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
Leeuwin Record For Le Cleac'h
Armel Le Cleac'h smashed the race reference for the passage from Les Sables d'Olonne to Cape Leeuwin early this morning breaking the mark set by Francois Gabart in December 2012 by an incredible five days 14 hours and 26 minutes. Banque Populaire VIII skipper Le Cleach took just 28 days 20 hours and 12 minutes to reach the longitude of the SW corner of Australia.
Thomson has lost some miles to Le Cleac'h over the last 36 hours and is 110 miles behind on the 1400hrs Monday rankings.
Damage for Attanasio and Josse
Romain Attanasio (Famille Mary-Etamine du Lys), 39, who was lying in 18thplace has been forced to alter course towards Cape Town after suffering damage to both of his rudders. Racing his first Vendee Globe aboard the historic evergreen Lombard design which started out as Catherine Chabaud's Whirlpool and completed the last race as Initiatives Coeur in the hands of Tanguy de Lamotte, Attanasio has expressed his desire to carry out repairs in a sheltered area near Cape Town in accordance with the race's no assistance rules, and aims to continue the race.
Attanasio is reported to be in good health and when the incident happened was about 470 miles south of Cape Town where he is expected in around three to four days.
At 0930 UTC this morning (Monday), while he was sailing 600 miles west of the longitude of Cape Leeuwin, Sebastien Josse contacted his shore team to inform them that he had suffered major damage to the port foil on Edmond de Rothschild. Taking into account the weather conditions the skipper of Gitana Team has had over the past 24 hours and the worsening weather that is forecast in the area in the coming hours, the skipper in agreement with the team's owners, has temporarily put the race to one side and is currently studying the best possible options to allow the worst of the storm to go by.
In order to make safe the foil, which threatened to come out of its housing, which could have had serious consequences for the structural integrity of the hull in this part of the boat, Sebastien Josse gybed to change tack and continue on his starboard foil while trying to carry out temporary repairs. Gitana 16 was on a N-NE'ly heading towards Australia, but for safety reasons was unable to continue on this course for very long.
This is in fact the precise trajectory taken by the centre of the low pressure system that the sailor has been trying to avoid for the past 24 hours by making headway towards the east as quickly as possible along the Antarctic Exclusion Zone. According to the latest forecasts, the sailor was likely to be facing 50-knot winds and very heavy seas with 10 m high waves. Since 1300 UTC the 60-foot monohull Edmond de Rothschild has gone back to a SE'ly heading.
SYRF Publishes Results From Downwind Aero Project
Downwind Aero researcher JB Braun available for a conference call on Wednesday, Dec 7th, Phase 1 of new Pcubed study approved to evaluate panel vs. RANS codes, 14 Meter hull design made available for research, and performance tracking data projects described in presentation made at the Yacht Racing Forum
The second phase of the Downwind Aero Moments and Forces project has been completed, with the final report and results now published and available in the SYRF Library. This Fluid Structure Interaction (FSI) study was designed and carried out to improve the understanding of downwind aerodynamic performance. With Phase 1 (published in February 2016) providing the moments and forces for a range of downwind sails at Apparent Wind Angles (AWA) greater than 130°, Phase 2A was designed to expand the initial dataset to include tighter AWA data with simulated custom tight angle sails, compared to the Phase 1 sails which were based on produced sail designs. Phase 2B sought to quantify the effect of increasing and decreasing the girths of the mainsail and gennaker; using the sail designs from Phase 1 as a base, Phase 2B separately morphed the girth of the mainsail and gennaker, re-running the AWA and True Wind Speed sweep from Phase 1 to capture geometric effects of such changes.
Braun will be available this Wednesday, December 7th for a call-in conference where he explains the value of this study and is available to answer questions. Details for this special event are available as follows:
SYRF - Ask JB
Wed, Dec 7, 2016 10:00 AM - 10:45 AM EST
Join this meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone:
global.gotomeeting.com/join/900789453
You can also dial in using your phone:
United States +1 (872) 240-3412
Access Code: 900-789-453
Seahorse January 2017
What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine
World news
Vendee here Vendee there, but right now there is no bigger story in sailboat racing, not just the sailors and the race but the technical developments that promise - or threaten - to reshape offshore monohull racing. Plus 'almost' a TP52 and winning in Toulon. Ivor Wilkins, Blue Robinson, Patrice Carpentier, Dobbs Davis, Carlos Pich, Nathan Outteridge, Gavin Brady
Update
Different then and now... well, soon it could be, Vendee admirers, a (big) first for DSS and Ludde Ingvall's latest machine... brilliant or bonkers? Brett Bakewell-White, Jack Griffin, Frederic Augendre, Jon Roberson and Terry Hutchinson
Paul Cayard
Beware those laws of unintended consequences...
