iSAIL

Man | Wave |Board |Man

2012-01-31T01:08:00.000-05:00

Sailing Anarchy Interview New Stability Measurement numbers for Mackinac

2012-01-30T23:52:00.001-05:00

The long time safety officer and measurer explains which boats will no longer be allowed to race under their current ratings certificates, and explains how the Safety/Rules Committee came to their decisions

Carlo Borlenghi vists the Costa Concordia Pictorial

2012-01-27T00:03:00.001-05:00

COSTA CONCORDIA accident Carlo Borlenghi Visits the site A week later and shares with us this tragic accident .Our prayers go out to all involved . Carlos amazing Photo site

Rolex Miami OCR 2012 :Racing Update Latest photos

2012-01-25T11:09:00.001-05:00

Miami Day Three Rolex OCR
2012 Rolex Miami OCR - Images by US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics
MIAMI, FLA. (January 24, 2012) – Today’s 8-11 knot breeze on Biscayne Bay allowed three of the Rolex Miami OCR’s 10 Olympic classes to catch up on the races they lost due to dying winds yesterday afternoon, and 529 sailors from 41 countries now have two days behind them in this important ISAF Sailing World Cup event. Three Paralympic classes also are competing here, adding to a total of 354 boats scattered across four racing circles plus a separate arena for women’s match racing.

Volvo Ocean Race : Update .

2012-01-24T11:08:00.002-05:00

January 24, 2012 - 1430 UTC Leg 3 Stage 2 Day 3
TEAMS SWEAT OVER DETAILS WITH BIG GAINS TO COME

Leg 3

Report: 24/01/2012 13:07:19 UTC

DTL

DTLC

DTF

PUMA

0.00

2397.1

CMPR

2.30

12.8

2399.5

GPMA

3.90

12.8

2401.0

ADOR

12.70

12.3

2409.9

TELE

16.30

13.4

2413.4

SNYA

20.50

12.2

2417.6

Contacts ►

Media Zone ►

PUMA and CAMPER were sweating over minimal gains and losses at the head of the fleet on Leg 3 on Tuesday, with no let-up in the furious workrate among the fleet despite sweltering conditions and the prospect of far bigger changes in fortune to come.
A perfectly executed tack north overnight from CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand put around 12 nautical miles of lateral separation between them and leg leaders PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG.
At the 1300 UTC position report on day 3 of the second stage of Leg 3, PUMA held a 2.3 nautical mile advantage but CAMPER were confident they could still cash in on their more northerly position, with the only question being when to make their move.
“We’re only talking small changes, but there’s quite a battle being waged here to hold onto the lead at the moment,” said CAMPER skipper Chris Nicholson.
“It’s just a neck and neck race to the east at the moment. We have some leverage -- it’s just a tricky situation for us when to use it.”
The determination of the teams to squeeze out tiny advantages this early in the 3,051 nautical mile leg is notable given that far greater gains and losses are likely when the fleet gets into the Malacca Strait and beyond.
“They are small gains, because when we think what’s ahead in the Malacca Strait and the South China Sea, there’s going to be enormous gains and losses, but this is where the game’s at at the moment and it’s neck and neck,” Nicholson said.
Apart from PUMA, the main concern for Nicholson will be the sight of Team Telefónica making the biggest gains as they recover from the sail damage they suffered on Sunday.
Telefónica, who lead the overall standings by seven points from CAMPER, were the fastest boat at the 1300 report, still 16.3nm behind the leaders but pushing hard for the most northerly position.
Telefónica skipper Iker Martínez said his team were looking for long-term gains rather than a short-term advantage.
“We know that the lost miles to the finish will be important but we’re hoping that it will be better for us when we arrive at the Malacca Strait within the next two days,” he said.
“It was a decision based on looking ahead two days rather than for here today. Now we have a little bit more wind and now we are pointing where we want to go. We’re working hard to catch up the boats in front and reduce the gap so that when we reach the unstable conditions in the Malacca Strait we can get closer.”
To the south, Groupama sailing team were just behind PUMA, followed by Abu Dhabi and Team Sanya.
While the consistent 10-15 knots breeze and warm waters have been ideal to power the six Volvo Open 70s towards the Malacca Strait, life below decks grows more uncomfortable with every day as temperatures rocket.
“On deck it’s shorts, t-shirts and sunshine and we’re sailing along in beautiful conditions but it’s very hot, sweltering heat at the moment,” said Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing bowman Justin Slattery.
“It’s hot and sticky down below. It’s difficult to get rest off watch because of the heat. If you’re off watch you’re in your bunk. If you can’t sleep you’re on the rail or you stay in your bunk – there’s not much of a choice.”
“On deck it’s wet when you do a sail change,” added PUMA bowman Casey Smith. “Of course, as soon as you put your wet weather gear on you sweat horribly, so you’re going to get wet either way, from sweat or from salt water.”
With just 20.5 nautical miles separating PUMA from six-placed Sanya, each of the teams have been pouring their energy into squeezing every last bit of boat speed from their yachts, desperately trying to get the upper hand on their opponents.
“It’s a meticulous job, with slightly open angles and a little bit of speed in the shifts,” Groupama sailing team watch leader Damian Foxall said. “Every 10th of a knot, every shift is important.”
The teams are expected to reach the Malacca Strait, the narrow body of water between Sumatra and Singapore, within the next two days.
“Getting around the corner of Sumatra is one thing but the Malacca Strait is a whole different animal,” PUMA bowman Smith added. “Right now it’s just about staying in the pack and making sure when opportunities come you take them.”

MOD70:News Mod 70 takes on Europe!

2012-01-23T21:19:00.001-05:00

Today, Monday 23 January, at the Dusseldorf Boat Show, the much anticipated 2012 MOD70 European Tour was unveiled. Starting on 29 August, five weeks of intensive racing will see the six competing MOD70s race nearly 5,000 miles in a mix of offshore competition, and races in the heart of five cities in five countries : Germany, Ireland, Portugal, France and Italy.

The six MOD70s are helmed by skippers with some of the biggest hauls of oceanic medals – Michel Desjoyeaux, Sebastien Josse, Sidney Gavignet, Roland Jourdain, Steve Ravussin and Yann Guichard. The teams will be setting off from Kiel in Germany, on the Baltic Sea, towards the east coast of Ireland, after a rather unfamiliar passage via the North coast of the Shetland Islands which will see the teams reach 60° North – as far north as Cape Horn is south.

After stopping off in the Emerald Isle, the teams will tackle the descent of the North Atlantic, heading for Cascais in Portugal, for an eight-day stopover before heading east.

Beyond the Pillars of Hercules, the MOD70s will cross the warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea to tie up at the feet of the Bonne Mère in Marseille (France), while the final leg of the European Tour 2012 will take the MOD70s on a big looped circuit around the islands of Corsica and Sardinia, prior to climbing up to an Italian port looking out onto the Ligurian Sea…

At the end of this tour of Europe, the fleet will have covered 5,000 miles and crossed seven seas and one ocean.

Start : Kiel, Germany, 2 September :

Steeped in maritime tradition, Kiel is the city which played host to the Course de l’Europe during the first edition back in 1985, and again in 1997, for the 4th leg. For this 2012 edition of the MOD70 European Tour, the local authorities were the first to commit themselves wholeheartedly to the project. Alongside KIEL.SAILING CITY, the online gambling company, Betfair, will be present at both the legendary Kiel Week, to be held in June 2012, and the German stopover for the MOD70 European Tour 2012.

Uwe Wanger, Managing Director of Kiel Marketing GmbH : “In collaboration with Betfair, we’re proud to play host to the first leg of the European Tour, an event that forms part of the MOD70 circuit, for their first race in Germany. These spectacular boats represent technology at its highest level – a point they have in common with our new partner Betfair. With this stopover, we’ll be punctuating a series of prestigious sailing gatherings and we’re hoping for between 50.000 and 80,000 spectators at the heart of Kiel to witness the racing.”

Marco Simeoni, President of MOD Ltd. : “Today we’re happy to be able to present the first edition of the race around Europe, aboard MOD70s. Since 2009, we’ve been working on putting together a one-design class and a coherent circuit for racers, boat owners and our partners. With the current economic context colouring Europe, things haven’t been easy but we’ve managed to pull it off. The cities of Kiel, Marseille and Cascaïs are the first three cities to have signed up alongside us and the contracts with the remaining two cities involved in this project will be signed in the coming days. Featuring 5,000 miles, 5 countries, 5 host venues and 5 City races, this MOD European Tour will be the setting for a competitive and cultural oasis! Thanks to the one-design format, which guarantees sporting equity, we’re sure to witness some great on-the-water confrontations between the MOD70 crews competing in this 2012 season.”

Hervé Favre, Event Manager OC ThirdPole : “To organise a European tour is an opportunity to revive the great moments in the history of oceanic multihulls, but it’s also a genuine challenge in every possible way. This is true in logistical terms first of all, as not all the ports in Europe can accommodate 6 or 7 trimarans measuring 22 metres long and 17 metres wide. It’s also true in sporting terms, with the need to construct a balanced circuit and some interesting legs, with around 3 days spent at sea between cities. Finally there’s the marketing aspect, with our desire to select cities whose image and notoriety are recognised on the international playing field, and who are keen to communicate their outward-looking attitude to the sea. We’ve also endeavoured to involve the Teams and their partners, who have guided the final decisions. Launching a new event is never easy, particularly today, but we’re proud of this very fine course, which will support the increase in power of the new Multi One Design Class".

Michel Desjoyeaux, skipper of the MOD70 Foncia: “This MOD70 version of the European Tour 2012 will be the second event of the season. It will be longer and more intensive than the Krys Ocean Race, but I bet you that the crew of Foncia will be very much into their stride! Added to that, the European Tour isn’t a complete unknown for me as I raced aboard Crédit Agricole, the winning boat in the first edition back in 1985. I sailed it again in 1993, aboard La Poste. It’s always a real thrill because there are a number of intriguing passages to be negotiated. The race zone really deserves to be highlighted! Alternating between offshore legs and inshore events appeals to me since it’ll give us the opportunity to show our different guests what the MOD 70 Foncia is all about during the stopovers. These moments of sharing and exchanges aboard our fantastic machines are always rich and interesting.”

Sidney Gavignet, skipper of the MOD70 Oman Sail : “Our MOD70s are capable of covering great distances in a short space of time so they’re really cut out for this type of course around Europe! For my part, I’ve already had the opportunity to compete in European races in 1993 and 1997. I have some very fond memories of them with some great battles on the water. I expect nothing less in this edition.
This European Tour really ties in with the agenda that my partner OMAN had in mind, which involves promoting tourism among the European public across the sultanate.”

Yann Guichard, skipper of the MOD70 Spindrift racing : “I’m more familiar with transatlantic events and this will be my first participation in a European Tour. I’m very enthusiastic about the idea of helming my MOD70 Spindrift Racing over this course, which will enable me to discover the race zones, particularly as regards the first leg between Kiel and Ireland. Another first for me is alternating between offshore and inshore races, especially over the course of a month! It’s going to be raced at a steady pace and we’ll have to be consistent and perform well, whatever the race format.”

