Stories about Sea Breeze
Below are the latest stories which have been categorised as being about Sea Breeze.
QUEBRAMAR GP42 Cup:
Posted 8 days, 23 hours ago by Sail Karma
The Valencian regatta was a Swiss-Italian affair. AIRIS and Near Miss, two newcomers to the GP42 class, share leadership on the first day of Trofeo de la Reina, after scoring a 1st and 2nd place in the 2 races that took place, under a nice southeastern but shifty sea breeze that reached 15 knots. Desafío still leads the overall QUEBRAMAR Cup standings but can clearly feel AIRIS behind their shoulders.
Valencia, 11 July 2008: When the winds start blowing, Near Miss and AIRIS are unstoppable. The Swiss-Italian duo clearly dominated the opening day of the Trofeo de la Reina, 3rd event of the QUEBRAMAR GP42 Cup, that started today Friday, under the a shifty Valencian sea breeze and choppy seas.
The starting gun of the first race was fired right on time under a nice 11 knots of sea breeze but quite choppy seas. Caser-Quum and Fermax make the right tactical decision and go to the left. Caser-Quum, another newcomer to the GP42 class, was in the lead but AIRIS, showing their superior speed, made a spectacular recovery, climbing to 2nd place in the first beat. More spectacular was Near Miss, that passed each and every boat, finishing 1st. Caser-Qumm was unable to fend off the two other boats but held on to 3rd place.
The race committee rolled on to the second race a few minutes after the last boat crossed the finish line. The breeze had considerably picked up, reaching 15 knots. The start saw the fleet separate and AIRIS with Caser-Quuum opted for the right side. The decision paid off for both, rounding the top mark ahead of the fleet. AIRIS never felt threatened and kept their leadership till the finish line. Near Miss again showed their boat speed, working their way up the fleet to 2nd place. Third position was for Roma GP42.2 that was always within the top-four group but was unable to reach AIRIS and Near Miss.
The race committee tried to start a third race but the breeze had already died down, giving them no option but send all 8 GP42 yachts back to port.
Racing will continue on Saturday and Sunday and, once again, the race committee will try to give 3 starts, weather allowing, this time at noon. Unfortunately, the initial forecast for Saturday is not very promising. A weather low is approaching Valencia and will probably bring clouds and rain, later in the afternoon. - http://gp42.eu/http://www.sailkarma.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss more »
The 3rd event of the QUEBRAMAR GP42 Cup begins tomorrow in Valencia
Posted 10 days, 2 hours ago by Valencia Sailing
Valencia, 10 July 2008: A few hours separate us from the start of the 3rd event of the QUEBAMAR GP42 Cup in Valencia. Starting tomorrow Friday, the international GP42 fleet, made of 8 yachts from 4 countries, will be racing in the Trofeo de la Reina, crewed by an ever-growing number of world-class sailors.
The fun, exciting and fast GP42 boats will steal the spotlight among the huge 130-strong fleet that participates in Valencia. We might not know who will win the Queen’s Trophy but we surely know who the king among the 11 classes is.
The starting gun of the opening race on Friday will be fired at 2:30pm, under a westerly land breeze, an unusual pattern for this time of the year.
Valencia’s famous sea breeze is forecast to kick in on Saturday and weather specialists predict it will stay for at least two days, blowing at around 10 to 12 knots. Racing in the weekend starts at noon and as a result we will most probably be able to enjoy three exciting races per day.
The fight for leadership will be intense and Tom Schankerberg, navigator on Near Miss, expects very close and tough races. The legendary America’s Cup sailor knows the race area all too well, but so do most of the competing crews. For that reason nobody can claim to have an insider or local with better knowledge of the prevailing wind patterns. Crew work and boat speed will be crucial for all teams.
The Trofeo de la Reina will also be the maiden event for Caser-Quum, a newcomer to the QUEBRAMAR GP42 Cup. Javier Goizueta, boat owner, looks forward to sailing against the rest of the fleet and is optimistic about their performance. They will use Thursday’s training to test their brand new sails.
The Trofeo de la Reina Rolex Cup is organized by Valencia's Yacht Club (Real Club Náutico de Valencia) and sponsored by Rolex. A total of 9 races are scheduled, 3 per day.
The remaining three events of the Quebramar GP42 Cup 2008 are the Copa del Rey AUDI MAPFRE in Palma (July 26th to August 2nd); the Trofeu Quebramar-Chrysler in Cascais (August 28th to 30th); and the grand finale, the Trofeo César Manrique in Puerto Calero (October 16th to 18th). more »
voodoo chop
Posted 10 days, 21 hours ago by Sailogs
It wouldn't be summer in San Francisco if there wasn't a stiff breeze and a dense shroud of fog making its way through the golden gate. For the last 2 weeks, the sea breeze has been firing almost everyday making sunset slalom and formula training the c... more »
steak and gelato...
Posted 14 days, 6 hours ago by Sail Karma
Paul Cayard
With a ten o'clock first start, the teams were up early and off the dock by 0830.? The mistral continued all night and perfectly until 1500, when it abruptly shifted 180 degrees and a sea breeze filled in on the bay.
