Sailing Networks News

NEXUS CRUNCHES THE NUMBERS AT PSP SBS

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:56:00 GMT

The Swedish-based experts in the design and manufacture of navigational instruments, Nexus Marine, are showcasing their state-of-the-art racing instrumentation system at this year’s PSP Southampton Boat Show (Ocean Hall/XM Yachting Stand: G99). The high performance and competitively priced NXR system is certain to stand out from the crowd having been selected by three of this year’s successful British Rolex Commodore’s Cup teams.

NXR FOR INTEGRATED FLEXIBLE NETWORKING
NXR provides the ultimate in integrated flexible networking for racing boats and it doesn’t compromise on the detail as it collects, analyses and displays a huge range of data. The PC interface allows the navigator to customise every aspect of the system’s operation and configure its displays at the touch of a button, as well as integrating the network with external packages such as tactical software and data inputs from non-navigational hardware including load cells on the rig, canting keels and engine sensors.

The multi-control instrument is the primary display in the NXR system, giving the user access to a comprehensive range of information, while the all-new XLR instrument is a rugged mast display featuring 2.5” digits proven to be the ideal size for large race yachts. The inverted LCD with high light output makes the display easy to read in the dark with no loss of night-vision.

NEW HPC COMPASS
Nexus is also introducing the HPC (Heel Pitch Compensated) Compass that uses precision engineering techniques to give the highest quality data readings, accurate to +/-1° up to a maximum heel angle of 60°. Fully compatible with the Nexus NX2 and NXR instrumentation systems, the HPC Compass features a 6-axis configuration that also incorporates heel and pitch, giving exceptional results for vital data such as true wind angle even when the boat is heeled right over. The transducer comes with a network bus and an NMEA 0183 output port, enabling it to be fully integrated with most modern instrumentation systems on the market; yet the entire instrument is only the size of a small mobile ’phone and weighs just 40 grams.

The NXR and HPC Compass are just two of Nexus’s high performance products, so come and do some number crunching on the XM Yachting Stand G99 in the Ocean Hall.

The Sail, Power & Watersports Show returns to Earls Court in November 2008

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:50:00 GMT

On Wednesday 26th November 2008, Earls Court is once again throwing open its doors to welcome thousands of watersports enthusiasts to five action-packed days of pre-Christmas fun in London at the new-look Sail, Power and Watersports Show. Back by popular demand but in a different guise, this show is returning to the iconic Earls Court venue to deliver even more entertainment, exciting new products, interaction, education and hospitality for the entire family.

James Brooke, Managing Director of the Sail, Power & Watersports Show, said: “We’re very excited about delivering a show that’s even better than last years. It will inspire a new generation of mariner – competitive and leisure – and attract families that may not have otherwise considered getting afloat. Earls Court is the perfect venue for a show providing unique features in a central London location.”

It’s much more than just a boat show!
Children under 16 get free admission

The show has been re-branded to reach a new audience of water-loving families and to attract the next generation into the wonderful world of watersports. Children under 16 will have free admission and there will be so much to see and do. Olympic heroes and heroines are attending and visitors can watch spectacular wakeboard stunts, enjoy the biggest powerboat display in London and thrill to the regular appearances from the Royal Marines Commando Display Team. The organisers won’t make rash promises, especially so near Christmas, but it is also rumoured that Father Christmas will be dropping in to hand out presents!

World’s biggest boat auction

New for this year is the biggest boat auction ever seen with Show partners Boatshed. It’s a live event that will be seen worldwide via the event’s new website, www.earlscourt2008.com &lthttp://www.earlscourt2008.com/>. There will be a ‘Top 100’ boats for sale, including dinghies, canoes, RIBs, sports boats, family cruisers, tenders, jet-skis, motor boats, classic yachts and powerboats. It’s an opportunity for Show visitors to buy every type of boat, from modern day cruisers to classic powerboats and historic racing yachts.

Hundreds of boats will be on display and this year the show has been designed to embrace the wider boating communities for a celebration all under one roof. Now in its second year, this show has proven popular with both visitors and exhibitors, providing a mix of family fun, boats to see, people to meet and things to do. Earls Court is a venue that several generations of boating enthusiasts hold close to their hearts with its central pool marina and balcony in Earls Court 1 and the surrounding bars, restaurants and shops that will be buzzing as London prepares for Christmas.

The Dinghy Sailing Magazine-supported Dinghy Zone will feature a display of racing dinghies including Championship and Olympic dinghies in addition to starter dinghies that are ideal for entry-level sailing. This zone will be opened by some of Great Britain’s 2008 Olympic heroes and heroines to help inspire and encourage a new generation to participate in our sport.

Visitors will also be impressed by a unique exhibition of marine art, a classic boat display, a marine electronics village, the RIB International RIB Zone, the Inland Waterways World, the Raymarine YJA Yachtsman of the Year Gallery, a Charter and Destinations Zone for holidays around the world, a Chandlery Village hosting the top names in marine fashion, and of course the famous GUINNESS Bar.

