Yachting News 4th December 2011
Nacira 67 Shamlor – Images by Christophe Launay
Greetings yachties,
In this issue:
Nacira 67,
Tasman Trespasser,
One Girls Challenge – Diane Reid update,
2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships Women’s Match Racing,
Mini650 – latest news,
Jules Verne Trophy update – into the Indian Ocean,
The John Cootes Furniture Australian A Class Catamaran National Championships attracts the A list,
Artemis Wing,
ETNZ – blog update,
Speed of Light,
Volvo Ocean Race – update,
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.
UK PREMIER
“Alone Against the Tasman”
December the 9th at 8:30pm on Sky Chanel 532 and Virgin Media 208
Thrilled to be a part of a New Zealand export this has been a fantastic project to be involved with. Eden has invited me to be a guest editor on there Facebook page so I can answer all the questions and also create a truly interactive viewing experience answering questions live while the documentary is screening.
One Stripped Deck
What an awesome team we have! In a short one and a half work days Nick, Sheila, Andrew and I have managed to strip all of the gear off of the deck. Now we’re ready to roll…..literally! The plan is on Monday afternoon or early Tuesday morning, with the help of Bristol Marine we’ll pull the keel off and then roll her over to fair the bottom. We need to make her bottom “go fast” smooth for France.
We’ve also assessed a small deflection in the hull to determine if the deflection is a result of a bulkhead or floor shifting or just the usual changes of a hull after dropping off of waves and spending thousands of miles in the ocean. We exposed the floor grid and the bulkhead by cutting in to the quarter berth and diggging out the flotation foam, and had a good hard look. The good news is that everything is in tact. This is great news! Now we can just fair the hull once she’s rolled over!
The first day of competition at the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships saw Fremantle’s Inner Harbour come to life with the Women’s Match Racing crews setting sail in stifling 36C heat.
Despite difficult conditions and shifting winds as the day progressed, Nicky Souter (AUS) and Silja Lehtinen (FIN) came out on top at the end of the day with four race wins and remain undefeated.
Lehtinen said, “We didn’t know what to expect so we were very happy about the first day of the regatta. We were concerned about the Portuguese team because they have been doing really well lately, and also the Kiwis because they are another really good team. We treat every race the same. It was a difficult course with a north east wind, which made it crazy and difficult. ”
ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Anna Tunnicliffe (USA) also ended the opening day undefeated with three race wins. The World #1 said, “It was extremely tricky, the wind was very shifty but it provided interesting conditions and kept you on your game. If you got a good start and were able to sail the shifts you had an easier time.”
Lively conditions for Race 6 start – 04 December 2011
Lively conditions in New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty for the start of the sixth stage in the Clipper 11-12 Round the World Yacht Race from Tauranga to Gold Coast, Australia.
When the starting gun fired at 1430, Race 6 got underway with a stiff north easterly breeze.
Order across the line: Welcome to Yorkshire, De Lage Landen, Visit Finland, New York, Gold Coast Australia, Geraldton Western Australia, Qingdao, Derry-Londonderry, Singapore and Edinburgh Inspiring Capital
Order round the first race mark: Geraldton Western Australia, Visit Finland, Gold Coast Australia, Welcome to Yorkshire, De Lage Landen, Qingdao, New York, Singapore, Edinburgh Inspiring Capital and Derry-Londonderry
Order round the secon race mark: Geraldton Western Australia, Visit Finland, Gold Coast Australia, Welcome to Yorkshire, De Lage Landen, Qingdao, New York, Singapore, Derry-Londonderry and Edinburgh Inspiring Capital
With five out of five wins under their belts already, the Gold Coast Australia’s crew desperately want to win this next race. If they do they will be the first team in Clipper 11-12 to secure a coveted home port victory, and only the third in the history of the event to do so.
Bad day at the office? (4/12/2011): Ross Field
While bashing up wind in 25-30 knots of wind, big confused seas, cold, bashing and crashing so much one would wonder when the boat will break, every bone and muscle aching from being thrown around – we both said ‘why the f*** do we do this?’ I do question my sanity sometimes when it’s like this. Why do we do it? I look at this bad part as a bad day at the office – I would rather be out here having a bad day than in an office. Does it make sense????
We are at 40 south and heading for the gate at 42 south and then we are off down into the Southern Ocean proper. At the moment we are reaching at speeds up to 22 knots and wet – man its bloody wet. We have me old French mate to leeward and I think we are smkoing him – find out in the sked in 1 hour.
Sorry I can’t type any more – we are bouncing around so much.
Catch you later.
Cheers.
Ross
On the road again!
December 2nd, 2011 | Published in Global Ocean Race
Hi from sea again,
It’s pretty bloody bouncy out here and the entire boat is sopping wet already but we’re happy with our progress but aren’t sure about how best to get through this little ridge of light winds just to our south. I think the tracker shows that we are in the lead but its pretty fragile as our route east has cost us miles south and that’s where the new wind is coming from. I hope our option will pay, as we’re still faster than the others despite the sea-state.
