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
Qualcomm 2013 Star World Championship
Photo by Marc Rouiller / SSL, starsailors.com. Click on image to enlarge.
San Diego, California, USA: Sailors faced tough conditions and high competition at Day 1 of the Star Worlds. Star sailors Lars Grael, John MacCausland, and Andrew Campbell battle to win the first race of the Qualcomm 2013 Star World Championship today.
The race course offered conditions typical of San Diego with the wind at 10 - 12 miles per hour from the West North West at 285° and 3 foot waves. The Race Committee set a Course 3 with 2.1 mile long legs and fired the first signal on time at 1230 hrs.
With 5 seconds left to the start, the Race Committee postponed the race to avoid a general recall as well as make some course and starting line adjustments. Shortly thereafter, the windward mark bearing was changed to 285 the second starting sequence began.
Second start had an individual recall and 4 boats were called OCS: USA 7294 Charles and Chas Beek, USA 8260 Bill Buchan and Erik Bentzen, USA 8306 Thomas Springer and Dave Wood, and USA 8361 Tom Londrigan Jr. and Rick Peters.
Although the start was the key factor in sailing a successful race, competitors had to fight for a good position on the first upwind leg. The majority of the fleet sailed to the right side of the course and reached the windward mark without much separation.
Americans Mark Reynolds and Hal Haenel were the first to round the first mark, followed closely by Andrew Campbell and John von Schwarz. The fleet saw several position changes throughout the first downwind leg, then the top boats began to sail away from the rest of the fleet. Brazilians Lars Grael and Samuel F. Goncalves were able to take the lead from Andrew Campbell in the second downwind leg after Campbell was penalized by the judges for violating Rule 42, and maintain their position all the way to the finish.
Report above from Sunday, results below reflect 2 races:
Top ten 1. Vincent Brun / Brian Terhaar, USA, 9 points
2. Brian Ledbetter / Gregg Morton, USA, 10
3. John MacCausland / Phil Trinter, USA, 13
4. George Szabo / Craig Moss, USA, 13
5. Mark Reynolds / Hal Haenel, USA, 15
6. Augie Diaz / Arnis Baltins, USA, 16
7. Jean-Pascal Chatagny / Patrick Ducommun, SUI, 20
8. Mike Dorgan / Matt Dorgan, USA, 20
9. Lars Schmidt Grael / Samuel F. Goncalves, BRA, 21
10. Andrew Campbell / John von Schwarz, USA, 22
Early Gains In The Quest For Breeze
Photo by Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi. Click on image for photo gallery.
Porto Cervo, Italy: Contrasting the light conditions prevalent during the first day of racing at the 2013 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, were the bold statements of intent laid down in the six competition classes.
Following a delayed start to racing, all yachts were dispersed on a coastal course of either 25 or 17-nm in length, both of which comprised classic Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup landmarks: a passage through Capo Ferro and roundings of Monaci and Secca di Tre Monti before the return to the finish in Porto Cervo.
Today's winners in the event organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda were: Alegre (GBR) in the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship; Velsheda (SUI) in J-Class; Highland Fling (MON) in Maxi; Altair (ITA) in Maxi Racing/Cruising; Nilaya (GBR) in Supermaxi and J-One (GBR) in Wally.
In the eagerly anticipated first race of the fourth Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship the new 72-ft Alegre, making her competition debut, claimed the morale-boosting first bullet.
Consistency is a byword of Niklas Zennstrom's 2010 and 2011 Mini Maxi Rolex World Champion Ran 2 (GBR) who today finished second with Shockwave (USA) in third. Bella Mente endured a frustrating day finishing down in ninth. She has positions to claw back tomorrow. The fleet of seven Wallys shared the same 25-nm course. Sir Charles Dunstone's Hamilton (GBR) was fastest on the water, while former champion J-One (GBR) claimed the first bullet of the week.
Racing continues tomorrow with windward/leeward courses planned for the Mini Maxi and Wally classes, and a coastal race for all other classes.
