SHIPWRECKS AT THE SHEDD
History, Mystery & Mayhem on the Lake!
Join members of the Underwater Archeological Society of Chicago for a great show of mysterious Lake Michigan shipwrecks. The multimedia presentations will feature stories of the shipwreck David A. Wells, S.S. Michigan (finally found!), and tugboats and towboats as well as updates on continuing UASC projects. These are the people who discover, dive and research these unique vessels.
Each show will also include a musical set by UASC members Tom & Chris Kastle and Lee Murdock.
Show times are 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm.
Tickets are $18.00 at the door but only $15.00 if you purchase in advance.
For advanced tickets call the Shedd Aquarium Group Sales Office (8:00 am- 4:00 pm) at 312-692-3333 or purchase tickets at the door.
If you have an interest in shipwrecks, don't miss this event!
Underwater Archaeological Society of Chicago www.chicagosite.org/uasc.htm
Stagg Yachts together with the Farr 40 and Mumm 30 class associations have decided to cancel the 2005 Rolex Farr One Design Invitational due to the conditions in South Florida following Hurricane Wilma. Originally scheduled for November 3-6 in Miami's South Beach, the regatta was also set to double as the Mumm 30 North American Championship. That regatta will now take place during Key West Race Week.
"For the past week we have been gathering information from sources in Fort Lauderdale and Miami and have come to this difficult conclusion," said Stagg Yachts President Geoff Stagg (Annapolis, Md.). "There are too many issues with getting boats launched, not knowing when power and water will be restored, when curfews will be lifted, gas stations open and the residents of the area recovered from the damage incurred to proceed. Our thoughts are with all of the residents of South Florida and our hope is that this regatta will return to Miami in the future."
Nelson Stephenson, Mumm 30 Class President, also expressed his concern for the people of Miami and Fort Lauderdale in their recovery attempts. Although the Mumm 30 Class enjoys sailing in Miami as much as anywhere in the world, our owners understand that the recovery effort must be primary focus for the marine services industry in South Florida. We are all looking forward to returning to Miami for future events, including Acura Miami Race Week in March, 2006 and our Mumm 30 World Championship, scheduled for November, 2006."
Jim Richardson, Farr 40 Class President, echoed Stevenson's comments. "We are pleased that none of our sailors were harmed in Hurricane Wilma. It is time to let the people of South Florida restore services and repair the massive damage sustained in the storm. We look forward to returning to Miami for Race Week next March."
For more information about Farr 40 class racing, including the 2006 Rolex Farr 40 World Championship to held in September in Newport, R.I., go to www.farr40.org. The Mumm 30 class schedule can be found at www.mumm30.org.
With just nine boats finishing from a fleet of 58 starters thanks to five days of near non-existent winds, the 2005 Rolex Middle Sea Race had one of the strangest results of an offshore race.
Last boat to arrive was David Franks' J/125 Strait Dealer, the only Maltese yacht to make it around the 608-mile course. "I think everyone is pleased that a Maltese boat finished," said Franks, whose crew included British navigator Graham Sunderland and Mascalzone Latino crewman Chris Dougall. "We had wind, but it was never strong wind. It has been an extraordinary race. Normally I hate those conditions. I wouldn't say I enjoyed the conditions, but I did enjoy toughing it out with the crew. It was more psychological rather than physical toughness. Nonetheless the boat was so well prepared. We planned so hard, we were ready to do whatever we had to do to finish. Even in the light stuff we were working the boat trying to squeeze everything out of it. In some cases we would change the sails up to 10 times within the hour. Whatever it took we did."
There were so few finishers this year and none in the smaller class two, despite valiant efforts from several boats. At today's prize giving in Valletta's Mediterranean Conference Centre, the former 'Sacra Infermeria' of the Order of St John of Jerusalem dating back to the 16th century, Carlo Puri Negri's Farr 70 Atalanta II managed a clean sweep of the silverware.
Puri Negri, professionally General Executive Manager of Pirelli & C. Real Estate, won seven major trophies - the RLR Trophy for line honours, the Malta Tourism Authority Trophy for the first foreign boat home, the FIV Trophy for the first Italian yacht on corrected time, a Rolex steel Submariner for first place in IRC Class 1A, the first place trophy for IMS/ORC Class A, the Boccale Del Mediterraneo Trophy for IMS Overall and the Rolex Middle Sea Race Trophy for being the overall winner.
"I have never seen so many trophies!" said Puri Negri. "We are happy because the Rolex Middle Sea Race is an important and glorious race." In winning the Rolex Middle Sea Race, Puri Negri and the Atalanta II crew have also won the Mediterranean Championship of Offshore Racing - a new series of four events including the Rolex Middle Sea Race and the Giraglia Rolex Cup.
David Franks and Strait Dealer won the Malta Maritime Trophy for being the first Maltese boat across the line and the Starboard Trophy for being first Maltese boat overall in IRC. The Youth Cup for the youngest participating crewmember was won by 13 year old Luisa Manduca, who sailed on father Alfred's Allegra.
Prizes were presented by Dr Louis Galea, Minister for Education, Youth and Employment, Censu Galea, Minister for Competitiveness and Communications, Dr Francis Zammit Dimech, Minister for Tourism and Culture, Race Director Godwin Zammit, Royal Malta Yacht Club Commodore Georges Bonello DuPuis, Yann du Pasquier of Rolex, Malcolm Lowell of Edwards, Lowell Ltd, Teddy Borg and Paul Ripard.
"We had record number of entries and you try and make the best of it, but arguably we have had the worst result with most of the fleet retiring," summarized Bonello DuPuis. "I am happy that at least Strait Dealer finished, so Malta was mentioned in the prize giving ceremony. As to next year - we're looking for a new weather site - god.com!"
The 27th Rolex Middle Sea Race starts on 21 October 2006.
A provisional schedule for the 2006 Breitling MEDCUP TP52 Circuit 2006 was announced on Thursday 27th Oct. during the presentation of the XII Breitling Regatta, which took place at the Barcelona International Boat Show. The Breitling Regatta itself is one of the confirmed events for the 2006 Circuit.
The Breitling MEDCUP plans to open the Circuit with the first event to be held in Punta Ala, Italy, from 22nd – 27th May. The fleet will then move to Barcelona for the second event in the Circuit, to be held from 5th – 9th July. The third event will be the Breitling Regatta, which will be held in Puerto Portals from the 19th – 23rd July. The next event will be held just one week after, which will be the Copa del Rey in Palma de Mallorca from 29th July – 6th August. The TP52s will then meet in Athens for the fifth event, from the 19th – 27th August, with the Circuit drawing to a close in a final event in Ibiza, which will be from 18th – 23rd September 2006.
José Félix García, the Head of Communication for the Breitling MEDCUP TP52, explained that much care was being taken when choosing the dates for the Circuit. This was so that the events would not clash with the Volvo Ocean Race, or the America’s Cup Acts, as many of the owners and sailors are also participating in these competitions.
Javier Pomar, the Director General of Cronomar (Head of Breitling, Spain) was enthusiastic about the growth of the Circuit for the coming season. Pomar reminded everyone of the energy and enthusiasm that all those who have participated have brought to the project. Preparations for next year’s Circuit are well underway.
We can also reveal that for next year the number of teams due to participate in the Circuit will be almost double that of this year, with 20 boats already confirming their presence. As well as the stars of this year’s Circuit, LEXUS QUANTUM, CAIXA GALICIA, BRIBON, ORLANDA, ATALANTI, BAMBAKOU, CRISTABELLA, AIFOS, SIEMENS, PATCHES and SJAMBOK, new vessels will also be joining the fleet. Countries such as Germany, Austria, Spain, with one new vessel, and Holland, with two new teams, England, Ireland, Norway and the USA have all confirmed their participation in the Breitling MEDCUP 2006.
Among the new teams to take part in the 2006 edition of the Breitling MEDCUP are the Dutch team Sotto Vocce and Mean Machine, the Germans Pinta, Norway’s Fram, and the English team Stay Calm. Also joining the fleet are the Americans Rush and Warpath – who will have almost all of the Emirates Team New Zealand onboard. Among the Spaniards to look out for in next year’s Circuit, will be Inaki Castaner’s team Ono, following the purchase of the Breitling MEDCUP 2005’s winning vessel, Pisco Sour with Vasco Vascotto.
Vandermeer Toyota of Cobourg, Ontario today announced its support of Spirit of Canada Ocean Challenges and skipper Derek Hatfield as he sets his sights to win the 2006 VELUX5Oceans global sailboat race. Vandermeer Toyota will provide the Spirit of Canada Team with a new Toyota Sienna as they prepare for the most gruelling sporting event ever.
“Spirit of Canada Ocean Challenges is proud to be partnered with Vandermeer Toyota. Hank Vandermeer and Toyota’s commitment to the community and to the environment with the new hybrid vehicles are a natural fit to our environmental messaging for adults and children alike as we prepare for our second race around the world”, says Derek Hatfield, skipper of Spirit of Canada.
Construction of the new ocean racer, Spirit of Canada is underway in Cobourg with the laying up of the light weight hull and deck. The boat is due to be launched in the spring of 2006. Spirit of Canada is the first Open 60 ever built in Canada and Hatfield will be the first Canadian to race around the world twice solo.
The 46th Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show 2005 show will open on Thursday, November 3. The show will run through Sunday, November 6. This shorter than normal schedule was announced by Yachting Promotion's president Kaye Pearson. Yachting Promotions, Inc. is the promoter of the show.
"After extensive meetings with city and county officials, we have resumed set up for a complete in-water and on-land display," said Pearson. "We understand how important this annual event is for marine industry businesses large and small, not just here in South Florida but also nationally and internationally, and we felt it was vital to do everything in our power to make it happen." Pearson said that the city was making excellent progress in its recovery from Hurricane Wilma and would be ready to welcome visitors to the show next week.
This opinion is not shared by all. The front page of the Power and Motor Yacht Magazine web site now includes a heading titled "The Fort Lauderdale Boat Show Controversy." When users click on the heading they become part of a lively online discussion about the problem with the show being rescheduled so soon. Many comments include concerns about stressing the limited resources of the community. Some vendors and regular show attendees have also expressed concern about how they can logistically arrange their equipment and people on the ground in Fort Lauderdale when basic telecommunications and electrical infrastructure is not in place.
The popular Sailing Anarchy web site posted a front page story on the topic that begins:
The Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS) has gone against all reasonable logic and rescheduled for Nov. 3-5. Seems that in rescheduling rather than canceling after the detestation wrought by Wilma, and regardless of the actual outcome, they get to keep all of our money. Nice. Doesn't matter if no one shows, that there are no boats, no hotels, possibly no power/water/sewer.
If you planned to attend the boat show and will not because of the hurricane or the delay or if you still plan to attend the rescheduled show, let us know. We want to hear your story and your opinion on this topic. Send your message to christopher@torresen.com
The Volvo Ocean Race 2005-06 received the Spanish Royal seal of approval today with the announcement that His Majesty King Juan Carlos I will make an official visit to the host port of Sanxenxo on Friday 4th November.
His Royal Highness will meet the crews of the seven boats - a day before they do battle in the in-port race.
Glenn Bourke, CEO of the Volvo Ocean Race, said: "We are honoured that His Royal Highness has chosen to make an official visit to Sanxenxo. The crew members will relish the prospect of talking with him, given that he is an avid sailor. Who knows, he may even pass on a couple of tips for dealing with the tricky wind conditions we experience here in the bay. Being no stranger to elite yacht racing, I'm sure he will be impressed by the Volvo Open 70s.
"This is an exciting development for the race and for Galicia. It will add significantly to the high profile the Volvo Ocean Race already commands in the region as we build-up to the start of the in-port race in Sanxenxo on November 5 and the start of the ocean leg in Vigo seven days later."
He concluded, "We have met with the Royal House and are busy making preparations to ensure everything is in place for his visit."
The King is extremely supportive of the Volvo Ocean Race; he hosted a reception at the Royal Palace in 2003 when Galicia was officially announced as the start port for the 2005-06 race.
His list of sailing credits include; runner up at the 2003 Admiral's Cup, winner of the Spanish IMS Championships as well as being a regular competitor in the IMS and Transpac circuit.
Hertfordshire, UK - Basilica, a leading UK supplier of IT solutions and services to businesses, is delighted to announce the latest addition to their team. Hugh Styles, Tornado Olympiad will be at the helm of Team Basilica an all British entry in the Volvo Extreme 40 series.
Hugh's skills will compliment the other team members previously revealed for Team Basilica, who will be sailing their cat under the burgee of Hayling Island Sailing Club, bringing some extensive expertise previously seen in Olympic and World Class racing events.
Styles said, “After being introduced to Basilica and offered the opportunity to helm for the team, I could not say yes fast enough. The VX40 is the pinnacle of cat sailing, it is the extreme form of sailing to which every sailor strives. I am delighted and proud to be part of Team Basilica's VX40 British entry.”
Nick Gorringe, Managing Director of Basilica Computing Ltd is a keen sailor himself. He recently took part in the Global Challenge 2004/5, and expressed his pride in being able to back a truly British entry, “We are delighted to have an all British team of Olympic and International sailors representing us in this new and exciting extreme multihull series”.
Team Basilica profiles:
Hugh Styles – Helm - An Olympic Tornado sailor who represented Team GBR at the Sydney Olympic Games 2000. He has won medals at World and European Championship levels. Previously ranked 2nd in the ISAF Tornado world rankings, a position he held for 2 years running. Prior to switching to Tornado sailing Hugh was Laser European champion.
Peter Greenhalgh – Crew – He's represented Great Britain at every level from the British Youth Squad to GBR at the Sydney Pre-Olympics 49er Class. With 6 years of Olympic sailing as his grounding, he then moved onto winning the much coveted 18ft skiff worlds with his brother Robert and became an integral part of J-UK, commissioning and coaching sports boats. Peter's brother Robert is also sailing on ABN Amro One in the Volvo Ocean Race.
Alister Richardson – Crew – Twice young sailor of the year, Alister began his professional career at a young age. Moving on from youth sailing he decided to team up with Peter Greenhalgh embarking on 6 years of Olympic sailing. Since then he has sailed with Hugh Styles in the Tornado and won the International 14 European and National Championships.
James Grant - Crew – Having competed at all levels, James found success in many of the skiff classes. He was an integral part of Robert Greenhalgh's Ultra 30 Grand Prix winning team. James also found success in many of the top keel boat classes, for example Farr 40's, and again sailing with Robert Greenhalgh in the Tour de Voille to 4th place. Working in parallel with professional sailing, he has been coaching top youth sailors to become future Olympians.
Yesterday morning at 0900hrs BST, SKANDIA co-skippers Brian Thompson and Will Oxley left East Cowes to set off on their delivery trip to Le Havre. This morning at 0400h local time, after 18 hours at sea, SKANDIA Open 60 arrived in Le Havre, the start port of the two-handed transatlantic Transat Jacques Vabre race to Brazil: “It was a wet and bumpy ride across the channel, sailing in around 20 knots of wind. We had a great sail down here and it was a great opportunity to get some last minute training in!”
Thirteen Open 60 monohulls, ten 60ft multihulls, six 50ft monohulls and six 50ft multihulls make up the thirty-five fleet of boats that will compete in seventh edition of this biannual two-handed race that takes the fleet from Le Havre to the finish port of Salvador de Bahia in Brazil. The 60ft monohulls will race a course of 4,340 miles (slightly shorter than the multihull course) across the Bay of Biscay that could deliver some cold and autumnal conditions before reaching the tactically difficult Doldrums at the Equator after which they will hook into the warmer Trade Wind conditions to the finish line off the coast of Brazil.
Brian, Will and the SKANDIA shore team will be making the all-important final checks on SKANDIA today before the prologue event which takes place tomorrow (Saturday). At 1400h local time, SKANDIA and the 12 other competing Open 60 monohulls will be on the start line of the Renault-Transat Jacques Vabre Prologue event. Will and Brian will be accompanied onboard by Nick Moloney, Matt Lees (Boat Captain) and Erwan Lemeilleur from the SKANDIA shore team.
From Brian Thompson, Skipper SKANDIA Open 60:
“There is a great fleet of Open 60s assembled and it's going to be fascinating to see who comes out on top. The first tester is going to be the prologue race and this is going to be a unique event – part sailing race, part rollerball. There are four laps of the course and at the end of each lap 4 boats drop out, until just 2 boats are racing, for the first prize of a Renault Kangoo van on loan for next season.
I enjoy prologue races, being able to do buoy racing rather than just ocean sailing with these Open 60s. The trick is to do well in the prologues, but not to win them. Whenever we have won a prologue, we have never won the main event. This is probably not going to be an issue this time as there are some much newer machines out there. We will just try to stick in this prologue race as long as possible, and not get eliminated on the first lap!
It will be great to have Nick on board, he knows the boat inside and out now so any last minute tips he can give us before the start next weekend, will be very useful!”
The 50ft Monohull Prologue starts at 1000hrs tomorrow, prior to the 60ft Monohulls. The Multihull Prologue event is the following day, Sunday 30th October.
What’s happening in the week before the start?...
Sunday: The Race Committee will begin their boat inspections of the Open 60 monohull fleet. The multihulls inspections commence the following day. Throughout the next week they will look at each boat in turn, checking all aspects from sails to safety and technical equipment.
Wednesday: At 1100hrs Brian, Will and the other 68 competing sailors will attend the safety briefing, to explain in detail the technical, and organisation structure surrounding the race with regards to safety & communications in an emergency situation.
Thursday: In the morning, the pontoons will be visited by local school children to give them a chance to learn about these Formula One racing machines and to meet their sailing super-heroes! In the afternoon there is the ProAm Renault Modus for all skippers, where they will racing on a fleet of Bénéteau 7.50 boats in the Eure Bassin, with the prize-giving in the evening.
Friday: At midday, the 70 race skippers are meeting for the Official Transat Jacques Vabre 2005 photocall. This is a rare event – there are not many occasions where you see so many professional sailors from all around the world together and captured in one place! At 1900hrs local time, there is the Official Presentation of the skippers to the public and media, on a stage in the Océane Docks.
Saturday: On the morning of the start day, there is a final briefing for all race skippers, focussing more on the weather, the start and the race itself.
Time has now run out for the remaining competitors in the Rolex Middle Sea Race to beat Atalanta II's corrected time. Thus Carlo Puri Negri's Farr 70 has won the 26th Rolex Middle Sea Race not only for line honours, but also overall under IRC handicap.
With the wind continuing to be light across the Rolex Middle Sea Race course, so at present 11 boats are still racing, just eight have completed the course, while an unprecedented 39 boats have now retired, most due to the impossibly light conditions that have dogged progress in this race for the last five days.
While numerous boats have been returning under power, David Franks' J/125 Strait Dealer is the next boat due to finish and this afternoon was finally tackling the Comino Channel between Malta and it's small neighbouring island in nine knots of wind. "Last night we had the biggest park up ever," commented navigator Graham Sunderland. "I think two watches went past and we hadn't moved one mile. It was absolutely the worst I have ever known. It is amazing. It feels like we have been out here for years. Fortunately we have a great group of people, so it is alright, good fun."
Meanwhile Strait Dealer's match race partners of the last 48 hours on the Swan 62RS Constanter this morning threw the towel in. She arrived back into Marsamxett Harbour early this afternoon under power. "We were trying to figure out if there was a better than 25% chance that we could finish in time. At that point you have got to make an executive decision," explained Constanter's American owner William Mesdag. "We have felt very competitive even against much lighter boats and we had an amazing first 24 hours: to be where we were on the water and under handicap was a big big plus. We don't like to think of ourselves as quitters, but given the weather we saw coming in, it was the right decision."
Among those still racing are the two Russian yachts Kirill Lebedev's Beneteau 40.7 Veronica and Synergy, the new Grand Soleil 40 of Alexey Nikolaev. This afternoon the boats were one third of the way between Lampedusa and Malta with Synergy ahead.
Behind the Russians and in the race still is former the IOR 2 tonner Comanche Raider. "We are racing against time now. We are not racing against other boats," said skipper Jonas Diamantino, with reference to the cut off time for finishers of 0800 local time tomorrow.
"We have picked up a fairly constant eastsoutheast breeze of 3.5-5 knots and we have made good speed, good distance in those breezes. The sea is flat. Now we are hoping equally favourable wind for the next 20 hours, so that we can get back in time."
As to the prospects of making it in before tomorrow morning's deadline, Diamantino was hesitant. "Looking at the forecast, our prospects are low. If you are optimistic - then high!"
In five years of competing in the Rolex Middle Sea Race this is the lightest one he has known. "We usually have 2.5 days of heavy stuff and 2.5 days of light. This is abnormal, although it was expected, it was forecast and they were right." Diamantino says they have been finding way of maintaining their sanity in the light conditions: "We have two lovely ladies on board who sing to us most of the day and we have group discussions on controversial subjects. We have gone through a lot of local politics, such as should we have another golf course on Malta. It has been quite heated!"
Race veteran Arthur Podesta on the Beneteau 45F5 Elusive arrived back in port at breakfast time this morning, one of the retirees. Having competed in every Rolex Middle Sea Race Podesta says the first in 1968 and the race in 1996 were equally slow as this one. However never before have there been so many retirements from the race due to light conditions.
"It was unbelievable," said Podesta. "At Messina we were in the top three or four in the classification and were doing extremely well. And then we just parked and everyone caught up. It was such a difficult race to keep an older boat going. We would stop and get going, stop and get going again. At one point we put the sails down as it was going to damage the sails and the boat if they continued flapping." Elusive turned her bow towards Malta around six miles after passing Pantelleria.
Bringing up the rear in the fleet are two-handed sailors Anthony Camillieri and Kevin Gauci Maistre on the Bavaria 46 Flying Colours. This afternoon they had just rounded Lampedusa. "We are doing out utmost to finish within the time limit," reported Camillieri. If the wind keeps on improving as it has been since night we have a chance."
What remains unsolved is who will win Class 2. At present there are no finishers and the race is on to see if the two Russian boats, currently leading class 2 on the water will reach the finish by 0800.
11 yachts from the original fleet of 58 are still racing, with thirty-nine having retired and eight having finished.
The final prize giving is at noon tomorrow, 29th October, in La Valette Hall at the Mediterranean Conference Centre.
Robert McNeil (USA)'s Zephyrus IV remains the current Course Record holder with a time of 64 hours 49 minutes and 57 seconds, established in 2000.
Since yesterday afternoon's match race for line honours, so larger boats have been trickling into Marsamxett Harbour at the end of the lightest Rolex Middle Sea Race in the event's recent history.
At present Carlo Puri Negri's Atalanta II is not only the winner of the Rolex Middle Sea Race on the water, but also is leading on handicap. The boat to finish nearest to her on corrected time of the six finishers so far has been Pierre-Eric Detroyat's Farr 52 Nabatea, but last night her time corrected out to 48 minutes behind Atalanta II's and she now holds second overall.
"I think these Farrs are very fast boats in light air," commented Nabatea's skipper Jef Chevalier. "For this race it is a good boat to have." A Greek-owned Farr 52 Optimum 3 won the Rolex Middle Sea Race last year. Nabatea sailed an excellent race making their break as they came out of the Strait of Messina. They then benefitted from being in front, sailing into stronger wind before their rivals. This was despite having blown out their light spinnaker as they entered the Strait. "We were downstairs repairing it, sewing it by hand for hours and hours until we were finally able to finish the race with the proper spinnaker for light airs," said Chevalier.
Nick Lykiardopulo's Ker 55 Aera with Olympic triple medalist Ben Ainslie on board, arrived at 02:28:20 this morning, but with a higher rating than Nabatea, she is at present fourth overall on corrected time.
Fifth home was the first of the two Volvo Ocean 60s, the Croatian AAG Big One. "It was a slow race: cruising actually.sunny and nice weather," said skipper Marko Murtic. "After Stromboli we were parked for about 20 hours. We were match racing with Aera for a while and then we split during the night and in the morning they were 20 miles ahead - it was really a disappointment."
Otherwise Murtic was happy with his crew's performance. "We were here two years ago and that was an on-off wind race - 40-50 knots of wind and then nothing. On that occasion we'd only bought the boat maybe two or three months before. This time we knew the boat well and we had a really good crew but there wasn't really the opportunity to show what we could do."
Due to the lack of wind, a large group of boats were heading back to Malta under power today. While 12 boats had pulled out from the race by yesterday afternoon, so this number has increased to 28 today. Most of those retirees had been becalmed on the leeward side of Pantelleria. They started their engines when their crews realised that with the forecast for continued light winds they would not be able to reach the Valletta finish line before the deadline of 0800 local time on Saturday.
Two boats still sailing and having an intense, albeit relatively slow match race were David Franks J/125 Strait Dealer and the Swan 62RS Constanter of Willem Mesdag. Last night the big American Swan was ahead, but she had been overtaken by the Maltese yacht this morning shortly before rounding Lampedusa.
"We have had long patches of doing nothing," admitted Franks. "Last night was good for us. We were averaging probably five or six sail changes per hour - from drifter and code zero, up and down. We were squeezing everything out of it we could.
"This is my fourth [Rolex Middle Sea Yacht Race] and is clearly the longest," continued Franks. "In fact it is the longest any of our crew has done. Breakfast yesterday was our last full meal. Since then we've been on half rations. We have five small bottles of water left for each of us for the rest of the race."
Last night they made good progress when they encountered a small thundercloud. "We had this cloud which rained on us and then went away," commented Strait Dealer's navigator Graham Sunderland. This afternoon they had 5 knots of wind from just north of due east.
A short distance away there has been disaster on Constanter - no cake! "We have some lovely fresh baked bread with a few nuts and things in. We are all freshly showered so that is nice. We're not running out of supplies. But according to the sign on the fridge we are low on milk so no more lattes," commented navigator Campbell Field.
Field says information in the forecasts he has seen varies for the final stretch back to the Comino passage and then round to the finish line in Marsamxett Harbour. But he is expecting the wind to veer and to build slightly this evening. "That should turn into a gain for us and more wind would definitely be a gain for us."
Another boat, the Bavaria 46 Flying Colours sailed two handed by Anthony Camilleri and Kevin Gauci Maistre, reports they are determined to continue sailing: "We have only just got enough wind to keep on going. The few Maltese boats still racing have given us their full support and so our morale has gone up again. We are hoping we will make the time limit but this is not an easy task. Wind is all we need - mercy from the gods of the wind."
24 yachts from the original fleet of 58 are still racing, with twenty-eight having retired and six having finished.
The final prize giving is at noon on 29th October in La Valette Hall at the Mediterranean Conference Centre.
Robert McNeil (USA)'s Zephyrus IV remains the current Course Record holder with a time of 64 hours 49 minutes and 57 seconds, established in 2000.
