Podium finishes at Sailing World Cup Final

Written by RYA | 12 December 2016

GBR secures Finn, Nacra and kiteboard medals at Melbourne World Cup Final

Finn star Ed Wright and new Nacra 17 pairing John Gimson-Anna Burnet ensured a medal-winning end to 2016, with podium finishes at the Sailing World Cup Final which wrapped up on 11 December in Melbourne.

Wright claimed a silver medal behind home hero Jake Lilley but finished ahead of USA’s Olympic bronze medallist Caleb Paine in the heavyweight dinghy event, while Gimson-Burnet got off to a successful start to their new partnership in the mixed multihull event.

The duo took bronze at the conclusion of the 10-race series held off the St Kilda Sailing Precinct, but there was heartbreak for windsurfer Tom Squires, who started his RS:X medal race in bronze position only to receive an OCS false start penalty and drop to fifth overall following his disqualification.

Lorenzo Chiavarini and Georgina Povall made the medal race cut in their respective Laser and Laser Radial events, both placing eighth overall, while there was double British success in the invited Formula Kite event with Exmouth’s Bridge brothers claiming two steps on the podium. Oliver Bridge took the event victory, with younger brother Guy sealing bronze.

via Podium finishes at Sailing World Cup Final | Home | News | The British Sailing Team | RYA.

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Yachting great Paul Elvstrom passes away

13 Dec 2016

Paul Elvstrom passes away aged 88

Olympic yachting great, Paul Elvström has passed away aged 88 in Hellerup, Denmark – the place of his birth.

Over four consecutive Olympic Games he won four gold medals, winning his first aged just 20 years old in the one-man Firefly class. He won gold again in the Finn class in 1952, 1956 and 1960.

His Olympic streak has only been matched in sailing by Ben Ainslie, who won his fourth gold medal in a row in 2012.

Mr Ainslie paid tribute on Twitter, writing: “Saddened to hear the legendary Paul Elvström has passed away. He was an inspiration to pretty much anyone who stepped foot on a sailing boat.”

Alongside this, Mr Elvström won eleven world titles in eight different types of boat, including Snipe, Soling, Star, Flying Dutchman and Finn between 1957 and 1974.

In his last five years of competing, he raced with his daughter Trine Elvström-Myralf – they won two European championships and came fourth at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

Mr Elvström retired from Olympic sailing after competing at Seoul as a 60-year-old in 1988, his eighth Games over a 40-year career and was then named Denmark’s sportsman of the century in 1996.

The Dane also made an impact off the racecourse with a series of books on the racing rules – in a wallet and using diagrams of small plastic boats – became the racing sailor’s bible for several decades. Mr Elvström also applied his skill and intelligence on the racecourse to the design of components that are still used today – the Elvström self-bailer is still found on Olympic boats and other grand prix boats at the leading edge of the sport.

The Elvström Lifejacket was also the first that was designed and produced for active sailors across the world.

Mr Elvström also pioneered techniques for hiking and ideas for training for sailing that paved the way for the modern athletic sport. And Elvström sailmakers – founded in 1954 – is still very much in existence.

Mr Elvström leaves four daughters as well as grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

via Boating Business | Yachting great Paul Elvstrom passes away.

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Freedom US30 gets caught on rocks

02 Dec 2016

Freedom US30

The racing yacht that Dennis Conner skippered to an America’s Cup victory in 1980 got caught on rocks off the shores of Byram, Connecticut.

Freedom US30 is owned by the 12m Yacht Development Foundation whose mission is to ‘acquire, restore, and preserve historic America’s Cup Class l2m yachts and their match racing heritage’.

Luckily she floated off with high tide and there was minimal damage.

via Boating Business | Freedom US30 gets caught on rocks.

Phil breaks the record

02 Dec 2016

Phil Sharp celebrates his new record

Congratulations to Phil Sharp who has established a new World Speed Sailing Monohull Record.

Mr Sharp sailed single-handed across the English Channel from Cowes, Isle of Wight to Dinard, France in 9 hours and 3 minutes, on his 40ft offshore Class 40 yacht Imerys averaging a speed of 15.3 knots.

