Bodacious Dream # 118 Winner of Leg 1 from Charleston to New York (Photo courtesy of the Atlantic Cup)
#118 Bodacious Dream wins First Leg, Charleston, SC to New York Harbor,
of The Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing
Fleet to dock in NY Harbor until Pro-Am on May 17, followed by
Final Leg to Newport, RI on May 18 and In-shore Series, May 25-26
NEW YORK, NY. – With a fleet of seven Class 40s competing in The Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing #121 Bodacious Dream, skippered by Dave Rearick and Matt Scharl, crossed the finish line first at 21:06:15 ET on Tuesday, May 15, with an elapsed time of 78:55:13 to complete the 642 nautical mile first off-shore leg of the Atlantic Cup from Charleston, S.C. to New York Harbor. The race, the first carbon neutral sailing event in the United States, saw USA’s Bodacious Dream finish 8 minutes 28 seconds ahead of #121 Lecoq Cuisine (79:09:43), followed by the English team of #90 40 Degrees (79:56:12).
Lecoq Cusine finishes in NYC (Photo courtesy of the Atlantic Cup)
The race began at 2:05 p.m. on Saturday, May 11th from the Charleston Maritime Center with international competitors from the USA, France, Great Britain and New Zealand competing extremely closely for the three-day, first leg. The teams left Charleston harbor with #116 Icarus jumping out in front of the fleet for the second year in a row with the best start.
3rd Place finishers Harding and Jenner on 40 Degrees celebrate (Photo courtesy the Atlantic Cup)
While tightly packed together, the fleet experienced severe the weather the first night that included heavy lightning and thunderheads with sustained winds of 25kts and a confused sea state. After rounding Cape Hatteras the fleet was mostly in agreement to heads towards shore as the forecast called for a wind hole and the land breeze would keep them moving. The critical point in the race came at the timing of the gybe in towards shore and those that picked right established a small lead and the challenge was to defend the rest of the way. The leading four teams traded positions in the run up to New York where ultimately first through fourth were separated by a mere 1 hour and 26 minutes.
“The race was pretty intense and as we all thought ahead of time it was a very tactical type thing, we had a lot of intense tactics. Matt had some great calls and some great time spent playing out different scenarios,” said Bodacious Dream skipper Dave Rearick.
“We worked really well as a team, I was not feeling very well for the first 24 hours and Dave really carried the load initially and I feel really good right now so we were able to trade off as a team and it worked out really well, it’s probably the best team race we’ve had since we’ve started, “said Bodacious Dream co-skipper Matt Scharl.
PROVISIONAL RESULTS FROM THE FIRST LEG OF THE 2012 ATLANTIC CUP: TIME POINT FINISH
#118 Bodacious Dream – USA (Dave Rearick, Matt Scharl) 79:01:15 14 1
#121 Lecoq Cuisine – USA (Eric Lecoq, Conrad Colman) 79:09:43 12 2
#90 40 Degrees – GBR (Hannah Jenner, Peter Harding) 79:56:12 10 3
#116 Icarus Racing – USA (Tim Fetsch, Ben Poucher) 80:27:36 8 4
#106 Gryphon Solo 2 – USA (Joe Harris, Tristan Mougline) 81:02:29 6 5
#54 Dragon – USA (Michael Hennessy, Merf Owen) 81:06:57 4 6
#39 Pleiad Racing – USA (Ed Cesare, Chad Corning) 83:08:00 2 7
SCORING SYSTEM
Points & Prize Money
Scoring for the 2013 Atlantic Cup will be based upon a “High Point” scoring system. Each boat’s overall score will equal the total points earned in both offshore legs plus points earned from the inshore races. At the conclusion of the event, the boat with the total highest score will be declared the winner.
To determine the podium winners, the “High Point” scoring system combines all three legs of the race into the boat’s overall score. The points for individual race scores are based upon the number of entrants (unless disqualified or retiring after finishing). The points for each leg are allotted as follows; 1st place will be awarded points equal to the number of entrants, 2nd place points equal the number of entrants minus 1, 3rd place points equal the number of entrants minus 2, 4th place points equal the number of entrants minus 3, and so on.
For two the offshore legs, points awarded will be weighted by a factor of 2. For each inshore series, points will be weighted by a factor of one. The inshore series will consist of a maximum of five races, should four or less inshore races be completed; all races will count toward the boat’s overall score. If five inshore series are completed, a boats overall score will consist of the four best inshore races. In the event of a score tie between two or more boats, the tie will be broken in favor of the boat with the most points earned amongst the two offshore legs.
The competitors have a chance to win prize money in all portions of the race. The $15,000 purse will be split between the three legs with $5,000 available per leg. The prize money for each leg will be divided as follows: 1stwill receive $2,000, 2nd, $1,500, 3rd, $1,000 and 4th place receives $500.