It's all very well in theory, but try stitching someone's head onboard a boat that is heaving and pitching in a heavy sea, with another crew member holding a torch so that you can see what you're doing.
This is the challenge confronting the onboard medics in the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-06. Under the rules of the race, each boat competing in the world's premier ocean race is required to have two crew members trained in medical matters. And this is not just basic first aid. They have to be able to apply plaster casts, suture skin, give intravenous fluid, and intra muscular and intravenous injections, just to mention just a few requirements.
With the start of the first offshore leg of the race just days away, the onboard medics brushed up on their techniques during the pre-race medical training day held in Sanxenxo, Galicia, this week.
The session took place under the expert eyes of the chief medical advisor Dr Tim Spalding (orthopaedic consultant in Coventry , UK), Dr Mark Tomson (a sailing doctor from Hamble, UK) and the Volvo Ocean Race's travelling medical co-ordinator Timo Malinen (a chiropractor from Hamble, UK).
The event was run with the assistance of Ethicon Spain and the local dental clinic from Portonovo, Eurodental. Ethicon is the supplier of the skin glue and skin sutures as well as the skin stapling equipment. Both Ethicon and Eurodental also provided highly specialised tutors to teach the onboard medics.
The crews were given a refresher on how to make sutures, glue and staple skin, treat common infections and make plaster casts. They also practised temporary dental fillings, putting in intravenous cannulaes to give fluids and medications. Advice was given on subjects such as dehydration, cold injuries, and how to deal withy trauma and common medical problems in sailing.
If it all gets too complicated for those at sea, help is on hand from the British Antarctic Medical Unit at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, UK. "This is probably the most advanced facility in the world in terms of talking to people who are not comprehensively medically trained," says Spalding, who cut is his teeth in what he calls 'remote medicine' when working as a Royal Navy doctor.
As well as the three cases of medications, colour-coded to treat injuries of increasing severity, each team is also provided with a set of 'how to' CDs to assist them in a practical situation.
Commenting on the achievements of the day, Timo Malinen said: "The commitment level among the on-board medics is extremely high. Even though they have not been formally trained, it was encouraging to see how seriously they have been practising their skills. A number of them have spent time in the accident and emergency departments of their local hospitals to learn all the skills necessary. I would feel quite comfortable if one of these guys was treating me."
And if the worst comes to the worst? "These boats are so fast that even if we had a floating hospital, we couldn't keep up with them, " explains Mr Malinen. "They can cover 500 miles or more, roughly the range of a rescue helicopter, in 24 hours. As a back up, we can call on commercial traffic, or we can divert other boats if necessary."
US SAILING, national governing body of the sport, has awarded its Nathanael G. Herreshoff Trophy to Larry White (Niantic, Conn.) for his outstanding contribution to the sport of sailing in the U.S. White is the immediate past President of the Interscholastic Sailing Association (ISSA -- High School Sailing). White was presented with the Trophy, US SAILING’s most prestigious award, by US SAILING’s President Janet Baxter this evening at an awards banquet at US SAILING’s Annual General Meeting in Phoenix, Ariz. To a standing ovation, White accepted the award.
White has been a sailor and sailing volunteer for many years, but he is perhaps most known for his very successful 15-year presidency of the Interscholastic Sailing Association (ISSA), a responsibility from which he stepped down earlier this fall. As ISSA’s tenth President, the growth of school sailing went to full bore, from a handful of schools in New England to seven organized and active national districts nationwide. The nation was modeled after the collegiate version and booklets were produced to provide information on creating school sailing programs.
“The remarkable expansion nationally, to the current membership of over 400 schools and 5,000 members in seven districts including schools in Hawaii and St. Thomas, is completely due to Larry’s vision and leadership,” said the US SAILING committee that nominated White for the award. “Not only has he worked incessantly, but he has consistently inspired others to help implement his vision.”
White’s influence on the development of high school sailing in the U.S. is not the only reason why he was nominated for the Herreshoff Trophy. He has fulfilled numerous other roles in the sport, including, but certainly not limited to, various roles as a US SAILING volunteer (Vice President from 1989-1990; Board of Directors 1978-1988, 1999-2000; Yacht Racing Council Chair 1987-1988; Race Management Committee 1985-1990, chairman 1989-1990; Race Administration Committee 1989-1990; Training Committee 1991; Inshore Committee 1994 to present, chair 1999-2000; and he is currently an International Judge); as well as numerous roles at other sailing organizations such as the Severn Sailing Association (Annapolis, Md.), Snipe Class International Racing Association, U.S. Coast Guard Academy (New London, Conn.), U.S. International 420 Association, and much more.
About the Nathanael G. Herreshoff Trophy
The Nathanael G. Herreshoff Trophy was donated to US SAILING in 1957 by the National Marine Manufacturers Association and is awarded annually to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the sport of sailing in this country. The recipient is selected by US SAILING’s Board of Directors from nominations made by members of the Board, Committee Chairs, past Presidents and Counselors of Honor.
Mr. Herreshoff was one of the preeminent designers and builders of his time. Born in Bristol, R.I., in 1848, "Captain Nat" was a mechanical genius with a love for boats. He learned building techniques from the old craftsmen of Bristol, studied mechanical engineering at M.I.T., and began an unprecedented career that included many innovations in the design and construction of military, commercial and pleasure craft, both steam-powered and sail. Perhaps his greatest feat was designing and building yachts that successfully defended the America’s Cup in six consecutive matches from 1893 through 1920, a span of 27 years. His success in the varied aspects of the industry earned him the nickname, "The Wizard of Bristol."
For the first time in the show's 46 years, the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show has been postponed one week. This after hurricane Wilma caused significant damage and disruptions in the area.
In addition to the change in start date, the show will be shortened to four days instead of the usual five.
Before Hurricane Wilma hit Florida the show was expected to attract 125,000 people and bring in more than $600 million in business for lodging, restaurants and other local facilities. Now the city is in no position to handle that type of influx. As of Tuesday morning the Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitor's Bureau reported that 90% of the city's hotel rooms were unavailable because of hurricane related damage or outages.
The show will suffer in many ways because of the schedule change. Many international visitors and exhibitors will need to leave because of previously arranged transportation issues.
Until the late 1970's the show was held during the Independence Day weekend. This was changed to coincide with annual new model releases from boat builders. Since the change to an October date there has only been one other weather related schedule change. In 1982 the show closed a day early because of a storm threat.
As of Wednesday morning Fort Lauderdale remained under a 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew. The city is also under a boil order for all water usage.
US SAILING, national governing body of the sport, has recognized several sailing organizations and volunteers for their contribution and dedication to the sport of sailing during an awards presentation at the organization's annual general meeting in Phoenix, Ariz., this evening. US SAILING President Janet Baxter presented several awards, including the Gay S. Lynn Trophy for outstanding contribution to disabled sailing (awarded to Gene Hinkel) and the Timmy Larr Award for outstanding contribution to the advancement of sailor education and training (awarded to Jo Mogle).
Gay S. Lynn Memorial Trophy
Gene Hinkel (St. Petersburg, Fla.) was presented with the Gay S. Lynn Trophy for outstanding contribution to disabled sailors and the sport of disabled sailing. Dedicated to the welfare and success of not only disabled sailing but also of individual sailors, Hinkel has been involved with disabled sailing for many years. His driving concern and mission are fair play and safety for all sailors. As a result, he has assisted them in many ways. He has run events for novice and severely disabled sailors in Access Dinghies, been involved with blind sailing and, perhaps most importantly, he has designed, developed and delivered adaptive aids for sailors around the world. His innovations in seating and other adaptive aids have meant that sailors could improve their performance in boats with increased safety. Additionally, as a member of the Technical Committee of the International Foundation for Disabled Sailing, Hinkel has traveled to numerous world championships as well as to the Paralympic Games in Sydney and Athens to serve as measurer. Hinkel's service to the sport of disabled sailing, at the grass roots and at the international levels, made him a very worthy recipient of the Gay S. Lynn Trophy.
Timmy Larr Award
Jo Mogle (Punta Gorda, Fla.), a lifelong supporter of boating safety through education and training, has received US SAILING's Timothea Larr Award for her lifelong commitment to standardized quality sailing education. The award is the US SAILING Training Committee's highest honor, presented annually to an individual whose vision and guidance has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of sailor and education and training in the United States. Mogle exemplifies the best qualities, the highest standards and selfless devotion in her lifetime service to public service and boating education in general and specifically to US SAILING's efforts to train sailors for safety and excellence. Her belief that no sailing instructor should lack a template for best practices in sailor education and training led her to her current role as the Training Committee's Vice Chair for Standards and Credentials and liaison to several national boating organizations, including the National Safe Boating Council and National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA). A Small Boat Instructor Trainer and Keelboat Instructor as well as Regional Training Coordinator, she has visited and supported many courses nationwide, providing support and oversight and to continue to drive the culture of quality training forward. Her evaluation feedback reports are legendary and her work has become the gold standard of US SAILING's quality control efforts.
Conditions bearing little relation to the forecast, a handful of retirements and generally great progress have been the features of the first 24 hours of the 26th Rolex Middle Sea Race.
Having left the Maltese capital of Valletta yesterday morning, the boats have made the crossing to Sicily and spent the night making their way up the east coast of Italy's largest island towards the Strait of Messina. The Strait separates Sicily from the Italian mainland and is two miles wide at its narrowest.
The Whitbread maxi ketch Steinlager II Mediterranean Bank Thuraya passed through the Straits at between 08:30 and 09:00 local time this morning, neck and neck with Carlo Puri Negri's Farr 70 Atalanta II. They were followed by the Volvo Ocean 60 Amer Sport One around one hour later by Nick Lykiardopulo's Ker 55 Aera and then Sir Peter Ogden's Swan 601 Spirit of Jethou and the French Farr 52 Nabatea.
At around 1600 local time this afternoon Steinlager II had pulled ahead and had completed the 38 mile leg north to Stromboli and its tiny neighbour Strombolicchio. "At the Strait of Messina, we went through with Atalanta, then Atalanta stopped just at the top of the Straits and we took the only puff and we go!" said Gaetano Granada, as his maxi Steinlager II was rounding Stromboli. "The problem is that Atalanta upwind is much faster than us and all through the Strait of Messina the wind was on the bow. Now we are all alright. Atalanta are behind, maybe by an hour."
At the time the wind was a completely unforecast southwesterly, putting them once again on the wind en route to Palermo, but Granada anticipated that the wind would die this evening. The boat was in good shape except for some blown out sails and a broken halyard.
So far there have been four retirements in the Rolex Middle Sea Race: Sandro Cagnoni's Qu Kal with mainsail damage, followed this morning by Daniele Abolaffio's Rodman 42 Extasy and this afternoon by Riccardo Camia's My Song. However first to retire last night was Pieter Vroon's new 56 footer Formidable3. The Dutch offshore race boat was only launched this July and at around 2300 suffered problems with her steering mechanism and rather than risk the boat further, the choice was made to retire. Formidable3 was back in Malta this morning.
Boat captain, Freddie Hall described the conditions last night as being more lumpy than it should have been due to the wind and after the boats had had a good run up to Sicily in southeasterly breeze, a squall had passed over the fleet complete with thunder and lightning. On the other side of this the wind suddenly and unexpectedly filled in from the northwest. Putting the boats hard on the wind up to the Strait of Messina. It was after an hour of these conditions, while lying fourth on the water, that Formidable3 suffered her steering problem.
While a majority of boats hugged the coast of Sicily on the approach to the Strait of Messina, several boats headed a long way offshore, the extreme case being Willem Mesdag's Swan 62RS Constanter. "We have sailed a few extra miles than the guys in front of us," admitted her navigator Campbell Field. But the tactic paid and they passed through the Strait sixth on the water with the Croatian Volvo Ocean 60 AAG Big One. "We've just had a cup of tea and warm chocolate cake and every thing is very civilized on board. We blew the tack out of our light spinnaker yesterday afternoon. It is beyond repair, so I hope we aren't going to have any light running conditions."
The tide turned against the boats at 1230 local time today and two of the last boats to make it through before then were the leading Maltese boat, David Franks' J/125 Strait Dealer with America's Cup sailor Chris Dougall on board as skipper and the Czech yacht Bohemia Express.
Further back, the race's most capped competitor Arthur Podesta on the Beneteau 45F5 Elusive reported 17 knot headwinds approaching the Strait. "We're moving well and ploughing through the waves. We've had a lot of sail changes since the start of the race, with lots of wind variations, but the crew is working hard and handling it well." On board their fishing has been successful rewarding them with a lunch of fresh sushi and cooked tuna.
Robert McNeil (USA)'s Zephyrus IV holds the current Course Record of 64 hours 49 minutes and 57 seconds, established in 2000. To beat this record the first monohull will have to cross the finish line in Malta in the early hours of Tuesday (25th October) morning.
Deep crowds lined the huge city ramparts of Valletta's Marsamxett Harbour this morning to witness the departure of the 58 yachts competing in the 26th Rolex Middle Sea Race.
Due to the narrow confines of the harbour and the Royal Malta Yacht Club start line, the Race Committee split the fleet into five groups and it was with a massive explosion from a 25lb, 4in Howitzer that the smallest class got away first at 1100 local time, the remaining classes starting in 10 minute intervals afterwards.
In the small boat class, it was John Ripard Jnr and Andrew Calascione's 2002 overall winner Jammin' (ex-Market Wizard) who made the best start and led past the turning mark at the harbour entrance. In the second start three Maltese boats - Simon and Timmy Camilleri's X-40, XL, Martin Scicluna's Beneteau 40.7, Maltese Falcon, and RMYC Commodore George Bonello Dupuis' Prima 38, Primadonna - hit the line at speed three abreast, XL gaining the lead as the boats left the harbour.
The third start was the only one with infringements, when some congestion and over-enthusiasm caused Carlo Gullotta's Imagination, Cristiano Lombards' Veronix and David Frank's 2001 winner Strait Dealer to be over early. All three returned and restarted.
The fourth start was for only five boats, but included some of the most competitive in this year's Rolex Middle Sea Race: Nick Lykiardopulo's Rolex Sydney Hobart winner Aera steered by Jez Fanstone and triple Olympic medalist Ben Ainslie and despite a slow start, is likely to come good in the upwind stages forecast for the end of the race. Pierre-E Detroyat's Farr 52 Nabatea, is being sailed by a French crew including America's Cup sailors Herve Cunningham and former Alinghi crewman Christian Scherrer. "We've only done the Giraglia Rolex Cup so this is our second race as a crew. We're not going too wild at it - we'll have a safe race," said Scherrer just before leaving the dock.
Also in this class is Sir Peter Ogden's all black Swan 601, Spirit of Jethou. "We've been regatta sailing and I decided I wanted to do all the famous offshores in a year," said Ogden, visiting Malta for the first time. "We've done the Rolex Fastnet, the Giraglia, we're doing the Middle Sea Race and next is the Newport-Bermuda race. If we get really brave we might even do the Sydney-Hobart! Then we would have done all the big 600 milers and ticked the boxes." Ogden says Spirit of Jethou prefers upwind or downwind rather than reaching conditions.
Finally with a cheer from the watching crowds, the big boat class got underway with Carlo Puri Negri's Atalanta II, the maxi ketch Steinlager II (resplendent in her original Whitbread livery) and Augusto Lustrissini's Grand Soleil 56 X-Fly thundering down the harbour, hitting the line in unison.
Unfortunately the wind was too easterly to allow the boats to start under spinnaker. Only once they had rounded Tigne Point, marking the western entrance to the harbour, were they able to crack off and hoist their spinnakers for the short passage along the coast.
En route to the turning mark off St Georges Shoals, Steinlager Thuraya, sailing with 25 on board rather than the normal 16, her crew including 10 professionals, took a more offshore course than Atalanta II, and rounded just ahead, with Pieter Vroon's 56 footer Formidable3 and the two Volvo Ocean 60s Amer Sports One and AAG Big One behind them.
In a lengthy procession the boats hardened up and headed off into the distance bound for Capo Passera and the southeastern tip of Sicily, 53 miles away. The forecast is for the 15 knot southeasterlies to give the boats a good run north, but as they tackle the east coast of Sicily tonight, the wind is set to become extremely light and will remain this way as the boats attempt to pass through the Strait of Messina tomorrow.
The final prize giving is at noon on 29th October in La Valette Hall at the Mediterranean Conference Centre.
Robert McNeil (USA)'s Zephyrus IV holds the current Course Record of 64 hours 49 minutes and 57 seconds, established in 2000. To beat this record the first monohull will have to cross the finish line in Malta in the early hours of Tuesday (25th October) morning.
Having reached another milestone with the opening of the Alinghi Base in Valencia, Patrick Magyar has asked Ernesto Bertarelli to release him from his duties as General Manager. “My family and I simply did not cope with the relocation”, explained Magyar, who is very sad about this development. “It would have been great to stay throughout the campaign, but there are moments in life, where the priorities have to lie with the people that are dearest to you.”
Magyar joined Alinghi in September 2004 and did an outstanding job in developing Alinghi’s marketing programme in one of the world’s prime sports properties. As General Manager, he was also in charge of the team responsible for communication, sponsorship, licensing, administration & finance as well as of the construction of the Alinghi base.
Ernesto Bertarelli, chairman of Alinghi, regrets Magyar’s departure: “With his usual dedication Patrick has chosen the probably easiest point in time for us to manage such a transition and I can only thank him for his contribution.”
18 foot skiff veteran Michael Carter won the Sydney Flying Squadron’s championship race on the weekend by demonstrating great tenacity in demanding conditions.
The light breezes on the afternoon led to a grafting war of attrition rather than the usual explosive action one has come to expect from the 18 footers. Each of the teams tried to get the most from the conditions and it was a credit to Carter’s determination that he stayed with the leaders, only managing to take the lead on the last leg of the course.
With the light winds forecasted the race committee chose to shorten the course on Sydney Harbour which caused mixed reactions amongst the skippers. Whilst many agreed that it was a sensible decision, Carter was initially against the call.
Synergy traded places with Avaya, Wentworth Courier / Sydney Times and Sydney Star for the most part of the race. Avaya skippered by a young Michael Rynan struck difficulties with the spinnaker getting caught in the rigging. Avaya lost possibly 10 minutes on the leaders in this single incident which saw Rynan drop back to mid fleet.
Sydney Star also fell off the lead group half way through the race with an error with the spinnaker however showed good speed in the light airs to almost catch the two leaders by the finish. Michael Boyd has had considerable difficulties with this during the competition so far and a clean weekend free of errors should see him seriously threaten for the winners circle.
With these two having fallen away from the lead group it was Ian Pretty’s Wentworth Courier / Sydney Times and Synergy to battle it out for the lead. Carter just stuck to the simple principle of staying in clean air and minimizing tacks and gybes to keep the speed up as high as possible.
Other performers included veteran Adrian Dunphy who sailed the well known Ella Bache into fourth place. Ella Bache held off challenges from Frame Group and ING who made up the middle of the fleet.
Spanish Olympic sailing coach Lea Sitja on Intercall initially struggled with the light conditions and was placed well back. However eventually Sitja grafted his way forward through the back markers and is showing improvement and great promise for the upcoming weeks.
Unfortunately Richard Scarr’s Dinghy Solutions broke its forestay whilst rigging and was unable to start the race. Minor damage was sustained but after affecting repairs in the afternoon, Scarr was able to compete in the Australian 18 footer League’s race instead.
In other racing at the Sydney Flying Squadron, Ed Blackman’s International 14foot skiff held off champion 12 foot skiffs to take the overall win in the Garde Sprint Series held on the weekend. Nick Press and Jon Temple are State and Interdominion champions respectively but were unable to rein in a rampant Blackman who enjoyed the light breezes.
Sydney Flying Squadron 18 Foot Skiffs
1. Synergy! (Michael Carter)
2. Wentworth Courier / Sydney Times (Ian Pretty)
3. Sydney Star (Michael Boyd)
4. Ella Bache (Adrian Dunphy)
5. Frame Group (Craig Doran)
6. ING (Chris Kameen)
7. Avaya (Michael Rynan)
8. Intercall (Lea Sitja)
9. Macquarie Bank (Michael McKensey)
10. Sign-a-Rama (Scott Merrington)
11. Dinghy Solutions (Richard Scarr, did not start)
US SAILING, national governing body for the sport, today voted in favor of restructuring the organization, reducing the size of its Board of Directors from 49 to 14. The decision was made after a vote at the organization's Annual General Meeting in Phoenix, Ariz. and after months of preparation and review. The new structure follows the direction that most national governing bodies for sports nationwide are adopting.
"This restructure will increase the effectiveness of the organization as the Board of Directors will now meet monthly to make decisions," said US SAILING President Janet Baxter. "This change demonstrates that US SAILING is trying to modernize the way we work and facilitates meeting our mission of encouraging participation and promoting excellence in sailing."
A transitional Board of Directors has been created for the first year of the restructure, which will take effect after the close of business of the Annual General Meeting on Sunday, October 23. Next year, US SAILING's members will vote directly for the organization's Board of Directors.
For more information on US SAILING's restructure and the organization's new bylaws, please visit www.ussailing.org/organization/taskforce/structure. The list of members of the Transitional Board will be available by Monday, October 24 at www.ussailing.org/bod.
Yesterday's wind and lumpy seas had abated for today's second and final coastal race for the Malta Rolex Cup - the warm-up event to Saturday's Rolex Middle Sea Race.
Again racing got away for the smaller Class 2 boats at 1000 with the Russian Grand Soleil 40, Synergy, skippered by Alexey Nikolaev getting the best start. Yesterday's winner Arthur Podesta on his Beneteau 45F5 Elusive was one of two boats early, having to dive back down to recross the line. Fortunately this coincided with a gust and both boats were able to make a rapid recovery.
After a short delay, it was Nisida, the London Corinthian Sailing Club entry, led by Peter Hopps and Hilary Cook which got the best start in Class 1, with the Croatian Volvo 60 AAG Big One crossing close to the steps leading up to the Royal Malta Yacht Club on Fort Manoel. Fast off the line too was the Italian IMS500 X-Fly (formerly X-Prozac) chartered to Augusto Lustrrissimi and a team who last year competed aboard the Beneteau 40.7 Squalo Bianco, but leaving the harbour she was slowly outpaced by yellow-hulled AAG Big One and yesterday's on the water leader Formidable3, with veteran navigator Peter Bowker at the helm in place of owner Pieter Vroon.
Today's course took the boats in the opposite direction to the race yesterday, heading west from Marsamxett Harbour and around the barren island of Comino, situated between Malta and Gozo, before returning to Valletta. The boats spinnaker reached down to the island before hardening up, passing the imposing Comino Tower and numerous fish farms before the beat back home. Rounding Comino, Formidable3 was leading from AAG Big One in Class 1, both boats flying masthead spinnakers, while X-Fly wallowed under a fractional in third. By the time they had made it back to Marsamxett Harbour the Dutch 56 footer had been overhauled by AAG Big One, who finished three minutes ahead on the water. However on handicap today's winner was Italian Filippo Massimo Lancellotti and his team on the Beneteau Sciara. Overall after two races she finished tied on first place with Richard Vojta's Czech entry, Bohemia Express.
In class 2, Alexei Nikolaev's Russian team on Synergy maintained their commanding lead around the course today, to cross the line seven minutes ahead of yesterday's winner Elusive, taking the handicap win too. As in class 1, the two teams are tied in their class as they are overall for first place in the combined Malta Rolex Cup results.
The Russian team is showing great form on the water, but Nikolaev is not making any predictions about how they will fair in Saturday's Rolex Middle Sea Race. "I don't like to speak about future results because it is a big race, and it is a long trip, with different tides and wind directions." This is the longest sailing race the Russians have done, after their second place aboard the chartered Croatian yacht Stribor here last year.
Not racing today was the Irish TP52 Patches, following her keel damage yesterday. Upon closer inspection this has been deemed too serious to be fixed in time for Saturday's 606 mile long course. While two multiple Olympic medalists return home in Patches' skipper Ian Walker and helmswoman Shirley Robertson, so they are replaced today by triple Olympic medalist Ben Ainslie, who will be helming Nick Lykiardopulo's 55ft Rolex Sydney-Hobart winner Aera, alongside Volvo Ocean Race skipper Jez Fanstone.
"Of all the offshore races I understand this is one of the best ones to do," says Ainslie. Ainslie is used to Olympic and America's Cup racing and the Rolex Middle Sea Race will be by far the longest race he has ever done. "It's quite different," he adds about this fresh challenge. "I did quite a bit of offshore cruising when I was younger, but not that much racing so it will be a case of just keeping everyone going and keeping on top of their game. We certainly have a good team."
Another sailing star due to take the start line on Saturday is Francesco de Angelis, who is sailing on Carlo A Puri Negri's new Farr 70 Atalanta II. As skipper of the Luna Rossa Italian America's Cup challenge de Angelis has spent the last few years match racing, and like Ainslie is unaccustomed to competing in a 606 mile long offshore race. "I am looking forward to the race as I enjoy doing long distance races and I've been given this opportunity to sail with a group of friends," he says. "It is not a holiday - we will be pushing - but it is a break from match racing. Offshore racing teaches you a lot. It is a good way to train your sailing senses especially when you are racing at night."
The Rolex Middle Sea Race 2005 starts from Marsamxett Harbour, Malta, on Saturday 22nd October 2005 at 1100 CET. The start will be broadcast live on TVM and EDUC in Malta, between 1030 and 1230.
The final prize giving is at noon on 29th October in La Valette Hall at the Mediterranean Conference Centre.
Boats competing in Saturday's Rolex Middle Sea Race had the opportunity to take part in the first of two warm-up race in the Malta Rolex Cup today. As usual the start took place on the Royal Malta Yacht Club's line, in the unique setting of Marsamxett Harbour under the huge fortified walls of the Maltese capital Valletta and the Yacht Club base on Manoel Island.
In the first start it was the Russian entry Synergy which made the best job of the gusty conditions within the harbour. They were followed 10 minutes later by the bigger boats and this time Eamon Conneely's TP52 Patches and Pieter Vroon's new 56 footer Formidable3 both hit the line at speed.
In northeasterly winds of 10-15 knots, the course took the boats out to sea and then clockwise halfway around Malta to Filfla Island on the south side of Malta. Patches, with double Olympic Gold medalist Shirley Robertson at the wheel, led around the first mark but soon after was forced to retire with what skipper Ian Walker later described as "keel problems". Patches has since been hauled out of the water to have repairwork made tomorrow and will be racing Saturday but not in the second race of the Malta Rolex Cup tomorrow.
