MARINA DEL REY, Calif.—It may take the whole week for the best woman Laser Radial sailors on the planet to come to terms with the unearthly mysteries of Santa Monica Bay, where they opened their 2006 Laser Radial World Championships Sunday.
Light winds and a typically oversize chop of 2 to 3 feet made them work for results on Day 1 of six as Anna Tunnicliffe, 23, of Florida---No. 2-ranked in the world---parlayed a fourth place in the first race with a win in the second into a first-place tie with Evi Van Acker (No. 8) of Belgium (2-3) at 5 points, one ahead of another winner, Germany's Petra Niemann (5-1).
Those women didn't necessarily sail against one another Sunday. The 89 entrants are being split into Blue and Yellow fleets with separate starts for the first three days of qualifying races, with the fleets shuffled daily to balance the competition. Then, according to the standings, the top half will advance into the last six races over the last three days as the Gold fleet, going for the world title. The lower half becomes the Silver fleet. Both will carry over their qualifying results.
Steven Krol of The Netherlands leads the 71-boat men's fleet after a 2-1 performance, followed by countryman Steven Le Fevre with a 4-4.
The Laser Radial is the new Olympic single-handed dinghy class for women. Men sail the full-size Laser in the Games.
Top-ranked Paige Railey, 19, of Florida opened with a third place but had to fight her way back through the fleet to make fifth in the second race. She had to execute a double penalty turn after drawing the dreaded whistle and yellow flag from an on-water judge for violating Rule 42 concerning kinetics at the start.
The rule is being strictly enforced, although Jeffrey Martin, the international executive director of the class, did not consider the overall total of 23 yellow flags, including the men's fleet, as excessive.
"That's not bad in these conditions," Martin said, meaning when it's light and lumpy and competitors are struggling to coax their little boats along.
Even so, principal race officer Bill Stump was pleased that all four women's starts got off without a general recall, while the men had one before each of their races.
"They behaved themselves after we put up a black flag [threatening disqualification] each time," Stump said.
Besides Tunnicliffe and Petra, other winners were France's Sarah Steyaert and Great Britain's Penny Clark, who finished deep in the fleet in their other races---although Steyaert had a protest working as this report was filed Sunday night.
The wind was almost due west---unusual here---and in single digits when racing started, built to a promising 10 or 11 knots in mid-afternoon but then faded,
Tunnicliffe won the second Blue fleet race, although she said, "It was difficult. I started really smart for the first beat and sailed for the shifts . . . just sailed by the numbers on my compass. I was farther right than most of the fleet but didn't bang the corner."
In her win, also in Blue, Steyaert found clear air at the start and broke away with three other boats.
"I had my best speed downwind," she said, "and when it is just four boats we all have better wind."
LOS ANGELES---Grant Baldwin, the radio "voice of Transpac" for the last 14 races over 26 years, has died after a long fight with cancer. He was 79.
Baldwin passed away at his home in Balboa, Calif. In the harbor at Waikiki at the end of last summer's Centennial Transpacific Yacht Race he announced on board the communications vessel Alaska Eagle that it was his last race as chief communications officer.
"This is my swan song," he said. "I've been doing this since '79, mostly on this boat. It's time for somebody whose voice isn't as scratchy and who doesn't talk back [to the racers]."
Every skipper and crew that sailed Transpac since 1979 was intimately familiar with Baldwin's deep, clear, crisp voice, accompanied by his dry sense of humor. They heard it once or twice a day asking for position reports or just as host of a lighthearted evening "happy hour" chat session among the boats that made lonely sailors feel less alone in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
But he always made it clear that he was not sailing on a "rescue" or even an "escort" vessel. "We're not there to save anybody," he said. "That's why the requirements for emergency equipment and safety at sea training are so strict."
Baldwin, born in Ann Arbor, Mich., was a member of Newport Harbor Yacht Club. He sailed his first Transpac as a crew member on Grace and Richard Steele's Odyssey in 1961. He also was a certified international racing judge.
As for communications, he warned potential competitors, "If you haven't used your single sideband radio in a year and you wonder if it still works, it probably doesn't."
With fluky breeze, the 2005 Transpac was a tough sail, and Baldwin didn't try to sugarcoat the conditions in his assessment of the race: "Very light [wind], practically no [rough] seas, a few squalls. The people who got low [south] and got low early did better, like [record setter] Morning Glory and [Cal 40 class winner] Ralphie."
That sized it up in a nutshell.
Along the way he reported to race headquarters that the "weather continues to be dismal with the leaders reporting wimpy trade winds in the 10 to 12-knot range. Still no sun."
Earlier he reported: "Another long cold night with northwest winds 20-25 knots, 100% overcast, still no sun. The entire fleet now seems to be in the breeze. Rather unpleasant night with lots of wind and lumpy seas. Some ate dinner twice."
Bill Lee, the noted race boat designer and current entry chairman, noted that Baldwin "was entry chairman when we set the record with Merlin in 1977 . . . all before e-mail,
faxes, etc. FedEx was just invented. Grant was a great guy, by the numbers, fair and square."
If Merlin, Lee's long, skinny and radical creation, had its doubters, Baldwin "was very neutral," he said. "He just made sure that all the papers were made out right, the entry fee was paid and that we mailed in two glossy photos of the boat."
Later, Baldwin would serve as commodore of the 1989 race, while continuing to oversee race communications.
Wendy Siegal, who led the Cal 40 class revival in recent Transpacs, said, "In 1999 Willow Wind broke her boom about halfway to Hawaii. I called Grant on the radio and he was instrumental in assisting us in obtaining a boom for our homeward trip. I will greatly miss him."
Baldwin is survived by his wife Jody, seven children and 10 grandchildren. Arrangements for a memorial service were pending.
The U.S. Coast Guard announced the award of the Response Boat-Medium production contract, valued at approximately $600 million, to Marinette Marine Corporation of Marinette, Wisconsin
The first boat is scheduled for delivery to the Coast Guard in late 2007.
The response boat-medium will replace the aging fleet of 41-foot utility boats and assorted non-standard boats that have been the Coast Guard workhorses throughout the United States for more than 25 years.
The response boat-medium will improve the Coast Guard's readiness and responsiveness throughout the Ninth District Coast Guard, which is responsible for more than 1,500 miles of international border and 6,700 miles of U.S. shoreline spanning eight states and all five Great Lakes.
The response boat-medium will have increased maneuverability and will be capable of speeds in excess of 40 knots (46 m.p.h.) with twin high-output inboard diesel engines that will comply with stringent EPA and International Maritime Organization emissions standards.
"These new boats will allow our Coast Guard men and women to provide a better service to the regional maritime community and work better with all of the federal, state, local and Canadian response agencies that service the Great Lakes," said Rear Adm. John E. Crowley, Jr., Commander of the Ninth Coast Guard District."
MARINA DEL REY, Calif.---Like little white leaves in a storm, 88 boats sailed by the world's best women Laser Radial sailors blow into Santa Monica Bay this weekend, advancing their Olympic dreams one step closer to an ultimate showdown at Qingdao, China in 2008.
The 2006 Laser Radial World Championships are a major step toward the class's introduction as the Olympic singlehanded dinghy class for women. The fleet will include 19 of the top 20 women in the current rankings by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF), led by defending champion Paige Railey, 19, and Anna Tunnicliffe, 23, of the U.S.; Laura Baldwin, 26, of the UK, and 2004 world champion Krystal Weir, 21, of Australia.
They will be among 90 women competitors from 31 countries racing Sunday through Friday, following a practice race and opening ceremonies at the host California Yacht Club Saturday. The first of two races daily will start at 1 p.m., conditions permitting. The first six races will be a qualifying series to determine a split into Gold and Silver fleets for the final six races.
The women will share the race course off the beach west of Los Angeles with 74 men from 21 countries contesting the men's Radial championship, to be followed the next week by the Radial Youth Worlds Aug. 5-12 for 181 boys and girls ages 15 to 18.
If, for a change, sailing's spotlight falls on the women, it's their talent level and significance of their competition that draws it. The Laser Radial, with 5.76 square meters of area in its single sail, has joined the Laser (7.06) in the Olympic Games, replacing the Europe as the women's singlehanded dinghy. The Laser became an Olympic men's class at Savannah in 1996, but the men in this event will sail Radials without Olympic implications.
The switch from Europe to Laser Radial has turbocharged the class, and most of the top women Europe sailors---including Railey, Baldwin and Weir---have made the leap to the Radial.
Baldwin sailed a Europe for Great Britain at the Athens Olympics in 2004, and about three months later the Europe was out and the Radial was in. Baldwin joined the exodus.
“I loved my 2005 training group," she said. "Great girls. The problem was that we were all Europe sailors with no idea about how to sail a Laser properly, so I broke away just before the World Championships to work with the 2005 Laser World Championships silver medalist, Diego Romero [of Argentina], and gained my best result at a Worlds, finishing 11th."
Baldwin now ranks third in the Radial class, just ahead of Weir.
If the transition of the class has a benchmark, it may be Katarzyna Szotynska, 25, of Poland. Before the Radial went Olympic, she held sway with women's world championships in 2001, 2002 and 2003. Now she ranks 15th, although she placed fourth in the recent European championship.
Tunnicliffe, the women's College Sailor the Year at Virginia's Old Dominion in 2005, said, "The class has grown huge and it’s very, very competitive."
She sailed a Europe only for two months up to the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2004 and did not grieve the passing of the class in favor of her favorite boat, the Radial.
"I was very excited," she said. "I was rooting for it the whole time."
While still a junior, Railey enjoyed international success in the Europe, but her move to the Radial led to an ongoing turf rivalry with Tunnicliffe.
"Paige and I being one-two just makes for a good battle," Tunnicliffe said. "I'm not sure she feels the same way, but it's always exciting to outdo the other one. We're [American] teammates but rivals at the same time."
Rivals. that is, for one of the sole Olympic berths available to each country in each class. They are the only Americans currently ranked 1-2 by the International Sailing Federation in any Olympic class. The winner won't be known until the Trials late next year, and then the rankings won't count.
"All that counts then is who's best on the water," Tunnicliffe said.
The Radial is set up for sailors weighing from 55 to 70 kilos (121 to 154 pounds), the Laser for 60 kilos (132 pounds) and up.
For the over 700 sailors who competed this week at New York Yacht Club Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex, today's final races were an ideal ending to a perfect regatta. A variety of boats, nationalities and sailors were represented across seven one-design classes, where North American championships were determined in the Beneteau First 36.7, Farr 40 and J/109 classes. Additionally, those three winning skippers were also awarded a Rolex Steel Submariner timepiece for their overall performance: Takashi Okura (Tokyo, Japan) in the Farr 40 class; Tom D'Albora (E. Greenwich, R.I.) in the Beneteau 36.7 class; and Jon Halbert (Dallas, Texas) in the J/109 class.
"Winning this is fabulous," said Okura, who is a member of the Kansai Yacht Club in Osaka Bay. "It is a great team to sail with on the boat. I have been sailing with Tony Rey since 2001, and I am comfortable sailing with him. Chuck Brown trims our main sail; he was a trimmer for Stars & Stripes and he does very well."
Although Okura's boat Sled posted impressive finishes in nine races these past four days, achieving a win in this competitive class where every boat is training for the upcoming Rolex Farr 40 World Championship, to be hosted by the New York Yacht Club September 6-9, is quite difficult. "We started racing in the Farr 40 class at the 2000 Key West Race Week and there were 27 boats there. I was 27th every day, every race. At the bottom for the whole week! Since then we have been trying to improve every time we race. Sometimes, it can be challenging with five Japanese and five Americans on the boat. But, we have been sailing together for a very long time and we are comfortable with each other.
Also crediting his crew of many years was Tom D'Albora and the Coconut team. "Most of us have been sailing together for the past 15 years," he said. "We had the best time this week. Clearly when you're winning it's great. We're all pretty excited."
With a third place in today's first race, D'Albora explained that it gave him confidence to have a cushion against second-place Seaweed, owned by Don Finkle (Youngstown, N.Y.). "We had a very aggressive starting situation in the second race, but we won the start and then won every mark rounding. Everything clicked for us and it gave us a real mental edge. Also it helped not to be sailing in the ocean. We're used to sailing in flat water, and we were only an hour and 20 minutes from our home yacht club. It's funny I didn't know we'd win a Rolex. We all joked around a bit about it, and when they read our names at the awards ceremony, we looked at each other. There were a lot of great boats out there and a lot of great sailors. Winning the Rolex sweetened the deal for us."
The newly named Farr 395 North American Champion Roger Wagner (Upper Saddle River, N.J.) echoed the theme of the week: consistency. "The crew was working like a team," he said. "The sail changes, the spinnaker jibes were all really good. Yesterday was sort of a rough day out there and our tactics were spot on and today was a shifty day and they were spot on."
The Endurance team's not-so-secret tactical weapon was Olympian Peter Bromby from Bermuda. "No question having Peter trimming the main sail and calling tactics helped us," he said. "He's a Star champion and delightful to have on board."
In the J/109 class, a protest in the last race caused a delay in deciding the class' inaugural North American champion. In the end it was John Halbert's Vitesse (Dallas, Texas) that won. Vitesse's win in the final race of the series, combined with Gut Feeling, yesterday's leader owned by Ted Herlihy (S. Dartmouth, Mass.), being disqualified from the race added enough points to Halbert's scoreline to give him the win and Herlihy third place. Relentless, owned by Al Minella (Greenwich, Conn.) was second.
Another inaugural championship was the Melges 32 National Championship. It was won by Jeff Ecklund (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) on Star. "It's great being the first Melges 32 national champion," he said. "The class is great and it's a growing class full of really good sailors. Our whole crew is happy and relieved because we've been duking it out against New Wave all week and they've beaten us before." New Wave, owned by Mike Carroll and Marty Kullman (Clearwater, Fla.) finished in second place.
Ecklund won both races today, even after some drama in the last race. "We were over early and had to go back and re-start, so we were in the back of the fleet," he said. "We wanted to stay close to everyone, and sailing on the bay on flat water we were particularly fast. We worked ourselves up to the first mark in fourth, by the bottom mark we had a good lead and kept it. Then, we wound up extending by hundreds of yards on New Wave. They sailed well, very consistently. They don't make a lot of mistakes, so it was very satisfying to beat them."
Tom Coates left few surprised by holding onto his lead in the J/105 class. With a third and a first place finish today, he ended with 18 points over second-place Indefatigable, owned by Phil Lotz (New Canaan, Conn.) with 30 points. "It really went our way this week," said Coates, who keeps two J/105s: one here on the East Coast and one in San Francisco. "The scores aren't really indicative of how tough it was out there, how rough it was sailing, and how really competitive the fleet was. We had a flawless sailing week where things went our way, and when we were on the right side of the course it was because of Chris (Perkins)." Coates and his team will compete in the J/105 North American Championship in California next month.
Holding onto his lead as well for a win in the Swan 45 class was Massimo Ferragamo (New York, N.Y.) and Bellicosa who posted a 1-2 to narrowly edge out Andrew Fisher (Greenwich, Conn.) and Bandit.
Over 160 boats competed in the fifth running of New York Yacht Club Race Week presented by Rolex. The biennial event hosted 66 entries in the four-day "first half," devoted to IRC, PHRF, Classic Yacht and 12 Meter racing.
