commentary

change is not good?

Nevin Sayre is one of the most active and respected board and kite sailors in the sport. Check out his perspective. And to be fair, Nevin's got a vested interest in keeping the boards in for 2016. He runs bic sport USA which supplies the techno 293, the official junior windsurfer board and pipeline to the Olympic boards.

Dear U.S. Sailing,

Every class chosen for the Olympics has a pathway from young kid to Olympic champion. As yet, Kitesurf racing has no such pipeline. As an avid kitesurfer, windsurfer, sailor, U.S. Sailing member, and also someone who has been very involved in youth sailing development, I would like U.S. Sailing to explain their actions. The ISAF General Council voted 19-17 to overrule the recommendation of their own “experts” on the Events Committee, and include kitesurf course racing in the 2016 Olympic Games. This decision comes at the expense of windsurfing, which is easily one of the two most popular classes at the Games, and has a huge junior pipeline. ISAF’s own Events Committee and Windsurfing/kitesurfing Committee, which held an ISAF sponsored equipment evaluation, did not recommend kiteboarding over windsurfing for the 2016 Olympic Games. Why did U.S. Sailing place their 3 votes (more than any other country) in favor of kitesurf racing?

What is U.S. Sailing’s plan to safely include kitesurfing into Junior Sailing Programs, the Olympic Youth Development Team, Youth Worlds Team, the Junior Olympic events, and all the pathways that leads to the Olympics? There are over 110 reported kitesurfing deaths in the last 10 years. That should be compared with an excellent safety record in windsurfing’s 40 year history. I am personally very lucky not to be on the fatality list, and suffered a head wound with 150 stitches from kitesurfing. And I consider myself a decent kiter, and knowledgeable about the wind. There is no way I would allow my kids to kitesurf.

In a year when U.S. Sailing has expressed deep concern over the sudden uptick in tragic sailing deaths from Annapolis to San Francisco, what is U.S. Sailing’s safety plan here? Is U.S. Sailing aware that insurance companies, citing grave safety concerns, have refused to cover sailing programs which include kitesurfing?

Can you see kitesurfing at your junior program and/or sailing club?

Kitesurfing is evolving, and the very small percentage of kitesurfers who race, are clearly on the cutting edge. I welcome inclusion in the Olympics when the safety, equipment, logistics, and formats are ready. When instructional and competitive programs are developing young kitesurf racers, and safely channeling them toward their Olympic dreams, let's go. We are clearly not there yet for 2016 Olympic Games.

Meanwhile the ISAF vote itself is a sham. The President of the Royal Spanish Federation (RFEV) has issued a formal apology that their ISAF vote was wrongly placed for kitesurfing over windsurfing, and the RFEV supports the process to overturn the vote. The President of the Venezuelan Federation has informed ISAF that their Venezuelan countryman (who voted for kitesurfing) did not represent the judgement of their Federation. The Chairman of the Israeli Federation is quoted in Reuters: "The delegates were probably confused or didn't understand the motion fully because of language difficulties, or some may have been napping at the presentations and then cast their votes without realizing the implications." Whatever conditions enabled kitesurfing to prevail in the first round of balloting, there are compelling reasons for the issue to be put to a proper vote.

I’m concerned that USA also doesn’t understand the implications. Will U.S. Sailing please publicly explain why they cast their 3 votes against ISAF’s own Events Committee recommendation, and in favor of choosing kitesurfing over windsurfing for 2016?

Sincerely,
Nevin Sayre
U.S. Sailing member

PS- The attached photos are of myself two days after a kitesurfing accident. Does U.S. Sailing really want to endorse kitesurfing for the Olympics and youth development before the sport is ready?

05/i6/12

super star?

Looks like exactly what the Star should look like, right? It is a pretty fascinating story from our friends Luca Brenta and B Boats. Check the video.

A pure tribute to one of the finest, if not the best ever designed keel boat only 100 years young. The Star. This is how we would like to introduce our latest design. A voyage to fully understand and make full benefit of available technologies, in order to mix the design criteria of a boat conceived more than 100 years whom has seen over the years the best sailors in history to challenge each other in the various racing venues all over the world.

Our challenge, in the third millennium has been to re-propose this concept in larger scale model, yet retaining one of the unique peculiarities of the star. The rig and the way the rig is managed.

The Star Class rig bends and pivots across a large range of angle. It bends backwards to make the mainsail flatter via use of the runners (no backstays…) while downwind the mast  pivots forward by 3 deg…..

We have designed a concept boat pushing the design in every detail of the boat. The boat is built in pre-preg carbon over a nomex core. Can not get any better than this. The keel is lifting and canting over 50 deg each side. There are 9 hydraulic piston on the boat managing the mainsheet, the vang, the mast step + 4 piston (2 each side) to manage the runners. One set is the long run for gibing set and one couple is for fine up-wind trimming. The last two piston propel the keel.
The blade is very thin high aspect ratio built in 17-PH, machined. The bulb is, lead, is CNC machined as well. All this has been produced by Cariboni in italy.

The mast is specifically designed to meet as close as possible the bent shape of the star class mast. The spreaders pivots for and aft by 25 deg. while the mast step move backwards to accommodate the forward pivoting. It has been produce by King Spar (Valencia).

The rigging is made in Carbon by Carbo Force. The forestay and runners are in textile by Gottifredi Maffioli as well as all the running riggings. All the rigging is attached to the boat via loops and cable fittings opposed to metal fittings.

What else…We believe we have gone a long way down the road in order to implement a number of solutions and ideas to make a small boat a great project. Maybe she will not be the easiest boat to sail, but we have a great deal to learn yet and we strongly believe that most of these concepts could be used in future projects…particularly the rig to truly have a short handed crew considering that gennakers or spinnakers are not needed.

Stay tuned for further updates and better pictures and videos! For further info please contact

lorenzo@lucabrenta.com
www.lucabrenta.com

05/16/12

ac breaking

wings: you know, for kids

Anyone who was lucky or sneaky enough to grab a peek at the old GreenComm boat hidden away in a shed in Venice this week likely saw a glimpse of the familiar blue, silver and red logo of Red Bull, and we’ve been digging for the rest of the story for almost two weeks now.  We’ve finally gotten most of it, just a day ahead of a big announcement in San Francisco, despite the new deal being the most tightly kept secret in the usually leak-ridden world of the AC.  So here it is:

Thursday, America’s Cup organizers will announce a comprehensive partnership with Red Bull for the creation of a new Youth America’s Cup event, or series of events, in AC45s.  The rumor mill (mostly thanks to Pierre at VSail and a few Anarchist riggers onsite) has at least two AC45s already purchased (or long-term leased) by the energy drink maker, and one of them – the GreenComm boat – is already covered with what we’re told are some damned sexy graphics in Venezia.   Rumor is that their purchase or lease will include not only the two boats – we assume the second being Aleph’s old ride, but probably the rumored-to-soon-be-defunct China Team, as well as several of Oracle’s 45s.

