Sailing Anarchy

old and bold

A fifty-year sailing rivalry will resume this weekend when two of the most famous names in Australian yachting go head-to-head again in a special regatta to mark the 75th anniversary of the Sydney-Hobart race.

Sir James Hardy (87) and Gordon Ingate (93) will each skipper their own classic yachts in a two-day event that features an extraordinary 36-strong fleet of pre-1975 veterans of the great race South. Hardy’s cutter Nerida won the Sydney-Hobart in 1950 and Ingate’s little sloop Jasnar came eighth the same year.

Sir James is best known internationally for his World Championship in the 505 dinghy class and helming three of Australia’s challengers for the America’s Cup. Ingate skippered Caprice of Huon to win the first three races of the 1965 Admiral’s Cup series and is a multiple champion in the three-man Dragon class.

Hardy entertained the yachting media who gathered at the Cruising Yacht Club in Sydney with his gentle insights from a long career racing offshore. “The main difference today is speed”, he said, “but the camaraderie with the crew is the same”.

When asked for the key to winning boat races Ingate was blunt: “Get the best crew you can, and hope they make up for your mistakes.”

Questioned whether these two old salts were still rivals, Hardy quipped, “Of course we are – but not off the water!” 

Entrants for the classics regatta include five previous Sydney-Hobart winners and three line-honours champions. Two boats that competed in the first race in 1945 will also take part. The oldest yacht racing, Katwinchar, was built in a London brewery in 1904 and sailed out from the UK to contest the race in 1951.

– Anarchist David

sail on

It is with deep regret that I inform you of the passing of William “Scott” Piper III, M.D. of Miami Florida on Monday, December 2, 2019.

Scott Piper was a world class sailor, with 5 circumnavigations to his name, with a detailed memory of the hundreds of people and places he had encountered in

his life time. Scott was the 2008 recipient of the Blue Water Medal and was planning his next Atlantic crossing with his wife Mary on “Pipedream IX” at the time of his passing.

Scott included 100s’ of “friends” in his adventures and inspired sailors and non-sailors alike to push themselves to live their lives to the fullest.

– Tom Byrne

join the cause

Hey @GretaThunberg! , you are traveling around the world to save the planet. Do you know what to do with those unrecyclable sails of the Malizia II & La Vagabonde sailboat that they can’t be recycled?

Hi! my name is Antonia, founder of Cape Horn Sails, a Chilean little family company that re-uses yacht sails. As a sailor I know that to travel faster your sail has to be in optimal conditions. This is also the reason why thousands of boat owners around the world change their sails every season. And what do they do with their used sails? Absolutely nothing… because Kevlar, Carbon, Mylar and Dacron are non-recyclable materials. But they can be RE-USED.

Greta, you had the chance to be a Cape Horner but due the social revolution of my country, Chile, you didn´t have the honor to defy the bravest and southernmost tip waters of the world. This is a privilege that only some sailors can have and there are a lot of myths and traditions that surround this unique milestone.

Being a Cape Horner is something serious but your mission in this world deserve my respect, that’s why I offer you the possibility to give a new life to those used sails. High-end handcrafted products will give a better life to the sails that you used in your journey. Every time a person sees our products, they remember how important is to be a Cape Horner in life. Maybe you are not a Cape Horner, but you deserve to be one.

If you would like to see what kind of products we can build with those sails, just click here.

we coulda told ya

Listen, we aren’t taking any shots at these guys, but most people just aren’t going to pay to watch sailing, not when there is so much good free sailing to watch…

Fellow Sailors,

By now you know that we’re in the middle of the World Championships and that for the first time ever you can watch it all . Here is my personal appeal to subscribe.

For years we’ve been trying to bring you the action from our regattas and we’ve had advances and retreats along the way. But we’ve never been able to bring you all the sailing and what could be better than that? We’ve had quite a few people sign up to watch, but we’re not yet at our targets that will ensure we can do the same level of coverage at our World’s in Geelong. Subscribe.

