The SailingNews February 2007
February 28, 2007 US Women's Snipe Nationals held Saturday and Sunday, was hosted jointly by Coronado Yacht Club and San Diego Yacht
Club. Fifteen teams competed in the breezy but flat waters of south San
Diego Bay, with Samantha Treadwell (defending 2006 Women's Snipe Champion
crew) and crew Julie Mitchell winning the event. Just three points back was
the second place team of Aimee Graham/ Jerelyn Biehl, tied on points with
the third place Barb Tillson/ Michelle Fenell, but breaking the tie by
virtue of having more first place finishes.
Full results: http://www.sdyc.org/raceinfo/results07/womensSnipe_res.htm
Photo montage: http://www.sdsailing.com/Images/wsn/07/final/index.html
February 27, Cayard sees the World Sailing League as more similar to the popular NASCAR
series than elite Formula One auto racing.
"In both of these events, there are no limits to technological research and
no limits on spending. In that kind of competition, whether car or boat
racing, the teams with the larger budgets generally do the best. We want
the sailors to make the difference. At the same time we will make it more
exciting than the America's Cup as these boats will be doing three times
the speed."
"In a nutshell, Russell and I want to create an event for non-connoisseurs
of sailing that the general public can be excited about. We will race close
to shore in big impressive fast boats, in short races lasting 30 minutes.
We will create a level playing field in similar boats built at a reasonable
cost, with a national identity. That will make for an extremely competitive
event."
Cayard hopes that San Francisco will be one of the cities on the WSL
circuit.
"I really want (the Bay Area) to be (involved)," he said. "In order to be
selected, cities will have to provide some services and infrastructure.
Hopefully, San Francisco will see the value of being part of the global
sailing circuit.
"If the city has an interest it would be great if it came to us. We are
planning on presenting the project to the city. We won't do that next week,
but maybe later this year when we get all our marketing materials in
order."
The prototype catamaran, by French designers Mark van Peteghem and Vincent
Lauriot Pr}vost, will be launched later this year. The fleet will be built
in 2008 in time for the startup of WSL competition in 2009.
WSL won't be a career for the faint of heart.
"The boats will be sailing at 40 miles per hour, flying one of the hulls 20
feet up in the air," Cayard said.
"Potentially the boats could do a thing called a pitchpole. Going through
the leeward (downwind) mark, if the tip of the leeward hull digs into the
water, the boat can flip on itself. The crew up 20 feet above the water can
get catapulted through the air and can land 100 feet away from the boat.
You're sailing at a speed of 40 mph, but the action becomes more like 40
squared. We think that at this speed the sailors will have to wear body
armor similar to American football." -- Full article by Jan Pehrson at
http://www.marinij.com/fastsearchresults/ci_5275189
WSL site is at http://www.wsl2009.com
ISAF Grade 1 Laser Midwinters East,
Clearwater, FL., came down
to a final race shoot out in Florida as Anna Tunnicliffe (USA) got the
better of team mate and rival Paige Railey (USA) to take the Laser Radial
title on countback. In the Laser fleet, world #1 Paul Goodison (GBR)
secured a more comfortable victory with a double bullet finish.
Tunnicliffe and 2006 ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Railey had been a
class apart in their respective qualifying fleets, winning nine of the ten
races between them to both move into the gold fleet on a perfect four
points.
In the 88 strong Laser fleet, Brits Nick Thompson and Goodison led after
the qualifying series, and from there the world #1 took control. Goodison
took three bullets from the five gold fleet races to score victory by ten
points. Thompson was less consistent and slipped back to third place
overall, as Bernard Luttmer (CAN) moved up to take second.
Victory in the 19 strong Laser 4.7 fleet went to Cameron Hall (USA). David
Alfonso (PUR) was second, with Alex Anderson (IVB) third. -- ISAF,
http://sailing.org/default.asp?ID=j1lFnAuq8&format=popup
Top five Lasers:
1. Paul Goodison, GBR, 19 points
2. Bernard Luttmer, CAN, 29
3. Nick Thompson, GBR, 31
4. Andrew Campbell, USA, 31
5. Brad Funk, USA, 34
Top five Radial Class:
1. Anna Tunnicliffe, USA, 15
2. Paige Railey, USA, 15
3. Gintare Volungeviciute LTU, 19
4. Lisa Ross, CAN, 38
5. Keamia Rasa, CAN, 71
http://www.clwyc.org/LaserMidwintersEast07/
Changes to the 2006-2007 ISAF Special Regulations. US SAILING, national governing body of the sport, has announced two changes to the 2006-2007 ISAF Special Regulations Governing Offshore and Oceanic Equipment and Preparation, including US SAILING Prescriptions. The changes, which apply to races held in U.S. waters who invoke them, were approved by US SAILING's Board of Directors after careful review and study by the organization's Safety at Sea Committee. US SAILING will submit the changes to the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) for incorporation in the international regulations.
Change to regulation 3.08.2(a)
Regulation 3.08.2(a) previously required that all hatches be above water level when a boat is heeled 90-degrees. However, US SAILING has found that many boats in today's racing fleets may not meet this requirement and that inspectors and designers were not checking this due to uncertainties in test conditions. This regulation has now been waived and US SAILING's submission to ISAF will address hatch size, off-center hatch placement, vessel displacement, and trim when heeled.
Change to regulation 3.03.1(c)
Regulation 3.03.1(c) previously allowed race organizers to approve any entry of boats that did not have design, standards or construction certification. After learning of a boat that was not built to industry standards incurred internal damage in a race - while a race organizer had approved the boat to compete in that race - it was determined that this regulation had placed a legal burden on race organizers which was never intended. Typically, race organizers are not qualified to inspect construction and certify that a boat meets known industry standards. US SAILING's submission to ISAF will address alternate methods of compliance if certification to standards is not available, for example when a boat's designer has passed away or the builder has gone out of business.
US SAILING invites sailors' feedback on the changes via e-mail to Paul Miller, member of US SAILING's Safety at Sea Committee, at phmiller@usna.edu.
The announced changes are available on the US SAILING website at www.ussailing.org/safety/ISAF/0607SRchanges.pdf. The current edition of 2006-2007 ISAF Special Regulations Governing Offshore and Oceanic Equipment and Preparation, including US SAILING Prescriptions (excluding the latest changes) is available through US SAILING's online store at www.store.ussailing.org/store.asp
February 26, Laser Midwinters East. Hosted by the Clearwater YC, the Laser Midwinters East saw wind strength
gradually build during the four-day event. The 89-boat Laser fleet and the
98-boat Laser Radial fleet were divided into Gold and Silver fleets, with
the top ten from the Gold fleets listed below.
Laser - Gold Fleet
1. GBR Paul Goodison, 19
2. CAN Bernard Luttmer, 29
3. GBR Nick Thompson, 31
4. USA Andrew Campbell, 31
5. USA Brad Funk, 34
6. ESP Javier Hernandez Cebrian, 48
7. USA Clayton Johnson, 61
8. CAN David Wright, 62
9. CAN Michael Kalin, 63
10. USA Kurt Taulbee, 76
Laser Radial ®C Gold Fleet
1. USA Anna Tunnicliffe, 15
2. USA Paige Railey, 15
3. LTU Gintare Volungeviciute, 19
4. CAN Lisa Ross, 38
5. CAN Keamia Rasa, 71
6. USA Justin Doane, 74
7. USA Anne Haeger, 80
8. USA Philip Crain, 82
9. USA Colin Smith, 94
10. USA Philip Alley, 106
For complete results (including the 19-boat Laser 4.7 fleet) along with a
listing of all the on-the-water penalties: http://www.clwyc.org/LaserMidwintersEast07
The Julian Braithwaite 29er
February 24, Women's High Performance Dinghy Evaluation Event. In advance of the decision on the ten events for the 2012 Olympic Games,
which will be made at the 2007 ISAF Annual Conference this November, the
Evaluation Event will look at whether there are suitable boats for a High
Performance Dinghy event for a crew of two women.
