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
John Kilroy's 'Samba Pa Ti' Crowned Audi Melges 20 World Champion
Photo by Stefano Gattini / Studio Borlenghi, www.carloborlenghi.net. Click on image for photo gallery.
Riva Del Garda, Italy: After one final race, John Kilroy at the helm of Samba Pa Ti, tactician Paul Goodison and crew Jeff Reynolds proved they were more than deserving of the 2014 Audi Melges 20 World Champion title. Four days of racing and no worse than a fourteenth in a fleet of fifty-seven entries, the Samba team excelled in almost every condition and under a wide variety of pressure.
In second overall is Achille Onorato helming Mascalzone Latino, Jr. with tactician Malcolm Page and Stefano Campialini as crew. Rounding out the top three is Guido Miani on Monaco Racing Fleet with tactician Gabriele Benussi and crew member Massimo Gherarducci who is the only other team other than Samba Pa Ti to hold three race wins in Riva.
In the all-amatuer Corinthian division (all ISAF Group 1 on board), Marco Gambarella's Chimera edged out American John Brown's Blind Squirrel for the overall title. From Canada, Paul Currie's Wild Deuces finished third.
For now, the World Championship title remains in the hands of the Americans for another year.
Top five final places, after- after ten races, one discard
1. John Kilroy/Paul Goodison, Samba Pa Ti, 40 points
2. Achille Onorate/Malcolm Page, Mascalzone Latino, Jr., 56
3. Guido Miani/Gabriele Benussi, Monaco Racing Fleet, 60
4. Naofumi Kamei/Manu Weiller, Mamma Aiuto!, 97
5. Russ Lucas/Harry Melges III, Shimmer, 107
18' Skiff International Regatta: Australians Thrive In Rough Times
Photo by Rich Roberts. Click on image for photo gallery.
San Francisco, California, USA: After a wild week of inflicting its fury on the 13th 18' Skiff International Regatta, San Francisco Bay got the message and greeted competitors Saturday with a modest 15 knots of summery breeze through the Golden Gate.
"The first two races today were postcard sailing," said Brett Van Munster, the Australian skipper who with crew Paul Montague and Harry Thurston overcame a few capsizes and difficult competition to edge America's Howie Hamlin by a single point, 15-16.
"But then that third race was something else," the Aussie added.
The wind was a comfortable 15 knots with a flood tide and no whitecaps---certainly not capsize conditions---for the first race at noon, when Van Munster led Hamlin by more than a minute over the 6.7-nautical mile, twice-around windward-leeward course.
The second race started similarly, but soon built to 21 knots, knocking ASCC flat and from first to third at the windward mark as Skip McCormack, the local sailor skippering New Zealand's Events Clothing-sponsored entry, held off Hamlin for the win.
But it was still a two-boat contest between ASCC (Australian Solvents and Chemicals) and Hamlin's aged Harken/CST entry, which he and his crew of Matt McKinley and Cameron McDonald tweaked and patched up as they went along.
Final results (10 races; two throwouts)
1. ASCC, Brett Van Munster/Paul Montague/Harry Thurston, AIS, 15 points
2. Harken/CST, Howie Hamlin/Cameron McDonald/Matt McKinlay, USA, 16
3. Only 18, David Liebenberg/Dan Morris/John Grey, USA, 37
4. Events Clothing, Skip McCormack/Nick Catley/Josh McCormack, NZL, 39
5. Maersk Line, Graham Catley/Tom Peet/Brad Collins, NZL, 41
6. WWW.FLYTAC.COM, John Gilmour/Cooper Dressler/Matt Van Rensselaer, USA, 50
7. Sparkle Motion, Dan Roberts/James Clappier/Patrick Lewis, USA, 67
8. Yandoo, Nick Press/Andrew Hay/James Beck, AUS, 69
9. Lightning, Chad Freitas/Dan Brandt/Corey Lynch, USA, 69
Rondar Celebrates 17th World Championship Title
Click on image for photo gallery.
Rondar boats dominated the recent 505 Worlds at Kiel, Germany, with first to fourth overall and 11 boats in the top twelve. The event was one of the most open events for several years with 6 boats able to win going into the last race. In the final event, the title came down to the American team of Mike Holt/Rob Woelfl , against the Australian pairing of Peter Nicholas/Luke Paine who contested the final race to the bitter end, with just a metre or so separating the two boats at the finish.
Rondar were already the World's most successful 505 builder with their 16th World title, but with increased competition within the class with two new respected builders this season, the sailors have been keen to see the relative performances played out in true competition. Despite both types having former World Champions sailing them, the Rondar shape proved its pedigree, where it matters, out on the race track.
Rondars also exhibited their new model, using the same proven hull shape but with a fresh take on the construction and details. The eye catching new design, received overwhelming support from the class members at the AGM, and looks set to shape the future for the class, with its one piece deck molding allowing a better boat to be built at a lower cost.
