Portsmouth, RI (September 29, 2005) - Starting today, 20 of the country's top one-design sailors are meeting on the race course off Bayview Yacht Club in Detroit, Mich., to compete in US SAILING's U.S. Championship of Champions. More than 30 different one-design classes applied to have their National or North American champion compete in the event but, due to space limitations, only 20 were accepted to compete. Selected skippers range from a 13-year old Optimist sailor to a 68 year-old grand master. The one-design class champions are competing in Flying Scots for US SAILING's Jack Brown Trophy. Sponsored by Rolex Watch U.S.A., Dry Creek Vineyards and WeatherWave, the event takes place through Saturday, October 1.
Competitors who have been selected to race in the U.S. Championship of Champions as well as the events through which they qualified are:
Andrew Daugherty (Little Rock, Ark.) - Y-Flyer National Champion
Eduardo Cordero (Sayville, N.Y.) - Sunfish North American Champion
Michael Ingham (Rochester, N.Y.) - Thistle National Champion
Richard Tillman (Syracuse, N.Y.) - Prodigy Class Champion
Rob Anderson (Moscow, ID) - San Juan 21 North American Champion
Jerry Thompson (Long Beach, Calif.) - Master Sabot Champion
Scott Savage (Columbus, OH) - Interlake National Champion
Nathan Fast (Groton, Conn.) - Blue Jay National Champion
James Bigham (Miami, Fla.) - Force Five North American Champion
Mathew Wefer (Glen Head, N.Y.) - Optimist National Champion
Ken Whitt (Chapel Hill, N.C.) - Tanzer 16 National Champion
Gib Charles (Fort Collins, Colo.) - Mutineer 15 National Champion
Barrett Sprout (Los Angeles, Calif.) - Coronado 15 North American Champion
Barret Rhoads (Nashville, Ind.) - Highlander Class National Champion
Peter Harper (Allen, TX) - Catalina 22 National Champion
Kevin Anderson (Grand Rapids, Mich.) - National Butterfly Champion
Mark Stang (Ocean Beach, N.Y.) - Narrasketuck Masters Champion
Oscar Barney (Salt Lake City, UT) - Geary 18 International Champion
Stuart Robertson (Huntington Beach, Calif.) - Lido 14 National Champion
Colin Smith (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) - Optimist North American Champion
Inaugurated in 1976, the U.S. Championship of Champions is comprised of 20 class champions selected by US SAILING from nominations made by their class associations. Eligible are current national or North American one-design class champions who normally sail in the U.S. and are members of US SAILING and of a club, class or association affiliated with US SAILING.
Trapani, Italy. BMW ORACLE Racing opened its account at the Trapani Louis Vuitton Act 8 regatta in Sicily with back-to-back victories over the United Internet Germany team and the South African Team Shosholoza. The first flight of matches was completed in 10-13 knot breezes, but as the afternoon wore on the breeze dropped and shifted into the southwest with some significant localized windshifts that caused upsets in some of the other matches. In both of its races, USA-76 made gains on every leg of the course to claim comfortable wins.
Race One summary:
BMW ORACLE Racing (USA-76) gained its first point of the Trapani Louis Vuitton Act 8 regatta in Sicily by leading United Internet Team Germany (GER-72) from start to finish in the opening race of the regatta. The result was basically decided in the opening moments, when, after a spirited pre-start, the German team made a premature start and had to turn back and re-cross the line. USA-76 hit the startline at speed exactly on the gun and sprinted away into a commanding lead. Sailing in an 11-13 knot breeze, USA-76 stretched its advantage on every leg of the course, to finally win the match by 2 minutes 12 seconds.
Race Two summary:
In a light and very shifty breeze, BMW ORACLE Racing claimed its second victory of the opening day against the South African Team Shosholoza. Skipper Chris Dickson and the crew of USA-76 controlled the race off the startline and herded the South African yacht all the way out to the port-hand layline, tacked once and led around the first windward mark with a 40 second advantage. On each succeeding leg of the race, USA-76 made gains, to finally cross the finish line with a 1 minute 40 second lead over RSA-83.
Quotes from Peter Isler, USA-76 navigator:
“The breeze conditions were actually steadier than we were expecting. However, in the second match, the wind dropped and as you looked across the course, you could see very strange things happening on the right hand side. The left and the middle were pretty steady, but the right was totally weird, so we made sure we kept away from that.
“We were obviously very happy to make gains on each leg of the course in both matches. We were going pretty fast for the conditions, so we were happy with our boatspeed. Coming off the start against Team Shosholoza we were even off the line and to windward of them. It was one of those situations where – particularly in light airs – you would expect to fall down towards them. But we were able to live on their windward side and made steady gains. That was the best leg of the day for us, because the pressure was on.
“The afterguard combination worked well. We have a long way to go in terms of being a well-oiled machine, but there were no problems at all. Tactician Bertrand Pacé gets my Player of the Day award. He did a fantastic job of making very clear and concise calls right through the day.”
Team Standings:
BMW ORACLE Racing 2pt
Alinghi 2pt
Luna Rossa 2pt
K-Challenge 2pt
Victory Challenge 2pt
Emirates Team New Zealand 1pt
United Internet Team Germany 1pt
+39 Challenge 0pt
Mascalzone Latino Capitalia 0pt
China Team 0pt
Desafio Espanol 2007 0pt
Team Shosholoza 0pt
The Coast Guard’s motto Semper Paratus means always ready. It is a motto hard-earned and time-proven over two centuries of meeting the nation’s maritime imperatives. Since the tiny service was formed in 1790, it has honored the Semper Paratus commitment countless times. It’s as if Semper Paratus has been genetically coded into the very fabric of those who wear Coast Guard blue.
When Katrina struck an awful blow, Coast Guard personnel furiously fought back as if it were business as usual. So often they have dealt with the worst that nature can deliver. No gale, no hurricane, no arctic blast, not even the “Perfect Storm” has dampened their will to serve. When Katrina’s waters rose over the land as if it were Atlantis, the “Storm Warriors” once again responded as if it were business as usual.
But it was not business as usual, not by any stretch of the imagination, in what has been hailed as America’s worst natural disaster. The following e-mail written by two Coast Guard Captains—commanding officers responsible for air facilities in the heart of the storm ravished region—provides a glimpse into their Herculean rescue effort. Coastie or not, you can’t help but swell with pride over America’s “Storm Warriors.” And I might add: shame, shame on the finger-pointing media who seemed obsessed with accusations of federal government betrayal. Jabber on as the “talking heads” did—the fact is the nation’s federal Storm Warriors were casting a life-saving rainbow over New Orleans even before Katrina blew out of town. Now an up-lifting story worthy of telling.
The following e-mail from Captain David Callahan, Commanding Officer, Coast Guard Aviation Training Center, Mobile, Alabama, and Captain Bruce Jones, Commanding Officer Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans provides a firsthand account of the ordeals their crews dealt with during and after Katrina ripped across New Orleans.
In tropical storm conditions, every available helicopter immediately began hoisting survivors while performing the difficult task of triaging the neediest from the throngs of victims. Then delivering those recovered to the nearest dry land or overpass.
All Air Station New Orleans’s berthing and most shop spaces were rendered uninhabitable by flooding after Katrina’s Category 4 winds peeled back the hangar roof. Consequently, during the intense first four days of the operation, until temporary tent cities and other shelters began to arrive, all aircrew and support personnel bunked head to toe on floors or on cots in the air station’s crowded administration building. For much of the time the administration building and operations center was without power, air conditioning, running water, and all but one working cellular phone. The Coast Guard Training Center at Mobile encountered challenges with their own hangar roof, losing all of their operations spaces, operation center, and many maintenance shops, along with a loss of base-wide power and phone communications.
Despite these hardships, the extraordinary Coast Guard men and women, who gathered from all over the Coast Guard to join the fight, worked ceaselessly and cheerfully. They worked around the clock providing search and rescue and maintenance operations at an unprecedented level. The dogged determination, enthusiasm and eagerness to serve in any capacity was awesome to behold. Many members of the embedded media commented frequently and with wonder at the superb quality, dedication and camaraderie of the entire crew.
In around-the-clock flight operations over a seven day period, Coast Guard helicopters operating over New Orleans saved an astonishing 6,470 lives. They also saved or assisted thousands of others by delivering tons of food and water to those who could not be moved immediately.
Challenging each pilot and flight mechanic to his or her limits, most hoists were completed in obstacle-strewn environments, often on night vision goggles, over power lines and downed trees with daytime conditions near 100 degrees. The conditions encountered by aircrew rescue swimmers included flooded houses and buildings, steep slippery roofs, foul and contaminated water, and the need to hack through attics with axes or break out windows to free survivors. Add to this the urgency felt by all crew to continue rescuing a seemingly endless supply of increasingly desperate survivors as the hot days wore on.
Aircrew returned from missions with dozens of rescues on a single sortie. One HH-60 helicopter crew completed its day’s work with 150 lives saved. Another helicopter crew saved 110 lives in one day. At times, Air Station Mobile had 37 Coast Guard aircraft on its ramp and in its hangar.
The generous and unwavering support of our fixed-wing shipmates in ferrying vital equipment, supplies and many generous care packages, often paid for with personal funds donated by unit civilians and military personnel, was essential to the continued operations and it was greatly appreciated. It is hard to describe the gratitude felt by those working for days without air conditioning or showers upon the arrival of crates of new underwear, deodorant, toothpaste and other amenities. Steps were taken to procure needed equipment and supplies by whatever means possible. There are many “Radar O’Reilly’s” in the Coast Guard and God bless them.
That this complex operation could be so overwhelmingly successful despite a nearly complete loss of connectivity between Air Station New Orleans and the outside world and chain of command for extended periods of time is a testament to the value of on-scene initiative and flexibility. In short, if you turn highly trained and properly equipped Coasties loose on an objective, they will tackle it, and let you know when it is done.
God bless our incomparable Coast Guard men and women. Semper Paratus!
Signed Captain B.C. Jones, Captain D.R. Callahan.
I needn’t say more.
Throughout 2005, U.S. sailors have achieved great regatta results at home and abroad. Starting today, US SAILING, national governing body of the sport, is accepting nominations for the Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year awards, considered the highest individual sailing honors in the country. Through November 30, 2005, US SAILING members can nominate their favorite male and female sailors who have turned in outstanding performances on the water in this calendar year. Vote by going to US SAILING's website at www.ussailing.org/awards/rolex.
After the nomination period ends, a shortlist of nominees is presented to a panel of noted sailing journalists who discuss the merits of each and vote by secret ballot to determine the award winners. In February 2006, the winners each will be presented with a specially-engraved Rolex timepiece and the perpetual Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year Trophy: a Steuben crystal interpretation of the yacht America.
The site has gained a strong TEAM look and feel, is easier to navigate, and enables us to better organise and display TEAM information. In addition, the new site features new pages such as a TEAM Webshop, where fans soon will be able to order TEAM merchandise.
The choice for the black background represents the competitive spirit of the TEAM and the challenge that the Volvo Ocean Race represents for our crews in their upcoming round-the-world adventure.
The TEAM site should now be easier to navigate. TEAM visitors can easily search for information using our keyworded 'Search' function. You can also now navigate through the TEAM pages via the numerous cross-links on every page, including to video, pictures and audio of the crews. The homepage now shows clearly where information can be found on the site.
We strive to continually improve the TEAM website. We hope you find it as interesting to read and view as we find it to produce. The TEAM is working on several initiatives to make this website better during the race and to bring value to its fans as well as ABN AMRO employees. Should you have suggestions on how to improve the site, please go to the 'Contact us' link on the website, and we will take all your suggestions under consideration. You are also part of our wider 'TEAM'!
ISAF and Rolex are proud to announce the male and female sailors shortlisted for the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards 2005.
The criteria for nomination for the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards 2004 is "outstanding achievement" in the period 1 September 2004 to 31 August 2005. In 2005, a fascinating mix of sailors present outstanding achievements from across the spectrum of the sport and will set the race for some close voting.
The nominees are:
Female
Claire LEROY (FRA)
Ellen MACARTHUR (GBR)
Blanca MANCHÓN DOMINGUEZ (ESP)
Paige RAILEY (USA)
Male
Fernando ECHAVARRI ERASUN and Antón PAZ BLANCO (ESP)
Peter GILMOUR (AUS)
Finian MAYNARD (IVB)
Bruno PEYRON (FRA)
Vincent RIOU (FRA)
Rohan VEAL (AUS)
The 117 ISAF Member National Authorities (MNAs) - the national governing bodies for sailing - around the world will now be invited to vote for the one female nominee and one male nominee whom they feel deserve the honour of receiving the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award 2005.
The winners will be unveiled at the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards Dinner and Presentation on 8 November 2005 at the Grand Copthorne Hotel in Singapore. Each winner will be presented with the prestigious ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award Trophy and a Rolex timepiece.
The achievements of the sailors are:
Female
Claire LEROY (FRA)
Claire LEROY has been competing on the ISAF Graded match racing circuit for more than five years, and her results in 2004/2005 illustrate that she has progressed to the very top of the game. Claire has won four of the eight ISAF Graded women's events she has entered and has only twice not made the final. Her results saw her reach the top spot of the ISAF Women's Match Race World Rankings in May 2005 and she has held firm in pole position since. She can also be found racing on the open circuit and is no stranger to victory there either, ranked at 96 and with the accolade of being the highest ranked female skipper on the Open Rankings.
ISAF Women's Match Racing World Ranking at the end of the nomination period (24 August 2005) - 1 ISAF Open Match Racing World Ranking at the end of the nomination period (24 August 2005) - 96
Women's Circuit
7th - Bermuda Women's International Match Race Championship, October 2004 - ISAF Grade 1
1st - Rolex Osprey Cup, October 2004 - ISAF Grade 1
1st - JPMorgan Fleming Women's Challenge, February 2005 - ISAF Grade 3
1st - Spring Cup in Quay, April 2005 - ISAF Grade 3
2nd - International Women Match Race Criterium, April 2005 - ISAF Grade 1
2nd - BoatU.S. Santa Maria Cup, June 2005 - ISAF Grade 1
1st - Women's Antibes Cup, June 2005 - ISAF Grade 2
3rd - Swedish Match Cup, July 2005 - ISAF Grade 1
Open Circuit
7th - Championnat de France Espoirs de Match Race, November 2004 - ISAF Grade 3
1st - Selective de Ligue St Quay, January 2005 - ISAF Grade 4
2nd - Finale de Zone Manche St Quay, February 2005 - ISAF Grade 4
10th - JPMorgan Fleming Winter Challenge Final, March 2005 - ISAF Grade 2
11th - Championnat de France de Match Racing 2005, March 2005 - ISAF Grade 3
6th - April in Antibes, April 2005 - ISAF Grade 3
Ellen MACARTHUR (GBR)
The single-handed round the world record was smashed in 2004 by Francis JOYON (FRA), but Ellen and her team always believed they could do better and, on 28 November 2004, Ellen set off on her maxi-trimaran B&Q on what would be the fastest single-handed circumnavigation ever. Ellen faced the full range of the ocean's conditions and a nail biting final few days as she endured light winds which forced her to watch her lead on JOYON's time gradually diminish. Sailing a total of 27,354 nautical miles, Ellen took 1 day, 8 hours, 35 minutes and 49 seconds off JOYON's record, completing her voyage in just over 71 days. After a short rest Ellen was back out on the race course with a crew competing in the St. Nazaire to St. Malo race and the Plymouth to Roscoff Brittany Ferries 100 Mile Trophy.
WR - Around the world, non-stop, single-handed record, 27,354nm - 71 days, 14 hours, 18 minutes, 33 seconds - average speed 12.66 knots, 28 November 2004 - 7 February 2005 St. Nazaire to St. Malo (SNSM) - set new record for Maxi class category (not overall record), 284nm - 1 day, 3 hours, 23 minutes and 29 seconds, May 2005 (crewed) Awarded 'Alternative Sportsperson of the Year' at Laureus Sports Awards, May 2005 Plymouth to Roscoff Brittany Ferries 100 Mile Trophy (crewed), Time: 6 hours, 20 minutes and 33 seconds, June 2005
Blanca MANCHÓN DOMINGUEZ (ESP)
Blanca MANCHÓN DOMINGUEZ had already begun to make a name for herself on the windsurfing circuit when she became the youngest sailor at the 2004 Olympic Sailing Competition and 2005 has been another phenomenal year. With wins at four of the five ISAF graded events she has contested in the nomination period, her achievements speak for themselves. The 2005 ISAF Grade W Mistral World Championship took place in Italy in May and in an event beset by difficult conditions, Blanca blitzed the competition to take the gold medal with a 13 point margin. The Mistral European Youth Champion ran concurrently with the Worlds and Blanca won this title 120 points clear from the next youth sailor. It was therefore little surprise later in the year at the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship in Busan, Korea that Blanca should top the podium again. This time she did so with a day to spare, after winning six of the eleven races. Her results have seen her steadily climb the ISAF World Sailing Rankings to end the nomination period at number three. This young windsurfer is certainly one to watch for the future.
ISAF World Sailing Ranking at the end of the nomination period (3 August 2005) - 3
3rd - HRH Princess Sofia Trophy, March 2005 - ISAF Grade 2
1st - Mistral World Championship, May 2005 - Grade W
1st - World Festival on the Beach, May 2005 - ISAF Grade 3
1st - Mistral European Youth Championship, May 2005
1st - Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship, July 2005 - ISAF Grade 2
Paige RAILEY (USA)
Paige RAILEY has exploded onto the Olympic circuit during the last nine months and firmly established herself as the force to be reckoned with in the Laser Radial. In January, Paige took victory at her first ISAF Graded Laser Radial event which was also the first ISAF Grade 1 event for the new Olympic women's one person dinghy equipment. She followed up that victory with three more to end the nomination period with wins at five of the seven graded events she has entered. In July, Paige returned to an event she had contested three times before, and from which she had walked away with two medals, the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship which took place in Busan, Korea. Paige faced the cream of young talent from around the world, and a clear favourite to win the gold she produced another impressive performance, winning six of the eleven races and ending the Championship on top of the podium. This victory is another first as she is the only female to ever win more than one single-handed dinghy title at the ISAF Youth Worlds Championship. A few weeks later she was back on the water at the ISAF Grade CI Laser Radial European Championship in Split, Croatia where she topped the podium again and in doing so, boosted herself back to the top of the ISAF World Sailing Rankings, despite counting points from fewer regattas than those ranked behind her.
ISAF World Sailing Ranking at the end of the nomination period (3 August 2005) - 1
1st - Rolex Miami OCR, January 2005 - ISAF Grade 1
1st - Laser Midwinters East, February 2005 - ISAF Grade 1
1st - HRH Princess Sofia Trophy, March 2005 - ISAF Grade 2
7th - Holland Regatta, May 2005 - ISAF Grade 1
2nd - Kieler Woche, June 2005 - ISAF Grade 1
1st - ISAF Youth Worlds, July 2005 - ISAF Grade 2
1st - Laser Radial European Championship, August 2005 - ISAF Grade C1
Male
Fernando ECHAVARRI ERASUN & Antón PAZ BLANCO (ESP)
Tornado sailors Fernando ECHAVARRI ERASUN and Antón PAZ BLANCO have had quite a year. They finished off 2004 with a second place at the Christmas Race in Palamos, Spain and began 2005 with victory, taking five bullets from the nine race series at the ISAF Grade 2 Barcelona Olympic Sailing Week in March. Their performance through the season was consistent and really took off with a bang in May when they claimed the gold medal at the ISAF Grade 1 Holland Regatta. They followed up this result with the ISAF Grade W Tornado World Championship title in June and then did the double in August claiming the European Championship title as well. Their achievements also paid dividends in their ISAF World Ranking position and through the nomination period they climbed steadily up to the top spot which they claimed on 29 June.
ISAF World Sailing Ranking at the end of the nomination period (3 August 2005) - 1
2nd - Christmas Race, Dec 2004 - Ungraded
1st - Barcelona Olympic Sailing Week, March 2005 - ISAF Grade 2
4th - Princess Sofia Trophy, March 2005 - ISAF Grade 2
4th - Hobie Tiger World Championship, April 2005
9th - Semaine Olympique Française, April 2005 - ISAF Grade 1
1st - Holland Regatta, May 2005 - ISAF Grade 1
1st - Tornado World Championship, June 2005 - Grade W
1st - Tornado European Championship, August 2005 - Grade C1
Peter GILMOUR (AUS)
Peter GILMOUR has been a formidable opponent on the match racing circuit for many years, having raced with five America's Cup syndicates and notching three ISAF World Championship titles to his belt. After a break from the ISAF Graded match racing circuit, the Australian has returned on superb form this season. Peter has entered eight ISAF Grade 1 events between October 2004 and August 2005 and claimed victory in three consecutive events. The first win was at Match Race Germany in May, where he defeated Jesper BANK (DEN). Later that month he was in Croatia wining his fifth ACI H1 Match Race title against Philippe PRESTI (FRA), before heading north again to Sweden for the Swedish Match Cup which he won for the sixth time in his career. Peter's consistent performance also saw him taking that coveted top spot on the ISAF World Match Race Rankings on 22 June 2005.
ISAF Open Match Racing World Ranking at the end of the nomination period (24 August 2005) - 1
5th - King Edward VII Bermuda Gold Cup, October 2004 - ISAF Grade 1
4th - 15th Nippon International Match Race, November 2004 - ISAF Grade 1
2nd - Toscana Elba Cup, May 2005 - ISAF Grade 1
1st - Match Race Germany, May 2005 - ISAF Grade 1
1st - ACI H1 Match Race Cup, May 2005 - ISAF Grade 1
1st - Swedish Match Cup, July 2005 - ISAF Grade 1
3rd - Portugal Match Cup, July 2005 - ISAF Grade 1
6th - St Moritz Match Race, August 2005 - ISAF Grade 1
Finian MAYNARD (IVB)
Finian MAYNARD became sailing's fastest man on water when he broke the 500 metre course record in November 2004 sailing on The Canal or the "French Trench" near Saintes Maries de la Mer in France with an official speed of 46.82 knots. Breaking the record, which had been set by the innovative asymmetric trimaran Yellow Pages in 1993, and bringing it back to windsurfing was not enough for Finian and he continued to chase his dream. In April, the conditions on The Canal were perfect and he broke his own record by nearly two knots recording a speed of 48.70 knots, tantalizingly close to that elusive 50 knot barrier. It took almost two years of preparation from when Finian and the Masters of Speed team began the rebuild of The Canal to make it the perfect venue for speed sailing record attempts and there is little doubt that Finian will be back on the "French Trench" and the 50 knot barrier will tumble.
Finian's talents are not restricted to speed sailing and he is a regular competitor on the Formula and Slalom circuits and, proving his skill, he took the European championship title in July with a race to spare.
WR - 48.70 knots - WSSRC 500m course record, outright & 10sqM, April 2005
WR - 46.82 knots - WSSRC 500m course record, outright & 10sqM, November 2004
1st - IFCA Slalom Europeans, June 2005
3rd - IFCA Slalom Worlds, July 2005
3rd - ISA Speedsurfing Grand Prix, July 2005
Bruno PEYRON (FRA)
The Jules Verne Trophy is the ultimate target for the offshore speed sailor and Bruno PEYRON is a man who has more miles than most to his credit. Despite the disappointment of abandoning his record attempt in March 2004, it was not long before Bruno and his team were back on the start line. In September 2004 the team broke the Marseille to Catharge Record, before they returned to base in Lorient, France to prepare for their main goal. On 24 January 2005, the Maxi-catamaran Orange II began another attempt to win the Jules Verne Trophy and the outright round the world record. Just over seven weeks later, skippered masterfully by Bruno, Orange II was back, having swallowed up the oceans and broken the record by more than seven days - an unbelievable achievement by an outstanding sailor.
Between May and July, Bruno was in action in the Nokia Oops Cup, a combination of offshore races and city races sailed in Sweden, Finland, Poland, Denmark, Norway and Russia using the Formula 60 trimarans. Bruno and his Stena Sovcomflot team did not finish below third in any of the stages and won the overall prize with a race to spare.