There is still time. Please sign up now and let’s bring the same comprehensive coverage to our Geelong World’s as this one. If we can get just a few more subscribers, we can build on this momentum and share the journey to Tokyo with our fans.

busy

It has been a busy day in the Bay of Biscay today. The leading yacht in the Brest Atlantique, Maxi Edmund De Rothschild, just crossed the finish line to complete a very fast triangulation of the Atlantic Ocean. Meanwhile, a little further to the north, another giant trimaran is about to set out on an attempt to break the record for the fastest fully crewed circumnavigation. Spindrift 2, skippered by Yann Guichard along with his 11-man crew are aiming to win the Jules Verne Trophy by lapping the planet in less than 40 days and 23 hours, the current record which was set in 2017 by Francis Joyon and his crew aboard IDEC Sport.

Maxi Edmund De Rothschild, with co-skippers Franck Cammas and Charles Caudrelier have crushed their opposition and are currently almost 1,800 miles ahead of the two remaining boats with Thomas Coville on Sodebo retiring after  sustaining rudder damage after hitting what they think might have been a submerged container. It has been 28 days since the race started and the lead boat has covered over 14,000 nautical miles, that’s about, if my math is correct, around an average of 500 miles a day. Not bad for a double-handed team.

Spindrift 2 will have their work cut out for them if they are going to break the record. It’s all about the first two weeks. Their weather team works hard to find the perfect weather window that will slingshot them down the North Atlantic and across the equator. If they enter the South Atlantic either ahead of the record reference time or close behind they will continue. If not they may bail and try again at some other date. There is no use chasing a phantom ship around the world if you are not in a position to beat their time.

I personally think that this kind of record setting and racing is quite incredible. How one or two or even a full crew can manage those huge beasts and survive the never ending stress of sailing at full speed 24/7 is beyond my scope of imagination. When you are sailing at 35 knots and you get hit by the spray off the bow, it must feel like you are getting hit by a fire hydrant at some college campus sit-in, not that I would know anything about that…:)  – Brian Hancock.

the best

They’ve done it! After 28 days, 23 hours, 24 minutes and 46 seconds at sea, Franck Cammas and Charles Caudrelier, accompanied by their media man Yann Riou, are the winners of Brest Atlantiques. Having crossed the finish line this morning at 10:24:46am (local time), this is the first major offshore victory for Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, after covering a total of 17,084 miles at an average speed of 24.57 knots.

nice run

It’s been a good few weeks for Dongfeng Race Team Alumni. 

In the Transat Jacques Vabre, Kevin Escoffier, Dongfeng’s MrFix-It took second spot with Nicolas Lunven on PRB, Jeremie Beyou on Charal along with Christopher Pratt finished just 6 minutes later while Pascal Bidgorry, who along with his fellow skipper Charlie Enright arrivedaround41/4hours later meant 3 Dongfeng sailors in the top 5 boats to finish which show just how smart the Dongfeng recruiting was with Kevin & Pascal doing the trip twice with the Dongers.  

Not happy with just an Atlantic crossing two other former Dongfeng team members are showing the fleet the way home in the Brest Atlantiques, in essence an Atlantic circumnavigation, with long time friends Charles Caudrelier, former skipper of Dongfeng for both their campaigns and Franck Cammas who navigated a leg for the Chinese team in the Volvo having skippered a winning team in Groupama with Charles as watch captain. 

With the pedigree of the above mentioned former Dongers is it any surprise the Dongfeng campaigns were so successful? 

pro-active

The ability to furl sails has been something we’ve taken for granted for at least 40 years. In fact, the influence of furling has been so widespread that it’s easy to imagine that everything that could be achieved has already been achieved. Except now we are finding out that it hasn’t and the next step in the evolution could represent another huge step forwards for the sport as a whole once again.

For Harken, the route began with the development of their Reflex Top- Down Free-Flying Sail Furling System for downwind sails. From the start, this was a system that was aimed at the broad sailing market and intended to enable recreational racers and short-handed cruisers to furl their asymmetrical kites and code-style sails completely and reliably so that they simply used them more often. Read on.

ffs

A dead sperm whale that washed up on a Scottish beach had more than 220 pounds of tangled netting, rope, plastic and other debris inside its stomach, according to a local whale research group.