Results after day 1
Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship
1. Alegre (GBR), Andy Soriano, 1; 1
2. Ran 2 (GBR), Niklas Zennstrom 2; 2
3. Shockwave (USA), George Sakellaris 3; 3
Maxi Racing
1. Highland Fling (MON), Irvine Laidlaw, 1; 1
2. Morning Glory (GER), Hasso Plattner, 2; 2
Maxi Racer / Cruiser
1. Altair (ITA), Paolo Scerni, 1; 1
2. Nefertiti (GBR), Anders Nordquist, 2; 2
3. Freya (USA), Donald Macpherson, 3; 3
J-Class
1. Velsheda (SUI), Tarbat Investment Ltd, 1; 1
2. Rainbow (NED), Chris Gongriep, 2; 2
3. Ranger (CAY), RSV Ltd, 3; 3
Supermaxi
1. Nilaya (GBR), Filip Balcaen, 1; 1
2. Firefly (NED), Eric Bijlsma, 2; 2
3. Only Now (TUR), Chelsea Yachting Ltd., 3; 3
Wally
1. J One (GBR), Jean Charles Decaux, 1; 1
2. Y3K (GER), Claus Peter Offen, 2; 2
3. Inti (ITA), Lauro Buoro, 3; 3
www.yccs.it
www.internationalmaxiassociation.com
Marble Doublebraid
Marlow has introduced 4 new colours into the Doublebraid range this year. With fashions changing they have developed a bold colour Doublebraid for the cruising market. Doublebraid is now available in Red, Blue, Green and Grey marble effect.
The colour upgrade although aesthetically pleasing ensures halyards, sheets and control lines are easily identifiable. Quick and easy line identification is crucial when sailing short handed or with inexperienced crew.
Marlow's Doublebraid strength remains higher than average and the abrasion resistance is up to 30% better than a leading competitor when lab tested. Eye splicing and end to end splices are made easy with unique core and cover ratio developed by Marlow, just follow the instructions found on the Marlow website or visit the Marlow stand F028 at the Southampton Boat Show for further information.
Marble Doublebraid is available from all major UK chandlers and across the world through our distributor network, check out the Marlow stockist list on the website.
Murphy Keeps Olympic Medallists Behind Her
Ireland's Finn Lynch. Photo by David Branigan, www.oceansport.ie. Click on image for photo gallery.
With four qualifying races sailed at the Laser European & World Championships on Dublin Bay, local favourite Annalise Murphy remains on impressive form on her home waters as she leads the Women's Laser Radial European Championship by five clear points. She counts three race wins, discarding a second place from the first race today.
Murphy has both of the 2012 Olympic medallists behind her. Neither Holland's silver medallist Marit Bouwmeester nor Belgium's bronze winner Evi Van Acker have been able to maintain anything close to Murphy's consistency, both scoring one relatively weighty score apiece today.
In the other Olympic class, the Men's Laser Standard Rig, Australian Ashley Brunning tops the overall table counting two firsts and a second to lead Holland's Rutger Van Scahaardenburg, Sweden's Jesper Stalheim and the ominous presence of Brazil's five times Olympic medallist Robert Scheidt who matched Brunning's first and second place qualifying race finishes today.
In the Men's Laser Radial World & European Championships it is still Ireland's young Fionn Lyden who leads overall after a second and a fourth today.
Kiwi And American Young Guns Tied For Overall Lead
NZL Sailing Team with Emirates Team New Zealand and American Youth Sailing Force came away tied for the overall lead at the Red Bull Youth America's Cup. This 10-team, 8-country fleet race is delivering tight and competitive racing on San Francisco Bay at the halfway point of the regatta. In fact, four different countries have taken the checkered flag in the four fleet races so far - USA, New Zealand, Portugal and Sweden.
The top seven teams are separated by just 3 points with four races remaining over the next two days, with double points on the line in the final race.
The ROFF/Cascais Sailing Team from Portugal won the day's first race, Race 3 of the series. Helmsman Bernardo Freitas nailed the start, to the leeward of the pack, and the crew led at all six mark roundings enroute to a 28-second victory over Team Tilt from Switzerland.
Provisional Standings
1. NZL Sailing Team with Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL) 2-4-7-3 - 28 points
2. American Youth Sailing Force (USA) 1-7-3-5 - 28
3. Team TILT (SUI) 8-5-2-2 - 27
4. Swedish Youth Challenge (SWE) 6-2-9-1 - 26
5. Full Metal Jacket Racing (NZL) 7-1-4-6 - 26
6. ROFF/Cascais Sailing Team (POR) 3-6-1-8 - 26
7. Next World Energy (FRA) 4-3-8-4 - 25
8. All In Racing (GER) 5-8-5-9 - 17
9. Objective Australia (AUS) RDG-10-6-10 - 9.3
10. USA45 Racing (USA) 9-9-10-7 - 9
(RDG = redress awarded by International Jury)
Perini Navi Cup
Photo by Studio Borlenghi / Stefano Gattini. Click on image for photo gallery.