Roland Jourdain, skipper of the MOD70 Veolia Environnement: “It promises to be an enthralling sail... Already at the time of the multihull, and also the monohull, all the racers adored the race. On a sporting level, it’s a superb mix of offshore and coastal courses. On a multihull we’re sure to have a ball!"

Stève Ravussin, skipper of the MOD70 Race for Water : “Germany is a great country for sailors, as it has a particularly important place on the map of Europe. As such I’m very happy and proud to be part of this first European Tour in Kiel. Adventure, speed and adrenalin, a mixture of spectacular offshore races and city races on an equal footing… it is the epitome of everything I love about sailing! In addition to the sports competition, I’m delighted to be able to raise awareness amongst adults and children about problems relating to water… Indeed, with the MOD 70 Race For Water, ambassador for the Multi One Attitude Foundation, we’re going to spread this message to the four corners of Europe as well as battling to sail some fantastic races!”

Sébastien Josse, skipper of the MOD70 Edmond de Rothschild Group : « The European Tour is proposing an ambitious programme and it will be a difficult race. For three weeks we’re going to link together a series of offshore and city race formats at a steady pace and the team will have very little time to catch their breath. This second event of the 2012 season will showcase the crews’ stamina and their ability to adapt to the switches in format. The North-South route of the race is likely to provide us with some highly varied conditions. The northern part may give us some really lively conditions at that time of year, whilst the second part, in southern Europe, should prove to be milder. However, that’s just a hypothesis as the Mediterranean is never short of surprises and could very well dish out an entirely different scenario. The European Tour will be intense with a line-up of six honed crews after the Krys Ocean Race.”

The MOD70 European Tour 2012 in brief :

First edition of the European Tour in MOD70s.
6 competing sailing teams (6 crew members per MOD70)
5,000 miles
5 countries visited: Germany (Kiel), Ireland, Portugal (Cascaïs), France (Marseille), Italy.
5 offshore races and 5 inshore events (city race and speed match)

Stopover schedule :

Kiel (Germany) from 29 August to 2 September
Ireland from 5 to 9 September
Cascaïs (Portugal) from 12 to 20 September
Marseille (France) from 23 to 30 September
Italy from 3 to 7 October

Volvo Ocean Race News ETNZ Camper Blog update

2012-01-23T00:02:00.000-05:00

Volvo Ocean Race News ETNZ Camper Blog Update .

Sitting nicely in a tight race

After the first day of Leg Three, Part B CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand has made a solid start sitting in second place just behind race leader Puma in what is shaping up to be a tight race.

After making a strong start and holding a slender lead overnight CAMPER slipped back to second place in light conditions this morning but is in a tactically strong position to windward of Puma.

In the tightly bunched fleet CAMPER is 2 nautical miles behind first placed Puma, with Groupama in third place a few hundred metres further off the pace. The entire fleet is separated by less than six miles.

CAMPER made light work dodging the atolls and other obstacles around the Maldives and is now well into the north east trade winds straight-line drag race across the Indian Ocean to the Malacca Strait that is likely to take a few days.

CAMPER Skipper Chris Nicholson says that it has been a solid first 24 hours for the team.

“We had a nice start and since then things have been going pretty smoothly. Our crew work has been good and overall I’m pretty happy with where we’re sitting.

“It’s a bit of a case of snakes and ladders at the moment and although Puma have got a paper advantage over us currently I think we’re in a strong position being upwind of them.

“The monsoon conditions we’re likely to see over the next few days are going to produce plenty of sail changes so it’s really pleasing to see how quickly the guys have got back into things.

“When the fleet is this tightly bunched any little problem or niggle can be costly so we’re really focused on our crew work.

“To be honest it’s just great to be back out here. I think everyone has breathed a sigh of relief to be back sailing and have all of the interruptions behind us.”

CAMPER in the latest position report at 1400h 23 January NZT is averaging 11.9. knots in a 12 knot north easterly.
@photos Hamish Hooper/CAMPER ETNZ/Volvo Ocean Race

Volvo Ocean Race 2011-2012 | Leg 3 Stage 2 start: onwards to Sanya

2012-01-22T02:09:00.001-05:00

Volvo Ocean Race 2011-2012 | Leg 3 Stage 2 start: onwards to Sanya

As racing gets underway from the Maldives to the Chinese city of Sanya on Leg 3 Stage 2, we bring you dispatches from our on-the-water reporters.

0630 UTC: It's another typical day in Malé - hot, humid and with little wind. The six boats have started to dock out ahead of the 0800 UTC race start. After a couple of weeks of interrupted scheduling, the sailors are all chomping at the bit to get racing again.

0640: All teams apart from Sanya have their mainsails up. PUMA Ocean Racing and Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing are testing headsails in the light breeze.

0650: Around five knots of breeze blowing through the bay right now - so it's not exactly going to be a flying start, but things should pick up quite quickly. The first five days or so will see the fleet race to the Malacca Strait, which Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing skipper Ian Walker reckons will give his crew time to guage their upwind speed against their rivals. "it’s going to be a lot of upwind sailing, so I think we’ll learn a lot about the relative boat speeds of the boats upwind, certainly in the first four days," he told us prior to docking out.

0652: The start line is being laid. The fleet will have to head south first of all from the west coast of Male before turning left under the island. Likely to be a port-tack start.

Volvo Ocean Race News:Fleet Complete again .

2012-01-21T10:27:00.003-05:00

January 21, 2012 - 1215 UTC

FULL FLEET READY TO RESUME RACE TO SANYA

Overall

Points

Team Telefónica

CAMPER with Emirates Team NZ

Groupama Sailing Team

PUMA Ocean Racing by BERG

Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing

Team Sanya *

The six-strong Volvo Ocean Race fleet will resume racing from the Maldives on Sunday at 0800 UTC after the five boats being shipped through piracy affected waters in the Indian Ocean safely reconvened with the waiting Team Sanya.

The identity of the ‘safe haven’ was left undisclosed for security reasons until Saturday at 0600 UTC when the ship carrying the five yachts reached the Maldives. The boats were subsequently unloaded and all should be ready for Sunday’s restart from Malé, the Maldivian capital.

“We've got ourselves a Master's degree in improvising, and loading and unloading yachts onto ships,” said Iker Martínez, skipper of overall race leaders Team Telefónica.

“Now we can focus on getting back to sailing and being back on the boat together to fight for the race which is why we are all here.”

The second stage of Leg 3 will see the teams sail just over 3,000 nautical miles from a position close to the port of Malé to Sanya in China. Eighty percent of the points for Leg 3 remain up for grabs, after the Stage 2 sprint from Abu Dhabi to Sharjah delivered the other 20 percent to all the teams except for Sanya, who will score full points for this stage*.

After Saturday’s arrival, shore crews and sailing teams launched a cautious unloading procedure that saw all the boats safely returned to the water.

PUMA Ocean Racing Powered by BERG’s Mar Mostro were the first to see their boat lifted off, followed by Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, Telefónica, CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand and finally Groupama sailing team.

Race organisers took the unprecedented step of splitting legs two and three into two as part of a raft of anti-piracy measures. Five boats were transported by ship to Sharjah for the second stage of Leg 2 into Abu Dhabi and out again following the first stage of Leg 3. Only Sanya failed to make the ship after developing a problem with their rigging on stage 1 of Leg 2.

While the boats are in the Maldives, the sailing crew are the only members of each team permitted to carry out repairs ahead of the start of racing. It is the first time in more than a month that the complete Volvo Ocean Race fleet has lined up to compete.

With just seven points separating overall leaders Team Telefónica, on 71, and CAMPER, on 64, competition is set to be heated. Groupama lie in third with 51, PUMA fourth with 36, Abu Dhabi 31 and Sanya, 11.

The 3,000 nautical mile racecourse is described as a navigator’s nightmare, with monsoon winds in the Indian Ocean, container ship dodging in the Malacca Strait and long stretches of upwind sailing through rough seas in the South China sea.

Sanya skipper Mike Sanderson said he had a great feeling about rejoining the fleet and racing to his team’s homeport.

“I don't think I have ever been so amped up to get back out and go racing,’’ he said. “We owe it to everyone, and ourselves to go and have a decent leg and get this show back on the right track.

“The boat is great and the team is one of the most wonderful group that I have been involved with, I really can't say enough good things about them. Through thick and thin they have just dug it in and done what needs to be done and some.

“I am sure we will have a nice leg and gain some momentum from there, so all the efforts can finally reap some rewards.”

Groupama 4 skipper Franck Cammas said his team had been reviewing all of the available weather data and they were now feeling prepared.

“We expect upwind conditions, wind on the nose, for most the time,’’ he said. “Not a lot of wind, so not necessarily the best conditions for Groupama, but we will see.

“I think all the boats have been specially optimised for this leg, with the right sails and right weight on board to be fast in these conditions. We have also done that.

“It’s not exactly the best leg for us, statistically speaking, as it’s not a leg where the boats are going to go very quickly. But we will see, it will be a very good exercise.”

* As Sanya were unable to race the first stage of Leg 3, they will score full points for Leg 3 – 30 points for 1st place, 25 for 2nd, 20 for 3rd, 15 for 4th, 10 for 5th, 5 for 6th. The other teams will score points on the following scale – 24 points for 1st, 20 for 2nd, 16 for 3rd, 12 for 4th, 8 for 5th, 4 for 6th.

Download Videos & Images ►


IAN ROMAN/Volvo Ocean Race The fleet of Volvo Open 70's arrive onboard a ship into the safe haven port where they will be unloaded, ready for the start of stage 2 of leg 3 to Sanya, China.
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IAN ROMAN/Volvo Ocean Race The fleet of Volvo Open 70's arrive onboard a ship into the safe haven port where they will be unloaded, ready for the start of stage 2 of leg 3 to Sanya, China.
	Download


IAN ROMAN/Volvo Ocean Race The fleet of Volvo Open 70's arrive onboard a ship into the safe haven port where they will be unloaded, ready for the start of stage 2 of leg 3 to Sanya, China.
	Download

TP52 Class Announces 2012 Racing Circuit

2012-01-20T11:50:00.001-05:00

TP52 Class Announces 2012 Racing Circuit

KEY WEST, FL—Following a series of meetings held during Quantum Key West Race Week, members of the TP52 class are pleased to announce its plans for grand prix racing in 2012 and beyond.

Rob Weiland, TP52 Class Manager, says the class is forming a management group owned and controlled by members that will be responsible for event management, event marketing, sponsor and media coordination as well as recruiting new teams to join 52 racing.

“There is strong support and enthusiasm for this structure, not only among owners, but also potential sponsors who have been part of the discussions. TP52 racing will continue in 2012 and beyond at the same high-caliber level as in previous years,” says Weiland. “With class ownership and control, we expect to establish a strong, stable racing program that will continue to expand and excel.”

