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
Old Pulteney Navigator Cup Draws To A Close
It was one of the tightest finishes so far in the Clipper 2013-14 Race with less than four boat lengths separating the winner Henri Lloyd and GREAT Britain, with OneDLL finishing just 25 minutes behind in third place. However, Race 8A is still underway as Team Garmin and Mission Performance battle on towards the finish line.
Invest Africa was the tenth entry to complete Race 8A today with a finishing time of 0818 UTC. Now with just two teams left to cross the Sarangani waypoint, the finish line for Race 8A, Mission Performance, the most northerly yacht in the race has contended with squalls and unpredictable winds in the last 24 hours
Once the teams have crossed the finish line of Race 8A, the teams will join the rest of the fleet and motor sail from the finish line to a restart point in the South China Sea for Race 8B.
Hardy Cup
Windward mark round in today's Hardy Cup racing. Photo by Raoul de Ferranti. Click on image to enlarge.
Hardy Cup competitors from Australia, New Zealand and Singapore today turned on a great display of match racing for members of the host club, the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, who were watching from the historic clubhouse at Kirribilli.
With a steady south-easterly breeze of 12-15 knots, race officers were able to set the course off Kurraba Point, within a few hundred metres of the club. The 11 teams responded with a day of close, tactical match racing in this Under 25, ISAF Grade 3 event.
It was another good day for the Squadron, too, with the RSYS's Estate Master team, skippered by Jordan Reece, coming through the near completed Round Robin 2 unbeaten in nine match races today.
His wins in Round Robin 2 again included beating his nearest opponent, West Australian David Gilmour, who had eight wins and two losses. -- Peter Campbell
Provisional positions in the near completed Round Robin 2 are:
1. Jordan Reece (Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, NSW) 18/19
2. David Gilmour (Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club, WA) 15/19
3. Chris Steele (Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, NZ) 14/19
4. Jay Griffin (Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, NSW) 13/18
5=. Matthew Jerwood (South of Perth Yacht Club, WA) 10/19
5=. Justin Lui (Singapore National Sailing Centre, Singapore) 10/19
7. Sam Gilmour (Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club, WA) 8/19
8. Adam Middleton (Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club, NZ) 7/18
9. Sam Ellis (Gosford Sailing Club, NSW) 4/20
10. Andy Green (Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, NSW) 3/19
11. Malcolm Parker (Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club) 1/19.
Not So New Kids
As a company Milan-based Advanced Yachts may be just four years old, but it is making a big impression with its semi-custom range, represented in the UK by Simon Clay and Joff Brown's company Whitecap Ltd. Their yachts combine high performance and race boat know-how with superyacht fit out and build quality, all in a state of the art package that is the last word in Italian elegance and style.
Set up by Italian entrepreneur Marco Tursini and his wife Antonella Di Leo, Advanced Yachts works closely with some of the most respected companies in the industry. Its yachts are built in Fano, with structural engineering provided by Gurit.
At present the Advanced Yachts range comprises four models: the A44, A60, A66 and A80. These are all from pedigree race boat designers, but with exterior styling and interior design by Nauta Yachts, which works regularly with Southern Wind and Baltic and has applied its magic to maxis like My Song, Idea and Nilaya.
The first Advanced Yacht, launched in 2010, was the A66 designed by Reichel-Pugh, who last autumn also delivered drawings for the company's new flagship A80.
Full article in Seahorse magazine:
www.seahorsemagazine.com/current-issue/180-not-so-new-kids
Mirabaud Partners with Dona Bertarelli and Yann Guichard's Spindrift Racing
Geneva, Switzerland: Mirabaud announces a new partnership today with Spindrift racing as Gold partner. Founded by Dona Bertarelli and Yann Guichard in 2011, Spindrift racing is a sailing team that specializes in multihulls racing.
