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- Farr 40 Spotlight: The 'Transfusion' Story
- ' Where The Wind Blows..!'
- The Dragon - 'Class of '27'
- The Dragon - According To Klaus
- RC44 – ‘Team Aqua’ Owns Valencia
- Sailing Personality - ‘Butch’ Ulmer.
- History: 'The Gentleman Loser'
- UK - Halsey 'Sails Talk'
- New York Yacht Club Race Week
- Surviving Cancer To Sail Again
- Next Month In 'A Brush With Sail'
The La Maddalena round of the Louis Vuitton Trophy series for 2010 finished on June 6, with Emirates Team New Zealand chalking up another victory... but not by much! Their come from behind effort (they were two down, after race two in the five race final) prompted dockside comment that suggested, recently ETNZ appeared to need the blowtorch on them before they got into top gear. However, could it not be that other teams are polishing their act and lifting their game?
The real surprise of the regatta was, that the team that made it tough for them to win the trophy was not one of the pre-series hot favourites, the Russell Coutts managed and well funded BMW Oracle Racing; the gold medal laden and also well funded Team Origin, with Ben Ainslie at the helm; or the Francesco Bruni helmed Italian entry Azzura, a previous round winner. Nor was it Luna Rossa, or Artemis, both of these yachts helmed by America’s Cup legends, Paul Cayard and Ed Baird respectively.
No! It was the young, relatively inexperienced and definitely only moderately financed Russian entry, Synergy Russia Sailing Team.
Synergy Russia Sailing Team at work. While helmsman Karol Joblonsky keeps an eye on the opposition, the crew soak up the pressure!
And here’s the rub, the guys on Synergy are so keen to make a mark at the top level of sailing, that the things that can rob some teams of the final result, like ego and personal pre-conception of self importance, are parked a long way from the marina and the only thing that matters on the water is teamwork, learning and one hundred percent effort!
Perhaps it's the champion team vs the team of champions thing, again?
Like most crews in top international sailing now, Synergy Team is just that, international. Leading the team on the water is the very experienced Polish sailor and helmsman, Karol Joblonski. After the Louis Vuitton Trophy regatta, I caught up with Karol and asked him about his start in sailing and his early years in the sport:
Karol Jablonski; ‘I started to sail on the optimist class when I was 7 years old. I grew up in the beautiful northeast part of Poland called the Country of 1000 lakes. Later I sailed on the Cadet, 420 and 470, Tornado classes and was a part of Polish sailing squad.
In winter I sailed on the ice, as we didn’t have opportunities to practise in Spain or Italy. It’s been a great but hard time with thousands hours on the water and in cars, travelling to the events.’
ABwS: As a young sailor, what was your ultimate ambition in the sport?
KJ: I grew up in a small village, my father was working as a coach in the best sailing club in Poland and I was very privileged to have the possibility to sail. As a young boy I would dream about taking part in the Olympic Games. Unfortunately, in 1984 through political boycott, I missed my chance to sail in Los Angeles in the 470 class.
However, in 1996 in Atlanta as a head couch of the Polish sailing team we won a gold medal in the Finn dinghy class. It was a big satisfaction, which compensated for all the years of hard work.
ABwS: What classes attracted you during the early years?
KJ: I actually always loved and was fascinated by big boats and my goal was to get a chance to sail on them. That maybe sounds easy, when you live in New Zealand, Italy or United States but certainly not if you are based in a country with only very few bigger yachts.
When I was 24, I left Poland and moved to Germany, where after a few years I finally sailed for the first time in my life, as a mast man on the one toner Saudade. With time I moved ‘back’, going through all the positions on board, which has helped me a lot during these years to have a better overview on the crew work and to react properly on time if there was a coming problem. I was very fortunate to have an opportunity to sail on the best German yachts like Pinta and Thomas I Punkt, together with the best sailors from NZ, Australia, US. I learned a lot from them, it’s been a kind of a dream going through.
ABwS: DN Ice Yacht racing is a passion of yours too, I understand. Tell us about that.
KJ: Winters in Poland are very long. The lakes are frozen and Polish ice sailors were very successful. I wanted to be like one of them in the future…
In my sailing club, the DN ice sailing was part of the sailing education. So, when I was 13 years old I did my first sail on my own on the ice. I liked pretty much, the direct feel of the speed, close contact to the nature and a kind of a challenge for my body with the cold weather.
We spent hours sharpening the runners and working on the equipment. I learned not only how to build hulls or runner planks, but how to ‘read’ the invisible wind shifts and make a fast tactical decisions. Ice sailing is a very advanced and complex technical sport.
After a long season on the water I enjoy very much to sail alone on the ice, it’s a kind of rapid recharging of batteries.
I won 7 World, a few North American and European Championships and I know that in the future I will be competing in many more.
There is no life without ice sailing for me.
ABwS: You appear to greatly enjoy the rapid ‘cut and thrust’ of match racing the big AC boats. Is Match Racing your favourite form of sailboat racing?
KJ: I love to go match racing in the AC boats. In my opinion, at the moment, they are the greatest, most complex and most challenging racing machines.
In the 90’ties I raced in several big boat classes: one tonner, 50’, ILC 40, ILC 46, Mumm 36, Sydney 40. I knew that there was no way to get to the America’s Cup without being successful in match racing. I like to race boat against boat, but fleet racing is fun as well!
ABwS: Have you considered entering the World Match Racing Tour?
KJ: In the past we took part in many match racing events. I know what this game is about and maybe at one point in the future I will do it again. At the moment I prefer to sail match racing in the RC 44 class or AC yachts.
ABwS: hope the current Synergy Russia Sailing Team entry in the Louis Vuitton Trophy series will lead to aChallenge in the next America’s Cup regatta. Can this be considered possible?
KJ: It’s difficult to answer this question right now. Entering the LVT has been a very big step for such a young team like Synergy. Time will show if we see the Russian entry in the America’s Cup.
ABwS: What sailing are you involved in between Louis Vuitton regattas?
KJ: Synergy sailing team participates in the TP 52 Audi MedCup, so there is not too much time for me to sail on another yachts. Apart from 8 Russian sailors, I have Rod Dawson, Chris Main (NZ) and Johan Barne (SWE) sailing with me.
ABwS: Good luck in the future Karol. The Louis Vuitton Trophy regatta in Dubai, on November 13 – 28 will be closely followed.
Enjoying the spotlight. Tactician Rod Dawson (left) and helmsman Karol Jablonski, flank the CEO of Louis Vuitton,Yves Carcelle, during the La Maddalena Louis Vuitton Trophy prizegivng.
Of course, the AC boats that are used in the Louis Vuitton Trophy regattas have many crewmembers - there are twenty sailing members in the Synergy Russia Sailing Team – and all have responsibility for different functions of the racing machine.
The helmsman, steering the yacht, has two other sailors with him aft of the helm. They are the Navigator, who feeds vital information to the helmsman on the yachts position on the race-course and the time to and from the lay-lines among other vital data.
There is the Tactician, who is ‘heads-up’ with information on the position of other boats, how they are doing in comparison to (their) boat and he keeps feeding his take on the next best tactical move, which can be taken as gospel, or discussed by all three – helmsman, navigator and tactician, who are collectively known as the ‘after-guard.’
There is usually great understanding among the successful three and if there isn’t, that situation is discovered pretty quickly and changes are made. Collectively, they think and act within split seconds during tight, tactical racing at all times and particularly if it’s blowing hard.
Tactician in the Synergy Russia Sailing Team, is Kiwi sailor, Rod Dawson, who grew up from the age of ten, sailing from the Buckland’s Beach Yacht Club in Auckland. He went the usual New Zealand youth route of starting in the P Class (7 foot hard-bilge trainer), then progressing through the Starling Class (local intermediate class), then Laser and other senior dinghies.
At Buckland’s Beach Yacht Club, he also had the chance to get keel yacht experience from a young age, which gave him the skills to be useful on bigger boats.
Following the Maddalena Louis Vuitton Trophy regatta, I spoke with Rod and asked him when and who with, did his international sailing career start:
Rod Dawson: I was part of One World Challenge, then BMW Oracle and after the 2007 America’s Cup I joined up with the German team with Jochen (Schumann) and Karol (Jablonski). As you know, this team was wound down when the AC was going nowhere.
I have been pretty lucky in my career to sail with many of the best sailors of our time like, Peter Gilmour, Chris Dickson, Bertrand Pace and Jochen Schumann. You pick up little bits off all of them and then blend them into your own style.
ABwS: Is the Tactician role, the position that most appeals to you in sail-boat racing, or is there a desire to steer eventually?
RD: I enjoy helming but I think the tactician role suits me best. I like to have my head out of the boat and I like the analysis side of it.
ABwS: It must have been very satisfying to be a vital part the ‘Synergy’ Team, that competed so well against ETNZ in the recent Louis Vuitton Trophy regatta.
RD: Before the Nice Louis Vuitton Trophy regatta we put together a team which included many Russian sailors who had never been on a AC boat before or in fact any boat of that sort of size. We had to blend these guys with a mix of experienced international sailors who had come from various AC team backgrounds but hadn’t sailed together before. It was real back to basics stuff and we had a week of practice to be able to get the boat around the track. Most people would have expected us to come last but we did a great job coming third and going close to knocking ETNZ out.
Coming into the La Maddalena regatta we again did four days of practice and worked hard on our communication and boat handling skills. We have some great people involved in this team who come up with ideas. Again we went a lot further than most people expected us to making the finals and almost going all the way.
There are a heck of a lot of areas where we can continue to improve, probably a lot more than ETNZ has. It all comes down to preparation, talent etc. You have to have the budget, the people, the time…
However we have a lot of fun during regattas and we stay loose when things get tight.
ABwS: Karol and Yourself appear to working very well together and look like a very dangerous afterguard in the LV Trophy regattas from here on in. Is there a good feeling about the future within the team?
RD: Karol and I are very different but work very well together. We get on well both on and off the water, which helps. We have clearly defined our roles and we both concentrate on that and try to do the best job without interfering with the other’s job.
I think you see a bit of this with some other teams. It takes time to really gel as an after-guard and you have to continue to work at analysing and communicating all the time.
ABwS: Roll on Dubai and the very best of luck to you and the crew in that regatta Rod.
Some of the happy Team Synergy crew with the spoils of second place. Back row from left: Mikkel Rossberg(trimmer), Thierry Pepponet (coach), Jim Turner (grinder), Maxim Logutenko (manager), Pavel Menikov (grinder), Chris Main (main trimmer), Rod Dawson (tactician). Front row from left: Taras Trofinmenko (runners), Karol Jablonski (helmsman).
Sailings best forty foot one design class, the Farr 40, has two very exciting International regattas programed to be sailed during the next seven months and they are events that will attract the cream of Farr 40 fleets from around the world. This dynamic boat that refuses to age and attracts very skilled amateur owner/helms and many of the best pro. tacticians in the world. The racing is always down to the wire and hard-fought.
The Farr 40 Class Association, in conjunction with the Yacht Club Porto Rotondo, has announced that the 2010 Farr 40 European Championship is scheduled September 30 –October 3 on the enchanting island of Sardinia, Italy. The regatta is the final leg of the 2010 Farr 40 European Circuit and expects to attract many of the owner/driver one-design yachts including defending European and current World champion Nerone, owned by Massimo Mezzaroma (ITA).
