Audi MedCup Sardinia (Photo © Carlo Borlenghi_Studio Borlenghi/Audi MedCup )
Last year Cagliari, capital of the beautiful island of Sardinia, played host to the glittering finale of the 2010 Audi MedCup Circuit. The gulf of Cagliari was where the final battles were settled and the titles won.
When the 2011 Audi MedCup Circuit reaches Cagliari in one week’s time the shimmering waters and engaging mix of breezes will set the scene for the theoretical mid-point of the season, half way through the itinerary of five trophy regattas.
For many of the competitor’s in both the 52 Series and the 40 Series, the goal will be to simply keep on doing what they have been doing, making small improvements. Others still have considerable room for improvement.
Last season Quantum Racing (USA) arrived in Cagliari harbouring hopes of a late catch up on the champions elect Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL). This time the crew which is lead by America’s Cup winner Ed Baird are looking to preserve their 11 points lead at the top of the leaderboard.
“For sure our goal is to leave Cagliari having managed to increase our lead, but we would be pleased to finish with the same lead. Cagliari has consistently proven a tough place to race, we are hoping it will be a little easier than Marseille.” Explains Quantum Racing’s project manager Ed Reynolds (USA).
After finishing second to Germany’s Container, winners of the Marseille Trophy, Reynolds is clear that he was in no way disappointed in their team’s performance in France. “It is quite the opposite in fact. It is always hard at a venue like that to go in a leader, being leader is definitely more difficult. In fact we were happy for example with the three race day when we came in having put just 10 points on the board. We were really happy with that. As leader you just cannot afford to take the risks that others did on a race area like that. We were pleased to be quick but for me it is akin to watching the Tour de France at the moment and seeing how difficult it is to protect the yellow jersey, you cannot take the risks that others do to get up to you. In the end in Marseille we gave up one and a half points to one boat there and extended on the others. And you consider that if Audi All4ONE’s risky call on the final race had not paid off as it did we would have tied on points and won the regatta. It was that close.”
“Let us just say that are cautiously optimistic about Cagliari. We do a lot of work between regattas. One of the things about a box rule is that ‘pick your poison’. You will always be giving up some speed somewhere and you have to choose that area. Consistently we can see where we are strong but have been working hard on the little areas we have seen as exposures.”
A summer mix, changing targets.
High summer in Cagliari sees a really good mix of wind conditions and predominantly flat water. The sea breezes tend to wrap round the points into the big, deep U shaped bay and it is not unusual for the breezes to split and conflict on either side of the course. And the strong Mistral blows offshore from the head of the gulf, accelerating hard down the long miles of flat land to the north.
With a second and first in consecutive regattas Udo Schütz’s Rolf Vroijk designed Container has proven the class act which has so far pushed the American flagged world champions the hardest. But it will be the first time Markus Wieser (GER) has skippered his team at the tricky Sardinian venue but so successful have been their first outings in the class, perhaps the German flagged crew are setting their sights even higher: “We are more than happy so far with the outcomes of the first 52 Series regattas. We had set goals quite high at the start of the season, hoping to finish in the Top 3, but it worked out well for us twice already, so why should be we not change the target?” says Wieser.
“Our strength is the good team, working hard together and having a lot of fun. We have no internal pressure at all. It is so important to enjoy racing together if you want to be successful. You even need to have a laugh on board at times. We planned to do the whole Audi MedCup Circuit with the same crew, so no changes. Never change a winning team!”
Despite a difficult start to their campaign pre-season goals have not been modified much on board Audi Sailing Team powered by All4ONE, skippered by Germany’s multiple Olympic medallist Jochen Schümann. They hope to be much more competitive in Cagliari, a venue he now knows well: “Although you could not see it in the final ranking we really made a big step in Marseille compared to Cascais where we had speed problems with the new boat. To win a race and be so close to another bullet gives us so much more self confidence. We hope to build on that and climb the leaderboard from here.”
“Keeping up with our goal of top three for the 2011 Audi MedCup Circuit will be hard because we already lost many points in these first two events and it is not so likely the leaders will struggle in the future, but we still look to shoot for podium finishes in each regatta.”
In the 40 Series, two wins from two regattas highlights the consistency of the Iberdrola Sailing Team, but they have been pushed hard at each event by different teams: “Our boat is already in Cagliari and ready to go and the team have been racing in J80’s and Laser. Meantime we have been working how to optimise the sails, building a few new ones, something we are allowed to do after ten races. Part of our crew have raced in Cagliari and know they have sailed in tough 20-25 knots conditions.”
“It is evident that the other teams are all improving and it is getting closer. I think that if there was a point at which we had an advantage because of our preparation it is now gone.”
“Our goal for Cagliari is to win the Trophy and stay on top of the standings.” Recounts Iberdrola Sailing Team’s project manager Augustin Zulueta (ESP).”
Racing starts with the 52 Series Practice Race Tuesday, points racing from Wednesday, while the 40 Series Practice Race is on Wednesday and their points racing starts Thursday.
Follow all the racing live on Audi MedCup TV on www.medcup.org.
