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RORC Caribbean 600 Entries Top 40
An international fleet of over 40 yachts has now entered the 6th edition of the RORC Caribbean 600 and around 50 are expected on the start line on Monday 24th February.
The 203ft schooner, Athos, is one of the most spectacular and innovative sailing yachts to be launched in recent years. Fully committed to the RORC Caribbean 600, Athos will be back this year having recently made modifications to increase their competitive edge.
"The crew just love blue water racing," confirmed Athos' skipper, Tony Brookes. "Our first goal will be to safely finish the race and then we hope to do better than last year. Sadly Athos bowman, 'Cappa' Antony Hussey will not be with us following a fatal road accident last September and we will be dedicating this race to him."
Athos will be hoping that Adela, the 182ft schooner, will return for a re-match of last year's Spirit of Tradition Class. Adela won by a handsome margin last year and claimed third overall under IRC and have expressed an interest in returning to defend their win.
George David's American RP90, Rambler, returns to the RORC Caribbean 600 racing in IRC Zero. In 2012 Rambler had a commanding lead on the water until the 214ft carbon fibre ketch, Hetairos, gunned Rambler down as they approached the bottom of the course. While on paper, Andrew Budgen's Volvo 70 canting keel, Monster Project, could take line honours and Adela and Athos may pose a threat in certain conditions, Rambler is likely to be the first boat to finish the RORC Caribbean 600:
Johnny Vincent's Pace won Class Zero in the 2013 Rolex Fastnet Race and the British TP52 will make its debut in the RORC Caribbean 600. On board will be a highly talented crew including two-time Volvo Ocean Race winner, Jules Salter, as navigator and with Rolex Fastnet Race and Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race winner, Jeremy Robinson, calling tactics:
Gonzalo Botin's Tales II is the first Class40 yacht to enter and more are expected. Tales II was in fine form in 2013, coming second in class in the Rolex Fastnet Race, and rounded off the year by taking the runner up position for the Transat Jacques Vabre.
Several yachts are still awaiting classification, including one of the oldest and most famous yachts to enter the RORC Caribbean 600. Dorade was designed in 1929 by Olin Stephens and won overall and line honours in the 1931 Transatlantic Race and the Fastnet that year. She went on to win the Fastnet again in 1933. Dorade finished off 2013 in dramatic style by winning the 2013 Transpac overall. She last won the 2,225-nautical-mile race from Los Angeles to Honolulu in 1936! -- Louay Habib
Cayard Wins Star Midwinter Championship
Photo by Meredith Block 
Coconut Grove, Florida, USA: America's Cup skipper and Sailing Hall of Fame member Paul Cayard has returned to the class he loved, and it showed today; the 55-year old San Franciscan stayed calm, cool and collected in the hot Sunday sun as he sailed to a solid second-place finish in today's only race. Cayard and Australian crew Rodney Hagebols' performance was enough to give them a 9-point victory over California's Jim Buckingham; 2-time Olympian Cayard earned the second-ever Star Midwinter Championship title despite a tough start to the 7-race series.
This was only Cayard's second regatta since returning to the Star Class last month; after failing to break the top ten at last month's Star Sailors League final in the Bahamas, Cayard has finally 'come home' with a regatta win at the fourth event in Miami's Star Winter Series Presented By EFG.
Brazilian standout Lars Grael had a memorable week in Miami, despite giving up the lead he had after a double-bullet performance on day one and eventually failing to reach the podium by just one point. The new Star Class President accepted the ceremonial flag from outgoing President Bill Allen at Friday night's banquet dinner, and he said that the Miami series bodes well for the future of the class.
The overall series title will be decided during February 8-9's Walker Cup, the final event in the Star Winter Series Presented by EFG.
Star Midwinter Championship Results, Top Ten
1. Paul Cayard / Rodney Hagebols , USA, 25 points
2. Jim Buckingham / Magnus Liljedahl , USA, 34
3. Augie Diaz / Arnis Baltins , USA, 44
4. Lars Grael / Samuel Goncalves , BRA, 45
5. Peter Vessella / Phil Trinter , USA, 49
6. Vasyl Gureyev / Vitali Kushnir , UKR, 53
7. Pied Piper, Jack Jennings / Brian Sharp , USA, 54
8. Star, Arthur Anosov / Valentin Veytsman , USA, 58
9. Tom Loefstedt / Jesper Sundman , SWE, 68
10. Larry Whipple / Austin Sperry , USA, 72
Race The RORC Caribbean 600 On A Volvo 70!
Do you dream of sailing a Volvo 70? The keel fully canted. Flying a huge spinnaker with six of your crewmates grinding on the pedestals in tropical sunshine. Feeling the power as the boat accelerates down a wave at 25+ knots in warm Caribbean winds...
This could be you!