The 2014 season includes the annual Lake Geneva Decision 35 championship, the Vulcain Trophy, on the cards for Ladycat while her much bigger stable mate Spindrift 2 is scheduled to take on the North Atlantic record this summer. It is currently held by the boat's previous owner Pascal Bidegorry who set the benchmark high in 2009 with a 3 day, 15 hour crossing at an average speed of 33 knots with the same boat. This event will be good training for Yann Guichard, skipper of Spindrift 2, who in November will line up for one of yachting's most epic sprints, the single-handed transatlantic Route du Rhum from St Malo, France, to Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe.
The partnership between Mirabaud and Spindrift racing is confirmed until 2016
Mirabaud has been title sponsor of the Bol d'Or Mirabaud since 2006 and has partnered Swiss sailor Dominique Wavre for the last three years. -- Bernard Schopfer
ISA Sailor Of The Year Award Nominees
The Irish Sailing Association (ISA) has today revealed the 20 nominees in contention for its five prestigious annual awards including the premier accolade; the ISA Sailor of the Year award. The awards will be presented at the ISA 8th Annual Awards Ball in the Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin on the 1st of March.
There are more than 65 clubs all around the country making sailing accessible to almost 20,000 ISA members and the general public. The ISA Mitsubishi Motors Club of the Year Award is presented to the club that has developed initiatives and activities to significantly grow membership and community inclusion, raise the profile of the sport and improved safety standards.
Other awards on the night include Volunteer of the Year, Instructor of the Year and Training Centre of the Year.
Nominees:
ISA Sailor of the Year supported by MGM Boats
- Philip Bendon (2013 Youth European Match Racing Champion)
- David Kenefick (Rookie Champion of France of Offshore Racing)
- Annalise Murphy (3 Gold medals and 1 Bronze medal)
ISA Mitsubishi Motors Club of the Year supported by Mitsubishi Motors
- Galway Bay Sailing Club
- Howth Yacht Club
- Kinsale Yacht Club
- Lough Derg Yacht Club
ISA Youth Sailor of the Year
- Liam Glynn (Topper World Champion)
- Fionn Lyden (Italian Europa Cup Champion)
- Finn Lynch (U21 Men's Laser Radial World Champion)
ISA Volunteer of the Year supported by Dublin Port
Winner to be announced on the night
ISA Instructor of the Year supported by Parasol Sun Care
- Ben Fusco (Royal St George Yacht Club)
- Graeme Grant (Howth Yacht Club)
- Emma Hett (Royal Cork Yacht Club)
- Will O'Morchoe (Courtown Sailing Club)
- Jill Roy (National Yacht Club)
ISA Training Centre of the Year
- Adventure Training Ireland
- Fastnet Marine OEC
- Malahide Yacht Club
- Royal Cork Yacht Club
- The Oysterhaven Centre
Sydney-Mooloolaba Race Revived and to Include Multihulls
After failing to convince the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia to allow ocean multihulls in the Sydney-Hobart and Australia Day Regatta, Sean Langman has taken things into his own hands.
Working with Middle Harbour Yacht Club, Sean is reviving the Sydney to Mooloolaba Race, modelled on New Zealand's Coastal Classic. The Classic is organised by a multihull club and invites monohulls to take part.
The newly-formed Australian Ocean Racing Multihull Association needs to produce a Notice of Race and obtain an Aquatic Licence but Langman says they are on track to start the race on Wednesday April 9. As well as his own Orma 60 Team Australia, Langman says interest has been shown by Grant Wharington (super maxi Wild Thing), Peter Harburg (Volvo 70 Black Jack) and the previous Black Jack, an RP66. Where these boats lead, others are sure to follow.
Langman is underwriting the cost of the event and has asked MHYC for a quote to provide race management and administration. -- Roger McMillan
San Diego Port Officials To Discuss America's Cup
The San Diego Unified Port District commissioners are scheduled to discuss a proposal by a local group to host the America's Cup in 2017.
The agenda for Tuesday's meeting includes an item listed as "Resolution Proclaiming Support for America's Cup 35 Event in 2017 and direction to staff."
Tuesday's meeting would be a preliminary step. If the commissioners decide to proceed, it's expected they would direct the port staff to begin discussions with America's Cup officials.