Lead changes and tight racing continue to characterize the action in all seven one-design classes at New York Yacht Club Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex. Although the early morning conditions led the Race Committee to postpone racing for one hour, once the 102 boat fleet got out to Rhode Island Sound and the Atlantic Ocean, the wind had picked up to 13-15 knots. Two races were held for the Swan 45, Farr 40, Melges 32, Farr 395 and J/109 classes, while three races were held for the Beneteau 36.7 and J/105 classes.
It's a very tight race in the Swan 45 class where Bellicosa, Bandit and Plenty - all hailing from New York City area - are in the hunt for overall victory. The strong lead that Andrew Fisher and his crew on Bandit achieved with yesterday's three races slipped by with finishes today of 4-6 to give him 25 points, and a second place overall to Massimo Ferragamo's Bellicosa, which has 23 points. The seven boat fleet includes Yasha, the Japanese boat owned by Yukihiro Ishida, which is currently in fourth. With three races possible tomorrow, it is anybody's guess which boat will emerge with the win.
Despite winning the first race today, John Halbert and his all-Texas team on Vitesse could not take the lead in the J/109 class away from Ted Herlihy (S. Dartmouth, Mass.). Herlihy and his Gut Feeling sailed solidly and posted a 4-5 for a total of 41 points.
The second race for Vitesse wasn't as successful. "Basically, we shrimped the chute and had a bad race," said Halbert, who only started racing sailboats five years ago. "The wind was a steady 25 knots, there was lots of chop, like a washing machine and it was hard to steer. The race committee called a triangle course. The way these boats are designed, trying to fly a chute on a reach is really tough. So, we had a hard time getting the chute down, then we missed the mark and had to come back around it. I think at that point we were down to 17th, but we managed to get back to 8th. It feels pretty good." Relentless, owned by Al Minella (Greenwich, Conn.) won the second race and is in third place overall.
On the Beneteau 36.7 course, Tom D'Albora (E. Greenwich, R.I.) kept a steady hand even though he bent the autopilot sometime during the first race and had trouble steering through the next two. It didn't seem to matter on board his Coconut because he won the second race. "It was a pretty good day, except for a few little things," said D'Albora. "My wife Tracy got hurt in the first race. We think it might be a torn rotator cuff, but she's doing OK considering." Coconut has a four point lead over Don Finkle's Seaweed (Youngstown, N.Y.) and said that the win will come down to the last two races tomorrow. "The boats are so even, any of the boats in the top six are all very even, we'll go out and do our best an try to stay within a couple of boats of Seaweed. To do well and win would be a gem for us in our backyard."
Doing extremely well this week is Sled, the Farr 40 owned by Takashi Okura (Tokyo, Japan), which leads the 25-boat fleet. Most of the competitors here are tuning up for the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship in September and as is usually the case in this class, anyone has a chance of doing well. Sled's tactician, Tony Rey, summed up the key to this multi-cultural crew's success. "We weren't focused on scores, but on our skills because the waves were huge and there was big breeze," he said. "It is the little things among the crew that we are trying to improve every time we go out there. We don't have a plan in terms of looking at anyone in the fleet, but I can tell you a couple of the Australian boats are really, really fast. They are showing us a gear in the big breeze that most of the East Coast boats don't have."
With a 9-4 finish today, Sled managed to hold off Massimo Mezzarona's Nerone (Rome, Italy), currently in second place. Nerone won the first race, then finished eighth in the last race. Ichi Ban, owned by Matt Allen (Sydney, Australia) with tactician Grant Simmer on board is in third place overall. Speaking for Sled, Rey said today's results are satisfying because he knows that tomorrow could bring anything. "These boats are harder to sail than they look. Okura-san did a great job today and I'm thrilled with each race. The boat has been going really fast these past few days. The conditions we've had are very taxing for the owner/drivers, but Okura-san is very smooth and makes my job easier."
For tomorrow, Rey held true to the team's main goal. "We're going to try and do the little things well. We'll try to chip away at the fleet, get nice starts and try to avoid being in the back 10 because once you're back there, it's hard to get out of there."
Roger Wagner (Upper Saddle River, N.J.) continued his winning ways by posting another perfect scoreline today in the Farr 395 class with his Endurance. In second place is Tsunami, owned by Preben Ostberg, Bud Daily and John Aras (Rockville, Md.).
"We couldn't have had a better day," said Tom Coates about today's racing on Rhode Island Sound during New York Yacht Club Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex. As he did at this event in 2004, Coates with his Masquerade took an early lead in the competitive J/105 class; he won all three of today's races. Known around New England as an accomplished sailor, he also is known on his home waters of San Francisco Bay for his success in the same class. His secret weapon, however, appears to be tactician Chris Perkins noted by many as the hottest J/105 sailor on the planet for his multiple class titles including one at Rolex Big Boat Series that led to being named St Francis Yacht Club's Yachtsman of the Year.
"Chris called the course so well, even when we were behind and needed to improve," said Coates, who with the same crew won this year's Key West Race Week. "We started where we wanted to start, which is always beneficial. The crew work was flawless, the boat is tuned perfectly. It was a great day."
Kincsem, owned by Joerg Esdorn (Rye, N.Y.), sits close behind in second place with seven points, while Damien Emery's Eclipse (Rye, N.Y.) is tied for third with Philip Lotz's Indefatigable (New Canaan, Conn.) with 10 points.
Another member of the Straight Bullets Club is Roger Wagner (Upper Saddle River, N.J.), who won all four races in the Farr 395 class with his Endurance. Although the class has only five entries, racing is close. "The way things look right now, we're not comfortable relaxing," said Wagner. "Tsunami is a major threat; they are tough and very successful when they race. We don't have it in the bag by any stretch of the imagination!" The next two days could be very interesting on the Farr 395 course as both boats battle it out. The 2005 Farr 395 North American champion, Tsunami is owned by three friends from Maryland: Preben Ostberg, Bud Daily and John Aras, while Endurance features an all-star crew with 2003 Yngling World Champion Joan Touchette and three-time Olympian Bermudian Peter Bromby. "Our group works well together. We always love to come up here and sail."
On the J/109 course, the 19-boat fleet is currently led by Ted Herlihy's Gut Feeling (S. Dartmouth, Mass.). Herlihy credited his son Andy's tactical decisions for the team's successful starts. "The starting line was skewed about 25% toward the pin end, so it was important to get a good start to get a lead," said the elder Herlihy. "We'll have to continue to be consistent - that's the name of the game in this fleet - tomorrow. The entire fleet is close, it's close racing with all boats finishing within one minute of each other."
In the Beneteau First 36.7 class, the new leader of the 17-boat fleet is Tom D'Albora's Coconut (Warwick, R.I.), which won all of its races today as well. A mere four points behind is John Finkle's Seaweed (Youngstown, N.Y.) in second, with Elan, owned by John Hammel (Arlington, Mass.) in third.
Yesterday's leader of the 25-boat Farr 40 class, Nerone, struggled in the light, shifty conditions and posted scores of 17-9-10 to fall into fourth place overall. The new leader is Temptress, owned by Alan Field (Los Angeles, Calif.), with two foreign entries in second and third: Takashi Okura's Sled (Tokyo, Japan) and Eivind Ostrup's Norwegian Steam (Oslo), respectively.
At press time, several protests were pending in the Beneteau 36.7, Farr 40 and Farr 395 classes and all scores are provisional. Full results of each class along with photos can be found online at www.nyyc.org
Race Week's unique format allows sailors to compete in both handicap and one-design racing at a single event. In some cases, the sailors compete on two different boats, but in others, the same boat competes with the same crew in both sessions. For the second half of Race Week, North American Championships for the Beneteau First 36.7, Farr 395, J/109 and Farr 40 classes will be determined. The Melges 32s will determine their National Championships.
La Porte, TX (July 20, 2006) - If any sailor has had a good opportunity to prepare for the U.S. Junior Women's Singlehanded Championship, which starts this coming Sunday at Houston Yacht Club, it would be Stephanie Roble (East Troy, Wis.). Roble is currently competing against the world's best young women sailors at the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship in Great Britain. As soon as the event wraps up later this week, the 17-year-old will be packing her bags and head to La Porte, TX, to defend her title and possibly qualify for another spot on the starting line at the Youth World Championship next year.
Roble will be one of nearly 60 young women sailors competing for US SAILING's Nancy Leiter Clagett Memorial Trophy, presented to the winner of the U.S. Junior Women's Singlehanded Championship. The event, sponsored by Vanguard Sailboats, will kick off on Sunday, July 23, with a two-day clinic and followed by three days of racing, wrapping up on Thursday July 27.
Since the event was first held in 1986, the Championship has played a major role in the country's development of junior women sailing. Past winners of the event have gone on to compete at the highest levels of the sport. For example, three-time champion Paige Railey (2001, '02' and '04) is the reigning Laser Radial World Champion. Julia Trotman (1986) went on to win a bronze medal at the 1992 Olympic Games. Numerous others have qualified for the US Sailing Team, including the defending champion Stephanie Roble, who in 2005 was one of the youngest members on the Team.
There is no doubt that one of the major reasons for this event being so important in youth development is because of the two-day racing clinic held before racing starts. The clinic, a tradition at all of US SAILING's Junior Championships, is taught by several of the country's best sailors. This year, the clinic will be taught by four past US Sailing Team members: Brett Davis, Leah Hoepfner, Matt Sterett, and Kurt Taulbee. Scott Ikle, coach of the successful sailing team at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, is leading the clinic.
The exciting competition will be raced in Laser Radials provided by leading boat manufacturer and event sponsor Vanguard Sailboats. An Olympic class, the Laser Radial carries similar performance characteristics as the very popular Laser, but the Radial's slightly less powerful sail plan makes it the perfect boat for smaller singlehanded sailors and youth sailors. This design has done much to advance the sport of sailing and sailboat racing among women.
CHARLESTON, SC (July 18, 2006) - The South Carolina Maritime Heritage Foundation announced today that Anthony L. Arrow has accepted the position of captain aboard the Spirit of South Carolina tall ship. With construction of the ship continuing at a brisk pace, Captain Arrow will play an integral role in leading the final construction from now through completion, some time in early 2007. He will also be actively involved in developing the educational programs that will be implemented on board, which are scheduled to begin in the fall of that year.
"It is crucial that we have our captain in place now," explained Executive Director Brad Van Liew. "Tony will be hands-on in the final construction. He'll help to ensure that the quality of the work is first-rate, and that it makes sense for the educational programming that will take place on board. He has the experience and expertise to manage this final stage of construction, to assist with educational programming plans, and to eventually lead classroom experiences aboard the Spirit of South Carolina."
Anthony Arrow hails from San Francisco, California, and boasts more than twenty years of experiential education aboard tall ships. He holds a 1,600-ton Merchant Marine Master's license and is also a Medical First Responder. Arrow first experienced sailing as an apprentice with his father aboard the Liberty Clipper (previously the Mystic Clipper). The call of the sea lured him to excel first as a steward, then a cook, deckhand, and finally captain of some of the most famous tall ships in America. He has held positions aboard The Niagra, The Californian, The Spirit of Massachusetts, Harvey Gamage, Westward, Highlander Sea, and The Mystic Whaler. One of his more interesting roles was aboard The Rose, now famous for the film "Master & Commander." During his tenure on that ship, Arrow climbed the ranks from deckhand to captain, and served in that position during some of the filming.
"I was actually headed out of the education-at-sea business," said Arrow recently. "But when I saw the professional nature of the South Carolina Maritime Heritage Foundation and the commitment of those involved, I was engaged. Educational programs under sail challenge kids in a way they've never been challenged before. These programs bring them outside of their comfort zone. They accelerate the process of building a team, while forcing them to be responsible for themselves, fellow crewmembers, the ship, and their environment. I'm thrilled that South Carolina students will have the chance to gain these skills and experience their potential."
The next milestone in the construction of The Spirit of South Carolina will be the addition of the final "whiskey" plank, which will be installed this Friday, July 21. After that, the construction team will begin concentrating on the ship's interior, its decking, and ultimately the launching and rigging.
Leads remained unchanged today in all classes competing in the first half of New York Yacht Club Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex. It was a surprising scenario, since a steady building breeze throughout the day allowed for plenty of racing and chances to mix it up.
"I guess they all did the right thing," said Race Committee Chairman John Miles about the leaders. With one day to go, this was the third day of handicap racing for 66 boats in three IRC and three PHRF classes as well as a class for 12 Metres. (A Classic Class completed its series yesterday after two days of racing, and the Race Week's four-day one-design segment will begin on Thursday after an Around-the-Island Race on Wednesday.) Half of the fleet completed four races, while the other half completed three.
For Four Stars, Timothy McAdams' (Brewster, Mass.) Beneteau 44.7 that is leading IRC Class 4, tomorrow will be "conservative," despite a whopping 20-point lead over second-place Vixen, the Swan 44 skippered by John Wayt of Jamestown, R.I. "We've sailed conservatively all week," said Newport's John Mollicone, who has been steering Four Stars and is Brown University's Head Sailing Coach. "That has been the key. We sailed our own races, and we stayed out of trouble." Four Stars won the coveted Gibb's Hill Lighthouse Trophy for the IRC racing portion of the Bermuda Race earlier this summer and the New York Annual Regatta before that.
Tomorrow will be a relatively short racing day with two races and light-to-moderate winds anticipated by the Race Committee. "Thunderstorms are expected in the late afternoon, so we think we can get the races off before those come in," said Chairman Miles.
One boat that will be looking to redeem itself is Numbers, the Farr 60 skippered by Dan Meyers (Boston, Mass.). Numbers was thrown out of today's third and final race after an incident at the pin end of the starting line. The Naval Academy entrant Polaris, a Taylor 49 skippered by Midshipman Christopher Schubert, was forced into the mark by Edgar Cato's (Charlotte, N.C.) Farr 60 Hissar, which in turn claimed that Numbers bore down on them in such a way as they could not avoid fouling Polaris.
The disqualification added 5 points to Numbers' scoreline, toppling the boat from second overall to third and boosting Hissar from third to second. Meanwhile class leader Stark Raving Mad, the Reichel/Pugh 66 skippered by Jim Madden (Newport Harbor, Calif.) sailed clear and free to finish positions of 3-2-2, while Bob Towse's (Stamford, Conn.) Reichel/Pugh Blue Yankee -- back in the game after missing five races due to gear failure -- showed its prowess today with an 8-1-1.
Video produced by T2P TV can be viewed at www.t2p.tv after 9:00 each night, compliments of Rolex Watch U.S.A., which has been the exclusive presenting sponsor of NYYC events since 1994. Supporting sponsors of Race Week include Mount Gay Rum and Heineken USA.
Rolex Watch U.S.A. has been the exclusive presenting sponsor of NYYC events since 1994. Supporting sponsors of Race Week include Mount Gay Rum and Heineken USA.
Miami, Fla. (July 17, 2006) - Two sisters from Biscayne Park, Fla., have made history at the U.S. Youth Multihull Championship this weekend by becoming the first all female team to win the event, hosted by Miami Yacht Club. Sarah and Elizabeth Newberry established their position early in the competition with three wins on the first day of racing and never looked back. Skipper Sarah and her younger sister Elizabeth had been practicing together for two weeks leading up to the event because they usually do not sail together.
"I thought we were going to be so bad," said Sarah about how she felt going into the regatta. "We weren't very coordinated to start with, but Elizabeth turned out to be a very good crew."
