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XS Racing is a Racing Organization and a Daily Online News Source for the High Performance Sailor
Visit Several Times Each Day for Your Daily Sailing News as it Breaks!
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Wednesday, 3/10/10 - Check out this interview with team design coordinator, Ian "Fresh" Burns on the BMW Oracle blog talking about the technology that helped BMW Oracle win the 33rd America's Cup in Valencia.
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Wednesday, 3/10/10 - Day 3 of the the Moth Class World Championship saw shifty 8 - 10 knots of breeze and calm seas. Many boats foiled and stretched their wings along the Dubai coast.
Race 5 started in 10 knots of wind and was dominated by Arnaud P as he vied for top stop at every mark. Laser racer Brad Funk however keep his cool and challenged, finally taking line honors after a 40 minute race.
Race 6 had a slight change of wind direction and a couple of knots lost. Dalton Bergan dominated the fleet during every leg rounding first on nearly every mark and gate.
Race 7 saw Martin Gravare push the gun to the limit. AMac however dictacted to the fleet where he should be at the first windward leg. However Arnaud P took the mantel at the end of the race.
Simon Payne is in the overall lead, with Funk in second. Check out the highlight reel!
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Wednesday, 3/10/10 - American-based Kiwi Gavin Brady and his largely international team of Latin Rascals took the fight to host Emirates Team New Zealand in their Louis Vuitton Trophy race today, only to lose after a gear failure.
Brady, with American tactician Morgan Larson calling the shots, pulled off a risky pre-start strategy against skipper Dean Barker on the New Zealand boat, pushing ETNZ deep into the start box after a dialup but breaking clear with immaculate timing to grab the start he wanted - a port tack cross at speed, right at the committee boat.
Minutes later as they came back together, Brady had a two boat-length advantage that he parlayed into a 22 second lead at the first weather mark. Down the run, the New Zealanders split away and Brady let them go, only to concede the right side of the course when they rounded opposite gates starting the second beat.
Brady's lead had evaporated but the fight had just started. Half way up the weather leg Mascalzone barely had her nose in front as they sailed into a building breeze when the jib came crashing down. "That was our race to win," said Brady. "And a tough way to lose!"
Out on the Waitemata Harbour today, the wait for a good breeze stretched out to three hours but the competitors were rewarded with superb sailing conditions under a bright sunny sky. The sea breeze filled in from the southwest, starting at five to seven knots and building during the afternoon to nearly 15 knots before softening a little in the late afternoon.
The boats raced on 1.2-mile legs on the black course, bounded by the Devonport shore and the natural grandstand of North Head on one side and Bastion Point on the other. Spectators high on North Head were rewarded with birds-eye views of the competition. Photo Paul Todd.
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Wednesday, 3/10/10 - We're a little late on this one, but we'll post anyway as it signifies the potential end of a brutally ugly chapter in America's Cup history.
Société Nautique de Genève writes to the Golden Gate Yacht Club requesting that - for the good of the sport - the GGYC agrees to end all litigation concerning the 33rd America's Cup and all prior Cups...
The SNG reiterates that it stands ready to withdraw its challenges to the Deed compliance of GGYC's boat, and to exchange a mutual release regarding all claims arising out of the 33rd America's Cup and all prior Cups. To read the letter in full, please click here.
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Wednesday, 3/10/10 - The current phase of the Jules Verne trophy round the world attempt off of the Brazilian coast isn't the easiest section of this journey, with a mass of storm squalls making it difficult to anticipate the trajectory. Navigator Stan Honey, in collaboration with the onshore router Sylvain Mondon, is constantly having to adapt Groupama 3's course in order to extract her from this zone and finally make it through to the tradewinds to the North of the 22° parallel. Read more here.
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MOVING PICTURES
Wednesday, 3/10/10 - DesTopNews N°10 for the week commencing March 8th. Good reporting about all the sailing news of the day.
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MOVING PICTURES
Wednesday, 3/10/10 - Check out this breakdown of one of the matches from day 2 of the Louis Vuitton Trophy. Good stuff.
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MOVING PICTURES
Wednesday, 3/10/10 - Here is some footage we've seen before of a variety of speed machines from windsurfing, multis and monos at the Grand Prix Petit Navire in France. But what is more relevant now, after the the America's Cup last February, is the up close view at the beginning of the video of just how well canted foils work on Banque Populaire 3. BMW ORACLE had new generation foils aboard during the racing but the wind was not strong enough to show off how well these foils can lift the leeward hull up and off the water...the future for the next generation of racing and cruising multihulls will no doubt take foils to the next level. Check it out.
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Tuesday, 3/9/10 - Azzurra, 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.
Italian skipper and helmsman Francesco Bruni snatched a victory from Britain's three-time Olympic gold medalist 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.
"Azzurra sailed a good race today, they seem to have a knack of overtaking us which is getting very frustrating!" Ainslie said. "We were fully in contention at the top mark and tried to hold them up, we were unfortunately set up for a gybe set and they were set up for a straight hoist which allowed them to gain some distance."
Read more here. Photo Paul Todd/outsideimages.co.nz | Louis Vuitton Trophy, Auckland - New Zealand.
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Tuesday, 3/9/10 - Here's what the team from Mascalzone Latino Audi Team had to say about the first day of the Louis Vuitton Trophy Auckland.