This year, the class will be racing in a circuit with consistent race management including on-the-water umpiring. The circuit winner will be the best-performing boat in five qualifying events. The regatta schedule will include:

- Palma Vela, Palma, April 18 – 22 (tune up event)
- Trofeo Conde de Godo, Barcelona, May 23 - 27
- Sardinia Cup, Porto Cervo, June 11 - 17
- Royal Cup, Palma, July 10 - 14
- Copa del Rey, Palma, July 16-21 (does not count toward trophy)
- France Cup or One Ton Cup, TBD in France, September 18 – 22
- Valencia Cup, Valencia, October 9-13

Weiland says IRC 52 and Soto 40 teams are invited to join in the racing. “We’d like to increase the participation, which not only makes for more exciting competition, but will also provide a chance to race for the Sardinia Cup, a team event with two-boat teams consisting of a 52 and a Soto 40.

For all events except the Copa del Rey, the 52s—whether a TP52 or IRC52—will race boat-for-boat. “The IRC52s will have to be within a TCC limit for this,” says Weiland. “That limit is set slightly above the TCC that a TP52 has in order to accommodate features such as carbon rigging, which under IRC carry a rating ‘penalty’.

“Just as we are experiencing at Quantum Key West Race Week, this will provide close and exciting racing,” adds Weiland. “Level rating, as such, is not a novelty, but the mix of level raters and box rule 52s is unique. For sure there is a lot to learn; we will start with an open mind and very few limits.”

At Copa del Rey, Weiland says the 52s will race under IRC. “That suits the event organization better and maximizes the number of boats on the start line. We hope to see well over ten teams competing in Palma.”

Weiland says the class will begin working with the clubs involved in the 2012 program immediately, while the organizational details are finalized for the management group. The 2013 calendar will be announced no later than August 2012. Plans for next year tentatively call for a return to the Americas early in the season.

For more information, contact:

Rob Weiland, Class Manager
Doeslaan 14
2351SR Leiderdorp
Holland
Mobile: +31 622549566
Mail: robswei@attglobal.net

Quantum Key West Regatta: Racing resumed Today

2012-01-19T16:28:00.000-05:00

Quantum Key West Regatta . Race six gets off today under cloudy Skies awaiting results. Video Key West TV .

Quantum Key West 2012: Day one Coverage

2012-01-17T11:40:00.000-05:00

Sunny Skies and Strong Breezes for Quantum Key West 2012

Key West, Fla — Quantum Key West 2012 got off to a roaring start as strong breeze and sunny skies greeted the fleet of 112 boats in 12 classes. Northeast winds that started off at 15 knots and built to 20-plus challenged crews on the opening day of the 25th anniversary regatta, organized by Premiere Racing.

“It was a classic Key West day — beautiful weather with breeze on,” said John Kilroy, skipper of the Melges 32 Samba Pa Ti. “These are the type of sailing conditions we all come down here for. We’d love to have a few more days like this.”

That’s because Kilroy and the Samba Pa Ti team performed extremely well in the heavy air, winning both races in the talent-laden 19-boat fleet. The California entry got a great start and led wire-to-wire in Race 1 then won a great battle with Hedgehog and Pisces in Race 2.

“We seem to have real good speed and our crew is sailing the boat well,” said Kilroy, who has Italian Lorenzo Bressani aboard as tactician. “The second race was a real fight and we had a kite wrap that cost us some boats, but we were able to use our speed to come back.”

Samba Pa Ti was among eight boats that posted a pair of bullets on Monday. Quantum Racing began the regatta in impressive fashion by topping the eight-boat IRC class, comprised entirely of state-of-the-art 52-foot racing machines. Skipper Doug DeVos did a superb job of driving the Botin Partners design while veteran professional Terry Hutchinson called tactics.

“You can’t win the regatta on the first day, but you can certainly lose it. We’re happy to have put up some good results to start off,” Hutchinson said. “We have a great group of guys sailing the boat and they were spot-on today. We sailed really well in both races.”

Quantum beat Vesper in Race 1 and PowerPlay in Race 2. Vesper, which won the 2009 Audi Med Cup while owned by Quantum Racing, has been optimized to the IRC rule by owner Jim Swartz and tactician Gavin Brady and showed great downwind speed. However, Vesper was unable to hoist a genoa in Race 2 and finished sixth.

“We’ve got a huge advantage on Quantum downwind so hopefully we can maximize that moving forward,” said Brady, adding that shore crew had already fixed the headsail issue.

Breakages were common in the 52-foot class as Interlodge did not start the second race while Highland Fling did not finish it.

Ran, a Judel-Vrolijk 72 owned by Niklas Zenstrom of England, set the pace in the Mini Maxi class. British tactician Adrian Stead said this is the team’s fourth season sailing the boat and the crew work was flawless.

“All of our maneuvers were very good. The lads really did a tremendous job,” Stead said. “I thought we got the most out of the boat both upwind and downwind. We’re just very pleased with our performance overall. You can’t ask for more than two wins.”

Members of the Ran shore crew who were on the water in a support boat were the true heroes of the day as there was a scary incident during Race 2. Keith Glynn, bowman aboard the Farr 40 Barking Mad, was thrown overboard when the boat got rocking in lumpy seas. Glynn knocked his head on a stanchion on the way over the side and was woozy in the water.

Troy Kennedy was piloting the Ran support boat and was in the vicinity near the downwind mark when word came over the radio about a man overboard. Teammate Barney Depledge spotted Glynn in the water just in time as the Irishman had been struggling and started going under. Depledge did not hesitate and dove into rescue the young man, who was taken to a medical center in Key West for observation.

“(Glynn) was exhausted and had swallowed a lot of water. If Barney hadn’t jumped in he may not have made it,” Kennedy said. “It was a pretty close call, but (Glynn) recovered on the way back to port and was in pretty good spirits.”

Netherlands skipper Willem Wester has Volvo Ocean Race veteran Bouwe Bekking aboard his Grand Soleil 46 as tactician and the two combined to sail Antilope to victory in both races. Meanwhile, British skipper Joe Woods and the Red team got the gun twice to take the early lead in Farr 400 class, which is making its debut at Quantum Key West 2012.

Other double winners on opening day were Groovederci (Deneen Demourkas, Santa Barbara, Cal.) in Farr 30 and West Marine Rigging/New England Ropes (Bora Gulari, Detroit, Mich.) in Melges 24 and the J/122 Teamwork (Robin Team, Lexington, N.C.) in the J Boats subclass.

Another Groovederci, a Farr 40 sailed by John Demourkas, was named Nautica Watches Boat of the Day. Groovederci overcame some problems to finish fourth in Race 1 then got the gun in Race 2 and leads by virtue of tiebreaker over the German entry Struntje Light (Wolfgang Schaefer). Linda Calvert presented the Boat of the Day trophy on behalf of Nautica Watches, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary as an Industry Partner for Key West Race Week.

“We had issues in the first race. I did a double tack and then we fouled the Turkish boat and had to do a 720. We were way, way back, but I had the best downwind run of my life and we rebounded to finish fourth, which really saved the day,” said Demourkas, who has Cameron Appleton aboard as tactician. “Fortunately, I got over the jitters and sailed much better in the second race.”

Forecasts call for strong winds again on Tuesday and organizers are hoping to complete three races, which would get the five-day regatta halfway to the stated goal of 10 races.

Regatta dates are January 15 – 20, 2012.

Quantum Key West 2012 Sponsors are Title Sponsor Quantum Sailsand Day Sponsors Lewmar/Navtec (Official Marine Hardware), Mount Gay® Rum (Official Rum), and Nautica Watches (Official Timekeeper). The Supporting Sponsors are B&G (Official Marine Electronics), Marlow Ropes (Official Rope), Gill and Layline (Official Technical Gear and Retailer) and Sebago (Official Footwear)
.

Quantum Key West 2012 is also supported by The Florida Keys & Key West Tourism Council, which recognizes the importance of having a world-class, international regatta in Key West every year. The Historic Seaport at the Key West Bight is the Official Marina. The City of Key West and the Key West business community also play an important, long-term role in race week’s success. The Ocean Key Resort and Spa is the Official Hotel. Sapporo USA is the Official Beer Supplier and Regatta Ginger Beer is the Official Ginger Beer.

27 Industry Partners bring their support through a program that is now in its 11th year.

Quantum Key West 2012 is a US SAILING sanctioned event.

The racing will be conducted under permit in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The sanctuary protects 2,900 square nautical miles of critical marine habitat, including coral reef, hard bottom, seagrass meadow, mangrove communities and sand flats.

Event information, past results and photos: www.Premiere-Racing.com

Bill Wagner

Press Officer

Bens Ainslie Racing Launched today in London

2012-01-10T06:08:00.001-05:00

Olympic Sailor Ben Ainslie Launches America’s Cup Campaign

10^th January 2012 London, UK - Three time Olympic gold medallist Ben Ainslie today announced the launch of a new team that will initially compete in the next edition of the America’s Cup World Series along with plans to join ORACLE Racing for the defence of the 34^th America’s Cup.

Ben Ainslie Racing (BAR) will compete in the 2012/13 America’s Cup World Series (ACWS), following the completion of Ainslie’s London 2012 Olympic campaign in the Men’s Singlehanded Heavy Dinghy (Finn class) event.

The new global America’s Cup World Series circuit attracts some of the best sailors in the world in high speed 45 foot wing-sailed catamarans.

With the announcement of a new team, the triple Gold Olympic medallist also set out his long term vision to challenge for the 35^thAmerica’s Cup following the conclusion of the 34^th Cup in San Francisco in 2013: “I’ve always tried to have a plan of what I’m doing next after the Olympics. The 2012 Olympics has been the focus, but from that has come the opportunity to be able to build a team which we hope can ultimately go on to challenge for the 35^th America’s Cup.”

Four times America’s Cup winner and ORACLE Racing’s CEO Russell Coutts fully backed Ainslie’s goal to create his own future America’s Cup team. “With all the things that we are doing to improve the America’s Cup commercially, I think this is a great time for someone like Ben to be laying the foundations for his own team. With the massive improvements to televising the racing and staging it right where fans can see it, there has never been a better arena for stars such as Ben. ”

Ben Ainslie Racing (BAR) will be entering the America’s Cup World Series under the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club, which has supported the Olympian since the beginning of his career. Ben said: “It’s my home club; it’s where I grew up. I’ve had so much support from the club over the years, it seemed a natural fit.”

The AC World Series will provide a great testing ground and platform for Ben, as will joining ORACLE Racing for their 2013 defence. Ben will be added to an already impressive line-up which includes some of the best sailors in the world, such as James Spithill, youngest ever winning skipper of the oldest trophy in international sport, and Russell Coutts.

It will be the 34 year old Briton’s fourth America’s Cup campaign. After the 2000 Sydney Olympics Ainslie joined the American ‘One World Challenge’. Post-Athens in 2004 he helped ‘Team New Zealand’ lift the Louis Vuitton Cup before joining Sir Keith Mills start -up campaign ‘TEAMORIGIN’ as skipper after his victory at the Beijing Olympics.