There’s something for everyone

If you want to get afloat for the first time there’ll be plenty of choice. Whether you’re looking to spend £100 or £1million on a new or used boat, you’ll find expert advice on training, insurance and finance. This show also provides a one-stop shop to get you afloat with support from marinas, chandlers and electronic navigation suppliers, as well as exhibiting a huge range of watersports accessories including kite-surfing kits, wetsuits, life jackets, sunglasses and clothing.

WHITE SPICE!

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:04:00 GMT

White Spice!

Hannah White announced as Skipper for all-girls Spice Race entry.

After months of crew trials and many applications, Hannah White has been chosen to skipper the Class 40 ‘Concise’ in the Spice Race; a brand new ocean race for 2008. Hannah, 25 from Lymington, and her selected girls team will race ‘Concise’ against other Class 40s and IRC yachts in the inaugural event which starts on the 15th November 2008 from the Royal Yacht Squadron Line in the Solent and covers a distance of 4321 nautical miles to Grenada. WI.

The man behind this new race, Tony Lawson, has a long connection with the West Indies and is a staunch supporter of the Class 40 organisation and its values. Lawson decided that his Class 40 ‘Concise’ would race with an all-female crew. Lawson is very keen to help young sailors gain experience, and break into the offshore circuit.

Lawson commented, ‘Modern offshore racing should not be bogged down with the old fashioned image of the blue blazer mentality. Hannah’s knowledge and relative experience offshore and in particularly in Open and Class 40’s make her an obvious choice to lead this exciting project and is an excellent opportunity to further her offshore racing career.’

As part of her role as skipper for the race, Hannah will be responsible for training the crew for the race both on and off the water. The various crew members will work on their areas of responsibility to get the boat and themselves in the best possible shape for the race.

Hannah added ‘This is an amazing opportunity for me. Taking part in this new exciting race, and being involved from start to finish on such a great boat is a dream come true. I can’t wait to confirm the crew and get cracking with the preparations. There is a lot to do, and we all have a lot to learn, and time isn’t much of a luxury. However I have every confidence that on 15th November I will have a boat that is totally prepared and a crew who will put their all into this race.’

Hannah’s long-term sponsors, Helly Hansen, will be fully supporting the girls for the race.

Team selections for the crew started in August and the final trials are taking place with a full announcement planned for the Southampton Boat Show. Hannah will select 4 others to sail the 4321nm to the Spice Island, Grenada.

As part of Hannah’s long-term commitment to delivering high-quality media to those around the country she will be keeping a blog, with video and photos on her website (www.hannah-white.com) as well as the Spice Race website throughout the preparations and duration of the race.

For more information on the race or to register your interest in competing, please contact the team:

mailto:info@spicerace.com or visithttp://www.spicerace.com

CHERBOURG RACE

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:22:00 GMT

Cherbourg Race

Friday 5th September

Organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club in association with the Yacht Club de Cherbourg and the Royal Yacht Squadron

START: Friday 5th September from the RYS Cowes, to the West. First warning Signal 1820

Sprint Finish

Race report by Louay Habib

The ever popular RORC Cherbourg race has close to sixty entries and the 75 mile sprint to Cherbourg is the last points scoring event for RORC Season’s Points Championship for 2008

The last race of the RORC Season’s Points Championship for 2008 looks set to be a real cracker with many Class winners undecided going into the last race. The ever popular RORC Cherbourg race has close to sixty entries and the 75 mile sprint to Cherbourg will decide who comes out on top after over four months of tough competition.

In IRC Super Zero there is a straight battle between Derek Saunder’s CM 60, Venemous and the pupils from the UK Sailing Academy with Seb Cassiba skippering Farr 52, Chernikeeff. IRC Zero features several Class 40 yachts and Royal Ocean Racing Club’s Commodore; David Aisher helming Yeoman XXXII, The Rogers 46 has just returned from the Baltic Sprint Cup.

IRC Class One is one of the largest classes racing and three yachts who have just raced over 3,000 RORC miles to Madeira and back are very much in form, vying for the overall IRC One title. Philippe Delaporte’s J/122, Pen Azen, currently leads the class but the Army Sailing Association’s A40, British Soldier and Sailing Logic’s Reflex 38. Puma Logic, are in contention for the class title.

IRC Class Two is no less competitive but Noel Racine’s JPK 9.60, Foggy Dew looks likely to retain the title won last year. Michael Boyd & Niall Dowling’s J/105, Slingshot, could catch them and celebrate a Class Two win; however they will be delighted with their performance this season which assures them of the Two-Handed Class prize with a race to spare.

IRC Class 3 has no less than fourteen yachts entered and will be extremely competitive, however currently leading the class for the season is Paul March’s S&S 11.2 metre, Clarionet with Russell Walker’s Baltic 37, Cosmic Dancer III in second place with a realistic chance of catching Clarionet for the class title.

