Transatlantic Race battered by ferocious storms

BY ADMIN • JUNE 22, 2017 • OLDER, RACING • COMMENTS OFF • 252

Kass Schmitt, the only woman entry in this edition of the OSTAR.

The 2017 edition of the four-yearly Original Single Handed Transatlantic Race (OSTAR) from Plymouth, UK to Newport, Rhode Island started in light airs on May 29. The 15 solo skippers were joined by a further seven boats sailing double handed in the TWOSTAR race that’s run alongside the main event. The 3,000-mile race has been run since its inception in 1960 by the Royal Western Yacht Club.

Despite the gentle start, the sailors were soon battling with a fierce North Atlantic storm with 60 knot winds and huge seas around a 1,000 miles east of Newfoundland. At the time of writing one boat had sank two were abandoned and several others had retired from the races

Australian Mark Hipgrave bought his Jeanneau Sun Fast 3600 in England. After the finish he intends to ship it home in preparation for the Rolex Sydney Hobart race and then the 5,000 mile Melbourne to Osaka (Japan) race.

An additional hazard for competitors this year is that warm winter temperatures in the Arctic have resulted in significant calving of icebergs that were then washed south by the ocean currents. In early May between the longitude of the Azores and the continental USA these were recorded as far south as 42 degrees north.

Competitors come from 12 countries, including the UK, France, Portugal, Poland, Italy, Bulgaria, USA and Australia. On the same weekend as this race started the Royal Western YC also organised the celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of Sir Francis Chichester’s record breaking circumnavigation in 1967. Chichester was winner of the first OSTAR, held in 1960 as a result of a bet between a group of friends as to which of them could sail their yacht singlehanded across the Atlantic the fastest. At the time none knew that this wager would spawn the entire sport of solo oceanic yacht racing.

Action on the start line of the OSTAR single handed transatlantic race

In 1967 Chichester became the first person to sail single-handed around the globe with only one stop, opening the way for the famed Golden Globe Race in 1968/9, sponsored by the Sunday Times newspaper. Out of a field of nine competitors, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston was the only successful finisher, taking 313 days to circle the globe alone.

Next year will see a re-enactment of the Golden Globe race, with 30 skippers leaving Falmouth to race non stop around the world. Competitors will sail south down the Atlantic, before effectively sailing around Antarctica and then returning to the UK via Cape Horn. Race rules limit them to traditional heavy long keel yachts of a modest size and only the equipment that was available in the late 1960s. Amazingly 30 entries have signed up and it promises to be fascinating to observe. One of those, Frenchman Lionel Regnier, is racing in the OSTAR with the aim of building miles and experience in his Rustler 36 One and All. Unlike most racers, who take every opportunity to minimise weight, he is carrying the same weight of stores that he will take for his circumnavigation next year.

Follow competitors via the race tracker here

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Dramatic mid-Atlantic rescues

BY ADMIN • JULY 21, 2017 • BREAKING NEWS, HOMEMOSAIC, RACING • COMMENTS (0) • 60

The OSTAR single-handed trans-Atlantic race has long been considered to be one of the toughest of all ocean races. Competitors have to battle 3,000 miles across the north Atlantic against prevailing winds and currents. But no one could predict the scale of devastation an unseasonal storm would wreak on the fleet this year, the 15th edition of the race since it was first run in 1960.

Of the 21 boats that left Plymouth on May 29, seven of which were two-handed entries in the double handed TWOSTAR race that ran alongside the OSTAR, a quarter would retire in the first week.

In their second week at sea four of the remaining 16 boats were lost in winds gusting 60 to 70 knots and 10-15m seas thanks to a low pressure system of 964 millibars that Canadian forecasters likened to the worst of their winter storms. Storms of this intensity are very rare in early summer, but this one was 15mb lower in pressure than the disastrous 1979 Fastnet race storm in which 15 competitors lost their lives.

Thankfully, on this occasion all the crews were successfully rescued, one lucky competitor by the Queen Mary 2 luxury cruise ship. A further five boats subsequently retired, all making port without assistance, but leaving only seven yachts to finish the race – a retirement rate far in excess of any in the race’s history.

