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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, September 9 - 2009 - After two days of racing in the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2009 the leaders of the five classifications remain unchanged: Jean Charles' Decaux's J One (GBR) in the Wally division; Patrizio Bertelli's Luna Rossa (ITA) in the Mini Maxi Racing; Michael Cotter's Whisper (IRL) in Mini Maxi Cruising/Racing; Filippo Faruffini's Roma - Aniene (ITA) in Racing/Cruising; and Velsheda (GBR) in the Cruising/Spirit of Tradition division. The various divisions in the 42 boat fleet were assigned two different courses of 39 and 47 miles in approximately 15 to 20 knots of north-easterly wind and choppy seas today.
Organizers the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda decided on a course for the Cruising/Spirit of Tradition, Mini Maxi Racing/Cruising and Racing/Cruising divisions which took them from the start off the Gulf of Pevero through the strait between the Isola delle Bisce island and Capo Ferro head. The fleet then sailed past the island of Caprera and Spargi before heading as far north as the Corsican island of Lavezzi and turning east to leave Razzoli and Santa Maria to starboard. The last leg of the course brought the three divisions south around the outskirts of the archipelago, past Monaci island and to the finish off Porto Cervo.
The Mini Maxi Racing and Wally divisions followed almost the same course but continued south from Monaci to round Mortoriotto before heading back north to the same finish line off Porto Cervo for a total of 47 nautical miles.
Claus Peter Offen's Y3K (GER) took corrected time victory in the Wally division in today's race and was followed by J One and Thomas Bscher's Open Season (GER). Luna Rossa, who took her second bullet today and has VOR veteran Torben Grael (BRA) aboard, was followed in the Mini Maxi Racing division by Niklas Zennstrom's Ran (GBR) and the American team aboard Bella Mente, owned by Hap Fauth (Newport, R.I.). Whisper also took her second bullet in the Mini Maxi Racing/Cruising division followed by Brian Benjamin's Aegir (GBR) and H20, owned by Riccardo De Michele (ITA). The Racing/Cruising division saw both Roma - Aniene, with Vasco Vascotto calling tactics, and Danilo Salsi's DSK (ITA) repeat yesterday's performances, arriving first and second, respectively, with Varsovie (CAY) in third. The Spirit of Tradition division saw the classic J Class yacht Velsheda (GBR) continue her domination, finishing ahead of Hetairos (CAY) and Visione (GER). Karl Kwok's Beau Geste (HKG), a true racing yacht, was the fastest yacht around the 39 mile course with a time of 2 hours and 55 minutes.
Racing is scheduled to continue today, 9th September at 11.30 a.m. with windward-leeward races scheduled for the Mini Maxi Racing division and a long Islands Race scheduled for the remaining classes. The weather forecast predicts continuing north easterly winds of 18 to 20 knots. Story by Jill Campbell - photo courtesy of Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2009.
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Tuesday, September 8th - 2009 - After spending ten months in one of the technical sheds of the racing stable created by Baron Benjamin de Rothschild back in 2000, Gitana 11 slunk out of the shadows late yesterday morning to unveil the refit and float the much antipated 77-foot trimaran Gitana 11.
Besides the 17-foot elongation, Gitana 11 concept has been totally rethought with a view to participating in the Route du Rhum 2010. Equipped with brand new floats with inverted bows and an extended central hull she is now a multihull which is entirely dedicated to solo sailing, as the recent deck fittings bear witness (protective pods for the helming stations on each side of the cockpit).
"It's a big day for the Gitana Team and to see Gitana 11 in the water is massively satisfying," said skipper Yann Guichard. "The boat is elegant and her new lines really suit her. We were very much looking forward to the moment she hit the water as that's when you get a first impression of her. Up until that point, even though the studies were in-depth, it was all simply virtual. Today, it's something concrete: the boat is in the water and after a few tests alongside the pontoon tomorrow to check the structural solidity of the platform and mast, we'll be able to perform our first tacks on her."
