Breaking News
LV Cup
10 March 2010
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10 Mar, 2010 Gear failure puts finish to a close
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Here's Des
10 March 2010
Moth Worlds
10 March 2010
March 09, 2010 - RACING - SailTube
Moth Worlds - Andrew
Day one of the Puma International Moth Worlds conditions proved to be diffcult with the fleet spreading far and wide across the horizon. Many struggled to foil resulting in those that did took the lead, as the wind filled in from the right the boats soon sped up. Weight and foiling were definately a huge factor in finishing places.
The fleet sailed one race today, the course being a standard windward leeward course, three times around, each leg a mile in length. The conditions on day one were calm waters with 6-8 knots of breeze, a bit light for the moths. The light wind speed made it difficult for sailors to get up, and stay up on their foils. Andrew 'Amac' McDougall (AUS) lead the first beat and finished Race 1 with a bullet. Michael Lennon (GBR), Brad Funk (USA), Chris Graham (UAE) and Simon Payne (GBR) rounded out the 44-boat fleet.
During the beats the pressure was favoured on left however most sailors to took the right. Downwind paid to sail left as the pressure was stronger.
The event is shaping up to be a battle of wits, weather and worldliness. With a forecast that is fairly typical- light to moderate breeze, generally flat water and the likelihood of at least a few low-riding (off the foils) races, time will prove interesting results over the course of this week.
Results:
1st Andrew McDougall
2nd Mike Lennon
3rd Brad Frank
1st Junior Alex Burger
1st Women Lindsey...
LV
10 March 2010
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09 Mar, 2010 Azzurra delivers stand-out performance on opening dayAzzurra, the Italian boat with the old name and the young crew, defeated Britain's TEAMORIGIN in the closest of four hard-fought races on the opening day of the Louis Vuitton Trophy Auckland.
© Bob Grieser/outsideimages.co.nz | Louis Vuitton Trophy Italian skipper and helmsman Francesco Bruni snatched a victory from Britain's three-time Olympic gold medallist Ben Ainslie at the first weather mark of their race as their boats rounded the mark overlapped. Sailing above the mark, Ainslie tried to luff his opponent only to see the Italian execute a swift spinnaker set, sail clear and go on to win. |
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Live streaming web coverage of the Louis Vuitton Trophy in Auckland is available on the event website, www.louisvuittontrophy.com. The official site (in English, French, Italian and Russian) is also rich in teamcontent, as well as features, audio, video and images.
And some photos from Chris Cameron:
And this:
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This Is a Sailboat??
9 March 2010
From Latitude 38:
A appears to be massive in this photo, compared to one of 'grandpa's mega motoryachts' as seen in the background. But in this case, appearance is reality, as A is 390 feet long and 60 feet wide.
Photo Latitude / Richard
© 2010 Latitude 38 Publishing Co., Inc.
Looking at the photo of A, some of you are probably saying to yourself, "If A is a sailboat, where are her mast(s)?" Well, A is one of the new Transformer series of maxi sailboat designs that are able to switch from maximized powerboat to maximized sailboat and back. The reverse bow - a style that has become oh-so-popular these days - triple flips aft and under to become the keel when sailing. And three 195-ft masts - just short enough to make it beneath the Bridge of Americas in Panama - telescope out of the deck to create a Dyna Rig system as pioneered on Tom Perkins' 289-ft Maltese Falcon. The twist is that the massive yards flop into position transformer-like. It's a miraculous bit of engineering that owes a huge debt to the design of toys. As you might imagine, there have been teething issues, but isn't that true with all boats?
 Thanks to today's incredibly efficient systems, A and her 14 guests only require 42 crew. And thanks to her telescoping masts, A only carries 200,000 gallons of fuel, making her a real 'green machine'. Photo Latitude / Richard © 2010 Latitude 38 Publishing Co., Inc. |
 The width and steep incline of A's transom make it an ideal waterslide. Photo Latitude / Richard © 2010 Latitude 38 Publishing Co., Inc. |
- latitude / rs
"Modern" Gaff Rig
9 March 2010
If you scroll down the page a little there is a piece on John Wellsford's newest design. I was intrigued by his comments on an updated gaff rig and how he was impressed by its performance
Awols current speed record by the way is 15.4 knots ( GPS) and David feels that there is a lot more to come!
