White Rhino (Photo by George Bekris)
Ideal sailing conditions, perfect starts and a 16-18 knot southwesterly breeze allowed the 26 boats competing in the 2012 Ida Lewis Distance Race (ILDR) to power up on Friday, August 17, and provide a great show for the spectators who turned out to see them off on their offshore adventure. The IRC, PHRF and PHRF Doublehanded fleets were sent on the 122 nautical mile Nomans course, while the two boats racing in the PHRF Cruising Spinnaker class took on the 103 nautical mile Buzzards Tower course.
Weather conditions led to a prediction that the leaders in IRC would be at the finish line off the historic Ida Lewis Yacht Club sometime after sunrise on Saturday morning, where they would receive the traditional champagne welcome. That prophecy came true for the Ker 40 Catapult owned by Marc Glimcher (New York, N.Y.), which had passed the first mark of the course with about a minute lead on the rest of the IRC fleet and held on to take line honors just before 6:30 a.m. on Saturday morning.
Line Honors Winner Catapult (Photo by Megan Sepe)
“This race was fantastic,” said Geoff Ewenson (Annapolis, Md.) who was the navigator on Catapult. “They made a very good decision in shortening the course to a 122 miler. It really allowed all of the IRC boats to race reasonably tightly and there was everything to the race without the extra 25 or 30 or 40 miles. In the end everybody on our team, and I’m sure on the 42s, felt like it was the perfect length race. We got all the conditions, all the angles, we had a bit of everything and we didn’t feel that the race drug on at all. For us it ended at the right time.“
Breakaway (Photo by George Bekris)
Ewenson sailed the inaugural Ida Lewis Distance Race in 2004 and recalled that they finished that race in the wee hours of Sunday morning with the race taking what seemed like forever. This year after finishing the race in under 17 hours he explained that the challenge was whether to get into a watch system or tough it out and sail everybody up. “We realized there would be short bits during the race when it wouldn’t be stability conditions and so we had to steal little naps then. The most anybody slept on our boat was probably an hour.”
For their efforts, Catapult collected the Ida Lewis Distance Race Commodore’s Trophy for the IRC class win, along with the perpetual Russell L. Hoyt Memorial Trophy for best elapsed time. For Ewenson, winning the Hoyt award had special meaning.
“When I was 10 years old I sailed home from Bermuda on Russell Hoyt’s boat Destination. I grew up in Newport and knew Russell and I considered him to be a friend even though he was quite a bit older than me. It really is quite nice to be able to be on the boat that comes back and wins the trophy that’s named after him.”
The 56’ Swan White Rhino captured the glory in the 14-strong PHRF class. Owner Todd Stuart (Key West, Fla.) almost pulled out of the race when he thought he wouldn’t have enough crew. It all came together with a number of his regular crew, including sailors he has twice done the Bermuda Race with, forming the core of this race’s team. “We had a great race; it was a lot of fun,” said Stuart after collecting the Lime Rock Trophy for the class win. “We started out fast and the wind held up for us and when it’s windy our boat’s pretty quick, and I think we got lucky. When we turned around, I think the winds were changing behind us a little bit. I think some of the slower boats that could have caught us on corrected time, if the winds had held up, I think the door just closed on them. For a brief period we were down to about four knots of breeze during the thunderstorms; we barely got wet and then the winds came back to being favorable for us. We made good time the whole way. We made a decision to leave Block Island to starboard and I think that was the right choice because a boat that was pretty much neck-and-neck with us left it to port and when we both got on the back side we had definitely gained a couple miles on them.”
Stuart raced the 2011 ILDR in the IRC class, and because he expected to have fewer crew kept White Rhino in PHRF for this year’s race. “This was perfect as we had a bunch of new people on the boat so we thought we’d play it safe and make the boat a little less dramatic. Until the storms came through it was a perfect starlit night with little meteorites here and there. Nobody complained this year about the distance. It was a fast race and we finished in 17 hours. Seems perfect to me. We had an awesome time. This is actually our first win in a real race so my wife Lisa [the cook on all of White Rhino’s distance races] and I, we’re very excited about it.”