Six boats will line up for the Women's High Performance Dinghy Evaluation
Event, which will be held in Hyeres, France from 16-19 April 2007. The 29er,
29erXX, RS800, Cherub Daemon, Carbonology GT60 and International 14 have
all submitted entries.
Click here for full details and photo's
America's Cup. Team NZ are currently the top-ranked challenger, holding a minuscule
two-point lead over Chris Dickson's American syndicate BMW Oracle Racing.
But the last month or so has seen some interesting comings and goings.
Defenders Alinghi, who have been based in Dubai, hired Peter Gilmour as a
coach, while the Spanish Challenge Desafio Espanol picked up well-regarded
American Paul Cayard.
Oracle launched their second boat, USA98, in Auckland amid rumours their
first boat, USA87, was going under the knife in Valencia. Although USA98
has some characteristics similar to Team NZ boats, Dalton said the more
they see of it, the more they think it actually resembles USA87.
"It does carry some of the features (of our boats), but they... have
developed out of their old boat."
Dalton said Alinghi have also come up with some clever ideas.
"They are trying to solve the wind triangle - or the shear in the wind
between the top of the mast and the bottom - quite cleverly, and that is
quite a big deal in Valencia."
Dalton said the black boats are going faster than they were last year.
"It doesn't always follow that when you get new boats that the steps
continue. We are pleased that we are still improving."
When asked if his team were ready for the gunfire, Dalton said they have
been careful not to give their rivals any ammunition: "1992 (where Team NZ
ended up a in messy spat over their bow sprit) proved we were a little
soft.
"We have guys like (team director and Queen's Counsel) Jim Farmer who are
pretty savvy, but from a design perspective we have tried not to put
ourselves in a position where someone can have a crack at us." - NZ Herald.
For full article: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=106&objectid=10424990
William Koch - he sailed in the team that won the America's Cup in 1992, is a seriously rich man throwing a reported $65 million into the effort. He owns works by Monet, Degas and
Dalí and in the cavernous cellar of his Florida estate reside some of the world's most expensive wines.
Among them are four hand-blown bottles of Bordeaux dating back to 1784 and
1787, bearing the etching "Th.J". They were owned by Thomas Jefferson, then
Ambassador to France and soon to become President of the United States of
America.
On the basis of this distinguished provenance, Koch forked out half a
million dollars for the four bottles. Now the billionaire energy tycoon has
turned to science to determine whether he has been duped.
As reported in this column a year ago Phillipe Hubert, from the University
of Bordeaux, has found that wines made after 1945 can be dated because they
retain traces of caesium-137, an artificial radioactive isotope produced by
nuclear testing.
Hubert tested Koch's 1787 Chateau Lafite at a high-security underground
laboratory on the French-Italian Alpine border (going deep underground
minimises the chances of naturally occurring gamma radiation skewing the
results) and concluded that the wine must have been made before 1945
because it lacked caesium-137.
Koch still wasn't convinced. The next step was to examine the engraved
initials; for this, the investigators bought similar bottles and tried to
recreate the etchings. Additionally, they sought the help of the Corning
Museum of Glass, in New York, and an FBI forensics expert. As the Wall
Street Journal reports, these tests have led Koch's team to believe that
the initials were etched with a high-speed diamond drill with a movable
head and they didn't exist in the 18th century.
This month Koch filed a lawsuit in New York against Hardy Rodenstock, the
wine dealer who sold him the bottles after reportedly tracking them down in
a bricked-up cellar in Paris in 1985. -- Anjana Ahuja in the London Times.
Full story at:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/anjana_ahuja/article1085351.ece
February 23, Laser Midwinters East. Racing got underway Thursday at the Laser Midwinters East hosted by the Clearwater YC.
The top finishers in the 89-boat Laser class on after two races on Day One were:
1. USA, Brad Funk, 4 pts
2. USA, Clayton Johnson, 4 pts
3. GBR, Paul Goodison, 5 pts
4. GBR, Nick Thompson, 5 pts
5. USA, Kyle Rogachenko, 7 pts
6. USA, Andrew Campbell, 8 pts
7. USA, John Pearce, 9 pts
8. ESP, Javier Hernandez, 9 pts
9. CAN, Bernard Luttmer, 11 pts
10. USA, Zeke Horowitz, 15 pts
After two races in the 98-boat Laser Radial fleet:
1. USA, Anna Tunnicliffe, 2 pts
2. CAN, Lisa Ross, 5 pts
3. LTU, Gintare Volungeviciute, 5 pts
4. USA, Sam Blouin, 6 pts
5. USA, Justin Doane, 8 pts
6. USA, Anne Haeger. 10 pts
7. USA, Genoa Griffith, 10 pts
8. USA, Emily Billing , 12 pts
9. USA, Katie Maxim, 12 pts
10. USA, Abby Featherstone, 17 pts
Full Results: http://www.laser.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=408&Itemid=60
February 22, Charlie Ogletree sweeps A-Cat World Qualification. Congratulations to Olympic Silver Medalist Charlie Ogletree (Kemah, TX.), who swept
the A Class Catamaran World qualifier event this past weekend at the
Lake Eustis Sailing Club, Florida. Using the latest Ullman Sails A-Cat
sail design, Charlie won all three races against 15 top competitors - visit http://www.ullmansails.com
America's Cup. After a preliminary fleet racing event in early April, the challengers'
Louis Vuitton Cup begins on April 16 and Team New Zealand will be among
the favorites. They are ranked No. 1 by a narrow margin, after sailing
NZL84 to the top of the points table in last year's series of lead-up
regattas. But (Syndicate boss Grant) Dalton wasn't prepared to rate his
team's chances, saying simply that "we've come a long way, and so we
should".
"What happened last year means nothing other than we didn't have to come
home and make any radical changes," he said. "We felt, rightly or
wrongly, that the path we were traveling was a good one. But in the end,
we are going to have to turn up on the day, every day."
Dalton said luck would play its part, but it was important to "live in
the now" and treat every contest out on the water as the same, no matter
who the opposition. "There are so many good teams now and the conditions
are such that you will lose races, but you have to be careful you don't
lose soft races," he said. "The best teams will be the ones that have a
bad day and come back strong again the next day."
NZL92 was launched last October and skipper Dean Barker and the sailing
crew have spent the summer testing it and NZL84 off Auckland. Dalton
said the two yachts, while built according to the same theme, were set
up differently. With the challengers' series running until mid-June, and
the conditions changing as spring became summer, it was possible that
both boats could be called into action.
"The boats are different, but they are the same - they are different in
that they situated at different parts of the wind range," he said. "One
boat will go better in a breeze, the other will go better in the light.
Which one is which, I'm not going to say, but you could conceivably see
us racing two boats." Dalton said the design team had walked the path
between being innovative and looking to avoid any potential messy spat
over measurement -- NZPA, full story: http://www.stuff.co.nz/3970821a1823.html
February 20, In the Wake of HMS Beagle. From the all-too-modest service career of HMS Beagle, it could never have
been divined that she was destined to become one of the most famous ships
ever to sail the seven seas. Commissioned in 1820 as a ten-gun brig - a
two-masted square-rigger, and one of the lowlier forms of naval life - she
never saw action, and spent most of her first few years in reserve, moored
and unmanned.
Casting around among colleagues for a "gentleman companion" whose
conversation might alleviate the solitary rig-ours of the voyage, accepted
the recommendation by a friend of one Charles Darwin, a young naturalist in
search of opportunities to widen his knowledge. Neither man could know that
this decision would have such momentous consequences on the voyage of the
Beagle, leading in 1859 to the publication of Darwin's On the Origin of
Species, a book whose enunciation of the theory of evolution rocked
religious beliefs to their foundations and shook the scientific thinking of
a century and beyond. In this process the reputation of Beagle's master
was, of course, totally eclipsed in history's pages by that of his
illustrious passenger.
It is to recall these events, and to inspire a rising generation of
scientists and young mariners, that the HMS Beagle Project Wales, a
nonprofit company, charitable status pending, has been founded by David
Lort-Phillips, a Pembrokeshire farmer and social entrepreneur, and Peter
McGrath, author and yachtmaster.