While some readers might make initial assumptions about the seaworthiness of light weight racing yachts, the casualties included a wide variety of craft, including a 11.5 tonne displacement double ended Formosa 42 that had completed numerous previous editions of the race in the hands of owner former Royal Marine Mervyn Wheatley, who had sailed more than 100,000 miles on board.

Italian Andrea Mura took line honours in his Open 50 Vento di Sardegna, but wasn’t able to save his time on Irishman Conor Fogarty’s Jeanneau Sun Fast 3600 Bam, who won the Gipsy Moth class. A second 3600, Australian Mark Hipgrave’s Mister Lucky, was third over the line and on corrected time in the same class. Only two of the slower boats in the Jester Class, are still in the race, Christian Chalandre’s French S&S 34 and Britain’s Neil Payter in his Yamaha 33 Solent One. At the time of writing both were around 300 miles from the finish.

Only two boats in the TWOSTAR division finished the race – Uwe Rottgering and Asia Pajkowska Class 40 Rote 66, and Adelie Parat and Mederic Thiot’s classic 1954 Morgan 54 Midnight Summer Dream.

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RECENT POSTS

Seasonal maintenance: A fair lead?

Innovative Bente 39 to be unveiled at Düsseldorf

Destination: Newport, Rhode Island, USA

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via Dramatic mid-Atlantic rescues | Yachting News Update | The Business of Boat Ownership and Marina Berths.

Volvo Ocean Race unveils 10-strong squad of Onboard Reporters for 2017-18

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Brian Carlin/Team Vestas Wind/Volvo Ocean Race/Volvo Ocean Race

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Sam Greenfield/Dongfeng Race Team/Volvo Ocean Race

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Ainhoa Sanchez/Volvo Ocean Race

The mixed squad of media professionals will tell the story of the toughest test of a team in professional sport (full story below)

The Volvo Ocean Race has unveiled a 10-strong squad of Onboard Reporters to tell the story of the toughest test of a team in professional sport.

Featuring hardened media pros from six nations around the world, the group of Onboard Reporters for the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18 includes award-winning adventure photographers, extreme sports filmmakers, the documentary-making son of a Volvo Ocean Race legend and a former soldier–turned–journalist who has completed two tours of the Middle East.

Dubbed ‘the toughest job in sports media’, the Onboard Reporter is a position that’s unique to sailing’s iconic race around the world. The Volvo Ocean Race is the only professional sporting event to feature dedicated multimedia reporters embedded with the teams, and given unique access to cover every aspect of the event, round the clock, directly from the field of play.

Two Onboard Reporters – Brian Carlin (Ireland) and Sam Greenfield (United States) – return to the Race after making their debuts in 2014-15.

They are joined by Jen Edney (United States), who was recently named as one of ‘Nine Female Adventure Photographers Who Push the Limits’ by National Geographic; French shooters Martin Keruzoré and Jeremie Lecaudey; Richard Edwards and Konrad Frost, Britons who honed their onboard skills in the Clipper Race; Spanish media man Ugo Fonollá; and BBC journalist Tom Martienssen (Britain), who served as a gunner in the British Royal Air Force, and has reported live from the summit of Mount Everest.

Accomplished natural history documentary filmmaker James Blake (New Zealand/Britain), who has worked with the likes of the BBC and Discovery and is the son of Volvo Ocean Race winner Sir Peter Blake, completes the squad, which has already clocked up thousands of offshore miles in preparation for the next edition, beginning 22 October 2017.

The Onboard Reporters have gone through an extensive creative ‘boot camp’ in Alicante, proving their ability to withstand the mental and physical pressure of the role before being accepted.

When the Race launched its storyteller search in June 2016, almost 10,000 candidates from 126 countries flooded the campaign website to discover how to join the next batch of elite reporters.

The event, which pits the best professional sailors against each other over 45,000 nautical miles, covering four oceans, five continents and nine marathon months, requires multi-skilled and experienced media professionals to join the crews onboard and report back to shore from the most remote and hostile regions on the planet.

To push content from the world’s oceans to race fans takes some serious technology. Every boat is fitted with state-of-the-art equipment, remote-control cameras, microphones and custom-designed media stations.

The Inmarsat satellite network coupled with communications hardware from Cobham powers the delivery of multimedia content from each of the super-charged 65-foot racing boats while at sea.