Fortunately we got our three races in by 1430 and we were headed back to the dock by the time the big shift occurred.
We had a decent day on Desafio, with a 5, 10 and 6. The first race was a bit frustrating as we were second around the first mark and even with the leader around the gate at the bottom of the first run. We lost three boats on the second windward leg and last run with wind shifts that we got on the wrong side of. The second race we had a good start but down the line and the wind went 10 degrees right and we got pinned all the way out to the left and over stood the windward mark. We were last around the gate in this race and managed to pass three boats.
That was painful. In the last race we had a nice start up toward the committee boat and we were fighting with Quantum Racing and Matador most of the race, in fourth, and fifth and sixth. In the end Quantum got around Matador and us on a shift on the last run. By that point we were just following Matador around as we could not catch Bribon for 5th overall and we had a few points on Matador who finished seventh overall.
I feel a bit better about this regatta than the Alicante regatta. Our starts were good and our boat speed was above average. We have made some improvements in the way we sail the boat but clearly was have some improving to go. I think Desafio is now in a position to compete with the other teams.
One factor that I think is bearing itself out a bit is our mast. When we started this ambitious project to build a TP 52 in four months, the one item we could not get was a new mast. So we bought the spare mast of Audi Q8 form the 2007 season which was new in 2006. It was actually broken when we got it. It is two years old in terms of design and materials, so it is soft and bendy compared to the others. This translates in not being able to get the headstay and tight which has an effect on jib shape, especially at the upper end of the range.
We are getting our new mast in August and will have it in the boat for the last regatta of the Med Cup series in Portimao, and the World Championship in Lanzarote. So the good news is that our boat is currently very good and competitive, but it may get a bit better at the end of the year and for next year.
I am not going to be joining the team in the next regatta in Palma for the Breitling Regatta, nor in the Copa del Rey, as I am going to be racing to Hawaii with my boat, Hula Girl, and my very young crew.
Cagliari was a great venue.? Excellent conditions everyday! I am sure the TP 52 fleet will be back here. One other thing is that the gelato is very good here. Going for a steak and gelato tonight. SFO tomorrow. http://www.medcup.org/ - Cayard Sailing Websitehttp://www.sailkarma.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss more »
Audi MedCup: A decent day for Desafio
Posted 14 days, 9 hours ago by BYM Sailing News
With a ten o'clock first start, the teams were up early and off the dock by 0830. The mistral continued all night and perfectly until 1500, when it abruptly shifted 180 degrees and a sea breeze filled in on ... more »
Artemis are Mistral masters today on the Gulf of Cagliari, Quantum on the verge of victory
Posted 16 days, 1 hour ago by Valencia Sailing
[Source: AUDI Medcup] In the blustery conditions which produced spectacular, top speed racing that peaked with one fantastic adrenaline pumping final run to the finish line in more than 25 knots of wind, it was the cool, composed and slick team on Artemis (SWE), lead by John Kostecki (USA) with owner Torbjorn Tornqvist (SWE) steering which won the race from the rapidly advancing Matador (ARG).
But with a fifth place today, compared to the seventh of their nearest rival for the regatta Trophy, Mean Machine (MON), Doug de Vos (USA) and Fred Howe’s (USA) Quantum Racing (USA) eased four points clear at the top of the regatta standings with just one final day of racing planned for Saturday.
Racing is scheduled to start early on the final day at around 1000hrs. In second Mean Machine are seven points clear of third placed Mutua Madrileña who in turn are just two points up on Bribón.
The conditions today were a sharp contrast to the previous days of sea-breeze racing. With the wind blowing offshore from the north, out of the deep, U-shaped bay which is the Gulf of Cagliari, there was no shortage of challenges for the tacticians as well as a hard, physical test for the crews. And when the crews were sent ashore, so too there was a race to repair damaged sails in short order, just in case the race officers call the fleet back to race again.
Terry Hutchinson's Quantum Racing, one step closer to winning the Cagliari Trophy. Cagliari, 4 July 2008. Photo copyright Ian Roman / AUDI Medcup
Paul Cayard (USA), in concert with navigator Bruno Zirili (ITA) and tactician John Cutler (NZL) earned the early lead for El Desafío (ESP). The green and grey boat of the Spanish America’s Cup team was smartly off the start line near the left, pin end but then called a perfect lay line for the left shifting breeze. That was enough to give them an 18 seconds lead around the first turn, ahead of Thursday’s coastal race winners Mutua Madrileña (CHI) who were bristling with new-found confidence after their recent successes.
But El Desafío’s run was halted when it was discovered their spinnaker had a tear, allowing Mutua Madrileña through to lead. No sooner had the Chilean flagged boat planed flat out into the lead than they suffered exploding kite trouble and had to drop the remains to the deck. The baton was passed back to El Desafío who carried on round the leeward mark in the lead.
On the second beat Artemis got it right, exploiting the left flank again, and were able to round the windward mark 21 seconds ahead of El Desafío as the prelude to an exciting final run to the finish, which proved an acid-test of sail and boat handling in the big breeze.
