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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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Tuesday, January 13 - 2009 - America's new Rolex Yachtsman of the Year will line up against an all-star field including the top three ranked match racing skippers in the world in the 45th ISAF Grade 1 Congressional Cup.
Terry HUTCHINSON (USA) of Annapolis, the winner in 1992, will face France's Sébastien COL, Great Britain's Ian WILLIAMS and France's Mathieu RICHARD - currently #1, #2 an #3 in the ISAF World Match Race Rankings - in a deep field of talent that also includes Australia's James SPITHILL, who drove Italy's Luna Rossa in the 2007 America's Cup at Valencia.
SPITHILL happens to be in the Southern California neighborhood, now as the primary helmsman for BMW Oracle's 90-foot trimaran that has been testing 100 miles south in San Diego, as the world awaits resolution of the America's Cup legal limbo.
WILLIAMS has won the ISAF Match Racing World Championship for the last two years, while RICHARD spent time as world #1 in the Rankings after winning the Congressional Cup in 2007. COL was France's K-Challenge helmsman at Valencia.
Last week HUTCHINSON was announced as winner of America's most prestigious sailing honor, US SAILING's 2008 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year, but not for match racing. He was tactician for Congressional Cup winners Ken READ (USA) in 2003 and Dean BARKER (NZL) in 2005, the latter en route to the America's Cup finale with BARKER and Emirates New Zealand in 2007, but calling tactics doesn't count in the ISAF World Match Race Rankings.
That's why HUTCHINSON currently resides in the black hole at #919. He hasn't driven in any match races lately. It was in the 2004 Congressional Cup that HUTCHINSON led Ed BAIRD (USA) around the last mark of the decisive race and then sailed into a windless patch of water as BAIRD glided past to victory.
"That was the last time I helmed in a match race," HUTCHINSON said of his humble ranking - which, he said, "puts zero pressure on me."
HUTCHINSON won the 2008 Rolex award primarily for scoring four prestigious major regatta victories in Europe, including the Trophy of Sardinia and Copa del Rey regattas, which led to his overall win of the Audi MedCup series aboard the TP52 Quantum Racing, while adding triumphs in M30, Melges 24 and Melges 32 classes in his spare time. Story courtesy of ISAF.
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Monday, January 12 - 2009 - Whilst he has less than 2,000 miles to go and a deficit of just 330 miles on Francis Joyon's time, Thomas Coville knows that the coming days will be very demanding and leave little respite.
Indeed weather forecasts suggest a brutal conclusion which will be far from comfortable for the skipper of the Maxi Trimaran, who set out from Brest some 54 days ago.
Contacted by telephone this morning during his fantastic climb northwards with both a remarkable trajectory and a perfect heading/ speed compromise, Thomas described the immediate context and explained what he is expecting of the last days at sea:
"I'm currently sailing in winds of between 18 and 25 knots, which are very shifty due to the influence of squalls."
Next on the agenda? "A zone of high pressure and hence lighter winds which will require me to make a number of manuevers with only little time to recuperate."
And after that? "There's barely nothing which is appealing. We're going to get a severe hammering from 35 to 40 knot winds, with big seas and around 6 meter waves. I'm going to have to grin and bear it and dip into my physical resources."
In short then, all the way to the finish it comes down to the weather. Currently there are oscillating squalls then a variable light period around the Azores High. This will be followed by a strong SW'ly air flow, veering round to the NW with very big seas.
In human terms, this will be far from easy for a skipper that set out nearly eight weeks ago, who has slept very little and, as he confided the other day, has a boat which has naturally suffered a few "scratches and scrapes".
Sailing a multihull single-handed in these conditions is certainly not a pleasure cruise after 54 nights which merge into days. Thomas knows all too well what lies ahead: a course very close to the wind making headway in big seas, which will require extreme vigilance, a lot of maneuvers, hence a lot of hours on deck.
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Monday, January 12 - 2009 - 18-ft racing resumed on Sydney Harbour yesterday when the Australian 18 Footers League conducted Race 1 of the five race Australian Championship.
This Championship is the final hit out for all local teams as they prepare for next month's Giltinan Championship, which is traditionally the world's premier 18ft Skiff event.
Yesterday's race produced a classic contest in an 18-knot Nor'Easter and provided spectators with pure excitement as the skiffs bounced over the choppy harbor waters.
In the end, victory went to the 2005 Giltinan champion Euan McNicol at the helm of Southern Cross Constructions.
McNicol, Trent Barnabas and Aaron Links chased the British Project Racing team led by Andy Budgen for most of the race and only grabbed the lead on the final spinnaker run when the Brits capsized dramatically in the wake of a power boat which crossed their course.
Southern Cross' winning margin was 25-secs from defending champion Seve Jarvin in Gotta Love It 7, with NSW champion John Harris (Rag & Famish Hotel) a further 1min23secs back in third place.
It was a heart breaking result for Budgen and his crew as they had led throughout the entire race before the capsize.
A broken mast in the incident forced them to limp home in 16th position, almost 11 minutes behind the winner.
Race 2 of the championship will be sailed on Sydney Harbour next Sunday.