WR - Around the World, non-stop, crewed record - 50 days, 16 hours, 20 minutes and 4 seconds, Orange II, average speed 17.89 knots, 24 January-16 March 2005
WR - Marseille to Catharge outright 'The Transmed record', crewed - 17 hours, 56 minutes and 33 seconds, Orange II, 458nm, average speed 25.53 knots, 24-25 September 2004
1st - Nokia Oops Cup - Stena Sovcomflot, May-July 2005
Vincent RIOU (FRA)
The Vendée Globe is one of the most demanding round the world yacht races and through that race Vincent RIOU came out from the wings onto centre stage. Vincent sailed a spectacular race in a highly competitive field in which the lead changed numerous times. As the finish approached the three leading boats, Vincent's PRB, Boundelle skippered by Jean-Pierre LE CAM (FRA) and Mike GOLDING's (GBR) Ecover played a cat and mouse game of psychological warfare as they pushed themselves and their boats to the very edge. The final result went down to the wire and Vincent spent his last few days of the race keeping a very close eye on the progress of second placed Boundelle who had held the lead as close as three days before he finished. On 2 February 2005, Vincent returned to Les Sables de'Olonne to a hero's welcome for winning the Vendée Globe 2004/2005. Alongside victory came another prize, a new single-handed round the world monohull record which took more than five days off his friend Michel DESJOYEAUX's (FRA) record from 2002.
1st - Vendée Globe 2004/2005, PRB, 7 November 2004-2 February 2005
WR - Round the world, non stop, single-handed monohull record, 12,760nm, PRB, 87 days, 10 hours, 47 minutes and 55 seconds - average speed 10.37 knots and beating the record by 5 days, 17 hours, 9 minutes and 37 seconds, 7 November 2004-2 February 2005
Rohan VEAL (AUS)
Rohan VEAL is considered by many to be the most highly skilled hydrofoil sailor in the world. Rohan's talents were set in stone at the 2005 International Moth World Championship where he blitzed the competition, winning every race in a variety of conditions by anything from two to 17 minutes. Rohan's performance was the most dominant in Moth Class history and he is the first sailor to ever win the World title using hydrofoils. Rohan's talents on the water are matched by a drive to achieve off the water. His pursuit of the best designs and collaborations and his dedication to his sport is further illustrated by his commitment to the younger sailors in his class and yacht club who regularly benefit from his advice, experience and equipment.
1st - 2005 International Moth World Championship, January 2005
1st - 2004/5 International Moth Australian Open Championship, December 2004
2nd - 2004/5 International Moth Australian Championship, December 2004
3rd - 2005 International Moth European Championship, August 2005
1st - 2005 South Pacific Moth Champion, January 2005
Saturday was racing at its best on Eastchester Bay, under a clear blue sky with the Manhattan skyline as a backdrop. Throughout the morning, winds blew from the northeast at 15 - 17 knots before shifting to the east and diminishing to 10 - 12 knots after lunch, and easing to 5 - 10 knots later in the day.
Fourteen races were sailed. Sunday was overcast and cloudy, and the wind came from the south initially about 5 - 8 knots and later 8 - 12 knots. Fourteen more races were sailed for a complete seven set rotation before finishing at 1300 to provide ample time for our guests from Cleveland and South Bend to return to campus at a reasonable hour. In addition to some great sailing, guests were
treated to an overabundance of calories with New York City's famous H&H Bagels & Cream Cheese, Krispy Kreme doughnuts, New England Clam Chowder, great Italian Bread and the world's most delicious Cheesecake from S&S Bakery in the Bronx.
Fordham wishes to thank Mr. Glen Vitaglione & Mr. Steve Breiness of Morris Yacht & Beach Club, who offered their boats for Race Committee service on Saturday & Sunday respectively, and to Patrick James for manning the safety boat for both days.
Winning Team: Georgetown
A Division: Berry Kurland ' 06 & Jamie Locks ' 08
B Division: Todd Breeden ' 07 & Phillipa Fraumeni ' 08
FINAL STANDINGS
1. Georgetown - 47 points
2. Fordham 1 - 60
3. Notre Dame - 105
4. Fordham 2 - 117
5. Holy Cross - 141
6. John Carroll - 156
7. Loyola - 163
A Division Results
1. Berry Kurland ' 06 & Jamie Locks ' 08 - Georgetown - 20 points
2. Anne-Marie Martin ' 08 & Jennifer Brandes ' 08 - Fordham 1 - 34 points
3. Kathryn Noonan ' 07 & Kaitlin Dowgin ' 07 - Holy Cross - 53 points
4. Patrick Moise ' 09 & Katie O'Malley ' 08 - Fordham 2 - 64 points
5. Tim Roy ' 08/Chris May ' 08 & Kerry Kilbourn ' 07/Amy Becker ' 07 - Notre
Dame - 64 points
6. Pat Broome ' 09 & Katy Lloyd ' 06 - John Carroll - 66 points
7. Brian Boyle ' 08 & Bill Fusco ' 08 - Loyola - 96 points
B Division Results
1. Mike Purinton ' 09 & Georgia Doremus ' 09 - Fordham 1 - 26 points
2. Todd Breeden ' 07 & Phillipa Fraumeni ' 08 - Georgetown - 27 points
3. Chris May ' 08/John Dailey ' 08 & Amy Becker ' 07/Kathryn Hoodecheck ' 06
- Notre Dame - 41 points
4. Joe Raite ' 09 & Katie Griffin ' 08/Annie Christie ' 09 - Fordham 2 - 53
points
5. Conor Ward ' 09 & Becca Orchardo ' 09 - Loyola - 67 points
6. Peter Kavanewsky ' 08 & Pat McGrath ' 09 - Holy Cross - 88 points
7. Pat Feeley ' 05 & Kendra White (Fordham sub) ' 09 - 90 points
The Breitling MEDCUP now has a winner. After five events, and 38 races sailed and only 9 points between the first and second boats on the leader board, the Chilean vessel Pisco Sour owned by Emilio Cousiño, Bernardo Matte and Antonio Orlyi with Vasco Vascotto at the helm have taken a brilliant victory in the Breitling MEDCUP TP52 Circuit 2005.
The forecasts were correct and even their closest rivals, Lexus with Russell Coutts and Caixa Galicia with Roberto Bermúdez de Castro couldn’t prevent these leaders since the second event in the Circuit (Valencia) from becoming the champions. Despite the fact that Lexus won the two following events (Breitling Regatta and the King’s Cup in Palma, Mallorca) they didn’t manage to gain enough points to push great Vasco Vascotto off the top. Tonight Vascotto and crew will take home the coveted Breitling MEDCUP trophy after a dinner to be given by Breitling at the Porto Rotondo Yacht Club in Sardinia, Italy. HM King Juan Carlos and his boat Bribon, take home the Corinthian Trophy for owner-driver participants, and finish the 2005 season in fourth place on the Breitling MEDCUP TP52 leader board.
The excitement was high in today’s two races. The first race started with very little wind, and speeds registering at just 4 knots, meaning the search was on for an area of higher wind pressure throughout the whole racecourse. Although Pisco Sour set out with enough of a lead to sail a fairly conservative regatta, they couldn’t let their guard down. In the upwind stretch the leaders were those who managed to find higher pressure and could pick up speed, such as Sjambok, with Gavin Brady at the wheel, followed by a strong Aifos, who gave a first class performance today. Next at this point were Caixa Galicia, Orlanda, Balearia, Bribon, Pisco Sour with Patches and Lexus at the back of the fleet who were sailing an incomprehensible match race which didn’t benefit either of the vessels in the end.
After the spinnakers were hoisted the lead went to an expertly sailed Aifos, who were getting the very most out of the boat, to take the honour of crossing the finish line in first place, followed by Caixa Galicia who were 12 seconds behind, Sjambok, Pisco Sour, Orlanda-Olympus, Bribon, Lexus, Patches and Balearia.
The key to the second race was that although Vascotto and crew had already won the Trophy, Lexus and Caixa Galicia were battling for second place, both on equal points. It was clear that the similarity and close competition in the Circuit were going to make for an extremely tough fight for positions until the very end. The second race was a duel between Caixa Galicia and Coutt’s Lexus who went head to head for second place in the Circuit. The battle was won by Russell Coutts and Peter Isler on Lexus, and the team took second place in the very first Breitling MEDCUP TP52 Circuit.
Despite not gaining second place, Caixa Galicia finished the Circuit on a high note, as they took a victory as winners of the Audi Cup, the fifth and final event in the Breitling MEDCUP Circuit. They were beat Pisco Sour, who came in second place and Bribon who finished third in the event.
Pisco Sour finishes the Breitling MEDCUP TP52 2005 Circuit on 249 points, 9 more than their closest rival Lexus. With this victory we see the close of the Breitling MEDCUP 2005 Circuit which has included five scored events placed in five different locations. In June, the first event, Punta Ala, on the Tuscan coast, was held with 7 Transpac 52s competing. The event was won outright by Caixa Galicia who gave a fantastic performance in Italian waters. Following Punta Ala, the boats went to Valencia, Spain where two new vessels joined the fleet (Aifos and Cristabella) and Vasco Vascotto swept the floor with the other TP52s, and gained the points advantage that has carried them to the top of the final classifications for the Circuit. The third event was the Breitling Regatta in Mallorca, at the beginning of July, where Lexus-Quantum took a win, this time with Dean Barker at the wheel. The result was repeated in the King’s Cup regatta, also in Mallorca, but with Russell Coutts back at the wheel, and eleven boats on the start line. So the fleet were together again to take on the last of the five events in the Circuit in Porto Rotondo, Sardinia, Italy, an event which goes to Caixa Galicia, and is the second event they have won in a Transpac 52 Circuit.
Clasificación general tras cuatro regatas disputadas. Copa Audi
1. Caixa Galicia. Roberto Bermúdez 5+7+9+7+8+2=44
2. Pisco Sour. Vasco Vascotto. 9+9+8+5+6+4=41 pts
3. Lexus. Russell Coutts 7+8++7+3+3+9=37
4. Patches. Ian Walker. 8+5+4+9+2+5 =33
5. Bribón. S.M. Don Juan Carlos. 4+6+5+6+4+7=32
6. Aifos. Iñaki Castañer. 3+4+3+2+9+6=27
7. Sjambok. Gavin Brady. 6+2+6+4+7+2 =27
8. Orlanda-Olympus. Lorenzo Bressanni. 2+3+2+8+5+3 =23
9. Balearia. Antonio Gorostegui.1+1+1+1+1+1=6
Clasificación general Circuito Breitling MEDCUP –tras 35 regatas disputadas-
1. Pisco Sour. Vasco Vascotto 249 pts
2. Lexus. Russell Coutts 240
3. Caixa Galicia. Roberto Bermúdez 239
4. Bribón. S.M. Don Juan Carlos. 193
5. Orlanda-Olympus. Lorenzo Bressanni. 191
6. Atlanti. Paul Cayard. 167
7. Bambakou. John Coumantaros. 147
8. Cristabella. John Cook. 115
9. Aifos. Ricardo Maldonado. 100
10. Siemens. Jim Allsop. 41
11. Patches. Ian Walker. 33
12. Sjambok.Gavin Brady. 27
13. Balearia. Antonio Gorostegui. 23
Deca Cables Inc. of Trenton, Ontario today joins Spirit of Canada Ocean Challenges as a Silver Level Partner and Official Supplier of all the cabling and wiring for the new Spirit of Canada Open 60. Deca Cables personnel are also providing professional assistance with the construction of the large ovens that will be used to cure the all carbon constructed Open 60 Spirit of Canada.
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND (Sept. 23, 2005) - After a day of waiting on the Chesapeake Bay for wind that never materialized, the Annapolis Yacht Club Race Committee concluded the 11th biennial Rolex International Women's Keelboat Championship shortly before 2:00pm. Upon the completion of racing yesterday, it was determined that Sally Barkow (Nashotah, Wis.) did not need to sail the 11th and final race today as she had a low enough total score in to win the regatta. Racing took place Sept. 19-23 in Annapolis, Md. At the gala Rolex Awards ceremony held this evening at the Annapolis Yacht Club, Barkow and her crew of Debbie Capozzi (Bayport, N.Y.), Carrie Howe (Grosse Pointe, Mich.) and Annie Lush (Poole, England) were presented with US SAILING's Bengt Julin Trophy and a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Stainless Steel & 18k gold Ladies Datejust.
Going into today's racing, the battle seemed to be for second place. Without enough wind to settle the battle, yesterday's standings became the series final results and Cory Sertl (Rochester, N.Y.) with her team aboard Lucy -- Dina Kowalyshyn (Annapolis, Md.), Pease Glaser (San Diego, Calif.) and Suzy Leech (Avon, Conn.) - captured third place in the 42-boat fleet, with Jody Swanson (Buffalo, N.Y.) and crew Debbie Probst, Abby Ruhlman and Maegan Ruhlman in third place. Fourth place was US Olympian Carol Cronin (Jamestown, R.I.), who sailed her Team Spidey with crew Jamie Hanes (Newport, R.I.), Linda Epstein (Arlington, Mass.) and Kim Couranz (Annapolis).
The top foreign skipper was New Zealand's Sharon Ferris, who with her TeamOneNewport finished in fifth place overall.
Sixth-place was one of the regatta's standouts, Jo Ann Fisher (Arnold, Md.). Fisher and her crew of Emma Jones, Kiri Key and 16-year-old Morgan Wilson made an impression on the fleet since this is Fisher's first regatta steering a J/22 class sailboat. The top Annapolis skipper, Lorie Stout, was awarded the City of Annapolis Trophy by Annapolis Mayor Ellen Moyer. Stout, who sailed her boat Stoutgear.com to an impressive seventh-place overall, topped the 13 other Maryland teams competing.
Rounding out the top 10 places were Julie Sitzman (Orr's Island, Maine), Anna Tunnicliffe (Norfolk, Va.) and Derby Anderson (Annapolis).
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND (Sept. 22, 2005) - Not since the early days of the Rolex International Women's Keelboat Regatta when Betsy Alison began her streak of five wins has this regatta seen a performance from one sailor and her team as has been witnessed this week in Annapolis. Sally Barkow (Nashotah, Wis.) and her Team 7 crew clinched the title at the conclusion of today's racing on Chesapeake Bay with one day --and one race-- to spare. With a scoreline totaling 14 points in 10 races, Barkow topped a 42-boat fleet stocked with impressive competitors such as Cory Sertl (Rochester, N.Y.) and Jody Swanson (Buffalo, N.Y.), both noted as a Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year, who are currently in second and third-place, respectively. Two races were held today on Chesapeake Bay by host Annapolis Yacht Club.
"It feels fantastic to win," said Barkow, who is No. 1 on the US Sailing Team in the Olympic Yngling class. "We're pretty lucky to win it with one race to spare. We took every race and sailed consistently and that was the game." Barkow's crew is the same as her Yngling team - Carrie Howe and Debbie Capozzi - with the addition of Annie Lush. All four won the 2003 Rolex IWKC title.
Barkow and crew will sit out the final race and let the rest of the fleet enjoy themselves. After devoting the past two years to full-time sailing with the goal of earning a berth for the 2008 Olympic Games, Barkow explained that she needs the rest.
Sertl, who is in second-place overall, also appears to be able to sit out tomorrow's race. "The way we figured it, we don't think we have to sail tomorrow, but we'll make that decision in the morning," she said noting that Carol Cronin (Jamestown, R.I.), currently in fourth-place overall, might be awarded redress by the jury for picking up a crew person who had fallen overboard, changing her fifth-place finish in today's last race. Sertl is sailing with Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year Pease Glaser, Dina Kowalyshyn and Suzy Leach.
Cronin described the last race where soon after rounding the leeward mark in third place, she was headed back upwind as Stephanie McMahon's (Rochester, N.Y.) boat was sailing downwind toward them. McMahon lost crew member Teresa Strout (Fairfax,Va.) overboard when the boat accidentally jibed. "We tacked because we didn't want to hit them," said Cronin, who won this regatta as crew in 1999. "Then we saw their team mate in the water and quickly went head to wind. She swam right to us and jumped on. We were able to get going again, and sail with her, but we lost the two boats we were covering, so that is why we were filing for redress." Later Cronin was awarded a third-place by the International Jury, bringing her point score to 48, one point behind Swanson.
Sertl won the race, whch was held on a triangle course. "Pease said that we're probably the only ones here old enough to remember triangle courses," joked Sertl noting that when this regatta was first held in J/24s in the late 1980s and early 90s, triangle courses were more common. "We started at the pin, because there was room there. But Jody was down there and I was careful to start to leeward of her, because there were a lot of waves and it is important to have a clear lane to steer. Once we had that and had clear air, we made the boat go fast, then we tacked and had the whole fleet behind us."
New Zealand's Sharon Ferris is in fifth-place, with local standout JoAnn Fisher (Arnold, Md.) in sixth. Fisher captured two second places today.
The regatta continues through Friday, with one final race planned.
The Rolex International Women's Keelboat Championship title sponsor is Rolex Watch U.S.A. Platinum level sponsors are Condé Nast Media Group, Fairchild Publications, Inc., The Golf Digest Companies, Annapolis Volvo and Hinckley Yachts. The Gold level sponsors are Bank of America, Fawcett Boat Supplies, Liljenquist & Beckstead, Brown-Forman Wines, Appleton Rum, Tuaca, Finlandia Vodka, and Brown-Forman Spirits America. The Silver level sponsors include North Sails and Quantum Sails. Bronze level sponsors include J Boats, J Port Annapolis, J World Annapolis, Annapolis Bank and Trust, AGA Correa, Boatyard Bar and Grill, Sterling Brokerage, Grog & Gruel Provisioning, VC Performance Rigging Courtney Sue Handbags, US Watercraft, Anne Arundel County EDC, SpinSheet Magazine, Café Gurus, Royal Folly B&B, and the AYC Foundation. The Official Gear sponsor is Helly Hansen. The Rolex IWKC 2005 is a US SAILING Championship hosted by the Annapolis Yacht Club.
Day 4 - Top 10 of 42
Place, Skipper Name, Hometown, Finish Positions, Total
1. Sally Barkow, Nashotah, Wis., TEAM SEVEN, USA, 3-1-1-2-1-3-1-1-1-[10], 14
2. Cory Sertl, Rochester, N.Y., USA, LUCY, 1-[9]-2-9-3-7-2-6-7-1, 38
3. Jody Swanson, Buffalo, N.Y., USA, 2-2-[17]-4-5-4-10-7-9-3, 46
4. Carol Cronin, Jamestown, R.I., USA, TEAM SPIDEY, 6-6-6-[11]-2-8-9-2-6-5, 50
5. Sharon Ferris, TEAMONENEWPORT, Russell BOI, NZ, 7-11-3-1-6-2-8-14-[15]-4, 56
6. JoAnn Fisher, Arnold, Md., USA, TEAM FISHER, 11-14-5-5-11-11-4-[17]-2-2, 65
7. Lorie Stout, Annapolis, Md., USA, STOUTGEAR.COM, 5-7-9-[15]-9-1-5-11-14-12, 73
8. Julie Sitzmann, Orr's Island, Maine, USA, DOGS PLAYING POOL, 16-3-4-3-17-20-[29]-4-3-6, 76
9. Anna Tunnicliffe, Norfolk, Va. USA, 12-8-[28]-16-13-5-6-5-4-19, 88
10. Derby Anderson, Annapolis, Md., USA, [15]-5-12-8-12-14-7-8-8-15, 89
Portsmouth, R.I. (September 20, 2005) - Last year's U.S. Match Racing Champions - skipper Karl Ziegler (Norwalk, Conn.) and crew Dean Brenner (Wallingford, Conn.) and Michael Welch (Burlington, Vt.) - are returning this year to defend their title at the US SAILING Championship. Crew Dean Brenner has already won the Championship a record four times and is looking to make this Championship his fifth. The teams have arrived at host club Newport Harbor Yacht Club in Newport Beach, Calif. today and, after a clinic on Wednesday, racing will begin this Thursday and run through this Saturday. The U.S. Match Racing Championship is sponsored by Rolex Watch U.S.A. and Dry Creek Vineyard.
Competitors qualified for the U.S. Match Racing Championships by winning a series of qualifying events at a local and regional level. The winning boat will be presented with US SAILING's Prince of Wales Bowl, a trophy that was originally created in 1931. The U.S. Match Racing Championship is sailed in Governors Cup 21s.
Spirits were slightly dampened at the start of the second day’s racing in the last event in the Breitling MEDCUP, as persistent showers and a distinct lack of breeze took over the Sardinian Emerald Coast. The atmosphere on the quay of the Porto Rotondo Yacht Club left no doubt that despite the bad conditions there were still plenty of nerves for the nine teams competing, as the crews prepared themselves to fight hard for those final positions in the Breitling MEDCUP 2005 rankings.
Light unstable winds dominated in a heart-stopping day of racing for the TP 52 Class. The winner of the day was Pisco Sour, who were fast and furious against the rest. The Chilean vessel is owned by Cousiño, Matte and Orlyi and has Italian Vasco Vascotto at the helm, and the team are currently leading in the general rankings of the Circuit. Caixa Galicia, with John Kostecki as tactician, gave a great performance to win the second race with over one minute advantage over Pisco Sour.
Following their performance in both races today Pisco Sour reinforces their lead in the Breitling MEDCUP Circuit 2005. Bribon confirm her position as leader in the Corinthian Class for owner-drivers.
CHILEAN PROWESS IN SARDINIAN WATER
After a postponement of almost one hour, the fleet took the start line of the first windward-leeward race of the day. Tensions were high from the very start of the race, as Lexus, with America’s Cup winner Russell Coutts, and Pisco Sour, with Vasco Vascotto went head to head in a battle for the lead. There were two boats that stood out at the start - on the one hand Lexus for their determination, whilst closely marking the leaders in the Breitling MEDCUP, Pisco Sour, and on the other hand the US boat Sjambok, with Gavin Brady as Skipper and Dee Smith as tactician, for other reasons who performed a false start which positioned them at the back of the fleet for the rest of the race.
Vascotto and Coutts match racing experience was clearly a deciding factor in the first upwind leg, reflected in the head to head race between the two vessels who took the first mark in first (Pisco) and third (Lexus-Quantum) place, with Caixa Galicia pushing themselves cleverly in between the two to take the mark in second place. In fourth place was the Irish vessel Patches, who have Olympic and America’s Cup (Emirates Team New Zealand) star Ben Ainslie at the helm, followed in fifth place by a superbly driven Aifos.
In the next leg, the Chilean vessel Pisco Sour reinforced their lead, and Lexus overtook the Spanish team Caixa Galicia who fell back a position following a good tactical call by Patches. Aifos were in fifth place at this point, ahead of Bribon who had HM King Juan Carlos I at the helm. As the boats were setting course for the second upwind stretch a sudden change in wind direction which allowed the TPs at the head of the fleet were hoisting their spinnakers, forced the Race Committee to declare the race finished. In this first windward-leeward race, Pisco Sour took a great win after a tough attack from Russell Coutts and team who finished in second place, followed by Caixa Galicia, Bribon, Patches, Aifos, Orlanda-Olympus, Sjambok who gained a position, and Balearia in last place.
Caixa Galicia takes a fantastic win
In the second race of the day things took a sharp change, as Caixa Galicia made all the right decisions to take the first mark in first place with an amazing one minute advantage over Sjambok, Pisco Sour, and Bribon, whereas Lexus seemed to not quite able to get the tactics right and put themselves in last place at this point. Surprise struck in the third buoy as Coutts gave all an example of his magic touch, by getting up into fourth position behind Pisco Sour, and the USA’s Sjambok. Bribon finished in fifth place, followed by Ireland’s Patches, then Aifos, Orlanda and Balearia. After plenty of position changes at the back of the fleet the three leaders crossed the finish line with Spain’s Caixa Galicia in first place followed by Pisco Sour.
General Nanking after 3 races. Copa Audi
1. Pisco Sour. Vasco Vascotto. 9+9+8+=26 puntos
2. Lexus. Russell Coutts 7+8++7=22
3. Caixa Galicia. Roberto Bermudez 5+7+9=21
4. Patches. Ian Walker. 8+5+4 =17
5. Bribón. S.M. Don Juan Carlos. 4+6+5=15
6. Sjambok.Gavin Brady. 6+2+6 =14
7. Aifos. Iñaki Castañar. 3+4+3=10
8. Orlanda-Olympus. Lorenzo Bressanni. 2+3+2 =7
9. Balearia. Antonio Gorostegui.1+1+1+=3
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND (Sept. 21, 2005) -- Sally Barkow (Nashotah, Wis.) and her Team 7 crew are getting close to an untouchable score at the 11th biennial Rolex International Women's Keelboat Championship (Rolex IWKC), hosted by the Annapolis Yacht Club. With 11 races planned and eight completed after today's three-race run, Barkow has posted five victories and no finish worse than a third. She claimed two of the victories today in 10-14 knot breezes on Chesapeake Bay, where the 42-boat Rolex IWKC fleet is competing.