‘Over the past 14 years, the Farr 40 Class has traveled to the world’s most beautiful yacht clubs, including numerous trips to Sardinia,’ said Class President Jim Richardson (Boston, Mass. /Newport, R.I.), owner of three-time world champion Farr 40 BarkingMad (2009 - Porto Cervo; 2004 - San Francisco; 1998 – Miami). ‘We are grateful for the efforts of Farr 40 European Class President Wolfgang Schaefer to bring the Class back to Porto Rotondo.’ ‘The Farr40 Class has a very friendly relationship with the Porto Rotondo Yacht Club,’ said Wolfgang Schaefer.‘We are delighted that they will host the Europeans and I am sure that we will have great races in Porto Rotondo.’
Since its founding in 1985, the Porto Rotondo Yacht Club has hosted a number of important regattas. ‘I am very happy to welcome again the Farr 40 fleet, owners and crew,’ said Yacht Club Porto Rotondo Commodore Luigi Carpaneda. ‘I hope that everybody will appreciate our new Clubhouse, which has been completely rebuilt. I am looking forward to welcoming everyone there. The YCPR has a long standing relationship with the Farr 40 Class, and I am confident this will continue well into the future.’
The Farr 40 Class maintains an extensive international schedule that revolves around regional fleets in the U.S., Australia, Southern Europe and the Nordic region with the annual Class ‘crown jewel’ – the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship. This past April, the 2010 Rolex Farr 40 World Championship took place at Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic where Nerone was crowned champion. The 2011 Rolex Farr 40 World Championship – the Class’s 14th – will take place February 23-26 at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, in Sydney, Australia.
For more information about the 2010 Farr 40 European Championship or the schedule of 2010 Farr 40 Class events, please visit http://www.farr40.org/.
Nerone Takes Farr 40 European Circuit
In late June, victory in the first leg of the Farr 40 European Circuit was won by Massimo Mezzaroma’sNerone (ITA) with tactician Vasco Vascotto. Racing in the event, organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda from 25th to 27th June, was interupted on the final day by a lack of breeze at Porto Cervo, Sardinia. The penultimate days overall classification after three races was therefore valid for the series and Mezzaroma was followed in second place by Plenty (USA), owned by Alexander Roepers, with Barking Mad (USA), owned by Farr 40 class President Jim Richardson in third.
Photo copyright; Adriana Giangrande.
The regatta was characterized by unusually light winds for the area but the fleet was able to dispute one race on Friday 25th and two th following day in approximately 10 knots of northerly breeze. Back ashore the ten participating teams were treated to the customary YCCS social programme which included a welcome cocktail at the Clubhouse and refreshments in the Piazza Azzurra each day after racing.
The Farr40 fleet will be back in Sardinia at the end of Septmber for the second leg of the circuit, scheduled to be held in Porto Rotondo from 30th September to 3rd October.
Farr 40 European Circuit - 1st Series Summary Results: (Place, Boat Name, Helmsman, Owner, Nation, R1-R2-R3-Points)
1) NERONEMassimo Mezzaroma - Massimo Mezzaroma, ITA,1,1,2, 4.00 points 2) PLENTYAlexander Roepers - Alexander Roepers, USA,2,3,4, 9.00 3) BARKING MADJames B. Richardson - James B. Richardson, USA,7,5,1, 13.00 4) STRUNTJE LIGHTWolfgang Schaefer - Wolfgang Schaefer, GER,4,2,7, 13.00 5) ENFANT TERRIBLEAlberto Rossi Deep Water Association, ITA,3,4,6, 13.00 6) FIAMMAAlessandro Barnaba - Alessandro Barnaba, ITA,5,6,5, 16.00 7) CHARISMANico Poons - Nico Poons, MON,6,8,3, 17.00 8) MANGUSTA RISKAndrea Canavesio - Andrea Canavesio, ITA,10,7,9, 26.00 9) VANITAS CUBEMartin Strobel- Martin Strobel, SUI,8,10,8, 26.00 10) HOOLIGAN VIEdward Brodway - Edward Brodway, GBR,9,9,10, 28.00
2011 Rolex Farr 40 World Championship We Chat With Martin Hill
In only a little over six months, the Australian Farr 40 Association will be hosting the 2011 Rolex Farr 40 World Championships.
From 19 to 26 Februarynext year, Sydney Australia will be the centre of the universe that surrounds this Bruce Farr one design that is considered the world’s premier owner-driver keel yacht.
Sydney previously hosted the 2005 Rolex Farr 40 Worlds, which was won by local sailor Richard Perini and his team Evolution. 28 boats raced on the race course located outside Sydney heads on the race course known as the Macquarie Circle which is where the 2011 racing will take place and the 2011 Rolex Farr 40 World Champion will be crowned.
At the centre of the pre-regatta organization for the 2011 event, is the current President of the Australian Farr 40 Association, Sydney businessman and Farr 40 owner Martin Hill. Along with his wifeLisa, Martin campaigns ‘Estate Master’, one of several Australian Farr 40’s that are bound to be top contenders for the class world crown, in the up-coming regatta and he is also an unabashed ‘salesman’ when it comes to his chosen class of yacht.
Martin and Lisa Hill's Farr 40 'Estate Master', racing outside Sydney Harbour.
Martin couldn’t possibly avoid a life of sailing. He was raised in a household where sailing and yacht design was the central theme of conversation at the dinner table each night. His father was the first Australian yacht owner to compete in the One Ton Cup, which was sailed in Le Havre France, back in 1967.
In 1973, the young Martin Hill competed in One Ton Cup in Porto Cervo. It was a pivotal experience for the young sailor, creating such an impression, that his dream was to return one day with his own yacht. ‘Sailing is in my blood and the simple act of being on the water brings to me a sense of belonging to a place of boundless horizons, as one may feel returning to their home town.’ Says Martin.
His earliest sailing was in Flying Ants, out of the Middle Harbour Yacht Club in the late 1960s. Martin continues, ‘I sailed Moths (old scow style) for several years and progressed to skiffs, with my brother, in Fireballs and later in the 470 class. I grew up therefore in one design as my foundation to racing. I also did a couple of decades crewing in offshore yachts including in a Mumm 36 as navigator and qualified for the Admirals Cup. But to my great dismay, it was to be the first year Australia did not compete. I felt my opportunity for international racing had passed.’ Following a sailing hiatus, Martin gives his wife, Lisa, the credit for rekindling his passion for yacht racing. Her strategy was simple, as Martin describes; ‘Get Martin to buy his own yacht, no matter how small. It was the most important step, that is, your first step to ownership. My entry was a modest 8m sport boats with a manual lifting keel, asymmetrical spinnaker and retractable bow sprit.’
‘That was followed with a Young Bull 30 (Super 30 Class) and later a Sydney 38, which was then, the largest one design offshore fleet in Australia. Lisa and I (Lisa and MartinHill picturedright) sailed together and we won both National Championships in both those classes while building the core of our crew we sail with today.’
But when and how did this sailing couple’s passion for the Farr 40 Class materialize? Martin explains;
'To Lisa and I, Farr 40s represented the pinnacle of international yacht one design racing. Watching the Farr 40 Rolex Video of the 2003 World Championships being sailed in Porto Cervo, flooded back memories of 1973 to me and sold me the dream to sail with the best in the World. That was then my goal, to compete for my Country in Farr 40s to my best capability. It was the start of a five year campaign, building to Sydney 2011.’
‘We have now competed in 3 world championships in Miami, Porto Cervo and Dominican Republic. We won boat of the day in our first world championship in Miami and that feeling of elation of being the best crew for that day remains with me still!’
‘We have been steadily improving in the Farr 40 Fleet and with the help of the Australian Olympic Team (AST) members in our crew including Malcolm Page (470) Nathan Outteridge (49ers) and Tom Slingsby (Laser) and Michael Blackburn our son-law as our coach. As patrons of the Australian Sailing Team we like to think of the AST and our crew as our family and that makes sailing on our boat very special. Family is the operational word, as our 3 adult children join us for each World Championship.’
Martin recalls how Lisa reminds their children; ‘I used to watch you at sport when you were growing up, now you - as grown-ups, can watch me play sport.’'
Lisa Hill likes to remind people that she is only new to the sport, now 9 years in total. But as ‘Estate Master’ crew member and Olympic Gold Medallist Malcolm Page says: ‘She is the most competitive person on the boat’.
More Farr 40 action outside the Sydney Harbour.
Martin agrees with that, knowing hard she hikes and how focused she becomes both in training and in racing. He continues; ‘Sailing a Farr 40 at the top international level is both demanding physically and mentally, but like me, Lisa loves that rush of adrenalin and sense of achievement of the team.’
Hill emphasises that success at this elite level of competition requires precise team work and he says that Lisa excels in her roll in the ‘Pitt’ (which Lisa refers to, as ‘her office’). He says that when her girlfriends ask why she pushes herself so hard in the gym and on the water and suggest to her that it would be easier to join them for cocktails after racing, her reply comes with a wry little smile; ‘Why wouldn’t I want to join a team of fit, attractive young Olympians?’
He also thinks that, tours to exotic places and the Farr 40 social circuit adds to Lisa’s enjoyment of the class.
Martin Hill is a successful businessman with, no doubt, carefully planned time slots for every day. Racing in a competitive class like the Farr 40 consumes a lot of life’s available time. Considering that, we asked Martin, what positives justify that time and what do you get from sailing that enhances your life, business-wise and generally?
‘Often successful yacht owners put their success in sailing to their experience in business.’ Replied Martin. ‘Sailing does require high levels of organisation skills, psychology, team building and leadership. However, for me it is the other way around. I take more out of sailing for my business than I take from business to sailing.’
‘Sailing with Olympians, and talking with highly skilled coaches like Victor Kovalenko, the Australian Head Coach and Michael Blackburn PhD., provide me with life skills that extend beyond the sailing environment. The training that is required to be in the top half of the Farr 40 fleet demands a wealth of mental skills, emotion controls and basic drive to learn and evolve.’
Hill has taken to heart, wise words from Victor Kovalenko; ‘Do not think of failure as disappointment, rather use it to build your hunger for success!’ He affirms that sailing is his source for vitality, energy renewal and spice for life. He works his business schedule around his sailing schedule and of course it is good marketing for his international property software business, Estate Master Property Software.
As previously mentioned, it’s only a little over six months, (February 2011) before the Australian Farr 40 Association and the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, will be hosting the 2011 Rolex Farr 40 World Championships. We asked Martin how many boats are entered at this stage?
‘We were budgeting on a minimum fleet of 20 yachts but a recent check on numbers suggests this is growing to a fleet 24 to 26 boats.’ he said.
‘I am growing more confident we can match the success of the Sydney 2005 World Championship. The championships have stimulated the local fleet of 24 Farr 40s to get back to regular one design fleet racing. The promotion the Corinthian Division with its reduced pro crew and sail buttons, has encouraged some teams which have a limited time/budget to have a go.’
Australian Farr 40's racing on Sydney Harbour.
‘I think the number in the fleet in this division may grow to half the fleet. I hope some larger IRC teams and Farr 40 owners in USA may consider chartering as we have a number of good boats available in Australia for charter. I think this is an excellent way to get involved and experience the buzz of Farr 40 international racing at its best.’
And how many of the 24 Farr 40’s listed in Australia is Martin expecting to enter? ‘I have interest from 12 -14 local boats to race plus some past owners wanting to charter. I hope to get about 18 of the local Farr 40s out on the water in Farr 40 OD configuration. The new direction for the class is to use the location of the World Championships to foster local fleets and leave a legacy of ‘best of class’ one design racing’. He says.
And will the Australian Farr 40 Association be actively promoting the class amongst Australian one-design keel-yacht enthusiasts, before and during the regatta?
