In This Issue
World records smashed in the Sevenstar Triple Crown series at Lendy Cowes Week | A new breed of carbon racer | GC32 Racing Tour at Copa del Rey MAPFRE | WMRT Match Cup Russia | Kialoa II's revival at 47th Rolex Fastnet Race | Momo's Winning Run Broken, Skorpios Maiden ClubSwan 50 Win | Letters to the Editor | Featured Brokerage
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 records smashed in the Sevenstar Triple Crown series at Lendy Cowes Week
Photo by Ingrid Abery, www.ingridabery.com. Click on image for photo gallery.
Two world speed sailing records fell today in the Sevenstar Triple Crown series at Lendy Cowes Week, subject to ratification by the World Speed Sailing Record Council.
The Spanish Volvo Ocean 65 Mapfre completed the 50 mile course around the Isle of Wight in 3 hours, 13 minutes and 11 seconds, setting a new outright Around Isle of Wight world record by a monohull yacht.
Her time was 6 minutes 58 seconds ahead of that set by Mike Slades' 100ft ICAP Leopard in 2013. Unlike the Volvo Ocean 65s, ICAP Leopard has powered winches. Mapfre therefore also beat the previous world record for a monohull without power assistance by an impressive margin of more than 36 minutes.
Propelled by winds gusting to 40 knots on the south side of the Isle of Wight, the next four boats in the race - Team Brunel, Team Akzonobel and Dongfeng Race Team - also beat the previous record times.
"We had a good start, were able to control the fleet a bit, and then we were always in the lead," said Mapfre skipper Xabi Fernandez. "It was a very close race with the other boats, there were some very fast moments, and it was great fun."
"We were delighted with this first opportunity for the fleet to compete together and show their speed at Lendy Cowes Week's Sevenstar Triple Crown." added VOR race director Phil Lawrence.
"It was fantastic to see such a long-standing record being broken," says Wouter Verbraak, head of Racing Yacht Logistics at Sevenstar Yacht Transport. "We're now looking forward to seeing other record breaking yachts and their crews raising the bar still further at the next Sevenstar Triple Crown."
Volvo Fleet results:
Race Results:
1. MAPFRE: 3 hours 13 minutes 11 seconds
2. Team Brunel: 3 hours 14 minutes 55 seconds
3. team AkzoNobel: 3 hours 15 minutes 16 seconds
4. Dongfeng Race Team: 3 hours 18 minutes 26 seconds
5. Turn the Tide on Plastic: 3 hours 24 minutes 16 seconds
6. Vestas 11th Hour Racing: 3 hours 25 minutes 10 seconds
7. Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag: 3 hours 29 minutes 53 seconds
* Gust of 35 knots and big seas challenged Ludde Ingvall and his CQS crew in their race around the Isle of Wight today, as the opportunity to break the record for the course seemed so achievable, but then slipped from their grasp.
Under a steel grey sky, CQS blasted off from the Royal Yacht Squadron starting line at 09:45 this morning on an anti-clockwise circumnavigation of the island, a 50 nautical mile dash.
Taking slightly less than an hour to reach the famous landmark of the Needles at the western end of the island, a record time look eminently possible, with calculations predicting a time of up to 15 minutes less than the existing record of 3 hours, 20 minutes and 9 seconds.
Once around this jagged corner of the island conditions worsened considerably, "there was a lot more breeze than we had expected," explained Ludde, "and we ended up in the Needles washing machine, where the tide meets big waves and it's shallow, and it got incredibly bumpy for us."
He believes that while in these tumultuous seas some damage occurred as soon after, one of their jibs started to unfurl, and flogged itself to shreds. The team then had to slow the boat while they retrieved the sail and the chances of a record blew away with the tattered sail.
They eventually finish the race 27 minutes outside the record, "but at least we got around, which is good, but the crew have a fair bit of work to fix things for the Rolex Fastnet race."
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GC32 Racing Tour at Copa del Rey MAPFRE
Highly variable, tricky conditions made for a tough day for race officials and crews alike as competition at the GC32 Racing Tour got underway at 36 Copa del Rey MAPFRE.
Proceedings on the Bay of Palma kicked off with two rounds of the ANONIMO Speed Challenge. As usual this involved the GC32s individually sending it towards the reaching mark before gybing and reaching back. In both rounds of the 0.72 mile course it was France's Erik Maris and his crew on Zoulou that put in the best performance, their 21.78 knot average in the second round proving the best of the day.
Thoughout the day conditions were highly variable, shifting around 180-240°, building to 12-14 knots only to drop down to 5-6 knots before building again. It was tough for the crews and race officials, who had to move the course on three occasions before racing could get underway.
