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
Spithill Undefeated 6 - 0 In Busan
Katie Spithill has led her Team Leagues Racing to six straight victories in the round-robin of the Busan Cup Women's International Match Race. After two days of racing the Australian is now the only undefeated skipper in the regatta.
Due to very light winds Thursday morning, all racing in the Busan Cup Women's International Match Race, the fourth and final event of the 2015 WIM Series, was postponed for quite a while. The Race Committee tried a few times to get the racing going, but didn't succeed until a rather stable breeze of 10 - 15 knots appeared on the waters just off of the Haeundae Beach in Busan. In the first flight of the day Katie Spithill defeated World #2 Anna Östling of Sweden, and then French Anne-Claire Le Berre had to face the Aussie power.
The loss against Spithill was the only setback so far in the event for Le Berre and her French Women's Match Racing Team, now standing on a 7 - 1 score.
The round-robin of the Busan Cup Women's International Match Race, the fourth and final event of the 2015 WIM Series, is planned to conclude Friday, followed by the knock-out stages over the weekend.
Standings in the round-robin of the Busan Cup Women's International Match Race, the fourth and final event of the 2015 WIM Series (skipper, nationality, wins - losses):
1. Katie Spithill, AUS, 6 - 0
2. Anne-Claire Le Berre, FRA, 7 - 1
3. Maggie Shea (substituting for Stephanie Roble), USA, 7 - 2
4. Anna Östling, SWE, 5 - 3
5. Camilla Ulrikkeholm Klinkby, DEN, 3 - 2
5. Caroline Sylvan, SWE, 3 - 2
7. Pauline Courtois, FRA, 2 - 3
8. Denise Lim, SIN, 3 - 6
9. Renee Groeneveld, NED, 2,5 - 5
10. Milly Bennett, AUS, 2 - 6
11. Diana Kissane, IRL, 1 - 5
12. Sung Eun Choi, KOR, 0 - 6
One Last Bump Before The Downhill
Suncream and shades are obligatory for the Ultimes as they shave the coast of Morocco, passing the renowned kite surfing spot of Dakhla today. For the Class 40s and the later IMOCAs it is still hard hats and protective eye wear as they battle with big winds and confused seas. Since yesterday the main goal of the bigger monohulls especially has been to try and outrun the latest, active depression which is hitting the Azores.
The top four IMOCA 60s, PRB, Queguiner-Leucemie Espoir, Banque Populaire VIII and SMA, are already passing to the east of Sao Miguel and should be spared the worst of the low. But all, to a man and woman, will be dreaming of getting out of the worst of the weather, getting the drysuits and boots off, and enjoying downwind sailing. And, in time, some sunshine. When they spoke to Race HQ today and yesterday, the most common shared themes are the wearing, depressing wetness. Water everywhere. And... the inability to keep anything dry.
* At 1430hrs UTC today Thursday, Kito de Pavant and Yann Regniau, the crew of the IMOCA 60 'Bastide Otio communicated with their technical team and Race Direction to tell them they intend to head to Cascais in Portugal, about 400 miles their current location.
For at least three days, so since not long after the start, their "Fleet" antenna on their boat has not functioned. Consequently the de Pavant and Reginau have been working blind with no weather data. Kito de Pavant also said they have several damaged sails. Under such a compromised state is would not be prudent to their route to Itajaí in Brazil under these conditions.
The IMOCA 60 'Bastide Otio is expected Saturday morning in Cascais where they will be joined by their technical team to assess and execute the necessary repairs before continuing the race.
Top three:
Class 40
1. Le Conservateur, Yannick Bestaven - Pierre Brasseur
2. V and B, Maxime Sorel - Sam Manuard
3. Solidaires En Peloton ARSEP, Thibaut Vauchel-Camus - Victorien Erussard
IMOCA
1. Banque Populaire VIII, Armel Le Cleac'h - Erwan Tabarly
2. PRB, Vincent Riou - Sebastien Col
3. Queguiner - Leucemie Espoir, Yann Elies - Charlie Dalin
Multi 50
1. FenetreA Prysmian, Erwan Le Roux - Giancarlo Pedote
2. Ciela Village, Thierry Bouchard - Oliver Krauss
3. Arkema, Lalou Roucayrol - Cesar Dohy
Ultime
1. Sodebo Ultim', Thomas Coville - Jean-Luc Nelias
2. Macif, Francois Gabart - Pascal Bidegorry
3. Actual, Yves le Blevec - Jean-Baptiste Le Vaillant
113 And Counting...Entries Climbing For 2016 Quantum Key West Race Week
The number of entries to the 2016 edition of Quantum Key West Race Week has exceeded 100, indicating one of the strongest early turnouts in years to this mainstay on the international sailing calendar held over January 17-22, 2016. Currently there are 16 classes organized: nine one-design and seven monohull and multihull classes racing under handicap. This indicates a diverse range of boat types attracted to race in the winter sun in Key West, with teams from 10 nations represented among the entries thusfar.
