Ecover Extreme 40 At Practice for Cowes iShares ( Photo Courtesy of iShares Cup)
The UK round of the 2009 iShares Cup circuit kicks off tomorrow, with Day 1 of the iShares Cup at Cowes Week. Today’s practice races saw three different victors over 3 races with Jean-Christophe Mourniac (LUNA), Yann Guichard (Gitana Extreme – Groupe LCF Rothschild) and Nick Moloney (BT) winning the final practice race today. Tricky conditions in the light and shifty breeze, and some over-zealous starts, has not provided a clear form guide but a good shakedown for the Extreme 40 crews ahead of the serious business that starts tomorrow at 2.00pm.
After two rounds on the six-stage European circuit the iShares Cup leaderboard is still wide open, especially now current overall leaders BMW ORACLE Racing have been forced to miss the Cowes event due to commitments testing their new America’s Cup boat in San Diego, USA. Of the nine racing teams, this puts Oman Sail’s Masirah in pole position after their win at the second round in Hyères, France last month. However, Masirah are on equal points with Gitana Extreme-Groupe LCF Rothschild, winners of the season opener in Venice.
Pete Cumming, skipper of Masirah: “We’re in an ideal position, and obviously after Hyères we’re going into this event pretty confident but at every event different teams come back stronger and stronger so you’d be a fool to count anyone else out of the game. The only time we ever really look at the results is going into the final double points race because you can’t do anything about everyone else, so we’ll just keep our heads down and try and sail clean and not pick up any stupid penalties – which I think will be pretty tricky here!”
BMW ORACLE Racing are planning to rejoin the iShares Cup circuit at the next venue in Kiel, Germany, later this month – with up to 24 races at each venue, James Spithill and crew can still be in contention for the title at the halfway stage of the series.
Just behind Gitana Extreme, Oman Sail’s stable mate Renaissance, skippered by Loick Peyron, is one point behind in fourth overall, whilst the French multihull squad on Groupama 40 are just four points further adrift in fifth. Groupama 40 has a new skipper for the iShares Cup at Cowes Week, as Franck Cammas this week set off on a transatlantic record attempt on the giant multihull Groupama 3. He will be replaced by Olympic catamaran sailor and former 470 class world champion Gildas Philippe. Meanwhile, on Team iShares crew Winston McFarlane steps in for fellow Kiwi Jonathan Macbeth. McFarlane has sailed with Team New Zealand in several America’s Cups. Extreme 40 class creator Mitch Booth is, once again, the helmsman for BT standing in for an injured Darren Bundock.
The iShares Cup racing will take place on a short shore-side course set just off Egypt Point, on Cowes Espalanade. The third venue will bring new challenges to the crews, including the Solent’s strong tides and rocky coastline to avoid, and some strong breezes. Tim Hancock, Race Director, confirmed: “Tomorrow the forecast wind is going to be southerly, about 12-15 knots. Saturday’s current forecast is south-westerly 10-12, Sunday it’s going lighter but the wind will swing around to the north-west, and Monday will be the windiest day, on a north-westerly currently forecast around 16 knots, although there’ll be gusts of more than that I’m sure.”
The iShares Cup sailors will be joined by some celebrity sportsmen and women… On Monday Arctic adventurer Ben Fogle will be sailing with fellow Champagne G.H.Mumm Cordon Rouge Club member Mike Golding on Ecover; record-breaking offshore sailor Dee Caffari will join Shirley Robertson on Team iShares on Sunday; while Iwan Thomas, Olympic and Commonwealth 400m medallist, will be sailing on Ecover on Friday.
Racing kicks off on Saturday, 1st August at 2pm, with a full afternoon of up to eight short, sharp races planned. The iShares Cup racing continues on Sunday, 2nd and Monday, 3rd August .
Hugo Boss (Photo courtesy of Alex Thomson Racing)
British solo round the world sailor Alex Thomson will be joined by a host of talent onboard the newly re-fitted Open 60 HUGO BOSS for the 2009 Rolex Fastnet Race. Joining him onboard will be former Olympic skier and adventurer Graham Bell, Sir Keith Mills (Head of the British America’s Cup campaign Team Origin and founder of the Air Miles International Group) and Rob Greenhalgh, twice veteran of the Volvo Ocean Race and recently crowned Skiff World Champion. Navigator Andrew Cape will also join the crew for the race. Andrew ‘aka Capey’, recently completed his sixth lap of the planet alongside Rob onboard PUMA Ocean Racing during the last edition of the Volvo Ocean Race. Capey is no stranger to Alex Thomson or HUGO BOSS, after securing second place in the Barcelona World Race with Alex in 2007. Completing the crew line up is the man who will be preparing the boat for the Fastnet Race, HUGO BOSS boat captain Ross Daniel.
The world famous event will kick off on Sunday 9th August from Cowes on the Isle of Wight. The 600 nautical mile race will see a fleet of 300 head along the English Channel and out towards the famous Fastnet Rock on the Southern tip of Ireland, the fleet will then turn around and head back to the finish in Plymouth.
Graham who is a totally novice sailor will undertake a sea survival course ahead of the race. The race has been running for 89 years and attracts a range of sailors of all levels. It was brought to national attention in 1979 after an extreme storm swept through the Irish Sea, 15 crew as well as 4 from the trimaran shadowing the race and two from a cruising yacht, tragically died. Only 85 boats finished, 194 retired, and 24 boats were abandoned.
“I am excited about the prospect of sailing with Alex and his crew for the Fastnet, I am certainly in great company and hope that everything goes to plan. This is certainly one of the most adventurous things I have ever done,” said Graham.
This will be the first race onboard HUGO BOSS after Alex was forced to retire from the Vendée Globe in December last year, the Open 60 has undergone a full re-fit at Endeavour Quays in Gosport.
“I’m really excited to get back out racing again. I think we have a great crew lined up, and it will be fantastic to have Capey step onboard again. I am sure Graham will enjoy every minute of this historic race, seeing the Fastnet Rock for the first time is one of those special moments in sailing that I’m sure he won’t forget. I’m looking forward to a good race and hopefully a good result,” commented Alex.
The Fastnet Race will take place on 9th August, starting at Cowes and finishing in Plymouth. The first boats are expected to finish on 11 August, weather dependent. The current course record is held by Mike Slade’s 100-foot super maxi ICAP Leopard standing at 1 day, 20 hours, and 18 minutes.
