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
Less Than 1,000 Miles To Go For Spindrift 2
On the fifth day of racing, Spindrift 2 has broken the barrier of the final 1,000 miles of what is a theoretical total course of 3,384 miles from Cadiz. The long tacks in the trade winds actually means that Dona and Yann's Maxi Tri has clocked up 3,350 nm at the breath-taking average speed of 29.9 knots, that is 25.7 knots on the theoretical direct course.
Dona and her 13 sailors crew have had a pretty good ride so far, but a highly strategic phase will start today in wind conditions that are expected to decrease. It is the end of the fast, 40 knots on the speedometer, reaching conditions. It will come down to positioning ourselves in the right place to get across the area of light pressure, an area of transition between two weather systems, to reach the strong winds along the north American coast.
Yann Guichard, Dona Bertarelli and Erwan Israel, the boat's afterguard, together with Richard Silvani of Meteo France ashore, brainstormed the issue throughout the whole of yesterday. The best option is to take a route as close as possible to the theoretical course, the most direct to the finish. "Head west as soon as possible" is Yann's watchword for the coming 20 hours. "An almost 400 mile long buffer zone separates us from the next weather system. The dilemma is over. We have to move as quickly as possible closer to the theoretical direct course."
Time to beat : 7 days, 10 hours, 58 minutes, 53 seconds
To beat the current record, Spindrift 2 must cross the finish line in under Thursday, November 7th at 02hrs, 17ms, and 27 seconds
Current record : Groupama 3 (Franck Cammas) in 2007
Distance : 3884 milles (WSSRC)
Ninety Seven Signed On For 2013 Rolex Sydney Hobart
One year out from the 70th anniversary race, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia is pleased to announce that 97 entries have been received for the 2013 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht race, including five super maxis, 22 international entries, 15 new boats, 36 first timers, previous overall and line honours winners and the many supportive regulars, the 'meat' of the fleet.
At the pointy end of the fleet, one of the most compelling in years, is defending triple crown holder Wild Oats XI (Bob Oatley) taking on what is allegedly the fastest racing super maxi in the world, Loyal (Anthony Bell). It is purported the former Speedboat/Rambler is capable of making 45 knots downwind.
That knowledge alone will have Wild Oats XI skipper Mark Richards and his crew working even harder than ever, as they did when George David was ready to head this way for the 2011 race when he owned Rambler. Then its keel snapped off in the 2011 Rolex Fastnet Race.
There are 22 international entries, a record of sorts. The 50th anniversary race in 1994 produced 25 internationals from its 371 entries. During the 1970's and '80's, the numbers came close in the odd numbered years when the Southern Cross Cup was in vogue and fleet numbers were well over 100.
This time, boats from New Zealand, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Singapore, New Caledonia, Germany and Cyprus will take their places on the start line.
With so many unknown quantities in the race this year, because of new boats, those trading up to other yachts and first timers, favourite contenders for the overall win is in the lap of the gods, but there are some regulars whose form is good.
Previous overall winners up for the challenge include Kim Jaggar/Travis Read's Illusion (1988), Roger Hickman's Wild Rose (1993), James Cameron's Luna Sea (as AFR Midnight Rambler in 1998), Philip Child's Knee Deep (as Yendys in 1999) and John Newbold's Primitive Cool (as Secret Mens Business 3.5 in 2010).
The final fleet for this year's Rolex Sydney Hobart will be announced at the CYCA on the morning of Tuesday 26 November, 2013. -- Di Pearson, RSHYR Media
Berlin Match Race
The 21st Berlin Match Race is decided after the intense final between Mathieu Richard (FRA) and Eric Monnin (SUI), in which the French team kept their heads cool. In the petitie final Staffan Lindberg (FIN) and Felix Oehme (GER) fought for the third ranking place.
Overall there were 72 matches to watch for the visitors on the spectator vessel close to the regatta. The vessel "Spreediamant" left the harbour daily at 10 am. For the sailors the ISAF Grade 2 event was an opportunity to earn points for the world ranking list and also the popular Berlin Match Race trophy. The Berlin Match Race is the oldest Match Race event in Germany.