Iberdrola Region of Sardinia Trophy © Stefano Gattini_Studio Borlenghi/Audi MedCup
Secret Men's Business 3.5, Overall Winner (Photo by Rolex / Daniel Forster )
It was a bright and windy morning today when boat owners, crews, friends and family gathered on the lawn of the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania in warm sunshine for the official prize-giving for the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2010. The races’ rich 66-year history provides for an impressive collection of race booty: intricately crafted silver trophies, hand-carved half models, and unique awards. His Excellency, the Honourable Peter Underwood, Governor of Tasmania, was on hand again this year to present the awards, along with Hobart’s Lord Mayor Rob Valentine; David O’Bryne, representing the Premier of Tasmania; the CYCA Commodore Garry Linacre; RYCT Commodore Graham Taplin; Patrick Boutellier of Rolex Australia; and Barbara McGregor, from Tasports.
Rolex Sydney Hobart Trophies (Photo by Rolex / Daniel Forster )
This was one of the more “classic” Rolex Sydney Hobarts in recent years because of the heavy weather and rough seas that boats and their crews encountered—a hallmark of this well-known ocean race. The race started with a ‘Southerly buster’ during the first night, with the fleet of 87 starters encountering winds that reached 40 to 50 knots. Those gale-force winds and the resulting monstrous seas took their toll and saw a steady stream of boats retire due to steering damage, torn sails and engine problems, and for one unlucky yacht, a dismasting. After two days, 18 boats were forced out of the race, retiring because of the adverse weather conditions and resulting damage to boat and equipment. Following that, boats and crew had to contend with getting across the notorious 100 nautical mile wide Bass Strait. By the race end, winds lightened somewhat and boats at the back of the fleet had trouble getting enough wind to get up the ten-mile stretch of Derwent River to the finish line in Hobart. Race favourite, Robert Oatley’s 100-foot maxi Wild Oats XI picked up the line honours as expected for a fifth time. In the end, it was the medium-sized boats that had the advantage, such as the 51-footer, Geoff Boettcher’s Secret Men’s Business 3.5, which was the overall handicap winner of this year’s race. The yacht won IRC Overall and IRC Division 1 titles. About the race, Boettcher said, “It was a boyhood dream to win this race. I just can’t believe I’m here.” He also thanked his talented and dedicated crew for their help. “These boys are fantastic,” he said.
Secret Men's Business Crew ( Photo by Rolex / Daniel Forster )
The Reichel Pugh 51 was extensively modified last year, and Boettcher attributes these modifications to helping with the win. “With the modifications we were able to point much better, and we increased the hull length while we were at it,” he said. A highlight of this morning’s presentation was when Investec Loyal maxi yacht skipper Sean Langman received the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia Trophy for second overall on elapsed time. Showing true sportsmanship at its best Langman said, “I’d like to acknowledge every single competitor in this year’s race, which was more a test of the human condition than just a boat race.” Langman went on to say that, as he often does, he greeted the last boat, Wave Sweeper, when it arrived into King’s Pier Marina, “To me that boat really epitomises what this race is about. Wave Sweeper stopped off in Eden and dropped off an injured crew. They had a whole lot of damaged sails, but still pushed on.” When Langman saw them arrive, he said they looked dejected for coming in last. In a touching tribute Langman said, “But to me, they really came in first. I’d like to give the crew of the Wave Sweeper a hearty congratulations for their effort.” While their can only be one winner, Langman’s attitude—that just finishing the race makes you a winner resonated with the father and son team aboard the US entry, Dawn Star. Keen sailors and competitors Bill and Will Hubbard shared a life long dream of sailing in a Rolex Sydney Hobart, what has become known as the world’s toughest ocean going race. The 76-year old Hubbard said of the race, “I can honestly say it was the worst race and the best race I’ve ever done—and that’s the honest to God’s truth. The second day was hell on earth. I’ve never been so unhappy and thought that I made a major error in judgment.” Bill Hubbard, 26, said the race was, “Wet! It was a test of endurancem but we got here.” At one point during the race south, Dawn Star was hit by a freak wave and knocked down, sending two crew members overboard. “Their safety gear keep them from being lost,” admitted the younger Hubbard. And with a twinkle in his eye, the sunburned and unshaven elder Hubbard looked back on the adventure that was the 2010 Rolex Sydney Hobart and said, “The fourth day was the most fantastic day on the water we’ve ever spent. The wind was perfect. The weather was perfect and in that night every star in the sky was out. It was beautiful.” The Polish Trophy is presented to the yacht travelling from the furthest point to compete. This year’s winner was Alberto Biffignandi’s One Life, which was sailed on an extended cruise by family and friends from Santa Margherita Ligure to Sydney. Biffignandi said the name of his boat is meant to inspire others. The affable Italian said, “You only have one life; you should go now or you never will.” The entries for this the 66th edition of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race included six international yachts from the USA, UK, Italy, France, as well as two partly crewed Russian boats, and entries from seven of the eight Australian states and territories.