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Monday, January 12 - 2009 - A tale of two very different races for the UBS In-Port Challenge as part of the Volvo Ocean Race - the first was led front to back by Ken Read's PUMA team with barely a place change. The second race was only settled after an immaculate final gybe from Torben Grael and Ericsson 4 got them across the line in the lead, and gave them maximum points for the day - the move of the day.
Anyone in the fleet who thought that this team might be a little shaken and off their game, after a week in which they had to fend off a protest from the Rule Management Group, would have been sadly disappointed.
Pre-race expectations of some difficult conditions were fulfilled, with a puffy, shifty, northerly breeze blowing off the Singapore shore, and combining with a strong east-going tide to give everyone plenty to think about. While that did nothing to unsettle the rankings in the first race, in the second it provided plenty of passing lanes.
The first and perhaps the most crucial came on the first run, when a massive puff coming off the shore allowed second and third placed Ericsson 4 and Telefonica Black to sail up to the leader, Bouwe Bekking's Telefonica Blue, catching her at the mid-course gate.
Ericsson 4 then took the left hand side (looking upwind) on the second half of the run, and found enough extra breeze and wind shift to start the final beat in front. They controlled that nicely, keeping a tight cover on Telefonica Blue, using a conservative style that America's Cup-watchers might not be familiar with from Torben Grael - but then, Stu Bannatyne was calling the tactics...
Telefonica Blue was still close behind Ericsson 4 at the top of the last run, but with the consolation of knowing the first race winner, PUMA, was struggling back in fifth. It was then that the random gust selector got switched to overdrive, and Telefonica Black blasted back up to the leading group - after taking a penalty turn for an incident with Green Dragon on the second beat.
And so, closing on the finish line, but not quite laying it on starboard, Ericsson 4 had Telefonica Black on their heels to windward, threatening a pass if they could pull off a better gybe and throw their wind shadow onto Torben Grael and his team.
Worse, Telefonica Blue and PUMA were down to leeward, hauling the mail on starboard and laying the finish. If Ericsson 4 blew the gybe onto port, and got rolled by Telefonica Black, they would then find themselves being passed back down the fleet, unable to cross the right of way, starboard gybe boats blocking their route to the finish line.
But... they didn't, it was an immaculate gybe and Ericsson 4 cleared the line first, taking the day and nudging another point ahead in the overall standings. Then Telefonica Black snuck through to take second place away from her sistership, Telefonica Blue, right on the finish line. And that didn't do Team Telefonica any good at all.
Ken Read's PUMA squeaked ahead of Green Dragon in another final leg shuffle, to beat Bouwe Bekking and co. for second place for the day by just half a point. And that also allowed PUMA to close the gap to Telefonica Blue in the overall standings by another half a precious point - a lot went on in those final couple of hundred meters. Story by Mark Chisnel Photo Rick Tomlinson / Volvo Ocean Race.
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Monday, January 12 - 2009 - Last Week the Royal Thames Yacht Club, London, UK together with TEAMORIGIN, the British Challenger for the 33rd America's Cup, filed a request with the New York Court of Appeals to accept an Amicus Brief as a 'friend of the Court' in support of the Société Nautique de Genève. The purpose of this Amicus Brief is to request the Court to confirm the order of the Appellate Division, thus allowing the 33rd America's Cup to move forward as proposed in the latest Protocol document as issued by Alinghi, Club Nautico Español de Vela (CNEV) and the 19 Challenging Teams on the 22nd December 2008.
Sir Keith Mills, Team Principal of TEAMORIGIN commented:"Together with the Royal Thames Yacht Club, we have decided to issue this Amicus Brief today to make a very specific point that I feel has not yet been highlighted: notwithstanding the legal status and opinions about CNEV and the original Protocol document as issued back in 2007, the more significant point to note is that throughout the Royal Thames' and TEAMORIGIN's involvement in the 33rd America's Cup, CNEV in its capacity as the Challengers accepted "Challenger of Record" has collaborated and engaged with us and the other 19 Challenging Teams in the development of a new, fair and improved Protocol.
He continued, "We have invested considerable time and effort, expertise and expense along with Alinghi as Defender, CNEV and the other Challengers in the development of the latest Protocol and I firmly believe this will lead to the most inclusive and successful America's Cup we've ever seen . No one wishes to see all this good work undone at this advanced stage, nor the significant costs and time spent thus far wasted."
Peter Haslehurst, Vice Commodore of the Royal Thames Yacht Club, added:
"The Royal Thames Yacht Club is the oldest Royal Yacht Club in Britain. We were the Challenging Yacht Club for the first America's Cup in 1870 and formed an alliance with TEAMORIGIN in July 2007 with a view to entering a fair and thrilling 33rd America's Cup event. We have been extensively involved in the debates and discussions concerning the development of the Protocol for the 33rd America's Cup and we see this as an ongoing collaborative process that will continue into 2009. We are satisfied that many of the previously identified issues raised about the original Protocol have now been overcome and look forward to the ongoing development during the coming year. With this Amicus Brief, we urge the Court to confirm the order of the Appellate Division and let the 19 teams move forward and compete in the 33rd America's Cup event. Photo Lloyd Images
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Monday, January 12 - 2009 - his edition of the Vendée Globe has proven markedly different from the last, unexpectedly so. Already this epic human adventure has seen 18 of the 30 skippers sidelined, and 75% of the fleet are still in the Pacific Ocean.
