blog

Vodafone

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:21:00 +1200

Was G3 - Now Vodafone, thanks to Scottie for the photo

Valencia RC44 Cup - 28 Jul 2010 - Katusha man overboard

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:27:00 +1200

Trojan Horse

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 11:30:00 +1200

I was attacked - but now I'm back. Rathers than spend too much time catching up - here's everything that backed up in the last day or so:

From the Townson 32 newsletter:

A New Townson 32 in the build!!!
I have just received photos of a new Townson 32 being built! Isn't that amazing! They are up to the
cabin decking stage and her sweet lines are very evident already. We will keep you informed of the
progress of this new Townson 32. She is currently un named.

RC 44 CLASS ASSOCIATION PRESS RELEASE

RC 44s take flight as Artemis takes control

The Swedish team is the sole survivor after first day of match racing

VALENCIA, Spain (27 July 2010) - Small jibs and loose boom vangs were the order of the day as the RC 44 Valencia Cup got underway here in a pumping sea breeze that topped out at 20 knots.

Despite the strong wind off Malvarrosa Beach, the professional crews threw the light-displacement boats around with seeming ease.

In a day that saw seven flights and 28 match races completed, three crews made it through the first five flights undefeated. But only Torbjorn Tornqvist's Artemis escaped unscathed.

"We started well enough today and the boat was going well through the water," said Artemis skipper Terry Hutchinson, who finished the day at 6-0. "We had our best day boathandling, and we needed it today."

Three other teams finished the day with 4-1 records including Russell Coutts and the BMW ORACLE Racing team, Cameron Appleton's Team Aqua and James Spithill's 17. Rounding out the top five is Igor Lah's Ceeref at 3-1 with Rod Davis as skipper.

"We had a good day considering we weren't able to practice yesterday," said Davis, who suffered a slight injury when the mainsheet grazed his head. "We went in loose and are quite happy. The boys have been on the boat a long time and that was helpful today."

The day started mild with an east/southeasterly wind around 12 knots. But with the temperature inland topping out at 90 degrees, it quickly turned wild when the wind shifted to the southeast and built to 16 to 18 knots, with gusts up to 20 knots.

The race committee ordered the small jibs for the fourth flight of races, and VIP spectators were no longer allowed aboard to avoid the risk of injury during transfer from chase boat to race boat.

Corresponding with the increase in wind strength was an increase of incidents. Upwards of eight penalties were issued, three spinnakers ripped, one jib battered and one steering system damaged.

A couple of crews were forced to retire from races due to the damage, but for those who finished you would think the day was a walk in the park.

"This was one of the windiest days we've had match racing, but they're spectacular boats. They come alive downwind," Hutchinson said.

"My guys did a great job getting me out of trouble today," said Appleton. "I was the one causing the trouble."

The match racing portion of the RC 44 Valencia Cup continues tomorrow with another seven flights planned. Thursday is a scheduled practice day for the fleet racing portion of the regatta, which runs Friday through Sunday.

RC 44 VALENCIA CUP
(Match racing, after seven of 14 flights)
1. Artemis / Terry Hutchinson (SWE) 6-0
2. BMW ORACLE Racing / Russell Coutts (USA) 4-1
2. Team Aqua / Cameron Appleton (UAE) 4-1
2. 17 / James Spithill (USA) 4-1
5. Ceeref / Rod Davis (SLO) 3-1
6. No Way Back / Pieter Heerema and Ray Davies (NED) 3-3
7. Team Sea Dubai / Markus Weiser (UAE) 2-4
8. Katusha / Paul Cayard (RUS) 1-3
9. Mascalzone Latino Audi Team / Tommaso Chieffi (ITA) 1-4
10. AEZ RC44 Sailing Team / Christian Binder (AUT) 0-5
10. Islas Canarias Puerto Calero / José Maria Ponce (ESP) 0-5

Photo: Copyright Ignacio Baixauli / RC44 Class - Russell Coutts and his team onboard BMW ORACLE Racing enjoyed today' rough sailing conditions. They won all their matches except the one against Artemis.

Flying Tiger

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 10:26:00 +1200

The launching was last weekend and our intrepid reporter Terry Bryers went along and got these photos:

Coastal Classic 2010 - Roll On Summer

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 10:44:00 +1200

HSBC Premier Coastal Classic Media Release

26 July 2010 - for immediate release

2008 Start by Will Calver.

Race plans are ship-shape for 29^th year

The 29^th edition of the HSBC Premier Coastal Classic is in preparation mode and as well as a great looking fleet that includes several new boats, sponsors have contributed a prize pool worth $40,000.

2010 marks seven years of involvement for HSBC Premier in this iconic yacht race.

David Griffiths, CEO, at HSBC New Zealand says: "We're pleased to again get behind one New Zealand's largest and most exciting coastal yacht races. We hope that this year's HSBC Premier Coastal Classic results in plenty of good competition, a strong breeze for the skippers and more records for the history books."

Joining HSBC Premier, which is also sponsor of Division 1, are eight divisional sponsors, each contributing prizes to its line honours winners and handicap placegetters: Musto (Division 2), Safety at Sea (Division 3), Mt Gay Rum (Division 4), Steinlager (Division 5), Duke of Marlborough Hotel (Division 6), RAILBLAZA Ltd (Division 7), Jucy Rentals (Division 8), PredictWind.com (IRC), and SailNZ (Classic Division).

"The party in Russell on Saturday night is followed by a cooked breakfast and prizegiving on Sunday morning," says race spokesperson Jon Vincent. "The prizegiving starts at 9am sharp and we encourage all competitors to be there for the opportunity to win spot prizes from Southern Pacific Inflatables, Yamaha Motor NZ, and Dirty Dog Sunglasses."

Snitch GPS will provide real-time GPS tracking of ten members of the race fleet, and Sunday Star Times and Trade-A-Boat Magazine are official media partners to the race.

Predictwind.com will issue an official, detailed race forecast on the eve of the race.

New members at the front end of the race fleet will include Roger Pagani's new fifty foot catamaran, Triple 8 and Simon Hull's Open 60 trimaran, TeamVodafoneSailing, which is capable of cruising at speeds of thirty knots. The old Murray Ross designed campaigner M1 is due to be relaunched by Northland boatbuilder Craig Partridge after a turbo refit, and the hot off the blocks Flying Tiger 10 new to the country this winter is also a potential starter.

In the multihull world a new generation of innovation is making an appearance. The small but stunning multihull, Frantic Drift, owned by Olympic sailor Dan Slater, has been modified with a new BMWOracle-style mast and curved lifting foils, and two other boats - Dragon and Timberwolf - will feature similar technology.

The supermaxi Alfa Romeo broke a thirteen-year record drought when it set a new overall record last year, completing the race in 6 hours and 43 minutes, but Split Enz remains the fastest multihull to ever finish the race with a record set in 1996 of 7 hours and 20 minutes.

The HSBC Premier Coastal Classic starts from 10am on Friday 22 October off Devonport Wharf in Auckland, and finishes off Russell Wharf in the Bay of Islands.

www.coastalclassic.co.nz

Med Cup

Sun, 25 Jul 2010 21:48:00 +1200

25 Jul 2010

Ripping it up in Barcelona. Artemis and Madrid-Caser Seguros win

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With everything to play for on the final day Artemis completed a great recovery to win the Camper Regatta - Conde de Godó Trophy Barcelona. Madrid - Caser Seguros won last race to win the event, and is the new GP42 Series leader.

