In This Issue:
Around Alone Leg 2 Preview
Featured Brokerage- Luders 21
Route De Rhum- Monohulls finish
Ultimate Sailing Calendar
Empirical Handicapping
Around Alone Records for Leg 2
Around Alone Leg 2
Leg 2 of Around Alone sails from
Cape Town to Auckland New Zealand. The
distance is 6884 miles. This is the first
of two Southern Ocean legs.
Past Southern Ocean legs have seen
an average of 3.25 boats not finish. A
total of 13 boats have failed to finish.
Several skippers have experienced
furious Southern Ocean Sailing. Isabelle
Autissier has been dismasted on this leg
in both 1990 and 1994. Giovanni Soldini
sailed to a 2nd place on Leg 2 in the
1994-95 race.
So, into this uncertain environment
sails a fleet 15 strong. In Class I the
first 5 boats are within 3 days of each
other. In Class 2 only 23 hour separates
the top three.
Mike Golding won Leg 1 on Group 4.
Golding has upgraded his swing keel's
hydraulic system. Nobody will expect
less than a podium finish from Golding.
Isabelle Autissier will attempt
to finish Leg 2 with her mast still
standing. Her boat had reliability problems
on the much easier Leg 2. This is not a
good omen heading into the Southern Ocean.
Marc Thiercelin was also fast, but
had problems with gear and sails on Leg 1.
If he can stay in one piece he has the
speed for first place.
Josh Hall feels Leg 2 is a good one
for him. Hall's boat is the simplest of
the class I contenders, with the best
record of not breaking. This spot on
reliability may be the difference maker
in a Leg 2 win.
Giovanni Soldini had a disappointing
Leg 1. Still, he expects much of himself
on Leg 2. Soldini says: "I'm starting
this stage very angry and want to make
up for what happened in the first leg."
Taking the above into consideration,
my Class I Leg 2 podium predictions are:
1. Hall 2. Soldini 3. Golding.
The front of Class II was highly
competitive on Leg 1. However, None of
these boats had a trouble free Leg 1.
Cray Valley has now won both Atlantic
Alone and Leg 1 of Around Alone. Still,
until someone else can keep boat speed,
tactics and equipment together long to beat
Cray Valley the red Finot 50 must be favored.
Magellan Alpha had a rather
disappointing Leg 1. With a properly
functioning swing keel Magellan may have an
edge over Cray Valley in the heavy reaching
conditions.
After leading at times during Leg 1
Balance Bar slipped to 3rd. Faulty rudder
bearings along with a rudder failure 4 years
ago makes you pause when thinking of how
Balance Bar will handle the Southern Ocean.
The next grouping in Class II is the
three 40 footers. Wind of Change picked up
sponsorship in Cape Town, and has really
upgraded her equipment. Neal Petersen's
www.no-barriers.com showed much improved form
on Leg 1. Skipper Neal Petersen has enough
miles in to know how hard to push his boat.
Neil Hunters Paladin 2 was Leg 1's 3rd 40
footer. Don't be surprised if Paladin 2
again beats one of the bigger boats.
Finally, there is another group of
three 50 footers. Rapscallion III's George
Stricker feel his boat is well suited
for the Southern Ocean. After a Leg 1 rudder
failure one wonders if South Carolina will
ever be fully prepared to race to her
potential. aito is going faster than
4 years ago, and has a track record of
always finishing.
So, Class II's Leg 2 podium will be?
Try 1st Cray Valley, 2nd Magellan Alpha and
3rd Rapscallion III.
Beginning December 5th, Torresen
Sailing Site will again provide daily
updates. To read these please visit:
http://www.torresen.com/aroundalone/leg2/stories.htm
For the full version of this preview point
your browser to:
http://www.torresen.com/aroundalone/leg2/preview.htm
Featured Brokerage: Luders 21
This week Torresen Marine is glad to
present a Luders 21 daysailer as the featured
brokerage boat.
One of this boats best features is its
draft. At 3 feet the draft is very convenient
for inshore cruising and gunkholing.
Although the Luders has an open cockpit
don't worry about capsizing. The Luders has
full foam flotation.
When you splash the boat and want to
sail she is ready. The sail inventory is a
good one- mainsail, 2 genoas and a spinnaker
with all necessary gear.
Priced at $ 1995.00, with an owner
ready to sell, the Luders 21 is a fine value
for the sailor looking for a turn key daysailer.