One design classes include the following: Melges 24's (14 entries), J/70's (21 entries), J/80's (4 entries), Farr 280's (5 entries), Viper 640's (3 entries), J/88's (7 entries), C&C 30's (10 entries), J/111's (8 entries), and J/122's (2 entries).
Among the handicap classes, IRC 0, 1 and 2 have thusfar attracted 13 committed entries, and the three new class offered at this year's event are also gaining interest: ORC Club (9 entries), Multihulls (4 entries) and Performance Cruisers (3 entries).
Besides providing the best in race management on the water, organizers from the Storm Trysail Club will enhance the shoreside experience for all entries with afternoon seminars, evening prizegivings and social events, and full logistic support through their partners and vendors on site...plus the unique ambience offered by time spent in Old Town Key West.
For more information and to enter 2016 Quantum Key West Race Week, visit www.keywestraceweek.com
Dubai To Muscat Race Underway
Sheikh Khaled Bin Zayed Al Nehayan, Chairman of UAE Sailing and Rowing Federation, welcomed the competitors to the 24th edition of the Dubai to Muscat Yacht Race, which got off to a perfect start outside the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club. A northerly breeze of close to ten knots gave the fleet a tight reach for the start, along the impressive backdrop of the City of Dubai.
Yachts from seven different countries and crew from all over the world, are taking part in the region's longest running and most prestigious offshore race, which is recognised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club. The 350-mile offshore race takes the fleet through the Arabian Gulf, through the complex Straits of Hormuz and into the Indian Ocean to finish the race in Muscat, Oman.
Hannes Weimer's German Landmark 43, Atari 7, got away well at the Committee Boat end to lead the fleet at the start. Several yachts headed offshore, potentially anticipating that the northerly sea breeze may disintegrate during the afternoon, replaced by a easterly head wind. This scenario will favour the boats offshore. Weather forecasts predict a fair easterly breeze during the night, giving upwind conditions in the Arabian Gulf.
All of the competing yachts are equipped with Xtra-Link Trackers and Thuraya TX satellite phones. Daily updates including; blogs from the boats, pictures and video will be posted. -- Louay Habib
Bjorn Dunkerbeck Wants To Smash The 100 Km/H Barrier
Bjorn Dunkerbeck is ready to break the windsurfing speed world record. But the Danish-Dutch sailor also wants to smash the 100 km/h barrier (53.99 knots), in the 2015 Luderitz Speed Challenge.
It's maybe now or never. Dunkerbeck believes it is possible to beat Antoine Albeau's world record of 52.05 knots (96.40 km/h) set in 2012. His best speed so far is 51.09 knots.
Bjorn Dunkerbeck's top speed ever stands at 53.50 knots for two seconds. That's 99 km/h. In Namibia, the champion plans to ride a 40cm wide, 130cm long windsurf board, with a 16 to 18cm long fin. The sail will be a 5.4 or 5.6 depending on the wind conditions.
"The water has to be very smooth in the channel, and the wind has to come from the right angle. You need the right wind strength - 45 to 50 knots of wind would be ideal. My equipment is good enough, and three or four of the competitors in Namibia can do it."
Dunkerbeck thinks that because windsurfing isn't using foils like the world speed sailing record holder Vestas Sailrocket 2, "we cannot reach sailcraft' speeds. It will be the situation until windsurfing finds out how to use foils."
Super Yachts For Newport Bermuda 2016
In response to expressions of interest from owners and captains of yachts over 90' on deck, the Bermuda Race Organizing Committee has created a Super Yacht Division.
The Super Yacht Division will sail under some rules that are different from the rest of the fleet, and on a different rhumb line. For example, the Super Yacht Division will have:
- a staggered start at a different time, for safety;
- a course that leaves Block Island and Bermuda to port (rather than starboard); and
- some variations in the Safety Requirements where they conflict with the yacht's classification society's or flag state's regulations.
In keeping with the race's commitment to science based handicapping, the Super Yacht Division will be scored using the International Super Yacht Rule, which uses the same VPP as ORR.
To avoid confusion, the Super Yacht Division's exceptions are listed in the Notice of Race's Addendum A.
Owners or captains of super yachts with a minimum length on deck of 90' should contact John Winder at open@bermudarace.com for more information or to express interest.