The record is subject to ratification by the World Speed Sailing Record Council (WSSRC).

via Boating Business | Phil breaks the record.

Email Print The ‘Golden Age’ of sailing is celebrated12 Dec 2016Almost 30 sailors have signed to take part in the 2018 Golden Globe RaceAlmost 30 sailors including five from the UK have signed up to take part in the 2018 Golden Globe Race.The 30,000 mile solo, non-stop round the world race is being staged to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the original Sunday Times Golden Globe Race back in 1968/9 which led to Sir Robin Knox-Johnston becoming the first man to sail solo non-stop around the world in his 9.75m ketch Suhaili.The 2018 edition will again be a solo race with sailors sailing ‘simple boats using basic equipment to guarantee a satisfying and personal experience’.Navigation will be carried out using a sextant without the aid of electronic instruments or autopilots.Contact with the outside world will be via long-range high frequency and ham radios with no outside assistance or shore-based weather routing.“The challenge is pure and very raw, placing adventure ahead of winning at all costs. It is for ‘those who dare’, just as it was for Sir Robin,” explained a race spokesman.

via Boating Business | The ‘Golden Age’ of sailing is celebrated.

Oyster Regatta – Palma

BY ADMIN • NOVEMBER 11, 2016 • BREAKING NEWS, HOMEMOSAIC • COMMENTS OFF • 9

Oyster Yachts is best known for its large, top quality long distance cruising yachts, but it’s also among a number of premium boat builders that organises both rallies – including a well-supported round the world event – and regattas. While no one buys an Oyster solely for short distance day racing, these events are valued as an opportunity to meet like-minded owners, socialise and share ideas with them, and measure your own prowess alongside that of your peers.

The most recent event took place in Palma, Mallorca in mid October 2016, when a record 43 boats from 45ft to 100ft gathered for a four-race series and evening lavish social functions. The weather delivered everything from light airs to thunderstorms and gusts of 20 knots, which tested teams across a range of conditions.

In Class One a close battle played out all week between seven giant Oyster 885s. Nevertheless an impressive performance by Maxim Kudryashov’s Guardian Angel saw the Russian entry winning three of the four races. Andrey Yakunin’s Firebird took a clean sweep of podium places, including clinching a win in the last race by a margin of seven seconds. Yakunin therefore finished the series in second place overall, just ahead of former Formula One supremo Eddie Jordan’s Lush.

Among the smaller boats, Ritchie Gatt’s Oyster 53 Ostra sailed an almost perfect regatta, scoring a second and two firsts to win Class 4. Sailing with friends from England, along with local guests, Peter Blackmore’s Oyster 49 Pied Piper took second overall, also with a clean sweep of podium finishes. “We just bonded as a team and did very well,” says Blackmore. “Although we are competitive, we are also delighted to be here soaking up the fine Oyster hospitality with the 300 or so other guests.”

David Tydeman, Oyster Group CEO and Event Chairman/Race Officer, said the regatta had beaten all expectations: “It really has been one of the best to date and we have achieved what we set out to do in terms of attracting a large and diverse fleet. From newcomers to sailing who’ve never raced before, to a selection of professional teams, this regatta has never been more accessible.”

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On or offshore racing sailboat

BY ADMIN • NOVEMBER 11, 2016 • BREAKING NEWS, HOMEMOSAIC, YACHTS • COMMENTS OFF • 11

It has been almost 10 years since the J/122, the last all-new 40ft design from this North American based builder, was launched. The latest model, announced in October 2016 is an all-new design that rounds out the company’s line up of fast “speedsters” that offer blistering performance. In the smaller boats – notably the 23ft J/70, the 29ft J/88 and the 36ft J/111 – the interiors only provide for the needs of weekending (and not even that in the case of the smaller boat). However, at 40ft the J/121 offers enough space for comfortable life on board, providing you’re not intending to cater for too many people.

Although, as with other J-Boats, the new design will doubtless be seen on inshore windward-leeward race courses, this is also an offshore boat that’s expected to gain success in classic distance races with a crew of only five people. The company says: “…straight-line speed is the name of the game in this type of racing and is achieved by having a low drag, efficient hull with high form stability and exceptional balance.” Add to this a highly engineered carbon rig package, an L- shaped low VCG keel, infused composite construction, and a water-ballast assist system that’s equivalent to 400kg of additional crew members sitting on the windward rail.

