Boating News!

	Boating News!

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 21:25:43 -0700

--b1_54145cb213e594fcd33a79e21ee10718

SCUTTLEBUTT EUROPE #1491 - 21 APRIL

Brought to you by boats.com Europe ( http://www.boats.com ) and Yachtworld.com Europe ( http://www.yachtworld.com ) Scuttlebutt Europe is a digest of sailing news and opinions, regatta results, new boat and gear information and letters from sailors -- with a European emphasis. Contributions welcome, send to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

TRANSAT AG2R START At 2 PM local time, the 26 doublehanded teams in this ninth edition of the Transat AG2R set sail for the West Indies in their Figaro Beneteau II's. Thomas Rouxel and Erwan Israel aboard Defi Mousquetaires got the best start but had a collision with KPMG at the release buoy, doing damage to both boats. Defi Mousquetaires fell to 20th place but within 3 hours had clawed their way back to 8th place.

The weather promises to be difficult across the Bay of Biscay as well as the passage of Cap Finisterre. The Figaro fleet will have to pass through the cneter of a depression at least through the beginning of their course, but conditions will worsen as winds build from the northwest and west. Along the coast of Portugal winds of 35 knots from the southwest are expected.

* Team Pindar's Open 60 Boat Captain, Nick 'Nobi' Black, has received a last-minute call to take part in the double-handed Transat AG2R race with Liz Wardley aboard Sojasun. He is one of just two British entrants in the race that sets off tomorrow from Corncarneau in France to St Barts in the Caribbean.

The pair, both aged 28, join together for the Figaro race after Wardley's former co-skipper Francois Gabart dropped out earlier in the week.

The call came as Team Pindar was deciding to withdraw Brian Thompson's Open 60 entry from The Artemis Transat, which Nick has been working on in Gosport. Speaking from Corncarneau, he commented "Naturally I'm still gutted for Brian and all the team that The Open 60 won't be competing in the Artemis Transat and so to receive the call from Liz was a huge boost. It was a split second decision but it seemed like an amazing opportunity and I'm very grateful to both Brian and Andrew (Pindar) for giving me the nod."

Nick continued "The boat has been prepared brilliantly by Erwan Lebec and we've spent today checking our food supplies and working out our watch systems."

Top ten at 1600 UTC 20 April:

1. Suzuki Automobiles - Thierry Cabagny / Corentin Douguet, 3694.7 nm to finish 2. Les Mousquetaires - Bertrand de Broc / Gwen Riou .2 nm to leader 3. Banque Populaire - Jenanne Gregoire / Nicolas Lunvan, .3 4. Cercle Vert - Gildas Morvan / Jean Le Cam, .4 5. Financo - Nicolas Troussel / Christopher Pratt, .4 6. Lenzele - Franck Gal / Erwan Le Roux, .5 7. Sopra Group - Antoine Koch / Gregory Gendron, .5 8. Defi Mousquetaires - Thomas Rouxel / Erwan Israel, .5 9. Concarneau St. Barth - Eric Person / Miguel Danet, .6 10. Athema - Erwan Tabarly / Vincent Biarnes, .7

http://www.transat-ag2r.com

ROUGH FIRST DAY AT HYERES The 40th edition of the SOF in Hyeres started with gruelling conditions which tested the sailor's fitness and equipment! The Easterly wind reinforced until mid-afternoon up to 25 knots with deep short waves.

Strong winds and choppy waves provided hard sailing conditions for the 49ers sailors split in two fleets. Danish Olympic representatives Jonas Warrer and Martin Kirketerp have mastered the tough conditions to lead the Yellow 49er group after consistently racing to fourth and fifth positions. World #3 team Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes damaged their boat after capsizing. The Brits who had won the race 1 were among 7 boats who failed to finish the second race.

Only seven boats managed to finish the sole race in the 49er Blue Group won by Marcin Czajkowski and Krysztof Kierkowski (POL). This result will not be included in the overall classification until both groups sail an even number of races.

