The chasing Volvo Ocean Race pack were formulating their comeback plans on Friday in a bid to reel in Leg 6 leaders PUMA — while struggling Groupama fell further behind the frontrunners.
PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG were still enjoying a 15-mile buffer over their rivals as they neared the northeast corner of Brazil, but overall race leaders Team Telefónica currently in third, were starting to show signs of recovery as they began to find their pace.
Under the guidance of Spanish Olympian Iker Martínez and expert navigator Andrew Cape, Telefónica scythed 11 miles off the pacesetters in the past 12 hours.
“Right now we’re just going fast compared to yesterday,” Cape said. “There are some long miles to clear the land, and some long miles before the West Indies, so there’s a lot of sailing to do. We’re going to turn up the heat and win the race.”
Telefónica, who top the overall standings by 16 points, have been playing catch-up after their plan to position themselves east of the fleet failed to pay off and they were left in fourth place just ahead of Groupama sailing team.
CAMPER With Emirates Team New Zealand and Team Abu Dhabi battle it out in the Atlantic (Photo by Nick Dana / Team Abu Dhabi / Volvo Ocean Race)
Since then Telefónica have overhauled Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing to jump up to third and at 1300 UTC on Friday they were the fastest boat in the fleet, trailing second-placed CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand by 13 miles.
Cape, who has seen his team to three offshore leg wins so far, said the crew were confident of a comeback.
“There may still be a drag race in those sort of conditions we’re pretty good,” he added. “There’s a long way to go, and we can do it.”
The same could not be said for French team Groupama who have struggled to find their feet, now 104 miles behind PUMA with little chance of making up ground in the immediate future.
“We’re not in the position in the fleet that we’d like to be in,” Groupama bowman Brad Marsh said. “We’ve had a tough 48 hours trying to work out what the wind is going to do.”
Despite their current deficit, Marsh said the leg was far from decided with more than 3,500 miles left to sail to the finish in Miami.
“We’ve fallen back behind the fleet a little bit but there’s still lots more chances to catch up on this leg,” he added. “The fat lady hasn’t sung just yet, and I don’t think she knows what song she’s going to sing.
“We’ll just keep pushing away, try to stay as close as possible to the boats in front and hopefully get an opportunity to catch up.”
Although into the favourable and more consistent trade winds, the teams have not seen the blistering speeds they had hoped for due to the effects of a low pressure system in the South Atlantic.
Once past Recife on the northeast tip of Brazil, expected to happen tomorrow, speeds will increase as the wind strength intensifies.
On second-placed CAMPER, the crew’s focus was directed fully at whittling down PUMA’s lead.
“We’re set up pretty nicely so hopefully we can make some gains on PUMA,” helmsman Tony Rae said. “They’re going to get round the corner of Brazil ahead of us but hopefully we can chip away and drag them back in.”
The current ETA for the leading boat into Miami is May 8.
1 PUMA 0.00 0 12.9 3555.5
2 CMPR 14.70 2 13 3570.2
3 TELE 27.80 5 13.8 3583.3
4 ADOR 42.80 3 13.4 3598.3
5 GPMA 104.10 1 11.7 3659.5
- SNYA Did Not Start
Start spreading the news ! New York will be start city for the new MOD70 class’s first ever trans-oceanic race when Race for Water (Steve Ravussin), Foncia (Michel Desjoyeaux), Edmond de Rothschild Group (Sebastien Josse), Spindrift Racing (Yann Guichard) and Oman Sail (Sidney Gavignet) set off on Saturday July 7th to take on the MOD 70 KRYS OCEAN RACE’S 2950 miles of racing between the evenly matched new one design, high speed 70 foot trimarans. Skippers Ravussin, Desjoyeaux, Josse, Guichard and Gavignet will lead their five strong crews across the North Atlantic to a finish in Brest, France.
Officially launched at the French Consulate in New York, today Thursday 26th April in the presence of the Consul M Philippe Lalliot and renowned American sailor Dawn Riley, the American program which forms the prelude to the MOD 70 KRYS OCEAN RACE promises a full complement of activities between June 28 and July 7 shared between Newport and New York.
From Newport to New York City
Ahead of this first true ocean challenge, a short prologue from Newport to New York should prove an exciting initial taster of what is to come, followed in New York by an afternoon of all-out sprints, the Speed Match.