‘Yes we are talking to each owner to confirm their interest in racing, assist where possible or whether they would consider chartering their boat. Again the Corinthian Division has struck a positive response and like myself I hope this is the stepping-stone for other owners to enjoy the thrill of international one design competition.'
'We have set up a local Farr 40 web site that is linked to the Farr 40 home page. This website will carry a host of information on the teams and the boats available for charter. The times are indeed exciting for the Farr 40 Class!’
And now the ‘kiss of death’ question for any regatta organizer. We asked Martin what kind of weather does he expect in Sydney in what, we imagine, would be one of the most settled months of a Sydney summer?
‘In summer we have a cycle of southerly (cold front) that last for 2- 3 days. The front typically hits from the SW (18 -25knts) and progressively swings anticlockwise to SE over the next days with decreasing wind velocity.’
‘Then with the High Pressure, it moves to sea breeze pattern with lighter winds in the morning and building to sea breeze around midday from ENE swing back to NE and typically this time of year, building to 14-16Knots. The hotter the day, the stronger the breeze!’
‘Over 2-3 week period we might get one day where it is too light to sail and another half day where it is too windy to sail as the front hits. Without tempting fate or challenging the wind gods, with a four-day regatta in February we should get the full number of races.’
We’ll quote Martin Hill’s statement again: ‘The times are indeed exciting for the Farr 40 Class!’
For more information on the 2011 Rolex Farr 40 World Championship CLICK HERE
Story: Jim Bolland Photos: Sam Crighton
To learn more about Hakes Marine, click on image above
'Where The Wind Blows!'
You will find reports on recent sailing events and notices of future regattas in this section, also anything that's caught our eye that we think you should read. This month we feature international racing in the Coutts 1/4 Ton Cup - World Match Racing Cup - European and US Melges 24 and 32 Regattas - Tornado Cats - Kieler Woche Finns - Super Yacht Cup - Platu 25 - MedCup and much, much more.
The outcome of RC 44 Championship Tour 2010 is more uncertain than ever, with five teams separated by six points after three events.
Will the RC 44 Valencia Cup reshuffle the cards? The answer in a month.
The second half of the RC 44 Championship Tour 2010 will start in Valencia, Spain, on July 27. No less than eleven teams, including Vincenzo Onorato’s Mascalzone Latino and all the teams involved since the beginning of the season, will participate in the event.
'BMW ORACLE Racing' and 'Team Aqua,' second and third in the provisional ranking. Photo copyright; Per Heegaard / RC 44 Assn.
The RC 44 Valencia Cup will be the fourth event of the Championship Tour 2010. It will most probably coincide with the return of summer sailing conditions following an interesting first three events this season. Indeed, the Tour started in February in Dubai in superb yet challenging conditions, with a lot of sand and dust in the air carried by a nearby storm; it carried on under the snow-capped mountains that surround the stunning Austrian Lake Traunsee, before last month’s strong breeze in Copenhagen.
The RC 44 Championship Tour is one of the world’s top sailing events. With six regattas spread in the Middle-East, Europe and the United States, it involves up to twelve international teams that include last year’s winner Team No Way Back (Pieter Heerema / Ray Davies), Artemis (Torbjorn Tornqvist / Terry Hutchinson), CEEREF (Igor Lah / Rod Davis), BMW ORACLE Racing (Larry Ellison / Russell Coutts), Team Aqua (Chris Bake / Cameron Appleton), Team Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (José Juan and Daniel Calero / José Maria Ponce), Katusha (Guennadi Timtchenko / Paul Cayard), Team Sea Dubai (Harm Müller Spreer / Markus Wieser), RC 44 Challenge (James Spithill), Team Austria (René Mangold / Christian Binder) and Mascalzone Latino (Vincenzo Onorato).
'Cote' Charges To Victory In Coutts Quarter Ton Cup 2010
After nine races in conditions that tested the competitors to the max the worthy and very popular winner of the 2010 Coutts Quarter Ton Cup is the 1990 Gonzalez designed Cote owned by Darren Marston and Olly Ophaus and crewed by Rob Dyer, Dave Lenz and Chris Cooper.
Long-term supporters of the Quarter Ton Class, Darren and Olly purchased Cote in a very sorry state in winter 09/10 and have spent many hours restoring her to concourse condition. At the prize giving Darren Marston thanked his fellow competitors for an outstanding regatta and made a heartfelt and emotional speech in which he paid tribute to the many people racing this week who had helped and supported him in his sailing career, to the organisers of the event, to the sponsor Coutts and to his crew.
'Cote,' winner of the 2010, Coutts Quarter-Ton Cup. Photo copyright; Paul Wyeth/www.pwpictures.com
Going into the final day Peter Morton'sAnchor Challenge, designed by Bruce Farr in 1980 and crewed by Kelvin Rawlings, JohnNewnham, Stuart Childerley and Jason Carrington, led the regatta by a narrow 1.5 point margin from Cote with John Greenwood aboard Rob Gray's 1990 Vrolik design Aquila third, Louise Morton sailing Anchor Challenge's sister ship Espada fourth, Bullet, designed by Fauroux in 1982 fifth and Ian Southworth's Whiskers, a 1979 Joubelt Nivelt, in sixth.
Following three exciting races on the final day, Cote were declared the worthy winners, of the 2010 Coutts Quarter Ton Cup with Anchor Challenge second, Aquila third, Whiskers fourth, Bullet fifth and Espada sixth. At the prize giving Stephen Kemp of title sponsor Coutts presented the prizes and thanked the Quarter Ton Class for a wonderful four-year partnership and looked forward to many more years of association with the Quarter Tonners.
Coutts Quarter-Ton Cup. Fleet start. Photo copyright; Paul Wyeth/www.pwpictures.com.
Alongside the main prizes there were also a number of special presentations. The Ron Holland Trophy for the top production boat went to Richard Thomas's Bolero Sergeant Pepper, the Concourse de Elegance, awarded by the Race Committee was won by Phoenix owned by the Welch/Thompson/Manser/Flemming partnership, the oldest bowman award went to Pete 'Hovis' Briant.
The youngest crew award went to Tiger owned by George Kenefick and George Kingston, and a special award for the boat completing the most broaches during the regatta - a fetching lime green mask and snorkel - went to Mike Webb and Tom Bailey'sFlashheart.
Overall Top Ten:
1) Cote - Darren Marston and Olly Ophaus 2) Anchor Challenge - Peter Morton 3) Aquila - John Greenwood/Rob Gray 4) Whiskers - Ian Southworth 5) Bullet - Howard Sellars & Mike Till 6) Espada - Louise Morton 7) Tiger - George Kenefick and George Kingston 8) Illegal Immigrant - Willy McNeill & Mike Pascall 9) Diamond - Graydon and Thomas Dawson 10) Sergeant Pepper - Richard Thomas
World Match Racing Tour - Portugal Gilmore Knocks ‘em Over!
Portimao, Portugal: Finals day for Stage 4 of the ISAF World Match Racing Tour produced an all Australian final with Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team yet again taking on the icon of match racing, Peter Gilmour (pictured, left) (AUS) YANMAR Racing.
The 'Perth Prodigy', 24 year old Mirsky, did not defend his Portugal Match Cup title from last year as the Master, Gilmour, taught his apprentice a few new lessons and stepped into the spotlight as the 2010 Portimao Portugal Match Cup Champion.
The Semi Finals greeted eager teams with an oscillating 8 - 10 knot wind, conditions suited Mirsky who slam dunked Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar 3-0 and Gilmour grasped the glory from current ISAF Match Racing World Champion, Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing, also gliding through on 3-0. Minoprio then went on to take 3rd overall much to the disappointment of Williams.
As the Fremantle Doctor style breeze blew in for finals frenzy, the racers, both skippers originally from Perth, felt a nostalgia for home and with a 'first to 2 point final' the pressure was instantaneous. The wind then moderated and returned to the testing Mediterranean style shifts commonly experienced on this year's Tour. This kept both Gilmour and Mirsky on their toes to the bitter end with Gilmour winning the deciding 3rd match from a port entry.
There is now a mixture of movements in the overall World Match Racing Tour 2010 standings. Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team before Portimao sat on high with 65 points, a supreme 26 points in front of his nearest rival Minoprio. Richard was then ironically, knocked out at the Quarter Final stage yesterday in an unexpected last minute lunge to the line by Minoprio.
Minoprio closes the gap slightly on Richard as he moves into 3rd with 48 points overall. Gilmour shoots up from 8th to 4th with 43 points, closely followed by Williams who finishes on 42 points.
Day 5 - Overall Standings:
1) Peter Gilmour, AUS, YANMAR Racing, 25 points 2) Torvar Mirsky, AUS, Mirsky Racing Team, 20 3) Adam Minoprio, NZL, ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing, 15 4) Ian Williams, GBR, Team GAC Pindar, 12 5) Francesco Bruni, ITA, Azzurra, 10 6) Magnus Holmberg, SWE, Victory Challenge, 8 7) Mathieu Richard, FRA, French Match Racing Team, 6 8) Manuel Weiller, ESP, Team Iberdrola, 4 9) Bertrand Pace, FRA, Aleph Sailing Team 10) Bjorn Hansen, SWE, Gill Global Team 11) Alvaro Marinho, POR, Seth Sailing Team 12) Eugeny Neugodnikov, RUS, Team Synergy
2010 ISAF World Match Racing Tour Standings: (After Stage 4 of 10):
1) Mathieu Richard, FRA, French Match Racing Team, 71 points 2) Adam Minoprio, NZL, BlackMatch Racing, 54 3) Torvar Mirsky, AUS, Mirsky Racing Team, 48 4) Peter Gilmour, AUS, YANMAR Racing 43 5) Ian Williams, GBR, Team GAC Pindar, 42 6) Francesco Bruni, ITA, Azzurra, 33 7) Ben Ainslie, GBR, TEAMORIGIN, 20 8) Jesper Radich, SWE, Radich Racing Team, 20 9) Paolo Cian, ITA, Team Italia, 16 10) Bjorn Hansen, SWE, Gill Global Team, 15
The only thing missing on the final day of the 2010 Audi Invitational, Audi Sailing Series Event No. 3, was the wind. But two teams were left smiling at the end, Filippo Pacinotti’sBrontolo, who relied heavily on the Cassinari brothers tactical expertise, delivered a second and a third place result, as did Luca Lalli on B.LinSailing.com with tactician, Lorenzo Bressani. Lalli lost the tiebreaker to finish second overall.
For Pacinotti, it was the first absolute victory for him in the Audi Sailing Series and an end result that comes from years of experience and growth on many levels as a team. It is proof that Brontolo is reaching maturity despite the often, difficult moments. This time though, Pacinotti takes home the top prize.
In third overall was Edoardo Lupi with tactician Branko Brcin on Torpyone, the leader on day one of the event. Rounding out the top five were Alessio Marinelli (Tommaso Chieffi, tactician) at the helm for Vincenzo Onorato’sAudi Team Mascalzone Latino in fourth and Lanfranco Cirillo on Fantastica in fifth.
Photo copyright; Guido Trombetta/B Plan.
The racing in Porto Cervo was sufficient enough to reverse the 2010 Audi Melges 32 Sailing Series circuit. After chasing the lead for three events, Lalli finally is seated atop the field of competitors. Cirillo slips to second and Pacinotti is seated third.
On July 16-18 at Lake Garda in Malcesine, the final act of the Audi Melges 32 Sailing Series takes place where as many as 20 teams are expected to compete.
