Tom Gillard and Andy Thompson are 2022 Fireball Gul UK National and Open Champions…
Monthly archives for June, 2022
Dart 18 TT2 and SW Championship at Parkstone
Thanks to Parkstone for pulling out the stops and putting on a very good event. Great to see the new club house in full use and a bit of a privilege to be the first Open Event at the club after a two year covid break…
Clipper Race Le Mans Race 12 Start
The next stage of the Clipper Race got under way at midday local time (1700 UTC) today, after an offshore Le Mans Start. The second part of Leg 7: The USA Coast-to-Coast is aptly named Race 12: Go To Bermuda…
Catapults at Yorkshire Dales
The Catapult fleet made its annual visit to Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club over the weekend of 28-29 May 2022. This year the club had kindly offered to host a joint open meeting with the Vortex fleet…
RS Elite Southerns – Final race decides 2022 champion
The RS Elite Southern Area Championship was won by Tom Hewitson sailing with Colin Smith and Jo Hewitson…
2022 TF35 Mies event overall
Ernesto Bertarelli’s Alinghi Red Bull Racing triumphed at the end of a thrilling final day of the TF35 Mies Grand Prix, which came down to a match racing battle with closest rivals Realteam for Léman hope over the last three races of the series…
floating wind
At the end of last week, China deployed its largest floating wind turbine as part of a project designed to advance the technology and demonstrate the capabilities of floating wind power generation. According to the reports from CSSC and state media, the giant construction was uniquely designed for deep-sea and challenging conditions, including the ability to withstand a once in a 100-years typhoon.
Known as Fuyao, the floating platform was towed from Maoming in southern China into a position more than seven miles offshore in the South China Sea. The location was chosen for the demonstration because of a complex seabed and water depths that range between 170 feet and 225 feet. In that location, it will also be subjected to strong currents and the area is prone to typhoons. Read on.
Jamie Mears, 18 footers lose a champion
The 18 footers class lost one of its champion sailors last month when UK and European champion Jamie Mears lost his life following a tragic mountain bike accident in Italy…
FlyingNikka official launch in Punta Ala
A rapid sequence of emotions. This is the best definition of the official launch of FlyingNikka that took place today in Punta Ala…
5 Golds at World Cup Amsterdam
Amsterdam, The Netherlands (June 4, 2022) – The five Olympic boat classes contested their medal races, the 10-boat, double-points decider that often shakes up the podium on the final day of competition. While the 49er gold had already been secured a day early, the other four events were still up for grabs. There was even some pre-start dueling in the ILCA 6 fleet with Greece pulling out all the stops to defend gold from the reigning world champion from Belgium.
ILCA 6
Vasileia Karachaliou (GRE) left nothing to chance in her bid to retain the yellow jersey. She engaged her rival Emma Plasschaert (BEL) in an aggressive match race before the start. But then an individual recall flag went up on the race committee boat. Someone was over the line, but who? Not prepared to take the risk of a non-finish, Karachaliou turned back, followed swiftly by Plasschaert. This played perfectly into the hands of Greece, who maintained control of Belgium all the way around the race course, the two gold-medal contenders sitting in 9th and 10th for most of the two laps.
Meanwhile a battle was raging between Mara Stransky (AUS) and Anna Munch (DEN) for the final podium place. At one point Stransky even climbed into silver medal position ahead of Plasschaert. But down the final run it was Munch who screamed into podium contention after finding an extra burst of surfing speed to claim the bronze medal for Denmark. Silver to Plasschaert and gold to Karachaliou, and a mutual congratulations between the two leading contenders despite the aggression and intensity of the duel.
“It was nothing personal,” smiled Karachaliou. “I could have gone out to just sail a good race, but this was an opportunity to practice a different kind of medal race, one that we might have to face at the Olympics. I’m happy with how the race went, although going back at the start was not in my plans! But to win a World Cup gold medal, it means a lot.”
Nacra 17
Laila van der Meer and Bjarne Bouwer (NED) won the pin end of the line, enabling the Dutch to put their bows down and launch their foiling catamaran hard into the left-hand corner of the course. Joao Siemsen and Marina Arndt (BRA) took the silver, while two Austrian teams were tied for points. For finishing ahead of their teammates in the medal race, Laura Farese and Matthäus Zöchling (AUT) secured the final podium place in front of Lukas Haberl and Tanja Frank (AUT) who had led the regatta earlier in the week.