After the Newberry sisters were presented with US SAILING's Arthur J. Stevens Trophy at the award ceremony, the other competitors dunked the two champions in the yacht club pool. Like true champions, the sisters were all smiles.
The U.S. Youth Multihull Championship was a qualifier for the 2007 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Sailing Championship, an event open to athletes who do not turn 19 in the year of the World Championship. Because winning skipper Sarah Newberry will be too old next year to compete in that event, the next eligible team will qualify. Eric Raybon and Jason Bilow (both from Shrewsbury, N.J.) who finished second at the U.S. Youth Multihull Championship, will represent the U.S. at the 2007 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Sailing Championships in Kingston, Canada.
TWT holds second at the halfway stage, with Mascalzone Latino four points further back
Day two of the Rolex Farr 40 European Championships saw a change at the top as Alinghi moved a point ahead with three second places; meanwhile TWT struggled to find the sort of consistency needed to stay on top of the leaderboard at this level of one-design racing.
The three races today saw three different winners. The first race (Race 4 in the series) was Fiamma's all the way and Alessandro Barnaba was duly delighted with this success paying credit to an early decision of his tactician, Tommaso Chieffi, "We went all the way left on the first race. We had a good start at the pin and it paid off because when we tacked we managed to cover everyone. It was definitely a great decision to stay left as long as we did." Acknowledging the importance of speed and a clean position off the start in this tight one-design fleet, Barnaba continued, "We had a very good start and we managed to be very fast at the very beginning. In this class if you manage to stay ahead at the beginning of the race everything gets much easier because you stop being covered by the others. We did very good first beat which took us with a decent lead at the first mark and from there onward it was just a matter of controlling the other boats." And control they did, albeit finishing only 16 seconds ahead of Alinghi.
But Barnaba did not have it all his own way in the following two races, explaining how problematic it is to recover from a bad start, "The rest of the day was a bit more difficult. We had a bad start in the second race and if you start poorly there is not too much you can do about it. In the third race we had a pretty good start at the pin and went left again. But the problem was we had a boat pretty close to us that stopped us tacking when we wanted. When we tacked it was already too late."
In the second race, it was the turn of previous day's regatta leader TWT to show the fleet a clean pair of heels. This result was sandwiched between a fifth and third, and tactician Tiziano Nava felt this showed how awkward the conditions were, "it was similar to yesterday, but the wind was more shifting, particularly in the third race. So it was really tricky to arrive at the first mark, sometimes you see a boat on port tack would go up and sometimes a boat on starboard tack." And, whilst Nava was disappointed with losing first place overall, he gave credit to Ernesto Bertarelli's Alinghi for a great performance over the day, "We did not finish very well on the first race where we finished fifth, which was a mistake on the first beat. It is a really tricky area so we have to fight to find the right part and today Brad [Butterworth/Alinghi] was really good. They don't win the race, but everytime they finished second which is important."
For TWT, lying second at the halfway stage is not as good as it could be, but certainly acceptable a laughing Nava added, "It is better to stay ahead, but also one point behind is OK. We can play our race and we are still on the track for the best result. The boat is fast and we just have to race on the right side to have no problem!"
The third winner of the day was perhaps more of a surprise. Cannonball, which had had poor first day and a less than exemplary first two races today made the most of a good position early on to lead the fleet home, despite a tough last beat. Owner, Dario Ferrari commented, "We have been very lucky at the beginning, at the first beat upwind. We were able to keep the lead and the last leg was mainly match racing with Alinghi, so it was very exciting." Ferrari is sailing with a new tactician and if he does well at this event he is planning on attending the Rolex Farr 40 Worlds in Newport later this year.
With this incentive it is vital that the crew gets better with every race, which it appears to be, as tactician Sebastian Coll points out, "we improve all areas during these [two] days. We improve our starts from yesterday and our speed also. I am improving too. This is my first racing in Farr 40s and I am improving my way of giving information and managing the crew. For the last race we made everything good, we have an ordinary start but managed to get back in the fleet. As soon as we had a good opportunity to be in front we stayed focussed on that." Novice in the Farr 40 he may be, but Coll has just been promoted from the tactician's role he held on the Areva America's Cup team to helmsman - so clearly he is not lacking in talent.
But despite his experience at the grand prix level, even Coll found the form of Alinghi threatening in the last race, "it was hard to stay in front especially against Alinghi because they are sailing very well. We feel that the time was very long until the finish line, there was an extra beat to the end, the wind was dying and Alinghi kept very close."
The three races today were held in near identical conditions to yesterday, with 8 -10 knots starting from North-northeast and clocking gradually right during the afternoon to the North East. The Club Maritimo de Mahon Race Committee laid three courses of just over 6 Nm just outside the port, and despite the light wind shifting back and forth during the races; only one change of course was required during the final race of the day
In the first two races of the day the fleet again headed left, seemingly the wrong decision in the face of a right shifting wind. However, the left side of the course clearly had more pressure and a more stable breeze, which Tiziano Nava put down to the influence and proximity of the Menorcan landmass. As the wind turned more right, so the course opened up with the left being less favoured by the third race of the day.
Fiamma led the whole course in race 4, and in the early stages was hard pressed by Cannonball, which rounded the first windward and leeward marks in second, with Alinghi tight behind. The pressure clearly showed as a poor second beat saw Cannonball slip back to eighth where she finished some two minutes off the lead. Enfant Terrible and Mascalzone Latino traded places throughout the race with Gianluigi Serena's Enfant just grabbing third by less than a boat length.
Race 5 of the series saw service resume to the yesterday's pattern. TWT secured the pin end of the line and never looked back. Vincenzo Onorato's Mascalzone Latino held second for the first half of the race, whilst Enfant Terrible took the fight to Alinghi. On the second beat Bertarelli and crew broke clear, passed Mascalzone, and finished thirty seconds behind Marco Roldolfi.
The sixth race of the series saw the fleet facing with two choices for the first beat. Half the fleet played the right and the rest the left hand side of the middle of the course. No one went to the extreme left this time. Cannonball popped out in front and stayed there. Alinghi took another solid second. And, for a moment Mukka Express was right up in third place, eventually finishing sixth - capping a better day for Manfredo Toninelli's crew.
Alinghi drops to third; TWT keeps hold of second with two races to go
The third day of the Rolex Farr 40 European Championships saw three more races in the bag and a new leader climb to the top of the tree. Today was Mascalzone Latino Team Capitalia's day as Vincenzo Onorato and crew posted two seconds and scored their first bullet of the series to lead by 4 points going into the final day.
Once again it was a different winner each race, but the one new face was Mascalzone Latino, and tactician Adrian Stead felt the crew deserved their moment in the sun, "it was a very tricky day out there. I think we, as a team, sailed very well; we got three pretty good starts and kept the boat moving in some patchy conditions. Vincenzo did a great job upwind with Gerry [Mitchell] trimming and downwind his concentration was great too."
Mascalzone has been thereabouts since the outset and as Stead says, "it is an eleven race series and you do just have to keep chipping away at it. When Alinghi came in yesterday Simon [Daubney] said their day was the model of consistency and we tried to emulate that. So we're pleased. Yesterday we didn't have the best day, we ended up with a 3, 4, 5 and you've just got to keep being consistent."
No doubt having seen the overall lead chop and change during the three days so far, Stead shows no sign of overconfidence, "what we know about this fleet is that it is bloody tough; everyone is very good and if you make mistakes you get punished for them. We've still got two more races to go and there are a maximum of twenty points to pick up tomorrow. In order to win the regatta we need to get significantly less than that."
With a third, sixth and ninth today, Farr 40 European Class President, Carlo Alberini owner of Game On, is also finding it hard going, but he is enjoying the experience and sees it as invaluable preparation for the Rolex Farr 40 Worlds in Newport, "we are going to the Worlds in September and of course we hope to improve our performances [because] at the moment they are a bit low. Today we had three races with light wind. You could see that even Alinghi had its difficulties with boat speed. The races were very tactical and we had a good race, one really bad and one in the average - that is the game!"
After Mascalzone's success, the story of the day was the fall from grace of Alinghi. Tactician, Brad Butterworth found the lack of speed in the first two races surprising and even sent one of the crew down to look at the keel, "we weren't going that well so we decided to check everything to see if we could get a little bit more speed because the whole fleet was going faster than us. We were starting pretty well, but everyone was sailing around us, which is a little bit disconcerting. In the third race we got a nice shift up the first beat and led round the top mark, but still couldn't hold that lead down the run and only just led around the bottom mark. So as the breeze died, so our performance was not so good. Its something we have to learn." Butterworth feels that even with a poor day today the championship is far from over.
One happy customer is Gian Luigi Serena, owner of Enfant Terrible, who posted one first and two fifths, and currently lies in fourth overall. Speaking about today, Serena noted, "there were many windshifts and boatspeed was very important. Three races in these conditions were very challenging and all tacticians gave really their best. To pass from first to last was only a question of a quick moment. A great applause to all tacticians; it was hard work for them!"
Of the results so far, Serena is delighted, "Yes, I am very pleased with the results. It is the first year we are sailing in the Farr 40 Class. Of course we have to practice in boat handling, work on the boat speed and improve the trimming. At the moment we are going quite well. We are sailing very constantly. We are doing mistakes, but this is human. Those with the least errors are probably winning."
Organisers, the Club Maretimo de Mahon, faced a challenging time in their efforts to get three more races completed. A 40-minute delay to the first start allowed what breeze there was to stabilise from East of Northeast. Racing into a light and shifty wind that struggled to get to 5 knots really put the pressure on the crews. Big gains were there to be made, but equally big losses.
Race 7 saw Mascalzone Latino capture the favoured pin end and the bulk of the fleet headed left. One by one they tacked back over to the middle confirming the difference in conditions from yesterday. Alinghi went furthest right and by the windward mark was plum last showing none of the form of yesterday. Fiamma held a small lead over Mascalzone which she maintained until the finish, winning by 12 seconds, despite two course changes as the wind continued to swing about. TWT struggled to find her form in the light, but not as much as Alinghi, who following the race gave the keel and rudder a thorough check in the hopes of finding a obvious cause for their lack of pace.
The eighth race of the series was started in 4-5 knots, but with the wind being from the more familiar North East. TWT took the pin, whilst in the middle Fiamma got it all wrong being caught on port tack and above the line. By the time she had restarted the fleet was long gone and Barnaba's excellence in the first race was looking short lived. Enfant Terrible towards the middle of the line played the shifts on the first beat and secured a handy lead over TWT by the first mark, eventually going on to win by 19 seconds. Over the next two legs Fiamma clawed herself back into fifth and Mascalzone overtook TWT. Further ignominy befell Ernesto Bertarelli, who was struggling again, as just at the finish La Marachella squeezed inside the line to push Alinghi into seventh.
The final race of the day, (series race 9) started in fresher breeze, which eventually faded towards the finish. Enfant Terrible attacked the pin leading the majority of the fleet out left, whilst Alinghi went hard right. Mid-beat Alinghi and TWT came together at the head of the fleet, with Mascalzone and Cannonball not far behind. Bertarelli rounded the first two marks ahead of Onorato, but lost the lead shortly after the first leeward mark as once again Alinghi found it difficult going in the dying breeze. Mascalzone held on to win by 17 seconds from Cannonball, who edged Alinghi into third at the last.
The fifth biennial New York Yacht Club Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex will start tomorrow, hosting 161 boats and filling nine straight days with a variety of competitive sailing choices. The event's unique split-racing format makes it a popular draw, allowing sailors to customize their competition experience with handicap racing in the first half of the week (July 15-18) and/or one-design racing in the second half (July 20-23). An Around-the-Island Race, open to all entrants, takes place mid-week (July 19) and is scored separately.
One sailor who will compete in both segments is Gary Weisberg of Gloucester, Mass., whose J/109 Heat Wave is PHRF-rated for tomorrow's racing but will sail one-design with 19 other J/109s for that class's North American championship starting in six days. (Also sailing for their North American Championships in the second half are the Beneteau First 36.7, Farr 395 and Farr 40 classes, with the Melges 32s sailing their nationals.)
Weisberg's boat is the only shoal-draft boat among the J/109s registered, a configuration which has helped make him "scratch boat" in his PHRF class -- whereby all other boats owe him time on handicap. "It helps my PHRF rating but will most likely hurt me in the second half," said Weisberg, "since we're all sailing one-design then." Nevertheless, Weisberg is anxious to match up against old rival Superstition, another J/109, skippered by Chris Zibailo of Boston, Mass., which is also doing both sailing sessions.
Big names are lining up in the first-half's IRC Class A for the largest yachts competing. Taking the helm of Bob Towse's (Stamford Conn.) new Reichel/Pugh designed Blue Yankee will be Steve Benjamin (Norwalk, Conn.). Towse, who serves as navigator, said it will be "all about tactics," matching up with the other new Reichel/Pugh design Stark Raving Mad, owned by Jim Madden (Newport Beach, Calif.); Hap Fauth's (Newport, R.I.) 66-foot Bella Mente and the two Farr 60s Hissar and Numbers, owned by Edgar Cato (Charlotte, N.C.) and Dan Meyers (Boston, Mass.), respectively. "The remaining four boats in the class have lower ratings and will sail their own race," added Towse. "We just hope to sail fast enough to keep our time on them -- it's a great class."
Since Edgar Cato will be sailing his Farr 60 in the IRC division, his 12-Metre of the same name will be missed on the race course in the seven-boat 12 Metre class. The 12-Metres racing in Grand Prix division include Kiwi Magic, Right on White and USA 61, which has taken 1500 pounds out of its keel and made dramatic rig changes recently. All eyes will be on skipper Andy MacGowan (Middletown, R.I.) to see how the boat fares as these boats prepare for their North American Championships here later this season.. The legendary S&S designed classic 12-Metres Columbia, Courageous, Intrepid and Freedom will round out the fleet.
Two high-profile dinghy sailors and one Volvo Ocean Racer are adding color to the mix. Miami's Charlotte Hill, who was just named to the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association's 2006 All-American Team, will be calling tactics aboard the Navy 44 Flirt in IRC Class 4. Flirt is one of three boats entered in Race Week by the U.S. Naval Academy and skippered and crewed by midshipmen. "We have to do a certain amount of training in the summer," said Hill, "and this counts toward that. All of us here are either on the dinghy team or the offshore team and have completed at least our freshman years."
Another Miami resident Morgan Reeser, who won an Olympic Silver Medal in 470 Men's Class in 1992, will serve as tactician aboard Numbers, while Jerry Kirby (Newport, R.I.) will enter his comfort zone on the bow of the same boat. Kirby just completed sailing around the world in the Volvo Ocean Race doing the same position aboard third-place finisher Pirates of the Caribbean and will be assisted by his teenage son Rome in his duties.
A total of 66 boats will be sailing on two racing circles for this handicap portion of RaceWeek at Newport in three classes for IRC, three for PHRF and one each for Classics and 12-Metres. A total of up to 11 races are scheduled per circle, with competition taking place on Rhode Isalnd Sound or Narragansett Bay, depending on the weather. A Rolex timepiece will be awarded to the best overall performance in IRC and PHRF divisions.
Today's sunny weather made for a grand opener at the New York Yacht Club's Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex. The first half of the biennial event started today with 66 boats competing in handicap racing for three IRC and three PHRF classes as well as a class each for Classics and 12 Metres. A total of 161 boats will have participated in Race Week by the end of next weekend when the regatta's second half is completed for additional competitors in several one-design classes.