While El Desafío tripped as they gybed to cover the fast advancing Matador, spinnakers tore on Bribón and then on Mean Machine. Artemis remained relatively trouble free, crossing the finish line 18 seconds ahead of Matador, whilst Mutua Madrileña had long since put their troubles behind them, to finish third, with El Desafio in fourth.
Quantum’s fifth was another solid step towards their first regatta win this season, but it could have been better. Tactician Morgan Larson (USA) admitted later, that they, like others had been caught out by the unexpected strength of the Mistral:
“We made a little bit of a strategic error. We did not expect that much breeze. We lost our tender and so we just have a smaller rubber boat, and so we can’t take all our sails afloat and did not have the heavy jib with us. So our speed suffered from that, but we worked hard and Terry (Hutchinson, USA, helm) did a nice job keeping us on our feet. So, we survived, we did not over stand on anything, we did not break anything and I guess it was OK. We had a safe strategy as the lead boats, working the left, it’s good to be leading but it is hard when you feel compromised with the wrong equipment. We were expecting something around 15-20 knots”
Mutua Madrileña wins coastal race; Quantum Racing leads Cagliari Trophy
Posted 17 days, 1 hour ago by Valencia Sailing
[Source: AUDI Medcup] While Italy’s Vasco Vascotto and the crew of Mutua Madrileña (CHI) scored themselves a morale boosting pair of victories around today’s 32.7 miles, two-part coastal race into the Gulf of Angels, the bay immediately to the east of Cagliari, it was the steady perfomance of Quantum Racing (USA) which sees them at the top of both the overall leader-board for this Audi Region of Sardinia Trophy and the season long Audi MedCup Circuit.
Quantum Racing were fifth in the first section of the race and then managed to overhaul Torbjorn Tornqvist’s Artemis (SWE) on an exciting last couple of miles to the finish, and steal the fourth place which was enough to give them a two points lead in the regatta ahead of Mean Machine (MON) and a wafer thin 0.2 point lead on the Audi MedCup Circuit.
But Jose Cusi’s Bribon (ESP) had a good day too, with two second places to atone for a slightly disappointing Wednesday.
With Flavio Favini (ITA) steering and skipper Vascotto on tactics, Mutua Madrileña converted their preference for the left side of the three mile first beat to a lead of 24 seconds over Jose Cusi’s (ESP) Bribon at the first mark.
Mutua Madrileña took the best spot at the pin-end, leftextremity of the start line along with Bribon.
Mutua Madrileña, winner of the coastal race. Cagliari, 3 July 2008. Photo copyright Thierry Martinez / AUDI Medcup
By comparison Platoon powered by Team Germany (GER) steered by three times Olympic gold medallist Jochen Schuemann (GER) started perfectly at the opposite, committee boat end and ploughed the best right side furrow to round ninth, already five minutes behind the runaway duo Mutua Madrileña and Bribon.
With the early breeze remaining light, 6-8 knots for most of the first ten or twelve miles, it was only on the five miles beat from the Poetto leeward buoy in the Gulf of Angels out to the scoring gate, that the sea breeze started to flex its muscles a little more, rising to 11-12 knots at times.
But it was largely on that first, opening beat when the shape of the race was really set, and even by the first mark there was already 8 minutes and 20 seconds - a lifetime in the usual scheme of TP52 racing - between Mutua Madrileña and the 13th placed boat.
Another team enjoying a return to confident mood are CXG Caixa Galicia (ESP), who in their borrowed, substitute boat (the 2007 championship winning Artemis) took third in both sections today, behind Bribon to neatly complement their second place in Race 5.
Today’s were the best results yet this season for Vascotto and his team, many of whom were with him when they won the first MedCup season in 2005, and - he says - confirms they are improving all the time with their new boat. Their season to date has not been straightforward after they broke their masthead crane just before the start of the first regatta, impairing their tuning and training. Then in Marseille, their regatta ended prematurely when their hull sustained damage at the first mark of the Coastal Race.
Quantum Racing, leader of the Cagliari Trophy. Cagliari, 3 July 2008. Photo copyright Thierry Martinez / AUDI Medcup
“We have been waiting on this coming and I have always been confident it would.” said Vascotto of their win today, “ The difference here so far is that we did not break the mast and have not broken the boat, so we are getting a chance to learn and sail. In Alicante the boat was new and we had no real chance to sail her. Let’s just say the difference now is that we are sailing with 10 or 12 more turns on the shrouds than we were there. Up until now we have not been able to sail. We learned a bit in the Sardinia Cup and have been changing a lot all the time.”
“I was always pretty happy with choosing the left where there was a little bias to the line. And we were into a lift and I saw more pressure. As soon as we had Bribon tack on our hip below us I knew we could do it and no one would beat us. We were quite quick downwind against them, but also after what has happened already I was starting to think our luck should change here.”
Quantum’s ever pragmatic Terry Hutchinson keeps his feet flat on the ground as far as topping both leader boards this evening: “Our day was OK, that is a fair assessment of it. Once the left started coming good, Morgan, Ian (Moore) and Mark (Mendelblatt), did a fine job of getting us there."