Thanks to this, only two races were held before the wind disappeared for the afternoon. Racing continues tomorrow with a first start scheduled for 1300 CET.
Overall results after two races:
1. Realteam, SUI, Jerome Clerc, 5 points
2. Team ENGIE, FRA, Sebastien Rogues, 5
3. Mamma Aiuto!, JPN, Naofumi Kamei*, 5
4. .film Racing, AUS, Simon Delzoppo*, 10
5. Malizia - Yacht Club de Monaco, MON, Pierre Casiraghi*, 10
6. ARMIN STROM Sailing Team, SUI, Flavio Marazzi, 14
7. Zoulou, FRA, Erik Maris*, 14
8. Codigo Rojo Racing, ARG, Federico Ferioli*, 15
9. Team Argo, USA, Jason Carroll* 16
10. Movistar, 16
* = owner-driver
*|YOUTUBE:[$vid=1f_2hmq0wk4, $max_width=500, $title=N, $border=N, $trim_border=N, $ratings=N, $views=N]|*
WMRT Match Cup Russia
Pieter-Jan Postma, possibly the most laidback speed demon in the world, proved two things at the WMRT Match Cup Russia at St. Petersburg Yacht Club today; firstly, that even in his debut year on the World Match Racing Tour he is a greater force to be reckoned with each event, and secondly that Phil Robertson's conveyor belt of victories should not be taken for granted.
Robertson (CHINAone Ningbo), the current Match Racing World Champion, has been punching top spots like a machine and is this year's clear leader. He was ahead in Group 1 after the first qualifying session but found today's second session more complicated, as he finished third in the group.
Postma finished Group 1 level on points with Perth's Matt Jerwood (Redline Racing), but went top by virtue of count back winning the last race. Jerwood went into the last race leading the group after winning the second and third races, but could only finish fourth in the last. The strength of this group of death was underlined by the role that Russian Victor Serezhkin (Gazprom Team Russia) played on day two, picking up two second places, the second of which came crucially in the second race.
The Sail-Off tomorrow morning between the bottom teams from each of the three Qualifying groups will eliminate two teams and decide the final make up of the remaining 16. The first Sail-Off will be an all-Russian affair between Evgeny Elfimov (M1 Cloud) and Evgeny Neugodnikov (Team Tavatuy), the winner of that will face Polish skipper, Lukasz Wosinski (Delphia Sailing Team). The winner of the that will face Frenchman Guichard.
Qualifying Results
Group 1
1. Pieter-Jan Postma (NED), Sailing Team NL - 18 points
2. Matt Jerwood (AUS), Redline Racing - 18
3. Phil Robertson (NZL), CHINAone Ningbo - 19
4. Viktor Serezhkin (RUS), Gazprom Team Russia - 29
5. Nico Delle Karth (AUT), Chilli Racing - 38
6. Evgeny Elfimov (RUS), M1 Cloud - 46
Group 2
1. Ian Williams (GBR), GAC Pindar - 19
2. Nicklas Dackhammar (SWE), ESSIQ Racing Team - 22
3. Markus Edegran (USA), E11EVEN Racing - 26
4. Jonas Warrer (DEN), Aarhus Innovator - 27
5. Sally Barkow (USA), Magenta 32 - 30
6. Evgeny Neugodnikov (RUS), Team Tavatuy - 46
Group 3
1. Yann Guichard (FRA), Spindrift Racing - 13
2. Mans Holmberg (SWE), Gothenburg Racing - 21
3. Sam Gilmour (AUS), Neptune Racing - 23
4. Steve Thomas (AUS), RPM Racing - 26
5. Kim Kling (SWE), Caprice Match Racing Team - 41
6. Lukasz Wosinski (POL), Delphia Sailing Team - 44
Kialoa II's revival at 47th Rolex Fastnet Race
Click on image to enlarge.
It's been 46 years since the 73-footer Kialoa II took line honours in the 1971 Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and when the boat lines up for the Rolex Fastnet Race off Cowes in the UK this Sunday, its racing revival will be complete.
Brothers Patrick (AUS) and Keith Broughton (UK) purchased the aluminium warhorse, the second in Jim Kilroy's series of maxi racing yachts called Kialoa, in 2016 with the view to compete in the classic ocean races, as Kialoa II did under Kilroy.
They will mark the boat's racing comeback as one of a record 350 entries in the biennial Royal Ocean Racing Club's Rolex Fastnet Race starting Sunday August 6, 2017. The last time Kialoa II completed the Fastnet Race was in 1969 when she finished runner-up over the line.
A combined Australian and UK Kialoa II crew of 18, including key members of what was once Australia's most successful maxi yacht team on George Snow's Brindabella - names like Bob Fraser, Lindsay May and Tony Hearder among the stalwarts - are preparing for the start of the world's biggest offshore race in a few days' time.
