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Tactical First Night
As the 44 duos sail into their first night at sea on this 11th Transat Jacques Vabre the MOD70 duo remain in close contact although Sebastien Josse and Charles Caudrelier on Edmond de Rothschild have held the lead since the first and only passing mark and on the 1900hrs UTC were still holding a small speed advantage in the light to moderate conditions
Michel Desjoyeaux and Francois Gabart on Macif laid down the early marker in the IMOCA Open 60 class, also leading from the first passing mark, but they have lost out to Jeremie Beyou and Christopher Pratt on Maitre CoQ on the tactical beat. Macif stayed further inshore and appears to have lost out, Beyou and Pratt tacking on the line of Macif as they head offshore with a lead of less than half a mile.
In the Multi50 Class it is FenetreA-Cardinal which has prospered, closer to the peninsula, with a margin of some two miles over Actual.
Erwan le Roux reported earlier
"It is safe in the Bay of Seine with 10-11 knots of wind, the sea has calmed down and it feels good. We are back with the guys and we are tight with Actual and Arkema. Now we arrive at Barfleur, it is slowing down because the current is strong here."
The Class 40's are very much in sprint mode heading to Roscoff.On the 1900hrs ranking there was nothing separating SNCF Geodis from ERDF Des Pieds et des Mains although further offshore, the Damien Seguin and Yoanne Richomme were sailing slightly quicker.
Showing well early on Spain's Alex Pella and Pablo Santurde lay in sixth, about 0.8 miles from the leaders, but nicely placed in the peloton. Brian Thompson and Mike Gascoyne on Caterham Challenge were making a more direct course, further offshore in eighth.
Storm Batters Global Race Fleet - Injured Crew Evacuated
A violent storm has been battering the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race fleet today as it heads through the Indian Ocean from South Africa into the notorious 'Roaring Forties' in the Southern Ocean. Winds in excess of 50 knots have been experienced by some of the fleet, punctuated by hurricane force gusts in places. Injuries have been experienced across the fleet with two crew members requiring medical evacuation.
Michelle Porter (36) from London is to be evacuated with a suspected broken upper right arm from the yacht Derry-Londonderry-Doire which is sailing for Port Elizabeth, where she will be transferred to hospital via the South African Coast Guard; this is a precautionary measure as the fleet has a tough two and a half week race ahead. Another yacht has just completed a similar transfer following Australian crew member David Griffin (40) suffering a calf puncture aboard Mission Performance.
The twelve identical British registered 70 foot ocean racing yachts are carrying 240 international amateur crew, each under the command of a professional skipper, on the world's longest ocean race; it is now 10,000 miles out of London on its 40,000 miles, 11 month marathon. The fleet left Cape Town on 4 November and is expected into Albany, Western Australia towards the end of the month. The unique event ends back in London in July next year.
https://www.clipperroundtheworld.com
German Frers - A Passion For Design
This coffee table biography provides an insight into the lives, designs and passions of one of the most prolific design families - all named German Frers. It is a book to delight all owners of Frers designed yachts, those that have crewed on them, and all students of yacht design.
It charts a family design heritage spanning 3 generations that has been responsible for the launching of more than 10,000 boats from dinghies to day keelboats, distinctive cruisers to successful racers, powerboats and superyachts.
Early chapters chart six generations of family history: How one ship owned by a Frers ancestor, was escorting a pirated Portuguese frigate back across the Atlantic in 1820, took formal possession of what are now known as the Falklands, an act that remains is central to Argentine claims over the Malvinas Islands today; the influence that revolutionary Che Guevara, a first cousin, had on the current generation, and German Frers apprenticeship with the best designers - his Father, and the New York masters Olin and Rod Stephens.
During the 50's and 60's when the design skills of German Frers Snr. were at their zenith, good yacht design was very much down to intuition and experience. This book shows how those traditional skills continue to hold true, but are now mixed with the very precise demands of structural analysis, aerodynamics, computer wizardry and hi-tech engineering.
'A Passion for Design' also highlights the rise of Frers Snr.' first son German in the world of IOR and Maxi yacht racing during the 70's and '80's, his involvement in three America's Cup campaigns and his pioneering work in developing performance oriented cruisers and superyachts. Now, German (Mani) Frers Jnr. the third generation, is adding to this reputation, having worked with his Father on some of the most prestigious projects from Dr Jim Clark's 155ft Hyperion and Prada boss Patrizio Bertelli's 105ft Ulisse, to a variety of successful Open class racers and on his own account, Sweden's Victory America's Cup challenger.