Long range weather forecasts predict a low pressure system coming from the Atlantic moving into the Channel to coincide with the race start which could make for a bumpy ride to Cherbourg.

RORC Season’s Points Championship 2008

The Royal Ocean Racing Club’s Season’s Points Championship consists of a testing series of races which attracts an international and varied fleet. For the serious offshore sailor, trying to win the Season’s Points Championship is the real challenge. The Season’s Points Championship this year includes the tactically challenging BMW Round Ireland Race and a new addition to the RORC sailing programme, The Cowes Madeira Race which offers an exciting opportunity of a race to Madeira and back, some 1500 miles away in the Atlantic off the coast of Africa. For those with less time, the programme also includes a race to the charming port of La Rochelle. For the full RORC racing programme go to:http://www.rorc.org/

For more information, please contact: –

RORC:

Email: racingmanager@rorc.org.uk This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Tel. 020 7493 2248

Press:

Trish Jenkins – J2 Communications & Events

Email: trish@j2pr.co.ukThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

/

Race Reports:

Louay Habib

Email: louayhabib@gmail.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

07801800521

Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta 2009

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 12:03:00 GMT

Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta 2009 (9-12 July 2009) is Ireland’s biggest regatta and every two years attracts over 500 boats to the capital’s waters.

Although it is one of Ireland’s largest participant sporting events, with 3500 sailors involved, it continues to attract sailors from abroad because of its friendly welcome from all four of Dun Laoghaire’s yacht clubs and local towns people.

The proximity of a four star hotel and an 800 berth marina on site have quickly established the venue as a popular choice for visiting yachts, the UK especially.

Racing is arranged for 25 classes on nine courses and the fleet is expected to reach 600 boats for July 2009.

Seehttp://www.dlregatta.org for regular updates. Online entry available November 2008.

La Gomera here we come......

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 14:45:00 GMT

Stan starts in the Huelva to la Gomera race

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 13:00:00 GMT

Following the purchase of Stan back in March 2008, she has been fitted out to RYA standards before starting her journey down to the Canary Islands. She arrived in Huelva at the begining of August in plenty of time for the race to the Canary Islands. Crewed by three of the Club Sail Instructors, with our sailmaker, rigger and our foredeck man Tim on board, she is in a great position for her first race!

Olympic Sailing Heroes To Open PSP Southampton Boat Show

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:22:00 GMT

Britain’s sailing stars have returned from Qingdao with the best Olympic medal haul for over a century and National Boat Shows (NBS) is thrilled to announce that the PSP Southampton Boat Show, in association with ITV Meridian, will be opened on 12th September by these Olympic sailing heroes.

Gold medal winners Ben Ainslie, Paul Goodison, Iain Percy, Andrew Simpson, Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb and Pippa Wilson, who are part of Skandia Team GBR, will arrive, with their fellow Olympic team members, at the Show with Mike Golding on his yacht ECOVER 3 at 10am. They will then make their way to the Main Stage – powered by Fairline, at 11am to officially open the Show and begin the celebrations for this very special 40th year. Skandia Team GBR is the British Sailing Team in the Olympic and Paralympic classes and is managed by the RYA (Royal Yachting Association).

All 11 boats and 18 sailors who went to Qingdao qualified for their respective medal races and came home with a total medal count of four gold, one silver and one bronze. The silver medal was brought home by Nick Rogers and Joe Glanfield in the men’s 470 and the bronze went to Bryony Shaw for the women’s RS:X windsurfing.

Standing alongside the modern day Olympic heroes at the opening of the Show, will be boating legends and television personalities from the past 40 years. Representing the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and 00s, the stars will be celebrating the Show’s illustrious forty years history; since it was first started by Norman Kemish back in 1969.

The who’s who line up of past, present and modern day sailing will include Dame Ellen MacArthur – arguably one of the most well known sailors in the world – who will be flying the flag for boating in the 00s.

Stepping back a few years and representing the 90s will be legendary eight-time World Powerboat Champion Steve Curtis MBE. Steve’s illustrious career arguably spans a number of decades, but it was his 1998 win that saw him clinch his third title as throttleman on Spirit Of Norway, which proved to be a defining point in his powerboat career.

Fans of the popular 80s television series Howard’s Way, will delight in a personal appearance from stalwart character Kate O’Mara, who played Laura Wilde, and who added a touch of glamour as well as drama to boating.

In the 70s, the late Sir Peter Blake completed the prestigious Whitbread Round the World Race instantly making him a national hero in his native New Zealand. Lady Pippa Blake, his widow, will be attending the Show in his honour after Sir Peter’s tragic and untimely death in 2001.

There could be nobody more suitable than sailing legend Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, to represent the 60s – a decade that saw him undertake his first solo navigation of the world, which turned out to be the first of many epic adventures for Sir Robin!

As part of the opening celebrations The Main Stage – Powered by Fairline, will feature a retro-style fashion show with live music from 80s tribute group Infantasia.