Paul Cayard (USA) and the crew of Torbjorn Tornqvist's (SWE) Artemis (SWE) won the Camper Regatta - Conde de Godó Trophy - Barcelona TP52 Series in considerable style, after a fantastic finale, coming from eighth at the first windward mark to finish second behind Bribón (ESP) on the finish line of the last race, to clinch the Swedish flagged team's first MedCup Circuit regatta win since 2007.

With Madrid-Caser Seguros (ESP) winning the GP42 Series, three different boats have won each of the three regattas this season so far in both TP52 and GP42 Series, confirming this is the most open Audi MedCup Circuit season ever.

Leading into the one and only race of today by a single point, the odds looked suddenly to be stacked against an Artemis regatta win when they picked the wrong side of the first beat and rounded the top mark in eighth place, with their main rivals Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL) in second.

But two electrifying downwind legs, twice gybing away for clear air and flatter water, diverging from the line taken by the pack, saw Cayard and crew gaining three places on each run to secure Barcelona's top trophy.

Emirates Team New Zealand at one stage seemed to be hanging on, just on target for their second regatta win of the season, with Luna Rossa (ITA) between them and their rival Artemis representing the 1-point margin that they needed to win, but in the end the Kiwi champions could do nothing to control the firepower of Artemis downwind.

On the final run Cayard, tactician Cameron Appleton and the Artemis crew gained 44 seconds, to cross just 16 seconds behind José Cusí's (ESP) Bribón who finished their regatta with a flourish to clinch a creditable fourth overall in owner Cusí's home city.
Artemis top the Camper Regatta - Conde de Godó Trophy - Barcelona TP52 fleet after a miserable Marseille, where they finished eighth overall. In Barcelona they have sailed with confidence and cohesion, bolting together all of the required components to win a testing 10 race series.

Third overall last season their overall win at the first of two Audi MedCup Circuit regattas in Spain this season, boosts Tornqvist's team from sixth overall on the 2010 standings to third.

And, after Emirates Team New Zealand in Cascais, Quantum Racing (USA) in Marseille they become the third TP52 Series team to win an event this season, just as three different GP42 Series teams Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (ESP), Iberdrola (ESP) and Madrid-Caser Seguros have had regatta victories.

Artemis last won a MedCup regatta in Hyeres, France in 2007 when Russell Coutts skippered the team to win the Circuit title. In that season five different boats won the five regattas.

Emirates Team New Zealand finish disappointed not to have won in Barcelona. They were hobbled for boat speed at times, citing a plastic bag that they caught around the rudder which left them lacking speed.

But the reigning title holders head to Cartagena for next month's (August 24-29) fourth regatta of the 2010 season, the Caja Mediterráneo Region of Murcia Trophy having extended their overall lead by ten points at this regatta. They now lead Quantum Racing (USA) by 28.5 points.

GP42 summary
The last race in the GP42 Series saw the team that has dominated all week - Madrid-Caser Seguros (ESP) - win their sixth race in the nine race series, nearly from start to finish.

A strong start by Iberdrola (ESP) and AIRISESSENTIAL (ITA) put them into contention all the way to the first mark rounding, but a big four-boat pile-up at the mark had Madrid-Caser breaking free, followed by Iberdrola, and the Italians doing a penalty turn at the mark.

And with the breeze building up to 17 knots, the two B&C-designed sisterships - Madrid-Caser Seguros (ESP) and Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (ESP) - were able to put their speed to advantage and finish 1-2 on the day, despite a last-second charge to the line by the Iberdrola green machine.

The two are also now tied on 50 points each in the overall series, with Madrid-Caser Seguros now taking the lead on the tie-break.

Next Audi MedCup Circuit event is the Caja Mediterráneo Region of Murcia Trophy, Cartagena, August 24-29

Camper Regatta - Conde de Godó Trophy - Barcelona
Final Results

TP52 Series
1. Artemis (SWE), 7+2+4+5+2+4+1+5+1+2= 33 points
2. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), 1+4+8+1+3+2+5+3+5+3= 35
3. Quantum Racing (USA), 5+5+2+11+1+1+9+2+5+6= 44
4. Bribón (ESP), 3+3+7+7+5+11+10+7+4+1= 58
5. Cristabella (GBR), 2+1+11+9+6+9+4+6+6+8= 62
6. TeamOrigin (GBR), 10+6+3+3+9+7+8+1+7+9= 63
7. Matador (ARG), 4+9+9+10+10+3+6+9+3+4= 67
8. Bigamist 7 (POR), 8+7+10+8+4+5+7+4+10+7= 70
9. Luna Rossa (ITA), 9+11+1+6+11+10+2+10+8+5= 73
10. Synergy (RUS), 6+10+6+2+7+8+3+8+11+12= 73
11. Audi A1 powered by ALL4ONE (FRA/GER), 12(DNC)+8+5+4+8+6+11+11+9+10= 84

--------------------------------

Audi MedCup Circuit 2010
Provisional Leaderboard after three events

TP52 Series
1. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), 31,5+31+35= 97,5 points
2. Quantum Racing (USA), 59,5+22,5+44= 126
3. Artemis (SWE), 57+53+33= 143
4. TeamOrigin (GBR), 59,5+31+63= 153,5
5. Matador (ARG), 60+27+67= 154
6. Audi A1 powered by ALL4ONE (FRA/GER), 51,5+29,5+84= 165
7. Cristabella (GBR), 65+43,5+62= 170,5
8. Synergy (RUS), 64+35,5+73= 172,5
9. Bribón (ESP), 88+41+58= 181,5
10. Luna Rossa (ITA), 77,5+44,5+73= 195
11. Bigamist 7 (POR), 88+78+70= 236

Quotes of the day

Paul Cayard (USA), helmsman Artemis (SWE):
"We are very very happy, mostly, because what we are trying to build here on Artemis is a process to go out and win races and that comes from a certain amount of confidence and stability and the boat the crew, our starting and we really lost that in Marseille, so more important really than winning the race, or being second, or third to me is just that we come back and we are very, very competitive. And that's a great way to go forward, for the Medcup becauset also we were trying to work with the America's Cup."
" We were really quick downwind the whole week, and noticed that on the first run obviously so as soon as we came round the mark I was kind of urging Cam just to give me clean lane."
"We could go really fast if we don't have the wakes of the other boats so we had surfed right up to Prada almost immediatly and it didn't really matter which way we went, or which way the wind was going to go, we just wanted to get away from boats so we could just rip."
"And it seemed we had a better gear than anybody else downwind and that let us slip just right on through. It couldn't have been more exciting than that, coming down to the last race".

Gonzalo Araujo (ESP), skipper Bribón (ESP):
"Winning the last race always adds a positive note. Today we confirmed our improvement throughout the second half of the event. And as I always say in this circuit we all have the level to win races, it's a matter of racing well. After the start we've gone to the right to get the clean air from the others, but we didn't have a good start, didn't get ourselves a gap. Marcel (Van Triest, navigator) told us to go further in, since it was going to shift to Garbí. So a big part of this win is his"

Paolo Cian (ITA), skipper/helmsman Madrid-Caser Seguros (ESP):
"If there was one thing we did well this week, it was our focus on the little things we did before the regatta to get us the small edge in speed. In a class this tight, this small edge means a lot."