"We had a really nice downwind Code Zero on and they came round the last corner with a nylon sail on, so we probably took all of their lead out of them, and then they had an upwind Code Zero and they we had a downwind Code Zero and we basically just sailed through them to leeward. But it was good to pick off that point. They all make a difference. But we are very mindful that this is a long season, and at this stage it is like winning a flat stage of the Tour de France, when we all know that race is won in the mountains.”
Audi MedCup: Paul Cayard gives his Cagliari comments
Posted 17 days, 11 hours ago by BYM Sailing News
Two races were held, yesterday, in 12-16 knots of wind, similar in direction to the previous day?; a South Southeast sea breeze. There is still no gradient as a large high pressure system is sitting over this part of ... more »
Audi Med Cup: Well won victories for Terry Hutchinson on Quantum Racing
Posted 17 days, 23 hours ago by BYM Sailing News
After a second day of regular, consistent sea breezes on the Gulf of Cagliari Mean Machine hold the regatta lead by just one point, while two wins by Quantum Racing earned them the overall Circuit lead and leaves them ... more »
Quantum Racing scores two bullets in the second day of the Cagliari Trophy
Posted 18 days, 1 hour ago by Valencia Sailing
[Source: AUDI Medcup] A pair of well won victories on the Gulf of Cagliari by Terry Hutchinson (USA) and the crew of the Quantum Racing not only earned the American boat the overall lead on the Audi MedCup Circuit 2008 today, but sees them just one point behind Mean Machine (MON) the leaders of this Audi Region of Sardinia Trophy regatta.
While Mean Machine posted a second and third from an interesting day’s racing which, despite the slightly one sided courses, proved a good test of starting, upwind and downwind strategies, Quantum’s two near identical starts and the ability to earn the lion’s share of the favored right early in both races, was the key to their twin successes today.
Quantum showed good speed throughout the day over both races which were sailed in 11-15 knots of what is proving a consistently reliable sea-breeze, reliable to the point that some crews might be really looking forward to new challenges of tomorrow’s coastal race, and to Friday when a change in the wind direction and conditions is forecast.
Terry Hutchinson's Quantum Racing scores two bullets in the second day of the Cagliari Trophy. Cagliari, 2 July 2008. Photo copyright Thierry Martinez / AUDI Medcup
For Hutchinson, tactician Morgan Larson (USA) and crew three wins from five starts is a welcome reward for the hard work they have been putting in since Marseille last month. The team on the green and black hulled Botin & Carkeek design have been addressing their perceived weaknesses. In particular today their starting was pin sharp in terms of time on distance and speed off the line, but their positioning, such that they did not risk being compromised at the busy committee boat end, was equally surefooted.
As is their policy this season, Quantum Racing were the first boat out on the Gulf here, training since last Thursday.
The remarkably consistent string of results for Jose Cusi’s Bribon (ESP) was upset for the first time today. Their seventh in the first race, followed by Bribon’s first double figures score of the season, 11th in the second contest, meant they concede the overall Circuit lead to Quantum. Bribon were squeezed out on the finish line by the Russians on Rusal Synergy and had to bear away, gybe and approach again but lost only one boat in the porcess.
“We had not particular dramas, no issues, just a bad day at the office really.” Dean Barker (NZL), Bribon’s helm explained. “ It happens from time to time. In the second race on the first run we went right and did not get a lot of pressure and we got stuck under a number of boats and just had watch others sail past, there was not much we could do really. It is tough going out there. The sailing is great here and pretty straightforward, but when the advantage is slightly one sided then the fast boats can get there quicker. Quantum is probably the fastest boat out there on the water.”
Desafío, helmed by Paul Cayard, are finally getting their act together and are now 7th in the event. Cagliari, 2 July 2008. Photo copyright Ian Roman / AUDI Medcup
While Quantum won their second gun of the day Roberto Bermudez (ESP) and the team on CxG Caixa Galicia (ESP) proved they are getting to grips with the substitute boat they have while theirs is being repaired when they took a confidence boosting second place - equaling their best finish of the season in Marseille.
And in the first race Paul Cayard (USA) drove El Desafio (ESP) to third behind Mean Machine.
Going into tomorrow’s Coastal Race, which effectively offers double points, the top two boats have already built a decent points cushion in the quest for the Audi Region of Sardinia Trophy. After five races Bribon lies in third place, 17 points behind Quantum.
“After Marseille we worked on my starts at the windward end of the line. Ian (Moore, GBR, navigator) and Morgan (Larson, USA, tactician) have done a good job of their analysis of stuff, and when push comes to shove then there are certain times when all of us have to do our jobs on the boat and its good to be able to do it. But it’s a really good fleet. It’s the end game we are focused on. We need days like this to win races but then follow up with another good race. A lot of things have to happen well for us.” Quantum’s Terry Hutchinson explained.
“ It is nice to see the rewards of a couple of things changed, nice for the guys to sail as well as they did.”