Patches out of the race, left the field open to Formidable3 and the yellow hulled Volvo Ocean 60 AAG Big One from Croatia. The two boats match raced round the course, Formidable3 ahead until the two boats bore off on to a reach when the Croatian boat pulled ahead. Once spinnakers were hoisted, Formidable3 took a narrow lead which she retained to the finish, taking line honours. However in the end it was the Czech Republic entry Richard Vojta's Bohemia Express who took handicap honours in Class 1.
The smaller class was won by the Beneteau 45F5 Elusive, sailed by local legend Arthur Podesta, who is the only person to have competed in all 26 Rolex Middle Sea Races. Elusive finished ahead of the Russians on their new Grand Soleil Synergy, and also took the overall IRC prize today. "We won today and I hope we keep this up tomorrow and Saturday," said Podesta, who is competing with his regular crew including his three children.
For Maltese sailors, the 400% increase in entries over the last five years, including the return of many heavyweight sailing teams from overseas, has made winning the Rolex Middle Sea Race all the harder.
Malta's Beneteau agent Alfred Manduca, who skippers his First 47.7 Allegra welcomes the competition but says it is hard for local teams to keep up. "The most we can do is improve our skills and our sails, but to change our boats every other year is difficult and very expensive - we are a small country and we don't have the resources."
Manduca attributes the dramatic increase in entries in the Rolex Middle Sea Race to the Swiss watch manufacturer's involvement and their advertising of the event as well as the endeavours of the main committee at the Royal Malta Yacht Club and their Commodore Georges Bonello Dupuis.
This year Manduca will be competing with the young team he has been training up over recent years, including three who have been sailing with him for the last 10 years - since they were 13 - and his 14 year old daughter, Louisa, a keen Optimist sailor. "I have a committed team and teamwork is what it is all about. You can have a brilliant boat but without a brilliant team you might as well stay on the dock."
On Saturday they will find themselves up against three other Beneteau 47.7s, another from Malta, and ones from Italy and Ireland. "We have finished second on two occasions in this race when the fleet was smaller. Now the competition is tougher".
The Malta Rolex cup continues tomorrow, 20th October with another coastal race. First start is at 1000 CET.
The Rolex Middle Sea Race 2005 starts from Marsamxett Harbour, Malta, on Saturday 22nd October 2005 at 1100 CET. The start will be broadcast live on TVM and EDUC in Malta, between 1030 and 1230.
The final prize giving is at noon on 29th October in La Vallette Hall at the Mediterranean Conference Centre.
Robert McNeil (USA)'s Zephyrus IV holds the current Course Record of 64 hours 49 minutes and 57 seconds, established in 2000.
October 18, 2005, Sanxenxo, Galicia -- The number of Olympians among the ranks of the Volvo Extreme 40 class was bolstered today with the announcement that a boat skippered by Carolijn Brouwer, former Volvo Ocean Race yachtswoman, has joined the entry list.
TornadoSport, the class management, has provided the boat for Holland's Brouwer, who will compete under the Volvo Ocean Race banner.
Brouwer sailed in the last Volvo Ocean Race onboard the all-woman entry Amer Sports Too and since then has competed at the Olympic Games in Athens before teaming up with Olympic silver medallist Sebastien Godefroid from Belgium to embark on an Olympic Tornado campaign.
Brouwer, the first female Volvo Extreme 40 skipper, is now joined by Sebastien Godefroid, as well as Emma Westmacott, fellow former Volvo Ocean Race yachtswoman, who will be a guest crew member as well as part of the project management team. Westmacott was also on board Amer Sports Too in 2001-02.
Completing the team will be 18-foot skiff and multihull sailor Greg Homann (AUS) and fellow Olympic class sailor Jeroen van Leeuwen (NED).
Each of the three boats that have been announced so far will have Olympic sailors competing onboard. Sailing on Conrad Humphreys' Motorola-CHR is Leigh McMillan from Great Britain, who competed in the Tornado class in Athens, along with fellow countryman and Olympic Tornado sailor Will Howden. Lining up against them on Team Holmatro, will be double Olympic medallist Mitch Booth, who will be competing with his Olympic team mate and triple world champion Herbert Dercksen.
Brouwer commented: "The concept of the Volvo Extreme 40 is terrific. The challenge is tailor made for me and I look forward to doing battle with so many highly experienced and successful sailors. It will also be great to catch up with some familiar faces in the Volvo Ocean Race village."
The Volvo Extreme 40 class will race in five stopover ports; Sanxenxo (ESP), Rio de Janeiro (BRA), Baltimore/Annapolis (US), Portsmouth (UK) and Rotterdam (NED), and have been introduced to the Volvo Ocean Race to add spectacle to the entertainment package for stopover crowds.
Five Volvo Extreme 40's will be due in Sanxenxo from the 4 November with racing taking place in the bay from the 6-10 November. To date there are entries from Team Holmatro, Motorola-CHR and Team Volvo Ocean Race. The announcement of two further boats will be made shortly.
In long distance classics such as this Saturday's Rolex Middle Sea Race, preparation, familiarity with the course and skill are fundamental to the outcome, but weather conditions have a considerable bearing on the eventual handicap winner. Fortunately in this year's Rolex Middle Sea Race there are highly competitive entries throughout the fleet: from the biggest Steinlager-Thuraya by Mediterranean bank, Sir Peter Blake's Whitbread round the World Race winning ketch now campaigned by Italian Filippo Molinari and Papastilla Sailing Team, to the smallest 35 footers in the fleet.
If conditions average out as being light to moderate then the form book for the race has to favour the Mediterranean-based professional campaigns such as Carlo A Puri Negri's Farr 70 Atalanta II. Puri Negri last raced here on his C & C design Grampus.
Although optimised for racing under the IMS handicap rule rather than IRC, under which the main Rolex Middle Sea Race trophy is decided, a light race would also be kind to the Grand Soleils such as Augusto Lustrrissimi's 56ft X-Fly, or the 40Rs of Massimo Picconi or the Russian team's Synergy, skippered by Alexey Nikolaev, which this season has already won the Rolex Settimana Delle Bocche in Sardinia.
If the wind is moderate to heavy then some of the more competitive northern European entries are likely to come to the fore. Nick Lykiardopulo's 55ft Aera is optimised for IRC and is the present holder of the Rolex Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race title. Most of her Hobart winning crew are returning to compete in the Rolex Middle Sea Race, led once again by former Volvo Ocean Race skipper Jez Fanstone.
The hot new boat to watch will be Irishman Eamon Conneely's TP52 Patches. While Conneely himself is new to Grand Prix yachting this year, he has on board some of the UK's top sailors including double Olympic Gold medalist Shirley Robertson who is steering and double Olympic silver medalist Ian Walker who is skipper.
"The Rolex Fastnet taught us that it is impossible to predict who will win an offshore race," says Walker of how they might fare. "I am sure we will have a good tussle with Aera but our first aim is to finish, our second is to beat boats of similar size and thirdly we'll have our fingers crossed for a good overall result."
If the race proves to be a heavy weather affair then it will put the most offshore orientated boats into the frame such as Grant Dalton's former Volvo Ocean 60 steed Amer Sport One, now skippered by Andrea Bonini or the larger Swans such as Richard Balding's 60 foot Fenix, Sir Peter Ogden's carbon racer, the 601 Spirit of Jethou or Willem Mesdag's 62RS Constanter.
The course for the Rolex Middle Sea Race around Sicily is highly complex and local knowledge is a major bonus. Thus we can expect to see many local boats doing well, particularly if the wind is light to start and then builds after the big boats have finished. The Ripards are out in force once again, competing on board two J/109 sisterships: Artie is skippered by Christian Ripard and has his 74 year old father, Paul, on board, while Christian's cousin John Ripard is racing Jammin' again with Andrew Calascione, but unlike 2004 when they raced doublehanded, this time they fully are crewed. "There is nothing in it between us two. We are sisterships, and both sailed very well. We'll have to match race the whole way round I hope," says Christian Ripard of the competition. Artie is the newer of the two boats.
Other local boats to watch out for are the J/125 Strait Dealer of David Franks, Sonke Stein's Elan 37 O2 - third overall a year ago - perennial competitor Arthur Podesta in his Beneteau 45F5 Elusive and Alfie Manduca's Beneteau 47.7 Allegra, which may find itself involved in three way match race with two other 47.7s - Just Merten's Escape and John Sisk's Providence (from Ireland).
The Rolex Middle Sea Race 2005 starts from Marsamxett Harbour, Malta, on Saturday 22nd October 2005 at 1100 CET. The Malta Rolex Cup, a two-race inshore series on the 19th and 20th October, precedes the main race.
The final prize giving is at noon on 29th October in La Vallette Hall at the Mediterranean Conference Centre.
Robert McNeil (USA)'s Zephyrus IV holds the current Course Record of 64 hours 49 minutes and 57 seconds, established in 2000.
Portsmouth, R.I. (October 18, 2005) – US SAILING, national governing body for the sport, announced today that Jim Teeters (Newport, R.I.) has joined the organization as Associate Offshore Director. Teeters brings to US SAILING a strong capability in yacht design and offshore rating rules. He has 24 years of experience as a yacht designer, which he gained while working for Sparkman & Stephens and Langan Design. He understands the inner workings of rating rules through a decade of membership on the IMS International Technical Committee and has long been known as the “brains” behind the AMERICAP rule. These skills combined with his naval architectural background will ensure the continued smooth growth of the new (to the US) IRC fleet.
Teeters’ addition to the US SAILING staff ensures that the Offshore office will continue as the country’s responsive, timely offshore sailboat rating organization and the authoritative source for U.S. offshore sailing information. Because of Teeters’ yacht design and rating rule expertise, US SAILING will be able to expand its services to racers, most notably in the area of performance optimization.
US SAILING’s Offshore Department is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the offshore racing rating systems active in the U.S. These include IRC, IMS, AMERICAP and MORC. The office also administers the sail numbering system, the publication of offshore rules, regulations, time-allowance tables, safety reports, the distribution of bulletins relating to rule changes and event schedules plus the sanctioning of ISAF approved Safety at Sea Seminars and training.
Valencia, Spain. BMW ORACLE Racing today announced a USA Yacht Club Tour that will take the only American Challenger for the America’s Cup to eight of the leading yacht clubs in the United States in October and November. The US team will start the tour October 24 at the New York Yacht Club in New York City and then head to the Annapolis Yacht Club in Annapolis, MD, on October 27. The Team then heads to its Challenging yacht club, Golden Gate in San Francisco on October 28. The team will also visit St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco on November 2; Long Beach Yacht Club, Long Beach, CA, on November 3; California Yacht Club in Marina Del Rey on November 4; Seattle Yacht Club, Seattle WA, on November 7; and conclude the Tour November 13 at San Diego Yacht Club, San Diego, CA.
“With the America’s Cup Class racing all taking place in Europe, we felt as the only US Challenger for the Cup that it is important to visit sailors in America to keep them up to date on the competition and to engage their interest as we build toward the 32nd America’s Cup in 2007 in Valencia, Spain,” said Chris Dickson, BMW ORACLE Racing CEO and Skipper. “America remains the spiritual home of the America’s Cup so we want to do our part in keeping the spirit alive.”
At each club, the team will present video highlights of its 2005 racing season, provide members with an insider’s update on the campaign, and bring members of the team’s management, design and sailing team to provide personal insights into the team that is trying to bring the Cup back for America. At most of the clubs, team specialty items such as 18th man spots on board the race boat during 2006 training in Valencia, Spain, as well as unique high-quality items from the team’s partners and sponsors, will be auctioned to support each club’s junior program or other club-designated charity.
At the first stop on the Tour, Dickson will address NYYC members at the historic clubhouse of the longtime America’s Cup Defender. BMW ORACLE Racing then visits Annapolis Yacht Club where team members from locally-based Farr Yacht Design and sailing team member Jamie Gale will be featured.
Then the team heads to the West Coast where it visits its home yacht club, Golden Gate. Afterguard member and Californian Eric Doyle will headline at Golden Gate. At neighboring St Francis Yacht Club, Ian Burns, BMW ORACLE Racing Design Team Coordinator, will be featured guest. Burns also will headline at Long Beach Yacht Club and the California Yacht Club. Seattle is a special stop as many of the team’s boatbuilding and design team will be in Seattle as the team gears up for building its first race boat in nearby Anacortes. Boat Construction Manager Mark Turner will join team CEO Dickson and team Design Coordinator Burns in Seattle. Hometown sailing hero Peter Isler and BMW ORACLE Racing navigator will headline at another former home of the America’s Cup, San Diego Yacht Club. At many of the locations, the team will be joined by special guest Gary Jobson, America’s Cup winner and US sailing television analyst. BMW ORACLE Racing’s Tom Ehman will serve as moderator of the team presentations.
Larchmont, N.Y. (Oct. 17, 2005) - “Our motto’s going to be ‘keep our sticks up’”, yelled one boat from Team Trouble to another as they sailed into the final race of the semi-finals, down one race already. With winds gusting to 40 mph at one point, the final day of sailing at US SAILING’s U.S. Team Racing Championship for the George R. Hinman trophy was wet, wild and thrilling. Who would have thought that Team Trouble - made up of Matt Allen (Glen Oaks, N.Y.); Timothy Cain (Marlborough, N.J.); Brad Funk (Belleair Bluffs, Fla.); Heather Pescatello (Westerly, R.I.); Anna Tunnicliffe (Norfolk, Va.); and Mark Zagol (New York, N.Y.) - would take home the National Team Racing Championship title.
“Keeping your sticks up” turned out the phrase of the day as sixth-ranked Team Trouble won its semi-finals against Team Racing World Champions Cape Cod WHishbone. In another upset, second-ranked Silver Panda lost its semi-final match to eighth-ranked Route 3 Split with Silver Panda capsizing at the start of both of its matches.
With the breezes continuing to build, the final races saw Team Trouble facing Team Route 3 Split - made up of John Storck (Huntington, N.Y.), Stu McNay (Chestnut Hill, Mass.), Sarah Callahan (Canton, Mass.), Kaitlin Storck (Huntington N.Y.), Patrick Rynne (Scituate, Mass.), and Eivind Karlsen (New Haven, Conn.). Team Trouble won the first race, despite having to do spins earlier on. In race 2, Team Trouble once again had to spin and surprised spectators by capsizing when a strong puff blew through. It looked like Route 3 Split had another win in the bag when a second puff blew down one boat from each team. This gave Team Trouble’s boat that capsized first and had by now righted, a chance to get back in the game. With two boats in the water, the scores were tied. It would all come down to how fast the sailors could right their boats and how they would then tactically manage to finish. All of this was done in a fairly steady 30 knots of wind with higher gusts.
In the end, Team Trouble had the winning combination and are now the 2005 U.S. Team Racing Champions. “Having only squeaked into the Gold Fleet, it’s especially satisfying to have won,” said Tim Cain. "Especially after then being down 1-0 in the semis" said Brad Funk, a member of the 2005 US Sailing Team.
All of the competitors had nothing but high praises for this year’s hosts, Larchmont Yacht Club who ran this event in conjunction with the Hinman Masters, an enormously complex undertaking chaired by Ed “Buttons” Padin. “When we originally scheduled this regatta for October, we thought we’d have great breezes. Our judgment was sound, given the average of 25 knots of wind we sailed in. This made for challenging, and spectacular, team racing.”
A total of 11 teams competed in the Hinman Masters Regatta and to the surprise of some, host club Larchmont Yacht Club won the Commodore George R. Hinman Invitational Masters trophy. The Larchmont team won all its races in the final round, beating out a highly competitive team from Pequot Yacht Club in second and Eastern Yacht Club in third.
During the awards ceremony on Sunday, Betsy Altman, past U.S. Team Racing Championship chair, was awarded the 2005 Gaye Lynn award for her contributions to team racing in the United States. Altman’s tireless work and effective leadership during her four years as chair has helped build the championship to the level it is today.
Complete results, daily reports, and photographs of the U.S. Team Racing Championship are available at www.ussailingorg/championships/adult/ustrc.
The U.S. Team Racing Championship is made possible through the generous support of several sponsors: Rolex Watch U.S.A., Vanguard Sailboats, Nautica, Prestige Toyota, Dry Creek Vineyard, and Heineken.
Ernesto Bertarelli, head of the Alinghi syndicate, nominated his vice-president and tactician, Brad Butterworth, to be the skipper of Alinghi at the base opening on Saturday. Brad was modest in his acceptance: “It is a great honour to be put in a position where he [Ernesto Bertarelli] gives me this sort of trust.”
The New Zealander is on his sixth America’s Cup campaign and has won three, the last with Alinghi. He races as tactician and forms the core of the Swiss America’s Cup Defence. For Alinghi, ‘skipper’ is a title rather than an active role, as Brad explains: “It won’t make any difference to the way we sail the boat, everyone has their area and their responsibilities, but I guess it will be a little bit different for me as it makes me responsible for the boat as a whole. I will be thinking about doing my job well onboard and continuing on as we have in the past.” This, on and off the ACC Yacht: “Off the boat, it doesn’t really change much either. As you get older, you wind up with the most experience and so I guess that is where I am at. Really, once Russell [Coutts] left I took over some leadership of the team and I am happy in that position and comfortable to carry it on, especially with the strong group we have.”
Other news: “Inside Alinghi” at 20:30
Don’t miss “Inside Alinghi” on Eurosport on Wednesday 19 October at 20:30 CET, you can watch the celebrations in Trapani when Alinghi won Acts 8 & 9 and later the base opening back in Valencia. Also, Peter Holmberg will describe his role as helmsman for the Defender.
[Saturday 15 October] Alinghi opened the doors to its new home this evening, holding a house warming for 700 guests. The party was attended by Syndicate head Ernesto Bertarelli and his family, Brad Butterworth, vice-president and tactician, Grant Simmer, co-general manager and head of design, Patrick Magyar, co-general manager and the Alinghi team with their families.
Also attending the evening, which kicked off with a lights and acrobatic show, were Swiss Federal President Samuel Schmid and President of the region of Valencia, Francisco Camps and Mayoress of Valencia, Rita Barberá. They were welcomed by Bertarelli and shown, among other areas, the interactive zone, the shop and the full-size Alinghi Simulator before being led up to the roof terrace for the party. The Defender’s 6,891m² base has taken 10 months to build and has been purposely designed to merge the team’s everyday life with the technology required to win the 32nd America’s Cup.
Quote from Ernesto Bertarelli, head of syndicate and runner/strategist:
“It is a pleasure for me to open this base today, it has been quite a long time that we have been waiting to recover a place where we can share the emotions we had in 2003. It has been a long road since our victory in Auckland and tonight more than anything I would like to thank every member of Alinghi and every family member of the members of Alinghi that have followed the dream from Auckland to Valencia. Alinghi is a very special team and many, many times, people ask me ‘what is the secret of Alinghi?’ and when I tell them, they don’t want to listen; there is no secret. The strength of Alinghi is in its members, the strength of Alinghi is in every single person that works and supports Alinghi. Like the pyramids they seem like they were never built, they seem like a dream and of another time. Alinghi has shown in 2005 that it is like a pyramid. A pyramid is made of many stones and it is what it is thanks to every one of the stones. The stones of Alinghi are the team members. And me personally, I am just one of the stones.”
Quote from Swiss Federal President Samuel Schmid:
“A little over 2 ½ years ago, Switzerland became a nation of sailing fanatics. Over night the public were caught up in Alinghi and on the 2 march 2003, Alinghi took home the most prestigious yachting trophy in the world, the America’s Cup. The Swiss team entered the history books on three counts; coming from a small land locked country, being the only team to win the Cup on a first attempt and lastly, it is the first team to bring the Cup back to Europe since the first regatta. In sporting terms, that is what is known as a master stroke. I won’t hide the fact that the rest of us Swiss are extremely proud of this achievement.”
Quote from Grant Simmer, co-general manager and head of design:
“Our new base continues the development we started in Auckland, which is to build a dedicated building so we can provide all the functions of an America’s Cup under one roof. This base will be an extension of our homes for the next two years where we will spend a tremendous amount of our time and we can welcome our family, friends and supporters.”
Quote from Patrick Magyar, co-general manager:
“Working in an America's Cup team is very intense. The long hours, the time pressure and the permanent need for interaction have to be taken into consideration when planning the appropriate working environment. The Alinghi base has been designed around these requirements. But while providing excellent working conditions, the base was also planned to serve as an interface with the public. Whether it is Alinghi's guests, Carbon Friends or the general public, everybody will be able to learn more about the team and to feel some of the Alinghi spirit. Following our credo of "Technology - Together" we have used the most modern technology to bring our own staff, but also our fans closer together.”
Alinghi will open the doors of its new home on Saturday 15 October with a private party attended by Ernesto Bertarelli, Syndicate Head. On Sunday, the base will hold an open day for Valencia from 12-1900. 10 months of design and labour and 7 million Euros have gone into the development of Alinghi’s new home in the Dársena Interior of Valencia. The place has been designed with the concept of merging the team with the technology required to win the 32nd America’s Cup, while also sharing the passion and drive for excellence that motivates Alinghi, with the public.
Grant Simmer, co-general manager and head of design gives his insight into the operational side of the base: “Our new base continues the development we started in Auckland, which is to build a dedicated building so we can provide all the functions of an America’s Cup under one roof. This base will be an extension of our homes for the next two years where we will spend a tremendous amount of our time and we can welcome our family, friends and supporters.”
Alinghi base facts and figures:
Architects: Áreas Ingeniería y Arquitectura, S.L.
Principal architect: José María Tomás Llavador.
Number of floors: 3 floors and a terrace.
Total usable surface of base: 6,891m² (interior & exterior) + 2,484 m² of forecourt
300,000 watts of electricity power, with an energy saving program, enough to light up two medium size football stadiums.
Total time frame of the construction: 10 months, with the participation of the UTE Bases y Puertos in the first phase and Nüssli in the final phase.
Gym surface: 259 m².
Sail loft surface: 606 m².
Boat shed dimensions (x2) 12.15 m height; 284 m² (10.15 m width x 27.98 m length) and 365 m² (10.15 m width x 36.5 m length).
Number of travel lifts: 2.
Measurements of the Alinghi base in Auckland: 4,160 m².
For the team’s guests:
Hospitality area: 564 m², including Alinghi Club lounge, restaurant and terrace.
Terraces and balconies: top floor terrace: 761 m².
For the public:
Alinghi Interactive: 172 m² (on the ground floor) The ground floor of the Alinghi base is permanently open to the public. There is an Alinghi 'Research Lab' where the mysteries of yacht design and research are revealed, four Alinghi TV columns will unveil how Alinghi won the 31st America’s Cup in Auckland plus insider documentaries. An audio visual display will allow you to experience what it is like to race on board an America’s Cup Class Yacht.
Alinghi Shop: 152 m² (on the ground floor)
Alinghi Simulator, a replica of SUI64, is a true America’s Cup Class racing experience. You can be a tactician, a mainsail trimmer, a genoa trimmer, a grinder or a helmsman. The simulator is 26m LOA and has a beam of 3.9m, it heels to 30º, tacks within 45º and can carry up to 11 crew. A screen gives you the target boat speed, true wind direction and wind speed to get a real feeling of what the Alinghi sailing team does on board.
Opening hours of the base:
o Interactive/Shop: 1300-2000 7 days a week
o Simulator: 13-until dark 7 days a week
o Carbon Friends Club: 1200-2000 Monday-Friday
Sexagenarian Grandmother of three, Eileen Skelly is causing quite a stir in the media, with a full page spread in the Daily Telegraph and expected coverage on national radio and TV in the coming days and weeks. Her transatlantic race on Liverpool 08 in the Clipper 05-06 Round the World Yacht Race is attracting something of a cult following with the Race Press Office inundated with messages of interest and well-wishes cheering on the inspirational Eileen.
That Eileen is turning in to such a media starlet is no surprise: an ambitious and adventurous woman with bags of energy and a love for life, she does not see herself resting after this epic adventure. With dreams of climbing Mt Kilimanjaro and back-packing across New Zealand her star is certainly on the rise.
- Russ Jefferys
Following Text taken from Daily Telegraph article, written by Andrew Baker.
GRANDMA CRASHING THE OCEAN WAVES
Think of British ocean racing heroines and the name Ellen MacArthur springs immediately to mind. But the Dame should not have a monopoly in the matter of adventure on the high seas. A little footnote in our nation's maritime history should be set aside for Eileen Skelly, who may not be challenging MacArthur's solo circumnavigation record but is certainly the first sexagenarian grandmother from Liverpool to take part in an international round-the-world yacht race. Skelly, 61, yesterday crossed the equator aboard the vessel named after her home city, challenging for the lead in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. She and her 17 fellow crew members won the first leg from Liverpool to Cascais, Portugal, and are hoping to repeat the feat on the second leg to Salvador, the Brazilian city well known to MacArthur as the destination port of assorted transatlantic contests.
The contrast between the driven dame and the garrulous grandma could hardly be more extreme. MacArthur was barely out of a boat from her early childhood, while Skelly's only previous water-based experience prior to training for the Clipper race was a couple of hours in a pedalo and occasional ferry trips across the Mersey. "I just entered a competition," Skelly recalled by satellite phone from mid-Atlantic yesterday. "I'd seen pictures on television of people dancing on the beach in Brazil and I thought it would be a nice place to visit. I thought I was applying for a kind of cruise, I suppose, and I had visions of dining at the captain's table and that sort of thing."
The clipper race series was established by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston in 1995, and the 2005-2006 race set out from Liverpool on Sept 18. The fleet is scheduled to return to the Merseyside port next July, having sailed around the world in seven legs. Ten vessels are competing, representing cities as diverse as Singapore, Glasgow, Durban and Qingdao, which will host the sailing events at the 2008 Olympics in China. The boats carry a crew of 17 amateurs and a professional skipper, with roughly half the participants being experienced sailors and half, like Skelly, total novices. But, regardless of experience, all are expected to play a full part.
Saturday: Six W4 and W5 races were sailed in clearing skies for each division in 8-15 knots of wind, shifting from N to NW. 3 protests were heard, resulting in one DSQ.
Sunday: Two triangle-windward courses were sailed in each division in quite tricky conditions, a steady 15-20 WSW breeze with puffs 25+ building to a steady 22 with higher gusts for B-Divisionblew 2-4 foot swells in from Long Island Sound. The races were then cancelled due to very strong wind. Three protests and one request for redress were heard resulting in three disqualifications.