It aims to celebrate the bicentenary of Darwin's birth in 2009 by building
a full-scale replica of the Beagle at Milford Haven and sailing with a crew
of some 30 young scientists and mariners in the wake of Beagle's 1831-36
voyage. The project will be relying for the 3.3 million pound cost of the
replica on donations from corporate sponsors and individuals.
After a shakedown cruise in British waters, the replica will begin her
circumnavigation of the globe. Thereafter, she will take on a new lease of
life as a sailing classroom and laboratory.
Full article by Peter Davis in the London Times:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/court_and_social/article1403257.ece
Further details from http://www.thebeagleproject.com
February 19, America's Cup, the first America's Cup Class boat built in China, went
into the water (on Friday) for the very first time. Launching a new boat is a milestone
in any America's Cup campaign, but for a smaller squad like China Team, it
is a real achievement, as sailor Sebastian Destremeau explains.
"To start with it's the first time that a Chinese America's Cup boat has
touched the water. So it's a special moment, for the whole country and for
the team it's a massive relief for the building team who have been working
for six months flat out," Destremeau says. "For the designers, now is when
the stress starts as well because we have to do some structural testing and
they're going to be listening for cracks and stuff like that but obviously,
it's a very big moment for the whole team and as a sailor, we can't wait."
After the boat was lifted into the water by crane, the designers and
boat-builders crawled through the hatches to inspect inside...
"As we speak, we're just checking a few things inside... It's the first time
that the boat is loaded with the keel. Before, when you lift this boat, you
lift the keel and the hull follows. Now, we have the boat in the water and
there's 20 tonnes pulling there and the mast is pushing as well so there is
a lot of loading there," Destremeau says, explaining the activity in and
around the boat. "It's nothing to compare with what will happen out there,
but there are a few tests we do here, load the winches slowly, listen for
cracks and if all goes well this afternoon we might for a little spin!"
CHN 95 stands out among the new America's Cup boats for it's 'boxiness' The
boat is all straight lines and sharp corners...a design decision that
Destremeau says the team is hoping will give it an advantage.
"We're not going to beat the other guys by outsailing them. They've been
training much harder than us and they have much more experience than us on
this campaign. We're not going to outsail them, but we might be a little
bit faster and that's what we're trying to do with this boat. And that's
why we're a little bit extreme in the boxy thing...And we're very confident
that could give us an edge and obviously we need an edge to beat them."
For more go to: http://www.americascup.com
Photo: Stuart Streuli
February 18, Sperry Top-Sider NOOD Regatta, St. Petersburg, FL. Sunday racing cancelled due to gusting winds of 20 - 30 knots...
In the J/109 Class congratulations to the two boats from League City/Kemah, Houston, Texas - Jon Halbert [Vitesse] with Farley Fontenot [Tactician]: 2-1-1-5-3-2, 14 points, and Steve Rhyne & crew [Mojo]: 1-3-2-4-5-1, 16 points
Over 1,000 sailors from 31 U.S. states as well as Canada and the U.K. competed in the regatta, February 16-18. Awards were given to winners in 17 one-design classes and to the overall winner, John Pollard (Torquay, U.K.) and his crew on the Melges 24 Excellent. Pollard received a trip to Sunsail in the British Virgin Islands to compete against winner from each of the additional eight stops on the Sperry Top-Sider NOOD Regatta series.
Of the 195 teams competing, they contributed over $3000 to All Children's Hospital through the regatta's new partnership with Sailing for Miracles.
Full results, go to www.sailingworld.com
With Sunday Racing cancelled top places in each class remain as of Saturday:
Course A
Hobie 33 (6 boats)
1. Christian Schaumloffel, Virginia Beach, Va., Mirage, 1-2-2-1-4-1, 11 points
2. Steven Attard, Temperance, Mich., Viva Las Vegas, 2-1-1-4-2-4, 14
3. Scott Maust, Pigeon, Mich., Thunderbolt, 4-4-4-3-1-3, 19
4. Jim Blakewell Oklahoma City OK., Barbarella, 3-3-3-2-5-5 21
J/109 (7 boats)
1. Jon Halbert, League City, Texas, Vitesse, 2-1-1-5-3-2, 14 points
2. Steve Rhyne, Seabrook Texas, Mojo, 1-3-2-4-5-1, 16
3. Adrian Begley, N.J., Mad Dogs & Englishmen, 5-4-4-1-1-5, 20
Melges 32 (8 boats)
1. Carroll / Kullman, Tampa Fla., New Wave, 2-3-1-3-2-2, 13 points
2. Jeff Ecklund, Fort Lauderdale FL Star, 1-1-3-8-1-1, 15
3. Caleb Everett, San Francisco, Calif., Stewball, 8-2-2-2-5-4, 23
Olson 30 (5 boats)
1. Bob Bozeman St. Petersburg FL Twisted Fate, 4-1-4-1-2-3, 15 points
1. Chris Cyrul, Soddy Dai, Tenn., Opus Dei, 2-2-1-2-4-4, 15
2. Sandy Curtiss, Lake Bluff, Ill., Rocking Horse, 1-3-3-5-1-5, 18
S2 7.9 (8 boats)
1. Spike Boston, Point Edward ON CA Frequent Flyer, 1-1-1-1-1-1, 6 points
2. John Spierling, Shelby Twp, Mich., Rebel, 2-3-3-7-3-2, 20
3. Joe/Jeff Pawlowski, East Amherst, N.Y., Magic, 4-2-2-3-5-6, 22
Tartan 10 (5 boats)
1. Simon/ Buckles, Loraw, OH Liquor Box, 1-2-1-3-2-1, 10 points
2. Jeff Sampson/ Jim Ward, Ohio, Looking For LaFonda, 2-1-3-1-3-2, 12
3. Ken Schram, Mason, MI, Britsar, 3-3-2-2-1-3, 14
Wavelength 24 (12 boats)
1. Edwards/ Gates, Satellite Beach, Fla., Whatta Ride, 1-2-1-5-1-1, 11 points
2. Steven Choate, Robert LA., The Bear, 2-1-2-4-2-2, 13
3. Duane Chaloupka, Loveland, Colo., Whatta Schock, 5-6-5-1-5-7, 29
Course B
Melges 24 (41 boats)
1. John Pollard, Torquay, Devon, U.K., Excellent, 1-1-1-8-3-1, 15 points
2. H. Gregory, Marietta, Ga., Team Satisfaction, 8-4-5-4-1-7, 29
3. Othmar Mueller von Blumencron, Va., Ganne, 3-2-2-10-8-4, 29
J/24 (24 boats)
1. Daniel Borrer, St. Augustine Beach, FL Jesus Lizard, 1-7-1-4-4-1, 18 points
3. Robby Brown, St. Petersburg, Fla., PreperationJ 2-8-3-1-1-5, 20
2. Paul van Ravenswa, Annapolis, MD. Millennium Falcon, 3-3-4-12-9-6, 37
J/105 (18 boats)
1. Worth Harris, Raleigh, N.C., Rum at Six, 1-4-2-1-3-4, 15 points
2. Steve and Dee Olinger St Pet, FL. J'Makin' Waves, 7-3-1-4-4-1, 20
3. A. Jeffrey Marks, Dunedin, Fla., Wasabi, 8-6-12-3-1-2, 32
Course C
Corsair 28R (5 boats)
1. Cliff Farrah, Destin, Fla., Strategery, 3-1\RDG-1-4-3-1, 10
2. Kathryn Garlick, Terra Ceia, FL (no boat name), 1-4-2-1-2, 10
3. Valdek Kwasniewski, Venice, Fla., Hi Five, 2-3-1-2-4, 12
Corsair 24 (4 boats)
1. Bert Rice, Gulf Breeze, Fla., Mark Twain, 1-1-1-3-2, 8 points
2. Kurt Gregory, St. Petersburg, KeyWee, 2-8\DNC-3-4-4, 21
3. Edward Dixon, Marco Island, Fla., TriPower, 3- 8\DNC-8\DNF-2-3, 24
Ultimate 20 (13 boats)
1. Brad Boston, Point Edward, Ontario, CAN, Honour, 1-1-1-10-2, 15 points
2. Van Sheppard, Kanata, Ontario, CAN, Wizz, 3-2-7-4-3, 19
3. Don Corey, Cornelius, N.C., Antics, 6-4-9-2-1, 22
Viper 640 (6 boats, two races)
1. Justin Scott, Greenwich, Conn., Tusker, 1-1-1-1, 4
2. David Guerra, Cantonment, Fla., Water Moccasin, 2-6\DNC-3-3, 14
3. James Harrell, Atlanta, Ga., Scratch, 6\DNC 6\DNC-2-2 16
J/80 (9 boats)
1. John Storck Jr., Huntington, N.Y., Rumor, 6-1-1-5-1, 14 points
2. J World Racing TeamBlue AnnapolisMDEmotional Rescue, 1-6-4-1-3, 15
3. Brian Robinson, Annapolis, Md., Angry Chameleon, 4-2-7-2-4, 19
4. John DiMatteo Centerport, NY., Christe, 3-3-5-6-2 19
5. Mike McGagh Kemah, TX., Parsons Project, 5-4-2-3-5 19
6. Walter Caldwell Clear Lake Shores, TX., Le Cluster, 2-5-3-4-6 20
Tripp 26 (6 boats)
1. William J. Zehner Jr Panama City, Fla., TrippNautic, 1-1-2-4-3, 11 points
2. Tom Freeman, St. Thomas, Ontario, CAN, Slapshot, 2-2-3-5-1, 13
3. Dennis Hannick, King George, VA., Radio Flyer, 3-3-1-3-6, 16
Sonar
1. John Robertson Sunderland, Tyne&Wear, U.K., Chimera, 1-3-2-1-2, 18 points
2. Dan Parsons, Whitstable, Kent, GBR, Reposte, 5-2-8\DNF-2-1, 18
3. Ira Perry, Dartmouth, Mass., Voila, 2 -1-8\DNF-5-3, 19
J/109's at St Petersburg NOOD.