Wild Oats , Line Honors Winner (Photo by Rolex / Daniel Forster )
RESULTS LINE HONOURS Wild Oats XI, Robert Oatley (NSW/AUS), Reichel/Pugh 100 IRC OVERALL Secret Mens Business 3.5, Geoff Boettcher (SA/AUS), Reichel/Pugh 51 DIVISION LEADERS IRC Div 0: Jazz, Chris Bull, (VIC/AUS), Cookson 50 IRC Div 1: Secret Mens Business 3.5, Geoff Boettcher IRC Div 2: Victoire, Darryl Hodgkinson (NSW/AUS), Beneteau First 45 IRC Div 3: Paca, Philippe Mengual (NSW/AUS), Beneteau First 40 IRC Div 4: Ray White Spirit of Koomooloo, Mike Freebairn (QLD/AUS), S&S 48 PHS Div 1: NSC Mahligai, Murray Owens & Jenny Kings (NSW/AUS), Sydney 46 PHS Div 2: Flying Fish Arctos, Martin Silk (NSW/AUS), McIntyre 55 Sydney 38: Eleni, Tony Levett (NSW/AUS), Sydney 38 ORCi 1: Jazz, Chris Bull ORCi 2: Victoire, Darryl Hodgkinson ORCi 3: Copernicus, Greg Zyner, (NSW/AUS), Radford 12 Cruising: OneLife, Alberto Biffignandi, Italy, Amel
Ringing In The New Year At The Finish In Hobart (Photo by Rolex / Daniel Forster )
1 Wild Oats XI Finished 02:07:37:20 11.3
Bob Oatley NSW 28 Dec, 8:37pm
2 Investec LOYAL Finished 02:11:11:34 10.6
Sean Langman (19) NSW 29 Dec, 12:11am
3 Lahana Finished 02:14:09:44 10.1
Peter Millard (1) NSW 29 Dec, 3:09am
4 Ichi Ban Finished 02:16:52:55 9.7
Matt Allen (21) NSW 29 Dec, 5:52am
5 Wild Thing Finished 02:17:15:29 9.6
Grant Wharington (23) VIC 29 Dec, 6:15am
6 Ran Finished 02:17:22:55 9.6
Niklas Zennstrom (1) England 29 Dec, 6:22am
7 Limit Finished 02:21:30:31 9.0
Alan Brierty (7) WA 29 Dec, 10:30am
8 Loki Finished 02:21:33:16 9.0
Stephen Ainsworth (13) NSW 29 Dec, 10:33am
9 Rodd & Gunn Wedgetail Finished 02:23:44:50 8.8
Bill Wild (6) QLD 29 Dec, 12:44pm
10 Living Doll Finished 03:00:18:35 8.7
Michael Hiatt (5) VIC 29 Dec, 1:18pm
11 Shogun Finished 03:00:18:54 8.7
Rob Hanna (4) VIC 29 Dec, 1:18pm
12 Jazz Finished 03:00:20:19 8.7
Chris Bull (3) NSW 29 Dec, 1:20pm
13 Pretty Fly III Finished 03:00:33:18 8.7
Colin Woods (4) NSW 29 Dec, 1:33pm
14 Secret Men’s Business 3.5 Finished 03:00:42:10 8.6
Geoff Boettcher (21) SA 29 Dec, 1:42pm
15 Terra Firma Finished 03:07:27:42 7.9
Nicholas Bartels (7) VIC 29 Dec, 8:27pm
16 Ragamuffin Finished 03:07:43:15 7.9
Syd Fischer (41) NSW 29 Dec, 8:43pm
17 Vamp Finished 03:08:36:59 7.8
Mikhail Muratov/Roger Hickman (33) Russia 29 Dec, 9:36pm
18 Merit Finished 03:09:18:53 7.7
Leo Rodriguez (2) QLD 29 Dec, 10:18pm
19 Titania of Cowes Finished 03:12:11:29 7.5
Richard Dobbs United Kingdom 30 Dec, 1:11am
20 Chutzpah Finished 03:13:03:30 7.4
Bruce Taylor (29) VIC 30 Dec, 2:03am
21 Victoire Finished 03:15:41:40 7.2
Darryl Hodgkinson NSW 30 Dec, 4:41am
22 Ocean Affinity Finished 03:15:42:52 7.2
Stewart Lewis (3) QLD 30 Dec, 4:42am
23 Extasea Finished 03:15:44:39 7.2
Paul Buchholz VIC 30 Dec, 4:44am
24 AFR Midnight Rambler Finished 03:17:04:53 7.1
Ed Psaltis (29) NSW 30 Dec, 6:04am
25 Cadibarra 8 Finished 03:20:46:20 6.8
Paul Roberts (7) VIC 30 Dec, 9:46am
26 Helsal III Finished 03:23:17:17 6.6
Rob Fisher (17) TAS 30 Dec, 12:17pm
27 St Jude Finished 03:23:31:37 6.6
Noel Cornish (3) NSW 30 Dec, 12:31pm
28 Valheru Finished 03:23:42:32 6.6
Anthony Lyall (9) TAS 30 Dec, 12:42pm
29 Patriot Finished 03:23:56:51 6.5
Tony Love (5) QLD 30 Dec, 12:56pm
30 NSC Mahligai Finished 04:00:09:23 6.5
Murray Owen (4) NSW 30 Dec, 1:09pm
31 Patrice Six Finished 04:00:17:51 6.5
Tony Kirby (25) NSW 30 Dec, 1:17pm
32 Dodo Finished 04:00:26:32 6.5
Rick Christian NSW 30 Dec, 1:26pm
33 Wasabi Finished 04:01:50:30 6.4
Bruce McKay (1) NSW 30 Dec, 2:50pm
34 Krakatoa II Finished 04:01:57:34 6.4
Rod Skellet (11) NSW 30 Dec, 2:57pm
35 Tevake II Finished 04:02:02:10 6.4
Angus Fletcher (1) VIC 30 Dec, 3:02pm
36 Paca Finished 04:02:08:45 6.4
Philippe Mengual (1) NSW 30 Dec, 3:08pm
37 Eleni Finished 04:02:59:17 6.3
Tony Levett (6) NSW 30 Dec, 3:59pm
38 Another Challenge Finished 04:02:59:46 6.3
Chris Lewin(3) VIC 30 Dec, 3:59pm
39 Zen Finished 04:03:27:06 6.3
Gordon Ketelbey (7) NSW 30 Dec, 4:27pm
40 L’Ange De Milon Finished 04:03:30:58 6.3
Jacques Pelletier France 30 Dec, 4:30pm
41 L’Altra Donna Finished 04:03:59:53 6.3
Andy Kearnan NSW 30 Dec, 4:59pm
42 Copernicus Finished 04:04:14:22 6.3
Greg Zyner (3) NSW 30 Dec, 5:14pm
43 She’s The Culprit Finished 04:04:21:29 6.3
Todd Leary (2) TAS 30 Dec, 5:21pm
44 LMR Solar Finished 04:04:38:13 6.2