Retaining her original name as a mark of respect for the history and the number of miles already covered, this new maxi-trimaran is likely to head out to sea for the first time this week.
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Tuesday, September 8th - 2009 - While the Mini Transat or La Charente-Martine/Bahia Transat as it is now known usually keeps the entry limited to 84, they have made an exception and allowed Fabien Meyer to be the 85th entry of the famous race across the Atlantic in 21-foot boats.
Meyer was the only one name left in the pre-registered list. He was qualified and ready to leave - was in the starting-blocks but for lack of entry available he could not depart.
Then in a collective decision taken by GPO, the Marine authorities and the Classe Mini officials decided to enable the sailor to be part of the game and line up Sunday the 13th of September aboard his Pogo 1.
"I am really thrilled by this news," Meyer said. "That is awesome! We have been doing several odd jobs on the boat and she will be ready to leave tomorrow. Then, I will rush to the security controls and all that stuff… It's great!"
The entry list now consists of 36 prototypes and 49 production boats for the start of the race.
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Tuesday, September 8th - 2009 - Australian adventurer and solo round the world sailor, Don McIntyre and Mike Perham, the world's youngest solo circumnavigator, are preparing for a 4,000-mile re-enactment 221 years after Capt William Bligh and his supporting crew were forced into an open-boat by the mutineering crew on HMS Bounty and successfully sailed from Tonga to Timor in the Pacific. Here's what they will and won't be taking...
Navigation Equipment
18th century octant and sextant, two 18th century pocket watches, nautical tables, boat compass, telescope, rope knot meter, lead line, ink pens and ink, note books, log book, magnifying glass. No charts allowed, no modern watches, no nautical almanac, and no compass light.
Clothing and Personal Kit
Each crew
Sun hat, warm hat, expedition shirt, expedition long pants, tough shorts, thermal top, thermal pants, waterproof shoes, Gore-tex weather jacket and pants, sheep skin, inflatable life-jacket/ safety harness with knife torch and strobe, 406-GPS POB.
No Flashlights, no iPod no Books
Bounty Boat will set off with the same weight of food and water that Bligh had when he was cast adrift from the Bounty.
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Friday, September 4 - 2009 - The folks at G Force Yachts are working hard on building awareness for the X-Treme 25 sportboat. Check the vid...
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Tuesday, September 8th - 2009 - Three more races were fired off at the 2009 Melges 32 North American Championship, hosted by the Sausalito Yacht Club leaving Don Jesberg (San Francisco, Calif.) on USA-162 Viva the overnight leader. "I've been around this race track so many times. Today, we played the game pretty conservatively. Stayed middle of the course the whole way and had enough speed to hang in there,' said Jesberg after racing. "I've got a really good group on the boat. We're having so much fun."
John Kilroy (San Francisco, Calif.) on USA-13131 Samba Pa Ti (pictured) slipped to second place, only out of first by one point. Stephen Pugh (San Francisco, Calif.) on USA-158 Taboo is holding steady in third.
Racing commenced on time under clear skies, sunshine, temps in the low 70s, relatively flat water and light air conditions. From the moment the race committee said go, Jesberg’s Viva team looked confident putting their home turf knowledge to good use. Andy Lovell (New Orleans, La.) on USA-136 Rougarou edged out Jesberg at the first weather mark, Philippe Kahn (San Francisco, Calif.) on USA-166 Pegasus 32 rounded third. Jesberg was quick to jibe for clean air on the downwind run ultimately taking the lead. Through the gate, Jesberg rounded first, Kahn moved up for second and Lovell shuffled back to third. Jesberg led the charge to the finish, his Melges 32 was like a rocket for the win. Easily the fleet was clocking 15-18 knots downwind. Kilroy was second and Pugh finished third.
The second race of the day was all Pugh. Some of the tightest racing seen yet at the NAC took place in race two. After an awesome start off the line, Pugh's Taboo team got out front and stayed out front to take the win. Lovell landed his best finish thus far in the regatta series placing second, Jesberg was third, Kilroy fourth, Kahn fifth and Swartz was sixth, all crossing the finish line within a matter of seconds.
