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
World Sailing At London Boat Show
World Sailing Series Editor, Matt Sheahan, World Sailing Vice President Gary Jobson and Chief Marketing Officer Malcolm Page were all in attendance at the Boat Show to present the recent announcements made by the governing body.
In addition, World Sailing Vice President Gary Jobson read out a statement from the Executive Committee meeting held on 8 January regarding the Youth Sailing World Championships.
In an Olympic year, World Sailing have today relaunched its website with a cleaner presentation that is easier to navigate. The global information resource will be the go-to destination for media and sailing fans alike with social media and World Sailing TV at the forefront of its presentation.
The relaunch of sailing.org comes in the wake of the world governing body's rebranding from the International Sailing Federation to World Sailing, announced at the World Yacht Racing Forum in Geneva, Switzerland from 7-8 December 2015. At the same event, World Sailing also revealed live television output at three Sailing World Cup events as well as a combined production initiative with Sunset+Vine|APP, creating WORLD SAILING, a monthly 26-minute television series.
In just 210 days' time the Rio 2016 Olympic Games will be underway in Brazil and in order to highlight the world's finest sailing talent, Sunset+Vine|APP will deliver international news and live Medal Races from World Cup regattas in Miami, Hyères and Weymouth and Portland on television and online around the world.
Of the 274 Olympic sailing spots available for Rio 2016, 219 have been decided with 55 nations qualifying sailors so far. Rio 2016 will be biggest Olympic Sailing Competition ever and many of the potential medallists will be on show at the World Cup regattas in the build-up. To generate national heroes, more than ten global broadcasters, including major networks on all continents, will bring live Olympic class sailing to their audience. Fans around the world will also be able to tune into the World Sailing TV YouTube channel, ensuring no one will miss out on the action.
In addition, over 20 broadcasters worldwide have been confirmed for highlights programming with news distributed directly to Olympic rights holders.
World Sailing Statement
From the London Boat Show on Friday:
World Sailing's Executive Committee met today, Friday 8th January 2016, to urgently consider the recent unacceptable events at the just concluded Youth World Sailing Championship in Langkawi, Malaysia.
Having undertaken a thorough investigation of this matter with the full co-operation of the IOC, it was decided as follows:
In future the organisers (MNAs, regional organisations, national organisations, international classes, etc) of all international sailing competitions will be required to comply with specific conditions to ensure that all competitors from all countries can participate equally. If these conditions are not met specific sanctions will be applied to any future international sailing competitions held in that country.
Details of the conditions will be published next week.
* Editor: Time to play "spot the loopholes"... letters to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com
Dubarry Crosshaven - Comfortably The Best Performer
Round the world racing teams have chosen Dubarry's Crosshaven in every edition of the race since the boot was developed with Green Dragon in 2008. There are several reasons for that. First, the innovation that impressed the Green Dragon guys most: the integral gaiter. Made of lightweight, hard-wearing, water-resistant fabric and cinched up with a drawstring, this gaiter means you can kneel down and work on the foredeck without suffering the dreaded 'bootful of green' that kills comfort for the rest of the passage.
And when you're dodging icebergs in the Southern Ocean as freezing winds snap at your vitals, you'll appreciate the 350g GORE-TEX Duratherm membrane and thermally insulated footbed that will keep your feet, at least, toasty.
Then there's the award-winning grip of Crosshaven's non-slip and non-marking sole. If you're trying to stay vertical on deck, and several tonnes of water traveling at 30 knots is trying to persuade you that you might be more comfortable lying down, you need your feet to stay planted.
We can all benefit from experience, but it comes at a price. Lucky for you that Green Dragon footed the bill, and the benefit is all yours.
Dubarry Crosshaven - Born at sea
18ft Skiffs: Australian Championship, Race 1
Sydney Harbour: David Witt, Tom Anderson and Tom Clout continued their outstanding form in the 18ft Skiffs this season when they brought Appliancesonline.com.au home a comfortable winner in Race 1 of the Australian Championship on Sydney Harbour today.
Appliancesonline.com.au led for almost the entire race before crossing the finish line 1m16s ahead of second placed Smeg (Lee Knapton, Ricky Bridge, Mike McKensey), with Noakes Youth (Ash Rooklyn, Josh McKnight, Daniel Nixon) a further 44s back in third place.
For Witt and Clout on the winner, it was a continuation of a demanding race program for the pair over the holiday break.