SEA San Diego has proposed that the 35th America's Cup be sailed on San Diego Bay in August 2017. The group organized an America's Cup World Series regatta in November 2011 and a regatta in the RC44 class in March 2011, both contested on the bay.
Coutts recently told The Associated Press that America's Cup officials are talking with other venues about hosting the 35th America's Cup in August 2017 because San Francisco officials haven't offered the same terms as they did for last summer's regatta, which ended with the American syndicate staging one of the greatest comebacks in sports.
San Diego hosted the America's Cup in 1988, 1992 and 1995, with racing on the Pacific Ocean off Point Loma.
Contra Costa Times: www.contracostatimes.com
ORC Worlds Reaches Record Entries
For the fourth consecutive year, the ORC World Championship, the official ISAF World Championship for offshore sailing, has attracted over 100 entries, with the count now being at 129 boats. This year's event officials from Kiel Yacht Club said the milestone 100th entry was made during last week's Dusselboot show by Andi Lochbrunner, President of the German Sailing Association, who has entered his Farr-designed modified Bavaria 42 Match "Resolute" in the event.
Just in these last few days since Lochbrunner's entry, and in the last week before the rise in the entry fees, the number of teams from 15 nations multiplied rapidly, according to Ecky von der Mosel, event chairman from Kiel YC. If all make it to Kiel to compete, this will be a new record number of entries, currently held by the 2012 Helsinki Worlds with 124 boats.
All events for the 2014 ORC World Championship will be based from the shoreside facilities at Kiel-Schilksee, and on the water there will be three classes, each racing for their own World Championship title on two separate course areas.
The Notice of Race is available for download at www.orcworlds.com
Sailor Acknowledged By International Fair Play Committee
Budapest, Hungary: Hana Dragojevic from Croatia was awarded the IOC President's Youth Prize at the International Fair Play Committee (CIFP) annual conference.
At a sailing regatta for cadets, Hana Dragojevic, a nine-year-old girl saved a fellow competitor, Marko Smolic when his boat capsized and he was unable to free himself to right the boat.
Hana Dragojevic was among the leading contestants in the race but when she heard Marko's scared and loud distress calls, she changed her course, approached Marko's sailing boat and jumped into the sea in order to help him. Hana saved Marko by righting his capsized sailing boat and disentangling him from the lines.
In order to honour and direct attention to acts of fair play performed either within or outside the sports world, the International Committee for Fair Play annually awards Fair Play Prizes to personalities who have proved to be excellent ambassadors of fair play. -- ISAF, sailing.org
Half Of RNLI Lifeboat Launches To Leisure Boats
In 2013, 50% of RNLI lifeboat launches were to people out on the water for fun and the charity that saves lives at sea is calling on boaters and watersports enthusiasts to stay safe this year. Out of a total 8,304 lifeboat launches, 4,160 were to people enjoying a day on the water around the UK and Ireland – up slightly (1.4%) from the 4,101 in 2012. Sail boats accounted for 1,573 launches (down by 5.2% from 2012), power boats accounted for 1,920 launches (up by 7% from 2012) and manual leisure craft accounted for 667 launches (up by 3% from 2012).*
Overall the number of lifeboat launches in 2013 was similar to 2012, with RNLI lifeboats launching 8,304 times compared to 8,346 times in 2012. The volunteer crews launched 3,069 times into darkness and 124 times into winds above a Force 7. The biggest cause for call out for the RNLI was machinery failure with lifeboats launching 1,596 times to boats with mechanical problems.
The busiest coastal station was Southend-on-Sea, which launched its lifeboats and rescue hovercraft 142 times.
Some Encouraging Announcements
January 2014 witnessed a whole series of announcements within the IMOCA class, which notably included four projects already gearing themselves up for the next Vendee Globe. 'Repeat offenders' or rookies, the four competing sailors are brimming with talent. Most significantly this announcement will enable the impact of the new class rules relating to the definition of the new boats to be measured.