A full menu of action and excitement is promised for the class’ inaugural visit to the USA, where the fleet musters in strength for the first time ever.
History in the making in Newport and New York
Though the MOD 70 KRYS OCEAN RACE will start from New York, the fleet will first establish itself in historic Newport, Rhode Island where the MOD70’s will be based at the Newport Shipyard marina between June 28th and July 2nd, not far from where the AC World Series finale runs 26th June to July 1st.
While based in Newport, the boats will be put through all their safety and technical scrutineering, vital checks which are all the more important given that once they are docked at New York’s North Cove Marina, the MOD70’s will be in full race mode, with no further work allowed to the boats beyond stocking them for the passage.
Prologue
For the five high speed trimarans, the 120 miles prologue races starts on Monday July 2nd from Newport – the world renowned sailing centre synonymous with America’s Cup – to a finish line off New York’s iconic Statue of Liberty where they would be due to finish July 3rd.
From the eve of the USA’s Independence Day, through the July 4th festivities, the fleet will have their home at Manhattan’s tranquil North Cove Marina.
Then on the afternoon of July 5th the fantastic five match up to see who will be New York’s sprint kings on the Hudson River, when Race for Water, Foncia, Spindrift Racing, Edmond de Rothschild Group and Oman Sail will take part in a speed match virtually at the foot of the Statue of Liberty. Race Director Jacques Caraës will be supported by the very active Manhattan Sailing Club under Commodore and Race Committee Chairman Michael Fortenbaugh.
The Race is On
But the excitement will peak for sure on July 7th at 1100hrs (LOCAL) when the French Consul in New York, Philippe Lalliot will be joined by the Mayor of Brest François Cuillandre to fire the start gun which will set off the KRYS OCEAN RACE across the Atlantic to Brest.
The gun marks the start of the first great oceanic adventure for the MOD 70’s and the 30 crewmembers, making history as the world’s first fleet of identically matched ocean racing one design multihulls goes head to head.
Over a course measured at 2950 miles, some of the world’s best ocean racers – some who are already winners of the biggest offshore races and records in the world – will finally compete at thrilling high speeds, on even terms over the ensuing six or seven days, fighting to be first across Brest’s finish line, into the very heart of the historic Tonnerres de Brest nautical festival.
Philippe Lalliot, Consul General of France in New York City : « The world of sailing, synonymous with epic journeys, but also with perseverance and endurance, is certainly one of those worlds that fire your imagination the most. Suspense and emotions will no doubt be part of this new, nautical adventure. I look forward to its opening impatiently and wish it the greatest success. »
Dawn Riley, Chief Executive Officer Oakcliff Sailing New York : “The MOD70 class already is full of French Rockstars and I hope that we will see an American Team joining them shortly. We are all very excited that these multihull machines will be in New York.”
Michael Fortenbaugh, Commodore Manhattan Sailing Club : “We have this incredible symbol which is the Statue of Liberty, a gift from the French. We always dreamed that someday there would be a race that would start from beneath it and connect with France, which New Yorkers are so closely linked to. This has great symbolic meaning and is the benchmark for future races.”
Franck David, Chief Executive Officer Multi One Design S.A. : “Multi One Design’s ambition is to build the ultimate sailing class of reference in the world…To start the MOD70 story with the KRYS OCEAN RACE in New York City is the exact representation of what we want to buil : an international circuit, with exiting host venues, combination of City Races and Offshore sailing adventures!”
The U.S. program for the KRYS OCEAN RACE 2012:
Newport:
June 28 : Deadline for arrival of MOD70
July 2 : Start of the prologue
New York City:
July 3 : Finish of the prologue
July 5 : Speed Match
July 7 11:00 local: Official start of the first edition of the KRYS OCEAN RACE
Estimated arrival at Brest between 13 and 14 July 2012.
Nordseewoche at 2010 Rund Skagen (Photo courtesy of Rund Skagen)
The 28th of May 2012 heralds the start of the Pantaenius Rund Skagen race, part of the North Sea Week 2012, the only German race series that takes place on the open sea and is so testing that it attracts international participation. Each yacht will set off with a Yellowbrick aboard, a satellite-based tracking system that has already proven its worth in many regattas and rallies.
Approximately 80 yachts are expected to participate in this year’s Pantaenius Rund Skagen regatta, and each yacht will be fitted with a race tracker system from Yellowbrick, enabling live, real-time race coverage on the Internet. All that viewers need to follow the fleet online is Adobe Flash. The Yellowbrick race tracker provides positional data, yacht names, yacht information, crew details, course and route, waypoints and much, much more.