Photo: Stuart Streuli
(Saturday February 17,) - While warm sunshine was a welcome start for the eager competitors aboard 195 boats at the Sperry Top-Sider NOOD Regatta in St. Petersburg, Fla. this morning, the talk while leaving the dock was how the wind that wreaked havoc yesterday had managed to disappear completely. Principal Race Officer Peter "Luigi" Reggio, together with the St. Petersburg Yacht Club Race Committee, made the call to abandon racing and wait an hour for the light breeze to build into suitable racing conditions. Some of the 17 competing one-design classes saw new names on top of the results board, while other classes continue to be led by the same names.
In the J/109, there wasn't a change in the top two positions, but the third spot was taken by Adrian Begley (Atlantic Highlands, N.J.) with his Mad Dogs & Englishmen. Begley's team posted a 1-1-5 for 20 points overall, only four points from second placed Steve Rhyne (Seabrook Texas) on Mojo and six points away from first place Vitesse, owned by Jon Halbert (League City, Texas).
One team that continues to dominate is the Excellent crew. Tactician Rob Smith (Manchester, England) described how skipper John Pollard's (Torquay, England) Melges 24 has managed to lead the 44-boat class. "In today's second two races, the breeze came up a little," he said. "We tried to stay ahead of our closest rivals, Ganne, and doing that we were able to extend our lead. The weather today was totally different than yesterday. Today it was light and fluky. It's amazing that yesterday it was blowing 20 (knots) and today we had two hours without much wind."
Ganne is owned by Othmar Mueller von Blumencron (Great Falls, Va.) and it is currently in second place tied on points with Melges 24 class president Scott Gregory (Marietta, Ga.) and his team Satisfaction in third.
With Sunday's forecast of gusting wind of around 25 knots, the Excellent crew is looking forward to it. "Tomorrow, since there is no discard, we'd like to have two races. If it is blowing 25 knots tomorrow, about 90% of the fleet cannot handle it, so 8-25 knots would suit us fine," said Smith.
On Course B was the J/105 class where the top two positions remained the same ®C Worth Harris (Raleigh, N.C.) in first with 15 points and Steve and Dee Olinger (St Petersburg) in second. Jeffrey Marks (Dunedin, Fla.) and his Wasabi moved into third place by scoring a 3-1-2.
Over on Course A, where seven classes competed in three races, Jim Edwards (Satellite Beach, Calif.) and Chris Gates continued their winning ways in the 12-boat Wavelength 24 class, with a 5-1-1 to lead. "It's really tight between us and Bear," said Edwards of his closest competitor. "We have been battling for the past 10-12 years. The skipper is Karen Choate and she's very, very good." Although Edwards and Gates have been involved in the class for a while, they have had their boat Whatta Ride for two years. "It's still new to the crew," said Edwards. "We're still learning the boat. For example in the last race today, on the last upwind leg, we had a tacking duel with Bear where we did, maybe, 12 tacks."
The most significant lead on this course is in the S2 7.9 class where Spike Boston (Point Edward, Ontario, CAN) and his Frequent Flyer have won every race and stand 14 points ahead of second placed John Spierling (Shelby Township, Mich.) and his Rebel. In third place is Joe and Jeff Pawlowski (East Amherst, N.Y.) on Magic, with 22 points.
On Course C, two races were held for the seven classes competing. In the six boat Tripp 26 class, William Zehner (Panama City, Fla.) moved into first place overall with a 4-3 finish. "Sometimes when you're in front it puts a bullseye on you and the rest of the guys give you a hard time," said Zehner. "Actually it wasn't too bad. Slapshot was trying to make points back on us. Also, we usually sail with seven, but today we had six because our foredeck crew was sick with the flu and went home." Zehner claimed that any wind conditions were suitable to his TrippNautic, but he would prefer heavier air because, "It's our comfort zone. We°Øre comfortable with 18-20 knots." Tom Freeman (St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada) and his Slapshot are in second place with 13 points, while Dennis Hanncik (King George, Va.) is in third with 16 points.
Tomorrow's forecast is for a return to strong wind, in the 15-20 knot range. With that in mind, and a number of midwinter class championships on the line, it is a safe bet that every competitor will be looking forward to another day of racing.