The win in the PHRF Doublehanded class was taken by Paul Cronin (Jamestown, R.I.) and Jim Anderson on the Quest 30 Kincora, with the PHRF Cruising Spinnaker prize going to the Nautor Swan 55 Haerlemowned by Hendrikus Wisker (Round Hill, Va.). Four boats had met the requirement that more than 40% of the crew must have reached their 14th birthday but not turn 20 prior to August 17, to compete for the Youth Challenge, and Chris Bjerregaard’s (Bristol, R.I.) Bashford Howlson 36 Shearwater earned that honor.
Spearheading a new challenge for college teams to compete in this late-summer distance race, SUNY Maritime College (Throggs Neck, N.Y.) reinstated the William E. Tuthill Trophy which was last presented in 1978 to the winner of the Eastern Inter-Collegiate Overnight Race. The trophy honors Tuthill, an avid sailor and member of the class of 1973, who met with accidental death at sea on the summer cruise in 1972. Massachusetts Maritime College (Buzzards Bay, Mass.) bested SUNY Maritime to receive the trophy in what is planned to be a continuing challenge.
The Ida Lewis Distance Race is a qualifier for the New England Lighthouse Series (PHRF); the Northern and Double-Handed Ocean Racing Trophies (IRC); and the US-IRC Gulf Stream Series.
Starting Line sponsors for the 2012 Ida Lewis Distance Race are the City of Newport, New England Boatworks, Newport Shipyard and North Sails. Contributing sponsors are Blue Water Technologies,Dockwise Yacht Transport, Flint Audio Video, Goslings Rum, Mac Designs, Sea Gear Uniforms, Stella Artois, Rig Pro Southern Spars and Zblok.
Find more information online at www.ildistancerace.org – including the ability to relive the race viaKattack LIVE ; or “Like” ILDR on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ILYCDistanceRace
Ida Lewis Distance Race – Top-three Results
Place, Yacht Name, Type, Owner/Skipper, Hometown
Class 1 – IRC (6 Boats)
1. Catapult, Ker 40, Mark Glimcher, New York, N.Y.
2. Barleycorn, Swan 42, Brendan Brownyard, Bay Shore, N.Y.
3. Blazer, Swan 42, Christopher Culver, Stamford, Conn.
Class 2 – PHRF (14 Boats)
1. White Rhino, Swan, Todd Stuart, Key West, Fla.
2. Samba, Quest 30, Tristan Mouligne, Newport, R.I.
3. Wazimo, Aerodyne 37.66, Bob Manchester, Barrington, R.I.
Class 3 – PHRF Double-Handed (4 Boats)
1. Kincora, Quest 30, Paul Cronin, Jamestown, R.I.
2. Oronoco, Sabre 426, Adrian Ravenscroft, Cohasset, Mass.
3. Breakaway, J/35, Paul Grimes, Portsmouth, R.I.
Class 4 – PHRF Cruising Spinnaker (2 Boats)
1. Haerlem, Nautor Swan 55, Hendrikus Wisker, Round Hill, Va.
2. Gigi, Gulfstar 50, Joe Cleverdon, Newport, R.I.
Brad Van Liew Celebrates His Sprint 4 Win (Photo by Ainhoa Sanchez/w-w-i.com)
American solo sailor Brad Van Liew today made it an incredible four wins out of four legs in
the VELUX 5 OCEANS solo round the world race as he sailed into his hometown of Charleston
to a hero’s welcome.
The people of Charleston turned out in force to cheer on the 43-year-old as he brought an end
to a gruelling 5,900-mile leg from Punta del Este in Uruguay. After a painfully slow and
frustrating final few days at sea which saw him battle fluky, light winds on the approach to the
finish, Brad steered his 60ft Eco 60 yacht Le Pingouin across the line outside Charleston Harbor
at 1658 EST (2058 UTC). He completed the leg in 23 days, four hours and 58 minutes, and
averaged 10.6 knots over the course of the sprint.