Local sailor Tom Rich (Middletown) made some keen early plays aboard Settler to top his PHRF Class 5. The entire regatta fleet was sent north of the Newport Bridge due to early-morning fog that race organizers thought would be quicker to lift there than on Rhode Island Sound. It was the right call, as the fog lifted and allowed Rich's class and three others to sail three races and the balance of the fleet to sail four in breezes ranging anywhere from 8-18 knots.
"We won all three races," said Rich, "because of decent starts and terrific crew work. The second race was pretty tight with Elan (John Hammel's Arlington, Mass. Entrant, currently in third overall), but the others were easier. We owe Elan a bunch of time on handicap. We weren't saving our time on him in the second race until the wind died, so we were lucky." Rich explained that among his all-Rhode Island crew were his two daughters, two nephews, a cousin and his wife. "It's a family affair."
Another PHRF boat with three victories in as many races was Samuel Croll's (Rye, N.Y.) Eight Metre Angelita in Classics. Avalanche, Craig Albrecht's (Sea Cliff, N.Y.) Farr 395, posted four bullets in PHRF Class 3. "Eight to 12 knots is the sweet spot for a Farr 395," said Albrecht, who counts this as his third Race Week at Newport and is watching past winner Hooligan (skippered by Riverside, Conn.'s Peter Brinckerhoff and currently in second overall) closely. "Plus we had the flat water, so we were fortunate today."
In IRC Class 1, favored competitor Bob Towse (Stamford, Conn.) and his Blue Yankee suffered a setback when on the second upwind leg of the first race the boat's mainsail parted from its track. The team's handy lead was not lost, and it went on to win the race, only to start the second race under jib alone before retiring for the day. "The one day the race committee is lucky enough to get four races in and we're unlucky enough to have this happen," said Blue Yankee's tactician Chris Larson (Annapolis, Md.), adding that he wasn't sure if the boat would make it to the starting line tomorrow.
The IRC Class 1 leader is certainly hoping it can. That would be Jim Madden, skipper of the Reichel/Pugh 66 Stark Raving Mad, who finished second to Blue Yankee in the first race and went on to post finish positions of 2-1-3. "We'll be disappointed if they can't make it," said Madden, "because they are such good competition. We have a relatively new boat, so as the day went on we got more and more comfortable with it and felt our way around the course better."
Two points separate top three with Mascalzone Latino & Alinghi in second and third respectively
Day one of the Rolex Farr 40 European Championships got underway with three close races of around 6.5 nautical miles each. TWT came out of the blocks the fastest with two storming and virtually unchallenged wins in races 1 & 2. The third race of the day saw the potential wildcard newcomers, Enfant Terrible, post an emphatic bullet that may be a taster for the rest of the event.
For Marco Roldolfi, owner of TWT and recently a father, it was a reasonable start to the regatta despite a difficult third race, "We are very happy. The boat is very fast and we are sailing well. Not a perfect day but like a perfect day." Explaining what happened in race three where he finished fourth, Rodolfi was philosophical given the level of competition at the front of the fleet, "Unfortunately, it was not very good the last race, but boats are very competitive so the people very strong. The wind shifted a little bit just at the start so we decided to start near the committee boat and in this case it was not such a good start, but we sailed fast and picked up some places on the second windward leg".
With a win and two solid fifths, Serena Gianluigi, owner of Enfant Terrible, was well satisfied with his initiation into championship level Farr 40 racing, "The races today were a real challenge, there were many windshifts, with light wind conditions. The third race came out very well for us - we won. We showed that there is winning potential with our boat, with our team. In the two other races, the boats were all close together and we tried to always be in contact with the leading boats."
Winning a race on the opening day had clearly put a gloss on the decision to race in the Farr 40 this year, as Gianluigi happily pointed out, "it is the first time we are winning a race in the Farr 40 Class and of course it is a very emotional. The level is absolutely top and therefore all boats are able to win. Many of the sailors are competing in the America's Cup, so really absolutely top racing."
As to the secret of their success in the third race, Enfant Terrible's tactician Paolo Cian felt that the main difference was the start, "We succeeded in protecting the right side of the line. We had a very good start on the right of the fleet and the wind was shifting to the right slowly during the first beat. We opened the gauge slightly and we manage at the first rounding probably a 4 boat lengths lead. We also did a couple of good gybes in the first part of the first run. We extended enough to have control on the race, even though I would say that Alinghi, TWT and Mascalzone Latino are very fast and they were closing, closing during the race."
Despite looking easy from a spectator's perspective, the win had been anything but according to Cian; "It's been a very tough race for us. Unfortunately, the wind was dying in the last run and when you have a lead and the wind goes down everyone is coming closer. Fortunately, the beat to the finish was short. But for a moment we felt were leading in the wrong race - the longest one with the lowest wind!
Racing took place just outside Port Mahon, with the Club Maritimo de Mahon race committee laying the three windward - leeward courses into just over 8 knots of North to North-Easterly wind and a very slight chop. As the racing progressed the light, shifty breeze began to move further right necessitating a couple of course changes in races 2 & 3.
Race one saw the bulk of the nine boat fleet head to the left side of the course, with TWT, Mascalzone Latino Team Capitalia and Alinghi leading the way. At the committee boat end of the line Cannonball and Mukka Express saw things differently and headed far right, a move that did not pay off ultimately for either.
At the first windward mark, Farr 40 European Class President Carlo Alberini's Game On looked to be in row two of the fleet until a bold move allowed him to sneak in between Alinghi and Mascalzone. Unfortunately for Alberini, his crew's good work was undone on the second windward leg when Game On was passed by three yachts - proving early on that there were passing opportunities available. As it was, Marco Rodolfi and tactician Tiziano Nava brought TWT home in first almost a minute ahead of Ernesto Bertarelli's Alinghi, which seemed to be showing no signs of rust in their first performance in a Farr 40 regatta for some while.
The second race was almost a re-run of race one. TWT, Mascalzone and Alinghi seemed inseparable at the front of the fleet, all opting for the left-hand side. By the windward mark, TWT had a 5-6 boat length lead over Vincenzo Onorato's Mascalzone, with Alessandra Barnaba's Fiamma showing good form in third. At the first leeward mark, Alinghi in fourth tacked onto port immediately after the gate rounding and playing the shifts well up the second beat put her into third by the finish. TWT won handsomely again, with a 45 second gap to Mascalzone in second.
Race three started with Fiamma at the pin end, Tommaso Chieffi calling tactics for Barnaba, TWT were mid-fleet and Alinghi on the right at the Committee Boat. It soon became apparent though that Enfant Terrible, also at the right, had made some real ground on the fleet; not bad for a clearly talented, but relatively novice Farr 40 crew. At the first windward mark, Serena Gianluigi and crew were some 4-5 boat lengths ahead of Mascalzone Latino, a position they did not relinquish during the remaining legs despite being pushed hard and facing a fading breeze towards the finish. TWT looked a little shaky early on in the race, rounding the first two marks in sixth place. On the second windward leg, TWT went hard left and had pulled herself up to third by the top mark. By the finish she was in fourth, just behind Alinghi, but it could have been much worse.
Racing at the Rolex Farr 40 European Championships continues tomorrow, 14th July, and finishes on Sunday 16th July. First start each day is at 1230 CEST.
PROVISIONAL OVERALL STANDINGS @1930 CEST
Pos/Boat/Owner/R1/R3/R4/Total
1/TWT/Marco Rodolfi/1.00/1.00/4.00/6.00
2/Mascalzone Latino/Vincenzo Onorato/3.00/2.00/2.00/7.00
3/Alinghi/Ernesto Bertarelli/2.00/3.00/3.00/8.00
4/Enfant Terrible/Serena Gianluigi/5.00/5.00/1.00/11.00
5/Fiamma/Alessandro Barnaba/4.00/4.00/5.00/13.00
6/Game On/Carlo Alberini/6.00/6.00/9.00/21.00
7/La Marachella/Sandro Pantaleo/7.00/9.00/6.00/22.00
8/Cannon Ball/Dario Ferrari/8.00/7.00/7.00/22.00
9/Mukka Express/Manifredo Toninelli/9.00/8.00/8.00/25.00
After 16 years of cruising, Jaja and I are taking a break. We bought land in Maine, and we’re building our first house. We’re doing everything ourselves: design, engineering, construction, roofing, siding, plumbing, and electrical. Self-sufficiency is a state of mind we’ve brought with us from our cruising days. Meanwhile, Driver is sitting regally in the boatyard where I work. She’s a high-and-dry monument to our current way of living. When I look at her through the windshield of my pickup, I recall moments from our recent five-year voyage. Yesterday I remembered the ice in Spitsbergen, Norway. A gigantic chunk drifted toward Driver, nearly crushing her against the shoreline. We hauled up the anchor quickly and deftly escaped tragedy. Sometimes I look at Driver’s faded black bottom paint and imagine I’m under water looking up at the hull as she speeds through the water . . . a rock’s eye view.
When cruising — particularly during long ocean passages — our imaginations wandered toward solid land. For years we fantasized about designing and building a house. Now that we are in the midst of realizing this dream, we fantasize about making long ocean passages. Escaping into opposite realms is therapeutic, a way to maintain perspective. With one foot in a seaboot and one in a hiking boot, we incorporate the lessons we learned while sailing to our advantage on land. For example, our house will be solar-powered. Photovoltaic cells and batteries worked well on our boat. Why not use them for our house? Our experience with solar panels began in 1989. Jaja and I were sailing across the Pacific on our 25-footer, Direction. Jaja had been under the weather for a while, so we hove into Pago Pago harbor at American Samoa to see a doctor. We had talked our- selves into believing she had some sort of tropical malaise. It came as no surprise, however, when the diagnosis was the imminent birth of our first child. In part our original diagnosis was correct; it’s called the
“Deserted White Sand Beach Syndrome.”
This was not the first of many “change of tacks” during our marriage. The first occurred a year earlier, soon after we eloped on the island of Barbados. We had our sights on the Pacific, but we were broke and figured on working for a year. Luckily, our parents offered bank checks as wedding gifts. The heck with working! We made a beeline for Panama and a life of tropical splendor.
While charging boldly across the Pacific we fantasized about our future: where we would live and how many kids we would have. Two kids would be perfect. We would sail for a couple of years, return to the States, then move ashore and start a family. If anyone had told us our voyage would last seven years and that we’d finish up with three children on the boat, there might have been mutual mutiny.
Samoa was a transitional time: Baby Number One was on the way. We were down to less than $500. We had no bank account, credit cards, or health insurance. Our families were frantic, and cyclone season was fast approaching. Everyone told us to sell the boat or ship it back to the States. Go home! Go home! It took a couple of weeks to take stock of our new position in life. We were in our late 20s and not very keen on responsibility. Parents? Us? While we were ruminating, Jaja took a waitressing job, and I found work as a commercial diver. I’d never done scuba before, but the pay was great.
One of the guys I worked with had an old solar panel. He sold it to me for $100. I installed it on Direction, and we reveled in the simplicity of solar energy.
Our nightly conversations centered on these questions: “Why does it seem mandatory for us to have a baby in the States? The world is liberally populated with individuals born elsewhere. Is there some prerequisite that requires Americans to give birth on American soil?” One option was to remain in American Samoa. We would get the “America” part without leaving the islands. With this in mind, Jaja visited the prenatal clinic. A dog roamed freely through the examination rooms. Later, we read in the newspaper about three mysterious newborn deaths at the hospital. The clincher came when we discovered that the maternity wing was located next to the hepatitis ward.
After receiving a boatload of unwanted advice, we decided to sail to Australia to have our baby. Using the money we had recently earned, Jaja filled Direction to the gills with food. Enough for several more months. She also ordered books on prenatal care and bought prenatal vitamins. Looking back, I’m sure we were procrastinating. Australia was several thousand miles away, representing another two months of cruising. We’d get to see Tonga, Fiji, and New Caledonia. Responsible or not, that was our decision, and it turned out to be a good one. Sometimes you just have to go with your gut.
The land we bought in Maine selected us, not the other way around. After a few days in Round Pond, we met a new friend, a realtor, who mentioned she had 25 acres for sale and that her client was particular about whom she would sell to. Very particular. Diane looked at us from head to toe and smiled, “I think you’ll do.”
We drove up to see it. It was only 10 minutes from the harbor. We walked the property line with our minds whir- ring in high gear. Was this for us? So fast? We weren’t actively searching for property. We were “just looking.” Our first choice for property, of course, was a big-sky view of the ocean’s horizon. But waterfront property, or even water view, is for the financially motivated.
Privacy in the forest was the next best thing, and the property was rich with it. There were red oak, birch, beech, white pine, hemlock, maple, and brown ash trees. Moose, deer, and squirrels roamed under the canopies, and beaver maintained dams on a small pond. The land was sloped, oriented to the south. Good light for solar panels. It was raw land without a structure, driveway, well, septic system, or power. Buying it would be like buying a bare sailboat hull: a lot of surface area for your dollar, but unusable until you make something of it.
Our Arctic journey had just ended; we’d only been back in the States for two months. We wanted to be land-based for a few years so our kids could have a sense of continuity through high school. But perhaps this was too much of a commitment. Should we buy undeveloped property? Fortunately, our voyages had been dominated by spontaneous decision making. We were in familiar territory. Our proclivity to choose options that don’t initially seem logical developed early on. Jaja and I recognized that we became different people when underway. Before a voyage, each hectic day is filled with schedules and lists. Away from land, schedules are left behind, the sky opens up, and possibilities seem unlimited. The hard part would be to retain this unencumbered attitude while living within the confines of land. We hoped we could achieve this in the forest.
After Chris was born in Australia we backtracked to New Zealand in 1990. Sailing with a baby was an eye-opener. Chris was a wiggle worm. He hadn’t yet learned that moving around on a boat can be most easily accomplished by lying perfectly still. Night watches at sea were a trial, especially with nighttime crying on the off-watch. There was also the reality of dirty cloth diapers in a boat that was battened down tight for sea. But we survived, and Chris survived. We knew we’d be more comfortable living ashore, but would we be happier? One of the main ingredients of youth is to see how you react to hardship rather than find ways to avoid it.
Although Chris was a result of spontaneous combustion, his sister, Holly, was carefully planned around visa applications and cyclone season. Back then, New Zealand offered a six-month visa on arrival. With a “good reason” you were allowed to extend that visa for another six months. After a year in the country, a visitor was required to leave. Our first extension was easy. Pregnant wife. When our year was up, however, Holly was 2 weeks old, and cyclone season was upon us. We asked immigration for a second extension to avoid sailing into the teeth of a storm. We pointed out that if we could stay until May, Holly would have complete head-and-neck control and updated immunizations . . . a much safer roposition for a sea voyage to the tropics. Immigration agreed, and so our New Zealand odyssey lasted 18 months. I also had a good job, and the extra time was profitable.
Our passage north to Fiji became the turning point in our seafaring career. After that experience, everything else paled by comparison. It began when our ideal “weather window” shattered two days after departure. The predicted high- pressure system, which was supposed to dominate the region for a week, shifted unexpectedly and moved on to dominate someplace else. Moderate southerlies changed to gale-force easterlies. The wind leveled off at 45 knots and didn’t let up for 90 hours. There was no turning back.