Some additional 2013 Atlantic Cup highlights include:
Viewing Opportunities for fans to see LIVE Sailing Competition in Each City:
With host cities chosen specifically to enhance the fans onsite viewing experience, the Atlantic Cup will offer opportunities for the general public to watch the race LIVE on-shore in New York (Saturday, May 18 at 2 p.m.) and the event’s inshore racing conclusion in Newport (Saturday/Sunday, May 25/26 at 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.).
Atlantic Cup “Living on the Edge” Eco-Evening on Thursday, May 16:
On Thursday, May 16, a special Atlantic Cup “Living on the Edge” Eco-Evening will be held from 6 – 9 p.m. in NYC, highlighting the event’s commitment to the environment. The event brings together a spectrum of well-respected voices to explore the sailing industry’s commitment to the environment and recognize the changing climate effects on New York City, into a provocative panel discussion entitled “Telltales.” Global Green USA’s President Matt Petersen will moderate the conversation. Sailors for the Sea’s founder David Rockefeller, Jr. will provide opening remarks. Panelists include Dr. Ben Strauss, CEO of Climate Central, Hannah Jenner, skipper of 40 Degrees Racing, and Chip Giller, President and Founder of Grist.org. Tickets are $115/ticket, or a “boatload” for $100/person for ten tickets. Tickets are available for purchase. For additional information, please call 401-619-4840.
Pro-Am Event in New York Harbor on Friday, May 17:
Many of the best Class 40 sailors in the world will add new crew members as sailing hopefuls get to experience the rush of sailing firsthand as they compete against each other in New York Harbor on Friday, May 17. The Fleet will be at the Marina from 9 a.m. – Noon, before departing for the Pro-Am race. The Boomer Esiason Foundation is the official charity of the Atlantic Cup, with a portion of the proceeds from the event going to help fight the battle against cystic fibrosis.
Special Screening with newportFILM of The Last Ocean on Thursday, May 23
On Thursday, May 23, newportFILM in association with the Atlantic Cup will present a screening of The Last Ocean, an environmental documentary from New Zealand filmmaker Peter Young at the Casino Theater in Newport. Do you know where the Ross Sea is? Six years in the making and completed late last year, the documentary celebrates the Ross Sea, Antarctica, regarded as the most pristine eco-system on Earth. It also chronicles the race to protect it before it is destroyed by commercial fishing. A breathtaking look at one of the last untouched places on the planet, this film is not to be missed. Double Cross Vodka cocktail reception from 6-7, with the movie starting at 7pm. Tickets can be purchased online at www.newportfilm.com
Education program in conjunction with the Rozalia Project
The Atlantic Cup is extending its education outreach by partnering with the Rozalia Project. Rozalia Project for a Clean Ocean’s mission is to find and remove marine debris, from the surface to the sea floor, through action, technology, outreach and research. During the Atlantic Cup, Rozalia will be on site underwater trash-hunting with the ROV and educating children in grades 3 – 12 about marine debris, which will include the opportunity for students to get on board the Class 40s and meet some of the skippers. Rozalia Project is unique and action based taking trash out of the water, rather than just pointing at it, and operating nationwide from docks and shorelines. They connect people of all ages to their underwater world and inspire them to be part of the solution by using underwater robots (ROVs) and sonar as well as nets to locate and remove marine debris.
About The 2013 Atlantic Cup
The Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing is a dedicated professional Class 40 race held annually in the U.S. with a focus on running an environmentally responsible event. The 2012 edition of the Atlantic Cup starts Saturday, May 11th in Charleston, South Carolina and will showcase some of the top Class 40 sailors in the world as they race a 648 nautical mile off-shore leg double-handed from Charleston around the infamous, Cape Hatteras then north to New York City. Once in New York there will be a brief stopover before competitors start the coastal leg of the race. The coastal leg will take competitors along the same course as the past two years: 231 nautical miles, south out of New York to a turning mark off the New Jersey coast before heading north to Newport. Once in Newport, competitors will race a two-day, inshore series with a crew of six. The combined overall winner of both stages will be the Atlantic Cup Champion. The prize purse will be $15,000, making it again one of the largest purses for sailing in the United States. For more on the Atlantic Cup and its Green Initiatives, visit www.atlanticcup.org.
