SCUTTLEBUTT EUROPE #1265 - 6 JULY 2007
Brought to you by boats.com Europe ( http://www.boats.com ) with the
support of OC Events ( http://www.ocevents.org ), Scuttlebutt Europe is a
digest of sailing news and opinions, regatta results, new boat and gear
information and letters from sailors — with a European emphasis.
Contributions welcome, send to editor [Email address: editor #AT# scuttlebutteurope.com - replace #AT# with @ ]
A NEW BOAT FOR THE NEXT AMERICA’S CUP
The Protocol for the 33rd America’s Cup was revealed on Thursday afternoon,
detailing the broad outlines of the next event. Among the highlights was
the introduction of a new class of boat, to be 90 feet in length overall,
sailed by a crew of around 20 sailors. The final design rule for the new
class will be issued on or before 31 December 2007.
The Challenger of Record is the Club Nautico Espanol de Vela which has
agreed on the Protocol for the 33rd America’s Cup with the Defending Yacht
Club, the Societe Nautique de Geneve (SNG).
The Protocol was announced at a press conference in Port America’s Cup on
Thursday at noon, by Michel Bonnefous, the CEO of the event organisers,
Brad Butterworth, the skipper of the winning Alinghi team, and Hamish Ross,
General Counsel of Alinghi.
The venue for the 33rd America’s Cup has not been announced. But it was
acknowledged that there is an existing relationship with Valencia and a
host city agreement with the city is being pursued. The selection of
Valencia, or an alternative European venue, will be made and announced on
or before 31December 2007.
“Today we have a natural relationship with Valencia and Spain, and
obviously we are discussing extensively the renewal of Valencia as a venue,
but we haven’t reached an agreement so far. I imagine if we can reach an
agreement with Valencia it will happen fairly soon, so we will be able to
announce it quickly,” said Michel Bonnefous, who also confirmed he would be
stepping back his involvement in the next Cup, but not retiring. “If not,
we start the process - for two or three months - to select another venue.
We have a few cities already who have told us of their interest in hosting
the America’s Cup.”
The 33rd America’s Cup will take place no earlier than 2009 and no later
than 2011. It will consist of pre-regattas (potentially to be used as
qualifying for the main event), along with the ‘main event’, comprising
Trials, Challenger Selection, and the America’s Cup Match. This schedule
will be confirmed on or before 31 December 2007.
As with the 32nd America’s Cup, the SNG has appointed ACM to manage,
organise and finance the 33rd America’s Cup.
ACM is also charged with appointing a Race Committee and Measurement
Committee along with a Chief Umpire. ACM will establish a Competitors’
Commission, with representation from the Defender and Challengers, which
will hold regular meetings as a forum to exchange information.
Clearly, the biggest change will be the new class of boat, which
Butterworth described as being something that will open the door to new
teams, as all the teams in the next Cup, even existing ones, will start
from the same level.
“Everybody seems to want a new boat that is bigger, more exciting and
difficult to sail, and faster which is the emphasis behind it,” Butterworth
said. “We’re trying to develop something more exciting. These boats have
been fantastic but I think they have got to the end of their life and
people are looking for something bigger and faster, harder to sail. The
guys will have to be athletic; they will be tough boats to sail.”
In the pre- regattas, teams will compete in the existing America’s Cup
Class boats. There will be at least 18 months between the publication of
the new Class Rule and the first race in that class.
ACM will now work on fleshing out the details of the new Class Rule,
selecting the venue, and publishing the Competition Regulations and Event
Regulations. — http://www.americascup.com
* It would have been unthinkable two years ago but the best combination of
skipper and tactician in the modern America’s Cup - Russell Coutts and Brad
Butterworth - could square up against each other in the 33rd staging of the
event… Butterworth nailed his colours to the Alinghi mast yesterday.
Bertarelli has said “the Russell story is in the past” - meaning no
reconciliation - while Butterworth has now emerged as a leader in his own
right, supported strongly by his fellow ‘Tight Five’ Kiwis.
It would seem unlikely that the most successful skipper/helmsman in 156
years of Cup history will sit out a second series, especially when
billionaires Larry Ellison of Oracle and Patrizio Bertelli of Prada/Luna
Rossa have come up short in their second and third campaigns… Coutts says
he “has options” for a new tilt at the cup. Team New Zealand have ruled out
his return but Ellison is said to have spoken to him while the possibility
of a new challenge with new backing remains strong.
If the 33rd Cup is held in two years’ time, the labour market will be
super-heated. Already Francesco de Angelis, skipper of the Italian team in
the last three cups, has left Prada/Luna Rossa.