Top Ten Results (2010 Audi Melges 32 Sailing Series Overall Circuit Standings):
1) Luca Lalli, B.LinSailing.com 2) Lanfranco Cirillo, Fantastica 3) Filippo Pacinotti, Brontolo 4) Carlo Alberini, Calvi Network 5) Mauro Mocchegiani, Rush Diletta 6) Peter Rogers, Highlife 7) Francesco Martino, Pilot Italia 8) WolfgangStolz, Opus One 9) Edoardo Pavesio, Fra Martina 10) Edoardo Lupi, Torpyone
Don Cowie - The Engine Driver
The mainsail is the biggest engine on the boat, and it’s the mainsail trimmer’s job to get maximum power from the engine. For Emirates Team New Zealand, that man is Don Cowie.
One of the key interactions on the boat is between the helmsman, the mainsail trimmer and the jib trimmer. Get that three-way triangle right, and your boat will be fast. Cowie has been doing the mainsail for Dean Barker since 2003. Their relationship now borders on the telepathic. 'I guess having sailed with Dean as long as I have, things probably happen more naturally now than when we first started sailing together, and I guess I’m always trying to anticipate what he wants and he’s probably communicating with me easier now than when he did previously.'
Aside from being the engine of the boat, the sails do a lot of the steering, particularly through tight manoeuvres such as in the minutes leading up to the start. 'In the pre-start, it’s a combination of both the jib trimmer and the main trimmer to help steer the boat with how we trim the sails, and if you don’t get it right, that’s when you start having problems steering the boat, especially in the fresher conditions. Certainly the mainsail trimmer has to keep on his toes, as far as keeping the boat under control.'
The added challenge of the Louis Vuitton Challenge is sailing in borrowed boats with unfamiliar equipment. 'You learn quickly. You have to adapt quickly. We don’t know these boats that well, and we’re given sails that we don’t know, so you have to deal with it the best way you can. Ideally, you might want a different set-up. But you have to remember that everybody’s got the same stuff, so you deal with it quickly and you soon learn what the boats are capable of doing.'
One of the key skills is being able to sail the boat close to a stalling situation without actually losing control. The better the team work, the closer you can push a boat to the edge of stall. 'But you should never have a situation where your boat actually stalls,' says Cowie. 'If we lose steerage, then that’s probably down to the trimmers. So that’s a slap on the hand.'
Equally it’s the trimmers who deserve a lot of credit for putting the boat in the right place with centimetre precision. 'I think we can say we’ve done a good job if we manage to get a hook on the other boat in a pre-start or come off the start on with an even start or a good start. I think it’s a combination of Dean, myself, and the jib trimmer to make that happen. So it’s really a bit of a team effort around the pre-start. I mean, Dean is the guy driving the boat, and he tells us where he wants to start. But as far as coming off the line nicely, it really is a team operation.'
ICAP Leopard World Record verified by WSSR Council
'ICAP LEOPARD, Mike Slade' Photo copyright; Carlo Borlenghi.
The World Sailing Speed Record Council announces the ratification of a new World Record for ICAP Leopard.
Record: Monohull. 24 hours under rule 21.c Yacht: ICAP Leopard. 100ft Monohull Name: Mike Slade and 20 crew Dates: 31st May to the 1st June 2010. Start time: 05.00; 31/05/10 Finish time: 05.00; 01/06/10 Elapsed time: 24 hours Distance: 495.1 NM Average speed: 20.6 kts Comments: Previous record: 466.4nm 19.4 kts. May 08 Leopard. Mike Slade GBR
From John Reed Secretary to the WSSR Council
German Tornado Grand Prix on Lake Constance
Veit Hemmeter and Dominik Halbing are the best German Tornado sailors! The two young sailors form Lindau, the host town for the German Tornado Grand Prix (at the same time the German Open), got four bullets in 8 races, sailed in light conditions on the Lake Constance. Three times they crossed the finish line as second team.
Only ten points were written on the scoreboard – twelve points less than the Austrian sailors on place two, Michael Schoenleitner and Philipp Rakuschan (UYC Attersee, 22 points). To place three Markus Augstburger (the German Tornado chairman) and FrankRübel (Munich, 30 points) were sailing. 23 crews from Germany and Austria were competing.
‘We had very fair races on the first days. It was great’, said race officer Alexander Fundele. On Sunday, the last competition day, he tried again to start a race. But just in time with the start gun, the wind dropped down – and it was over. Due to a time limit he had to finish the event. The day before also the wind was too shifty for a Grand Prix race, but in the evening he started the 'Speedsailing contest' – see below. The first two days under a blue sky a light and steady breeze from West was blowing with up to 13 knots, but mostly only near Lindau Island.
Right to left. Markus Augstburger and Frank Ruebel (third place), Veit Hemmeter and Dominik Halbing (winners) and Michael Schoenleitner and Philipp Rakuschan (second place). Photo copyright B. Huegelmann/GTGP:
Winner Veit Hemmeter enjoyed the regatta and the success, his first title in the Tornado class. ‘We had perfect conditions’, he was delighted about weather and wind on ‘his’ lake. Last year Hemmeter/Halbing were sailing at Bronce at the German Open in Hamburg. Winner in 2009 was Roland Gaebler, but this time he had to settle with place five (next to Sebastian Moser and ThomasPosch from Schluchsee at place 4).
‘They both have shown perfect races with a brilliant knowledge of this lake’, he said with respect for the winners. The chairman of the International Tornado Association is expecting a comeback of the Tornado or another multihull for the Olympics. ‘We have seen a strong young generation here in Lindau. They are ready to sail for Gold!’
For the Lindau SC the Grand Prix was a premiere too. The 121 years old club managed the first regatta for the Tornado class, initiated and organized by Veit Hemmeter and his team. ‘We had fun with uncomplicated and thankful sailors, it was a great succes’, said Christine Holz, chairwoman of the LSC.
Photo copyright; B. Huegelmann/GTGP:
‘Speedsailing’ as a successful trial!
First time in the framework of a regular Tornado regatta 'Speedsailing' was organized. From start to a buoy and back – with simple rules, in front of spectators on shore. Only ten minutes for one races with six competitors. Two groups, two qualifying races and than one final race with the best teams.
‘It was amazing’, enthused Roland Gaebler, who had written the concept and was the winner too. ‘We tacked with genaker – and so we get ahead of two other competitors’, he said. The course was abeam to the wind and the buoy only 50 meters in distance to the clubhouse.
Nico Mittelmeier was the onshore commentator – and spectators were excited. ‘There was a Mexican wave, we could it see from the lake’,Gaebler was enthused. ‘That’s, what we want to make. Sailing for spectators!’
German Tornado Grand Prix Final results: (23 crew, 2 nations, 8 races, 1 discard)
1) Veit Hemmeter / Dominik Halbing (Lindauer SC/Bayerischer YC), 10 points 2) Michael Schoenleitner / Philipp Rakuschan (UYC Attersee/SCA), 22 3) Markus Augstburger / Frank Ruebel (WCL München), 30 4) Sebastian Moser / Thomas Posch (SV Schluchsee/SCCh), 39 5) Roland and Nahid Gaebler (NRV Hamburg), 40 6) Manfred Schoenleitner / Georg Hirsch-Stronsdorf (UYC Attersee), 42
Schedule Confirmed For The Velux 5 Oceans
The Velux 5 Oceans has announced the dates of the starts of the five ocean sprints in the 2010/11 edition of this solo race, which currently has Brad Van Liew (USA) and Derek Hatfield (CAN) entered in the ECO 60 class (Open 60s launched before January 2003):
Ocean Sprint 1:La Rochelle, France to Cape Town, S.A. - 7,500 nm. Start date: October 17
Ocean Sprint 2: Cape Town, S.A. to Wellington, N.Z. - 7,000 nm. Start date: December 12
Ocean Sprint 3: Wellington, N.Z. to Salvador, Brazil - 7,400 nm. Start date: February 6
Ocean Sprint 4: Salvador, Brazil to Charleston, U.S. - 4,000 nm. Start date: April 10
Ocean Sprint 5: Charleston, U.S. to La Rochelle, France - 3,600 nm. Start date: May 14
The fleet is expected to arrive in La Rochelle in early June 2011 with prize giving on June 11. The race has been billed as The Ultimate Solo Challenge since 1982 because of the stop-start nature of the high speed racing over the Ocean Sprints, covering the greatest distance and time alone at sea of any race around the world. It is also a truly international ocean race, visiting five continents and offering a worldwide media profile over an eight month period.
Topsy Turvy Medal Race Gives Kiel Week to Gaspic
After another light and shifty race, Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic (CRO) took the Finn class in Kieler Woche from Oleksiy Borysov (UKR) and Rafa Trujillo (ESP). The medal race was eventually won by Zach Railey (USA).
Sailed in an offshore breeze of 3-6 knots with a lot of different pressure over the course area, there were lots of place changes during the 30 minute race.
Having sailed the regatta of his life this week, Oleksiy Borysov led at the first mark followed by Mike Maier (CZE), Rafa Trujillo and Zach Railey. The fleet was pretty evenly split on the first upwind and Trujillo looked to have the race and the series under control in third place with his main opposition some way back.
Ivan Kijakovic Gaspic (CRO), won the Finn Class at Kieler Woche, by one point. Photo copyright; segel-bilder.de /Christian Beeck
Maier immediately headed left on the downwind with Borysov and Trujillo favouring the right. The top few boats were very tight around the bottom mark with Borysov still leading, but Railey was about to make his move.
Railey said, 'I was able to get out in front and round with the top group at the first weather mark. We stayed pretty much the same order down first downwind and then the second upwind got pretty tricky. It looked like the left was going to pay, but the wind was very patchy. I was able to make it up the middle left and round first just ahead of UKR.'
However, it all went wrong for Trujillo on the second upwind. He said, 'I made poor decisions. I was not thinking clear. I positioned myself to the left of the fleet and had less wind so lost a lot of ground. But without counting the medal race I am pretty happy this week, but I do need to work on the medal race.' Trujillo ended up ninth in the race but just hung on to the bronze medal.
Close, but not close enough. Oleksly Borysov (UKR), second in the Finn Class at Kieler Woche. Photo copyright; segel-bilder.de /Christian Beeck
Railey continued, 'The two of us had a pretty good fight down the last downwind for the race win. Behind us the fleet was really changing all the time with the shifts and puffs and I was glad to have been ahead as there were some big gains and losses for guys. I feel good about the race win. I had a tough race in first one yesterday so to bounce back and come back strong with the last race yesterday and medal race today feels good.'
Deniss Karpak (EST), who started the day in third, said, 'Today was a disastrous conditions. There were holes with no wind at all, 45 degrees shifts... I was a bit unlucky and was last at the first mark first time, so I was sailing to try and not be last. Zach and Oleksiy were extremely fast and got it right tactically. So, I lost the medal, but I'm happy to be sixth overall, and to be in the medal race for the first time this year.'
In winning the race, Railey recorded his second major medal race win of the year with Borysov in second and Björn Allansson (SWE) moving through into third. A fourth place for the European Champion, Kljakovic Gaspic, was enough to take the week by just one point. With just two major regattas left this season, the Croatian has won the last three and will go into Sail for Gold in Weymouth and the World Championships in San Francisco as one of the absolute favourites.
Weymouth will be the final regatta in the ISAF Sailing World Cup, in which Trujillo has now taken a two point lead from Kljakovic.Wright (GBR), drops to fourth place, some seven points off the lead.