The Pantaenius Rund Skagen is held every two years as a part of the international North Sea Week yacht racing event and is considered to be one of the most challenging open-sea regattas. The route crosses through three very different areas of sea: the North Sea from Heligoland to Hanstholm which is a shelf sea, with heavy sea and ground swells accompanied by prevailing westerly winds, then comes the Skagerrak, an Atlantic strait with water depths of up to 1000 metres and flat bays on Jutland’s coast, such as the Jammerbugten (loosely translated as the “Bay of Lamentation” for good reason), and finally, after rounding the Skaw buoy, the yachts enter the Baltic Sea, a body of water that is temperamental but never boring, with many opportunities to employ clever tactics before finally reaching the finishing line in Kiel.
The demanding regatta lived up to its expectations in every respect in 2010: of the 87 registered yachts, only 54 crossed the start line due to a forecast of inclement weather. Of these 54, only 30 reached Kiel. With Beaufort Force 7 gales gusting to Force 8 from the North, an air temperature of around 12 degrees Celsius and water temperatures of between 4 and 6 degrees, Mother Nature was harsh and uncompromising as she separated the wheat from the chaff. It remains to be seen what the Pantaenius Rund Skagen 2012 has in store for its participants, but whether it be storm or calm, it will definitely be exciting.
Follow the action live at http://www.pantaenius.de/tracking
Every year at Whitsun around 1500 yachtsmen and several tourists gather at Heligoland to be part of the “Nordseewoche“ event. The North Sea Week is the biggest offshore yacht racing event in Germany. The Nordseewoche also offers the less experienced yacht’sman a fantastic opportunity to get into the race scene. Next to the ORC races the “Family-Cruiser-Cup” offers a relaxed atmosphere – sailing and winning without a rating certificate and without spinnaker or gennaker. And all sailors will catch up at the “boot Regattaparty” afterwards to celebrate together. The main sponsors are the international boat exhibition “boot Duesseldorf” and the SE Spezial Electronic AG. In 2012, the Nordseewoche is again organizer for the International German Championships for offshore sailing!
Team Telefonica during leg 6 2011-12, from ItajaÃ, Brasil to Miami (Photo by Diego Fructuoso/Team Telefonica/Volvo Ocean Race)
It was crunch time for the Volvo Ocean Race crews on Wednesday as they prepared to punch through a weather front that stands between them and the sought-after trade winds that will catapult them towards Miami.
Whichever team best navigates the light winds of the cold front and reaches the trades first will hold a huge advantage over their rivals as they rocket north at speeds of more than 20 knots — and any losses made over the initial days of Leg 6 will become brutally clear.
After overhauling CAMPER and Abu Dhabi as they struggled in lighter airs overnight, PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG looked strongest as the fleet approached the front currently blocking their path.
But with Telefónica and Groupama shaving miles off the leaders from their more offshore position, the pressure was on to get through as quickly as possible without losing miles to any other team.
Onboard PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG during leg 6 of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12, from Itajai, Brazil, to Miami, USA. (Photo by Amory Ross/PUMA Ocean Racing/Volvo Ocean Race)
“Today’s the big day really,” said PUMA navigator Tom Addis. “The first boat into the trades has a pretty major advantage — you can extend for quite a long time and be quite hard to catch.
“This is the critical one. Some points on some race tracks aren’t critical, but this one is critical.”
With the front around 60 miles ahead, the teams were ploughing all their resources into working out the best line to take through its light, fluky winds.
“I spent a lot of last night working on our approach for this stuff,” Addis added. “We’re happy with our position and if we’re in the lead our chances [of reaching the trades first] are something more than 50 per cent.
“But we’re leading into some light stuff and there will be some pressure from behind so we’ll just try and do the best we can and be the first one out. It’s important to be the first one out.”
Meanwhile, Franck Cammas’ men on fifth-placed Groupama sailing team were doing their best to hang on to Telefónica in conditions that seemed to favour the overall race leaders.
onboard Groupama Sailing Team leg 6 2011-12. (Photo by Credit: Yann Riou/Groupama Sailing Team/Volvo Ocean Race)
“We are more used to being the hunted rather than the hunters,” said Groupama navigator Jean-Luc Nélias. “In general, we’ve been on the same option as Telefónica and they’ve always been a bit faster than us.