The Finns enjoyed the gruelling conditions with wind reaching 27 knots in their racing area. Pieter–Jan Postma (NED) proved again he likes the breeze. The Dutch who had won the two final fleet races last year in similar conditions won the first race with a huge lead and was among the leading group in the second when a starboard incident forced him to do a 720. Postma recovered from 35th to seventh to place in fourth overall.

Faithful to their fame, Dutch teams excelled in the breeze in the Tornado and 470 women fleets. Mitch Booth and Pim Nieuwenhuis took the first bullet in the Tornado opening race and placed 5th in the second.

Triple World champions, Marcelien de Koning and Lobke Berkhout (NED) placed twice second to lead the 470 women fleet.

The RS:X favourites didn't perform in the breeze, a sign they could have already set their mind and preparations on China light air.

The conditions for the Paralympics classes were on the upper limit. One of the German crew went overboard during the race but was quickly rescued by French coach. -- Corinne McKenzie

Top three by class:

Finn 1. Christopher Cook, CAN, 5 points 2. Jonas Hogh Christ, DEN, 7 3. Dan Slater, NZL, 7 points

Laser Standard 1. Deniss Karpak, EST, 2 2. Nick Thompson, GBR, 4 3. Michael Leigh, CAN, 5

RS:X Men 1. Toni Wilhelm, GER, 3 2. Casper Bouman, NED, 3 3. Julien Bontemps, FRA, 4

RS:X Women 1. Zofia Klepacka, POL, 2 2. Blanca Mari Manchon, ESP, 8 3. Flavia Tartaglini, ITA, 12

Sonar 1. John Robertson, GBR, 1 2. Bruno Jourdren, ENV, 2 3. Jostein Stordahl, NOR, 3

Tornado 1. Mitch Booth / Pim Nieuwenhuis , NED, 6 2. Carolijn Brouwer / Sebastien Godefroid , BEL, 6 3. Fernando Echavarri / Anton Paz , ESP, 6

Yngling 1. Ulrike Schu Schuemann, GER, 3 2. Sarah Ayton, GBR, 4 3. Silja Sofia Lehtinen, FIN, 6

2.4 1. Damien Seguin, FRA, 1 2. Thierry Schmitter, NED, 2 3. Helena Lucas, GBR, 3

470 Men 1. Alvaro Marinho / Miguel Nunes, POR, 3 2. Nick Rogers / Joe Glanfield, GBR, 3 3. Sven Coster / Kalle Coster, NED, 4

470 Women 1. Marcelien de Koning / Lobke Berkhout, NED, 4 2. Ingrid Petitjean / Nadege Douroux, FRA, 6 3. Yineng Huang / Yinjuan Shen, CHN, 11

Laser Radial 1. Evi Van Acker, BEL, 4 2. Lijia Xu, CHN, 7 3. Nathalie Brugger, 8

49er . No overall results, the groups have sailed a different number of races.

http://sof.ffvoile.net

MASCALZONE LATINO MAKES IT THREE WORLD TITLES IN A ROW Miami Beach, Florida, USA: Vincenzo Onorato and his Mascalzone Latino are the 2008 Rolex Farr 40 World Champions, achieving a first in the sailing world - three back-to-back victories in this ultra-competitive one design class.

"As I told my crew before the start, it is quite impossible to do," said Onorato of winning again. "But we did it, thank God. It was a tough week." What makes this accomplishment even more remarkable is that Onorato had not one, but two substitutes for regular tactician Adrian Stead in Morgan Larson and John Kostecki.

Arriving on the dock the moment Mascalzone departed for the first race of the 10-race series, Morgan Larson assisted in the team's 3-12-1 results that put them into first overall. When Kostecki joined the team the next day, he admitted there was considerable pressure maintaining the standard set before him.

"In such a situation we lost Adrian Stead for a good reason," said Onorato of Stead who rushed home the day before the regatta for the birth of his first child. Kostecki continued the winning form and helped keep the team at the top of the standings each day, posting all top 10 scores except for a 14th in his first race as tactician.

After a tense hearing, the jury decided unanimously to disqualify Joe Fly from race #9 putting Onorato's team in first place.