Michael Martin (2) NSW 30 Dec, 5:38pm
45 Local Hero* Finished 04:04:46:09 6.2
Peter Mosely NSW 30 Dec, 5:46pm
46 Secret Men’s Business #1 Finished 04:05:03:05 6.2
Ross Trembath (13), Rob Curtis (4) NSW 30 Dec, 6:03pm
47 Flying Fish Arctos Finished 04:05:15:17 6.2
Martin Silk (1) NSW 30 Dec, 6:15pm
48 Ray White Spirit of Koomooloo Finished 04:06:48:11 6.1
Mike Freebairn (7) QLD 30 Dec, 7:48pm
49 Shepherd Centre Finished 04:07:44:11 6.1
Hugh Torode (1) NSW 30 Dec, 8:44pm
50 Scarlet Ribbon* Finished 04:09:03:06 6.0
Richard Buxton VIC 30 Dec, 10:03pm
51 Obsession Finished 04:09:06:57 6.0
Nikita Brilliantov NSW 30 Dec, 10:06pm
52 Chancellor Finished 04:09:13:20 6.0
Ted Tooher (5) NSW 30 Dec, 10:13pm
53 Geomatic Joker Finished 04:09:16:49 6.0
Grant Chipperfield (1) VIC 30 Dec, 10:16pm
54 Onelife* Finished 04:10:26:35 5.9
Alberto Biffignandi Italy 30 Dec, 11:26pm
55 Allegro Finished 05:00:54:11 5.2
John Taylor (15) NSW 31 Dec, 1:54pm
56 Mille Sabords Finished 05:00:56:38 5.2
Stephane Howarth VIC 31 Dec, 1:56pm
57 Wahoo Finished 05:00:56:54 5.2
Graham Mulligan NSW 31 Dec, 1:56pm
58 Aurora Finished 05:00:58:56 5.2
Jim Holley (22) NSW 31 Dec, 1:58pm
59 Crossbow Finished 05:01:07:53 5.2
David Stenhouse (1) & David Cutcliffe (5) NSW 31 Dec, 2:07pm
60 Abracadabra Finished 05:01:18:49 5.2
James Murchison (6) NSW 31 Dec, 2:18pm
61 Blunderbuss Finished 05:01:21:40 5.2
Tony Kinsman QLD 31 Dec, 2:21pm
62 She Finished 05:01:22:34 5.2
Peter Rodgers (15) NSW 31 Dec, 2:22pm
63 Dawn Star* Finished 05:01:47:36 5.2
William Hubbard III USA 31 Dec, 2:47pm
64 CIC Secure Inca Finished 05:02:26:31 5.1
Noel Sneddon (5) ACT 31 Dec, 3:26pm
65 Young Ones Finished 05:02:56:59 5.1
Ian Miller (2) VIC 31 Dec, 3:56pm
66 Illusion Finished 05:03:00:36 5.1
Jonathan Stone NSW 31 Dec, 4:00pm
67 Charlie’s Dream Finished 05:03:39:49 5.1
Peter Lewis (2) QLD 31 Dec, 4:39pm
68 Polaris of Belmont Finished 05:03:42:56 5.1
Chris Dawe (6) NSW 31 Dec, 4:42pm
69 Wave Sweeper Finished 05:06:08:30 5.0
Morgan Rogers (2) NSW 31 Dec, 7:08pm
Alchemy III* Retired – at Port
Jarrod Ritchie TAS
Bacardi* Retired – at Port
Martin Power (8) VIC
Brindabella* Retired – at Port
Jim Cooney NSW
Calm Retired – at Port
Jason Van der Slot (5) VIC
Exile* Retired – at Port
Rob Reynolds (1) NSW
Jazz Player* Retired – at Port
Andrew Lawrence (1) VIC
Nautical Circle* Retired – at Port
Matthew Prentice (1) NSW
Nemesis Retired – at Port
Jeffery Taylor USA
Pirelli Celestial* Retired – at Port
Sam Haynes NSW
Salona II* Retired – at Port
Phillip King (13) NSW
Scarlet Runner* Retired – at Port
Robert Date (2) VIC
Shamrock* Retired – at Port
Tony Donnellan (1) VIC
Shining Sea* Retired – at Port
Andrew Corletto (1) SA
Southern Excellence* Retired – at Port
Andrew Wenham (4) NSW
Swish* Retired – at Port
Steven Proud (3) NSW
Two True* Retired – at Port
Andrew Saies (5) SA
Wot Eva* Retired – at Port
David Pescud (19) NSW
Yuuzoo* Retired – at Port
Ludde Ingvall (7) NSW
Notes
Local Hero – awarded 30 minutes redress under RRS 62.1(c) for coming to the assistance of Bacardi
Scarlet Ribbon – cruising division boat
Onelife – cruising division boat
Dawn Star – 40 minutes redress granted under RRS 62.1(c) for locating and sinking a liferaft lost from Titania of Cowes
Alchemy III – boom damage
Bacardi – broken mast
Brindabella – damaged mainsail
Exile – steering damage
Jazz Player – damaged mainsail
Nautical Circle – Engine problems
Pirelli Celestial – Sail damage
Salona II – Steering Problems
Scarlet Runner – Sail damage
Shamrock – damage to rudder bearing
Shining Sea – Broken Rudder
Southern Excellence – At Sydney
Swish – radio damage – heading to Sydney
Two True – Engine problems
Wot Eva – engine problem
Yuuzoo – torn headsail
It is hard to imagine that a race conceived some 65 years ago by a bunch of adventurous yachtsmen in a Sydney yacht club, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, would become one of the world’s most famous and challenging ocean races: the Rolex Sydney Hobart. Today, the race ranks among the top headline grabbing events of the year and kicks off on Boxing Day, December 26th.
