Brought to you by Seahorse magazine, 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
International Sailing Canoe Worlds Championship On San Francisco Bay
Point Richmond, California, USA: Sailors from Australia, Canada, Germany, Great Britain, Sweden, and the USA are gathering at Richmond Yacht Club in preparation for the International 10 Square Meter Sailing Canoe (IC) Worlds Championship, which begins September 6.
The words "sailing canoe" may conjure up images of an outdated craft, and the IC class still competes for the New York Challenge Cup, established in 1885 and the second oldest international sailing trophy in the world after the America's Cup. However, like the America's Cup boats, the International Canoe has been transformed into a high tech version of its 19th century counterpart. Key features of the IC today are its efficient rig, long, slim hull and a curved sliding seat that allows its single-handing skipper to glide fore and aft as well as several feet out to windward from the hull while, as one enthusiast put it, "sailing upwind like a stiletto through butter" -- an exhilarating challenge to the best of sailors.
A one-design class from 1971 to 2008, the International Canoe officially became a developmental class in 2009, operating under a simple set of rules that define the hull's allowable length (4900-5200mm) and minimum beam and the boat's overall minimum weight excluding sails. The total allowable sail area is 10 square meters.
Races are scheduled in the Olympic Circle area for September 6th-14th, with a lay day on Wednesday September 10th. The New York Cup Challenge will be held September 15th
www.richmondyc.org
www.regattanetwork.com/event/8306#_home
www.intcanoe.org
Land Rover Recognise 'spectacular Sportsmanship' With Third Above And Beyond Award
Land Rover has awarded the third 'Above and Beyond' Award in Cardiff, United Kingdom to Sir Ben Ainslie's J.P. Morgan BAR team and Oman Sail's shore crew after the two teams demonstrated spectacular sportsmanship on the second day of Act 5 of the Extreme Sailing Series Stadium Racing circuit.
In the fifth race of the day, SAP Extreme Sailing team careered into the back of Emirates Team New Zealand, led by America's Cup skipper, Dean Barker. "There was a very large gust just as the teams were approaching the gate mark and the fleet was very close together. SAP Extreme Sailing Team was unable to avoid a collision, slamming into the back of Emirates Team New Zealand, chopping off their rudder. The Kiwi boat was unable to steer and heading towards the rocks in Cardiff Bay when Jo Lees and the Oman Sail RIB [chase boat] spotted the situation and immediately went alongside in his RIB to steer ETNZ away from the rocks. Sadly, ETNZ were unable to continue racing as their rudder was completely destroyed.
"On learning this, the shore crew onboard the J.P. Morgan BAR RIB immediately went ashore to get their spare rudder, assembled it and helped to fit it onboard the Emirates Team New Zealand Extreme 40 with a speed that meant the Kiwi team missed just two races and were able to get back on the racecourse.
"This sort of sportsmanship is unique to the sport of sailing and deserves to be recognised with the Land Rover Above and Beyond Award," he concluded.
The leaders of the shore crews, Jo Lees (Oman Sail) and Jono Macbeth (J.P. Morgan BAR) were nominated to the Above & Beyond Committee by the Emirates Team New Zealand Skipper, Dean Barker
Marinepool - Clothing Partner of the Extreme Sailing Series™
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We have built a reputation for outstanding quality, excellent service and quick and reliable deliveries. These are only a few of the reasons why no less than 4 of this year´s teams in the Extreme Sailing Series™, among them 2012 and 2013 Champions The Wave, Muscat, are racing in Marinepool kit.
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Mike Ingham Crowned J/24 European Open Winner
Angelholm, Sweden: This past weekend, a fleet of thirty-five J/24s assembled in the beautiful little seaside resort of Angelholm, Sweden to compete for the J/24 European Championship. Conditions ranged widely from gales and thunderstorms to gorgeous sunny days with moderate winds. Topping the standings was the American team of Mike Ingham, comfortably winning the regatta by 30 points over the next boat- as a result the winner of the "Open Europeans". The top European boat was Germany's Frank Schonfeldt from the Muhlenberger Segel-Club sailing HENK.
Top prize for best Women's crew went to VEGA RAGAZZA- Stephanie Koepcke and her lovely crew from Germany's Muhlenberger Segel-Club- she finished 10th in a highly competitive J/24 fleet!
Top award for best Youth Team went to LUV- Tom Stryi and crew from Germany.
Stewart and Mary-Anne Jardine's "Old Boat Trophy" for inspiration to the J/24 class went to the Swedish all-women crew of FOR FUN (BLUE)- Liselotte Sjoberg and crew.
A special award was given to the Youngest Crew member of the Europeans- Nils (12 years old) who showed great courage and fighting spirit together with his crew on HOLLENHUND RELOADED, skippered by Martin Maschnitza from Kieler YC.
Final top five:
1. Mike Ingham, USA, 64 points
2. Frank Schonfeldt, GER, 72
3. Manfred Konig. GER. 96
4. Peer Kock, GER, 82
5. Per-Hakan Persson, SWE, 96
The 18s' Secret To Success: Stay Upright
Photo by Erik Simonson, www.pressure-drop.us. Click on image for photo gallery.
San Francisco, California, USA: After Tuesday's wild racing in the 13th annual 18' Skiff International Regatta it was apparent that old boats aren't necessarily a problem as long as you keep them upright.
Howie Hamlin, a six-time winner of the event, is in first place with his 10-year-old backup boat, one point ahead of Australia's Brett Van Munster, who says, "I think my boat is even older than Howie's."
Notably, Hamlin hasn't won a race in the event hosted by the St. Francis Yacht Club, posting a modest log of 3-5-4-2 finishes---but the point is that he has started and finished every race, which only two other of the nine contestants---Van Munster and local competitor David Liebenberg from the Richmond Yacht Club---have managed.