"Flipping Book" excerpt:
issuu.com/pplmedia/
Written by Barry Pickthall
Format: 302 x 234mm. 207 pages
Illustrations: 194 colour pictures + 83 Drawings
Price: £35.00 Sterling + P&P ISBN: 09531044 0 0
Order 4 copies for your crew and get a 5th copy free
Order from: South Atlantic Publishing. www.southatlanticpublishing.com
Flying Fifteen Worlds
Photo by Guy Nowell, www.guynowell.com. Click on image for photo gallery.
Hong Kong: With first place already decided, 50 boats turned up at the start line for the seventh and final race of the Worlds. It's no exaggeration to say that the weather and sea state has been different on every day of this regatta and today was just perfect - sunny, 15kts, a light swell.
Race management was not in for an easy day though, with two ships anchored on the preferred layline. Having moved closer inshore to allow adequate leg length without encroaching into China waters, the line was laid for an axis slightly to the right of the wind, to balance the course against the 'left at Lamma' effect.
Everything was going to plan until two minutes into the start sequence, when the AP had to be raised to allow for a commercial ship crossing the course on the port layline.
Just as thoughts were turning to getting into the start sequence again, a tanker anchored just upwind of the start line, forcing the team to up sticks and move back further offshore and reset the course.
Finally, 50 minutes behind schedule, the start gun was fired for the last race of the 19th International Flying Fifteen World Championships and the fleet was away with a clean start.
Final top ten results:
1. Graham Vials / Chris Turner, GBR, 11 points
2. Nick Jerwood / Janet Jerwood, AUS, 15
3. Grant Alderson / Dean McAullay, AUS, 24
4. Steve Goacher / Phil Evans, GBR, 26
5. Matthew Owen / Andrew Reed, AUS, 31
6. Greg Wells / Andrew Jameson, GBR, 33
7. Alan Bax / Chris Hewkin, GBR, 34
8. David Tabb / Chewey Sherrell, GBR, 42
9. Gregory Leaversuch / Peter Barblett, AUS, 57
10. Christopher Paterson / Rupert Leslie, AUS, 62
Full results with elapsed times:
www.rhkyc.org.hk/ffw13resultselapsed.aspx
Noble Marine UK Laser Inland Championships
This year's finale to the UK Laser season was not for the faint-hearted. The forecast was not the best but that didn't stop 187 assorted Lasers from arriving at Grafham Water on Saturday, 2nd November for the Noble Marine UK Laser Inland Championships. With all three rigs racing the event was split into two race areas, both using trapezoidal courses. Peter Baldwin acted as Race Officer for the Standards (37) & the 4.7s (30) on one course and Peter Saxton was in charge of the 120 Radials on the other course.
In general over the weekend the wind was an unstable S - SW'erly. It started at 14 – 20kts on Saturday and then during the 3rd race on both courses a 30+ kts gust swept across the reservoir and decimated all the fleets, broken masts, rescue crews being thrown out of Safety boats (so I am told) and general mayhem. Sunday was again a blowy day. With a 10:00 first start both courses had finished two races before another massive gust, recorded at 38 kts, and with driving rain interrupted the third set of races. Everyone was sent ashore but before the last boats had reached the club the wind had died and all fleets were recalled to their race areas
Overall Top Results: Standard - Radial - Laser 4.7
1. Jack Wetherell - Jon Emmett - Ben Whaley
2. Alex Mills-Barton - John Booth - William Bedford
3. Henry Wetherell - Anthony Parke - Jordan Giles
4. Hector Simpson - James Skulczuk - Peter Daniels
5. Kieran Hill - Sam Whaley - William Heritage
Full results: www.laser.org.uk
Euro Cup 29er
Riva del Garda, Italy: There was non-stop action at Riva del Garda for the final leg of the 29er Eurocup organised by Fraglia Vela Riva with 14 races completed in all types of wind conditions.
The leaders remained unchanged from the day prior with victory going to 17 year old Germans Jasper Steffens and Tom Lennart Braukmann with a 9 point lead over Gillies Munro and Daniel Harris (GBR). A splendid third place went to Ganapathy Kelapanda and Varun Thakkar of India competing for the first time on Lake Garda, Trentino. In the women's category Ruth Allan and Alice Masterman (GBR) made a final push to overtake Carla and Marta Munte Carrasco of Spain who suffered the most in the medium-strong winds.
The event saw a turning point after the first ten races when the Spanish crew of Tania Bonilla and Marc Chapon, who had initially started off very well, committed a series of errors in the tenth race. The lead was consequently taken over by Munro and Harris, who finished second overall and then by Steffens and Lennart Braukmann who were able to hold on to the lead right up until the end with a series of steady partials. After a great come back third place was taken by Kelapanda and Thakkar. They had risked, however to lose it in the final as only one point separated them from Mimi El Khazindar and Ben Batten (GBR) in fourth place. They were first in the final race.