The two champion yachtsmen finished second, on Ragamuffin, in the Sydney-Hobart race and now look towards taking out a national title in the 18s.
For the runner-up crew, it was also a busy period of racing in another class.
Knapton and Bridge teamed to take out another Australian 16 Footer Championship and are top contenders to make it a 16-18 Footer double.
Race 2 of the Australian Championship will be sailed next Sunday. -- Frank Quealey
Star Midwinter Championship
Coconut Grove, Florida, USA: We had just one race today and that's all Magnus and I needed to end the weekend on a good note.
Magnus and I rounded he first mark second to Tom Lofsted of Sweden. By this time the wind was blowing 18-20 knots and we were planing downwind. We started the second windward leg in second but quickly passed Lofsted with better speed in the breeze.
The rest of the race was a procession as the wind shifted back to the right and we fetched the finish on the final run.
I am very happy with my new Folli Star!
Augie Diaz, the regatta leader going into today, got caught on the wrong side on the first leg and never recovered, finishing 21st and losing the regatta to Peter Vasella and Phil Trinter.
Brian Ledbetter and Josh Revkin sailed very well to finish third.
The next event down here is the Master Regatta February 6-7. I have asked my son Danny to crew for me for that regatta. We are a bit light together but had so much fun sailing last summer. -- Paul Cayard
Final top ten:
1. Peter Vessella / Phil Trinter, USA, 37 points
2. Augie Diaz / Arni Baltins, USA, 38
3. Brian Ledbetter / Josh Revkin, USA, 39
4. George Szabo / Roger Cheer, USA, 41
5. Eric Doyle / Payson Infelise, USA, 54
6. John MacCausland / Dave Caesar, USA, 58
7. Luke Lawrence / Ian Coleman, USA, 61
8. Paul Cayard / Magnus Liljedahl, USA, 68
9. Jim Buckingham / Craig Moss, USA, 70
10. Tom Loefstedt / Jesper Sundman, USA, 78
Full results: yachtscoring.com
Seahorse Sailor Of The Month
Last month's winner:
Hakan Svensson (SWE)
Ian Walker's Green Dragon, Kenny Read's two Puma campaigns, Freddy Lööf and a gold medal at London 2012 and now match racing in M32 cats, Håkan Svensson has done a great deal for sailing in recent years. 'You won't find a nicer or more enthusiastic person in the sport' - Ian Walker; 'Håkan is changing the game' - Tom Gross; 'He is taking the steps that no one else is willing to do to encourage the young teams' - Chris Poole; 'First he is my husband and second he deserves to win!' - Chatarina Bjorkroth.
This month's nominees:
Brian Thompson (GBR)
What a year Brian has had, grabbing the reigns of the MOD 70 Phaedo3 with owner Lloyd Thornburg, wracking up race win after race win and record after record. The competition has come and gone but the Phaedo crew have been unstoppable. In our opinion their finest result was snapping at the heels of the giant Spindrift 2 all the way around the Fastnet course before finishing just minutes behind
Knut Frostad (NOR)
No two ways to say this, the Norwegian race veteran saved the Volvo Ocean Race with his decisive move to one-design VO65s. No ifs, no buts, Frostad faced down the waverers and made the call early enough for a complex build programme to be executed in a reasonable time frame, also putting enormous energy into helping ‘his’ teams find backing. He leaves the Volvo Race with a strong foundation for the next edition in 2017
Seahorse Sailor of the Month is sponsored by Henri Lloyd, Harken McLube & Dubarry. Who needs silverware, our prizes are usable!
Cast your vote, submit comments, even suggest a candidate for next month at seahorsemagazine.com/sailor-of-the-month/vote-for-sailor-of-the-month
To subscribe to Seahorse Digital £30 for one year with discount promo code SB2 click www.seahorse.co.uk/shop/digital
Industry News
World Sailing has appointed Andy Hunt, former CEO of the British Olympic Association and a non-executive Director of the London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games as its new Chief Executive Officer.
Hunt (52) has most recently been Chairman & Managing Partner of Progressive Media Group, an International Media & Business Information group of companies, as well as serving as a non-executive Director of England Hockey & Gloucester Rugby. Hunt has had a highly successful career across both sport and business over the past 30 years.
World Sailing President Carlo Croce said, "I am delighted that we have found an outstanding candidate to fill the role of CEO. Andy combines exceptional business leadership credentials, with an excellent track record in sports administration, a deep understanding of the Olympic & Paralympic movement, strong relationships with the IOC and ASOIF and enjoys a lifelong passion for Sailing. Andy will work closely with me and the Executive Board to continue to deliver on our vision and strategy for World Sailing."