VELUX 5 OCEANS skipper Brad Van Liew onboard his yacht Le Pingouin wins the 4th Ocean Sprint from Punta del Este, Uruguay to to Charleston SC, USA.(Photo by Ainhoa Sanchez/w-w-i.com)
More than 20 spectator boats hit the water to welcome home Brad and Le Pingouin including
the Charleston pilot boat Fort Moultrie, carrying Brad’s family as well as VELUX America
president Tim Miller and dignitaries from the city. Brad was even treated to a fly-past in a light
aircraft by his former airplane charter business partner.
With clear blue skies and the summer sun beating down, Brad finally arrived at Charleston’s
Seabreeze Marina at 1900 local time. Among the crowds waiting for Brad on the dock were his
wife Meaghan and his children Tate, 9, and Wyatt, 6, who he hasn’t seen since leaving
Wellington, New Zealand, on February 6.
Stepping on to dry land for the first time in more than three weeks, Brad said: “For me winning
this leg is so special. If I could have chosen just one leg to win it would have been this one. This
is my home port, I am very involved in the maritime community in Charleston and all my friends
and family are here. It would have been pretty disappointing to have won the previous legs and
not win this one. I was very focused and very determined. I feel delirious and exhausted – it was
a heck of a leg.”
Brad has so far won every leg of the 30,000-mile VELUX 5 OCEANS, known as The Ultimate
Solo Challenge. With just one leg left Brad is the clear favourite to win the race overall. A former
airline pilot, Brad is a veteran of two previous editions of the race, in 1998 and in 2002 when it
was known as the Around Alone. In the 2002 edition Brad won every single leg in class two for
yachts 50ft and under.
A win in the final sprint of the 2010/11 race would make Brad the most successful sailor ever to
compete in the event. He already sailed into the history books during sprint three, becoming the
only American ever to have raced around Cape Horn three times.
Brad Van Liew onboard his yacht Le Pingouin wins the 4th Ocean Sprint (Photo by Ainhoa Sanchez/w-w-i.com)
A well-known figure in Charleston, Brad was instrumental in the development of the South
Carolina Maritime Foundation, a sail training charity which has taken more than 6,000 students
sailing since 2007.
Brad’s closest rival, Canadian Derek Hatfield, is expected to arrive in Charleston on his Eco 60
Active House tomorrow to claim second place.
Positions at 0000 UTC
Skipper / distance to finish (nm) / distance to leader (nm) / distance covered in last 24 hours
(nm) / average speed in last 24 hours (kts)
Brad Van Liew, Le Pingouin: Finished at 20:58 UTC on Tuesday April 20
Derek Hatfield, Active House: 111.6 / 0 / 137.9 / 5.7
Chris Stanmore-Major, Spartan: 333 / 221.4 / 83.8 / 3.5
Zbigniew Gutkowski, Operon Racing: 3205 / 3093.4 / 0 / 0
SKIPPER QUOTES:
I feel delirious and exhausted – it was a heck of a leg. Derek really laid it down hard and it was a
real boat race all the way to the finish. At one point Chris had Derek spooked and Derek had me
spooked and it was wide open. It was much tougher than I thought it would be. Having done this
race two times previously I have always favoured the left side of the course on this leg and it’s
always been the way to go. This time it just wasn’t. It was a pretty scary few days when Derek
was taking miles out of my lead. All he had to do was find a little passing lane and come left and
that would have been it. Fortunately for me he wasn’t quite able to seal the deal and I worked
really hard and was just able to stay between Derek and Charleston.
For me winning this leg is so special. If I could have chosen just one leg to win it would have
been this one. This is my home port, I am very involved in the maritime community in
Charleston and all my friends and family are here. It would have been pretty disappointing to
have won the previous legs and not win this one. I was very focused and very determined.
The good news for me now is that mathematically winning over all is pretty much a done deal.