Dragon Headed for finish with the New York skyline backdrop (Photo courtesy of the Atlantic Cup)
Mare, Winner of the 2012 Atlantic Cup (Photo by George Bekris)
#115 Mare wins The 2012 Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing
Mare dominates a record setting fleet of 15 competitors, including #118 Bodacious Dream (2nd place) and #106 Gryphon Solo 2 (3rd place) to claim the second annual Atlantic Cup Championship and $15,000 in prize money
NEWPORT, R.I. – #115 Mare (GER), skippered by Jörg Riechers, Ryan Breymaier (offshore) and Charles Euvrete (inshore), continued its Atlantic Cup dominance by winning three of the five inshore races, finishing second in the other two heats, en route to claiming The Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing over a record setting international fleet of 15 Class40 yachts. Mare was equally impressive during the offshore competition, besting the field during the first offshore leg (Charleston, S.C. to N.Y. Harbor), and coming in second behind overall Atlantic Cup runner-up #118 Bodacious Dream (USA), skippered by Dave Rearick and Matt Scharl. Mare finished with 11 total combined points for the offshore legs and inshore races in Narragansett Bay, Bodacious Dream finished with 27 total points. With the victory Mare claims the champion’s share, $15,000, of the $30,000 overall prize purse, one of the largest in sailing in the United States.
Bodacious Dream took Second Place in the Atlantic Cup (Photo by George Bekris)
Only three points separated the remaining top-five finishers with Gryphon Solo 2 (USA), skippered by Joe Harris and Tristan Mougline (39 points) in third, winning a tiebreaker with Campagne De France (FRA), skippered by Halvard Mabire and Miranda Merron, (39), in fourth, and Initiatives (USA), skippered by Emma Creighton and Rob Windsor, (42), finishing fifth.
Mare co-skipper Jörg Riechers: “I’m very happy winning, it was a great event, we thought it would be a close battle between us and Talan Bureau Veritas but as it turned out Bodacious Dream was our stiffest competition and they raced a terrific race.”
Bodacious Dream co-skipper Dave Rearick: “This has been a terrific event, we couldn’t be happier in our first race. We will take some of this prize money and donate back to the Atlantic Cup so we can support this great event and keep racing!”
Gryphon Solo 2 co-skipper Joe Harris: “The fact that we made third, I was thrilled, we were clinging by our fingernails and we managed to pull it out which is fantastic!”
Hugh Piggin, Manuka Sports Event Management Founder and Atlantic Cup Race Director – “The Atlantic Cup congratulates Mare on their well-earned victory over a record-setting international field of 15 Class 40 boats. We are very proud of the top-notch sailing, ecological efforts and sportsmanship exhibited by all of the teams and appreciate the contributions from our sponsors, volunteers and staff in making the event a success on all fronts.”
The 2012 Atlantic Cup, the first carbon-neutral sailing event in the United States, featured an international fleet of 15 boats from the USA, France, Germany and Great Britain, the most Class 40s to ever compete in the United States. The teams set sail from Charleston, S.C. on Friday, May 11 at 6:25 p.m. EDT en route to New York Harbor for the second leg of the competition and a Pro-Am event (May 14 – 19) before departing on May 19 at 11:05 a.m. for the final leg of competition held in Newport, R.I. this weekend (May 26 – 27).
COMBINED FINAL POINT STANDINGS AFTER ALL THREE LEGS OF COMPETITION INSHORE TOTAL POINTS
#115 Mare – GER (Jörg Riechers, Ryan Breymaier, Charles Euvrete) 2,1,1,1 11
#118 Bodacious Dream – USA (Dave Rearick, Matt Scharl) 5,5,6,3 27
#106 Gryphon Solo 2 – USA (Joe Harris, Tristan Mougline)** 4,3,2,8 39
#101 Campagne De France – FRA (Halvard Mabire, Miranda Merron) ** 8,9,9,3 39
#30 Initiatives – USA (Emma Creighton/Rob Windsor) 1,2,4,5 42
#54 Dragon – USA (Michael Hennessy, Merf Owen) ** 7,3,2,1 47
#105 Eole Generation – GDF SUEZ – FRA (Sebastien Rogues, Jeffrey McFarlane) ** 6,4,5,4 47
#109 Talan-Bureau Veritas – FRA (Stephane Le Diraison, Jesse Naimark-Rowse) 3,6,5,6 52
#116 Icarus Racing – USA (Tim Fetsch, Ben Poucher) 10,11,7,4 58
#73 Toothface – USA (Mike Dreese, Ken Luczynski) 9,8,7,9 69
#113 Partouche – FRA (Christophe Coatnoan, Ari Sebag) 13,7,10,12 82
#17 Transport Cohérence – FRA (Benoît Jouandet, Jorge Madden) 11,13,13,11 84
#20 Sevenstar Yacht Transport -FRA (Jean Edouard-Criquioche, Anna-Maria Renkin 14,14,14,14 88
#85 Groupe Picoty – FRA (Jacques Fournier, Jean Christophe “JC” Caso) 12,12,12,13 89
#90 *40 Degrees – GBR (Hannah Jenner, Peter Harding) DNF
*40 Degrees retired during Leg #1 after suffering a broken mast and did not start offshore leg 2 or compete in the inshore series.