Final results after medal race: (medal race positions in brackets)
1) CRO 524 Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic 23 (4) 2) UKR 1 Oleksiy Borysov 24 (2) 3) ESP 100 Rafael Trujillo 29 (9) 4) USA 4 Zach Railey 30 (1) 5) FRA 112 Jonathan Lobert 31 (5=) 6) EST 2 Deniss Karpak 33 (7) 7) SWE 6 Björn Allansson 39 (3) 8) CZE 1 Michael Maier 42 (5=) 9) ITA 117 Giorgio Poggi 47 (10) 10) AUT 3 Florian Raudaschl 60 (8)
Day Three of the Superyacht Cup Palma 2010, and the docks felt a little subdued in the morning, but the best news was the steady breeze blowing. There was the usual amount of grumbling about the ratings, apparently inevitable with such a wildly diverse fleet, and the competitive nature of these elite owners and sailors - making poor Jim Teeters surely at once the most beloved and most hated man in the large yacht world.
By the end of the day, however, after a good long race, the happy feel of the entire regatta resounded throughout the village with echoing Hurrahs, champagne cork gasps, back slaps and smacking kisses.
The results ended as they started, with Scorpione dei Mari gleefully sweeping in to a cumulative First in Cruising Class and a convincing win overall. Gorgeous Royal Huisman Gliss, always a strong performer, brought in 2nd Place overall, and also a 2nd in the Performance Class.
Jongert Ithaka proved her Dutch creds by coming in 3rd overall and 2nd in Cruising Class. Exemplifying the international nature of such events, the wins were rounded out with Alloy Irelanda sneaking into 3rd Place in Cruising, while P2, Perini Navi's lovely baby, of course ended up on the podium with a 3rd in the Performance division.
Words by Norma Trease - Photo copyright; Nico Martinez
Rosebud For Sydney Hobart 2010
Ray Roberts, a long time and enthusiastic supporter of ocean racing in the Asia Pacific has purchased one of the most successful yachts on the international offshore scene, the STP 65 Rosebud.
'Rosebud' will be re-named 'Evolution Racing.' Photo copyright; Carlo Borlenghi.
Rosebud, designed by Bruce Farr and previously owned by American Roger Sturgeon, won the 2007 Hobart race on overall IRC handicap and has claimed victories across the US, in the Mediterranean and at Cowes Week in England. Roberts will rename her Evolution Racing.
Roberts has had Rosebud sent to New England Boatworks in the US so minor hull damage, which came when the yacht was dismasted during last year’s Middle Sea Race out of Malta, can be repaired, and keel modifications can be made. Once she’s back in the water Roberts will contest the North American IRC championships mid-year before shipping her to Australia in time for the 2010 Sydney Hobart race.
‘The Hobart race and Audi Hamilton Island Race Week are my two favourite events in Australia,’ said Roberts, who also campaigns a TP 52 racer extensively on the Asian circuit. 'I’m certainly looking forward, as always, to Race Week this year with my Cookson 50 Evolution Racing, but even more so next year with the new boat.’
by Rob Mundle/Sail-World.com
Field Wins Layline OakCliff Melges 24 National Championship
Congratulations to 2010 Layline Oakcliff Melges 24 U.S. National Champion, Alan Field on WTF and his team comprised of SteveHunt, Erik Shampain, Sarah Curran and Jeff Reynolds. ‘It feels great to win in a fleet like this, but it's just another step for us.’ said Field after racing. ‘Now, it's off to the Traverse City event and we'll be racing the North Americans at Rochester this coming September.’ Additional congratulations are extended to Annapolis' Henry Filter on Wild Child as he is the 2010 Layline Oakcliff Melges 24 Corinthian U.S. National Champion. Assisting Filter with the victory were crew members, Tom Murray, Ben Cesare and Ian Coleman.
Fleet action at the 2010 Layline Oakcliff Melges 24 U.S. National Championship. Photo copyright; Joy/Melges24 Assn.
In second overall was Geoff Ewenson at the helm for J.C. Raby on Evil Donut and third overall wss David Dabney on Conejo Racing - Ocean Sailing Academy.
With Field leading the charge by two points, the fleet was greeted on Sunday morning with heavy fog and no breeze for the start of the final day of racing. They were immediately put under postponement with hopes of an eventual lift, sunshine and decent breeze, lasting for more than an hour and well past noon. At approximately 1 o’clock, racing was abandoned with Saturday’s results still standing.
Top Five Results (FINAL):
1) Alan Field, WTF; 2-[6]-2-1-3-4 = 12 points 2) Geoff Ewenson/J.C. Raby, Evil Donut; 1-3-4-3-[10]-3 = 14 3) David Dabney, Conejo Racing - Ocean Sailing Academy; [14]-1-6-5-2-2 = 16 4) Henry Filter, Wild Child; 6-4-1-7-6-[8] = 24 5) Jennifer Wilson, Convexity; 3-5-5-[14]-4-7 = 24
Melges 32 - Full Throttle Up In Newport
John Porter on Full Throttle and team comprised of tactician Jonathan McKee, Andy Burdick, Fritz Lanzinger, sons Corbet and Vincent Porter along with Kelly McKenna and Matthew Woodsworth are 2010 Layline Oakcliff Northeast Regatta Champions.
Porter finished the event a solid six points ahead of heavy opposition. Long-time Melges 32 owner Kip Meadows on roXanne with Andy Horton on tactics really came on strong on the last day, to complete the regatta in second.
Enough can’t be said about the incredible progress made by third place finisher, Newport’s own Michael Dominguez on Bronco with experienced tactician Anthony Kotoun. As mentioned in the preview release, Dominguez officially, yet apprehensively entered the fleet in December ’09 at the Gold Cup. He knew the competition was stiff. Over the last seven months, tremendous strides have been made, by this very competitive team. A fourth place finish at the East Coast Championship showed that they are growing fast. ‘It's all starting to come together,’ was a frequent comment heard from several of Dominguez’s crew over the course of the weekend.
Start of another competitive race in the 2010 Layline Oakcliff Northeast Regatta Championship. Photo copyright; Joy/Melges32 Assn.
The Northeast Regatta witnessed the return of one of its most treasured player teams, Jim Swartz and famed tactician Gavin Brady on Q, finishing fourth.
Another bright and youthful face beginning to acquire a nice foothold in the Melges 32 fleet is 18-year old Ryan Devos on Volpe. As the youngest helmsman in the fleet, Devos improved his score race-by-race, alongside his father Dick, tactican Ed Baird, ScottNixon, Nils Frei, Mike Hill, Drew Wierda and Marty Kullman to finish an amazing fifth overall.
Top Five Results (FINAL):
1) John Porter/Jonathan Mckee, Full Throttle; 1-3-4-6-1-[10] = 15 points 2) Kip Meadows/Andy Horton, roXanne; 4-5-[10]-3-2-7 = 21 3) Michael Dominguez/Anthony Kotoun, Bronco; 3-7-7-2-7-[14] = 26 4) Jim Swartz/Gavin Brady, Q; 10-1-6-1-9-[11] = 27 5) Ryan Devos/Ed Baird, Volpe; 8-9-[14]-5-3-2 = 27
Looking forward to Chicago’s Next Cup!
Chicago has mastered the ice; now it’s time for the water.
The next Cup on the minds of Chicagoans and thousands of Midwest sailors is the prestigious Mackinac Cup, the perpetual challenge emblem for the oldest and largest freshwater sailing race this side of the world — the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac, presented by Veuve Clicquot.
The Mackinac Cup was commissioned in 1905,12 years after Lord Stanley’s, although the NHL has been using the Cup as its championship for only 83 years, where the honor of the Mac Cup will be contested for the 102nd time this year. The 2010 Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac, presented by Veuve Clicquot, begins July 24th
Impressive in size and grandeur, the Mackinac Cup was designed to model a Native American war canoe, to commemorate the Native American heritage of Mackinac Island. Crafted with $1,500 worth of silver, the exquisite detailing includes flanking on all sides of massive Native American heads.
As one of the two most coveted awards in the Race to Mackinac, the Mackinac Cup (along with the Chicago - Mackinac Trophy, est. 1927) is rotated between the two monohull divisions as top prize for the best corrected time. The Mackinac and Stanley Cups also have one major tradition in common — the silver vessels are filled with champagne for the winners to enjoy. Of course, it’s only fitting that the Mac’s presenting sponsor is Veuve Clicquot Champagne.
2009’s Mackinac Cup winner was Chicagoan Jon Weglarz and crew on The Asylum , a 35-foot J-105. Will another Chicagoan be added to the list of engravings for 2010?
Starting July 24th, 375 skippers will vie for the chance to win one of the divisional honors in this year’s race.
To see who is racing, keep up with reports from the water and to track all the boats online by GPS, go to www.cycracetomackinac.com.
2010 Platu 25 Worlds For Alicante
The Real Club de Regatas de Alicante (RCRA) officially presented the Platu 25 World Championship that will take place in Alicante from the 18th to the 24th of July. Everything is ready in order to welcome this very high level sailing competition which will convert Alicante in to an International sailing centre.
More than 125 boats and 600 yachtsmen will compete to be World Champions in this truly international class and it is the highest accolade of the year for the Platu 25 Class.
The President of the RCRA, Juan Rodríguez Marín said that the Organisation he leads is very proud to be organizing this event. He underlined the involvement in this World Championship, of the Town Hall of Alicante, of the Culture and Sport Department and of the Port Authority. ‘It wouldn’t be possible organizing this event without their cooperation’ the RCRA director said, thanking also Caja Mediterráneo, one of the supporters of the World Championship. ‘It’s a small miracle, in these times to bring a World Championship to our waters, but we got it’ concluded Rodríguez Marín.
Ignacio Campos, in charge of logistics for the event said that the RCRA will install a seesaw pier, permitting boats to dock as near as possible to the City in order to involve the inhabitants and the visitors as much as possible. ‘Considering how numerous the boats are, it will be complicated to keep the regatta in only one fleet, but we are doing everything possible in order not to split it into two fleets. We’ll try to keep it joined in order to maintain the spectacular impression of the event.’ Miguel Campoy, President of the Port Authority, underlined that the contribution of the Port of Alicante to this event is ‘a duty and an obligation that we do with great pleasure'. Campoy noticed that with events like this, Alicante keeps the World Sailing flag very high.
Kieler Woche: Martin and Markus Sigrist Platu 25 Winners
After four very intensive days and nine competitive races, a Swiss team conquered the higher step of the podium in Kiel.
The Platu 25 Class, was represented on this occasion by an ‘Ocean’ of German boats and among the seventeen Platu 25 that took part in the prestigious event, only two were from abroad: a Swiss boat and an Austrian one. Its odds on that a German boat would win but, surprisingly, the brilliant guys from Switzerland showed, from the very first day, to be in a class of their own!
As Markus Sigrist pointed out: ‘The Kieler Woche has taken place for more than a hundred years. Within this very old tradition just two Swiss Teams were able to win since 1987 over all classes (Olympic and International). SUI 493 is the third one to succeed. So, for us, the Swiss SailArt-Team and for the Olympic participant, Simon Brügger, it is a great satisfaction to have won one of the most prestigious European sailing-events’.
The winning Swiss Platu 25 team at Kieler Wocke 2010.
The second place was GER 153 of Ingo Lochman which started very well (two first places in the first day) but then lost positions during the second day, allowing the Sigrist’s brothers to win with a clear advantage (13 points difference). The third position was André Teutenberg, another German boat that in the last few races, fought hard against Ingo Lochman for the second place. Farrbar of Jens Ahlrimm, one of the most competitive crews in the Platu 25 class, had to be content with a fourth place, followed very closely (just one point of difference) by GER 5445 of Daniel Nauck.