Michel Desjoyeaux's lead is now nearly 200 miles.
Roland Jourdain has been hard at work reinforcing the damaged areas after he hit a sea mammal Thursday.
Evidence is almost superfluous, but at this equivalent period during the 2004-5 Vendée Globe there race were three leaders in three days. Mike Golding lead on Ecover, broke his halyard and Jean Le Cam took over the lead. The British skipper regained it for 13 hours before another snapped halyard let Vincent Riou escape, definitively. The contrast with this epic race could not be more stark.
All three, Golding, Le Cam and Riou, potential winners of this edition, have suffered their own traumas. Riou and Le Cam - first and second last time - end up on the same boat, mast-less, engine-less and towed to safety.
On a brighter note the always effervescent Sam Davies, shrugged off the rough conditions typical of one of the most hostile corners of the planet, to express her delight - tinged with a tiny measure of sadness - when she rounded Cape Horn this morning.
"It's incredible especially after the last 24 hours," smiled Davies on yesterday's live visio-conference with Vendée Globe Race HQ in Paris. "I've had some tough conditions up to 50-knots in the squalls with some nasty seas. Last night the boat was knocked down by a wave. So it's a great relief to see the Rock, even if it was dull and I didn't really see much.
"I can put it on my CV now. I've waited 11 years to round this rock and it's great to be back in the Atlantic. I'm still enjoying myself. Even if yesterday when I was sailing in the shallower waters off the Horn, where the sea bed rises from 4000 meters to less than 100 , there were some big surf and it was the first time I've been afraid in this voyage. I clung on inside and shut myself in, which was a good idea as just afterwards the boat was knocked down by a wave and the cockpit was full of water. I know I'm very, very lucky to be able to do the Vendée Globe with Roxy and I am enjoying every minute. But I'm a bit sad though to leave the Big South behind after such a great voyage in the Southern Ocean. I think Roxy is a great boat for these conditions, so I'm a bit sad it's all over. I can't wait to come back here in four years!"
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Monday, January 12 - 2009 - Last week, after an arduous rescue in the Southern Ocean during the Portimao Global Ocean Race, 69 year-old Dutch sailor, Nico Budel, was transferred by helicopter from the bulk carrier, CSK Radiance, and landed in Cape Town, bringing to conclusion the drama of his MAYDAY distress call, his mid-ocean rescue and a 1,800 mile voyage on board the rescue ship through the depths of the Indian Ocean.
Almost two weeks ago, on 30/12/08, Nico was rescued from his damaged, carbon fiber, Open 40 racing yacht Hayai in the Indian Ocean by the 170,000 ton CSK Radiance bound for Rotterdam in a highly-skilled and coordinated operation undertaken in challenging conditions 900-miles south-east of Madagascar at Lat 40° 00' South/Long 57° 30' East.
After Nico cleared through the Cape Town Customs Office he was reunited with his wife, Myrna, and two sons, Frans and Bas:
"It was a real surprise to see my wife and two sons, and that was really fine," said Budel from his temporary base in the Royal Cape Yacht Club. After ten days aboard the rescue ship, he was also quick to praise the extraordinary hospitality of the Captain and crew of CSK Radiance: "A better hotel you could not find," confirmed Budel, laughing heartily. "I had everything on board that I could ever want. I could wash my clothes and they fed me more than I could ever need. It was perfect."
Also eagerly awaiting Budel's clearance through customs was South African yachtsman, Lenjohn van der Wel, co-skipper of the double-handed Class 40 Kazimir Partners racing in the Portimão Global Ocean Race with his brother, Peter, until mast damage forced the pair to turn back towards to Cape Town on 18th December after four days sailing in Leg 2 from Cape Town to Wellington, New Zealand.
Greeting Budel after his rescue was a great moment for Van der Wel, but there was a separate agenda: getting Budel back on the race course as soon as possible.
"Basically, what is happening is that we are teaming up to race Kazimir Partners together," explained Van der Wel. "Re-starting the race in Wellington is definitely out as there just isn't enough time, but we are going to try and rejoin the race in Brazil," he continued. "We'll sail from here sometime mid-February. Nico is planning to go to Wellington to see the rest of the fleet when they arrive, then when he's back in South Africa, we'll get started."
Within just five hours of reaching dry land, Budel is already planning to head back out to sea.
"We're still working on the arrangements," he confirms. "But we will start the race in Ilabella, Brazil, together for double-handed racing and we will race in Legs 4 and 5 to America and then Portimão." After his dramatic rescue ten days ago, the irrepressible solo sailor is keen to get sailing as soon as possible: "We will go sailing on Kazimir in the afternoon tomorrow, together," he said. "Getting back on the water is the best way to be." Photo Trevor Wilkins.
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Friday, January 9 - 2008 - Following a request from the Vendée Globe Race Directors, Vincent Riou changed course and, as laid down in rule 1.1 of the Race Rules ( "A boat or competitor shall give all possible help to any person or vessel"), helped Jean Le Cam.
After sustaining damage to his rigging during Jean Le Cam's rescue operation Vincent Riou informed the Chairman of the International Jury, Bernard Bonneau, in writing that he was requesting redress.