Final results:
1. Mathieu Richard, FRA
2. Eric Monnin, SUI
3. Staffan Lindberg, FIN
4. Felix Oehme, GER
5. Nicolai Sehested, DEN
6. Keith Swinton, AUS
7. Przemyslaw Tarnacki, POL
8. Philip Bendon, IRL
9. Joachim Aschenbrenner, DEN
10. Mark Lees, GBR
Marinepool Introduces Fortuna, The Interactively Designed Sailing Suit
Which is the best all round cruising sailing suit? What features would you like to see in your ideal suit? These are the sort of questions the readers of German sailing magazine "segeln" were asked. And they were keen to give their input into the development of this sailing suit. Loads of great ideas were put forward and found their way into Fortuna.
Readers were called to send in their suggestions and remarks to the magazine's editorial office. Then, the proposals were collected and forwarded to the design department of Marinepool, which started the practical implementation of the interactive idea generation.
A highly resistant, breathable and waterproof fabric as well as wearing comfort through pre-shaped sleeves and knees and highly visible colors and reflectors for safety precaution were considered the highest priority by the readers. According to the participants, cuffs on sleeves and trousers should be also carefully considered to prevent slipping up while moving and to retain protection against wind and weather. Suggested solutions included for instance inner cuffs with latex or PU seals, Velcro closures or elastic loops at the end of inner legs.
Furthermore, the readers perceived abrasion protection as well as well-shaped and well-positioned pockets for tools and items such as compass or flashlights as crucial. As a result, the Fortuna set offers reinforcements at collar, sleeves, back, knees and seating area as well as welded, transparent leg pockets. Special features are the loops with non corrosive eyelets to attach snap hooks outside as well as inside of the pockets. Other ideas were focused on improving the utilization or comfort of the sailing gear. Examples for this are sewn in elastics at the back of jacket and trousers to improve adjustability, or hanging loops outside for easy drying.
Finally, Marinepool proudly presents Fortuna Offshore custom made foul weather gear and gives many thanks for the numerous readers who have sent in their ideas. Fortuna will be available through "segeln" magazine and the Marinepool retail network from 2/2014.
www.marinepool.com | www.segeln-magazin.de
Approaching The Strait Of Hormuz
Barry Harmsworth's Bin Toak, Phil Ellerby's Exodus and Doug Hassell's Diablo. Photo by XTRA-LINK / Louay Habib. Click on image to enlarge.
Dubai, United Arab Emirates: After a perfect start in Dubai, the IRC Division of the 22nd Dubai to Muscat Race, sponsored by Xtra-Link, is well under way. The front runners passed Ras al-Khaimah during the night and are approaching the Strait of Hormuz.
Irish Cookson 50, Lee Overlay Partners has enjoyed a spectacular reach along the Arabian Gulf, as Adrian Lee explained via Thuraya Satellite phone.
"I will never forget the start, it was a totally knew experience racing past the Dubai skyscrapers in warm breeze and brilliant sunshine. Approaching nightfall, we had to make our first big tactical decision; inshore for land breeze or offshore for gradient wind. We tacked out and it looks to have paid off, as the gradient breeze from the north just about held and we kept moving but at times, only just. However, what a night, dolphins came to visit us and shooting stars and thousands of others were utterly amazing. I have never seen a night sky like it."
This morning, Lee Overlay Partners is back up to full speed. Just before dawn, the Irish Cookson 50 tacked onto Port to lay the Strait of Hormuz and the breeze seems to be lifting the overall towards the strait with a boat speed in excess of 8 knots, the leader should past through to the Indian Ocean this afternoon. Lee Overaly Partners' closest rival on the water is the hi-tech XS35 catamaran, Blackwater with a team from Southern California, skippered by Matt Vukelich.
Meanwhile the bulk of the fleet opted for the inshore option and suffered from the decision.