Sunshine and a light but stable breeze accompanied the final and decisive race of the fifth edition of the Perini Navi Cup. The event, organized biennially by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda and reserved for yachts from the prestigious Italian Perini Navi shipyard, saw victory go to the 50-metre Silencio. Second place went to the 38-metre performance cruising sloop P2 while the 53-metre Parsifal IV claimed the final spot on the podium.
During the final prize giving ceremony the following participants were also awarded prizes:
- YCCS Trophy for top-placed YCCS Member: XNoi
- The Pommery Award for Fair Play: The Maltese Falcon
- Moncler Trophies - First Day Race: 1st Silencio - 2nd P2 - 3rd Tamsen
- Axa Trophies - Spirit of the Cup: 1st Heritage - 2nd Tamsen - 3rd Zenji
- Vhernier Trophies - Third Day Race: 1° Silencio - 2nd Zenji - 3rd Parsifal IV
- Vhernier Awards - Vhernier Cocktail Contest: Heritage - Helios - Panthalassa
ACO Musto Performance Skiff European Championship
From Sunday September 1st to Friday September 6th 2013 the Musto Performance Skiff European Championship will take place in Union-Yacht-Club Attersee. UYCAs is very happy to welcome 48 athletes from seven different nations. From Monday to Friday a total of twelve races is notified. Starting from a total of five races the worst result can be discarded. The fourth race is scheduled for Tuesday.
Jamie Hilton (GBR) is in the lead after three races. The 18-year-old Moritz Zieher (AUT) holds second place. Dave Poston (GBR) completes the preliminary podium. The reigning European champion Hector Dylan Tidd (SLO) is currently the eleventh overall.
Full results: www.uycas.at/regatten/ergebnis/?rid=350
www.euro2013.mustoskiff.at/en/
ISAF World Sailing Rankings
The ISAF World Sailing Rankings for 2 September 2013 have been released.
- Finn Gold Cup Champion Jorge Zarif up to World #33
- Serbia's Dany Stanisic climbs 357 in the Laser
- Austrians retain World #1 in Nacra 17 after inaugural European Championship
- Canadian Laser and Radial shuffle after 100-point Cork OCR in Kingston, Canada
Top ranked:
Finn: Caleb Paine, USA
Laser: Tom Burton, AUS
Laser Radial: Tatiana Drozdovskaya, BLR
Nacra 17: Thomas Zajac / Tanja Chirara Frank, AUT
Women's RS:X: Bryony Shaw, GBR
Men's RS:X: Ivan Pastor Lafuente, ESP
Men's 470 - Mathew Belcher / William Ryan, AUS
Women's 470: Lara Vadlau / Anneloes Van Veen and Jolanta Ogar, AUT
49er: Pavle Kostov / Peter Cupac, CRO
49erFX: Alexandra Maloney / Molly Meech, NZL
Complete rankings: www.sailing.org/rankings
Greenslade Wins Bermuda Championship for Gold Cup Spot
Hamilton, Bermuda: Joshua Greenslade cemented his place in October's Argo Group Gold Cup on Hamilton Harbour Saturday.
Sailing in light and shifty breezes that forced the race committee to alter the racecourse on several occasions, Greenslade bested rival skipper Lance Fraser 3-2 in the best-of-five final to win the Bermuda Sailing Association (BSA) Match Racing Nationals and claim the sole Gold Cup spot up for grabs.
Greenslade, whose well-drilled crew included Blythe Walker and Royal Bermuda Yacht Club (RBYC) sailing director and high performance coach Tom Herbert-Evans and Sean Evans, remained unbeaten during the double round robin phase en route to the final where his only losses on the day came against Fraser.
The BSA Match Racing Nationals was contested for in the International One Design (IOD) which is the same class used for the Apalri World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) sanctioned Argo Group Gold Cup.
Greenslade now joins this year's Gold Cup fleet that includes reigning champion Taylor Canfield (US Virgin Islands), defending WMRT champion Ian Williams (England), four-time Olympic gold medallist Ben Ainslie (England), Johnie Berntsson (Sweden) and Mathieu Richard (France). Ainslie, Williams, Berntsson and Richard are also past Gold Cup winners.
The 2013 Gold Cup will be held October 8-13 in Hamilton Harbour. -- Colin Thompson, The Royal Gazette, www.royalgazette.com
Living The Dream
Peter Holmberg offers some expert local insight and walks the course at the headline acts of the 2014 Caribbean Sailing Season.