Riou considered that he could in no way be held responsible for the damage that occurred to his monohull, PRB during Le Cam's rescue. He added that "This damage requires a lot of work that cannot be carried out alone at sea."
After PRB was completely dismasted on 7th January 2009 after the temporary repair they had made failed, Riou confirmed to the Jury in writing that he was still seeking that redress be awarded.
The skipper of PRB stated that these recent "events were directly linked to and indeed caused by the rescue operation" and noted that it was now entirely impossible for him to "continue the race back to the finishing port of Les Sables d'Olonne."
Within a reasonable time frame it would be impossible for Riou to find a replacement mast nor could one be sourced and delivered within reasonable time period.
Consequently, Riou has therefore requested that his boat continues to be scored, as is regularly the case in international racing, when a skipper falls victim to damage and/or is materially prejudiced by something beyond his or her control.
As chief representative of the International Jury, Bernard Bonneau has indicated that this subsequent incident in no way affects the jury's decision to agree to listen to this case and meanwhile has asked the race directors to indicate that PRB and her skipper are RDG (Redress Granted).
In simple terms this means that, in theory, Redress is Granted, but that the precise details have not yet been considered.
Until the decision of the jury is known PRB will remain ranked in the official race standings.
PRB, Riou and Le Cam still in Puerto Williams
Vincent Riou and Jean Le Cam are still in Puerto Williams. They spent the day yesterday with the Chilean customs officials sorting out the administrative details, which were complicated by the fact that Jean Le Cam did not have any papers on him. He is due to recover his passport later today, which will mean they will be able to leave the Chilean zone. Riou's goal is to have PRB towed to Ushuaia, some twenty miles along the coast in Argentina. It is unlikely that the tow can get underway today, but will probably take place this weekend or early next week depending on the weather conditions. Riou and his shore team are attempting to find a solution to transport the boat back from Ushuaia by cargo ship. Photo VINCENT CURUTCHET / DPPI.
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Friday, January 9 - 2008 - Thomas Coville's Sodebo, the Maxi Trimaran, crossed the equator for the second time in her journey around the world Wednesday 7th after 50 days, 5 hours and 39 minutes of racing against the clock. Thomas crossed this final passage mark with a deficit of 2 days, 3 hours and 18 minutes on Francis Joyon's time and has made up two and half days on the reference time since rounding Cape Horn.
Faster than his adversary since the start - a 19.60 knot average for IDEC compared with 19.97 for Sodeb'O), Thomas has had to cover 1,450 more miles in order to get round weather obstacles such as the Saint Helena High (Francis was able to cut through the middle) as well as the immense ice zone in the Pacific. These figures perfectly demonstrate the true quality of the boat Sodeb'O which, aside from a few signs of fatigue, is still racking up the miles at full bore. This detailed breakdown also pays tribute to the insane amount of effort Thomas has put into this race against the clock for the past few weeks, ignoring his own needs in order to focus on the boat and speed. However, there is naturally a certain amount of frustration about the time ticking away and this 588 mile deficit less than a week from the finish.
Since last night, Thomas has been traversing the Doldrums and its familiar squalls and exhausting maneuvres. The Maxi Trimaran is set to link up with the NE'ly tradewinds shortly, which have stabilized at between 18 and 22 knots and should hence enable her to make rapid headway to the north. At that point it will be time for Thomas to focus on one of his last charts. A low moving across from the United States is shifting across to the Azores. If Sodeb'O manages to climb aboard the train at the right moment, this air flow could carry him as far as Brest, with the chance of getting within a few hours of the record time.
"I've been flat out since the start. Right now it all depends on what happens at the Azores. I've got to ensure I'm at the right place at the right time. When you realize how much the weather fluctuates in this zone of high pressure, I have no idea how the record is going to pan out. We've covered a lot more miles than Francis Joyon due to the ice and the weather, which just goes to show how hard I've been pushing. I'm frustrated about being the weather's plaything. That's the nature of records... Francis came out with a great line on his arrival, he said: "nature let me through." That really sums up the situation. You have to play with the weather, respect her and remain humble. Either she'll let you through or you'll suffer her."
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Friday, January 9 - 2008 -The challenge of taking a big fast boat designed for crossing oceans around a small inshore race track in the middle of the world's largest port has cranked up the tension levels among crews of the Volvo Ocean Race.
The UBS Challenge for the In-Port Race in the Volvo Ocean Race is scheduled to start at 13:00 local time in Singapore on Saturday afternoon (05:00 GMT).
But after a practice run on Friday, the teams were chomping at the bit to get on the race track proper to win points and showcase their hardware in a decent breeze that will highlight their breathtaking performances.
While shore crews will be begging their skippers to conserve their boats to avoid more time in the boatshed ahead of the fourth leg to Qingdao, the skippers were trying to offset the risk of damage with the need to up the ante.
"We don't have switches in our brains that remind us to preserve the boat because all you are thinking about is taking your boat and cutting the other guy in half no matter what it takes," said PUMA skipper Ken Read.
"We are all the same. We would not be doing this race if we weren't ultra competitive."
"Expect a few incidents," added Green Dragon skipper Ian Walker, dockside following his practice session. "I will be trying hard not to break the boat but you never what happens when the red mist descends."
