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
Shaping The Foils That Re-Shaped The America's Cup
When Pete Melvin co-wrote the design rule for the AC72 catamaran, he knew there were two distinct areas of development that could determine the winner of the 34th America's Cup; the hard wing, an aspect of Oracle Team USA's Cup-winning monster cat brought forward to this new era of Cup technology; and the foils. As it turns out, the 130' wingsail, initially regarded as the radical innovation of this America's Cup cycle, was overshadowed by the realization that these giant catamarans could not only foil downwind but upwind.
From the beginning of Melvin's role on the AC72 design team of Emirates Team New Zealand, the watchword was "stable flight." The team learned pretty early on that getting as much of the huge cat out of the water as possible was the key to speed. Consequently, the foils underwent a tremendous amount of development, from early models tested on the team's SL33s to the "V" shaped version that led ETNZ to win the Louis Vuitton Cup, and may carry the America's Cup back to Auckland.
"When we were working on the rule, we knew you wanted to get as much lift as possible when you were going fast downwind," Melvin says...
"At Team New Zealand, we developed a new type of foil that allows you to keep your height above the water more or less steady. No one had been able to do that before, at least not on a course-racing boat that was not going downwind. -- Diane Swintal for CupInfo
Full article in Cup Info: www.cupinfo.com
ORACLE Team USA'S Speed Mods
The AC72 catamarans are still being developed and improved, even as the competition proceeds. Emirates Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker said after Race 10 that if they were still sailing their boat the way it was at the start of the Louis Vuitton Cup in early July, they would lose every race in the America's Cup Match.
Oracle Team USA has made their boat dramatically faster upwind during the first week of the America's Cup. They have removed the long bowsprit for the gennaker and the supporting kingpost and stay from the underside of the boat. They have also moved to different daggerboards, with the winglets set at an obtuse angle to the main board. These boards are faster but less stable. The boat is clearly faster upwind, but they did drop down off the foils in the first leg of Race 10, losing speed and allowing ETNZ to establish a critical overlap.
In Race 1 OTUSA used daggerboards with the winglets set at an acute angle to the main board. This makes foiling more stable but has more drag.
By Race 8 OTUSA had made modifications to the boat including replacing the long bowsprit that could carry a gennaker with a shorter one. This eliminated the weight and drag of the bowsprit plus a kingpost and a stay. Different daggerboards have the winglets set at an obtuse angle to the main board. This gives less drag, making the boat faster, but it is less stable and harder to sail. -- Jack Griffin, Cup Experience
Marlow at PSP Southampton Boatshow
Marlow will be exhibiting at the PSP Southampton Boatshow 2013. The Marlow stand number F028 located in Mayflower Park will offer a huge range of rope information for cruisers, racers, dinghies, superyachts and classic boats. If you have any rope related questions pop by and we can answer or direct you to a suitable retailer at the show to purchase the rope.
Marlow will have their new retail brochure and integrated racking system on show which aims to help you choose application specific ropes and get the best from your boat.
For something more practical, Marlow will be running splicing demonstrations throughout the day for both dinghy and yachting lines. If you have a question please ask our experienced staff who will be happy to demonstrate most common splices.
Lastly there will be a daily competition running, why not drop by the stand, fill in a simple application form to be in with a chance of winning a great prize daily.
To enter, just download the entry form here and return it to the Marlow stand F028 in Mayflower Park.
Another Day At The Office
Photo by Daniel Forster, www.DanielForster.com. Click on image for photo gallery.
After a week's work at the New York Yacht Club Invitational presented by Rolex I finished working at the prize giving Saturday night.
Got up at 4 AM on Monday morning in Jamestown RI, took off from Providence at 6 AM for Chicago.
Got delayed in Chicago and arrived in San Francisco an hour late, took a taxi to the hotel where my 500 mm lens was waiting and went straight to the St Francis Yacht Club shoreline. Arrived 10 minutes before the start, photographed it and the first mark rounding while the taxi was waiting with my luggage.
Deposited the luggage at the St Francis Yacht Club and took pictures of the second race and went home for dinner with the landlady who had a party for friends, 98 old Chuck Williams, founder of Williams-Sonoma included.
(Yes, call me name dropper….) -- Daniel Forster
Gazprom Swan 60 Class Begin The Nord Stream Race
Photo by onEdition. Click on image for photo gallery.
They are off! The Gazprom Swan 60 Class has begun the 800 nautical mile race across the Baltic Sea, racing from Flensburg, Germany to Saint-Petersburg, Russia in the second edition of the Nord Stream Race.
The five teams; Team Russia, Team Europe, Team Great Britain, Team Germany and Team Turkey started the race in front of the Yacht Harbour Glucksburg at 1600 hours in the final event on the Gazprom Swan 60 Class Circuit 2013. They will now race for 3-4 days non-stop in the Classes longest offshore race to date.