French nuclear power generator Areva is planning a huge increase in budget
for the French team bearing its name and Ben Ainslie, Team New Zealand’s
tune-up driver, says he has an agreement in place for his own participation
in the next cup with an unnamed team. — Tim Jeffery in the Telegraph, full
article at:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk
X-YACHTS OPEN WEEKEND
X-Yachts (GB) Limited invite you to join us at Hamble Point Marina,
Southampton where we will be holding an Open Weekend on 21st & 22nd July
2007. On display will be the X-35, X-37, X-40, X-41, X-43 and X-46. Also,
we will have a selection of approved pre-owned X-Yachts for sale. Please
call or email us to confirm that you will be joining us. The opening hours
are: Saturday 21st July 10.00 - 17.00 Sunday 22nd July 10.00 - 15.00. For
further information, please contact Kirsty Wheeler on +44(0)23 8045 3377,
email: kw [Email address: kw #AT# x-yachtsgb.com - replace #AT# with @ ]
We look forward to welcoming you here in Hamble.
ISAF SAILING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Cascais, Portugal: Big waves and big breeze made for a terrific third day
of racing at the 2007 ISAF Sailing World Championships in Cascais,
Portugal. The Finns and the Ynglings joined the action today, with the
highly-anticipated British-Yngling showdown living up to its billing in a
fascinating first race.
The sun shone again in Cascais today and the Nortada wind picked up,
gusting up to 20 knots on the race courses further out to shore. Whilst the
shifty conditions turned up a few surprises earlier in the week, today was
generally one in which the pre-regatta favourites showed their best form.
Top three by class after Thursday’s racing:
Tornado
1. Fernando Echavarri / ANton Paz, ESP, 25 points
2. Carolijn Brouwer / Sebastien Godefroid, BEL, 29
3. Xavier Revil / Christophe Espagnon, FRA, 35
Finn
1. Emilios Papathanasiou, GRE, 2
2. Ed Wright, GBR, 5
3. Jonas Hogh-Christensen, DEN
Laser
1. Simon Groteluschen, GER, 12
2. Thomas Le Breton, FRA, 14
3. Paul Goodison, GBR, 14
Laser Radial
1. Lijja Xu, CHN, 9
2. Nufar Edelman, ISR, 21
3. Tania Elias Calles Wolf, MEX, 22
Star
1. Robert Scheidt / Bruno Prada, BRA, 8
2. Xavier Rohart / Pascal Rambeau, FRA, 10
3. Iain Percy / Andrew Simpson, GBR, 12
Yngling
1. Shirley Robertson / Annie Lush / Lucy MacGregor, GBR, 3
2. Sarah Ayton / Sarah Webb / Pippa Wilson, GBR, 5
3. Sharon Ferris / Raynor Smeal / Shandy Buckley, NZL, 8
49er, RS:X Men and RS:X Women have their first race today, Friday 6 July.
The 470 men and women start racing on Saturday.
http://www.cascaisworlds2007
* Sail TV has been appointed as the exclusive Broadband Live Broadcaster
for the ISAF Sailing World Championships. The channel will be broadcasting
live coverage of the Medal Races for 2 hours daily from 9-13 July. Live
coverage will not be available on any other broadband platform and Sail TV
is proud to be offering this exclusive opportunity to sailing fans around
the world.
The channel will be providing two modes of coverage from Cascais, with a
daily news update which is free to view, and live programming coverage of
the event will be available for a one-off payment of 4.99 Euros for the
five days of coverage. The Live show will then be available once ‘off-air’
to subscribers if they wish to watch the show later at any time.
FOR SALE:
Offshore Challenges currently have a set of direct built female moulds for
a Farr designed Open 60. The hull and deck moulds are situated in Cowes
(UK) and available for immediate shipping. Offers for the moulds need to be
placed by July 13th 2007. The moulds will be destroyed if no offers are
received or none accepted. For further information please contact Kevin
Bennetts at kevin [Email address: kevin #AT# ocgroup.com - replace #AT# with @ ]
FARR 40 OPEN NORDIC CHAMPIONSHIP
Hanko, Norway: The inaugural Farr 40 Open Nordic Championship will take
place July 5-8 at Hanko, Norway. Hosted by the Royal Norwegian Yacht Club
(Kongelig Norsk Seilforening, KNS) with support from the Hanko Yacht Club
and the Farr 40 European Fleet Association, the regatta is the third stop
on the Farr 40 Class European Circuit. The island of Hanko is located in
the southeastern part of Norway at the Oslo Fjord, not far from the Swedish
border. The race course is exposed to sea breezes from the southwest and
generally offers very good and fair sailing. A large international fleet of
28 Farr 40s representing eight countries has entered, 18 of which made the
journey over by ship non stop from the Farr 40 European Championship at the
Rolex Settimana delle Bocche in Italy.