Broughton said in the short time of their ownership Kialoa II has shown an amazing capacity to stir fond memories. "We have been approached by some of Mr Kilroy's crew with anecdotes and hints as to how they used to sail her. His daughter Trice has been helpful with information and contacts and former members of the US Coastguard have been in touch and provided help in a number of areas. 'I remember seeing her in 19xx' is a regular conversation starter."
First up the Rolex Fastnet Race then following a lengthy delivery sail the 45 tonne boat will arrive in Sydney in November to tackle another major bluewater event, the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race on December 26.
Unlike '71, when Kialoa II's waterline length and speed made the Sparkman & Stephens yawl the hot favourite and ultimate Sydney Hobart line honours victor, the boat will stand up on Boxing Day against a fleet of modern 100ft supermaxis and other carbon fibre lightweights plus boats of various vintages, like Matt Brook's 86 year-old S&S 52 Dorade, for the all-important handicap silverware.
Kialoa II's Rolex Fastnet Race crew list:
Paddy Broughton
Andrew (Cutts) Cutler
Jo Manser
Keith Broughton
Bob Fraser
Lindsay May
Dave Sawdon
Matt Reed
Grant (Grunter) Chessells
Matt (Souts) Souter
George Jackson
Rob Small
Ian Goldsworthy
Sam Shrives
Jamie Hastie
Tom Gresty
Jason Toyne
Tony (Steel) Hearder
Momo's Winning Run Broken, Skorpios Maiden ClubSwan 50 Win
A broken spinnaker halyard on the first run of the first race today may have cost Dieter Schön's Momo team their perfect scoreline, but as they then bounced back to win their fourth race from five starts, the German flagged team pass the midpoint of the 36 Copa del Rey MAPFRE today holding a lead of five points.
Behind Momo the battle for second place in the Maxi 72 fleet is very close. After five races there are just two points between second placed Cannonball, the Botin design of Italian owner-driver Dario Ferrari and fourth placed Bella Mente of Hap Fauth.
In the ClubSwan 50 Class there was a first win ever for Skorpios, all the more remarkable considering that the Russian helmswoman is still very much a newcomer to sailing who has done less than 40 hours of helming. Coached by tactician Ekaterina Skudina, three times Olympian and European champion in the Yngling, the team have two Swan 50s on the Greek island of Skorpios, the team have local Palma ace Nacho Postigo as navigator. They won the first race and finished sixth in the second race to lie just one point behind Leonardo Ferragamo's Cuordileone which is second. Hendrik Brandis' Earlybird leads by ten points, winning three races so far including the second contest today.
Christian Plump's Elena Nova leads the MRW Swan 45 class after a 1,2 today but they are just one point clear of a team from Ecuador who are racing their first ever Copa del Rey MAPFRE on the chartered Negra with Azzurra's Argentinian coach Guillermo Baquerizas.
In the Mallorca Sotheby's IRC class, Andy Soriano's crack team on Alegre are increasing the pressure on fleet leaders Team Vision Future. Soriano's crew went 1,3 today and are now only one point behind the French crew of Jean Jacques Chaubard which won the second race today but faltered with a seventh in the first race.
In the BMW ORC 1 class the Spanish Navy's Aifos still lead overall with the King Felipe VI skippering the Corel 45 to a fourth, leading the class by ten points. The King has yet to win the Copa del Rey MAPFRE which was won five times by his father Juan Carlos. The Rodman 42 Maverta won twice today and leads the BMW ORC 2 class, BMW ORC 3 did not get a race today and in Herbalife J80 class there is a tie at the top of the leaderboard now between Les Roches team and Bribon Movistar.
All of the class leaders were awarded the Enlace Red Eléctrica trophy for leading their fleet through the midpoint of the six day regatta. The fleets return to windward-leeward racing Thursday.
Full results: www.regatacopadelrey.com
Letters To The Editor - editor@scuttlebutteurope.com
Letters are limited to 350 words. No personal attacks are permitted. We do require your name but your email address will not be published without your permission.
* From David Evans:
It seems the Political "noise" everyone has been making on the Red Diesel issue is having a result! With the Belgian Minister of Finance confirming that they will suspend enforcement until the EU reaches a common position on this matter.
There is a EU meeting on 18 Sept and the EU is intending to have a uniform EU position/approach to the issue after that meeting.
From the position of an average UK yachtsman, I do not benefit from Red Diesel, as I pay full duty on it, the only beneficiaries are UK fishermen, so it would make sense for all Red Diesel pumps in all UK coastal marinas to be converted to White Diesel and for UK fisherman to reclaim the Duty from the UK Government. If the UK Government wished inland waterways could continue as at present.
See www.rya.org.uk
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