Mean Machine lead Cagliari Trophy after first day
Posted 18 days, 23 hours ago by Valencia Sailing
[Source: AUDI Medcup] The MedCup Circuit’s return to Italy for the first time since 2006 in Punta Ala, Tuscany when Mean Machine (MON) won overall, was rewarded with a great opening day of solid, building sea breezes which remained solid until early evening to allow the target of three races to be met with relative ease.
While the conventional wisdom leading into the first race today was that the race track off the Sardinian capital might promise one way traffic up the right side of the course, it was Mean Machine’s after-guard of Ray Davies (NZL) and Tom Dodson (NZL) who reckoned that the left bias to the line was enough to launch them to the front.
De Ridder (NED) on the helm nailed a great start at the left, pin end of the line and they crossed the fleet clear ahead two thirds of the way up the first beat. Racing in 10-13knots of SE’ly sea breeze the victors from the season’s first regatta in Alicante, went on to win by a comfortable one minute and three seconds.
Mean Machine, leader of the Cagliari Trophy. Cagliar, 1 July 2008. Photo copyright Ian Roman / AUDI Medcup
The breeze built to a brisk 16-18 knots for Race 2 Quantum Racing (USA), and when the fleet was just a hearbeat late to the gun, helm Terry Hutchinson (USA) made a solid start, and tussled with series leading Bribon (ESP) around the windward mark first time up on the windward-leeward loop, but with their nose ahead at the first turn Quantum Racing were able to lead at each mark, going on to their third winning gun of the season so far. But Quantum’s early lead at the regatta was to be temporary.
The third race belonged to Mean Machine while Quantum made up places to take sixth. A tricky first run, offered another blast of air coming down off the windward mountains and shore-side flatlands to provide not onlymore wind but a more favorable heading to the leeward mark down that left side of the course.
In the second race it was Riccardo Simoneschi (ITA) and the Audi Q8 team who hooked into one of these turbo boosts which vaulted them seven places on the first run.
The bonus was spread wider in this third race, but Sergiy Pichugin (RUS) and the team on the new Rusal Synergy (RUS) were quick to spot the advantage and pulled up down this first run from fourth to steal the lead from Platoon powered by Team Germany (GER).
The ever vigilant Davies and Dodson partnership were quick to hitch the same ride too, and accelerated from ninth to third.
Part of the TP52 fleet at the Cagliari Trophy. Cagliar, 1 July 2008. Photo copyright Ian Roman / AUDI Medcup
On the final run Mean Machine lived up to their name to spoil the Russians hopes of win on their first day out with their shiny newly purchased boat, the former USA-17 and it was the pink flames on the Mean Machine bow and kite which broke the finish line first for the second time today.
The Russians landed at second and the Argentine boat Matador took third, with Francesco Bruni (ITA) calling tactics, an altogether sweeter feeling than Race 2 when their jib Cunningham exploded and they struggled round to last place.
Is there an air of deja-vu in Cagliari this sunny evening, a reminder of Mean Machine’s dominant win in May’s first regatta of the Audi MedCup Circuit in Alicante, or even Punta Ala in 2006?
Certainly in the flat water and moderate sea breeze conditions they were always one of the quickest boats on the water, along with Quantum who lie second overall at this regatta, thanks to their 3,1,6 today which was enough to overhaul Artemis (SWE) for second also on the overall Audi MedCup Circuit leader-board. Bribon’s (ESP) 4,2,5 today keeps them at the top of the Circuit standings after 19 races, leading now by 10.8 points.
Audi MedCup: Paul Cayard's TP 52 update from Cagliari
Posted 19 days, 3 hours ago by BYM Sailing News
Tuesday is the first day of racing here in Cagliari, the third stop on the MedCup circuit for the Transpac 52 Class. The forecast is for a sea breeze (160-170 degrees) of about 12-15 knots. There are just ... more »
TP52 Racing starts today...
Posted 19 days, 5 hours ago by Sail Karma
From Paul Cayard
Tuesday is the first day of racing here in Cagliari, the third stop on the MedCup circuit for the Transpac 52 Class.
The forecast is for a sea breeze (160-170 degrees) of about 12-15 knots. There are just 14 boats competing here which is quite a drop from a year ago when we had 23 boats at these events.
We had a practice race on Monday and Bribon was leading before they dropped out. Platoon of Germany went on to win, with Quantum Racing second. We finished fifth. After two 8th places in this circuit so far, we on Desafio are looking to step it up here. The boat still seems fast to me so we will have to sail well.
One thing I have noticed so far in the three days we have been here is that the sea is extremely flat and the wind is very steady. When you have conditions like this, the fleet usually gets to the windward mark all at the same time. Inches and feet will make the difference between 1st and 7th at the first mark.