"Basically, it looked like they (Team 7) had been sailing full time, and the rest of us hadn't," said Pease Glaser (Long Beach, Calif.), crew for Lucy's skipper Cory Sertl (Rochester, N.Y.), who has proven to be Barkow's closest competition. Although Glaser laughed, she admitted that her crew could only claim the recent J/22 East Coast Championship as their preparation for this regatta, "and that was three totally drifter days." Nevertheless, the Lucy crew looked slick today, leading the second race until Barkow picked them off on the first downwind leg of a two-lap windward-leeward course. Sertl finished second in the race and added seventh- and sixth-place finishes to her scoreline to move up to second from third in the overall standings. There is now a 20-point spread between Sertl and Barkow.
"That was a huge jump for Sally today," said Glaser, who along with Sertl is a Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year and crewed with Sertl in 2001 to win this regatta. Barkow is the defending champion and is sailing with her two Olympic Yngling teammates Carrie Howe and Debbie Capozzi, and an additonal crew member Annie Lush.
Today's first race was won by Stoutgear.com, skippered by Annapolis sailor Lorie Stout, who now is in sixth overall, topping the 13 other Maryland teams competing. "We were a third of the way up the starting line with Sally to leeward of us," said Stout. "It was the best place to be, and we both launched ahead of the fleet. We almost lost Sally once, but then we legged out at the end when she started mixing it up with other people." Stout's lead on the fleet at the finish was by more than eight boat lengths.
"We had an opportunity to shut the door on Lorie but we didn't take it," said Barkow. "She did a great job defending her position."
Barkow finished third in the race after New Zealand skipper Sharon Ferris' far-left strategy on the second and last windward leg paid off. Ferris's TeamOneNewport, which finished second in the race, is the top foreign boat in fourth place overall behind third-place Jody Swanson (Rochester, N.Y.). Stout sits in sixth behind fifth-place Carol Cronin (Jamestown, R.I.) on Team Spidey.
Two college sailors are making an impression on the older veterans. They are skippers Anna Tunnicliffe (Norfolk, Va.) and Derby Anderson (Annapolis), who sit in eighth and ninth respectively. Tunnicliffe, a four-time All-American from Old Dominion University, is also the 2005 Quantum Female College Sailor of the Year and earned an invitation to this regatta for the accomplishment.
"Overall as a team, we were finally clicking today," Tunnicliffe said of her satisfying 5-6-5 finish positions that moved her up the scoreboard from thirteenth yesterday. Having now graduated, Tunnicliffe is pursuing her Olympic dream in the Laser Radial class. "The other teams, especially the Yngling teams, have an edge on us because they've been sailing keelboats, but we're learning from them all the time." Tunnicliffe competed in the event in 2003 as crew and in 1997 as the youngest entrant ever (age 14).
Texas Team Comments on Hurricane Rita
One of two Texas teams is from the Gulf Coast that is being evacuated due to the projected hit by Hurricane Rita. Julie Goetschius of Seabrook says her J/22 (she is chartering here) has been hauled out of the water by friends, but her house has not been boarded up. "What can I really do at this point?," said Goetschious, who lives alone. "My family and friends down there have their own homes to take care of. It's not like I could fly home now, anyway, so I'm staying until Wednesday."
The regatta continues through Friday, with two races scheduled for tomorrow and one on the final day.
The Rolex International Women's Keelboat Championship title sponsor is Rolex Watch U.S.A. Platinum level sponsors are Condé Nast Media Group, Fairchild Publications, Inc., The Golf Digest Companies, Annapolis Volvo and Hinckley Yachts. The Gold level sponsors are Bank of America, Fawcett Boat Supplies, Liljenquist & Beckstead, Brown-Forman Wines, Appleton Rum, Tuaca, Finlandia Vodka, and Brown-Forman Spirits America. The Silver level sponsors include North Sails and Quantum Sails. Bronze level sponsors include J Boats, J Port Annapolis, J World Annapolis, Annapolis Bank and Trust, AGA Correa, Boatyard Bar and Grill, Sterling Brokerage, Grog & Gruel Provisioning, VC Performance Rigging Courtney Sue Handbags, US Watercraft, Anne Arundel County EDC, SpinSheet Magazine, Café Gurus, Royal Folly B&B, and the AYC Foundation. The Official Gear sponsor is Helly Hansen. The Rolex IWKC 2005 is a US SAILING Championship hosted by the Annapolis Yacht Club.
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND (Sept. 20, 2005) -- Sally Barkow (Nashotah, Wis.) and her Team 7 crew looked steady as a rock today, with straightforward victories in two of three races at the Rolex International Women's Keelboat Championship. With five races now completed after the second of five racing days, Team 7 is showing a total point score (with one discard allowed) of five points.
"We might make it look easy, but it's really hard work," said Barkow, who with all but one of her four-woman crew sails an Olympic Yngling in a campaign that takes the team around the world. "We love the J/22. It's easy for us to jump in it and go." There are 42 of the J/22s competing in the biennial event, which for its last three runnings has been sailed on Chesapeake Bay.
Directly behind Barkow, with 13 points, is Jody Swanson (Buffalo, N.Y.) , with Cory Sertl (Rochester, N.Y.), aboard Lucy, following in third with 15 points. Swanson and Sertl, as Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year Award winners, have the clout of Heisman Trophy recipients, and the foreign team sitting in fourth is comprised again of Olympic aspirants, the skipper being Sharon Ferris of New Zealand and her boat name being TeamOneNewport. Ferris represented her country at the 2004 Olympic Sailing Regatta, sailing to seventh in the Yngling class, and has announced her intent to win a berth for the 2008 Olympic Games.
"We're one of the only two teams that have beaten Sally in a race here," said Ferris' tactician Raynor Smeal, "so she is beatable." Smeal recounted that they finished second to Barkow's team at the 2005 Yngling Worlds, so the heat will be turned up as such. "We'll try to throw her a few curves, at least, if we can."
Smeal added that she keeps an eye on the top ten boats and the local Maryland teams, of which there are 14. "We know if we are near them, we're going the right direction."
Marker 88, one of the Maryland teams skippered by the 17-year-old Sara Morgan Watters, were pleased with their performance today, even though the scoreline read 24-14-33. The 14th was their regatta best, and they were close in that race to Carol Cronin aboard Team Spidey, who sits in fifth overall. "Carol went to the Olympics!," said Marker 88 crew Christina Murray, referring to Cronin representing the USA in the Yngling class at the 2005 Games. "That was so exciting!" The Team Marker crew members have never sailed in a regatta of this size and caliber before, their experience being relegated to dinghy sailing at the local Severn Sailing Association. Cronin's 11th in the race to which Murray referred became a throwout, and she keeps three sixth-place finishes and a second.
20th September, 2005 (Porto Rotondo, Sardinia).
The Breitling MEDCUP TP52 fleet face the final event of the Circuit in Sardinia, Italy, with Pisco Sour, skippered by Vasco Vascotto, leading the general leader board, and Bribón, skippered by HM the King of Spain, leading in the Corinthian category. The races commence tomorrow (Wednesday) in the incomparable surroundings of the Italian island of Sardinia. There are six races programmed for the event (two coastal and four inshore), which will draw to a close on Saturday. Two new vessels have joined the fleet for the fifth and final event in the Circuit, the Audi Cup – Patches (IRL) ad the US boat Sjambok. Ben Ainslie and Gavin Brady are among the new names appearing on the crew lists for this event.
There is much at stake for the closing event in the Circuit which begins tomorrow (Wednesday) in Porto Rotondo, Sardinia.
Leading the rankings in the Breitling MEDCUP at the moment are the Italian-Chilean Pisco Sour, skippered by Vasco Vascotto, and Bribón, skippered by HM the King of Spain in the Corinthian category (for owner drivers). Strong winds have been blowing, meaning that yesterday only the Irish team Patches took to the waves to train. The forecast indicates a drop in wind-speed for tomorrow.
Ten vessels will be on the start line tomorrow: Pisco Sour, the leader of the rankings ever since her stunning victory in Valencia (the second Breitling MEDCUP event), skippered by Vasco Vascotto, who will fiercely defend their 5 point advantage; Lexus Quantum, the winner of the last two events, with Russell Coutts as skipper; in third place Caixa Galicia, skippered by Volvo Ocean Race sailor Roberto Bermúdez de Castro and with John Kostecki as tactician. Next in the scoreboard is Italian Orlanda-Olympus, skippered by Lorenzo Bressanni: Bribón, skippered by the King of Spain that on this occasion will have Augie Diaz reinforcing the afterguard; Aifos, owned by the Spanish Navy; and Balearia, with 49er’s gold medallist Iker Martinez onboard. Two new competitors are in Porto Rotondo to sample a taste of this Grand Prix sailing: the Irish vessel Patches 52, with Ben Ainslie (Emirates Team New Zealand) and Ian Walker (+39) as skipper and Sjambok, from USA. Gavin Brady is the skipper of Sjambok and Dee Smith has joined the team after competing in previous events with Caixa Galicia.
After two months of waiting on standby for an attempt on the solo transatlantic record, French skipper Thomas Coville and his 60ft trimaran Sodebo have had to leave New York abandoning any chance of clinching a record this season. Unlike MacArthur, Coville must return to Europe to get his trimaran ready to race in the double-handed Transat Jacques Vabre race leaving from the French port of Le Havre in early November. "We knew that this standby period would be difficult due to the hurricane season, but this year has seen some extremely unsettled weather, which has taken the Americans by surprise as we saw with hurricane Katrina," said Coville.
For Ellen and her shore team, the standby mode remains permanently on Red as the weather systems sweeping across the Atlantic continue to be unsettled due to the very active hurricane season. Latest update from US weather routers Commanders' identifies strong winds generating from the east coast of the States this week but not in the right direction: "Although there are significant amounts of wind in the second half of this week their direction is not really suitable for an attempt. Longer term the weather pattern looks to be getting quite active with several vigorous frontal systems moving off the East Coast. The next frontal system that could offer a potenntial weather window may arrive early next week so we will track how it evolves through this week." Ellen has been on standby since the beginning of September and realistically this standby period will have to come to an end around the 20th October for Ellen to get back in time to compete in the same Transat Jacques Vabre race as Coville, but on board the Open 60 monohull Sill et Veolia with Roland Jourdain. This race which is only open to 60-foot and 50-foot multihulls and monohulls prevents <
With an almost guaranteed period of standby Red over the next week, Ellen will head to France to spend a week training with Sill et Veolia skipper Roland Jourdain (aka Bilou) in preparation for the Transat Jacques Vabre. They will work on boat preparations and sail testing off Concarneau on the north-west coast of France which is home to Sill et Veolia. "We completed our 1000-mile qualifier for the Transat Jacques Vabre race in early May but that is the only time we have sailed together this year. Sill is a new boat built for the latest edition of the Vendée Globe and I have much to learn about her and the boat set-up. My last race on an Open 60 was onboard Kingfisher in the 2002 Route du Rhum so I am really looking forward to racing on these kind of boats again, especially with Bilou who is a great competitor and a great friend."
The Transat Jacques Vabre will take the 35-boat fleet through both the stormy conditions of the Bay of Biscay, down to the tropical conditions of the Equator before reaching the finish destination of Salvador de Bahia in Brazil after covering 4,500 miles.
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND (Sept. 19, 2005) -- It started as a waiting game, but the 42 teams at US SAILING's Rolex International Women's Keelboat Championship were prepared for it. The planned 11 a.m. start got postponed until after 3 p.m. due to a light northerly that took four hours to switch to the south and strengthen. For the sailors who had waited patiently on Chesapeake Bay in the unseasonably warm weather, two races were then held in rapid succession to complete the first of five racing days scheduled.
"We were prepared that we were going to sit until after 2 p.m.," said Cory Sertl (Rochester, N.Y.), who started off her series with an impressive victory that saw her Team Lucy finish at least five boat lengths ahead of the fleet. About the performance, Sertl explained, "We cleared to the right and had a nice lane. It's easy when you're out in front; you don't have to worry about the other boats."
Sertl's theory was seriously tested in the second race, when a so-so start made it necessary for her to tack six times in the first minute to get a clear lane. It was a struggle to finish ninth in that race, and the combined scores for the day left her in third overall, while Sally Barkow (Nashotah, Wis.), sailing Team Seven, moved to the top of the scoreboard.
Barkow, who had finished third in the first race, took off like a bullet in the second. The span between her boat and the fleet at the finish was many times over what Sertl had accomplished. "Our start was good in the first race, at the boat end, but the boats that got to the right of us made out. In the second race, we were halfway down the starting line and pulled the trigger at the right time. We had good speed off the line and better wind in that race."
Barkow, who is defending champion here with the same crew that sailed with her in 2003, said she is more relaxed this time around. "That's because we have more confidence in our talent. That comes with sailing full time as a team since then. Phenomenal crew work is what it comes down to." Barkow and crew are aiming to be at the Olympic sailing event in Beijing in 2008 and just flew in from France where they dominated 11 top-ranked international teams at the St. Quay International Women's Match Race.
Experiencing the most consistent day was Jody Swanson (Buffalo, N.Y.), who posted a 2-2 for second overall. "We'll take two seconds any day," said Swanson. "In both races there was someone who punched out for a good lead; then there was a group behind, and we were just ahead of that group both times."
According to Sertl, "everyone's going to love tomorrow." The weather forecast is saying that it might be the windiest day of the regatta, with a chance of thunderstorms late in the day. "We were here last week for the J/22 East Coast Championships and it was a lot like it was today."
Day 1
Place, Skipper Name, Hometown, Finish Positions, Total
1. Sally Barkow, Nashotah, Wis., TEAM SEVEN, 3-1, 4
2. Jody Swanson, Buffalo, N.Y., 2-2, 4
3. Cory Sertl , Rochester, N.Y., LUCY, 1-9, 10
4. Lorie Stout, Annapolis, Md., STOUTGEAR.COM, 5-7, 12
5. Carol Cronin, Jamestown, R.I., TEAM SPIDEY, 6-6, 12
6. Phebe King, Annapolis, Md., TEAM HELLY HANSEN, 10-4, 14
7. Dominique Provoyeur, Cape Town, South Africa, DEVONVALE SAILING TEAM, 4-13, 17
8. Sharon Ferris, Russell BOI, New Zealand, 7-11, 18
9. Sandy Adzick, Haverford, Pa., HOT TICKET, 8-10, 18
10. Julie Sitzmann, Orr's Island, Maine, DOGS PLAYING POOL, 16-3, 19
At the Rolex International Women's Keelboat Championship, which starts tomorrow for its 11th biennial running and five days of world-class competition on Chesapeake Bay, the landscape of athletes is varied and colorful. One competitor, Defending Champion Sally Barkow (Nashotah, Wis.), has won world championships, while another, Anne Beadling (Rochester, N.Y.) from Team Runs With Scissors, just started sailing a month or so ago. The youngest skipper, Sara Morgan Watters (Oxford, Maryland) on Team Marker 88 is 17 years old, while Hot Flash, skippered by Carol Pine (St. Paul, Minn.), boasts a crew of middle-aged women. For two days, 42 teams from the Cayman Islands, New Zealand, South Africa and 16 U.S. states have converged on Annapolis Yacht Club and its perfectly suited "Annex" boatyard and haul-out facility, preparing their J/22 sailboats for the test ahead. Most thought today's practice race would give them a chance to pace against each other, but the wind didn't hold, and 40 minutes after the start, the first boat had not reached the first windward mark. The race committee subsequently abandoned.
The leader to that first mark was Julie Sitzmann (Orr's Island, Maine) aboard Dog's Playing Pool, but an even more impressive performance had been turned in at the start by another skipper Elizabeth Barker ( Lakewood, Ohio). Port tacking the fleet, she owned the pin end when others thought the committee boat was the place to be. To enter the regatta, her team had been forced to pare down from four to three members in order to make the 600-pound crew weight limit. Each of the three is pregnant, and in celebration their boat bears the tongue-in-cheek name of "Who's Your Daddy?"
Today's light winds, with half a knot of current running against it, may be a trend for the next few days. Despite the area's close call with Ophelia, this looks like a quiet week weather-wise for the Chesapeake. The action that counts starts tomorrow, when around-the-buoys racing begins at 1100.
According to skipper Donna Womble (Carmel Valley, Calif.) there are five teams she expects will stand out early. Those are led by the aforementioned skipper Sally Barkow, Rolex Yachtswomen of the Year Cory Sertl (Rochester, N.Y.) and Jody Swanson (Buffalo, N.Y.), Olympian Carol Cronin (Jamestown, R.I.) and local favorite Joann Fisher (Arnold, Md.). "Our goal," says Womble, who has competed in the event the three times it has been held in Annapolis, "is to finish better than our bow number: 13."
Swanson is humble about her prospects. "We haven't spent as much time preparing as some of the other teams, so we've had to adjust our expectations accordingly," she said. "The main goal is to have fun." Swanson was one of several participants who took time out from preparations to help with the Rolex Next Step mentoring program for juniors, which took place at the Robert Crown Sailing Center at the U.S. Naval Academy on Saturday and today.
"When I heard Jody Swanson would be coming, I thought, 'Oh my gosh, that's just really amazing,'" said Daphne Arena, one of the 27 Rolex Next Step participants that hailed from around the country, Canada and the U.K. To watch how those women handle the boat, it's so subtle. They are really top notch and carry themselves a different way."
The regatta's collectively youngest team--the one skippered by the aforementioned Sara Morgan Waters--shared the same sentiments. "It hasn't sunk in yet," said Annapolis crew Missy Hudspeth. "Some of the people here--the Olympic and professional sailors--we've only looked up to in our careers or we've read about them in Sailing World magazine." The high school senior, who normally sails Club 420s out of Severn Sailing Association, said she'd be turning in homework during the event.
Wild windy weather gave most of the 1,000-plus sailors competing in the Rolex Big Boat Series exactly what they hoped for: outrageously fast sailing and a day of racing most will never forget. The 41st annual regatta, where six historic Perpetual Trophies will be awarded by the St. Francis Yacht Club among the 103 boats competing in five one-design and four IRC classes, continued today on San Francisco Bay.
With only one day and one race remaining, John Siegel's Wylie 42 Scorpio looks to have a solid lead on its IRC Class C competition. "We're having a good regatta," said Siegel (San Francisco), who won this regatta last year. "Scorpio really requires a fair deal of breeze and today we had it. Even though it was pretty challenging downwind, we held on and did really well." Scorpio's main competition in the nine-boat fleet comes from Surprise, the Schumacher 50 owned by Steve Chamberlain (Richmond, Calif.) and driven by Melinda Erkelens with Liz Baylis, the 2002 Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year, calling tactics. "Tomorrow, we're going to go out and win the race, well, we will sail as well as we can. It's a great challenge here and we're happy when we sail well."
There is some very close racing in the IRC divisions and perhaps one of the closest watched races is between Hasso Platner's MaxZ86 Morning Glory and Genuine Risk, the Dubois 90 owned by Randall Pitman. Both boats looked spectacular on the Bay, clearly relishing the 30-knot wind and the waves outside the Golden Gate Bridge, to a windward mark at Point Bonita, some four miles into the Pacific Ocean.
In the IRC D class, Gary Mozer's (Stockton, Calif.) J/109 Current Obsession has been racing consistently well and tops the nine-boat fleet by 15 points ahead of second-place Tupelo Honey, owned by Gerard Sheridan (San Francisco), tied on 22 points with John Clauser's (Walnut Creek, Calif.) One Tonner, Bodacious.
The eight-boat ID35 class continues to have some of the tightest competition of the regatta. Chris Busch's (San Diego) Wild Thing leads with eight points over second place Extreme, owned by Michael Goldfarb (Seattle, Wash.). Main trimmer Brian Camet explained why Wild Thing is doing so well in such a competitive group. "Vince Brun is our tactician," he said noting Brun's reputation as a one-design expert. "We have a good core team together; most of us have sailed together before and we have a lot of fun." Mathematically, Wild Thing has won the regatta, but Camet explained that they will still sail tomorrow as the great racing conditions on San Francisco Bay is why they come up from Southern California each year.
There were no changes in the standings in IRC B class. Robert Youngjohns (Woodside, Calif.) continues to lead the seven-boat class with his DK46 Zephyra, while Jim Gregory is still in second-place with his Morpheus (Danville, Calif.) and Lightning, the SC52 owned by Thomas Aikin (Tiburon, Calif.) in third.
One long, final race is planned for Sunday with the awards ceremony to follow.
St. Francis Yacht Club's Big Boat Series presented by Rolex will be featured in the television program "Spirit of Yachting," to be broadcast internationally later this year. For sailors worldwide, the Rolex "Spirit of Yachting" films convey the exciting highlights of the racing season from a host of locales that offer spectacular conditions and intense competition. Each year, Rolex produces a series of 30-minute films capturing the racing action.
The Rolex Big Boat Series joins other prestigious Rolex-sponsored events including Rolex International Women's Keelboat Regatta, the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race, International Rolex Regatta, Rolex IMS World Championship, Giraglia Rolex Cup, Rolex Swan American Regatta, Rolex Commodores' Cup and the Rolex Transatlantic Race.
Founded in 1927, St. Francis Yacht Club, within view of the Golden Gate Bridge, is a year-round host of over 40 regattas on San Francisco Bay. The club is renowned for its expertise in running world and national championships.
For results and additional information on the Rolex Big Boat Series go to www.stfyc.org or www.regattanews.com.
Preliminary Results - Rolex Big Boat Series
September 17, 2005 -- Day 3 (six races completed)
Top 3 per class
Place, Owner, Hometown, Boat Name, Boat Type, Race 1-2-3-4-5-6, Total points
IRC Class A (9 boats)
1. Philippe Kahn, Honolulu, Hawaii, Pegasus 52, TP52, 3-1-1-1-4-1, 11 points
2. Isao Mita, Tokyo Japan, Beecom, R/P 72, 1-2-2-2-1-7, 15
3. Mark Jones, San Francisco, Flash, TP52, 2-3-4-4-7-4, 24
IRC Class B (7 boats)
1. Robert Youngjohns, Woodside, Calif., Zephyra, DK46, 1-3-1-1-4-1,11 points
2. Jim Gregory, Danville, Calif., Morpheus, Custom, 2-4-3-2-1-2, 14
3. Thomas B. Akin, Tiburon, Calif., Lightning, SC52, 4-2-2-4-3-3, 18
IRC C (9 boats)
1. John Siegel, San Francisco, Scorpio, Wylie 42, 2-1-2-1-2-1, 9 points
2. Steve Chamberlin, Richmond, Calif., Surprise, Schumacher 50, 3-3-1-3-1-3, 14
3. Norman Olson, San Francisco, Just In Time, First 42.7, 4-2-4-2-3-2, 17
IRC D (9 boats)
1. Gary Mozer, Long Beach, Calif., Current Obsession, J/109, 1-2-1-1-1-1, 7 points
2. Gerard Sheridan, San Francisco, Tupelo Honey, Elan 40, 4-4-3-6*-2-3, 22
3. John Clauser, Walnut Creek, Calif., Bodacious, One Tonner, 2-3-4-4-5-4, 22
*=includes a 30% scoring penalty
ID35 (8 boats)
1. Chris Busch, San Diego, Calif., Wild Thing, 2-1-1-1-2-1, 8 points
2. Michael Goldfarb, Seattle, Wash., Extreme, 5-6-2-2-1-2, 18
3. Stig Osterberg, Port Townsend, Wash., Midsummer, 1-2-3-4-3-6, 19
J120 (10 boats)
1. Steve Madeira, Menlo Park, Mr Magoo, 3-1-3-1-1-4, 13 points
2. Don Payan/Dennis Jermaine, Hillsborough, Calif., Dayenu, 2-4-1-5-4-6, 22
3. Barry Lewis, San Francisco, Calif., Chance, 7-2-8-2-6-2, 27
Express 37 (11 boats)
1. Mark Dowdy, San Francisco, Eclipse, 1-5-4-1-2-2, 15 points
2. Caleb Everett, San Francisco, Stewball, 2-6-2-2-10-1, 23
3. Mick Shlens, Palos Verdes Estates, Calif., Blade Runner, 3-2-3-7-5-7, 27
Sydney 38 (6 boats)
1. Andy Costello, Novato, Calif., Double Trouble, 1-1-2-2-5-1, 12 points
2. Peter Krueger, Reno, NV, Howl, 4-2-1-4-1-5, 17
3. Craig French/Matt Lezin, Santa Cruz, Calif., Animal, 3-4-5-1-2-2, 17
J/105 (33 boats)
1. Scott Sellers, San Francisco, Donkey Jack, 1-2-1-9-1-10, 24 points
2. Tim Russell, San Francisco, Aquavit, 9-5-8-2-4-4, 32
3. Chris Perkins, San Francisco, Good Timin', 2-1-5-19-6-3, 36
Winners in four IRC classes and five one-design classes were named this evening at the Rolex Big Boat Series. Hosted by the St. Francis Yacht Club, the event awarded its six historic Perpetual Trophies at a gala trophy ceremony where winners also received specially engraved Rolex timepieces.