School |A B Total
-------------------------------------------------
1) Yale |41 43 84
2) St. Mary's |25 64 89
3) Brown |48 60 108
4) Navy |83 38 121
5) Stanford |90 47 137
6) Georgetown |74 69 143
7) Dartmouth |83 61 144
8) Charleston |72 72 144
9) Conn College |71 97 168
10) Boston College |84 91 175
11) Coast Guard |84 93 177
12) USF |76 102 178
13) Harvard |109 70 179
14) Tufts |108 77 185
15) Vermont |112 99 211
16) Boston University |122 94 216
17) Hobard/WmSmith |107 123 230
18) Roger Williams |109 127 236
19) MIT |135 102 237
20) King's Point |88 165 253
21) ODU |148 164 312
22) Providence College |164 172 336
Team Finishes
---------------
Division A Score Team
------------------------------------------------------------
1) St. Mary's 25 Adrienne Patterson '08;
Hilary Wiech (1-6) '07/Jennifer
Chamberlin (7-8) '09
2) Yale 41 Emily Hill '07;
Meghan Pearl '06
3) Brown 48 Katie Lovelace '07;
Christina Starr '06
4) Conn College 71 Emily Whipple '06;
Elizabeth Hawkins (1-4) '07/Erin Riley
(5-6) '06/Candace Whipple (7-8) '09
5) Charleston 72 Andrea Savage '09;
Dani Neri '08
6) Georgetown 74 Derby Anderson '06;
Megan Melican '06
7) USF 76 Abigail Ethington '06;
Ashley Wierzbicki '06
8) Navy 83 Katie Whitman '07;
Catherine Long '07
9) Dartmouth 83 Emily East '06;
Kate Hacker '07
10) Boston College 84 Martha Pitt '09;
Leland McManus (7-8) '06/Lily Beck
(1-6) '09
11) Coast Guard 84 Sarah Movin '06;
Alanna McGovern (6-8) '08/Emily Kehrt
(1-6) '09
12) King's Point 88 Allison Davis '08;
Laura Beck '08
13) Stanford 90 Caroline Jowry '07;
Sarah Schoknecht '08
14) Hobard/WmSmith 107 Lauren Anderson (1-6) '07/Kate Wilson
(7-8) '08;
Kate Wilson (1-6) '08/Lauren Anderson
(7-8) '07
15) Tufts 108 Emily Randall '07;
Chloe Starr '08
16) Harvard 109 Jessica Baker '06;
Cassandra Niomi (1-2,7-8) '07/Lauren
Bronts (3-6) '09
17) Roger Williams 109 Sarah Mease '09;
Alex Boudreau (7-8) '07/Kat Welch
(1-6) '07
18) Vermont 112 Gabby McCoy '06;
Jess Stanley '07
19) Boston University 122 Kerry Sullivan '08;
Melissa Joseph (5-6) '08/Sarah Donahue
(1-4,7-8) '09
20) MIT 135 Emma Bassein '06;
Sunny Wicks '07
21) ODU 148 Cara Disanti '07;
Elyssa Albert '09
22) Providence College 164 Julie LaCour '06;
Kelly McFaddwn '07
Division B Score Team
------------------------------------------------------------
1) Navy 38 Charlotte Hill '08;
Maggie Reynolds (1-6) '08/Andrea White
(7-8) '07
2) Yale 43 Kendra Emhiser '07;
Hilary Shapiro (7-8) '08/Hannah
Oakland (1-6) '07
3) Stanford 47 Evaw Brown '08;
Carrie Dewing (5-6) '08/Mariana
Beardsworth (1-4,7-8) '08
4) Brown 60 Merebea Danforth '06;
Maria Harris '06
5) Dartmouth 61 Adele Wilhelm '08;
Betsy Bryant '08
6) St. Mary's 64 Jenny Gervais '06;
Keisha Pearson '09
7) Georgetown 69 Jackie Schmitz (1-6) '06/Jessica
Stewart (7-8) '07;
Jessica Stewart '07/Katherine Wade
(7-8) '06
8) Harvard 70 Roberta Steele '09;
Christina Cardeiro (3-6) '09/Marion
Guillaume (1-2) '07/Cassandra Niomi (7-8) '07
9) Charleston 72 Mandy Sackett '09;
Suzy Lintern '06
10) Tufts 77 Gretchen Curtis '07;
Jen Giroux '07
11) Boston College 91 Becky Mergenthaler '07;
Emily Flint (1-6) '08/Jess Schmierer
(7-8) '07
12) Coast Guard 93 Brittani Lashaway (1-6) '07/Betsy Tufts
(7-8) '07;
Elizabeth Tufts (1-6) '07/Brittani
Laskaway (7-8) '07
13) Boston University 94 Lauren Kugez '07;
Bora Panduku '06
14) Conn College 97 Christie Wilson '08;
Kelly Millane '09
15) Vermont 99 Kim Murtha '08;
Caitlyn Connolly (1-6) '08/Kim Petritz
(7-8) '07
16) MIT 102 Cha-Ling O'Connell '07;
Kate Hoff (3-8) '08/Libby Palmek
(1-2,7-8) '09
17) USF 102 Kim Witkowski '09;
Kirsten Murray '07
18) Hobard/WmSmith 123 Marilyn Cassedy (1-6) '08/Kate Brush
(7-8) '07;
Kate Brush (1-6) '07/Marilyn Cassedy
(7-8) '08
19) Roger Williams 127 Susan Williams (1-2,7-8) '06/Maria
Petrialoo (3-6) '09;
Melisa Lambalot (1-2,7-8) '08/Alex
Boudreau (3-6) '08
20) ODU 164 Alissa Ayres '09;
Heather Scott '06
21) King's Point 165 Sonny Bilunas '08;
Brittany Rossi '08
22) Providence College 172 Holly Ashton '08;
Ashley Hulst '07
Scores
-------
School Div |1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 |Tot
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Yale A |3 3 5 10 2 13 2 3 |41
B |2 1 5 12 3 2 14 4 |43
------------------------------------------
Tot |5 9 19 41 46 61 77 84 |84
St. Mary's A |1 2 1 3 1 2 13 2 |25
B |1 6 7 6 17 9 7 11 |64
------------------------------------------
Tot |2 10 18 27 45 56 76 89 |89
Brown A |18 17 2 4 4 1 1 1 |48
B |13 4 9 14 4 10 4 2 |60
------------------------------------------
Tot |31 52 63 81 89 100 105 108 |108
Navy A |14 11 6 2 12 8 7 DNF |83
B |6 12 1 2 1 1 5 10 |38
------------------------------------------
Tot |20 43 50 54 67 76 88 121 |121
Stanford A |7 4 19 12 16 20 3 9 |90
B |3 7 2 17 2 3 12 1 |47
------------------------------------------
Tot |10 21 42 71 89 112 127 137 |137
Georgetown A |6 1 16 6 10 14 10 11 |74
B |12 5 12 1 10 13 10 6 |69
------------------------------------------
Tot |18 24 52 59 79 106 126 143 |143
Dartmouth A |2 12 4 13 13 18 14 7 |83
B |7 13 3 4 9 14 3 8 |61
------------------------------------------
Tot |9 34 41 58 80 112 129 144 |144
Charleston A |4 7 13 1 3 4 DSQ 17 |72
B |9 3 11 8 12 15 11 3 |72
------------------------------------------
Tot |13 23 47 56 71 90 124 144 |144
Conn College A |12 6 7 14 5 6 8 13 |71
B |15 14 14 15 14 17 1 7 |97
------------------------------------------
Tot |27 47 68 97 116 139 148 168 |168
Boston College A |8 9 3 5 8 17 11 DSQ |84
B |8 10 15 3 7 16 15 17 |91
------------------------------------------
Tot |16 35 53 61 76 109 135 175 |175
Coast Guard A |13 13 15 8 6 7 18 4 |84
B |14 8 4 5 15 19 16 12 |93
------------------------------------------
Tot |27 48 67 80 101 127 161 177 |177
USF A |15 8 9 20 7 3 9 5 |76
B |18 16 6 10 8 18 17 9 |102
------------------------------------------
Tot |33 57 72 102 117 138 164 178 |178
Harvard A |17 14 17 18 9 22 6 6 |109
B |11 2 18 11 11 4 8 5 |70
------------------------------------------
Tot |28 44 79 108 128 154 168 179 |179
Tufts A |11 5 11 9 22 16 16 18 |108
B |4 9 19 16 5 8 2 14 |77
------------------------------------------
Tot |15 29 59 84 111 135 153 185 |185
Vermont A |19 18 12 19 14 11 4 15 |112
B |16 11 13 18 16 6 6 13 |99
------------------------------------------
Tot |35 64 89 126 156 173 183 211 |211
Boston University A |16 21 8 16 11 12 15 DNF |122
B |17 15 8 19 6 5 9 15 |94
------------------------------------------
Tot |33 69 85 120 137 154 178 216 |216
Hobard/WmSmith A |10 15 14 11 17 15 17 8 |107
B |10 18 16 13 13 11 DNF 19 |123
------------------------------------------
Tot |20 53 83 107 137 163 203 230 |230
Roger Williams A |5 16 18 15 15 5 OCS 12 |109
B |22 20 10 9 18 12 18 18 |127
------------------------------------------
Tot |27 63 91 115 148 165 206 236 |236
MIT A |21 19 20 7 21 19 12 16 |135
B |5 17 17 7 20 7 13 16 |102
------------------------------------------
Tot |26 62 99 113 154 180 205 237 |237
King's Point A |9 10 10 17 18 9 5 10 |88
B |20 19 20 DSQ DNF 20 20 20 |165
------------------------------------------
Tot |29 58 88 128 169 198 223 253 |253
ODU A |20 22 22 22 19 10 19 14 |148
B |19 21 21 21 19 21 19 DNF |164
------------------------------------------
Tot |39 82 125 168 206 237 275 312 |312
Providence College A |22 20 21 21 20 21 20 19 |164
B |21 22 22 20 21 22 21 DNF |172
------------------------------------------
Tot |43 85 128 169 210 253 294 336 |336
REGATTA HIGHLIGHTS:
A division = 12 Races
B division = 12 Races
C division = 12 Races
D division = 12 Races
A B C D TOT
1. KING'S POINT 134 70 59 78 341
2. ST. MARY'S 98 82 78 94 352
3. NAVY 123 70 117 47 357
4. HOBART/WMSMITH 98 121 91 60 370
5. HARVARD 77 115 58 161 411
6. CHARLESTON 89 102 117 104 412
7. YALE 110 90 97 134 431
8. BROWN 123 120 133 76 452
9. DARTMOUTH 80 109 129 135 453
10. GEORGETOWN 112 86 129 128 455
11. STANFORD 131 103 107 118 459
12. ODU 110 157 110 106 483
13. NY MARITIME 126 101 172 93 492
14. ECKERD 84 175 79 164 502
15. BOSTON UNIVERSITY 130 128 129 186 573
16. WASHINGTON COLLEGE 129 138 177 200 644
17. TAMU GALVESTON 135 167 149 197 648
18. MICHIGAN 227 169 199 149 744
19. HAMPTON 211 227 229 83 750
20. WISCONSIN 188 195 142 226 751
A division = 12 Races
TOT
1. HARVARD 77
2. DARTMOUTH 80
3. ECKERD 84
4. CHARLESTON 89
5. ST. MARY'S 98
6. HOBART/WMSMITH 98
7. ODU 110
8. YALE 110
9. GEORGETOWN 112
10. NAVY 123
11. BROWN 123
12. NY MARITIME 126
13. WASHINGTON COLLEGE 129
14. BOSTON UNIVERSITY 130
15. STANFORD 131
16. KING'S POINT 134
17. TAMU GALVESTON 135
18. WISCONSIN 188
19. HAMPTON 211
20. MICHIGAN 227
B division = 12 Races
TOT
1. NAVY 70
2. KING'S POINT 70
3. ST. MARY'S 82
4. GEORGETOWN 86
5. YALE 90
6. NY MARITIME 101
7. CHARLESTON 102
8. STANFORD 103
9. DARTMOUTH 109
10. HARVARD 115
11. BROWN 120
12. HOBART/WMSMITH 121
13. BOSTON UNIVERSITY 128
14. WASHINGTON COLLEGE 138
15. ODU 157
16. TAMU GALVESTON 167
17. MICHIGAN 169
18. ECKERD 175
19. WISCONSIN 195
20. HAMPTON 227
C division = 12 Races
TOT
1. HARVARD 58
2. KING'S POINT 59
3. ST. MARY'S 78
4. ECKERD 79
5. HOBART/WMSMITH 91
6. YALE 97
7. STANFORD 107
8. ODU 110
9. NAVY 117
10. CHARLESTON 117
11. DARTMOUTH 129
12. GEORGETOWN 129
13. BOSTON UNIVERSITY 129
14. BROWN 133
15. WISCONSIN 142
16. TAMU GALVESTON 149
17. NY MARITIME 172
18. WASHINGTON COLLEGE 177
19. MICHIGAN 199
20. HAMPTON 229
D division = 12 Races
TOT
1. NAVY 47
2. HOBART/WMSMITH 60
3. BROWN 76
4. KING'S POINT 78
5. HAMPTON 83
6. NY MARITIME 93
7. ST. MARY'S 94
8. CHARLESTON 104
9. ODU 106
10. STANFORD 118
11. GEORGETOWN 128
12. YALE 134
13. DARTMOUTH 135
14. MICHIGAN 149
15. HARVARD 161
16. ECKERD 164
17. BOSTON UNIVERSITY 186
18. TAMU GALVESTON 197
19. WASHINGTON COLLEGE 200
20. WISCONSIN 226
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 TOT
1
KING'S POINT A 4 10 18 16 8 9 10 9 17 10 10 13 134
B 10 5 6 3 12 3 6 4 2 13 5 1 70
C 1 6 1 4 8 3 1 1 5 18 2 9 59
D 4 12 12 2 4 1 5 1 2 1 17 17 78
19 52 89 114 146 162 184 199 225 267 301 341 341
2
ST. MARY'S A 8 12 5 11 2 4 1 17 9 5 9 15 98
B 6 1 1 1 14 4 7 2 OCS 11 10 4 82
C 12 11 6 6 1 11 2 8 16 1 1 3 78
D 6 17 8 10 8 14 6 7 4 8 2 4 94
32 73 93 121 146 179 195 229 279 304 326 352 352
3
NAVY A 3 11 14 18 9 17 11 DSQ 1 12 4 2 123
B 1 3 3 11 1 17 1 16 5 4 1 7 70
C 5 15 2 13 15 1 10 11 19 13 9 4 117
D 3 1 15 3 2 7 4 2 3 3 1 3 47
12 42 76 121 148 190 216 266 294 326 341 357 357
4
HOBART/WMSMITH A 12 9 4 1 4 6 13 OCS 7 8 5 8 98
B 11 11 16 6 9 9 18 10 14 10 2 5 121
C 13 9 7 16 4 4 13 3 12 4 5 1 91
D 1 2 1 7 1 2 2 DSQ 6 2 3 12 60
37 68 96 126 144 165 211 266 305 329 344 370 370
5
HARVARD A 9 7 7 2 15 8 2 5 3 14 1 4 77
B 9 8 11 7 18 18 2 7 10 9 13 3 115
C 2 1 8 1 9 5 3 10 4 3 6 6 58
D 14 10 14 8 15 15 12 13 15 17 14 14 161
34 60 100 118 175 221 240 275 307 350 384 411 411
6
CHARLESTON A 1 8 9 7 1 1 18 3 5 6 11 19 89
B 4 2 18 4 11 10 10 8 6 5 9 15 102
C 3 3 12 14 16 15 11 6 9 8 7 13 117
D 10 9 6 12 3 5 3 6 12 10 20 8 104
18 40 85 122 153 184 226 249 281 310 357 412 412
7
YALE A 19 6 8 13 10 3 5 15 13 4 2 12 110
B 3 4 9 9 4 8 17 12 7 1 4 12 90
C 8 19 4 5 2 BKD BKD BKD DNF 2 10 2 97
D 11 6 10 11 13 8 16 18 9 12 11 9 134
41 76 107 145 174 201 247 300 350 369 396 431 431
8
BROWN A 16 14 12 6 20 12 3 7 6 15 6 6 123
B 5 15 5 16 10 11 8 13 13 3 12 9 120
C 10 7 18 18 13 13 9 7 8 9 16 5 133
D 9 11 5 1 5 3 7 5 7 13 4 6 76
40 87 127 168 216 255 282 314 348 388 426 452 452
9
DARTMOUTH A 13 4 1 3 16 7 8 8 12 2 3 3 80
B 17 10 10 10 7 1 9 5 3 16 7 14 109
C 18 4 10 10 5 10 19 15 13 5 8 12 129
D 13 3 2 16 10 12 9 19 14 14 10 13 135
61 82 105 144 182 212 257 304 346 383 411 453 453
10
GEORGETOWN A 17 2 BKD BKD 11 2 14 16 10 9 12 1 112
B 7 14 8 5 3 2 3 6 16 6 14 2 86
C 14 12 11 9 11 8 5 4 10 17 14 14 129
D 2 OCS 3 9 14 9 8 8 11 11 13 19 128
40 89 120 152 191 212 242 276 323 366 419 455 455
11
STANFORD A 14 18 2 4 14 10 17 2 18 13 8 11 131
B 8 6 12 2 2 14 13 1 12 14 3 16 103
C 4 14 3 19 3 OCS 7 12 2 10 4 8 107
D 5 14 7 15 6 10 10 14 13 5 12 7 118
31 83 107 147 172 227 274 303 348 390 417 459 459
12
ODU A 15 3 6 10 5 13 4 12 11 11 13 7 110
B 18 13 2 13 6 13 12 15 18 20 19 8 157
C DSQ 2 9 8 7 6 8 18 14 7 3 7 110
D 16 7 11 5 7 11 13 4 5 15 7 5 106
70 95 123 159 184 227 264 313 361 414 456 483 483
13
NY MARITIME A 11 17 10 9 7 11 15 4 8 3 15 16 126
B 12 17 4 12 13 6 4 9 4 8 6 6 101
C 15 16 19 17 14 7 12 13 7 16 17 19 172
D 12 4 18 14 9 6 1 10 8 4 5 2 93
50 104 155 207 250 280 312 348 375 406 449 492 492
14
ECKERD A 2 5 3 8 6 15 6 13 2 1 14 9 84
B 16 19 17 17 17 12 15 11 11 12 15 13 175
C 7 5 5 2 6 2 4 2 3 12 15 16 79
D 8 15 16 18 12 13 19 16 10 6 16 15 164
33 77 118 163 204 246 290 332 358 389 449 502 502
15
BOSTON UNIVERSITY A 6 13 13 5 3 14 9 11 16 7 16 17 130
B 2 12 14 8 20 15 16 3 8 2 11 17 128
C 9 13 14 12 17 14 6 9 1 11 12 11 129
D 20 19 13 20 18 18 17 15 18 18 9 1 186
37 94 148 193 251 312 360 398 441 479 527 573 573
16
WASHINGTON COLLEGE A 5 1 16 17 17 5 7 1 14 19 17 10 129
B 20 16 13 14 8 OCS 5 14 1 7 8 11 138
C 6 18 13 7 18 18 20 16 18 15 18 10 177
D 17 13 RAF 13 16 16 18 20 19 16 15 16 200
48 96 159 210 269 329 379 430 482 539 597 644 644
17
TAMU GALVESTON A 7 15 15 12 13 19 12 6 4 20 7 5 135
B 15 9 15 19 5 7 11 17 17 15 17 20 167
C 16 8 16 15 12 9 16 17 6 6 13 15 149
D 18 16 19 17 19 20 15 11 17 19 8 18 197
56 104 169 232 281 336 390 441 485 545 590 648 648
18
MICHIGAN A 18 16 19 19 19 20 20 18 20 18 20 20 227
B 13 7 7 18 15 5 20 18 9 18 20 19 169
C 17 17 17 11 19 16 18 14 15 19 19 17 199
D 15 8 9 6 17 17 14 9 16 9 19 10 149
63 111 163 217 287 345 417 476 536 600 678 744 744
19
HAMPTON A 20 20 20 20 12 18 19 14 15 16 19 18 211
B 19 20 20 DNF 19 16 19 19 OCS 19 16 18 227
C 19 20 20 20 20 19 15 19 17 20 20 20 229
D 7 5 4 4 11 4 11 12 1 7 6 11 83
65 130 194 259 321 378 442 506 560 622 683 750 750
20
WISCONSIN A 10 19 17 14 18 16 16 10 19 17 18 14 188
B 14 18 19 15 16 19 14 20 15 17 18 10 195
C 11 10 15 3 10 17 17 5 11 14 11 18 142
D 19 18 17 19 20 19 20 17 20 20 18 BKD 226
54 119 187 238 302 373 440 492 557 625 690 751 751
WINNING TEAM : KING'S POINT
Saturday: Six W4 and W5 races were sailed in clearing skies for each division in 8-15 knots of wind, shifting from N to NW. 3 protests were heard, resulting in one DSQ. Thanks to judges Meredith Killion, Nicole Breault, Ed Stewart, and Jamie Ewing. Thanks as well to the Yale team for helping run the regatta.
Results
---------
School |A B Total
-------------------------------------------------
1) St. Mary's |10 46 56
2) Yale |36 25 61
3) Navy |53 23 76
4) Charleston |32 58 90
5) Brown |46 54 100
6) Georgetown |53 53 106
7) Boston College |50 59 109
8) Stanford |78 34 112
9) Dartmouth |62 50 112
10) Coast Guard |62 65 127
11) Tufts |74 61 135
12) USF |62 76 138
13) Conn College |50 89 139
14) Harvard |97 57 154
15) Boston University |84 70 154
16) Hobard/WmSmith |82 81 163
17) Roger Williams |74 91 165
18) Vermont |93 80 173
19) MIT |107 73 180
20) King's Point |73 125 198
21) ODU |115 122 237
22) Providence College |125 128 253
Team Finishes
---------------
Division A Score Team
------------------------------------------------------------
1) St. Mary's 10 Adrienne Patterson '08;
Hilary Wiech '07/Jennifer Chamberlin
'09
2) Charleston 32 Andrea Savage '06;
Dani Neri '06
3) Yale 36 Emily Hill '07;
Meghan Pearl '06
4) Brown 46 Katie Lovelace '07;
Christina Starr '06
5) Boston College 50 Martha Pitt '09;
Lily Beck '09/Leland McManus '06
6) Conn College 50 Emily Whipple '06;
Elizabeth Hawkins (1-4) '07/Erin Riley
(5-6) '06
7) Georgetown 53 Derby Anderson '06;
Megan Melican '06
8) Navy 53 Katie Whitman '07;
Katherine Long '07
9) Dartmouth 62 Emily East '06;
Kate Hacker '07
10) USF 62 Abigail Ethington '06;
Ashley Wierzbkki '06
11) Coast Guard 62 Sarah Movin '06;
Alanna McGovern '08/Emily Kehrt '09
12) King's Point 73 Allison Davis '08;
Laura Beck '08
13) Roger Williams 74 Sarah Mease '09;
Kat Welch '07
14) Tufts 74 Emily Randall '07;
Chloe Starr '08
15) Stanford 78 Caroline Jowry '07;
Sarah Schoknecht '08
16) Hobard/WmSmith 82 Lauren Anderson '07;
Kate Wilson '08
17) Boston University 84 Kerry Sullivan '08;
Sarah Donahue (1-4) '09/Melissa Joseph
(5-6) '08
18) Vermont 93 Gabby McCoy '06;
Jess Stanley '07
19) Harvard 97 Jessica Baker '06;
Lauren Bronts '09/Cassandra Niomi '07
20) MIT 107 Emma Bassein '06;
Sunny Wicks '07
21) ODU 115 Cara Disanti '07;
Elyssa Albert '09
22) Providence College 125 Julie LaCour '06;
Kelly McFaddwn '07
Division B Score Team
------------------------------------------------------------
1) Navy 23 Charlotte Hill '08;
Maggie Reynolds '08
2) Yale 25 Kendra Emhiser '07;
Hannah Oakland '06
3) Stanford 34 Evaw Brown '08;
Mariana Beardsworth '08/Carrie Dewing
'08
4) St. Mary's 46 Jenny Gervais '06;
Keisha Pearson '09/Jennifer Chamberlin
'09
5) Dartmouth 50 Adele Wilhelm '08;
Betsy Bryant '08
6) Georgetown 53 Jackie Schmitz '06;
Jessica Stewart '07
7) Brown 54 Merebea Danforth '06;
Maria Harris '06
8) Harvard 57 Roberta Steele '09;
Christina Cardeiro '09/Marion
Guillaume '07
9) Charleston 58 Mandi Sackett '06;
Suzy Lintern '06
10) Boston College 59 Becky Mergenthaler '07;
Emily Flint '08/Jess Schmierer '07
11) Tufts 61 Gretchen Curtis '07;
Jen Giroux '07
12) Coast Guard 65 Brittany Lashaway '07;
Brittany Cuwan '08/Elizabeth Tufts '07
13) Boston University 70 Lauren Kugez '07;
Bora Panduku '06
14) MIT 73 Cha-Ling O'Gnnell '07;
Kate Hoff '08/Libby Palmek '09
15) USF 76 Kim Witkowski '09;
Kirsten Murray '07
16) Vermont 80 Kim Murtha '06;
Caitlyn Connolly '06
17) Hobard/WmSmith 81 Marilyn Cassedy '08;
Kate Brush '07
18) Conn College 89 Christie Wilson '08;
Kelly Millane '09
19) Roger Williams 91 Susan Williams (1-2) '06/Maria
Petrialoo (3-8) '09;
Melisa Lambalot (1-2) '08/Alex
Boudreau (3-8) '08
20) ODU 122 Alissa Ayres '09;
Heather Scott '06
21) King's Point 125 Jonny Bilunas '08;
Brittany Rossi '09
22) Providence College 128 Holly Ashton '08;
Ashley Hulst '07
Scores
-------
School Div |1 2 3 4 5 6 |Tot
-----------------------------------------------------------
St. Mary's A |1 2 1 3 1 2 |10
B |1 6 7 6 17 9 |46
----------------------------------
Tot |2 10 18 27 45 56 |56
Yale A |3 3 5 10 2 13 |36
B |2 1 5 12 3 2 |25
----------------------------------
Tot |5 9 19 41 46 61 |61
Navy A |14 11 6 2 12 8 |53
B |6 12 1 2 1 1 |23
----------------------------------
Tot |20 43 50 54 67 76 |76
Charleston A |4 7 13 1 3 4 |32
B |9 3 11 8 12 15 |58
----------------------------------
Tot |13 23 47 56 71 90 |90
Brown A |18 17 2 4 4 1 |46
B |13 4 9 14 4 10 |54
----------------------------------
Tot |31 52 63 81 89 100 |100
Georgetown A |6 1 16 6 10 14 |53
B |12 5 12 1 10 13 |53
----------------------------------
Tot |18 24 52 59 79 106 |106
Boston College A |8 9 3 5 8 17 |50
B |8 10 15 3 7 16 |59
----------------------------------
Tot |16 35 53 61 76 109 |109
Stanford A |7 4 19 12 16 20 |78
B |3 7 2 17 2 3 |34
----------------------------------
Tot |10 21 42 71 89 112 |112
Dartmouth A |2 12 4 13 13 18 |62
B |7 13 3 4 9 14 |50
----------------------------------
Tot |9 34 41 58 80 112 |112
Coast Guard A |13 13 15 8 6 7 |62
B |14 8 4 5 15 19 |65
----------------------------------
Tot |27 48 67 80 101 127 |127
Tufts A |11 5 11 9 22 16 |74
B |4 9 19 16 5 8 |61
----------------------------------
Tot |15 29 59 84 111 135 |135
USF A |15 8 9 20 7 3 |62
B |18 16 6 10 8 18 |76
----------------------------------
Tot |33 57 72 102 117 138 |138
Conn College A |12 6 7 14 5 6 |50
B |15 14 14 15 14 17 |89
----------------------------------
Tot |27 47 68 97 116 139 |139
Harvard A |17 14 17 18 9 22 |97
B |11 2 18 11 11 4 |57
----------------------------------
Tot |28 44 79 108 128 154 |154
Boston University A |16 21 8 16 11 12 |84
B |17 15 8 19 6 5 |70
----------------------------------
Tot |33 69 85 120 137 154 |154
Hobard/WmSmith A |10 15 14 11 17 15 |82
B |10 18 16 13 13 11 |81
----------------------------------
Tot |20 53 83 107 137 163 |163
Roger Williams A |5 16 18 15 15 5 |74
B |22 20 10 9 18 12 |91
----------------------------------
Tot |27 63 91 115 148 165 |165
Vermont A |19 18 12 19 14 11 |93
B |16 11 13 18 16 6 |80
----------------------------------
Tot |35 64 89 126 156 173 |173
MIT A |21 19 20 7 21 19 |107
B |5 17 17 7 20 7 |73
----------------------------------
Tot |26 62 99 113 154 180 |180
King's Point A |9 10 10 17 18 9 |73
B |20 19 20 DSQ DNF 20 |125
----------------------------------
Tot |29 58 88 128 169 198 |198
ODU A |20 22 22 22 19 10 |115
B |19 21 21 21 19 21 |122
----------------------------------
Tot |39 82 125 168 206 237 |237
Providence College A |22 20 21 21 20 21 |125
B |21 22 22 20 21 22 |128
----------------------------------
Tot |43 85 128 169 210 253 |253
Portsmouth, UK - Leading independent sports producer Sunset + Vine has signed a deal with ITV to provide coverage of the Volvo Ocean Race. Sunset+Vine, part of The Television Corporation, will produce 32 weekly half hour programmes for ITV4 and eight one-hour long programmes for ITV1.