Juanlu Páez (ESP), navigator Madrid-Caser Seguros (ESP):
"We made a good start, Islas Canarias was called over the line what obviously helped us, cause we then had the control and our boat sails fast, so it all went perfect, the 17 knots wind were also excellent conditions for us. Islas Canarias is a very good team and they've been able to come back, it's clear she's our main rival. The boat is the same, and we also have same sails, mast, so we'll probably keep fighting against till the last day. It wouldn't surprise me if it all came to the last race in Cagliari"..

And more photos from Chris Cameron:

M1 Re Launch

Sun, 25 Jul 2010 21:36:00 +1200

Thanks to Lesley Haslar

She's back in the water - Black and beautiful. Clean white decks - black mast with spreaders raking aft. Some interesting changes can be seen from the work done by boat-builder Craig Partridge. The tiller's gone - replaced with twin wheels. Both the mast and the keel are further aft to re-trim the boat. M1 will surely be a pace-maker in the Bay of Islands.

There are three shareholders: Craig Partridge - Aksel Jepsen - Dave Austin (known by many as 'Doctor Dave'). Jensen admits freely that yacht Racing is a brand new experience for him. What a way to learn as share-holder in a very fast M1.

Simon Hull, the previous owner of M1 had one special comment about his 20 odd years racing on M1 "She just gets up and boogies, particularly down hill. Watch out Kerikeri". Hull and crew did multiple races both off shore and local. Partridge and Austin plan on doing the two man round-NZ race in 2011. Partridge also mentioned the Auckland/Suva Race next year. M1 will be welcomed back into the fast- racing circuit.

BAY of ISLANDS SAILING WEEK

Sun, 25 Jul 2010 21:29:00 +1200

REGATTA RAMBLINGS

Issue #2 July 2010 - TWO pages
www.bayofislandssailingweek.org.nz

Bay of Islands Sailing Week January 18-21, 2011

2011 will offer just about everything for everyone. The IRC Nationals will also be held at the Bay Regatta, making this the first regatta in New Zealand to run three National Yachting Events at one time in one place....

IRC - Elliott 5.9 - Flying 15. We are very proud.

Other Stuff:

Good news - a reduction in Entry fees on the middle and inner courses (A/B/M Courses remain the same). For this we can thank our loyal sponsors and you-the-competitors for continued participation
Steinlager Pure is now our Regatta-Beer and at this regatta in lieu of the Beach Party, we are planning a Thursday Party-Night on the Wharf

There is a circle to make a Regatta work

It wouldn't happen without Competitors

There would be no regatta without Competitors and Sponsors

There would be no regatta without Competitors and Sponsors and Volunteers

There would be no regatta without Competitors -Sponsors -Volunteers - AND News exposure and Coverage.

Bay of Islands Sailing Week is a FULLY SUPPORTED REGATTA.

Thank you to all

Let's start to talk about the Sponsors

CRC - for Marine and boating equipment. Manufactures and markets specialty chemicals and adhesives, and has a quality product for most maintenance and repair applications. Meeting the needs of customers with high performance products has made CRC and ADOS market leaders in New Zealand. www.crc.co.nz

North Sails - has become the world leader in sail making. Their ongoing commitment is to make racing sails faster, lighter and longer-lasting. North Sails are crafting cruising sails to higher standards of performance and durability. The North Sails Loft in Auckland measures more than 2000 square metres and produces sails for some of the world's most famous racing teams.www.northsails.co.nz

Far North Holdings - has generously made the wharf and boat ramps available to all yachties and the general public. They welcome the Yachties to Bay of Islands Sailing Week each year with many special benefits at this superb location. For info on Marina availability go to enquiries@opuamarina.co.nz and to read about FNH go to www.fnhl.co.nz

Romeyn Woodcraft - designs and manufactures the unique trophies for the Bay Regatta, with the winning yacht names on each trophy for prize giving. A family business established in 1973, handcrafting original designs from native NZ timber.

Mt Gay Rum - the yachties favourite. The place of birth was Barbados in 1703, the oldest rum in the world, an icon amongst the race sailing community worldwide. There is such a selection of this fine quality rum available at Hancocks, well worth a look at the website. www.hancocks.co.nz

Steinlager Pure - an easy drinking taste, perfectly balanced. The emerald-green bottle will be easily recognised at the 2011 Bay Regatta. The Steinlager mantra is "Keep it pure" and that distinct taste will be worth waiting for at the end of each day of racing. www.steinlager.co.nz

Harken - recognised internationally furnishing top product for yachts of all sizes. Remember 'friction is not your friend" - if you want all your sheets and turning-blocks to run freely - use Harken. Their name is clearly seen on all our rounding buoys. www.harken.co.nz

Our thanks to all racers for active support in the past Bay Regattas.

2011 promises to have more variety; it's ever changing, and always fun

Lesley - media@bayofislandssailingweek.org.nz

Med Cup

Sun, 25 Jul 2010 08:26:00 +1200

24 Jul 2010

Bouncing back

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Two wins for Artemis sees them head into the final day with a lead of one point, while in the GP42 Series it is still Madrid-Caser Seguros secure in front.

After an uncharacteristically disappointing regatta in Marseille last month, finishing eighth, Paul Cayard and the crew of Torbjorn Tornqvist's Swedish flagged Artemis have bounced right back to head into the final day of the Camper Regatta - Conde de Godó Trophy - Barcelona with a slender lead of just one point over Emirates Team New Zealand, the current Audi MedCup Circuit champions.

In the GP42 Series a second place and a fourth was enough to keep Madrid -Caser Seguros (ESP) four points clear of Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (ESP)which won the second race today. Iberdrola (ESP) won the first.

Two wins in today's modest SE'ly breezes, added to a fifth in the middle race of three ensured that Artemis was the best scoring crew among the 11 TP52's by some margin, underlining how consistency, boat speed and sharp sailing have replaced their Marseille malaise. Since a seventh in the first race of this regatta, Cayard and crew have never finished outside of the top five, a consistency which is only just about equalled by the Kiwi circuit leaders.

The stage is set for a fascinating Sunday showdown for the Camper regatta title here in Barcelona. Cayard came ashore relaxed and smiling - in contrast to the drained looking skipper he was in France - and was keen to emphasise that the greater satisfaction would come from knowing they can sustain this type of form, to maintain the highest competitive level, than running out regatta winners.

That would be the icing on the cake. Sharper starting and boatspeed at the two key differences he highlighted, but the Barcelona race tracks today proved difficult to read with split breezes either side of the course.

Having stayed relatively clear of trouble so far this regatta Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL) might look to two small factors which contribute to their second place overall, rather than leading or sharing the lead. In the second race they gybe-set at the final windward mark rather than stay with their main rivals Quantum Racing (USA), which cost them one place. Then in the third race of the day they became involved pre-start with Matador (ARG) which meant they ended up with too little room and opportunity to break clear off the start line.

The Kiwis 5,3,5 for the day leaves them six points clear of Quantum Racing who started with a ninth after they were one of three boats recalled in the first race, and then they stayed strong with a pair of second places.

Three races are planned for the final day of racing on this first visit of the Audi MedCup Circuit to the Catalan capital city, but with a time limit of 1530hrs, after which no start sequence can begin, it is a lofty target, while the GP42's are scheduled for two races to complete their regatta.