“We’re investigating — we’re looking below the hull, we’re looking at the daggerboards, checking if there is some seaweed or plastic stuck on them, but the conclusion right now is that we are a bit behind.”
However with the cold front transition zone immanent, Nélias said there were plenty of opportunities to pass their rivals up ahead.
“It’s a bit like the Doldrums,” he added. “It’s so hazardous and complicated that it’s not always the first to enter it who leaves it first.”
Volvo Ocean Race chief meteorologist Gonzalo Infante said the cold front was narrower in the east, ahead of Telefónica and Groupama, and wider in the west in front of CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand and Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing.
“All the hard work of the first four days comes down to this,” Infante said. “It’s a super critical moment. The teams have an opportunity to capitalise on their position by entering the trades first.”
The dilemma could force CAMPER and Abu Dhabi to head offshore from their current positions around 90 miles off the coast of Brazil, costing them precious miles.
CAMPER were dealt a blow overnight when a rope securing the foresail to the bow of their yacht snapped.
“Luckily everyone was ok and time wise it probably only cost us a minute or two so we are very fortunate,” said skipper Chris Nicholson.
On board Abu Dhabi, the crew were preparing for the demanding day ahead as they closed in on their rivals.
“Things remain tight with CAMPER and we are slowly converging with the Juan K boats,” helmsman Rob Greenhalgh said. “There are a few lightning storms up ahead, so it looks like we are approaching the frontal line. It should be an interesting next 24 hours.”
The first boats are expected to cross the Leg 6 finish line in Miami around May 7.
Leg 6
25/04/2012 13:03:02 UTC
DTL DTLC BS DTF
1 PUMA 0.00 0 10.8 4035.8
2 CMPR 5.70 2 13.4 4041.4
3 ADOR 12.10 1 13.3 4047.9
4 TELE 21.10 0 13.3 4056.9
5 GPMA 37.90 5 13.8 4073.7
- SNYA Did Not Start
onboard Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing during leg 6 of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12, from Itajai, Brazil, to Miami, USA. (Credit: Nick Dana/Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing/Volvo Ocean Race)
2011 NYYC Annual Regatta The S Boat - Osprey (Photo by Dan Nerney/New York Yacht Club)
The premature arrival of spring fever and the confluence of major sailing events scheduled for the summer of 2012 has created an upbeat mood among sailing enthusiasts in New England’s sailing Mecca of Newport, R.I.. The “City by the Sea” will display her iconic charm during the high profile events to hit the waves of Narragansett Bay – including the America’s Cup World Series and a tall ships extravaganza – starting first with the oldest and longest-running regatta in America: New York Yacht Club’s Annual Regatta presented by Rolex. From June 8-10, the 158th edition of the race will continue a historic legacy that has only been interrupted by war.
The historic nature of the event also extends to the regatta entry list that is currently led by Argument, the Herreshoff S-boat owned by Stephan Sloan (E. Greenwich, R.I.). The oldest one-design class still actively racing, the 27-foot wooden S-boats first splashed in 1919. Roughly 100 were built and the original boats still racing, with their high ratio of sail area to wetted surface, display the vintage style that delights photographers and casual observers alike, not to mention those who race them and appreciate the boat’s high performance. Fast in light wind due to the large sail area, a full lead keel keeps the craft stable in strong breeze. Requiring an experienced crew to coordinate handling spinnaker lines, halyards, running backstays and sheets simultaneously, the design – like the Annual Regatta – has stood the test of time.
Sloan conservatively expects that as many as nine of the classic S-boats will participate in NYYC’s Annual Regatta. Having owned Argument for five years with his sister, Sloan has previously raced her in NYYC’s Annual Regatta and is looking forward to this 158th edition. “It’s the start of the season for us,” said Sloan. “The Around the Island Race is a real draw for us as it is great fun and a good start to the season. It’s also a home-club regatta for me and being at Harbour Court is a chance for great get-togethers.”
The S-boats are among the yachts eligible to compete in the 19-nautical mile Around the Island Race that is the first segment of the “regatta within a regatta” format that constitutes NYYC’s Annual Regatta presented by Rolex. Taking place on Friday, June 8, the Around the Island Race is scored separately, with a Rolex timepiece presented to the overall winning yacht in the IRC division during evening festivities at NYYC’s Harbour Court.