The Kieler Woche, the greatest sailing event in northern Europe, was also, for the seventeen Platu 25 crews, the perfect occasion to train before the rapidly approaching Platu 25 World Championship in Alicante, in less than three weeks (http://www.platu25worlds2010.com/).
The Kieler Woche took place from the 19h to the 27th of June, with five thousand yachtsman and women, coming from 50 countries, the Platu 25 boats – together with 505, FD, Formula 18, Hobie 16, Europe, Ok Jolle, Contender, Folkeboot, J24, 420er, 29er, Drachen and H Boot - raced from the 24th to the 27th of June. And it was a great experience for all of them.
The balance of this fleet is very good. ‘Overall we are more then happy with Kieler Woche 2010. Some days we had a little bit less wind but in the end we could made enough races in all International classes and in the Olympic classes at the start of the week. But the last day with a magnificent sunshine and wind up to eight knots recompense the sailors for all the hours waiting for races the days before,’ said Jobst Richter, Chairman of the Kieler Woche. The next event will be from the 18-26th June 2011.
Ranking list after 9 races and one discard:
1) Martin Sigrist / Luca Gerig / Matthias Bosshart / Benjamin Dierauer / Simon Brügger / Markus Sigrist (SUI) 2,4,1,2,(9),2,2,2,3,18 points;
2) Ingo Lochmann / x / Jens Steinborn / Max Rieger / Matthias Krüger / Christian Maedel (Berlin) 1,1,(14),12,10,1,1,3,2,31;
3) André Teutenberg / x / Jan-Pit Teutenberg / Jens Wehrenbrecht / Lars Teutenberg / Sven Wehrenbrecht (Dortmund) 8,2,2,6,5,9,3,(10),1,36;
4) Jens Ahlgrimm / x / Enrico Taeufer / Carsten Wernecke / Mathias Gedrange / Stephan Moelle (Niederstotzingen) 3,7,(13),4,3,4,4,8,7,40;
5) Daniel Nauck / Thorben Nowak / Frank Barownick / Steve Bärtle / Thomas Piesker (Berlin) 10,11,3,1,1,10,(11),1,4,41;
6) Rüdiger Margale / x / Pierre Tscherneck / Arnd Ritter / Marc Daniel Siegfried / Dennis Siegfried (Arnsberg) 5,5,11,3,(12),3,5,9,5,46;
Med Cup/Marseille
The notorious mistral wind forced an early end to the Audi MedCup regatta at Marseille. No racing was possible at the weekend and the event finished with five races unsailed.
They were five very important races for Emirates Team New Zealand. After a bad first day NZL 380 improved steadily but needed the weekend races to climb further up the leader board.
Plenty of wind and waves! The Mistral controlled the Marseille, Audi MedCup regatta. Photo copyright; Carlo Borlenghi/Audi MedCup.
The final two days of scheduled racing were lost due to strong winds.With the wind gusting to 30 knots on Saturday and 40 knots on Sunday, there was never much chance that racing would get underway. Crews were on standby, but the call to the leave the dock never came.
The mistral handed the regatta to the American team Quantum Racing, which had performed consistently. Emirates Team New Zealand was fourth at Marseille, but retains its hold on the main MedCup prize, the season championship.
The next regatta is a Barcelona, Spain, scheduled for July 20 – 25.
Marseille Trophy-TP52 Series - Overall after three days’ racing:
No single boat 'wins' the Newport Bermuda Race.The classic ocean race has 5 divisions and 16 classes. The 183 boats entered in 2010 raced for over 90 trophies including for 5 major division trophies under the Offshore Racing Rule (ORR) system and a one major prize for IRC that combines most boats in two divisions that choose to be dual scored. Winners in the 16 classes win perpetual trophies and up to 4-deep keepers.
TheSt. David's Lighthouse is often regarded as the main trophy because that division is the largest with 100-plus boats and because it carries on the founder's aim to get amateurs sailing offshore in cruising-racing boats. Winning any division however has its bragging rights. St. David's Lighthouse Divsion for the St. David's Lighthouse Trophy: Carina, the McCurdy & Rhodes 48, sailed by Rives Potts (pictured left), (Westbrook CT) finished at 6:55:06 ADT. Her corrected time was 55:28:27. This division is for yachts with predominantly amateur crew.
Gibbs Hill Lighthouse Division for the Gibbs Hill Lighthouse Trophy: Sir Geoffrey Mulcahy's Swan 56 Noonmark VI (London, UK) crossed the line at 2:40:18 on Tuesday morning. This Frers designed Swan 56 sailed under the English flag. She had a corrected time of 52:48:32. This division allows full professional crews.
Cruiser Division for the Carleton Mitchell Finesterre Trophy: Neal Finnegan's Swan 56 Clover III (Dedham, MA) crossed the line at 2:17:11 on Tuesday. One of two Swan 56 to take top prizes, her corrected time was 72:04:49. This division is for mostly amateur crews sailing cruising style boats.
Double Handed Division for The Moxie Prize : Jason A. Richter's J-35 Paladin (Mt. Sinai, NY) co skippered by Robert Fischer (Patchogue, NY). Paladin's corrected time was 73:30:36. One professional is allowed, if that person is the owner.
Open Division for the Royal Mail Trophy: Mark Watson (Hamilton. Bermuda) skipper of the US Merchant Marine's Dubois 90 Genuine Risk finished on Monday at 7:48:45. The corrected time was 53:43:32. This division is for cant-keel boats with full professional crews allowed.
Combined Gibbs Hill and St. David's Lighthouse Divisions for the IRC North Rock Beacon TrophyCarina, the McCurdy& Rhodes 48,sailed by Rives Potts (Westbrook, CT), finished at 6:55:06 Tuesday morning. Her IRC corrected time was 91:57:51.
Words; Talbot Wilson - Photo of Rives Potts by Talbot Wilson/PPL
Sailing mirrors life in many ways. As it is in life, so it is in sailing - you never stop learning. Experience teaches and the more sailing you do, so you learn more about boat speed, sail trim, safety at sea and so much more. But you don’t want to wait for experience to teach you all the tricks.
The clever sailors of this world learn from other clever sailors and speed up the knowledge gathering process and that’s exactly why you should never miss reading UK-Halsey 'Sails Talk’. UK Halsey is a pace-setting, international sail manufacturer and among the many sailing experts, both racing and cruising, in the UK Halsey lofts around the world, is a fund of racing and cruising expertise that is matchless.
Use this knowledge to polish your own racing expertise! Don’t miss UK Halsey 'Sails Talk’, in ‘A BRUSH WITH SAIL’, every month. Now, read on and enjoy the learning.
Cruising Sail Handling Made Easier With A Double-Head Rig
By Adam Loory General Manager of UK-Halsey International
Cruising sailors don’t have a lot of help to change sails; therefore, they need a sail plan that can be changed easily when the wind pipes up. The most flexible option is to set up the boat with a forestaysail on an intermediate forestay. This is also known as a cutter rig. By using a forestaysail on an intermediate forestay in combination with a genoa on the headstay, cruising sailors have plenty of sailplan options before they have to change sails.
The advantages of a double-head rig are great. When close reaching, you can get extra speed, and in heavy air you can reduce sail area while keeping the helm balanced by rolling up or dousing the genoa and flying a smaller headsail off an intermediate stay close to the mast with a full or reefed main.
The forestaysail is not much bigger than a No. 4 genoa. Therefore, flying just the forestaysail and the main reduces your sail area tremendously. And in big seas, the staysail is less likely to scoop up waves.
The intermediate forestay runs parallel to the headstay and goes about three-quarters of the way up the fore-triangle. In most cases, there are check stays that connect to the mast at the same height that the intermediate forestay to offsets the loads of the staysail.
The forestaysail can also be used under a genoa or reacher as part of a double-head rig. The sail is most effective when the apparent wind angle is from about 50 degrees to 80 degrees off the bow. In storm conditions, the forestaysail can be replaced by the storm jib, which is even smaller yet. Setting the storm jib off the intermediate forestay is much safer than going all the way out to the end of the bow to remove the genoa and then set the storm jib. The bow is narrow and is the most exposed part of the boat, while the staysail stay is farther back offering more deck to work on.
The major drawback of an intermediate forestay is that it makes tacking the genoa extremely difficult. If you sail in protected waters most of the time, while still venturing offshore some times, you want to look into a way to make the intermediate stay detachable from the deck. That way, when you are not using the forestaysail, detach the stay from the deck and bring it back to the mast so that the genoa can move easily from side to side when you tack.
This only works if your staysail stay is NOT set up with a furler. In that case, the easiest way to tack the boat might be to role up the genoa, tack and then unroll it on the new side.
Ever Set Eyes on Your Storm Trysail?
It’s part of our series of online safety at sea videos that are free to view (after logging on). Just go to the Learning Center of the UK-Halsey website. Watch them, practice in benign conditions so that when you sail offshore you’ll be prepared.
Other Safety at Sea videos cover the Quick Stop man-overboard recovery method (with and without a spinnaker), crew recovery methods (once you get back to the MOB), using a life raft, fire fighting, servicing inflatable life vests, and signaling flares.
Check out these videos along with our animated Rules Quizzes and much more at: www.ukhalsey.com
Win The Start By Ignoring Local Knowledge Do Your Own Homework!
By Adam Loory,
To start well, get out to the line early to determine the conditions and figure out which end of the line is favored. At the start of the 2010 630-mile Newport to Bermuda Race I called tactics on the J/109 APSARA owned by Michael Sleightholme and the pictures show us winning the pin position. Here’s how we did it.
At the start of every Bermuda Race I’ve done, a strong ebb current attempts to push the fleet over the line early. This year when we approached the line minutes before our warning signal, we found no appreciable current and we could see by the other divisions that started before us, that the pin was greatly favored. It was clear that only one boat on the starting line would get clear air and that would be the boat that won the pin.
Only one boat was near enough call for us to come up (USA 93310), but she was still too far to leeward and we buzzed right over the top of her. Once we got across her bow, we went down some because I was nervous about running out of room. At five seconds before the gun we came up to line and had the perfect pin-end start.
Unfortunately our final standing was nowhere near as good as our start!
Photo sequence copyright; George Bekris Photography
The last boat to finish the offshore race of the 58th Giraglia Rolex Cup, organized by the Yacht Club Italiano, crossed the line at 20.40CEST after some 56 hours at sea. By no means an endurance record in this historic contest, in 1976 it took the first boat 68 hours to complete the course. At 36-feet, Ivo Olivero’sViva Corte (ITA) is half the length of Neville Crichton’sShockwave (NZL).
Whilst Crichton deservedly will take the plaudits for overall victory and for a job extremely well done, it is yachts like Viva Corte that made up the bulk of the record 220 yacht fleet that set off on the 241 nautical mile route from Saint-Tropez to San Remo, via the rock from which the event take its name. The achievements of Olivero and his crew, and those like them, were celebrated just as strongly as the achievements of the trophy winners at the prize giving held at the Yacht Club San Remo.
Start of the Rolex Giraglia Cup distance race. Find a clear lane? Photo copyright; Rolex/Kurt Arrigo.
At the Giraglia Rolex Cup the long distance race is the prize every competitor dreams of winning. It has the full 57 years of history behind it and has been won by many of the most famous yachts of the past half-century. For Neville Crichton victory completes the trifecta for this event. He has won line honours five times, broken the course record twice and now won overall. There are few records to match his, 'we’ve won line honours in the past, and although we would have liked to win that too we knew it was impossible. If the 100-footer (Esimit) finished the race she would win line honours. It was nice to win overall, since that is what we set out to do, it was our target and it is what we have achieved.'