Weather forecasts predict building breeze in the Gulf of Oman. However to get to the fresh wind, first the fleet must pass through the Strait of Hormuz. The narrow gateway to the Indian Ocean is notorious for ocean currents and squalls. -- Louay Habib
Lars Grael To Spearhead Team Brazil At Extreme Sailing Series Act 8
Click on image to enlarge.
In just two weeks, the Extreme 40 racing machines will line-up on a brand new stadium racecourse in Florianopolis, Brazil where they will be joined by Brazilian sailing royalty Lars Grael at the forefront of the invitational entry, Team Brazil. The team representing the home nation brings together some of the country's top multihull specialists who will complete the starting grid of eight Extreme 40s for the final Act of the year, from the 14-17 November at Act 8, presented by Land Rover.
Team Principal Lars Grael, a multiple Olympic medal winner and 10-times Tornado national champion, will manage the team alongside his 1988 Olympic bronze medal winning crew and Team Brazil skipper and helmsman Clínio de Freitas. The remaining four crew positions will be chosen after a series of selection trials commencing on the 2 November, where some of Brazil's finest multihull sailing talent will undertake a rigorous training programme to determine their positions on board.
With predominately northwest winds providing optimum sailing conditions in November, the city-centre stadium is sure to provide a spectacular venue for the 2013 Extreme Sailing Series grand finale, and with five teams in contention for a podium finish, it will go down to the wire.
Continuing Investigations
The New Zealand sailors snagged in Oracle's America's Cup cheating scandal are still under investigation by Yachting New Zealand, while Dutchman Dirk de Ridder has been cleared from further penalty by his national authority.
The International Jury came down hard on Oracle on the eve of the America's Cup after finding the syndicate guilty of illegally modifying their AC45s used to win two World Series titles, with varying bans for five squad members, a US$250,000 (NZ$304,173) fine and the loss of two competition points.
Two Kiwis were implicated in the drama, with grinder Matt Mitchell banned for the first four races of the cup final against Team New Zealand, though he never featured in the comeback win.
Boatbuilder Andrew Walker was also banned for the entire final - the same punishment dished to de Ridder, the highest-profile casualty given his key role on the boat.
All the guilty parties were subject to further punishment by their national associations and the International Sailing Federation (ISAF).
Last week the Dutch Watersport Federation announced that their sailing council had decided de Ridder's absence from the cup final was sufficient punishment, given the "global negative publicity" he had endured.
ISAF could still revisit de Ridder's case. The speed of the Dutch decision has surprised Yachting New Zealand, which has appointed two commissioners to review the evidence. They will then present to the board which will decide if there is a need for further punishment. -- Fairfax NZ News
www.stuff.co.nz/sport/americas-cup/
World Yacht Racing Forum
Taking place in Gothenburg, Sweden, The World of Sailing and Yacht Racing is a fast growing sport and full of new opportunities. WYRF and YRDTS will bring together over 400 industry leaders and decision makers for two-days of debate and discussions giving participants the opportunity to contribute, learn and share strategies with industry leaders, peers and colleagues. The WYRF brings innovative thinking and exclusive insight to the major issues and opportunities facing the growing yachting industry.
Over 250 people attended the 2012 edition of the World Yacht Racing Forum and Yacht Racing Design and Technology Symposium in Gothenburg, Sweden. They heard from speakers including Ben Ainslie, Knut Frostad, Guillaume Henry, Mark Turner, Pat Shaughnessy, Juan Kouyoumdjian, Manolo Ruiz de Elvira, Bill Tripp, Ian Walker, Dawn Riley, Dan McLaren, Richard Brisius and many more.
Register your place today! bit.ly/16kVa79
For more information visit: bit.ly/14yiI55
Olympic Sailor Arrested Over Child Kidnapping Ring
A former Olympic sailing champion has been arrested by police in Italy after they broke up an alleged child kidnapping ring.
Police in Italy have arrested a former Olympic sailing champion after breaking up an alleged child kidnapping ring.