** Ties are broken in accordance with RRS A8
For More Images of the Atlantic Cup 2012 Newport Inshore Racing by George Bekris Click HERE
Bodacious Dream #118 Winner Leg 2 Atlantic Cup (Photo by George Bekris)
Mare holds a slim overall Atlantic Cup lead over Bodacious Dream (2nd) and
Campagne De France (3rd) heading into Newport Inshore Series May 26-27, Final Prize Giving
NEWPORT, R.I. –The Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing completed its second and final leg of offshore racing with #118 Bodacious Dream, skippered by Dave Rearick and Matt Scharl, crossing the finish line first with an elapsed time of 38:06:34 on Monday, May 21, to complete the 231 nautical mile leg from New York Harbor to Newport, R.I.. The race, featuring an unprecedented international fleet of 14 Class 40s competing in the first carbon neutral sailing event ever held in the United States, saw Bodacious Dream beat out #115 Mare (38:39:41), followed by #101 Campagne De France (38:44:22) and #116 Icarus (39:04:33), with #30 Initiatives (39:36:00) finishing fifth.
The second leg of the Atlantic Cup set sail at 11:05 a.m. ET on Saturday, May 19th from New York Harbor en route to Newport Shipyard with international competitors from the USA, France, Great Britain and Germany. After starting in a light northerly, the teams raced the entire way down the Jersey Shore in short course fleet racing mode. After the turning mark, the boats that were patient and waited for the breeze to shift further east gained on the boats that went north towards Block Island. As a result, those choosing to round Block Island to the east saw that decision pay off. The last five miles to the finish were not without excitement as the tide was against the teams forcing them to tack their way to the finish with Bodacious Dream playing the shift perfectly en route to capturing the victory in the second leg.
Bodacious Dream skipper Dave Rearick: “(Co-skipper) Matt (Scharl) called some great tactics once again. I thought we were making a bee line for France and I kept asking when we were going to tack.”
Bodacious Dream skipper Matt Scharl: “I knew a week ago we were going to go that far out. We wanted to go east until every boat tacked and then go one mile further.”
Asked if they were surprised to be doing this well in their first race with their new boat, Rearick added, “We were hoping to be in the top five, so where we are right now is a real accomplishment. Matt told me a month ago, ‘Dave I’m going to leave you in first before I have to go to my sister’s wedding,’ so he knew.”
Video of the first teams to finish can be found here: http://youtu.be/9BroqGQzKy4, with comprehensive results available here: http://atlanticcup.org/race/results/
RESULTS FROM THE SECOND LEG OF THE 2012 ATLANTIC CUP: TIME POINT FINISH
#118 Bodacious Dream – USA (Dave Rearick, Matt Scharl) 38:06:34 2 1st
#115 Mare – GER (Jörg Riechers, Charles Euvrete) 38:39:41 4 2nd
#101 Campagne De France – FRA (Halvard Mabire, Miranda Merron) 38:44:22 6 3rd
#116 Icarus Racing – USA (Tim Fetsch, Ben Poucher) 39:04:33 8 4th
#30 Initiatives – USA (Emma Creighton, Rob Windsor) 39:36:00 10 5th
#109 Talan-Bureau Veritas – FRA (Stephane Le Diraison, Jesse Naimark-Rowse 39:44:04 12 6th
#106 Gryphon Solo 2 – USA (Joe Harris, Tristan Mougline) 39:58:16 14 7th
#73 Toothface – USA (Mike Dreese, Ken Luczynski) 39:59:25 16 8th
#105 Eole Generation – GDF SUEZ – FRA (Sebastien Rogues, Jeffrey McFarlane) 40:00:37 18 9th
#54 Dragon – USA (Michael Hennessy, Merf Owen) 40:08:47 20 10th
#113 Partouche – FRA (Christophe Coatnoan, Ari Sebag) 40:14:20 20 11th
#85 Groupe Picoty – FRA (Jacques Fournier, Jean Christophe “JC” Caso) 20 12th
#20 Sevenstar Yacht Transport -FRA (Jean Edouard-Criquioche, Anna-Maria Renkin 40:46:13 20 13th
#17 Transport Cohérence – FRA (Benoît Jouandet, Jorge Madden) 41:32:19 20 14th
#90 40 Degrees – GBR (Hannah Jenner, Peter Harding) DNS N/A