Crichton’s rewards for his efforts were a Rolex Submariner chronometer in Rolesor and the Trofeo Rolex Challenge, presented by Gian Riccardo Marini of Rolex Italy. Crichton who has raced all over the world thanked the organizing yacht clubs involved for their efforts across the whole event especially given the, at times, difficult conditions. Asked whether he would be back, Crichton replied, 'I’d love to be back. I like the regatta, I like sailing with the Italians and it’s good fun, absolutely.' He would not be drawn on what boat he would enter on his next participation, but certainly given his significant part in the event over recent years his presence will always be welcomed.
Neville Crichton (left) owner of 'Shockwave' and Igor Simcic, owner of 'Esimit Europa 2', line honours winner.
Unlike Crichton, Igor Simcic is a newcomer to the race. Not total, since his uncle was the skipper of Helisara the line honours winner in 1981, and, in 2008 Simcic’s Vallicelli 60, Esimit Europa I came second on the water to Crichton’s former yacht AlfaRomeo II. Crichton set the course record that year, and, while Simcic was not participating personally, the faster yacht clearly made an impact on him, 'we felt we had done very well with our old boat, but Alfa Romeo II is something special and with such an important project for Europe we decided to go for her.' And so the change of ownership that has seen Alfa become Esimit Europa 2 (EUR), the standard bearer in yachting for the European Commission.
Ahead of this year’s race, conditions suggested a record might have been on the table for the canting-keeled Esimit. As it was, the Giraglia Rolex Cup never follows quite what is forecast. It was a relieved Simcic that crossed the line in first place on Thursday. After an awkward start, even the second half of the race had proved a nervy time as the wind threw curve ball after curve ball at the 30.5 metre racing maxi and the chasing pack, which included Shockwave, threatened to catch her. 'We are happy to be first [over the line], because it was not so easy at the beginning. We had some technical problems, but we resolved these and in the end it was perfect,' said Simcic on arriving in San Remo.
Line honors winner 'Esimit Europa 2' carves the ocean apart on the way to the finish line. Photo copyright Rolex/Kurt Arrigo.
Simcic won a bucketful of prizes over the course of the week, including the Trofeo Beppe Croce for being first to the Giraglia rock. The most valued for Simcic are certainly the Rolex Yacht-Master chronometer and Trofeo Levainville awarded for line honours and presented by Gian Paolo Marini of Rolex Italy. Undoubtedly Simcic and his team will be back and stronger for this year’s experience.
The third major set of trophies of the day was awarded for the best result over both the inshore series and offshore race in the 2010Giraglia Rolex Cup. Frank Noel, owner of Near Miss (SUI), was the recipient of the Trofeo Nucci Novi and a Rolex Submariner chronometer in steel, presented by Lionel Schurch of Rolex Geneva.
Frank Noel's GP42 'Near Miss.' Photo copyright; Rolex/Kurt Arrigo.
Noel was candid in explaining his achievement, 'first we have a very good team. Second, in the inshore races it was important to get very good starts because we have a very bad handicap and it is difficult to do well if you are not ready! For the offshore race we had a very good start again. The very long downwind leg favoured my boat. We were making 16/17 knots and keeping up with the maxi boats. Even after the rock when it was upwind we worked hard to stay with the leaders.'Noel’s achievement in the offshore race should not be underestimated. Near Miss was one of only two sub-50 footers to complete the course before the race entered its third day.
A nice touch at the beginning of the prize giving was the introduction of Luciano Fratini. In 2007 Fratini came across the yacht Jalina, left rotting in the Elba islands. Jalina just happens to be the overall winner of the first two editions of the Giraglia race in 1953 and 1954. Fratini has spent the past three years restoring Jalina to her former glory and plans to compete with her in 2011 Giraglia Rolex Cup.
Coincidentally, earlier this year Rolex and the Yacht Club Italiano had been fortunate enough to locate and acquire the original cup awarded for the first ever Giraglia, a trophy that had been missing for many years. In a short ceremony Jalina and the historic trophy were reunited to the loud appreciation of the audience.
The dates for the 59th Giraglia Rolex Cup are scheduled for Saturday, 18 June to Saturday, 25 June 2011.
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'Charlie Barr – Premier of Yachting Skippers’
‘The wonderful Atlantic, winner of the $5000 gold cup offered by KaiserWilhelm in the international race from Sandy Hook to the Lizard, owes her victory to the zeal and ability of three men. ToWilsonMarshall, her owner, who expended $40,000 to especially equip the schooner for the race; to WilliamGardner, who designed her and CaptainCharlie Barr, who navigated her, must be given the credit.’
In the opinion of yachting experts,Gardner has designed a boat that deserves to rank with the America’s Cup defenders as exemplars of Yankee genius and skill. CharlieBarr has simply added another to his many laurels, again proving himself to be the premier among skippers.
No higher tribute could be paid him than that vouchsafed by SirThomasLipton who, after the Atlantic had finished the victor, declared: ‘I can say without hesitation that Barr is the greatest helmsman today in racing a boat. I am convinced that during the 8,000 mile sail between Sandy Hook and the Lizard, Charlie Barr never lost an inch, asked to command, watchful, ready for any shift, quick to find and take advantage of it. Atlantic’s extraordinary win is another victory for American designers and for an American crew, but no matter how good the boat may be, Charlie Barr must be given credit for getting out of her every inch of her splendid racing capacity.’
So all the above was written in a New York Times feature story on June 4 1905, entitled, ‘Captain Charlie Barr – Premier of Yachting Skippers’ Sir Thomas had several good reasons to appreciate Barr’s winning consistency, as at that stage in America’s Cup history, three of the grocer baron’s attempts to win the ‘The Auld Mug’ with his ‘Shamrocks’, had been repelled, by Columbia in 1899 and 1901 and yet again in 1903 when the defender was the giant ‘Reliance.’ At the helm of these two successful defending yachts, on all three occassions was Charlie Barr.
Charles Barr (pictured left) was born in July of 1864, in Gourock, Scotland. His Father, Grand Father and generations before them, were seafaring men. His Father broke the sea going chain, or so he thought, when he gave the sea away for a life ashore. He was strongly against his son’s going to sea and thought that he would set an example that would dissuade them. It didn’t work! Charles’ older brother John assumed command of a fishing smack and began a career which eventually led him to repeated successes in racing yachts in British waters and secured for him, the command of the Thistle when she went to the USA in an attempt to win the America’s Cup in 1887.
Charles Barr was apprenticed as a grocers clerk to stop him following in his brothers footsteps, a tendency shown in his very young years by running off with every boat he could steal aboard, whenever the opportunity presented itself. A life ashore was not to be, he hated it and finally went before the mast in a flounder trawler. He spent two years fishing and met with some great experiences, which no doubt, helped develope his courage in danger and his judgement in emergency.
His natural skill and determination did not go un-noticed and he quickly won the command of the 20 ton yacht Clara which he sailed across the Atlantic to Britain and proceeded to race her, with great success in many races. He returned to Scotland and was asked to command the Fairlie forty-footer, Minerva, which he delivered across the Atlantic to the US arriving with the yacht in great condition, although having ‘pressed-on’ through a number of severe storms. He displayed a natural skill, in sailing a large yacht safely but with great determination, through all conditions.
Back in America, he again took command of the Minerva and for three years he continued to beat all-comers, setting a record of wins for number of races sailed. Barr and Minerva were but rarely beaten and the effect of his success placed him in a position of first choice as skipper of every new large racer that was launched.
Following Minerva, he had command of the Oweena and of the Wasp and he lifted both yachts to the top of their class, but he was to make more of a mark for himself when he was chosen as mate on the Royal Clyde Yacht Club’s 1887 America’s Cup challenger, Thistle. This was a notable move, as his older brother John was the skipper and the younger Barr was more than happy to get his foot in the door of the ultimate sailing contest. The experience was a losing one, as the defending yacht Volunteer dispatched the challenger two nil.
During the work-up to the 1895 defence of the America’s Cup, Charles Barr was asked to take the helm of the Vigilant, in a series of trial races against the Defender and he showed his class, displaying skills that had many saying that he should be the Defender’s helmsman, when she met the challenger Valkyrie III.
Charles Barr at the helm of the giant 'Reliance' during the start of a race against 'Shamrock III', in 1903.
But that was not to be. Instead, he returned to British waters as skipper of Royal Phelps Carroll’s Navahoe, taking her across the Atlantic and when there, proceeding to remind the sailors of England that he was very much, still at the top of his game, as he won many races against British yachts.
But the impression of his excellent handling of the Vigilant, in 1895 was not forgotten in America and C. Oliver Iselin, J. P. Morgan and E. D. Morgan, owners of the new Herreshoff designed and built 1899 defender, Columbia, eagerly offered the helm of their beautiful craft to Charles Barr. They were not disappointed, he saw off Sir Thomas Lipton’s first challenge that year and then in 1901, again with Columbia and in 1903 with Reliance, made it three successful America’s Cup defences in a row.
He left the America’s Cup class and stepped back into ocean racing in the biggest class, helming Commodore Plant’s Ingomar to many victories at home and abroad and defeated, amongst others, the German schooner Rainbow, which in the following year, 1905, represented Germany in the Kaiser’s Atlantic Gold Cup race, as Hamburg.
Barr was skipper of Mr Wilson Marshall’s magnificent newly built William Gardner designed schooner, Atlantic and her performance since launching and the reputation of her skipper, Charles Barr, had a tempering effect on the rest of the fleet.
Adolph Tietjens, managing owner of the German yacht (under both names) said, before the start of the famous 1905 race: ‘We cannot hope to beat the Atlantic in anything like equal weather conditions. With her lines she should sail at least a knot faster an hour than we in all-round weather.’
‘On equal footing I believe Barr would do more with her than we could do with Hamburg, for he undoubtedly ranks as the highest exponent of racing skill in handling the helm of a yacht today.’
The mighty 'Atlantic.'
The tone of these comments, were underlined by the performance of Atlantic during the previous season – Atlantics first since launching.
Under the command of Charles Barr, the 187 foot, schooner competed in the Brentons Reef Cup and the Cape May Cup races, winning handsomely and showing pace that drew dockside comments, such as those from Adolph Tietjens, from many contemplating the Kaiser’s Gold Cup race across the Atlantic Ocean in 1905.
The race was sailed and as forecast, the mighty Atlantic won and although it was generally accepted that she was a flyer, a great deal of praise was heaped on Captain Barr, for his skill in sailing a large yacht to it’s potential regardless of the weather conditions.
Several fierce storms were encountered during the race, but Atlantic never hove to, as did the rest of the fleet, some several times. His ability to keep the winning of the race at the forefront of his thinking, but without causing undue damage to the yacht, was accepted by all his competitors, as a gift that they did not have.
Charles Barr continued set the standard in international yacht racing and continued to hold the position of elite helmsman, that so many would aspire to. And then suddenly, one morning in 1911, in his forty sixth year, as he sat having breakfast with his family, he suffered a massive heart attack and passed away.
His name and reputation is written in sailing history forever.
The portrait photo of Charles Barr is copyright, the Rosenfeld Collection.
Raja Muda Selangor International Regatta 2010
In only five months time, in November 2010, one of Asia’s oldest and most respected sailing regattas 'comes of age.' For the 21st consecutive year, the RoyalSelangor Yacht Club (RSYC) in Malaysia is organizing the latest edition of the exciting and very challenging, Raja Muda Selangor International Regatta (RMSIR).