Book your tickets

To book tickets for the opening of the Show and get your chance to see the gold medal winning sailors in the flesh, simply call the ticket hotline on 0844 209 0333 or book online at www.southamptonboatshow.com. Also visit the website for the latest updates on features and attractions and all the information you’ll need to plan your day.

The PSP Southampton Boat Show is your Show, come and make the most of it!

Canadian Optimist Nationals

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:37:00 GMT

The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club sent a team of 12 youth sailors to compete in the Canadian National Championships hosted by the Lunenburg Yacht Club in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia under the guidance of RBYC Racing Coach Paul
Doughty. Chase Cooper, Brandon Simmons, Caleb Simmons and Mikey Wollmann competed in Green Fleet (novice racers) in the protected waters off the LYC dock with 24 other sailors. Michael Barit, Mackenzie Cooper, Sam Stan,
Rahiem Steede, Dimitri Stevens, Ceci Wolmann, Ellie Wollmann, Terreko Wilson competed in the Championship fleet sailed on Mahone Bay off Herman’s Island which was 94 sailors strong. The Championship Fleet consisted of the top Canadian sailors and other world ranked ‘Opti’ veterans such as Malcolm Lamphere and Clay Danly from the USA, Juan Carlos “Juanky” Perdomo from Puerto Rico and Ian Barrows, current South American Champion from the US Virgin Islands.

The first 2 days of racing where sailed in “survival conditions” with 18 – 24 knots of breeze from the north west in cool but sunny temperatures. The beginning of day 2 saw Bermuda’s first casualty when Mackenzie Cooper suffered a chipped bone in his foot prior to launching and was out of the competition while sitting in 7th place
overall. The lighter sailors suffered in the breezy and cool conditions but were tougher than many of their Canadian counterparts. Dimitri Stevens was consistent throughout and was the top Bermudian each day regardless of the weather conditions. Day 3 and 4 brought moderate winds and warmer temperatures and the Bermudians made the most of it, finding the conditions similar to our own Great Sound. These familiar conditions saw all the Bermudians move up the leaderboard.

At the end of the regatta Dimitri Stevens was an impressive 2nd place overall behind the Champion “Juanky” Perdomo of Puerto Rico. Top Canadian was Julien Fougere from the Chester Yacht Club who finished in 4th place. Rahiem Steede climbed steadly throughout the regatta to12th place overall followed by Terreko Wilson in 15th. Next came Sam Stan in 23rd (4th in Blue fleet age group), Michael Barit 38th, Ellie Wollmann 52nd, and Ceci Wollmann 68th and (2nd in White fleet age group). In the 30 boat Green Fleet eight year old Mikey Wollmann placed 2nd, Brandon Simmons 6th, Caleb Simmons 18th and Chase Cooper 26th. Overall it was a fantastic showing by the whole team.

The surprise of the regatta occurred during the prize-giving when the entire team was presented with the annual Canadian Optimist Dinghy Association Sportsmanship Award, a large bronze sculpture normally presented to an individual meeting the criteria. The Bermudians impressed the organizers and their fellow sailors with their friendliness, manners, sailing ability, determination and overall great sportsmanship. By the end of the regatta everyone at the event had a “Feel the Love” rubber bracelet courtesy of the Bda Dept of Tourism. Our presence was known both on and off the water. The Lunenburg Yacht Club executed a flawless event assisted by dozens of volunteers who worked tirelessly to make sure nothing was left to chance (except the weather). They entertained the sailors and parents off the water with numerous activities and dinners including an evening at the Lunenburg Fisheries Museum and Aquarium.

The battle starts in the Trofeu Quebramar-Chrysler

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 08:27:00 GMT

Desafío clearly leads in opening day of Trofeu Quebramar-Chrsyler; AIRIS now tied second with Near Miss in Quebramar Cup

Cascais, 28 August 2008: Two bullets and a fourth place in three races were enough to put Desafío on top of the Trofeu Quebramar-Chrysler and increase its leadership in the overall Quebramar Cup standings. A bad day for Near Miss, 6th in the event, not only helped Desafío but also gave AIRIS to bridge the gap it had and lie now tied in second place

The opening race of the 8th Trofeu Quebramar-Chrysler got under way under lighter conditions but fortunately not as weak as initially forecast. The race committee was able to fire the starting gun right on time under a north western breeze of around 10-12 knots.

The start was very tight and the key to the race was to opt for the right side of the course and go as close to the coast as possible. This is exactly the plan Canarias Puerto Calero and Roma GP42.2 had and they stuck to it. The Italian boat, helmed by match race champion Paolo Cian, led the fleet from the start, closely followed by the Spanish, helmed by José Maria Ponce. The Italians rounded the top mark in first place but the Spaniards read the wind better in the first downwind leg and managed to get ahead.