The St. Francis Perpetual Trophy, which was established to stimulate and encourage competition among large ocean racing yachts. Philippe Kahn (Honolulu, Hawaii) and his TP52 Pegasus 52 won the IRC A class. The trophy has been awarded annually since the inception of the Big Boat Series 41 years ago to yachts invited to a race or series of races that are measured and handicapped in accordance with the current measurement rule and rate 40 feet or more. This trophy was donated in 1964 by Commodore A. L. Sandy McCormick.
Robert Youngjohns (Woodside, Calif.) won the City of San Francisco Trophy, which is one of the two golden spades used to break ground for the Golden Gate Bridge in 1933. His DK46 Zephyra won IRC B class.
John Siegel and his Wylie 42 Scorpio won IRC C class and the Richard Rheem Perpetual Trophy. The trophy was established in 1972 in memory of Richard Rheem, whose famous yacht Morning Star was the elapsed time winner in the 1949 and 1955 Transpac races to Honolulu.
Gary Mozer (Long Beach, Calif.) won IRC D class and the Keefe-Kilborn Memorial Trophy, which was established in 1976 to honor Harold Keefe and Ray Kilborn. Mozer's J/109 Current Obsession won the 10-boat class.
Steve Madeira (Menlo Park, Calif.) and his J/120 Mr. Magoo won the Atlantic Perpetual Trophy, which was established in 1978 and features the ship's bell of the yacht Atlantic, long-time Trans-Atlantic Ocean record holder (1905). The bell was donated by John C. "Jack" Morris, and the trophy by Jack H. Feller Jr.
Scott Sellers (San Francisco) won the Commodore's Cup, created in 2004 to encourage competition in one-design racing on San Francisco Bay. His J/105 Donkey Jack triumphed in the 33-boat fleet, the largest one in the series. In the remaining classes, Chris Busch (San Diego, Calif.) won the 1D35 class with his Wild Thing, Mark Dowdy's (San Francisco) Eclipse won the Express 37 class, and Double Trouble, owned by Andy Costello (Novato, Calif.) won the Sydney 38 class.
St. Francis Yacht Club's Big Boat Series presented by Rolex will be featured in the television program "Spirit of Yachting," to be broadcast internationally later this year. For sailors worldwide, the Rolex "Spirit of Yachting" films convey the exciting highlights of the racing season from a host of locales that offer spectacular conditions and intense competition. Each year, Rolex produces a series of 30-minute films capturing the racing action.
The Rolex Big Boat Series joins other prestigious Rolex-sponsored events including Rolex International Women's Keelboat Regatta, the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race, International Rolex Regatta, Rolex IMS World Championship, Giraglia Rolex Cup, Rolex Swan American Regatta, Rolex Commodores' Cup and the Rolex Transatlantic Race.
Founded in 1927, St. Francis Yacht Club, within view of the Golden Gate Bridge, is a year-round host of over 40 regattas on San Francisco Bay. The club is renowned for its expertise in running world and national championships.
For results and additional information on the Rolex Big Boat Series go to www.stfyc.org or www.regattanews.com.
FINAL Results - Rolex Big Boat Series
September 18, 2005 -- Day 4 (seven races completed)
Top 3 per class
Place, Owner, Hometown, Boat Name, Boat Type, Race 1-2-3-4-5-6-7, Total points
IRC Class A (9 boats)
1. Philippe Kahn, Honolulu, Hawaii, Pegasus 52, TP52, 3-1-1-1-4-1-1, 12points
2. Isao Mita, Tokyo Japan, Beecom, R/P 72, 1-2-2-2-1-7-6, 21
3. Mark Jones, San Francisco, Flash, TP52, 2-3-4-4-7-4-4, 28
IRC Class B (7 boats)
1. Robert Youngjohns, Woodside, Calif., Zephyra, DK46, 1-3-1-1-4-1,11 points
2. Jim Gregory, Danville, Calif., Morpheus, Custom, 2-4-3-2-1-2, 14
3. Thomas B. Akin, Tiburon, Calif., Lightning, SC52, 4-2-2-4-3-3, 18
IRC C (9 boats)
1. John Siegel, San Francisco, Scorpio, Wylie 42, 2-1-2-1-2-1-1, 10 points
2. Steve Chamberlin, Richmond, Calif., Surprise, Schumacher 50, 3-3-1-3-1-3-2, 16
3. Norman Olson, San Francisco, Just In Time, First 42.7, 4-2-4-2-3-2-3, 20
IRC D (9 boats)
1. Gary Mozer, Long Beach, Calif., Current Obsession, J/109, 1-2-1-1-1-1-1, 8 points
2. Gerard Sheridan, San Francisco, Tupelo Honey, Elan 40, 4-4-3-6*-2-3-2, 24
3. JY Lendormy, San Francisco, Acabar, Custom 45, 9-1-6-2-3-2-3, 26
*=includes a 30% scoring penalty
ID35 (8 boats)
1. Chris Busch, San Diego, Calif., Wild Thing, 2-1-1-1-2-1-3, 11 points
2. Stig Osterberg, Port Townsend, Wash., Midsummer, 1-2-3-4-3-6, 19
3. Michael Goldfarb, Seattle, Wash., Extreme, 5-6-2-2-1-2-4, 22
J120 (10 boats)
1. Steve Madeira, Menlo Park, Mr Magoo, 3-1-3-1-1-4-1, 14 points
2. Don Payan/Dennis Jermaine, Hillsborough, Calif., Dayenu, 2-4-1-5-4-6-5, 27
3. Barry Lewis, San Francisco, Calif., Chance, 7-2-8-2-6-2-3, 30
Express 37 (11 boats)
1. Mark Dowdy, San Francisco, Eclipse, 1-5-4-1-2-2-3, 18 points
2. Caleb Everett, San Francisco, Stewball, 2-6-2-2-10-1-1, 24
3. Bartz Schneider, San Francisco, Expeditious, 8-1-1-6-6-8-2, 32
Sydney 38 (6 boats)
1. Andy Costello, Novato, Calif., Double Trouble, 1-1-2-2-5-1-2, 14 points
2. Craig French/Matt Lezin, Santa Cruz, Calif., Animal, 3-4-5-1-2-2-1, 18
3. Peter Krueger, Reno, NV, Howl, 4-2-1-4-1-5-4, 21
J/105 (33 boats)
1. Scott Sellers, San Francisco, Donkey Jack, 1-2-1-9-1-9-4, 27 points
2. Tim Russell, San Francisco, Aquavit, 9-5-8-2-4-4-1, 33
3. Chris Perkins, San Francisco, Good Timin', 2-1-5-19-6-3-2, 38
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND (Sept. 18, 2005) --At US SAILING's Rolex International Women's Keelboat Championship, which starts tomorrow for its 11th biennial running and five days of world-class competition on Chesapeake Bay, the landscape of athletes is varied and colorful. One competitor, Defending Champion Sally Barkow (Nashotah, Wis.), has won world championships, while another, Anne Beadling (Rochester, N.Y.) from Team Runs With Scissors, just started sailing a month or so ago. The youngest skipper, Sara Morgan Watters (Oxford, Maryland) on Team Marker 88 is 17 years old, while Hot Flash, skippered by Carol Pine (St. Paul, Minn.), boasts a crew of middle-aged women. For two days, 42 teams from the Cayman Islands, New Zealand, South Africa and 16 U.S. states have converged on Annapolis Yacht Club and its perfectly suited "Annex" boatyard and haul-out facility, preparing their J/22 sailboats for the test ahead. Most thought today's practice race would give them a chance to pace against each other, but the wind didn't hold, and 40 minutes after the start, the first boat had not reached the first windward mark. The race committee subsequently abandoned.
The leader to that first mark was Julie Sitzmann (Orr's Island, Maine) aboard Dog's Playing Pool, but an even more impressive performance had been turned in at the start by another skipper Elizabeth Barker (Lakewood, Ohio). Port tacking the fleet, she owned the pin end when others thought the committee boat was the place to be. To enter the regatta, her team had been forced to pare down from four to three members in order to make the 600-pound crew weight limit. Each of the three is pregnant, and in celebration their boat bears the tongue-in-cheek name of "Who's Your Daddy?"
Today's light winds, with half a knot of current running against it, may be a trend for the next few days. Despite the area's close call with Ophelia, this looks like a quiet week weather-wise for the Chesapeake. The action that counts starts tomorrow, when around-the-buoys racing begins at 1100.
According to skipper Donna Womble (Carmel Valley, Calif.) there are five teams she expects will stand out early. Those are led by the aforementioned skipper Sally Barkow, Rolex Yachtswomen of the Year Cory Sertl (Rochester, N.Y.) and Jody Swanson (Buffalo, N.Y.), Olympian Carol Cronin (Jamestown, R.I.) and local favorite Joann Fisher (Arnold, Md.). "Our goal," says Womble, who has competed in the event the three times it has been held in Annapolis, "is to finish better than our bow number: 13."
Swanson is humble about her prospects. "We haven't spent as much time preparing as some of the other teams, so we've had to adjust our expectations accordingly," she said. "The main goal is to have fun." Swanson was one of several participants who took time out from preparations to help with the Rolex Next Step mentoring program for juniors, which took place at the Robert Crown Sailing Center at the U.S. Naval Academy on Saturday and today.
"When I heard Jody Swanson would be coming, I thought, 'Oh my gosh, that's just really amazing,'" said Daphne Arena, one of the 27 Rolex Next Step participants that hailed from around the country, Canada and the U.K. To watch how those women handle the boat, it's so subtle. They are really top notch and carry themselves a different way."
The regatta's collectively youngest team--the one skippered by the aforementioned Sara Morgan Waters--shared the same sentiments. "It hasn't sunk in yet," said Annapolis crew Missy Hudspeth. "Some of the people here--the Olympic and professional sailors--we've only looked up to in our careers or we've read about them in Sailing World magazine." The high school senior, who normally sails Club 420s out of Severn Sailing Association, said she'd be turning in homework during the event.
This weekend is the opening day of the season at the Sydney Flying Squadron and will see the high speed 12, 14 and 18 foot skiff classes all start their competitions.
The 18 footers are launching a new era at the SFS with a fleet of eleven skiffs. Reformation and rebuilding efforts over the last ten months has resulted in renewed vigor at the club and will see some exciting races over the upcoming summer.
Several champions from other classes and countries have come to the SFS to race these skiffs and it will be interesting to see how they perform against local skippers of the class.
Lea Sitja (Spain), Chris Kameen (UK) and Ian Pretty (Canada) all add an international flavour on the SFS 18 footers in what is historically an Australian class.
The dark horse is Pretty who has done his 18 footer apprenticeship sailing with class stalwart Michael Carter as sheet hand. Pretty has also spent time as crew in the Australian 18 footers League fleet as crew, and it is expected that he will make Churchill’s Sports Bar a strong performer at both clubs.
Sitja is an Olympic coach who was part of the Spanish 49er gold medal efforts. Whilst new to the class, a winter spent tuning and training may be quickly converted into results on his skiff Intercall. Like Sitja, Kameen is a highly experienced sailor from other classes, and a RYA coach who should be able to quickly convert a strong sailing base into results.
It will be tough for these new teams though, with home grown talent from the SFS expected to dominate early in the season. Michael Boyd sailing on Austar is an experienced 18 footer skipper has secured a top team and all new rigs and sails. In any class this is a tough combination to beat.
The International 14 foot skiffs are also experiencing new growth in the fleet and this weekend’s racing will show what’s to come for this season and beyond. A fleet of 10 or more is expected, and close racing is guaranteed with no clear local favourites.
A new series has been promoted for the 12 footers, the Garde Sydney Harbour Series should see in excess of 20 of these explosive skiffs racing out of the SFS. The club’s opening day should see most of the class on the water. The class is well represented by very skilled sailors who have superior handling skills, which could well place them in front of many of the new inexperienced teams in the 18 footers or 14s.
Spectacular sailing is expected with a 20 to 25 knot weather forecast. It will be skiff racing at its best: explosive and fast.
The Volvo Ocean Race is about speed and endurance. It's a 32,000 nautical mile adventure around the world. Comfort rarely gets a mention. Hardly surprising.
Imagine spending up to four weeks cooped up in a 20 metre by five metre pen. Now picture sharing that space with nine others, some of whom you may, and probably have, fallen out with in that time. Escape is not a viable option. Add a few buckets of salt water thrown in your face every couple of seconds and you can appreciate the endeavour of the men and women taking part in this unique race. It is one of several reasons why more than 800 million people were gripped by the last race.
Each year records are set and broken when cutting edge technology meets cut-throat determination as the crews fight to be the first to reach the chequered flag at the eight month adventure which finishes in Gothenburg next June. A place in history awaits.
Spanning back three decades sailors have tackled some of the globe's harshest environments in pursuit of this sport's Holy Grail. The roll call includes Sir Peter Blake, Chay Blyth, Grant Dalton, Tracy Edwards, Roy Heiner and Chris Dickson among others. All are united by their need for an adrenaline fix and success around one of the toughest race tracks in sport. It's an event that can make legends.
Seven boats from six teams will line-up at the start line ready to embark on the adventure of a lifetime. The race starts with an In Port race in Sanxenxo, Spain, on 5 November and finishes in Gothenburg in eight month's time. There is just a small matter of five continents and four oceans in the meantime.
Portsmouth, R.I. (September 15, 2005) - US SAILING, national governing body for the sport, and Mount Gay Rum, Official Rum for US SAILING, announced today that they have extended and expanded their partnership. The new agreement runs through December 2006 and includes the expansion of US SAILING's Mount Gay Rum Speaker Series to include a wide range of topics that will appeal to racing and cruising sailors.
US SAILING and Mount Gay Rum originally became partners in 2005 and created the US SAILING Mount Gay Rum Speaker Series, a grass roots program that has since brought sailing experts such as Olympians and racing rules specialists to yacht clubs throughout the country. The Series have proven to be a great success and will now be expanded to include new topics geared towards the cruising sailor, such as chartering boats and cruising in various areas in the country.
"The partnership between US SAILING and Mount Gay Rum brings two market leaders together," said US SAILING's Executive Director Charlie Leighton. "The expansion of the Speaker Series program puts knowledgeable and respected sailing experts directly in touch with all types of sailors, providing increased knowledge to help our sailors enjoy their time on the water."
"Mount Gay Rum has been a dedicated supporter of the sport of sailing for decades and working together with US SAILING, an organization so widely respected by sailors and sailing organizations, is a logical partnership for us," said Elena Putilina, Category Director for Mount Gay Rum. "After last year's success, we wanted to venture even deeper into the sailing lifestyle and US SAILING offers the platform to do that."
The 41st Rolex Big Boat Series kicked off today on San Francisco Bay with 103 boats competing in four IRC and five one-design classes. Most of the competitors here are used to battling with fog and tricky current, but cold temperatures and light wind made for a distinctly unseasonable start to the regatta. Two races were held in each fleet, with courses ranging in length from eight to 16 miles. At last evening's Rolex Commodore's Reception, the fleets designated for each of the six Perpetual Trophies were announced by St. Francis Yacht Club Commodore Doug Holm.
The 90-foot maxi Genuine Risk made its Big Boat Series debut today in IRC Class A, although the owner, Randall Pittman has sailed in this regatta before, but on a J/35. Robbie Haines, onboard strategist explained how the 23-person crew came together. "We had a really good day today considering we haven't all sailed together before," he said. "Even though we didn't beat Morning Glory, we were pleased with our boat speed. Even though we lost to them by about 45 seconds, we feel positive that we can beat them.. We just have to sail well and I believe we have the team to do well." Overall IRC A leader is Beecom, Reichel/Pugh 72 owned by Isao Mita (Yokohama, Japan) with Gavin Brady sharing helming duties, and Pegasus 52, owned by Phillippe Kahn (Honolulu, Hawaii) in second.
In the three other IRC classes, Marda Phelps' (Seattle, Wash.) Santa Cruz 52 Marda Gras leads IRC B; John Siegel's (San Francisco) Wylie 42 Scorpio leads IRC C and Gary Mozer's (Long Beach, Calif.) J/109 Current Obsession leads the IRC D class. All four IRC classes are competing for St. Francis Yacht Club Perpetual Trophies.
In the J/120 class, defending champion Steve Madeira (Menlo Park, Calif.) scored a 3-1 to lead the 10-boat class with his boat Mr. Magoo. Madeira is sailing with most of the same crew as his 2004 winning effort and chalked up his lead to consistency. "We absolutely work well together," he said. "The racing is this class is so tight, so all we do is try to sail well and avoid the major mishaps like being over early and wrapping our kite (spinnaker) around the boat. Today's second race was during max ebb of the current and it really worked in our favor. We were able to ride the 2-knot current at the last windward mark and use it to pass Chance, our main competition, to take the lead. It was tight to the finish line, so we're really happy we're leading."
The largest fleet here is the J/105 fleet with 33 entries and perennial favorite Good Timin' leads with a 2-1 finish for the day. "We grabbed victory from the jaws of defeat," said skipper Chris Perkins (San Francisco). "We really consider ourselves tied for the lead with Scott Sellers and his gang on Donkey Jack since we both had a first and a second. Scott did a great job winning the first race." An upset in the fleet was Tim Russell's Aquavit scoring a ninth. "He is clearly one of the fastest boats out there and that will hurt him," said Perkins.
Andy Costello (Novato, Calif.) is the only undefeated skipper in the fleet scoring two bullets. His Sydney 38 Double Trouble leads the six-boat class.
Two races are planned each day for Friday and Saturday, with one long, final race planned for Sunday.
St. Francis Yacht Club's Big Boat Series presented by Rolex will be featured in the television program "Spirit of Yachting," to be broadcast internationally beginning January of 2006. For sailors worldwide, the Rolex "Spirit of Yachting" films convey the exciting highlights of the racing season. Each year, from a host of locales that offer spectacular conditions and intense competition, Rolex produces a series of 30-minute films capturing the racing action.
The Rolex Big Boat Series joins other prestigious Rolex-sponsored events including US SAILING's Rolex International Women's Keelboat Regatta, the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race, International Rolex Regatta, Rolex IMS World Championship, Giraglia Rolex Cup, Rolex Swan American Regatta, Rolex Commodores' Cup and the New York Yacht Club's Rolex Transatlantic Race.
Founded in 1927, St. Francis Yacht Club, within view of the Golden Gate Bridge, is a year-round host of over 40 regattas on San Francisco Bay. The club is renowned for its expertise in running world and national championships.
For results and additional information on the Rolex Big Boat Series go to www.stfyc.org or www.regattanews.com.
Preliminary Results - Rolex Big Boat Series
September 15, 2005 - Day 1 (two races completed)
Top 3 per class
Place, Owner, Hometown, Boat Name, Boat Type, Race 1-2, Total points
IRC Class A (9 boats)
1. Isao Mita, Tokyo Japan, Beecom, R/P 72, 1-2, 3 points
2. Philippe Kahn, Honolulu, Hawaii, Pegasus 52, TP52, 3-1, 4
3. Mark Jones, San Francisco, Flash, TP52, 2-3, 5
IRC Class B (7 boats)
1. Marda Phelps, Seattle, Wash., Marda Gras, SC52, 3-1, 4 points
2. Robert Youngjohns, Woodside, Calif., Zephyra, DK46, 1-3, 4
3. Thomas B. Akin, Tiburon, Calif., Lightning, SC52, 4-2, 6
IRC C (9 boats)
1. John Siegel, San Francisco, Scorpio, Wylie 42, 2-1, 3 points
2. Steve Chamberlin, Richmond, Calif., Surprise, Schumacher 50, 3-3, 6
3. Norman Olson, San Francisco, Just In Time, First 42.7, 4-2, 6
IRC D (9 boats)
1. Gary Mozer, Long Beach, Calif., Current Obsession, J/109, 1-2, 3 points
2. John Clauser, Walnut Creek, Calif., Bodacious, One Tonner, 2-3, 5
3. Gerard Sheridan, San Francisco, Tupelo Honey, Elan 40, 4-4, 8
ID35 (8 boats)
1. Chris Busch, San Diego, Calif., Wild Thing, 2-1, 3 points
2. Stig Osterberg, Port Townsend, Wash., Midsummer, 1-2, 3
3. Gary Fanger, San Francisco, Sweet Sensation, 4-3, 7
J120 (10 boats)
1. Steve Madeira, Menlo Park, Mr Magoo, 3-1, 4 points
2. Don Payan/Dennis Jermaine, Hillsborough, 2-4, 6
3, John Sylvia, Tiburon, Oui B5, 4-3, 7YC
Express 37 (11 boats)
1. Mick Shlens, Palos Verdes Estates, Calif., Blade Runner, 3-2, 5 points
2. Mark Dowdy, San Francisco, Eclipse, 1-5, 6
3. Caleb Everett, San Francisco, Stewball, 2-6, 8
Sydney 38 (6 boats)
1. Andy Costello, Novato, Calif., Double Trouble, 1-1, 2 points
2. Peter Krueger, Reno, NV, Howl, 4-2, 6
3. Jeffrey Pulford, Corral de Tierra, Calif., Bustin' Loose, 2-5, 7
J/105 (33 boats)
1. Chris Perkins/ Dave Wilson, San Francisco, Good Timin', 2-1, 3 points
2. Scott Sellers, San Francisco, Donkey Jack, 1-2, 3
3. Peter Wagner, San Francisco, Nantucket Sleighride, 3-3, 6
Some sail boaters need to seriously review the Navigation Rules. The stories to follow are so preposterous that I must make my standard disclaimer: I do not make up these stories. I’m sure many in the sailing community wish I had fabricated the stories, which by all accounts reflect poorly on the general sailing community who are squared away sailors.
Coast Guardsman coxswain Jay Douglas described an incident in the spring of 2004 on Muskegon Lake involving a sailboat and large motor vessel. The motor vessel Joseph L. Block, a 728-foot long, 78-foot wide “lake carrier,” was transiting three-mile-long Muskegon Lake in early evening. At the time, a sailboat regatta was underway. “I couldn’t believe it, this 30-foot sailboat comes about directly in front of the Block and loses it wind,” said Douglas.
Captain Sheldon of the Block said, “The sailboat disappeared underneath my bow. All I could do is sound the danger signal [five short blasts].” What could any captain do traveling at five knots, while drawing 23.6 feet. Not even the bow and stern thrusters were effective at that speed.
“He missed hitting the sailboat by feet, “said Douglas, who approached the sailboat captain after the Block had passed. “I stood down the captain for such a bone-headed maneuver and his response: ‘I’m a sailboat I have the right-of-way.’” With that mentality, he had no right being on the water. If this sailboat arrogance was a one time write-off I wouldn’t be writing about it at all, but I often hear similar sailboat right-of-way concerns from other commercial captains and even Coast Guardsmen.
Chief Reed told me he was transiting a narrow channel in Lake Macatawa, Holland with a vessel in tow. He had the Coast Guard boat’s blue law enforcement light flashing when he encountered a sailboat tacking back and forth in the narrow channel. The sailboat captain insisted that Chief Reed stop and give way. Chief Reed in accordance with the Inland Navigation Rules maintained course and speed. When the sail boater drew near he hollered out: “Don’t you know the rules, sailboats have the right-of-way.”
I have heard similar stories from other Coasties. My former boss, Commander Roger Dubuc, told me that while he was outbound aboard the Coast Guard cutter, Sherman, in San Diego Harbor a sailboat ran into the 378-foot long cutter. The sailboat struck the Sherman’s bow just aft of the anchor pocket. “We were steaming along at one knot, if that, due to heavy vessel traffic in the restricted channel. The sailboat lay alongside our cutter. It’s captain yells up at our captain that as a sailboat he had the right-of-way,” said Dubuc. Unbelievable or maybe totally believable—read on.