I had rebuilt Direction specifically for this type of condition (see Good Old Boat, January 2005). Small sails, stout rigging, hard dodger, and gasketed companionway doors. Good hatches. We rode the storm sailing close-hauled with the storm trysail. One knot of forward progress was our speed. Not much, but the momentum allowed Direction to power over the tops of most breaking wave crests. Occasionally a monster comber crumbled our way, picked Direction up like a volleyball, and spiked her into the trough.
Holly was 5 months old and breast-feeding. Chris was 2 years old and bored. We ate crackers and cans of cold soup because it was too rough to light the non- gimbaled stove. Hour upon hour, and day upon day, Jaja lay on the port settee under a blanket clutching Holly, and I lay on the starboard settee under a blanket clutching Chris. We listened to the sound of surf, tensing every time a comber rolled our way. We endured knockdown after knockdown. Salt spume infiltrated the cabin. Our clothes, bedding, and cushions were soaked. Every night at 1700 hours we tuned our single-sideband to Keri Keri Radio in New Zealand for the offshore forecast. “Sorry, folks, looks like another 24 hours of 45 knots.” Our life stretched out before us.
After the storm we were physically and mentally wiped out. Every fiber of our nerves was frayed. To spice matters up, fog and clouds prevailed for days after the storm, rendering my sextant useless. On Day 10 the sun reappeared. By now, I’d been plotting a DR course for more than 700 miles. Working that first set of running fixes after so long a lapse was exciting. I did the math using a pencil and paper and, like magic, by day’s end I knew to within several miles where we were. My DR had been pleasingly close: I had underestimated our distance run by less than 40 miles. We made 30 miles less leeway than calculated.
Power was our next problem to solve. After the storm, our solitary battery was stone dead. Without running lights or a VHF radio, we were concerned about ships at night. We tied a kerosene lantern to the mast to illuminate the sails, but the effect was imperfect. The problem was the solar panel. Water had found its way between two of the cells, shorting out a connecting “wire” (actually a thin strip of metal film).
My motto is to try fixing anything that’s broken. I may not always fix the problem, but I usually learn something about how things work. I figured in this case I might as well take the panel apart since I couldn’t break something that was already broken.
With nothing to lose, I carefully cut away a small square of the solar panel’s rubber backing, exposing the corroded metal film. All I needed to do was solder a piece of wire across the break. But with no power, I was unable to electrify my 12-volt soldering gun. I fired up the kerosene stove, held the tip of the soldering gun in the flame, then ran aft to the cockpit while it was still hot.
After 16 days at sea we reached Fiji. Or as Jaja put it, we reached Fiji after one-twenty-second of a year. Everything aboard was black with mold. The ideal environment for growth developed after the storm. Conditions had remained rough, obliging us to keep hatches closed, but the air temperature went from 50 to 75. The cabin transformed itself into a mire. In Fiji we scrubbed and cleaned for a week. At one point we cleaned mold out of Duplos (large-sized Lego bricks) using cotton swabs.
During the cleanup a new euphoria began to seep into our psyches. Things hadn’t gone the way we anticipated after leaving the coast of New Zealand, but we had dealt with our situation. By taking responsibility for our decision we raised the bar of our tolerance.
Three years later, after roaming around New Caledonia, Australia, Indonesia, and the islands of the Indian Ocean, we rounded Africa’s Cape of Good Hope. Shortly after Christmas, 1994, we left Cape Town for the long haul across the South Atlantic to the Caribbean: 5,200 sea miles. We made two stops: one at Saint Helena Island, the other at Ascension Island. The final leg between Ascension and Barbados would be 2,800 miles. Our longest passage to date. The prospect excited us. Every passage develops a personality of its own. The longer the passage, the more subtleties that get built into the fabric of shipboard life.
We could have made stops in South America to shorten the sea time, but that meant more coastal passage making. Chris and Holly were ages 3 and 4. Experience had taught us that coastal hops with children were more fatiguing than offshore passages. Chris and Holly fell in love with every place we visited and never wanted to leave. It took them several days to acclimate to the motion, both physically and mentally. Overnighters were tough.
Our 28-day passage between Ascension and Barbados was one of our best experiences. The wind never blew above 20 knots, and the temperature never fell below 75. The passage was symbolic. It was the final leg of our circumnavigation. We had departed Barbados seven years earlier as high-energy newlyweds; now we were where-did-all-that-energy-go parents. Our travels had taken turns beyond comprehension. We foolishly believed that after completing this voyage we would be “adventure-sated.” Dream accomplished.
The euphoric high of completing our circumnavigation in Barbados shifted unexpectedly to a different sort of euphoria five weeks later. On St. Maarten it was confirmed that Baby Number Three was on the way. We made our way northward through the Turks and Caicos, Bahamas, then up the U.S. East Coast. Eight months later, Direction was tied to a dock in a quiet North Carolina marina. Although seven years of voyaging were “officially” over, a new journey was just starting.
We had logged 15,000 miles during the last year and a half of our circumnavigation. That’s an accumulation of four months at sea listening to the wind, watching the sky, changing sails, finding islands, and above all, being together as a “unit.” We were connected to nature the way mammals are meant to be. We did not question our instincts. We lived how we wanted, not in a way we thought others would approve — or disapprove — of. Upon reaching North Carolina, our senses were not jammed with preconceived notions of “proper behavior.” Whatever that is.
Chris had been a hospital birth, and Holly had been born at a friend’s house with the assistance of a midwife. Baby Number Three we would deliver on our own. The impetus behind our decision was wanting our next (and last) child to have a special bond with Direction. Plus, Jaja was most comfortable on the boat.
Birthing our child without a doctor calling the shots was a huge responsibility. So we bought books and medical journals. We extinguished the “glamour” by educating ourselves on the problems we might encounter. A few friends knew what we were up to, and they were sworn to secrecy. We needed positive input, not do-gooders shouting, “You can’t do that! It’s unsafe! Irresponsible! Weird!” Although familiar with that attack (anyone who goes cruising automatically has some resistance to it), we didn’t want to spend energy fending off criticism.
On a cold January morning in 1996, Teiga Calypso opened her eyes for the first time under the dim cabin lights. Holly cut the cord. The five of us filled Direction to capacity. The cup was full.
For us, living in a rented house in Oriental, North Carolina, was similar to sailing into the doldrums. Our sails hung lifeless, and the horizon stretched on for eternity. I had a steady job, we owned a car, and friends and family came to visit. We had a phone, a fridge, a washer and dryer, and hot running water. We had bikes, a stroller, and rollerblades. We had all the “stuff” of success, but something was missing. We missed the thrill that we derived from taking chances, living for the moment, and making do.
The dreamed-of suburban life that had once seemed appealing now just tested our patience. I was earning more money each week than I could earn doing odds jobs while cruising, but we were slipping backward. Rent, car insurance, electric bill, phone bill, water bill. When Jaja and I first set out on Direction, $5,000 a year was ample. Near the end of our voyage $8,000 was enough. The chief reason our voyage lasted seven years is that we spent on average six months working and six sailing. I varnished, fiberglassed, and did commercial cleaning, house carpentry, and boat carpentry. There was always a job when the coffers ran low. In fact, we’d made enough money in New Caledonia and Australia to complete the journey in one final leg.
Coping with a newborn on land had stolen our breeze. Funny how it never happened on the boat. This was an- other one of those transitional times. We had assumed that “settling down” was the natural course of events, the next leg in life’s journey. Instead, we felt like seaweed at low tide, exposed and out of our element.
Our next decision seeped into our pores steadily and surreptitiously. We looked at each other across the breakfast table one morning and, without saying a word, agreed it was time to go. With a baby and two toddlers our lives would be richer on a boat than they would be in suburbia.
A year earlier, when drifting across the equator, Jaja had talked often about Iceland . . . about how exciting it would be to circumnavigate that country. Those musings were the catalyst for what would follow.
Teiga was 6 months old when we found Driver, a 20-year-old boatyard derelict. I offered half the asking price, and she was ours. A yearlong refit transformed her into a oceangoing family dwelling. Jaja and I made a transformation as well. Our apathy disappeared. We were back in our element.
What began as a summer trip to Iceland evolved into a five-year odyssey. The apex of the voyage was sailing to the pack ice at 79° 50' N. The Arctic winters aboard Driver were a welcome contrast to our years in the tropics. The hardships we chose to endure in the far north were so rich with life that we did not notice the life was difficult — although everyone kept telling us that it was.
The Driver voyage began with question marks but ended with answers. During our years in Iceland and Norway, the Scandinavian culture revealed a way of life that we’d been seeking but hadn’t recognized. Our friends there lived in modest houses with nature out the back door. A concurring theme was to “make do with less and spend time together as a family.” This was our boat philosophy.
Living in a Maine forest is a radical contrast to the open horizon that has called to us all these years. But as I sit here at my sun-powered computer and view the sea of trees that surrounds us, I know that, once again, we are going down the right path. For a while, anyway.
This article was first published in Good Old Boat magazine, July 2005.
Dave and Jaja Martin have just released a new lifestyle DVD, Ice Blink, featuring the voyages made by their family of five. For more information or to order, go to www.iceblinkssail.com.
Into the Light, their book about their northern travels which was published in 2002, is being produced as an audiobook by Good Old Boat magazine. It is being narrated by Jaja Martin. For more about this and other audiobooks, go to www.goodoldboat.com/audio.html.
Among the best ways to enjoy sailing, and to improve your sailing skills, is with a small boat. Small boats allow you to experience different bodies of water without the time involved in sailing a big boat to a destination. Granted, overnight accommodations need different preparations but there are campgrounds, B&B’s, motels, hotels and lots of other options.
Depending on the boat, it could be transported on the top of your car or towed on a trailer. It makes a convenient way to transport extra gear for an extended trip. Set up time is minimal and the job is easy. You can sail in a different body of water each day or, if you find a place that appeals more, you can spend several days in that location. Weekend “cruises” to varying locations are now a reality.
Small boats are great teachers. A little practice in shallow water can be used to teach the right way to get a capsized boat back on its bottom. Then, with the proper PFD donned, you are off to get the feel of a boat. If something dumb is done on a small boat it will be manifest by being dunked in the water. With a little more sailing you will get the feel of the boat. You will learn how to move your weight around in the boat to preclude occasional dips. Small boat experience will translate to big boat knowledge The opposite is not always true. The righting provided by keel ballast forgives many sailing blunders
Regardless the boat or the venue, keep improving your sailing skills, spend time on the water, keep the boat in shape and enjoy sailing.
One of the greatest things that happened in my life is the Chicago Mackinac Race. Before the start of the race, I get this wonderful feeling that there is no place in the world that I would rather be or nothing else that I would rather be doing.
In last year’s Mac, a powerboat off Frankfort came out Sunday morning to tell us that we were leading the fleet. We could see the three boats behind us. From there to the Island, we had a great 4-boat race. We finished within five minutes of each other. We finished in third place! The racing, for us in our new 12-year old boat, was sensational!
It reminded me of the race three years ago, when three miles from the finish, we saw these green clouds coming at us. The prediction was 30-40 miles per hour winds. We knew that we only had to hold onto our position and with our time allowance we would win. Instead of 30-40 miles per hour winds, it came in at 70 to 80! We got the boat up to 23 miles per hour before we broke our mast.
I could go on and on and on, but “What a Great Life”!
John Nedeau is a member of the Island Goat’s Sailing Society (or Old Goats). To be an Old Goat you must have sailed in at least 25 Chicago Mackinac races. John Nedeau has currently sailed in 58 Chicago Mackinac races. He is the senior “Old Goat” and has not missed a “Mac” race since 1958. His current boat is Windancer VII a Santa Cruz 70.
When I started working at Torresen Marine I knew very little on the subject of sailing. In an attempt to further my education I would take home the VHS tapes from the store shelves. It was Irving Johnson: High Seas Adventurer that I recall most fondly. That is where I discovered Mr. and Mrs. Irving and Electa Johnson. If you are unfamiliar with the Johnson’s let me take this opportunity to introduce you to them and their legacy.
Irving Johnson was born July 4th, 1905 in Hadley, Massachusetts. After training throughout his teens for life at sea, Irving immediately served on two vessels as Captain and Chairman. In 1926 he joined the Merchant Marine. Whilst in the Merchant Marine he served on several vessels, including freighters, steamships, and the J-Boats. It was on these adventures that he would also test his filmmaking skills. Aboard the sailing vessel PEKING he documented the voyage around Cape Horn. This 16mm footage would one day be edited to make his famous film, “Around Cape Horn”.
Eventually Irving took a job aboard the schooner WANDER BIRD where he would meet Electa, known to most as “Exy”. (I have tried to locate her maiden name, but have ended the search in vain.) Electa had recently accompanied a friend aboard the WANDER BIRD for a weekend cruise. It was after this short venture that she would leave her job and join the W.B.’s crew officially. The couple would meet, as it is retold on “a rough autumn day in 1931 off Le Harve in the English Channel. Electa had purchased a Siamese kitten in Paris. The kitten did not take to the sea and died. To console herself, Exy decided she needed a haircut, especially since there was a young crewman aboard who liked to cut girls’ hair, if it were the right girl.” Apparently she was the right girl as one haircut and one year later Electa would marry the would-be barber, Irving Johnson.
Irving and Electa Johnson would, from this point forward, embark on 7 global circumnavigations. Crews were generally handpicked amateurs and comprised of “4 girls, 16 men, 1 doctor, and a mate.” The crew shared expenses, and sailing experience was not required. The vessels used in these ventures varied over the years, but most flew under the name YANKEE.
YANKEE’S global adventures were interrupted when Irving was called to service by the military during World War II. It was his knowledge of the Pacific Islands that would be utilized for navigational advice. The Johnson’s, now with two children in tow, would be moved to Honolulu, where they would find themselves on December 7th, 1941. The Pearl Harbor attack and WWII would keep the Johnson’s from their travels until Irving was discharged from service.
Next month I will wrap up with a 2nd article on the Johnson’s. In the meantime be sure to check your local library, and the Internet for any information on this amazing couple.
For the nine Farr 40s gathered in Mahon, Menorca for the Rolex Farr 40 European Championship - the fifth time the championship has been held - today was an opportunity for final testing interspersed with the formalities of measurement and crew-weighing.
Although the fleet is small, a number of the teams are using the event as preparation for the Rolex Farr 40 Worlds scheduled for Newport, Rhode Island, in September; so some good competition is anticipated. Organising Club, the Club Maritimo de Mahon (CMM), is hoping to run 11 races over the next four days; a seemingly brutal schedule that even the America's Cup regulars who are here in abundance may find draining. Manuel Nadal, Technical Director of the Championship and all sailing events hosted by the CMM, endorsed the quality of the competition, "For us, it's really important the fact to host the Rolex Farr 40 European Championship. On the start line we will have 9 boats; maybe it isn't too much but the level of the fleet is quite impressive, and among the crew list you can find a lot of sailors coming from the America's Cup."
With midday temperatures hovering in the low thirties, keeping weight down has probably proved quite straightforward for those of the crew who have been hard at work preparing their boats over the past couple of days. The biggest worry may well be keeping fluid levels sufficiently up. The weather forecast shows high pressure dominating the region, and the expectation is for the heat to remain and light winds from the North or North East for the period of the regatta. Principal Race Officer for the event is Pedro Palay Artigues and, despite the forecast, he remains optimistic that the planned racing programme will be achieved, "with 8 to 10 knots and courses lasting around one hour, I am hopeful we will see the full eleven races."