PROVISIONAL COMBINED POINT STANDINGS AFTER FIRST TWO LEGS OF OFFSHORE COMPETITION
TOTAL POINTS
#115 *Mare – GER (Jörg Riechers, Ryan Breymaier) 6
#118 Bodacious Dream – USA (Dave Rearick, Matt Scharl) 8
#101 Campagne De France – FRA (Halvard Mabire, Miranda Merron) 10
#106 Gryphon Solo 2 – USA (Joe Harris, Tristan Mougline) 22
#116 Icarus Racing – USA (Tim Fetsch, Ben Poucher) 26
#105 Eole Generation – GDF SUEZ – FRA (Sebastien Rogues, Jeffrey McFarlane) 28
#30 Initiatives – USA (Emma Creighton/Rob Windsor) 30
#109 *Talan-Bureau Veritas – FRA (Stephane Le Diraison, Jesse Naimark-Rowse) 32
#20 Sevenstar Yacht Transport -FRA (Jean Edouard-Criquioche, Anna-Maria Renkin 32
#54 Dragon – USA (Michael Hennessy, Merf Owen) 34
#17 Transport Cohérence – FRA (Benoît Jouandet, Jorge Madden) 36
#73 Toothface – USA (Mike Dreese, Ken Luczynski) 36
#85 Groupe Picoty – FRA (Jacques Fournier, Jean Christophe “JC” Caso) 40
#113 Partouche – FRA (Christophe Coatnoan, Ari Sebag) 40
#90 **40 Degrees – GBR (Hannah Jenner, Peter Harding) 52
*Protest pending between Talan-Bureau Veritas and Mare which, in accordance with the Sailing Instructions, will be heard in Newport, R.I. on Tuesday, May 21, 2012.
**40 Degrees retired during Leg #1 after suffering a broken mast and did not start offshore leg 2.
For more images of the NewYork City Start of Leg 2 click HERE
Leg 1 Winner Mare finishes in New York Harbor (Photo by Billy Black/Atlantic Cup)
#115 Class 40 Mare Wins Leg 1, Charleston, South Carolina to New York Leg of 2012 Atlantic Cup
Fleet to dock in NY Harbor until Pro-Am on May 18, followed by
Final Leg to Newport, RI on May 19 and In-shore Series, May 26-27
With an unprecedented international fleet of 15 Class 40s competing in The Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing #115 Mare, skippered by Jörg Riechers and Ryan Breymaier, crossed the finish line first at 1:20:13 a.m. ET on Tuesday, May 15, with an elapsed time of 78:55:13 to complete the 642 nautical mile first off-shore leg of the Atlantic Cup from Charleston, S.C. to New York Harbor. The race, the first carbon neutral sailing event in the United States, saw Germany’s Mare finish ahead of #101 Campagne de France (79:16:38), followed by two American boats in #Bodacious Dream (79:51:56) and Gryphon Solo 2 (80:48:05), with France’s Eole Generation – GDZ Suez (81:50:45) rounding out the top five.
Second Place Winner Campagne De France (Photo by Billy Black)
The race began at 6:25 p.m. on Friday, May 11th from Charleston Marina with international competitors from the USA, France, Great Britain and Germany competing extremely closely for the three-day, first leg. The teams left Charleston harbor with #116 Icarus jumping out in front of the fleet with the best start. Shortly after the start #90 40 Degrees’ cap shroud failed leading to their dismasting andretirement from the first leg of the race. Boats were mostly in sight of each other until they rounded Cape Hatteras, where the fleet split into two groups. One group opted to go towards the shore where the wind was forecasted to be stronger and the other half opted to sail further east into the gulfstream to take advantage of the three knot push. Forecast winds didn’t eventuate for the group headed for the shore allowing the group in the gulfstream to establish and extend the lead over the inshore path.
Third Place Bodacious Dream (Photo by Billy Black)
“It couldn’t get any better, really. So first place and the second win in the second race for the boat, which is pretty cool and I think we had a really really good race, “said Mare skipper Jörg Riechers.
“We tried to make a plan long before the start and stick to it, and I think that helps when you don’t let other people in on what you’re going to do,” said Mare skipper Ryan Breymaier. “The weather conditions might change a little bit, but as long as you sort of stick with the plan you know is right from the beginning, it’s all going to work out in the long run.”