Captain Paul Allers skippers for Arnold Transit Company, a Mackinac Island Ferry and freight service that has been operating in the Straits of Mackinac for over a hundred years. Captain Allers himself has been working on boats for over fifty years. “I’ve gone from coal steam driven boats to jet driven boats,” said Captain Allers, who hails from a long line of family mariners that dates backs over 150 years, a maritime history that includes nineteenth century Great Lakes sailors.
Captain Allers described an incident he witnessed in the Round Island passage, which borders Mackinac Island, Lake Huron. The incident would make the most devout sailboat advocate wince. According to Captain Allers, the motor vessel Indiana Harbor, a 1000-foot ore carrier, encountered a sailboat in a meeting situation while steaming along on a westerly course through the narrow passage. The operator of the 36-foot sailboat hailed the Indiana Harbor on Channel 16 insisting that the captain move over to the right side of the channel. The sail boater was demanding right-of-way privileges over the giant vessel while crowing over the marine radio his sailboat status. The captain of the Indiana Harbor, which at the time was drawing 28 feet in a 35 feet-foot deep channel, faced two options: either muscle past the nincompoop or comply.
After a heated exchange over the marine radio, the Indiana Harbor captain acquiesced even though according to the rules he was the stand-on vessel. Navigation Inland Rule 9 clearly reads: "A sailing vessel shall not impede the passage of a vessel that can safely navigate only within a narrow channel or fairway." The 60,000 ton leviathan with a beam of 105 feet—nearly three times the length of the sailboat—eased over to the right side of the 400-yard wide channel, precariously close to shallow water. Captain Allers said, “The Indiana Harbor was kicking up mud. I had to hand it to the Captain, he displayed remarkable seamanship skills. It was a very close call.”
While the motor vessel captain displayed remarkable skills, the sailboat captain displayed remarkable ignorance and a total lack of respect for proper decorum so honored by professional sailors. He also displayed a sailboat right-of-way carte blanche mentality so often seen on the water. “In my many years on the water, I’ve seen far too many incidents with pleasure craft, mostly sail, that fail to abide by the rules of seamanship and courtesy,” said Captain Allers.
Believe me, Captain Allers is not alone. Such disgruntlement regarding sail boaters and their ignorance of the rules is frequently aired by professional mariners that I talk with. There is a sure way to right the ship and that is for these wayward sail boaters to review the Navigation Rules and join the majority of sail boaters that do comply and thus boat smart.
Annapolis, Md. (September 14 2005) - With the opening of US SAILING's Rolex International Women's Keelboat Championship set for this weekend, 42 international teams are gathered in Annapolis, Md. to prepare for the premier event. Sailors from the Cayman Islands, New Zealand, South Africa and 16 U.S. states will compete on the Chesapeake Bay in International J/22 class sailboats from September 16-23. The biennial regatta, celebrating its 11th anniversary of offering women of all abilities the opportunity for top-level competition, is hosted by the Annapolis Yacht Club, in Annapolis, Md. Sally Barkow (Nashotah, Wis.), the 2005 Yngling Women's World Champion who is ranked #1 on the US Sailing Team in the Yngling class, will return to Annapolis to defend her 2003 title with her crew of Debbie Capozzi, Carrie Howe and Annie Lush.
"There is a major buzz in the Annapolis community about this regatta," said Taran Teague, Rolex IWKC event chair. "This regatta is known around the world for its high-quality race management and equally impressive social events, so for the past two years, many, many volunteers have been working with the Annapolis Yacht Club to insure that expectations are exceeded for all of the competitors."
Barkow will be challenged by an impressive roster of sailors, such as 2004 Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year Jody Swanson (Buffalo, N.Y.) and Carol Cronin (Jamestown, R.I.), who represented the U.S. at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.
"I keep coming back to the Rolex IWKC because the competition is fierce and the atmosphere is great," said Cronin, who won the regatta in 1999 as crew. "Top sailors from around the world rub shoulders with weekend warriors, and that's what makes it such a great regatta. Sailing in such a big fleet gives us practice for other world championship events, but that's not why I'm so excited to be coming back to the event. It is the fun and celebration of women's sailing that I look forward to the most."
Cronin added that even though the competition's roster can read like a "Who's Who" of sailing with so many Rolex Yachtswomen of the Year, Olympic medalists, world champions and America's Cup veterans, there is something for every skill level.
An example is Anne Beadling (Rochester, N.Y.), who has been sailing for less than two months. Her skipper, Stephanie McMahon, explained that Beadling's boyfriend bought a J/22, so it became necessary for her to learn to sail. "She picked up the gist of sailing with remarkable ease," said McMahon, who has competed in the Rolex IWKC once before, "and does an amazing job flying the spinnaker as well as trimming the jib. Sailing several nights a week and with three major regattas under her belt, she is ready for the Rolex IWKC and the experience of a lifetime." McMahon's summary of the Rolex IWKC? "Sailing in the Rolex IWKC was the most fun I have ever had...without my husband."
This regatta also encourages women of all ages, and it isn't uncommon to see collegiate sailors moving from dinghy competition into international-level keelboat racing with this event. A local Annapolis team made up of All-Americans is a prime example. Derby Anderson, the skipper from Georgetown University, competed for the first time in 2003. This year she returns with her crew Alexis Rubin, from Hobart, and Anne Bowen from College of Charleston.
The oldest combined-age team is represented by "Hot Flash," a team from Minnesota made up of accomplished sailors over the age of 50. Their aim is to accomplish three goals: to transform the way women over 50 see themselves and their potential, to inspire women over 50 to pursue their passions and to challenge stereotypes applied to mature women.
"The Hot Flash story is about more than sailing -- it's about embracing our wisdom, our experience and our motivation," said Carol Pine, captain of Hot Flash. "Hot Flash intends to be an inspiration for women of all ages: urging them to stretch, grow, commit and risk."
To achieve the regatta's goal in providing sailors skills development, an integrated Outreach program coordinates two programs: the Road to Rolex Clinics and the Rolex Next Step. This year, clinics were held in Cape Town, South Africa; Houston, Texas; Lake Minnetonka, Minn.; Monterey, Calif.; and Annapolis, Md. The Rolex Next Step Program was established in 1997 to expose juniors to advanced women's sailing in a mentoring atmosphere. Since its creation, the Rolex Next Step Program has served as an inspiration for hundreds of young women from across the U.S. and abroad.
For the crew of the Australian entry in the 2005-2006 Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, friendly rivalry with the Liverpool 08 Clipper has already begun in the light of England's victory over Australia in the Ashes on Monday.
The Ashes win for England and Wales has added to the tensions that the crews have faced building up to the race as crew are preparing their yachts and saying goodbye to loved ones.
David Pryce, skipper of the Australian yacht, 'Westernaustralia.com'
said "We're obviously disappointed about the loss in the Ashes but we
hope to emulate the camaraderie and good sportsmanship shown from both sides throughout the series. The key to success in the Clipper Race is obviously going to be a strong competitive edge but above all great teamwork."
Tim Magee skipper of Liverpool 08 commented: "As a passionate sports fan and a patriotic Englishman, watching the boys bring home the Ashes was a great occasion. I hope we can do the same on Liverpool 08 in ten months time."
The ten 68-foot Dubois racing yachts will compete in 7 legs over a
period of 10 months finishing July 1st 2006. Crew members are from all walks of life and go through months of rigorous training to make the grade for the hardships of big ocean sailing.
The race starts on the Mersey on Sunday as part of the Liverpool 08
European City of Culture campaign. The yachts are each sponsored by a city worldwide and include: Durban, New York, Singapore and Qingdao, the sailing destination for the Beijing 2008 Olympics.
Portsmouth, R.I. (September 14, 2005) - US SAILING, national governing body for the sport, has determined the ranking system for the 2006 US Sailing Team. Each, year, US SAILING names the members of the US Sailing Team based on athletes' performances at a series of qualifying regattas. The 2006 ranking system names at least two qualifying events for each Olympic class, except for the new Neil Pryde RS:X which has one qualifying event. US SAILING's 2006 Rolex Miami OCR is a mandatory event for all classes. The ranking system for the 2006 US Sailing Team also determines the athletes who will be selected to compete in the 2006 World Sailing Games, which will be held May 10-20 in Austria, and the 2006 Olympic Test event, scheduled for August 18-31 in China.
The US Sailing Team annually distinguishes the top five ranked sailors in each of the nine classes (11 events) selected for the next Olympic Games. A complete overview of qualifying events for the 2006 US Sailing Team is available at www.ussailing.org/olympics/2006/rankingsystems.htm. The classes selected for the 2008 Olympic Games are: Finn (men); 470 (men and women); Laser (men); Laser Radial (women); Neil Pryde RS:X (men and women); 49er, Star, Tornado (all open); and Yngling (women). The 2008 Olympic Games are scheduled for August 8-24 in Beijing, China. The Olympic Regatta will be held in Qingdao, a coastal city located 430 miles east of Beijing.
The 2006 US Sailing Team will be named in the spring of 2006 when all qualifying events have been completed. The ranking system for the 2006 US Disabled Sailing Team will be announced later this month.
After four decades of superlative competition on the San Francisco Bay, organizers of the Rolex Big Boat Series expect this year's regatta to set a few new milestones for the historic event known to many sailors as the "granddaddy of big boat racing." To date, there are 32 entries in the IRC fleet and a diverse fleet of one-designs that make up the 100-plus boat roster competing for six historic Perpetual Trophies. At the conclusion of the four-day regatta, specially engraved Rolex timepieces also will be awarded to the perpetual trophy winners. Racing takes place September 15-18 and is hosted by the St. Francis Yacht Club (StFYC).
In addition to naming Rolex as the regatta's first title sponsor, the St. Francis YC has been busily preparing for the fleet which includes a handful of really big boats, including Genuine Risk, the Dubois 90 owned by Randall Pitman; Peligroso, the Dencho 70 owned by Mike Campbell and Dale Williams. (Long Beach, Calif.), Morning Glory, the MaxZ86 owned by Hasso Platner (Germany) with Russell Coutts and Morgan Larson sharing tactician duties; and the R/P 72 Beecom, owned by Isao Mita of Yokohama, Japan with Gavin Brady serving as an alternate helmsman. Beecom was built in New Zealand in 2004 and has made a name for itself in the Bay of Islands Race Week (NZ), the Coastal Cup and the Centennial Transpac Race.
Following tradition, the J/105 class is the largest fleet with 28 entries, to date. Stuart Taylor, the San Francisco's fleet captain summarized the competition: "The Perkins/Wilson team on Good Timin' remains the boat to beat in the fleet, however the competition is getting tougher," he said. "Tim Russell on Aquavit has been barking at their heels all season, and Scott Sellers will be driving a new boat to the fleet this year, Donkey Jack. And the fleet welcomes the return of Bergman and Bennett in Zuni Bear, Dean Dietrich's Blackhawk and Peter Wagner's Nantucket Sleighride -- absent from local competition for much of the year. The J/105 fleet is the largest one design keelboat class on the bay. One of the keys to the class's success is a strict owner-driver rule, the absence of professionals in the fleet and a focus on skills rather than dollars.
Coveted prizes for the fleet are six perpetual trophies - Richard Rheem, St. Francis, City of San Francisco, Atlantic, Keefe-Kilborn Memorial and the Commodore's Cup. Specially engraved Rolex timepieces also will be awarded to the perpetual trophy winners.
Racing takes place on San Francisco Bay within viewing range of Pier 39 and the Marina District, between Treasure Island and the Golden Gate Bridge, with the finish line set off the St. Francis Yacht Club Race Deck. The IRC division will have the racecourse option of going "outside" the Golden Gate Bridge.
ST JOHN'S, ANTIGUA -The Antigua Hotel and Tourist Association (AHTA) is delighted to announce that Rolex will be the title sponsor of its annual Antigua Sailing Week. The Rolex Antigua Sailing Week, due for its 39th running from Sunday, April 30, through Saturday, May 6, 2006, is an exciting addition to the Rolex worldwide portfolio of yachting events, which includes another Caribbean favorite, the International Rolex Regatta, which Rolex has sponsored for 33 years.
"For decades, Rolex has had a prominent profile in the sailing world among racing enthusiasts," said Neil Forrester, General Manager of AHTA and Chairman for Rolex Antigua Sailing Week, "and we are excited about the opportunities that this partnership will allow us. As the 'Grandaddy' of regattas in the Caribbean, we offer some of the best sailing conditions in the world at one of the most beautiful venues. Rolex brings its well known touch of excellence to the mix."
Forrester added that Rolex Antigua Sailing Week has evolved from a regatta for local yachtsmen to an international event that spans five racing days, with an additional Bareboat Championship Race on a sixth day. It attracts an average of 200 yachts, over 1500 participants, 5000 spectators and some of the biggest, fastest and most impressive sailing yachts in the world, packed with Olympic, America's Cup and Around the World sailors.
For 2006, A Division will consist of Racing, Big Boat and Racer/Cruiser (with spinnaker) classes, while B Division will consist of Performance Cruiser (Spinnaker), Cruiser and Bareboat classes. The action takes place on the sheltered waters of the Caribbean as well as in the large "rollers" of the Atlantic Ocean. The racing agenda for A division includes a complete circumnavigation of the island, with scenic layovers on Antigua's south and west coasts, including Dickenson Bay and Jolly and Falmouth Harbours.
The three-day International Rolex Regatta, hosted by St. Thomas Yacht Club from Friday, March 24, through Sunday, March 26, precedes Rolex Antigua Sailing Week as one of the early regattas in an ambitious and highly anticipated Caribbean racing season.
Rolex Antigua Sailing Week joins the list of other prestigious Rolex-sponsored events: the Giraglia Rolex Cup, International Rolex Regatta, Rolex Farr 40 World Championship, Rolex Fastnet Race, Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, Rolex Middle Sea Race and the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.
Final preparations are underway for the Rolex Settimana delle Bocche, a classic regatta of the Mediterranean yachting circuit that has been organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda since 1972, with the support of the Italian Sailing Federation (FIV) and the Unione Vela Altura Italiana (UVAI). In 2005, Rolex became title sponsor of the event for the first time, providing a spectacular finale to the YCCS/Rolex sailing season. The Rolex Settimana delle Bocche will continue to be held biennially in odd years.
The event, which runs in Porto Cervo through September 17th, incorporates the Mediterranean One Design Championship and involves two of the most prominent OD Classes: the Farr 40 and Swan 45. In addition, there is a handicap division for IMS rated boats in the band between GPH 550 and GPH 610.
For the 2005 edition, the Rolex Settimana delle Bocche has attracted a very competitive and international fleet, comprising ten Swan 45s, eighteen Farr 40s and seven IMS entries. Seven nations are represented - Australia, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Russia. Among the Farr 40 class, Massimo Mezzaroma's Nerone from Italy, winner of the event in 2002-2003 and 2004, will have to face a series of tough contestants in order to defend his title - including Giovanni Maspero's Joe Fly, Lang Walker's Kokomo from Australia, Vincenzo Onorato's Mascalzone Latino and Marco Rodolfi's TWT, both from Italy. His Royal Highness Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark will be racing aboard his Farr 40 Nanoq. The competition will be intense also in Swan 45 class, with entries such as Italian Mintaka owned by Stefano Polti, winner of the 2004 Swan 45 Gold Cup, Leonardo Ferragamo's Cuordileone and Danilo Salsi's DSK, both yachts representing Italy.
The Farr 40, first launched in 1997, is a high performance one-design racing yacht created for amateur helmsmen racing at top level international and regional regattas, under strict One Design Class Rules. Only 4 crew members may be professional sailors, and the 'owner/driver' rule applies to this class, meaning that only amateur (Group 1) owners and their immediate family members may steer. Crew 'group' classification is determined by the current ISAF (International Sailing Federation) Sailor's Classification Code. As with the Farr 40s, the Swan 45 Class is, too, an 'owner driver' class and no more than five crew classified as professionals (Group 3) may be aboard the boat while racing. The founding philosophy of the Swan 45 Class, designed by German Frers and launched in 2001, was to create a successful, sustainable and professional class with both racing and cruising capabilities.
The racing area of the Rolex Settimana delle Bocche, or "Week of the Straits" - the Straits being the stretch of water separating Sardinia from the French island Corsica - will be on the waters off Porto Cervo and the nearby La Maddalena Archipelago, with its narrow straits, rocky outcrops and shifting winds. The four days of racing will feature mostly windward-leeward courses, with a maximum of nine races to be sailed. The Farr 40s will race only windward-leeward courses, while the other classes might also sail coastal courses.
Today the crews will be busy with final preparations, inspections, registrations, weigh-ins and final tune-up of the boats before tomorrow's first race of the series. The skippers will meet at 6.30pm for their pre-regatta briefing and then join the owners, crews and race officials for a welcome cocktail at the clubhouse which overlooks the Porto Cervo Marina.
The rich social calendar of the Rolex Settimana delle Bocche will offer the competitors plenty of opportunities to unwind and relax at the end of each racing day. Wednesday will feature the Rolex Party in the Piazza Azzurra, right in the heart of the Race Village, which will also host après-racing refreshments each day. The highlight of the week will be Friday night's Rolex and YCCS gala dinner at the stunning clubhouse, that has been recently renovated by New York architect Peter Marino and his team, becoming one of the most prestigious and beautifully functional of its kind anywhere in the world. The week will end with Saturday's final Prizegiving Ceremony, where the Rolex Trophies and Rolex timepieces will be awarded to the overall winner of each class.
Editor's Note: Deborah Klaus of the Mobile Alabama Buccaneer Yacht Club sent Around the World of Sailing this summary on September 12.
I am the Recording Secretary for Buccaneer Yacht Club in Mobile, AL on Mobile Bay. Yes. We were heavily damaged by Hurricane Katrina, but we are working diligently to restore our facility. Work parties composed of members of the club have been working everyday since Katrina cleared the coast.
We still have a mess, but one of our buildings is functional, in fact, we restored a/c to it last night. We have pulled boat parts and sails from under wharves, around pilings, under the building and from the street and stored them in our rebuilt boat house.
One by one boats are being placed back in the water and floated to their slips. We are waiting for a crane to arrive to get the largest of them returned to the water. We are an all volunteer organization so it has taken all of us pulling together to get our homes back to normal and still work on the club. You can tell your readers that the Skull and Crossbones still flies at Buccaneer Yacht Club and we will be a force to contend with on the water!
The Ericsson Racing Team has today announced American John Kostecki as the eleventh crewmember onboard Ericsson's entry in the Volvo Ocean Race 2005/06. Winner of the 2001/02 Volvo Ocean Race as skipper onboard illbruck, Kostecki is one of the world's top sailors. An Olympic silver medallist (1988) and 10-time world champion in a range of one-design classes, he has also been involved in four America's Cup campaigns as tactician. He joins the already strong Ericsson Racing Team as tactician for the inshore races and brings the number of campaigns that the team has under its belt to an impressive total of 25.
Born in Pittsburgh, Pa., USA, Kostecki has lived most of his life in Marin County, California. He is a highly regarded yachtsman whose international sailing reputation escalated when he skippered illbruck to victory in the Volvo Ocean Race. Having previously been involved in an America's Cup campaign, he joins the Ericsson Racing Team for an exciting new challenge with skipper Neal McDonald and his crew.
"I am really happy to join the Ericsson Racing Team," Kostecki said. "It has a proven winning management team, a highly experienced skipper and a sailing team which can win the Volvo Ocean Race. The new Ericsson VO 70 has been designed by Farr Yacht Design in Annapolis, Maryland. It is at the forefront of design and technology and should be an exciting and challenging boat to race around the world."
The hydraulic keel rams on the boat, which are integral to the functioning of the innovative canting keels, were made in Ohio and most of the sails were built in Nevada, where Kostecki now lives.
Ericsson skipper McDonald commented, "John will be a great asset to the Ericsson team. With the experience of two Whitbread / Volvo Ocean Races and four America's Cup campaigns, he has a proven track record in both inshore and ocean racing. The inshore races count for nearly 22% of the overall results and so his talent and knowledge will be invaluable to the team."
Kostecki also will play an integral role in the team's preparation, training and development throughout the race.
Ericsson, the world's leading telecommunications supplier is supported by Sony and by Semcon as design and development partner. For updates and pictures on the Ericsson Racing Team's participation in the Volvo Ocean Race, please visit: www.ericssonracingteam.com
Ericsson is shaping the future of Mobile and Broadband Internet communications through its continuous technology leadership. Providing innovative solutions in more than 140 countries, Ericsson is helping to create the most powerful communication companies in the world.
The record fleet of 37 yachts competing in this year's Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup enjoyed a spectacular week of sailing, with extremely challenging conditions that tested the crews' nerve, skill and speed to the utmost. With winds ranging from zero to over 25 knots, rain squalls, hailstone, at times almost nil visibility, thunder and lightning, the crews tackled a variety of race courses along the local coastline and through La Maddalena Archipelago, just to the north of Porto Cervo, with its narrow straits, rocky outcrops and shifting winds. The fleet was split in four divisions - Spirit of Tradition with 4 entries, Racing with 6 entries, W with 12 yachts and Cruising division with a total of 15 boats divided into two categories, A and B. All divisions except the Racing fleet sailed five races in total and were able to throw a discard at the end of the series.
With a brilliant and faultless last race performance, Germany's Claus Peter Offen and Y3K won the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in the W division, with America's Cup skipper Karol Jablonski at the helm. Although equal on points to Argentinian Alberto Roemmers' Alexia, Y3K was able to secure the series on countback. In the last race, the two rivals showed off some real America's Cup style match racing. "It was a dramatic boat to boat fight from the start line to the finish and we were never more than 50 metres apart, so it was a really close struggle, which we won by just a few metres at the end," commented Claus Peter Offen. As for next year, Offen had no doubt, "We have sailed here before and we will definitely come back."
In the Racing division, Great Britain's entry Black Dragon won the series with a narrow 1 point margin over Roel Pieper's Favonius with an impressive series of consistent results - two firsts and two seconds. Skandia, owned by Australian and accomplished offshore sailor, Grant Wharington, finished third overall unable to discard the OCS scored in Race Three. Skandia showed exceptional power and speed, particularly in the challenging conditions that have been a feature of this year's Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. It has been a busy season for Black Dragon and clearly the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup has been a good event for a crew that is reaping some rewards for its efforts. Henk Van der Vaart, the Dutch skipper on Black Dragon, viewed the week as a whole as perfect, "we have sailed good races, finished the week well and kept everything together, which in itself is an achievement. Our crew work has been great, sailing with mostly the same guys that sailed in our last race, the Giraglia Rolex Cup, and this group is always improving."
With four wins and one major hiccup, a disqualification, US Harry Macklowe's Unfurled won overall in the Cruising A, with a 4 point lead over fellow American Arne Glimcher and his impressive, brand new yacht Ghost. Unfurled was able to throw out the DSQ that followed a pre-race collision in the fifth day of the series. Italian Vittorio Moretti's Viriella finished third overall. America's Cup veteran Mike Toppa, tactician on Unfurled, thoroughly enjoyed the week: "We had great sailing, with ever changing conditions. On the final day Porto Cervo showed its true colours - it was sunny, windy and we went up in the straits, one of the prettiest places on the planet to sail. I love sailing here, it's one of the best venues in the world and of course I'll be back next year, absolutely!"
Brand new Italian entry Roma, owned by Filippo Faruffini, won overall in the Cruising B, with a 2 point lead over Great Britain's Allsmoke. Fabio Mangifesta's Charis, who was forced to retire before the start of the race due to an incident with Unfurled on the fifth day of the series, finished third overall. Roma is a cruising boat camouflaged as a pure racer - the coffee grinders can be dismounted really easily and down below there are six cabins and five separate bathrooms, full air conditioning and all the comforts. During the week she showed impressive speed and consistency, taking line honours in class each day. Vittorio Mariani, project manager and design co-ordinator of the Farr design Roma, commented: "We are very happy because we won with a boat that was launched at the end of July. We haven't had much time to set it up for this event and in this series we've had to tackle very challenging conditions. We suffered only minor damage, as is usual in a regatta of this level. I am really happy for our crew, they sailed really well."
In the combined Cruising Division series rankings, it was British boat Allsmoke, that came out on top, with America's Cup veteran sailors Ken Read and Lorenzo Bortolotti on board.
The Spirit of Tradition fleet saw the American 180-foot schooner Adela and the Italian 90-foot sloop Whitefin fight a close battle for the overall victory on handicap. In the end, it was American, gas and media tycoon, George Lindemann who secured the final victory with his Adela with a narrow 1 point lead over its Italian rival. Dutch entry Annagine finished third. Adela, with its massive set of sails and powerful pace, took line honours in each race of the series.