John Leach, Managing Director of Sunset+Vine said "Our Volvo Ocean Race coverage for ITV and the rest of the world will present sailing in a new light. State of the art equipment will record the crews' adventures, relationships with each other in the confined space aboard the boats, and their battles to overcome the extreme conditions. We want to make the sport much more accessible to a wider viewing public in the same way that we transformed the way cricket has been covered."
Mark Sharman, ITV Controller of Sport said: "With over eight months of racing in the world's most treacherous seas, the Volvo Ocean Race provides a terrific adventure story for ITV viewers to follow. Using the latest technological innovations, Sunset + Vine's production will ensure viewers get closer to the action than ever before."
The Volvo Ocean Race is one of the world's premier sporting events, and one of the harshest sports challenges. Starting in Galicia, Spain in November, the crews spend a grueling seven months battling severe weather and each other in demanding conditions, taking in Cape Town, Melbourne, Rio de Janeiro and New York before finishing next June in Gothenburg. The yachts are scheduled to arrive in Portsmouth in May next year.
With 10 cameras onboard each boat, linked by satellite to a purpose built studio and editing facility at race headquarters just outside Portsmouth in the UK, Sunset+Vine's coverage will show key moments of the battle between the world's top professional sailors and the worst that the oceans can throw at them.
Larchmont, N.Y. (Oct. 11, 2005) - Starting this coming Friday, Larchmont Yacht Club (LYC) and Long Island Sound will be challenging some of the nation's finest team racing sailors, and the weather gods, by hosting two of the United States' most prestigious team racing regattas in a simultaneous but separated format. The two events, US SAILING's U.S. Team Racing Championship and the Hinman Masters Championship, feature exciting competition over three days, from October 14th through October 16th. In total, 25 teams comprised of 150 world class skippers and crews from across the country are arriving at LYC throughout the week to compete in these two separate regattas this weekend.
U.S. Team Racing Championship
Jointly with US SAILING, national governing body for the sport, LYC will host the U.S. Team Racing Championship for US SAILING's Hinman Trophy. The list of competitors for the upcoming US SAILING U.S. Team Racing Championship looks like a Who's Who in the world of sailing in the U.S.: from well-known high school and college sailors to US Sailing Team-members, Olympians, and World Champions. The 14 teams of six sailors each will vie for the National Championship title and US SAILING's Hinman Trophy. The U.S. Team Racing Championship is sailed on Vanguard 15s supplied by Vanguard Sailboats and sponsored by Rolex Watch U.S.A., Nautica, Prestige Toyota, Heineken, and Dry Creek Vineyard.
For teams Cape Cod WHishbone and Silver Panda, the National Championship comes less than two weeks after finishing first and second respectively at the Grey Goose ISAF Team Racing World Championship. The team of Cape Cod WHishbone - made up of Tim Fallon (N. Falmouth, Mass.), Tim Wadlow (Beverly, Mass.), Karen Renzulli (Needham, Mass.), Matt Lindblat (Newport, R.I.), Erin Largay (Osterville, Mass.), and Karl Ziegler (Norwalk, Conn.) - is the two-time defending champion of the U.S. Team Racing Championship and is trying to make it a hat trick this year. This will not be an easy feat, considering the competition they'll have to face: 13 teams and a total of 78 well-known sailors from across the country.
The U.S. Team Racing Championship is part of US SAILING's National Adult Championships series. Demonstrating a continuing commitment to sailing and team racing, the U.S. Team Racing Championship is sponsored by Rolex Watch U.S.A., sponsor of all US SAILING National Adult Championships; Vanguard Sailboats, manufacturer of the Vanguard 15 boats used in the event; Nautica, the Official Apparel Supplier to the US Sailing Team; and Dry Creek Vineyard. In addition to the national sponsors, the event is also sponsored by Prestige Toyota and Heineken.
Hinman Masters Championship
The New York Yacht Club's Invitational Regatta for the Commodore George R. Hinman Masters Trophy, also referred to as the Hinman Masters Championship, brings together the country's best team racers over the age of 40. The Hinman Masters, sailed in Ideal-18s, is a regatta where teams representing yacht clubs race against each other. A total of 11 Masters teams will compete against each other, including hosts Larchmont and New York Yacht Club teams; Southern Yacht Club (who lost its clubhouse in Hurricane Katrina); Annapolis Yacht Club; Eastern Yacht Club; St. Petersburg Yacht Club; the Storm Trysail Club; and Long Island Sound clubs Pequot, American and Noroton Yacht Clubs. Coming from across the Atlantic Ocean to compete is the Royal Thames Yacht Club from England.
For the Masters, skippers must be at least 45 years old and crews 40. The sailors competing in this event are certainly not new to the sport and sailors nationwide will recognize the names of many of the events' competitors. For example, consider the team from Pequot Yacht Club, captained by racing rules expert Dave Perry with skippers Dave Dellenbaugh and Ched Proctor. The ten other teams will certainly give the strong Pequot team a run for their money. For instance, the local teams from both Larchmont Yacht Club's team, led by Andy Kaplan, and including Jamie McCreary and Kerry Klingler, as well as New York Yacht Club's team of Phil Lotz, Dann Rugg and Bill Tripp are looking like strong teams.
Spectators Invited
Team racing features many races per day on challenging and exciting race courses. The public can go out on spectator boats provided by Larchmont Yacht Club. For on-shore spectators, live commentating will be done by Gavin O'Hare, chairman of US SAILING's U.S. Team Racing Championship and coach of the sailing team of the U.S. Naval Academy.
TEAM ABN AMRO is proud to announce the unveiling of our new Portuguese-language website! The stand-alone URL address is: http://br.team.abnamro.com/.
As of Monday morning, Brazilian and Portuguese visitors to the site will be able to find all their favourite articles, news updates, race and TEAM background and multimedia items in their native language.
As there is a Brazilian sailor on board, Lucas Brun, the site should generate quite a bit of interest in his native country. Brazil is also one of ABN AMRO's core markets.
Should you have comments or suggestions for how the TEAM site can be improved, please go to the website and click 'contact'.
Only one month left before the Volvo Ocean Race fleet departs for Leg One to Cape Town, and just three weeks before the first in-port race! We get up close and personal with Ericsson Racing Team skipper Neal McDonald, to talk about the many bridges crossed and the hills still to climb.
Just one month to go before the start of the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-06 - what is your current state of mind?
"Right now, it's the calm before the storm. The last few weeks before the start are always hectic and this time will be worse than previous starts with the addition of the in port racing and the new class of boat.
"Overall I feel comfortable that we have got everything we need done, but it's kind of scary to think that in one month's time we will be starting the first leg. There are a lot of decisions that we have made so far and we won't really know the full extent of their effect until some way into the race. We hope that we have got them right!"
How is the team bearing up?
"I think we are all looking forward to getting started now. The shore crew has taken a lot of pride in its work and we've got a boat that looks in terrific shape.
"It's difficult to appreciate just how much else is going on in parallel with the boat work; there is a massive amount of planning and logistics that is going on at the same time. Accommodation in eight different countries around the world, travel for the shore team and race crew families, sending containers with tools and spares to various ports around the world, mountains of paper work, crew medicals - you name it. All these hidden extras have to be dealt with by our own in-house logistic team - it's not just our boat builders who have been flat out for the past few months"
What are the big unknowns for this edition of the Volvo Ocean Race?
"There is so much that we don't know about the boats. In the previous races we have known a huge amount. If you ask our Technical Director, Magnus Olsson about the VO 60, he has had 12 years experience with them, whereas we have had just over 12 weeks to learn the idiosyncrasies of this current class.
"We have no real idea how the boats will compare to one another until the race begins or which boats will be fast in which conditions. All the teams have made their own decisions on how best to configure their boat and to optimize the various systems. It is very rare in a campaign like this for none of the boats to have lined up against each other before the start - it certainly makes it all the more exciting.
"The in-port races themselves are an unknown. It will also be tough to finish a leg knowing that in a short space of time we've got to do an inshore race. It will be like finishing a really long rally race then doing a formula one race in between!"
How physical are these boats compared to the VO 60's?
"The Volvo Open 70's are physically more demanding boats and technically more complicated, and there will be some new skills required to get the best out of them. We have a whole new rule book to learn as to how hard to push these boats and how hard to push the people that are sailing them. The majority of the attraction for taking part in a race like this is that we are racing against other competitors that are in a similar situation. An added bonus for this race is the fact that we will be racing a new exciting class and effectively breaking new ground in terms of fully crewed offshore sailing.
What are your main tasks before the start?
"To make sure that we haven't left any stones unturned, that we are ready for this unbelievable adventure and more importantly to keep an eye on the big picture. Clearly the immediate concern is to do well in the first in-port race but the overall picture is the thing we need to keep a handle on - what's going to happen several months down the line. It is all about prioritizing and making the best of the situation with the money, time and manpower that we have."
Do you feel Ericsson is ready or is there a lot of space for improvement throughout the race?
"On the one hand, there is a huge limit on improvement because technically the teams are not allowed to change anything other than the sails during the race. On the other hand, our understanding of the boat and how to get the best out of her will improve a lot and we have to make sure that our learning curve is steeper than our competitors."
What have you achieved so far?
"We have achieved a huge amount in the past three months since the boat hit the water. We've sailed over 5000 miles, tried out numerous sails, completed our 2000 mile qualifier for the Volvo Ocean Race, optimized lots of systems, and most importantly made our sail choice for the first leg."
A month before the start, what do you think will make the difference between the teams?
"The make up of the teams themselves is paramount to success. It's a long race and a huge amount of the success will come down to the people involved, not just the race crew but also the shore crew. Selecting the right crew is the biggest job of all - a professional crew that will respect each other and will persevere - all values that are core to our sponsor Ericsson. The crew I have been fortunate enough to gather together is simply superb, with so much talent and experience. The sailing crew alone has 30 round the world yacht races to its credit, and I am hoping that this experience will pull us through."
Ericsson Racing Team, headed by 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.
Miami, Fla. (October 12, 2005) - From January 22 to 27, 2006, US SAILING's Rolex Miami OCR returns to the waters of Biscayne Bay, bringing together the world's top Olympic and Paralympic class competitors. The 17th annual US SAILING Rolex Miami OCR is a mainstay on the winter circuit for sailors who are campaigning for the next Olympic and Paralympic Games. The event is ranked by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) as a Grade 1 event and features competition in 13 Olympic and Paralympic classes. The Notice of Race for the event is now available at www.ussailing.org/Olympics/RolexMiamiOCR.
The competition will be raced in all events selected for the next Olympic Games: 49er, 470 (Men & Women), Finn, Laser, Laser Radial, Neil Pryde RS:X (Men & Women), Star, and Yngling. Racing will also be held for the 2.4mR and Sonar, two of the three events selected for the 2008 Paralympic Games. ISAF is scheduled to announce a third and new Paralympic class in November, but due to the short time-frame, this equipment will not be used in the 2006 Rolex Miami OCR.
The Pan American Sailing Federation and ISAF have selected the 2006 Rolex Miami OCR as a country qualifier for the 2007 Pan American Games for the Laser, Laser Radial and Neil Pryde RS:X (Men and Women) classes.
New Winter Circuit
US SAILING has teamed up with several U.S. and North American Class Associations to create a new Winter Circuit for Olympic and Paralympic class sailors in the Biscayne Bay area. Thus far, twenty regattas and training camps in various classes complementing the Rolex Miami OCR have been scheduled to date, with more to come.
On-Line Registration
On-line registration will open by November 14, 2005 for competitors and coaches. Early registration is recommended and encouraged by discounted fees for entries received by January 16, 2006. Registrations received after January 16, 2006 will be subject to late fees.
Online registration, regatta and Winter Circuit information can be found at www.ussailing.org/Olympics/RolexMiamiOCR.
October 13, 2005, Portsmouth, UK - The world's premier ocean sailing event, the Volvo Ocean Race, (formerly the Whitbread Round the World Race) which starts from Galicia in Spain, this November, looks set to achieve record numbers of television viewers.
With distribution agreements for more than two dozen countries, including major broadcasters in all the stopover territories, it is expected that a cumulative audience in excess of 1.5 billion viewers will tune in to see what promise to be unique pictures, beamed from the Southern Ocean, following the lives of nearly a hundred of the world's top sailors as they battle their way around the planet.
The weekly coverage of the race will be transmitted by ITV in the UK, TVE in Spain, NOS in Holland, Channel Ten in Australia, TV3 in New Zealand and TVGlobo in Brazil, among others. In addition, programming made by Sunset + Vine, the UK's leading independent television sports production company, will be seen by viewers in the USA through ABC, ESPN and CNBC and in South Africa on "Super Sport".
Elsewhere around the world, the public can keep up with events in this epic adventure through television programmes on broadcasters in Europe, South America, Asia and the Middle East. Additionally, Gillette World of Sport, a weekly sport highlights programme now seen in over 150 countries, will report on the action both on and off the water.
Each of the boats in the race, which starts in Vigo, Galicia, on November 12, will have 10 on-board cameras with direct satellite links back to the race headquarters in Portsmouth, UK, where the weekly programmes will be produced.
Mark Howell, Head of Broadcast for the Volvo Ocean Race said: "Wherever possible, this time, we are working with free-to-air broadcasters, as we recognise that in most countries broadcasters still have a broader reach and higher ratings than many pay TV channels. We are privileged to be working in the stopover countries with some of the world's most respected broadcasters. As a result we are confident that the combination of Sunset + Vine and these 'partners' will produce exceptional coverage and reach more viewers than has any previous round the world race".
Valencia, Spain. The list of participants looks like the “Who is Who” of professional international sailing. The stage is set for fierce competition for Chris Dickson and his team at the King Edward VII Gold Cup from October 15th to 23rd, 2005, in Hamilton Harbour, Bermuda. In a regatta featuring many of the world’s best match racing skippers, the New Zealand-born CEO and Skipper of BMW ORACLE Racing will count on the support of Kazuhiko Sofuku, Paul Westlake and Zach Hurst. The foursome is competing following a successful performance as part of the BMW ORACLE Racing Team at the Trapani Louis Vuitton Acts in Sicily where they finished the America’s Cup Class racing season as the top Challenger. “The Gold Cup is a personal favourite of mine,” Dickson said in preparation for Bermuda. “The racing conditions on Hamilton Harbour make it one of the best sailing venues in the world. This regatta has always attracted the best match racers so it’s a must to have on the calendar in October. Bermuda starts a busy match racing schedule as we prepare for our 2006 racing season. We will be out match racing every chance we get.” Dickson placed second the last two times he competed in the Gold Cup. The lineup of competitors also includes Alinghi helmsman Ed Baird, James Spithill of Luna Rossa, Karol Jablonski of the Spanish Team Desafio Espanol and three-time America’s Cup winner Russell Coutts as well as Scott Dickson (Chris’ youngest brother). The King Edward VII Gold Cup, which dates back to 1907, is the oldest match racing trophy for one-design yachts worldwide. This year, the total prize money at stake amounts to 100,000 US Dollars – the new champion will be awarded 30,000 US Dollars.
Weekend crowds along with hundreds of spectator boats were out in force to cheer on the 12 teams at the Trapani Louis Vuitton Act 9 on a beautiful, late summer afternoon in Sicily.
The crowds in Trapani have been overwhelming, and on Saturday afternoon, the America's Cup Park welcomed visitor number 1 000 000 to the Louis Vuitton Acts, stretching back to the opening Act in Marseille in 2004. Lucia Ternullo, from Augusta, Sicily enjoyed the honour, winning a pass for two on the Media Boat to watch the last race of the season on Sunday.
On Saturday, with the wind blowing 14 knots from the north-west, the Race Committee was able to start the first race bang on time at 12:40 hours.
While BMW ORACLE Racing and Alinghi sailed their own private races at the front of the fleet in both contests, the story of the day belonged to Shosholoza. The South Africans sailed extremely well on Friday, earning two fifth place finishes to begin the weekend in fourth place on the points table. On Saturday Captain Salvatore Sarno's men raced to a podium finish in the first race, and followed that up with a seventh place to solidify their position in fourth on the leaderboard.
FLEET RACE THREE
Many boats were gunning for the favoured pin end of the starting line. For a while it looked like Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia Team might win the pin, but BMW ORACLE Racing accelerated over them and Chris Dickson launched off the line at top speed.
With the wind blowing 14 knots, the American boat surged into an early lead, clearly wanting the left-hand side of the course. Some of the boats that had started less well were forced out to the right, and for a moment it looked as though they might do well out there. +39 Challenge held a four-boatlength lead on the far right, but then the wind went left again. This is what BMW ORACLE had been looking for, although by this time Alinghi had used superior boatspeed to sail over the top of the black and white boat.
Rounding the first mark, Alinghi had a slender lead over BMW ORACLE. In third was Emirates Team New Zealand, and just behind was the surprise team of the day in Shosholoza. These positions stayed the same down the first run, but the softening breeze opened up opportunities for some snakes and ladders up the final beat. Around the leeward gate, Alinghi and BMW were still comfortably ahead of the pack, and these two engaged in a personal match race up the next leg, the Swiss never allowing the Americans too much room to breathe.
Shosholoza broke right up the next beat, and the Kiwis to the left. The boats that did best, however, were those that came up from middle-left, such as Desafío Español. The South Africans held on to a slim lead over the pack, and managed to get over to the left-hand side before the left-hand shift worked against them. The Kiwis, however, had slipped badly on this leg, down from third to sixth at the final mark.
Around the last mark, Alinghi held a commanding lead over BMW ORACLE. Next around was Shosholoza, only just ahead of the fast-improving Spanish. The Kiwis rounded behind Luna Rossa. With the wind down to 8 knots for the final run to the finish, Alinghi maintained its position at the front to beat the Americans across the line. Shosholoza sailed home in third, a fantastic result for this team, no longer the also-rans of this fleet but firmly established as real players in this tough game.
FLEET RACE FOUR
It was another tight start, with the teams jostling each other for the best position. Hardly a race passes without someone breaking the line a fraction too early, and this time it was Luna Rossa's turn to go back and restart. At the favoured pin end of the line, +39 Challenge claimed pole position but Emirates Team New Zealand found the best acceleration to take an early lead in the 8-knot north-westerly breeze.
Cloud cover down the middle of the course saw the fleet split either side to find the best breeze around the cloud's edge. Desafío Español led the charge to the left, while Alinghi showed the way on the right. In the end, the right side paid, and the Swiss found themselves leading around the first mark, again from BMW ORACLE Racing. And once again it was Shosholoza holding third place around the mark, just ahead of Victory Challenge, the Swedes looking to make amends for a poor series so far.
Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia Team tacked underneath the Kiwis to squeeze their way past the windward mark, with the Umpires ruling there was no foul. Luna Rossa made a great recovery from their restart to round in seventh ahead of China Team.
With the wind remaining soft down the first run, the Swiss and American race leaders held their positions, but the South Africans slipped badly down the rankings after gybing out to the right of the course. They rounded in sixth, dropping three places, while the Kiwis had moved up to third by the leeward gate.
With Alinghi and BMW ORACLE breaking clear of the fleet for the second time today, the two leaders engaged in a gentle match race up the next beat, although the Swiss were never really troubled. With the wind swinging hard to the right up this leg, Mascalzone gained an extra place, rounding the final mark in fourth behind New Zealand. Victory had dropped to fifth, while Luna Rossa leapfrogged the South Africans to move up to sixth.
The next three crossed the line in a photo finish, with Spain just taking 8th from China Team and K-Challenge. +39 Challenge remained 11th while United Internet Team Germany compounded the pain of finishing last with an exploding spinnaker just seconds before they crossed the line.
Racing for Act 9 and for the 2005 season concludes on Sunday, with Alinghi and BMW ORACLE Racing fighting for first place, and the surprising Shosholoza looking to score its best Act result to date.
There was everything to play for on the last day of racing in the 2005 America's Cup season. The final race would decide the winner of the Trapani Louis Vuitton Act 9, and while Alinghi had a stranglehold on the America's Cup Class Season Championship, teams where fighting to finish as well as possible in Act 9 to boost their position on the season championship leaderboard.
Hundreds of spectator boats braved the rough conditions to enjoy the last day of racing in the 2005 Louis Vuitton Acts, and they weren't disappointed. The final run to the finish was incredibly tight, with the Spanish boat nosing ahead of BMW ORACLE Racing in a 'photo' finish. Alinghi was third, a good enough result for it to claim the top of the leaderboard on the tie-break.
In terms of the America's Cup Class Season Championship, with five wins in six Acts, Alinghi is the class of the fleet. BMW ORACLE Racing and Emirates Team New Zealand are fully 10 points in arrears, with the Kiwis getting the nod for second place by virtue of beating the Americans in two of their three match races this year. Luna Rossa is fourth, followed by Desafío Español and Victory Challenge. The French K-Challenge sneaks ahead of +39 Challenge on a tie break.
The Swiss Defender was presented with prizes for the Louis Vuitton Act 9 title and the America's Cup Class Season Championship at a ceremony in the America's Cup Park. Tens of thousands from Trapani were on hand to enjoy the day, and share in the spirit of the 32nd America's Cup.
FLEET RACE FIVE
The weather on the race course off the western tip of Sicily added to the drama of the day. Strong 15 to 20 knots winds blew up a tempestuous sea, which challenged man and machine alike. The French K-Challenge was the first to fall; it didn't start the race due to problems with its boom.
It was a pre-start full of action on Sunday as Alinghi, BMW ORACLE Racing and Emirates Team New Zealand each hunted the other ahead of the starting gun. The American team in particular was aggressive pushing the Kiwis towards the line early. The tactics worked - Emirates and China Team started pre-maturely and had to return to restart.
It was a doubly good start for BMW ORACLE skipper Chris Dickson. Not only did he dismiss his Kiwi rival, but he hit the line with speed and led a group of boats out to the left side of the race course.
Alinghi and Victory Challenge led the charge further to the right, which is where Emirates Team New Zealand and China Team followed after re-starting.
The Spanish made a nice tactical move near the top mark. As the first to approach the layline, Desafío tacked onto starboard tack just on the limit of laying the mark. When BMW ORACLE and Alinghi approached on port tack, they were forced to tack below the Spanish and hence below the layline. The Americans took the Swiss past the mark before tacking back and rounding cleanly. Alinghi was then forced to avoid the starboard tack +39 Challenge before sliding around the mark with Luna Rossa charging inside them. Dickson and the Spanish worked well to drive the Swiss boat further back in the fleet.
On the first run, Spain was able to hold its lead, despite having spinnaker pole trouble. The Swiss sailed out hard to the left side of the race course halfway down the run, trying to find a way past the American team. But BMW ORACLE was fast, closing up on the leading Desafío team. +39 Challenge also sailed well, following the Spanish, and American teams around the right side of the gate.
Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa elected to take the left side of the gate, while Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia had jib problems and couldn't hoist its headsail.
Alinghi worked its way up the right hand side of the race course, with the Americans pushing the Swiss further right with every tack. Most of the teams started working the right side of the course with Luna Rossa the exception; Francesco de Angelis' team, along with +39, hit the left corner of the beat. The move paid, as the two Italian teams pressured BMW ORACLE Racing around the top mark, who in turn were looking to get past the Spanish.
The final run to the finish was extremely dramatic with the American, Spanish and Swiss boats all very close nearing the finish line. In the event, it was Spain squeezing ahead of BMW ORACLE. The Spanish win leaps it past Shosholoza for fourth in Act 9, and as Alinghi finished within one place of BMW ORACLE, the Swiss win Act 9 on a tie-break.