470 MIXED
Going into the medal race it was Switzerland holding the top two places. Yves Mermod and Maja Siegenthaler (SUI) started the day in the yellow jerseys and didn’t put a foot wrong, securing the gold medal with a 3rd place in the medal race. It didn’t go so well for Linda Fahrni and Cyril Schüpbach (SUI) who struggled to get in contention, leaving the door open for others to attack. Chris Charlwood and Amelia Catt (AUS) won the medal race and won the silver medal. Keiju Okada and Miho Yoshioka (JPN) started outside the medals but improved from 6th at the first mark to 2nd by the finish, lifting the Japanese crew to bronze.
The Netherlands might have dominated Belgium 4-1 in the Nations League football match the night before, but it didn’t come so easy for the Dutch 49erFX world champions this afternoon in Almere. Such is their world and Olympic medal-winning pedigree, Odile van Aanholt and Annette Duetz (NED) were hot favorites to win gold at this event. However, Isaura Maenholt and Anouk Geurts (BEL) had revealed their giant-killing intentions the day before with two race wins, and it was the Belgians that shot out of the start to take an early lead. Olivia Price and Evie Haseldine (AUS) were also in the hunt for the medals and in the early stages of the race there was little to separate the top three boats on the virtual leaderboard.
As Belgium rounded in first, Australia second and The Netherlands in third, this put Maenholt and Geurts in gold medal position. Forced to try something different, on the second windward leg the Dutch broke to the right away from their rivals who had gone left. At the next cross, van Aanholt squeaked past Australia, just enough to get into gold. Down the final run van Aanholt and Duetz let rip and closed the gap to the Belgians. At the finish there was little more than a boat length between them, with Belgium taking the race win but The Netherlands taking gold. Silver for Belgium, bronze for Australia.
49er
Dutch 49er sailors Bart Lambriex and Floris van der Werken (NED) had already secured gold a day earlier so their participation in the medal race was a formality. However, the race for silver and bronze was up for grabs among five other teams. Already in silver medal position, Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove (IRL) put the hammer down at the start and led all the way to the finish. The battle for bronze swung this way then another as four different crews moved into podium contention throughout the two-lap contest.
However, at the finish it was Benjamin Bildstein and David Hussl (AUT) who hauled their way to second across the line behind the Irish. By a single point, the Austrians had bagged the bronze and relegated Lucas Rual and Emile Amoros (FRA) to fourth place.
RS Aero
Noah Rees (GBR) saved the best for last, winning the final race of the series and displacing Shivam Ramdas (NED) from the top of the podium. Ramdas was second with Juliane Barthel (GER) in third…
SSL Gold Cup – Slovenia and Lithuania through to Finals
Slovenia and Lithuania finished first and second overall in the second round of the SSL Gold Cup Qualifying Series on lake Neuchatel, Switzerland…
ETF26: Kiwis in fifth place overall – Day 1
Live Ocean Racing lies in fifth place overall in an eight boat fleet, at the end of Day 1 at Raid de Quiberon…
2022 ILCA 7 Masters World Championship – Time for a break
After three days of competition at the 2022 ILCA 7 Masters World Championship in Riviera Nayarit, Nueveo Vallarta, Mexico, it’s time for a break…
Hempel World Cup – Round 2 Medal Race Results
The five Olympic dinghy classes competing at the Hempel World Cup Allianz Regatta in Holland completed their Medal races on Saturday…
SSL Gold Cup Qualifying Series round 2 overall
The second round of the SSL Gold Cup Qualifying Series came to an end today in Grandson, on lake Neuchatel (Switzerland), with another two teams earning the right to compete at the Final Series in Bahrain in November…
Rise of the Virginia
This June, after over 25 years of research, planning and work, the completed replica of the Virginia will be launched from the Bath Freight Shed in Bath, Maine. This former railway station has been converted into a maritime hidden gem, featuring a small visitor center and educational programs in addition to being the site where countless volunteers have spent two decades hand-building the 51ft Virginia.