The 10-year-old male whale was found Nov. 30 on Luskentyre Beach in the Outer Hebrides after becoming stranded on a sand bank, according to the group, the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme, which posted photos of the whale and details about it on Facebook on Sunday. The group described the mammal as about 46 feet long and weighing more than 20 tons.

The debris had formed a “huge ball in the stomach” that included “bundles of rope, plastic cups, bags, gloves, packing straps and tubing,” the group said. A photo showed a fishing net laid out next to the whale. More here, courtesy of the NY Times.

money moves

max

Dutch-based marine instrument solutions provider Sailmon launched the prototype of a new sailing device for dinghies and sport boats during METSTRADE 2019. ‘Max’ is the youngest member of the Sailmon display family developed and designed for every sailor. The new device acts as an onboard afterguard, making starting on time a breeze. The inbuilt fast GPS and advanced 9-axis IMU provides accurate sailing data to stay on top of the competition. The platform allows users to be live during sailing as well to review performances and compare results with other Sailmon users after sailing.

With launching the new device, Sailmon continues to offer sailors a new and fresh approach to sailing as a sport. Thanks to the connection with Sailmons unique cloud platform, users can review and replay their trips. The Sailmon app creates an instant session report directly after sailing to review performances and compare results with other Sailmon users.

‘’Innovation & sailing is what keeps us awake during the night,’’ says CEO Kim Coster. ‘’Design thinking seeks to create practical, user-oriented solutions technologically feasible and economically viable. With MAX, we launch one device for everyone.’’ Kim & Kalle Coster are very proud to launch their long-desired device for every sailor finally.

pressing

Pressed by European Laser sailors, experiencing growing equipment shortages and feeling sidelined in the Laser class decision making, ILCA’s American president and executive secretary were given a tight January 1 2020 ultimatum.

In the absence of progress, EurILCA plans  to make any decision we believe necessary to protect the interests of our sailors,  stated the European arm of ILCA, that coordinates Laser activities in 42 countries.

The main concern during the EurILCA annual meeting, which took place in Rome, was to find a solution to the shortages of new boats and equipment. Read on.

what is it?

Upside-Down Cake?

The most cyber-est monday, like ever.

The guys at Fulcrum Speedworks really do love to make us do double-takes on Cyber Monday. More from Fulcrum’s Dave Clark: “Okay, more accurately, the deposit on one! If you order a UFO today, Fulcrum Speedworks will credit you $100 on the sale of the boat, which is precisely the amount you need to put down the deposit on a Tesla Cybertruck.

However, it is worth sharing a complication to this offer. If you buy a UFO today, it would roll off the factory floor and into a shipping box in weeks, not months, and if you put a deposit down for spring delivery now, we can actually guarantee delivery of a UFO to fit your timetable, although that does get harder for us later on in the winter as orders pile up. So we really do advocate getting the deposit on your UFO in sooner rather than later.

Meanwhile, we have no idea at all when or if a Cybertruck would ever be delivered, even if you ordered it two weeks ago. Furthermore, UFOs are known to car-top on small sedans and even tow behind bicycles (no, seriously), so there’s really no logical reason to own the truck in the first place…

Given that fact, we very strongly advocate taking our Truckless Alternative offer: buy a UFO and get $200 off on covers, accessories and parts. OMG! THAT’S TWO WHOLE CYBERTRUCKS WORTH OF PARTS! Also we can assure that you’ll actually get those items, as we’ve delivered hundreds of UFOs to customers across the globe already. Order yours now, for dependable delivery! You can fly!

ps. Neither I nor anyone else at Fulcrum have anything but respect for Tesla Motors or it’s founders. We do think that a $100 pre-production deposit on a prototype is innately pretty comical.. ”

Dave Clark
President
Fulcrum Speedworks llc

vibing

capture it

Benoit Stichelbaut has a deal for you on prints just like this. Check it.

magic turkey

If you think it looks odd on the water, you should see it taking up a lane and a half of Thanksgiving traffic on the interstate. We were driving to Florida from our home in NC when the blue lights appeared and the traffic slowed. Wow! – Anarchist Rich.

go pro

From modest daysailiers and round-the- cans racers to the most sophisticated of superyachts, anyone who owns a yacht of any size – or manages one on behalf of someone else – will tell you the thing they value most is the peace of mind that their boat is safe and in good overall working order. That is where RigPro comes into the picture, with its worldwide RigPro Care programme.