Racing concludes tomorrow, Sunday, February 18. For more information including photos, full results and daily reports from Sailing World Senior Editor Stuart Streulli, go to www.sailingworld.com
Top 3 places in each class:
Course A
Hobie 33 (6 boats)
1. Christian Schaumloffel, Virginia Beach, Va., Mirage, 1-2-2-1-4-1, 11
2. Steven Attard, Temperance, Mich., Viva Las Vegas, 2-1-1-4-2-4, 14
3. Scott Maust, Pigeon, Mich., Thunderbolt, 4-4-4-3-1-3, 19
J/109 (7 boats)
1. Jon Halbert, League City, Texas, Vitesse, 2-1-1-5-3-2, 14 points
2. Steve Rhyne, Seabrook Texas, Mojo, 1-3-2-4-5-1, 16
3. Adrian Begley, N.J., Mad Dogs & Englishmen, 5-4-4-1-1-5, 20
Melges 32 (8 boats)
1. Carroll / Kullman, Tampa Fla., New Wave, 2-3-1-3-2-2, 13
2. Jeff Ecklund, Fort Lauderdale FL Star, 1-1-3-8-1-1, 15
3. Caleb Everett, San Francisco, Calif., Stewball, 8-2-2-2-5-4, 23
Olson 30 (5 boats)
1. Bob Bozeman St. Petersburg FL Twisted Fate, 4-1-4-1-2-3, 15 points
1. Chris Cyrul, Soddy Dai, Tenn., Opus Dei, 2-2-1-2-4-4, 15
2. Sandy Curtiss, Lake Bluff, Ill., Rocking Horse, 1-3-3-5-1-5, 18
S2 7.9 (8 boats)
1. Spike Boston, Point Edward ON CA Frequent Flyer, 1-1-1-1-1-1, 6 points
2. John Spierling, Shelby Twp, Mich., Rebel, 2-3-3-7-3-2, 20
3. Joe/Jeff Pawlowski, East Amherst, N.Y., Magic, 4-2-2-3-5-6, 22
Tartan 10 (5 boats)
1. Simon/ Buckles, Loraw, OH Liquor Box, 1-2-1-3-2-1, 10 points
2. Jeff Sampson/ Jim Ward, Ohio, Looking For LaFonda, 2-1-3-1-3-2, 12
3. Ken Schram, Mason, MI, Britsar, 3-3-2-2-1-3, 14
Wavelength 24 (12 boats)
1. Edwards/ Gates, Satellite Beach, Fla., Whatta Ride, 1-2-1-5-1-1, 11 points
2. Steven Choate, Robert La., The Bear, 2-1-2-4-2-2, 13
3. Duane Chaloupka, Loveland, Colo., Whatta Schock, 5-6-5-1-5-7, 29
Course B
Melges 24 (41 boats)
1. John Pollard, Torquay, Devon, U.K., Excellent, 1-1-1-8-3-1, 15 points
2. H. Gregory, Marietta, Ga., Team Satisfaction, 8-4-5-4-1-7, 29
3. Othmar Mueller von Blumencron, Va., Ganne, 3-2-2-10-8-4, 29
J/24 (24 boats)
1. Daniel Borrer, St. Augustine Beach, FL Jesus Lizard, 1-7-1-4-4-1, 18 points
3. Robby Brown, St. Petersburg, Fla., PreperationJ 2-8-3-1-1-5, 20
2. Paul van Ravenswa, Annapolis, MD. Millennium Falcon, 3-3-4-12-9-6, 37
J/105 (18 boats)
1. Worth Harris, Raleigh, N.C., Rum at Six, 1-4-2-1-3-4, 15 points
2. Steve and Dee Olinger St Pet, FL. J'Makin' Waves, 7-3-1-4-4-1, 20
3. A. Jeffrey Marks, Dunedin, Fla., Wasabi, 8-6-12-3-1-2, 32
Course C
Corsair 28R (5 boats)
1. Cliff Farrah, Destin, Fla., Strategery, 3-1\RDG-1-4-3-1, 10
2. Kathryn Garlick, Terra Ceia, FL (no boat name), 1-4-2-1-2, 10
3. Valdek Kwasniewski, Venice, Fla., Hi Five, 2-3-1-2-4, 12
Corsair 24 (4 boats)
1. Bert Rice, Gulf Breeze, Fla., Mark Twain, 1-1-1-3-2, 8 points
2. Kurt Gregory, St. Petersburg, KeyWee, 2-8\DNC-3-4-4, 21
3. Edward Dixon, Marco Island, Fla., TriPower, 3- 8\DNC-8\DNF-2-3, 24
Ultimate 20 (13 boats)
1. Brad Boston, Point Edward, Ontario, CAN, Honour, 1-1-1-10-2, 15 points
2. Van Sheppard, Kanata, Ontario, CAN, Wizz, 3-2-7-4-3, 19
3. Don Corey, Cornelius, N.C., Antics, 6-4-9-2-1, 22
Viper 640 (6 boats, two races)
1. Justin Scott, Greenwich, Conn., Tusker, 1-1-1-1, 4
2. David Guerra, Cantonment, Fla., Water Moccasin, 2-6\DNC-3-3, 14
3. James Harrell, Atlanta, Ga., Scratch, 6\DNC 6\DNC-2-2 16
J/80 (9 boats)
1. John Storck Jr., Huntington, N.Y., Rumor, 6-1-1-5-1, 14 points
2. J World Racing TeamBlue AnnapolisMDEmotional Rescue, 1-6-4-1-3, 15
3. Brian Robinson, Annapolis, Md., Angry Chameleon, 4-2-7-2-4, 19
Tripp 26 (6 boats)
1. William J. Zehner Jr Panama City, Fla., TrippNautic, 1-1-2-4-3, 11 points
2. Tom Freeman, St. Thomas, Ontario, CAN, Slapshot, 2-2-3-5-1, 13
3. Dennis Hannick, King George, VA., Radio Flyer, 3-3-1-3-6, 16
Sonar
1. John Robertson Sunderland, Tyne&Wear, U.K., Chimera, 1-3-2-1-2, 18 points
2. Dan Parsons, Whitstable, Kent, GBR, Reposte, 5-2-8\DNF-2-1, 18
3. Ira Perry, Dartmouth, Mass., Voila, 2 -1-8\DNF-5-3, 19
February 17, Sperry Top-Sider NOOD Regatta,
St. Petersburg, Fla. (February 16, 2007) ®C On the opening day of the Sperry Top-Sider NOOD Regatta in St. Petersburg, Fla., wild weather conditions proved a challenge for the record 195 boats competing. Gusting 15-17 knot northerly wind combined with a sharp dip in temperature - where the high temp registered a mere 40 degrees - and created an unusual test for competitors who traveled to the west coast of Florida despite the snow storms that crippled the nation°Øs travelers earlier this week.
in the J/109 Class, Jon Halbert, Vitesse, from League City, Texas, leads with 4 points, with Steve Rhyne, Mojo, from Seabrook Texas, second with 6 points.
The 2006 overall NOOD Regatta champion, John Storck (Huntington, N.Y.) and his J/80 Rumor lead their 9-boat class. Son Erik, a senior who sails at Dartmouth College, drives the boat while the elder Storck trims the jib. Along with Dave Waldo and Stanford University Sailing Team coach Jay Kehoe onboard, Rumor posted a 6-1-1 to lead. "In the first race we were trying to get everything set because we didn't practice as much as we wanted to," said Erik Storck.
Walter Caldwell (Clear Lake Shores, Texas) and his Le Cluster is in second place with 10 points, while Emotional Rescue, one of three J World Annapolis racing teams here this week, is in third with 11 points..
In addition to the J/80 class, on Course C the Corsair 28R and Corsair 24 classes competed. Bert Rice (Gulf Breeze, Fla.) swept all three races, finishing the day aboard his Mark Twain with three points. The rest of the class had trouble keeping their boasts in control and many did not compete in the second and third races. Overall, Kurt Gregory (St. Petersburg) is in second place with 13 points, while Patrick Nugent (Palm Harbor, Fla.) is in third with 18 points..
The Ultimate 20 class is led by Brad Boston (Point Edward, Ontario, CAN), who also swept all three races. Boston and his team on Honour have a significant 9-point lead on their closest competition, Van Sheppard (Kanata, Ontario, CAN) on Wizz, with 12 points, and Mark Dobie (Hayward, Wis.) with 13, in third place..
Although it might seem that the larger the number of boats competing the harder it is to win a race, let alone win all three races. That theory was crushed today by Great Britain's John Pollard, who leads the 44-boat class with three wins and a total score of three points. The closest competition seemed to be in the top eight boats, but local sailor Doug Fisher (Sarasota) counted a 6th and 9th separated by an unfortunate OCS (on course side or over the starting line early) to stand in 21st place..
Two other classes competed with the Melges 24 class on Course B: the J/105 and J/24 classes. Worth Harris (Raleigh, N.C.) leads the J/105s with seven points, while Daniel Borrer (St. Augustine Beach, Fla.) leads the 24-boat J/24 class with nine points..