World Sailing
No quick fixes... Malcolm Page
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2017 America's Cup Tickets Go On Sale December 9th
Tickets for the 35th America's Cup, taking place in Bermuda from May 26th until June 27th 2017, will go on sale at www.americascup.com from Friday 9th December. A full range of tickets will be available with options to suit every need.
The full range of tickets available from Friday 9th December is listed below, and passes are available that give access to the America's Cup Village on every race day, every weekday, every weekend or just one weekend. If availability allows, upgrade tickets will be available through the ticketing office on site and family day tickets will also be available.
Spectator Experience Ticketing Options
- The America's Cup Village, the heart of all the action in 2017
- Grandstand seats, offering unrivalled views of the stadium-style action as it unfolds on Bermuda's Great Sound
- Official Spectator Boats, enabling America's Cup fans who want to be on the water to enjoy a front row position right on the edge of the racecourse
- Longtail Lounge hospitality, one of the best VIP experiences in Bermuda, providing relaxed views of the Great Sound in a perfect hospitality setting
- Goslings Dark 'n Stormy Island Bar, promising a lively atmosphere, delicious buffet lunches and fantastic views of the finish line
- Private Boat Registration, giving boat owners the chance to enjoy all the 35th America's Cup action from the comfort of their own vessels, right next to the racecourse itself
Ticket purchase limit: Tickets are limited to six tickets per day, per person but multiple days may be purchased
Terms & Conditions: The full list of Terms & Conditions will be published online when ticket sales go live via www.americascup.com
Tour De France A La Voile To Celebrate Its 40th Edition In 2017
When Bernard Decre created the Tour de France a la Voile in 1978, the fleet navigated along the Canal du Midi to join the Mediterranean. French sailing legends like Eric Tabarly, Michel Desjoyeaux, Jean-Pierre Dick, and more recently Franck Cammas, François Gabart, Armel Le Cleac'h and Loick Peyron have all played a role in the history of this race, that became one of the biggest summer sporting events.
Eight classes have served on the TFV since 1978, always based on the same principle: one-design. The Tour de France a la Voile is up to the sailors, not the boats.
This year again, Tour de France a la Voile will visit some of the most beautiful seashores. After 2016 and its Mediterranean oriented course, the event will spend more time on the North-West coastline and have two stops in Normandy: Fecamp, and Jullouville, that the TFV will visit for the very first time. With its new format and the Diam 24 trimarans, the event has now the possibility to set the Paddocks and the technical zone directly on the beach, as well as in ports. Note that the Act in Jullouville will climax with a unique Coastal Race in the Bay of Mont Saint Michel.
TFV will then stop in Brittany, in Arzon and Le Crousty, just outside of the Gulf of Morbihan, with a coastal race in the Bay of Quiberon, and a last Atlantic Act in Les Sables d'Olonne, before visiting the Mediterranean coastline, including a stop in Le Grau du Roi-Port Camargue which will welcome the event for the 12th time.
The other Acts of the 2017 course remain unchanged from last year : Dunkirk (Start of the event of the 31st time), Roses (Spain), Marseille, and Nice, where the Tour will finish for the 4th consecutive time.
Extreme Sailing Series Adopts The Flying Phantom Series
In 2017, the Extreme Sailing Series is set to become the place to fly as it boosts its foiling portfolio with the liveliest small catamaran out there, the Flying Phantom.
Adding the exciting Flying Phantom Series to the line-up at some of its global events will see another future-thinking development for the world's leading Stadium Racing series.
The partnership with Series organisers OC Sport, will see the Flying Phantoms take flight at a number of the European Extreme Sailing Series Acts, which will be staged on some of the most iconic patches of water in the world.
The Flying Phantom is like a scaled-down version of the GC32 catamaran raced by the world-class teams in the Extreme Sailing Series. It is sailed by a crew of just two and benefits from a similar hydro-foil set-up.
To get the most power from these pocket-rockets, the crew hang off the sides of the boat on a trapeze.
The season finale of the 2016 Extreme Sailing Series in Sydney is just around the corner and it's all to play for. From then, there isn't much of a let up as preparations are already underway for 2017. With two new venues in the USA and Mexico and the addition of the Flying Phantom series, the Series has the foundations laid for yet another phenomenal year of world-class sport.