The widely known Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race draws high-profile entrants each year—from tycoons and media moguls to Internet and telecom entrepreneurs— and this year’s race is proving to be no exception. The race also attracts competitors from around the globe. The 2010 edition will see competitors from the US, UK, Russia, Italy and France.
One high-profile, international entrant is Niklas Zennström, co-founder of the Internet telephony company Skype, who will be sailing on his 72-foot mini maxi Ràn. Even before becoming a successful entrepreneur, Zennström has always been a keen sailor. He started sailing at the age of seven and as a teenager raced dinghies in his native Sweden. However, as the founder and CEO of fast growing tech companies that “took up all his time,” sailing was often put aside. It was not until after the sale of Skype that Zennström took up racing once more: “Sailing has always been a big passion of mine. So in 2005, I decided to take the time to sail again,” says the mild mannered sailor/entrepreneur. And since his return to the water, Zennström’s been very successful, bagging prestigious trophies like the 2009 Rolex Fastnet Race and the 2010 Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship. Last year, he was also a contender in the Rolex Sydney Hobart, placing in the top ten.
Despite the considerable distance involved in shipping the boat from the Mediterranean, Ràn will be back on the Rolex Sydney Hobart start line for a second go round. Asked why he is attracted to this race, the savvy, 44-year old Swede replied, “It’s one of the famous or infamous offshore races that one just has to do.” He adds, “Besides it’s really nice to come down to Sydney this time of year.”
Last year, Ràn seemed to shoot out of Sydney Harbour and was tipped to win the Rolex Sydney Hobart early on. However, the yacht encountered problems as the race progressed and finally ended up in sixth place overall. Still, it was not a bad result for Ràn, considering that it was her first time participating in the famously challenging race. As Zennström sees it, “We sailed very well last year. We won the big racing class, so we did what we could.”
As to why the boat lost her position later in the race, Zennström said, “We got beaten by two Beneteau 40-foot production boats. That’s offshore handicap racing for you—fast and slow boats sail differently in different conditions. Last year turned out to be a small boat race.”
In last year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart, the cargo ship carrying the custom-built 72-foot Ràn faced delays and arrived just in time for the race. That meant Ràn’s crew did not have a lot of time to prepare for the race. “This year is different,” says Zennström, “We won’t be doing any pre-Hobart racing but will focus on preparing the boat for the offshore race.”
Besides Zennström’s hunger for competition and adventure— and as if to prove he is just as colourful on the sea and out of the boardroom— he does what few married yachtsmen would ever contemplate: he sails with his wife. “Catherine rarely misses a race, specifically the offshores. She enjoys it very much. I think the fact that we race as a couple adds to the team spirit.”
When asked if he has any predictions for the 2010 Rolex Sydney Hobart, Zennström reflects for a moment and then says, “If it turns out to be a big boat race, we will fight extremely hard to win overall. But it also just might be a 40-footer from the 1970s that wins— that’s the beauty of this race.”
While most competitors are in the final stages of preparing their boats for the Boxing Day start of the Rolex Sydney Hobart, Frenchman Jacques Pelletier is biting his nails. Facing a similar situation that plagued Niklas Zennström and his team last year, Pelletier’s boat, L’Ange de Milon has been seriously delayed by shipping complications.
The ETA, Pelletier has now been told, is 21 December. Unfortunately, the 13-metre X-43 yacht will be offloaded in Newcastle, and then has a 12-hour sail to the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia docks, and that is after the boat has been reassembled.
The late arrival will give Pelletier and his French crew only three days to get L’Ange de Milon ready for one of the most demanding ocean races in the world. “Originally I had thought we could slip the boat and put on some antifouling,” Pelletier says. “Now I think that will be impossible.”