Final Results - Top 10 of 33

1. Mascalzone, ITA, Vincenzo Onorato, 63 points 2. Joe Fly, ITA, Giovanni Maspero, 87 3. Mean Machine, MON, Peter de Ridder, 102 4. Nanoq, DEN, HRH Crown Prince Frederik, 114 5. Calvi Network, ITA, Carlo Alberni, 120 6. Alinghi, SUI, Ernesto Bertarelli, 121 7. Ramrod, USA, Rodrick Jabin, 122 8. Barking Mad, USA, Jim Richardson, 126 9. Opus One, GER, Wolfgang Stolz, 131 10. Nerone, ITA, Massimo Mezzaroma/ Antonio Sodo Migliori,140

http://www.farr40worlds.com

* Editor: Once again this year, Bertarelli and his Alinghi team didn't bother showing up for the awards ceremony (save their boat manager). They displayed the same level of sportsmanship last year when they finished second and didn't show up. File this in the expanding Alinghi WTF file. Maspero's Joe Fly team didn't show up either.

GGYC ON ALINGHI'S DECISION TO APPEAL Posted on the Golden Gate YC site:

Why has the defender appealed? Lucien Masmejan, Societe Nautique de Geneve (SNG)'s lead counsel, says they have appealed in order to "fast track the legal process." He claims there is still no certainty as to a ruling on the dates. He also claims that the Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) challenge is ambiguous and that, in contravention of the Deed of Gift, the GGYC is now tactically withholding vital technical information.

Our view is that this defender simply does not want to sail in any race that is not set up entirely on its own terms. These claims are just excuses to keep stalling. We expect Justice Cahn to make a ruling on the date for the next event any day. If the needs were for clarity and progress then surely it made sense to wait and see what the judge says. We are looking forward to seeing Justice Cahn's decision as a sure way of moving the event forward. We are also very pleased that the Court rejected an SNG/Alinghi bid for an interim stay of Justice Cahn's order declaring GGYC the valid challenger.

The defender's claims about now needing more "vital information" are simply false and silly. They made the same claims when they unsuccessfully tried to reargue the case. They were dismissed by the court who upheld our view that we have supplied all the information required under the Deed.

This decision to go to the appellate court also contradicts previous and repeated assurances given by senior Alinghi team members and lawyers to the sailing community that they would not appeal.

What about Alinghi's claim that they won't be ready for a match in 2008 and that it is unfair to expect them to sail then?

The rules for all contestants are clear. Both teams have had the same time to get ready. At first, Alinghi falsely claimed there had been a "tolling" agreement for the event to be held in 2009. They were unable to support this in court and have since dropped this claim. Back in December Ernesto Bertarelli said Alinghi was committing "200%" to a race in 2008.

In every America's Cup, the decision on when to start building your boat is a crucial tactical call. How they have chosen to play this has been a decision for Alinghi.

But the requirements of the Deed are clear and both teams have had exactly the same circumstances to contend with and time to prepare. Our priority is to keep moving forward.

Does this appeal mean we go right back to the beginning of the whole process?

No. We are confident the court's decisions will be affirmed. Alinghi has had two chances to make their case and been rejected by the courts both times. We believe the court will require them to defend the Cup as set out in the Deed of Gift.

How long will the appeal process take?

An appeal has been set for June. We would expect a decision not long after that. But the important thing is that the timing for the match will not be affected by this appeal process.

Do you still expect to race in October 2008?

Yes. We remain confident our position is right and that the courts will confirm this.

http://www.ggyc.com

TWO BRITISH TEAMS WITHDRAW FROM ARTEMIS TRANSAT Team Pindar today announced its withdrawal from the Artemis Transat, which begins in Plymouth on May 11. Skippered by leading British yachtsman, Brian Thompson, the team's preparations have been severely hampered following delays in the design and build of the new mast.

Based in Gosport, the team has been working around the clock to get the Juan Kouyoumdjian designed, Open 60 ready in time. With the mast installation set back until next week, it leaves only a matter of days for Thompson to undertake the 1,000-mile qualifier and make it to Plymouth for the race start.