Whilst the favourites on paper would no doubt include Alinghi, Mascalzone Latino and TWT, the nature of Farr 40 racing is such that the overall winner could come from anywhere in the fleet. Stringing a series of good, consistent results together is the key rather than necessarily having to win every race, or indeed any at all. One relative newcomer to Farr 40 racing is Enfant Terrible and its owner, Serena Gianluigi, "This year is the first time on the Farr 40 circuit. It is a good class and much harder here I think with the little fleet." Whilst Gianluigi plays down his chances, his record suggests he might do quite well. A long-time IMS sailor - Gianluigi won the Giraglia Rolex Cup in 2001 - and his one-design record is also relevant. In 2005, he won the Italian Mumm 30 Championships, so is no stranger to tight racing. Recognising the Farr 40 to be a step up, Gianluigi has brought in a familiar name to call the shots, " Our tactician is Paolo Cian of Team Shosholoza, who has sailed with us in the Mumm 30". As a guide to Gianluigi's Farr 40 form, he and his crew finished 5th in the recently completed three-event Mediterranean circuit.
Despite winning the Worlds in 2001, the Alinghi team could take time to find its feet again in this competitive class. Brad Butterworth, tactician for the week, has not sailed on a Farr 40 since the 2000 Worlds in Newport, when he was with Vincenzo Onorato. Bertarelli has not set foot in the class for around two years. Add in the fact that three of the crew are catamaran sailors from Lake Geneva and results for one of the pre-regatta favourites look less predictable, but Butterworth is clearly happy to be here, "it's a little while since we've been in the fleet, but we really enjoy sailing in the Farr 40 and think it's a great class and good fun. We're looking forward to some good racing here even though its going to be quite light for the first few days."
Of the mix of crew, Butterworth is equally relaxed, "We've got three other Swiss guys that sail with us and they all sail on the [Decision 35] catamaran with Ernesto on the Lake of Geneva. They do a lot of sailing, though not necessarily on the sea. They are cat sailors so the Farr 40's a bit slower and a little bit more docile. They enjoy it, the racing is closer of course and little mistakes mean a lot."
TWT also seem to feel that they could have done with more practice given the level of competition. "The fleet here is not so big but the level remains strong, with Mascalzone Latino one of the fast boats, they have a good chance. Ernesto Bertarelli comes back to the fleet with a terrific crew. Barnaba [Fiamma] is sailing with Tommaso Chieffi, so he is in good place too," commented tactician Tiziano Nava. Nava is looking forward to some good racing, "It's nice place, nice port and probably nice conditions for racing. Today is not so nice forecast but we find enough wind to probably 12 knots which make a good race. Pretty stable but with some shifts so you can play the tactics."
In contrast to those short on recent experience, Mascalzone Latino is apparently participating in their seventh Farr 40 event of the season and the team's eyes are very firmly set on converting its early season form into success at this event.
Racing at the Rolex Farr 40 European Championships starts tomorrow, 13th July, and continues until Sunday 16th July. First start each day is at 1230 CEST.
ENTRY LIST
Team/Owner & Helm
Alinghi/Ernesto Bertarelli
Cannonball/Dario Ferrari
Enfant Terrible/Serena Gianluigi
Fiamma/Alessandro Barnaba
Game On/Carlo Alberini
La Marachella/Sandro Pantaleo
Mascalzone Latino/Vincenzo Onorato
Mukka Express/Manfredo Toninelli
TWT/Marco Rodolfi
Ellen MacArthur will be on the start line off the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes today (13/07/2006), lining up for the start of the Cowes–St. Malo race with her crew that includes boat captain Loik Gallon (FRA), Offshore Challenges Sailing Team shore crew Erwan le Meilleur (FRA) and Sebastian Chenier-Proteau (CAN), plus MacArthur’s business partner and OC Group CEO, Mark Turner (GBR). Turner’s presence perhaps marking the significance of this race that will be the last competitive race for MacArthur and her crew onboard the world record-breaking 75ft trimaran <
This edition sees the Cowes-St Malo event celebrating its 100th anniversary and over 200 boats are expected to compete from classic yachts to speed machines. The 75-foot trimaran <
“It should be a great spectacle out on the water. Classic racing yachts will be racing alongside modern racing machines. The forecast looks set for some light to moderate conditions, starting with a northerly 6-10 knot breeze and finishing with an easterly 10-15 knots off the French coast, although there is a chance of stronger 25-knot breeze off Alderney. This will be the final race in the calendar of events for the <
The first Cowes-St.Malo race started on the 24th August 1906 with just four entries in total, of which only two finished, the race continued to grow over the years reaching a peak of 300 in the 1970’s. <
Once in France <
Having barely had the time to recover from the express Atlantic crossing (4 days 8 hours), the Orange II crew sailed towards the boat's technical base in Lorient in order to carry out the necessary repairs on the port rudder blade (see right picture), damaged during the record. The giant cat will also undergo a quick overall check-up. Orange II probably won't be able to line up for the speed sessions in Douarnenez this week-end, but will promptly take to the sea again…
See you in London
In fact, the mighty ship will set sails on July 22, heading for London, where she will stay the 24th and 25th, moored next to Tower Bridge: her sive prevents her from going under the famous monument!
Milwaukee, Wisconsin - After an impressive and consistent showing, Amanda Johnson (Berwyn, Pa.) and Ellie O'Brien (Westfield, N.J.) won US SAILING's U.S. Junior Women's Doublehanded Championship today. The two young sailors, who sail out of New Jersey, showed up at the National Championship well-prepared, optimistic, and eager. Their experience and positive attitude paid off well: they took the lead on the first day of racing and never gave it up. Sailed in Club 420s, the U.S. Junior Women's Doublehanded Championship is sponsored by Vanguard Sailboats and was hosted by Milwaukee Yacht Club, who stepped up to the plate earlier this year after Lake Pontchartrain Yacht Club in New Orleans needed more time to recover from Hurricane Katrina.
The regatta win was by no means easy for Johnson and O'Brien: they defeated 41 other teams, all of whom came into the regatta with impressive sailing resumes. After two days of clinics, led by 2004 Olympian Meg Gaillard, the competitors were ready to get to work. With five races completed on the first day of the Championship, Johnson/O'Brien took a quick lead with finishes of 2-2-3-1-4. The rest of the fleet was immediately at least 17 points behind. And that is how the regatta ended: with 32 points total, the winners finished 17 points ahead of the second place team of Ann Haeger (Lake Forest, Ill.) and Lindsey Kent (Thiensville, Wis.). Emily Lambert (Cumberland Foreside, ME) and Liv Gunnarsson (River Vale, N.J.) finished third overall with 57 points.
For their win, Johnson and O'Brien will be presented with the Ida Lewis Trophy at an awards dinner this evening "It was a great event for us," said Johnson in a celebratory mood after coming off the water this afternoon. "We'll be back next year."
Top international sailors and Swan owners from around the globe will take part in a week of intense competition for the 14th edition of the Rolex Swan Cup (September 11th to 17th), organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in Porto Cervo. Nautor's Swan anticipates that more than 100 Swans will come together for this unique competition, ensuring that a wide range of models from the SwanLine will be represented at this biennial event. Performance cruising and racing models will be present, including five Swan 601s, over twenty Swan 45s and four new Swan 100s which will make their debut in this competition.
Since 1966, over 1860 Swans have been constructed at Nautor's constantly evolving yard in Pietarsaari, Finland. In honour of Nautor's 40th anniversary, the Swan 36 Tarantella, the first ever Swan, will be attending, bringing an 'historical' element to the event. Nautor's Swan will also present the Swan 66, its 40th anniversary model, a true performance cruiser that embodies everything that "Swan" stands for".1
Enrico Chieffi, Vice President of Marketing and Sales for Nautor's Swan comments: "I am delighted that such a great variety of Swan models will gather in Sardinia for this highly competitive regatta. It is a really special event for Nautor's Swan as we celebrate the company's 40th Anniversary and I am pleased that Swan owners and their guests will be able to celebrate with us in such a beautiful setting. With many competitors aiming to win the new 'Combined Maxi Swan' trophy, the event promises to provide a challenging week of racing."
The Rolex Swan Cup follows the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup (September 3rd to 10th) and this year Swans over 60 feet competing at both events will be eligible for the Combined Maxi Swan trophy. Points scored at each event will be added to find the overall winners in each Swan class.
This regatta will provide a global sailing stage for some of the world's best-known sailors including Roy Heiner, mastermind behind ABN Amro's Volvo Ocean Race success, who will join Roel Pieper (BVI) onboard Favonius. The provisional list of entries also includes Leonardo Ferragamo (ITA) Swan 45 Cuordileone, Leslie Green and Calvert-Jones (AUS) Swan 45 Ginger and Stuart and MarrGwen Townsend (USA) Swan 100S Virago. Sir Peter Ogden (GBR) owner of Swan 601 Spirit of Jethou will also take part.
The toughest racing is expected to come from the boats taking part in the one-design Swan 45 division. According to former America's Cup helm Andy Green (GBR), who will be calling tactics on board Belgian owner Bernard Lambillotte's Swan 45 Nemo:: "This is a really special event for the team as we can enjoy the combination of competitive racing in beautiful surroundings. The team will be well prepared for this event, having participated in various regattas such as the Giraglia Rolex Cup earlier in the year. Although we realise racing will be tough with so many top class sailors taking part, we are determined to finish among the top three."
This year the Rolex Swan Cup is sure to deliver a spirited week of racing and gala social events. The regatta will involve four classes: the Swan 601 and Swan 45 One-Design Classes, the Grand Prix and the Classic Swan Class. There will also be a non-racing division for Swan owners who would prefer to cruise around the island and soak up the stunning scenery.
A full programme of shoreside events will begin on the Monday with a welcome cocktail party. The following race days will include prize giving ceremonies and glamorous socials throughout the week. An owner's dinner hosted by Nautor's Swan will be held on the Tuesday and a musical evening will take place on the Wednesday. There will be a Rolex Owners dinner, hosted by YCCS (By Invitation) on the Friday, a Rolex Crew Party on the Saturday and the event will draw to a close on the Sunday, with a final prizegiving.
The Rolex Swan Cup continues to attract yachts from every part of the world for racing, cruising and a glamorous social programme. The striking mix of events will create a unique competition in true "Spirit of Swan" style.
Orange II crossed the finishing line at The Lizard this evening at 19h24 GMT. Setting out from New York on Sunday, Bruno Peyron and his maxi catamaran with eleven crewmen crossed the North Atlantic in 4 days, 8 hours, 23 minutes and 54 seconds at an average speed above 27 knots via the theoretical route. The Orange II Dream Team improved on the record set by Steve Fossett’s PlayStation by 9 hours 4 minutes and 12 seconds, a record that was said to be unbeatable. Here are some of Bruno Peyron’s first reactions a few seconds after he crossed the finish:
Your first feeling?
« It’s immense joy...There are smiles on all the tired faces. It’s only normal as we have given it our all and sometimes in life doing your utmost is a good thing. We’re focused on what is happening at the moment. For me, that makes three Jules Verne Trophies and three Atlantic records. What I like too is the way it happened. Things went exactly as planned. The whole crew reacted just right and at the right moment. We hit a bit of ice. I think at least that that was what it was. But we reacted correctly. The boat is “wounded” but in one piece and safe, so we can be proud of our work. It all feels a bit strange. It’s as if we only set out from New York yesterday.
Was it a very exhausting record?
It’s a physical record that requires commitment. There weren’t many of us here. We chose to go with a total of twelve in two watches, so automatically that takes a lot of effort. But it’s a pleasant tiredness. On the circumnavigation, it’s rather different, as you have to manage things over a longer period. This time we were in the plane on the eve of setting sail and jet lag or not, we set sail immediately. Moreover we hoped we wouldn’t have too many manoeuvres to do, but we ended up doing twenty or so. We did them with the whole crew out on deck, even at 35 knots in the middle of the night in the mist, of course. When the watch “on rest” is woken up twice, it is certainly tiring.
The damage to the rudder?
We lost between 6 an 8 hours with this incident with the rudder, but really it’s not that serious, even if we know we could do better and the boat deserved better. But I’ll say it again, it doesn’t really matter. It gives our friends and enemies a bit of a chance to try and beat us… and it will give us another chance to come back and try again, even if it wasn’t deliberate.
Is it possible to cut the time to below 4 days?
Without hesitation, yes. When we did our route planning before the collision with the UFO, this bit of ice, we were in the process of setting a time of less than four days. So, I’ll say it again: without hesitation, yes. Crossing in less than four days is possible.
There’s competition arriving with some new maxis…
Competition? They have a margin of around ten hours. We could have done it in that time, but I think we have left them around ten hours. I’m pleased the rivals are signing up, as if we are still number one in this sport, we’re going to have to fight to remain at the top. The new crews are very fine teams, very efficient…
Is it the victory of a group?
That’s for sure. During the Jules Verne in 93, I discovered what could happen with a crew. We managed to push this idea of group work with the Orange Sailing team all the way. It is the Dream Team, if you like to call it that… What I mean is we can go without seeing each other for 3, 4 or 6 months, but everything becomes a reflex again after 10 minutes, and that is something magical. When you do a team sport at this level of competition, you have to know how to go all the way, together and in style. Afterwards, it’s life which decides who smiles or not. With us, it almost came to an end with that bit of ice in the middle of the voyage…
The 24 hour record?
We were the first to cover 600 miles with a crew, the first at 700 miles and now the first at 750 miles (766 in fact, editor’s note)…
The French team in the final, Amélie Mauresmo in the final, the record for Orange II…
I don’t know what colour Amélie wears, but that’s fabulous. Domenech’s boys in blue, us in Orange… some pretty colours for this sporting weekend. It’s great. Simply perfect!
History of the North Atlantic record
The first record on this route was set by Charlie Barr, the captain of the Atlantic schooner. The proud vessel managed to complete the crossing in 1905 in 12 days and 4 hours, a time that was to remain the record for 75 years. In 1980, Eric Tabarly and his foiler Paul Ricard improved on Barr’s performance by two days, crossing the Atlantic at an average speed of 11.93 knots. Following that, the attempts and improvements came at a steady pace. The record would gradually be improved upon by the French expert multihull racers: Marc Pajot, Patrick Morvan, Loïc Caradec, Philippe Poupon and finally Serge Madec... On board Jet Services V (the future Commodore Explorer), he was to set a record (6 days, 13 hours and 3 minutes) in 1990 that was to last 11 years. We had to wait for the right moment and Steve Fossett’s attempt to see the record fall: on 10th October 2001, PlayStation set the historic record of 4 days, 17 hours, 28 minutes and 6 seconds. Since then, only Bruno Peyron has made an attempt at the record. Holder of the single-handed Atlantic record on two occasions, the skipper of Orange II has not yet managed to improve on this crewed record. We should add that on his last attempt back in August 2004, he missed out on the record by a whisker (just 31 minutes).
Orange II is going to shatter the North Atlantic record this evening at around 18H GMT
The deed is almost done. Unless there is some damage or an incident occurs in the last minutes, Bruno Peyron and the other eleven men on board will be smashing the North Atlantic record this evening. Already the fastest around the world and the fastest over 24 hours, the Orange II maxi catamaran is due at the finishing line off The Lizard at around 18H GMT. They will thus have crossed the Atlantic in 4 days and around 7 hours, improving by about ten hours on Steve Fossett’s record, that was said to be unbeatable. Quite amazing.