Until the end of next year’s ACWS, we’re guessing that the two heavily-branded Red Bull 45s will be used to train up ‘youth AC sailors’ whatever that means; probably 25 and under, or given the fact that the existing fleet already has quite a few youngsters in it, 20 and under.  They’ll also probably enter a few AC45 events once they’ve proven themselves, and once the sideshow that is the ACWS has ended and the 72s are in full training and race mode, a fully branded Red Bull fleet will begin formal Red Bull Youth America’s Cup racing.

We emphasize that this last bit is a lot of speculation, but its based on sound intel and makes a ton of sense for both the AC and the drink peddler.  First and most obviously, has there ever been a better platform for a product with the slogan “It gives you wings!”?  Second, Red Bull has a history of sponsoring things that can be near-death experiences for young people.  Third, Red Bull has been sponsoring an Extreme 40 for a couple of years now, and according to the reps we met in Boston last year, they love it.   Fourth, they saved a lot of US marketing dollars when they dropped out of NASCAR earlier this year.  Gotta spend it on something.  Fifth, Coutts has been very quiet about the “Youth AC” talk that was so prevalent when he was trying to win support for the San Francisco plan.  When things go deathly silent that’s not generally a sign that a concept is dead:  Usually, it means someone is doing serious negotiation.  And finally, despite their shortcomings, Larry genuinely wants to bring sailing to an entirely new group of younger people.  Short of hiring an NBA team race an AC45, there’s probably no better way to reach a giant group of active kids than to bring in the Red Bull circus.

Check the AC Youth Cup thread to get up to speed on the wheres and whens, and stay tuned to this page for more breaking news on Thursday morning from San Francisco.

If the story title goes over your head, check the clip, with props to Tim Robbins for one of his greatest roles.

05/16/12

motivated

Looks good from here. Check it.

05/16/12

altlantic cup

addicted

When we last left off we were hootin and hollerin doing 18 knots in the gulf steam on Sunday. That day we reeled off easily 270 miles for an average of over 11 knots in 24 hours. We finally had to pry ourselves away from the conveyor belt to head northwest to NYC, but it was not easy. Monday was a good day with moderate southwesterly's making for smooth downwind sailing, although not near as fast. As we approached NY, we received a position report that we were in 2nd place, only 1.8 miles back from Campagne de France). However, the next report 3 hours later said Mare was in the lead, followed by Bodacious Dream and CdF with GS2 in 4th, so it was not clear to me what happened. Anyway we just focused on going fast and entered NY harbor at sunset and navigated through the 12 miles from Amrose light to the finish line off the Statue of Liberty. While it was good to not have drama, we missed the type of mano-a-mano gybing duel that Mare and CdF had up the Hudson River. We finished around 3:00 am outside North Cove Marina and were followed in by good friend and renowned marine photographer Billy Black, whose dedication to shorthanded sailing is legendary. Billy was there at 3:00 am as he always is, to welcome us in and get some great shots. Thank you, Billy. So, in retrospect and summary, we are relatively pleased with our 4th place showing in a very competitive fleet with a lot of good boats and skippers.

We wish we had started more aggressively and will try to do so in leg 2...; to get out of the blocks quicker. The boat looked only ok upwind and not so good in the super light stuff, but she is like a great skier on a Utah powder day carving turns and planing off at high speed going downwind with a big kite up. Really quite cool and addicting.

Next up - Saturday departure for leg 2 from NYC to Newport, which is home base for gs2. We hope to kick some serious French butt. And will be totally going for it in the 265 mile sprint up Long Island's South shore, past Block Island and into Narragansett Bay. Stay tuned and thanks for all the wonderful emails of support and urging to sail faster!! We appreciate it!

Cheers,
Joe Harris
GryphonSolo 2

05/16/12

hex rated

As good as the MCMs and teams have been with providing interesting and exciting video from the Volvo Ocean Race, there’s a gaping hole in their coverage:  Humor.  We’ve seen a few bits and pieces from most of the teams that make us laugh, but given how important funny movies are to mainstream interest, and how central laughter and joking around is to onboard life, it’s the one area we’ve been sorely disappointed in by the 2011-12 VOR media effort.  

Thankfully, the PUMAcast keeps delivering, and we’re pretty sure you’ll chuckle when you check out “Hex of the Hi-Five” above.  We also liked the latest PUMAcast ‘niblet’, a fun look at the crazy world of sailing superstitions called “No Pine Cones, No Ninja Weapons”.  It’s right here.

05/16/12

on the inside

Our friends at the Lauderdale Yacht Club Sailing Foundation alerted us to a great opportunity for both kids and adults to get the real inside info on PUMA, straight from Kenny Read and the crew. Come buy Mr. Clean a drink and see stuff that no one else in the world will.  It’s Wednesday – that’s tonight – so don’t screw around; RSVP right away for a show-and-tell you and your kids won’t forget.

Following 17 days racing up the Atlantic and through the Caribbean, the PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG crew won Leg 6 of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12, sailing from Brazil to Miami onboard PUMA’s Mar Mostro Volvo Open 70. While in South Florida, skipper Ken Read and members of the crew will spend an evening at the Lauderdale YC sharing stories and experiences from the first six legs of this year’s race.

Wednesday, May 16, will be PUMA night at LYC and all are welcome. Cocktails begin at 6:30 p.m., dinner served at 7:00 p.m. Witness incredible video, learn the heartbreaking story of dismasting on Leg 1, hear tales of the Southern Ocean, and join the crew in their pursuit of the podium. Presented by the LYC Sailing Foundation (LYCSF.org), the evening is targeting LYC’s youth sailors, who will have an opportunity to meet members of the PUMA crew – among the world’s top sailors.