The last in-port race in Alicante represented a clean sweep for the local boats Telefonica Blue and Telefonica Black but with a forecast for 20 knots winds on flat waters, there is no obvious favorite with the playing field decidedly level until the sails go up, the tactics are called and the fleet heads towards the gate which race officials are setting in the middle of the course.
A short course for big, fast boats
This could lead to a real battle, said Ericsson 4's Torben Grael.
"It is a very short course for very big, fast boats and with everyone trying to get through the door at the same time will not make things easier. It is going to be hard for us but good for everyone else to watch."
With Team Russia on her way to South Africa in search of more funds to carry on racing, the starts are likely to be less congested than they were in Alicante and Roberto 'Chuny' Bermudez said there were also doubts over Delta Lloyd's participation following their extensive and complicated repair programme in Singapore.
"The boat is in the water," he confirmed. "We checked through the mast and have been measured and were slightly over so had to take some weight out from the boat. We are planning to go out sailing this afternoon and hope that everything works for tomorrow but we are not certain we will be on the start.
"It is important for us to be in the race tomorrow but the most important thing is that we repair all the damage for the next leg. If we can go out there and are able to push 100% with the rest of the boats that would be good but if there are any problems that will not be good. We cannot confirm we will be racing because we have not yet hoisted our sails. We can't put the boat in danger."
Bouwe Bekking hands over the helm to Olympic champion Iker Martinez who steered Telefonica Blue to victory in the two in port races in Spain back in October, leading from start to finish in the first and seeing off a challenge from PUMA in the second to earn their first four points of the Volvo Ocean Race.
"We have spent the past couple of days practising manoeuvres and now we have to see whether the practising was good enough with more boats around us. We have to see if we can get around the track. The course is too short for these boats but it is the same for everybody so hopefully there will be no crashes. The guy who makes it round the track might not win but has a good chance of scoring points."
Fernando Echavarri of sistership Telefonica Black also expected the racing to be tough and hands the reins over to Pedro Campos once again after he posted a second place in Alicante.
"The course is really short and narrow and with these shifty conditions it will be really tough. The race is all about maneuvres and lay lines and today we have to concentrate on them and the tides and the starts," said Echavarri.
"There is a lot to think about but we are pretty confident. We have Pedro helming again and he is really motivated so we are looking forward to it."
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Friday, January 9 - 2008 - Six time A-Cat World Champion Glenn Ashby was a relaxed spectator for the final race, race nine, in the 2009 A-Cat World Championship yesterday, after his convincing Championship win. The conditions were challenging as they had been all week.
On the left hand side of course, a small rain cell was bending the wind left and up the first beat Germany's Bob Baier had stepped out on the fleet.
Australian 1996 Olympic Tornado bronze medalist Andrew Landenberger was second, just ahead of Thomas Paasch (Den), followed by dual Laser World Champion Tom Slingsby, then four more Australian's Wayne Mercer, Brad Collett, Dave Brewer, Dave McKenzie and Mike Drummond (NZL).
Down the first run Landenberger sailed through Baier. At the top mark the second time he was still leading Baier, with Queenslander Brad Collett in third place ahead of Tom Slingsby, New Zealander Mike Drummond and Dave Brewer.
But the lead changes continued as the eventual winner Brad Collett explained ashore.
'Downwind my medium wind battens paid off. I climbed to third then downwind I was doing very well. I got to the lead on the second downwind; fell back to fourth again on the upwind then flew home for a win. Overall it was a very good regatta. I had a bit of bad luck in a few races which put me back in the points, but nice to win the last race.'
Second across the line was Baier, then Australian Tom Slingsby with Andrew Landenberger.
Ashore Slingsby had a big grin. 'I can do the upwind thing; it's just like Lasers, big fleet start. Still a lot of work to do on downwind technique, but it's a lot of fun.'
Landenberger finished third overall in the regatta. He led twice but fell back to fourth but was still pleased with the results.
'Today there were big oscillations in the course. Two boats would go one way and one would go the other. At the end I was set up for heavy wind and the breeze softened so I lost my lead. Then Port starboard on the finish line, so Slingsby just got me,' Landenberger said.
Wandering through the boat park, shaking hands with sailors, Glenn Ashby commented: 'It's been a busy week. It's been a fantastic event; we've had some excellent conditions. We've had a lot of great sailing and we've got in every race of the series on schedule.
'To get through the races in the National's bar one and a whole series of the World's I think they've certainly got the bang for their buck. They should be happy,' Slingsby said.
The World's will be held in Italy in 2010 and possibly Germany in 2011.
'There's a couple of good venues to look forward to and with the European Championships in the middle. The A-Class is going very strong,' Slingsby said.
Swiss sailor Luc Du Bois summed up: 'It's a great venue with good organisation, so I'm very happy that I came here. The next two World's are in Europe, so I don't know if that will put the balance back on our side; it's always the same guy who wins anyway.
'It's a difficult time to be racing with Glenn Ashby out there. He's a tough guy and tough competition, and he's proving year after year that sailing well is the most important thing.'
An extended interview with Glenn Ashby will be shortly posted to the event site. Photo by Andrea Francolini ©
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Thursday, January 8 - 2009 - While Vendee Globe competitors are dropping like flies, the two leaders are in a tight battle towards home.