The regatta ends on Saturday, July 5th and I will keep you updated each day. There are nine inshore races scheduled as they missed one race in Marseille earlier this month. Thursday will be the offshore race, which has two scoring positions; one at the half way point and one at the finish. Paul Cayard - Cayard Sailing Website For further news and information about the Audi MedCup Circuit visit: medcup.orghttp://www.sailkarma.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss more »
Giving no quarter in Coutts Quarter Ton Cup
Posted 1 month, 2 days ago by Cowes Online
There were thrills, spills and some incredibly close racing as the 25 strong fleet enjoyed champagne sailing in bright sunshine and a building sea breeze to complete races four through seven of the nine race series. more »
Time at the bar
Posted 1 month, 2 days ago by Simon Payne
Nab tower, which I didnt get too... this time
I was going to sail to the Nab Tower today, its 6 miles directly south...Why? Because I find it easy just to sail about and not really achieve much, so I've decided I need a purpose each day. Today was supposed to be offshore day and I even had my camera to take some pictures. I like the Nab. I've been around it twice before in Moth and it's size scares me. But the sea breeze blew at 20odd knots and it was wind against tide and white water foamed over Hayling bar.
I made it over... but going upwind in breaking waves was hard work. And like a kid who'd escaped via the bedroom window, I felt elated.. but very quickly vulnerable. The boat was getting slammed about and despite having my mobile phone on board no one was coming to get me.
So after a couple of miles, I turned around..
And what a ride coming home! Just me, an angry sea and liquid cliffs to jump off. I made every one but Bloody Hell it was scary. I havent known it like that for a long time.
I was on such a hi when I got back to the beach I even scrawled something in the marble smooth wet sand, painted spice by the ebbing tide.
Anyway tomorrow is "Boatwork day" Oh good... more »
Gone with the wind
Posted 1 month, 4 days ago by Simon Payne
Blimey its only 3 weeks until the Worlds, and as I'm there training for a week before hand I go at the end of next week! How time flies!
Anyway it will be good to get this event over and done, there are other things in life to get on with.
It was hard to push myself out onto the water yesterday, and as we waited for the wind, I could have watched it blow and still spent forever on the beach.
But when the sea breeze came in it was a great day out in the bay sailing with Tim Boon, Ricky Tagg and Jason Russell. To think that for 2 years I was the only foiler at Hayling Island and now there are nine I think, plus a couple of low riders. I feel happy about that.
Anyway we sailed upwind for ages, and then enjoyed the roller coaster ride that is the Hayling Bar. If anyone wants to improve down wind, that's the place to train and it's great to see the other guys making such big gains. Typically I make it home first and then think, "shit are they OK?" and wind up sailing back out to make sure no one is in trouble, so I get to do it twice!
These next couple of weeks are about making sure the boat is OK, a typical weakness for me as I'm not very good with ropes and dont enjoy boat work. Everything is now measured, but the foils are dinged and bashed a bit with all the stuff I've hit in the water since January and they need some attention.
I'm not going to Keil Week, I've done that event too many times, I find it hard to leave Hayling Island these days, I only have to do it once more now anyway. more »
Home Sweet Home
Posted 1 month, 7 days ago by Carl Williams
We have made it back to Valencia! The trip home was the longest leg of all totaling 22 hours straight through from Split to Valencia. Due to the Truckers strike and the fact the Spain is almost out of Petrol we decided to drive straight through. So that left the total amount of driving for the trip at 62 hours which took us through 14 Countries.
Eastern Hemisphere Regatta. Very sorry for the lack of reports but it was a matter of 1 technical problem after another for me.
Split is a very beautiful place and it was a shame that it didn't provide great conditions for the scheduled racing but for the days we had there training for me personally it would have to be one of my favourites! Warm, very blue water, strong sea breeze in the afternoon coupled with a nice little sea state, but the wind gods did not play for the scheduled racing and it was completely random, even the locals had their hands in the Air.
From a result point of view it was not a strong finish for us. There were moments of strength and speed but we failed to execute to the level necessary. On one hand preparing for China and on the other Racing to place well at the regatta was a hard balance to strike. Lacked a little luck as the race in 5knts that we lead by a minute at the top mark was called off half way down the run, but maybe just as good to get those situations out of our system now!?
Was great to spend an an extended period with our Coach Rod Davis, he did a great job and l think we have formed a very strong team for the Games.
From here we spend 3 weeks in Valencia finishing the final touches to the boat, and hitting the gym/ bike to stay in shape for the times ahead. Great to be home, the weather has been awesome and starting to get excited about our practice session in China from the 1st - 10th of July!!!