Please RSVP to the LYC front desk. Children age 18 and under are $15, adults $30. The LYC Sailing Foundation was created to educate and assist sailing athletes ages 8 to 18 throughout South Florida.

05/16/12

the tick tock man

Big Ben showing the form - and the look - that has put him on top at the Finn Gold Cup. Awesome photos thanks to Mark Lloyd.

05/01/12

the win

fine filly

With an unprecedented international fleet of 15 Class 40s competing in The Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing #115 Mare, skippered by Jörg Riechers and Ryan Breymaier, crossed the finish line first at 1:20:13 a.m. ET on Tuesday, May 15, with an elapsed time of 78:55:13 to complete the 642 nautical mile first off-shore leg of the Atlantic Cup from Charleston, S.C. to New York Harbor. Video here. The race, the first carbon neutral sailing event in the United States, saw Germany’s Mare finish ahead of #101 Campagne de France (79:16:38), followed by two American boats in #Bodacious Dream (79:51:56) and Gryphon Solo 2(80:48:05), with France’s Eole Generation – GDZ Suez (81:50:45) rounding out the top five.

05/i5/12

local knowledge

on the beach



My name is Ron van den Berg, I'm a Dutch Contender (NED 1263) dinghy sailor. I'm a member of the Sailing Club "Zeil Vereniging Noordwijk" ZVN. The sailing club is situated on the Northsea beach in Noordwijk aan Zee in the western  part of the Netherlands. We launch our boats directly from the beach and sail through the shorebreak. Most boats here are multihulls, but there are also monohulls. I'm not a regatta sailor, but my passion is to sail here, because of the element of the waves. I've edited my footage of season 2011 and have made the following movie. I hope you enjoy it!

05/15/12

no doubt

The National Sailing Hall of Fame will be selecting a class of 10 new inductees over the next several weeks.  No doubt there are many qualified sailors nominated.  Making the selection of just 10 sailors from the hundreds who deserve such an honor is not easy.  No doubt all 10 sailors that are inducted will be worthy.  One wonders why only 10 people will be allowed into the Hall this year.  It would seem in the early years it might make sense to induct 25 new members for the next few years simply because with more inductees there will be more interest in the Hall of Fame, and with that increased interest would come increased donations so the Hall could actually be built. You can read the  nomination process here.  Maybe we should lobby the Hall of Fame Board to increase the number of inductees each year.

It is hard to know exactly who has been nominated.  It is also unclear what sort of lobbying goes on to get a candidate into the Hall.   We all have favorites and no doubt many will be pushing for their favorites to get in.  The Ed and I happen to have one favorite, Carl Eichenlaub, who was nominated this year.  I know Carl has been nominated because several of Carl’s friends/Cadenza crew asked me to submit the nomination.

There are three categories for which a sailor can be nominated – accomplishment in sailing, technical, or service to the sport.  Carl qualifies in all three.  He won many regattas in a variety of dinghies, and sailed a series of “Cadenza’s” up and down the west coast.  Technically, he built many racing winning boats in classes like the Snipe, Lightning, Star and other one-design classes.  In big boats, his building of Doug Peterson’s “Ganbare” and what that did to the shape of IOR is legendary.  Plenty of other great IOR boats too – “Forte” and “Swiftsure” come to mind, along with a host of others.

But the thing Carl is probably most noted for is his work with the US Sailing Team as the shipwright from 1976-2004.  What many will remember of Carl is not all the help he gave US Sailors with their boats, which was often times significant, but it was the help he gave sailors from all countries during an Olympic of Pan Am regatta. Once his obligations to the US team were done for the day, Carl would help anyone who would ask.  US Sailing recognized Carl’s contribution to the sport in 2000 by giving him the Herrshoff Trophy, which is the highest honor in the organization.

While Carl has thousands of friends literally around the world, for those who never have had the chance to meet to listen to the Will Rogers of sailing, here is a nice  video of Carl talking about Snipes.  This Sports Illustrated article from 1965 with a quote from National Sailing Hall of Fame member Lowell North that just has to be read.  If you had ever been in Carl’s boatyard, you’ll instantly recognize what the author says about it, and smile knowing that somehow a winning boat came out of a place that was defined by its rather agricultural look.

Many of us think it would be great if Carl were inducted in the National Sailing Hall of Fame this year.  But if he doesn’t make it this year, he’ll make it one day soon.  In the mean time, add your stories of Carl here. - Peter Huston.

05/15/12

home stretch

Ben Poucher on Icarus Racing tells us his strategy for the final few miles of the Atlantic Cup as they head towards North Cove Marina in New York. Congrats toRyan Breymaier and Jorg Riechers for holding on to a tenuous lead all the way to the finish on MARE.

05/15/12

sailing science

A bit promotional, but for you tech geeks, this sounds interesting...

When a slick Volvo Open 70 like PUMA’s Mar Mostro, sporting a state-of-the-art Nortek Doppler
Velocity Log (DVL), arrives in a city that several of the foremost ocean and atmospheric scientists  call home, an exciting and insightful discussion is bound to ensue. As the PUMA Ocean Racing  team charge ahead toward the finish line of Leg 6 of the Volvo Ocean Race  2011-12 in Miami, scientists, engineers, and performance analysts are coordinating an effort on  knowledge sharing. The group has pulled together a panel discussion titled, “Science Meets  Offshore Sailing: How Ocean and Weather Forecasting Models Help Around-the-World Sailors.”  The forum will be open to the public and allow engineers, modelers, and sailors to compare notes  as teams prepare for a leg in which ocean currents will play a key role in their strategy.

Panel organizers include modelers at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and 
Atmospheric Science (RSMAS) Cooperative Institute of Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS)  along with engineers at Nortek and PUMA’s Robert Hopkins, who has been assembling current  tracks collected by the Nortek DVL at the conclusion of each leg of the Volvo Ocean Race.  Hopkins sits in the rare position of comparing current models with PUMA’s own current  measurements taken using the Nortek DVL. He has been overlaying these tracks with ocean  current models, noticing both similarities and differences with this unique data set. To be held 9:30 AM, Thursday, May 17 Conrad Miami 1395 Brickell Avenue , Miami  More here.

05/15/12

what up, bub?

Javier Sanso, aka Bubi, of the EcoPowered Imoca 60 ACCIONA is clearly an Anarchist, which we of course absolutely dig.