Based around the distance to finish calculated using the theoretical route, Roland Jourdain seeems to be well placed to challenge Michel Desjoyeaux. 250 miles further west, the skipper of Veolia Environnement is already 20 miles further north than the current leader. The two are not tackling the small low-pressure systems off the coast of Argentina in the same way and with a lead of only a hundred miles the position of Michel Desjoyeaux does look tenable, racing in 20-25 knots of SW'ly winds. The fight is on and there will be plenty of opportunities for tactical plays with major upsets possible. Armel Le Cléac'h (Brit Air) is experiencing much quieter weather and is heading due north at 12-15 knots after rounding the islands off the tip of Patagonia.
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Thursday, January 8 - 2009 - Yesterday at 1920 GMT, only a matter of an hour and 20 minutes since passing Cape Horn, Vendee Globe solo skipper Vincent Riou called his team to report that PRB has been dismasted. Riou called his team and said bluntly: "We have been dismasted. We are in the islands."
When the call was made PRB was in a position approximately 55 deg S and 65 deg 59 W, about 7.8 miles to the North West of the Cape Horn light. Both skippers Riou and Le Cam are safe and well.
He called back to his team about an hour later, saying that he did not want to issue a Mayday signal, but was trying to locate a suitable vessel to tow them, perhaps through the contacts of Isabelle Autissier. He had been on the phone to Isabelle discussing their planned rendezvous tomorrow not long before the mast collapsed.
They believe that the temporary lashing which they had made to the chainplate gave way.
They had around 25 knots of NW'ly wind when the rig came down but have a limited chance of setting a jury rig while they are in the islands. Riou and Le Cam acted quickly to cut away the rigging and free the broken mast. Since they cut the mast free PRB is reported to be drifting at 1.5 knots to a course of about 25 degrees, effectively away from the islands.
A PAN PAN call was made, a simple request to any available assistance, as opposed to the obligations of a Mayday. Vendée Globe Race Direction have been in contact with the Chilean authorities. The 32.7 m general purpose vessel Alacalufe of the Chilean Navy has been dispatched from Port Williams , 55 miles away. Making around 20 knots it is due to reach PRB around 0200hrs GMT.
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Thursday, January 8 - 2009 - Five times A-Class Catamaran World Champion Australian Glenn Ashby this morning won the 2009 A-Cat World Championship for a sixth time, when he streeted the fleet in Race 7 of the nine race series.
Ashby started the series slowly by his standards, with a third in the light weather first race in the series; he then won five of the next six races. There are two more races that can still be sailed but with the two worst results able to be dropped, the Beijing Tornado class Olympic Silver medallist cannot be beaten in this series.
Ashby gave the fleet a clinical sailing lesson. He started immediately next to the Committee boat, swinging around its stern just three seconds before the gun. Ashby's start was perfectly timed and he was away one second after the gun, heading starboard for 300 metres, he then tacked right.
Ashby was followed by 1996 Olympic Tornado Bronze medallist Andrew Landenberger.
At the bottom mark after one lap, Landenberger was ahead by 20 metres and had gone further to the right. Landenberger headed left back up the course, while Ashby went right, followed by 2001 A-Cat World Champion Steve Brewin.
By the next lap Ashby was well clear of Landenberger. Brewin was next, followed by Scott Anderson, Manuel Calavia and then Brad Collett and Tom Slingsby.
Down the final run Ashby cleared right away to take a very convincing 1 minute and 56 second win.
The modest Victorian just grinned as he crossed the line; he then lined up for race eight of the series.
The focus now shifts to the battle for the minor podium places with 2001 A-Cat World Champion Steve Brewin looking like the bridesmaid again.
With another 'worst result' race drop tomorrow, Australian 1984 Olympic Tornado Silver medallist Scott Anderson is fighting to hold off a solid group, which includes Swiss sailor Luc du Bois, Spain's Manuel Calavia and BMW Oracle match racer, Australia's James Spithill.
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Thursday, January 8 - 2009 - At 1400 local time, Saturday 10th January, ICAP Leopard, the British 100ft supermaxi will begin the 2009 Heineken Cape to Bahia Race from Cape Town, South Africa. With two days to go before the start, final preparations are being made across the fleet, for what should be a classic offshore race. Having undergone a full refit and optimization treatment since her last race, owner Mike Slade and his world class crew are looking forward to getting out on the water and setting a record pace.
Mike Slade, owner of ICAP Leopard and Chief Executive of Helical Bar plc, commented: "We are all really looking forward to getting underway on Saturday. The crew has done a great job getting the boat up to scratch for the start. Cape Town has been a fantastic place to be over the last few days and I cannot believe the amount support we have had from the public and the press. It is going to be a long and tough race, but I am really excited about competing in this prestigious offshore challenge."
When asked about the weather conditions expected during the race, ICAP Leopard Navigator, Rosco Monson, said: "It looks like a quick exit from Cape Town with a 25 knot southerly, however this will quickly drop to around 12 knots on day two or three. The toughest part of the race for us, will be this period of light winds, so we will be actively seeking stronger winds wherever we can. The second half of the race looks more stable with 13-18 knots of trade winds, so it will be important for us to reach these trade winds as soon as possible."
