than a week after crossing the Cape of Good Hope and their entry into the Indian Ocean, the crew of the Maxi Banque Populaire V have crossed the Cape Leewin at 9:29am on Saturday 10th October, getting once again a new reference time between these two Capes. After 17 days 23 hours 57 minutes and 18 seconds at sea since leaving Ushant, here are Loïck Peyron and his crew off the coast of Australia, sailing on the Pacific, improving the time of Groupama 3 by 3 days 14 hours and 24 minutes and signing the best performance of all time …
With more than 3 days in advance from the referenced time of the Jules Verne Trophy, the fourteen sailors aboard the giant trimaran greeted respectfully Cape Leewin, the second imposed Cape after Good Hope and before Cape Horn. Recognizing the performance and obviously happy to see things going under the best possible conditions, Loïck Peyron appreciated this new act during an exceptional live video conference from the Paris Boat Show. “We are obviously very pleased with this new record and the time itself is significant. It’s like € 9.99 … everything is done under 17 days 23 hours and not quite 18 days or 11 days 21 hours and 48 minutes for Good Hope. These numbers are symbolic. But for now, conditions are not that favorable, the performance of this boat, however, is incredible! Yvan Ravussin was at the helm when crossing Cape Leewin, so it’s a Swiss record! ”
For Brian Thomson, this time to reach Cape Leewin is almost indecent : « I had daydreamed before the trip about getting to Oz in 20 days, and how incredible that would be, but less than 18, just amazing, I never even considered it possible..”
The Italian team Luna Rossa has won the final Act of 2011 in emphatic style and crowned the Overall Champions of the Extreme Sailing Series™ 2011. Max Sirena, Paul Campbell-James, Alister Richardson and Manuel Modena, who have raced together on the Extreme 40 all season, hardly put a foot wrong over the 35 races here in Singapore. They went into the final day with a previously unheard of 56-point lead over their arch rivals for the 2011 title, the French team of Groupe Edmond de Rothschild. There was little Pierre Pennec’s team could do as Luna Rossa put in another strong performance and after 10 races today, Luna Rossa topped the Act 9 leaderboard with a 45-point margin over 2nd placed The Wave, Muscat. “I’m really happy! Now, finally!” said Sirena. “We close the season well and it wasn’t expected because we didn’t sail well in the last event. I don’t know what happened here but we sailed pretty well and started off the line always in the right position. Tactically and from a crew point of view we were sailing always at 100 per cent which is really good and I’m really proud of the guys. It’s great for our long-term future so we’re really, really happy.”