While the French team sorts out the logistics of getting their boat to the starting line, the US entry Dawn Star is set to go, having arrived in Australia with plenty of time to prepare, following a delivery from San Diego, Calif., to Australia in February. Dawn Star is a Baltic 46 co-skippered by the only father and son team in this year’s race. Bill and William Hubbard are keen sailors and competitors racing side by side in numerous competitions around the world.
The elder Hubbard is 76, and his son William is 26 years old. “Racing in the Rolex Sydney Hobart has been a life long dream for us,” says William. The two New Yorkers are looking forward to the challenge. When asked if he is prepared for the sometimes-treacherous conditions that the race can belt out, William says, “We’re ready and think we’ll be able to handle whatever is thrown at us.” Their ten-man crew is composed of three Americans, six British, and one Canadian.
The Swan 68, Tatania of Cowes (GBR), is notable for two reasons: the yacht was sailed 17,000 nautical miles from Newport, Rhode Island to reach Sydney in time for the 26 December start. Sailing onboard will be Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, competing in his first Rolex Sydney Hobart. In 1969, Sir Robin became the first person to sail single-handed, non-stop around the world. He also won the Jules Verne Trophy in 1994 for the fastest circumnavigation of the world, co-skippering with Sir Peter Blake on Enza New Zealand. Still an active international big boat racer, Knox-Johnston will join owner Richard Dobbs, Olympic medallist Mark Covell, and British match racer/commentator Andy Green. The boat, formerly Chippewa, was successfully campaigned throughout the USA, Caribbean and Europe.
A fleet of 90 yachts will compete in this year’s race, which starts at 1300 AEDT, 26 December 2010. The Rolex Sydney Hobart fleet will include six international entries from the USA, UK, Italy, France, and Russia, as well as every Australian state.
Carina Winner Of St. David's Lighthouse Division At Start (Photo by George Bekris )
Owned and sailed by Rives Potts (Westbrook, CT) with a crew blending four families, Carina is the 46th winner of the race’s top trophy in the 104-year history of the race, which runs 635 miles from Newport, RI to St. David’s Light, Bermuda.
The 48-foot McCurdy & Rhodes designed sloop won on corrected time under the Offshore Racing Rule by the very large margin of 3 hours, 35 minutes over Gregory B. Manning’s Sarah (Warwick, RI). Belle Aurore, a Cal 40 owned by R. Douglas Jurrius (Easton, MD) was third, seven minutes behind Sarah.
Carina’s chances for winning looked good but hardly certain when she finished the race at dawn Tuesday. Her chief challenge came from Belle Aurore and three other boats in Class 1, the small-boat class. Any of them could save their time and elbow Carina off the victory podium should she finish by about 7 PM. Many sailors at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club and elsewhere spent much of Tuesday following the quartet’s progress on the online iBoattrack tracker. In the end, nobody was able to save their time on Carina.
Those four smaller boats still did well. Belle Aurore won Class 1 and took third place in the St. David’s Lighthouse Division. Two other Cal 40s, Peter Rebovich’s two-time defending champion Sinn Fein (Metuchen, NJ) and Bill Leroy’s Gone with the Wind (Tiburon, CA), took second in the class and seventh in the division, and third in class and eighth in the division, respectively. The fourth boat, David G. Dickerson’s Peterson 38 Lindy, was fourth in class and 20th in the division.
Carina also won the North Rock Beacon Trophy as the top boat under the IRC Rule, with a margin of nearly four hours over Gracie, a custom 69-footer owned by Stephen and Simon Frank (Darien and Rowayton, CT). Gracie was also designed by McCurdy & Rhodes. Third under IRC was Arbella, a First 44.7 owned by James Shaughnessy (Greenwich, CT).
As of Noon ADT Wednesday, 9 boats in the 183-boat fleet were still on the race course. This is the third largest Newport Bermuda Race since it was founded in 1906. The St. David’s Lighthouse Division, for amateur crews, is the largest of the race’s five divisions, with 103 boats this year.
Invictus At Start (Photo by George Bekris)
FOR NEWPORT BERMUDA RACE START PHOTOS CLICK HERE
2010 Newport Bermuda Race
PROVISIONAL RESULTS
| Place, Yacht, Owner, Origin, Results (ORR(Cls, Div) / IRC(Cls, Div)) |
| Class 1 (11 Boats) – St. David’s Lighthouse Division
|
Genuuine Risk At Start Of Bermuda Race (Photo by George Bekris )
Bermuda executive Mark Watson made his first race to Bermuda memorable with a corrected time win in Genuine Risk in the Open Division for cant-keel boats. Speedboat, owned by Alex Jackson, took line honors for the race, finishing just before dawn at 3:47:56 with an elapsed time of 59:17:56, well off the course record. Rán, the Fastnet and Sydney Hobart race winner, finished first in Class 10 and is a strong contender for the Gibbs Hill Lighthouse trophy.
Il Mostro (Puma) skippered by Ken Read, crossed the line second and corrected just behind Genuine Risk. “We were ahead of Il Mostro and Speedboat after we all came out of the Gulf Stream west of the rhumb line,” Watson said. “We decided to take a more easterly angle to avoid a cold eddy with negative current, but that let Speedboat separate from us.” Ralph Steitz, Sailing Director for the US Merchant Marine Academy (owner of Genuine Risk, which Watson sponsored), was one of many sailors who said how much they had enjoyed the race. “This was the easiest Bermuda Race I’ve ever done and I’ve done a few.”