Unfortunately, most of the fleet suffered some degree of damage in the course of the week, as equipment - including masts, sails, mainsail tracks and jib clews - failed to cope with the additional loads created by the strong winds and heavy swell. It was Maximus, one of the pre-event favourites co-owned by the two New Zealand businessmen Charles St Clair Brown and Bill Buckley who recently took line honours in the 2005 Rolex Fastnet Race and were first on corrected time in the Grand Prix Division of the 2005 Rolex Transatlantic Challenge, who fared worst losing the rig on the second day of the series. Luckily no one was injured. The crew of Maximus was able to recover the mast from 42 metres of water outside the Porto Cervo harbour. Maximus is now heading back to New Zealand with the two mast sections on her deck and should reach home by the end of October. The reason why the rig broke is still unknown, and the crew and designers are continuing to review the circumstances and analyze the causes of the failure. "We are committed to repairing the boat in time for the Rolex Sydney Hobart," commented Charles St Clair Brown and Bill Buckley, adding, "we are refining our configuration to avoid reoccurrence of this incident and have Maximus performing to her best, challenging the world of sailing once again."
The second yacht to suffer major damage during the 2005 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup was Great Britain's Magic Carpet Squared, owned by Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones, CEO of L'Oreal, with British America's Cup sailor Adrian Stead calling the tactics. The mast on Magic Carpet Squared snapped above the top spreader during the fourth and hardest race of the week when the North westerly winds, topping out at 25 knots, drove the fleet downwind at speed into a large southerly swell.
The rich social calendar of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup offered the competitors plenty of opportunities to unwind and relax at the end of each day. The programme included cocktails held in the stunning clubhouse setting of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, daily après sailing refreshments, the traditional Rolex Crew Party and IMA and YCCS dinners - the latter featuring a striking synchronized swimming performance in the club pool. The highlight of the week was the Rolex Gala Dinner held at the world renowned Cala di Volpe resort. Youssou N'Dour, the celebrated African musician, was the special guest at the gala evening and entertained the guests with his eclectic mix of traditional Senegalese music, hip hop, jazz and soul. The week ended with the final Rolex Prizegiving Ceremony, where the overall winners of the series were each awarded with a Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submariner timepiece in steel and gold.
The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup was organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in conjunction with the International Maxi Association (IMA), and ran from September 4th to September 10th. Eleven countries were represented: Argentina, Australia, British Virgin Islands, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and United States.
The 2005 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup ended with a picture perfect day and wonderful sailing conditions - bright sunny sky, flat water and a steady Northwesterly breeze ranging from 15 to 20 knots. The whole fleet raced on the same course, a 30-mile route leading the competitors upwind through the tricky waters of channel inside the La Maddalena archipelago, all the way around the Isle of Spargi and back on a long downwind run under gennaker, before a final, short upwind sprint to the finish line off Porto Cervo.
All divisions, with the exception of the Racing class who sailed only 4 races, were able to throw a discard having sailed a total of 5 races.
With a brilliant and faultless last race performance, Germany's Claus Peter Offen and Y3K won the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in the W division. Although equal on points to Argentinian Alberto Roemmers' Alexia, Y3K was able to secure the series on countback. In today's race, the two rivals showed off some real America's Cup style match racing, with a thrilling gybe and luffing duel in what turned out to be the deciding head-to-head. Not only did Y3K win on corrected time, the yacht - with America's Cup skipper Karol Jablonski on board -also took overall line honours with a delta of only 20 seconds over Alexia. "It was a dramatic boat to boat fight from the start line to the finish and we were never more than 50 metres apart, so it was a really close struggle, which we won by just a few metres at the end," commented Claus Peter Offen. And, as for the excitement of the finish, it was really quite simple: "We were on the better course at the last mark and were able to pass inside Alexia. Then we tacked quickly onto the better tack and on top of them." As for next year, Offen had not doubt, "We have sailed here before and we will definitely come back."
In the Racing division, Dutch entry Black Dragon won the series with a narrow 1 point margin over Roel Pieper's Favonius with an impressive series of consistent results - two firsts and two seconds. Skandia, owned by Australian and accomplished offshore sailor, Grant Wharington, finished third overall unable to discard OCS scored in Race Three. Skandia showed exceptional power and speed, particularly in the challenging conditions that have been a feature of this year's Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. In today's race Skandia took line honours again and although it was Favonius who won on handicap it was not enough. Henk Van der Vaart, the Dutch skipper on Black Dragon, commented: "Today was a great day. We had a good breeze, though not as much as anticipated. It was really good to beat Favonius who were pretty close to us in the standings all the time. We weren't sailing boat-for-boat, but we kept a close eye on them all the time. They are a good bunch of sailors and we've been rivals before, so it was good to win today."
It has been a busy season for Black Dragon and clearly the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup has been a good event for a crew that is reaping some rewards for its efforts. Van der Vaart viewed the week as a whole as perfect, "we have sailed good races, finished the week well and kept everything together, which in itself is an achievement. Our crew work has been great, sailing with mostly the same guys that sailed in our last race, the Giraglia Rolex Cup, and this group is always improving."
With four wins and one major hiccup, a disqualification, US Harry Macklowe's Unfurled won overall in the Cruising A, with a 4 point lead over fellow American Arne Glimcher and his impressive, brand new, Ghost. Unfurled was able to throw out the DSQ that followed yesterday's pre-race collision. The International Jury had concluded that Unfurled had failed to take timely action to avoid contact when it came clear that the give way boat was not keeping clear. Italian Vittorio Moretti's Viriella finished third overall. In each day of the series Ghost has taken line honours in class, but once again it was Unfurled who clinched the race victory on handicap. America's Cup veteran Mike Toppa, tactician on Unfurled, enjoyed today's great sailing: "Today's race was wonderful, unlike all the other days in this series we had typical Porto Cervo conditions. It was sunny, windy and we sailed up in the straits, one of the prettiest places in the world to sail. It was a fun day and we did a good job. We didn't have any hiccups like yesterday so we're all extremely happy. I love sailing here, it's one of the best venues in the world and of course I'll be back next year, absolutely!"
This was Ghost and Arne Glimcher's racing debut: "We're delighted with the series as it was the very first regatta for Ghost. You never know what you have until you are out there competing with the other boats, so I'm very happy," commented the American owner. "We sailed a conservative race, but Ghost is new and you don't want to push it too hard." Somewhat wryly, Glimcher felt the conditions this week had favoured them, "I actually think we were lucky having such unstable weather. I sail on the New England coast of the United States and this is the type of weather we have - we sail in all conditions, so we really felt at home." As for his racing debut, "I'm very, very happy with how we did and we'll be back next year. We really like Porto Cervo."
Italian entry Roma, also brand new, owned by Filippo Faruffini won overall in the Cruising B, with a 2 point lead over Great Britain's Allsmoke. Fabio Mangifesta's Charis, who yesterday was forced to retire before the start of the race due to the incident with Unfurled, finished third overall. Roma is a cruising boat camouflaged as a pure racer - the coffee grinders can be dismounted really easily and down below there are six cabins and five separate bathrooms, full air conditioning and all the comforts. During the week she showed impressive speed and consistency, taking line honours in class each day. Today, Roma came second on handicap behind Allsmoke. Vittorio Mariani, project manager and design co-ordinator of the Farr design Roma, commented: "We are very happy because we won with a boat that was launched at the end of July. We haven't had much time to set it up for this event and in this series we've had to tackle very challenging conditions. We suffered only minor damage, as is usual in a regatta of this level. I am really happy for the crew, they sailed really well and we have some very talented sailors on board, such as Ken Read and Lorenzo Bortolotti. They deserved to win."
In the combined Cruising Division series rankings, it was British boat Allsmoke, that came out on top.
The Spirit of Tradition fleet, which this year saw a total of 4 entries, saw the American 180-foot schooner Adela and the Italian 90-foot sloop Whitefin fight a close battle for the overall victory on handicap. In the end, it was American, gas and media tycoon, George Lindemann who secured the final victory with his Adela with a narrow 1 point lead over its Italian rival. Dutch entry Annagine finished third. Adela, with its massive set of sails and powerful pace, took line honours in each race of the series.
At tonight's final Rolex Prizegiving Ceremony, the overall winners were each awarded with the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submariner timepiece in steel and gold.
REGATTA HIGHLIGHTS:
Saturday: Sunny skies, great breeze NNW 5-12 throughout the day. Thanks to judges Elisabeth Kreter and Garrett Holmes for hearing a few protests.
Sunday: A few puffs rolled through out of different directions, but never enough to sail in. Racing called for the day at 4:00. The last two A races were dropped as a result. Thanks again to judges Elisabeth Kreter, Garrett Holmes and Peter Fleming.
A division = 6 Races
B division = 6 Races
A B TOT
1. Yale 27 45 72
2. Harvard 37 51 88
3. Coast Guard 39 69 108
4. South Florida 52 60 112
5. UC Irvine 47 67 114
6. Boston College 65 51 116
7. Hobart/William Smith 59 61 120
8. Roger Williams 71 50 121
9. St. Mary's 85 42 127
10. Bowdoin 64 70 134
11. Georgetown 93 45 138
12. Connecticut College 84 54 138
13. DARTMOUTH 54 86 140
14. Boston University 78 67 145
15. Tufts 95 57 152
16. Brown 73 82 155
17. Kings Point 59 98 157
18. MIT 67 107 174
19. Eckerd 120 75 195
20. Navy 107 92 199
21. URI 72 131 203
22. Vermont 105 110 215
23. Columbia 121 101 222
24. Providence College 133 130 263
A division = 6 Races
TOT
1. Yale 27 Zachary Brown 08
Sarah Himmelfarb 06
2. Harvard 37 Kyle Kovacs 08
Ruth Schlitz 06
3. Coast Guard 39 Noel Shriner 08
Linden Dahlkemper 08
4. UC Irvine 47 Frank Tybor 07
Whitney Loufek 07
5. South Florida 52 Kevin Reali 06
Ashley Reynolds 06
6. DARTMOUTH 54 Erik Stork 07
Killarney Loufek 07
7. Kings Point 59 Andrew Bercovici 07
Scott Gilmore 07
8. Hobart/William Smith 59 Trevor Moore 07
Augusta Nadler 06
9. Bowdoin 64 Mark Dineen 08
Kelly Pitts 08
10. Boston College 65 Reed Johnson 08
Julie Howe 08
11. MIT 67 Jack Field 08
Wyman Li 07
12. Roger Williams 71 Dave Hyer 07
Alex Boudreau 08
13. URI 72 Matt Kastan 07
Kristen Johnson 07
14. Brown 73 Rip Hale 06
Monica Stein 07
15. Boston University 78 Craig Nale 06
Lizzie Varr 07
16. Connecticut College 84 Dave Meleney 08
Erin Riley 06
17. St. Mary's 85 John Howell 07
Samantha Parisi 07
18. Georgetown 93 Ed duMoulin 06
Leigh Fogwell 08
19. Tufts 95 Jeff Cruise 06
Chryssa Rask 08
20. Vermont 105 Matty Clark 08
Courtney Murtha 09
21. Navy 107 Rob Ramirez 08
Mike Mullee 08
22. Eckerd 120 Kellen Bernard 06
Sarah Swan 08
23. Columbia 121 Weston Friedman 08
Caroline McNamara 08
24. Providence College 133 Ben Proctor 08
Katherine Hypolite 08
B division = 6 Races
TOT
1. St. Mary's 42 John Loe 08
Meredith Nordhem 08
2. Yale 45 Molly Carapiet 06
Hannah Oakland 07
3. Georgetown 45 Chris Behm 08
Nick Deane 06
4. Roger Williams 50 Andy Goetting 08
Kristin Pappas 06
5. Boston College 51 Jay Connolly 07
Erin Morley 07
6. Harvard 51 Sloan Devlin 06
Christina Dahlman 07
7. Connecticut College 54 Hans Jensen 07
Christine Jackson 08
8. Tufts 57 Brendan Shattuck 06
Katie Greenlee 08
9. South Florida 60 Jesse Combs 07
Tim King 09
10. Hobart/William Smith 61 Brian Clancy 07
Mandi Markee 07
11. Boston University 67 Ben Spiller 08
Erin Kilcline 08
12. UC Irvine 67 William Pochiriva 07
Chris Trizzo 07
13. Coast Guard 69 Rob Gorman 07
Kyra Chin 07
14. Bowdoin 70 Frank Pizzo 06
Katie Auth 08
15. Eckerd 75 DJ Driseoll 06
Lauren Fishier 07
16. Brown 82 Katie Lovelace 06
Christina Starr 06
17. DARTMOUTH 86 Todd Whitehead 06
Laura Sheinkopf 07
18. Navy 92 Katie Whitman 07
Slava Haywas 07
19. Kings Point 98 Chris Alexander 08
Sonha Bilunas 08
20. Columbia 101 Katie Simon 08, 1-4/Jon Epstein 07, 5-6
Juila Werb 06
21. MIT 107 Jake Muhleman 08
Julie Arsenault 08
22. Vermont 110 Tyler Baeder 09
Christine Bletzer 09
23. Providence College 130 Tim Broome 08
Kelley McFadden 07
24. URI 131 Craig Thompson 08
Lisa Krekler 07
1 2 3 4 5 6 TOT
1
Yale A 4 2 10 2 2 7 27
B 8 11 10 12 2 2 45
12 25 45 59 63 72 72
2
Harvard A 2 14 1 6 9 5 37
B 4 5 9 6 12 15 51
6 25 35 47 68 88 88
3
Coast Guard A 9 7 4 4 11 4 39
B 9 14 4 15 5 22 69
18 39 47 66 82 108 108
4
South Florida A 19 8 13 7 4 1 52
B 16 10 3 5 15 11 60
35 53 69 81 100 112 112
5
UC Irvine A 7 11 12 14 1 2 47
B 13 6 15 3 17 13 67
20 37 64 81 99 114 114
6
Boston College A 21 3 22 1 7 11 65
B 3 13 8 10 7 10 51
24 40 70 81 95 116 116
7
Hobart/William Smith A 6 12 17 13 3 8 59
B 18 20 1 1 14 7 61
24 56 74 88 105 120 120
8
Roger Williams A 15 16 8 10 16 6 71
B 19 3 6 2 11 9 50
34 53 67 79 106 121 121
9
St. Mary's A 3 OCS 18 12 13 14 85
B 14 7 2 4 1 14 42
17 49 69 85 99 127 127
10
Bowdoin A 5 5 3 5 21 DSQ 64
B 6 15 21 11 9 8 70
11 31 55 71 101 134 134
11
Georgetown A 13 18 5 23 15 19 93
B 1 1 12 16 3 12 45
14 33 50 89 107 138 138
12
Connecticut College A 14 6 15 15 14 20 84
B 5 8 16 20 4 1 54
19 33 64 99 117 138 138
13
DARTMOUTH A 1 4 19 17 10 3 54
B 17 9 DSQ 9 23 3 86
18 31 75 101 134 140 140
14
Boston University A 22 OCS 14 3 5 9 78
B 7 2 23 8 10 17 67
29 56 93 104 119 145 145
15
Tufts A 23 19 11 9 17 16 95
B 21 4 13 7 8 4 57
44 67 91 107 132 152 152
16
Brown A 11 13 6 20 6 17 73
B 11 12 11 14 16 18 82
22 47 64 98 120 155 155
17
Kings Point A 8 1 2 8 19 21 59
B 23 17 5 19 18 16 98
31 49 56 83 120 157 157
18
MIT A 12 15 9 11 8 12 67
B 20 16 7 23 22 19 107
32 63 79 113 143 174 174
19
Eckerd A 18 21 23 21 24 13 120
B 2 21 20 21 6 5 75
20 62 105 147 177 195 195
20
Navy A 10 OCS 21 16 20 15 107
B 10 18 17 13 13 21 92
20 63 101 130 163 199 199
21
URI A 16 9 7 18 12 10 72
B 24 22 18 22 21 24 131
40 71 96 136 169 203 203
22
Vermont A 17 17 16 19 18 18 105
B 12 19 14 18 24 23 110
29 65 95 132 174 215 215
23
Columbia A 20 10 24 22 22 23 121
B 15 24 19 17 20 6 101
35 69 112 151 193 222 222
24
Providence College A 24 20 20 24 23 22 133
B 22 23 22 24 19 20 130
46 89 131 179 221 263 263
WINNING TEAM : Yale
Zachary Brown 08
Sarah Himmelfarb 06
Molly Carapiet 06
Hannah Oakland 07
PORTSMOUTH, R.I. (Sept. 12, 2005) -- As the sailing season winds down in northern parts of the country, numerous major regattas are yet to be held, and the time is just right to start thinking of nominees for US SAILING's 2005 Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year Awards. Peers, heroes, prodigies--anyone from the U.S. can be nominated if they have turned in a notable performance in 2005. Nominations open in three weeks, on Wednesday, Sept. 28, and close Wednesday, November 30.
US SAILING's Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year Awards are presented annually to the individual U.S. sailors who demonstrate excellence through outstanding on-the-water achievement during the year at national and/or international events. For 2004, Olympic Gold medalists Paul Foerster and Kevin Burnham as well as Jody Swanson won this prestigious distinction to join a long list of sailing luminaries and legends, including Betsy Alison, Liz Baylis, Ed Baird, Paul Cayard, Dennis Conner, Steve Fossett, JJ Isler, John Kostecki, Dawn Riley, Cory Sertl and Ted Turner.
After the nomination period ends on November 30, a shortlist of nominees is presented to a panel of noted sailing journalists who discuss the merits of each and vote by secret ballot to determine the award winners. The winners each will be presented with a specially-engraved Rolex timepiece and the perpetual Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year Trophy: a Steuben crystal interpretation of the yacht America.
US SAILING members will be able to nominate their favorite outstanding male and female sailors for the Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year Awards through the US SAILING web site www.ussailing.org/awards/rolex. Check the Sailing News Archives on US SAILING's website for past U.S. events and top performers, bearing in mind that several regattas--including, in September, US SAILING's Rolex International Women's Keelboat Championship--occur within the qualifying time span. The nominees do not have to have sailed specifically in a U.S. championship, but nominations can only be made by US SAILING members for U.S. sailors.
After four days of unstable weather - with rain, hailstone and breeze ranging from zero to 26 knots - Porto Cervo finally showed its true colours, with the notorious Northwesterly breeze known as the Mistral blowing at 25 knots. The fleet of 36 maxis competing in the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup faced a challenging day's sailing that tested the talented crews to the limit. Once again, a number of yachts suffered damage to sails, whilst Magic Carpet Squared came off worst breaking its mast.
With only one racing day to go, American Harry Macklowe's Unfurled is leading in Cruising A with a 5 point lead, Italian Filippo Faruffini's Roma leads Cruising B by 8 points, Alberto Roemmers' Alexia from Argentina heads her class by 4 points, Black Dragon is top in Racing by 2 points and, in the Spirit of Tradition class, Alfredo Canessa's Whitefin from Italy goes into the final day defending the smallest margin of 1 point.
After an initial postponement due to a complete lack of wind - the big black clouds over Porto Cervo preventing the sea breeze from filling in - the Race Committee was able to begin the starting sequence at 1.30pm in a light wind predicted to build. The entire fleet sailed the same course, a 26-mile route starting off Porto Cervo and taking the competitors North, on a long upwind leg, towards the Monaci rocks, then on a tight reach Southwest toward the Secca Tre Monti and then South, on a downwind run, towards the Mortoriotto islet. The final leg took the fleet to a mark in the Golfo Pevero and a short beat to the finish line opposite Porto Cervo.
In the first start of the day, with a fluky NW breeze of 3-4 knots, Alexia looked very strong, opting for the pin end of the line and sailing away in clear air, while the other boats piled up at the Committee boat end, all hoping to get a spot into the line. Italian entry Indio didn't make it and was forced to turn around and re-start. While Alexia and Magic Carpet Squared stretched away, the rest of the fleet struggled against a heavy Southerly swell to get across the line.
With the wind shifting slightly and the Committee end of the line at this point clearly favoured, US entry Ghost - in the second start - took an aggressive approach, shutting out a few of its Cruising A rivals from the Committee boat end of the line. A few minutes before the start, US Harry Macklowe's Unfurled had collided into Italian Fabio Mangifesta's Charis, the latter belonging to the Cruising B division. Having suffered damage to the right side of the hull, the Italian crew decided to retire from the day's race. Unfurled, with no apparent damage, then found herself over the line early and had to sail around the pin end of the line in order to re-start - a painfully slow process in the light breeze. Eventually, with the third start almost on its way, Unfurled was able to start racing. Charis has filed a request for redress with the International Jury, which will be heard tomorrow.
The third start of the day, with 14 maxis from the Cruising B and Racing divisions all together on the line, provided the most excitement and action. As expected, all the yachts headed for the Committee boat, but it was the Dutch entry Black Dragon who started off in perfect style - first across the line, sailing at full speed in clear air. Roma and Mister A, who so far in the series have showed strong performances, trailed behind the fleet, with Roma having to perform a penalty turn soon after the start due an incident with All Smoke on the starting line. Australian Grant Wharington's entry Skandia took a conservative approach and stayed well out of trouble, starting at mid line. The starting sequence ended with the four Spirit of Tradition yachts.
With the sun breaking through the clouds and stretches of blue sky on the horizon, the northwesterly sea breeze filled in. Costa Smeralda finally lived up to its name, with its striking pink granite islands standing out against the deep blue crystal clear waters. Halfway through the upwind leg to the Monaci, the leading yachts were able to change gears and get into real racing mode, sailing in an increasing 15 knots Northwesterly breeze.
Great Britain's Magic Carpet Squared, owned by Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones, CEO of L'Oreal, with British America's Cup sailor Adrian Stead calling the tactics, rounded the Monaci rocks first, followed by Italian Marco Tronchetti Provera's Kauris III and Alexia.
Ghost led the Cruising A division, while Skandia powered on at full speed ahead of the Racing division. Roma led the Cruising B division, having recovered well from its start and penalty turn.
The fleet then headed to the SE on a tight reach toward the Secca Tre Monti. In the building breeze and flatter, more protected waters, Skandia gave the most striking performance, steadily catching up on the boats ahead and overtaking with ease. Magic Carpet Squared rounded the mark first, but soon after hoisting its huge blue gennaker, the massive sail exploded, leaving the crew struggling with the takedown. Alexia sailed past whilst the crew on Kauris III, also struggled with its gennaker and for a while were sailing with only the mainsail. Before heading out of the channel toward the Mortoriotto islet, many crews had to perform a spinnaker peel, showing off their skills at handling these huge sails in strong winds. With the heavy Southerly swell still strong, the yachts faced increasingly challenging conditions sailing downwind with a contrasting breeze now reaching 25 knots. A number of gennakers could not cope with the additional loads created by the wind against swell and exploded during this leg.
But it wasn't until the final upwind leg toward the finish line that the worst damage of the day occurred. The mast on Magic Carpet Squared snapped at its top end and left the crew struggling with the problem of a broken rig and ripped mainsail as she limped back to Porto Cervo.
With a faultless performance, Skandia showed her pedigree as a true racing maxi finishing first across the finish line in all classes, followed by Alexia and Y3K. Black Dragon won on handicap in the Racing Division, ahead of Favonius and Skandia, and is now the overall leader of its class. Henk Vander Vaart, the Dutch skipper on Black Dragon, commented: "At the moment we're lying first in class. Today after a long wait we finally had good wind and we had a perfect start. It was really well done and really laid the basis for winning this race. I think the rig suits the boat pretty well as soon as it comes off the wind, because then it is extremely fast."
Unfurled won on corrected time in the Crusing A, followed by Ghost and Viriella, and is also leading her division overall having turned an series of four first places. America's Cup sailor Thomas Burnham III, sailing on Ghost, commented: "Today was an interesting day because of the heavy breeze and the sea that was running from the opposite direction to the wind. So when we were going downwind in 20 plus knots of breeze, going straight into the waves, it sure put a lot of load on the gear. We felt good that we made it through the day without breaking anything." Today was German Frers' first day aboard Unfurled: "This was my first race of the series and today was not very good because we had an incident before the start with another boat, which was unfortunate. After that, apparently we were over the line (at the start), although we were pretty sure we were all right; however, we had to come back and we lost about six or seven minutes there. So it was a day that started on the wrong foot." It was not all bad for Unfurled, Frers felt it had still been a good and exciting race, "We were sailing very close together with Gibian; she finally finished ahead, but I think we beat her on handicap so we didn't do too bad afterall".