On joining ORACLE Racing Ainslie said: “It’s a fantastic opportunity, I have a huge amount of respect for Russell, Jimmy and everyone involved. I think with the direction the Cup has taken in the last few years, it’s actually really important that ORACLE Racing win again and it continues on the path that it has taken. I’m very excited about it and hopefully I can help the team retain the Cup.”

Welcoming Ben to the America’s Cup, Coutts said: “It’s fantastic for the America’s Cup that we’ve got a three time Olympic gold medallist, four time Olympic medallist, hopefully soon to become five. The America’s Cup without Ben would be a little bit like Wimbledon without Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic.

He’s the number one sailor in the world right now and it’s fantastic to have him involved in our team.”

The iconic America's Cup trophy was originally awarded in 1851 by Britain’s Royal Yacht Squadron for a race around the Isle of Wight, to the schooner America. The trophy was renamed the America's Cup after the boat and was donated to the New York Yacht Club under the terms of the Deed of Gift, which made the Cup available for perpetual international competition.

Ainslie will not rule out another bid for Olympic gold in Brazil 2016, but for now he sees his future with the America’s Cup.

Follow the team’s progress www.americascup.com/teams or www.facebook.com/BenAinslie1977

-Ends-

Volvo Ocean Race : Franck Cammas’ Takes Sprnt into Abu Dhabi

2012-01-04T11:01:00.000-05:00

Leg 2

Report: 04/01/2012 12:58:43 UTC

DTL

DTLC

GPMA

FIN

000d 06h 52m 09s

TELE

FIN

000d 06h 53m 01s

CMPR

FIN

000d 06h 57m 48s

PUMA

FIN

000d 06h 58m 38s

ADOR

FIN

000d 07h 02m 21s

SNYA *

Did Not Start

Overall

LEG 2B

Overall

Team Telefónica

CAMPER with Emirates Team NZ

Groupama Sailing Team

PUMA Ocean Racing by BERG

Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing

Team Sanya *

Contacts ►

Media Zone ►

Team Telefónica secured overall victory in Leg 2 with a strong second place but there was joy too for Groupama sailing team on Wednesday as they notched their first win of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12, snatching top spot ahead of their rivals in the dying moments of the sprint into Abu Dhabi.
Franck Cammas’ men edged past Telefónica with just over 10 nautical miles to go to the Abu Dhabi finish line, claiming victory in the 98-nautical mile sprint from the northern United Arab Emirates by just 52 seconds to take a maximum six points.
Their victory came despite the fact that six of their sailors had to carry out a repair job on hull damage sustained in the first part of the leg.
Telefónica, the overall race leaders, are the Leg 2 winners with 29 points following their first place in Stage 1 from Cape Town to the undisclosed ‘safe haven’ in the Indian Ocean. That finished on December 26 with a thrilling head-to-head between Telefónica and CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand.
Telefónica lead the overall standings with 66 points followed by CAMPER on 58 after they finished third in Wednesday’s sprint stage to clinch second place overall in Leg 2. Groupama remain in third overall on 42 points.
“We were very fast today,” said Cammas, who saw his team home to victory at 12h22’09” UTC. “This morning we were a little worried about the repair. Now, I think we were so fast we will leave it. It was a very good day for us, good for our confidence. It doesn’t give a lot of points but it is an important win.”
Groupama watch captain Thomas Coville added: “It was a fabulous fight until the end. For me, that's what the Volvo Ocean Race is: never give up! We had a great confrontation in amazing conditions.”
CAMPER picked up the final podium position in Leg 2 Stage 2 to score four points finishing at 12h27’48” UTC, 50 seconds ahead of PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG. PUMA’s position to seals third place overall in Leg 2. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing were fifth, crossing the line at 12h32’21” UTC.
Skippered by Spanish Olympic gold medallist Iker Martínez, Telefónica led the second stage of Leg 2 from the northern United Arab Emirates to Abu Dhabi from the start, but were unable to hold off the attack from Groupama.
Within 20 miles of the finish, Cammas’ men drew neck and neck with Telefónica as the pair battled it out in choppy seas and winds of 15 to 25 knots. A sloppy rounding of the final turning mark gave Groupama their opportunity to pounce – and they did, snatching the lead with just over 10 nautical miles to go and ending Telefónica’s winning streak of three consecutive victories.
While Telefónica were left licking their wounds at their narrow defeat, they can take some comfort in extending their lead overall to eight points.
“We can’t be disappointed, we still have an advantage overall,” said Martínez. “We sailed well, but Groupama sailed very well and at the end they sailed better than us. All we can say is congratulations to the Groupama guys, this is their first victory so we are happy for them.”
Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing skipper Ian Walker, speaking just before a firework reception for them and the other teams, said: “This obviously wasn't the result we wanted but we had a very tough time to get here. We broke the mast and at that point it didn't look we would get to Abu Dhabi. To arrive to this amazing reception is just fantastic.”
Abu Dhabi crewmember Adil Khalid, the first ever Emirati to compete in the race, added: “It’s a great day for Abu Dhabi and a great day for me. It's amazing to be back home and I can't believe all the people who have come out here. There's a long way to go in the race. Today was just not our day. It was very fast out there.”
As a safety measure to deter piracy, race organisers split the second leg into two stages. After racing the safe haven port, the boats were loaded onto a ship and transported through the worst affected waters to the northern United Arab Emirates.
They were then unloaded with racing resuming with a 98 nautical mile sprint into Abu Dhabi, the first time the race has visited the Middle East in its 38-year history.
Team Sanya, the sixth team in this edition of the race, are currently in Madagascar making repairs to their rig, which failed on the ninth day of the first stage of Leg 2 while they were leading. Once the rig is repaired the team will race to the safe haven port where they will meet the fleet for the second stage of Leg 3.
The fleet will return to action on January 13 with the Etihad Airways In-Port Race with Leg 3, from Abu Dhabi to Sanya, starting on January 14.
Leg 2 Stage 2 results*:
1. Groupama sailing team, 6 points, 12h32’21” UTC
2. Team Telefónica, 5 points, 12h23’01 UTC
3. CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand, 4 points, 12h27’48” UTC
4. PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG, 3 points, 12h28’38” UTC
5. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, 2 points, 12h32’21” UTC
Overall Leg 2 results*:
1. Team Telefónica 29 points
2. CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand 24
3. PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG 19
4. Groupama sailing team 18
5. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing 10
Overall leaderboard after Leg 2*:
1. Team Telefónica 66 points
2. CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand 58
3. Groupama sailing team 42
4. PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG 28
5. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing 19
6. Team Sanya 4*
* Team Sanya will pick up the following points if they complete Leg 2 Stage 1 under race rules: 4 points for Leg 2 Stage 1; 1 point for Leg 2 Stage 2

Volvo Ocean News : Camper shares there year in Video

2011-12-29T13:39:00.002-05:00

Rolex Sydney Hobart Race: Wild Rose posed for win

2011-12-29T04:33:00.000-05:00

With the line honours podium decided in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, focus now shifts to the handicap race under IRC for the Tattersall’s Cup.

Stephen Ainsworth’s crew on the successful Reichel Pugh 63 Loki is hoping that their corrected time in the race, that currently has them second under IRC, will elevate them to first place. This would give Ainsworth, who earlier this month was crowned the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s 2011 Ocean Racer of the Year, the handicap win in the Rolex Sydney Hobart that has so far eluded him.

Assuming the crew on the current IRC leader, Roger Hickman’s Farr 43 Wild Rose, continue to sail as well as they have to date in this race, then it will take a down turn in conditions for them to be toppled.

This afternoon Hickman’s 1993 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race winner had just under 100 miles to go to the finish.

From on board Jennifer Wells reported: “We’ve been up with the leaders most of the time. At approximately 2.30pm we were 75 nautical miles from the Tasman Light in fluky winds. It’s been fabulous sailing down the east coast of Tasmania, but we’re hoping we’ll get better breeze. We’re ecstatic to be able to do so well in such an old boat’ that won the race in 1993.

“It was wet and rough the first night, especially off Pambula. It was quite easy coming across Bass Strait – easier than sailing down the south coast.”

Of her skipper, Roger Hickman, currently sailing his 35th Rolex Sydney Hobart, Wells said: “It’s a benevolent dictatorship. The crew are very excited to sail on what was the original Wild Oats.”

However an area of high pressure is moving over the race area, bringing sunshine to the spectators turning out in Hobart, but also a drop in wind strength off the east coast of Tasmania. While Wild Rose has a little in the bank in terms of her lead, we will have to wait until tomorrow to find out if Hickman can achieve his second win.

Latest arrivals

Meanwhile more boats have arrived in Hobart, the latest being Jim Cooney’s former line honours winner,Brindabella, home in 12th place on the water. Ahead of the classic 1990s maxi there has been a major showdown between the Rolex Sydney Hobart’s competitive fleet of 50 footers.

Home in 11th place, 16 minutes before Brindabella was Robert Date’s Reichel Pugh 52, Scarlet Runner.

“We started off very well up until the time the sun went down on the first night, but we had a problem where we lost all our instruments, so we had to sail like blokes used to about 50 years ago with dead reckoning and a sextant!” said Date, adding that because of this they had lost around 15-20 miles on the competition and this they were unable to regain.

However this was not the end of their problems and at one stage Date said they were lucky not to dismast. “We lost one of the lower diagonal stays when the pin that holds it in came out. One of the crew managed to spot it and we grabbed it and changed on to the opposite tack and put that all back together. If we hadn’t spotted that in time we would have lost the mast.”

Aside from the boat Date admitted that he had also had a few issues of his own during the race, suffering a fall in the cockpit and on one occasion when the bunk he was in, on the weather side, gave way and he was propelled down to the leeward side of the boat.

Jason Van der Slot and John Williams’ Victorian crew on the modified TP52 Calm (formerly Stuart Robinson’s Stay Calm) were the first of the TP52s home, arriving in Hobart 11 minutes ahead of Chris Bull’s Cookson 50 Jazz, to take eighth place on the water.

They too had rigging issues. “We had a D1 pop out after Gabo on the first morning,” said Van der Slot. “We lost about six hours just making sure the rig was okay. From there we pumped the boat pretty hard and we managed to get in front of Ragamuffin and Jazz and we caught them up the river. We were eighth across the line but they might have got us on IRC. We are happy with how the boat performed – it was a good event.”

Van der Slot said that they had managed to regain lost ground on the Derwent river on the approach to Hobart thanks to local knowledge – he was born and bred here.

“The 50ft competition was amazing. Every time we tacked and gybed and crossed paths, it would beRagamuffin there. I think we finished where we thought we would with the preparation we put in. We are a bit disappointed under IRC. We put a pretty hard campaign for this together nine months ago and we have got some good key people on board for this race. We are happy with where we finished up.”

Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race News Loyal Upheld

2011-12-29T03:38:00.000-05:00

December 29, 2011

Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race
Sydney/Hobart, Australia

INVESTEC LOYAL CROWNED LINE HONOURS WINNERS
Following a three hour hearing at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania before the International Jury, the Race Committee’s protest against Investec Loyal was dismissed and Anthony Bell and the crew of his 100ft maxi were finally declared the line honours victors in the 2011 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

This afternoon at the Rolex Sydney Hobart 2011 prizegiving, held in front of a crowd lining Constitution Dock, CYCA Commodore Garry Linacre, Lord Mayor of Hobart, Damon Thomas, and Patrick Boutellier of Rolex Australia presented Anthony Bell with the JH Illingworth Trophy and a Rolex Yacht-Master timepiece for the line honours victory.

“It is the long way around in some ways,” said a delighted Anthony Bell. “It is very relieving to get to this point. There are rules in every sport and, while it wasn’t ideal to go through this, I think that ultimately it gets beyond any question and whatever those questions that were asked have been properly answered.”

As to their victory, when yesterday Investec Loyal beat Bob Oatley’s five time Rolex Sydney Hobart line honours winning maxi Wild Oats XI to the Hobart finish line by a margin of just 3 minutes 8 seconds, Bell said: “We have come second to Wild Oats quite a lot. We came second last year to them and we kept coming second to them at Hamilton Island. It is an against-the-odds victory for us....I am still waiting for one of my crew members to wake me up and say you’re on watch!

“The buzz is made best by the fact that Wild Oats XI is such a fantastic, professionally-run campaign by the Oatley family and, to have them compete so fiercely, it accelerated and heightened the value to us to go down the wire against a raceboat team like that. They are the benchmark of supermaxi racing, not just in Australia, but in the world.”

Bell explained that the query to the ABC helicopter pilot about Wild Oats XI’s sails had been made by their tactician Michael Coxon. Coxon is also Managing Director of North Sails Australia and, after the strong winds of the first night at sea, he had been concerned about Wild Oats XI’s mainsail, made of their new product 3Di and believed to be the most expensive sail of its type in the world.

“One of the things that they did take was that Michael Coxon’s question was not to gain any advantage for our boat at all, but more to test how his business client’s product, that they bought off him, was going,” said Bell of the international jury’s decision.

10 boats home

To date ten boats of the 77 still racing (out of 88 starters) have arrived in Hobart, the latest being Syd Fischer’s modified TP52 Ragamuffin. Of the boats now docked, Stephen Ainsworth’s Reichel Pugh 63 Lokiis currently favourite for the overall IRC handicap prize in this year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart. However still ahead of her on handicap is Roger Hickman’s 26 year-old Farr 43 Wild Rose. Still racing, she must finish before 08:12 local time tomorrow (30 December) if she is to beat Loki’s time under handicap.

Currently lying fourth under handicap is Michael Hiatt’s Farr 55 Living Doll, which was the sixth boat to reach Hobart, arriving at 08:46 local time this morning. Hiatt believes they lost a vital 15 minutes to Loki coming up the Derwent River on the approach to the finish. “It got back up to 30 knots and then we had a nice run up here, but it faded at the end of the Derwent,” he said.

Unlike the maxi boat leaders, which, from time to time, parked up over the latter half of their race, Hiatt said that on Living Doll they never stopped.

On the breezy first night at sea, they had seen 40 knots in the gusts. “It was really tricky. Some spooky breezes came in and they were pretty fierce. It would drop off to nothing and all of a sudden we’d get a lot more, so we had to handle that, but all of the transitions were really good. We just needed a tweak more speed.”

Hiatt sailed the race with a formidable crew including round the world race winners Steve Cotton and Noel Drennan and even had their own meteorologist on board in the form of Canadian Eric Holden.

Seventh home this morning, 12 minutes after Living Doll was Matt Allen, former Commodore of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, the Rolex Sydney Hobart organisers, aboard his first generation Volvo Open 70, Ichi Ban.

Ichi Ban had suffered a few issues during the race. On the first night the lock jammed, holding their main halyard, and in the strong conditions they were forced to spend the rest of the night sailing with three reefs. It was only on the following morning they were able to send a crewman aloft enabling them to hoist the sail fully once again.

“That meant we had a really poor first night and it was really hard to recover from there,” said Allen. “We also broke one of the D4s [rigging on the mast], but luckily we picked it up before, otherwise we would have lost the mast.”

Allen said that in 22 Rolex Sydney Hobarts, he had never previously seen such big wind shifts, especially coming down the coast of Tasmania. During the race they ended up using all the sails on board, with the exception of the heavy running spinnaker. “It was hard work for the navigators, but we had nice sailing for the last 24 hours, good reaching spinnaker work – it’s been really enjoyable. The run we had from Tasman Island to the finish was probably the best run I’ve ever had in my entire life.”

photo Credits Rolex / Daniel Forster ,Rolex / Kurt Arrigo ,

Sydney-Hobert race win in doubt Official ABC Repot

2011-12-28T17:41:00.000-05:00

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Sydney-Hobart race win in doubt

Updated December 29, 2011 08:07:06

PHOTO: Investec LOYAL crosses the finish line on the Derwent River (AAP: Kurt Arrigo)

GALLERY: Sydney to Hobart

EXTERNAL LINK: Special Coverage: Sydney to Hobart

MAP: Hobart 7000

A post-race drama has overshadowed one of the closest finishes in Sydney to Hobart history, after a protest was lodged against provisional line honours winner Investec LOYAL.

Investec LOYAL crossed the line about 7:15pm (AEDT) on Wednesday after two days, six hours, 14 minutes and 18 seconds. Just three minutes and eight seconds behind was five-time winner Wild Oats XI.

AUDIO: Cruising Yacht Club Commodore Garry Linacre(ABC News)

But within half an hour celebrations had turned sour.

The race committee lodged a protest against the supermaxi for allegedly asking a third party for assistance during the race.

The crew of Investec LOYAL have been accused of asking the crew of the ABC helicopter to tell them what sail Wild Oats XI was using when the yachts were just off Merimbula on the NSW south coast.

In an audio recording, Investec LOYAL tactician Michael Coxon is heard asking: "Can you confirm, does Wild Oats have their trysail up? What colour is the mainsail they've got up?"

Race commodore Garry Linacre told a press conference the conversation was recorded, sent out and heard by others.

Investec LOYAL skipper Anthony Bell will face an international jury at a hearing at 10.00am (AEDT) today.

The yacht could be disqualified or face a time penalty.

VIDEO: Listen to an Investec LOYAL crew member talking to the ABC helicopter (ABC News)

Bell says he is confident the hearing will confirm Investec LOYAL as the line honours winner.

"We respect that there's rules in racing, we respect the fact that there's rules to yachting," he said.

"We are confident the outcome will confirm our victory in the race."

The crew were told about the protest after they crossed the finish line.

The skipper of Wild Oats XI says Investec LOYAL deserves the win and should keep the title.

"There were three stages to the race where we had a really big lead and we lost it, had no wind at all and they sailed around us," Mark Richards said.

"They did a fantastic job and we congratulate those guys. We'll have to come back next year and have another crack."

Mr Linacre says it is a "disappointing situation".

"I am very sorry about this; I can assure you I could well do without it," he said.

VIDEO: Investec LOYAL skipper Anthony Bell talks to ABC News Breakfast (ABC News)

Investec LOYAL and Wild Oats XI had jostled down Tasmania's east coast in a light northerly breeze but the brakes came off when they rounded Tasman Peninsula late on Wednesday afternoon.

At the mouth of the River Derwent only a few hundred metres separated the two yachts and the pair raced for the line in a dying sea breeze.

Several thousand people lined the Hobart waterfront for the finish.

It was the fourth closest race in the event's history.

The race's closest finish was in 1982 when seven seconds separated Condor of Bermuda from Apollo.

Meanwhile, the battle for race handicap honours is heating up, with most of the top contenders for overall winner still at sea this morning.

Loki finished fourth and is currently the benchmark for the race.

Leading the charge is the New South Wales yacht Victoire.

Close behind by about 40 minutes on corrected time is the 1993 overall winner Wild Rose. The 2009 handicap winner Two True is in third.

It is going to be a tight contest, with fickle weather conditions continuing to pose challenges.

Race spokeswoman Di Pearson says at this stage it's anyone's race.

"Should they get conditions, say a north-north-easterly that pushes them home quickly, that situation could completely change," she said.

A final result could be in late tonight.

Follow the progress of the fleet on the yacht tracker.

Topics: sport, sailing, hobart-7000

First posted December 28, 2011 19:13:56

Rolex Sydney To Hobart News: Ivestec Loyal @2 days 6hrs And !4 minutes

2011-12-28T09:00:00.000-05:00

The closest finish in the last 29 years of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race took place this evening when Anthony Bell’s maxi Investec Loyal fended off repeated challenges from Bob Oatley’s perennial line honours victor Wild Oats XI to win by just 3 minutes and 8 seconds, after 2 days 6 hours 14 minutes and 8 seconds of racing on this classic 628 mile course.

The competition for line honours in this race was one of the closest in its 67 year history with the two Australian maxis gunning for each other from the moment the canon was fired on Sydney Harbour on Monday afternoon. Wild Oats XI led until 20:00 local time (09:00 UTC) on Tuesday when they were becalmed.

“They [Investec Loyal’s crew] were keeping track of how we were doing and the moment we stopped under a cloud with no wind under it, they basically sailed right around the outside of this large hole we were stuck in and came back above us. It was good work on their part,” described Wild Oats XI’s co-navigator, Ian Burns.

Fortunately the wind filled in soon after for Wild Oats XI and they were able to resume the fight and, from this point on, the event became truly a gloves-off match race between the two 100 footers.

Finally this morning at 07:30 local time, Wild Oats XI regained the lead. With rarely more than two miles separating the two boats, it was not until Wild Oats XI was becalmed again just short of Tasman Island and the entrance to Storm Bay, that Investec Loyal managed once more to skirt around the wind hole. This time they took up residence directly ahead of their opponent and from that point, despite the best efforts of the Wild Oats XI crew led by Mark Richards, Investec Loyal was not going to be passed.

Much to the delight of spectators thickly lining Hobart’s Constitution Dock, the two ocean racing giants came into sight up the Derwent River, but it was Investec Loyal and her crew, including sports stars, such as Australian rugby union internationals Phil Kearns and Phil Waugh, which was first home. They arrived at 19:14:18 local time, their elapsed time for the course being 2 days 6 hours 14 minutes and 18 seconds.

“It was one of the great experiences in my life,” said Anthony Bell, Investec Loyal’s owner and skipper with a beaming smile. “The whole thing from the very start, right through to the finish line was exhilarating. It was a really tough fought out race, but the crew believed in the boat and the cause right from the start and we are so happy to have got past the finish line first.”

Michael Coxon, tactician on Investec Loyal shared his thoughts on their win: “It has a very competent professional crew and a great owner who does it all for the right reasons. It is like a fairy tale – a boat that supports charity. This boat raised Aus$ 1 million this year for charity. That is the way it should happen. I am very happy for Anthony Bell. We sail with people who have never gone sailing before and they did a really good job.”