Flying Phantom Series calendar:
La Baule, France 18-21 May (warm-up special event)
Madeira, Portugal 29 June-2 July
Europe 20-23 July
Hamburg, Germany 10-13 August
Cardiff, UK 25-28 August
RNZYS Performance Programme Ready To Challenge On Sydney Harbour
RNZYS Performance Programme, sponsored by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, has become the second of two wildcard teams to announce their challenge to the regular line-up at the final Act of the 2016 Extreme Sailing Series, from 8-11 December on Sydney Harbour.
Following the announcement of wildcard entry Team Australia last week, the addition of RNZYS Performance Programme brings the longstanding and fierce sporting rivalry between Australia and New Zealand to the Extreme Sailing Series stadium.
The team will be led by Kiwi Chris Steele, who brings experience as a two-time New Zealand Match Racing champion, as well as GC32 expertise.
The team will take their place on the start-line in just two days time as the grand finale of the 2016 season gets underway, with a mix of open water and Stadium Racing.
RNZYS Performance Programme (NZL)
Skipper/Helm: Chris Steele (NZL)
Mainsheet Trimmer/Tactician: Graeme Sutherland (NZL)
Trimmers: Logan Dunning Beck (NZL)/ Harry Hull (NZL)
Floaters: Tim Snedden (NZL)/Luca Hyatt Brown (NZL)
Bowman: Josh Salthouse (NZL)
Royal Southern Yacht Club To Host J/70 Class European Championships
The Royal Southern Yacht Club (RSrnYC) is proud to be hosting the 2017 J/70 Class European Championships from Saturday 3rd to Friday 9th June, in conjunction with the J/70 UK Class Association.
The Club completed the Prince Philip Yacht Haven, opened by our Patron, the Duke of Edinburgh, in 2015. This, and its associated waterside deck, has greatly enhanced our walk-ashore and entertaining facilities, ideal for this major Championship.
After two days of registration and measurement inspections racing commences on Monday 5th June, with an opportunity for competitors to sail a practice race, then the Championships run Tuesday 6th to Friday 9th June. The Championships provide a great opportunity for teams to prepare for the 2017 World Championships in Italy later in September. We expect a large entry list, with significant interest from Europeans and North America sailors. If required, the event will have a qualifying and final series, with the option for two race course areas.
Kiel To Host 2017 Para World Sailing Championships
Kiel, Germany has been selected by World Sailing to host the 2017 Para World Sailing Championships from 20-25 June during the world-renowned Kiel Week 2017.
Kiel's announcement as the host venue falls less than one month after World Sailing released the Para World Sailing Strategic Plan for 2017-2020. The Plan outlines four main priorities as well tactics to achieve the goals, ensuring World Sailing presents a strong bid to the International Paralympic Committee for re-introduction into the 2024 Paralympic Games and future editions.
Para World Sailing Strategic Plan.
The 2017 Para World Sailing Championships will be an integral part of World Sailing's continued efforts for reinstatement and the governing body has committed £90,000 to support sailor participation at the event. In addition, World Sailing's logistics and shipping partner, GAC Pindar, will support the transportation of Para World Sailing equipment to the 2017 Worlds and the 2017 Sailing World Cup Hyeres.
The disciplines proposed by the Para World Sailing Committee for inclusion in the 2017 Championships are:
- One Person Keelboat (Norlin 2.4 OD) - Open
- One Person Keelboat (Hansa 303) - Female
- One Person Keelboat (Hansa 303) - Male
- Two Person Multihull (Weta) - Mixed
- Two Person Keelboat (SKUD 18) - Open (International Championship)
- Three Person Keelboat (Sonar) - Open (International Championship)
- Other formats may also be tested in the Weta and Hansa 303.
For The Record
The WSSR Council announces the establishment of a new World Record:
Record: Cowes to Dinard. Outright Monohull and Singlehanded up to 60ft.
Yacht: "Imerys". 40ft Monohull
Name: Phil Sharp. GBR
Dates:.24th November 2016.
Start time: 06;38;27 UTC on 24/11/16
Finish time: 15;41;33 UTC on 24/11/16
Elapsed time: 9 hours 3 minutes and 6 seconds
Distance: 138 NM
Average speed: 15.25 kts
Comments: Previous record: "Adrien" J L Van Den Heede FRA. Nov 04. 12h 01m 31s
John Reed
Secretary to the WSSR Council
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