Brought to you by boats.com Europe, Scuttlebutt Europe is a digest of sailing news and opinions, regatta results, new boat and gear information and letters from sailors -- with a European emphasis. Contributions welcome, send to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com
Emirates Team New Zealand Clinches Louis Vuitton Cup Round Robin
Photo by Chris Cameron / ETNZ, www.chriscameron.co.nz. Click on image for photo gallery.
Emirates Team New Zealand has clinched the top spot in the Round Robin of the Louis Vuitton Cup, the America's Cup Challenger Series.
The New Zealand team, led by skipper Dean Barker, completed today's 15.43-nautical-mile course in 46 minutes, 53 seconds and finished more than 7 minutes ahead of Luna Rossa. The Italian team was scored DNF for failing to finish within 5 minutes.
The Kiwis have amassed 7 points and have three races remaining in the challengers' series, but can't be overcome. In winning the round robin they've earned the right to advance straight to the Louis Vuitton Cup Final or choose their opponent for the semifinal round.
As yet, the team hasn't announced its intention other than to say that it plans to sail its next scheduled races on Saturday and Sunday.
Luna Rossa had been closing the deficit with Emirates Team New Zealand. The Italians lost by nearly five and a half minutes in their first head-to-head meeting on July 13, but chopped three minutes off that deficit in Sunday's race.
Today, however, the Italians were badly off the pace, and grinder Giles Scott said that the crew was disappointed with the effort.
"We've got an awful lot to work on," said Scott. "Although the delta still seems substantial, we're moving forward and things are getting better. But clearly we've got a lot to do to get to where we need to be. We can't hide from the fact that, at the moment, the Kiwis are the class act."
Emirates Team New Zealand's next race is on Saturday, when they're scheduled to race Artemis Racing. Luna Rossa Challenge is scheduled to race again Thursday against Artemis Racing. The Kiwis and Italians race again on Sunday.
Standings
1. Emirates Team New Zealand 7-0, 7 points (3 races remaining)
2. Luna Rossa Challenge 3-4, 3 points (3 races remaining)
3. Artemis Racing 0-6, 0 points (4 races remaining)
Contender Worlds: Final Day
Lake Como, Italy: inal thrilling day in Gravedona for the Contender Worlds: the top five Contender sailors are tied on points and the scheduled last two races introduce a discard in the final flights. The dane Søren Dulong Andreasen leads by 2 points the brit Simon Mussel: in the qualification series his worse result was a second (!) but in the finals Simon scored a 10th and now he needs a discard to kick out his bad result in the last race of day 4. Soren was really consistent and never scored worse than a 6th.
In third place the Australian Mark Bulka leads the german Christoph Homeier: they have the same points but Mark scored a 1 in the first final race; italian Andrea Bonezzi follows by 1 point only and the podium is open to all.
With half and hour to time limit, some wind arrives and the gold fleet had its start: unfortunately the wind shifted by 30 degrees exactly at the starting gun and a general recall was unavoidable. The wind is now too shifty due to the stromy clouds and the race committee was forced to abandon racing having reached the time limit as well.
Søren Dulong Andreasen wins his first title with a disappointed Simon Mussel in second and Mark Bulka in third. -- Roberto Mazzali
Final top ten:
1. Soren Dulong Andreasen, DEN, 14 points
2. Simon Mussell, GBR, 16
3. Mark Bulka, AUS, 25
4. Christoph Homeier, GER, 25
5. Andrea Bonezzi, ITA, 26
6. Stuart Jones, GBR, 38
7. Christoph Engel, GER, 42
8. Michele Benvenuti, ITA, 42
9. Jesper Nielsen, DEN, 51
10. Giovanni Bonzio, ITA, 54
Marlow Cowes Support
The Marlow Van will be in the regatta support area at Cowes Yacht Haven for Cowes Week. Providing a repair, replacement and technical advice service to all the sailors throughout the week in conjunction with Spencer Rigging.