In what was principally a tactical victory for the older Investec Loyal, Coxon paid tribute to their American navigator. “The difference is a gentleman called Stan Honey,” he said. “He is an absolute legend - just amazing. His knowledge of weather and weather routing and the information he provides to me...at the end of the day he is just so good.”

Investec Loyal – provision winner at this stage

However at present Investec Loyal’s line honours victory in the 2011 Rolex Sydney Hobart is provisional. The event’s Race Committee, led by Tim Cox, is protesting Anthony Bell’s boat over a believed infringement of Racing Rule of Sailing 41 entitled ‘Outside Help’. This involved the audio recording of a conversation that took place at 06:30 local time on 27^th December between the pilot of an ABC TV station helicopter and an Investec Loyal crewman seeking information on the sail plan in use on Wild Oats XI - in particular whether she was flying a trisail. “This is assessed to breach Rule 41 by soliciting help from an outside source,” explained Garry Linacre, Commodore of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, organiser of the Rolex Sydney Hobart.

The case is to be heard by the race’s international jury at 10:00 local time tomorrow, 29^th December.

Gracious in defeat

On board second placed Wild Oats XI, skipper Mark Richards was categorical about the outcome. “Those guys won on the water and we came second. That’s all there is to it. They did a great job those guys and they deserve the win.”

Richards added that he thought it had been a fantastic race. “We had to work our butts off until the end and we came in second. That’s the way it is. They sailed very well. We were very unlucky in a few situations, but those guys did a great job and when it came to the crunch. Their boat was little bit quicker than us downwind in the lighter air and they just managed to keep their nose in front and got to the line first.”

Next up

The next two boats expected to arrive in Hobart at around 01:00 tomorrow morning are Peter Millard and John Honan’s maxi Lahana and Stephen Ainsworth’s Reichel Pugh 63, Loki.

The race for the Tattersall’s Cup, for handicap honours under IRC, remains wide open with Michael Hiatt’s Farr 55 Living Doll ahead earlier this evening, but with Australian sailing legend, 84 year-old Syd Fischer and his modified TP52 Ragamuffin having taken the lead under IRC at the time of writing. Line Honours

Rolex Sydney Hobart News : Its Murray and Honey Neck and Neck

2011-12-27T22:33:00.000-05:00

Wild Oats XI’s position as the fastest boat in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race was being severely tested last night when at the 20:00 sched (local time, 09:00 UTC), Anthony Bell’s maxiInvestec Loyal overhauled the five time line honours winner.

Overnight the wind the leaders have seen has clocked through 360 degrees.

Crossing the Bass Strait yesterday Investec Loyal’s track south was some 20-30 miles east of Wild Oats XI’s. But early evening, when the wind backed from the southwest into the southeast, both boats tacked southwest, Loyal getting the better of the shift, aggressively bearing away towards her opponent. Making 14 knots compared to Wild Oats XI’s 9 knots, within an hour Investec Loyal had pulled ahead by 6 miles.

Overnight the lead duo in the Rolex Sydney Hobart have continued to round the northwest quadrant of an area of high pressure that, since yesterday, has been shifting east out into the Tasman Sea. With the wind continuing to back into the northeast so the duo at around 01:00 local time this morning on this occasion gybed southwest, allowing them to close on the east coast of Tasmania.

“We've got a yacht race on our hands out here!” came back the succinct report from the Wild Oats XI nav team in the early hours. “We are high speed running - more wind shifts ahead.”

However at around 07:30 local time this morning, Wild Oats XI nosed her way back into the lead.

With another light patch off the southeast coast of Tasmania, so the boats remain still quite offshore, now with the wind back in the southwest, where it was yesterday afternoon. With 72 miles to go to the finish off Hobart for Wild Oats XI at the latest sched, leading Investec Loyal by just 1.5 miles, ETAs into Hobart remain vague. The forecast is now showing the wind dying in Storm Bay and up the Derwent River leading up to Hobart – conditions which have destroyed many a winning yacht’s chances in previous years.

Under IRC handicap, the battle for the Tattersall’s Cup continues to rage, with the best hopes now back to the maxis. In particular Peter Millard’s maxi Lahana (the former Zana/Konica Minolta), holding third place on the water 62 miles astern of Wild Oats XI, is looking very strong. For at present across the race course conditions are generally light, with the exception of where Lahana,Stephen Ainsworth’s Loki and Alex Thomson’s IMOCA 60 Hugo Boss, are located off the east coast of Tasmania, where in 15-20 knot northerlies, Hugo Boss is recording the highest speed in the fleet of 17 knots.

Rolex News: Investec Loyal Gaining On Wild Oats for lead

2011-12-27T05:54:00.000-05:00

At 11:00 local (midnight UTC ), Wild Oats XI was leading the drive south in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. She was just setting out to cross Bass Strait with Anthony Bell’s Investec Loyal 11 miles astern. These two have now broken away from the fleet with Peter Millard’s Lahana third, 39 miles off the lead.

Photo By: Rolex / Daniel Forster

Further back still, Alex Thomson’s IMOCA 60 Hugo Boss is fourth on the water, doing well to fend off the advances of Stephen Ainsworth’s all conquering Reichel Pugh 63, Loki.

Yesterday evening local time, the fleet saw the wind clock around through 180 degrees as the front passed overhead, the wind kicking in with some violence from the south, putting the boats hard on the wind.

As Mike Broughton, navigator on Chris Bull’s Cookson 50 Jazz recounted: “The front passed last night with quite a punch, with pelting rain that lasted for about 40 minutes, but kept things busy for Andy Hudson and the bow team, as we quickly had to change sails.” The rapid change in wind direction, and with the wind now counter to the south-going current, has kicked up an evil sea. Broughton described this as being 3-4m high, short and confused.

In the all-important IRC handicap battle for the Tattersall’s Cup, nothing clear is transpiring yet. At the time of writing Wild Oats XI, the biggest fastest boat in the fleet, had eased ahead, but previously leading had been the 1985-built Farr 43 Wild Rose, winner of the Rolex Sydney Hobart in 1993 and skippered by race veteran Roger Hickman. The smaller Beneteaus were also performing well – in particular Darryl Hodgkinson’s much tipped Beneteau First 45 Victoire, Paul Clitheroe’s 45 Balance and Andrew Saies on his 2009 Rolex Sydney Hobart winning First 40, Two True.

At present the bulk of the fleet are still hugging the New South Wales coast where the wind is in the south and they are hard on the wind. However conditions have momentarily improved for the maxis out in Bass Strait where the wind, currently blowing 25-30 knots, has veered into the southwest allowing the boats to head south on starboard tack. But the forecast is indicating stop-start progress for the 100 footers. The wind is due to fizzle out this afternoon (local time) as a small bubble of high pressure eases east off the coast of Tasmania. But once the high gets offshore, some northerly pressure could build close in to the Tasman coast, allowing the big boats to forge south once more.

Despite a first testing night at sea, to date there have only been three retirements from 88 starters. Just before midnight local time Sam Haynes’ Rogers 46 Celestial withdrew having suffered a broken gooseneck, while Marc and Louis Ryckmans GP42 Accenture (Yeah Baby) pulled out with unspecified gear failure.

Hot off the press is that 2003 line honours winner, Grant Warrington ‘s Wild Thing is the latest retirement, having suffered sail damage. At the time of her pulling out she was holding third place on the water.

Americas Cup News : CEO ACRM Ian Murray In Sydney to Hobart Today

2011-12-25T09:21:00.000-05:00

Little has changed with regard to the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race forecast as this year’s blue water classic looks set to favour the mid-fleet for the coveted Tattersall’s Cup win.

“It doesn’t look like a big boat race to me,” saidWild Oats XI tactician, Iain Murray, of the super maxi’s handicap chances following this morning’s official race briefing.

“We’ll barrel out of Sydney and get some leverage to the east,” said Murray, referring to the nor’easterly breeze that is meant to follow the fleet for the first six to 12 hours after the 1pm start prior to the front runners striking the weak edge of a southerly change.

The Bureau of Meteorology’s regional director NSW, Rob Webb, reaffirmed the fleet will run into a forgiving southerly off the NSW south coast, but not before the wind backs off in between the two systems where “you might get more time to know each other,” he mused to competitors.

Southerly winds are expected to build into Tuesday to 20-25 knots, possibly stronger the further south the yachts travel into Bass Strait where waves from opposing directions will join together and where “you are going to have some fairly erratic sea conditions” suggested Webb this morning.

By day two, Wednesday 28 December, winds are forecast to ease as they swing left from the south east back to the north east, creating what Murray calls “sketchy” conditions off the east Tasmanian coast.

“It will come down to what happens in Bass Strait, it could turn into a big parking lot,” he warns.

While a race record is not a talking point this year, Murray affirmed today that “Wild Oats XI has never been in better shape”. The crew are estimating a race time of 2 days 4-5 hours for the 628 nautical mile sprint across the Tasman Sea.

Loki’s navigator, Michael Bellingham, is predicting the overall winner will come from the 40 to 60 foot range. At 63 feet, the Reichel Pugh design owned by Stephen Ainsworth that has won every other major trophy on the Australian east coast, bar this race, is hoping to sneak into that window of opportunity and finally claim the overall win.

“I’m buoyed by the forecast I’ve seen this morning,” said Bellingham. “Half way across [the Strait] to the finish will be interesting....”

Loki’s crew hope to be in Hobart early on the 29th December, before the light and patchy winds plague the Tassie east coast, adding an element of pot luck to the closing stages, which is where the overall win has slipped out of the hands of so many over the race’s 66 year history.

Michael Bellingham Loki's navigator at the post race briefing press conference
ROLEX/Daniel Forster

Rolex Sydney Hobart debutante, Leander Klohs, crew boss of Damien Parkes’ JV52 Duende, was in esteemed company when she sat between Hugo Boss skipper Alex Thomson and Iain Murray at this morning’s press conference. Leander is one of 77 women from 1008 crew contesting this year’s race, including three women skippers and at least nine navigators.

Santa will visit some of the international competitors at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia tomorrow. On race day, Monday 26 December, at least two crew from each of the 88 yachts rearing to go will attend the final compulsory weather briefing at 8.30am at the host club.

By Lisa Ratcliff/Rolex Sydney Hobart media

Volvo Ocean Race : Team Sanya Retire leg Two

2011-12-19T06:07:00.000-05:00

December 19, 2011 - 1000 UTC Leg 2 Day 9
TEAM SANYA LIMP TOWARDS MADAGASCAR

Leg 2

Report: 19/12/2011 10:05:02 UTC

DTL

DTLC

SNYA

0.00

0.0

10.2

PUMA

104.10

51.0

16.2

CMPR

107.20

52.0

16.4

TELE

108.80

52.0

16.7

GPMA

156.40

50.0

15.1

ADOR

203.20

43.0

13.2

In a heavy airs manoeuvre earlier this morning, the crew of Team Sanya were able to save their boat’s mast when a vigilant crewman David Rolfe/NZL noticed a vital piece of rigging (D2) had detached from the mast. The team, who were leading at the time, secured the rig and are now heading west to Madagascar where they can assess the damage.