Winners of the Nord Stream Race 2012 and current Class leaders and World Champions, Team Russia believe that the competition is even higher this year. Tommaso Chieffi from Team Russia commented; "The Nord Stream Race has gone up a notch in terms of competitiveness; people are now used to the boat, they know the boat and the how to race her competitively. The quality of the teams has also increased since last year and we see a number of world class sailors here this year. The fleet is now very evenly matched, as we have seen in the Gazprom Swan 60 World Championship in the summer.
With the race taking the new format of one long leg, it makes it a proper offshore race which is in line with other offshore races such as the Fastnet Race, the Middle-Sea Race and the Sydney Hobart, although this is actually longer as the majority are around 600nm, this is 800 nm. It is going to be a great race and it will be interesting to see how the teams perform this year."
Newcomers to the Nord Stream Race, Team Great Britain have a crew of professional and youth sailors; a team with plenty of experience and energy, Skipper Adrian Stead believes that the team is looking good; "We have a great mix of Volvo sailors who raced in the last Volvo Ocean Race so they bring the ocean experience to the team, then we have a number of guys who have raced the RC44 circuit over the past year, we have a good mix.
Fleet tracking is available via the Nord Stream Race website nord-stream-race.com/eng/race-tracker
Current Gazprom Swan 60 Class Circuit results are as follows:
Bronenosec (RUS) 1 - 1 - 1 Total: 3
SGM (GER) 2 - 5 - 2 Total: 9
Spirit of Europe (GBR) 6 - 2 - 6 Total 14
Tsaar Peter (BVI) 6 - 3 - 6 Total 15
Petite Flamme (RUS) 6 - 4 - 6 Total 16
Michele Paoletti Takes the Gold in Finn Open Russian
Fresh from his top ten success at the recent Finn Gold Cup in Tallinn, Estonia, Michele Paoletti (ITA) has won the 2013 Open Russian in Moscow, from 2008 Olympian Giorgio Poggi (ITA) and 2011 Junior Finn World Champion Arkadiy Kistanov (RUS).
The fifth Open Russian international regatta - the Open Championship of the Russian Finn Association - took place in Moscow from 3-8 September. As usual this regatta attracted a big number of sailors with five nations (Italy, Ukraine, Russia, Lithuania and Belarus) represented, as well as sailors from different areas of Russia. It has become one of the largest national Finn regattas each year and one which is growing in popularity due to its easy logistics with ample charter boats available for visiting sailors.
Italy and Ukraine brought really strong teams. Fantastica Sailing Team has organised a visit of six top Italian Finn sailors headed by Michele Paoletti, Giorgio Poggi and Filippo Baldasari, a strong masters team, including president of Italian Finn Association Franchesco Faggiani and former president of the Italian Finn Association Marco Buglielli, and talented juniors Umberto de Luca and young Riccardo Bevilakva.
The racing committee managed to carry out nine good races during first three days.
The medal race was very easy for Paoletti, but quite difficult for Russian, Ukranian and Belarus sailors since six Italians were in the top ten. Kistanov was pushed out from a good starting position at the very beginning of the race, but he managed to pass Baldasari just before the finish of the medal race to end up third overall. Poggi won the medal race, to maintain his second position.
Andrey Balashov Cup
The Open Russian regatta was also the final stage of Andrey Balashov Cup (which included 19 regattas in Russia in the Finn, and attracted 130 participants in 2013). The 2013 Andrey Balashov Cup was won by Konstantun Lashuk.
Results (top 10 from 72)
1. Paoletti Michele, ITA, 26 points
2. Poggi Giorgio, ITA, 35
3. Kistanov Arkady, RUS, 56
4. Baldassari Filippo, ITA, 56
5. Voltolini Enriсo 2, ITA, 65
6. Lashuk Konstantin, BLR, 69
7. Gusenko Andrey, UKR, 77
8. Umberto De Luсa, ITA, 79
9. Petrov Dmitry, RUS, 85
10. Bevilacqua Riccardo, ITA, 89
Full results: www.moscow-finnclass.ru
Tall Ship Astrid Back From The Deep
Photo by Erskine Tanner. Click on image to enlarge.
The Dutch Tall Ship Astrid that ran aground two months ago has been successfully recovered off the Cork coast today. Using specialist lifting equipment brought in from England, the 100- foot steel hull, now safely atop a massive barge, is remarkably intact.
News of the salvage before the arrival of any autumn gales has been warmly greeted. The lift brings an end to the saga for all involved during the rescue of those on board, during her protection while she was on the rocks and in her salvage this week.
A Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) report is being prepared into the accident.
The 95-year-old vessel ran aground on to Rocks off Kinsale two months ago during a photocall for the Irish Sailing Association Gathering Cruise promotion, prompting dramatic scenes as 30 people were rescued from rough seas. The vessel has been resting on the rocks since the grounding on July 24th.
Lots of photos including those showing where the steel hull was holed in Afloat magazine:
YCCS Celebrates 30 Years of Azzurra
Azzurra '83 and TP52 Azzurra in Porto Cervo. Photo by Giuliano Luzzatto. Click on image to enlarge.
Porto Cervo, Italy: Azzurra, the boat that ignited a passion for the America's Cup in Italy, has returned to her original home in Porto Cervo where she will remain on permanent exhibition in front of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda clubhouse. On Saturday 14th September, the Club celebrated the 30th Anniversary of Azzurra's challenge for the "Auld Mug".