GP42 Series: closing the gap
Race 1 saw Iberdrola (ESP) take advantage of the early right shift by starting at the committee boat, tacking, taking an early lead and never looking back. The 9-12 knot conditions were ideally suited to this team of alumnists from the Desafio Espanol AC team, led by skipper Laureano Wizner (ESP). Series leader Madrid-Caser Seguros (ESP) led by helmsman Paolo Cian (ITA) got buried into the remainder of the pack to score her worst score (4th) at this stage, while Peninsula Petroleum (GBR) slid into the runner-up slot for their best finish to date.

O Race 2, Madrid-Caser Seguros (ESP) had to settle for yet another second, as her series arch-rival, Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (ESP) led by skipper Jose Maria Ponce (ESP), took advantage of a building 12-14 knot breeze to vault into an unchallenged lead. But Cian and team had to fight hard for this spot, and the fight got ugly: on a close cross on the second windward leg, Iberdrola couldn't quite cross AIRISESSENTIAL (ITA), prompting Wizner and team to cede the battle and roll into a penalty turn, costing them two places as the Italian team happily took the third place slot in their best finish yet in this stage.

Racing on board Artemis and Audi A1 powered by ALL4One were Audi sponsored world cup slalom skiers Felix Neureuther (GER) and Julien Lizeroux (FRA)

Quotes of the day:

Paul Cayard (USA) skipper-helm Artemis (SWE):
"We just found a rhythm, the boats going fast and we are sailing consistently. We are doing good starts, not killing it at the start I think we've never got our noses down into trouble, I know yesterday at the third start there was a big pile up at the pin end because the left hand was favoured and we kind of avoid things like that. We know we have a fast boat and we try to sail at a high percentage tactically, Cameron Appleton is doing a great job just let the boat work for us.
" We had clean starts, in both races that we won we got good boat speed and got to the first mark first and that just makes for a completely different race than battling away in the middle of the pack."

Ray Davies (NZL) tactician Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL):
" Everything was going on today. There were big distance changes, lead changes and I think the last race was particularly difficult. There were two breezes going on in the first beat and we were in the right hand breeze and it all depended what breeze the top mark was in.
We were slow off the line in that third race. Matador made life pretty hard for us up there. And our plan had been to go straight and we had to make a few tacks to get clear air.
Second race top mark was a mistake. Normally the top mark second run you can kind of get away with it a little bit because boats behind are spread out, but they were tighter here and as soon as I did it I thought: ' this doesn't look good'. From fourth to 11th were really stacked up and that dirty air from the wall of boats hurt us, normally it would be thinner than that. We were in dirty air for a couple of minutes and that was enough for Quantum Racing to make a gain.
Every point is critical, absolutely critical. And that was frustrating, sometimes those mistakes can be more frustrating that having an actual seventh or an eighth, because it is just a boat positioning thing, one of those things where as soon as you've done it you kind of think 'why?'. But overall for use a pretty reasonable day."

Jose María Ponce (ESP), helmsman Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (ESP):
"Today it's been the first day where we've been the best team. The truth is that we've raced well and we've managed to finish ahead of Madrid-Caser in both races and cut down two points in the regatta, which places us ahead of them again in the circuit overall scores. Even though it's going to be tough, because Madrid-Caser is four points ahead, but obviously we'll fight till the end to win here in Barcelona and remain first in the Audi MedCup".

Jose Luís Domencq (ESP), pit Madrid -Caser Seguros (ESP):
"Today's conditions haven't favoured us, we'd rather race with lumpy seas, because of the design of the boat, and also cause our helmsman steers better in waves than others do. Besides, we aren't going as well in the downwinds, and the course has been more difficult to read".

Camper Regatta - Conde de Godó Trophy - Barcelona

TP52 Series
Day 4
1. Artemis (SWE), 7+2+4+5+2+4+1+5+1= 31 points
2. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), 1+4+8+1+3+2+5+3+5= 32
3. Quantum Racing (USA), 5+5+2+11+1+1+9+2+5= 38
4. Cristabella (GBR), 2+1+11+9+6+9+4+6+6= 54
5. TeamOrigin (GBR), 10+6+3+3+9+7+8+1+7= 54
6. Bribón (ESP), 3+3+7+7+5+11+10+7+4= 57
7. Synergy (RUS), 6+10+6+2+7+8+3+8+11= 61
8. Matador (ARG), 4+9+9+10+10+3+6+9+3= 63
9. Bigamist 7 (POR), 8+7+10+8+4+5+7+4+10= 63
10. Luna Rossa (ITA), 9+11+1+6+11+10+2+10+8= 68
11. Audi A1 powered by ALL4ONE (FRA/GER), 12(DNC)+8+5+4+8+6+11+11+9= 74

Photos from Chris Cameron:

Med Cup

Sat, 24 Jul 2010 10:15:00 +1200

	23 Jul 2010
	Half way there



	A glass half-full or half-empty kind of day...
	Today, in terms, of the total duration of the 2010 Audi MedCup Circuit it is the theoretical mid-point of the season. Half way there.....a day for teams to reflect if their glass if is half full or half empty. The TP52 Series have raced 19 races so far and most of the teams will be hoping for more races in the second half of the season than in the first. The leaderboard for the TP52 overall series still shows Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL) with a lead of 18.5 points, just as it was when we arrived here in Barcelona, whilst in the GP42 Series now Madrid - Caser Seguros and Islas Canarias Puerto Calero are tied on 39 points apiece. Yesterday proved extremely close in the TP52 Series on the waters off Barcelona. Three boats returned to the dock yesterday locked on 13 points, one behind the leader of the Camper Regatta - Conde de Godo Trophy - Barcelona, Quantum Racing (USA). The forecast for today, the second day of racing for the TP52 and GP42's, suggests light and variable winds only around start time, somewhere between 3 and 10 knots between 160 degrees and 220 degrees - that is what is meant by 'variable'. The winds are likely to build to between nine and 13 knots by the middle of the afternoon but the breeze should stablise around 180-200 degrees, some models showing up to 18kts of windspeed. That would be nice. Three windward leeward races are scheduled for both Series today with scheduled start sequence at 1300hrs. Audi MedCup TV goes live at 1250hrs CET.

Photos from Chris Cameron

Latitude 38

Sat, 24 Jul 2010 10:05:00 +1200

Lots of good stuff on their home page today - here's a glimpse

Testosterone Returns to World Record Sailing

July 23, 2010 - Les Sables D'Olonne

(Click on the photo to enlarge it.)
A triumphant Alessandro di Benedetto finished his non-stop solo circumnavigation under jury rig after having dismasted -- and effected repairs -- near Cape Horn in late March.
Photo Courtesy Findomestic
© 2010 Latitude 38 Publishing Co., Inc. / www.alessandrodibenedetto.net

With the flurry of attention over teenage girl circumnavigators having at least temporarily subsided, we're thrilled to note the successful completion of a very 'manly' round-about. Yesterday, 39-year-old French/Italian geologist Alessandro di Benedetto sailed Findomestic back into Les Sables D'Olonne Harbor after a nonstop circumnavigation that took 268 days, 19 hours and 36 minutes. What makes this voyage notable - and a 'first' - is not the route or the time. The former is the same racetrack used by Vendée Globe soloists, and the top guys usually complete it in about three months. Di Benedetto's claim to fame is that he did it on a Mini TransAt boat which, at 21 feet, makes it the smallest boat ever to complete a nonstop circumnavigation.