On Saturday and Sunday, June 9-10, the S-boats will race in the traditional two-day series as part of the Green fleet along with Classic, 12 Metre, 6 Metre and smaller one-design classes. IRC and larger one-design classes will be accommodated in the Blue and White fleets, and all three fleets will have one or two races each day, separately sailed and scored. PHRF and non-spinnaker IRC classes will race as the Red fleet and will sail one “Navigator” race each day using government and racing marks on the southern part of Narragansett Bay. Staged as an ideal fit for cruising yachts entered in the Newport Bermuda Race, the relaxed format of the Navigator race offers competitors in that biennial race a low-key tune up before undertaking that classic distance race.
Among the IRC yachts that will compete in NYYC’s Annual Regatta presented by Rolex is Invictus, the TP-52 formerly known as Samba Pa Ti, which is raced by the U.S. Naval Academy’s Varsity Offshore Sailing Team.
“We will have seven 4th Class (freshmen), five 3rd Class (sophomores) and two 2nd Class (juniors) including myself and two coaches,” said Ralph Duffett, currently a 2nd Class Midshipman at the Academy, detailing the makeup of the 15 to 16 people who will be in the crew, all with varying experience. “In my opinion the greatest part of our program is our ability to take freshmen and sophomores with relatively less experience and over a fall season of learning basic skills and knowledge of tactics and strategy, followed by a spring season of more hands-on and offshore training, and field winning crews on several different types of boats in all of the regattas we participate in.”
“The thing I am looking forward to the most is the Around the Island Race,” continued Duffett, explaining that he has sailed on Invictus in the past two NYYC Annual Regattas (2010 and 2011). “After a spring of training it is our first point-to-point race and is a good way to test all the skills we have been honing all season. In my eyes it is an iconic start of the Annual Regatta. Even though it is scored separately, its navigational difficulty as well as the nature of the race gets everyone geared up for the rest of the regatta.”
Invictus, like other IRC yachts, will use the Annual Regatta as a tune-up prior to the start of the Newport Bermuda Race, before also competing in the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club Anniversary Regatta. The three events together constitute the Onion Patch Series, with the first race completed on Saturday and Sunday during NYYC’s Annual Regatta counting toward this series.
About The NYYC Annual Regatta Presented by Rolex
The tradition of the Annual Regatta began at the New York Yacht Club’s original clubhouse in Hoboken, N.J., in 1845, during its second year of existence. Racing for the NYYC Annual Regatta presented by Rolex takes place on Narragansett Bay and Rhode Island Sound, with daily awards and social activities at Harbour Court, NYYC’s on-the-water clubhouse in Newport, R.I.
Part of the 2012 Gulf Stream Series and the first event in the NYYC Classic Yacht Series, NYYC’s Annual Regatta presented by Rolex is open to yachts with a minimum length overall of 25 feet. The entry deadline is June 4. For a full list of entries and additional information, including registration, please visit the Annual Regatta event page on New York Yacht Club’s website at nyyc.org
Franck Cammas and Groupama 4 Crew win Brazil In-Port (Photo by Yann Zedda)
A confused start and a mistake by the Spanish leader marked this sixth In-Port race in Brazil! And despite pressure from the New Zealanders, Franck Cammas and his men controlled the course with flawless assurance… An extremely encouraging result just days after the installation of a new mast and above all a few extra steps closer to first place in the overall standing for Groupama 4.
The weather was stormy and unstable as the Volvo Ocean Race fired up again with the In-Port race off the port of Itajai (Brazil). In rain of varying degrees of intensity, the kick-off was given just a few minutes later than scheduled so as to enable a moderate southerly breeze to move in. The scenario involved around ten knots of breeze and little visibility beneath the squalls, but a very pleasant temperature for racing.
A penalty for the Americans
The start was very untidy: the Americans barged their way through at the Committee boat end, failing to respond to Abu Dhabi’s luff, they in turn having to leave room for Groupama 4, which was powered up in this phase of the course. As such Puma were dealt a 360 degree penalty. However, the damage was done as Franck Cammas and his men found themselves to leeward of Puma and Abu Dhabi, whilst the New Zealanders made the most of this bottleneck to get past everyone to windward. Indeed the start was carried out under spinnaker and getting the upper hand in the initial metres was essential.