Final Results (PDF) www.fragliavelariva.it
ISAF: www.sailing.org/news/36300.php
Seahorse December 2013
What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine
World news
Cammas again, Gabart's big reward, the Jimmy Spithill story in full, a refreshing repatriation for Emirates TNZ and some other big boats get to go racing on San Francisco Bay... Dobbs Davis, Blue Robinson, Carlos Pich, Ivor Wilkins, Patrice Carpentier
ORC column
Bruno Finzi and a satisfactory year to date
Rod Davis
Remarkably, Emirates TNZ never blinked once
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Public Invited To Vote For Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image 2013
Seventy of the world's best yacht racing photographers, representing seventeen nations, have submitted a picture for the Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image Award 2013. The public is now invited to vote online. The best yacht racing picture of the year will be celebrated during the World Yacht Racing Forum, in Gothenburg (SWE), on December 10-11.
The Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image Award is open to professional photographers from all over the world. Its goal is to pay tribute to their work, to provide them with a promotional platform and to help promote the sport of sailing to a wider audience.
The Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image 2013 (main prize) will be selected by an international and independent jury
Please view the images and place your vote via:
www.yachtracingimage.com/gallery/contest-2013/
Now If They Can Integrate These With Google Glasses...
Click on image to enlarge.
One of the scourges for those who wish to go to sea is seasickness. Even the most experienced of sailors can be overwhelmed at times. Now a company which has created an amazing new solution has been nominated for a DAME Award, the world's number one international design competition for new marine equipment and accessories.
In the category of 'Clothing and crew accessories' a company strangely called 'boarding ring' has invented some anti Motion Sickness (Sea sickness) Glasses.
How do they work? The manufacturer explains that motion sickness is caused by a sensorial conflict between eyes and inner ears. The liquid levels inside the glasses show a 'virtual horizon' to the peripheral field of view, following the real motion which is felt by inner ears.
It is claimed that the glasses avoid, definitively and permanently, motion sickness.
To learn more about the glasses, www.boardingring.com is the website and choose English language version. -- Sail-World Cruising
Newport Bermuda Race Notice Of Race And Safety Requirements Posted
The Bermuda Race Organizing Committee has posted the Notice of Race for the 2014 Newport Bermuda Race® in its web site documents area at http://bermudarace.com/entry/bermuda-race-documents-2/
The Newport Bermuda Race Safety Requirements have also been posted. These requirements are based on US Sailing's new "Ocean-level" standard, and include Newport Bermuda Race prescriptions.
Significant changes for 2014 include
- introduction of a performance screen value as an additional aid in proper assignment of yachts to the St. David's Lighthouse and Gibbs Hill Lighthouse Divisions,
- requirements that many documents be kept aboard rather than submitted to the Organizing Authority,
- adoption of the Newport Bermuda Race Safety Requirements which are expected to simplify preparation for the inspection process and the inspection itself,
- introduction of time penalties for failure to meet entry dates and deadlines to enhance competition and improve race administration.
Additional changes include new prizes for regional competitions, a prize for 4-handed crews in the Cruiser Division and a prize for combined Annapolis-Newport/Newport Bermuda Race entries for IRC scored yachts.
The 2014 Notice of Race (PDF) is posted on the race web site at bermudarace.com
The 2014 Newport Bermuda Race Safety Requirements (PDF) can be found on the race web site at bermudarace.com
The new safety requirements are among the many topics concerning the race and long-distance sailing that will be addressed at the Cruising Club of America Bermuda Race Safety at Sea Seminar in Newport, R.I., on March 15-16. More information about the seminar and a link to registration are at bermudarace.com/bermuda-racecca-safety-seminar-registration-opens/
Black Sea Regatta - 50 Tall Ships
Click on image to enlarge.
The SCF Black Sea Regatta, 30th April until the 28th May 2014, organised by Sail Training International and sponsored by Sovcomflot, will put the Black Sea on the map for the world's most notable Tall Ships.
The Regatta will visit Varna, Bulgaria; Novorossiysk and Sochi in Russia and Constanta, Romania.
Up to fifty Tall Ships are expected to take part, including four famous Russian Tall Ships – Mir, Kruzenshtern, Sedov and Nadezhda. Romania's Mercea is taking part, as part of her 75-year jubilee celebrations in 2014, along with Adornate and Apolodor. Bulgaria will be represented by Kaliakra and Royal Helena.