Tonga Regatta Builds Momentum

July 23, 2010 - Vava'u, Kingdom of Tonga

Most cruisers will tell you that they relish quiet moments in secluded anchorages and savor the solitude of being alone on a vast ocean. But most also love to socialize with like-minded sailors once in a while. For those heading west across the South Pacific this season, the second annual Regatta Vava'u & Festival offers a perfect opportunity to do just that.

You can see by this dreamy shot why the islands of Tonga are considered one of the most idyllic cruising grounds in the South Pacific.
© 2010 Regatta Vava'u

Organized by a group of local residents - many of whom are sailors - the six-day sailfest, slated for September 22-28, will include two yacht races, a "fancy dress pub crawl," a kid's day, a full moon party, and something called a "cornhole tournament" - the schedule seems to include something for everyone.

The Friendly Island Yacht Race, to be run September 24, is a tradition that predates the Regatta by a decade. "The layout of our cyclone hole and the reliability of our trade winds afford a consistent, under-1½ -hour race track around the harbor that creates photo finishes time and time again," says organizer Lisa Newton.

The longer Vava'u Cup Race will follow the next day. "The best thing about this race," explains Lisa, "is that it ends in a beautiful and expansive anchorage that boasts one the world's best natural amphitheater locations in which to throw a party." With that in mind, a Full Moon Party will follow that night.

Both local and off-island sponsors are offering prizes for races as well as non-race events, some of which are said to be "lucrative." Check the website for signup and itinerary info. About a dozen boats have signed up so far, and more are trickling in daily. We hope to bring you a full report on this fun-filled event in a fall edition of Latitude 38.

Whale Breaching Under Investigation

July 23, 2010 - Cape Town

A Southern Right Whale administers a smack down on the steel-hulled, 32-ft Barens Seatrader Intrepid off Cape Town.
© 2010 James K. Dagmore

Photos of the 32-ft Barens Seatrader Intrepid being on the receiving end of a Southern Right Whale's best impression of a pile driver have gone viral over the last couple days; but curious sailors and a massive non-sailing audience aren't the only people paying attention. According to the Cape Times, South African authorities have launched an investigation into whether the whale was harassed into breaching onto the Cape Town-based, steel-hulled boat operated by Ralph Mothes and Paloma Werner as part of their sailing school. According to the report, an eyewitness alleged that a RIB and "a yacht" had chased the whale - which left blubber and skin on the boat - until it began breaching.

- latitude / at

Flying Fifteen

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 11:21:00 +1200

I found this on 70.8%

Flying Fifteen up for grabs on Ebay

all photos above courtesy ebay

Uffa Fox and Prince Phillip sailing Coweslip
these two courtesy BIFFA,

For sale on ebay, only a few hours left, located CA, is this beautiful if somewhat radical little speedster. Designed by Uffa Fox in1947. Check it out on ebay. Here's some history of the boat from the UK Class Association:

The Flying 15 was designed by Uffa Fox in 1947 and the first hulls built at his Cowes based boatyard. Uffa recounts in his 1959 book, "Sailing Boats" that Jimmy Damant, a Commodore of the Island SC and one of the earliest owners of the International 14, had often encouraged him to; "Design a boat like the 14-footer, but at least 18ft long, that will not capsize. Then you would have a sensible, safe boat, that was fun to sail as well, for the rough and tumble of tidal waters like the Solent."

Uffa eventually drew-up a hull twenty foot overall, fifteen foot on the waterline and drawing nine inches without the keel. The steeply raked keel adds 2ft 6inches to the draft, the rake helping to remove any weed. The original construction was for a 1/8" thick diagonal inner skin and 3/16" fore and aft, honduras mahogany outer skin over 3/8" x 1/4" ribs at 2" centres. The deck was 3/16" marine plywood. The original design weight was 285lb for the hull with a 400 lb keel. Driving this was a sail plan and mast height exactly as for the International 14 of that period.

How to Right a Tricycle

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 11:18:00 +1200

Cheekee Monkee is a foil assisted F31 Trimaran that capsized near the start of the 2010 Lake Ontario 300 Offshore race. This video documents the righting of the vessel by the captain and crew with the help of a large sport fisherman power boat.

From Kevin Dibley's Latest Newsletter

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 10:07:00 +1200

LATEST FROM THE DRAWING BOARD

DIBLEY 34

The Dibley 34 could best be
described as the ideal kiwi
yacht for sailing in local and
coastal races and regattas.
Designed for upwind per-
formance, this design will
also take off in the reaches
and runs but with full control
at all times.

Cockpit layout and sailing
systems have been thought
out carefully to minimize
crew movement during tacks
and gybes and to make sail-
ing easy and effortless
throughout all maneuvers.
This yacht would be an ideal
shorthanded racer with all
lines and halyards leading aft
and within easy reach.

The accommodation is sim-
ple but comfortable, for over-
night events and weekend
cruises. The aft single berths
can be joined to form a dou-
ble athwartship berth if cruis-
ing with the family.
The center-case will incorpo-
rate a drop leaf table port
and starboard. A small galley
lies forward of the mast, with
a head forward of the main
bulkhead.

LOA                                         10.340 m                 (34' - 0")

LWL                                           9.550 m                 (31' - 4")
Carbon rudder and chain-
BEAM                                        2.990 m                 (9' - 10")
plates will be incorporated
DRAFT                                       2.50 m / 1.70 m     (8'-2" / 5'-6")
into the build, but construction
DISPL [IRC MEASURED]        2,300 kg's                (5,070 lb's)
DISPL [RACING]                     2,900 kg's                (6,400 lb's)
of hull and deck will be e-
IM                                             13.407 m                 (44' - 0")
glass and epoxy around a
J                                                 4.050 m                 (13' - 3")
foam core, to encourage
LP                                              4.306 m                 (14' - 0")
home builds and lower pro-
ISP                                           15.540 m                 (51' - 0")
duction costs.
STL                                            5.265 m                 (17' - 3")

P                                              13.850 m                 (45' - 6")
E                                                4.800 m                 (15' - 9")

www.dibleymarine.com

Texas 200

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 08:27:00 +1200

We recently had a forumite complaining that his insurance company put a 100 mile limit on his racing activities (sincwe sorted by one of our advertisers). Here's another solution. In this report from Duckworks a 200 mile race, but check out the boats. Maybe we just need smaller cheaper boats and don't bother to insure them?

The Texas200, 2010

By Bill Moffitt, Stone Mountain, Georgia - USA

I am unsure how many reports on the 2010 Texas 200 will finally be put up on the net, but I will probably read, and enjoy, them all. I do know that Tom Pamperin is writing it up, and as a result, I choose not to offer anything that can be compared to his superlative efforts.

This will not be a report on the Texas 200, but a musing on my experience and realizations as the event unfolded. The OBX130, held one month earlier, has some bearing on this as well. I am 63 years old. My son Sean is 23, just graduated from Warren-Wilson in N.C. and is going to Americore in August for a year. Son Paul is 33, married, and had his first child, daughter D'Arcy Bryn, with Cybele about 3 months ago. My daughter, Kathleen, is not a sailor, but if I did not mention her here, I would catch hell!

