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
Canfield Wins First Dutch Match Cup
Lelystad, Netherlands: Taylor Canfield and US One have won the inaugural Dutch Match Cup after a thrilling final against arch-rival Ian Williams and GAC Pindar. The breeze was very light and patchy, creating multiple opportunities for lead changes. No race lead, however big, was ever safe.
In the pre-start of the first match, Canfield stuck two penalties on Williams, leaving the British boat playing catch-up. However on the downwind leg, Williams found a sliver of stronger breeze by the harbour shore close to the cheering crowds in Lelystad. The British came close to rolling over the top of US One but failed to keep clear from a Canfield luff. Another penalty for Williams, then another penalty towards the leeward gate, and Canfield was uncatchable. 1-0.
In the second match, Williams got the slightly better start and converted that into a five-length lead by the first windward mark. GAC Pindar was still in the lead at the final turning mark, but US One again went shoreside and managed to sneak ahead of their opponent just before the finish. 2-0, and the Dutch Match Cup went to Canfield.
Overall results of Stage 5 Dutch Match Cup, Alpari World Match Racing Tour
1. Taylor Canfield (ISV) US One
2. Ian Williams (GBR) GAC Pindar
3. David Gilmour (AUS) Team Gilmour
4. Mathieu Richard (FRA) LunaJets
5. Keith Swinton (AUS) Team Alpari
6. Phil Robertson (NZL) WAKA Racing
7. Arthur Herreman (FRA) Team Herreman
8. Björn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Sailing Team
9. Joachim Aschenbrenner (DEN) Aschenbrenner Racing Team
10. Dirk-Jan Korpershoek (NLD) Opportunity Team
11. Philip Bendon (IRL) Glenmar Racing Team
12. Klaartje Zuiderbaan (NLD) Team BSC
Lotte Meldgaard Pedersen Wins Buddy Melges Challenge
In Sunday's final matches in the Buddy Melges Challenge, Stephanie Roble and Lotte Meldgaard Pedersen showed the crowds on the bluffs of Lake Michigan how top class match racing should be sailed. It took five matches for the Danish crew to secure their first WIM Series event victory since last summer's Danish Open.
The final Sunday began with a postponement of racing. But also just as the other days, PRO Rich Reichelsdorfer never gave up his hunting for wind. Right after noon he found a few patches that soon spread out enough to give good racing conditions. The final and the petite final, that kicked off with one match respectively already on Saturday, could continue.
Stephanie Roble will have to wait until the next event, the Busan Cup Women's International Match Race in Korea, October 11 - 16, for another chance to take her first ever WIM Series event victory
With fourth place in the US WIM Series event, it was the third time just outside the podium this year for Caroline Sylvan. She's now fourth also on the WIM Series total, after the penultimate event in Sheboygan,
Reigning World Champion Anna Kjellberg didn't convince at all in Sheboygan, but at least scored ten WIM Series points for her sixth place. That moves the Swede to the top spot of the WIM Series standings, just one point ahead of World #1 Camilla Ulrikkeholm of Denmark.
Results in the final of the 2014 Buddy Melges Challenge:
Lotte Meldgaard Pedersen, DEN - Stephanie Roble, USA 3 - 2
Results in the petite final of the 2014 Buddy Melges Challenge:
Anne-Claire Le Berre, FRA - Caroline Sylvan, SWE 2 - 1
Full results:
1. Lotte Meldgaard Pedersen, DEN
2. Stephanie Roble, USA
3. Anne-Claire Le Berre, FRA
4. Caroline Sylvan, SWE
5. Juliana Senfft, BRA
6. Anna Kjellberg, SWE
7. Madeline Gill, USA
See What Your Safety Equipment Really Does at Ocean Safety's November Open Day
Ever seen your liferaft inflated? Hopefully not! The same goes for your lifejackets and letting off your flares. Now there's a chance to see how your vital onboard safety equipment works, so that if the real thing ever happened, you're familiar with the procedures.
Ocean Safety is inviting yacht owners to familiarise themselves with their essential onboard safety equipment when the company opens its doors to customers at its Southampton, UK, depot on 8th November 2014.
Bring along your liferaft, lifejackets, and other serviceable onboard safety equipment and Ocean Safety's expert team will check it. Everyone is welcome to turn up to watch general demonstrations which will be held throughout the day but if you want to see your own liferaft inflated or equipment opened and checked, you will need to make an appointment. This equipment can then be left for servicing and can be collected at a later date. During the day there will be plenty to see and do and the experts will be on hand to answer questions.