Mare in New York Harbor (Photo by Billy Black)
PROVISIONAL RESULTS FROM THE FIRST LEG OF THE 2012 ATLANTIC CUP: TIME POINT FINISH
#115 *Mare – GER (Jörg Riechers, Ryan Breymaier) 78:55:13 2 1
#101 Campagne De France – FRA (Halvard Mabire, Miranda Merron) 79:16:38 4 2
#118 Bodacious Dream – USA (Dave Rearick, Matt Scharl) 79:51:56 6 3
#106 Gryphon Solo 2 – USA (Joe Harris, Tristan Mougline) 80:48:05 8 4
#105 Eole Generation – GDF Suez – FRA (Sebastien Rogues, Jeffrey McFarlane) 81:50:45 10 5
#20 Sevenstar Yacht Transport -FRA (Jean Edouard-Criquioche, Anna-Maria Renkin 81:54:56 12 6
#54 Dragon – USA (Michael Hennessy, Merf Owen) 82:17:53 14 7
#17 Transport Cohérence – FRA (Benoît Jouandet, Jorge Madden) 82:46:10 16 8
#116 Icarus Racing – USA (Tim Fetsch, Ben Poucher) 82:50:28 18 9
#30 Initiatives – USA (Emma Creighton/Rob Windsor) 82:53:52 20 10
#109 *Talan-Bureau Veritas – FRA (Stephane Le Diraison, Jesse Naimark-Rowse) 84:19:20 20 11
#85 Groupe Picoty – FRA (Jacques Fournier, Jean Christophe “JC” Caso) 84:30:26 20 12
#113 Partouche – FRA (Christophe Coatnoan, Ari Sebag) 85:03:32 20 13
#73 Toothface – USA (Mike Dreese, Ken Luczynski) 89:38:23 20 14
#90 **40 Degrees – GBR (Hannah Jenner, Peter Harding) DNF 22 15
*Protest pending between Talan-Bureau Veritas and Mare. In accordance with the Sailing Instructions, the protest will be heard in Newport, R.I. following the conclusion of Leg #2.
**40 Degrees retired after suffering a broken mast.
Erik van Vuuren lets the autopilot run the show for a while ( Photo by Sec. Hayai)
At 15:00 GMT on Monday, the Global Ocean Race (GOR) fleet leaders Conrad Colman and Scott Cavanough on Cessna Citation were gradually picking up speed with less than 100 miles to the finish line in Charleston as the main trio of Class40s dig into the Gulf Stream.
Leading the pursuing pack in second place, Marco Nannini and Sergio Frattaruolo on Financial Crisis held a 62-mile lead over the South African duo on Phesheya-Racing – a gain of around 20 miles since Sunday afternoon – and were averaging the best speed in the fleet at 10.5 knots on Monday. “We’re pleased with how things have gone in the past two days after the tactical move to cover Phesheya,” confirmed Nannini on Monday morning. “We now feel a little more in control of our destiny,” he adds.
However, with weather files predicting a loss of wind, the remaining 215 miles could present a fresh set of tactical options: “The wind is progressively decreasing, so we hope the finale won’t be too much of a light winds struggle,” says Nannini. At 15:00 GMT on Wednesday, Nannini and Frattaruolo were 106 miles NE of Grand Bahama and 200 miles off the east coast of Florida. “We’re heading north-west, a little left of the direct route, in anticipation of the rotation of the wind and hoping to find the favourable flow of the Gulf Stream to help us run fast along the American coast,” he explains.
Meanwhile, on Phesheya-Racing, Nick Leggatt and Phillippa Hutton-Squire had slowed to just under seven knots on Monday afternoon with their speed averages dropping gradually from over ten knots earlier in the morning. “We’ve caught up 125 miles on Cessna and 131 on Financial Crisis,” reported Hutton-Squire on Monday morning, but the pressure from Van Vuuren and Beusker in fourth place is relentless. “We’ve lost 165 miles to Sec Hayai due to their incredible speeds and they have shadowed us like our reflection on the water.”
On Monday afternoon, the Dutch duo of Erik van Vuuren and Yvonne Beusker on Sec. Hayai continued to close in on Phesheya-Racing taking an extra 30 miles from their lead in 24 hours and trailing the South Africans by 56 miles on Monday afternoon. While Leggatt and Hutton-Squire keep a close eye on the Dutch, progress is still slowed by repeated entanglement with weed: “We sailed into a field of Sargasso Weed slowing the boat, clogging the hydrogenerator and jamming the rudders,” says Hutton-Squire. Putting on head torches, the duo investigated the extent of the entrapment. “We pulled the hydrogenerator up and found that the prop was jammed with weed,” she explains. “In the dark, Nick leant over the back of the boat with the boat hook to try and free the weed and this is when he discovered a fishing net caught in the weed.”
At sunrise, Leggatt and Hutton-Squire could get a better idea of the extent of the weed they were trailing: “I sailed dead downwind, slowing the boat and Nick was able to check the rudders and clear more weed,” continues Hutton-Squire. “We checked the keel through the peep hole in the hull next to the chart table and discovered more weed, but we decided that it wasn’t enough weed to stop the boat for.”