Sunset over Core Sound - The OBX 130

Paul conceived, organized, and orchestrated the OBX130. This was after he sailed the first Texas 200 with me on Embers Watch maiden voyage. After D'Arcy was born it looked like he would not make it to his own event, but my wife, Rebecca, stepped in, and Cybele, Paul's wife, allowed as he could go on down to North Carolina. This event has been reported on enough, but I want to emphasize what a great job Paul did in running that whole show. Where did this steady, rational, detail oriented person come from, what happened to my son Paul, and where is the POD?

Paul and me aboard Ember's Watch in the first Texas200.

Sean showed a surprising maturity at the OBX130 in turning back on the first day in his Michalak Piccup Squared because of rough conditions. I believe I would have gone on and been forced to capsize a couple of times before I realized what he knew early on. Despite having sailed 90 miles the year before in this boat, this year's conditions were just too much. Where did he get that insight? Not from me, obviously. And there goes the torch of common sense, passing on into his hands from mine! Sure is dark in here...

Sean at the help of Ember's Watch - The OBX 130

Paul happily remained home to care for D'Arcy while Sean and I flew to Texas for the 200. Let me tell you, this is the only way to go! Have somebody else (Chuck Leinweber) build a boat for you to use, equip it fully, pick you up at the airport, drive you down to the coast, and launch you onto the water! What a treat! And a Laguna no less, painted to perfection by Sandra with eyes and all. This was to be my boat to captain for a week with the help of Paul Hainey from Waukegan, Il. Paul drove down in his un-air conditioned Jeep to tow the Laguna down behind Chuck and the Caprice, Pearl.

My pimped out Laguna for the Texas200.

After a night spent in Chuck and Sandra's guest house, listening to the night frogs through open windows, we got our next clue to how special this trip might be. At the first stop sign leaving Chuck's house, and therefore at a relatively low speed, the Jeep's brake lines blew out and we rammed the Caprice full on! Pearl was pushed forward 10 to 12 inches, but suffered no damage at all. Paul's Jeep got two dents under it's head lights. Imagine if this had happened a bit later at 55 MPH and in a different situation. Someone might have had to spread our ashes at Paul's Mott and Army Hole in memorium!

With brake lines replaced, we carried on to Port Mansfield and arrived about midnight. Spent the night camping at the boat ramp and got launched the next morning. Bullet No. 2 got dodged when Chuck and I towed Laurent across the channel to his dock. The Caprice was coming in a bit too fast, about to hit the dock, so I braced up on the bow to fend off. At just the right time, I put out my right foot to absorb the shock and pushed on thin air! Chuck had put the motor in reverse, the dock hand pushed the bow off from the dock, and I fell straight down, executing a split with the bow between my legs and hitting the dock edge with my ribs and elbow. My neck got wrenched, my elbow cut and bruised (still sore 2 weeks later!), but no broken ribs thanks to my PFD! Wear that PFD guys, too much is never enough! We shall not discuss the splits... Alleve and a nights rest with a bed and air conditioning got me right enough to carry on.

Paul Haynie aboard Chuck's Laguna

(Bad things happen in threes they say, and Paul Haynie caught the third one. He had to drop out at the PIYC due to a case of hives brought on by who knows what combined with too much sun. I was impressed with Paul's tenatiousness given his physical limitations. He is one tough dude!)

It was pretty much down hill (wind?) from here on. Sean and Andrew built their Laguna Sinko on the beach in 5 hours! I had planned to help him to make sure he did it right, but he did it without me. Sean sailed that boat with a couple of different people and did so faster than almost any other boat in the fleet. I did not get to tell him how to do it nor make suggestions as to how to do it better; they were always way ahead of me! He did manage to dismast the Laguna Cinco at one point, so maybe I still have SOME influence on him. He got yelled at by Andrew (not unique!) but set that to rights without my input, did the entire Texas 200, and watched his work go up in smoke. Somewhere there is a second POD hidden away!

Laguna Sinko goes up in smoke.

The final blow was something Chuck said. He pointed out that I did not speak to my sons as some fathers do. I apparently do not correct them, tell them what to do, nor deride them. That is when I realized the transition was pretty much complete. Sailing in general, the OBX130, and the Texas 200 in particular, have capped the road to maturation for my little boys. I am sure I will miss them if I ever slow down enough enjoying the two men they have become.

Un Abrazo,
Bill Moffitt
S/V Embers Watch

Med Cup

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 08:05:00 +1200

22 Jul 2010

Quantum Racing and Madrid - Caser Seguros lead in Barcelona

Quantum Racing lead the TP52 Series after the first day of racing, while Madrid - Caser Seguros' s perfect hat trick of wins sees them top the GP42 leaderboard.

Quantum Racing (USA) emerged as overall leaders of the Camper Regatta - Conde de Godó Trophy - Barcelona after opening with two fifth places and a second on what proved an especially testing first day of racing as the Audi MedCup Circuit competes for the first time ever off the Catalan capital.

As an introduction to a new venue nothing was gained easily in the moderate 9-13 knots NE'ly breezes. With the start line set directly in front of where the Olympic village was for the 1992 Olympic Games, relatively close to the shore, there was an awkward choppy sea kicked back off the beach to contend with. The variable cloud cover moved the wind around from time to time, the breeze varied in strength across the course and the racing for the most part was extremely close with small errors punished heavily in the intense competition.

The Quantum Racing team came back to the dock at the city's Moll de la Fusta, greeted by huge crowds. After a long day on the water the 2008 Audi MedCup champions looked mildly frazzled but content to have stuck within their budgeted 12 points for the day which leaves them leading by only one point from a trio comprising Emirates Team New Zealand in second, Artemis (SWE) in third and Bribón (ESP) in fourth, whilst Cristabella (GBR) lies fifth.

Hat trick in GP42 Series
In the GP42 Series Madrid Caser Seguros (ESP) kept up a perfect score through all three races in spite of the loss of skipper Jose Maria van der Ploeg. The 1992 Finn Olympic gold medallist had to miss out the opening race of the series off his home city after sustaining an ankle injury before the start.

As if to highlight how hard it was to stay regular in these conditions, in the TP52 fleet, Britain's Cristabella took second in the first race, won the second race and then rode the rollercoaster down to an 11th in the third. Three different boats won races.

After weak openings in Cascais and Marseille, Emirates Team New Zealand seemed to despatch any talk of a first day hoodoo when they won the first race, profiting when early leaders Bribón let them squeeze inside them at the leeward gate.

In the third race the all-Italian Luna Rossa team read the top of the first beat to perfection and lead Quantum Racing across the finish line to post their first win of their Audi MedCup Circuit TP52 campaign.

In the light of losing out the first planned day of racing there will now be no Coastal Race at this regatta.

GP42's: three wins for Madrid - Caser Seguros
Despite losing tactician Jose Maria van der Ploeg (ESP) to an ankle injury just prior to Race 1 today, Madrid Caser-Seguros (ESP) led by helmsman Paolo Cian (ITA) took the early regatta lead. With a perfect 1-1-1, the team built a solid five point cushion over Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (ESP).

Van der Ploeg had to be taken by RIB off the boat pre-start and the team substituted sailing coach Carlos Llamas.

The unusual big wave, light breeze conditions put a premium on teamwork as well as raw speed, and today Madrid Caser-Seguros showed supremacy in both.

"We worked hard to optimize our weight, rig, and sail settings," said Cian, "and today it paid off. We had the speed when we needed it, and there were a few situations when it was critical."