Photos of Bermuda Race Start By George Bekris HERE
- PUMA Ocean Racing’s IL Mostro (Photo by George Bekris)
Rán, Niklas Zennstrom’s JV 72, is the provisional winner in Class 10 for big professional boats in the Gibbs Hill Lighthouse Division after being pushed hard by Tom Hill’s Titan XV for more than 600 miles. George David’s Rambler matched up with Karl Kwok’s Beau Geste and took line honors for these fixed-keel boats. “I’ve never sailed a Bermuda Race when you’re head to head with another boat for so long,” said Rambler’s tactician, Jerry Kirby. “It came down to the last tack to St. David’s Light.”
Vanquish, co-skippered by Bermudian Buddy Rego and Americans Russell Lucas and Jamie Hilton, crossed the line first in Class 8 for the big boats in the amateur St. David’s Lighthouse Division, but Gus Carlson’s Aurora is the provisional class winner. Some smaller boats have a good shot at winning the division. Carina, skippered by Rives Potts, has a 60-mile lead over her Class 3 competition. In the highly competitive Class 1, Sinn Fein, Peter Rebovich’s Cal 40 and the two-time defending St. David’s winner, has sailed farther west than anybody and is fighting for the lead with David Dickerson’s Lindy.
In the Double-Handed Division, iBoattrack showed Michael Hennessy’s Dragon at the head of the pack, 160 miles from the finish, with the four-time winner Lora Ann not far behind. The Cruising Division’s leader, Clover III, was about 70 miles out on Saturday afternoon with a healthy lead on the 80-footer Nirvana.
Genuine Risk (Photo by George Bekris)
Speedboat Crew On Deck
Stan Honey and Crew Of Speedboat Arrive In Bermuda
It was a slow race, with Speedboat making the 635-mile course in just over 59 hours after the start at Newport on Friday. The crew of 25 never reefed the boat. In the light to moderate conditions that prevailed through most of the race, Speedboat was hard pressed by Il Mostro, Rambler, and several boats in the mini-maxi 70-80 foot range over the first third of the course. “We really didn’t get away from them until we were in the Stream,” navigator Stan Honey said after Speedboat tied up at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club’s marina early Monday morning. “Then they gained a lot in the light stuff as we came into the finish.”
At 5 AM EDT the mini-maxi Rán on its blog reported less than 10 knots as she beat to windward toward the buoys guarding Bermuda’s reef. “Titan is downwind from us and is not a threat. Rambler and Beau Geste are upwind and in front as we thought they would. We are still in a strong position although it now looks like Beau Geste is the biggest threat. Just a few more hours to go.”
At 6:30 the blog reported, “As we are approaching the finish slowly but surely, we are all on deck, no more watches, all are on duty for the final stretch. Coffee and tea served on the rail – black only as no more milk powder onboard. Very calm water. Wind speed of 9 knots –
just over – and land in sight.”
Traditional Dark n Stormys Being Prepared At The Dock For Speedboat Crew
Speedboat From Above (Photo by Daniel Forster / PPL )
The lead boats entered the Gulf Stream at around sunset Saturday, heading upwind into a moderate southwesterly wind with as much as 4 knots of favorable current in the long, hot meander that they have been steering for since the race start on Friday afternoon. Speedboat, at 100ft the largest yacht in the fleet, was making more than 12 knots over the bottom. The earlier “champagne conditions” were behind them as they pounded into big, square, confused seas.
iBoattrack positions at 11 AM EDT Sunday showed Speedboat averaging almost 11 knots with 175 miles to the finish. At this rate she is behind the 48-hour elapsed time race record for cant-keel, Open Division boats – She has to average 13knots for the whole race to beat this time.
Rán was 38 miles back. Following close on the heels of this English boat in the Gibbs Hill Division were Titan XV, Beau Geste, Bella Mente, Rambler, Il Mostro, Vanquish, and Genuine Risk. This tightly bunched pack of eight has been separated by only a few miles since the start.
Ran From Above (Photo by Daniel Forster / PPL )
By this morning the ‘big boat’ leaders were clear of the Stream and entering the 250-mile stretch of often confused wind and currents between the Gulf Stream and Bermuda. Race veterans wryly call this “Happy Valley,” for it is where the race is often won and lost.
Chris Museler, on Titan XV, filed this report just before midnight:
“Now this is what we came for! The boat is literally crashing into waves close reaching onto the Gulf Stream and the water temperature has leapt into the 80s. It’s getting darker and the Aramid rigging has been humming and groaning, and the deck bounces from each loud crack when a sheet or the traveler is eased. This wild ride comes from being in a positive eddy heading south, straight into it! (Wind and current collide to stack up the seas that the boats are crashing into.) This is getting to be fun after losing a bit to competitors this afternoon. The bright sun and the flat water sailing are gone. Can’t write anymore, quite hot and uncomfortable down here. So I’m on watch and will be seeing you in the morning. Knew I wouldn’t want to sail a Bermuda Race without a proper ‘thrash,’ as Mr. Rousmaniere calls it!”