Sam and I are working together well, resting two hours while the other gets hosed on deck for two hours. Our strategy has been communal so it will be a shared success if it works. We both feel that we have done more than enough miles upwind in an Akilaria and can’t wait to punch through into the westerlies that are coming in the next day or so.
The Classe Mini delegates the organisation of 2013 and 2015 editions of the Mini-Transat to Douarnenez-Courses.
The board of administrator of the Classe Mini plays the card of change for the organization of next two Mini Transat editions.
During a final meeting tat took place yesterday, the Board of administrators has finally chosen Douarnenez-Courses to organize the 2013 and 2015 editions of the Mini-Transat. A new bold heading after 6 editions organized by the Grand Pavois Organsisation.
Four candidates answered the bid started in the beginning of the year. Two of them were pre-elected : Douarnenez-Courses with a course to the French Caribbean and Grand Pavois Organisation with a similar course to Salvador de Bahia.
Following a long and careful study of both applications of very high quality, the board had to chose. It has been difficult to chose between those two applications very different but both very attractive. The board of the Classe Mini is very committed to the principles that have guided his predecessors : to cross the Atlantic Ocean single handed on a Mini 6,50, on a safe course, respecting the values of solidarity, friendship and scarcity of communication with the shore. An incongruity in the beginning of this XXIth century that makes the wealth and the identity of the Classe Mini.
Olivier Avram, president of the Classe, specifies: With the choice of Douarnenez-Courses, we play the card of alternation. New team, new course. It is not that the work GPO has done since 2001 does not answer our expectations, but it is probably time to change.”
The Classe Mini wishes to insist on the efforts that Grand Pavois Organisation has deployed for the last decade to hold the Mini-Transat to the level it has now, in terms of safety, organization and notoriety.
The 19th edition of the Mini-Transat will thus be organized by Douarnenez-Courses on a course that will start in Douarnenez to Pointe-à-Pitre in Guadaloupe, with a stopover in the Canary islands. The start will be in the autumn 2013.
Jour 11 : La barre des 1 500 milles d’avance à 24 heures de Bonne Espérance
samedi 03 décembre 2011 – 16h45
1 000 milles d’avance hier, 1 500 aujourd’hui, l’éloquence tient essentiellement aux chiffres sur ce Trophée Jules Verne. A 24 heures de leur passage au large du cap de Bonne Espérance, Loïck Peyron et ses hommes bénéficient d’une avance plus que significative sur le tableau de marche de Groupama 3. A ce rythme, c’est avec une marge d’une bonne journée que les hommes de la Banque de la Voile boucleront le deuxième partiel entre Ouessant et l’entrée dans l’Océan Indien. “C’est du délire !”disait Loïck Peyron ce midi. C’est avant toute chose un travail de maîtrise absolue de la machine et une lutte permanente contre des emportements si tentants !
Day 11: below 1 500 000 24 hours in advance of Good Hope
Saturday, December 3, 2011 – 16:45
1000 miles ahead yesterday, 1500 today, the eloquence of figures is mainly due to the Jules Verne Trophy. In 24 hours they pass off Cape of Good Hope, Loïck Peyron and his men receive significantly more than an advance on the board walk from Groupama 3. At this rate, it is with a margin of a good day than men of the Bank of Sailing complete the second part between Ushant and the entry into the Indian Ocean. “It’s madness!” Said Loick Peyron this afternoon. It is above all a work of absolute control of the machine and an ongoing fight against outbursts so tempting!
PREVIEW 2012 A CLASS CATAMARAN AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS: THE BATTLE OF THE WORLD CHAMPIONS
Report by Bob Griffits
The John Cootes Furniture Australian A Class Catamaran National Championships will be a unique event for the Australian summer of sailing . The event will bring together three current World Champions to race at Wangi, on the waters of Lake Macquarie. Tom Slingsby is the current World Laser champion (2011 now making three World Titles), and he is continuing to win virtually every International Laser event in the lead up to the 2012 Olympics.
Nathan Outteridge is the 2011 champion in both the 49ner and International Moth Class, and is also looking good for a medal at the London Olympics. These two will be pitted against Steve Brewin, whom recently secured the 2011 A Class Catamaran World Crown in Aarhus, Denmark.
The form guide for this regatta will also be complicated by the infusion of a number of the AC 45 sailors who will be heading down under for the Christmas break in their AC 45 campaigns .
Team Oracle will be very well represented. James Spithill will bring along his tactician John Kostecki, and trimmer Dirk de Ridder. Darren Bundock and Tom Slingsby will represent the other Oracle AC 45. Glenn Ashby and Adam Beashel will fly the flag for Emirates Team Zealand. All these sailors will be sailing on DNA A Cats, recently imported from the Netherlands.
Life at the top will be tough, as these sailor will be racing against other Australians whom filled the top six places in the Danish Worlds. The Aussie Titles will be a true “Champion of Champions ” contest.
Around 70 boats are expected to contest the event ,which will be hosted by the Wang (RSL) Amateur Sailing Club , under the direction of PRO Tony Outteridge, during the first week in January Zhik will be the other major sponsor,in addition to John Cootes Furniture.
Simon McKeown, a long time A Cat sailor and current Australian of the year has indicated that he is very much looking forward to competing in the regatta.