Jesberg continued his quest for total Melges 32 domination in race three. He punched off the line with Jim Swartz (Edgartown, Mass.) on USA-007 Q to weather and Pugh to leeward ever challenging for the lead. The Viva team was strong and persistent. They called the shots and got ahead fast. From the first weather mark to the finish, Jesberg simply refused to relinquish his lead taking the win by a substantial margin. Lovell placed second and Swartz took third.
As usual, it's down-to-the-wire for the highly competitive Melges 32 North American Championship. Two more races are scheduled on Tuesday with more ideal conditions on tap. For results click here.
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Monday, September 7 2009 - l'Hydroptère has just crossed the mythical 50-knot barrier with an average speed of more than 51 knots over 500 meters. The data will be confirmed after the analysis of the measurements and will then be validated by the WSSRC. 25 knots of established wind and gusts at 28 knots were enough for l'Hydroptère to beat the absolute speed record. Photo Gilles Martin Raget.
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Monday, September 7 2009 - In some sailboat racing circles it's traditional to dunk the winners, but at the eighth annual 18' Skiff International Regatta hosted by the St. Francis Yacht Club the winners were the only ones who didn't get dunked.
Howie Hamlin, 56, of Long Beach, Calif. and his crew of Paul Allen, 34, and Matt Noble, 23, won it the hard way Friday by coming from behind in the 10th and last race to finish one point ahead of Australia's John (Woody) Winning. But mostly they did it by keeping their Harken-sponsored skiff right-side-up as everyone---everyone---else around them was doing tumbling acts in the toughest conditions of the five-day event.
When it's blowing a solid 20 to 25 knots with gusts to 28, as it was Friday, sailing an 18 is a high-wire act in a hurricane, and capsizing is part of the game. But Hamlin's team remained the only one of 13 that never flipped, certainly a factor in achieving his fifth win in this regatta.
Hamlin came into the day with a one-point lead, but Winning had two advantages: an edge in the tiebreaker by having won more races, plus a one-point edge on the second discard that would take effect after the ninth race.
So Hamlin almost needed to win both races because Winning likely wouldn't be far behind in either. Hamlin's was the first boat on the course, checking currents as well as wind directions, and he led by 30 seconds at the first mark near the Golden Gate Bridge, with Winning third.
For awhile Hamlin appeared to be running away, but Winning was flying away from everyone else into second place, and as the fleet approached the leeward mark Hamlin's lead vanished.
"They got a puff behind us and sagged down underneath us," Hamlin said. "There was really nothing we could do."
He slipped to third and soon regained second, but all he could do was to chase Yandoo around for the next two laps, cutting a one-minute gap to a final 20 seconds as Winning covered him tenaciously, putting the Australian one point ahead.
Now Hamlin needed not only to beat Winning in the last race but put one boat between them. But at that point there weren't many boats left. Only seven started, and only three of those finished: Hamlin, Trevor Barnabas and Winning, in that order.
On shore Hamlin said, "I've got to go over and thank Trevor," which he did.
Otherwise, all he could do was sail his own race as most of the others flipped out of contention. Finally, Winning lost it while bearing away as he set his blue spinnaker after the last windward mark.
"We were quicker than him downhill," Winning said, "but [the wind] was probably just too fresh for us. It was a couple of sensational rides."
"That's why we do it," Hamlin said. "It's always tough here . . . the ultimate in skiff sailing. You wake up in the morning stoked, like going to war."
"Like turning on a switch," Allen said.
Noble said, "The fact that we went through the whole week without flipping is incredible."
On the final downwind run before finishing upwind that was on their minds all the way. With all of their competition then far behind, Allen over trimmed the spinnaker to slow down and maximize stability.
So how does one avoid flipping an 18' Skiff when the wind gods crank up the steam?