No one on board Mascalzone Latino Audi Team thought that the first race would be easy. The French-German team led by Schuemann, a three time Olympic gold medalist and one time silver, and with the "enfant terrible" Sebastien Col at the helm, won the race by choosing the right side of the course.
Mascalzone Latino managed very well the handicap of having to enter the start box on port tack, by entering aggressively yet without risking a penalty. It was a split tack start, with Mascalzone Latino Audi Team going for the left side of the course, where the current from Rangitoto Canal is weaker. All4One started at the Committee end, choosing the right side of the course.
Mascalzone Latino was in advantage over All4One for the first part of the upwind leg, until the wind rotated to the right side of the course. At the first mark, Mascalzone Latino was trailing 19 seconds, which stretched to 44 seconds on the finish line. A real shame, considering the flawless maneuvering of the crew, showing that a good chemistry has been rapidly achieved on board.
Race results do not follow certain rules, tomorrow is another day. Every team will see victories and defeats - sometimes inevitable and sometimes unexpected. Mascalzone Latino will have to face the All Blacks of sailing, the New Zealanders of Emirates Team New Zealand.
The other matches of the day saw ETNZ over Artemis, while Azzurra overtook the British of Team Origin. The last race between the Russians of Synergy and the French of Aleph started after 19:00pm, illuminated by a splendid sunset over the bay of Auckland. The French had an unexpected win over the Russians
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Tuesday, 3/9/10 - There should be 60 skippers taking off from La Rochelle on Tuesday the 4th of May 2010 for the Mini Pavois; a qualifying race for the 2011 Charente-Maritime/Bahia Transat 6.50 (Mini Transat) for which the entry list will open next December.
The Mini Pavois is the third race on the Atlantic coast of the Classe Mini season 2010, after the Demi-Clé 6.50 and the Select 6.50, and will be the longest regatta of the season, with 800 nautical miles to travel.
This sixth edition of the Mini Pavois - organized by Grand Pavois Organization - will head south with a 300 miles crossing of the Bay of Biscay and a stopover in Gijón (Asturias, Spain) and a 500 miles journey back to the Rochelle via southern Brittany.
Check out the blog here.
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Tuesday, 3/9/10 - Day one of the Puma International Moth Worlds conditions proved to be difficult with the fleet spreading far and wide across the horizon. Many struggled to foil, resulting in those that could taking the lead as the wind filled in from the right. Weight and foiling were definately a huge factor in finishing places. Sail World has got the full story. Photo Th Martinez.
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Tuesday, 3/9/10 -With a little over 5,000 miles left before reaching Ushant, the virtual separation between Groupama 3 and Orange 2 has been yo-yo-ing for the past three days. The giant trimaran has picked up her average speed since escaping the zone of high pressure, while five years ago the maxi-catamaran and current record holder Orange 2, was just beginning to make laborious headway close to the Brazilian coast. To keep track of Groupama 3 as they try and become the fastest boat to circle the globe, click here.
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MOVING PICTURES
Tuesday, 3/9/10 - In this brief talk, Saul Griffith unveils the invention his new company Makani Power has been working on: giant kite turbines that create surprising amounts of clean, renewable energy...and kite-powered cats doing 30 knots.
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MOVING PICTURES
Tuesday, 3/9/10 - Everyone's checking out the LV Trophy in NZ. Here's a cool video including Terry Hutchinson and Paul Cayard talking about the Artemis team.
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HOME MOVIES
Tuesday, 3/9/10 - Here is a HOME MOVIE and description from Astrid at the UAE Nationals:
"Wow, moth sailing is exciting. I have never seen it live before so we went to have a look at the first day of the Moth UAE Nationals. Apparently spectators are not common because the DOSC (Dubai offshore sailing club) security guy at the gate did not know what to do with 'spectators'. But after a call with his manager he allowed us to pay an entry fee and get in.
We arrived while race 2 was in progress in the unusual Dubai winds of around 20 knots. Moths were flying out of my camera frame fast and crashing into the water even faster, which gave a spectacular sight. Unfortunately the race was stopped soon after our arrival."
The Puma 2010 Moth International World Championships started 8th March. See news and info at http://www.dosc.ae/moth-news/
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Monday, 3/8/10 - Louis Vuitton Trophy teams drew for race pairings at a press conference and cocktail evening at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron last night, ahead of the first day of competition today.
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 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 good 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 boat.
"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 harbor'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 yesterday.
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. Photo Bob Grie | Louis Vuitton Trophy
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Monday, 3/8/10 - City officials and members of Alameda's sailing and business communities are banding together in an effort to help bring the America's Cup sailing race to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2013, a move they hope will lift the Island's profile and generate cash for city and commercial coffers. Read the story here.
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Monday, 3/8/10 - Another glorious day of Melges 32 racing at the Miami Grand Prix has concluded leaving Jean-Francois Cruette (La Rochelle, France) on Teasing Machine as Champion of the Melges 32 division in sunny Miami, Fla. Of the ten races completed, Cruette won four and never scored worse than an eleventh.
"We love these conditions. Great conditions. We had great boat speed and very good tactics," commented Cruette. In second and third, tied for points was John Porter (Lake Geneva, Wisc.) on Full Throttle and Jeff Ecklund (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) on STAR. Read more here. Photo Joy Dunigan
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Monday, 3/8/10 - Over 2,500 sailors and their friends enjoyed spectacular sailing conditions, a variety of courses and diverse entertainment during the four-night and three-day 30th Annual Heineken Regatta. Read Lynn Fitzpatrick's full report here.
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