The summer of 83 was an unforgettable one for Italy, the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS) launched the first Italian challenge for the America's Cup with the International 12 Metre Class boat Azzurra. Among the foremost promoters of the challenge were H.H. the Aga Khan, President of the YCCS, and Gianni Agnelli.
Azzurra exceeded all expectations when she reached the semi-finals of the Louis Vuitton Cup. A host of babies born in 1983 were named Azzurra and it is safe to say that the feats of the 12 metre in Newport paved the way for the extensive media coverage of the Il Moro di Venezia and Luna Rossa campaigns that would follow.
To mark the 30th anniversary, the YCCS has positioned the fully restored original Azzurra '83 hull at the entrance to the marina of Porto Cervo.
The new Azzurra - a modern, technological Transpac 52 hull owned by YCCS Member Alberto Roemmers - will be moored alongside Azzurra '83 to symbolize the sporting spirit passed on from the original campaign to the modern one.
Industry News
Ocean Safety is meeting an increase in demand for a number of its key products with a new manufacturing facility.
The new facility, based at Southampton Trading Estate near the company's head office, increases Ocean Safety's factory floor area from 2,000 sq ft to 12,000 sq ft.
Ocean Safety says a number of recent developments have driven its decision to expand, including winning a contract from the RNLI to supply new liferafts to the entire all weather lifeboat fleet in the UK over the next three years.
In addition, the company's acquisition of Para Anchor means the manufacturing of the popular sea anchor range has been moved from Australia to Southampton.
The new unit will house Ocean Safety's design and development division, which will move from the nearby office at Saxon Wharf.
From Boating Business: www.boatingbusiness.com
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Freight forwarding company PSP has announced its plans to open joint venture offices in the USA and South Africa and that it aims to increase its turnover by at least £1m as a direct result of its Clipper Round the World Yacht Race sponsorship.
The Southampton Boat Show sponsor has unveiled these targets as the company gave more details of its ambitious growth plans at the opening of the event today.
The Hampshire-based firm plans to achieve this growth by penetrating markets overseas, making in-roads at four particular stopovers that the race makes around the globe. These stopovers are in South Africa, Singapore, China and the USA.
PSP, which is also official logistics partner for the race for the third event running, will fly out to the four stopovers and set up 'pop up' offices within the race village.
The stopovers will also act as reconnaissance missions for PSP, which also hopes to set up joint venture offices in San Francisco and Cape Town following its visits.
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Plymouth Yacht Haven have expanded the size of their facilities on Plymouth's Mount Batten peninsula. The company has acquired the Western Hangar building, with 25,000 sqft of waterfront workshops, boat storage and office space plus a further 17,000 sqft of forecourt space outdoors.
The building forms a pair with the adjacent Eastern Hangar, already owned by Plymouth Yacht Haven, and between them they provide space for one of the largest indoor boat storage facilities in the South West, as well as a whole host of marine related businesses, including boat repairs, yacht rigging, boat sales, upholstery, marine engineering, Princess retro-fit specialists, a large chandlery and a cafe.
The site is also home to the Bridge Bar & Restaurant and the 450 berths of Plymouth Yacht Haven's 5 Gold Anchor marina, which this year hosted the finish of the Fastnet Race.
Practical Boat Owner: www.pbo.co.uk
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As the 45th PSP Southampton Boat Show opened, the British Marine Federation (BMF) said the UK leisure, superyacht and small commercial marine industry displays encouraging signs of an uplift in activity.
This year's show has more than 120 boat debuts - an unprecedented number, says organiser National Boat Shows (NBS).
The figure includes 30 world launches, 48 UK debuts, three European showings and 40 boats that are brand new to the PSP Southampton Boat Show.
The BMF says its latest trends survey shows incremental increases in business performance, and says turnover and profit measures have strengthened. Export markets are showing improved stability and members' future expectations are better.
Overall, the marine industry demonstrates a gradual rise in business activity and a slight increase in trends.
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Ancasta International Boat Sales has announced that as well as the brand new Chichester Office, due to open on October the 1st, the group have just recently spread their brokerage network to Port of Alcudia in North Mallorca.
The newly established franchise which was formerly Mallorca Boat Sales, will now see the Group welcoming Andre Nelles into the fold. Andre worked for 12 years managing the Alcudia office.
Ancasta's newly acquired brokerage in Alcudia, comes with its own very clear advantages. In close proximity to Menorca, customers are able to enjoy stunning anchorages and large cruising areas, while now benefitting from an established brokerage in the Med, and a UK based network.
Featured Brokerage
2000 90' MAG Maxi Open One Design "ALYE PARUSA". EUR 300,000. Located In Falmouth, United Kingdom.
The perfect boat for single handed or short crew handed record attempt. She is also in very good condition and ready to go.
Brokerage through Bernard Gallay Yacht Brokerage: www.yachtworld.com/bernard-gallay/
Complete listing details and seller contact information at
uk.yachtworld.com
The Last Word
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