In a few hours, Orange II will be almost certainly be entering the history books of sailing by shattering the North Atlantic record between New York and The Lizard at the south western tip of Britain. After one final tack to get back on track, Bruno Peyron’s maxi-catamaran with her crew of eleven others is due to cross the finishing line at around 18H GMT, thus improving on the time set by Steve Fossett’s PlayStation by around ten hours. They will be raising the bar once again that was previously set at 4 days, 17 hours, 28 minutes and 6 seconds.
At the check-in at 14h18 GMT, Orange II only had about 80 miles to go and was still advancing at an average speed of 20 knots. As expected, the wind eased off and the crew have been gentle with their boat due to the damage to Orange II’s port rudder following a collision with an unidentified floating object the day before yesterday.
During the radio session with Jean Maurel, Bruno Peyron explained: «The speed has dropped off, but it was deliberate because of the problem with the rudder and the wind eased off as forecast. However, still with 17 knots of wind, we’re managing speeds of 24 knots… »
Above all, on the contrary to what happened during the 2004 attempt, when they had to push the boat hard and failed by a measly half hour, Orange II is this time a long way ahead in her position. At the fifth comparison point, they had a lead of almost 300 miles over PlayStation… or around half a day’s sailing.
«We’re using our lead well including in our calculations the short final tack», explained Bruno Peyron, that isn’t worrying me. We’re really acting cautiously to ensure that the rudder stays with us until the end.»
«It’s beginning to feel good»
While like any self respecting sailor, Bruno Peyron swears "he feels nothing until the finishing line is crossed,» he admitted in the end: «To be totally honest, it’s beginning to feel good. The seas aren’t rough and the rudder has held out for a day and a half, so I don’t see why it should break today, so if everything goes smoothly until late today it will be fine!»
They had to finish before tomorrow morning at 4h28 to break the record. Orange II will be achieving a majestic victory by improving on this record by almost half a day, in the end probably around ten hours ahead.
«It will firstly be a feeling of pride for the teams that worked on the boat ashore last winter», the boss explained, «because we realised that the boat’s potential speed had been stepped up a notch. All of that is a question of development, a bit of reflection, a permanent questioning and when things turn out right, it’s very pleasing. Then, it’s only human to be happy at the finish. However, we’re not there yet. I can talk about that more tomorrow.»
The big rival, Steve Fossett, has already congratulated the crew for this exceptional crossing. «We received a little message from Steve yesterday », Bruno Peyron added, «as pleasant as ever, each time we break one of his records, as he’s such a decent chap. I’m joking, because he’s pleased it was us. In any case, someone had to smash it one day!»
Zizou’s blue team and Peyron’s Orange team…
‘One day’ has come. In just a few hours. When the large Orange bird crosses the line at The Lizard to become the fastest yacht ever to cross the Atlantic. At 12h22 GMT, Orange II was only 114 miles from the finish (211 km) and sailing in the mist at 25 knots towards glory. The average speed since New York has reached 29 knots. Zinedine Zidane’s blue boys are achieving something exceptional at the moment. Bruno Peyron’s Orange lads too.
Portsmouth, R.I. (July 6, 2006) - US SAILING, the national governing body of the sport, has announced its slate of nominees for its Board of Directors. Starting October 19, the membership of US SAILING will have the opportunity and responsibility to vote for its fellow members to serve them and the organization for the coming year. In addition, the organization's Nominating Committee has announced that Jim Capron (Annapolis, Md.) has been nominated to serve as President.
This is the first time in the history of the organization that members can elect the members of its Board of Directors. In October 2005, US SAILING amended its Bylaws to restructure the organization and dramatically downsize the Board of Directors, from 49 to 14 members, making it more nimble and efficient.
Unlike the Board of Directors candidates, whom will be elected by the membership of US SAILING, the position of President will be elected by the Board of Directors. The nominee for President, Jim Capron, is a long-time sailor and is currently a US SAILING Vice President. Capron has served in various positions on different committees. He is a certified US SAILING Judge and Umpire, an ISAF International Judge and International Umpire, and a member of the ISAF International Judges Subcommittee. As an official, Capron has served as a judge and/or umpire at many international events, including the 2000 Olympic Games, the 2003 Louis Vuitton Cup, Whitbread/Volvo Ocean Races, and the ISAF World Sailing Games. At US SAILING, Capron has been chairman of the Judges and Race Administration Committees and has served on the Executive Committee and Board of Directors since 2001.
The Board of Directors plays a critical role in guiding US SAILING's policy, programs, strategic planning, and overall fiscal responsibility. The slate of nominees for the Board of Directors is as follows:
* Running for a one-year term:
Dick Allsopp or Charles G. (Chuck) Hawley
Jim Tichenor or Robin Wallace
Susan Epstein (running unopposed)
* Running for a two-year term
Jerelyn Biehl or Amy Gross-Kehoe
David W. (Chip) Johns II or Dave Lumian
Bill Stump (running unopposed)
* Running for a three-year term
Tom Hubbell or John C. (Chris) Luppens
Patty Lawrence or Suzi Reese
Jerome Montgomery (running unopposed)
The Rolex Farr 40 European Championship 2006 takes place next week, from 11th to 16th July, off Mahon, capital of the Spanish Mediterranean island of Menorca. The calibre of fleet attracted may raise a few eyebrows and confirms just how competitive the Farr 40 fleet remains at all levels.
Twelve Farr 40s have confirmed their entry so far. The most notable entry is that of Ernesto Bertarelli and Alinghi. Bertarelli's credentials in this class go deeper than success at the America's Cup in 2003. In 2001, with Russell Coutts calling tactics, Bertarelli won the Rolex Farr 40 Worlds in Cowes. Three of the professionals onboard at that event are returning - trimmers, Warwick Fleury and Simon Daubney plus, bowman, Curtis Blewett. The fourth professional is Brad Butterworth, tactician on the winning team at the last three America's Cups and winner of the 89/90 Whitbread Round the World Race. Joining these illustrious sailors are some talented amateurs, Decision 35 catamaran racer Francois Mordasini, together with Alwin Arnold, Andrew Graham and Greg Kurtz Lsett
Facing up to Bertarelli will be another Cup syndicate head, Vincenzo Onorato, who leads the Mascalzone Latino - Capitalia challenge. A multi-world champion in his own right, Onorato has just added the Sardinia Rolex Cup/ISAF Offshore Team Worlds to his list of achievements and his stated aim this year is to win the Rolex Farr 40 Worlds. So far he seems on track with overall victory in the three event 2006 European Circuit. Mascalzone Latino's worst result in 21-race series was a ninth - just the sort of consistency and form that wins championship events in the Farr 40 class. Tactician Adrian Stead, also part of the victorious Team Sardegna at the Sardina Rolex Cup (albeit on a TP52), has plenty of experience at this level and believes the team to be well prepared: "We're pretty excited about this regatta and we've had a good season so far. The team's good, the team's very positive. We have a great crew and a really good boat." But Stead by no means underestimates the opposition, "the fleet's going to be 10 or 11 very strong boats and we will have to sail smart to get a good result. We're going to have some good competition, the Alinghi guys with Ernesto Bertarelli helming, Marco Rodolfi on TWT."
And Stead is right; TWT are definitely another form team going into this event. Rodolfi and crew were a close third (1 point off the boats tied in first) at the Rolex Farr 40 Worlds in Sydney in 2005 and were second on the European Circuit, where an eleventh was their worst result of the series. Other entrants at the Championships include European Farr 40 Class President Carlo Alberini and Calvi, Alessandro Barnaba's Fiamma plus 2003 Farr 40 European Championship winner Wolfgang Schaeffer & Struntje Light.
The event commences with two days of measurement and registration, plus a practice race. Racing proper begins on 13th July and the organisers, the Club Maritime de Mahon, hope to complete eleven races before the awards ceremony on Sunday 16th July.
Houston, TX (July 5, 2006) -Organizers of US SAILING's Rolex International Women's Keelboat Championship have announced that Houston Yacht Club (HYC), in La Porte, Texas, will host the next regatta from November 12-17, 2007. Held biennially as part of US SAILING's adult championship schedule, the event provides women sailors of all ability levels with high-quality racing and an opportunity to compete against top national and international sailors, while providing skills development and mentoring to young women through the Rolex Next Step program.
Ginny Garrett (Houston), past commodore of the HYC, will serve as chair of the local organizing committee, while Liz Merrifield Filter will step into the role as chair of US SAILING's Women's International Keelboat Committee, which oversees the Rolex IWKC. Founded in 1985 by US SAILING and considered one of the world's pinnacle events for women sailors, the Rolex IWKC utilizes the International J/22 class keelboat, suitable for four-person teams.
"Moving the prestigious Rolex IWKC around the U.S. is an important idea especially since it is a US SAILING championship," said Liz Merrifield Filter, a five-time Rolex IWKC competitor and current member of the US Sailing Team in the Yngling class. "As a local Annapolitan, I saw what the event brought to our fleet and to the women in our area. Women who had never considered participating got involved; we had first-time sailors, first-time skippers and even had a couple of women buying their own boat for the first time. Rotating the Rolex IWKC brings that level of excitement around the country while maintaining a very special international event."
Filter added that the regatta format has been shortened in response to suggestions from past competitors. "The 11-race format will continue, but we plan to race on three days. Racing will be preceded by two days for registration, measurement and a practice race," said Filter. "As always, evening social events will culminate with the traditional Rolex gala and awards presentation where a Rolex timepiece will be awarded to the winning boat's skipper."
HYC was one of the first yacht clubs in the world to adopt the International J/22 class keelboat. Over 20 J/22s typically race in the popular local regattas such as the Leukemia Cup and Lands End NOOD Regatta, as well as on the Southwest Circuit where large fleets compete near San Antonio, Dallas, Houston and New Orleans, throughout the summer.
Local preparation is well under way in the Houston area, with HYC members stepping up to volunteer for the long list of related committees. "HYC has long been a pioneer in women's sailing," said Garrett. "We hold two annual women skipper regattas ever year, one requiring all-women crew, and in the past we have hosted the U. S. Women's Sailing Championship for the Adams Cup. We have also conducted an annual sailing camp for women for the last 25 years, as well as numerous clinics. We are very excited to be hosting the Rolex IWKC and believe it will be a crown jewel in the Club's history of supporting women's racing."
For past competitors the change marks a new challenge in the regatta's 20-plus year history. "I think it is going to be a good change of scenery for the event," said Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year Sally Barkow (Nashotah, Wis.), the defending Rolex IWKC champion who is currently training with her team of Debbie Capozzi and Carrie Howe for a berth at the 2008 Olympic Games. "Having sailed and coached there, I know what a great facility the yacht club has and how good the conditions can be. So overall, it should provide a fantastic challenge for everyone! We look forward to 2007."
Orange II is on schedule to beat the Atlantic record. Yesterday at 16h GMT, the maxi catamaran once again smashed the 24-hour record by reaching an average speed of almost 32 knots and clocking up 766 miles in one day. At the second comparison point today, Bruno Peyron’s crew had a lead of almost 200 miles over Steve Fossett’s PlayStation, the record holder with a time of 4 days, 17 hours, 28 minutes and six seconds.
At 16h GMT yesterday, the calculators delivered their latest verdict: twenty-four hours at an average speed of 31.9 knots. 766 miles clocked up or 60 more than the previous record also held by Orange II and 14 more than the new historic time set yesterday morning. By smashing the record twice in one day, you certainly cannot say that Bruno Peyron’s crew got off to a bad start on this 2006 attempt at the North Atlantic record. «766 miles, that’s a nice number, isn’t it?» smiled the ‘Boss’ this morning during his radio session with Jean Maurel, before explaining: «We’re still continually above the polars drawn up for this record. I won’t say which, but I think we’ve found what it takes. You’re always learning something on this boat. That in itself is great.»
As they smash the 24 hour record again and again, which was the second objective announced before the start, Orange II is obviously ahead on its main goal of grabbing Steve Fossett’s record and finishing in less than 4 days, 17 hours and 28 minutes. At the second comparison point after the Newfoundland Banks, Bruno Peyron’s maxi catamaran with the other eleven crewmen had built up a lead of 199 miles over the route taken by PlayStation, or in other words 66 miles more than at the first comparison point. At the halfway point, (at 11h42 GMT today, there were 1380 miles left to go to cross the finish at The Lizard), the situation is looking good.
Final approach via Ireland
However, it’s not won yet. In fact, "the wind should ease off today, even if it is still blowing at 30 knots as I speak", but above all "there is some uncertainty about the front catching us up. That’s why, we have to make gains eastwards, but also in latitude (northwards, editor’s note). That explains why we’re moving up, as the final approach will be made via the Fastnet rock, via Ireland, to close the angle if the wind eases off (and therefore keep up our speed)."
As the radio session was taking place, Pascal Bidégorry was at the helm of Orange II and the speed was not falling off. Bruno Peyron tried to describe the feelings on board and told us of a first minor incident. «We’re making 30 to 32 knots with a reef in the mainsail, the staysail and gennaker, so have a little too much sail up. We have to be careful, as we may have lost a bit of our rudder. Late in the night we hit a peak of 38 knots and we hit something. Since then, there’s been something slightly wrong, so we’re constantly keeping an eye out, but for the time being, it’s O.K. If we stay fully concentrated at the helm it will work out. We yawed twice, and although it was nothing too serious, we must be careful. When we go over on one hull for a few seconds, you can easily see what may happen.»
While the thick mist from the first 24 hours seems to be clearing - «we can see for about three miles now, in some rather heavy seas.» - Orange II is continuing to speed along towards the legendary record. At the position check at 11h42 GMT, the monster was recorded at 32.2 knots of instant speed and her average since the start in New York on Sunday is close to 31 knots. To beat Steve Fossett, they need to cross the finishing line off The Lizard before 04h28 GMT on Friday morning. The suspense will be kept up until the finish…
What they said :
Gilles Ollier (the designer of Orange II) : The Gilles Ollier Design Team and all the staff at Multiplast are very proud to have contributed to the achievement made by Bruno Peyron and his crew and offer their warmest congratulations. Actually, we knew that Orange II had a potential of 750 miles per day. Her performance yesterday confirmed that magnificently. In fact, the Gilles Ollier Design Team firmly believes that the objective of 800 miles a day can be reached in the near future.
Lopolight joins Spirit of Canada Ocean Challenges as a Silver Level Partner and Official Supplier of the navigation and interior lights for the new Open 60 Spirit of Canada. Derek Hatfield, skipper of Spirit of Canada, comments: “We are very pleased to have Lopolight on board to provide the navigation and interior lights for the new Open 60. Lopolight’s award winning LED lights will provide us with the safest and most energy efficient navigation lighting system available today”.
Nominations are now invited for the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards 2006 - the pinnacle award of recognition in the sport of sailing.
Since the inaugural presentation in 1994, an exceptional list of the world's top sailors have been nominated for this prestigious award.
The accomplishments of the sailors who are nominated are every year an inspiration. Ultimately there can only be two winners - a female and a male World Sailor of the Year - with the winners being determined by the sport as the highest achievers in sailing.
ISAF invites the world of sailing to submit nominations for the 2006 awards. Numerous success stories have already been witnessed since the start of the nomination period on 1 September 2005 and with two months remaining until the close of nominations on 1 September 2006 there will no doubt be many more achievements which merit nomination.
