Written by
HOTLINK
Canada Cup story follow-up by Sail22.com: Check out the move Heritage pulls on her competition to win the right to sail in the finals of the Canadian Cup.
Monthly archives for August, 2011
How Heritage Won the Canada Cup Trials
A New Cat is Born – The XS 45
Written by MOVING PICTURES
There’s a new cat on the scene and it is not slow, nor is it lame. The XS 45, created by Reynolds Design boasts reverse bows, extended rudders, canted 6 degree hulls, curved beams, canted foils, a new modern all roller furling, auto canting sail-plan for racing and double-handing – with accommodations in four private cabins. Click here to see more on the 45 and the XS 35.
Ian Williams Off and Running at WMRT
Ian Williams continued his rich vein of form in the opening Qualifying Session at the St. Moritz Match Race winning all five matches to take a joint overnight lead alongside Johnie Berntsson. It was a telling display from the in-form Team GAC Pindar at the start of the sixth stage of the World Match Racing Tour, while defending ‘King of the Mountain’ Mathieu Richard fell to four defeats from five.
Double match racing World Champion Williams came into St. Moritz following back-to-back wins in Portugal and Sweden. Key scalps for his team today included early wins over Pierre Antoine Morvan (FRA) Extreme Team Morbihan and Eric Monnin (SUI) Oklays Corum Sailing Team. Those points set the tone for his day with further big wins over the French Match Racing Team duo of Richard and Damien Iehl.
Iehl went into his match with Williams also unbeaten and it was far from a routine victory for the British team. Iehl pulled out an early lead which Williams reined in, forcing the French team to defend from Williams on the downward run. Williams eventually took the lead but also earned a penalty after an intense luffing match. On the final run he had built a 20 second lead which proved enough to take both the penalty and the win, but only just.
A 4-0 scoreline soon became 5-0 after a resounding win in his final race against Jesper Radich (DEN) Adrian Lee & Partners. Reflecting on the opening day, when the Maloja wind brought gusts of 25 knots, Williams said: “In St. Moritz you need a little bit of luck and things went our way today. The conditions are always tricky and shifty here and all of our races have been a bit touch and go but we’ve managed to stay loose and to roll with the punches.
I-14s Worlds Coming Soon
HOTLINK
Artemis International 14 World Championships will be held at Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA) from 3rd to 18th September. The International 14 Class is revving up for the 2011 edition of their most important regatta on the global circuit. Photo Christophe Favreau. Sail World has the story here.
Another Vacation?
What The?
The prez is on the stick and he’s sporting a Hussong’s shirt!. Turns out he loves beat up old catamarans…who knew?
Matching Up in St. Moritz
MOVING PICTURES
Watch Hannah White down at the dock talking to the crews before they head out for racing.
Dial Up 101
MOVING PICTURES
Explaining one of the most common pre-start maneuvers in match racing – the dial up
Learning Lessons All Around the World
MOVING PICTURES
Eoghan Coyle, crew member on board Derry-Londonderry, talks splicing during the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. The first boats are currently making their way into Rio for the end of Race 2.
News of the Day
MOVING PICTURES
Destopnews has all the sailing news from around the world.
FIGuring it Out
MOVING PICTURES
Conrad Humphrey talks about his experience in the 2011 Solitaire du Figaro. The Vendee Globe skipper and associate of the Artemis Offshore Academy was taking part in his first ever month-long, 4-leg, Figaro race.
What’s Up at the Canada’s Cup?
HOTLINK
Macatawa Bay Yacht Club’s team Heritage has beat the Chicago Match Racing Center’s Convexity to win the Canada’s Cup defender trials. On last Sunday, Heritage won the 6th and final race in the defender trials series bringing the total counts to Heritage 5, Convexity 1 and closing out the best of 9 series. Heritage will go on to face the Canadian challenger Vincere for the cup in next week’s championship! Follow the racing at Canada’s Cup 2011.
The Moths Are Fly’n in Italy
MOVING PICTURES
Check out the haps, spills and thrills at the Internatonal Moth Italian Open Championship regatta. If you are not at the office turn up the volume for some good tunes too! To follow the action in Italian go to the website by clicking HERE.
Become Stress Free Like the XS Blowhard
XS CHAT
Hate chatrooms but want to shout out your opinions on the current sailing events of the day. Now you can without signing up or making up passwords you’ll forget. Check out the XS CHAT just over there on the upper right hand side of the page just below The Border Run banner. It’s easy, fun and keeps you stress free! How?