"Mostly hard work," Hamlin said. "Any one of us could make it flip by doing the wrong thing. I've been doing it 12 years, and these guys grew up [in San Francisco] sailing in big breeze. They don't freak out, and we have good coordination and choreography and confidence in one another." Story Rich Roberts - photo Christophe Favreau.
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Monday, September 7 2009 - After several years in the Figaro class - Sam Davies participated on many occasions in the Solitaire du Figaro and the Transat AG2R - she joined the class IMOCA and has skippered Roxy since 2007. The 34-year old Brit has participated in The Calais Round Britain Race and established, with her crew, a new women's record. She then rushed to the Transat Ecover B to B between Brazil and Britain for her first single-handed transatlantic on board an Open 60 to qualify for the last Vendée Globe.
Samantha has agreed to be godmother of The Charente-Maritime/Bahia Transat 6.50 and she knows the race well since she did it in 2001, aboard her Proto No 276 Aberdeen Asset Management and was ranked 11th after 32 days and 22 hours at sea.
"I am very moved when I remember the Transat 6.50, it was my first open sea race, my first step towards a career as single-handed competitor. Being at the start was already a huge challenge because in Britain this race is not well known. To qualify was very complicated. When I arrived on the start line, it was already a first step and a first victory, I felt better. Then I could say it's a very tough race but it is fantastic. It was very hard because it was my first solo experience, I suffered a lot ... but the reward when you arrive in Salvador de Bahia is huge."
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Monday, September 7 2009 - Alinghi had mixed results yesterday - the final day of the HP Cup La Reserve - finishing the regatta in second place behind Okalys-Corum helmed by fellow Alinghi team member Loïck Peyron.The Alinghi D35 team still retains a two point lead in the overall season championship ranking. Alinghi.com asked Pierre-Yves Jorand, SUI1 trimmer, about the day:"It was another great day, the conditions were 8-14 northeasterly; so slightly more breeze than yesterday and a bit more shifty. We managed to get the full eight races in at La Reserve over the weekend, but today we had mixed results. In the first race of the day we got an 8th so, not great, then the second and third races went well with a 3rd and a 2nd place, but in the meantime our closest rival and fellow teammate Loïck Peyron was going very well with two 1sts. The last race of the day turned into a match race between us and Okalys and they did a bit better than us and won the event!"This means that the last event of the season, the GP Beau-Rivage Palace, from 18-20 September will be the decider, so very exciting!"
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Friday, September 4 - 2009 - Ullman Sails is proud to highlight the Custom Axis Laminate or CAL Sails a new generation of modern high tech laminates. This is a significant improvement in performance cruising sails over the traditional Dacron Sails offered for years by Sailmakers.
The CAL Sails offer Vectran load bearing yarns with polyester non-load bearing yarns laminated between light Dacron covers. This makes a very strong low stretch laminate. The Vectran yarns are orientated so that there are more threads in the leech than in the luff to take the extra loads generated when the sail is sheeted in tight. Also the tack and clew panels are orientated to take the appropriate loads giving the sail the slight appearance of being a tri radial sail. CAL Sails are very low stretch and very strong, this translates to the sail having a much wider wind range than a Dacron Sail. The wider wind range means less heeling force, less weather helm, the need to reef is significantly reduced, and higher performance.
CAL sails are constructed, panel by panel, for each individual sail. The primary and secondary load carrying Vectran fibers are custom laid at and angel determined by the load lines of each sail being constructed. CAL Sails are also the first to use 100% U.V. Block film. This is the exact same film laminated to glass in cars to prevent interior fading. As well as 100% U.V. resistant it adds a tremendous amount of strength and durability to the sails.
Offshore finishing is standard on CAL Sails and when compared to Dacron Sails with the same finishing the price is the same. Ullman Sails is proud to offer this superior product without a price increase. Similar cloths are now 60-100% higher in price and the CAL Sails are superior in design and durability. For a quote on CAL Sails for your boat contact Ullman Sails at (619) 226-1133 or email at info@ullmansailsSD.com.