. So I asked him to explain:
I have long had ideas about making a gaff rig really work well by using some of the modern materials together with the sail shape controls we use on bremudian rigs, and watching the evolution of the "square head" rigs on multihulls and very high performance monos, plus speaking at length to some of my past colleagues at the Marine Design course at Massey Uni and people who've been involved with the wind tunnel that Team New Zealand uses, came to the conclusion that there were certain issues around proportion, luff length, control of sail shape and aerodynamic cleanliness ( low drag) that might surprise those wedded to the usual shaped sail.
AWOLs rig incorportates my current take on all of those, you'll see that there are no gaff jaws, no lacings on the main luff, ( all in an internal track on a conventional alloy mast section) and a combination of full battens and comparitively powerful controls on outhaul, luff tension, gaff peak halyard and throat halyard. There is also a very powerful vang and a full width traveller, neither of which are found on a conventional gaffer. The result is that the top end of the main is not far off the elliptical shape of the idealised birds wing, and even closer to the wing of the high performance hand launched glider model aircraft which is a very well researched foil and wing shape on a "vehicle" that has to cope with wide variation in wind speeds.
The rig has a lower center of effort than a conventional bermudian sail, so has less heeling moment for the sail area, important with this boat as when singlehanded in bad weather the skipper will want to sit "in" rather than stack out on the side decks, and as he is not a heavy guy the lower heeling effect is beneficial, I can use more area than otherwise which helps in light weather and when reaching or running.
The pros, short mast which makes it easy to rig singlehanded, can sneak under some bridges, ( remember this is primarily a cruiser) can be entered and raced in classic and trad boat regattas, and the rig is unusually powerful when reaching and running. Its a much better performer than people expect, and that makes her a bit of a Q Ship which is fun.
Practical considerations are cost, the spar is straight with no taper and a second hand mast section from a small trailer sailer or biggish dinghy would do the job, plus its relatively short so is easy to stow when on the trailer.
PLUS, it makes the boat very very distinctive, different, something that attracts a lot of attention, all good.
In this case the customer wanted to stay with a somewhat traditional style, and although the hull is somewhat reminiscent of about 1970s appearance, the rig changes that into a modern classic with its own appeal.
Skipper Dave tells of people running along the beach to come and have a look, not many boats pull that sort of attention.
Cons, a little more weight aloft, still not quite as clean aerodynamically as a high performance bermudian main, another halyard and a little more complication.
Mostly though, the boat, and rig, is designed with function first, style second. But bear in mind that some of the functions are not immediately apparent, the lightweight crew, the low "air draft" ease of rigging, and so on.
Performance is looking very promising, a friend of mine, out in his Townson 25 spotted AWOL on the water on Sunday last, turned to chase him and said that the little gaffer went away from him so fast he was sure that there was something wrong with his boat.
I'm very pleased so far, am keen to cadge a ride sometime soon so I can observe it in action, and am watching with interest so I can develop the theory further.
I've attached four pics if you can use them, the ones on the beach should be credited to AWOLS builder David Perillo, the one sailing at sea to John Bertenshaw.
John Welsford"
Waterloo
9 March 2010
From YNZ Briefings:
Of Interest
Floating Loo
Have you ever been out on the water and wished there was a toilet you could use?
As most of you know when competing at yachting regattas there can be between 10 and 400 boats, which give anywhere between 10 - 800 competitors, the time they spend on the water can last from one to twelve hours. Hydration is essential so you need to drink lots which can result in needing to go to the toilet numerous times throughout the day. In some venues the race course is an hour away from the shore making it very difficult for people especially women to go to the toilet.
Muritai Yacht Club member, Nichola Trudgen is proposing a solution to this problem and she wants to know your thoughts.
"The main aim is to design a portable toilet for people who are in a watercraft on the water. The primary users will be sailors competing at an event whose boat or dingy does not have toilet facilities," says Nichola. "This ideally 'floating toilet' will also be used by other members of the yachting event such as rescue boat drivers and race officials."