It’s simple. Express your opinion as a ‘Guest’ or type in your name (real or make up some fake, egocentric name) then SHOUT out your message. You can even leave your website address if you have one.
So just don’t stew over pent up frustrations like how Spithill and Team USA screwed up by not covering New Zealand in the AC 45 World Series. Let it out! “WHY DIDN’T YOU COVER? YOUR AN AMERICA’S CUP SAILOR…YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO COVER! Ahhh, the Blowhard feels better all ready. You’ll be glad you did too. You may be called a jerk for your opinion but at least you will be stress free…like the Blowhard.
Where Do The Children Play? In Opti’s of Course!
MOVING PICTURES
With the announcement that Euro City Napier, Hawke’s Bay’s home of Audi, Volkswagen and Skoda is now helping to drive the OptiWorlds New Zealand championship sailing event for youth sailors forward, we thought it appropriate to post this cool Opti Pram video of the 2009 Toyota Optimist Championship.
The OptiWorlds, to be hosted by Napier Sailing Club in December and January this year, will be attended by at least 200 young sailors from around the world, and many people from within the local community. Euro City Managing Director Terry Elmsly says that the event is the highlight of the year for those attending, and he’s pleased that his company, which was named the 2010 Audi Dealer of the Year, is able to show its support for an event that benefits tourism in Hawke’s Bay.
“Some of these sailors will be the stars of the future – the event is going to be great for Napier, and we are very much looking forward to our association with the sailing fraternity,” he says. “The local community has supported us in the last six years, and this is an excellent method of giving back.”
Four months out from racing, entries have been received from teams from 39 nations, including many from Europe, South America and Asia.
Speed for Sale…and it’s FREE!
FREE XS CLASSIFIEDS
That’s right! Have a multihull, monohull, dinghy or sailing equipment to sell? Don’t let it just take up space at home or cost you boat storage fees for years…sell it fast…sell it for FREE on the XS FREE Classifieds. Like this cool look’n F28 trimaran that just happens to be a 2 time National Champ! Check it out on our FREE Classifieds page.
Pressure Mounts in St. Moritz
On the eve of the 2011 St. Moritz Match Race, Mathieu Richard and his French Match Racing Team find themselves in a very different situation to last season when they entered the sixth stage of the World Match Racing Tour with a commanding Championship lead. A disappointing season so far leaves them languishing in eighth place, forcing them to reassess their goals: “Mathematically it is still possible for us to win but we are realistic about things. Our aim now is to get closer to the leaders to try and achieve a podium finish overall.”
It will be a difficult week for Richard with seven of the nine Tour Card Holders competing in St. Moritz, a group headed by Tour leader Francesco Bruni (ITA) Bruni Racing. Richard though is in a bullish mood and believes it is Bruni who carries the most pressure: “Last year we were obviously under a lot more pressure than we are now – the leader always feels it more. We are naturally very competitive so I’d prefer to be on top and under the pressure that I know Francesco will be feeling now.”
Aside from less pressure, Richard has every reason to be confident. The conditions on Lake St. Moritz are traditionally challenging but it’s a venue that he seems to tune into well: “Racing here really suits our team’s style, we have won twice and we like it very much. The small boats and shifty conditions are a great challenge and it can make it very tricky with tactics and trimming but that’s what we like.”
While Richard may feel his chance to win the 2011 Championship has passed, Jesper Radich (DEN) Adrian Lee & Partners is only 22 points adrift of Bruni and has prepared well for what is not only his St. Moritz debut but also an event that could determine his title chances: “We’ve had a couple of days to practice and I’ve also spent two and a half weeks sailing in another light boat to prepare for these [Blu26] boats here.”
“We will need to achieve top results at the remaining events to beat the top guys. There are enough points yet to be won and lost. It’s really how you end your season that counts, the teams who pick up their game now will be the ones that win.”
The first Qualifying Session will kick off tomorrow and feature Tour leader Francesco Bruni and title contenders Torvar Mirsky (AUS) The Wave Muscat and Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Mekonomen Sailing Team in the first flight.
Irene’s Boat
One of two people rescued from a sailboat, right, uses a line to make their way onto the beach on Willoughby Spit in Norfolk, Va., Saturday, Aug. 27, 2011, after they and another person were rescued from the boat that foundered in the waters of the Chesapeake Bay. A rescuer, left, waits for s second person to exit the boat. Photo Bill Tiernan. Source – sailboatowners.com.
VOR Breakdown
HOTLINK
There are now just two months to go before the start of the race on October 29 in Alicante, Spain. With the clock ticking down, here’s our latest team by team round-up of the state of preparations.
Follow Us!