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Friday, September 4 - 2009 - The so called "DoGzilla" sailing in San Diego this past month
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Friday, September 4 - 2009 - The Winnings are, well, winning again, and the 18s ruled the waves of San Francisco Bay in Thursday's traditional Bridge to Bridge Race run in conjunction with the eighth annual 18' Skiff International Regatta, both hosted by the St. Francis Yacht Club.
As a brisk breeze abandoned the kiteboarders, John (Woody) Winning's Yandoo came from behind to seize first place overall in 19 minutes 54 seconds, followed by son Herman Winning's Appliances Online 38 seconds later, Micah Lane's Macquarie Group in fourth place and regatta leader Howie Hamlin's Harken in sixth.
Frank Wittke of France was third overall and the first kiteboard to finish the 7 1/2-mile downwind charge from the Golden Gate to the Bay Bridge, which about two hours later was due to close to traffic for five days to replace a 300-foot section of the two-level span between San Francisco and the east side of the bay.
There was a new class of entry: ocean racing keelboat, consisting only of Chris Welsh's legendary Ragtime, a 45-year-old wooden Spencer 65 from Newport Beach, Calif., that within the past year was overall winner of the race from Los Angeles to Tahiti and won its division of the Sydney-Hobart Race. It is in town for the annual Big Boat Regatta later this month. Ragtime finished 16th overall in 28 minutes 4 seconds.
"I thought the race was to bring your best and go for it," Welsh said happily. "It was great. We hit 18 knots in flat water, and we passed all the kites when the wind died."
For the 18s, the race counted as the eighth of 10 in the regatta, which winds up with the last two races Friday. Until Hamlin won it last year, no 18 had finished first overall.
After a bad day with a big rig Wednesday, John Winning's success moved him back to within one point of Hamlin, while Herman Winning's second place, coupled with his runaway victory in the regular 18s race Thursday, has him in third place, one point ahead of Lane.
Oddly, John Winning didn't realize he had won the Bridge to Bridge overall until told so in the boat park back at Crissy Field.
"I thought there must have been some of those kites that had already finished," he said.
Apparently, he and his crew of David Gibson and Andrew Hay were too busy hanging onto the edge while skipping over the opposing ebb tide in winds of 20 knots gusting to 28. At one point they were unofficially clocked by a pursuing photo boat at 25 knots.
Their strategy was to sail closest to the City Front while most of the 18s followed a course farther out past Alcatraz and Herman Winning took a middle route in between.
"We started right at the red [south] buoy and went the whole way with two jibes," Winning said. "The ones that went the other way stayed on the same jibe the whole way."
A handful of kites led the away until turning the corner, where the wind dropped steadily to 5 knots at the finish---OK for 18s but deadly for kites. It seemed like an invisible hand swatting flies as one kite after another settled helplessly on the water.
There were 59 competitors overall. Only seven of 30 kites finished while 10 of 14 Formula Boards reached the Bay Bridge. The 18s had six finishers. Full results click here. Story and Photo Rich Roberts.
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Friday, September 4 - 2009 - There was no wind, no races and therefore no surprises on the fifth and final day at the Tornado World Championship, resulting in Australians Darren Bundock and Glenn Ashby taking the 2009 World crown.
Overnight leaders Darren Bundock and Glenn Ashby (AUS) added another World title to their several existing: Bundock is now seven times Tornado World Champion, three of them with crew Ashby. They are also three times F18 World Champions and Ashby is a six times A-Class World Champion. No shortage of titles here!
For Bundock, this year's Worlds also helped him reach another important decision. With the Tornado missing from the line up of events for the London 2012 Olympic Games (the IOC required the number of sailing events to be reduced from 11 to 10 and the multihull event was the one removed), the two-time Olympic medalist had started a 49er campaign but has now decided against continuing in the skiff. "This week has made it clear for me. I can announce my Olympic retirement, multihulls is my scene and love sailing. The 49er just does not do it for me," Bundock said.
Reflecting on the championship he added, "It has been a fantastic week of sailing and undoubtedly some of the best in my sailing career. Lake Garda is truly a special place for sailing with the cliff faces and picturesque scenery. The lake has not lived up to its reputation of strong wind this week but all the sailors have had a great time.