05/15/12

the fastnet

A multinational fleet of Mini 6.50s set off in the sunshine from Plymouth for  a trip out to the Fastnet Rock and back in the Royal Western Yacht Club's  annual mini-Fastnet race. The sunshine didn't last and before long they were  heading into the grey wet stuff. Many of the crews are using the race as part  of their preparation for the Mini-Transat. The racing is pretty close with  less than 0.2 of a mile between the first two after 24hours. Tracking is  available here.

05/14/12

atlantic cup on board

morning commute

The morning position report found GryphonSolo2 in second place, trailing only the wiley crew on Campagne de France by a mere 1.8 miles. We now have the scent of blood in the air and are on full court press - Tristan has been baying at the moon - as any one of a handful of boats could win this race with 100 miles left to go. We are VMG running to the Big Apple, (going straight downwind as efficiently as possible) and gybing on wind shifts and the position of our competitors. A projected finish time in the wee hours of Tuesday morning is looking possible, which will be good so the paparazzi don't bother us too much as we step ashore (right). So for now, we have too much energy and not enough to do, so we will brood and plot and kibitz and re-hash the same issue 5 times and come to the same conclusion.

So that is the morning report from GS2 - here's hoping your morning commute went well and please send us positive vibrations via neurotransmitters or on VHF channel 27. 
 
Cheers
Joe Harris 

05/14/12

a show of forza



American sailors should be embarrassed that we can barely muster a few dozen boats to welcome in the leg-winning PUMA Volvo boat to Miami, especially when Italy puts literally hundreds of boats on the water for what are essentially practice races for this week’s Venice AC45 event.  The real fun begins on the 17th, and all the goss is in the Venice thread.  And a note to all you Miami boat owners:  Get your fucking rides out on the water for the VOR start next Sunday and show Florida and the media that we’re proud of our sailors too!  Thanks to Ellen Hoke for the shot of the Grand Canal in Venice.

05/14/12

the descendants

Every single modern high performance dinghy in the world owes its basic parameters to Kiwi-born Frank Bethwaite, who passed on last week at age 92, as does pretty much every asymmetric-equiped sportboat, and arguably even the high-performance planing yachts that dominate the pointy end of the sport.  His contribution to so many areas of our sport has been immeasurable, and to top it off he, was an incredibly humble and generous man. A meteorological pathfinder, groundbreaking sailing author, airline and air force pilot, as well as the father of two Olympian and multiple world champions, “Legend” doesn’t even begin to describe him. Our thoughts go out Frank’s substantial family and a huge group of friends and admirers,  and to the Kiwi and Aussie community that has lost a true giant in the history of performance sailing.

A more complete (if slightly outdated) bio of Frank is here,and share your thoughts in the thread.

05/14/12

the big screen

The world’s most highly regarded sports network’s sailing coverage has long been plagued by ESPN commentator Gary Jobson’s focus on the most boring types of racing possible, but this year they turned over a new leaf, sending a full production team down to St. Martin for the Heineken Regatta.  Here’s a 23-minute show on the best of the week, hosted by the delicious Jo Ankier and featuring lots from perennial Caribbean cheerleader Jaime Torres, as well as a pile of other anarchists, plenty of onboard action, and a great feature on the boat that launched S&S – Dorade.  Click the pic to see the show.

05/14/12

big pimpin'

i am the sig

The hot Sig 45 cruising cat was launched three years ago, but Hugo Le Breton has had a tough road getting the ultra-high performance to production.  It looks like he’s got the kinks ironed out, thanks in part to moving production to US builder Westerly Marine, and Sig 45 number 2 hit the water a couple of weeks ago to the satisfaction of her new US-based owner.  The VPLP-designed speedboat hit 25 knots in her first outing, and she’ll be playing in Puerto Vallarta for a couple of months before heading to San Fran for some fun in the big breeze.

“We now have a yard and tooling in the United States, ready to start on the next SIG45. We have noted a surge in interest over the last months, and expect to close a deal for the next SIG45 in the short-term. We are also working on new models of 60 and 80 feet in response to specific enquiries,” Hugo said.

How cool to see yet another hot design (from another long-time supporter of SA) coming out of a US yard.  Check ‘em out here.  And thanks to Top Gear for prompting the title.

05/14/12

cape crusaders



Ben Poucher and Tim Fetsch aboard Icarus Racing continue to hang with the newer boats at the front of the Atlantic Cup fleet as they pass by the Outer Banks.  That let Mr. Clean get a nice clear cell phone call off to Poucher for a short discussion on what they’ve faced and what lies ahead.  Check it.

05/13/12

on board

knocking on wood

Also from the Atlantic Cup, Joe Harris on GryphonSolo 2...

We have just rounded Cape Hatteras, under sunny skies and mellow southerly breeze of about 10-12 knots. Hatteras was our first goal and turning mark to head North to New York City, so it feels good to get around, although we not as far up in the fleet as we would like. All we can do is keep trying our best and hope that a little good luck flows our way. We are in the gulf stream, so we now have a 3 knot current boost to our speed, so we are travelling about 10 knots through the water and about 13 knots over the ground. I imagine most of the boats are in the same position, so the big question is how long to stay in the fast current of the gulf stream heading northeast before turning left and heading on a more northerly course to the entrance to NY harbor. It is a time-speed-distance equation and everyone has to estimate the trade-off of extra speed while headed slightly away from the mark versus heading straight at the mark at slightly slower speeds. While we do have routing software to help crunch these numbers, ours does not have the gulf stream current data, so it would like us to go straight up the Delaware and NJ coasts. Time will tell with over 300 miles left to go.

Meanwhile, all is well on the good ship GS2, with no breakages or malfunctions thus far, knock on plastic. We have noticed that our bow sprit is flexing a bit more than it should side -to-side, so we are not loading up the big reaching kites as much as we would like as we really do not want to blow up the sprit. It is a bit frustrating to be going downwind under solent jib instead of our A3 masthead gennaker, and I am about to go on deck to make the change and hopefully see the speedo jump. After being right next to 40 Degrees when her mast cracked and went over the side after the start, we are not anxious to see splintering carbon.

So, I will sign off for now and plan to be back online with more news later today. Track em here.

05/13/12

on board

Mr. Clean's satphone innerview this morning with Ryan Breymaier,the American offshore racer checks in from the Gulf Stream, about 100 miles from Charleston, SC, enroute the NY finish of Leg 1 of the 2012 Atlantic Cup. More at here and here.  