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Farr Yacht Sales has added the division of Farr Yacht Sales Americas. The new office will be headed by Jesse Fielding in Newport, Rhode Island. This office joins other FYS offices in Annapolis, Maryland and Cowes, UK to provide an integrated experience for clients around the world. FYS continues its reorganization into a territorial business model and is excited to welcome Jesse to the team.
FYS Americas serves as an outlet for Farr Yacht Design's new production yachts and for brokerage listings. This model will also provide support for owners of existing Farr-designed yachts. It will build on a strong, well-respected reputation with owners, sailmakers, sailors and other brokerage firms.
Fielding is actively involved in the sailing community. He brings ten years of grand prix campaign experience to FYS. He has achieved success in one design classes and offshore platforms around the world. Jesse credits the Morning Light Project, which featured a Farr-designed TP52, with launching his sailing career.
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YY Online Services Ltd., the publishers of YachtsandYachting.com, have announced the purchase of Sail-World.com, the global leader in sailing news.
YachtsandYachting.com and Sail-World.com have both been running for over 20 years and have organically grown in their regions to provide the very latest in sailboat racing news and the best editorial content. While YachtsandYachting.com has a majority UK readership, Sail-World.com has built a huge audience in Australia, North America, New Zealand, Asia and Europe.
Mark Jardine, Managing Director of YY Online Services said, "Combining these two great resources into a single organisation will provide the best sailing news network on the planet. There have been many parallels in the growth of the two sites, but very little overlap in readership due to domination in respective territories. Each site has utilised different methods for getting the latest news to readers, and we aim to bring together the best practice from each website to make both stronger."
The founder of the TetraMedia Marine Group, that operates Sail-World.com, Rob Kothe, will become 'Editor-at Large'.
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Hinckley Yachts indicated in a brief written statement that it has acquired Morris Yachts. Terms of the sale were not disclosed.
According to the statement, Hinckley acquired the assets of Morris Yachts on Friday, Jan. 1. Hinckley indicated it plans to continue using the Morris brand as it absorbs Morris' boat-building and service operations in eastern Maine.
"Both companies build fine quality yachts within a quarter mile of each other in Trenton, Maine," Hinckley wrote in the release. "With the new arrangement, about 380 craftsmen, engineers and technicians will provide a deep pool of talent for the building of world-class yachts. "
Hinckley Yachts, founded in Southwest Harbor in 1928, makes luxury sailing and power yachts. In the 88 years since then, the company has expanded to include facilities in Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey and Rhode Island. It has eight service yards along the East Coast and counts 1,500 Hinckley yacht owners and 5,000 service customers among its worldwide clientele.
In 1998, Hinckley opened a manufacturing facility off Route 3 in Trenton where it builds power picnic boats. Hinckley itself was acquired by Scout Partners LLC at the end of 2010.
Morris Yachts, a smaller company with about two dozen employees, was founded 40 years ago and has built more than 300 sailboats. Morris, which bills itself as "America's premier builder of sailing yachts from 29 to 80 feet," last year hired a new CEO in Pete Carroll and opened a new waterfront service yard in Falmouth.
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The USA's National Marine Manufacturers Association president Thom Dammrich and sailor, TV commentator and author Gary Jobson will address the industry during a breakfast on Jan. 16 at the Progressive Chicago Boat, RV and Strictly Sail Show.
The NMMA's second Chicago member-connect gathering will be held at 9 a.m. at McCormick Place.
Registration to the event is required.
The Chicago Boat, RV and Strictly Sail Show opens Jan. 14 and runs through Jan. 18.
It will feature a Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series Center to highlight the race's stop in fresh water in June for the first time in its 165-year history. Pre-sale tickets will be available, and there will be autograph sessions with Oracle Team USA member Matt Cassidy, viewing of the America's Cup Trophy, AC45 racing simulator experiences and virtual reality experiences.
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* From Jenny Howells, Technical Manager, RORC Rating Office
The RORC Rating Office is very sad to read of the death of Bob Oatley. We worked with Bob for many years issuing rating certificates to his various WILD OATS. His support for our sport was enormous; from his own boats through winning the Admiral's Cup and more recently Hamilton Island race Week. His enthusiasm and vision will be greatly missed.
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The Last Word
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