Visit www.rondarboats.com for more details.
Falmouth To Royal Greenwich Tall Ships Regatta
Photo by onEdition. Click on image for photo gallery.
The 44-strong fleet taking part in the Falmouth to Royal Greenwich Tall Ships Regatta crossed the start line on Sunday after lining up for a spectacular Parade of Sail in Falmouth Bay.
Almost half of the vessels competing in the regatta are members of the Association of Sail Training Organisations (ASTO), the UK's Sail Training umbrella organisation.
Over 280 young people from a wide range of backgrounds are sailing on board 19 boats operated by ASTO members.
As the fleet paraded behind 110-metre Polish tall ship Dar Mlodziezy under glorious sunshine and blue skies, Falmouth Bay was packed with the largest flotilla in living memory and around 100,000 people lined the shore and key vantage points according to local organisers.
ASTO organisations from all over the British Isles are taking part including vessels from Scotland, Wales, East Anglia and the South of England, and at least half of the trainees on board.
The Falmouth to Royal Greenwich Tall Ships Regatta marks the first time a Tall Ships Race has been held from one British port to another and the fleet is expected to arrive in London on Thursday or Friday.
www.asto.org.uk
www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk/tallships
Maxis Ready To Race In Porto Cervo
Porto Cervo, Italy: A spectacular fleet of 35 Maxi yachts is lined up along the quays of Porto Cervo Marina ready and waiting for the off in the 25th edition of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. Organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in collaboration with the International Maxi Association and with the support of title sponsor Rolex, the event runs from 31st August to 6th September. These spectacular sailing yachts, many of which are over 100 feet in length, will take to the waters off Porto Cervo tomorrow, Monday 1st September for the first of five days of racing.
For the fifth consecutive year the event will also host the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship. Among the eight boat boats competing is Ran 5, the newly launched Judel-Vrolijk 72 owned by Niklas Zennstrom, who will be looking to gain his fourth world title. Competition will be stiff, with Hap Fauth's Bellamente, winner of the 2012 edition fielding Terry Hutchinson on tactics, and Andres Soriano's Alegre, second by just one point last year, both keen to prove their worth.
A special mention must go to the J-Class division: five of these magnificent racing yachts, designed and built to compete in the America's Cup competitions of the 1930s, will grace the race course this week. Two of the enrolled yachts are true classics: the 39-metre Velsheda, launched in 1933 and division winner in 2013, and the 36-metre Shamrock V, which dates back to 1930. Alongside these historic yachts will be the contemporary builds Ranger, Rainbow and, at almost 44-metres the largest yacht in the fleet, Lionheart.
www.yccs.com
www.regattanews.com
* Unbeaten so far this season after regatta wins in Menorca in May and the Palma Superyacht Cup in Mallorca in early July, the J Class's leading team so far, Lionheart, were putting the final gloss on their crew work and preparations today in the brilliant sunshine and brisk breezes off Porto Cervo, Sardinia.
There is no denying that the Lionheart crew, lead by tactician Bouwe Bekking - the Volvo Round the World Skipper - have elevated the standard this year. Others have come very close to matching them, but so far Lionheart have prevailed.
Three different boats won races in Palma and it was only on the final day of four that the event was decided. So when the six day Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup starts, Monday, Lionheart will be a benchmark for the three other J Class yachts racing this week, Rainbow, Ranger and Velsheda.
On Ranger Murray Jones, four times America's Cup winning tactician, believes they can improve on their second place in Palma where they narrowly missed out to Bekking's well drilled crew.
Ex Skipper Changes Tune On Artemis Capsize
Former America's Cup skipper Terry Hutchinson has backed down from his contention that Artemis Racing was sailing an unsafe boat when it capsized on San Francisco Bay last year, killing British Olympic star Andrew "Bart" Simpson.
In an interview with Maxim magazine earlier this month, Hutchinson was quoted as saying that he "had a massive falling out with the owner of the team and the CEO about the safety of our yacht so they decided to terminate me. Ten weeks after my argument with the owner about the safety of the Artemis boat, the boat capsized in the San Francisco bay and one of the sailors was killed. It was a known thing that the boat was not safe. It was a tragedy. The guy that was killed was a good person and a father."
Simpson, an Olympic gold and silver medalist, was killed on May 9, 2013, when the 72-foot catamaran flipped and crumpled while on a training run.
On Friday, Hutchinson said on his Facebook page that the Maxim interview "included some untrue statements and inaccurate remarks I made about Artemis Racing."
"To be clear, Artemis Racing is a well-organized and responsible professional sailing team that considers safety an absolute priority," Hutchinson wrote. "My departure from the team more than five months prior to the tragedy of May 9, 2013 was on agreeable terms with the owner and my teammates. No one could have anticipated what occurred, and I meant no disrespect to the memory of Andrew "Bart" Simpson or to any current or past members of the Artemis Racing team. I deeply regret any misunderstanding that was drawn from the Maxim interview."