'Sinn Fein' a Cal 40 skippered by Peter S. Rebovich Sr. leads 'Frolic', a Sabre 362 owned by Peter Brown, in class 1 of the St David's Lighthouse at the start of the 635 mile Newport Bermuda Race(Photo by Daniel Forster / PPL)
The Smaller Boats
By dawn today, Rán was out of the Stream, and the team was speculating in their blog whether the smaller boats – a hundred miles astern, and just entering this zone – have had consistently more wind than the big ones.
In Class 1, the St. David’s Lighthouse Division class for boats of about 40 feet, Sinn Fein, the two-time defending St. David’s champion, has chosen a course well to the right of the fleet leaders, and her close class rivals sistership Gone with the Wind and the Tartan 41 Aurora, and charting a route 50 miles west of the rhumb line.
In the Double-Handed Division, two of the light-displacement Class 40s, Dragon and KamoaE, have a healthy lead on elapsed time, but Richard du Moulin’s Lora Ann remains in contention.
The Cruiser Division leader is the 56-foot Clover III, well ahead of the bigger boats in this Division.
The Gibbs Hill Lighthouse and St David's Lighthouse Trophies (Photo by Barry Pickthall / PPL)
Ran At Newport Bermuda Race Start (Photo by George Bekris )
The Newport Bermuda Race fleet made their upwind starts in 16 classes over a period of more than two and a half hours on Friday afternoon. There now are 183 boats, after Avatar didn’t start. In addition, Blue sailed back to the shipyard to get her broken centerboard cable fixed; she’s expected to start again after the repair.
The start found some skippers were surprisingly aggressive. Apparently forgetting that this isn’t a day race but a 635-mile marathon running several days, they also seem to have experienced a touch of amnesia about the tide table. As the new ebb tide ran with every great velocity out of Narragansett Bay, it pushed them inexorably toward Bermuda, but also over the starting line a little earlier than their tacticians had planned.
Of the 13 boats in Class 4 (St. David’s Light Division, 45-55 footers), four found themselves over early at the pin end, with Star Chaser getting what one of her crew called “the best start in the fleet” in an email to media@BermudaRace.com. “We were at the committee boat end of the line with some of the J-Boats but higher and faster. We all chose to be slightly late on the gun: no use being OCS on a race of 635 nm!”
In Class 8 (St. David’s Light, 65-footers) two boats were premature. One was Aurora (with Gary Jobson in the afterguard), and she had to pick her way back to the line, losing at least three minutes in the process.
The current new on the Newport Bermuda Race is that Speedboat took the lead from Titan XV at sunset Friday night as the big 183-boat fleet raced toward Bermuda on a fast close reach in a flat sea, clear visibility, and a moderate southwest wind that gradually strengthened and clocked toward the west. Two boats set Code Zeros.
For current boat positions click HERE
Chris Museler reports from Titan XV: a collision, a Code Zero, and a champagne wake
Friday, 2045 EDT. What an incredible day we’ve had! When I woke up to clear skies and glassy conditions, I knew the sea breeze was setting up nicely. After our delicious hot lunch aboard Tom and Dotty Hill’s Titan XIV, we set out in a relaxed mood, everyone smiling about the conditions. The spectators were all smiles and cheers. There were so many people camped out on the Castle Hill lawn that you couldn’t see any grass.
We started well to weather of the other mini maxis in Class 10 (Gibbs Hill Division) and from then until sunset (a few moments ago) it’s been champagne sailing conditions – sailing at 13-15 knots in a steady wind. We’ve been the lead boat for a few hours, but now as it’s getting dark, Speedboat is passing us to leeward. She started at 4:30, an hour after we did, and it’s now after 8. Rán (in our class) isn’t far behind.
At about 5:30 we hit a large marine animal of some kind. It may have been a basking shark, maybe as long as 20 feet. The hit was soft and we almost stopped. The fish made a few squiggles, spun off, and swam away in our wake. The boat appears to be undamaged.
We’ve switched to a Code Zero, and as our grinders are getting busy they look a lot bigger than before. Mark Strube, who finished second at the Star Class Europeans two weeks ago, is 250 pounds of muscle. The crew has just had dinner – hot rice and chicken with pineapple, which took an hour to cook in two large pots, plus the usual Snickers and Pringles for snacks . . . and apples, too.
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- Newport Bermuda 2010 Start (Photo by George Bekris)
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- Newport Bermuda 2010 (Photo by George Bekris )
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- Newport Bermuda 2010 ( Photo by George Bekris )
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- Ran (Photo by George Bekris)
Photos By George Bekris
More Photos Of The Newport Bermuda Race Start by George Bekris click HERE
The leader for several hours was Titan XV, in the Gibbs Hill Lighthouse Division. She was caught by Speedboat (Open Division, which started an hour later) at about 8:45 pm. Other positions have been changing in the extremely competitive group of mini maxis sailing in the Gibbs Hill Division, with Hap Fauth’s Bella Mente overtaking Niklas Zennstrom’s Rán soon after midnight, and Rán then catching Rambler and Beau Geste in parking-lot conditions. The wind slowly faded during the night, swung into the north for a while. After dawn, two boats reported a very light breeze from the southeast, which is the course to Bermuda. Later on Saturday morning the wind filled in nicely with a report of 15-plus knots, whitecaps, and the first sighting of cumulus clouds over the Gulf Stream ahead. There also were reports of U.S. Navy exercises in the area of some boats.
By John Rousmaniere