People of all abilities can take part in the Regatta, including those with mental and physical disabilities, providing they are over the age of 15. Trainees may join for one or both of the race legs and all ships entering the Regatta are particularly encouraged to recruit trainees between the ages of 15 and 25.
English version website: www.tallships2014.ru/en/regata/
From Sail-World: www.sail-world.com/index.cfm?nid=116390
Letters To The Editor - editor@scuttlebutteurope.com
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* From Guy Gurney: From my extensive collection of worthless old Kodachromes, here is confirmation of the Irish transom, in the marina at Cowes, 1979 Admiral's Cup.
Photo by Guy Gurney, click to enlarge.
Your correspondents are a bit late with the boat name stuff though. The lovely Elaine Bunting ran a similar series of posts on her Yachting World blog about five years ago on the same subject, and some of the same boats were mentioned. Here is what I wrote to her, and she subsequently posted:
"Brings back happy memories of when John Freeman first hit on the name of Hoof Hearted for his OK Dinghy, back in 1965 or 66. He didn't stop laughing for weeks. John painted it in lurid 6 inch high letters along the side, and he would tow it behind his little MG Midget and watch to see the changing expressions on the faces of other motorists when he stopped alongside at traffic lights. He eventually sold it to Robin Kemp."
John Freeman was a fine boatbuilder who took me as crew on his Albacore for my first-ever race, off Brighton, in 1958 or 59! He subsequenly became a builder of championship-winning Merlins ("Wotnots") and OK's. Although I moved to the US 30 years ago we still keep in touch, and he and his wife recently came over here to stay with me in Connecticut for a week. Still has the same sense of humour.
* From David Arnold: Since you are currently talking about strange boat names, I attach a photograph taken this year of a transom of a motor boat berthed on 'B' pontoon, Cesme Marina, Turkey. When I first saw it there was a little old woman in black Muslim dress sitting in the back, although she'd left by the time I got there with my camera.
For those not familiar with Turkey, most locally-owned boats are registered through Delaware companies to avoid tax. My (genuine) American friends who come with us on the boat still think that the area is a haven for their boating compatriots.
* From Vincent Delany: Two interesting boat names:
Andrew STORRAR used to own an enterprise called RAT ROARS ANAGRAM
I also came across a dinghy with the folowing written on the transom for the benefit of the boats behind:
COOK NOODLES INSTEAD
* From Paul Bryans: Malcolm McKeag has confused two boats: Big Apple in 1977 and Golden Apple in 1979.
Big Apple was sunk approaching Beaucette (not St Peter Port) on 14/6/77 when on a cruise (not a delivery trip) with one of the three owners and the designer's brother, inter alia, on board. As she was built in aluminium (by Joyce) she was repaired quickly and, yes, did win the Concours d'Elegance that year. She had a big apple on her stern and "Royal Cork".
Golden Apple of the Sun (1979) had the poem on her stern (and "Cork") while Silver Apple of the Moon had a mainly silver apple and "Royal Cork Yacht Club" but not the name (both were larger than Two Tonners, let alone One Tonners). They were wooden (by Souter) and would surely have been written off by such damage. Both lost their rudders in the 1979 Fastnet; Golden was on the Irish team, Silver on the Swiss team. Silver was modified and renamed Rebel County but has since reverted to her old name and colours but not shape (I have seen her in Beaulieu several times).
I suspect I still have the crew uniforms somewhere as well as the photographs.
* From Len Davies: A classic name appearing on Davey James' X-tra Class dinghy was "Phuckit".
Many failed to understand!
* From Lee Dorrington: Ahoy. I had a laser and I called it 'everybody' , eg everybody lays her!!!
* From Robin Hunter-Coddington: When I was in the South Pacific, New Caledonia, a few years ago I saw a catamaran called "This Way Up".
Featured Brokerage
1952 William McBryde Gaff Ketch. 280,000 GBP. Located in United Kingdom.
Designed by W.G McBryde, YVES CHRISTIAN is a proper little ship drawn at a time when this was appreciated – sea kindly and comfortable she has plenty of beam, which with her firm sections and snug ketch rig make her very stiff - and she was originally designed for long sea trips and Mediterranean cruising. The sail plan moreover is split into 5 parts and shortening sail is a simply matter of lowering sail and not reefing.
Her current owners have attended with great attention and dedication to the period and detail of the boat's structure, meaning that her systems and interior are impressive. This is s vessel with little left to do but perhaps prepare a passage plan for somewhere you have always wanted to go to, very confident she will look after you.
Brokerage through Sandeman Yacht Company Ltd.: www.yachtworld.com/sandemanyachtcompany/
Complete listing details and seller contact information at uk.yachtworld.com
The Last Word
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