5 minutes of 40 degrees

 In an unfortunate case of equipment failure 40 Degrees, skippered by Hannah Jenner and Peter Harding, had their cap shroud fail, which led to their mast breaking while departing the Charleston Harbor ending their chances of sailing 40 Degrees in this leg of the Atlantic Cup. However, they are exploring options to get another boat to the start of the New York leg of the race. Both crewmembers are okay from this completely unforeseen and highly atypical incident. The race started after a twenty-five minute delay at 6:25 p.m. ET featuring 15 boats from around the globe, the most Class 40s to ever compete in the United States, including teams from the USA, France, Germany and Great Britain.

HANNAH JENNER, 40 Degrees Skipper “I’ve sailed this boat through hideous weather and situations where you expect the rig to fall down and instead it’s a flat calm day in the harbor which is probably pretty fortunate. It’s disappointing; not going to say it’s not. We worked very hard to be here and this was the first double-handed race of the season and now we have to reassess the program.” Video interview with Hannah here. Photo thanks to Billy Black.

merf ball

Merf Owen gets some love from some of the girls of the Atlantic Cup at the Skipper’s Ball on the eve of yesterday’s start to the Atlantic Cup.  Still don’t know about it? BusinessWeek/Bloomberg does.  Check the thread here, and stay tuned to the front page for some Anarchy-only daily reports from the fleet.

multiple guess

Payaso, the Spanish word for ‘clown’ is the word that most comes to mind every time we write about Spanish Sailing Federation President (RFEV) Gerardo Pumbo.  Yesterday, he hit the clown news again, claiming that his vote at the ISAF trials a week ago ousting Windsurfing in favor of Kiteboards (the vote was 19-17 in favor of the kites) was a mistake, and that he really meant to vote for the windsurfer.  Hanging chads, anyone?

This is the same guy who founded the infamous (and imaginary) puppet club CNEV, that was shattered by the NY courts as a sham club, showering shame on everyone involved.  He’s the same guy that sued blogger Jaume Soler for breaking the story on the CNEV “annual regatta” in Optis – costing Soler hundreds of thousands in legal fees and destroying his life for more than two years.  And he’s the same guy that cost the Spanish hundreds of thousands when a court found his lawsuit against Soler was nothing but intimidation and bullshit.

You’d think a proud nation like Spain would have long-ago tossed a clown like Pumbo out on his ass for making all of Spanish sailing look ridiculous, and with such a strong sailing tradition, and so much going on over the past decade, we wonder what the real story is behind Pumbo’s continuing presidency of the organization.  

Check in on the thread here.  The kite vs. board battle ain’t going away just yet!

star of stars

Your new Star World Champions, Robert Schiedt and Bruno Prada. Top Yank was 20th. Wtf is up with the US Star fleet? Results. Much thanks to Pierrick Contin for the shot.

atlantic cup, uncovered

We featured the erudite analysis of Mike Hennessy yesterday, and today we kick it with young gun Ben Poucher aboard Icarus Racing.

First off, if you love sailboat racing and you aren't paying attention to this race, I am not sure what else you’d be watching!  Oh wait…there is that race that just finished another leg in Miami…Quick shout out to PUMA for their victory into Miami.  Way to go fellas!  U...S....A.   U....S....A  (well some of them, anyway).

So people keep asking me why is the Atlantic Cup creating such a following for a newly developed race in its second year? The answer is surprisingly simple. First of all, the race organizers have done a great job promoting the event, luring a strong group of international teams to good ol’ Charleston, South Cackalacky.  Those entries are dominated (like the international Class) by the French contingent, and they’re here to compete in what looks to be one of, if not the, most influential offshore racing circuit in quite some time – if ever.  

Second, the format is different enough and interesting enough to have attracted not only the racers, but a solid group of sponsors and the mainstream media.  It pulls in interest from many that might not know, or understand much about competitive sailing.

My Co-Skipper Tim Fetsch and I feel pretty lucky to be part of the great crowd assembled down here in Charleston, mostly thanks to Ralf Steitz and the USMMA Sailing Foundation who support us with our boat and program.  Ralf shares our enthusiasm for the race.  “This race and format is going to open many doors to sailors of all ages, and I think it will impact the future of the sport in so many positive ways here in the US,” he said in his thick and wonderful German accent.  “Look at dis heah – dis is soooo cool!”

Local schoolkids have been visiting the boats non-stop over the past week along with area residents with no prior knowledge of the sport and random spectators trying their best to speak French to some of the teams.  Local media have taken a hard interest in the offshore game all of a sudden, and most of the credit goes to Julianna and Hugh Pigging from organizer Manuka Sports Management.  They’ve brought extensive knowledge both of offshore racing (thanks to Hugh’s Open 60 and big boat experience) and media and event promotion (thanks to Julianna’s event management experience) to the A Cup, and they make a great team accomplishing a hard-fought goal; to provide a road for both young and old, amateur and pro, who want to get out and compete in a great class and a great style of racing.

Aboard Team Icarus, we’re feeling a little pressure as the ‘local boys’ heading out to kick some ass.  We’re both local, being College of Charleston alums, but considering the company and the age of our Martin-designed Class 40, it’s a daunting task.  Between our local knowledge and a year of hard sailing (and some nice new kit), we think we can get ‘er done – but time will tell.

The skippers’ meeting yesterday was a bit mutinous at times, with mostly the French unhappiness with the relatively high weight given to the inshore racing in Newport.  The argument was quickly diffused by PRO Anderson Reggio, who helped the group come to a decision that seems to have brought satisfaction to the group.  All legs, both inshore and offshore, will count toward the overall prize (a big pile of CASH), with up to four inshore races counting the same as the two offshore legs.  In other words, each offshore leg will be worth the same as two inshore races, and if five inshore races are sailed, one will be a throwout.  The important thing to take away from the experience was the event’s willingness to find its own way, not mirroring any other racing series, and to crown a champion with a versatile boat as well as great sailing ability.  It’s a great format and I think it has a great future ahead of it.