While most people can organise maintenance programmes for the hull, engine, deck hardware, and all the other myriad ancillary items dotted around today’s yachts, the mast and rigging require professional help from people with highly specific knowledge and expertise.

RigPro is the only authorised service provider for Southern Spars, Hall Spars and Future Fibres, as well as the other North Technology Group owned brands now no longer in production: Omohundro, Marten Spars and Nordic Masts. Read on.

dude, did you see that?

Great shot from Mission Bay a couple weeks ago. Photo thanks to Pete Evering.

you will sail

Will Putin demand that his bitch, The Doughtard, follow suit over here?

The Russian government is developing a new state strategy designed to promote sailing amongst its young, according to senior officials from the Russian Ministry of Sport and Tourism as well as industry analysts.

According to state plans, the strategy will create the right conditions needed to attract millions of dollars of private investment into the sector, including funds from parents of children who adopt sailing as a pastime.

The involvement of children means the new program will have priority status for the state; its implementation will be personally controlled by the highest Russian state officials, including President Vladimir Putin and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

So far, representatives from several leading Russian state corporations and companies, including natural gas monopoly Gazprom (which is known for its active support of yachting in Russia) and MegaFon – one of the country’s largest telecom operators – have already expressed an interest in funding the program. There is also the possibility that some of the funds could be provided by state-owned banks in the form of loans.

One of the major elements of the program will involve the development of leisure marine infrastructure in some of the country’s main coastal cities. There are also plans to organise sailing regattas, which could involve the participation of foreign yachtsmen. Thanks to IBI News.

know the ropes

‘For Us, By Us’ could easily have been the tagline that Julien Barnet – a professional sailor and rigger – and Thibault Reinhart – pro sailor and certified naval engineer – came up with when, in 2013, the two Frenchmen formed their new company Ino-Rope.

The pair first met in an Italian boatyard while working on separate Mini Transat 650 projects and quickly became firm friends. They launched Ino-Rope to satisfy an unfulfilled demand among the offshore racing community for light, strong and reliable turning blocks and shackles.

Over the next year the duo came up with an innovative solution using high-tech textile fibres to produce the first block using a rope – rather than ball-bearing – axle. It took two years of painstaking testing and product development before they went into production with blocks in a range of sizes, but since then Ino-Rope has continued on an arc of logical and well-considered product releases. Read on.

righteous

Two-time world record holder Phil Sharp is on standby to attempt the Around Isle of Wight world sailing speed record and will also be raising awareness of the urgent action required to reduce maritime air pollution along the UK coastline, and in busy ports such as Southampton.

Sharp will be attempting the record single-handed aboard his newly electrified zero emissions vessel, OceansLab, for which he aims to break the existing benchmark time of 6h 29m 32s set in 2017 by skipper Alex Alley.

In attempting the record Sharp importantly aims to draw attention to the dangerous levels of air pollution around major ports and sea routes in the UK, which are four times higher than previously suggested, and the urgent need for policy makers and shipping companies to reduce coastal and in-port emissions to zero.

The Around Isle of Wight record routes through the UK’s second busiest shipping zone where toxic emissions from ships (cruise liner and cargo) are a significant cause for health and environment concern. Research has shown that 30% of the pollution in UK port towns can come from ships, and that long-term exposure to the nitrogen and sulphur oxides (NOx and SOx) released has been linked to the deaths of around 40,000 people in the UK annually.