This will be the 3rd year that the Marlow Van has been on standby ready to assist. Repairs and remakes can be completed overnight ready for the following day of racing. The world famous regatta gives Marlow a chance to engage with the end users and iron our any issues with product and hardware interaction. Technical advice is available pre and post sailing with technical minded staff on hand to look over your boat.
Look out for the Marlow Van and come and talk to the guys.
Marlow will be working in partnership with Spencer Rigging on the island to provide the rope and rigging services. They are located at Empire Buildings, St Mary's Road, Cowes, Isle of Wight, PO31 7SX Tel: 01983 292022
A Long Day Afloat At Warnemunde
Vasilij Zbogar (SLO) is the early leader at the 2013 Finn Europeans in Warnemunde after three races were sailed on Tuesday. Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic (CRO) is second after winning the first race while Andrew Murdoch (NZL) is third. Other races wins went to Deniss Karpak (EST) and Josh Junior (NZL).
The sailors' patience from waiting onshore all day Monday paid off with three great races sailed on Tuesday. The first race was sailed in a reducing easterly, while the two afternoon races were sailed in a fantastic sea breeze that produced the great sailing conditions that has made Warnemunde famous with sailors worldwide.
The championship is still one race behind but has three great races on the card. But for his halyard problem, Zbogar could have an even bigger lead. In this size fleet consistency will pay highly and he is finding his way through the shifts and sailing very well downwind. The double European Champion Kljakovic Gaspic is in second while class newcomer Murdoch is third
What the rest of the week will bring only time will tell as the forecasts do not make good reading. However the race team hope to catch up the schedule with three races planned for Wednesday.
Top ten after 3 races:
1. Vasilij Zbogar, SLO, 11 points
2. Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic, CRO, 16
3. Andrew Murdoch, NZL, 23
4. Ed Wright, GBR, 24
5. Thomas Le Breton, FRA, 33
6. Josh Junior, NZL, 34
7. Deniss Karpak, EST, 34
8. Alicam Kaynar, TUR, 34
9. Mark Andrews, GBR, 36
10. Max Salminen, SWE, 37
www.finneuropeans.org/ec2013
www.finnclass.org
Qualcomm 2013 Star World Championship
The San Diego Yacht Club has announced it will host the Qualcomm 2013 Star World Championship from Aug. 28 - Sept. 8.
This will be the eighth time SDYC has hosted the prestigious regatta.
San Diego sailmaker Mark Reynolds heads the list of entrants. Reynolds has won three Olympic medals, including two golds, and two Star world championships.
Other San Diego Yacht Club members signed up are former world champions George Szabo and Eric Doyle. Szabo's crew is Craig Moss, and Doyle's crew is Payson Infelise.
Also entered is Bill Buchan, a former world champion and the 1984 Olympic gold medalist in the Star class. Buchan will sail with Erik Bentzen.
San Diego has a long and illustrious history with the venerable Star class, which makes it all that much more special that this regatta is returning to America's Finest City.
The list of past world champions includes San Diego sailing stalwarts Malin Burnham, Lowell North, Dennis Conner, Gerry Driscoll and Reynolds.
www.starworld2013.com
www.facebook.com/StarWorld2013
www.sdyc.org
Jolie Brise at Glandore Classic Regatta
Photo by Brian Carlin, www.briancarlinphotography.com. Click on image for photo gallery.
First offical day of racing for the Classic Series. Class 1,2 & 3 boats sailed out into the bay with a course that when finished would allow the entrants to progress to Baltimore, however with a lack of wind the PRO decided to shorten the courese to allow th sailors the opportunity to get to Baltimore, Jolie Brise left Galndore without racing to lead teh Cruise.
Harbour racing continued for other classes who had the opportunity to have 2 races for each class.
After the racing all other boats had the opportunity to sail to Baltimore to be part of the celebrations with the Jolie Brise, and by all accounts it turned out to be a very successful evening.
The 2013 Glandore Classic Regatta each year seems to expands and has attracted more than 80 boats ranging in sizes. Some of the more significant entries including the Jolie Brise.