New Zealand Herald:
www.nzherald.co.nz/americas-cup/
Training And Racing On Mini 6.50s In The Med
The end of the UK sailing season is soon, most will not race till next year whilst winter and xmas will take their toll on muscle mass... Here's a solution: we have just launched an Autumn and a Winter Series of races on Mini 6.50s from our base of Marina del Fezzano, in La Spezia, Italy. Here temperatures rarely drop below 10 degrees even in the coldest winter days, and you may be surprised by a nice warm afternoon even in mid December. If the weather turns bad, the bay, with its massive breakwater, provides shelter in all wind and sea conditions.
The two series include 8 races per series, 16 in total, starting from 26 September till the beginning of February. The races are every two weeks with a gap around xmas and before each weekend of racing there's an optional week of intensive training with one of our instructors on a Mini 6.50. This is an excellent opportunity to carry on training for those who have a Mini but do not want to incur in the cost of moving it to the Med or for those who don't have a mini and want to learn or improve their skills. -- Marco Nannini
The full calendar including costs is now available in english on our website: marconannini.it/?q=en/calendar
For further information contact us on +393204093306 or write to info@marconannini.it
Charity Auction
Click on image to enlarge.
The biggest sporting moment from Ben Ainslie has been immortalised on canvas and will be auctioned from September 4 to 14 for Willow - the only national charity working with seriously ill young adults aged 16 to 40 to fulfil uplifting and unforgettable Special Days. The artwork, along with other top British sportsmen and women will be on show at a public exhibition, September 9 & 10 at Bonhams, London W1.
Britain's top sporting heroes Mo Farah; Lewis Hamilton; AP McCoy; Theo Walcott; Steven Gerrard; Wayne Rooney; Andy Murray; Sir Bradley Wiggins; Sir Ben Ainslie; Ian Poulter; Justin Rose; Hannah Cockroft and Christine Ohuruogu have all taken part in Sportwaves. The stunning collection depicts a fine art portrait of the sportsman in action, combined with a digital soundwave of the moment captured.
Each original artwork has been signed by the sporting great and will available to view at the public exhibition, and to bid for online in the charity auction. Artwork is available to view now at www.sportwaves.org
Each piece has been created by artist Rob Highton, whose stunning work includes paintings of sporting heroes, music and popular culture, and Tim Wakefield, a new media artist whose work features the exuberant infusion of digital sound waves with paintings.
"The combination of fine art and high profile sporting heroes is an exciting match for any sport or art lover. The Sportwaves collection captures special moments in sporting history. Funds raised at auction will enable Willow to provide its own special moments for those living with life threatening conditions at a time when they need it most," said Bob Wilson, Willow co-founder and Life President.
To date Willow has provided more than 10,000 Special Days for people living with cancer, cystic fibrosis, motor neurone disease, muscular dystrophy, organ failure and Huntington's, amongst other conditions. These Special Days enable them and their families to reconnect and refocus on each other while enjoying an activity of their choosing. A day for them, a day about them and a day that will create memories they will treasure forever.
Willow was founded by former Arsenal goalkeeper and TV presenter, Bob Wilson and his wife, Megs, as a lasting memorial to their daughter, Anna, who died of cancer aged 31.
For more information about Willow visit www.willowfoundation.org.uk or telephone 01707 259777.
Making A Case That Idiocy Itself Should Be A Jailable Offense
A man tried to make possibly the worst-judged getaway in history on a canal boat through the longest lock system in Britain
The 27-year-old, who was arrested on suspicion of arson, is thought to have started several fires on the evening of July 4th before stealing the vessel as he tried to flee the scene.
However, the man's getaway was not as hasty as he might have hoped after he failed to pass through a two-mile stretch of 29 continuous gates, Caen Hill locks, on the Kennet Avon Canal in Wiltshire.
Despite making it through the first four gates, the man who has not yet been named, turned the boat around before setting it on fire and escaping on foot.
Yves Carcelle
Yves Carcelle a long time supporter and backer of the Louis Vuitton Cup and the Challenger Series for the America's Cup has died at the age of 66yrs.
Carcelle joined LVMH, Louis Vuitton's parent company, in 1989 as Strategic Director. He was then Chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton from 1990 to 2012. He was Vice-President of the Fondation d'Entreprise Louis Vuitton pour la Creation and a member of the LVMH Executive Committee.
Yves Carcelle was also a board member of the Comite Colbert and the Palais de Tokyo in Paris.
He was awarded Honours from France and New Zealand including a Chevalier of the French Legion of Honor and an Honorary Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
Carcelle enjoyed very close relationships with all the teams and key players, and his personal touch and backing were keynotes of Louis Vuitton's support, throughout one of the longest and most successful sponsorships in international sport. -- Richard Gladwell
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See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/
The Last Word
The only creatures that are evolved enough to convey pure love are dogs and infants. -- Johnny Depp
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