As much as I love my home town, one of Charleston’s big problems in hosting this kind of big event is its distinct lack of facilities and infrastructure.  If it wasn’t for Kurt Oberle from High and Dry Boatworks and Open 60 and Maxi Multihull vet Jeffery “Wazzle” Wargo, a lot of boats would never have made it to the line.  The next step toward making Charleston the kind of destination we know it can be is a proper shipyard.  <Cough, Cough…Eli Dana and Newport Shipyard…Cough, Cough…Shipyard South, maybe?>

I promised Sailing Anarchy a little taste of what is going on down on the docks and behind the scenes with the Atlantic Cup.  I won't bore you with the every day sailing article about where the wind direction and how far we have to go to the finish, you can follow all of that info up to the minute at the race website.  They’re making sure they focus on everyone participating in the event, and the folks at  Manuka should be lauded for creating something that deserves your attention.

Please do me and the sailing community a quick favor by clicking on the sponsors that make all of this happen for our team, my fellow competitors, as well as the Atlantic Cup itself.  Go visit the team websites and check out their sponsors.  This helps us prove that people do pay attention, and that their money and time are well spent.  So here go the plugs:

A huge thanks to everyone that has helped us get to the line, including our family and friends.  Here are the sponsors, in no particular order.

Jim stone at Gorilla Rigging, The Newport Shipyard, The USMMA sailing foundation, Maui Jim Sunglasses, Atlantis Weather Gear, Kinder Industries, All the guys at North Sails, Roger Martin Design 

Talk to everyone on the interweb periodically throughout the race!  Go to atlanticcup.org and vote for our team!  Friend us on Facebook and follow the race.  If we had a computer and sat budget onboard our boat, we would send cool videos and pictures, but at the current moment, it is just chart plotters…maybe next year.  We are pushing the fact that driving, trimming, and clever tactics can overcome the technology aspect of the race up the coast! Gotta run.  Race time.

-Ben Poucher and Tim Fetsch - 'Team Icarus'  (still no title sponsor…!)

0-60, quickly

The cynics can call it a PR stunt, but we’re stoked to see the turbo Volvo 70 Maserati (ex Ericcson 4) with a nearly 200 NM lead on the track that Robert Miller’s Mari Cha IV laid down on her way to the Transatlantic monohull record she set back in 2003.  Long time Anarchist Brad Van Liew is a watch captain on the Giovanni Soldini-skippered team – check out their progress here,  Brad’s blog here, and the thread here.

race report

breakfast of champions

Could this be the year history is made?  Nathan Outteridge (AUS) is chasing his fourth 49er World Championship and is bringing Iain Jensen as his crack crew to help him secure the deal.  Their finishes today (8-4-1) moved them one day closer to the dream with a 9 point lead over the second place team of Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (NZL).

He’s in good company; Chris Nicholson, current skipper of CAMPER in the Volvo Ocean Race won the first 3 49er World Championships.  Iker Martinez and Xabi Fernandez, 2011 ISAF Sailor’s of the Year and currently also on the Volvo Ocean Race on Telefonica are 49er World Champions in 2002, 2004 and 2010 as well as Olympic Gold medallists in the Athens Olympics in 2004.  Those are big shoes to fill and strong role models to chase.

But Nathan is no stranger to being a role model.  He’s a 3-time ISAF Youth World champion and 3-time 49er World champion as well as holding world titles in other classes. When asked about chasing Nicholson and Martinez he commented, “It’s a massive achievement and he’s (Chris) someone I’ve always looked up to. Nico was an Australian guy who was leading the way and I wanted to carry on the Australian legacy and with Goobs (Iain) we’ve won two worlds so far and we’re in a pretty good spot at the moment.  As for Iker, he and Xabi get in the boat for 2 weeks and are back at it. That’s impressive.”  Impressive is that Outteridges’ next trip will be to the America’s Cup where he has joined forces with Team Korea as their skipper.  Looks like the 49er Class breeds champions. - Jerelyn Biehl

southern exposure

A really nice shot from the 2012 Southern Straights race by Sharon Tenenbaum, a very accomplished photographer with a selection of limited and open edition prints. She is also available for commission work. Click here to see more.

answer of the week

of life and sailing

As a recent college sailing graduate…

I normally cruise over the Questions of the Week (see college or bust, - ed) but when I saw it concerned College Sailing, specifically growing collegiate programs, I was very excited to respond until I reached the end of the thread and I couldn’t respond, or start a new topic. If I could’ve here is what I would’ve said to all y’all:

First of all, it is encouraging to me that so many members of the sailing community are this fired up about the topic of college sailing. Whether they think it falls short, has incredible potential, or is completely worthless, the fact that it impresses them so much to comment upon it is in itself impressive.

I have spent at least three years explaining to a wide array of people why West Coast college sailing, in particular the NW district, is so very different from that of other parts of the country. Back east a Varsity sailing program is barely worth a shrug, on this coast, there are merely a handful and club programs dominate.

Of course, when I’ve visited those East Coast programs and seen their equipment, trophies, coaching, even what they get wear everyday to gym, I grew green with envy. Beyond the privileges and the opportunities, knowing that they could evolve so much more as sailors in four years than we could, I often wondered, “what’s the point?”

Now, just a month shy of the anniversary of my college graduation, I know what the point was. I have been a competitive sailor and I would love to call myself that again. The moment the wind picks up there is nowhere else I’d rather be than in a boat, pushing myself. However, I also now know how to manage a budget, encourage leadership amongst peers, coach, plan trips, and even write a constitution.

The three years I served on-and-off as a leader of my college team were the best and worst years. I learned so much and fought so much but now, I know about both life and sailing.

One specific memory comes to mind whenever I think about “East Coast sailors.” ICSA Semi-Finals were held in Seattle May, 2010. My university provided boats for the event. I headed to Seattle earlier that week to spend time with my Seattle friends, many of which were sailors for UW. At the end of the weekend it was my duty to be sure our boats were loaded and tow them home.

When I arrived at Sail Sand Point, no boats were loaded. I found this odd as the event was clearly over. Quickly I realized it was because many of the sailors there weren’t accustomed to loading boats. In my bossy manner I quickly directed the sailors to start loading the boats and masts.

Things that were so second nature to me, where to put the booms, how to dress a mast, tie-downs, hitches, etc. I had to explain and talk them through. Sure, these guys could sail a boat faster than me any day but they couldn’t transport it very far.

One guy commented, “You do this every weekend?!”

“No,” I responded,  “we do this twice a week, we load after practice and again after the regatta.”

They didn’t know what to think. That was the moment I truly understood how different the opposite ends of the college sailing spectrum were.