OPS 5 won on handicap in Cruising B, followed by Allsmoke and Edimetra, but Roma is still the overall leader in this class. Y3K was first on handicap in the W division, ahead of Alexia and Tiketitan, with Alexia still exerting a tight grip on the overall title. Alberto Roemmers Jnr, helmsman of Alexia, had anticipated a more relaxing day: "First of all we expected a race with less wind. In fact, we did not have our number 3 genoa on board and when this Mistral started we had to cope with the number 1 genoa, so we were a little overpowered on the windward legs. Then we broke one spinnaker, the A2, the big one. Nothing unusual, it just broke. We were in the middle of a peel anyway so we went back to the A3, which we had just lowered. We lost some time so I don't know how it went today, but we were very happy."
In the Spirit of Tradition category, Whitefin was first on handicap, followed by Adela, and is the overall leader in its division. Italian Alfredo Canessa, owner of the 90-foot sloop Whitefin, designed by Bruce King and launched in 1984, this morning was hoping for less wind: "Unfortunately, so far the weather has been quite unstable and we haven't been able to sail at our full potential. All the equipment, the sails and the crew have been under great stress as the loads on these boats are enormous and it is very difficult to choose the right sails for the changing conditions. In these strong conditions, Adela steams off at full speed through the waves under a full set of sails. We much prefer lighter winds and less choppy seas." The weather forecast for tomorrow for North westerly winds, but not as strong as today.
The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in conjunction with the International Maxi Association (IMA), runs from September 4th to 10th.
The five crews competing in the Racing Division, the only ones that were meant to be sailing today in the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, were greeted this morning by a dense curtain of low clouds, more rain and shifting winds. This fleet was meant to re-sail Race One from Monday, while all the other divisions would be taking a breather from the intense racing. However, due to the complete lack of wind, at 11.30 am the Race Committee wisely decided to call off racing and postponed the re-sail of Race One to a later day.
While the crews were waiting onshore this morning, the International Jury - headed by Gunter Persihel from Germany - dealt with request for redress filed yesterday by Skandia, and pronounced it invalid for being filed out of time. Skandia had been scored OCS in yesterday's race and failed to followed the correct steps to absolve itself of the infringement. The Australian owner and helmsman Grant Wharington had subsequently filed a request for redress yesterday evening, but failed to do so in time.
Today's lay-day will give the owners and crews a chance to make any necessary repairs to their yacht, plus rest and relax before tonight's much awaited Rolex gala dinner at the world-renowned Cala di Volpe resort. Designed by French architect Jacques Couelle in 1962 to resemble a fishing village, the hotel's towers, terraces and porticoes blend beautifully with the natural landscape and embrace its private harbour. Youssou N'Dour, one of the most celebrated African musicians in history, will be the special guest at the gala evening and will entertain the guests with his eclectic mix of traditional Senegalese music, hip hop, jazz and soul.
Racing for all divisions resumes tomorrow. The weather conditions are set to improve from tomorrow morning and the clouds will gradually drift off. By the afternoon the sun should be shining over Porto Cervo. The winds will initially blow from the SW and during the day they will progressively shift to the W and NW, gradually increasing to 20-25 knots.
The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in conjunction with the International Maxi Association (IMA), runs from September 4th to 10th.
Boats.com (www.boats.com) and the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA www.nmma.org) announced they are accepting nominations for the upcoming 2006 North American Marine Industry Web Awards. The Awards recognize companies that lead the North American marine industry’s drive toward higher standards of excellence in Web site design and content.
Again this year, five award categories honor different segments of the North American marine industry and the companies in those segments whose Web sites demonstrate creativity in design, ease of navigation and up-to-date, relevant content. The Awards recognize the following categories:
Best OEM/Manufacturer Site
For boat manufacturers
Best Marine Equipment Site
For equipment manufacturers
Best Dealer/Broker Site
For power or sailboat dealers and brokers
Best Marine Site – Overall
For all marine websites
Outstanding Contribution to the Online Marine Industry
This category is open to any individual who has made a significant contribution to the development of the Internet within the industry.
The judging panel, which is in the process of being assembled, will again include a person nominated by boats.com and the NMMA plus three Internet professionals with appropriate credentials and experience from outside of the industry.
“The success and response of last year’s event was overwhelming and as the marine industry’s acceptance of the Internet as an integral part of the business model expands, Web content and design are playing a large part in the success of an organization,” said James Nolan, group general manager of boats.com & YachtWorld.com. “By distinguishing those in the marine industry who are placing a priority on their Web sites we can help other organizations see how site design can increase sales and consumer interest in the recreational boating industry.”
To nominate a company or an individual, please complete the online application on the new dedicated web awards web site: www.boats.com/nawebawards/index.html. The application includes all relevant award information.
Winners will hold one of the prestigious titles for a year and will also receive a trophy created by world renowned yacht designer, Tony Castro. The awards will be presented at a special ceremony during the 2006 Miami International Boat Show, February 16-20, at the Miami Beach Convention Center.
Portsmouth, R.I. - US SAILING's U.S. Men's Sailing Championship for the Mallory Cup and U.S. Women's Sailing Championship for the for the Adams Trophy will be held concurrently in Rye, N.Y., next week from September 11 to 16, hosted by the American Yacht Club. The competitors will be sailing in Flying Scots, provided by Harry Carpenter of Flying Scot, Inc and the Flying Scot class. The two events are sponsored by Rolex Watch U.S.A., which supports all of US SAILING's Adult National Championships, Dry Creek Vineyard, Accenture and Heineken Beer.
The aftermath of hurricane Katrina is not going to hold back Zack Fanberg (New Orleans, La.) from returning to take a shot at a hat trick by trying to win the U.S. Men's Championship for a third consecutive year. Representing Bay-Waveland Yacht Club in Bay St. Louis, Miss., which was reportedly destroyed by the recent hurricane, Fanberg is returning with new crew: his wife Sara Fanberg and Marcus Eagan (Metairie, La.). In addition to Fanberg, three US SAILING Judges who live in the Gulf Coast region are traveling to Rye, N.Y., to officiate at the Championships: Norton Brooker (Mobile, Ala.), Janet Miller-Schmidt and Karen Reisch (both from Mandeville, La.).
The U.S. Men's and Women's Sailing Championships are ladder events, meaning that competitors have qualified for the Championship by winning a series of qualifying events at local and regional levels before getting the National Championship level where they will compete against 10 other boats from across the country. Sailors will get to hone their Flying Scot sailing skills at Rolex clinics, led by Harry Carpenter and Greg Fisher before the competition kicks off.
Porto Cervo, Italy - The memory of yesterday's sunshine and perfect summer conditions was short lived for the crews competing in the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, as heavy showers, thunder and lightning rolled in 15 minutes before the scheduled start of the second race of the series.
Many boats in the fleet experienced major damage. But it was Maximus, co-owned by the two New Zealand businessmen Charles St Clair Brown and Bill Buckley who recently took line honours in the 2005 Rolex Fastnet Race and were first on corrected time in the Grand Prix Division of the 2005 Rolex Transatlantic Challenge, who took the worst toll, losing the rig a few hundred metres before the finish line. Nobody on board was injured. At the time Maximus was the leading boat of the fleet and looked set to add another Line Honours to her growing record. Race Committee support boats rendered assistance and the stricken maxi was safely moored back at the marina, while the rig - including sails, boom and vang - were left at sea and will be recovered, although probably in many pieces, as soon as possible.
With less than 10-metre visibility during the rain-squalls, the Race Committee had no option but to postpone the start until the worst of the storm was over. One race course only was selected for all the divisions and followed an almost identical route to yesterday's long course for a total of approximately 29 miles, albeit sailed clockwise instead of counterclockwise.
On the first start of the day, in a southeasterly wind of approximately 13 knots, Magic Carpet Squared won the pin end of the line and was able to tack away and cross ahead of its fleet with a good lead, followed by German entry Y3K. Yesterday's star of this division, Alexia, didn't shine on today's start and trailed behind most of its rivals, while Italian entry Tiketitan was late on the start and subsequently retired. Italian entry Kauris III owned by Marco Tronchetti Provera was unable to start, after damaging its mainsheet track.
The second gun was fired for the Cruising A division, with all six yachts heading for the pin end and Italian entry Viriella over the line early.
The Cruising B and Racing divisions were third in the starting sequence. Australian Grant Wharington's Skandia had by far the best start, with a strong position and good speed at the far end of the line, while its direct rival Maximus opted for a very conservative approach, trailing behind most of the fleet in the mid point. Italian Aldo Pagani's Mister A was late on the line but must have steamed up the initial beat rounding the windward mark in a better than expected position. Soon after the start Skandia was able to tack away, cross well ahead of the fleet and gradually stretch its lead. The four Spirit of Tradition yachts were the last ones to start, with the 180-feet schooner Adela taking an early lead over Whitefin, Annagine and Passe Partout.
After the start, the fleet sailed upwind to a mark set in the waters opposite the Porto Cervo harbour. Magic Carpet Squared, with British America's Cup sailor Adrian Stead calling the tactics, rounded first, followed by Y3K with another America's Cup sailor on board - Karol Jablonski from Poland, helmsman of the Spanish 2007 America's Cup challenger Desafío Español. Soon after rounding this mark, the problems for the fleet started in earnest - Genie of the Lamp was first to suffer as her spinnaker exploded.. In the Cruising A division, American Arne Glimcher's brand new yacht Ghost, with America's Cup veteran Tom Whidden at the helm, rounded first with a large lead over fellow American, Harry Macklowe's Unfurled. Skandia led the Racing division by a big margin over Maximus, while Mister A was the first yacht of the Cruising B division at the top mark, having recovered well from its late start.
The fleet then headed west, sailing downwind, into the channel of the La Maddalena archipelago. Once inside these protected waters, the yachts were able to power-on at full speed on a reach with gennakers tightly sheeted in. With improved visibility and a clear view of the many marks indicating semi-submerged rocks, the tacticians put their abilities to the test, having to choose on which side of the channel to sail - depending on where the wind would shift, where to gybe in order to keep their direct rivals at bay and to cover most ground on the most direct route. Halfway through the channel the wind started to increase and swing to the left, and most of the crews had to drop their massive gennakers, which made for a great spectacle for those who had braved the bad weather to witness the Maxi yachts in their element. For some it was easy business, but others didn't get it quite right and lost precious ground. Skandia struggled with the takedown and Maximus, following closely, was able to close the gap and overtake its rival. Around this time, one of the two Maxi One Designs ripped its mainsail in half, while Kokomo of London lost its spinnaker at sea during the takedown and luckily a spectator boat in the area was able to retrieve the sail.
At the far end of the channel, the wind had reached 15 knots, with stronger gusts, and all the yachts paraded under mainsail and jib, with Magic Carpet still leading its division, closely followed by Y3K and Alexia. A big gap separated them from the rest of the fleet, and by now the top Racing division yachts had reached the front of the pack, while much further back the Spirit of Tradition yachts each seemed to sail a race of their own, with Adela leading its opponents by a huge margin. The fleet then sailed upwind towards the rocky outcrop of the Barrettinelli, keeping them to starboard, as it turned back towards the Monaci rocks and finally to the last mark opposite the Golfo Pevero and the finish line in Porto Cervo. In this second part of the race the crews had to tackle quite challenging conditions, with heavy seas and wind gusting up to 26 knots. All the way to the Monaci rocks the yachts sailed upwind on port tack, but as the wind gradually shifted to the right, the back-markers in the fleet faced the prospect of tacking to the final turning mark.
In the Racing division, following Maximus' catastrophic breakdown, it was Skandia who took line honours, followed, over 20 minutes later, by Great Britain's Black Dragon. By only two minutes, however, Skandia wasn't able to win on handicap. "Today was a beautiful day of sailing," commented Grant Wharington, owner and helmsman of Skandia. "It started in 15 knots after the thunderstorm went through, which was a little bit scary. The Race Committee did a very good job and postponed the racing until the thunderstorm had passed. We had a very nice start and led at the top mark and we sailed down the run in a building breeze with a very high boat speed - 21 knots was our highest speed and we were leading at the bottom of Caprera. Gybing down in the channel we passed all the W Class except three and we were just ahead of Maximus, but he was then able to pass us. It's a very, very fast boat when reaching."
Skandia was a fair way behind when misfortune befell Maximus and Wharington felt very sympathetic towards the Kiwi crew, "on the way back, they unfortunately broke their mast just before the last mark. They were about 10 minutes ahead of us and needed to give us 14 minutes to beat us on corrected time. I feel very sad for them; losing their mast is a real shame but unfortunately we all have our problems. We had ours in last years (Rolex) Sydney to Hobart Race when our keel broke, the boat rolled over and we had to get in the life-rafts, so I just hope everyone is safe on board Maximus and nobody got hurt".
In the Cruising A division, Ghost took line honours with a lead of approximately 20 minutes over Harry Macklowe's Unfurled, however once again this margin wasn't enough for Arne Glimcher to win on handicap. "It was a much more exciting race today than yesterday, because we had so many more variables in the weather'" commented Arne Glimcher. "The weather was completely unexpected in places. It blew much harder than we anticipated from the weather report, seemingly for the whole afternoon of the race. This is the boat's second race, she's been out of the shed for only six months, so we're just getting to know her. Racing like this is very important for us because we can see what her performance is, what we need to do and what we did right - it's all very exciting. The whole event is collegial, very friendly, a gentleman's race. We're having a terrific time, it's our first time in Sardinia and my wife and I are having a great holiday."
In the Cruising B division, it was Italian Filippo Faruffini's brand new boat Roma once again to take line honours and win also on corrected time. Italian Aldo Pagani's Mister A, who was doing well for most of the race, drifted to the back of the fleet when the crew lost the gennaker overboard. "We had a great start," commented Aldo Pagani. "We sailed fast and were able to pass some of the boats ahead of us. However, we lost everything when we had a series of problems with the gennaker halyard and the big sail fell in the water and we were unable to retrieve it. It's a shame as we were doing really well in very challenging conditions. Our support boat retrieved the sail, which is now under repair and hopefully we will be able to use it tomorrow and sail a better race."
In the Spirit of Tradition division, as expected, Adela took line honours and won also on corrected time.
In the W Class, Great Britain's Magic Carpet Squared, owned by Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones, CEO of L'Oreal, was first on the finish line with a 2-minute lead over Alexia. However, it was Y3K who won on corrected time. "We've just had a cracking day in Porto Cervo," commented tactician, Adrian Stead. "We've had quite a breezy day, probably a little bit more than forecast, up to 25-26 knots of breeze and we sailed the boat really well today. We got the first beat right, we got a good start and led at the top mark.. The guys and ladies did really well with the sail changes and we were able to stay in front the whole way around so we're really happy. Lyndsay did a great job of helming the boat today and we're really pleased; the best we've sailed - a great team effort."
According to Filippo Petrucci, official meteorologist of the event, the conditions tomorrow will be similar to today's, although the breeze should shift to SSW and become lighter and more variable during the day. Isolated showers might still occur and the low pressure system will reach Sardinia by tomorrow night.
The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in conjunction with the International Maxi Association (IMA), runs from September 4th to September 10th.
The Volvo Open 70 Movistar, the Spanish participant in the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-2006, is back in the water at its Real Club Nautico de Sanxenxo base. Two months before the start of the Volvo Ocean Race, the Movistar is ready to continue its development.
We have a new keel bulb and a new mast remarkks team manager, Pedro Campos-. These are major changes for a boat, especially one like this, which is so sensitive to the slightest change. The idea is to enhance the weight distribution and improve performance, which we will be able to check out now, when we return to our training in the water.
Fred Barrett, the technical shore-manager and his shoreteam have worked the last three weeks long hours to get all the jobs done, as besides the new mast and bulp all other areas got a final overhaul.
These changes are a significant step forward in the boat's development continues Movistar's skipper Bouwe Bekking. But they also mean that we have to re-calibrate many of the boat's parameters. It is not just a question of putting in a new mast and bulb and carry on sailing. We now have to learn how to get the best out of these changes, but the good thing is that we know from the start that they will have a very positive impact on the boat’s performance .
The Movistar new mast arrived at the team’s base last week. The mast is made by Southern Spars in New Zealand remarks team coach Ken Dool-, aand it was brought to Bilbao in a cargo ship and then it came by special transport from there to Sanxenxo. You must not forget that it is a 32 metre mast and it cannot be broken down, so transport has been quite a spectacle.
Now the boat is in the water, the Movistar crew is back to their daily training programme, as bowman Pepe Ribes points out. During these weeks that the boat has been on land, we have focused on physical training, and Sam Brovender the team fitness coach h“ has used this time to push us hard, with two long training sessions each day. Now we are back to the sailing programme, adding as many hours in the water with the boat as possible, but without neglecting the fitness aspect. We still do a daily workout starting at seven thirty in the morning. To tell you the truth, there is no let up, but we have seen that Sam's tough programme is necessary to sail a boat as demanding as the VO 70
It has barely been a month since the highly successful Global Challenge 2004/05 finished yet the training for the next race, starting in 2008/09, has already kicked off and another group of budding new recruits have started their quests to race around the world.
Nearly three quarters of the race berths have now been snapped up for the Global Challenge 2008/09, despite the race not starting for another three years. Although a long way away it is essential to start getting crew trained up as early as possible as 70% of those who apply are non-sailors and will be put through some of the most punishing conditions on earth.
Race organisers, Challenge Business, have enabled more than 1,000 sailors to race around the world or get a taste of the action as a legger – a colossal number, given the fact that they race the wrong way, against prevailing winds and currents.
The race, once again, is attracting the same broad spectrum of individuals that typify this unique race. Housewives, teachers, company directors, farmers – people from all walks of life and nationality brought together with the sole dream of racing around the world.
One of these new recruits who signed up in February, on the very first day he possibly could, is Jeremy Salvesen, company director of Groovy Chocolates, who will be using the race to raise money for the official race charity, Save the Children. As a complete rookie to sailing he explained after his training: “Fantastic! Harder work than I thought it was going to be and I thought it was going to be hard. Physically demanding and technical but fantastic.”
For some this is start of years of planning. Ben Scott, a 31-year-old company director, said: “This is something I’ve always wanted to do. I saw the boats come back in the early 90s and thought I want be part of that!”
Asked about how he would raise the funds to take part in the race he continued: “There may be hurdles to get there but when you want something so much you find a way.”
Finding that way takes many different forms as Elaine Kirton, a 35-year-old physiotherapist, explains: “I’m selling my house to go. It’s a life changing experience and I’m putting everything into it.”
As far ranging as people’s methods of raising the funds to take part are the new crews’ individual reasons for signing up: “Be part of the bigger picture; looking for adventure and want to step out of my comfort zone; enjoying spending a year not in front of a lap top; the physical aspect of ‘getting out,’” were all comments iterated by the crews as they start to take on the challenge and mould themselves and their mentalities into round the world yacht racers.
Some of the crew taking part have already had some sort of connection to previous races, including Denise Oakley a Deployment Manager for BP – a yacht sponsor from the previous two races. Denise twice applied to take part in the race as a legger through an internal employee ‘legger’ competition. Although she was in the running for both races - getting close to the final selection from over 300 applicants – she was pipped to the post in both instances.
Determined not to let the opportunity slip through her hands once more Denise is not only taking part in a leg but the entire race. As a single mother she previously would not have been able to do the whole race but as her son will be in his first year of university she is finally grasping the opportunity.
“I’m not leaving anything to chance this time,” she commented.
One of the major changes for the Global Challenge 2008/09 will be the age limit for crew. Previously the upper limit was 60 but this has now been raised to 65 to take into account the changing demographics of today’s society.
One of the new recruits is Ingrid Rock, who is already studying for a phD and will be 62 when the Global Challenge 2008/09 starts. Ingrid had never even stepped onto a yacht before she met race organisers, Challenge Business. She says she went to the Schroeder’s London Boat Show, fell in love with one of the yachts and that was it!
Ingrid explains: “My kids are grown up; there’s nothing to hold me back!”
The first bout of training helps make the event much more tangible for the new crews and brings the event to life for them. Ben Scott explained: “It’s been really nice to meet other people who share your view and enthusiasm. It’s difficult for those who don’t sail to understand what you are doing and the magnitude of what you are undertaking.”
Una Hennigan, a 35-year-old IT Consultant backed this comment up saying: “I’m a lot more excited now. We had some pretty bad weather on the first day and got a taste of what it’s like. Everyone is 100% now about the race. There are no doubts now. I want to go tomorrow, not wait three years!”
Following a crew questionnaire conducted during the last 2004/05 race, it is clear to see why Challenge Business continues to further its position as a market leader in the way it runs and manages its events.
Statistics show that 95% of Global Challenge 2004/05 core crew felt that the race had met their expectations with almost all of them stating that they would take away from the race greater tolerance, respect for others, confidence and a belief that you can do anything if you set your mind to it*.
96.6% of Global Challenge 2004/05 core crew rated their training skippers and mates as good or excellent*.
93% of Global Challenge 2004/05 core crew would recommend their friends and family take part in the Global Challenge*.
A perfect setting, with bright sunshine, warm temperatures and a light northeasterly breeze greeted the 37 crews competing in the first day of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup.
The Race Committee was able to fire the first start of the day - for the four Spirit of Tradition yachts - with a slight delay at 11.50 due to the shifting wind that required a repositioning of the line. For this small fleet, the Race Committee selected a 23-mile course that after an initial windward mark led the competitors west towards Golfo Saline, then northeast towards the Monaci rocks and back south with a last mark positioned in the Golfo Pevero and the finish line opposite Porto Cervo. US billionaire George Lindemann's Adela, the largest yacht of the fleet with a LOA of just over 180 feet, took line honours after 3 hours of sailing, followed by Italian entry Whitefin of Alfredo Canessa, who was able to clinch the victory on corrected time.
For the rest of the fleet the Race Committee selected a 30-mile and slightly more complex course. After an initial windward leg to a mark, the competitors paraded on a tight reach towards the Monaci rocks and then sailed on towards the Barrettinelli, still on a tight reach. After rounding this small rocky outcrop, the fleet headed South in the heart of the La Maddalena archipelago with its numerous islands and semi-submerged rocks. This second part of the race proved to be much more tactical than the first section, as the fleet was finally able to engage into a series of tacking duels in the restricted waters, and the breeze, which had picked up to 15 knots, started shifting. After keeping the island of Santo Stefano to port, the competitors headed for the last mark in the Golfo Pevero and reached the finish line opposite Porto Cervo.
The second start saw 11 yachts evenly spread on the starting line, with Alexia choosing the pin end. Soon after the start the fleet split into two distinct groups, one heading to the right side of the course and the other half to the left, which appeared to be slightly favoured. Alexia was able to sail quickly into a comfortable lead and stay well ahead of the fleet throughout the race, taking line honours with a 6 minute lead over Magic Carpet Squared. This margin was enough to enable the Argentinian crew to win on corrected time. Alberto Roemmers, owner and helmsman of Alexia, was quite happy with this first day of racing. "We finished first overall and of course we are very satisfied," he commented. "Today we sailed the traditional around-the-islands course, but we didn't have many surprises as is often the case. We had a good race and enjoyed ourselves. At a certain point, the fleet was quite compact, but later on we had a problem dropping the code zero and our rivals caught up on us. However, in the final part of the course where we were able to stretch again and finish first overall."
The third group to start was the Cruising A division, with the brand new US entry Ghost owned by Arne Glimcher opting for the pin end and sailing into clear air with an impressive speed. With America's Cup veteran Tom Whidden calling the tactics, Ghost was able to lead its division on real time, crossing the line first with a 14 minute margin over Italian entry Viriella owned by Vittorio Moretti. New York real estate mogul Harry Macklowe's Unfurled came third on the line and was able to win this first race on corrected time. As he stepped on shore, Tom Whidden commented: "I think for our very first race everyone was very pleased today. We really didn't know how strong things would be or what sails to put up at what time. We really haven't sailed the boat very much and it's never been sailed in any kind of racing condition. We had two days of crew practice and it seemed like it worked out OK. We were probably on the conservative side today and we probably could have pushed the boat a little harder. For instance, after the first mark we had a very long reach and we kept saying should we put our spinnaker up or not. We'll probably push her a little harder as the days go on and hopefully it'll live up to all of our expectations. Once again it's beautiful sailing in Sardinia!"