Meantime, everyone had forgotten about the Spanish, who got a clear ride to leeward of the start line and when they came in to gybe onto the first course mark, Telefonica on top of Camper and was able to get past by taking their wind. This resulting stalling by the New Zealanders also enabled the Emirati boat and the French boat to take up root on their stern at the first mark, as the breeze was tending to ease. The whole fleet remained bunched, because even the Americans were still in the match thanks to the weakening breeze.
The short beat towards the following mark favoured a position to windward of any rivals and once again the Spanish made the best of the edge they had and were first to hunt down mark 2. Groupama 4 made the most of this manoeuvre to cover the New Zealanders thanks to a perfect change of tack on their bow! Franck Cammas thus snatched second place behind Telefonica as they were about to begin a long reaching leg, still in around ten knots of breeze.
A fatal error!
Itajai In-Port - Groupama 4 © Yvan Zedda
The surprise came when the Spanish leaders began to make for the wrong mark under spinnaker, whilst the rest of the fleet continued along on a reach! Groupama 4 moved up into the lead at that point and made a dive towards the next mark under spinnaker. The hierarchy appeared favourable with Camper conceding a few metres, Puma and Abu Dhabi around a hundred metres further back… and Telefonica a leg down. As they rounded the leeward mark, the breeze fell away to less than six knots and the beat was shaping up to be extremely tense. Groupama 4 benefited from a good wind shift whilst Camper, forced to get clear of the dirty air left by the French boat’s sails, headed off to the wrong side of the racecourse.
Remaining focused in this fluky breeze wasn’t easy, but Groupama 4′s tactician, Laurent Pagès, perfectly controlled the New Zealanders, preventing them from taking the initiative as the Kiwi boat was at ease in these light upwind conditions. The battle behind them was just as fierce between Abu Dhabi and Puma, though the Emirati boat didn’t manage to overtake the American boat which, in turn, was putting pressure on Camper! By that stage, all Franck Cammas and his men had to do was to put in one last gybe before the finish line. Groupama 4 went on to win her first In-Port race with a 48-second lead over Camper and 1’05 ahead of Puma. Most importantly the French team secured some very important points for the final standing since the Spanish leaders finished last…
Quotes from the boat
Laurent Pagès, tactician on Groupama 4:
“It was an intense race! Added to that, we got a surprise at the start because the south-easterly wind kicked back in very quickly: we didn’t have a lot of time to prepare ourselves and visualise the right place on the start line correctly. However, we weren’t far off performing a very good start in contact with the other boats. After that you had to remain lucid as regards what the wind was doing, as it was oscillating a fair bit, and we had to make sure we didn’t fluff the manoeuvre. We were lucky to be in a position to benefit from the mistake made by Telefonica as they were leading the race at that point. Obviously the direction they were taking threw our crew into doubt but the answer came very simply thanks to Charles Caudrelier. We noted that we were making fast headway upwind and we were always striving to stick to the inside track to round the marks. We ended up by securing a win, but above all gained four points on the Spanish leader in the overall standing! It’s important for the results in Galway… However, it’s also a psychological bonus: we’ve kept up this dynamic since Abu Dhabi so we just have to continue in the same vein.”
Franck Cammas, skipper of Groupama 4:
“It’s a great surprise: we weren’t expecting to be in front in this type of race. We were lucky, but we’ve also made a lot of progress in this format. Added to that, luck smiles on the daring: we were in the thick of the action from the first course mark. We were at ease in all the phases of the game, with a new genoa which gave us good speed upwind. We’ve also got a better handle on these close-contact races now, which is enabling us to build up our game without having to worry too much about our rivals. Even under spinnaker we found some deeper angles without having to follow the other boats. Winning an In-Port race after a dismasting is obviously a point in our favour, even though there’s nothing like the final offshore exercise to really test our reliability. And it’s good for morale too…”
Standing in the In-Port race in Itajai:
1-Groupama 4 in 46’27 = 6 points
2-Camper 48” astern = 5 points
3-Puma 1’05 astern = 4 points
4-Abu Dhabi 1’33 astern = 3 points
5-Telefonica 5’40 astern = 2 points
DNS-Sanya = 0 point
Overall standing after five offshore legs and six In-Port races:
1-Telefonica (Iker Martinez) : 1+30+6+29+2+27+6+20+1+25+2 = 149 points
2-Groupama 4 (Franck Cammas) : 2+20+2+18+5+24+2+30+4+20+6 = 133 points
3-Camper (Chris Nicholson) : 4+25+5+24+4+18+3+15+6+15+5 = 124 points
4-Puma (Ken Read) : 5+0+4+19+3+17+5+25+5+30+4 = 117 points
5-Abu Dhabi (Ian Walker) : 6+0+3+10+6+14+4+10+2+0+3 = 58 points
6-Sanya (Mike Sanderson) : 3+0+1+5+2+5+1+5+3+0+0 = 25 points
Itajai In-Port - Groupama 4 © Yvan Zedda
Artemis 23 Skippers, Nick Cherry and Sam Goodchild (Photo © Alexis Courcoux)
At 13.00 CET on Saturday 21st April, Artemis Offshore Academy sailors Sam Goodchild and Nick Cherry set off on the 3890nm race across the Atlantic in the 11th edition of the Transat AG2R La Mondiale; from Concarneau to Saint Barthelemy. Flying the flag for Great Britain and the youngest crew in the fleet, Sam and Nick are taking on the some of the finest competitors in the Beneteau Figaro 2 class.