College sailing is what it is. I hope though that its future is shaped not only by its alumni but also by its student leaders, who have the vision and ambition to guide the sport as it should be. - Karem

go pro friday

We’ve taken a few weeks off from our GoPro Video feature, but the vids are piling up and we encourage you to post your best videos to our Facebook page for a chance to win a new GoPro Hero Camera.  Here are a few fun videos from around the world of sailing:

week in review

After a recent revamp on pretty much everything about their regatta, Antigua Sailing Week has quickly become one of the best real “Race Weeks” anywhere in the world.  The parties, the island, the racing, the conditions, and the competition are all pretty damned special, and if you don’t believe us, have a look at this gorgeous ‘wrap-up’ video produced by Roddy and the guys at Acqua Films.  Book your 2013 trip today – you won’t regret it.

 

raft of broken dreams

It’s always fun to ridicule the typical power boater, but we can’t help that they make it so damned easy.  You can probably tell from the accents that this fun clip was shot in New Yawk, specifically on Long Island’s Great South Bay, and it features all the fun that comes when a raft of boats try to anchor in a tidal rip using the dental floss and Barbi-speedboat anchors that are standard equipment on Sea Rays and Bayliners.  It’s shaky and shitty, but you’ll probably keep watching anyway – make sure you’re not drinking anything or it may land on your keyboard. Tranquilo gets credit for the shout.

 

their cup runneth

 

The folks at the Atlantic Cup have been very careful of over hyping their event, but we’ll say it right now:  The 2012 Atlantic Cup is truly historic.  A full fifteen Class 40s – more box rule or one-design boats than have ever started a multi-stage event in this country - are finishing final touches for their Friday start, and Sam Greenfield gives us a brief look at Miranda and Halvard on ‘Campagne De France’ and their final preparation in Charleston.  Miranda is one of four women in the fleet, and you’ll be getting to know them over the next few weeks right on these pages.

 

secret squirrel

 

It’s quiet as a church in the world of the AC-72 catamaran, and Grant Dalton gives us a bit of a laugh as he tries to update the fans while simultaneously saying nothing about their Cookson-built boat.  Remember the AC45s are in Venice right now getting ready to rumble – Venice thread is here, and AC72 latest gossip here.

 

miami heat

 

Leg 6 of the Volvo Ocean Race has washed away most of the bad taste of the previous leg, and what a way to finish!  Constant lead changes and everyone but Abu Dhabi fighting all the time for points, and the American skipper brings home his second victory in a row for Puma.  This video is a few hours old, but cements our vote for Kenny Read as the most compelling personality to emerge from the 2012 event.  Get the full Miami schedule here, and get ready for tons of great content right here with Clean and Mer in Miami starting next Wednesday.  The full Miami schedule of events is here.

local knowledge

anarchistic showdown

As the largest regatta in Thailand sailed out of Ocean Marina Yacht Club, the 8th edition of The Top of the Gulf regatta saw the continuing strength of the new 'hot 40' foot division, a showdown between a number of anarchists within a 13 boat fleet including the IRCed GP42 Won Marang and Neil Pryde's Hifi (Welbourne 52) taking on the likes of the Kerr 40, King 40, Summit 40, Archambault 40, GTS43, and for the first time, the Soto 30 which looked pretty small among the 40 footers. In the end Hifi took the honours. In the multihulls, the Seacart 26 was all dominating. With another 200+ boats on the water spread among 2 IRC classes, beach dinghy classes and RSX boards, sailors enjoyed first day weather of 20+ knots, dropping a little each day down to nothing on day 4 when racing was abandoned.

For the sportsboats, Shaw 650s took 1st & 2nd overall, with the DSS equipped Welbourne 25 slotting into 3rd racing under the Australian SMS rule which is now the dominant measurement rule for sports boats. Pictured, a few shots of the Shaws reveling in the day 1 breezy conditions, on the way in race 1 to a Shaw 1-2-3 finish on SMS handicap and 1st on line as well. Images by Webrep 2012.

on a rope

This picture from the big lake boat Principessa is cool, but it is really cool when you click on it to see what it will do. Thanks to Anarchist Botond. Vid here too. Title inspiration from Dago's best band, Rocket from the Crypt.

big pimpin'

rock box

The new RaceBOX gives the competitive advantage of Nexus race software in an affordable, compact and robust package. Interfacing with Nexus instruments via the Nexus Network, the RaceBOX provides sailors with a plethora of analytical information to existing Nexus instruments. A micro-processor facilitates processing abilities that were only previously only available with a stand-alone computer.

Replacing a fragile onboard computer, the racer can now load polar diagrams directly into the processor from a SD card or USB. Calculations of Polar or Target Boat Speed are then displayed by Nexus instruments where they are most useful – on deck. Coupled with GPS it will also give time-to-burn and line bias on the start. Furthermore the RaceBOX records data to the memory cards that can be easily removed for post-race download and analysis.

Dean Barker, America’s Cup skipper and co-owner of Nexus, comments “The RaceBOX gives tactical tools to the recreational club racer that have in the past been an exclusive reserve of the grand prix or luxury yacht. It is light and easy to integrate; the Nexus RaceBOX will give you the competitive edge for a fraction of the price of a laptop or a stand-alone start line timer.”

Run DMC provided the title inspiration.

good sport?

This is the new Leech 650 Sport Boat that has just hit the water in Australia. The flush deck sport boat version just won the sport boat division on SMS at the Hervey’s Bay, Bay To Bay Regatta. Jjump in the thread here in Sport Boat Anarchy for more dope.

from the cap

high five

Leg 6, Finish
10 May 2012
Ken Read, Skipper, PUMA Ocean Racing

Wow. The only word that comes to mind. The last couple days were so stressful that I completely forgot to give you my wrap-up. Sorry about that, but please understand...CAMPER was relentlessly breathing down our necks right to the very end – and they are a complete pain in the ass!!!!! And also please understand that I say that as a compliment with the highest regard for how they sailed this leg.   

There are legs that are physically grueling. This was not one of those legs. But it certainly made up for it in the mentally grueling category. Tom Addis was really on top of his game this leg. I think he and I are working better together each leg, and it shows with confident placement on the race track, and certainly there’s faith in the team and the boat to win a type of race that is such a grind. 