Canarias Puerto Calero rounded the leeward gate in first place, followed by Roma GP42.2 and Near Miss. The rest of the race turned into a duel between Ponce and Ciàn but the young Spanish crew kept their leadership. Under a breeze that built up to 15 knots, they crossed the finish line half a minute ahead of Roma GP42.2. Airis, the second Italian team, had an excellent run and finished third, ahead of Desafío and Near Miss.

With the breeze over 15 knots, the race committee didn’t waste a moment before giving the start for the day’s second race. Once again the fleet got off with a very close and tight start, with MADRID and Near Miss holding a slight advantage. Desafío had a quite average start but was able to work its way up the fleet during the first beat and get positioned in second place.

MADRID rounded the top mark 3 boathlenghts ahead of Desafío, with Near Miss, Airis and Roma GP42.2 close behind them. It seems the local knowledge brought by the team’s Portuguese tactician, Gustavo Lima, bore its fruit. The race turned into a fierce battle between MADRID and Desafío but the team sponsored by the Spanish capital not only stayed on top of the situation but managed to build its advantage. At the same time Near Miss and AIRIS were also holding their duel for third place.

The breeze was picking up and reached 20 knots in the last run, turning the MADRID-Desafío gybing duels into a nail biting photo finish. Finally, Desafío prevailed in the last stretch of the race and with a final push they crossed the finish line a mere second ahead of MADRID. Near Miss was third, half a minute behind the two Spanish yachts.

The 10-degree right shift was evident late in the afternoon and the race committee acted accordingly. The start was extremely tight and the whole fleet was packed up at the committee boat end of the starting line. Desafío and Roma GP42.2 had a very good start and led the fleet in the first beat. On the other hand, things were not as rosy for Near Miss that was penalized in an incident with Caser-Quum at the start line and had to perform a 360-degree turn.

Desafío clearly led the race despite the constant pressure by Roma GP42.2 that was also feeling the heat from MADRID and Airis, alternating second and third place in every rounding. The race was judged in its second half when the two leaders, Desafío and Roma GP42.2, managed to escape from the rest of the fleet. Still, Paolo Cian was unable to reach Laureano Wizner whose boat crossed the finish line 23 seconds ahead.

Although the breeze was constant in pressure, a slight left shift in the final beat allowed the boats that saw it to pick up some places. Airis finished third and Madrid 4th. Caser-Quum was able to overtake Near Miss, sending the Swiss to 6th place.

Today’s quotes

Paolo Cian, helmsman on Roma GP42.2: I would say we had a good day. We sailed well, Alvaro Maurinho made good tactic calls but I probably made an error in the start of the second race, I got squeezed by Desafío and we reached the starting line late. Probably, without that error we could have done better in the second race as well. I think that we carried out our manoeuvres quite well and our boat speed is good.

Tactically, the right side pays off in Cascais, generally. Still, in the last leg we were able to recover a lot by going left. I have also noticed there is a lot of difference in wind pressure between the surface and the top of the mast. Wind is quite turbulent and this is not always obvious. We trust Alvaro and it appears it pays off.

Sandro Montefusco, helmsman on AIRIS: We didn’t have a great day today. It’s a pity that we started well in the first race but two boats squeezed in ahead of us because of the current. In the second race we started well but finished fourth. The last race turned bad, we made mistakes but finally managed to finish third. We paid the price of our errors and I hope we work better tomorrow.

In general lines, the right was the favoured side and as a result it wasn’t a difficult race. You had to calculate the correct layline because the current could take you higher. That was the biggest problem but again, both upwind and downwind, the right was the side to be

Santi López-Vázquez, tactician on Desafío: It’s been a good day for two reasons. Firstly, we won two races and that allowed us to grab leadership of the event. Even if it’s going to be difficult we obviously want to win this event. Second, Near Miss had a bad day and that increased our leadership in the overall Quebramar Cup standings. This makes our more confident in winning the championship for a second time, although it will be much more difficult.

The right side was clearly the favoured one and for that reason you had few tactical options to play. You had to go to the right but you also had to know when to tack because the current could make you go over the layline. Still, there was no doubt the right was clearly favoured, especially in the second and third race.

Provisional standings of the Quebramar GP42 Cup 2008

1. Desafío 90
2. Near Miss 105
3. AIRIS 105
4. Roma GP 42.2 126
5. Canarias Puerto Calero 147
6. MADRID 150
7. Caser-Quum 204
8. Seawonder 007 244
9. Roma GP 42.1 260
10. FERMAX 268
11. Bodegas Luis Alegre 275

Kiel gives iShares Cup a warm welcome for Round 4

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 08:15:00 GMT

In brief
. Kiel gives iShares Cup a warm welcome for the fourth event on the circuit: “This venue seems made for Extreme 40s”
. Tricky racecourse catches out series leaders in practice round with “snakes and ladders” place-changing
. Tommy Hilfiger rejoins the circuit and leads the first race home
. Extreme 40s live up to their name as iShares crew go ‘kitesurfing’ behind the catamaran

In detail
The fourth event of the iShares Cup kicks off tomorrow at Kiel Sailing City, northern Germany. The city gave the event a warm welcome for today’s practice racing, with the City Mayor Angelika Volquartz joining Oman Sail pre-racing, and a number of local celebrities jumping on board for the day.