"It's still a fantastic feeling to win the Tornado Championships, its number seven now. I think it may be quite a while till some one beats that. This year was different, no Olympic or funding pressures we just sailed because we love the boat and had a great time."
Ashby commented, "A great week, yet a sad week for the Tornado Class to see an end of an era for the once Olympic multihull. We had fantastic sailing this week, it was nice to get back on the water and get the old team back together the first time since the Olympic Medal Race.
"We have now won seven World Sailing Championships together and must be close to being Australia's most successful sailing team." Photo DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images - story ISAF.
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Friday, September 4 - 2009 - London - Australian adventurer and solo round the world sailor Don McIntyre announces that 17-year old circumnavigator, Mike Perham has signed up as Second-in-command for the 2010 Bounty Boat Expedition. This is a 4000 mile re-enactment 221 years after Capt William Bligh and his supporting crew were forced into an open whale-boat by the mutineering crew on HMS Bounty and successfully sailed from Tonga to Timor in the Pacific.
McIntyre and Perham will face the same deprivations, with little food, no charts or toilet paper and only the limited navigation implements that were available to Bligh.
The search begins for two extra crew to join this expedition, which has a serious scientific purpose, as well as raise money for MND research.
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Thursday, September 3 - 2009 - Here is the latest statement by Tom Ehman, Golden Gate Yacht Club Spokesperson:
We have asked the Supreme Court of the State of New York to take several steps to ensure that the 33rd America's Cup is run in accordance with the Deed of Gift. Our reasons are clear: Recent actions by Société Nautique de Genève (SNG) to unfairly
manipulate the rules continue their disturbing pattern of misconduct as Trustee of the oldest trophy in sports.
In today's motion, Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) seeks to hold SNG to its commitment to the Court not to issue rules that disqualify GGYC, as their measurement rules would do.
GGYC is also seeking to require SNG to issue rules for the America's Cup match that comply with the Deed's requirements. GGYC also seeks to make public the still-secret agreement SNG entered into with the International Sailing Federation (ISAF).
Specifically, with today's motion GGYC has asked the Court to direct that:
• GGYC's challenge vessel needs only to "not exceed" its challenge certificate dimensions, and that a precise match of dimensions is not required by the Deed.
• When measuring length on load water-line (LWL), rudders shall not be included. SNG is trying to subvert over a century of America's Cup practice, as well as standard ISAF measurement procedures.
• LWL length shall be measured with the maximum weight that the competing vessels will carry while racing.
• The match shall be conducted in accordance with the ISAF rules (except for rules restricting vessel design, including racing rules 49-54 which the court has already held are in conflict with the Deed), and that any changes to those rules can only be made with the consent of GGYC and with the required approval of ISAF.
• With regard to the secret agreement SNG has with ISAF, that the court-ordered confidential treatment be removed so that it can be made public.
Today GGYC also filed an appeal of the court's July 29, 2009 decision.
We remain excited about racing for the 33rd America's Cup in February 2010 and are moving full speed ahead with our preparations - even as we continue our fight for fair and competitive rules.
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Thursday, September 3 - 2009 - Here's Alinghi's response...
Geneva, Switzerland - (2009-09-03) "It's a shame that BMW Oracle and Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) persist with their campaign to win the America's Cup through litigation rather than on the water. This is the sixth time that they've taken the Defender to court. It is possible that Larry Ellison continues to revert to the courts to draw attention away from the fact that their boat does not meet the dimensions as per their Certificate of Challenge.
"Golden Gate Yacht Club's speculations over the conduct of the Match before the Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions have even been written and published are simply premature and self-serving. They are designed to denigrate the reputation and achievements of the Swiss Defender, Société Nautique de Genève (SNG), as well as the America's Cup itself. BMW Oracle is once again dragging the America's Cup through the courts on baseless grounds.