With the next edition drawing closer, the whole fleet is en route to Gosport, UK, where they will make preparations for the Leg Zero qualifying races.

via Volvo Ocean Race unveils 10-strong squad of Onboard Reporters for 2017-18| Volvo Ocean Race.

Onboard Reporter biosSam Greenfield  (United States) Sam is one of only two Onboard Reporters from the 2014-15 edition to return to the racetrack, having worked with Dongfeng Race Team last time. He caught attention by becoming the first OBR to successfully fly a drone from a moving Volvo Ocean 65, revolutionising the use of drones across the sailing industry in the process. Since the end of the 2014-15 race, Sam has been based in Bermuda as part of the Team ORACLE USA media crew.Jen Edney (United States)Jen is one of the most renowned water adventure photographers in the business, and regularly appears in international publications like National Geographic magazine, which recently named her as one of ‘Nine Female Photographers Who Push The Limits’. Despite coming from the landlocked US state of Nebraska, Jen has clocked up over 50,000 offshore miles in preparation for the ultimate sailing media job.Konrad Frost (Britain)Having honed his onboard shooting and eye for detail in the Clipper Race, Konrad’s step into the Volvo Ocean Race world is a natural progression – and he admits that he has dreamed of stepping onboard in the Volvo Ocean Race since he was a little kid. When he’s not at sea, he is a respected cameraman in the adventure sports industry, and he knows the Race inside out having worked as crew on recent Volvo Ocean Race TV series, as well as the likes of CNN Mainsail.Jeremie Lecaudey (France)Jeremie joins the Race with is new to sailing, but arrives with a fresh perspective – and bags of extreme sports experience under his belt. He is renowned as a top talent in the snowboarding industry, but has taken to dampening his sea boots onboard a French Mini Open 650 within the last couple of years.Martin Keruzoré (France)Martin grew up around the ocean and the world of sailing photography and has almost a decade’s experience as a director, photographer, cameraman and editor. Starting out early, Martin has logged thousands of miles in French races and has been involved in projects including L’Hydroptere’s first speed test.Richard Edwards (Britain)Richard grew up with a natural affinity for the ocean and water sports – and in 2015, he made his passion a profession, by joining the Clipper Race as a cameraman and producer. It was this round-the-world experience that inspired him to push for the ultimate media job – a Volvo Ocean Race Onboard Reporter role.James Blake (New Zealand/Britain) James has carved out an impressive reputation in nature and documentary world for his shooting ability – and has worked for the likes of the BBC and Discovery as a filmmaker before deciding to follow in his father, Volvo Ocean Race legend Sir Peter Blake’s, footsteps and jump onto a Volvo Ocean Race boat himself. He’s also a natural born adventurer who completed a transtasman row in 2012 as part of a four-man team, and is planning new exploits after the race’s completion, including a new angle on a transatlantic record.Tom Martienssen (Britain)They say that the Volvo Ocean Race Onboard Reporter role is one of the most extreme media roles in the business – but for former soldier turned reporter Tom, it might be a welcome change of pace from his recent vocations. He has completed two tours of Iraq as a medic and an RAF gunner, and has reported for the likes of the BBC and CNN live from the summit of Mount Everest. Nevertheless, he still claims that working onboard the Volvo Ocean Race boats is the toughest thing he’s ever done. Brian Carlin (Ireland)Having made his name as the Onboard Reporter for Team Vestas Wind in 2014-15, Brian returns to the race as OBR Team Leader, and will be keen to make it the whole way around the world after a challenging Volvo Ocean Race debut which saw his team ground on an atoll in the middle of the Indian Ocean just days into Leg 3. Ugo Fonollá (Spain)The youngest member of the 2017-18 Onboard Reporter squad, Ugo grew up around sailing on Mallorca, close to the Palma sailing scene. Having studied engineering, Ugo then switched his focus to fulfilling his life’s dream – to become an OBR in the Volvo Ocean Race. Six years later, and armed with a camera and some wet weather gear, his wish has come true.

via Volvo Ocean Race unveils 10-strong squad of Onboard Reporters for 2017-18| Volvo Ocean Race.

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Liverpool to enter Clipper Race

21 Jul 2017

Host port for the start and finish of the Clipper 2017-18 Round the World Yacht Race, Liverpool, will be a team entry in the event.

The Liverpool 2018 team will visit 12 international destinations on six different continents throughout the 11-month race.