The racing area on the Kieler Forde is just yards from the shoreline and only a few minutes from the city centre, so plenty of spectators gathered this morning to watch the fleet of 10 Extreme 40s as they made their final preparations before kick-off tomorrow. Before racing the iShares team put on a great show, with Gerhard van Geest “kiteboarding” behind the boat to get some great jumps in.

“Going upwind the hardest part was keeping the pressure on the line because the Extreme 40’s speed was so various, so it was hard on the arms! But once we were up to speed I could make jumps and it was good fun. Must’ve been my biggest kite I’ve ever flown!” enthused Gerhard afterwards.

On board Tommy Hilfiger at Round 4 of the iShares Cup at Kiel
© Tommy Hilfiger

The fleet then had two short practice races on a triangular course set across the busy Kiel canal, the high-performance Extreme 40s joining everything from children’s Optimists to massive ferries on the bustling waterway. Tommy Hilfiger rejoins the iShares Cup circuit at Kiel and had two celebrities – local actor and TV presenters Janine Reinhardt and Kostja Ullmann – on board for the practice day. The Tommy crew got off to a great start by leading the first race virtually all the way round. But many sailors think winning the practice race is bad luck for the rest of the regatta, so Tommy skipper Randy Smyth didn’t cross the finish line – leaving Oman Sail to take the first practice race win.

“I would’ve carried on but some of my guys have got a lot of superstition, I had Stan and Jonathon saying: “You can’t finish!” so we didn’t cross the line. And if they’re happy then I’m happy,” explained Randy. “This venue seems made for Extreme 40s, you’ve got spectators, it’s close in, you’ve got wind. But it was going good for us. The main thing really is that we’ve made a lot of improvements in our team work, marks and tacks and gybes, just basic stuff that we really were not all that good at back in Hyères. If you can get your mechanics down then you can race the boat.”

The first race was also unlucky for series leaders TEAMORIGIN, who tried to take a route close inshore and ran aground, damaging their centreboard. “Basically we were going upwind and there was a cardinal [navigation mark], and we chose to go inside it despite knowing what the cardinal says, thinking it was probably going to be okay. But we hit something steel in the water and that was it, and stopped dead, breaking the centreboard,” explained TEAMORIGIN tactician Pete Greenhalgh.

On board Alinghi for the practice race before Round 4 of the iShares Cup at Kiel, Germany
© Amory Ross

The British team currently have just a one point lead over America’s Cup defenders Alinghi, and will be hoping to extend that when racing begins for Round 4 of the iShares Cup tomorrow. “All we need do is just have a sensible day and come out on top at the end of the regatta. We just need to keep chipping away at it. We want to win the event, that’s the goal.”

Second-placed Alinghi were also caught out by the changeable winds on the Kiel racecourse in the second race, after leading for the first lap they gybed over to the middle of the course, and iShares came storming through to take the win.

“Today the wind was variable and shifty off the Kiel shoreline,” said Race Director Alan Hillman. “It was a bit snakes and ladders, all about where the gusts and shifts came through.”

Tomorrow racing for the iShares Cup gets underway with up to six races scheduled, starting at 14.30. “We’re going to have a good breeze of about 10 knots,” forecast Alan Hillman. “It’ll be great for the teams to have a good warm up and shake out the cobwebs, get into the swing of things before Saturday and Sunday when the sun will come out.”

Merger will harness the power of social networking

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 10:00:00 GMT

Sailingnetworks.com, the world’s leading social networking website for the boating community and marine industry, has just merged with Boat Register, the innovative boat registration and security company. The merger enhances Sailing Networks’ position as a major service provider in the recreational boating sector and marks an important stage in realising the commercial potential of the on-line social networking phenomenon.

“The early impact of free social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace and Bebo is now maturing in the form of commercial networking,” explains Ric Hawley, Chairman of Sailing Networks. “Essentially we have created a continually-growing online department store for like-minded people, a business model that can work in any niche market, bringing everything together into one easy-to-use platform.”

“With Sailingnetworks.com, boaters can find everything they need in one place: news of boating activities and events; local weather conditions and tides; marinas and chandlers; a place to buy or sell a boat; find a crew member of look for a boat that needs a crew; find a place to launch and a place to lunch; visitors to the site can now also register their boats for security, VAT and provenance checks. In the past all of these activities had to be individually researched. Now they are all in one place, making life much easier for boaters all over the world.”

The merger includes a three-year investment plan for the company which has £500,000 earmarked for business development over the next 12 months. This budget will be focused on two main areas; the expansion of Sailing Networks’ current features and the introduction of innovative new services.

Near the top of the list will be investment in broadening the appeal of the site across all types of boat user including power, inland and personal watercraft. Sailing Networks also plans multi-language versions of www.sailingnetworks.com. This will provide a truly global platform for boaters all over the world to connect with people who share the same interests.