“The weather was turning for the better and so we were happy in our decisions and general progress,” said skipper Mike Sanderson/NZL. "We had been due to tack an hour earlier in the darkness, but had delayed that given the conditions. For sure, if we had done that, the rig would have fallen over the side. As you can imagine, we are totally gutted and can’t quite believe this has happened when everything was going so well."

The team are still sailing and have not suspended racing.

Meanwhile, the remaining five boats in the Volvo Ocean Race have broken free of the trough that hampered the progress of the fleet for most of the last week and have made the turn north. Average speeds over the previous three hours have been around the 13 - 16 knot mark.

This is the first long period the fleet has had with consistent breeze. Only four nm separate PUMA (Ken Read/USA), CAMPER (Chris Nicholson/AUS) and Telefónica (Iker Martínez/ESP), who is in sight of CAMPER. A further seven miles back is Ian Walker and Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing’s Azzam, who has Groupama 4 159 nm to the east of them.

While the crew of Sanya come to terms with the damaged rig and weigh up their options, the rest of the fleet is enjoying perfect sailing today, with bright sunshine and warm water spray.

Volvo Ocean Race Update : Surge in horse power for Telefónica

2011-12-16T13:08:00.002-05:00

Telefónica trimmer Xabi Fernández was reunited with a long lost firend today as team mates passed on a special wedding anniversary present from his wife Larraitz.Fernández was thrilled to see a gift wrapped in floral paper today, marking six years of marriage to Larraitz.Fernández handed over the mainsail sheet and unwrapped the gift whilst surrounded by his crewmates hoping for chocolate or another treat and a share in the spoils.Whilst the gift was brown, it wasn’t edible, with the Olympic gold medallist unwrapping a small plastic horse.Far form being any old plastic toy, this was Doldrums, a horse given to Fernández by his son Adur during the 2008-09 race. The horse was given his name by the crew on board Telefónica Blue and took pride of place on the yacht’s cabin top.Doldrums has since become quite the globetrotting mascot, having circumnavigated the world for a second time during the Barcelona World Race last year.Somehow Doldrums was left behind by Fernández but thanks to his thoughtful wife, sailor and mascot have been re-united.“A kiss for my wife,” he said to camera on board leaders Telefónica on Friday. “It was six years ago today that we got married and she still puts up with me!”Meanwhile on board Sanya, the team were dealing with a more unwelcome surprise after a tackline that holds their code zero to the front of the boat broke overnight.The crew reported that the damage occurred in about 20 knots of wind in an unstable sea state. Fortunately they were able to salvage the sail and have since been working on repairs.The team are confident it will be ship shape in no time and they will be back to a full sail artillery soon.

VOR UPDATE::BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE

2011-12-12T06:52:00.000-05:00

December 12, 2011 -1000 UTC Leg 2 Day 2

BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE

Leg 2

Report: 12/12/2011 10:03:34 UTC

DTL

DTLC

GPMA

0.00

0.0

8.3

CMPR

0.60

1.0

8.7

PUMA

4.00

1.0

8.4

SNYA

8.50

3.0

7.2

ADOR

11.70

1.0

8.2

TELE

17.70

1.0

The opening night of Leg 2 of the Volvo Ocean Race proved to be a frustrating one for the crews with very little progress made. The fleet is firmly stuck between the rocky South African coast and two low-pressure systems, which have resulted in little or no wind at all. At one stage overnight, overall race leader Telefónica (Iker Martínez/ESP) was forced to anchor to avoid being swept backwards by the powerful current.

The weather situation continues to be very unstable and the breeze is set to become even lighter over the next 20 hours. The fleet has missed the first low-pressure system and the second low, which could produce good breeze, will not evolve fully until at least tomorrow afternoon. The painful waiting game will continue at least until then.

The fleet is currently 20 nautical miles (nm) southeast of the Cape of Good Hope and Ian Walker/GBR, skipper of Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing’s Azzam says he spent about 10 hours bobbing up and down looking at the notorious Cape of Good Hope overnight.

“Our main concern has been to not get swept up onto the rocks in the swell as we sit here in no wind,” Ian Walker wrote early this morning. “It has been a very real concern, as we have been unable to sail on port tack away from the shore as this puts us directly bow on to the waves and we get pushed backwards,” he explained.
The leading pair, Groupama 4 (Franck Cammas/FRA) and CAMPER (Chris Nicholson/AUS) now have approximately 12 knots of wind, while the remaining four have less than 10 knots. The fleet is split 17nm first to last.

Decisions will need to be made tomorrow whether to go south and seek the new low forming to the southwest, if there is enough wind to do so, or go east in the hope of meeting another low forming to the northeast. Either option carries a risk and there is no clear strategy as yet.

As Will Oxley, navigator of CAMPER said this morning, “With the wind like it is right now, we might be having Christmas in Africa yet.”

Americas Cup News : Breakfast with With a Legend on The Menu.

2011-12-10T21:05:00.001-05:00

Breakfast with With a Legend on The Menu.

Finally a morning in San Diego I'm not running to catch the hotel shuttle to Broadway pier this by now had become a morning race of my own. To beat the tourist in my hotel to the free continental breakfast down stairs..

No this morning was to be special and laid back, to enjoy a part of Americas Cup history and get some photos of a American Iconic place the San Diego Yacht Club . located on the far side of the Bay far away from all the media And fan fare downtown on Broadway pier and the Americas Cup Villages .

My host is famed Louis Vuitton photographer and Americas Cup . Bob Gieser .I had the meet Bob in Dubai
at the Last Vuitton almost exactly a year to the day he was picking me up to enjoy a Breakfast and local color .
Bob had an assignment that morning covering a Americas Cup Breakfast being held in the Malin Burham Sailing center a intricate part of the sailing at the Club . Vips were to attend .A breakfast with the Auld Mug up close and personal . Quite an honor.

Bob calls these waters home And arrived right on time to grab me up at my hotel in Americas Cup Harbor, And away we went to the club which was really in walking distance. The Club secure we whisked right threw the gate and parked and made our way into the Club .
Right away your meet with Trophy walls Trophy walls everywhere . We made our way to Burgee room in the Main club this where the coffee club meets and greets every morning , Donation a buck and your drinking Sailors coffee and trowing the bull its now 7:30am there's all the talk of the current cup going on .. There is a nickname for I will share latter that I learned from this story's surprise guest .

The main hall way is lined with past commander's and endless trophy display that leads to the wrap around Porches that bask you in SC sun and sit amounts to a huge marina this is Americas Cup land this is Americas Cup Harbor, This is Mr Americas Cups Club .

The Club was home to cup after Dennis Conner and Star and Stripes crew, the first Man to lose and then bring it back to the US Sailed his Challenge for this Club and returned it here and not to The New York Yacht Club were it had been stored and defended for over 120 years . Bolted to a table in the bar in The Manhattan Club house.

We are early this gives me time to wonder as we wait for the full breackfast buffett to open you can also order off the menu .Growing up in the East Coast Yacht Club Circles and Managing the second oldest inland club in my younger years . The Lake Hopatcong Yacht Club . This is defiantly a west coast club open aired almost Spa like resort . As I walked around after filling my self with sausage eggs bacon potatoes toast you name it . I could only wonder and look back to when these grounds hosted the Challenger's. from all over the world and how my have its changed the Cup that is , Every moment wondering if the infamous Mr Americas was at foot . Surprisingly being in this town where there eveidence of him everywhere the repilia America Sailing in the Harbor . To the Two Iacc class Stars and Stirpes boats . But still in village and all the partys and press conferences no Dennis , No Interviews or Vip experiences Were is Mr Americas Cup ?.

Early in the month Dennis was seen he was inducted into the Us Sailing hall of fame with his piors Ted Turner Bill Koch and a present Cup team Ceo Paul Cayard .Something I still will never understand is why theses events weren't held at the same time . The ceremony was held here .

The Marlin Burham Sailing center,was a direct result of the Americas Cup in a way . and related buildings is named for the club member long active in yachting as well as real estate locally who donated to the project. Burham was head of Sail Americas when it defended Against NZL .

The Malin Burnham Sailing Center is the showpiece of several renovation improvements made to the San Diego Yacht Club facilities in 2010. The 6,900-square-foot center is home to the junior sailing and high school-aged sailing teams and features club memorabilia that celebrates its 125-year history. The new building, outfitted in wood, glass, and Ronstan steel, offers an ideal blend of tradition and modernity to the club’s facilities.

Just about now my attention turns back to the Cups Arriving before the Vip guests , The Cup is at all time under Guard when not locked in A vault of unknown. location . It travels first Class It travel in its own seat . And it travels with at Least Two Body Guards and has something else a Cup Mother who makes sure its baby the cup is where it should be at all times and on time and well feed , Only kidding , Ive meet her I dont think Im allowed to tell her name for security reason But shes a great Gal.The Cup also has so much as a Cup father as well That would be Tom Ehman

Tom is vice commander of the Golden Gate Yacht club and cup relations at Oracle. He Knows just about ever thing there is to know of Auld Mug And is Crossing the Oceans Showing it a Clubs around the world .From my vantage point on the top deck just after summonsing the elevator for the two Cup escorts . And taking this picture, My attention is taken back toward the main Clubs deck . There a shadowy figure in the sun I cant make and a camera crew that seems to have come from nowhere . I leave to investigate

Could it be as I grow closer could this be my luck ?
My god it is Its Dennis Conner I pinch my self .
A breakfast has turned into a Memorable moment in Time . Its 8:00am now Sun bright warm well feed had cup alone to take pictures and now this wow ,

Shirley Robertson of CNN fame and Main Sail is here to interview Dennis , .What a morning two giants in sailing on the same deck at the famous club and with the Cup Just feet away . This is a dream .

Shirley Ann Robertson OBE made it in the history books by becoming the first British woman to win two Olympic Gold Medals at consecutive games, Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004.A sailing star in her own light . Shirley comes over ask me to take a natural picture of her at work Im honored and take the above the sun was blocking her the other way to low in the sky .

This isnt the first time i meet deenis but has been Twent some years he visited the Yacht El Zorro in St Thomas I was Captain of of the Time in between Lossing the Cup and planning a New syndicate to reclain it . The Glory days you might say . He tells me I look familiar I laugh and explain . He says replys well those were some trying times for sure, I cant help but wonder where hes been threw all this , The cup coming Back the 33 rd race , Im not here too interview him hes at his club to see shirley and realx if thats possible .