You can also take part in flare demonstrations. A full programme is now available on Ocean Safety's website. Book your space via openday@oceansafety.com or call Rachel on: 02380 720 800
Spithill Predicts Late Cup Entries
Oracle skipper Jimmy Spithill says he expects more teams to challenge for the next America's Cup, despite the entry period closing last month.
"There's an allowance for late entries and I wouldn't be surprised to see a couple of other teams come in before the end of the year," Spithill said. "I can't say who they are, but one of them will be pretty exciting for the whole event."
There are six teams lined up to contend for the Auld Mug - Oracle, Artemis Racing, Ben Ainslie Racing, Emirates Team New Zealand, Luna Rossa Challenge and Team France - but there is still no certainty around where and when it will be held.
Spithill denies the lengthy wait for a venue announcement has been a deterrent for potential contenders.
"Nah, not at all. It's either San Diego or Bermuda, and that's been known for a long time."
Certainty on a venue, however, is top of the list for Team New Zealand.
"We've sort of plunged back into that period of uncertainty and the certainty makes a big difference," skipper Dean Barker said. -- Jane Nixon in the New Zealand Herald
Lorient Horta Solo
So Adrien Hardy wins the jackpot. The skipper of Agir Recouvrement has succeeded in the last few miles to hold off Charlie Dalin and Xavier Macaire. This podium is also confirmation of the rise of a new generation. All three have cut their teeth in Mini off before embarking on the Figaro circuit.
Charlie Dalin, second place claims the title of Champion of France of Offshore Racing Solitaire. Leading the standings before the Lorient Horta Solo, he had to hold off the onslaught of Corentin Horeau ( Bretagne Credit Mutuel Performance ) and Paul Meilhat ( SMA ). By winning the Lorient Horta Solo, Adrien Hardy took the double. He won in its waters the first edition of the event and is expected to reach the podium in the Championship of France.
Top five:
1. Adrien Hardy, Agir Recouvrement
2. Charlie Dalin, Normandy Elite Team
3. Xavier Macaire, Skipper Herault
4. Fabien Delahaye, Skipper Macif 2012
5. Gildas Morvan, Cercle Vert
5.5m IC World Championship
Argentario, Italy: On Friday, the 5.5m World Championship 2014 came to a close in Porto Santo Stefano, Tuscany. Beautiful sunny skies, the Islands of Elba, Montecristo and Giglio as a backdrop, but unfortunately the wind was too light and shifty to race. After five races with no discard, Swiss Flavio Marazzi on Ali Baba is the 2014 World Champion 5.5m IC.
Second place for Norwegian Kristian Nergaard on Artemis XIV and third for Gavin McKinney on John B from the Bahamas.
The Race Committee used every minute up to the 2.30 p.m. time limit to set down a fair course. The 37 crews Bahamas, Finland, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland and Italy crossed the starting line at 2.28 p.m. but at the end of the first beat, a massive wind shift forced the Race Committee to abandon racing. The Awards Ceremony was held at the 16th century Spanish Fortress of Porto Santo Stefano overlooking the wonderful bay of Argentario.
Full results on: www.ycss.it
Cannes At Its Best
The 36th edition of the Regates Royales - Trophee Panerai drew on a close on Saturday. The five day long regatta ended in grand style and in typical Cote d'Azur conditions, with blue skies, warm weather and light airs. Four races for the Classics and ten for the 12 Metres crowned this year's winners: Vanity V, Chinook, Mariquita, Sagittarius, Dorade, Sirius, Freya and Speedbird.
On the final day of the Regates Royales crews enjoyed almost summer-like conditions with light winds that nevertheless allowed the Race committee to launch a coastal race for the Classics.
Among the Spirit of Tradition, Shamrock V's powerful sail area was not enough to steal victory from Freya 2003 that clinched it with only one point to spare, Scherzo finished in third at four points from the leader. Sirius won almost undisputedly in the Vintage Marconi under 15m, leaving behind her fellow Italian crews on Jalina and Cholita. In the Tofinou class Speedbird ended with a clear score of four wins.
In some classes the winner wasn't decided until the very last race. In the Vintage Gaffers Chinook trailed Eva and Duet 1926 from the start, but finally managed to pull off victory with a 1 point margin on Duet 1926 and two on Eva, who earned a bronze. Similarly in the Classics division, Sagittarius clinched victory thanks to the last race, pushing Namib down from the highest step of the podium, and Naif finished in third.