Look forward to posting more now that I'm recovered from my technical issues. haha. more »
Fast Forecast puts Alfa Romeo in the frame for Giraglia record
Posted 1 month, 8 days ago by Sail Search Blog
www.Sail-Search.com: Line honours favourite Alfa Romeo led a fleet of 170 boats out of the Gulf of St Tropez this afternoon as the fleet set out on the 243-mile Giraglia Race. After winning two of the three inshore races of the Giraglia Rolex Cup, Alfa Romeo's skipper Neville Crichton has high hopes of notching up a handicap victory in the offshore race to Genoa. The other big target is a shot at the course record, a time of 22 hours, 13 minutes, 48 seconds which Crichton and his team set in 2003 with the previous Alfa Romeo, a fixed-keel 90-footer. The current Alfa Romeo is a 100-footer with canting keel and powered winches, an altogether more potent beast. And yet the Giraglia record has eluded the newer boat. "We should have kept that boat," joked Crichton, referring to the 90-footer which brought him so many race records. "We can't control the weather. Unfortunately wherever we've gone with this boat [the 100-footer] a high pressure zone has followed us around. But we don't need a lot of breeze to break the Giraglia record, and if the forecast is accurate, then we have a good chance tomorrow." Indeed, this Giraglia Race is shaping up to be a windy one. Normally it's anything but. Professional weather router Mike Broughton is used to advising round-the-world sailors on what the weather's up to. This time he's doing it for himself as tactician aboard the Swan 82 Grey Goose. He anticipates a good, fast race. "I've heard lots of stories about flapping about going nowhere in the bay of Genoa, but it doesn't sound like that's going to happen this year. This could be a quick race. We've had a week of hot temps and feeble sea breezes, but that looks set to change as the light north-easterlies give way to strong south-westerlies. We could see 25 knots by midnight." Unlike Broughton, Atalanta II skipper Carlo Puri Negri has done the Giraglia Race numerous times. Having found himself drifting out in the Mediterranean on many of those occasions, he is more sceptical about the forecast. "They are predicting a strong wind from the south-west, what we call the Libecco. But we Italians are very superstitious. There's nothing certain about Giraglia. A lot of time you get to within two hours of Genoa, and then you stop. But whatever the weather I am looking forward to it. It's always to see so many boats together, it's very nice to see." The fleet bobbed around on a windless Gulf of St Tropez for two hours until the race committee was satisfied the wind had settled down enough for a fair start. The big boats came off the line at 2pm in 5 knots of wind, although as they made their way to the first Rolex mark about 1.5 miles from the start, the breeze dropped away again to almost zero. Alfa Romeo ghosted her way to the windward mark in first place. The crew sneaked the Code Zero headsail up to the top of the mast and when it set, the 100-footer accelerated like a greyhound, sailing at almost twice windspeed as the breeze returned. However, no sooner had they hoisted but the increase in pressure with a windshift forced them to lower the sail again as Crichton bore away to maintain control. A lot of effort for not much reward. Still, it was all slickly done and Alfa Romeo sailed serenely away from the fleet, most of whom were still drifting in less wind back in the Gulf. Second around the Rolex buoy was Igor Simcic's Open 60 Esimit Europa, closely followed by Maxis Atalanta II and Edimetra VI. Gilles Argellies's Brenta 55, Imagine, had just rounded the second turning mark, little more than 2 miles from the start, when the mainsail tumbled down the mast track, most likely due to a broken halyard. It was unclear how long it would take the German team to repair the problem and rehoist the mainsail as they made painfully slow upwind progress under jib. Once out of the Gulf of St Tropez, the breeze increased to 10 knots, with the fleet tacking their way to the Porquerolles Islands before they turn to set spinnakers toward the Giraglia Rock off Corsica. Last night, more than 2,000 guest were treated to a spectacular dinner, fireworks and entertainment at La Citadelle, the ancient battlements which look over the town of St Tropez. The winners of the inshore racing from the previous three days received their Rolex timepieces. There was a surprise winner of ORC Group A, when Carlo Puri Negri went up to receive his prize for Atalanta II's victory in the division. A number of boats had pointed out an error in the calculation of the length of race 2 on Monday. When the correct distance was factored into the handicap system, Atalanta II was one of the beneficiaries, and the points change elevated her to first overall, displacing Andromeda from the top of the rankings. ATALANTA II sailing from St Tropez to Genoa Start of the Giraglia Rolex Cup 2008 ATALANTA II, ITA204, Owner: PURI NEGRI CARLO, Mod: FARR 70 RACER MOD, Class: R0 Photo Credit: ROLEX/Carlo Borlenghi This is the 56th edition of the Giraglia Race, a 243-mile marathon starting from St Tropez via the Giraglia Rock at the northern tip of Corsica to the finish in the Italian port of Genoa. Yacht Club Italiano more »
Fast Forecast puts Alfa Romeo in the frame for Giraglia record
Posted 1 month, 8 days ago by Sail Search RSA
www.Sail-Search.com: Line honours favourite Alfa Romeo led a fleet of 170 boats out of the Gulf of St Tropez this afternoon as the fleet set out on the 243-mile Giraglia Race. After winning two of the three inshore races of the Giraglia Rolex Cup, Alfa Romeo's skipper Neville Crichton has high hopes of notching up a handicap victory in the offshore race to Genoa.
The other big target is a shot at the course record, a time of 22 hours, 13 minutes, 48 seconds which Crichton and his team set in 2003 with the previous Alfa Romeo, a fixed-keel 90-footer. The current Alfa Romeo is a 100-footer with canting keel and powered winches, an altogether more potent beast. And yet the Giraglia record has eluded the newer boat.