As chairman of the Caribbean Sailing Association, I'm keen to extend an invite on behalf of our wonderful islands and the local residents. We invite you to come and experience racing in the idyllic conditions the Caribbean has to offer. We have a host of events, each with their own unique style and flavour, to choose from. As a native Virgin Islander, I've also gained a fair bit of knowledge on and off the water that you might find helpful in choosing the events that are right for you.
The greatest feature of racing in the Caribbean is our reliable trade winds and warm weather. For a sport such as ours, played outdoors and reliant on wind, having these in abundance is really key to our growing success. After spending the time and money to come down and race, teams and owners will appreciate this feature of racing among the islands.
Improved logistics has been the biggest game changer to racing in the Caribbean over recent years. Starting with air travel, all aspects of getting here and enjoying your stay have improved. Direct flights are now offered from most of the big cities in Europe and the USA, turning what used to be a wild adventure into something reasonable.
Full article in Seahorse magazine: www.seahorsemagazine.com
To subscribe to Seahorse Digital £30 for one year with discount promo code SB2: seahorse.co.uk/shop/digital
Thumbs Up for Spinlock IRC at J-Cup
Hosted by the Royal Western Yacht Club in Plymouth, the J-Cup featured 47 yachts from the J-Boat range. Over 400 competitors enjoyed three days of superb competition, racing inside and outside the Plymouth Breakwater.
The largest class racing was the one-design J/109 fleet, which numbered 19 yachts. The J-Cup is an exclusive competition for J/Boat yachts, however by using the Spinlock IRC rating system seven different models were able to race against each other. As a result a further 17 yachts participated, racing in two IRC classes, which effectively doubled the entry level of the regatta and provided fair racing for yachts of different speed.
Virtually all of the J/Boat range is designed to race in one-design classes but the Spinlock IRC system is an effective rating system to allow different models to race together.
Racing in IRC One was incredibly close. After time correction, just a few seconds decided the winner of each of the eight races. Six yachts managed top three finishes but the most consistent yacht, James Arnell's J/111 Jeez Louise, won the class.
Stuart Sawyer's J/97 Black Dog won IRC Two and the Cornish team was also awarded the J-Cup for the most outstanding performance at the regatta. -- Louay Habib
For more information about the Spinlock IRC Rating System see www.ircrating.org
Notice Of Race for 2014 Audi IRC Australian Championship
Principal sponsor, Audi Australia, and organizing authority, Yachting Australia, together with the Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club have released the Notice of Race for the 2014 Audi IRC Australian Championship which will be heading to the New South Wales regional centre for the first time.
In 2014, competition for the Audi IRC Australian Championship will take place off the beaches of Newcastle and Stockton Bight over four days, from 17 to 20 April.
All IRC rated yachts, small and large, that hold a Category 4 safety certificate are welcome to compete in the event with competition split into three classes, A, B and C.
The 2014 Audi IRC Australian Championship will be held over the Easter long weekend, with the event capping off a busy month of racing in the Newcastle region. The dates also coincide with school holidays, allowing families to combine a vacation with sailing activities in the Newcastle region.
April begins with the Pittwater to Newcastle Race and the Newcastle to Port Stephens Race, with a full week of racing then scheduled at Sail Port Stephens. Crews can then return to Newcastle for four more days of racing at the Audi IRC Australian Championship.
Featured Brokerage
1996 Eric Goetz Custom Sailboats Offshore Racer. EUR 395,000. Located In Germany.
7/8 fractional HALL Carbon, Rod standing Rigging.
Brokerage through Arne Schmidt Yachts International e.K.: www.yachtworld.com/arneschmidt/
Complete listing details and seller contact information at uk.yachtworld.com
The Last Word
We live in a society absolutely dependent on science and technology and yet have cleverly arranged things so that almost no one understands science and technology. That's a clear prescription for disaster. -- Carl Sagan
About boats.com
boats.com is a highly powerful and effective global marketing solution for the boating industry. With half a million new and used boat listings, offered across the globe by manufacturers, brokers, dealers and private advertisers, it is the most comprehensive site in the World. Over 1.4 million boating consumers visit our sites every month, generating up to 16.5 million page views, with over 500,000 of these visitors coming from within Europe. Whether you are providing a product or service or selling new or pre owned boats, boats.com offers an extensive and varied range of solutions, tailored to suit all marketing budgets offering extensive local and international coverage.
Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com
Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: gb@beesonstone.com or see www.scuttlebutteurope.com/advertise.html