Barcolana 37 has been the fastest in racing history; the winner set the record time of 58’20’’: Trieste, Provincia di… (internationally known as Skandia, the yacht that won the Sydney-Hobart race in 2003, Australia, and came in second a few months ago at the Rolex Fastnet Race, charterized for the occasion by a group of Triestine sailors) the maxi yacht with Lorenzo Bressani at the helm and Furio Benussi as tactician has cut down the record set by Cometa in 2001 of about 16min and 40 seconds on the 17-mile triangular course – the most crowded fleet race in the world – beating Slovenia’s Maxi Jena, with Mitja Kosmina at the helm, and Shining with helmsman Lorenzo Bodini. The race was characterized by a strong Bora wind with gusts between 30 and 35 knots at the start (it later calmed down a little to 20 knots) and by the usual huge participation of 1725 boats at the start of this sea festival which takes place every second Sunday of October and attracts many sailing enthusiasts to Trieste.
It has definitely been one of the best and most technical regattas over the last ten years with a strong wind which forced the Organizing Committee of the Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano to exclude the “Passere” category from the competition. They are small boats entirely built in wood which would not have been able to cope with strong gusts of wind.
The race started after the traditional three gun shots at the start line offshore Barcola at 10.00 o’clock sharp. The favourite Trieste, Provincia di… took the lead straight away hoisting the gennaker with a brave and technically perfect manoeuvre and thus leaving the opponents behind, in particular Maxi Jena. The crew consisting of mostly Triestine sailors gained half a mile in the first three minutes of race. An advantage which was already clear after half of the first leg sailed close hauled.
Behind came the Slovenians of Maxi Jena who tried to catch up hoisting different fore sails, and other large yachts such as Shining, Esimit (helmsman Branko Brcin), historic Veliki Viharnik with Dusan Puh at the helm and Cometa.
The rest of the fleet scattered across the Gulf in about 20 minutes on the first lap providing almost 200 thousand spectators, located on the many strategic viewpoints along the coast, with a wonderful sight, one of the best over the last years.
While small boats where reaching the first buoy, Trieste Provincia di …had already crossed the finish line in record time, after leaving the Slovenian rival more than 1 kilometre behind on the second leg. After Maxi Jena another Triestine helmsman Lorenzo Bodini on Shining crossed the finish line third.
“We did a perfect race”, said Lorenzo Bressani, helmsman of Trieste, Provincia di… a few minutes after crossing the line, clinching the 4th personal victory at the Barcolana. “We did our best – he continued – with fighting spirit from the very beginning when we hoisted the gennaker at once. It enabled us to gain a good advantage on the rivals which grew throughout the race.
BRESSANI: “A PERFECT RACE”
Trieste – The local helmsman Lorenzo Bressani is enthusiastic about the race, he is the winner of the 37th Barcolana with Trieste, Provincia di… “We brought the trophy back to Trieste” said President of the Province Fabio Scoccimarro
“First of all I want to thank the crew for this wonderful victory. This Barcolana was just perfect. At the start we were rather agitated but the quickness and the perfection with which we hoisted the gennaker, allowed us to leave Kosmina behind still with jib and mainsail”. This is what Lorenzo Bressani said upon arrival, winner of the 37th Barcolana aboard of the super maxi Trieste, Provincia di… This is Lorenzo Bressani’s fourth victory at the Barcolana. While the crew celebrated with friends at their headquarters on the Molo Pescheria, where the maxi yacht is berthed. President of Trieste Province, Fabio Scoccimarro has stressed upon the importance of this victory. “It was great to come in first at this spectacular edition of the Barcolana, but it was even more important being able to bring the Trophy back to Trieste with a crew made up of almost all locals. The Province’s project goes beyond this race and during the week before the event, it gave the possibility to many disabled people to sail on Trieste’s boat”.
Michael Carter veteran of fifteen years sailing the highly competitive 18 foot skiffs lashed out on the weekend at the race officials who cancelled racing in consideration of predicted harsh weather conditions.
“They can’t do that, it’s ridiculous to call off the race every time a bit of breeze comes in.” was Carter’s response when informed that the race was cancelled.
The forecast for Saturday was marginal racing conditions for the 18 footers. The Bureau of Meteorology predicted 20 to 30 knot winds changing to 20 to 25 knots in the evening. However the race officials led by John “Steamer” Stanley and David Speck felt that the conditions may well be worse than predicted. With around 50 years of local experience Steamer suspected that the wind will easily exceed 30 or even 35 knots.
Regardless of this, Carter expressed that the 18 foot skiffs should be handled capably by a good crew in the officially predicted conditions. “How will anyone learn to handle the rough stuff if they don’t go out and try? They’ll never get to learn.”
There is an element of truth to Carter’s complaint given that many older veterans of the sport openly criticise the perceived lesser seamanship skills of 18 footer sailors today. It used to be quite normal for skiffs to race in near gale or gale force breezes. However the issues of insurance, and the rising costs of the high tech 18 footers means that some compromises have had to be made.
Synergy (Carter) and Sydney Star (Michael Boyd) elected to train regardless of the Club’s call. Through a miscommunication, Dinghy Solutions (Richard Scarr) and Maytag (Kevin Jervis) both rigged and sailed out not realizing the race was off.
The Sydney Flying Squadron however was vindicated for its decision with gale force gusts in the 34 to 38 knot range being recorded for most of the afternoon.
Both Maytag and Dinghy Solutions had considerable difficulties. Maytag retired to Double Bay and Dinghy Solutions dropped their mainsail and was towed back to Rose Bay by the sailing school’s own inflatable rescue vessel.
Synergy and Sydney Star both battled the conditions and managed to return to the Sydney Flying Squadron under their own efforts. It was not easy going however with boat 18 footers being knocked down by the gusts so frequently that each crew lost count of the number of times they had to right the skiffs from a capsize.
Crew members did sustain minor injuries with Synergy’s Luca Rizzotti suffering facial cuts and bruising, a swollen eye as well as widespread bruising and cuts to his legs. Bill Robson on Sydney Star suffered cuts from being thrown onto rigging as well as considerable bruising over most of his body. It looked like both had been playing Rugby Union, not enjoying a pleasant afternoon sail.
Traditionally Cal's annual intersectional, Stanford hosted this year's Stoney Burke due to scheduling conflicts with Treasure Island. Breeze was on at the 9:30 report time, so racing began on schedule at 10:30 in 12-15 knts.
The fleet sailed "Butterfly" courses to take advantage of the Stanford sailing area. Wind mellowed out to 8-10 knts by noon, and 8 races were held in both A & B Divs. Sunday, brought light air... filling in by 1pm, The Race Committee was able to get off 2 A & 2 B races by 3pm. Thanks to Stanford's RC- Jay Kehoe, John Pearce and team. And Cal Alums Abby Swan, Emery Sanford & Margarte Wilson. And Monica La Haye UCSB Alum. Congrats Hawaii!! -Amy
A division = 10 Races
B division = 10 Races
A B TOT
1. U Hawaii 28 23 51
2. USC 41 23 64
3. Stanford Varsity 36 31 67
4. UC Irvine 44 36 80
5. U Hawaii Women 70 72 142
6. UC Santa Barbara 79 69 148
7. UC Santa Barb Women 78 84 162
8. Stanford Women 66 114 180
9. UC San Diego 94 88 182
10. UC Berkeley 78 121 199
11. U Washington 118 102 220
12. UC Los Angeles 146 99 245
13. Cal Maritime 134 132 266
14. UC Santa Cruz 176 133 309
15. Lewis & Clark 174 135 309
16. CSU Monterey Bay 142 172 314
17. Western Washington U 132 183 315
18. U Washington Wm 170 165 335
19. Western Wash U Women 181 170 351
20. UC San Diego Women 175 177 352
21. U of Oregon 151 206 357
22. San Jose State 217 193 410
A division = 10 Races
TOT
1. U Hawaii 28 Bryan Lake 06
Meredith Adams 06
2. Stanford Varsity 36 Brian Haines '07 All
Kelly McKenna '09 All
3. USC 41 Mikee Anderson-Mitterling '06
Vanessa Decollibus '07 3-10, ABernal 07 1,2
4. UC Irvine 44 Frank Tybor 07
Whitney Loufek 07 3-10, WPochevera 07 1,2
5. Stanford Women 66 Taylor Grimes '09
Marianna Beardsworth 08
6. U Hawaii Women 70 Tinja Anderson-Mitterling 08
Caitlin Hill 09
7. UC Berkeley 78 Chris Wenner 08
Anne COnway 05
8. UC Santa Barb Women 78 Kate Conway '06
Anna Pollock '08 1-8 Lauren Hansen 06
9-10
9. UC Santa Barbara 79 Hunter Williams '06 All
M Pildvetcky '09 3-6,9-10 BCotrell08 1,2,7,8
10. UC San Diego 94 Nick Ward '08 All
Ben Amen '08 All
11. U Washington 118 Alex Jones 06 1-4, Athol King 07 5-8
Ellie Watson 07 All 12. Western Washington U
132 Randy Holt 06
Jon Takao 07
13. Cal Maritime 134 Paige Johnston 09
Jessie Lee 09
14. CSU Monterey Bay 142 Ren Herring 07
Greg Cannon 08
15. UC Los Angeles 146 Boris Guttman 06
Steph Adams 07
16. U of Oregon 151 Robert Duboc III '07 All
Ian Kelley-Morgan '08 All
17. U Washington Wm 170 Michelle Stitzer '08
Molly Acheson '08
18. Lewis & Clark 174 Alan Plattner 09
LeahO'Bryant 08
19. UC San Diego Women 175 Chelsea Valdiconza '07 All
Darya Pilram '06 All
20. UC Santa Cruz 176 Ryan Anderson 08 1-8, NVanderKolk 07 9,10
N VanderKolk 07 1-8, RVanderSchaaft 07 9-10
21. Western Wash U Women 181 Jamie Albert 06
Anna Klastrin 06
22. San Jose State 217 Eric Colton
Nick larson
B division = 10 Races
TOT
1. U Hawaii 23 Joey Pasquali 06
Becky Mabardy 08
2. USC 23 Greg Helias 07
Melanie ROberts 07
3. Stanford Varsity 31 Eddie Conrad 08
Anna Vu 06
4. UC Irvine 36 Wiliiam Pochervera 07
Chris Trezzo 07
5. UC Santa Barbara 69 Peter Jorgenson 09
Caroline Jaering 09
6. U Hawaii Women 72 Shandy Buckley 08
Crystal Bronte 08
7. UC Santa Barb Women 84 Anna Brun 08
Brett Bradshaw 08
8. UC San Diego 88 Jeff Simon 07
Heather Martinelli 06 1-8, John Frank 06 9,10
9. UC Los Angeles 99 Matt Sirignann 07
Sarah Lewis 06
10. U Washington 102 Paul Stewart 08
Erin Bell 07
11. Stanford Women 114 Carrie Denning 08
Sarah Schocknect 08
12. UC Berkeley 121 Logan Jager 05
Bo Kim 05
13. Cal Maritime 132 Nathan Prather 08
Wendy Dellagadillo 09
14. UC Santa Cruz 133 M Kennerknecht 06 1-8, VHarrington 07 9,10
Vince Harrington 07 1-8, Joey Schlosser 9,10
15. Lewis & Clark 135 Kyle Eaton 06 1-8, Alan Worf 07 9-10
Alan Worf 07, Greg D'Hemecourt 09 9-10
16. U Washington Wm 165 Truda Peters 06
Cysondra Lugwig 06 17. Western Wash U Women
170 Lisa Marsaudon 07
Sarah Kenote 06
18. CSU Monterey Bay 172 Megan Comstock 06
Hailey pilchart 07
19. UC San Diego Women 177 AShley Rose 08
Hillary Lowe 06 1,2,5-8 Carrie Baptist
3,4,9,10 20. Western Washington U 183 Janna Ott 07
Jake Tiedman 07
21. San Jose State 193 Eric Stackpole
George Adkins
22. U of Oregon 206 Jenny Dorner 06
Ben Hackett 07
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 TOT
1
U Hawaii A 1 2 6 5 3 6 1 2 1 1 28
UH 1 B 3 3 3 1 2 1 4 4 1 1 23
4 9 18 24 29 36 41 47 49 51 51
2
USC A 4 6 5 10 2 2 3 4 2 3 41
21 B 2 1 4 3 3 3 1 2 2 2 23
6 13 22 35 40 45 49 55 59 64 64
3
Stanford Varsity A 2 9 2 2 1 3 5 1 5 6 36
8 B 5 5 1 6 1 2 3 1 3 4 31
7 21 24 32 34 39 47 49 57 67 67
4
UC Irvine A 5 7 1 1 4 1 4 3 8 10 44
UCI 2 B 1 2 2 2 4 8 2 3 9 3 36
6 15 18 21 29 38 44 50 67 80 80
5
U Hawaii Women A 10 1 9 7 6 4 11 11 9 2 70
UH 2 B 6 4 12 5 14 4 8 9 4 6 72
16 21 42 54 74 82 101 121 134 142 142
6
UC Santa Barbara A 8 12 11 6 8 12 9 6 3 4 79
88 B 4 11 7 7 6 5 9 5 8 7 69
12 35 53 66 80 97 115 126 137 148 148
7
UC Santa Barb Women A 6 4 3 11 7 10 12 10 4 11 78
805 B 12 6 6 4 12 10 6 7 13 8 84
18 28 37 52 71 91 109 126 143 162 162
8
Stanford Women A 11 10 4 3 5 7 6 9 6 5 66
4 B 7 12 13 16 13 11 10 16 5 11 114
18 40 57 76 94 112 128 153 164 180 180
9
UC San Diego A 9 3 12 13 10 5 10 13 7 12 94
Tritons B 15 7 9 8 8 6 5 8 12 10 88
24 34 55 76 94 105 120 141 160 182 182
10
UC Berkeley A 3 5 16 4 13 9 2 5 13 8 78
6 B 8 13 14 11 15 7 7 12 16 18 121
11 29 59 74 102 118 127 144 173 199 199
11
U Washington A 17 14 10 9 14 11 8 7 12 16 118
UW 6 B 10 9 8 9 7 9 12 DNF 6 9 102
27 50 68 86 107 127 147 177 195 220 220
12
UC Los Angeles A 20 11 20 12 21 13 15 15 10 9 146
LA 31 B 9 8 10 10 5 12 13 6 14 12 99
29 48 78 100 126 151 179 200 224 245 245
13
Cal Maritime A 14 17 7 14 12 18 7 12 15 18 134
CMA 6 B 11 15 17 21 9 15 14 10 15 5 132
25 57 81 116 137 170 191 213 243 266 266
14
UC Santa Cruz A 19 20 13 18 17 14 13 19 21 22 176
UCSC 1 B 13 10 15 12 11 13 11 14 17 17 133
32 62 90 120 148 175 199 232 270 309 309
15
Lewis & Clark A 18 8 14 21 18 20 18 18 19 20 174
LC 1 B 14 17 5 15 10 14 15 13 18 14 135
32 57 76 112 140 174 207 238 275 309 309
16
CSU Monterey Bay A 12 13 8 16 11 19 20 8 18 17 142
CSUMB 4 B 17 19 11 13 17 21 16 15 21 22 172
29 61 80 109 137 177 213 236 275 314 314
17
Western Washington U A 13 18 19 8 9 8 17 16 11 13 132
WWU 3 B 20 21 22 19 18 20 20 20 7 16 183
33 72 113 140 167 195 232 268 286 315 315
18
U Washington Wm A 16 19 17 15 16 15 16 17 20 19 170
UW 4 B 19 16 16 14 16 22 18 18 11 15 165
35 70 103 132 164 201 235 270 301 335 335
19
Western Wash U Women A 21 15 18 17 20 16 21 22 16 15 181
WWU 2 B 21 18 18 18 19 17 BKD 19 10 13 170
42 75 111 146 185 218 256 297 323 351 351
20
UC San Diego Women A 15 16 21 19 19 21 19 21 17 7 175
UCSD 2 B 16 14 20 DNF 20 16 17 11 20 20 177
31 61 102 144 183 220 256 288 325 352 352
21
U of Oregon A 7 21 15 20 15 17 14 14 14 14 151
UO 7 B DNF 22 21 20 22 18 21 21 19 19 206
30 73 109 149 186 221 256 291 324 357 357
22
San Jose State A 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 20 22 21 217
Jose 457 B 18 20 19 17 21 19 19 17 22 21 193
40 82 123 162 205 246 287 324 368 410 410
WINNING TEAM : U Hawaii
Bryan Lake 06
Meredith Adams 06
Joey Pasquali 06
Becky Mabardy 08
YachtWorld.com (www.YachtWorld.com)—the largest searchable brokerage boats for sale photo database on the Web—announced today the promotion of Bob Summers from Product Development Manager to Business Development Manager and the addition of Mason Britton as the Florida Regional Sales Manager for the site.
Bob Summers began with YachtWorld.com in 1997 and built the BoatWizard user interface that offers brokers a way to add and update their listings on the site. BoatWizard helped launch YachtWorld.com as the leading advertising and Multiple Listing Service (MLS) service for yacht brokers in the world, creating an easy-to-use and smart interface that connects the yacht brokerage community to millions of consumers through the Internet. Bob Summers will be in charge of the new development and growth of YachtWorld.com in his new position. His extensive knowledge of the site and ability to understand member needs and translate them into deliverable services makes him the best choice for the position.
“YachtWorld.com has an important responsibility to deliver superior services 24/7 to its members and their customers,” said Jessica Muffett, publisher of YachtWorld.com. “Bob Summers knows how to do this better than anyone else.”
YachtWorld.com’s new Florida Regional Sales Manager, Mason Britton, has been a YachtWorld member broker since 1998 and a member of the yachting community since 1984. He was previously on the board of directors for the Yacht Brokers Association of America (YBAA), head of the New England regional YBAA membership committee and on the committee for Certification of Yacht Brokers. Britton brings an immense knowledge of the new boat and brokerage communities with him and will help build relationships with brokers in Florida and the surrounding region.
“YachtWorld.com prides itself on its ability to adapt and grow along with the brokerage community,” said James Nolan, general manager of YachtWorld.com. “The addition of Mason Britton brings a face and a name associated with YachtWorld.com to brokers in Florida. He understands the concerns of our members and he will help YachtWorld.com continue to build member relations while helping to tailor the site to their needs.”
The 12 teams of the 32nd America's Cup are preparing for the last Louis Vuitton Act of the season, a three day affair that will determine the 2005 Louis Vuitton America's Cup Class Season Championship.
The Defender of the America's Cup, Alinghi, currently has a stranglehold on the points table for the season championship, leading Emirates Team New Zealand by 8 points and Luna Rossa and BMW ORACLE Racing by 9 points. But there are close contests up and down the points table, and a good finish here could move a team well up the championship table.
"We want to win and finish the year on a good note," said Brad Butterworth, the tactician on Alinghi, as he looked forward to the final races of the season. "I enjoy the fleet racing; I think it's a great add-on. It's not easy to lead around the mark in this fleet. I love it."
The fleet racing regatta is a change of pace from the match racing Act which concluded earlier this week. With five races over three days, the winner of the fleet racing event will be the team which consistently produces good results in each race. There is no need to win all of the races, but to finish near the top of the fleet in each contest. In the two previous fleet racing events, both Luna Rossa (in Valencia) and Alinghi (in Malmö) won the regatta with just one race win.
It's been a race to get ready for the fleet racing for Team Shosholoza, which touched the bottom on the tow in from the race course on Tuesday.
"All's gone according to plan and we're ready to race," said Tim Kröger, one of the most experienced sailors on the team. "There was no structural damage, just a lot of scratches on the bulb. We've changed some keel bolts to be extra safe, but we're ready to go and looking forward to racing."
The organisers of the 32nd America's Cup have also released the provisional dates and format for the 2006 season. All racing will be on the waters off Valencia, the host city of the 32nd America's Cup.
The 2006 racing program consists of three Louis Vuitton Acts. Racing is scheduled to begin with Louis Vuitton Act 10, a six day match racing regatta on the 11th of May. This will follow the same round robin format of the events this year. It will be followed immediately with a three day fleet racing event, Act 11, from the 19th to 21st of May.
The racing season will conclude with the Valencia Louis Vuitton Act 12, a match racing regatta that includes a round robin, semi final, and final. Racing in Act 12 is scheduled to start on the 22nd of June, concluding on July 2nd.
By: Ken Legler
For the last week of September, 2005, I had the good fortune to watch nearly all 270 races at the Grey Goose ISAF Team Racing World Championship at the New York Yacht Club in Newport, RI. There was some disparity in the competition as expected, in fact, much more so than the Hinman Trophy for the US Championship or the top ten at the Wilson Trophy for the British Open. USA 1 and 2 dominated the semi-finals over GBR 1 and 2 respectively. The Brits dominated their opponents in the quarters. Ireland clearly was the third best country finishing 5th and 6th. Italy had great sailors with little team racing experience and improved throughout to finish 7th. New Zealand and US Virgin Islands were essentially great high school teams and finished in the middle ahead of the young Australian teams, Japan and the rest. The last two entries into the quarters were decided by a five-way tie breaker. USVI, the most penalized team in the regatta, fought for play two (2-3-6 into 2-3-4) throughout their last round and as such ended up third in the five-way tie and 9th overall.
Why was USA so dominant? Both USA teams trained incredibly hard. Both experienced the last worlds in 2003. Both entered all the team racing regattas they could and both trained with top college teams at Yale, St. Mary's, Tufts and elsewhere. Both USA team are full of Vanguard 15 fleet racing champions. GBR and IRL had six V-15s each at home for training but that couldn't compare to fleet racing NA's, team racing Mid-Summas, etc. in the USA. Finally, all 12 USA sailors had extensive team racing experience in college.
At recent Wilson Trophies at West Kirby near Liverpool the Brits (GBR 1/Spinnaker Club and GBR 2/New Forest Pirates) were dominant. The thinking among defeated USA teams was that the Brits in May are near the end of their a
nnual team racing cycle and have their Firefly dinghy boat handling down to perfection. This was most helpful at the starts when they would break from a down speed team racing or match racing maneuver, and just make the line at full speed. This is exactly what the USA teams were able to do in the V-15s, break for the line and just make perfect starts almost every time. When team racing further up the course USA had great moves at the Wilson but so did the Brits. At this worlds, there were a few moves USA had that no other team could match.
The finals between USA 1 (WHishbone, coached by Karl Ziegler) and USA 2 (Silver Panda, coached by Bern Noack) were classic races. WHishbone prevailed 3-1 but not without four incredibly hard fought races. Two team racing plays stood out to this observer. WHishbone's Tim Wadlow/Ery Largay in 3rd of a 1-3-6, luffed a Panda boat way back into last. Although 1-4-5 is not considered a stable combination, it's better than 1-3-6, they figured. Though Wadlow would eventually drop to 6th in that race, teammates Tim Fallon/Karen Renzulli were able to spring Mark Ivey/Matt Lindblad ahead of the unbalanced Pandas into a 1-2.
The best unique moves by WHishbone, how they took penalties, was done throughout the regatta. Whenever most teams fouled and were protested, they waited until the umpires made the call, often resulting in last place, following their two turns penalty. Everyone knew the spinning boat would be 6th and began team racing maneuvers with the new combination in mind even before the turns were complete. However, the umpiring was at such a high standard that most protest outcomes were predictable. Not only were the worlds best team racing umpires present, they too were hot after hundreds of races throughout the week.
WHishbone did not wait for umpire decisions. If they thought they might get penalized, they spun a one turn penalty immediately, thus avoiding the two turns penalty dictated by umpires. One turn penalty would result in a 4th or 5th place by the spinning boat, not 6th. Meanwhile the other WHishbone boats would begin working the new play before the one turn was complete, as they could anticipate right where the spinning boat would come out. This was so quick after the incident that the other teams were caught flat footed waving protest flags and awaiting the more common result of a delayed umpire call.
Example: Fallon/Renzulli would foul going into 4th of a 2-3-4. The one turn would drop them to 5th. At the same time Fallon would spin, Wadlow/Largay would drop into a position to prevent the opponent from tacking on Fallon and Fallon would tack right back into 4th to reestablish their 2-3-4, the same combo they had before the foul. It was an impressive display of confidence, poise and team racing mastery by the champions. The Silver medalists from Silver Panda (Colin Merrick/Amanda Callahan; Pete Levesque/Liz Hall; and Patrick Hogan/Carlos Lenz) also sailed at an amazingly high level.
Plymouth, UK 6th October 2005. Conrad Humphreys Racing today announced that it will enter a British team in the Volvo Extreme 40 (VX40) grand prix circuit during 2005-06. The Great Britain VX40, which is sponsored by Motorola, will be skippered by Humphreys and includes Team GBR members Leigh McMillan and Will Howden, both British hopefuls for Beijing 2008 and Global Challenge winning navigator Hamish Oliphant.
The Motorola-Humphreys VX40 is a 40ft one-design multihull that has been designed for fast-paced inshore grand prix racing. The new circuit which will be held during some of the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-06 stopovers, including Spain, Brazil, US, UK and Holland. The first grand prix starts in Sanxenxo, Spain, during the first week of November.
Humphreys will compete in both the IMOCA Open 60 and the VX40 grand prix circuits in 2005-06. Combining both the inshore grand prix racing and the offshore Open 60 sailing will provide a greater resource for training, team development and performance. It also enables partners of Conrad Humphreys Racing greater flexibility in using the medium of sailing as a marketing and communications platform.
Conrad Humphreys, Managing Director commented, “The VX40 campaign will provide a number of opportunities going forward: It is an exciting boat to train and race with the best catamaran sailors in the world which will improve our competitive edge; the grand prix is global and gives our partners greater visibility worldwide and also provides the chance for employees and customers to sail as part of a high performance team. The mix is perfect!”
Margaret Rice-Jones, corporate vice president, Motorola Inc. and general manager, Motorola Networks, EMEA, commented, “We are excited to be sponsoring the Team GBR VX40 and supporting Conrad and his crew. This new VX40 circuit covers ports worldwide and ours is a global market. Their commitment to winning matches our own drive to deliver upon customer expectations and market share in the region. The races demand true team work and focus - key elements to winning in business.”
With one more Act left to complete in the 2005 racing season, BMW ORACLE Racing continues to lead the Louis Vuitton Challenger rankings on 52 points, one point clear of Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa Challenge. Going into the fleet racing format of the Trapani Louis Vuitton Act 9 regatta tomorrow, the close battle for top honours will continue with all guns blazing.
Fleet racing imposes different challenges than match racing, with an emphasis on coming off the crowded startline at speed, in clear air with good lanes out to the favoured ide of the track. Boatspeed is key and, while the afterguard needs to have a clear overall strategy in place, there is less emphasis on moment-to-moment tactical decision-making and more pressure on the crew to extract every ounce of performance possible all the way round the track. Having won nine out of 11 matches to complete Act 8 on equal points with the three other top teams, BMW ORACLE Racing skipper and CEO, Chris Dickson was pleased with the performance. On the final day, USA-76 scored a big win over America’s Cup Defender, Alinghi, the first time BMW ORACLE Racing has defeated the Swiss team in a formal match race since the Valencia Acts a year ago. “The boat went well, the team went well, the afterguard went well. It was solid work all the way through,” said Dickson.