Interest in the regatta is very strong and we have received numerous enquiries from people who sail other classes of boats seeking to charter boats for the event.
The Artemis approach to efficiency, Cayard says, uses a three-element wing. No surprise. Any wing is much more efficient than a mast and soft sail—for many reasons, not the least of which is that mid-leech tension becomes a non-issue—and C Class catamarans long ago demonstrated that three elements are faster than two. I expect every AC72 to have a three-element wing.
Unless, or until, someone develops a fully-warpable single-element wing, but that’s for another day . . .
In C cats, the middle element has been narrow, which probably is a portent for AC72 wings, but what do I know? There’s never before been as much money or as much research thrown at the problem as now. Richard Gladwell shot this pic of a three-element wing on 1996 Little America’s Cup winner Cogito . . .
But when you scale up to a wing 130 feet tall, how do you control the beast? The first Artemis wing is under construction in a special facility in Valencia, Spain, Cayard says, and to control the moving parts in that wing, “We have 38 hydraulic cylinders. We want to avoid running hydraulic piping to each of them, because that would be heavy, so we have electrovalves embedded in the wing to actuate the hydraulics. But if you had two wires, positive and negative, running to each electrovalve, your wing would look like a PG&E substation, and that’s heavy too, so we use a CAN-bus [controlled area network] with far fewer wires. Still, it’s incredibly complex.
“We wind up with lot of hydraulics,” Cayard says, “and the America’s Cup rules don’t allow stored power, so two of our eleven guys—we think, two—will be grinding a primary winch all the race long. Not to trim, but to maintain pressure in the hydraulic tank so that any time someone wants to open a hydraulic valve to trim the wing, there will be pressure to make that happen.”
Nathaniel Herreshoff (with Cayard, one of the first 15 people inducted into the National Sailing Hall of Fame) built a catamaran called Amaryllis in 1876, but it was too fast, too different, for its time. There is no way that Nathaniel Herreshoff could have foreseen an AC72, but he was the type of guy who would have been thoroughly intrigued. I’m guessing the people who wrote the AC72 rule didn’t foresee the Artemis configuration of wing controls, either, but I didn’t get invited to that meeting so I really don’t know. When I asked Cayard about the lineup, he allowed as how the competition’s hydraulics are “probably a bit different.”
The Wing, the Hull, the Hull, the Wing
Cayard figures the “boat” is a four-month build at $4-5 million (the airfoil-shaped crossbeams themselves taking four months) and then “The wing is about the same again, but it’s a six-month endeavor.”
And how will this Artemis wing fit into the fleet to be?
I work with some of the best naval architects and engineers in the world, and balance that with ensuring that the sailing team is going to get the boat they want - one that is ergonomic and functional to enable them to push it to the limit.
Once the design is mature, (and it’s never really finished – we’ll continue tweaking right up until the last day) we move into the building phase, which is where we are right now with our first boat.
This is a stressful time as there are still a lot of design issues to resolve, but we don’t have the luxury of time to finish them all before we start construction. As a result we are always trying to stay just ahead of the builders, locking things down where we must and keeping other options open for as long as we can.
Einstein's laws questioned as speed of light is broken again
An experiment showing it is possible to travel faster than the speed of light, and so confound a fundamental principle of theoretical physics, has passed its first serious test of validity.
Scientists have excluded one of the sources of error that could have led them to make a mistake when they announced in September that a beam of sub-atomic particles had travelled a fraction of a second faster than light.
They repeated the first experiment, in which they had fired pulses of neutrons from the Cern underground laboratory near Geneva through solid rock to subterranean particle detectors at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory in Italy about 750km (466 miles) away.
This time the length of the neutron pulses was shortened to eliminate one possible source of error.
Instead of the pulses lasting 10.5 millionths of a second, as in the original experiment, they were made about 3,000 times shorter, at just 3 billionths of a second.
This enabled experimenters to eliminate the possibility that they were getting confused over the start and end of each pulse – critical with measurements involving minute fractions of a second.
Like the earlier experiment, the test found the neutrons arrived at the Italian site some 60 billionths of a second faster than if they were travelling at light speed – some 186,282 miles per second and supposedly the maximum velocity at which anything can move.
MIKE SANDERSON TEAM SANYA LATEST BLOG
The Cape Town weather has tried it's hardest to slow them down. We are on the end of a wharf and during three of the last five days we have seen in excess of 40 knots and some good torrential down-pours, not exactly the dust-free environment that we would normally want for composite boatbuilding in - but then there isn't a whole lot 'normal' about what we have bitten off to achieve here in a week!!
I also have to mention Russell Bowler from the Farr Office who has been here checking every stage of the repair job that he so carefully engineered. All in all , (so far) it has been a well-oiled machine... BUT and it's a big but, there are a fair few more fiery hoops that we have to jump through yet. We are only just on schedule, all going well we will be going on the keel on Wednesday 7th December with the rig in late that evening. If that all goes without a hitch, we would sail with a lot more Pro's then Am's on the Pro-AM day and then fingers crossed all going well, we will be there for the In-Port race. That's what we are shooting for and I have every faith that it will happen... ( please??!!)