Racing continues tomorrow, February 17 and concludes on Sunday, the 18th. For more information including photos, full results and daily reports from Sailing World Senior Editor Stuart Streulli, go to www.sailingworld.com
Top 3 places in each class:
Course A
Hobie 33 (6 boats)
1. Steven Attard, Temperance, Mich., Viva Las Vegas, (2)*-1-1, 2 points
2. Christian Schaumloffel, Virginia Beach, Va., Mirage, 1-(2)-2, 3
3. Jim Blakewell, Oklahoma City, Okla., Barbarella, (3)-3-3, 6
*denotes discard race
J/109 (7 boats)
1. Jon Halbert, Vitesse, League City, Texas, 2-1-1, 4 points
2. Steve Rhyne, Mojo, Seabrook Texas, 1-3-2, 6
3. Brian & Stephen Tedeschi, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., 3-2-3, 8
Melges 32 (8 boats)
1. Jeff Ecklund, Fort Lauderdale FL, 1-1-3, 5 points
2. Carroll / Kullman, Tampa Fla., 2-3-1, 6
3. Caleb Everett, San Francisco, Calif., 8-2-2, 12
Olson 30 (5 boats)
1. Chris Cyrul, Soddy Dai, Tenn., 2-2-1, 5 points
2. Sandy Curtiss, Lake Bluff, Ill., 1-3-3, 7
3. Bob Bozeman St. Petersburg FL. 4-1-4, 9
S2 7.9 (8 boats)
1. Spike Boston, Point Edward ON CA. 1-1-1, 3 points
2. Joe/Jeff Pawlowski, East Amherst, N.Y. 4-2-2, 8
3. John Spierling, Shelby Twp, Mich. 2-3-3, 8
Tartan 10 (5 boats)
1. Simon/ Buckles, Loraw, OH. 1-2-1, 4 points
2. Jeff Sampson/ Jim Ward, Lakewood, Ohio. 2-1-3, 6
3. Ken Schram, Mason, MI. 3-3-2, 8
Wavelength 24 (12 boats)
1. Edwards/ Gates, Satellite Beach, Fla., 1-2-1, 4 points
2. Steven Choate, Robert La., 2-1-2, 5
3. Kevin Lemonds, London, Ohio, 3-3-3, 9
Course B
Melges 24 (41 boats)
1. John Pollard, Torquay, Devon, U.K. 1-1-1, 3 points
2. Othmar Mueller von Blu, Great Falls, Va. 3-2-2, 7
3. Bob Dockery, Longboat Key, Fla. 4-6-3, 13
J/24 (24 boats)
1. Daniel Borrer, St. Augustine Beach, Fla., 1-7-1, 9 points
2. Paul van Ravenswa, Annapolis, Md., 3-3-4, 10
3. Robby Brown, St. Petersburg, Fla., 2-8-3, 13
J/105 (18 boats)
1. Worth Harris, Raleigh, N.C., 1-4-2, 7 points
2. Steve and Dee Olinger, St Petersburg, Fla., 7-3-1, 11
3. Ed Chappell, Lexington, Ky., 2-5-4, 11
Course C
Corsair 28R (5 boats)
1. Valdek Kwasniewski, Venice, Fla., 2-3-1, 6 points
2. Kathryn Garlick, Terra Ceia, FL., 1-4-2, 7
3. Tom Reese, Niagara Falls, N.Y., 3-2-3, 8
Corsair 24 (4 boats)
1. Bert Rice, Gulf Breeze, Fla., 1-1-1, 3 points
2. Kurt Gregory, St. Petersburg, FLA., 2-8\DNC-3, 13
3. Patrick Nugent, Palm Harbor, Fla., 8\DNC-8\DNC-2, 18
Ultimate 20 (13 boats)
1. Brad Boston, Point Edward, Ontario, CAN, 1-1-1, 3 points
2. Van Sheppard, Kanata, Ontario, CAN, 3-2-7, 12
3. Mark Dobie, Hayward, Wis., 4-6-3, 13
Viper 640 (6 boats, two races)
1. Justin Scott, Greenwich, Conn., 1-1, 2 points
2. David Guerra, Cantonment, Fla., 2-6/DNF, 8
3. Kay VanValkenvur, Lynn, Mass., 6/DNF-6/DNF, 12
J/80 (9 boats)
1. John Storck Jr., Huntington, N.Y., 6-1-1, 8 points
2. Walter Caldwell, Le Cluster, Clear Lake Shores, Texas, 2-5-3, 10
3. JWorldRacing, TeamBlue, Annapolis, Md., 1-6-4, 11
Tripp 26 (6 boats)
1. Tom Freeman, St. Thomas, Ontario, CAN, 2-2-2, 6 points
2. Dennis Hannick, King George, Va., 3-3-1, 7
3. William J. Zehner Jr., Panama City, Fla., 1-1-7\DNC, 9
Sonar
1. John Robertson, Sunderland, Tyne&Wear, U.K., 1-3-2, 6 points
2. Rick Doerr, Clifton, N.J., 4-5-1, 10
3. Ira Perry, Dartmouth, Mass., 2-1-8\DNF, 11
February 12, Sailing stars push boat out in F1 style -
Russell Coutts and Paul Cayard are putting their reputations on the line with ambitious and costly plans to launch a catamaran grand prix series with internationally renowned Portuguese sports promoter, Joao Lagos, to
create a new annual global sports series. The World Sailing League (WSL)
will be held at premier sailing locations around the world with the series
winner receiving a cheque for $2 million.
Twelve teams, representing nations, will compete in identical,
state-of-the-art 70 foot catamarans. It is anticipated that there will be
venues in the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, North
America and South America.
The World Sailing League will use a fleet racing format although a number
of other innovative concepts such as time trials and slalom racing will be
tested using the prototype yacht. It will also have a customised support
ship to transport the boats and equipment to each venue. The ship will be
akin to a transportable pit lane, with all the technology required to
maintain the 70 foot catamarans.
The design of the boats will be finalized by early summer of this year with
the first prototype being launched in the latter half of 2007 to allow
sufficient testing and refinement. The 14 one-design yachts will start
being built in 2008, ready for the launch of the series during 2009.
The new boats have been designed by a team including leading ORMA 60 naval
architects, Marc Van Peteghem and Vincent Lauriot Prevost. -- Andrew Longmore
Full article by Andrew Longmore in the Times:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/sailing/article1364817.ece
January 9, Finn Midwinters. World Champion and world #1 Jonas Hoegh-Christensen (DEN) finished a clear
winner of the ISAF Grade 1 Finn Midwinters, with an opening trio of bullets
leading him to victory with a rare to spare in Fort Lauderdale, USA.
After losing out to Per Moberg (NOR) in the Medal Race of the ISAF Grade 1
Rolex Miami OCR, Hoegh-Christensen immediately stamped his authority on the
Midwinters with scores of 1,1,1,3,1 in the opening five races. From there
on in the Danish World Champion never looked like losing control of the 26
strong Finn fleet and ended up a comfortable winner.
Pieter-Jan Postma (NED) finished strongly to come in second overall, whilst
Zach Railey (USA) repeat his 2006 result by finishing third, just ahead of
Dan Slater (NZL).
Brendan Casey (AUS) again demonstrated the rapid improvement he has made
since switching from the Laser to the Finn last year, coming in fifth
overall.
The Finn Midwinters are taking place as part of the Winter Circuit
surrounding the ISAF Grade 1 Rolex Miami OCR.
Top Ten Results:
1. Jonas Hoegh-Christensen, DEN, 1-1-1-3-1-3-4-2-(dnc) 16
2. Pieter-Jan Postma, NED, 4-2-6-1-2-2-6-1-(8) 24
3. Zach Railey, USA, 3-3-2-6-3-5-2-3-(11 27
4. Dan Slater, NZL, (7)-6-5-4-4-4-1-4-4 32
5. Brendan Casey, AUS, 2-4-4-7-(29)-1-8-7-2 35
6. Ed Greig, GBR, 11-5-3-(18)-6-10-3-5-12 55
7. Timothy Goodbody, IRL, 6-7-(17)-2-9-12-11-10-1 58
8. Aaron O'grady, IRL, 5-12-7-8-7-7-5-(17)-9 60
9. Geoffrey Ewenson, USA, 10-8-11-10-8-8(12)-6-5 66
10. Wietze Zetzema, NED, 9-10-8-5-12-(13)-9-12-3 68
For all results go to: http://www.lyc.org/files/Finn2007.html
Japanese Whaling Fleet Forced to Run, aboard the Farley Mowat 0630 Hours, [11:30 a.m., February 8th, CST], The Sea Shepherd ship Robert Hunter has closed in on the Japanese whaling fleet. The Sea Shepherd helicopter Kookaburra has flown over the Japanese whaling ship the Nisshin Maru and the three harpoon vessels accompanying it. The identification of the Japanese fleet is 100% positive. The Sea Shepherd ships have covered thousands of square miles and have been searching for the whaling fleet for over 6 weeks.