Today's three wins vaults them up into being tied in points but taking the lead in the tie-break with Islas Canarias Puerto Calero for the overall series standings.

Quotes of the day:

Terry Hutchinson (USA), skipper helm Quantum Racing (USA):
"Consistency is the key here for sure. The middle race was a little frustrating for us because we lost two boats within a hundred metres of the finish line, and so that was hard race because we had sailed really, really well. But then in the last race, Ado, Kevin, Tom and all the guys did really nice work and we battled. One of the things we talked about as a team is that if you go 1,1,2 and then 9,10, then the 1,1.2's don't really do a lot for you. So our goal for the day was to come out with 12 points or less and we did that."
"Oh man, it was really hard. The last race was 12-13, the middle race was about 11-13 and it was really, really lumpy. The NE'ly breeze was bouncing off the beach and the sea wall and we had a lot of chop and standing waves, and that on top of everything else when you are competing against really, really good sailors, you have to contend with that. But it is hard for everyone. But that is only one day and we enjoy that for a couple of minutes and move on to thinking about the next ones."

Ray Davies (NZL), tactician Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL):
" We had a good day today, we are happy with the day, one point off the lead at the end of the day. We'll take that any time. At the start of the day we obviously started really strong but in the last race we slipped back on the first run, losing a couple of boats there and that was sort of a turning point in that race for us."
"In these particular conditions everyone is going to have difficult tricky races, the big thing downwind is you can get a surge on a wave and the situation can change quite dramatically. We got on the wrong side of a couple down the first run of the last race and lost a couple of boats there."
"It's good to have a good first day, we haven't had a good first day all year yet."

Simon Fisher (GBR), navigator Cristabella (GBR):
" It was a pretty difficult day today, complicated with all the wind not a very typical Barcelona day really so there was a lot to think about, to try and manage in terms of the weather. We had gradient breeze and sea breeze a lot of clouds coming over the course. It was a tough day for the tacticians. Nevertheless we had a very good day. We had a second and a first, and unfortunately we couldn't sort of carry it through to the last one and didn't do as well in the final race but it was a good day performance."
"But we are out there in the hunt so that's our objective."

Jose Maria van der Ploeg (ESP), taken off Madrid Caser-Seguros (ESP):
"It's nothing really serious, but I think that leaving the boat [before racing] was the right call. We have to see how it evolves, but I'm pretty confident that I'll be able to sail tomorrow." Regarding the team's winning today without him: "It's been great. I think that's the best gift they could give me. I'm really happy!"

Paolo Cian (ITA) helmsman Madrid Caser-Seguros (ESP):
"We worked hard to optimize our weight, rig, and sail settings, and today it paid off. We had the speed when we needed it, and there were a few situations when it was critical."

Camper Regatta - Conde de Godó Trophy - Barcelona

TP52 Series
Day 2
1. Quantum Racing (USA), 5+5+2= 12 points
2. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), 1+4+8= 13
3. Artemis (SWE), 7+2+4= 13
4. Bribón (ESP), 3+3+7= 13
5. Cristabella (GBR), 2+1+11= 14
6. TeamOrigin (GBR), 10+6+3= 19
7. Luna Rossa (ITA), 9+11+1= 21
8. Matador (ARG), 4+9+9= 22
9. Synergy (RUS), 6+10+6= 22
10. Audi A1 powered by ALL4ONE (FRA/GER), 12(DNC)+8+5= 25
11. Bigamist 7 (POR), 8+7+10= 25

GP42 Series
Day 1
1. Madrid - Caser Seguros (ESP), 1+1+1= 3 points
2. Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (ESP), 2+4+2= 8
3. Iberdrola (ESP), 3+2+3= 8
4. AIRISESSENTIAL (ITA), 4+3+5= 12
5. Península Petroleum (GBR), 5+5+4= 14

Quantum Racing emerged as overall leaders of the Camper Regatta - Conde de Godó Trophy - Barcelona after opening with two fifth places and a second on what proved an especially testing first day of racing as the Audi MedCup Circuit competes for the first time ever off the Catalan capital.

As an introduction to a new venue nothing was gained easily in the moderate 9-13 knots easterly breezes. With the start line set directly in front of where the Olympic village was for the 1992 Olympic Games, relatively close to the shore, there was an awkward choppy kicked back off the shore to contend with, the variable cloud cover moved the wind around from time to time, the wind varied in strength across the course, and the racing for the most part was extremely close.

The Quantum Racing team came back to the dock at the city's Moll de la Fusta, greeted by huge crowds. After a long day in the water the 2008 Audi MedCup champions looked mildly frazzled but content to have stuck within their budgeted 12 points for the day which leaves them leading by only one point from a trio comprising Emirates Team New Zealand in second, Artemis (SWE) in third and Bribon (ESP) in fourth, whilst Cristabella (GBR) lies fifth.

In the GP42 Series Madrid Caser Seguros (ESP) kept up a perfect score through all three races in spite of the loss of skipper Jose Maria van der Ploeg. The 1992 Finn Olympic gold medallist had to miss out the opening race of the series off his home city after sustaining an ankle injury.

As if to highlight how hard it was to stay regular in these conditions in the TP52 fleet, Britain's Cristabella took second in the first race, won the second race and then rode the rollercoaster down to an 11th in the third. Three different boats won races.

Emirates Team New Zealand despatched any talk of a first day hoodoo after weak openings in Cascais and Marseille when they won the first race, profiting when early leaders Bribon let them squeeze inside them at the leeward gate.

In the third race the all-Italian Luna Rossa team read the top of the first beat to perfection and lead Quantum Racing across the finish line to post their first win of their Audi MedCup Circuit TP52 campaign.

GP42, three wins for Madrid Caser-Seguros
Despite losing tactician Jose Maria van der Ploeg (ESP) to an ankle injury just prior to Race 1 today, Madrid Caser-Seguros (ESP) led by helmsman Paolo Cian (ITA) took the early regatta lead. With a perfect 1-1-1, the team built a solid five point lead over Iberdrola (ESP), led by skipper Laureano Wizner (ESP).

Van der Ploeg had to be taken by RIB off the boat pre-start and the team substituted sailing coach Carlos Llamas.

The unusual big wave, light breeze conditions put a premium on teamwork as well as raw speed, and today Madrid Caser-Seguros showed supremacy in both.

"We worked hard to optimize our weight, rig, and sail settings," said Cian, "and today it paid off. We had the speed when we needed it, and there were a few situations when it was critical."

Today's three wins vaults them up into being tied in points but taking the lead in the tie-break with Islas Canarias Puerto Calero for the overall series standings.

Quotes:
Terry Hutchinson (USA) - skipper helm - Quantum Racing (USA): "Consistency is the key here for sure. The middle race was a little frustrating for us because we lost two boats within a hundred metres of the finish line, and so that was hard race because we had sailed really, really well. But then in the last race, Ado, Kevin, Tom and all the guys did really nice work and we battled. One of the things we talked about as a team is that if you go 1,1,2 and then 9,10, then the 1,1.2's don't really do a lot for you. So our goal for the day was to come out with 12 points or less and we did that."
"Oh man, it was really hard. The last race was 12-13, the middle race was about 11-13 and it was really, really lumpy. The NE'ly breeze was bouncing off the beach and the sea wall and we had a lot of chop and standing waves, and that on top of everything else when you are competing against really, really good sailors, you have to contend with that. But it is hard for everyone. But that is only one day and we enjoy that for a couple of minutes and move on to thinking about the next ones."