I can only equate what I am trying to say to an American football analogy. Some teams like to play shootout style games, trying to score a million points by throwing the ball all over the field to win. A pretty risky strategy, but when it works you sure look good. Other teams don't mind playing defensive-minded games – they’re always close but you think you have the horses to win, the "keep it close to the vest" type games. We certainly played this last leg in the latter. Defensive when we could be, and rely on the boys and the boat to win the close game. 

What is the drawback of this style? Well, by keeping it close we are clearly giving our friends, family and fans anxiety beyond belief. Some of the emails I get after legs are amazing. One said, "Please don't continue racing like this as you almost gave my 77-year-old mother heart failure…who is a massive PUMA fan btw." Another elegantly proclaimed, "Holy #%!@…what a great job. I am &^#$-ing speechless.” And, that was from a friend who is never speechless. Some friends claim they pray daily to wind gods such as Pele, others claim we have forced them to simply become religious in general terms. Finally, a common theme also appears to be the fact that the stress and strain we put on our friends has pushed many towards being alcoholics.   
Quite an influence we appear to have, eh? 

We are home for a bit. Back in the USA. It is meaningful to finish in to our home country in first. A short flight home now for a few days to watch my daughter play tennis, and actually be a dad, a husband and a friend to a shedding golden retriever. Then back at it next week with a renewed energy and a hopeful focus that we can keep this momentum rolling and make this race closer by the minute.   

Confidence is a wonderful thing when you have it, but we all understand that it can be fleeting. Got to figure out how to bottle it. And continue to keep our fans on the edge of their seats. Sorry, but its the only way we know how. High Five.

cloudbusted

Telefonica with an appropriate dark cloud over them during a thunderstorm following a dismal 4th place VOR finish in Miami. With a once commanding lead, Tele is now within reach of a hungry pack. This race is tightening up and get interesting in a whole new way... Great shot thanks to Maria Muiña.

Kate Bush inspired today's title.

graveyard of the atlantic

Mike “Rail Meat” Hennessy did well on the offshore leg of the first Atlantic Cup with his Owen Clarke Class 40 “Dragon”, and he shares his thoughts on the Charleston-New York leg of the second one, which starts Friday from this busy dock at Charleston City Marina.  Check out this YouTube playlist for all the pre-race interviews with the sailors, and check out the thread for the latest from the sailors.

The course is 640 miles, starting inside of the Charleston Harbor. There is only one mark of the course, inside of Charleston Harbor and then the finish line is off of the North Cove Marina in New York Harbor. Prevailing winds are south westerly across the course.

A clear feature on this course is the presence of the Gulf Stream. Running parallel to the coast from well south of Charleston and up past Cape Hattaras before it bends to the east towards Bermuda. The west wall is anywhere between 30 and 50 miles offshore for the first 260 miles of the course, and the current can run as much as 3 knots northwards inside of the Stream. A critical question will be if it is worth investing miles to the east to catch the Stream. Another factor is that in between the west wall and the shore, particularly as you get up towards Hattaras, there can be an entrainment current running south that you need to consider.

Cape Hattaras and the Outer Banks serve as a key navigational mark for the course, bulging out into the Atlantic and forcing the fleet to the east of the straight line between Charleston and New York. The shoals and shallow water at the Cape, combined with the proximity of the Gulf Stream can lead to weather systems that are unique to the area. There are absolutely no safe havens to run into if the weather goes pear shaped on you, and the inhospitable lee shore makes it easy to understand why it is referred to as the Graveyard of the Atlantic.

This race will essentially break down into 4 segments:

• From the start out the harbor to the end of the jetty
• From the end of the jetty up to Cape Hattaras
• From Cape Hattaras to the entrance to New York Harbor
• From the Harbor entrance to North Cove.

Charleston Harbor is very tricky with the tides. We are starting on the east side of the peninsula and have a turning mark down on the southern end of the Harbor that will basically force us down the City water front and then out the southern channel without giving us the option of the northern channel. There will be some gains to be had depending on where you put yourself in the Harbor, and then a potential gybing duel as 15 boats squeeze down a narrow channel between the jettys once you get past Fort Sumtner.

Once past the end of the jetties, the question is if you should shoot the rhumb line for Cape Hattaras, or try to intersect the Stream further south by investing miles into the east with the hopes of a pay off in the form of more current. Wind conditions will dictate the choice for Dragon, and that choice is not clear yet.

Once past Hattaras, the decision hinges on when you leave the Stream, and how you want to play the New Jersey shore. The lure of steady sea breezes make a beach run the smart choice more times than not, but at this point in the Spring those sea breezes are less well established. A high pressure system on shore could suck all the air out of the beach option, and needs to be carefully considered. But going further off shore can also put you on the wrong side of cold water eddies coming off the Gulf Stream, throwing a knot or more of current in your face as you push north. Knowing where the eddies are, and having some idea of what is happening with the sea breezes is hugely helpful.

In the final segment, the fishing fleets and commercial shipping all play a significant role as you approach New York Harbor. An even bigger factor is that the harbor has fairly limited navigable water. You can try to cut the corner at Sandy Hook, but it is awfully shallow and you are going to feel pretty stupid to have sailed 615 miles and then find yourself praying for a high tide when you are stuck off a New Jersey beach. You also need to block out the cool distraction of sailing towards NYC's iconic skyline, and passing by the skirts of the Statue of Liberty. If past Class 40 races are any example, we could have a very large number of boats trading tacks or gybes all the way down to the finish line, so any lapse of concentration will cost dearly.

At the moment, the current forecast shows a frontal system moving from west to east across the length of the eastern seaboard on Thursday into Friday. Behind the front is a high pressure system and depending on the timing when that front moves through the winds could be a bit messy. They should reorganize into northerlies in the high middle digits to low teens on Friday afternoon and continue to be northerlies for at least 3/4s of the course.

The next feature to be concerned about is another front, again moving east to west and covering the length of the eastern seaboard. This one looks to cross the course in the Monday time frame, and its timing will determine the end game. Most of the fleet should be in the last 100 miles of the course by Monday morning, and gunning for the finish line.

As a result of the tricky front timing, the models are not in agreement with one another and the outlook is a bit murky. I suspect there will be more clarity as we get into Thursday morning, but in the meantime I am running routing a couple of times a day and poking at the results. Not to give away any secrets, but this could be a strategically interesting leg.

A nice article on RM in Bloomberg this morning. - ed

scotw

Who knew this girl, snapped here in 1974, would end up on SA as the SCOTW? Click on the pic for the original caption.

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