Following on from the Transat Jacques Vabre, which saw victory go to Vincent Riou and Jean Le Cam on PRB at the front of a fleet which surprised observers by its uniformity, it is now time for the major projects to take centre stage and already certain racing stables are getting themselves into full working order for the upcoming events.
With Safran the emphasis is very much on playing the youth card as the stable is entrusting the helm of the next IMOCA prototype to Morgan Lagraviere, French Offshore Racing Champion in the Figaro Beneteau in 2012... Hailing from an Olympic sailing background, Morgan has enjoyed a meteoric rise. Immediately compelling recognition within the Figaro circuit. He will be Marc Guillemot's appointed crew during the New York - Barcelona Race, and may well step aboard for the Barcelona World Race too.
Another candidate, Armel le Cleac'h is returning to the fray, again sporting the colours of Banque Populaire. In order to secure a new boat, the mutual benefit bank has joined forces with the Safran group to pool build costs for the construction of two new prototypes. Designed by Guillaume Verdier and VPLP, the two craft will benefit from the same mould and the same appendages. The only likely difference is the ergonomics of the deck layout, which will adhere to the demands of each skipper. This particular evolution perfectly ties in with the thinking of the IMOCA Class, whose aim has always been to control the manufacturing costs of the new craft.
A further two sailors have announced their intention to be among the contenders in November 2016. In the United Kingdom, Alex Thomson has renewed his partnership with Hugo Boss and the British sailor has already announced an intensive sailing programme including the New York - Barcelona and the Barcelona World Race (double-handed with Pepe Ribes). A decision is yet to be made about the construction of a new boat or the revamping of an existing craft.
Sebastien Josse has the same dilemma and after a fruitful period on a multihull he is returning to his first love with the Gitana Team.
Getting Ready For The Trofeo Princesa Sofia MAPFRE
The Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofia Mapfre celebrates its 45th edition this year. The biggest sailing event in Spain will be held in waters of the bay of Palma from 29th March to 5th April with the debut of a whole new Spanish pre-Olympic team, presented some weeks ago, on their way to Rio 2016.
The Princesa Sofia Mapfre is the fourth ISAF Sailing World Cup event following SWC Miami, US. It is already the starting point of the European sailing season and therefore the real starting gun on the way to the 2016 Olympics inRio, following the post-Olympic break taken by some teams last year.
The Organisation expects to welcome in Mallorca the first week of April around 800 sailors from around fifty nations from all over the world. Many of them are arriving at the island already with the aim of training for some months in waters of the bay of Palmabefore the first major event of the year.
The 45 Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofia Mapfre will be hosted by the same two venues as last year, Club Nautic S'Arenal where classes Finn, 470 M & W, 49er, 49er FX and Paralympic events 2.4mR, Skud and Sonar will be based and Club Marítimo San Antonio de la Playa, venue for classes Laser, Laser Radial, RS:X M & W and Nacra 17).
Hugh Elliot
It is with great sadness that ISAF reports that Hugh Elliot (USA) passed away unexpectedly on 2 February.
As a young adult, Hugh was an avid Laser sailor and also served as a Vice President in the North American Laser Class and on the International Laser Class World Council.
An auto accident in the early 90's nearly cost him is life, and did cost him his lower legs. As a double amputee, he turned his energy to Paralympic sailing in the Sonar, campaigning for the 2000 Paralympic Sailing Competition. After just missing selection, he became a member of the IFDS Technical Committee, later serving as Chairman and also served as Chairman of US Sailing's Sailors with Special Needs Committee.
In 2006 Hugh became and ISAF International Judge and served as a US Sailing Senior Judge for other 30 years. When not judging or sailing, he could usually be found on either on a race committee boat or his own boat, Allegro.
He will be remembered as a selfless person who always put the rules and Corinthian spirit well before any of his own special interests. He will be missed for his numerous contributions to the sailors and the sport.
www.sailing.org/news/37378.php
The Last Word
The worthwhile problems are the ones you can really solve or help solve, the ones you can really contribute something to. ... No problem is too small or too trivial if we can really do something about it. -- Rio
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