Monster Project, Team Russia's boat (Kosatka) in the 2008 Volvo Ocean Race, is the only Volvo Open 70 available for charter - a unique opportunity for amateur sailors to experience these amazing racing machines!
The RORC Caribbean 600 is the headline offshore racing event in the Caribbean. With a 600 mile course around 10 islands, it's an epic race to rival the Fastnet - but much warmer!
Join us on Monster Project for our RORC Caribbean 600 program:
- Tuesday 18 through Saturday 22 February: pre-race training at Falmouth Harbour in beautiful Antigua
- Saturday 22 February: Welcome Party, Antigua Yacht Club
- Sunday 23 February: final boat preparations / rest day
- Monday 24 February: RORC Caribbean 600 starts at 1050h
- Friday 28 February: Prize-giving Ceremony, Antigua Yacht Club
Monster Project's RORC Caribbean 600 package includes:
- Race entry
- Berthing fees
- Pre-race training
- Professional Racing Skipper and Crew
- Food and bottled water during sailing
- Monster Project race clothing
- Safety equipment (loan)
- Wet-weather clothing (loan)
Can't make it to the RORC? Monster Project also operates Caribbean, UK, European and Trans-Atlantic Racing and Adventure Sailing charters for groups, corporates and individuals.
See the Calendar on our website:
www.volvo70charter.co.uk
email: info@volvo70charter.co.uk
Burling and Tuke Join Emirates Team New Zealand
NZL Sailing Team sailors Peter Burling and Blair Tuke have signed with Emirates Team New Zealand as the team move towards mounting a campaign for the 35th America's Cup. The pair will combine America's Cup sailing with Olympic campaigning stating they will continue to focus on their bid to go one better and win Olympic gold in the 49er skiff at Rio 2016.
It's an exciting step for the talented young sailors who won Olympic silver at the London 2012 Games and Yachting New Zealand is excited about the potential for Burling and Tuke to improve their skills as a result of the multi-disciplined approach.
Burling and Tuke led the NZL Sailing Team with ETNZ to victory in the inaugural Red Bull Youth America's Cup Regatta in San Francisco last September in a campaign that required a collaborative approach between Yachting New Zealand and Emirates Team New Zealand. They then went on to secure the 2013 49er World Championship soon after.
First up for Burling and Tuke this year comes 2014 Oceanbridge Sail Auckland for Olympic and Invited Classes (1-4 February 2014) where they will be aiming to take out the 49er class. Both will compete individually in the A-Class Catamaran World Championships which will be staged off Takapuna on Auckland's North Shore in mid February.
World ARC Sets Sail From Rodney Bay, Saint Lucia
31 boats in the World ARC fleet departed Rodney Bay Marina in Saint Lucia on Saturday 11 January, at the start of an epic 26,000 mile adventure around the world in 15 months. World ARC is a circumnavigation rally for cruising boats, with a mix of organised stages and free cruising.
On the start line, there was bright sunshine mixed with a few squally conditions, making for an exhilarating start. 18-25 knots of wind from the East-North-East provided perfect conditions for a fast broad reach down the North West coast of the island to Castries.
The first yacht across the start line was one of the smallest boats in the fleet, the British flagged Firefly owned by Paul Ellis. This 42ft Humphries Yachting designed boat was once owned by Yachting World Editor Andrew Bray who sailed the ARC in 2001.
The boats have 1100 miles ahead of them before exploring the San Blas islands of Panama, where another 9 boats will join World ARC.
The 40-strong fleet will then transit the Panama Canal before setting off across the Pacific for Australia stopping at some of the most idyllic Pacific islands en route, including Galapagos, Hiva Oa, Tahiti, Bora Bora, Niue, Vava'u, Fiji and Vanuatu.
Some boats will leave the rally in Australia, with more joining for the restart of the second half of the adventure from Darwin in September 2014. Avoiding the troubled areas of the Indian Ocean, the World ARC route takes in Bali, Cocos Keeling, Mauritius and Reunion before enjoying Christmas and New Year in South Africa. From Cape Town the boats will visit St Helena, before enjoying carnival in Brazil and then heading back into the Caribbean via Grenada to finish in Saint Lucia in April 2015.
www.worldcruising.com/worldarc2014
New Team Brunel Backers Think Big For Future
Schouten Global, the professional training company, will back Bouwe Bekking's Team Brunel as sponsors for the next Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 and have already revealed their ambition to launch their own team campaign in the following edition.
The Dutch company said that the race and the challengers from the Netherlands make a natural fit for them as sponsors. It will be assisting Team Brunel in their crew recruitment process which starts next Monday (January 13).
Schouten Global, a major player in the field of training, coaching, leadership and organisational development, is the parent company to training institute Schouten & Nelissen which is the market leader in the Netherlands.
Schouten will be assisting with the coaching of both the sailors and shore crew during the race which starts in Alicante on October 4 and ends on June 27, 2015 in Gothenburg. In total, the event visits 10 ports and covers 39,379 nautical miles (72,930 kilometres).