The crew was also able to reflect on a match racing season in which they won 28 match races out of 33 starts. Alinghi finished the season with 31 wins, Emirates Team New Zealand 27 and Luna Rossa Challenge 25. Trapani has proved an excellent and very popular venue for the Cup fleet. The passion and enthusiasm of the crowds has been an outstanding feature, with more than 175,000 visitors through the on-shore America’s Cup Park last weekend and wildly-cheering fans in the crowded spectator fleets.
“It has been a fantastic venue,” said Dickson. “The backdrop of the islands and mountains is beautiful. We have had a wide variety of wind and waves. The crews have enjoyed it, the public have enjoyed it, the sponsors have enjoyed it. Everybody is happy. Now we are looking forward to the three days of fleet racing.”
Louis Vuitton Challenger Standings:
1 BMW Oracle Racing, 52 pts, 4 bonus pts
2 Emirates Team New Zealand, 51 pts, 3 bonus pts
3 Luna Rosa, 51 pts, 3 bonus pts
4 Desafio Espanol, 36 pts, 3 bonus pts
5 K-Challenge, 31 pts, 2 bonus pts
6 +39, 30 pts, 2 bonus pts
7 Victory Challenge, 29 pts, 2 bonus pts
8 Mascalsone Latino Capitalia, 28 pts, 1 bonus pt
9 United Internet Team Germany, 17 pts, 1 bonus pt
10 Team Shosholoza 13 pts, 1 bonus pt
11 China Team, 7 pts, 1 bonus pt
Fast and furious qualifier for SKANDIA…
Brian Thompson and co-skipper Will Oxley left their base in Cowes, Isle of Wight on board the Open 60 SKANDIA last Sunday night to set out on their compulsory 1,000 mile qualifier for the double-handed Transat Jacques Vabre. They headed upwind out of the English Channel and into the Atlantic Ocean, accompanied by steadily increasing seas and wind conditions as one of the first fronts, marking the end of summer, marched steadily towards them: "Beating upwind in the heavy seas was a good test for the boat and us, and allowed us to sort out our systems for sailing upwind. Nonetheless, these 60's are at their best downwind and we enjoyed putting the helm down and turning for home. We had a fast and furious ride back to the Scilly Isles averaging speeds in excess of 20 knots for an extended period of time," commented co-skipper Will Oxley.
"I come from a background in short-handed sailing in Australia and it is my favourite classification of the sport, so it is fantastic to get back into it. Sailing these open 60's is a real blast and I had forgotten just how much of a weapon these boats can be in the right conditions. Whilst helming you are subjected to a constant fire hose of spray and I was pretty happy to have my Musto gear on."
For Brian and Will, this qualifier was their first offshore voyage together onboard SKANDIA, but already it looks like they have a winning combination: "Will and I had only sailed together once before – but that was for 32,000 miles in the Oryx race! So the qualifier provided us with a good opportunity to work together in a different environment. We each did all the roles on the boat and would often wake up with a completely different sail combination up from when we went gone to sleep,” commented skipper Brian Thompson.
Nick turns to ‘piracy’ with the Black Pearl!
Following on from his solo Vendée Globe campaign, Offshore Challenges Sailing Team skipper, Nick Moloney, has become a member of Paul Cayard’s ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ campaign, acting as a consultant, coach and back-up navigator to the ‘Black Pearl’ crew. Currently Nick has no plans to actually sail during the race, but is really enjoying this new role in the team: “It’s great to be able to sail on these new boats, and push them 110%, unlike in the Vendée Globe - something that I found hard to accept in the solo discipline. I’m working closely with Paul and Jules Salter to support the critical role as onboard navigator in this exciting project, which is fantastic experience for me.
“We had an amazing qualifier on the ‘Black Pearl' from the UK to Spain via the west coast of Ireland. It was great to spend time off the South Coast of Ireland as I have qualified for many races in that area on my own. This time I was with a team of great friends on a new breed of boat, putting her through her paces. We had some great laughs as a group whilst travelling along at 30+ knots – skipper Paul Cayard described a section of the journey like ‘being dragged down a cobble stone street in a barrel ‘ a pretty good description!
“The new boats are very fast, which is cool. We managed a 24-hour stint covering in excess of 450nm during that period and we were testing, so not pushing or sailing direct course. It made me laugh, in 1997 we set a 24-hour monohull World Speed Record of 434nm, on the V70 we crushed that, and even stopped for lunch and backed off during the night to give the team good night sleep...ha! Awesome!!”
In Paris today, Nick will be meeting up many old friends and competitors at the official IMOCA Vendée Globe debrief. And his mind is still firmly focused on his planned solo trip back from Brazil on board the Open 60 Skandia early next year. This delivery will complete his solo circumnavigation following his retirement from the Vendée Globe off the coast of Brazil, after suffering irreplaceable keel damage.
With the first Volvo Ocean Race race off the Spanish port of Sanxenxo only 30 days away, Nick will be sharing his perspective of this year’s Volvo Ocean Race, at http://www.nickmoloney.com
For further information on the Volvo Ocean Race, go to: http://www.volvooceanrace.org
And only 30 days to go to start of Transat Jacques Vabre…
The Skandia 60 shore team (Matt Lees and Erwan Lemeilleur) have been working hard modifying SKANDIA for the two-handed transatlantic race with the necessary changes, transforming her from the ‘solo around the world’ Open 60 to the double-handed racing machine, ready for the Transat Jacques Vabre.
"The boat is coming together very well, everything is falling into place nicely, all to plan and on time! We have been doing some work on the boat to make it more suitable for the double-handed race. We have been stripping out some of the extra stuff that was included for Nick’s round the world trip. She is nearly ready to go and could go tomorrow but we have a few little go faster tricks to finish that we have up our sleeves…we are looking forward to getting SKANDIA to the start line!", commented Matt Lees, SKANDIA Open 60 Boat Captain. More about the preparations and modifications next week.
Thirty-six entries are confirmed, with the 60ft monohull class being the largest with 14 entries. The deadline for all boats to be in Le Havre is at 1200h on 28th October. The SKANDIA Open 60 will leave Cowes for Le Havre on 26th October – in three weeks time!
The new Bavaria 33 Cruiser, which is making its first appearance in North America this month, is turning a lot of heads at the fall boat shows.
“This is a 33 that looks, feels and sails more like a 35,” said Bruce Mundle, Managing Director of Bavaria Yachts USA.
The 33 Cruiser, which measures 34’3” overall, is being introduced to replace the extremely popular Bavaria 32. Designed by Bavaria’s award-winning architects J&J Design, the 33 Cruiser features a brighter and roomier interior, a fuller hull shape, 150 sq. ft. more sail area and four feet of additional mast height.
“The 33 Cruiser is being very well received in the North American market,” said Mundle. “While it is a major departure in many ways, it still retains that ‘real yacht’ feel that was a major component in the success of the 32.”
The interior has a feel of airiness and openness, with two fixed hull ports, six opening ports and two skylights aft of the mast, providing plenty of light to accentuate the bright mahogany wood finish. The master stateroom forward has a large double berth and dressing area. The guest stateroom on the port side aft of the companionway ladder also has a double berth and extra storage space. A spacious head with shower is located to starboard of the companionway ladder, with a full sized doorway for easy access. The navigation station features a contoured chart table and ergonomic instrument panel with stowage for charts. The fully equipped galley includes a gimbaled two burner propane stove with oven, stainless steel sink and icebox with 12V refrigeration unit. A U-shaped settee on the port side of the salon surrounds the inlaid drop-leaf table, and a straight upholstered bench to starboard converts easily into an additional bunk.
The Volvo-Penta 28 hp engine is situated beneath the companionway ladder, which lifts to provide easy access for oil changes and maintenance.
The cockpit represents a perfect mix of business and pleasure, with a large leather-covered wheel, good visibility for the helmsman and convenient access to all sheets, halyards and winches. The walk-through transom leads to a swim platform with retractable swim ladder and hot-and-cold shower fixtures.
Like all of Bavaria’s German-Engineered Sailing Machines, the 33 Cruiser is solidly and ruggedly built, with a fully integrated grid system, adhered and laminated to the hull, flange system hull deck joint with poly-sulphide adhesive/sealant and through fastened into backing strips. Fabmat® is used throughout to minimize print through, while Kevlar in the bow sections increases impact and puncture resistance.
Bavaria Yachtbau is one of the largest sailboat builders in Europe. With a modern highly mechanized factory in Wurzburg, Germany, it employs state-of-the-art automated processes to ensure product consistency and quality control while reducing manufacturing costs. As a result, Bavaria Yachts provide an extraordinary combination of value and quality.
Bavaria 33 Cruiser Specifications
Length overall 34’3”
Length hull 33’8”
Length waterline 29’6”
Beam 11’5”
Draft standard 5’7”
Draft (deep option) 6’5”
Displacement 11,880 lbs. approx.
Ballast 3,190 lbs. approx.
Sail area 690 ft. approx.
Water capacity 55 gal.
Fuel capacity 24 gal.
Ht. of mast above waterline 48’8”
Portsmouth, R.I. (October 3, 2005) - US SAILING, national governing body for the sport, has determined the ranking system for the 2006 US Disabled Sailing Team. Each year, US SAILING names the members of the US Sailing Disabled Team based on athletes' performances at a series of qualifying regattas. The 2006 ranking system names two qualifying events for each Paralympic class. US SAILING's 2006 Rolex Miami OCR is not a qualifying event for the Team, because the IFDS (International Federation for Disabled Sailing) World Championships will be held simultaneously in Australia.
The classes currently selected for the 2008 Paralympic Games are the Sonar and the 2.4mR (a triplehanded and singlehanded keelboat respectively). The IFDS is scheduled to announce a third Paralympic class, a doublehanded keelboat, next month. Subsequent to the naming of that class, US SAILING will announce a ranking system for that class in order to name its athletes to the 2006 US Disabled Sailing Team.
Created in 1998, the US Disabled Sailing Team annually distinguishes the top three ranked sailors in each of the classes selected for the next Paralympic Games. A complete overview of qualifying events for the 2006 US Disabled Sailing Team is available at www.ussailing.org/olympics/paralympic/2006/rankingsystem.htm. The 2008 Paralympic Games are scheduled for September 6-17, 2008 in Beijing, China. The Paralympic Regatta will be held in Qingdao, a coastal city located 430 miles east of Beijing.
The 2006 US Disabled Sailing Team will be named in the spring of 2006 when all qualifying events have been completed.
Detroit, Mich. (October 3, 2005) - "Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory..." That's a quote from Eduardo Cordero's crew after two over-early starts (OCS-On Course Side) on Saturday, the final day of US SAILING's U.S. Championship of Champions hosted by Bayview Yacht Club and sailed in Flying Scots. Those two mistakes cost Cordero (Sayville, N.Y.) 42 points in two races and the victory.
What was too bad for Cordero and his crew was good for Mike Ingham (Rochester, N.Y.), the 2005 Thistle National Champion. Proving that it isn't over until it's really over, Ingham sailed a consistently conservative regatta, finishing with 59 points total in 19 races and earning US SAILING's Championship of Champions title.
Even after the two OCS hits on the final day, Sunfish Champion Cordero still finished in second place with 69.6 points, followed by the youngest competitor, 13-year-old Optimist Champion Matt Wefer (Glen Head, N.Y.) with 75 points. With his third-place finish, Wefer is one of the youngest competitors in the 30-year history of the event to finish this high. Wefer sailed with his father Douglas and Skip Dieball.
Trapani, Italy. BMW ORACLE Racing added two more points to its score in the Trapani Louis Vuitton Act 8 regatta off Sicily today with victories over the hometown +39 Challenge and the Spanish Desafio Espanol 2007 teams. Racing began in brisk 18-20 knot south-easterly winds, which veered through 235 degrees to become 12-14 knot north easterlies after the passage of a dramatic rainstorm across the course area. In the choppy and confused sea-state that prevailed, several of the racing yachts suffered gear breakages and ripped sails and USA-76 broke a spinnaker pole. Today’s double victory places BMW ORACLE Racing 1pt off the overall lead in the regatta, with two more matches left to sail. Both are against top-ranked teams, America’s Cup Defender Alinghi of Switzerland and Luna Rossa Challenge from Italy, promising plenty of action for the fans.
Race One summary (USA-76 vs ITA-59):
Chris Dickson and the BMW ORACLE Racing crew were aggressive in the pre-start, achieving a leeward overlap and then luffing hard twice on the Italian +39 team. The Italian yacht failed to respond quickly enough and received a penalty for failing to keep clear. At the start gun, USA-76 had claimed the favoured right side of the track and darted out to an immediate lead. Racing in blustery south-easterly winds of between 15-20 knots, the BMW ORACLE Racing crew extended their advantage all the way around the track, with mark deltas of 44 seconds, 57 seconds and 1 minute 25 seconds.
After +39 completed their penalty turn at the finish line, they trailed BMW ORACLE Racing by 2 minutes 12 seconds.
Race Two summary (USA-76 vs ESP-67):
Coming off the startline, USA-76 was slightly ahead and to windward of the Spanish yacht, with the two yachts very close to each other on starboard tack. USA-76 was able to hold its position and then steadily edged out into the lead during a long drag race towards the left side of the course. At the first windward mark rounding, USA-76 had established a 33 second lead. On the first downwind run, the Spanish crew managed to claim back some ground and rounded the leeward mark 31 seconds behind. Sailing in a declining breeze and lumpy, confused seas left over from the earlier rain-storm, BMW ORACLE Racing extended away upwind and finally crossed the finish line 1 minute 20 seconds ahead of the Spanish team.
Quotes from Peter Isler, USA-76 navigator:
“The wind was very unstable, but that makes it fun once you have established a solid lead because you can stay in phase with the shifts and make gains.
“There was plenty of action in both of the pre-starts and we were able to get a penalty against +39 in the first match. In our pre-match discussions this morning we talked about how Spain were good in the pre-starts, so we expected a battle there and we got one.
“Our boatspeed was excellent. Coming off the line just to windward of the Spanish team was a good example of the edge we have come to count on upwind in a breeze and rough water. We were able to live there and extend into the lead. Even when the wind went a bit lighter, we had good speed upwind.
“We were also going well downwind. We have found that the waves off Trapani are big enough that you can pump the sails and catch a wave every now and then, which was something we did not see in Auckland, New Zealand in 2003. It’s fun when it happens.”
Team Standings:
Alinghi 9pt
BMW ORACLE Racing 8pt
Luna Rossa Challenge 8pt
Emirates Team New Zealand 7pt
K-Challenge 5pt
Victory Challenge 5pt
Desafio Espanol 2007 4pt
Team Shosholoza 2pt
United Internet Team Germany 2pt
+39 Challenge 2pt
Mascalzone Latino Capitalia 1pt
China Team 1pt
Day 5 of the Louis Vuitton Act 8 was full of drama on the waters off Trapani on Monday.
The wind during the afternoon ranged from 12 to 22 knots with gusts to more than 25. As the afternoon wore on the breeze shifted from south-south-east to north-north-west to north. In mid-afternoon a violent thunderstorm swept across the courses.
The wind ranged from 12 to 17 knots for the first flight from the south, and again, the wind was shifty.
Many yachts had gear damage. The South African Shosholoza did not start against Alinghi in the first race of the day when crew could not hoist the mainsail. United Internet Team Germany also retired from its match against Desafio Espanol.
In the second flight, K-Challenge retired in the match against Luna Rossa. Few yachts did not have damage to sails.
Emirates Team New Zealand’s matches were against China Team and Alinghi.
As NZL 82 and CHN 69 manoeuvred in the starting box the breeze gusted over 20knots. Before the race was over the thunderstorm hit with winds increasing to more than 25 knots and heavy, rain and visibility down to 100 metres.
Against China Team, NZL 82 stuck to the game plan: winning the start, crossing the line at speed and taking the right of the course. NZL 82 shut down every attempt by CHN 69 to go right, staying close in touch to ensure they could not slip away.
At the first mark, NZL 82 was 32sec ahead, 22sec at the second mark, 51sec at the third. The delta at the finish was 35sec.
With the wind around to the north with speeds of 12 to 16 knots, NZ: 82 faced off against SUI 75. A spinnaker in the water at the end of the first run put paid to NZL 82’s chances.
Once again Alinghi demonstrated its speed edge to lead around the first mark by 18sec, extending on the run to 31sec and 52sec by the end of the second beat.
Tomorrow NZL 82 is matched against ESP 67 and ITA 74.
NZL 82 crew race day 5
Helm: Dean Barker
Tactician: Terry Hutchinson
Navigator: Kevin Hall
Strategist/traveler: Adam Beashel
Weather/runner: Ray Davies
Mainsheet: Don Cowie
Trimmer upwind: Rob Salthouse
Trimmer downwind: Andy Hemming
Grinder: Rob Waddell
Grinder: Chris McAsey
Main Grinder: Chris Ward
Pit: Jared Henderson
Runner/pit: Tony Rae
Mid-bow: Richard Meacham
Bow: Jeremy Lomas
Mast: Nick Heron
Runner/grinder:Grant Dalton
Results today:
Flight 8
NZL 82 beat CHN 69 by 35sec
SWE 63 beat FRA 60 2min 59sec
USA 76 beat ITA 59 2min 12sec
ESP 67 beat GER 72 – United Internet Team Germany dnf
ITA 74 beat ITA 77 by 2min 34sec
SUI 75 beat RSA 83 – Shosholoza did not start
Flight 9
SUI 75 beat NZL 82 by 1min 43sec
SWE 63 beat RSA 83 by 56sec
ITA 74 beat FRA 60 – K-Challenge dnf
USA 76 beat ESP 67 by 1min 20sec
GER 72 beat CHN 69 by 55sec
ITA 59 beat ITA 77 by 1min 15sec
Rankings after nine races
1 Alinghi (SUI 75) 9 pts
2 BMW Oracle Racing (USA 76) 8pts
2 Luna Rossa (ITA 74) 8pts
4 Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL 82) 7pts
5 Victory Challenge (SWE 63) 5pts
6 K-Challenge (FRA 60) 5pts
7 Desafio Espanol (ESP 67) 4pts
8 +39 (ITA 59) 2pts
8 Shosholoza (RSA 83) 2pts
8 United Internet Team Germany (GER 72) 2pts
9 Mascalzone Latino (ITA 77) 1pt
9 Team China (CHN 69) 1pt
Dark, ominous skies, with squalls bringing rain and gusty winds, whipped the Mediterranean Sea into a frenzy off Trapani, signalling a change on Monday from the relatively idyllic weather on the weekend. The wind generally ranged from 12 to 17 knots, with gusts in the squalls in excess of 20 knots.
The second flight of races was delayed, allowing the weather front to pass through, and took place in shifty and gusty conditions under what were initially clearer skies. But the rain returned as the wind eased late in the afternoon.
The tough conditions wreaked havoc on the America's Cup teams, with breakages throughout the fleet. The South Africans were the first to fall, unable to raise a mainsail in time for their match against Alinghi.
Perhaps the most heartbreaking failure was on K-Challenge, in the middle of an extremely close race with Victory Challenge. Some trouble on the second beat saw the headsail fall to the deck and a man go up the mast in an effort to effect repairs. Meanwhile, the Swedes simply sailed away, closing to within a point of the French. The afternoon grew worse for the French when they pulled out of their second match against Luna Rossa.
In the second set of matches, Alinghi had an excellent start over Emirates Team New Zealand, going on to sail a much better race than the Kiwis, who never threatened in this heavyweight match.
FLIGHT EIGHT
Shosholoza was unable to hoist the mainsail prior to the match against Alinghi, handing a walkover victory to the Swiss Defender.
The eagerly awaited Italian derby was spoiled when Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia Team started fractionally too early as they led Luna Rossa off the line. The grey boat sailed away unchallenged up the first beat. Luna Rossa's spinnaker exploded down the first run, allowing the red boat to steam up behind them and turn this match into a race again. However, Francesco de Angelis had his boat going fast up the next beat and any hopes of a Mascalzone turnaround faded when spinnaker problems saw Vasco Vascotto's team sail much of the last run with just a mainsail.
Both boats started perfectly, Desafío Español to the right of United Internet Team Germany, but the Spanish dominated the Germans in the early stages. The Germans ripped the jib up the first beat, and then had problems hoisting their spinnaker on the first run, dropping a long way behind. With no prospect of fixing the problems, Jesper Bank retired from the match, handing the win to Karol Jablonski's team.
+39 Challenge engaged in a dial-up with BMW ORACLE, but the Italians failed to control their position and were given a penalty for coming too close to the American boat. The Americans went on to win easily although there was a red protest flag flying from the Italian boat, suggesting +39 had an argument to make with the Race Committee.
K-Challenge pre-started aggressively against Victory Challenge, and the French tactics appeared to pay off as they crossed the line half a boatlength ahead and to the right of the Swedes. Thierry Peponnet led up the first beat, but down the first run the French had spinnaker problems, allowing Magnus Holmberg to surf past FRA 60 and into a narrow lead. The boats peeled out of the leeward gate at the same time on diverging tacks, the Swedish winning the more favoured left-hand mark by virtue of holding the inside position on the approach. This was looking set for a classic duel up the second beat until genoa and forestay problems forced K-Challenge to turn away from the wind momentarily. By the time they were going again, the Swedes had stretched to a 700-metre lead, and they went on to win this crucial match.
Emirates Team New Zealand accelerated faster off the line, although China Team did a great job of almost matching Kiwi pace. Things were looking straightforward for the Kiwis until a small hole appeared in the mainsail. A man was sent aloft to deal with the problem, and NZL 82 came home a comfortable distance ahead, but with China Team sailing a strong race in tough conditions.
FLIGHT NINE
K-Challenge was so late entering the start box that Luna Rossa was able to hand the French an easy penalty on a clear port/starboard incident. Problems with her jib put her out of the race just 30 seconds after crossing the start line, which left the Italians to sail all the way round the course in isolation. K-Challenge later reported structural problems, and they made an early decision to head back in for overnight repairs, in a bid to ready for Tuesday's matches.
+39 Challenge gained control of the pre-start to lead Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia Team by two boatlengths across the line. Down the first run the blue team led the red team by six boatlengths, with the wind having shifted so far that they port-reached all the way to the leeward gate. +39 extended its lead for most of the rest of the race, whilst down the final run Mascalzone saw its second spinnaker of the day explode.
Desafío Español did well in the pre-start against BMW ORACLE and appeared they might be able to bounce Chris Dickson off on to the other tack. Dickson stuck to his guns however, with USA 76 looking much steadier through the lumpy swell while ESP 67's bow smashed through the waves. The Americans began to roll over the green boat, sailing to a 34-second lead by the first mark. USA 76 extended its advantage the rest of the way.
Shosholoza had Victory Challenge tied up in knots before the start, but an excruciatingly slow tack just before the gun allowed the Swedish to accelerate through South African dirty air and out the other side. Magnus Holmberg's team played the shifts well to take an eight-boatlength lead by the first mark. Victory Challenge looked very comfortable around the course and were never challenged by Shosholoza.
An aggressive pre-start in this heavyweight bout between Emirates Team New Zealand and Alinghi saw both boats late back to the start line. But the Swiss accelerated much better and led the Kiwis off the line by more than a boatlength. Dean Barker rolled into a down-speed tack right after starting and a short tacking duel ensued, but Ed Baird maintained the early advantage to lead around the first mark by 28 seconds. The Kiwis chased hard down the run, but all that good work came unravelled in an uncharacteristic boathandling error, when a corner of red spinnaker caught the water just as they were exiting the leeward mark. The sail was whipped out of the forehatch and after a brief battle to get it under control Emirates Team New Zealand elected to jettison the sail over the side. But the damage was done and Alinghi now held a commanding lead, and they sailed to a surprisingly easy victory.
China Team and United Internet Team Germany sailed off the line on opposite tacks, but with Pierre Mas claiming the favoured right-hand side of the course. China sailed a very solid race and stretched away from the Germans. Jesper Bank used the shifting wind to fight back to within three boatlengths of the Chinese up the final beat, and pulled past the red boat on the final run to the finish. Despite two losses today, China Team acquitted themselves admirably in some tough conditions.
PROVISIONAL Results and Points Leaderboard
FLIGHT EIGHT
Alinghi (SUI 75) wins, Team Shosholoza (RSA 83) does not start
Luna Rossa Challenge (ITA 74) beat Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia Team (ITA 77), delta 2:34
Desafío Español (ESP 67) won, United Internet Team Germany (GER 72) did not finish
BMW ORACLE Racing (USA 76) beat +39 Challenge (ITA 59), delta 2:12
Victory Challenge (SWE 63) beat K-Challenge (FRA 60), delta 2:59
Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL 82) beat China Team (CHN 69), delta 0:35
FLIGHT NINE
+39 Challenge (ITA 59) beat Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia (ITA 77), delta 1:15
Victory Challenge (SWE 63) beat Team Shosholoza (RSA 83), delta 0:56
United Internet Team Germany (GER 72) beat China Team (CHN 69), delta 0:55
Luna Rossa Challenge (ITA 74) won, K-Challenge (FRA 60) did not finish
BMW ORACLE Racing (USA 76) beat Desafío Español (ESP 67), delta 1:20
Alinghi (SUI 75) beat Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL 82), delta 1:43
BMW ORACLE Racing scored back to back wins in the Trapani Louis Vuitton Act 8 regatta off Sicily today in tricky conditions that had the afterguards working hard to formulate tactics in constantly shifting winds.
In the opening race of the day, USA-76 took out a comfortable victory over the China Team, which had to complete a penalty turn after losing a man overboard on the first downwind leg. The second match of the day against the Swedish Victory Challenge team was much more close-fought. In very shifty breeze, the advantage switched from one side of the track to the other and USA-76 defended its lead all the way round the course.
Today’s results put USA-76 on equal points with Luna Rossa Challenge and Emirates Team New Zealand, 1pt behind Alinghi.
Race One summary (USA-76 vs CHN-69):
After a split-tack start with USA-76 going across the line on starboard tack at the pin end of the line, the BMW ORACLE Racing team was quick to establish control over the China Team. On the first windward leg USA-76 maintained a close cover on CHN-69 to lead around the mark by 27 seconds. Downwind, USA-76 immediately began to stretch into a comfortable lead when there was drama on the Chinese yacht as they lost a man overboard. The crewman was quickly recovered and placed back on board, but at the cost of a penalty. USA-76 continued to stretch its advantage all the way around the course and finally won by 3 minutes 22 seconds.