The rig, sail and deck plan are designed to simplify sail handling, drawing on new technology developed for the Vendee Globe, Volvo Ocean Race and other extreme offshore sailing events. The sail inventory includes an all-purpose furling J1 jib, a hoistable furling J4 that sets inside the forestay, a furling Code Zero flown from the bowsprit, and up to two asymmetric spinnakers, each of which is set on its own top-down furler. With each headsail or spinnaker having its own dedicated furler fewer hands are needed on the foredeck and sail stowage below decks is more efficient. Combined with a double reef mainsail system with luff slides, a very versatile and easily managed sail combination is available for most wind or sea conditions.

Accommodation includes a double aft cabin, a large L-shaped galley, settee/sea berths with optional pilot berths above, a proper navigation station and a separate heads/shower compartment. As standard the forepeak is left open for sail storage, but this can optionally be fitted out with a removable double vee-berth. Interior trim is offered in a classic (white with varnished highlights) or modern Grand Prix (white on white) variants.

Specifications and dimensions have yet to be released by the designers, but this will surely be a boat to watch for those who value the adrenaline of easily tamed power and high speed sailing over luxury appointments.

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Contesting the Ultimate Ocean Challenge

BY ADMIN • NOVEMBER 11, 2016 • BREAKING NEWS, HOMEMOSAIC, RACING • COMMENTS OFF • 10

Preparing for three months alone at sea in full-on race mode. Credit: Jean-Marie Liot/DPPI/Vendee Globe

The world’s biggest sporting challenge by far is surely the Vendee Globe race, a 23,000-mile non-stop single-handed dash around the planet. For the lone sailors, who will remain in constant full-on race mode for almost three months, it requires immense physical toughness, along with enormous technical knowledge and emotional resilience. No other event in the sporting world makes such relentless demands over such a long period of time.

The race has been held every four years since 1989 and this year’s event started from Les Sables d’Olonne on France’s Atlantic coast on Sunday November 6. The leaders are expected to return there after around 75-80 days, having sailed the length of the Atlantic in both directions, plus a lengthy Southern Ocean passage. Historically only around half the fleet completes the full circumnavigation. An idea of the scale of the challenge is that fewer people have sailed single handed non-stop around the world than have been in space.

The boats are IMOCA 60ft monohulls, built to a box rule that defines parameters that include overall length, draught, mast height and safety considerations. The latest generation of boats have horizontal foils that are deployed on the lee side to generate lift and elevate the hull out of the water when boat speed exceeds around 16 knots.

Skipper Jeremie Bayou – the latest generation of boats have horizontal foils that increase stability and help lift the hull out of the water. Credit: Francis Van Malleghem/DPPI/Vendee Globe

29 skippers representing 10 countries will contest this edition of the race. They cover a huge range of experience, including five who will join a small group of sailors who have taken part in the Vendée Globe on four occasions. A further six sailors will be taking part in their third Vendée Globe, while four others will be setting sail from Les Sables d’Olonne for the second time. The 2016-2017 line-up brings together the youngest competitor in the history of the race (Alan Roura, 23) and the oldest (Rich Wilson, 66).

The popularity of the race in France is such that around one million people will visit the race village in the port in the three weeks before the start. In addition, more than 500,000 skippers from around the world will compete online in the Virtual Vendee Globe.

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Top Tips for Transatlantic Crossing

BY ADMIN • OCTOBER 28, 2016 • FEATURES, OLDER • COMMENTS OFF • 70

Chafe patches on the mainsail will pay dividends during long periods of downwind sailing. Credit: © Rupert Holmes

Around this time of year many European yachts are preparing for an Atlantic crossing in order to spend the winter in the warmth of the Caribbean. Much can be learned from the experiences of others, particularly any items that have failed on the journey. Normally this information is hard to come by, however, World Cruising, organiser of the various long-distance rallies, including the annual Atlantic Rally for Cruisers, has shared the results of a recent survey of the almost yachts in its most recent ARC and ARC+ rallies.