The Nisshin Maru is the factory ship of the fleet. The kill ships bring the dead whales back to this factory vessel and transfer them to the 130m long processing ship where the whales are butchered and stored. The Japanese whaling fleet plans to illegally slaughter over 900 whales in the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary this year - including 935 piked (Minke) whales and 10 fin whales.
This Japanese whaling operation is in violation of many international laws and regulations:
They are violating the Southern Ocean Sanctuary
They are violating the International Whaling Commission (IWC) moratorium on commercial whaling.
They are targeting endangered fin and humpback whales that are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. (CITES).
The Farley Mowat is also closing in on the fleet and moving towards their position. The Robert Hunter can easily outrun the Nisshin Maru. The Nisshin Maru was forced to stop its whaling activity and is attempting to flee the area. Both Sea Shepherd ships are now in full pursuit and closing in on the illegal whaling vessels of the Japanese whale killing fleet. Photos are now available.
The Japanese whaling fleet position is 66 Degrees 46 Minutes South and 169 Degrees 52 Minutes East. 122 East northeast of Sturge Island.
The objectives of the Sea Shepherd vessels are to enforce international conservation law against illegal Japanese whaling operations in accordance with the principles established by the United Nations World Charter for Nature.
The Farley Mowat has a crew of 20 under the command of Captain Paul Watson. The Robert Hunter has a crew of 37 under the command of Captain Alex Cornelissen of the Netherlands.
About Sea Shepherd Conservation Society:
Established in 1977, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) is an International non-profit conservation organization whose mission is to end the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the world°Øs oceans in order to conserve and protects ecosystems and species. Sea Shepherd uses innovative direct-action tactics to investigate, document, and take action when necessary to expose and confront illegal activities on the high seas. By safeguarding the biodiversity of our delicately-balanced ocean ecosystems, Sea Shepherd works to ensure their survival for future generations. Founder and President Captain Paul Watson, is a renowned, respected leader in environmental issues.
Visit www.seashepherd.org for more information.
February 7, Hollywood Sailmaker in Galveston to Overhaul Elissa's Sails.
Fresh from his responsibilities as sailmaker for "Master and Commander" and "Pirates of the Caribbean" which feature Hollywood's most famous sailing vessels in recent years, Jim Brink returns to Galveston this month to make repairs to the sails of Galveston Historical Foundation's restored square rigger Elissa, The Official Tall Ship of Texas. One of the few craftspeople qualified to undertake this traditional work, Brink, 52, is especially suited to the job, as he has had a hand in or been in charge of the building of all the 41 sails Elissa has used in the 25 active years since her restoration in Galveston.
Elissa was built in Scotland in 1877 as a sailing cargo vessel, and called at Galveston twice in the 1880s, leaving with cargoes of Texas cotton for British mills. She had a long career at sea, gradually losing her sailing rig with the installation of engines. Her life was coming to an end when GHF rescued her from a Greek scrapyard in 1975, determined to restore her as a tangible and authentic reminder of Galveston's and Texas' maritime heritage.
Elissa's restoration, completed here in 1982, was premised on the idea that if she was to be truly authentic, she must be ready to sail. Since 1982, therefore, she has sailed the Gulf each year in at least one series of day sails, or "Sea Trials," and voyaged offshore to ports as far away as New York and Connecticut, training generations of volunteers in the ways of a sailing ship. It is essential to her mission, then, that her sails be in good repair. Most of the original sails used in the vessel's first daysails are still in storage as back-up, and the newer suit, now itself more than 15 years old, will be in top working order after Jim Brink's three-week visit.
Brink is staying aboard Elissa, in the Second Mate's cabin, and doing the work on the spacious floor of Texas Seaport Museum's auditorium just across the wharf from the ship's berth at Pier 22. His efforts are assisted by Elissa volunteers who take down the sails from the rig that need work and "bend them back on" when repairs are complete. The process will insure that all the sails in Elissa's collection, in use and in storage, will be in good condition by the time of the vessel's spring Sea Trial series, March 19 through 28 this year.
USA89 far left and USA87 on arrival at N.Z., training Camp January 15.
Photo: Ivor Wilkins
February 5, America's Cup - Question and Answer with Ian Burns, Oracle Designer.
When USA87 was launched last March, BMW Oracle Racing skipper Chris Dickson described it as the most innovative America's Cup class yacht ever built. Since then the syndicate's second boat, USA98, has been launched.
It is similar to Team New Zealand's yachts and there have been rumours of a chainsaw massacre in Valencia on USA87. The American syndicate has always said its strategy was to design two different boats. But was USA87 a botch-up or a testing platform? Julie Ash asked design co-ordinator Ian Burns about his team's greater plan.
Why did you decide to design two different yachts?
"The last cup and the pre-regattas posed some interesting design challenges. It's always been interesting for the design team to explore manoeuvrability and balance and USA87 explored a lot of these areas. It has always been our plan to encapsulate the lessons from our first boat into our second boat and make sure that all we have learned in 2006 is represented in both boats."
Have many syndicates used the strategy in the past?
"America Cubed 1992, Dennis Conner 1987, Team NZ in 1995, Alinghi in 2003. It's been a common strategy for winning the America's Cup in the past."
Did you design one boat and then the second, or did you let your two notable designers Bruce Farr and Juan Kouyoumdjian have a crack at a yacht each?
"They worked closely together on both boats. The first boat was a chance to answer a lot of questions that can't be answered in experiments, only full size - manoeuvrability, acceleration, and so on. Our second boat includes the good aspects of 87 plus additional research of numerous tank tests and computer simulations."
Is it easy to continue developing two very different yachts?
"Yes, it's the best way to try things and move on. Practising with two different boats is like the real racing - we can try advantages and disadvantages in all areas with our boats and get the crew's heads around how we counteract or leverage any situation. Each yacht appreciates different things - masts, sail shapes, appendages. It does take a deep team that can put two boats on the water simultaneously and come back with different but correct conclusions. This is the challenge."
What was the design concept for USA87?
"USA87 explored a lot of areas, not so much in wind speed, but in handling and match racing. USA98 combines this with the straight-line speed that was more the focus now we know the venue, wind speed and sea state."
Did USA87 live up to your expectations?
"Innovation only comes when you try all the possible alternatives and you are prepared to take some risks. In some areas, 87 exceeded expectations. In other areas, it took a long time to get her to maximum performance. We learned a lot from the boat - but it took longer than we had hoped."
It has been suggested that you have done extensive modifications to USA87, moving it into the same design corner as USA98?
"The ongoing refinement of 87 has always been a major part of our plan to ensure that the 2007 version of 87 is as fast or faster than our opposition."
If the extensive modifications are true, it implies you weren't happy with 87 - or you figured out 98 is fast and you had to modify 87 to keep up?
"87 did a lot of winning in 2006, including Act 10. It's unlikely that, unchanged, she would still be good enough to win this year. USA87's design was locked in by July 2005. We've come a long way since then. It's crazy to think your design from 2005 would be fast enough to win against designs from the end of 2006."
With little separating the top boats last year, weren't you tempted to develop 87?
"One of the great things we have seen this time is the advent of computational tools that can predict the performance of boats with a high level of accuracy and confidence. We looked at our opposition and the strengths of 87 and made sure we had combined what we needed to get through the challenger series and be capable of winning the cup.
"With race modelling, we can run thousands of simulations of different breezes and opponents to figure out exactly what characteristics you need to beat a team. We had to make some educated guesses on what our opposition would turn up with... but we haven't seen any surprises yet."
USA98 is similar to the Team NZ boats - are you worried that you are behind them now?
"Team NZ was the top boat last year but not by much. We are pretty happy with where we are and where they have stayed. They set a pretty high level last year and we hope to reach it and pass it."
It has been suggested that 98 was constructed differently from 87. A construction technique, created by Paul Bieker, that has never been tried before in a boat this large. Is this true and can you elaborate?