"The rules of the America's Cup Match are as the donors of the Deed of Gift wrote over 130 years ago, when other American yacht clubs were the Defender. They are not as the Golden Gate Yacht Club or BMW Oracle would now, as a Challenger, like them to be, to suit their purposes.
The simple facts are:
1. In absence of mutual agreement between the Defender and the Challenger, the America's Cup is ruled by the default terms of the Deed of Gift.
2. In accordance with the Deed of Gift, and as with all past America's Cups, the defending yacht club is the organizer of the Match.
3. The Deed of Gift states that the challenging vessel should not exceed certain measurements. GGYC presented their Certificate of Challenge specifying a 90x90ft yacht. Today they must honor their own volunteered and freely submitted decision and their competing yacht must match those dimensions, as required by the Deed of Gift and ordered by Justice Kornreich. SNG does not wish to see GGYC disqualified; they have enough time to modify their boat so that it measures.
4. The rules of the Match will be the Deed of Gift, and the ISAF Racing Rules of Sailing written and promulgated by the International Sailing Federation and used by yacht clubs all over the world, including GGYC and SNG.
5. The rules of the Match will be set out in a Notice of Race to be published on 6 November 2009 and in the Sailing Instructions to be published on 8 January 2010. These dates are considerably earlier than when an American Defender – whose Chief Operating Officer was Tom Ehman – provided the same documents to the then Challenger in 1988 when the Cup was last competed for under the strict terms of the Deed of Gift.
6. SNG has voluntarily provided GGYC with advance details of the rules and procedures affecting the construction and measurement of the competing yachts and continues to answer questions from and provide information to GGYC about these matters to allow them to prepare their yacht "USA".
7. All Umpires and members of the International Jury will be solely selected by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF). Like all regattas and sporting competitions they, like the competitors, will be bound by the rules of the competition.
8. The Supreme Court of the State of New York has reviewed the agreement between SNG and ISAF, which follows past agreements approved by GGYC and found that: "[the agreement] is not inconsistent with anything in the Deed or the applicable rules. There is also nothing untoward about the agreement itself."
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Thursday, September 3 - 2009 - Big rig or small rig? That was the decision some of the players had to make on Day 3 of the eighth annual 18' Skiff International Regatta hosted by the St. Francis Yacht Club.
Others had no choice. They were better off.
That's how Howie Hamlin got the jump on father and son John (Woody) Winning and John Jr. (Herman) to move into first place after 6 of 10 races, three points ahead of the elder Winning and fellow Australian veteran Trevor Barnabas, who won Wednesday's second race as handily as Hamlin won the first.
"I guess the smaller rigs won out," Barnabas said.
Hamlin, 56, is the lone American in contention against an armada of Aussies, most of whom arrived with extra, taller masts in case San Francisco Bay fell short of its perennial promise of big breeze. Hamlin had only his short rig measuring 9.5 meters compared to 10.38 meters (31 to 34 feet) for the big one.
"It adds about 20 square feet of sail area," Winning said earlier in the Crissy Field boat park was competitors waited for the wind to build, "but you also get a bigger spinnaker."
So, with unofficial forecasts suggesting the wind wouldn't rise above 14 knots without reaching the usual 20 or 25 and then wisp away by 5 o'clock, both Winnings went for it.
"In Sydney we don't change [to small rigs] until it gets over 18 knots," Woody Winning said.
Minutes before launching, Hamlin, who originally inspired the event on this otherwise perfect venue for the high-performance 18' Skiffs along the normally windy City Front, hosted an informal skippers meeting in the boat park to check the opinions of the fleet. It was agreed that everyone would use whichever mast they preferred. The subject is not addressed in the regatta's Sailing Instructions, but some principals feel it is unofficially agreed that everyone would use the short masts.
Hamlin, who didn't bring a tall rig, had used one only once in seven years of the event.
"And that was a mistake," he said before Wednesday's races. "You could do it and it might work, but you also could get smacked down. But right now I'd say it was a good call [to use a tall mast]."
So what effect would it have?