GOR leaderboard 15:00 GMT 30/4/12:
1. Cessna Citation DTF 91.7 6.1kts
2. Financial Crisis DTL 215 10.5kts
3. Phesheya-Racing DTL 277 6.7kts
4. Sec. Hayai DTL 333 9.4kts
Cessna Citaton during Punta del Este Start (Photo courtesy Global Ocean Race)
After 13 days at sea and a very demanding 2,000 miles of racing in Leg 4 of the double-handed Global Ocean Race (GOR), the leading Class40, Cessna Citation, has crossed the Celox Sailing Scoring Gate off the coast of Brazil netting the maximum six points and coming close to crossing the boat’s outbound track made on GOR Leg 1 from Palma, Mallorca, to Cape Town seven months ago.
Although Conrad Colman and Scott Cavanough took Cessna Citation across the Celox Sailing Scoring Gate shortly before midnight on Saturday and freed-off around Ponta do Calcanhar hitting ten-knot averages, it hasn’t been so comfortable for the trio of Class40s further south. The chasing pack were separated by 150 miles at 15:00 GMT on Sunday, led by Marco Nannini and Sergio Frattaruolo with Financial Crisis but as speed averages hovered around eight knots in approximately 14 knots of easterly breeze throughout Saturday, Nick Leggatt and Phillippa Hutton-Squire fell into a private weather system on Phesheya-Racing with the South Africans fighting to keep the boat moving as miles were lost to Financial Crisis and the Dutch duo of Nico Budel and Erik van Vuuren on Sec. Hayai.
Erik van Vuuren on Sec. Hayai (Photo courtesy Sec. Hayai / Global Ocean Race)
While Colman and Cavanough added 29 miles to their lead in the past 24 hours and led the fleet by 241 miles on Sunday afternoon, the South Africans have dropped 25 miles to the Italian-Slovak team on Financial Crisis with Budel and Van Vuuren winning 26 miles from Phesheya-Racing as Leggatt and Hutton-Squire recover from the seven-hour ordeal in unreadable conditions.
Marco Nannini up mast on Financial Crisis (Photo courtesy Financial Crisis / Global Ocean Race)
Meanwhile, at the head of the fleet, for 28-year-old Conrad Colman, triumph at the scoring gate was slightly marred: “Last night we rushed through the Celox Sailing Scoring Gate at ten-12 knots under our Code 3 gennaker before turning around the top of Brazil and again hoisting the big spinnaker,” he reported on Sunday afternoon. “It would be nice to be able to bask in the afterglow of getting more points on the board but, again, the day has dawned with a hot fury, eliminating all chances of basking,” says Colman.
For the complete update and more information abot the Global Ocean Race 2011-12, click here.
Global Ocean Race leg 4 start (Photo courtesy Global Ocean Race)
As the Global Ocean Race (GOR) Class40s approach the end of their first week at sea in Leg 4 from Punta del Este, Uruguay, to Charleston, USA, the double-handed teams are racing upwind along the continental shelf of Brazil with the New-Zealand-Australian team continuing to extend their lead on Akilaria RC2,Cessna Citation to 56 miles, while the three first generation Akilarias – Financial Crisis, Phesheya-Racing and Sec. Hayai – were spread over 37 miles at 15:00 GMT on Sunday with the Italian-Slovak duo of Marco Nannini and Sergio Frattaruolo squeezing fractionally higher speeds from Financial Crisis but unable to shake-off the South African and Dutch Class40s.
On Sunday afternoon GMT, Conrad Colman and Scott Cavanough continued to poll the best averages for almost 24 hours with Cape Frio 90 miles of the port beam and with Nannini and Frattaruolo 56 miles astern and both boats averaging just over seven knots. On board Financial Crisis in second place, there has been no break since the beginning of the race in Punta del Este: “Half the world is on holiday for a long Easter weekend, but for us it’s been more wind and waves as we sail north-east hoping to soon reach the trade winds,” reported Marco Nannini on Sunday afternoon. “Ahead of us the bottom corner of Brazil with Rio de Janeiro and a tangle of variable light winds to deal with.”
Following the passage of a front, the spell of downwind sailing was short-lived and the teams are now back on the most uncomfortable point of sail: “In the space of half a day we went from sailing downwind to beating upwind again, progress has been very slow since, especially as we are pushing against the unfavourable Brazil Current which runs from north to south decreasing our speed by nearly a knot,” Nannini confirms.
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Atmosphere on the dockside at Les Voiles de Saint Barth © Christophe Jouany / Les Voiles de St. Barth
On the eve of the third running of Les Voiles de St. Barth, April 2-7, the palm-fringed port of Gustavia, St.Barthlemy quickly filled with an impressive array of race boats: ocean-racing maxis including the 90-foot Rambler and the Swan 112, Highland Breeze; classic beauties such the Olin Stephen-designed Dorade and the Fife-built yawl Mariella; a trio of IRC 52s, multi-hulls including the 66 Gunboat Phaedo, and two large racing classes with a mix of Melges, J/boats, and a mix of 40-footers, including the hot-off-the-press Carkeek 40, Decision.