Larissa Moskalenko, who won bronze in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul for the Soviet Union and Unified Team, is one of several people arrested according to reports.
It is claimed that the 50-year-old's rent-a-boat firm, based in Sicily, supplied the boats that were used to transport children from North Africa to Europe.
The gang allegedly charged tens of thousands of dollars for the abductions and used high-speed boats to kidnap children who were involved in custody battles.
The BBC's Alan Johnston in Rome says they could face kidnapping and human trafficking charges.
Planning For Success: Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup
RYA Team GBR Red’s ‘Dignity’ (Mills 39) competing at the Vice Admirals Cup 2012. Photo by Fiona Brown. Click on image to enlarge.
Great Britain's team manager for the Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup in 2012, Nigel King, has hailed the RYA's involvement in working with the teams through the selection process and in the build-up to the BDCC, and believes it was one of the key factors to GBR's success.
And with the RYA now urging interested parties to register their interest in the BDCC Owners Meeting which will take place at the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC), London, on Monday 25th November, King highlights the importance of early planning to put all of the RYA teams in the best possible position come the starting gun on the 20th July 2014.
Team GBR Red, which was made up of Dignity (Mills 39), Eaujet (Archambault 35) and Keronimo (Ker 40), sealed the title in impressive style with a 63-point victory over second-placed GBR White in the biennial event, which is known for its tough mix of inshore and offshore racing conditions.
"For most big boat sailors team racing is not a normal concept and although you could not use team racing rules there was a lot that the boats could do to help each other every day. All of the GBR boats last year worked hard to work with their other team members to share information and support their other team members, to get the best out of their boats. There was a real air of shared responsibility to every member of their teams in 2012 and they worked hard to support each other."
The Commodores' Cup, which started in 1992, is an international three-boat team event using the IRC Rating system and is open to boats rated between 1.020 and 1.230, with only one boat rated above 1.150.
The RYA is urging interested parties to register their interest in the BDCC Owners Meeting at RORC on Monday 25th November as soon as possible.
For more information on the Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup meeting or if you're interested in finding out more then please contact bas.edmonds@rya.org.uk, RYA Technical and Racing Services Manager.
Not Sailing But Very Cool..
Many people who qualify as being blind can still perceive some light and motion. A new pair of smart glasses use this to help blind people see more.
The special glasses, developed by Stephen Hicks, a research fellow in neuroscience and visual prosthetics at the University of Oxford, use two cameras in combination with an infrared projector to detect nearby objects. They also have a gyroscope, a compass, and a GPS to help orient the wearer. Images that are created through this data are then projected on transparent OLEDs in high-contrast color in shades that can be modified to suit the wearer's preferences.
Hicks has won the Royal Society's Brian Mercer Award for Innovation for the work--£50,000, which we hope can fast track his project to the public.
Letters To The Editor - editor@scuttlebutteurope.com
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* From Frank Newton 'Sorebonens': Further to John Burnie's letter on boat names at the Olympic Games . Rodney Pattison's FD sported the longest name seen at the Games with , Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious , Though this was not on the transom.
The longest 'name ' that I have seen on a transom was the poem on the stern of the Irish Admirals Cup boat that had previously landed on rocks and was subsequently rebuilt and nicknamed ' Apple Crumble '. I think the moon was involved somewhere. Any ideas?
* From Richard Power: Further to John Burnie's letter today, unanimously agreed as the best boat name at Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week this year: An RS Elite named "USAIN BOAT."
* From Daniel Charles: Wonderful boat names should deserve a book - or a dictionary. The late Jacques Chauveau had a Dragon named "Les cenobites tranquilles", which paid honour to some monks but, when said at the prizegiving, sounded like an injunction to stop playing with the crew's private parts. There was also in France until the 1950s a class of light (so to speak) racing keelboats named Chats (cats) where all the boat names HAD TO be a pun with the word "chat", like "charivari" (racket). Happily, sailing is not just racing!
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