Ray Davies (NZ), tactician onboard ETNZ (NZ):
" We had a good day today, we are happy with the day, one point off the lead at the end of the day. We'll take that any time. At the start of the day we obviously started really strong but in the last race we slipped back on the first run, losing a couple of boats there and that was sort of a turning point in that race for us."
"In these particular conditions everyone is going to have difficult tricky races, the big thing downwind is you can get a surge on a wave and the situation can change quite dramatically. We got on the wrong side of a couple down the first run of the last race and lost a couple of boats there."
"It's good to have a good first day, we haven't had a good first day all year yet."

Simon Fisher (GBR), navigator Cristabella (GBR):
" It was a pretty difficult day today, complicated with all the wind not a very typical Barcelona day really so there was a lot to think about, to try and manage in terms of the weather. We had gradient breeze and sea breeze a lot of clouds coming over the course. It was a tough day for the tacticians. Nevertheless we had a very good day. We had a second and a first, and unfortunately we couldn't sort of carry it through to the last one and didn't do as well in the final race but it was a good day performance."
"But we are out there in the hunt so that's our objective."

Jose Maria van der Ploeg, taken off Madrid Caser-Seguros (ESP):
"It's nothing really serious, but I think that leaving the boat [before racing] was the right call. We have to see how it evolves, but I'm pretty confident that I'll be able to sail tomorrow." Regarding the team's winning today without him: "It's been great. I think that's the best gift they could give me. I'm really happy!"

Paolo Cian (ITA) helmsman Madrid Caser-Seguros (ESP) - "We worked hard to optimize our weight, rig, and sail settings," said Cian, "and today it paid off. We had the speed when we needed it, and there were a few situations when it was critical."

Camper Regatta - Conde de Godó Trophy - Barcelona

TP52 Series
Day 2
1. Quantum Racing (USA), 5+5+2= 12 points
2. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), 1+4+8= 13
3. Artemis (SWE), 7+2+4= 13
4. Bribón (ESP), 3+3+7= 13
5. Cristabella (GBR), 2+1+11= 14
6. TeamOrigin (GBR), 10+6+3= 19
7. Luna Rossa (ITA), 9+11+1= 21
8. Matador (ARG), 4+9+9= 22
9. Synergy (RUS), 6+10+6= 22
10. Audi A1 powered by ALL4ONE (FRA/GER), 12(DNC)+8+5= 25
11. Bigamist 7 (POR), 8+7+10= 25

Holy Crap Batman

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 21:52:00 +1200

At first I wasn't sure this was real, but it appears so, here it is in an English newspaper:

Forty-ton whale lands on yacht during Cape Town sailing trip

A couple who took a yacht for a quiet sailing trip were stunned when a 40-ton whale crash-landed on their boat off Cape Town.

Here's Des

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 21:29:00 +1200

Little America's Cup

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 08:11:00 +1200

July 20, 2010 - MISC - SailTube

Team Invictus UK training

Team Invictus training for the last time in Weymouth UK before shipping Invictus to Newport RI USA for the International C-Class Catamaran Championship 22nd-28th Aug 2010. Wind speed 12-13kn.

Paul Larsen and Gordon Kaiser sailing the boat.

Med Cup

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 08:07:00 +1200

20 Jul 2010

Audi A1 number 1 on Practice Day in Barcelona

TeamOrigin lead on the water from gun to gun chased by Emirates Team New Zealand but both chose to hook the wrong way round the finish line leaving the finish gun to AudiA1 powered by ALL4ONE

When they turned round the wrong side of the finish line, bowing to superstitions or not, TeamOrigin (GBR) and Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL) had done enough to prove during today's official TP52 Practice Race that they should be contenders in the light breezes which are expected for the Regata Camper - Conde de Godó Trophy - Barcelona.

Racing in less than 10 knots of gentle sea breeze the British TP52 helmed by four times Olympic medallist Ben Ainslie (GBR) was more than one minute ahead at the finish, after gaining on each successive leg, but they turned back upwind through the finish line, as did the Kiwi reigning champions - both registering DNF's - leaving AudiA1 powered by ALL4ONE (GER/FRA) to take the winner's gun.

The practice race played out pretty much in line with the expectations which have been voiced around Barcelona's Moll de la Fusta dockside over recent days: this will be a close regatta, the TP52's will be very even in speed in the lighter winds, and anyone who gets off the start line and around the first turning mark in the top two or three has a good chance of holding on.

Today it was TeamOrigin which got the early jump, after another sharp start from the British crew who were able to get to the favoured right, inshore side early along with Bribón (ESP). The Spanish boat lost a little on the first run when TeamOrigin gybed off earlier into a favourable shift, but Bribón were in touch until the second beat when the clew-patch on their new headsail gave way and they were forced to quickly hoist a replacement.

It was a day when it was easier for the leader to profit and one which life among the main pack was very even and hard to make gains. As if to illustrate this on the finish line only eight seconds separated fourth placed Quantum Racing (USA) and ninth placed Cristabella (GBR).

The consensus is that this will be a long, intense and hard fought regatta in light winds and high daytime temperatures, and with up to 12 races it could prove pivotal as we pass theoretical half way mark of the 2010 season here.

Quotes:
Iain Percy (GBR), tactician TeamOrigin 1851 (GBR): "It was only the practice race. It was fine and hopefully we are improving but we just keep learning about the boat and this is only Day 15 with the boat, so we are learning a little bit every day and trying to catch up on TP52 knowledge. You never know in the practice race who is using and who is using full race kit, so you can't take too much from it. But we had a good day yesterday as well. I don't think have any real weaknesses, but everyone is going at a similar speed, you take little bits when you can."
At this stage what's the balance of importance between trying to win a regatta and trying to get further up the leaderboard?
"Of course the two things are linked to each other, but I think this is a pretty important regatta personally. I think it is light wind regatta and so points can be high. And probably with more than 10 races, because they are trying to catch up, this is going to be a really big event for all of the boats. You always try to treat every race as it comes in. You never started taking unnecessary risks until the last regatta of the season. But it is at the back of your mind, and personally I think that this is going to be a pretty important tunring point in the season."

Dean Barker (NZL), skipper-helm Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL):
"It's going to be very difficult and tricky, especially around the start line, just getting clean away, and getting a bit of the line. Off the start is going to be sort of the key to having a good result, and I think if you can do that well, consistently well, you will be in a good position to win the regatta."
" With this wind boats are going pretty much the same speed, and it comes down to starting well and having a good game plan for the first beat."
" I think if you get round the top mark in the top two or three, normally the race is straight forward from there but if you are back in the pack a little bit it's a real battle."
"This is actually not a venue where many people have really sailed that much so learning the conditions is very hard and I think across the boats in general there's not many people with experience sailing here."

Audi MedCup Circuit 2010

TP52 Series
Practice Race
1. Audi A1 powered by ALL4ONE (FRA/GER)
2. Matador (ARG), +00:18secs
3. Artemis (SWE), +00:26
4. Quantum Racing (USA), +00:57
5. Bigamist 7 (POR), +00:59
6. Synergy (RUS), +01:01
7. Bribón (ESP), +01:03
8. Luna Rossa (ITA), +01:04
9. Cristabella (GBR), +01:05
10. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), DNF
11. TeamOrigin (GBR), DNF