To see more about the Luders please visit:
http://www.torresen.com/brokerage/luders1.htm
Coville wins Route de Rhum
monohulls
30 year old mariner Thomas Coville
sailing Aquatine Innovations is the winner
of the Route de Rhum race in the monohull
division. Coville is filling in for Aquataine's
regular skipper Yves Parlier.
Coville only had 1 months warning to prepare
for this event. He navigated the 3530 mile course
in 18 days, 7 hours, 53 minutes and 32 seconds an
average speed of 8.02 knots.
2nd in the monohulls was Jean Luc
Van Den Heede sailing Algimouss. Van Den Heede,
age 50 and a veteran of 4 around the world races
completed his first Route de Rhum in a time of
18 days, 21 hours, 15 minutes and 16 seconds,
an average of 7.79 knots.
Algimoss is different than most Open 60's,
she is quite narrow. Also, she was launched in
June of 1991 and has three around the worlds
and eight transatlantics under her keel.
3rd was Raphael Dinelli sailing Sebedo a
new Finot 60 launched October 15. Sebedo
crossed in 19 days, 9 hours, 58 minutes and
17 seconds an average speed of 7.58 knots.
A week out Dinelli's engine failed. This meant
he lost use of his autopilots and hand steered
most of the time.
Fifth overall and first in Monohull Class II
(also first woman finisher)was Ellen Macarthur
on Kingfisher. Kingfisher is a 50 footer compared
to the 60's of the top 3 finishers.
2nd in Class II was Luc Coquelin sailing his
boat Multicap Gamelin. Multicap sailed the course
in 21 days 21 hours 35 minutes and 54 seconds, an
average of 6.71 knots.
Kingfisher sailed the course in a time
of 20 days 11 hours 44 minutes and 49 seconds
an average speed of 7.17 knots. The trying
circumstances of her victory have caused Ellen
to be nominated for Women Sailor of the Year
in France.
Ellen summed up her Route De Rhum this way:
"It has been hard, from simply getting to the
start line (although hardly simply!), to
covering those final gruelling 40 miles, with
my hands hurting so much from the salt sores.
What an experience, what a challenge, but what
an outcome."
Eight yachts have yet to finish this 6th
sailing of the Route de Rhum. For more
information please see:
http://www.offshorechallenges.com or
http://www.rhum.org/eng.htm
Ultimate Sailing Calendar
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Holidays.
Empirical Handicapping
Committee Established
The Empirical Handicap Committee, established
at the Fall 1998 Annual ISAF meeting, continues
activities formally assigned to the International
Forum for Empirical Handicaps. It is not the
purpose or intent of the Forum to develop,
establish and apply one international empirical
handicapping system.
Rather the aim is to help develop different
approaches to empirical handicapping. In the USA
one of the primary forms of empirical
handicapping is PHRF.
One of the benfits of the committee will
be a database of hull and rig measurements and
assigned handicaps for most types of racing/cruising
sailboats.
This program will make use of the ISAF website,
which is at www.sailing.org. The empirical
handicapping pages will have features such as
Correspondence, Dissemination of newsletter, reports
and technical comments. Also on the ISAF site is a
forum where messages, questions about handicapping
methods can be posted.
Hopefully this committee, by providing better
measurement data, more information, and more methods
of handicapping sailboats, will provide better racing.
For more information please visit:
http://www.sailing.org
Around Alone Records
The reference times for Leg 2 of Around Alone
were set in 1994 when Leg 2 was from Cape Town to
Sydney a distance of 6698 miles. The respective
class records are the fastest in average speed for
any of the legs ever sailed.
The Class I record is 24 days 23 hours
40 minutes and 16 seconds, average speed of 11.2
by Christophe Augin. The Class II record is 28 days
00 hours 28 minutes 45 seconds, an average of 10.0
knots by David Adams.
This year the leg goes to Auckland New Zealand,
an additional 186 miles. From Leg 1 it seems as
though the boats are faster this year. This would
mean, that even with no improvement in average speed,
the Class I leader is looking at a 25 days leg, while
Class II would be around 29 days.
If the boats prove faster, the records will also
be faster, perhaps 24 hours shorter.
For a complete look at Around Alone Leg records
please visit:
http://www.torresen.com/aroundalone/allrecords.htm