Extreme 40 Racing Catamaran Marstrom Composites 2009
Length: 40'
Hull Material: Composite
Current Price: On application
With the Extreme Sailing Series™ adopting a new boat for 2016, there is a unique opportunity to purchase a fleet of up to 10 Extreme 40 catamarans as a set, or individually, that are priced to sell.
Superfast, exciting to sail and to watch, the Extreme 40 catamaran was developed by TornadoSport in 2005 to bring sailing to the public on short courses in stadium settings.
Built in carbon-fibre, these "flying machines" are 40ft long and have a beam of 23ft. They have a top speed of around 40 knots. Complete with sails, shipping container, with spares and road container negotiable, these well-maintained boats could offer excellent corporate entertainment or activation around another race campaign.
Available from mid-December to ship from Europe/Australia/GCC.
Please contact boatsales@ocsport.com
RIO 2016 Provisional Schedule Released
A provisional racing schedule for the Rio 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition set to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 5-21 August 2016 has been released.
The Pao de Açucar, Ponte and Escola Naval courses inside Guanabara Bay and the Copacabana and Niteroi areas outside the bay are to be utilised. The reserve course areas are Aeroporto, an additional course situated in-between Ponte and Escola Naval in Guanabara Bay, and Pai, outside Guanabara Bay.
Racing is set to start on Monday 8 August at 13:00 local time with the Men's and Women's RS:X sailing on the Pao de Açucar race track. The Laser and Laser Radial fleets will also commence their competition on Escola Naval course on the same day.
The Finn sailors will start racing on Tuesday 9 August on the Pao de Açucar area with the Men's and Women's 470 as well as the Nacra 17 following on Wednesday 10 August. The 49er and 49erFX are the last fleets to start and get going on Friday 12 August.
The first Medal Races will take place on Sunday 14 August with two per day scheduled until Thursday 18 August where the 49er and 49erFX will bring the regatta to a close.
ISAF Olympic Website - www.sailing.org/olympics/rio2016/home.php
ISAF Sailing World Cup Final
The 2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup Final produced a fascinating opening day in Abu Dhabi, and it was business as usual for several of the defending champions setting out again on a gold medal course.
Great Britain's Bryony Shaw made the perfect start in her pursuit of a second successful World Cup Final title at Abu Dhabi Sailing and Yacht Club (ADSYC), taking the first race win in the Women's RS:X ahead of Brazilian Patricia Freitas and France's Helène Noesmoen.
Shaw followed up with a second place and another victory to lead by one point at the end of the day from Flavia Tartaglini of Italy who recorded finishes of 4th, 3rd and 2nd, and last year's champion looks determined to hold on to her crown.
Australian Tom Burton is another who clearly enjoys the conditions in Abu Dhabi. The defending champion scored one race win and a second place to lead the 20-boat Laser fleet from five-times Olympic medalist Robert Scheidt of Brazil who picked up a pair of third places.
With a strong breeze blowing in from the land from early morning, the organisers brought the start of the first day's racing forward by two hours to take advantage of excellent sailing conditions.
There are no bigger favourites for gold in the UAE capital than multiple world champions Mat Belcher and Will Ryan, although the Australian duo had to come from behind to land the opening race in the men's 470 class.
Full results: www.sailing.org/worldcup/results/index.php
Live Tracking: www.sailing.org/worldcup/multimedia/tracking.php
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New Boat Builds
From Seahorse magazine in cooperation with the Spinlock Special Projects Team
HH42
Paul Hakes has teamed up with Hudson Yachts to deliver this thoroughly foxy-looking new flush-deck 42-footer.
Designer - Judel-Vrolijk
Builder - Hakes Marine/Hudson Yachts
First Launch - Feb 2013
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Tan 66
The latest entrant into the large performance cat market comes from an all-French design.
Designer - VPLP
Builder - Marsaudon Composites
First Launch - Oct 2015
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Outremer 5X
At just under 60ft the flagship of this successful and well-established multihull supplier also offers a step-up in performance with naval architecture by VPLP
Designer - VPLP
Builder - Outremer Yachting
First Launch - 2013
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NEO 400
A winner in the Med and Adriatic, the NEO 400 hull features a full bow which also increases interior volume
Designer - Ceccarelli Yacht Design
Builder - NEO Yachts
First Launch - 2013
Clipper Race Reaches &Pound;100,000 Fundraising Milestone
Just two months into its 11 month global endurance challenge the Clipper 2015-16 Round the World Yacht Race is proud to announce it has already raised an incredible £100,000 for Official Race Charity UNICEF, the world's leading children's organisation.