The site will also be launching a mobile version of the most popular Sailing Networks features, so that you can leave the computer at home but still be able to communicate with your boating friends and exchange photos, videos and information from your mobile phone.

The provision of these ‘free but valuable’ services and information is the key to Sailing Networks’ commercial success. With over 4 million boaters in the UK alone the company mantra of ‘global reach with local focus’ is developing a massive network of people who all have shared interests and experiences, creating the basis of a very potent marketing environment.

“Marine businesses know what their customers want. So now, with the free networking tools that Sailing Networks offers, they can ensure that they are targeting the right people in the right places,” explains Hawley.

QUEBRAMAR GP42 Cup: Near Miss takes practice race in Cascais under excellent conditions

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 08:11:00 GMT

The start of the penultimate event of the Quebramar Cup took place under near-perfect conditions. The Swiss Near Miss won the practice race after a tough battle against Roma GP42.2 and Desafío.

Cascais, 27 August 2008: It seemed event organizers came to an agreement with the gods of wind in order to hold the opening practice race in near-perfect conditions. When the starting gun was fired at 3pm a constant western breeze of 15 to 20 knots was blowing over the Lisbon bay. The race committee was able to hold 2 starts and a complete race in a course that stretched from Cascais to the Tajo River.

Four of the 8 yachts of the GP42 fleet were on the starting line, Near Miss, Desafío, Roma GP42.2 and Canarias Puerto Calero, all of them with a guest from the media on board. New comers Bodegas Luis Alegre were making some last-minute changes, Madrid were waiting for a new boom to substitute the one they broke during the delivery, while Caser-Quum were also fine tuning their yacht.

All 3 starts were very close and the entire race proved to be a relentless fight between all 4 yachts. Roma GP42.2, helmed by Paolo Cian led from the start but Bertrand Pacé on Near Miss overtook at the second leg. Desafío, led by Laureano Wizner, could have come in front of the race but at the approach to the first top mark the Spanish were involved in a port-starboard incident with the young crew from Canarias Puerto Calero and were forced to take a penalty turn.
Despite this disadvantage, Desafío held on and fought till the end, especially after Roma GP42.2 abandoned the race after rounding the leeward gate. The last leg was a true match race between them and Near Miss but the Swiss successfully defended their leadership, crossing the finish line 9 seconds ahead of Desafío. Canarias Puerto Calero was third and the Italians Airis, a yacht designed by Umberto Felci for Roberto Monti and helmed by Sandro Montefusco, crossed the finish line in fourth position. Nevertheless, the result was insignificant as the yacht joined the race halfway through after a last-minute modification in their mast.
Competition at full earnest for the 8th edition of the Trofeu Quebramar-Chrysler will start tomorrow Thursday at 1pm local time. Three windward/leeward races are scheduled and the initial weather forecast seems to be quite favorable, albeit slightly lighter than today’s excellent conditions.

RORC COWES-DIEPPE RACE

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 06:52:00 GMT

Cowes – Dieppe Race
Saturday 23rd August Bank Holiday
Race report by Louay Habib

Organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club in association with the Cercle de la Voile de Dieppe and the Royal Yacht Squadron.

RYS Cowes, to the East First warning Signal 0820

COURSES: Trinity House/Cowes Mooring Buoy (S), Snowden (S), Horse Sand Fort (P), Bembridge Ledge (S), Roches d’Ailly North Cardinal Buoy (S) Dieppe. Approximately 100 miles.

Niklas Zennstrom’s turbo charged TP52, RAN, was the first yacht to finish the Cowes to Dieppe Race by a massive margin; it was nearly five hours before the second boat was home. RAN averaged over 10 knots in a rapid crossing of the English Channel. The margin of victory was aided by the tide turning unfavourably for the rest of the fleet and the breeze dying down after RAN had finished.

Second to cross the line was Michael Boyd & Niall Dowling’s J/105, Slingshot, to take the Two Handed class but Noel Racine’s JPK 9.6, Foggy Dew was only just behind, to beat Slingshot on corrected time for a Class Two win and second overall. Slingshot was third overall. Noel Racine and his crew on Foggy Dew are now 36.6 points ahead of Slingshot for the RORC Season’s Points for IRC 2 and are hot favourites for the Overall Class Two win.

“We had an excellent start for the Dieppe race.” Commented, Noel Racine. “We decided to head to the main land shore and found more wind, we were the second boat into the Channel behind RAN. After that we were able to make a course for Dieppe and there was little opportunity for the boats behind to do anything tactically to catch us. We did have one problem when we lost our spinnaker for several minutes; we got into the wind shadow of a fishing boat but apart from that everything was perfect.”

There was a distinctive Scottish flavour to two winners in the RORC Cowes to Dieppe race as Ian Laing’s Swan 53, Sassenach, was the victor in IRC Class Zero and Gordon Cossar’s Salona 45, Highland Daughter, coming out top in IRC Class One.