Making the announcement, Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson, said: “We’re delighted to be a Clipper Race team partner – not only are we part of the action, but it means that, once again, Liverpool is going to be seen across the globe by millions of people.

“As host port for the start and finish of this prestigious race, we couldn’t miss the opportunity to have a city-dedicated vessel as part of the competition.”

via Boating Business | Liverpool to enter Clipper Race.

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New rope catalogue

21 Jul 2017

According to the Grace’s Guide to British Industry Arthur Beale was established as a rope maker in around 1500. Now, more than 500 years’ later, the company has bought out a rope catalogue.

The catalogue is arranged chronologically with traditional fibres at the start and high-tech fibres such as Technora towards the end.

“It’s packed with information so we like to call it a reference catalogue,” said Arthur Beale’s Alasdair Flint. “We also have the skills to advise on the most suitable type to use for each application and we have the ability to splice them to suit your requirements.”

via Boating Business | New rope catalogue.

Para sailing: where next?

Olympic gold medallist Helena Lucas on the journey for Paralympic reinstatement

With Paralympic sailing missing out Tokyo 2020, the RYA is on a mission to continue to support sailors and increase racing at Sailability, Sailing and High Performance Clubs.

As part of the support, the RYA has been offering a number of travel grants and coaching at key 2.4mR events this year, including the Para World Sailing Championships held in June at Kiel.

Paralympic gold medallist Helena Lucas, who retired post-Rio, coached the three British 2.4mR boats in Kiel and was impressed by the spectacle. With over 80 boat from 39 nations, the sailors certainly made an impact.

“It was an amazing turnout, both in the Hansa and 2.4mR class. I was really impressed by the quality of the fleet. Everyone was there, Rio Paralympic gold and silver medallists, world champions… All the names were there so it was a really top quality fleet and a really good display on the part of the sailors getting to Kiel and making that effort. It was great to have a representative from the IPC who could see the fantastic turnout and effort involved,” explained Lucas.

“I absolutely loved coaching, I thoroughly enjoyed the Worlds and it was really interesting to sit on the other side of the fence and watch all my major rivals. I’ve never had the opportunity to that before!

“The new Hansa class is helping the emerging nations get on the startline and to come to a World Championships. At the moment, that’s what it’s all about in order to get the Paralympics reinstated for 2024 – one of the key facts for the IPC is the number of nations taking part so I think the Hansa might help give that opportunity.”

With World Sailing and the RYA offering grants, Helena urges sailors to approach World Sailing for advice and support as well engaging in events. Commenting on her own Paralympic 2.4mR experience, Helena believes the activity is very much still there.

“I’m probably slightly biased, but the 2.4mR is a brilliant class, there are loads of events taking place in the UK and internationally. The class has such an able-bodied following too, and it when you get in the boat it’s a level playing field.

“Hopefully when discussions start in 2018 for 2024 inclusion, Paralympic sailing can make a positive impression and revive itself. There are lots of really enthusiastic and passionate people who want to make it happen,” concluded Lucas.

via Para sailing: where next? | Features | The British Sailing Team | RYA.

Creative Clementine scoops new-look Marlow award

Laser Radial sailor Clementine Thompson has been selected as the first winner of the new look Marlow Ropes British Sailing Team Quarterly Award after creating a video that demonstrated her passion for the sport and commitment to excellence.

Marlow Ropes has supported the British Sailing Team for nearly 20 years through the award given to an up and coming sailor on the Olympic Pathway. Many top competitors, including Hannah Mills, Giles Scott and Nick Thompson have benefited from this award over the years putting the 20-year-old from Guernsey in good company.

In order to bring the award up to date this year, for the first time sailors were asked to nominate themselves for the award by making a short video explaining how they matched up against the team’s core values over the previous three months.

Seven videos were received from the Team’s Podium Potential Pathway group this quarter and the quality was extremely high, but Clementine stood out after nominating herself in a poem documenting the highs and lows of life as a professional sailor and her determination to succeed.

Marlow Ropes Managing Director Jon Mitchell said:

“The quality of the entries was really excellent! But it had to be Clementine in my view. She produced a really great video in all respects – not only does she describe the physical and mental commitment to racing, but also the emotional highs and lows she has (and will continue to) experience, plus it rhymes!