Jolie Brise is celebrating the centenary anniversary of her construction by the Paumelle yard in Le Havre in 1913. The world famous, gaff-rigged pilot cutter was the last boat to carry the royal mail under sail and has won the Fastnet Race three times, including the inaugural race in 1925. Jolie Brise is owned, maintained and sailed by the pupils of Dauntsey's School.
Jolie Brise, arguably one of the most famous tall ships in the world, is a 56' gaff-rigged pilot cutter built in Le Havre in 1913, launched by the Paumelle yard to a design by Alexandre Paris.
Marinepool - Clothing Partner of the Extreme Sailing Series
Marinepool is widely regarded as one of the leading sailing clothing and maritime lifestyle brands and is the "Official Clothing Partner" of the Extreme Sailing Series™.
We have built a reputation for outstanding quality, excellent service and quick and reliable deliveries. These are only a few of the reasons why no less than 3 out of 8 teams in the Extreme Sailing Series™, among them 2012 Champions The Wave, Muscat, are racing in Marinepool kit.
Using only the best materials and state of the art production technologies, no detail is omitted to ensure every product is optimized before it reaches the market. More than 22 years of experience and design excellence, plus the invaluable input of the world class athletes proudly wearing Marinepool garments, guarantee the products are at the cutting edge of technology.
Uncompromising, highly functional and extremely light weight; Tested and approved by many of the world's finest sailors.
As a group of companies with German roots and head quarters, operating in 43 countries, with product lines ranging from performance sailing clothing and a test winning life jacket range to maritime fashion, Marinepool is uniquely qualified and the perfect match for the clothing requirements of YOUR sailing team or company.
Purchase the Extreme Sailing Series Collection by Marinepool directly from the official online store: www.extreme-sailing-series-store.com or contact us for your customized team wear.
Tour Voile: Groupama 34 Wins Today's In-Port Race In Gruissan
Today's in-port race in Gruissan warmed the teams up before tonight's 123-mile offshore leg from to La-Seyne-sur-Mer.
Groupama 34 won ahead of Courrier Dunkerque 3 and Bretagne Credit Mutuel Elite in 10 knots of wind from the northeast. Nantes St Nazaire E.Leclerc and Iskareen were in fourth and fifth place, the German team taking their best result so far in the Tour 2013.
They gained points and confidence from these good results, something all teams will need for the 8th offshore leg leaving tonight. The wind is expected to be very light (3-4 knots from the southeast) but a stormy low pressure will pass the fleet overnight, messing all weather files up.
All 12 M34 will first sail a 80-mile tack across the Lion Gulf to the Planier lighthouse in Marseille and finish along the Provence coast to La-Seyne.
The leg is supposed to last 20 hours but the thunderstorms can change all this. Race director Christophe Gaumont said "this leg could turn out to be the longest leg in the Tour de France a la Voile". The start is scheduled for 6:00pm.
Overall top five after 29 races:
1. Groupama 34, Franck Cammas, 1062 points - Blue Spinnaker
2. Bretagne Credit Mutuel Elite, Nicolas Troussel, 973
3. Courrier Dunkerque 3, Daniel Souben, 970
4. Sodebo, Thomas Coville, 954. 7
5. Team Omansail, Cedric Pouligny, 941
Industry News
The All Wales Boat Show starts on Wednesday this week after a two year hiatus, with its usual celebration of all things water based.
The show aims to bring together all the big names across the industry in a "watersports extravaganza."
The first day will see Ken Skates, Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology opening the show on behalf of the Welsh Government.
An opening parade of boats will then group together in Conwy Harbour to include Sunseeker and Classic Sail Boats Ltd.
The show, which was last held in 2011, is now back under new management and relocates to Deganwy Quays Marina in Conwy this year running alongside the long established and successful Conwy River Festival.
The Welsh marine industry generates over £104m in tourism each year and the All Wales Boat Show will be the biggest regional marine event targeting a massive audience from across North Wales, the North West, West Midlands, the Isle of Man and Ireland.