ICAP Leopard will compete in this traditionally downwind race with a seasoned crew that includes Whitbread and Volvo Round the World Race sailors Jan Dekker (RSA), Gordon Maguire (IRE), Jason Carrington (GBR) & Paul Standbridge (GBR), as well as members of America's Cup syndicate Team Shosholoza, David Rae (RSA) and Joey Heywood (RSA).
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Wednesday, January 7 - 2009 - Here's another response, this time from a doctor, to our question asking if these death defying races are selfish from the perspective of the rescuers. Scroll down for the full editorial:
Taking issue with your position on sea rescues for solo racers. You are beating the wrong dog, of course the rescues are dramatic and sometimes involve maritime naval assets deployment. But these are peanuts compared with the yearly expense involved with the rescue of coastal recreation boaters worldwide for one and second the cost of rescue by naval forces for the more involved rescues is easier for me to foot, as a taxpayer, than maritime exercises that usually involve just steaming around playing games.
If the selfishness of solo or shorthand racing is the issue, or any racing at all, there are more wasteful endeavors in life: smoking, fashion, drag racing, desert racing, F-22 fighters and the list can go on and on. Ocean solo racing brings back dreams in all of us and also points out how we are affecting the oceans of our home planet, several boats have been lost due to collision with UFO's (most likely containers), the point of discussion should not be the rescues but how to get rid of the debris that is destroying the boats, third I am all out for green sailing and most of the sailboat races are, instead of burning gallons of fuel they promote ultra efficient energy generation, management and storage.
Just a thought...
Photo Pat Reynolds.
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Wednesday, January 7 - 2009 - Here's some excerpts from Yachting journalist Andy Rice's interview with Russell Coutts during the RC 44 Gold Cup, in Puerto Calero.
How much is the class still evolving?
We're addressing some of the things that are high maintenance like the runner system and the winch system, so we're trialling a new system after this event, slightly bigger winches in the pit. Once we get that right, all the boats will be fitted with the new system.
We have several other things going on to the boats for next year. We may add a jib cunningham and jib halyard; it would make it a nicer boat for good sail trimmers.
As we discover new things, we want to protect the one-design nature of the boat, but we also want the boat to be as good as it can be, and that takes development. When new ideas are incorporated - batten technology or whatever - we like to keep near the forefront of that development
It's coming up to three years since the RC44 Class was launched. What's gone as expected, what's been different?
I think the class is pretty successful. We're still learning about the correct timing of events and venues. Lanzarote was maybe a bit too late in the season for some people.
There's still a lot of things to be learned and improved. We're getting the move to professional umpiring working for us. That's been a great move. We have a more stable group of umpires, and Peter Reggio running the racing has been a big step. We also have a maintenance program where the class hires two boatbuilders to service the boats and the class pays for those boatbuilders. We might hire a sailmaker in the future too, to accompany the tour. Economies of scale is one of the benefits of a circuit like this.
Is the RC44 a microcosm of the type of boat you'd like to see for the next America's Cup, ie capable of planing downwind?
Definitely, I think it's baloney that slow boats are better for match racing. In fact I think there are many more passing opportunities downwind when you have a boat that needs to be sailed at a pretty specific angle downwind. If you look at the heavier displacement boats, they can be sailed at a wide range of angles downwind and the performance loss is negligible. So it's pretty easy to defend a lead in a heavy displacement boat. There isn't a lot of passing downwind, whereas in a more high performance boat you have more attacking opportunities. The argument that once the gennaker is set the boats are far apart is not that important. If a boat behind picks up a gust, the performance difference is huge and so you can often make a massive gain very quickly and attack the boat in front. You get more place changing in a boat like this.
More than 70% of the races in traditional boats are won at the start, that's a bizarre situation. It's important to put emphasis on other aspects of the racing, which is what a high performance boat can do.
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Wednesday,
January 7 - 2009 - Jean Le Cam has been rescued safe and sound aboard
PRB, but Vincent Riou's yacht suffers damage in the process.
Yesterday
a full-scale rescue operation was in place to retrieve Jean Le Cam from
the upturned hull of VM Matériaux - a Chilean Navy tug boat equipped
with divers was on its way, a helicopter had been deployed and the
tanker Sonangol Kassanje was standing by, but in the end it was
Vincent Riou who successfully recovered fellow skipper and friend Le
Cam.
At 1810 (GMT) the Race Directors spoke to Vincent Riou,
who reported that Le Cam had climbed out of VM Matériaux wearing his
survival suit. Vincent Riou circled repeatedly to retrieve the skipper
from the water, and on the fourth attempt he successfully rescued Le
Cam on board PRB.
However, on his final approach alongside the
inverted VM Matériaux, the end of PRB's port outrigger was damaged
against the upturned keel fin. Le Cam was able to scramble aboard soon
after and appears to be unhurt, as Riou reported that both skippers
worked on deck to stabilize PRB's mast. They are now sailing slowly, on
starboard tack, on a heading of 110 with three reefs in the main and no
headsail.
Armel Le Cléac'h on Brit Air, who was also standing
by to assist in the rescue, is now following PRB as they investigate
repairs the rig.
"It's an incredible story that has a happy end," said Alain Gautier, the Vendée Globe safety consultant.