Podium by class
Big Boats: Mariquita, Moonbeam IV, Moonbeam of Fife III
Vintage Gaffers: Chinook, Duet 1926, Eva
Classics: Sagittarius, Namib, Naif
Vintage Marconi under 15 m: Dorade, The Blue Peter, Skylark
Vintage Marconi over 15m: Sirius, Jalina, Cholita
Spirit of Tradition: Freya 2003, Shamrock V, Scherzo
Tofinou: Speedbird, Camomille, Cambronne
The week has been very intense for the 12 Metre class, with a strong debut by Vanity V and Wings that constantly battled for final victory during the rest of the series. So much so, that on the eve of the final day, the two leaders were distanced by a mere point but, at the end of the much contested 10-race series, Vanity V - skippered by Dane Bjorn Westergaard and flying the flag of the Royal Danish Yacht Club - jumped on the highest step of the podium, beating Wings by 3 points and Vim by 7 points. Germany's Trivia, helmed by Wilfried Beeck finished in fourth.
Seahorse November 2014
What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine
A most remarkable man - Part 2
With the first edition of Bart's Bash Blue Robinson, Iain Percy, Ben Ainslie and Anthony Nossiter reflect on the big man himself
Nowhere to hide
Andrew Hurst throws caution to the wind as he looks at this year's round-the-world fleet...
Holding on
Jon Mitchell of Marlow looks at the progress that continues to be made with Dyneema fibres
RORC news
And the 'new' Maxi 72 Class officially comes into being... Eddie Warden-Owen
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GBR Selection Now Open For 2015 Isaf Team Racing Worlds
The chance to represent the British Sailing Team Racing Team at the 2015 ISAF Team Racing World Championships is now open after the confirmation of trial dates for selection.
The British Team enjoyed great success at the 2011 Championships in Schull, Ireland, claiming both the prestigious Team Racing World title and the Under 21 World title.
The 2015 ISAF Team Racing World Championships will be held at Rutland Sailing Club, located in central England near Leicester and Peterborough from the 20-24 July 2015.
And anyone wishing to be considered for selection must attend the first selection weekend on the 13-14 December 2014 before an invitation-only selection process will take place across two weekends on the 10-11 January/17-18 January 2015.
All three events will take place at the Worlds venue of Rutland Sailing Club in Firefly dinghies.
All selection procedure and application information can be found here:
www.rya.org.uk/racing/teamracing/
2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup Qualification System Published
The qualification system for the 2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup (SWC) has been published.
The 2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup will consist of five rounds for all ten Olympic events and where possible, Formula Kite Racing.
With reduced quotas, a qualification process based around the ISAF World Sailing Rankings and ISAF Sailing World Cup Qualification Regattas will be used to determine the entrants for each round, ensuring the world's best sailors will be within the World Cup fleets.
Event winners from each SWC Round will qualify to the 2015 SWC Final whilst the best placed 'home continent' sailor in each round will also qualify. The top three finishers at the 2015 Class World Championships (if already held) will qualify to the 2015 SWC Final. The remaining SWC Final places will be awarded via the ISAF World Sailing Rankings.
2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup
Melbourne - 7-14 December 2014
Miami - 25-31 January 2015
Hyères - 20-26 April 2015
Weymouth - 8-14 June 2015
Asian Round - September / October 2015
2015 Final Abu Dhabi - TBC
Hans-Otto Schumann
The grand seigneur of German offshore sailing, Hans-Otto Schumann, known for his yachts all with the name "Rubin", died on Saturday, September 20, 2014, at the age of 97 years at his home in Hamburg.
As an international competitor, President of the German Sailing Association (DSV) and Vice-President of the Offshore Racing Congress (ORC), Schumann made significant contributions to offshore sailing, and continued to follow developments in yacht racing for decades, playing a decisive role in the decisions of the IOR and IMS fleets.
Schumann's start in international racing was in 1956 at Cowes Week, which he grew into a life-long commitment to the sport, including being an entry in thirteen Admiral's Cups, and winning this prestigious event three times.
Throughout his life, Schumann's expertise was more than welcome far from just being on board "Rubin." For example, while others were starting to embrace professionals in the game, Schumann was an ardent supporter of amateur status, and he continued to field a well-oiled German crew, refusing to sail with mercenaries. Only later in his life did he hire a German pro sailor into his afterguard, his unrelated namesake Jochen Schumann, as well as some guest appearances by Harold Cudmore and some representatives from Diamond Sails.
With high regard and many memories of an entire sailing community, Hans-Otto Schumann joined now on his last journey. Fair winds, Hans-Otto! -- Andreas Kling
www.orc.org/news/2014/140926.htm
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