Clipper Race Co-Founder and CEO William Ward said: "A huge thanks to all Clipper Race crew and supporters for their incredible efforts. We are really proud to reach this fundraising milestone, which equates to a third of our £300,000 target for our Official Race Charity UNICEF so early on in the race.
Clipper Race crew and supporters have been getting involved in all sorts of fundraising activities, including; personal sponsorship, crew departure parties, designing and making team supporter wristbands, and holding auctions.
Clipper Race staff are also helping to raise vital funds, for example, Digital Manager Paul Hankey and Crew Recruitment Director David Cusworth cycled 260 miles from London to Plymouth after the 2015-16 Race Start, and Finance Administrator James Wood is aiming to run 1,000 miles during the eleven month race duration, with many others entering various cycle and running races in support.
The Clipper 2015-16 Round the World Yacht Race is 40,000 nautical miles long. It set sail from London on 30 August this year and will arrive back 11 months later on 30 July 2016.
www.unicef.org.uk
clipperroundtheworld.com
Industry News
Held across 10 days, from Friday 8 January to Sunday 17 January, the London Boat Show will kick-start the 2016 boating calendar by hosting over 300 marine brands and showcasing thousands of products, services and boats from leading British and international companies
Spread over the equivalent of six full-sized football pitches, exhibitors will range from world-class boat builders through to fashion, travel operators and watersports companies.
New features include the '60's Revival' attraction which will transport visitors back to the swinging 60's - an era that saw the first man to walk on the moon, The Beatles, the arrival of the Mirror Dinghy, and Sir Francis Chichester becoming the first person to sail single-handed around the world.
Also new for 2016 is the 'Mediterranean Bay', a purpose built pool featuring watersports demonstrations, opportunities to get out on the water, and the chance to learn how to moor a boat in a typically tight Mediterranean-style berth; and 'The London Boat Show Theatre' which will feature some of the world's boating experts talking on topics ranging from technology & innovations, to engine maintenance and around the world expeditions.
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With several weeks to go still before RAI Amsterdam opens its doors to the METSTRADE show on Tuesday 17 November, organisers of the three-day show have announced the latest registration figures. And they make for impressive reading...
At least 1385 exhibitors are now expected in the halls of the RAI Amsterdam convention centre compared to last year's total of 1358. With the average stand size now almost back at the levels witnessed prior to the financial crisis of 2007, the show is growing in every respect. The complete list of exhibitors is available on metstrade.com.
The Superyacht Pavilion (SYP) - one of three specialised areas at the trade show - is now completely sold out, with 221 exhibitors. That is ten percent more than in 2014 and a sure sign that the large yacht industry is embracing the METSTRADE concept in ever greater numbers.
The Marina & Yard Pavilion (MYP) has grown to 49 exhibitors. This means the current location is completely full and will require further expansion next year. Meanwhile, there will also no less than 18 Country Pavilions run by national associations within ICOMIA.
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The Chilean government announced today that it will create the Nazca-Desventuradas Marine Park, which will encompass a surface area of 297,518 square kilometers (114,872 square miles) and become the largest marine park in the Americas.
The Desventuradas is considered one of the last potentially pristine marine environments in South America, and now this environment will be protected.
The creation of this historic marine park follows a joint expedition conducted by Oceana and National Geographic to the Desventuradas in February 2013. Based on findings from the expedition, Oceana and National Geographic - along with the people of the Juan Fernandez archipelago - recommended that Chile create a marine park surrounding the islands to protect this unique ecosystem and help rebuild important depleted fisheries in the South Pacific Ocean.
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Running parallel to the Yacht Racing Forum are two complimentary conference streams: the Design & Technology Symposium, and the Risk Management and Safety Conference.
These conference streams will take place on 7 December, the first day of the Yacht Racing Forum. December 8th will see all delegates join together for sessions focused on issues that affect the whole of the yacht racing industry.
The Design Technology Symposium brings a vital technical counterpoint to the commercial discussion that occur in the Yacht Racing Forum. This year, the DTS will focus on several key areas of yacht design, build and engineering.
Topics include the future of foiling: will monohulls ever truly fly; what are the learnings from the AC; how will foils cross over into the mainstream and how foiling will develop for offshore racing.
Featured Brokerage
2004 Farr 520 Performance Cruiser - BRAVE. 350,000 Euros. Located in Athens, Greece.
A true Performance Cruiser from the successful hull shape of the Farr 52. In sparkling order and very well looked after, minimal maintenance yacht for round the world sport.
Contact:
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ben.cooper@berthon.co.uk
See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/
The Last Word
I get my best ideas in a thunderstorm. I have the power and majesty of nature on my side. -- Ralph Steadman
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