Her solution is the 'Waterloo' a toilet which floats and can be easily approached by a yacht or other similar vessel. It can be towed by a power boat and can be anchored or secured in one place. It is easy to transport and has two toilets which are easy to use.
There are two main parts to the 'Waterloo', there is the toilet area which includes the toilet and surrounding walls and the pontoon on which the toilet sits. These two components have been specifically designed to meet the needs of the end users and also work with the surrounding environments. The diamond shape of the pontoon makes it easy to approach and tow as well as staying into the wind. The toilet block is designed to deflect the wind and contain a simple toilet system. The majority of the 'Waterloo' will be rotationally moulded from polyethylene which is very durable, water and weather resistant, and easy to clean.
Nichola would like you feedback on the idea. "My question to you is do you think having a 'Waterloo' at regattas is a good idea?"
Contact Nichola with questions, comments or ideas on: nichola.trudgen@hotmail.com or 027 414 1339
I wonder how great the demand is?
And another New One From Aus
9 March 2010
Sydney Yachts has commissioned Ker Design to create a new series of performance orientated yachts. The new GTS37 is the first model to be released, with an exciting new range to be announced in the coming months. Jason Ker has designed the GTS37 with the performance orientated sailor in mind.
Design
The new Sydney GTS37 is fast, safe and comes equipped with a fully fitted interior. Engineered to ISO standards, Category A. The design features a large open cockpit with twin helm positions. The interior is comfortable and practical with 3 double cabins, a fully enclosed head and a well appointed galley and navigation area. There is ample storage space for cruising and the practical interior is perfect for racing, both round the buoys or offshore. A refined double spreader rig with non-overlapping headsails ensures the GTS37 is easy to handle. It is responsive and a pleasure to sail. This easy to sail format translates to less crew during racing and effortless cruising when short-handed.
Research and Development
Using the extensive Americas Cup technology at its disposal Ker Design continues to develop an improved understanding of the science of yacht performance. The hull shape used for the Sydney GTS37 is the product of Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) research. A significant number of design options were analysed leading to some surprising and highly exciting conclusions. The final shape selected for the new Sydney GTS37 has shown to be very efficient.
Specification
Overall Length 11.36 m 37.27 ft
Beam 3.52 m 11.55 ft
Draft 2.3 m 7.55 ft
Displacement empty 5350 kg 11795 lbs
Classification CE Category A Ocean
Please contact Sydney Yachts for more information:
Sydney Yachts
Jason Rowed
Suite 2
Middle Harbour Yacht Club
Parriwi Rd, Mosman NSW 2088
Australia
AWOL
9 March 2010
From Duckworks:
AWOL
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A fast, open cruiser by John Welsford |
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Speed, but not at the expense of comfort. |
David Perillo was one of my most enthusiastic Navigator owners, he'd bought a second hand one after having to sell a much bigger boat and after sailing it on Aucklands wonderful harbor for a summer decided that both he and the boat needed a really good adventure. That adventure turned out to be shipping the little Navigator up to Fiji and spending 10 months sailing her around the remote Northern Lau group of Islands, an area where Europeans are very scarce, and where some very long passages have to be made in order to sail from one island to another.
Dave made some very close friends there, they needed a practical fishing boat, one which did not use huge amounts of fuel and he felt that they needed the little boat more than he did so when he was ready to return to New Zealand he left his boat with them as a thanks for the incredible welcome and friendship that he'd experienced. He bought another Navigator when he returned to New Zealand and you can see some of his adventures on www.openboat.co.nz.
| Dave Perillo and a friend happy in his second Navigator |  |
But like everyone, after a while and with a lot of open boat cruising experience under his belt, the "what ifs" started to get him thinking. He'd never built a boat himself, "what if" he built one that was a bit longer, "what if" it was a custom design that had better speed and better accommodation, "what if" it had a higher performance rig?", "what if he wanted to go yacht racing?", what if, what if, what if?"
We talked, Dave and I. We talked about where he'd been in the original Navigator, what he'd done in the second one and we went through all the "what ifs". He sent me a sketch, I scratched my head over it for a while then sent one back, he liked it and I sent him out to buy some plywood while I got on and drew some more drawings.