"I have never seen anything quite like the building process that was used on 98. It led to big gains in strength, stiffness and weight. I can't elaborate on the actual process, but when you put designer Paul Bieker together with builders Mark Turner, Tim Smyth and Mark Somerville and give them access to the aerospace resources in Seattle, you can count on reaching a new level." - Julie Ash NZ Herald. Full article: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/4/story.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10422206
February 2, Tornado North American Championship, Key Biscayne, Florida, USA: Thursday,
Day 4 of the 2007 North American Championship started early; the first warning signal was made at 1000 hours. Three perfectly set and run races followed and the dramatic conclusion to the championship was realized.
Darren Bundock and Glen Ashby started the day with a grant of redress for races 3,4,&5 (and a replacement port hull). But the average points would not be calculated until all races had been completed... so would their average points be low enough to win the Championship?
Fernando Echavarri and Anton Paz are sailing in top form, and if they could discard a 9th after the first race today they would take the lead.
Roman Hagara and Hans Peter Steinacher looked to be in a distant 5th place, but after the first race of the day they were poised to discard a 25th place... so were they in 5th place... or 2nd?
The young German brothers Tino and Niko Mittlemeier could also discard a high score, a 17th. So they too were poised to be in the hunt. Over the past year, this team has repeatedly shown that they are emerging as new stars in the highest performance and most technical of all of the Olympic classes.
RACE 6
12-14 knots from the Southeast; a clean start for the entire fleet; and the left side of the course held as the favored side throughout the race. Bundock/Ashby and Echavarri/Paz jumped to the front of the fleet. And the Australians put on a show, breaking away and ewxtending their lead on every leg. At the finish they were first and the Spanish were second. Advantage to Fernando and Anton, they discarded the 9th and had a cumulative score of only 10 points.
Johannes Polgar and Florian Spatzeholz (GER) took 3rd; and Roman and Hans Peter took fourth - discarding the damaging 25th place they got in Race 2.
RACE 7
Disaster strikes Fernando and Anton! Their jib traveller track ripped out of its carbon backing armature. They take a DNF in Race 7.
A stroke of brilliance hits Tino and Niko (GER)! They win Race 7 in moderating conditions. This is their second win of the Championship. Ultimately they will have 5 races where they finish in the top 5.
Roman and Hans Peter start to close in on the Championship, with a 2nd in this race.
Jojo and Florian keep the pressure on with another 3rd.
Darren and Glen start to lose their hopes of winning as they finish 7th; good but their average points might not be low enough.
RACE 8 - It all came down to the last race.
The 2-Time Gold Medalists Roman Hagara and Hans Peter Steinacher close out the Championship with a 1st place in Race 8. This seals the overall win for the great Austrian crew.
2006 World Champions and 2007 Rolex Miami OCR Champions Darren Bundock and Glen Ashby (AUS) take 2nd in Race 8. Their average points calculate out to 4.8 points; and they take 2nd overall, just 4.4 points behind the winners.
2005 World Champions and 2005 Rolex Sailors of the Year Fernando Echavarri and Anton Paz sail the final race with their broken jib traveller; they are able to finish, but only in mid-fleet. A tough finish for Fernando and Anton, but they take 3rd overall.
The drama between the two German crews comes down to the finish line. Tino and Niko Mittlemeier finish 5th in Race 8, while Jojo Polgar and Florian Spatzeholz finish 6th. They tie on points, but Tino and Niko win the tiebreaker and 4th place overall. Tino and Niko's performance under pressure at this Championship clearly establishes them as new rising stars in the Tornado class. - By mpg.
Here are the final TOP 10 Standings:
1. AUT 3 Hagara, Roman 3 (25) 2 1 8 4 2 1 21.00
2. AUS 8 Bundock, Darren 1 (13) 4.8* 4.8* 4.8* 1 7 2 25.40
3. ESP 1 Echavarri, Fernando 9 1 4 2 1 2 (DNF) 17 36.00
4. GER 1096 Mittelmeier, Tino 11 4 1 3 (17) 16 1 5 41.00
5. GER 7 Polgar, Johannes 12 3 9 5 (16) 3 3 6 41.00
6. GBR 436 McMillan, Leigh 5 11 3 (21) 4 7 8 10 48.00
7. FRA 7 Guichard, Yann 6 5 (DNF) 10 6 13 4 13 57.00
8. Can 7 Johansson, Oskar 4 6 7 12 2 (DNF) 14 15 60.00
9. FRA 302 Backes, Olivier (17) 9 6 7 12 10 9 7 60.00
10. USA 808 Lovell, John 7 2 10 15 15 6 (16) 9 64.009
*RDG
http://www.tornado.org
Photo: Greg Pratt
505 Worlds, Brighton and Seacliff Yacht Club, Adelaide, Australia -- The Super
Danes, Jan Saugmann and Morten Ramsbaek, have won the SAP 505 Worlds
with a race to spare. These guys have just not made a mistake this
regatta. They have been sailing together for a while and have done 10 of
the last 12 Worlds, nearly always in the top 10, but have never even won
a Worlds heat before. A jinx they have well and truly broken now, at
what many are saying has been the toughest, (to win) 505 Worlds in a
while.
Thursday performance means that the Super Danes cannot be beaten and
they don't have to sail the last race, but also, there is a ding dong
battle for second, with two point separating three boats. Mike Martin
and Jeff Nelson of the US are second, Howie Hamlin and Fritz Lanzinger
of the US are third and local boat Sandy Higgins and Paul Marsh are
fourth. One race remains. The forecast is the same as today, so it seems
likely we will have another light sea breeze. Standings after eight
races with one discard (92 boats):
1. Jan Saugmann/ Morten Ramsbaek, DEN, 1-5-1-3-1-(7)-6-(20) 17pts
2. Mike Martin/Jeff Nelson, USA, (25)-1-11-9-2-6-1-(14) 30pts
3. Howie Hamlin/Fritz Lanzinger, USA, 3-7-2-(14)-3-9-(15) 31pts
4. Sandy Higgins/Paul Marsh, AUS/SA, 8-2-(17)-12-(28)-1-8-1 32pts
5. Ian Pinnell/Steve Hunt, GBR, 5-9-7-(24)-5-(14)-10-3 39pts
6. Nick Adamson/Steve Bourdow USA, 15-(34)-12-15-(17)-3-2-4 51pts
Event website: http://www.505worlds2007.com
February 1, 505 Worlds. The fourth day of the 2007 World Championship being sailed out of Brighton
and Seacliff Yacht Club, in Adelaide, South Australia. Race 6 and the
forecast was to be a 15-20kn sea breeze.
The winner was again Jan Saugmann and Morten Ramsbaek from Denmark, but
they had to work hard to do it, digging themselves out from 14th at the
first mark..
Their win gives them an 11 point lead at the front of the field. Howie
Hamlin and Fritz Lanzinger pulled second after being ninth at the first
mark and Boris Herrmann and Julien Kliener picked up third place..
Beyond that there were some huge horror stories. There were plenty of
shifts during the race, with the race committee moving the top mark at
every bottom mark rounding..
But it was the last beat that was the doozy. The wind had weakened and had
bent a little to the left, but there was slightly more pressure to the
right and direction was WSW. However as the leaders approached the finish,
the wind died and a south easter formed on the shore..
The first two boats crept over the line, and then we had boats coming from
the right in a Westerly and boats running from the left with their kites
up. In the end the Sou' Easter kicked in, but a lot of damage was done..
Tomorrow, there are two races and the forecast is again for a 15-20kn sea
breeze. We can only hope. -- Jordan Spencer
Top ten after 6 races:
1. Jan Saugmann / Morten Ramsbaek, DEN, 18
2. Mike Martin / Jeff Nelson, USA, 29
3. Howie Hamlin / Fritz Lanzinger, USA, 35
4. Nick Adamson / Steve Bourdow, USA, 36
5. Sandy Higgins / Paul Marsh, AUS, 39
6. Ian Pinnell / Steve Hunt, GBR, 39
7. Jens Findel / Johannes Tellen, GER, 54
8. Martin Goerge / Hans-Heinrich Rix, GER, 54
9. Chris Nicholson / Darren Nicholson, AUS, 55
10. Robin Deussen / Jordan Spencer, AUS, 55
Event website
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