The Scandinavian Sailing Federation will award its gold, silver and bronze
medals to all crewmembers of the regatta’s overall winners. In addition to
the Nordic Champion’s trophy, a trophy will go to the skipper of the top
Scandinavian (Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden) boat.
The Farr 40 Class will next compete at the Skaw Farr 40 Race Week
(July12-14) in Skagen, Denmark and Rolex Baltic Week (Aug. 17-19) in
Neustadt, Germany, followed by the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship, August
29 - September 1.
http://www.kns.no/Norsk
http://www.farr40.org
FIRST HOME, BUT TWICE FACED RISK OF SINKING
The first two yachts to complete the Royal Southampton’s 510-mile offshore
race from the Solent to northern Spain have arrived at Santander.
Taking line honours were Andy Hill and Matthew Lathoud who were first in to
the Real Club Maritimo on Tuesday evening with their J105 Only Just at the
end of a gruelling voyage in the Southampton-Santander Express race which
saw them in danger of sinking on at least two occasions.
They arrived at the finish line just before 8pm, Spanish time on Tuesday
evening. Second boat home, the Swan 40, Bastet, crewed by Paul Rowlinson
and Nicholas Metcalfe arrived in the early hours of Wednesday morning
The remaining two yachts still in the race should reach Santander on
Thursday. They are Gary Clements and Chris Knowlton on the Southerly 100,
Coryphagna, and Tim Wilson and Richard Haynes on the Dragonfly 920
multihull, Cold Fusion.
Of the ten yachts who crossed the start line in mid-Solent on Saturday,
started by Club member and round the world yachtswoman Dee Caffari, six
have retired into ports both sides of the English Channel after succumbing
to fierce weather soon after the start.
At the finish line, Andy Hill said twice they found their boat taking on
water and had had to contend with short seas and 14ft waves, long spells of
manually pumping out water, as well as sea sickness.
Race sponsor offshore yachtsman Paul Metcalf, of the Cowes yachtbuilder
firm Sail Ventures is due to arrive in Santander to also greet the
competitors who have completed the race. — Michel Ford
ULLMAN SAILS IN 2007 TRANSPAC RACE TO HONOLULU
Ullman Sails wishes all our TransPac customers in the 44th Race to
Honolulu, Good Luck, Fair Sailing and a Safe Passage: “Adrenalin”, Santa
Cruz 50; “Bolt”, N/M 55; “Brilliant”, J/100; “Cheetah”, Peterson 68;
“Holua”, Santa Cruz 70; “Horizon”, Santa Cruz 50; “Hula Girl”, Santa Cruz
50T; “IT’S OK”, Andrews 50; “Locomotion”, Andrews 45; “Medicine Man”,
Andrews 63; “Psyche”, Cal 40; “Relentless”, Santa Cruz 52; “Skylark”, Santa
Cruz 70; “Traveler”, Northwind 47; “Uncontrollable Urge”, Columbia 30 SY;
and “Westerly”, Santa Cruz 70.
For the “Fastest Sails on the Planet” contact your nearest Ullman Sails
loft and visit http://www.ullmansails.com
ALINGHI HOMECOMING TOUR
Alinghi is bringing the trophy to Switzerland for a “Homecoming Tour” and
the entire team (130 team members and their families) plans to arrive in
Geneva on Sunday 8 July onboard a Swiss Airlines plane with the Auld Mug.
Alinghi team members will head to the Parc des Eaux Vives to celebrate with
the public at a festival from 17:00, that will include music, live TV
interviews on big screens and a full team presentation from 19:30. At 21:30
a concert with an international guest star will kick off and there will be
fireworks at 22:30.
From Geneva, members of the team will continue the Alinghi “Homecoming
Tour” to Zurich (10 July), Bern (12 July) and Lugano (14 July).
Each one of these homecoming stopovers will include Alinghi photographic
projections on famous landmark buildings the night before. These will tell
the story of Alinghi and the path to winning the America’s Cup for the
second time. Each day the Cup will be on display from 10:00-20:00, team
members will be present for autograph signing opportunities hourly at
13:00, 15:00 and 17:00 and film footage of the racing will remind public of
this historic achievement.
NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR TOP YACHTING AWARDS
Nominations for the prestigious Raymarine/YJA Yachtsman of the Year and
Raymarine Young Sailor of the Year awards open at 12.30pm on Friday 14
September, on the Raymarine stand G088 at the Southampton Boat Show. Dee
Caffari (current Raymarine/YJA Yachtsman of the Year) and Katie Miller
(current Raymarine Young Sailor of the Year) will be among those opening
the nominations.