"It means," he said, soberly, "that we'll race and the Winnings will win two races,"
Wrong. As Hamlin and Archie Massey sailed away to a 1-2 finish in the first race, Woody Winning's Yandoo finished third and Herman finished sixth.
In the second race, as the son continued to struggle to another sixth, the father fought for the lead with Barnabas until they rounded the second windward mark of the two-lap race in the shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge and Yandoo suddenly flipped---a climactic punctuation to the story of the day.
"The wind up there was a little fresher than we expected," Winning said, chuckling. "[Crew member] David [Gibson] knocked me around the back of the boat."
Winning said the breeze was only "16 of 17" knots, although rivals estimated Yandoo was blown over by gusts as high as 25. He took the setbacks in good humor, partly because his ninth place following the capsize will be his current throwout.
And . . .
"It'll be the small rig [Thursday] for the Bridge to Bridge Race," Winning said.
The 7 1/2-mile Bridge to Bridge Race, also featuring kite boarders and windsurfers, will follow the 18s' 3 o'clock fleet race from the Golden Gate past the city to the Bay Bridge---which, incidentally, will be closed to vehicle traffic for five days starting Thursday to replace an old section.
Last year Hamlin became the first 18' Skiff to win the B to B, which pleased him about as much as Wednesday's turn of events.
"We're happy," he said. "Big rigs don't like bearing away in 25 knots [of wind]."
Rich Roberts
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Thursday, September 3 - 2009 - The boats were all ready on the water for the scheduled 0800 early start but the wind conditions were unstable and the fleet was sent ashore to wait for the afternoon southerly. It was obviously going to be a long day.
When the breeze finally arrived, it was behind schedule, however the race did start in 6-8 knots from the south.
The Russians Pavel Kalinchev and Sergey Dzhienbaev led at the top mark but then Australia’s Darren Bundock and Glenn Ashby who have dominated this championship with four wins in a row took the lead over on the first run and never looked back.
Their long time training partners Iordanis Paschalidis and Konstantinos Trigonis sailed through the Russians into second place. The wind dropped through the race and most of the fleet just finished inside the time limit.
The race officials then sent the fleet home.
Dockside the Tornado Class president Belgium Carolijn Brouwer, who is currently third overall after a fifth today commented.
'Both sides of the course were working which was very unusual. Since we arrived here that is the first time the left was favouring as well'
Bundock and Ashby are now leading the series with five bullets and are looking unbeatable overall. Photo Richard de Jonge.
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Wednesday, September 2 - 2009 - Paris - Some of the best professional sailing teams, grouped together under the name WSTA (World Sailing Team Association), and Louis Vuitton, a key player in the world of top-level sailing for more than 25 years, today announced the creation of an international regatta circuit.
The WSTA (World Sailing Team Association) groups together the participants in previous Louis Vuitton Cup regattas (K-Challenge (France), BMW Oracle
Racing (USA), Emirates Team New Zealand, Mascalzone Latino (Italy)) and welcomes newcomers such as Team Artemis (Sweden), Team Synergy (Russia), Joe Fly Italia (Italy) and Team French Spirit (France). Other teams will join the association in the coming weeks.
Entitled the Louis Vuitton World Series, these regattas are a first in the world of sailing and follow on from the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series organised in Auckland, New Zealand, last February. The global success of this exceptional competition persuaded all the partners in this adventure to create a dynamic and ambitious new race program based on the same concept and format.
Ten teams will be invited to confront each other in successive duels over a fortnight on two pairs of identical boats chosen by lot. The racing boats were sailed in the 2007 LV Cup. This concept, which demonstrates the desire to return to the original spirit of "match racing", provides an exhilarating show and is easy for spectators to understand.
The WSTA and Louis Vuitton plan to organise several regattas a year. Many cities of which Nice, Hong Kong, Auckland, New York and several other
European venues have shown their interest.
A press conference will be held in Paris on Tuesday, September 8th. More details about the first events to be organised in 2009 and 2010 will be disclosed during this conference. Photo Phil Walter/Getty.
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