Anyone can nominate a sailor and all nominations must be submitted on the official nomination form which is available on the ISAF website via the following link www.sailing.org/worldsailor.com
Sailors nominated may represent any discipline of the sport of sailing, from dinghies to offshore, windsurfing to speed sailing and their achievements may be as diverse as round the world record breaking passages, a series of regatta wins or triumph against the odds, but must meet the criteria of "outstanding achievement during the period 1 September 2005 through to 31 August 2006".
A shortlist will be decided from all of the nominations received by the deadline and those sailors will go on to become the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year 2006 Nominees. The winners will not be announced until the night of the awards presentation on Tuesday 7 November in Helsinki, Finland.
The winners will be presented with the unique marble and silver trophy, depicting the globe crowned with five silver spinnakers representing the continents and a Rolex timepiece.
Nominations close at 1000 UTC on Friday 1 September 2006.
The past nominees and winners of the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year include many of the highest achievers in the sport, with the winners' roll call reading:
2005
Fernando ECHAVARRI & Anton PAZ (ESP)
Ellen MACARTHUR (GBR)
2004
Robert SCHEIDT (BRA)
Sofia BEKATOROU/Emilia TSOULFA (GRE)
2003
Russell COUTTS (SUI)
Siren SUNDBY (NOR)
2002
Ben AINSLIE (GBR) Sofia BEKATOROU/Emilia TSOULFA (GRE)
2001
Robert SCHEIDT (BRA)
Ellen MACARTHUR (GBR)
2000
Mark REYNOLDS/Magnus LILJEDAHL (USA)
Shirley ROBERTSON (GBR)
1999
Mateusz KUSZNIEREWICZ (POL)
Margriet MATTHIJSE (NED)
1998
Ben AINSLIE (GBR)
Carolijn BROUWER (NED)
1997
Pete GOSS (GBR)
Ruslana TARAN/Elena PAKHOLCHIK (UKR)
1996
Jochen SCHÜMANN (GER)
Lee-Lai SHAN (HKG)
1995
Russell COUTTS (NZL)
Isabelle AUTISSIER (FRA)
1994
Peter BLAKE (NZL)/Robin KNOX JOHNSTON (GBR)
Theresa ZABELL (ESP)
Emirates Team New Zealand won its third semi-final match against BMW Oracle and then took Alinghi in the first match of their final.
The final is the best of three. Two matches are scheduled for tomorrow.
Racing today was tight, tense and tough on the crews. The winning deltas: against USA 76 11sec, against Sui 75 in the final 17sec.
The breeze was around 14 knots from the south-east.
Grant Dalton: “It was a good day for us. Dean Barker and the afterguard got it absolutely right and the rest of the crew responded. It was a day to keep it tight and sail conservatively.
“We were up against two top teams. Today it was our day on the water. Tomorrow is another day with two races to sail to decide who wins the regatta.”
On-course commentators said Emirates Team New Zealand deserved its wins, being the better team on the day.
Third semi-final match
Emirates Team New Zealand beat BMW Oracle Racing in the “division 1” semi-final to go through to the final.
It was one of the great battles of the modern era of the America’s Cup. NZL 84 won the start and was first across the line by 5sec, led around the top mark by 11sec, had a 5 sec advantage at the second mark, and 1sec at the third. At the finish, NZL 84’s delta was 11sec.
But the figures do not tell the story of two well-matched yachts, two skilled and well-drilled crews and the determination on both teams to win.
For Emirates Team New Zealand it was a battle of tactics, self-belief, nerves of steel and precision boat handling. The race went down to the wire with neither team ever able to feel comfortable as first one and then the other held the lead.
NZL 84 controlled the first beat as USA 87 threw tack after tack at them, NZL 84 answered by tacking on top of USA 87, forcing the Americans to the right side of the course. It was hard work on board, NZL 84 tacking 17 times and rounding just ahead.
The second windward leg was another epic battle, with the yachts swapping 14 tacks. But this time there was some separation halfway up the course, with NZL 84 on the right and USA 87 on the left.
The Americans got a small lift and chewed into NZL 84’s lead but as they closed on the mark, NZL 84 had the starboard advantage and was able to claim room and the yachts rounded the mark side-by-side.
With NZL 84 in control, the yachts sailed more than 500m into the spectator fleet before breaking away, hoisting spinnakers and heading for the finish.
NZL 84 held out USA 87 and then choosing their moment gybed and then rolled over USA 87. It was a crucial move – and one that decided the outcome, NZL 84 winning by 11sec.
Grant Dalton: “Whatever happens tomorrow we will take a lot out of this regatta. We have beaten every team, which is a good measure of how far we have progressed in two years.
“We can now confidently set course for the next few months when we complete our testing and training in Valencia for 2006 then return to Auckland to launch the second new boat.”
First final match
Both teams started on starboard tack, with NZL 84 to windward. NZL 84 took an early advantage in the right and as they swapped 17 tacks kept bouncing SUI 75 out to the left.
NZL retained control on the beat but rounded only 9sec ahead. At the first leeward mark the margin was 8sec, the same after the second windward leg.
On the final run, NZL 84, looked more comfortable, extended their hard-won lead and finished 17sec ahead.
The crew of the giant Orange II arrived in Newport yesterday. One final night ashore before tackling this long sprint across the North Atlantic tomorrow (Sunday). Bruno Peyron has confirmed that the crew will be setting sail this evening from Newport to head for Ambrose Light, in order to start out on Sunday afternoon between 12h and 18 GMT. For the moment, the final preparations are coming to an end, and a healthy enthusiasm can be felt amongst the twelve crew members, who will be going aboard for this high speed crossing of the Atlantic. Just a few hours before they set sail, the skipper of Orange II gave us his final impressions.
The weather conditions: "The weather conditions are just what we were expecting before we jumped in the plane. For the moment, it is fine in Newport, but the front is approaching with the skies clouding over, so that’s no surprise for us and is exactly what we were expecting. We will have to set sail from Newport in a few hours, at around 18 or 19h GMT, in order to get to the starting line off New York. We’re expecting a south westerly flow with 25 to 30 knot winds for the start, strengthening once we have left the Nantucket Banks behind, so that’s perfect. We’ll have a good angle with a fairly southerly route, which will add on some miles in comparison to the direct course, but that’s nothing to worry about. There remains one little uncertainty for the arrival zone, but it’s not serious enough to stop us from trying our luck.
No France-Brazil match: No, sorry, but we’re going to be busy concentrating on something a bit different from the French team. We wish them the success that everyone is hoping for, but unfortunately we won’t be able to watch the match. As for our team sheet, it’s not going to be 4-4-2, but rather 2-2-6, with priority being given to the attackers, in other words the top level helmsmen that are on board. We’ll have fewer defenders than during the Jules Verne Trophy.
Organisation on board: The organisation of the watches will be different from on the Jules Verne. We’ll be sailing in two watches of six and the time spent by each person at the helm will depend on the level of difficulty they encounter. It will be up to everyone to decide for themselves how long they can remain fully concentrated at the helm. The dials will tell us and when at a particular time, the speed drops off, it will be time to change over at the helm. For the time being, everyone is concentrating hard and there’s a lot of excitement on board. What I’ll be expecting from everyone from tomorrow is a mixture of the right sort of aggression and a clear head.
Simulation: We have some time simulations, but they remain theoretical. They give us between 4 days 16h and 4 days and 2 hours, but we don’t have much faith in the latter, which is overly optimistic. It doesn’t really tell us much for the moment.
Speed: Everyone knows this is the fastest record in the world (an average speed of almost 26 knots). To succeed it takes a very fast boat, and Orange II is probably the fastest yacht in the world today, but that isn’t enough. It takes a team that can make the most of her potential. Then, you need a very skilled weather team. Finally, we’ll require nature to let us through, and that’s something beyond our control. The boat will certainly be taken to the limit, which wasn’t the case during the circumnavigation. Here, the level is so high that we have to push the machine all the way, if we want to beat this time of 4 days and 17 hours. We already managed to do that for the Mediterranean record. Since then, we’ve made some more progress, but now, between the theory and practice, there’s an ocean to cross and an ocean is always an ocean….
Risks: There are always major risks in any top level ocean racing competition, especially on board these record breaking machines, when they are pushed to the limit. We have to set a fine balance between the required aggression, power and performance, and above all the safety aspect. There are no rules. You can’t find this in books. We’re gambling on the huge experience in our group and the number of miles we have already covered together in order to maintain this vital balance.
Objectives: Firstly having the best crossing possible, whatever the time at the finish. Then, trying to improve on our 24-hour record (706.2 miles), and finally smashing the Atlantic crossing record. They are our three objectives together. Personally, I have a fourth. I’ve been lucky enough to bring home three Jules Verne Trophies, and I’d like to bring home three Atlantic records. I already have two sailing single-handed, so there’s just the crewed record left.
The record: I’m not concentrating so much on what happened before, but more on our future objective. Of course, I have a lot of respect for everything that happened before, as this record is such a great story. Charlie Barr in 1905, Tabarly 75 years later, then all the great names of French multihull racing right up to Fossett’s final record. What is at stake for me is clear, that is being the fastest crew over this route. We’ve got what it takes, but we’ve still a long way to go to reach the finish.
Valencia, 1st July, 2006 - It was one of the best days of action ever seen in the 32nd America's Cup, with incredibly close racing - sometimes too close. The fight to advance to the final was a battle wire to wire between Emirates Team New Zealand and BMW ORACLE Racing. The Kiwis won what turned out to be a classic match, and followed that up with a close win over Alinghi to take a 1-0 lead in the final.
BMW ORACLE Racing and Luna Rossa are going to the Jury room tonight after their fight for third got a little too intense. A collision on the first upwind leg saw the American bowsprit torn from the boat, while Luna Rossa showed significant damage on the port side of its boat. The Italians were penalised by the Umpires, but both teams flew red flags, indicating an intention to take the incident to the Jury.
Conditions inspired some great action on the race course with strong 15 knot winds whipping up the Mediterranean Sea and challenging the crews and equipment. An enormous weekend spectator fleet was treated to amazing racing, with many matches concluding with the boats all but overlapped.
RACE ONE
It was one of the best match races in memory, with the boats never separated by more than two boat lengths, and every match racing tactic in the book was employed to try to gain the smallest advantage. At the end, Emirates Team New Zealand prevailed in a race over BMW Oracle Racing that those who saw it will remember for a very long time.
The key moment was on the second downwind run to the finish when Emirates Team New Zealand was desperately trying to protect a one-second lead around the top mark. The Kiwis sailed BMW ORACLE Racing skipper Chris Dickson off the right-hand side of the race course, luffing the American boat in an effort to hold their lead.
But Dickson was too fast and eventually rolled past NZL 84. However he could never get far enough ahead to gybe across the bow of black New Zealand boat. As the boats sailed further and further to the right, Dickson and his men kept appealing to the Umpires that the Kiwis were sailing above their proper course. But the Umpires judged Emirates Team New Zealand clean.
Eventually, Kiwi skipper Dean Barker rolled into a gybe and BMW ORACLE Racing was a fraction slow in following. The Kiwis were now the upwind boat and rolled over the Americans, quickly establishing a one boat length lead. Dickson fought valiantly to snatch the advantage back, but ran out of room as NZL 84 slipped across the line 11-seconds ahead.
The win puts Emirates Team New Zealand into the final where they'll meet Alinghi, while BMW ORACLE Racing drops to the petit final against Luna Rossa with third place at stake.
In the other matches, +39 Challenge had to retire with a trim tab problem against Areva Challenge, handing the first race in their third division final to the French. United Internet Team Germany beat China team to grab a 1-0 lead in the petit final - third division.
Desafío Español earned a good win over Shosoholoza to advance to the second division final against Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia. The South Africans will face Victory Challenge in a battle for seventh place.
RACE TWO
The action from Race One continued into the afternoon when Emirates Team New Zealand beat Alinghi for the third consecutive time this year. The Swiss have never beaten NZL 84. The Kiwis won the start and earned a small nine-second lead up the first beat, but Alinghi kept this race very close, rounding the next two marks just eight seconds behind, setting up a dramatic run to the finish. Although the Swiss boat threatened, Emirates stayed cool and even extended on the last run to take a 1-0 lead in the Final. One more race will secure the Kiwis the Act 12 title.
The hot action was in the battle for third place where Luna Rossa's James Spithill put a penalty on Chris Dickson in the prestart. The Italians then started better, but BMW ORACLE Racing closed the game up with a series of tacks in from the left hand side. But more than halfway up the beat, the action really became close. Coming in on port tack Dickson saw the Italians roll into a tack right in front of him. As the ITA 86 stern swung out, it made contact with the bow of the American boat, tearing the bowsprit off. Both boats were damaged and Luna Rossa retired from the race. The Umpires penalised Luna Rossa for tacking too close, but both teams finished the race with red protest flags flying. A protest is expected, and if lodged, the Jury hearing will take place on Saturday night.
In the other matches, Areva Challenge took an early lead over +39 Challenge when the Italians had jib problems in the prestart. But +39 fought back and nearly passed the French on the final dash for the finish. But Areva held on to win ninth place overall, with +39 Challenge securing 10th.
United Internet Team Germany beat China Team for its second consecutive win, gaining 11th place overall. The Chinese take 12th.
Shosholoza sailed a brilliant race against Sweden's Victory Challenge, earning a hard fought win after a great battle early in the match. The South Africans lead the series 1-0, and can secure seventh place with a win on Sunday.
Desafío Español overcame equipment problems that saw Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia make a pass on the second upwind leg. But the Spanish were too fast for the Italians and regained control to lead 1-0 in the battle for fifth place.
Due to yesterday's late finish for all fleets competing in the VIII Trofeo S.M. La Reina Copa Rolex, only the TP 52 results were posted last night. Results for the other fleets follow below.
Among the IMS Open division, Movistar of Pedro Campos currently lies in first, having scored a second and a first, and is tied with Fernando León and Kiko Sánchez Luna's CAM. Pedro Campos, America's Cup and Volvo Ocean Race veteran, sails into the second day of the series hoping to be in better shape than yesterday: "Yesterday we sailed blind - with no electronics. Luckily, in the second race we were able to get some good boat speed and that enabled us to win. We are still learning and discovering the boat's potential, therefore we are quite satisfied with the first day's performance. Hopefully today we will be able to sail with the aid of our instruments - that will definitely make things easier for us around the race course." Puerto Calero Hesperia, with a third and a sixth lies in third.
Jaime Monjo's Icaro yesterday dominated the IMS 600 LC division (the only other class in this event racing in real time besides the TP 52 fleet) by scoring two brilliant wins. Quebramar Chrysler of Gonzalo Esteves followed in second, ahead of Murcia Turística.
Among the IMS 670 class, represented by 20 entries, Alessandro Ferrari's Aquasonic Vuelta Y Media is currently leading with a second and a first on handicap, followed by Jose Van der Ploeg's Turismo Madrid and by Card & Oil Premium, 2005 title holder. The current IMS 670 world champion, Sergio Llorca's Quum Cap Cana, lies in fourth. Last night Sergio Llorca summed up a difficult first day of racing: "Today the wind was quite unusual. The breeze kept going up and down, especially in the second race, and we were never sure if we were sailing towards a good shift. All the crews in this class are very well prepared and until the last day no one can be sure to win."
Among the RN Class (a Spanish rating division), the winners from yesterday's race were: Itaca IX (RN1), Intersa (RN2), Fandango (RN3).