The
rescue operation by the Chilean Navy has been called off - the
helicopter has turned around, as has the Chilean tug, which was set to
reach VM Matériaux on Wednesday morning. The oil tanker which has been
standing alongside since this morning can also now move off.
Vincent Riou's team: Jean
Le Cam is doing fine, after what was probably a most difficult
experience. A few hours ago the rescue wasn't certain. Le Cam's boat
partly filled with water, so he was in the bow. Riou waited with Armel
throughout the day to make sure they were there when he came out. They
couldn't contact him. On one sail past he noticed the hatch was broken
open and Jean was out. Riou threw Le Cam a rope three times but he
couldn't catch it.
Jean had to hang onto the rudder for 15 mins.
Riou wasn't sure whether Armel could help at that moment and so that's
why he moved closer. After failing three times he was feeling
desperate. On the fourth attempt Vincent moved closer and damaged his
own boat, but was determined to pick up Jean. Jean wrapped the rope
around himself and Vincent pulled him in on the winch.
Riou
thought his boat was dismasted as the mast was at a 30° angle, but Jean
said they could save the mast by gybing and the shrouds went tight
again. If PRB had been dismasted they would have been in another
difficult situation, so they had to do something quickly.
The
incident began when he was on the phone with Jean [immediately before
the capsize] and then all day long he has been speeding to the rescue,
and then had a very trying wait today alongside not knowing what was
going to happen. The tanker couldn't do much to help either so it must
have been difficult for them too. There was a lot of communicating
between the authorities and organizers, but the problem was the lack of
communication between Jean and Vincent, as neither knew what the other
was going to do. As a sailor, it's the sort of thing you have to do.
They are currently heading for Beagle Channel and Ushuaia (Tierra del
Fuego, Argentina) on PRB. Photo courtesy of Vendee Globe.
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Wednesday, January 7 - 2009 - Jean Le Cam: First of all, I always had in my head do not leave the boat, then I didn't know how long I could live inside. I heard Vincent's voice in the morning, and thought am I dreaming or not? Then I heard it again so I was sure he was there, and that's important, because if you get out and there's no one, you're in a real bad shape because possibly you can't get back in, I mean there's only one shot at this. So I went in the back, it was immersed in water, I went back in my igloo in the front of the boat, and at one point, I thought let's go back, it's not because there's water that I can't give it a try, I had capsized once and had held on the outside of the boat for 5 hours, you need to hold on to something, it's like when you go buy bread you can't forget your money. So I opened the hatch and things kept coming out of the boat, Vincent saw things come out of the hatch, and then I put my feet first, I got out in one movement with the wave, I held on, lifted my head up, and saw Vincent, which was a great moment.
"I was in the water, I get on the boat, one arm around the safran, Vincent came around a few times, I grabbed onto his bout and he heaved me up, then the outrigger hit the keel, and the mast of PRB was inclined 30 degrees, we consolidated the mast, and that was it.
Vincent Riou: I heard screams, I could hear his fear in his screams, I was afraid of the cold and hypothermia for him, the boat was slowly sinking, I didn't know how he was inside, I was imagining that he could try and get out at some point, so we decided to take rounds for the boat because I was afraid that he'd try to get out and there would be no one waiting there for him. It's not easy for someone to get out like that, so we stayed close to the boat the whole time we waited, when I took my turn and I saw things coming out, I thought he's doing something, I saw containers, then the hatch came out, and I knew immediately the boat was open and so I stayed close so as soon as Jean would come out I'd be there.
And then I came close a first time, I came close a second time and I missed him, and at the fourth try I managed to send him the bout, the more I got closer the more I took risks, it could only take one bigger wave for Jean to be sent off, you can't resist the pressure of the water, the fourth time I got really close, the hulls didn't touch but the keel hit the outrigger, but at the time I really didn't care, first I get Jean then I'll take care of my outrigger, my priority was set on getting Jean no matter what.
"We are heading towards Cape Horn, then close to the canal beagle and we'll try to moor tonight, I'm waiting from the jury to see how the race can go on for me, or how it can end, I'm in discussions with the jury to see what the possibilities are.
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Wednesday, January 7 - 2009 - Oman Sail's 75-foot trimaran Musandam, formerly Dame Ellen MacArthur's world record breaking B&Q/ Castorama, is ready to depart on her circumnavigation of the globe under the new colours of Oman and with a 5-man crew, including Mohsin Ali Al Busaidi, who is to attempt to become the first ever Omani to sail around the world. Weather dependent, Musandam will depart Marina Bander Al Rowdha for the start line tomorrow, Thursday, 8th January 2009 at 1400hrs.
In their first attempt to sail Musandam non-stop from Muscat to Muscat, Mohsin and the international crew on Musandam are likely to sail over 40,000 kilometres via the Indian Ocean and the three great Capes of the Southern Ocean - Cape Leeuwin (south-west tip of Australia), via the Cook Straits (NZ) to the notorious Cape Horn (tip of South America) and Cape of Good Hope (southern tip of South Africa) before turning left and heading back towards Muscat. The five crew will endure the calms and heat of the tropics for only ten percent of the journey and will spend the majority of the trip in the freezing and hostile Southern Ocean where temperatures, with wind chill, will regularly be below -10oC.
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