On the voyage from the Canary Islands to St Lucia, windy conditions were responsible for causing damage to sails, poles, rigging and chafe, which in total accounted for 56 per cent of reported breakages. Some 40 per cent of this damage was to sails, including tears in spinnakers/cruising chutes, clews ripped and battens or mast-car/track damage. The report recommends: “Valeting sails before setting off on your Atlantic adventure is always sensible. A good sailmaker will check over your sails, repairing stitching and reinforcing stress points. Triple stitching is a good insurance, and remember UV light degrades sail cloth and stiches over time. Make sure you have a well-stocked sail repair kit on boar as prevention is better than cure, so ensuring you reef early and keep a good look out for squalls.” Given the amount of time spent sailing downwind, it also points out that spreader patches on the mainsail, including at each reefing position, are important.

After sail damage, chafe was the second largest problem area, with 17 per cent of boats recording damage. “This highlights the need to pay attention to chafe prevention in boat preparations prior to the crossing, and whilst at sea during the passage,” according to the report.

Sailing downwind in a big ocean swell can put strain on the rig and cause chafe that’s never experienced in coastal waters. Credit: © Rupert Holmes

Rigging related problems accounted for one in ten breakages. One was a total rig failure, while hardware such as goosenecks, vang fittings, blocks or shackles, travellers and furlers also caused problems. Preventers will help prevent boom and gooseneck damage, providing they are attached at the outboard end of the boom, and run right forward before leading back to the cockpit.

Four boats tangled ropes or fishing lines around propellers or snagged fishing nets at sea; two reported broken steering cables (one fixed using Dyneema lines) and three boats had to resort to their emergency steering arrangements, at least whilst affecting repairs to the main steering system.

One boat in 20 suffered autopilot failure, so skippers are recommended to ensure the unit is specified for the loaded displacement of the boat and check for loose connections, worn rams and security of mountings. Those sailing double-handed are advised to also carry a windvane self-steering system.

Read the full report here

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Grand Prix racing returns to the Solent

BY ADMIN • SEPTEMBER 21, 2016 • OLDER, RACING • COMMENTS OFF • 143

Peter Morton’s Girls on Film won the class overall ahead of formidable competition. Credit: Paul Wyeth/CWL

It has been nearly a decade since there was a proper Grand Prix class based in the Solent, but this style of high adrenaline has now returned to the UK with a vengeance. The new FAST40+ class has an international fleet of 14 boats that has been provided some of the very best top-level yacht racing in Europe during the 2016 season.

This is not solely the preserve of a rarefied breed of professional sailors – part of the attraction is that the class has an owner-driver rule and no more than five professionals are allowed in the crew of 12. By the second of the class’s five regattas this year, the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s IRC National Championship, it was clear that the format is providing intensely close racing. Each of the eight races was decided by seconds and eight of the 11 teams climbed onto the podium at least once.

The One Ton Cup

Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week proved a further highlight, with the fleet racing for some of the most coveted trophies in the yacht-racing world, including the New York Challenge Cup and the Britannia Cup. Peter Morton’s Carkeek 40 Mark 3 Girls on Film sailed consistently well at the regatta to take an overall win, but he failed to gain the two big prizes, which went to Texan Bill Coates’ Ker 43 Otra Vez.

“This is my first Cowes Week, and to be honest I had no idea how important these two trophies were, but now I fully appreciate the importance,” said Coates. “To win both the Britannia Cup and the New York Yacht Club Challenge Cup is extraordinary. The atmosphere off the water is like no other regatta I have been to – the whole of Cowes gets involved with thousands of people enjoying the occasion, it is a real carnival atmosphere.”

Close competition in the FAST40+ class at this year’s Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week. Credit: Paul Wyeth/CWL

Next up is a revival of another of the most prized trophies in the sport of sailing – the legendary One Ton Cup, which dates from 1899 and has long been one of the sport’s holy grails. In the past dozens of large new yachts were built each year to compete for the impressive 10kg solid silver trophy. This year 14 high performance yachts are expected, flying the flags of England, Germany, Ireland, Scotland, South Africa and the USA. Both the class and the event show every sign of growing in the 2017 season.

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