Over the next few weeks the team will take time to re-evaluate all aspects of the sailing programme before committing fully to the Vendee Globe. Andrew Pindar continued "The Artemis Transat was set to be a great opportunity for us to showcase the boat, however we've always been transparent about the need to secure additional funding to participate in the Vendee Globe. With this latest setback to the campaign, we are keeping all our options open. "

As yet, the boat remains unproven in competition since it was launched in July last year. Despite a dismasting during Cowes Week and again ahead of the start of the Transat Jacques Vabre, the team remain confident about its race-winning potential.

Skipper Brian Thompson commented: "She's an unbelievable boat and we are all still very excited about seeing what she is capable of. I believe we would have stood a terrific chance of winning the Artemis Transat but for now, the focus is on getting her back in the water and securing sponsorship for the big one (Vendee Globe)."

The new Open 60, which incorporates the highest power-to-weight ratio and the largest maximum sail area of the Open 60 fleet, has undergone a major refit. This includes a modified single-handed style cabin top and the removal of the hydraulics on the mast to simplify it for one person. ISAF World Sailor of the Year and Volvo Ocean Race winner, Mike Sanderson commissioned the build in conjunction with Juan Kouyoumdjian whose latest generation Volvo 70s have proven to be some of the fastest monohulls on the planet. * Mike Golding, the UK's most experienced single handed sailor, will not be racing The Artemis Transat, a race from Plymouth to Boston that is to start on the 11th May 2008.

ECOVER 3's replacement carbon keel blade will not be ready sufficiently early to safely allow the team to compete in this tough transatlantic event without compromising the campaign's goals. This is in spite of a huge effort made by JMV Industries (the keel builder) and HDS (the keel designer). Mike Golding commented: "Everyone has done everything possible to make this schedule, we even initiated the design of this new keel several weeks before it was confirmed that ECOVER 3's original steel keel blade was both unsafe and un-repairable. We always knew that our back was against the wall and, whilst our withdrawal from The Artemis Transat is disappointing it is not entirely unexpected. Everyone involved in the work on this keel has done everything possible to make it happen for us in time but we just cannot make the ends meet - we must accept it and move on."

The double IMOCA world champion continues to focus his attention on the Vendee Globe

Golding's ECOVER 3 was in refit in Palma at the beginning of the year and is now at JMV industries in Cherbourg. The revised schedule will see the yacht launched for sailing trials in mid May.

RCIYC LMA SPRING REGATTA The ever-popular Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club's annual Spring Regatta, sponsored for the second year running by the Laryngeal Mask Company, takes place in St Aubin's Bay, Jersey, over the weekend of 26th and 27th April.

Light airs and blazing sunshine were key features of the event last year, in distinct contrast to the strong cold easterlies that the Island has been experiencing over the past week. The long-range forecast is currently showing light southerlies for the Regatta weekend with a welcome increase in temperature.

Racing will get under way at 0900 hours on both days and the event, open to all-comers, will conclude with a prize-giving and supper in the RCIYC on the Sunday evening.

The comprehensive Regatta programme provides competitive racing for IRC and club handicap cruiser/racers, traditional dayboats, sport catamarans and dinghies. This year will see the IRC-rated boats racing in two distinct classes.

The Notice of Race is available from the Island's yacht clubs and the club's website http://www.rciyc.org . Entries should be returned to the RCIYC no later than 1900 hours on Wednesday 23rd April.

TWELVES AND EIGHTEENS Next weekend sees the 12ft Skiffs and the 18ft Skiffs descend on Leicestershire, for the first round of this year's Bartercard Skiff series, which take place on the 26th & 27th April at Rutland Water.

For the 12ft Skiffs, this will be first event in this year's Bartercard Cup, a prestigious trophy presented to the overall series points winner. In a similar way to Formula 1, 6 points are given to the winning boat, with 2nd place getting 5 points, third getting 4, and so on.

With the recent addition of 3 more 12ft Skiffs from New Zealand, this event will see similar-sized fleets from both classes, making for quite a spectacle.

Brian Whitford from Bartercard said "we're really pleased to see the 18ft Skiffs get involved in our race series this year alongside the 12ft Skiffs, and are keen to work with both classes to build a series that's recognised throughout the world as being at the pinnacle of the sport of dinghy sailing, involving some of the country's top sailors in the most exciting and extreme craft in the world".