Patrick Besancon’s Aphrodite 101, Lais, had an excellent race, winning IRC Class Three and coming in 4th overall. The 10.1 metre boat was originally designed in 1976 for the Round Zeeland Race and the deck lay out was conceived by the legendary sailor, Paul Elvstrom.

With five of the RORC fleet currently racing from Madeira back to Cowes, the stage is set for the final race of the RORC Season; The Cherbourg Race on the 5th September.

RORC SEASON’S POINTS CHAMPIONSHIP 2008
The Royal Ocean Racing Club’s Season’s Points Championship consists of a testing series of races which attracts an international and varied fleet. For the serious offshore sailor, trying to win the Season’s Points Championship is the real challenge. The Season’s Points Championship this year includes the tactically challenging BMW Round Ireland Race and a new addition to the RORC sailing programme, The Cowes Madeira Race which offers an exciting opportunity of a race to Madeira and back, some 1500 miles away in the Atlantic off the coast of Africa. For those with less time, the programme also includes a race to the charming port of La Rochelle. For the full RORC racing programme go to:http://www.rorc.org
For more information, please contact: –
E-mail racingmanager@rorc.org.uk
Tel. 020 7493 2248
Press:
Trish Jenkins – J2 Communications & Events
Email: trish@j2pr.co.uk
07880 518689 / 01983 248070
Race Reports:
Louay Habib
Email: louayhabib@gmail.com
07801800521

Olympic Sailing Regatta Day 13: USA Wrapup

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 15:33:00 GMT

The 2008 Olympic Sailing Regatta concluded today with some strong performances from Team USA. Twenty-five-year-old Anna Tunnicliffe (Plantation, Fla.) led the team on the water with a gold medal in the Laser Radial class, the first gold medal for a U.S. female sailor in 20 years. Twenty-four-year-old Zach Railey (Clearwater, Fla.) produced a strong performance in the Finn Class. Railey sailed a solid regatta from beginning to end to bring home the silver medal. This is the USA’s first Finn medal since 1992. Olympic Sailing Committee Chairman and Team Leader Dean Brenner (Wallingford, Conn.) said, “We’re proud of this team. We came here with a young team of fourteen first-time Olympians. We are going home with a gold and a silver and a lot to build on for the future.”

Brenner also highlighted a need to look at the big picture. “We are in year four of a 20-year strategy. I’m proud of the results, but I’m not satisfied. We can do better, and once the dust settles on this event, we’ll get to work planning for 2012 and 2016.” He concluded, “I was happy when we were coming into these Games and I’m still happy.”

High Performance Director and Head Coach for the U.S. Olympic Sailing Program, Gary Bodie (Hampton, Va.) said, “I’m really excited for our program because we won two singlehanded medals. We struggled in singlehanded performance for a few quads, so it’s really rewarding to win some singlehanded medals this time.”

Star— Men’s Keelboat
In the Star class, John Dane III (Gulfport, Miss.) and Austin Sperry (Gulfport, Miss.) finished in 11th of 16 boats, but not without some impressive results. Sailing in a boat designed for light winds, Dane and Sperry were fast in the breezes under eight knots and able to bring in impressive finishes of 2, 4, 4. However, once the wind started to pick up on day three they were unable to keep up with the more versatile designs.

Team USA
The U.S. Olympic Sailing team is proud of the medals earned by Anna Tunnicliffe and Zach Railey. Brenner said, “We are proud of this team, both on and off the water. They were prepared, they sailed hard, and they represented the USA with class and grace.” The regatta was challenging and Bodie was impressed with the team’s ability to handle the conditions. He said, “This is a tough place to sail and it was a tough regatta. We had light wind, plenty of current and some ocean lump. It’s not an easy place to excel.”

Brenner offered his thoughts on the future of the Olympic Sailing Program. “The team’s gold and silver medals are promising steps in the right direction, but there is more work to be done to raise the competitive level of the team.” The team and its management are already working on the plan for a strong performance in 2012.

Paralympic Games September 6-17
The United States has qualified for all three Paralympic sailing events. For more details on the team and reports from the regatta, please visithttp://olympics.ussailing.org/Olympics.htm.

Final Results (for full results please visithttp://www.sailing.org/olympics/racing/olympicresults.php)

Star: 16 boats
1. Percy and Simpson (GBR), 7, (13), 3, 5, 8, 2, 1, 1, 2, 6, 10; 45
2. Scheidt and Prada (BRA), 10, (11), 6, 1, 9, 10, 2, 3, 3, 3, 6; 53
3. Loof and Ekstrom (SWE), 1, 4, (15), 3, 6, 1, 8, 2, 1, 7, 20; 53
11. John Dane (Gulfport, Miss.) and Austin Sperry (Gulfport, Miss.), 8, 2, 4, 12, 15, 15, (16), 16, 10, 4; 86

Derby Anderson