After a final weather briefing, the sailors headed down to the docks for the last time: “We’ve just rigged the boat for windy conditions. Conditions at the moment are clear skies, sunshine and the forecasted 20 knots of wind, so similar conditions to the prologue.” At 11.00am CET, the 16 Figaros said their final emotional goodbyes, and headed out of the harbour one by one to the applause of a growing crowd of spectators who provided a great atmosphere and added to the emotion of the departure.
Artemis 23 round the first mark in 4th position (Photo by Artemis Offshore Academy)
Nick Cherry and Sam Goodchild on board Artemis 23 © Artemis Offshore Academy
The fleet crossed the start line at 13.00 CET, with Goodchild and Cherry setting off in great shape. Artemis 23 made a great start as Artemis Offshore Academy performance director, John Thorn details: “The race started with a chilly North Westerly wind of around 15 knots, (gusting up to 25 in the rain squalls) Conditions were sunny, with patches of heavy rain. The spectator boats have turned out in force off Concarneau churning up the sea, and cheering on the double handed sailors as they head out to open ocean. Sam and Nick set of in great spirits buoyed on by a good first leg and rounded the first windward mark in 4th position. Nearing the next mark, Artemis 23 is creeping into 3rd. As usual for a race start in France, there are masses of spectator boats, creating rough and confused waves making it a very difficult race start, especially for the boats
Prior to the race, Goodchild reported: “I’m feeling good, looking forward to getting out there after months of preparation. We have fairly bad weather predicted for the next three days, so I’m looking forward to getting through that and eventually seeing the Caribbean on the horizon.” To which Cherry added: “Conditions from tomorrow (Sunday) are looking pretty heinous, with strong winds and rough seas.” Weather conditions are set to take a turn for the worse with rain, big waves and winds of up to 50 knots setting in off Cape Finistère, a point on the course notoriously difficult at the best of times.
The masses of spectator boats made for a difficult start.
These conditions are expected to moderate somewhat by the time the fleet arrive there on Monday. After which the course turns South from Cape Finistère and heads off towards a virtual turning mark near the Canary Islands; the temperatures will increase and as the wind turns and comes from behind, the downwind spinnaker conditions should make for much more comfortable sailing.
La Transat AG2R La Mondiale is famous for it’s varying and challenging weather conditions and the claustrophobic living conditions will only add to the pressure. After leaving Concarneau at 13.00 CET on Saturday 21st April, the fleet hope to cross the Atlantic in 23-25 days.
For daily updates on the race and Artemis 23’s progress visit www.artemisoffshoreacademy.com and the Transat AG2R La Mondiale official race tracker.