“She should be congratulated on a video that should also inspire other sailors!”

Clementine, who joined the British Sailing Team’s Podium Potential Pathway group in 2016 will receive £2500 worth of rope to help towards her campaign.

“Thank you so much to Marlow for presenting me with their quarterly award! I hope with my video that I can give people a snapshot of the life of a professional sailor with all its ups and downs.

“Now I can stock up on rope and keep my boat in excellent condition. It’s really exciting to win this award and I can’t wait to upgrade my lines. I’m very grateful for the support.”

As well as supporting up-and-coming sailors, Marlow Ropes are also the official supplier to the British Sailing Team thanks to its industry-renowned reputation for producing products tried, tested and trusted in the world’s harshest environments.

For further information on Marlow Ropes including the latest products and technical information visit www.marlowropes.com.

via Creative Clementine scoops new-look Marlow award | Features | The British Sailing Team | RYA.

Mills and McIntyre seal World Championship silver

Written by RYA | 17 July 2017

470 World Championship medal for British Sailing Team

Following on from their victory at the World Cup Final in Santander last month, Hannah Mills and Eilidh McIntyre secured World Championship silver in Thessaloniki, Greece, this week (10-15 July).

A three bullet opening day saw Mills and McIntyre take an early lead, but a challenging week for the pair at only their second regatta together, saw them slip into the silver medal spot on day two and into the medal race finale.

With a 16-point gap to overcome if the pair were to snatch the World title from Polish leaders Agnieszka Skrzypulec and Irmina Mrozek Gliszczynska, it was always going to be a hard fought battle to top the podium. Despite finishing second in the medal race and narrowing the point deficit, it would prove an impossible feat with Mills and McIntyre settling for second.

Whilst Olympic Champion Mills is no stranger to 470 World Championship success having secured gold in 2012 and silver in 2015, for McIntyre this is first World Championship medal.

McIntyre reflected on the week: “It’s really cool. I feel a bit bittersweet – it’s amazing to have medalled at a Worlds but at the same time I really felt like we had it in us to win and we didn’t quite pull it off.

“A few things didn’t quite go our way and we didn’t quite sail well enough but I guess that’s why we love sailing, isn’t it?”

The week was one of learning, continued Mills: “Definitely the intricacies of the close, light wind, tight racing are not quite there yet – you make one tiny error in terms of positioning and you can get punished very, very hard, which happened a couple of times this week in different scenarios.

“But that’s all cool, it’s part of the game isn’t it when you take a break for nine months? What you can and can’t get away with in terms of where you can put the boat [in the light wind racing] you forget a little bit!”

Mills, who has been training in the 49er FX this year, and McIntyre having only trained together briefly are considering their next steps.

“It’s wicked [to medal] considering how little we’ve done together. I’m really excited. Hannah isn’t quite sure what she wants to do yet but I feel very privileged to have had the opportunity to sail with her and win two medals with her,” explained McIntyre. “It’s been amazing, and I’ll take the learning forward from this event and improve as a sailor and a 470 crew.”

Mills added: “It was a really cool week and I’m really happy for Eilidh – her first World Championship medal and hopefully the first of many.

“I’m taking things as they come. I’m under no illusion that this is my best option for sure right now. Eilidh is a fantastic sailor and I’m sure we’d be a really, really strong and dominating partnership.

“But I’m also quite aware of myself, and I’m not ready to commit fully to the 470 yet. It still feels a bit too soon since Rio and everything with Sas, and so I think for me to do some other sailing still is going to be really beneficial for the next cycle. I’ll keep it fresh this year.”

British Sailing Team’s 470 crew Elliot Willis who was forced to take a break from sailing in order to undergo cancer treatment, was back out in action coaching Mills and McIntyre.

Mills commented: “Elliot’s awesome. It’s so nice he’s back to his normal self. He’s not quite out of the woods yet but he’s back to his normal self which is great to see, and obviously he’s an awesome person to have out on the water with you. He’s been through it all and has a whole heap of knowledge to dump on us.”

Teammates Amy Seabright and Anna Carpenter also made the medal race cut with four top five results. Crossing the final race in fifth saw the pair wrap up their regatta eighth overall to secure the duo’s best ever World Championship finish.