Team Brunel's campaign, the first Dutch entry in the race since 2008-08, was launched in Amsterdam last month. It will be skippered by the experienced Bekking, 50, who will compete in a record-equaling seventh campaign.
The Netherlands has an enviable record in the Volvo Ocean Race (formerly the Whitbread) with three wins: Flyer I (1977-78), Flyer II (1981-82) and ABN AMRO ONE (2005-06).
So far, four teams have announced their participation in the next edition: Team SCA, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, Dongfeng Race Team and Team Brunel.
RYA Yachtmaster Of The Year
City banker Joseph Macdonald has been awarded the RYA Yachtmaster of the Year 2013 for his 'thorough technical knowledge', sailing skills and 'sheer enthusiasm' for the sport.
Joseph was presented with the prestigious Royal Yachting Association (RYA) trophy by HRH The Princess Royal yesterday at the London Boat Show.
In the nomination for the award Joseph's examiner, RYA yachtmaster examiner Mark Todd, said: 'Joseph is one of the best Yachtmaster candidates I have ever seen. He has a thorough knowledge of the technical aspects of sailing and a superb demonstration of sailing skills on the water.
Joseph's day job in the city, managing the execution and clearing strategy for Deutsche Bank's OTC derivative business, is a far cry from the sea, but he has a real passion for sailing. He first sailed a yacht in 2009 and was quickly bitten by RORC offshore racing after a cold, wet, bumpy ride to Cherbourg.
He completed the Caribbean 600 on Hydrocarbon (Beneteau First 50) and a Fastnet campaign as bowman on Quokka 8 (Grand Soleil 43) in 2011. He has also participated in several Hamble Winter and Spring Series campaigns as a bowman, with a couple of trophies to show for it.
Industry News
Newport, Rhode Island: /Boats announced today that McConaghy Boats has been named the J/70 builder for the Asian and Pacific Rim markets. This is following the recent news of the J/70 receiving International Class status from the International Sailing Federation (ISAF). Nearly 500 boats are already sailing in 20+ countries within 20 months of launch. McConaghy Boats joins J/Composites (France) and CCF Composites (USA) as part of the J/70 world building team.
New tooling arrives at McConaghy in late January and production is expected to begin this spring. The J/70 will be distributed in the Pacific Rim region by J/Boats Asia.
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BROC is very happy to welcome Hinckley Yachts as a member of the sponsor family for the 49th Newport Bermuda Race. As it has for the past several races, Hinckley Yachts will provide the on-water check-in boat and two other boats at the starting area for official observers. The Hinckley check-in boat will be stationed at the mouth of Newport Harbor. Each entry in the race is required to pass by the boat and check in.
In addition, Hinckley Yachts will be the Official Sponsor of the Captains Meeting at 1700 hours on June 19th at the Jane Pickens Theater in Newport. The Captains Meeting provides a last-minute briefing by our committee to sailors from every boat about expected weather conditions on the course, the start and finish, access to medical and other emergency assistance, and other important topics.
bermudarace.com/sponsor/hinckley-yachts/
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The 2014 London Boat Show celebrated its 60th anniversary at ExCeL this year with another drop in attendance from last year's 93,327 down to this year's 88,593, says Peter Nash.
But, according to organisers National Boat Shows (NBS), "good quality business was conducted at a time when the £2.905bn industry is demonstrating optimism and confidence for the months ahead."
The attendance, by the way, seemed to be in line with years gone past. Saturday was OK. Sunday, Monday and Tuesday were sparse; at one stage it was running 17% down.
Wednesday looked a bit better. Thursday was crowded and the show remained good to the end. Maybe the LBS should be run as a five day show? -- Peter Nash in Boating Business
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A superyacht media deal has today been announced involving the purchase of Boat International Media (BIM) for a price speculated to be around £10m. The purchase by August Equity of BIM in 2006 compared to the sale now highlights the impact of the financial crisis, given that August Equity paid £29m in 2006.
The purchaser is a consortium comprising Pembroke Venture Capital Trust, Lepe Capital and other private investors speculated to include Sir Charles Dunstone, the founder of Carphone Warehouse, and Tara Getty, a member of the Getty energy wealth family. Pembroke is a relatively new arm of Oakley Capital, which was set up in April 2013 to raise £20m to invest in smaller businesses. Lepe Capital is the investment part of Lepe Partners LLP, an independent merchant bank focusing on the media and consumer sectors.
There is no indication of the shareholdings involved, but IBI understands that this is just one in a number of companies that have looked at buying BIM. August Capital was seemingly keen to sell to retrieve as much value as possible. Earlier deals are understood to have involved sums rather higher than the reported £10m purchase price. None of this can be confirmed, as all prices are being kept confidential.
IBI News: https://plus.ibinews.com
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