This international sailing event consists of three overnight passage races, over 200 miles in total, from Port Klang (near Kuala Lumpur) to Pangkor Island, Pangkor to Penang Island and Penang to Langkawi Island, plus two days of 'round the cans' harbour racing. Along the way, dinners and parties are organised almost every night, together with trishaw races, trips to heritage sites and lots of opportunities to socialise. For many crew members, these onshore activities can be almost as demanding as the sailing!
The RMSIR is one of the region’s few offshore yacht races, along with the Sydney to Hobart and the Rolex China Sea Race, and the only South East Asia regatta recognised by the prestigious London based Royal Ocean Racing Club. Since its inception, the regatta has attracted a loyal band of followers who turn up year after year, often with bigger and better yachts each time. In 2009, almost 60 boats registered from 11 different countries, including Hong Kong, Australia, Thailand and Singapore, with crews representing 24 nationalities. Over 400 sailors and officials participated in the nine day event which is part of Asian yachting series.
Coastal conditions in the Straits of Malacca set this event apart. Strong tides, unpredictable winds, shallow mud banks, fishing nets strung out across the course and “Sumatra” storms that appear from nowhere all contribute to making the three night passages races uniquely challenging. Last year, thunderstorms and rain added to that mix for the first two days. Local knowledge certainly helps the navigator but it takes a combination of skill and luck to successfully decide if it’s best to hug the coast, sail out offshore or take a more or less straight line up the middle. Most skippers also have to deal with very light winds at some point and this is the time when concentration and stamina really come into play. On the upside, the sun shines regularly, the water is warm and shorts and tee-shirts are the order of the day.
No matter what the weather conditions, the overnight bases of Pankor, Penang and Langkawi offer a tropical island experience to all who take part, including warm, clear water, exotic birds and coral reefs. Malaysian cuisine is world renown, so for many crew members the chance to try out spicy local delicacies like Roti Canai, Curry Laksa, Satay and Char Kway Teow is as important as the time spent on the water. In Penang, an intermediate prize giving ceremony and dinner is organised at the magnificent Koo Kongsai, a Chinese Clan Temple, where the audience are treated to a colourful cultural show.
Internationally acclaimed sailors such as Neil Pryde, Ray Roberts and Nick Burns/Fred Kinmonth are among former Raja Muda Cup winners who regularly enter their state of the art racing yachts, with professional crews to trim and grind. Dr Jon Wardill has lost count of the times he has competed in his Cassidy 55 Australian Maid since the early 90s, and there are Singapore and Hong Kong based sailors who claim close to 100% participation over a twenty year period. Club sailors are also well represented in the seven classes; which are IRC I (Raja Muda Cup), IRC 2 (Jugra Cup), IRC 3 and 4, non-IRC cruising, Classic Cruising and OMR Multihulls. A unique aspect of sailing in the RMSIR is that local crews represent a microcosm of Malaysian society, with the same interesting ethnic mix of Malay, Chinese, Indian and Expat members.
In 2010, the organisers are planning to make the RMSIR bigger and better than ever. Past entrants are actively encouraged to return and newcomers are being attracted. This year, an organising committee member is operating a “matchmaking agency” to bring together new teams who may want to come to Malaysia to charter a boat and individuals seeking to join a locally based owner looking for additional crew. Groups from Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Europe have already expressed interest in this service and the organisers are keen to hear from any interested sailors and owners.
A brand new web sitewww.rmsir.com is now up and running to provide a wealth of information related to RMSIR, including the Notice of Race, Sailing Instructions, Hotel details, Charter and Crew opportunities. During the event, a novel Live Tracking feature will allow internet users to pinpoint the positions of participating yachts operating AIS, DSC, SPOT messenger or GPSgate equipment. Friends and family back home will be able to see exactly where their team is placed at any time. This service doesn’t stretch as far as the bar, however!
Many organisations have been loyal supporters of the event, including Tourism Malaysia, Selangor State, Malaysian Yachting Association, Guinness Anchor Berhad, YTL Corporation, Royal Langkawi Yacht Club, Langkawi Development Authority, Penang Port, Penang Global Tourism, Palmgold Corporation, Masteron Sdn Bhd and Limbongan Batu Muang. The regatta organisers are also actively encouraging new sponsors and partners to become involved. Tiger Beer will feature prominently in this Year of the Tiger, with free supplies available at every party.
RSYC has a tradition of encouraging and supporting young sailors. A programme is in place that offers free dinghy training to local youngsters, and club youth teams participate in many national and international events. When available, excess funds from RMSIR are channelled to support these activities and to maintain the boats needed to develop sailing and racing standards. Promoting the sport of sailing by giving something back is a frequently stated aim of the organisers.
Eight days of racing always end with an evening social on the terrace of the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club, complete with a backdrop of the sun setting over surrounding islands. With speeches and prize giving out of the way, the real party starts on the dance floor. Crews banter about final results and taking each other on at the Kings Cup in Thailand, the next event in the Asian circuit. For long time competitors and first timers alike, just completing the Raja Muda Selangor International Regatta brings a true sense of achievement.
Dates: 19 – 27 November 2010
For further details on all aspects of the 2010 RMSIR and to contact the organisers, visit the regatta web site at www.rmsir.com
The Regatta is organised by Royal Selangor Yacht Club www.rsyc.com.my
Photos courtesy of Royal Selangor Yacht Club.
NYYC Annual Regatta Presented by Rolex
Known as the longest running regatta in America, the New York Yacht Club’s 156th Annual Regatta presented by Rolex also has the distinction of kicking off the sailing season in New England. During June 11-13, over 1,000 sailors on 111 boats gathered from across the U.S. and Europe for three days of racing on Narragansett Bay and Rhode Island Sound.
The start to the weekend was the ‘Around the (Conanicut) Island’ Race on Friday, which was scored separately from the Saturday/Sunday races. The race has become a popular ‘add on’ for competitors, especially those gearing up for the biennial Newport Bermuda Race the following week. George David’s (Hartford, Conn.) Custom Maxi Rambler took line honors, finishing the 19-nautical mile distance in two hours, 10 minutes. However, Titan 15, a Reichel/Pugh 75 owned by Tom Hill (Puerto Rico) finished in first on corrected time with Hap Fauth (Minneapolis, MN) in second with his Mini Maxi Bella Mente.
‘We really love the competition,’ said Hill after racing. ‘We have been having so much fun racing Titan that to be that close to the other boats is really enjoyable.’ Rambler finished in third.
Hap Fauth's mini maxi, 'Bella Mente'. Photo copyright; Dan Nerney/NYYC.
The Rolex Cup – presented to the best performing, two-boat team in the Around the Island Race – was won by Rush, a J/109 owned by Bill Sweetser (Annapolis, MD) and Spitfire, a J/122 owned by Pierre du Pont (Rockland, DE).
On Saturday, the first day of the two-day buoy racing, most classes completed three races. The skies may have threatened rain but didn’t deliver much on that promise. Come Sunday, the promise of ideal conditions didn’t materialize until late in the day, and most classes ended up adding only one more race to the total score. The IRC boats were split into six classes, with Classics, 12 Metres, 6 Metres, J/105 and NYYC Swan 42 one designs rounding out the fleet.
In IRC 1, Bella Mente won three of four races and took the overall title. An IRC 69 from Reichel/Pugh, the Mini Maxi adds this title to a recent victory in Storm Trysail Club’s Block Island Race, in May, and the 2009 IMA Mediterranean Circuit. The much-anticipated duel among Bella Mente, Titan 15, Rambler and Rán, Niklas Zennström’s (London, U.K.) Judel/Vrolijk 72, proved exciting with the 90-foot Rambler taking line honors in some, but not all races, and the fleet finishing within minutes of each other.
'Sforzando', Blair Brown's Kerr 55. Photo copyright, Dan Nerney/NYYC.
Sforzando, Blair Brown’s (Padanaram, MA) Kerr 55, used consistency to take the IRC 2 title. With four second-place finishes, Sforzando held off NatalieJ, Philip O’Neil’s (Bloomfield Hills, MI) TP52, race 1 and 3 winner finishing in second overall, and SnowLion, Lawrence Huntington’s (New York, NY) Kerr 50, winner of race 2. The U. S. Naval Academy’s TP52 Invictus finished in third.
Rounding out the IRC classes was IRC 3 overall winner Cool Breeze, a Mills 43 owned by John Cooper (Springfield, MO), with four victories in as many races; Wings, a J/122 co-skippered by Mike Bruno/Tom Boyle/Jim Callahan (Irvington, NY) won the largest class, the 14-boat IRC 4; Storm, the J/109 owned by Rick Lyall (Wilton, CT), winner of the 12-boat IRC 5 class; and Bluto, the Evelyn 32 owned by Ben Hall (Tiverton, RI), winner of IRC 6.
In the Classics division, a total of 15 boats competed in the first leg of the 2010 NYYC Invitational Racing Series for Vintage and Classic Yachts. Entries were split among five classes, each full of eye pleasing entries.
Class winner, the 12 Metre 'Columbia'. Photo copyright; Dan Nerney/NYYC.
One such is Columbia that ushered in the 12 Metre era of America’s Cup racing in Newport and won the 1958 Cup. This year, it was chartered for racing by a group of nine friends lead by Americans Charlie Ingersoll (Washington, DC) and Mike Furgueson (Mendham, NJ). ‘A group of us have been sailing for the past nine years in (the) Around Island in Cowes (England) and decided we wanted to try something new,’ said Ingersoll. ‘So, with my seven European friends we decided on this regatta and because Mike Ferguson and I are both NYYC members. We chartered Columbia since we like to race and thought it would be fun to charter a 12 Metre. I mean, we’re in Newport Harbor, and we really wanted to have that Newport experience.’ With three first places and one second, Columbia took the traditional class win over Jon Wullschleger’s (Sarasota, FL) Nefertiti, while Guy Heckman (Newport) and USA won the 12 Metre Modern class over second-place Victory 83 and Denis Williams (Hope Sound, FL).
In CRF Classics, Black Watch, Lars Forsberg’s (Greenwich, CT) Custom S&S won CRF-1, while Peter Kellogg’s (Summit, NJ) Catboat Silent Maid won CRF-2. Clarity, Bill Doyle and Jed Pearsall’s 6 Metre won both all three races to take the 2010 title.
In the first of two one design classes, the 13-boat NYYC Swan 42 class was won by Chris Culver’s (New York, NY) Blazer, with Glen Darden’s (Fort Worth, TX) Hoss in second. The NYYC Swan 42s are gearing up for the national championship, which will be held during NYYC’s Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex (July 17-24). The class enjoyed one day of buoy racing on Friday as a standalone day in lieu of participating in the Around the Island Race where Jon Halbert’s (Dallas, Texas) Vitesse won.
The nine boat J/105 class was won by Live Edge, owned by Michael Mountford (Toronto, CAN), with Dudley Nostrand’s (Hamilton, MA) Jaded in second.
More interviews and stories on the movers and shakers of our sport plus a look at one of the greatest businessmen to challenge for the America's Cup.
The usual round-up of international competitive sailing will be accompanied by a pictorial display of the return to popularity of one of the old keel yacht classes. Plus more!
Until then, sail well and sail safely.
7 July 2010
A Brush with Sail is published by Ocean Heritage Partnership, Wellington, New Zealand. Email: jim@abrushwithsail.com or phone: +64 4 566 1383.