“A great result also for Amy and Anna – they’ve been training super hard and were awesome with us out in Rio before the Games. It’s super nice to see them coming along and hopefully we can continue the British tradition and work together and try and create something dominating again for Tokyo,” teammate Mills added.

Podium Potential sailors Jess Lavery and Flora Stewart finished 20th at their first World Championships together. Meanwhile Martin Wrigley and James Taylor finished 32nd in the Men’s division and will now aim for the 470 Junior Europeans in Italy next month.

via Mills and McIntyre seal World Championship silver | Home | News | The British Sailing Team | RYA.

Spanish navigator Joan Vila returns to the Volvo Ocean Race with MAPFRE

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María Muiña/MAPFRE

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María Muiña/MAPFRE

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María Muiña/MAPFRE

Joan Vila, one of the best navigators in the world, will return to the Volvo Ocean Race with MAPFRE in 2017-18, some 15 years after becoming the first Spanish sailor to win the coveted trophy (full story below)

Joan Vila, one of the best navigators in the world, will return to the Volvo Ocean Race with MAPFRE in 2017-18, some 15 years after becoming the first Spanish sailor to win the coveted trophy.

One of the most decorated sailors on the planet, Vila joins MAPFRE having last competed as part of a victorious Illbruck Challenge campaign in 2001-02. Since then, he has gone on to win three America’s Cups. He has also competed in the Olympic Games – and 2017-18 will mark his fifth Volvo Ocean Race appearance.

Vila will link up with the Spanish team, skippered by Olympic champion Xabi Fernández, as navigator – responsible for ensuring the consistent best positioning of the boat to take maximum advantage of the wind and current, and getting the team from point to point as fast as possible.

“This is the best crewed race than any offshore sailor can take part in, so you always keep an eye on it,” admitted Vila, as he joined up with MAPFRE at their team base in Sanxenxo, Spain.

“Unfortunately the last few years I haven’t had a chance to take part, as it coincided with other projects, but I always wanted to. I’m delighted that the opportunity has appeared for me again now, and with a team like MAPFRE,” he added.

Vila’s skills as navigator were highly sought-after, and he admits that he had the chance to appear on the start line wearing a different coloured shirt, but turned it down.

“I had conversations with another team as well as MAPFRE, but when I spoke to Xabi and the people involved in the team, I saw the chance to be part of an excellent crew, and didn’t hesitate.”

Vila brings an undeniable amount of experience from other competitions, but a lot has changed in the Volvo Ocean Race sine he last took part in 2001-02 with German campaign Illbruck, and before that with Fortuna Extra Lights, Galicia-Pescanova and Chessie Racing.

There have been huge developments in terms of meteorology and navigational technology, but also the boat itself – the One Design Volvo Ocean 65.

Following his first sail with his new teammates in Sanxenxo, Vila commented: “what I noticed most was how well geared everything is, and how well it all works.”

The announcement comes hot on the heels of MAPFRE’s signing of another America’s Cup champion, Kiwi Blair Tuke – and team CEO Pedro Campos expressed his delight at the way the squad is coming together.

“It’s a pleasure and a great source of pride for MAPFRE to announce the signing of Joan Vila, who, in my opinion, is the best navigator in the world. I have known Joan for many years, and it has always been my dream to have him on our team. Finally that dream has come true. I want to thank him for his trust in us, for joining MAPFRE, and I am sure he will help us achieve a great deal of success.”

Over the next few weeks, as the team continues their preparation in Galicia, further signings will be announced.

MAPFRE join six other teams on the start line for the 2017-18 edition: team AkzoNobel (Simeon Tienpont/NED), Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag (David Witt, AUS), Team Brunel (Bouwe Bekking/NED), Vestas 11th Hour Racing (Charlie Enright/USA), Turn the Tide on Plastic (Dee Caffari/GBR) and Dongfeng Race Team (Charles Caudrelier/FRA).

The fleet will depart Alicante, Spain on 22 October 2017 and race 45,000 nautical miles whilst taking in a further 10 stops around the planet including Lisbon, Cape Town, Melbourne, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Auckland, Itajaí, Newport, Cardiff and Gothenburg, before a big finish in The Hague in summer 2018.

via Spanish navigator Joan Vila returns to the Volvo Ocean Race with MAPFRE| Volvo Ocean Race.