Over 60 boats are registered for this years edition, up fromwith a large number of returning entries, proof that the regatta has filled the need for spirited competition towards the end of the winter season a time when tourism typically begins to wind down in the Caribbean. Though that was hard to tell yesterday, at the islands tiny airport, as the steady stream of small commuter planes landing were filled with a duffle bag-wielding collection of sailors from the ranks of the Americas Cup, round-the-world-ocean races, and Olympic competition, that included Gavin Brady (Vesper), Scott Vogel (Rambler), Bouwe Bekking (Nilaya), Cam Lewis (Paradox), Charlie McKee and Ross MacDonald (Mayhem), Tony Rey, Jeff Madrigali, and Nacho Postigo (Powerplay), and Dee Smith (Decision).
But its not just the professionals that flock to Les Voiles de St. Barth, the regattas program and mix of courses also appeals to a competitive group of amateur and family racers that hone their skills on the growing circuit of Caribbean regattas that take advantage of this sailing paradise.
Nilaya heads out for practice prior to the start of Les Voiles de St Barth © Christophe Jouany / Les Voiles de St. Barth
While not the easiest of destinations to reach some U.S. west coast sailors logged 16+ hours in transit, while others from Europe only slightly less the island of St Barths itself is a welcome reward at the end of the road: a turquoise blue, crystal-clear sea, pristine white sand beaches, and an array of fabulous restaurants just payoff for a long days journey.
Francesco Mongelli, navigator onboard Jim Swartz IRC52 Vesper, is here racing in St Barths for the first time. The Italian sailor, who sails primarily in Europe, has been racing with the Vesper crew since last October, and was clearly keen to have touched down in this French paradise, Its a mix of all the best sailing places, together with perfect weather and good food. Having spent the afternoon in a tender carefully checking out the coastline and charted (and uncharted) rock outcroppings, Mongelli added, Its pretty similar to Porto Cervo, the difference is that there you more or less know where everything is, and the charts are accurate. You cannot take the same risk here that wed take in Porto Cervo.
Racing will run from Tuesday, April 3 Saturday, April 7 and will feature a mix of Olympic triangles, short coastal courses, and a 20-30 nautical mile round-the island race. The fleet will be split into seven classes: Maxi (> 21 meters), IRC52 (former TP52s that have been optimized for the IRC rule), Spinnaker I + II, Non-Spinnaker (racer/cruiser), Classic (vintage/traditional), and Multihull. Thursday is a layday at Nikki Beach, with lunch and a full afternoon of activities, including a paddleboard competition.
New this year, Les Voiles will offer real-time race tracking with 2D visualization via the internet. Waypoint-Tracking (www.waypoint-tracking.com) developed the system in close collaboration with ISAF. The site will allow enthusiasts to follow the daily racing action live or to replay at a later time.
Many of the competing boats are moored stern-to at the Quai General de Gaulle, site of the Race Village, where all of the daily breakfast and post-race activities and music take place. This evening, skippers and tacticians were on hand for the Skippers Briefing led by Loic Ponceau, Race Committee Chairman, and organizers Francois Tolede, Luc Poupon, and Annelisa Gee. Following that was Les Voiles St. Barth Opening Ceremony, where Bruno Magras, President of the Collectivit of St. Barth, welcomed more than 500 sailors to the weeklong event.
Whisper heads out to practice for Les Voiles de Saint Barth © Christophe Jouany / Les Voiles de St. Barth
A regular and enthusiastic competitor in the Caribbean, Sir Peter Harrison was named the godfather or patron of this years Les Voiles. Harrison, owner of the 115-foot Farr-designed Sojana, told the crowd, As a visitor from England to this beautiful French island, one of the most beautiful in the West Indies, Im thrilled to be asked to the patron of Les Voiles. Bon vent Les Voiles de St. Barth, and good luck, everyone!
Also sailing on Sojana is Lionel Pan, who is also back for his third Les Voiles. He said, Obviously there are plenty of good reasons to be here, and to come back every year with the same enthusiasm: this place is made for sailing. In a very short time, Les Voiles de St. Barth has become the place to be, very much like Saint Tropez in the Mediterranean. And the word is spreading around. Shortly there will be a waiting list to be a part of the event!
The weather forecast for the next few days calls for light winds, though the breeze is expected to increase throughout the week. Racing is scheduled to start tomorrow, Tuesday, April 3, two miles northwest of Sugarloaf Rock off Gustavia; one race is scheduled with a start time of 12noon.
Gustavia Harbour on the eve of the start of Les Voiles de St Barth © Christophe Jouany / Les Voiles de St. Barth