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AVEVA Group plc. has announced its support for a portfolio of events on the 2013 sailing programme of the Royal Southern Yacht Club. Initially, it will become the title sponsor of the September Regatta (28/29th September), one of four in the hotly contested Summer Series, and will also support the Club's prestigious annual prize giving on 9th November.
Spread over weekends in May, June, July and September, the Royal Southern's Summer Series provides competitive top class racing for IRC Classes, Sportsboats, One-Designs and Club Class yachts, with racing usually conducted on two separate and predominantly windward-leeward mid-Solent courses. This year's AVEVA September Regatta will also include racing in the highly competitive J/109 Series.
AVEVA is a leader in engineering design and information management solutions for the plant, power and marine industries.
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boats.com, the global online resource for water enthusiasts and part of Dominion Marine Media, today announced its growing YouTube channel has passed one million views.
When it comes to videos for the water enthusiast, the boats.com channel has it covered. Beginning in 2011 with high-definition, high-quality video boat reviews, boats.com has steadily expanded its library of videos, adding engine reviews, how-to videos that teach maintenance and boating skills, and comprehensive coverage of major boat shows.
boats.com's most watched video, First Run with Seven Marine 557 horsepower Outboard, was shot at the Miami International Boat Show in 2011 and has been watched more than 300,000 times. Its most popular how-to video, How to Restore Faded Gel Coat, has garnered more than 40,000 views since its addition a year ago.
In the fall, boats.com will expand its international coverage and library with more video boat reviews, how-to and product videos, and boat show coverage in Europe as well as the U.S.
To subscribe to the boats.com YouTube channel, click: www.youtube.com/boatsdotcom
Nick Dewhirst
It is with great sadness that we learn of the death of Nick Dewhirst. This is a great loss to the sport of multihull sailing.
Nick was a dedicated sailor and campaigner on behalf of all sailors, not just multihulls. He was Chairman of the Sprint 15 Class Association for many years and achieved record attendance at regattas even though it could be argued that the boat was aging and not fulfilling modern sailing requirements.
He was Chairman of the UK Catamaran Racing Association and very influential in campaigning for the return of multihulls to the Olympics. He was a leading light in Whitstable YC for over 25 years, holding many and varied positions. Nick took the lead in managing the Long Distance Forts Race, where I worked with him as Race Officer for many years.
As well as his "15" racing, Nick was a capable club sailor on his F18, a true sailing sportsman who will sadly missed.
Nick leaves his wife, Sissy and sons Olivier and Benedict.
With great personal sadness. -- Don Findlay
Letters To The Editor - editor@scuttlebutteurope.com
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* From Ginny Jones: This should be required reading for everyone who sails offshore:
gcaptain.com/storm-final-days-decisions-bounty/
The editor has done an amazing job creating a time line which allows us to see how the whole tragedy unfolded; it reinforces how there were a lot of options and choices, a lot of flawed decisions were made -- some of which were due to the pressure to adhere to a schedule.
THe two USCG rescue swimmers have been selected for the IMO 2013 Award for exceptional bravery at sea. Both the helicopter crews deserve awards too.....I keep remembering watching the 11 minute video: the crew member handling the wire that lowers down the swimmers/cage and then retrieves them, pushing up against the door frame (he had dislocated his shoulder and was trying to relocate it), and the voice declaring "altitude, altitude" every time the chopper was too low, or the female pilot's voice... and watching the swimmers gathering up another person out of the flipped over life rafts, etc.
* From David Pitman: I was thrilled to read that there were 174 boats entered and racing in the Contender World Championships, Lake Como. As a previous Champion, I always believed that this great Class would go from strength to strength, and now there are few classes which have such a following across so many countries. It's one of the perfect race dinghies, a testing single hander for all weather conditions : you vs the boat vs the fleet. I bet every contender sailor is having a great time!
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The Last Word
Philosophers' Syndrome: mistaking a failure of the imagination for an insight into necessity. -- Daniel Dennett
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