The fourth and last start of the day was the one that provided most action and controversy, with a total of 15 maxi yachts on the line from the Cruising B and Racing divisions. Australian Grant Wharington's Skandia chose the pin end of the line, clear of other boats and with good speed, while his rival Maximus was caught in the back of the fleet. Two boats, Edimetra and South Georgia were over early and had to restart. In the Cruising B division, the star of the day was the brand new Italian entry Roma owned by Filippo Faruffini who had a great start and was able to lead the fleet throughout the course. Paolo Semeraro, helmsman of Roma, commented: "We had a great day with a good steady breeze which I guess came in as a bit of a surprise. We had a good start, with 15 maxis all together on the line - quite spectacular - and were able to sail fast around the course. Our boat was launched 1 month ago and went cruising for 10 days. This is our first regatta. In five days time we managed to get her ready for this event and we worked really hard. It's a great boat that looks very racy from the outside but is fully equipped with air conditioning, refrigerators and all the comforts. So far we are very happy and we hope to keep up the results."
While the yachts in the Cruising B, after the windward mark, headed for the Monaci rocks, the Racing division fleet headed dead downwind as, according to their interpretation, there should have been a downwind and another windward leg before heading off towards the Monaci. After a few radio communications between the competitors and the Race Committee, the fleet found itself turning around and sailing directly to the Monaci. The confusion led to a shake up of the leaderboard, with Skandia losing its edge over its rivals. Maximus took the lead and held on to take line honours, followed by Skandia 5 minutes later. Charles St C Brown, co-owner of Maximus with Bill Buckley, commented: "We had a good day and surprisingly we had a nice breeze. It came in at just the right time, but for us the major issue was that we believe there should have been a bottom mark, because there was meant to be a windward-leeward leg after the start. After rounding the top mark we sailed downwind looking for the buoy, but there was no mark. We finally got going again, went around the course and beat all the boats in our division by a long way. We went across the line first so at the end it was ok." However, as a result of the confusion over the course, it has been decided that Race 1 for Racing Division should be resailed.
According to weather forecast, the conditions tomorrow should still be good, with a SE breeze of 10-12 knots, while a low pressure system is slowly moving towards Sardinia.
All is set in the idyllic setting of Porto Cervo, Sardinia, for the start of the 16th edition of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, which this year attracts a record fleet representing thirteen countries: Argentina, Australia, British Virgin Islands, France, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain and United States.
The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in conjunction with the International Maxi Association (IMA), runs from September 4th to September 10th. Racing starts tomorrow, Monday, with a lay-day (or reserve) scheduled for Thursday September 8th. The fleet will be split into three divisions: IMA Racing Division comprising high performance yachts racing time-on-time under IRC and IMA experimental handicap. Wally Division, with yachts racing under their own handicap system. Cruising Division, racing time-on distance under IRC handicap system, including Spirit of Tradition yachts, sailing with a day-by-day performance handicap.
The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup race week traditionally comprises a variety of inshore race courses off the stunning coastline of Northern Sardinia, known as Costa Smeralda for its crystal-clear emerald waters, and around the Archipelago of La Maddalena with its narrow straits, rocky outcrops and shifting winds. The courses are designed to make the best use of the daily weather conditions - winds in September can be anywhere between light thermally-induced sea breezes to the famous Mistral, which can blow from the northwest at up to 45 knots at times. According to Captain Filippo Petrucci, official meteorologist of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, "the week will start off with good weather and a regular sea breeze of 12-14 knots, however a low pressure system will slowly move towards Italy, reaching Sardinia on Wednesday night. The winds will gradually shift to the S-SE and the clouds will move in, bringing with them showers and thunderstorms. By Friday morning the front will have moved beyond Porto Cervo and the weather will steadily improve, with plenty of sunshine and a good stable sea breeze. Tomorrow the day will start off with a couple of showers, but the conditions will pick up quickly during late morning. The Northerly breeze, starting at 4-6 knots, will slowly shift to the NE, reaching 10-11 knots by the afternoon."
The strong international fleet will provide plenty of close action, with a couple of strong new entries and many veterans of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup - probably the most synonymous event linked to the Sardinian sailing paradise of Porto Cervo. Two newcomers to the event, Maximus and Skandia, are likely to be the boats to watch at this year's Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. Both super-maxis come in at 98 feet with canting keel technology and host many high-tech innovations. Maximus, co-owned by the two accomplished New Zealand businessmen Charles St C Brown and Bill Buckley, recently took line honours in the 2005 Rolex Fastnet Race and was first on corrected time in the Grand Prix Division of the 2005 Rolex Transatlantic Challenge. Australian Grant Wharington's Skandia was rebuilt and improved in its design after the major damage suffered during the past Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. The last time these two boats met was during the Rolex Fastnet where Maximus had the better of Skandia, and it will be interesting to see who will prevail in this challenging and very different environment. Italian entry Mister A owned by Aldo Pagani, 2004 winner in the Cruising Division in the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, will be competing again this year, hoping to repeat his success. The fleet also includes four Spirit of Tradition yachts, among these the world famous schooner Adela owned by US billionaire George Lindemann. The largest yacht of the fleet, with a LOA of just over 180 feet, Adela is a regular competitor at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. New York real estate mogul Harry Macklowe will be sailing his 112-foot Unfurled against a series of tough competitors including Germany's Inspiration owned by Herbert Dahm, third in the 2004 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. Twelve yachts will compete in the Wally Division, where Alberto Roemmers' Alexia from Argentina hopes to defend the 2004 title among a fleet that includes entries from the British Virgin Islands, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway and Spain. Tiketitan, second in 2004, will once again be on the starting line, together with Great Britain's Magic Carpet Squared, owned by Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones, CEO of L'Oreal. Another prominent personality who regularly sails in the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup with his yacht Kauris III is Italian Marco Tronchetti Provera, chairman of Telecom Italia and Pirelli, and main partner of Luna Rossa Challenge 2007, one of the three Italian America's Cup teams who will be competing in Valencia in 2007.
The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda will officially greet the competitors tonight with a welcome cocktail at the clubhouse which overlooks the Porto Cervo Marina. The stunning complex - which offers its' members 24 guest accommodation suites, a modern fitness centre, a bar and a restaurant on the panoramic poolside terrace - has been recently redesigned and renovated by the New York-based architect Peter Marino and his team. The rich social calendar of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup will offer the competitors plenty of opportunities to unwind and relax at the end of each racing day. Monday will feature après sailing refreshments, Tuesday the Rolex Party, Wednesday the IMA Dinner, Thursday the Rolex Dinner at the world renowned Cala di Volpe resort, Friday après-racing refreshment and the YCCS Dinner. Youssou N'Dour, one of the most celebrated African musicians in history - renowned singer, songwriter and composer - will be a special guest of the Rolex Dinner and will offer the guests a taste of his eclectic mix of traditional Senegalese music, hip hop, jazz and soul. The week will end with Saturday's final Prizegiving Ceremony, where the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and Rolex timepieces will be awarded to the overall winner of each Division, along with IMA Special Trophies to the winners of the IMA Championship.
A day around 60 F. may not have felt like summer, but it capped a good one for Howard Hamlin, Mike Martin and Trent Barnabas who sailed Pegasus White to an uneventful but successful Friday afternoon on San Francisco Bay to wrap up first place in the 18' Skiff International Regatta.
The championship followed their June victory in the European International Championship in Sardinia, giving them two of the year's three major titles in the class, next to the JJ Giltinan Trophy, the class's premier event contested annually in Australia since 1938.
Hamlin noted that their victory was tempered by the week's disaster in New Orleans that closely followed the competition's time line, day by day.
"It's nice to be able to continue our endeavor when a lot of people are in a terrible situation," he said. "Off the water it was never far from our minds. We're lucky. Those people aren't."
They won four of the 10 races over five days, including first among the skiffs in the Ronstan Bridge to Bridge special Thursday, but settled for a title-clinching third in Friday's first race and a fourth in the finale, leaving them four points in front of defending champion John Winning of Australia.
Martin, of Newport Beach, Calif., said, "We did what we had to do in the first race and kind of cruised in the other race."
But he and Hamlin, of Long Beach, Calif., sensed that their intensity slipped once they put their skiff on cruise control.
"It's amazing how sloppy it gets when it doesn't matter," Martin said.
Martin is Hamlin's rival in the 505 class but has sailed all four of these events as his middle crew, and this was their first win here. Barnabas, 26, is the son of a champion, Trevor Barnabas of Australia, who retired from the class after his runner-up performance here last year.
"We aggressively recruited him," Hamlin said. "In these kinds of conditions his strength, experience and agility are really important. I don't think he ever collapsed the spinnaker in a week of sailing, which is quite an achievement for a 754-square foot sail in this venue."
With winds as strong as 25 knots, they also were the only one of nine boats to stay upright all week. Samuel (Shark) Kahn, sailing Pegasus Black with Cameron MacDonald and Paul Allen, almost made it before taking a knockdown Friday in a relatively moderate 18 knots of breeze at the last leeward mark.
"Unfortunately, we destroyed our non-swimming record today with a nice soft capsize," MacDonald said.
That happened after they won the first race by a couple of boat lengths over Jack Young's Pegasus Gold---but, ironically, slipped from third to fourth place when the second throwout kicked in with that race, allowing Peg Gold to drop nine points for a DNF and jump back into third.
But when Peg Gold capsized off Alcatraz in the last race and wound up sixth, Peg Black's third place got it back into third to stay, perhaps signaling a youth movement in a class that's been dominated by veterans. Hamlin is 52, Winning 53. Kahn turned 16 a month ago.
Early in the week Kahn said he would be happy to finish fourth. Friday he said, "I'm very happy," especially after "I did some major air time off the back when we [capsized]."
Kahn's two recent sailing ventures are in sharp contrast. Last week across the bay he sailed a relatively benign, non-hiking Etchells to first place in the tune-up regatta for the class worlds next week.
"If you want to have good close racing, go out in an Etchells," he said. "If you want NASCAR-type stuff, try one of these skiffs."
MacDonald said, "It was only his second skiff regatta, and I'm really impressed. Sailing with Paul on the 49er has helped a lot. Look at our finishes ((5)-5-3-3-2-(DNF/9)-3-3-1-3) and you'll see he showed improvement over the week, as well."
The team's worst race was when the top of their mast broke Wednesday, forcing them to drop out.
BMW ORACLE Racing tops the leader board after an uncanny stroke of fortune saw a dying breeze in both opening fleet races of the Louis
Vuitton Act 7 regatta work in favour of BMW ORACLE Racing.
In the first race, skipper Chris Dickson and the USA-76 crew pulled off a remarkable come-from-behind win when they ghosted across the finish line in glassy-calm conditions.
They had rounded the windward mark buried in a mid-fleet position, but opted to sail out to the extreme left side of the course, where they found a flicker of breeze and sailed round the front-runners to claim the lead.
Then they were in a race against time as the 40-minute time limit for the final leg ticked ever closer. At last, with just seconds to spare, USA-76 crept across the finish to take the win.
Sailing aboard USA-76 as 18th man in this race was 14-year-old Tina Lutz, the German dinghy sailor who won the Optimist world championship in Switzerland two weeks ago.
The second race was virtually a repeat of the first, except this time as the fleet became becalmed on the final leg, with Alinghi in the lead, the best outcome for BMW ORACLE Racing would be an abandonment.
With Alinghi drifting agonisingly close to the finish line, the time limit expired and the Race Committee raised the M-flag to signal the race was abandoned with no result.
Race One Summary - This was a dramatic race as BMW ORACLE Racing first climbed from a mid-fleet position to take the lead and then had a desperate race against the clock to cross the line seconds before the time limit ran out.
The race began in a light south westerly breeze, which slowly died
throughout the race until it finished with the yachts barely able to move at all across the mirror-like water.
BMW ORACLE Racing got away to a good start in the middle of the line and at speed. Initially, the right side off the course was favoured and, with USA-76 heading left, prospects did not look promising.
The BMW ORACLE Racing team tacked towards the middle, just as the left side came into favour and, by the windward mark rounding, the lead belonged to the Italian Luna Rossa Challenge team with USA-76 lying 5th.
On the first downwind run, the lead changed and the start-up +39 team was in front with USA-76 down a place in 6th. On the third leg, the front of the fleet changed yet again with Emirates Team New Zealand rounding first and USA-76 still in 6th.
Starting the final downwind run to the finish, most of the fleet had gone towards the middle of the course, but Chris Dickson and his afterguard opted to head out far to the left side of the course.
With strategist Eric Doyle riding the top of the mast to spot the breeze and most of the crew hiking out on the leeward side of the boat to keep some shape in the gennaker, USA-76 tip-toed into the lead.
Then, it was a race against the clock to beat the 40-minute time limit to complete each leg. With the seconds counting down the final minute of the limit, USA-76 inched across the line to take the win.
Race Two Summary - Alinghi were drifting five boatlengths from the finish line when the time limit expired and the Race Committee raised the M-flag to signal that they were abandoning the race.
Earlier this week the Louisiana Fish and Wildlife Department sent out a request for boats. The request came to National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA). NMMA sent out a request to its membership for donations. Within the first 24 hours more than 100 voicemail and email responses came in.
It is still unclear just when donated boats will end up in the New Orleans area. But officials have said the sooner the better. Officials wanted to make it clear that they were looking for corporate level donations and not personal donations of individual boats from private parties. The logistics of bringing in individual vessels would be overwhelming. They are also not looking for boat operators. The boats will operated by law enforcement and rescue staff alread on the scene.
Currently Fish and Wildlife officials are looking for manufacturers of personal water craft, john boats, pontoon boats, inflatables, hovercraft and other low draft power vessels.
During the upcoming holiday weekend, United States Coast Guard law enforcement crews will be patrolling, conducting safety checks and watching for mariners boating while intoxicated or operating in a unsafe manner. The boating public is encouraged to watch the weather carefully, to have emergency equipment in good working order and understand the hazards of boating under the influence of alcohol.
Weather conditions can change quickly. The National Weather Service broadcasts marine weather forecasts regularly. Check the boating forecast before you go at http://www.nws.noaa.gov.
Mariners should be aware of the dangers involved mixing drinking and boating. Nearly 30 percent of all recreational boating fatalities can be attributed to alcohol use. Judgment can be impaired by mixing alcohol and boating. The consumption of alcohol also affects the ability of passengers to respond in the case of an emergency on the water.
Intoxicated boaters can face both federal and state charges with penalties of up to one year in prison and up to $100,000 in fines.
Boaters are also reminded to wear their life jackets, file a float plan with a friend or family member and to have a working VHF radio and Emergency Positioning Indicator Radio Beacon (EPIRB) onboard. The EPIRB helps rescuers pinpoint the location of vessels in distress. Only 20 percent of operators and occupants involved in a boating accident wore a life jacket at the time of the accident, while 36 percent reported that they could not swim.
The Coast Guard cautions boaters to observe safety and security zones while on the water during this Labor Day weekend.
Grand Traverse Yacht Club hosts a fantastic Midwest Melges24 event. With eighteen boats making the starting line, Traverse City becomes one of the best-attended Melges regattas for the summer. Boats traveled from all over Michigan as well as Chicago and Annapolis, MD. Even the pin-end race committee traveled from Europe via Russia to attend.
Conditions were excellent with a cold front moving through early Saturday morning bringing a 10-15 knot breeze from the southwest. Six races on Saturday made for plenty of boat and sail handling. Racing was brutal, as it seemed everybody had the wheels to be in the hunt at every mark. Watching 10 plus boats reaching between the weather mark and the offset mark three abreast was intense. Downwind was a game of positioning while keeping the boats on plane. Picking a side only seemed to be important until you reached a mark only to have boats from both directions reaching the gates at the same time.
After the shooting stopped, the hot boats were; Fusion M (John Bertrand), Bling Bling (Evan Jahn), Hoodlum Racing (Paul Hulsey), Snow Pile Express (Bob Clark), and No Hippy Chick (Dr. Tim O’neill and Dave Bowen). Honorable mention for Saturday was Mike Dow. After colliding mast-to-mast with WaterLu (Mr. Harper), Dow donated his boat to the USA202 group in order for them to finish the series. This crew did an awesome job of damage control. This collision happened right over my head, as we were the just around the windward mark. The hollow smack of the mast one sickening not to mention the ripping sound that the jib wire sheave made as it ripped its way down the center of the mast. As the mast slowly made its way towards the deck, making its way through the support of the vang, two crewmembers jumped off the rail and jammed the mast forward thus saving the deck from certain destruction. An awesome move of the day for this crew.
Sunday brought more of the same as the wind held its bite coming from the west with puffy thermals descending from the hills of Lelanau County. Scoring remanding relatively the same except for USA202 putting in a 1, 5, and 4 moving them up nicely.
Exhausted crews finished this day quickly and were heading for the ramp by noon. Muskegon Yacht Club made a big impression on this regatta bringing six of its nine boats to play on West Grand Traverse Bay. The next Midwest Melges24 regatta is The Gold Cup in Lake Geneva, WI, October 7,8,and 9th.
Results:
Fushion M Bertrand
Bling Bling Evan Jahn
Hoodlum Racing Paul Hulsey
Snowpile Expess Bob Clark
No Hippy Chick Dr. O’neill/ Dave Bowen
USA511 Podmajersky
Li’l Iodine John Laundra
USA31 Marty Jensen
Flyer 02 Chuck Holzman
Virgin Destroyer John Schumacher
WaterLu Harper
Major Woody Dave Skibowski
USA175 Brian Smith
KML Tow Cindy Cromwell
Flying Toaster Mike Dow
Miss Daisy Jim Beebe and family
Alias Red Boat Murray Lindhout
USA30 John Bowen
Coast Guard members from across the Great Lakes will deploy Friday to the Gulf Coast of the United States in support of relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Coast Guard personnel specializing in search and rescue, law enforcement and humanitarian relief operations will depart the Cleveland, Ohio Moorings at the foot of East 9th Street Friday September 2 between 12 p.m. and 2 p.m ET.
The deployment will included four search and rescue boats, personal protective equipment for hazardous chemicals and over 750 gallons of water. The 27 Coast Guardsmen will roll out of Cleveland in five recreational vehicles, allowing them to be self sufficient in the catastrophic conditions of the Gulf Coast.
Paul Cayard, Skipper of The Black Pearl, the US boat competing in the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-06, has officially announced his crew. The Pirates of the Caribbean team is highly experienced, represents seven countries and contains four past winners of this race.
The Pirates of the Caribbean are:
Paul Cayard (USA) -Skipper;
Julian 'Jules' Salter (UK) - Navigator; Freddie Loof (SWE) - Watch Captain; Rodney Ardern (NZ) -Watch Captain; Dirk de Ridder (NED) -Trimmer-Driver; Nigel King (UK) -Trimmer-Driver; Craig Satterthwaite (NZ) -Trimmer-Driver; Justin Ferris/Bowman (NZ) -Trimmer-Driver; Curtis Blewett (CAN) -Bowman; Jerry Kirby (USA) - Bowman Justin 'Juggy' Clougher (AUS) - Bowman.
The following is a statement from the Ports of Indiana:
The Ports of Indiana would like to express its deepest sympathies to the citizens of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama affected by Hurricane Katrina. Our thoughts also go out to our colleagues at the many ports in the Gulf Coast region. These ports are essential to the vitality of our country's economy and they are a crucial gateway for international trade from the Midwest along the 14,500 miles of the Mississippi-Ohio river system.
While the total devastation left in the wake of Katrina is still uncertain, there is no doubt this hurricane will have a tremendous impact on the U.S. economy and freight transportation. The New Orleans-Gulf Coast region is home to six of the top 15 tonnage ports in the nation handling more than 500 million tons of cargo per year. This is more than the combined total of all waterborne shipments for the states of California, Florida, New York and Alaska.
Indiana relies on these ports for transloading Hoosier shipments between river barges and ocean-going ships for international trade. Disruptions are expected in some Indiana shipments of grain, steel, fertilizer, iron ore and minerals. It appears ports in New Orleans, Mobile, Ala., Gulfport and Pascagoula, Miss., are closed to ships. River traffic is limited to tugboats, barges and recovery boats, but inspections and depth soundings are needed before the river could open to ships. The Ports of Indiana will make every effort to serve customers affected by the hurricane-related shutdowns as shipper needs are further identified.
The worldwide shipping industry is reacting to the possibility that the New Orleans region may not be open for some time. Because the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor handles similar cargoes and can also transload between ocean-going ships and river barges, there is potential for it to serve as a transshipment point from the north much like New Orleans does from the south. Port companies have had inquiries from steel traders that regularly ship through Burns Harbor and New Orleans about diverting more steel shipments through the Lake Michigan port for inland distribution from the north end of the Mississippi River system. Burns Harbor handles more ocean-going cargo than any other U.S. Great Lakes port and 15 percent of all U.S. steel trade with Europe. The port can handle virtually every type of cargo, including general cargo, grain, bulk, containers and heavy-lift cargoes.
Companies at Indiana's two Ohio River ports – Port of Indiana-Mount Vernon and Port of Indiana-Jeffersonville – are also considering other options, including the use of rail, expanded storage capacity and alternative routes. One option could include diverting ships to ports west of New Orleans for barge movement via the Intracoastal Waterway to the Mississippi River. This route bypasses New Orleans by connecting to the Mississippi at Baton Rouge.
Disruption of the Mississippi-Ohio river system would have a catastrophic effect on the U.S. economy and transportation system. One tugboat hauling 15 barges occupies about a quarter mile of river channel. To haul the same amount of cargo on land would require 2¼ 100-car unit trains on 2¾ miles of track or 870 trucks stretching over 34 miles of highway. With increasing fuel costs, waterborne transportation becomes an even more important cost-saving mode for shippers. Louisiana is the front door to this inland river system. The Port of South Louisiana is the largest tonnage port in the country and fourth in the entire world. It handles nearly 200 million tons of cargo per year and 15 percent of all U.S. exports. There are 10 grain elevators on the lower Mississippi River that handle 62 percent of all U.S. grain exports. Extensive destruction of ports and infrastructure will create delays, disrupt supplies and impact prices.
The Captain of the Port, Sault Ste. Marie, has established a regulated navigation area, one quarter mile on each side of the Mackinac Bridge in concurrence with the annual Labor Day Mackinac Bridge Walk. The regulated navigation area will commence at 6:00 AM EST Monday, September 5th, until approximately 3:00 PM the same day. All vessels planning to transit under the Mackinac Bridge are directed to check their speeds back to 12 nautical miles per hour (14 mph). All recreational vessels are directed to contact Coast Guard Station St. Ignace on VHF-FM channel 16 for an escort before entering the regulated navigation area. The only authorized passage under the Mackinac Bridge will be through the center span. A broadcast will be made on VHF-FM channel 16/22A to initiate and remove the regulated navigation area.
The Coast Guard, in conjunction with the Michigan State Police, is implementing these procedures strictly as a safety precaution. For more information please contact Coast Guard Sector Sault Ste. Marie at (906) 635-3233 or Coast Guard Station St. Ignace at (906) 643-6402.
US SAILING and sailors across the nation are saddened by the tragic loss of life and tremendous damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. In the context of loss of homes, injuries and loss of life, the loss of Yacht Clubs and other recreational facilities may seem insignificant. We are thinking of our fellow sailors and friends and Yacht Clubs along the Gulf Coast whom have suffered losses. US SAILING has received information that the following yacht clubs have suffered a total loss or significant damage:
* Southern Yacht Club - New Orleans, LA
* Gulfport Yacht Club (Gulfport, MS)
* Biloxi Yacht Club (Biloxi, MS)
* Pass Christian Yacht Club - just west of Gulfport (Pass Christian, MS)
* Pontchartrain Yacht Club - north shore of Lake Pontchartrain (Mandeville, LA)
* South Shore Yacht Club (New Orleans, LA)
* New Orleans Yacht Club (visit their Message Board for an overview of updates)
* Pascagoula Yacht Club* (Pascagoula, MS)
* Buccaneer Yacht Club* (Mobile, AL)
* Mobile Yacht Club* (Mobile, AL)
* Fairhope Yacht Club - Mobile Bay-eastern shore (Fairhope, AL)
* Bay Waveland Yacht Club (Bay St. Louis, MS)
* Long Beach Yacht Club* - just west of Gulfport (Long Beach, MS)
* Singing River Yacht Club* (Pascagoula, MS)
Unknown at this time but presumed damaged or destroyed are:
* Tammany Yacht Club - Lake Pontchartrain-north shore (Slidell, LA)
* Lake Forest Yacht Club* - Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay (Daphne, AL)
* Ocean Springs Yacht Club - just east of Biloxi (Ocean Springs, MS)
This list will most likely continue to grow over the next few days.
If you have any personal stories about damaged boats or sailing facilities contact us by email
Source: US Sailing