The question now is when racing resumes Thursday after a Wednesday day off, will Hamlin switch to his newer boat if it is delivered by Thursday.
Wednesday is designated as a reserve day, to be followed by an 18s race at 4 o'clock preceding the traditional Ronstan Bridge to Bridge Race for anything that sails across and down the bay, starting under the Golden Gate at 5:30.
The boats launch off the beach bordering Crissy Field west of the host St. Francis Yacht Club. Admission is free. The schedule calls for a total of 10 races through Saturday, two per day starting at 1 p.m., except a 4 o'clock start Thursday preceding the traditional 5.3-nautical mile Ronstan Bridge to Bridge Race when they'll join a variety of boats and kiteboards for a 5:30 start under the Golden Gate. -- Rich Roberts
Top tive (after 4 of 10 races)
1. CST, Howie Hamlin/Cameron McDonald/Matt McKinlay, Newport Harbor YC, 3-5-4-2, 14 points
2. ASCC, Brett Van Munster/Paul Montague/Harry Thurston, Australian 18 Footers, 1-(9/OCS)-3-1,15
3. Events Clothing, Skip McCormack/Nick Catley/Josh McCormack, Auckland Sailing Club/San Francisco YC, 4-1- 1-10/DNF, 16
4. Maersk Line, Graham Catley/Tom Peet/Brad Collins, Auckland Sailing Club, 2-2-2-10/DNF, 16
5. Only 18, David Liebenberg/Dan Morris/John Grey, Richmond YC, 7-6-5-4, 22
Chiavarini Claims Laser U21 World Title
Rising British sailing talent Lorenzo Chiavarini hopes his under 21 Laser World Championship victory will 'push him on to greater things', as he added the junior world title to his under 21 European crown in Douarnenez, France, this weekend (23 August).
The 20-year-old from Argyll claimed his second major title of the year having recovered from a season-threatening wrist break back in March, and overcame 104 other young Laser talents to take the coveted world crown at the Brittany venue.
Chiavarini, who studies at Plymouth University, paid tribute to the British Sailing Team sports science staff who helped him get back on track and racing again following his injury.
Chiavarini claimed the world title by just three points over Norway's Hermann Tomasgaard across the 11-race series.
Chiavarini received an added boost during the regatta, learning that he had been awarded a last-minute place at the senior ISAF Sailing World Championships at Santander next month.
For full Laser u21 World Championship results, visit
www.douarnenez-voile.fr
Anthony O'Leary Retains 1720 Sportsboat Title Off Baltimore
Irish National 1720 sportsboat Champion Anthony O'Leary on Antix retained his title after three superb days of sailing in a 14-boat fleet at Baltimore Sailing Club, West Cork last weekend
Sunday, the final day of racing saw a significant change in weather conditions with the crews waking up to rain and clouds that hadn't been seen in West Cork for some time. The race officer was up early to check the conditions with word coming ashore to the crews that sailing was going ahead outside the harbour.
Race 1 started after a general recall in 15 - 18 knots with line honours going to Denis Murphy's Aquatack (helmed by Mark Mansfield). The 8th and final race of the day and championships was sailed in winds gusting 25 knots giving spectacular plaining conditions with plenty of broaches and kites being shredded with Durcan/O'Shea's T-Bone taking line honours and second overall to Anthony O'Leary's Antix, with Robert O'Leary's Jacobs bar taking 3rd overall.
Five Innovative Trimaran Yacht Concepts
The young Welsh builder Pi Super Yachts recently unveiled its Dragonship 80 concept. Click on image to enlarge.
In recent years, some of the most creative minds in yacht design have turned their attention to trimarans. Though offering practical advantages over single-hull yachts, such as improved stability and fuel efficiency, trimarans also give naval architects a radically different canvas to work with.
The resulting futuristic three-hulled designs - some of which may never actually make it to production - certainly spark the imagination.
See the five trimarans at robbreport.com
10,000 Rooms *
San Diego has revealed the pressure it is under from America's Cup officials, who want 10,000 free hotel room nights in the lead-up to the 2017 event.
San Diego Sports Commission president Mike McDowell revealed the startling figures as he spoke to the city's Tourism Marketing District's board of directors.
According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, McDowell said America's Cup bosses would use the rooms to court corporate sponsors.
They also want an additional 7500 room nights at half-price. Estimates put that cost alone at US$2.75 million (NZ$3.29m) in room nights.
Not surprisingly, some of San Diego's tourism board members appeared cool to the demands.
"It just stinks," Bill Evans, of Evans Hotels, told the newspaper.
"There's just a general feeling that there's self-interest at play here, which I don't think serves us very well."
He said San Diego's only hope was in attracting an international audience.
"This is all about television," he said.
"This is about French tourists, English tourists; the rest of the world cares so much more about sailing than we do." -- Duncan Johnstone in Stuff.co.nz
* And this just in... pigs can fly...
For The Record
The WSSR Council announces the establishment of a new World Record:
Record: Around Britain and Ireland. Monohull 60ft and less
Yacht: Artemis-Team Endeavour. IMOCA 60
Name: Brian Thompson. GBR
Dates:.11th August to the 16th August 2014.
Start time: 09;00. 11/08/14
Finish time: 23;00;54. 16/08/14
Elapsed time: 5 days 14 hours and 54 seconds
Distance: 1773 NM
Average speed: 13.23 kts
Comments: Previous record:"Safran". Marc Guillemot FRA. Jun 11. 6d 9h 49m 10s
John Reed Secretary to the WSSR Council
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The Last Word
He who loves practice without theory is like the sailor who boards ship without a rudder and compass and never knows where he may cast. -- Leonardo da Vinci
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