The original Virginia was a 17th-century pinnace built by a group of colonists who’d settled the Popham Colony, a contemporary of the famous Jamestown colony in Virginia, at the mouth of the Kennebec River. Though short-lived, the Popham Colony did produce the first ocean-going vessel built in the Americas. Although little is known about the original vessel, in light of the historical significance of both the ship and the colony, a group of dedicated volunteers set out to discover what the original ship would have looked like and build a ship to a similar design that could be used to teach visitors to the community about the local history. A location was found, money was raised and timbers were cut…
Denmark SailGP Team’s Olympic stars form new team
Denmark SailGP Team presented by Rockwool has launched Rock The Boat – a new, star-studded, mixed foiling team aimed at developing some of Denmark’s top Olympic athletes. They become the second SailGP team to compete on the ETF26 Grand Prix circuit…
SSL Gold Cup Qualifying Series round 2 day 2
Winner of both races on Day 2 of SSL Gold Cup 2022 Qualifying Series Round 2, SSL Team Slovenia have taken a commanding position at the top of Group 3. SSL Team Lithuania remain in 2nd place after finishing runner up…
ILCA 7 Masters Worlds in Mexico day 2
Two races were completed today at the 2022 ILCA 7 Masters World Championship in Riviera Nayarit, Nueveo Vallarta, Mexico. With a grey start to the day and a little rain shower, the Race Committee hoisted the AP flag on shore to wait for the wind…
Hempel World Cup – Day 3 for the Olympic sailing classes
Day 3 of the Hempel World Cup Series Allianz Regatta for the Olympic sailing classes. A windless morning picks up to a sunny and moderate breeze of 7 to 13 knots in the afternoon…
Maiden arrives in New York
Maiden sailed into New York on Wednesday 1 June and was meet by a flotilla of boats at the
iconic Statue of Liberty at around 1700hrs and escorted in to One 15 Brooklyn Marina…
is that the short rig model?
We grabbed this from Regatta.com, and though the boat is from last year, we thought it perfectly odd enough to feature…
Launched in 2021, SVR Lazartigue created a surprise by unveiling highly developed shapes and aerodynamics. The deck of the giant trimaran is completely streamlined, and only the two helm stations protrude, which are themselves protected by canopies whose shapes recall the cockpits of a fighter plane. Arranged on either side of the boom, they offer a clear view of the bow and the sail plan…
Fresh set of eyes on sailing in the USA
When US Sailing named Alan Ostfield as the organization’s new Chief Executive Officer, it was an interesting choice. Unlike previous administrators, Ostfield was not a sailor, or at least not yet. But he knows sports, and is a fresh set of eyes for the job. Scuttlebutt editor Craig Leweck checked in with the US boss after his first year on the job:
What was life like before US Sailing?
I’ve been in the sports business my entire career, from Outside Counsel to the Dallas Cowboys to General Counsel of the San Diego Padres, to Chief Operating Officer, President, and CEO of an organization that owns the Detroit Pistons and the Tampa Bay Lightning.
So I’ve been in the sports and entertainment world for 25 years and have seen firsthand the importance of sports teams in the community. So if you work for a quality sports organization, you’re active in the community, and you’re using sports to make a difference in the world.
When I joined the Board of the US Tennis Association, which is the national governing body, I found it to be the same mission. So whether it’s an NGB or nonprofit or professional sports organization that’s doing its job appropriately, they’re active in the community. So this was a natural transition to leverage sailing and all its great attributes to make a difference.
Given your experience as a team working within leagues, how is it now to be in charge of a league?
Well, it is exciting to help structure the sport, to help enable an organization to do something good for the participants, to do something good for the athletes, to do something good for the world. Our kids programs, for example, are teaching sailing but also teaching things far beyond sailing.
That’s the difference we can make. The Siebel Sailors Program is teaching kids to not just be good sailors, but be quality adults. The Reach Program is teaching kids STEM subjects. So its programs like that which are inspiring and great to be involved in.
You are a fresh set of eyes. What do you see that the rest of us missed?