“The positive news is that the shipping industry now has regulation to significantly reduce the sulphur emissions of ships from 2020, and there are some key players in the sector trying to accelerate change.” said Phil Sharp, Skipper of OceansLab. “However this doesn’t limit continued high levels of NOx and CO2 emissions close to the coast and particularly in port when ships are burning several tonnes of fossil fuels every hour – just to power their onboard systems. Effectively they are like mini floating cities.”

OceansLab aims to raise awareness of the scalable solutions that can be embraced to decarbonise the sector and to help drive innovation forward. The Class 40 race boat is currently fitted with an electric propulsion system, battery storage, solar PV and a hydro-turbine. In parallel, a hydrogen fuel cell prototype is being installed on the boat which has been recognised by the Global Maritime Forum as a vital scalable technology for the introduction of Zero Emissions Vessels (ZEVs) and enabling carbon emissions to be reduced to zero by 2050 in line with global climate change targets.

According to the United Nations, around 90% of world trade is transported on our oceans, accounting for 2.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, compared to aviation at 2%.

“In order that oceanic transportation is made sustainable we need demonstration projects like OceansLab to show what is possible. Coastal regions near shipping zones are the worst hit and as the ocean is my working environment I want to demonstrate that zero emissions transport is possible.” Said Sharp.

The record attempt is on standby, in Code Red status until a suitable weather window has been identified, at which point OceansLab will move to Code Amber and finally Code Green to declare an estimated start time. This record follows on from Sharp’s successful Round Britain and Ireland world record that was set last year, and from his single-handed Cross-Channel outright monohull world record set in 2016.

Sharp will be delivering OceansLab to Southampton’s Ocean Village this week where final preparations will be made ahead of the record attempt. Photo credit Olivier Blanchet Photographie

HOW TO FOLLOW:
Go to the official website to follow the record live with boat tracking and updates from Phil Sharp aboard OceansLab on social media.

shape the shapes

FIRST PART OF A 3 PART SERIES LOOKING AT SCOW HULL SHAPES. THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT SCOW HULL SHAPES THAT MAKES THEM INCREDIBLY INTERESTING FOR A NAVAL ARCHITECT.

IT IS NOT JUST ABOUT CRACKING A NEW CODE, WHICH OF COURSE HAS A CERTAIN CHARM. SCOW HULLS OFFER STRONG, GAME CHANGING PROPERTIES, IDEALLY SUITED FOR RACING. OF COURSE THEY ARE NOT NEW, AND TO THE UNTRAINED EYE THEY MAY LOOK SIMILAR. BUT THE USE OF SCIENCE, AND COMPUTER METHODS TODAY HELP US DEVELOP THEM FURTHER, AND TAYLOR THEM TO SPECIFIC CONDITIONS.

PART ONE – THE PROS

super sink

The 29m (100ft) sailing superyacht Asia sank some 55Nm off an Indonesian island on the weekend after hitting an unidentified object. During the incident, the UK Coastguard and other agencies helped rescue the four people who were on board, including two British citizens.

Initially the yacht was thought to be UK registered, but after investigation was found to be a Malaysian-registered craft.

Following “extensive investigation work” by HM Coastguard, contact was made with the boat’s skipper at 5.00am on Saturday 23 November. He confirmed that the vessel sank after hitting an object in the water some 55 nautical miles off an Indonesian island, but all four crew had managed to get in board its RIB tender and were met by marine police at the nearest landfall. Read on.

gotta keep ’em separated

relationships

We always like to hear from our friends at Stephens/Waring. Enjoy.

Our firm is currently collaborating with the innovative Jame Betts Enterprises, Inc. on the beautiful Spirit-of-Tradition yacht, Cirrus. We introduced you to JBE last month and since then, we’ve talked with them further about the process they go through when taking a boat from dream to reality.

Tell us what happens when a designer brings a client to you?  

We approach every new potential project with a critical eye and an open mind. This allows us to understand the client’s dream, see the designer’s vision, and determine the logistics and feasibility of turning an idea into a tangible product. Our job is to deliver, so we prefer to have the client come to our shop to see our build process, develop a clear plan, and establish open lines of communication in the very beginning. Read on.