I remark how Ive been to three of the events this being my third . A short update . He replys well what you think of the Larry Ellison show . I give him a basic update of happenings of the first two and that I had been Lucky enough to ride with James Spithill in Plymouth . On Super Sunday .
Dennis then Ask how was that I said tell you Dennis the only word I can describe it is Power Power power power.. Im now talking two great sailing legends on the deck San Diego yacht club like were all old buddies . Trying not to let the media aspect of why im here show threw. Im really more interested in just shooting the yardarm with them both way away from the lights and attention of downtown ,

I remarked I had been out on America Replica the night before for a Media meet and greet and amazed how easy she was to handle under sail . At this point I belive Shirley asked what had become of the Catamaran Stars And Stripes . He looked a bit unsettled about it and told us he had heard i was sold and wound up in someones Garage . or Building and That in an insuring divorce Thought he heard a story that it was lost to a fire in the Squabble , Painfully a subject that he looked troubled about .

Our attention then went back to the Current cup dennis asked me what my Blog was I told him Isail first and before i could tell him about ACworld series Blog he remarked he has read my story asking where Mr Americas Cup Was The Title . I was blown away .

Dennis remarked this on The Current Americas Cup . Its Larry Ellison show now . I wish him well he earned that right . Whether I agree with the move away from the IACC class Or mono hulls well that another , Im a old school Match racer always will be like alot involved in the Cup like my good friend Bruno Trouble we both will miss those glory days of past. But its alll new now and no room for us old 12 meter guys . Its Larrys Turn now lets hope his investment pays off , He really needs to defend it successfully . I can only wish him the best . Been there done that.

And as fast as the chance meeting had come it was over well folks thanks he adds and shakes my hand , Says he belives hes A guest of Team New Zealand for the days Racing and walks a solom figurie into his Club he loves so and help bring to today's glory .

Shirley later remarked what a great guy its really a shame they aren't involing him more in the cups defense . May be more when we get closer to San Francisco we can only hope so . We both agree.
Shirleys Interview will air near Christmas on The Americas Cup Undercovered Episodes . You can Watch on You Tube here .

Americas Cup You Tube Channel . Watch Here

This day I can only remeber or even come close to the day Great
Dale Earnhardt Invited me into his hauler for an interview .

Or the day I rode with James Spithill on Oracle 4 in Plymouth Or the day I bought my special addition Star and stripes Hobie cat

All moments That I remembered one thing the day Dennis won the Cup Back . , I still have my Nautica Stars and stripes Jacket in closet , The boat under my house .

A morning of legends in deed .
9:30an now
Ok time to return to the show, First our press briefing and then to my post as a Americas Cup Villiage greeter. for the event before the Races start and we head out on the photo boats . This event I opted to volunteer some my time we have alot hours here and Ive been to three events so far. I can help with directions and event Queries at the main gate and we also explained to the public About the AC Heathy Oceans project , To engage the public to share awareness . Our day wont end till around 9:00pm . Well worth the work well worth travel Well worth my dream . Breakfast with Lengends on the Menu indeed.

Photos By John Mangino III @isailmedia,com

Puma remasted Today ready to charge on .

2011-12-08T13:37:00.001-05:00

Puma racing is back in the game after surviving a remasting in open seaa a precariuos refuelings and shipping conatiner ship ride sees ready to go watch video below .

Artemis Offshore Academy Selection Trials

2011-12-08T12:57:00.001-05:00

Uploaded by ArtemisOceanRacing09 on Dec 7, 2011

http://http://www.artemisoffshoreacademy.com Watch the Channel 4 programme about the Artemis Offshore Academy Selection Trials. The programme takes you behind the scenes at the Trials and meets the sixteen hopefuls hoping to join the Development Squad and follow in the footsteps of Britain's offshore solo sailing legends like Sir Robin Knox Johnston, Dame Ellen MacArthur and Dee Caffari.

Audi Med Cup News:Audi Med Cup In Trouble . UK Telegraph.

2011-12-07T13:42:00.001-05:00

Audi Med Cup In Trouble . UK Telegraph.

By Kate Laven

5:59PM GMT 07 Dec 2011

World Sports Management announced that the prestigious MedCup, which has grown into the premier yacht racing circuit for monohulls in the world since it was launched in 2005, would be suspended in 2012 due to the severe effects of the global economic meltdown.

They cited insufficient entries and a lack of financial resources among the local authorities in Spain, Portugal, Italy and France who host the events as the factors that created difficulties in their contractual negotiations with German automotive firm Audi who have been sponsors since 2008.

"Together with the abovementioned factors, a decrease in the support needed from Audi AG, which has been the circuitﾒs title sponsor, has led WSM to terminate, early and peacefully, the sponsorship deal linking both companies," WSM said in a statement.

The announcement came as little surprise to owners and competitors who were aware of the tensions between sponsors and organisers. Other factors also contributed to the strains including demands from Audi to expand the programme from the Mediterranean to the Baltic to focus more on their home market.

The conflicting needs of owners who campaign their boats privately such as Britain's Niklas Zennstrom's Ran and those of corporate sponsors like the 2011 winners Quantum also created problems for both organisers and sponsors since private owners want only to go racing and have little interest in complying with sponsor's media and corporate demands.

Zennstrom, the founder of Skype who joined the circuit with a brand new TP52 in 2011 said he was saddened by the news.

"The MedCup race format and management under WSM has been second to none so it's sad to see that Audi as a title sponsor and WSM have not been able to come to an agreement," he said.

"Also Audi has been such a committed sponsor. However, the owners are getting together ASAP to work out what the right racing format should be for next year."

Zennstrom added he was hopeful the owners would be able to agree a scaled down version of the TP52 programme for 2012 with one stand alone event each month hosted by a yacht club.

"I am pretty confident the class will be racing next year in one form or another," he said.

2011-11-30T16:42:00.001-05:00

US Sailing Announces Multihull Qualifier for 2012 Youth Worlds Team

Portsmouth, R.I. (November 16, 2011) – With the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil only four years away, now is the time for youth sailors to consider a campaign in a high-performance multihull. Although the boat has not yet been selected, US Sailing’s Olympic Sailing Program has already begun development of this discipline in the U.S. through its US Sailing Development Team (USSDT). The 2012 USSDT includes the 2012 Youth Worlds Team, and selection for the multihull representatives will take place at the 2012 Tradewinds Regatta, scheduled for January 13-15, 2012 in Key Largo, Fla. The regatta will utilize the F16 multihull for youth sailors. The Notice of Race and registration information is posted:http://www.catsailor.com/Tradewinds/TradewindsISAF_NORs2012.html.

“Youth development in Olympic classes and potential classes is the foundation of the Olympic Sailing Committee’s mission to win medals at Olympic Games,” said US Sailing’s High Performance Director/Head Coach Kenneth Andreasen (Tampa, Fla.). “Bringing the multihull back into the 2016 Games opens up a lot of opportunities for youth sailors, and we want to make sure any sailor who is interested in a serious Olympic campaign gets the on our radar for coaching and training.”

In addition, the top open team, who meets all the eligibility requirements (age and nationality), will be entitled to represent the United States at the 42nd ISAF World Championship 2012 to be held in Dun Laoghaire, Ireland. The top two eligible mixed (male and female) teams will qualify for the 2012 US Sailing Development Team.
Multihull training camps are planned for 2012 to help guide interested sailors. Please contact development@ussailing.org for more information.

Athletes will be selected for the Youth Development Team in the following classes: Radial girls, Radial boys, 29er, I420 girls, I420 boys, Techno 293 girls and Techno 293 boy at the U.S. ISAF Youth Worlds Qualifier, scheduled for January 14-16, 2012 at Alamitos Bay Yacht Club, in Long Beach, Calif. The Notice of Race: http://www.abyc.org/upload/2012_ISAF_Youth_World_Qualifier_NOR.pdf

About the US Sailing Development TeamCreated in 2008, the US Sailing Development Team (USSDT) is qualified for annually, and supported and administered exclusively by the US Olympic Sailing Committee (OSC) of US SAILING. The team has two groups: the Olympic Development Team (ODT), focused on performance in Olympic Class equipment; and the Youth Development Team (YDT), focused on performance in the equipment used in the ISAF Youth World Championship. The OSC’s mission for the USSDT is to develop sailors for Olympic-caliber competition and to prepare them for qualification to the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics (USSTAG) and the Olympic Sailing Team. In 2011, the US Sailing Development Team won three silver medals at the ISAF Youth Worlds, and three bronze medals in 2010, the Team’s best performance in 18 years.

About US SailingThe United States Sailing Association (US Sailing), the national governing body for sailing, provides leadership, integrity, and growth for the sport in the United States. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, US Sailing is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. US SAILING offers training and education programs for instructors and race officials, supports a wide range of sailing organizations and communities, issues offshore rating certificates, and provides administration and oversight of competitive sailing across the country, including National Championships and the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics. For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org

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Contact: Dana Paxton, US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics, danapaxton@ussailing.org, 401-369-0490

iSAIL

Man | Wave |Board |Man

Sailing Anarchy Interview New Stability Measurement numbers for Mackinac

Carlo Borlenghi vists the Costa Concordia Pictorial

Rolex Miami OCR 2012 :Racing Update Latest photos

Volvo Ocean Race : Update .

January 24, 2012 - 1430 UTC Leg 3 Stage 2 Day 3

TEAMS SWEAT OVER DETAILS WITH BIG GAINS TO COME

MOD70:News Mod 70 takes on Europe!

Volvo Ocean Race News ETNZ Camper Blog update

Volvo Ocean Race 2011-2012 | Leg 3 Stage 2 start: onwards to Sanya

As racing gets underway from the Maldives to the Chinese city of Sanya on Leg 3 Stage 2, we bring you dispatches from our on-the-water reporters.

Volvo Ocean Race News:Fleet Complete again .

January 21, 2012 - 1215 UTC

FULL FLEET READY TO RESUME RACE TO SANYA

TP52 Class Announces 2012 Racing Circuit

Quantum Key West Regatta: Racing resumed Today

Quantum Key West 2012: Day one Coverage

Sunny Skies and Strong Breezes for Quantum Key West 2012

Bens Ainslie Racing Launched today in London

Volvo Ocean Race : Franck Cammas’ Takes Sprnt into Abu Dhabi

Volvo Ocean News : Camper shares there year in Video

Rolex Sydney Hobart Race: Wild Rose posed for win

Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race News Loyal Upheld

Sydney-Hobert race win in doubt Official ABC Repot

Sydney-Hobart race win in doubt

Rolex Sydney To Hobart News: Ivestec Loyal @2 days 6hrs And !4 minutes

Rolex Sydney Hobart News : Its Murray and Honey Neck and Neck

Rolex News: Investec Loyal Gaining On Wild Oats for lead

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Volvo Ocean Race : Team Sanya Retire leg Two

December 19, 2011 - 1000 UTC Leg 2 Day 9

TEAM SANYA LIMP TOWARDS MADAGASCAR

Volvo Ocean Race Update : Surge in horse power for Telefónica

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December 12, 2011 -1000 UTC Leg 2 Day 2

BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE

Americas Cup News : Breakfast with With a Legend on The Menu.

Puma remasted Today ready to charge on .

Artemis Offshore Academy Selection Trials

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