I’m not sure if people have missed it, but to come in as I did, as a fresh set of eyes, as you say, to see the passion that people have for sailing is really amazing. Maybe if you’ve been involved in it so long, you sort of take that passion for granted, but for someone like me, the passion that people bring to the sport is inspiring. – Read on
Globe 40 Race – Update from GryphonSolo2
We have tacked on to port and headed SE but are still facing headwinds directly from the East that are preventing us from pointing the bow directly at Lorient…
SSL Gold Cup Qualifying Series round 2 day 1
At the end of Day 1 of the SSL Gold Cup 2022 Qualifying Series Round 2, SSL Team Slovenia leads with a little advantage over its opponents, SSL Team Lithuania and SSL Team Ecuador…
Fleet grows to 52 teams for Round Ireland Race
With less than three weeks before the start of the SSE Renewables Round Ireland Race (Saturday 18th June 2022, 1300 hrs IST), the fleet has grown to 52 boats and includes the official entry of Pen Duick VI, the largest boat in the race at 73-feet…
2022 Atlantic Cup is cancelled
The biennial Atlantic Cup, which was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, had to be put on hold again in 2022 due to low entries. With borders still closed at the end of 2021, the small USA fleet could not get augmented with any European teams. As the longest offshore race in the Western Atlantic for the Class40, the 7th edition of the event had planned a three-leg format which included Charleston, SC; Newport, RI; and Portland, ME. A large fleet is anticipated in 2024 as the Atlantic Cup synchs with other scheduled offshore events…
Clipper RacePanama Canal Transit & Race 12 start
The first group of Clipper Race yachts has begun the transit through the Panama Canal, a true feat of engineering, a bucket list tick for any sailor and a highlight of Leg 7: The USA Coast-to-Coast Leg…
RS Aero 2022 UK Nationals – Final Day
Lack of wind brought play to a close a day early at the 2022 RS Aero UK hosted at Paignton SC…
ban for life?
The description of a protest filed by the Swiftsure International Yacht Race Race Committee against Wind Child, owned by Rudolph Heesels.
We received a report from the Canadian Coast Guard regarding a call for assistance due to an
injured crew member aboard the boat Wind Child, USA 74329.
The report goes on to say “The crewmember had a severe head injury, including a maxillofacial
depression (broken, caved-in orbital bone) and severe bleeding. When CCG crews arrived on the scene, he was found in a reduced level of consciousness, curled up in a fetal position, and vomiting in the cockpit – all signs of severe head injury…
US Sailing Team strengthens Olympic staff
The US Sailing Team is excited to announce that James Lyne has joined the Team as the High Performance Coach. Lyne has coached teams and athletes to 16 World Championship titles in 7 different classes within the sport, including Olympic classes…
World Sailing Video Show is Back
World Sailing re-launch the World Sailing video Show . . . Check out the first episode of the not-stop action style video here…
Megan Pascoe wins 2.4mR Europeans title
The World Sailing 2.4mR European Championship 2022 was won earlier this month by Great Britain’s Megan Pascoe, in Baie de Quiberon, Brittany (France), with the top positions in this Inclusive Open regatta all going to Para Sailors…
Spindrift Racing
In the 11 years since Spindrift Racing made its debut, the pro sailing team has made a big splash, and the upcoming season is expected to be no different. Spindrift co-owners Dona Bertarelli and Yann Guichard recently unveiled their plans for 2022, which included the appointment of a new executive director, Sébastien Duclos, and the team’s return to the TF35 circuit. The team will also attempt a number of offshore records—including the Jules Verne trophy and 24-hour record—aboard the maxi-trimaran Sails of Change (formerly Spindrift 2 and before that Banque Populaire V).
Established in 2011, Spindrift is based in Brittany, in northwestern France, with Sails of Change as its flagship and its T-Foiler 35—TF35 for short—being the most recent addition to its racing stable.
The TF35 is a foiling catamaran that has a six-person crew and features an automated flight control system, meant to make the boat more speed-efficient while foiling. After an inaugural season racing on the TF35 circuit in 2021, the Spindrift team is taking a second shot at the six-event circuit this year, starting in Switzerland on April 30. They will compete against seven other teams, including the Alinghi Red Bull Racing crew…
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