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Dave makes the first cut on AWOL |
The boat was like a quick 1980s plywood club racer, with a gaff sloop rig that incorporated some ideas that I'd been cherishing about high performance from the traditional style rig. It had a raised floor that had enough space to lay two airbeds and sleeping bags out, a cockpit with good backrests and the right footwell width for comfort, a centerboard that would swing back if he touched bottom when exploring in shallow places, and which was to be made of steel so it would steady the boat when he sailed her singlehanded, and there is lots of dry storage in lockers that double as buoyancy that would keep the boat afloat, upright and able to be recovered if he overdid it and capsized it sometime.
Rigging the boat was to be simple, none of this needing an hour or more to set her up before she can be launched, that just burns up valuable sailing time.
| AWOL is like a quick 1980s plywood club racer |  |
But the rig has to work better than most, so there are some modern adaptations to the sails, they look traditional from a distance but they will work much better than you'd think.
To add more speed still there is a moderately sized gennaker, much like the single luffed spinnakers used on the big Americas Cup boats but much smaller, this is a very easy sail to handle and even single handed it is manageable if you are organized.
The shape was fairly simple. The design was just a carefully proportioned sheet plywood over stringers dinghy with no major bends or twists in the planking. There would be a minimum of tools and space required, Dave had not built a boat before so I had to keep her consistent with what I thought his skills would be. As it happened he did a very good job, "Medusa " as his daughter Harriet named her, is a good example of what an amateur builder can achieve with time and patience.
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An almost completed AWOL |
He got a page of frame drawings first, and some basic instructions as to how to make each item, I had the next sheet to him before he ran out of things to do, and for the most part that was how it went for the next 18 months. (Read Dave's account of building AWOL) Once or twice he had to jog my elbow, a couple of times he got distracted by other things, but just the other day I got an email to say that it was close, then another to say that he'd put the boat in sans rig ( I suspect that he just got too exited, they can see the water from the front window of the house where he and Harriet live and sometimes you just have to "do it").
He sent me an email one afternoon to say that she was to go in the water "officially" that evening, and next morning there was a rapturous email in my computer timed very late at night.
Hi John
FANBLOODYTASTIC...
Light on the helm, responsive, quick and a lot of FUN even in the dark (just got in now - 10.57pm).
Cant wait for more.
Well Done
Talk soon... I'm knackered and off to bed.
Dave, a very happy man, Perillo
| On the beach on launch day |  |
To say that I'm envious would be an understatement. Well done Dave. We'll be following your exploits with interest.
There have been a number of daysails and cruises since then, the little cookbox galley under the tiller aft being well tested, and the space allowed for laying out the airbed and sleeping bag proving to be more than adequate.
She's fast, much faster than anything her size with the exception of the pure racers and handles well even when travelling at planing speeds. I was careful to keep the sail area relatively modest due to the singlehanding requirement, but it seems that if you can feel any wind at all she will sail, and sail well. That modernized gaff rig is a great deal more efficient than most realize, and there are a lot of boats out there quite shocked at just how quickly this "old fashioned" boat sails away from them.
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in the water for the first time |
I'm pleased with it, and David is over the moon with his new boat. He tells me that she has very much fulfilled the brief which was for a first time amateur build, speed, occasional races, fast daysailing sometimes solo and sometimes with friends, and a camping capable voyager that will cope with the sort of weather that we here in New Zealand have to live with even on summer afternoons.
AWOL: An Acronym for Absent With Out Leave, anyone with an armed forces background will know, and sympathise. This boat is a very good reason to go AWOL.
John Welsford.
Marine designer.
Plans include a detailed step by step assembly guide which includes a fittings and materials list. The drawings consist of 9 sheets 23 ½ in x 33 in ( A1 size paper) which include detailed drawings of all major components, and scale drawings of all frames, stem, bottom and transom. No lofting required.