"We should have kept that boat," joked Crichton, referring to the 90-footer which brought him so many race records. "We can't control the weather. Unfortunately wherever we've gone with this boat [the 100-footer] a high pressure zone has followed us around. But we don't need a lot of breeze to break the Giraglia record, and if the forecast is accurate, then we have a good chance tomorrow."
Indeed, this Giraglia Race is shaping up to be a windy one. Normally it's anything but. Professional weather router Mike Broughton is used to advising round-the-world sailors on what the weather's up to. This time he's doing it for himself as tactician aboard the Swan 82 Grey Goose. He anticipates a good, fast race. "I've heard lots of stories about flapping about going nowhere in the bay of Genoa, but it doesn't sound like that's going to happen this year. This could be a quick race. We've had a week of hot temps and feeble sea breezes, but that looks set to change as the light north-easterlies give way to strong south-westerlies. We could see 25 knots by midnight."
Unlike Broughton, Atalanta II skipper Carlo Puri Negri has done the Giraglia Race numerous times. Having found himself drifting out in the Mediterranean on many of those occasions, he is more sceptical about the forecast. "They are predicting a strong wind from the south-west, what we call the Libecco. But we Italians are very superstitious. There's nothing certain about Giraglia. A lot of time you get to within two hours of Genoa, and then you stop. But whatever the weather I am looking forward to it. It's always to see so many boats together, it's very nice to see."
The fleet bobbed around on a windless Gulf of St Tropez for two hours until the race committee was satisfied the wind had settled down enough for a fair start. The big boats came off the line at 2pm in 5 knots of wind, although as they made their way to the first Rolex mark about 1.5 miles from the start, the breeze dropped away again to almost zero. Alfa Romeo ghosted her way to the windward mark in first place. The crew sneaked the Code Zero headsail up to the top of the mast and when it set, the 100-footer accelerated like a greyhound, sailing at almost twice windspeed as the breeze returned. However, no sooner had they hoisted but the increase in pressure with a windshift forced them to lower the sail again as Crichton bore away to maintain control. A lot of effort for not much reward. Still, it was all slickly done and Alfa Romeo sailed serenely away from the fleet, most of whom were still drifting in less wind back in the Gulf.
Second around the Rolex buoy was Igor Simcic's Open 60 Esimit Europa, closely followed by Maxis Atalanta II and Edimetra VI. Gilles Argellies's Brenta 55, Imagine, had just rounded the second turning mark, little more than 2 miles from the start, when the mainsail tumbled down the mast track, most likely due to a broken halyard. It was unclear how long it would take the German team to repair the problem and rehoist the mainsail as they made painfully slow upwind progress under jib. Once out of the Gulf of St Tropez, the breeze increased to 10 knots, with the fleet tacking their way to the Porquerolles Islands before they turn to set spinnakers toward the Giraglia Rock off Corsica.
Last night, more than 2,000 guest were treated to a spectacular dinner, fireworks and entertainment at La Citadelle, the ancient battlements which look over the town of St Tropez. The winners of the inshore racing from the previous three days received their Rolex timepieces. There was a surprise winner of ORC Group A, when Carlo Puri Negri went up to receive his prize for Atalanta II's victory in the division. A number of boats had pointed out an error in the calculation of the length of race 2 on Monday. When the correct distance was factored into the handicap system, Atalanta II was one of the beneficiaries, and the points change elevated her to first overall, displacing Andromeda from the top of the rankings.
ATALANTA II sailing from St Tropez to Genoa
Start of the Giraglia Rolex Cup 2008 ATALANTA II, ITA204, Owner: PURI NEGRI CARLO, Mod: FARR 70 RACER MOD, Class: R0
Photo Credit: ROLEX/Carlo Borlenghi
This is the 56th edition of the Giraglia Race, a 243-mile marathon starting from St Tropez via the Giraglia Rock at the northern tip of Corsica to the finish in the Italian port of Genoa.
Yacht Club Italiano more »
Well l guess its still good China prep???
Posted 1 month, 15 days ago by Carl Williams
2 Days of scheduled racing have passed with no racing results. Actually the closet we have come to completing a race was yesterday when they fired a start off but there were so many boats over that it was a general recall and while trying to start again the breeze shut down.
Today we were help ashore for an hour before the race committee decided to send us out there and see if the potential for a sea breeze would follow through allowing us to get race 1 away........ but no! As we tuned up in 4-5knts the breeze shut down to 0.0knts and we were sent back in to wait ashore. 2 hours later at 330pm we were sent back out, there was a little promise but again the breeze shut down and at 5pm we were allowed to tow in for the day.
So no racing, but this is a very similar situation to what we have experienced in China, a really hard thing to do when the conditions are like this is to sit around for half the day in the heat and then fire up and switch to race mode when they eventually send you out there to race.
We have had some god tuning sessions out there so are still learning a lot about the boat and even more importantly sailing in light air.
Would love to be optimistic about tomorrow, unfortunately the forecast is worse than today's, but that doesn't always mean everything!
Hamish and l wanted to say well done to Larry and the BMW Oracle boys at the Marseille TP52 event where they are having a strong performance in the breezy conditions. At least someone is getting some racing!! HERE is a link to that event. more »