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Race: La Transat AG2R La Mondiale, start time 1300 CET
Route: Finistère, Concarneau to Gustavia, Saint Barthelemy
Distance: 3890nm
Specification: Double-handed, one design transatlantic crossing
Yacht: Figaro Beneteau II
Length: 10m
Teams: Artemis, Banque Populaire, Bretagne Crédit Mutuel Performance, Cercle Vert, Cornovaille Port de Peche, EDM/Pays Basque Enterprises, GAES, Gedimat, Hotel Emeraude Plage Saint-Barthelemy, La Solidarité Mutualiste, Les Recycleurs Breton, Nacarat, NC1, NC2, One Network Energies, Sepalumic, Skipper Macif, Vendee
Competing Nationalities: French, British, Spanish
Current weather conditions for the start 21.04.12 - NW winds of up to 20 knots
Artemis 23 race towards 3rd position nearing the second mark © Artemis Offshore Academy
Robas (Photo by Carlo Borlenghi / Rolex)
Twenty-two Maxis (yachts measuring over 18.29 metres/60-ft in length) are expected to compete in the second edition of the Rolex Volcano Race running from 19-25 May in the Tyrrhenian Sea and marking the beginning of Rolex’s impressive Mediterranean yachting season.
In contrast to last year’s inaugural event when one race took place, three segments will be contested, commencing in the form of a day’s inshore racing on Saturday 19 May in Gaeta, a seaport on the Italian mainland located approximately halfway between Rome and Naples. During the second segment, beginning on Sunday 20 May, the fleet tackle Leg One of the 400-nautical mile offshore race, a 100-nautical mile voyage from Gaeta to Capri through the Pontine Islands. On arriving in Capri, the fleet will berth on the island for the night of Monday 21 May before attacking the most arduous segment of the week the following day. A 300-nautical mile adventure around the volcanic, UNESCO-protected Aeolian Islands awaits. The overall winner of this last section will take the plaudits at the finish line back in Capri, receiving the coveted Rolex Trophy and timepiece during the traditional Rolex party at the iconic La Canzone del Mare.
An intriguing contest is ahead. Of the 22 registered entrants, 11 different nationalities are represented. The bulk of the fleet is formed of Mini Maxis (yachts measuring 18.29-24.08 metres in length). Nine of the 13 crews that took part in last year’s inaugural race have committed to return: the rise in the size of the fleet and high volume of returning crews proves the race is an enticing prospect.
DSK Pioneer Investments sails past Strombolicchio (Photo by Carlo Borlenghi / Rolex )
Of the larger yachts, Filip Balcaen’s 112-ft Nilaya (BEL), launched last year, will be amongst the most eye-catching craft. With experienced tactician Bouwe Bekking calling the shots the crew impressed in winning the Supermaxi class at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in 2011. Close competition is guaranteed in the shape of Claus-Peter Offen’s 100-ft Wally Y3K (GER), winner of its category for three straight years at the same event, in the hands of a honed and savvy crew who have enjoyed sustained success for over a decade.
Not only is Offen owner and skipper of Y3K, he also acts as President of the International Maxi Association (IMA), the event organisers, and is therefore particularly enthusiastic about the event. “In terms of the environment, the race course takes us to one of the most enthralling sailing areas in the world,” he explains. “We are all looking forward to this event and finishing in Capri will be very exciting.”
“Wherever we are competing in the Mediterranean there is tremendous competition. The Rolex Volcano Race will be no exception,” continues Offen. “I expect rather light to moderate winds. Under these conditions tactical decisions will play an important role – as will a little bit of luck. This race takes us through the night with tricky, thermal wind conditions resulting from the changing land and sea breezes. A big lead can turn into a big loss in no time. You have to be cool and patient.”
As is form at an IMA event, there will be a significant presence of Swan yachts. Six are set to feature. One of these is returning entrant, Danilo Salsi’s DSK Pioneer Investments (ITA), a consistent Swan 90 and another class winner at last year’s Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, and sure to benefit from the experience of the 2011 race when she was the closest rival to eventual winners Alegre (GBR). The array of international crews also features Armeigin 3 (POR), Arobas (FRA), Bronenosec (RUS), Caol Ila (USA), E1 (AUT), Jethou (GBR), Vertical Smile (DEN) and Wild Joe (HUN). Twelve Italian crews complete the roster including Ernesto Gismondi’s Wally 65 Edimetra, a regular on the Rolex sailing circuit, and Marco Rodolfi’s elegant Swan 80 Berenice Bis featuring a crew that performed both at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and the Rolex Middle Sea Race in 2011.
A fascinating contest is in store, comprising a finely-matched, balanced fleet with navigators and tacticians – including former America’s Cup sailors of the calibre of Brad Butterworth, Tommaso Chieffi and Tiziano Nava – currently preparing in earnest for the various meteorological challenges that await them when negotiating Europe’s most volcanic region.
Start of the Swan 45s (Photo by Carlo Borlenghi / Rolex)