Materials include 7 sheets of 6mm(1/4") and 5 sheets of 9mm(3/8") plywood. Also 3 gallons of epoxy some hardwood, some softwood, fasteners, fiberglass, etc - all of which is listed in the plans package
LOA 5.05m - 16ft 5in
Beam 1.910m - 6ft 4in
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Draft (CB up)0. 160m - 6-1/4in
Draft (CB dn) 1.2m - 4ft
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Sail Areas
Jib 3.3sm - 36sf
Main 7.85sm - 85sf
Gennaker 8sm - 86sf
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Dry Wt Rigged 210 kg 460 lbs
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AWOL plans are available from Duckworks
Louis Vuitton Trophy
8 March 2010
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08 Mar, 2010 Defending champion Barker predicts tough competition at Louis Vuitton Trophy AucklandLouis Vuitton Trophy teams drew for race pairings at a press conference and cocktail evening at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron tonight, ahead of the first day of competition tomorrow.
© photo Credit must read Bob Grie | Louis Vuitton Trophy The draw, before a packed house in the Squadron's Westhaven clubhouse, also decided which teams will enjoy the preferred starboard entry before their starts. The pairings for the first races tomorrow of the seven-day round robin are: Mascalzone Latino Audi Team (NZL92) vs. ALL4ONE (NZL84), Azzurra (NZL92) vs. TEAMORIGIN (NZL84), Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL92) vs. Artemis (NZL84), ALEPH Sailing Team (NZL92) vs Synergy Russian Sailing Team (NZL84). The forecast for the first day of racing is for light southeasterlies, increasing during the day. Winds are expected to increase later in the week. Dean Barker, skipper of host team Emirates Team New Zealand, and the winner of last year's Louis Vuitton Pacific Series, said his team had its work cut out for it. "The fantastic thing about this event this year is that the standard has got better," Barker said. "I think it's a lot higher. Many of the teams have been training in the Version 5 boats in preparation, so I think the bar has been lifted. We have to keep pushing to get as better as everyone else is. All of the teams sitting here have the opportunity to win every time they line up." Ben Ainslie, skipper and helmsman for Britain's TEAMORIGIN, said it was great to be back aboard the Kiwi boats despite the day's challenging conditions. "The boats are lovely to sail, with excellent helm response and all the mechanicals beautifully thought out," Ainslie said. "We've been racing and training here for several days and we're eager to get the first gun." Like Ainslie, Kiwi skipper Gavin Brady who is steering Mascalzone Latino Audi Team, has had months of experience in Cup boats in Auckland. While Ainslie formerly trained with Emirates Team New Zealand, Brady spent time working up BMW Oracle Racing's USA98 in 2007. "The race course for this event is fantastic," Brady said. "Most Cup sailors know it as the area they tow through behind the tender on the way to racing in the Hauraki Gulf. But it's great. It provides passing lanes and you have to engage with your competition. It's either that or hit the rocks at the harbour's edge." Frédéric Guilmin, strategist for ALEPH Sailing Team, reported a northeast wind between seven and 12 knots today. "We've been lucky because the guys in the morning didn't have that much wind but the weather this afternoon was great for sailing," he said. Every day in the Louis Vuitton Village, a jumbo video daylight screen will display live TV, plus 3-D Virtual Eye tracking from the race course, along with expert commentary and analysis. There will be two coffee grinder winches like those on the Cup boats for visitors to test their strength and grinding technique. There will be knot tying demonstrations, face painting, teams information, a results board, plus the latest results from on the water. About 45 minutes after racing finishes each night, the public can take part in the evening press conference, which will also be shown on the jumbo screen. The public will also have an opportunity to mix and meet some of the world's best sailors and get their autographs. Every day, one of Emirates Team New Zealand's America's Cup yachts will moor at a dock on the edge of the Village after racing to unload its crew and sails. The boat will remain at the Village overnight for public viewing before it is towed to the team base at 7:00 am for bottom cleaning. Times may vary according to the state of the tide. LIVE Sport Sailing 103.0 FM will feature all-day live coverage from on the water. On television, during the seven days of the round robin, TVNZ will carry nightly reports on its sports news. From March 16, during the elimination rounds, TVNZ will feature nightly half-hour reports. For the finals on 20th and 21st March there will be live coverage of the racing from noon to 4:00pm. |
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Live streaming web coverage of the Louis Vuitton Trophy in Auckland is available on the event website, www.louisvuittontrophy.com. The official site (in English, French, Italian and Russian) is also rich in team content, as well as features, audio, video and images.
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