Race Two summary (USA-76 vs SWE-63):
Very shifty breezes towards the end of the afternoon kept this battle close, but USA-76 held the Swedish Victory Challenge team at bay to complete the day with back to back wins. In the starting sequence, Chris Dickson and his USA-76 afterguard fought for and captured the favoured left hand side of the course, but trailed the Swedish team across the line by about half a boat length. Using the left hand windshifts to advantage, USA-76 quickly established control on the upwind leg and led around the windward mark by 19 seconds.
With the advantage switching from one side of the track to the other in the unstable breeze, SWE-63 kept the action close and the deltas as the subsequent mark roundings were 22 seconds and 21 seconds respectively. On the final run to the finish USA-76 protected its lead, matching the Swedish attack gybe for gybe to take the win with a 19 second margin.
Quotes from Peter Isler, USA-76 navigator:
“The wind in the second match was very unstable. The course was set at 200° and we saw the wind go as far left as 155° and right at the finish it was as far right as 220°. For the afterguard, there were a lot of tough decisions to make. It was not favouring one side or the other. We wanted the left side at the start and the left actually improved during the pre-start, so we fought hard for that. The wind strength was also unstable. We started the race in 16 knots and it went down to less than 10 at one point. We know how potent the Swedish boat is in anything under 12 knots of wind. It was fun to hold them out like that in a close battle. We were relishing that. It was a good day at the office.”
Team Standings:
Alinghi 7pt
BMW ORACLE Racing 6pt
Luna Rossa Challenge 6pt
Emirates Team New Zealand 6pt
K-Challenge 5pt
Victory Challenge 3pt
Desafio Espanol 2007 3pt
Team Shosholoza 2pt
United Internet Team Germany 1pt
Mascalzone Latino Capitalia 1pt
China Team 1pt
+39 Challenge 1pt
In mild conditions on Sydney Harbour where the wind strength rarely got above 12 knots, Chris Dixon managed a narrow victory on his 18 footer CST Composites. The race sailed on a North Easterly course CST Composites had to fight to gain the lead and was threatened all of the way by Churchill’s Sports Bar and Sydney Star.
The race started in a soft 10 knot north east breeze and CST Composites was initially caught in the wind shadow of Synergy and Sydney Star. Dixon dropped back in the fleet early and was faced with some hard work to get to the front.
Overall, CST Composites managed to claw back to win, largely due to efficient crew work, sound tactical decisions and simply avoiding making errors.
In the fickle breeze the first six places changed several times as the fleet worked up Sydney Harbour. Churchill’s Sports Bar led around the first turning mark, followed by CST Composites, Avaya (Michael Rynan), Sydney Star (Michael Boyd) and then Synergy (Michael Carter).
It was little mistakes that others made that allowed CST Composites to eventually get first place. Avaya capsized at a critical moment allowing the other leaders to escape further ahead. Boyd’s Sydney Star was one to capitalize and slip through into 3rd. Unfortunately Boyd and his team made a similar error by sailing into the wind shadow cast from a historical 18 footer.
The huge sail areas on these replicas of 1940 models play havoc on anyone trying to sail through their lee. Boyd’s team were celebrating their good luck a little early, as Carter on Synergy slipped past upwind of the two and took 3rd off of Boyd just as quickly as he had gotten it. Other 18 footers Dinghy Solutions and Frame Group similarly got stuck trying to sail past one of the historic replicas and lost any chance of staying with the leading group.
Other errors that cost dearly included Carter on Synergy who had managed to catch a large piece of submerged plastic material on his skiff, who then had to stop racing and try to dislodge it. Heartbreakingly Boyd and Sydney Star were only a little behind the leading pair and seriously threatened but a poor spinnaker set on the last leg cost them hundreds of meters.
Like so many other sports it was simply exercising an error free display that allowed winner CST Composites and second place Ian Pretty’s Churchill’s Sports Bar to break free of the rest of the fleet.
In line with Dixon’s own individual success on the day, it was a parallel coincidence that the top five places were using masts made from carbon fiber sections supplied by CST Composites themselves.
Placings:
1. CST Composites (C. Dixon)
2. Churchill’s Sports Bar (I. Pretty)
3. Sydney Star (M. Boyd)
4. Synergy (M. Carter)
5. Avaya (M. Rynan)
6. Dinghy Solutions (R. Scarr)
7. Frame Group (C. Doran)
8. Ella Bache (A. Dunphy)
9. ING (C. Kameen)
10. Intercall (L. Sitja)
11. Macquarie Bank (M. Mckensey)
12. Sign-a-Rama (S. Merrington)
8 races completed in 5-8 knots from the SE on Saturday.
3 more races completed Sunday in 3-5 knotos from the E.
Top two teams move on to nationals at Gull Lake end of October.
A division = 11 Races
TOT
1. ST MARYS COLLEGE 42
2. GEORGETOWN 43
3. OLD DOMINION 44
4. KINGS POINT 47
5. HOBART WILLIAM/SMITH 51
6. NAVY 54
7. NY MARITIME 61
8. WASHINGTON COLLEGE 62
9. WEBB 96
10. HAMPTON 110
11. VIRGINIA TECH 122
12. UMBC 126
Saturday morning four races were sailed in a light Southerly using a
modified triangle course with separate start/finish lines.
In the afternoon it took a while for the breeze to settle down and eight more races were sailed in 5-8 knots. The same course was used.
There were three protests resulting in 2 DSQ's and one breakdown awarded.
Sunday morning brought a light Northerly and one set was sailed using
the trapezoid course. The breeze died and eventually a nice Southerly
filled in and the remaining races were completed. Racing was close all day and Boston College edged Hawaii for the win. One breakdown was awarded on Sunday and no protests were filed.
A division = 18 Races
B division = 18 Races
A B TOT
1. Boston College 116 136 252
2. Hawaii 124 137 261
3. Dartmouth 91 175 266
4. Brown 141 129 270
5. Harvard 159 114 273
6. Hobart/WmSmith 140 135 275
7. St. Mary's 151 130 281
8. Roger Williams 161 131 292
9. Tufts 128 167 295
10. Yale 133 170 303
11. Connecticut College 197 167 364
12. Coast Guard 208 164 372
13. Univ. Rhode Island 182 209 391
14. MIT 186 212 398
15. Charleston 216 193 409
16. Navy 274 184 458
17. USMMA-Kings Point 210 265 475
18. Old Dominion 243 261 504
A division = 18 Races
TOT
1. Dartmouth 91 Erik Storck '07/Killarney Loufek '07
2. Boston College 116 Adam Roberts '09/Aly Whitehead '07
3. Hawaii 124 Bryan Lake '06/Meredith Adams
4. Tufts 128 Dave Siegal '06/Anna Martin '07
5. Yale 133 Zach Brown '08/Sarah Himmeifarb '06,
Kendra Emhiser '07
6. Hobart/WmSmith 140 Brian Clancy '07/Mandi Markee '07
7. Brown 141 Charlie Enright '07/Arlene Cnung '06
8. St. Mary's 151 JOhn Howell '07/Maggie Lumkes '08
9. Harvard 159 Vincent Porter '06,Kyle Kovacs '08/
Ruth Schlitz '06,Elyse Dolbec '08
10. Roger Williams 161 Dave Hyer '07/Alex Boudreau '08
11. Univ. Rhode Island 182 Matt Kaster '07,Criag Thompson '08/
Kristen Johnson '07,Brian Bartley '09
12. MIT 186 Jack Field '08/Wyman Li '07
13. Connecticut College 197 Charlie Modica '08/Elizabeth Hawkins '08
14. Coast Guard 208 Rob Gorman '07/Kyra Chin '07
15. USMMA-Kings Point 210 Jimmy Givens '08/Robert Grandstaff '08
16. Charleston 216 Jamie Kimball '06/Brittany Hass '09
17. Old Dominion 243 Bobby Noonan '08/Jen Adams '08
18. Navy 274 Robert Ramirez '08/Mike Mallee '08
B division = 18 Races
TOT
1. Harvard 114 Clay Johnson '07/Kristen Lynch '07
2. Brown 129 Rip Hale '06/Monica Sten '07
3. St. Mary's 130 Andrew Watters'07/Meredith Nordhem '08
4. Roger Williams 131 Andy Goetting '08/Kristin Pappas '06
5. Hobart/WmSmith 135 Trevor Moore '07/Molly Lawson '06
6. Boston College 136 Reed Johnson '08/Julie Howe '08
7. Hawaii 137 Eric Oppen '06/Caitlin Hill '09
8. Coast Guard 164 Chris Greenough '07/Mallorie Schell '07
9. Tufts 167 Zander Kirkland '06/Francine Magasinn '09,
Katie Greenlee '08
10. Connecticut College 167 Dave Meleney '08,Hans Jensen '07/
Grace Kendall '07, Christine Jackson '08
11. Yale 170 Molly Carapiet '06/Hannah Oakland '07
12. Dartmouth 175 Ben Sampson '08,Todd Whitehead '06/
Christina Duncan '06, Laura Sheinkopf '07
13. Navy 184 Gary Grimes '07/Slava Haywas '07
14. Charleston 193 Brendan Healey '07/Julia Southworth '08
15. Univ. Rhode Island 209 Steve Frazier '07/Alison McManus '07
16. MIT 212 Jake Muhleman '08,Brooks Reed '09/
Julie Arsenault '08
17. Old Dominion 261 Michael Collins '08,Brian McEwing '08/
Jaci Finney '09
18. USMMA-Kings Point 265 AJ Black '06/Tim Cain '06
There was more sparkling action at the Trapani Louis Vuitton Acts on Sunday and the America's Cup Park was again filled to capacity as tens of thousands came down to enjoy the action, on a day full of important matches for the middle teams on the points table.
K-Challenge had an excellent day, earning two more wins, taking the French to five points from seven starts; that is the most victories the team has earned in a Louis Vuitton Act this year.
The highlight of the first flight today was an excellent tussle between Desafío Español and Shosholoza. The South Africans are sailing extremely well in Trapani, and gave Spain everything it could handle.
In the second flight the most interesting race was a surprising one - Alinghi had to battle back from a broken mainsail halyard moments after the start to overhaul United Internet Team Germany. The Germans were several hundred metres ahead by the time Alinghi fixed the problem and had the mainsail re-hoisted. But the Swiss were able to turn on the afterburners to run down the Germans before the first lap of the course was complete, thus keeping a perfect record for the season intact.
Conditions were fine for racing again on Sunday with 7 to 12 knot Southerlies caressing the race courses off Trapani, the early sunshine highlighting the stunning backdrop of the Egadi Islands. It became more overcast as the afternoon wore on, and the second flight of matches started under squall clouds which generated tricky wind shifts. The sun was back by the end of the day however, and the teams returned to port with the sun settling to the west over the islands.
FLIGHT SIX
China Team held its own in the pre-start against BMW ORACLE and the two boats split tacks off the line. However, Chris Dickson soon tacked over to exert his advantage on Pierre Mas. China Team then lost a man overboard and because he was returned to the boat by one of the Umpire boats nearby, the Chinese had to accept a penalty. The American boat won by 3 minutes 22 seconds.
Victory Challenge and Emirates Team New Zealand rolled off the line absolutely even, although the Kiwis had a slight pin-end advantage to the left of the Swedes. Dean Barker always had a speed edge in this race and sailed away to win.
K-Challenge led Sicily's +39 Challenge off the line by a second, bouncing the Italians off to the right. A tacking duel ensued, but K-Challenge maintained a slim advantage around the first mark. As the boats approached the leeward gate, K-Challenge's kite exploded and +39 pounced, surging past. However the Italians messed up their spinnaker drop, the big sail falling into the water in front of the boat, stopping them dead. The French rounded the mark safely and by the time Iain Percy got his bright blue boat under control again, K-Challenge was over 700 metres ahead and on its way to victory.
United Internet Team Germany won a penalty against Luna Rossa, the Italians failing to keep clear as windward boat during their pre-start dogfight. However, Luna Rossa pulled back the lead, rounding the first mark up by 39 seconds. The Italians eked out a sufficient advantage to offload their penalty up the second beat and the won the race by a comfortable margin.
Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia Team escaped the pre-start clutches of Alinghi, although the Swiss led the Italians off the line. The 'Latin Rascals' kept a tight game on the Swiss for much of the race, ready to pounce on any mistake by the Defenders. But no gift was forthcoming and Alinghi won its 28th consecutive match this year.
Shosholoza scored a beautiful start, leading Desafío Español off the line by half a boatlength. But the green boat held a small speed advantage and dragged the South Africans all the way to the port layline. Ian Ainslie and his team put Karol Jablonski's Spaniards under immense pressure all the way round the course but the Spanish held their nerve to cross the line 26 seconds ahead.
FLIGHT SEVEN
Victory won the pre-start as BMW ORACLE struggled to get past the pin end of the starting line. But the Americans soon brought USA 76 up to pace and pulled past SWE 63. Magnus Holmberg kept the race tight down the first run to trail Chris Dickson by just 22 seconds at the leeward gate. The Swedes showed excellent pace in this contest and put the Americans under increasing pressure, coming home just 19 seconds behind.
Emirates Team New Zealand gained control of +39 Challenge in the pre-start and herded the Italians well over to the right of the start line. Iain Percy sought refuge by using a media boat as a blocker, to get rid of Dean Barker and find a clear path back to the start box. However, +39 made a poor final approach to the line and the Kiwis won the start. The Italians gave the Kiwis a fight up the first beat, trailing by only 18 seconds at the first mark. +39 continued to match Kiwi speed and finished close behind, a good recovery for the Italians after a disappointing first match.
K-Challenge started slightly closer to the start line and took up immediate control of the match against China Team. Thierry Peponnet's crew looked very comfortable as they went on to score their second victory of the day in a straightforward match.
Luna Rossa took the fight to Shosholoza in the pre-start. While both boats were late to cross the line, the Italians led the South Africans by two boatlengths past the Race Committee boat and controlled the race from there. However, Shosholoza continues to show good form and kept the deficit to less than a minute at the finish.
United Internet Team Germany had a slightly better start against Alinghi, and then things went dramatically wrong for the Swiss as their mainsail started slipping down the mast track. Alinghi sent a man aloft, who spent several minutes fixing the problem as Germany sailed away unchallenged. By the time the Defenders had got back up to speed, the German lead appeared unassailable. But incredibly, SUI 75 turned on the afterburners to close to just 10 seconds behind GER 72 by the first mark. Down the first run, a tear opened up on the German spinnaker and it got bigger until it exploded. Jesper Bank's team responded quickly, hoisting a replacement sail within seconds. But the damage was done and Alinghi swept past. The speed of SUI 75 is undeniable and Ed Baird kept a perfect record for the team.
Some aggressive pre-start manoeuvring between Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia Team and Desafío Español saw a penalty given against the Italians. Both boats started even but the Spanish gained a small advantage up the first beat. The green boat led by two boatlengths down the first run, but the Ferrari-red Italians rolled past their rivals and rounded the leeward gate 8 seconds to the good. Mascalzone took control of the race up the final beat and rounded the last mark 20 seconds in the lead. The Italians attempted a last-ditch luffing match on the Spanish hoping to unload their penalty by giving one to the Spanish, but the plan didn't work and Desafío sailed by to cross the line first.
Results and Points Leaderboard
FLIGHT SIX
BMW ORACLE Racing (USA 76) beat China Team (CHN 69), delta 3:22
Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL 82) beat Victory Challenge (SWE 63), delta 1:30
K-Challenge (FRA 60) beat +39 Challenge (ITA 59), delta 3:02
Luna Rossa Challenge (ITA 74) beat United Internet Team Germany (GER 72), delta 0:41
Alinghi (SUI 75) beat Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia Team (ITA 77), delta 1:48
Desafío Español (ESP 67) beat Team Shosholoza (RSA 83), delta 0:26
FLIGHT SEVEN
BMW ORACLE Racing (USA 76) beat Victory Challenge (SWE 63), delta 0:19
Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL 82) beat +39 Challenge (ITA 59), delta 0:19
K-Challenge (FRA 60) beat China Team (CHN 69), delta 1:18
Luna Rossa Challenge (ITA 74) beat Team Shosholoza (RSA 83), delta 0:52
Alinghi (SUI 75) beat United Internet Team Germany (GER 72), delta 2:16
Desafío Español (ESP 67) beat Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia (ITA 77), delta 1:09
It was a businesslike day on the water for Emirates Team New Zealand on Sunday, a welcome contrast to the previous day’s nerve-wracking 3sec win over BMW Oracle.
NZL 82 claimed wins against Sweden’s Victory Challenge and the Italian
+39. Both teams that have proved themselves to be dangerous given half a chance.
Today’s breeze was from the south from 8 to 16 knots, but oscillated as the land heated up as the day wore on. Tactically it was a day to play a conservative game, to play to the strengths of the team’s crew work and to cover the opposition and deny them an opportunity to break away and find a better breeze.
In the first race of the day, the start was even and NZL 82 got away cleanly, and went about the business of building a lead on SWE 63, extending to 100 metres, and then covering as the Swedes tried to break out of the grip.
NZL 82 was never troubled, rounding the first mark 34sec ahead and then extending by 25 sec on the run to round the second mark 59 sec in front. NZL 82 extended by a further 22 sec on the second beat and finished with a winning delta of 1min 30sec.
In the second race of the day, the Italian +39 had no answer for NZL 82’s clinical approach to ensuring another win.
In the shifty conditions NZL 82’s afterguard sailed a conservative tight cover on ITA 59. The Italians threw 21 tacks at NZL 82 on the first beat and 17 on the second but could not break out.
NZL 82 led right around the course, with deltas of 18sec at the first mark, 32sec at the second, 21sec at the third and 19sec at the finish.
Grant Dalton said: “Today we had a job to do and that was to take the lead and keep it. We were out there to win points to ensure we finish the regatta well up the rankings. In the conditions it would be possible to go from winning to losing very quickly.
“The Swedes and +39 gave us a good workout. Unlike some of the other teams we had no damage except for a small tear in a spinnaker.”
Tomorrow Emirates Team New Zealand is matched against the China Team and Alinghi.
NZL 82 crew race day 4
Helm: Dean Barker
Tactician: Terry Hutchinson
Navigator: Kevin Hall
Strategist/traveler: Adam Beashel
Weather/runner: Ray Davies
Mainsheet: Don Cowie
Trimmer upwind: Rob Salthouse
Trimmer downwind: Andy Hemming
Grinder: Rob Waddell
Grinder: Chris McAsey
Main Grinder: Chris Ward
Pit: Jared Henderson
Runner/pit: Tony Rae
Mid-bow: Richard Meacham
Bow: Jeremy Lomas
Mast: Nick Heron
Runner/grinder:Grant Dalton
Results today:
Flight 6
USA 76 beat CHN 69 by 3min 22sec
NZL 82 beat SWE 63 by 1min 30sec
FRA 60 beat ITA 59 by 60 beat 3min 2sec
ITA 74 beat GER 72 by 41sec
SUI 75 beat ITA 77 by 1min 48sec
ESP 67 beat RSA 83 by 26sec
Flight 7
ITA 74 beat RSA 83 by 52sec
SUI 75 beat GER 72 by 2min 16sec
ESP 67 beat ITA 77 by
USA 76 beat SWE 63 by 19sec
NZL 82 beat ITA 59 by 19sec
FRA 60 beat CHN 69 by 1min 19sec
Rankings after seven races
1 Alinghi (SUI 75) 7 pts
2 Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL 82) 6pts
2 BMW Oracle Racing (USA 76) 6pt
2 Luna Rossa (ITA 74) 6pts
5 K-Challenge (FRA 60) 5pts
6 Victory Challenge (SWE 63) 3pts
7 Desafio Espanol (ESP 67) 3pt
8 Shosholoza (RSA 83) 2pts
9 +39 (ITA 59) 1pt
9 Mascalzone Latino (ITA 77) 1pt
9 United Internet Team Germany (GER 72) 1pt
9 Team China (CHN 69) 1pt
Saturday morning four races were sailed in a light Southerly using a
modified triangle course with separate start/finish lines. In the afternoon it took a while for the breeze to settle down and eight
more races were sailed in 5-8 knots. The same course was used.
There were three protests resulting in 2 DSQ's and one breakdown awarded.
Divisions switched fleets after race nine.
Six more races to sail tomorrow.
A division = 12 Races
B division = 12 Races
A B TOT
1. Brown 85 59 144
2. Hawaii 73 83 156
3. Boston College 76 99 175
4. Roger Williams 93 86 179
5. Dartmouth 48 140 188
6. Hobart/WmSmith 101 89 190
7. Harvard 119 73 192
8. St. Mary's 104 89 193
9. Tufts 73 120 193
10. Yale 90 106 196
11. Connecticut College 137 100 237
12. Charleston 130 115 245
13. Coast Guard 145 119 264
14. Univ. Rhode Island 149 136 285
15. MIT 130 162 292
16. Navy 169 136 305
17. USMMA-Kings Point 143 177 320
18. Old Dominion 179 164 343
A division = 12 Races
TOT
1. Dartmouth 48 Erik Storck '07/Killarney Loufek '07
2. Hawaii 73 Bryan Lake '06/Mereidith Adams
3. Tufts 73 Dave Siegal '06/Anna Martin '07
4. Boston College 76 Adam Roberts '09/Aly Whitehead '07
5. Brown 85 Charlie Enright '07/Arlene Cnung '06
6. Yale 90 Zach Brown '08/Sarah Himmeifarb '06
7. Roger Williams 93 Dave Hyer '07/Alex Boudreau '08
8. Hobart/WmSmith 101 Brian Clancy '07/Mandi Markee '07
9. St. Mary's 104 John Howell '07/Maggie Lumkes '08
10. Harvard 119 Vincent Porter '06/Ruth Schlitz '06
11. Charleston 130 Jamie Kimball '06/Brittany Hass '09
12. MIT 130 Jack Field '08/Wyman Li '07
13. Connecticut College 137 Charlie Modica '08/Elizabeth Hawkins '08
14. USMMA-Kings Point 143 Jimmy Givens '08/Robert Grandstaff '08
15. Coast Guard 145 Rob Gorman '07/Kyra Chin '07
16. Univ. Rhode Island 149 Matt Kaster '07/Kristen Johnson '07
17. Navy 169 Robert Ramirez '08/Mike Mallee '08
18. Old Dominion 179 Bobby Noonan '08/Jen Adams '08
B division = 12 Races
TOT
1. Brown 59 Rip Hale '06/Monica Sten '07
2. Harvard 73 Clay Johnson '07/Kristen Lynch '07
3. Hawaii 83 Eric Oppen '06/Caitlin Hill '09
4. Roger Williams 86 Andy Goetting '08/Kristin Pappas '06
5. St. Mary's 89 Andrew Waters '07/Meredith Nordhem '08
6. Hobart/WmSmith 89 Trevor Moore '07/Molly Lawson '06
7. Boston College 99 Reed Johnson '08/Julie Howe '08
8. Connecticut College 100 Dave Meleney '08,Hans Jensen '07/
Grace Kendall '07, Christine Jackson '08
9. Yale 106 Molly Carapiet '06/Hannah Oakland '07
10. Charleston 115 Brendan Healey '07/Julia Southworth '08
11. Coast Guard 119 Chris Greenough '07/Mallorie Schell '07
12. Tufts 120 Zander Kirkland '06/Francine Magasinn '09
13. Univ. Rhode Island 136 Steve Frazier '07/Alison McManus '07
14. Navy 136 Gary Grimes '07/Slava Haywas '07
15. Dartmouth 140 Ben Sampson '08/Christina Duncan '06
16. MIT 162 Jake Muhleman '08,Brooks Reed '09/
Julie Arsenault '08
17. Old Dominion 164 Michael Collins '08/Jaci Finney '09
18. USMMA-Kings Point 177 AJ Black '06/Tim Cain '06
REGATTA HIGHLIGHTS:
8 races completed in 5-8 knots from the SouthEast. Trapezoids sailed off of Bembe Beach.
A division = 8 Races
TOT
1. ST MARYS COLLEGE 28
2. GEORGETOWN 30
3. KINGS POINT 33
4. OLD DOMINION 35
5. NAVY 39
6. WASHINGTON COLLEGE 40
7. NY MARITIME 44
8. HOBART WILLIAM/SMITH 45
9. WEBB 68
10. HAMPTON 81
11. VIRGINIA TECH 89
12. UMBC 92
The SAISA Women's Singlehanded Championship was held at Eckerd College. Sailors arrived to warm temperatures and a steady E-SE 8-18 knot breeze. Racing got underway right at 10:15am and a full rotation of 11 races was completed by 3pm. Races were windward/Leeward/Windward courses. No protests were filed.
Congratulations to Paige Railey of USF and Lindsey Nahmias of Eckerd
College for qualifying for the ICSA Singlehanded Championships.
Thanks to the Eckerd Sailors who helped run the event, especially
Matt Gove, DJ Driscoll, Brett Buckingham, Tina Irwin and Woody Priest.
A division = 11 Races
TOT
1. Paige Railey 09 16
2. Lindsey Nahmias 06 40
3. Alana O'Reilly 06 42
4. Nicole Buechler 09 48
5. Katja Riise 08 59
6. Kristen Herman 06 69
7. Kim Witkowski 09 70
8. Andrea Savage 09 92
9. Megan Riddle 08 93
10. Mandy Sackett 09 94
11. Carly Cappelluzzo 09 103
Portsmouth, R.I. (September 29, 2005) - In order to make it easier for cruising sailors from the U.S. to charter sailboats in the European Union (EU), US SAILING announced today that it has created a simple certification program for cruising sailors seeking to charter sailboats in European Union waters. The newly created International Proficiency Certificate, an extension of US SAILING's current Keelboat Certification System, allows sailors who have completed a US SAILING Bareboat Cruising course to charter sailboats without a captain in EU waters.
Looking very similar to a passport, the International Proficiency Certificate works much like a driver's license for a car. The certificate must be presented to a charter company to obtain a boat, and then carried aboard at all times while sailing in EU waters.
"US SAILING wants to make sure that U.S. sailors can charter boats and enjoy sailing in all parts of the world," said Hart Kelley, US SAILING's Keelboat Program Manager. "By creating this new certificate, US SAILING has made it very easy for graduates of US SAILING's Bareboat Cruising course to do that."
Prior to the implementation of the International Proficiency Certificate, charterers were either denied the charter boat when they arrived at the dock or were forced to hire a charter company's captain with the additional expense associated. According to the United Nation's Economic Commission for Europe, Resolution 440, it is a legal requirement for all boat charterers to provide an International Proficiency Certificate from their home country in order to charter and operate a boat in the EU. Now, U.S. sailors have access to the proper EU documentation to charter boats without a Captain.