The general public are invited, and encouraged to complete nomination
forms, entering candidates who they believe should be awarded for their
achievements. Nominations can range from a well-known figure in the
yachting or power boating world, to a commendable member of a boating club.
Both awards recognise British sporting excellence in power or sail and
acknowledge achievement - such as breaking a world record, a phenomenal
win, overcoming adversity, or showing exceptional bravery and courage.
The Raymarine/YJA Yachtsman of the Year title is currently held by Dee
Caffari who won the award for the world record she set as the first woman
to sail single-handed, non-stop around the world against prevailing winds
and currents. For Dee the world challenge was a long-held ambition. Katie
Miller scooped the Raymarine Young Sailor of the Year award for her
single-handed circumnavigation of the UK in her boat Elektra in 2006. Her
inspirational three-month voyage raised funds for The Ellen MacArthur Trust
to enable even more children suffering with cancer to experience the
thrills and beauty of sailing.
From 14 September nominations can be entered directly from
http://www.raymarine.com and http://www.yja.co.uk . Alternatively pick up a
nomination form at the Southampton Boat Show, sailing clubs nationwide, or
from RYA affiliated clubs.
SHORT TACKS
* As the 2007 America’s Cup draws to a close, we reflect on the dramatic
events in Valencia and look forward to plans for the next contest, the 33rd
America’s Cup. We hear from a variety of the leading personalities
intergrally involved in this year’s Cup - Ernesto Bertarelli, Brad
Butterworth, Grant Dalton, and editor of the America’s Cup website Peter
Rusch.
We also hear from Laser Radial sailor Lizzie Vickers who talks us through
the fierce level of competition in the women’s field as they battle to
spearhead the British challenge at the World Championships in Cascais.
As ever, live Thurs eve/Fri morning at
http://www.volvooceanrace.org
* Up to 120 yachts are due to set out round the Isle of Wight this weekend
with the Royal Southampton Yacht Club’s Island Double - a double-handed
race around the Island - and part of the hugely successful Double Handed
Series, sponsored by McGuigan Wines.
It takes place on Saturday, July 7 starting from Cowes, off The Barge.
From Cowes, competitors head west towards the Needles and then make their
way round the south of the Island.
The current monohull record was set in 2004 by Chris Little’s previous
Bounder, a Farr 45, sailed by Chris and Mike Richards. Their time of 5
hours, 58 minutes knocked six minutes off the existing time set by a Swan
56, Noonmark V1 in 2003. The multihull record is held by the Firebird
catamaran, Phoenix, sailed by Martin Hutchings and Tim Hazel, and was set
in 1996 at 4 hours 44 minutes and 29 seconds.
* And speaking of Chris Little’s current Bounder…The new IRC 55 Bounder
capsized on Sunday June 30 off St Catherines Light House on the south side
of the Isle of Wight, when the keel broke off from the hull. 14 Crew were
safely lifted from the upturned hull by Coastguard helicopter when the crew
alerted the Coastguard by mobile phone. Bounder was designed by Juan
Kouyoumdjian, built by Goetz Custom Boats, USA.
Photos of the boat post-capsize courtesy Rick Tomlinson (
http://rick-tomlinson.com ) at http://scuttlebutteurope.com
new Capsizes and Mishaps section…
* Lots of new photos in the Eurobutt gallery: more pics from the final race
of the America’s Cup from Jan Pehrson ( http://www.JanPehrson.com ), the
RORC IRC Championship from Mark Lloyd ( http://www.lloyd-images.com ), and
the Swan European Championship from Rick Tomlinson (
http://rick-tomlinson.com ) — see http://scuttlebutteurope.com
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - editor [Email address: editor #AT# scuttlebutteurope.com - replace #AT# with @ ]
Letters are limited to 350 words. No personal attacks are permitted. We do
require your name but your email address will not be published without your
permission.
* From Simon Baker: Well they said all along that there was no second in
the America’s cup, but in the end, that’s all there was!
THE LAST WORD
Live so that you wouldn’t be ashamed to sell the family parrot to the town
gossip. — Will Rogers
==============================
The opinions expressed in Scuttlebutt Europe do not necessarily
reflect those of its editors, boats.com or OC Events
OC Events, http://ocevents.org , organisers of two major IMOCA 60 oceanic
events, the new double-handed Barcelona World Race 2007, and the original
solo transocean race, The Transat 2008 (ex-OSTAR) plus the Extreme 40
Sailing Series for The iShares Cup.
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