The bad news is that I have to make it to La Rochelle to win. That will be my priority now. The
reality is I will have to tell myself to focus on getting to La Rochelle in one piece.
Brad Van Liew greets his wife Meaghan and children Tate and Wyatt onboard his yacht Le Pingouin (Photo by Ainhoa Sanchez/w-w-i.com)
Rambler 100 ,Skippered by Ken Read (Photo by Christophe Jouany / Les Voiles de Saint-Barth )
The first day of racing at the 2nd edition of Les Voiles de St. Barth dawned with 25 knots of tropical tradewind breeze and showers sweeping over the picturesque French island located midway down the Caribbean chain. The regatta’s fleet of maxis, racing and cruising yachts, multi-hulls and classics – 48 confirmed on race day – set off on a race course around the nearby archipelago, and met with plenty of wind and bumpy seas, especially on the islands’ exposed eastern side.
You certainly couldn’t have asked for a prettier race course, which today sent fleets on jaunts of either 16-, 22-, or 25-nautical mile jaunts. Most intriguing was the trip around the northern tip of St. Barth and through the nearby archipelago, which in a typically French way makes one ready for a meal with names such as Ile Chevreau (baby goat), Ile Fregate (bird), Ile le Boulanger (the baker), Ile Fourchue (fork), Grouper et Petite Groupers (fish), Le Boeuf (beef), and Le Pain du Sucre (sugarloaf).
Today’s later start at 1300 did nothing to diminish the wind and sea, as the first two classes off – Maxis and Multihulls – with eleven boats, started in 22 knots and encountered two meter seas and were sent on a 25-nautical mile course. George David’s Rambler 100 with Ken Read as skipper, got away at the pin end of the starting line and lead Hugo Stenbeck on Genuine Risk up into the outer harbor to an offset turning mark. Once around, Rambler set a huge asymmetric spinnaker and was on her way for the day.
Genuine Risk (Photo by Christophe Jouany / Les Voiles de Saint-Barth )
On the eastern, and windward, side of the island the big boats reveled in the conditions which eventually topped out above 30 knots – Genuine Risk, with their combined crew Swedish/ American crew, recorded 30 knots of boat speed surfing downwind through the islands.
Also racing in the Maxi class was the 86’ CNB sloop Spiip, owned by Robin de Jong, who is making his way westward to Tahiti with the boat. Onboard Spiip is Bruno Trouble, well known for creating and overseeing the Louis Vuitton Challenger Series (for the America’s Cup) that originated in 1983. Trouble is racing at the regatta for the first time, and he said, “Les Voiles de St. Barth reminds me a lot of the early days of the Nioulargue with boats from all over the place taking part. Things are going to really build and it is just great, it really reminds me of the first Nioulargue!”
In the Racing Class, the crew work aboard Jim Swartz’s Vesper looked well-honed as the team traded tacks with Peter Cunningham’s Farr 60 Venomous (CAY) up the first short beat. Back on the quay, Venomous’ tactician Tony Rey recounted the day, “We had some great sailing – St. Barth’s is such an awesome place to sail, every time you turn around an island, or a piece of land, the view just gets better and better. It’s just that the race course is a minefield because the wind twists and turns up the corners and the crevices – but it’s a fascinating place to sail! We also had the added challenge that our instruments went down, so we were guessing on our wind speed and direction, and guessing at our boat speed for part of it too, which turned us into good seat-of-the-pants sailors.”
Vesper (Photo by Christophe Jouany / Les Voiles de Saint-Barth )
Before scores were tabulated, though Rey suspects, “We think we were probably 2nd or 3rd, we’re pretty sure Vesper beat us handily, because downwind you just can’t stay with a boat like that. We could have sailed better for sure, we left a few seconds on the race track, but generally we’re thrilled, it was a great day of sailing!”
In the 24-boat Racing Cruising class, the Swan 60 Fenix closely led Jereon Hin’s First 50 Black Hole (NED) after the first upwind beat. This class has a gamut of boats including two all-women entries, Annie O’Sullivan’s Diamonds Are Forever (UK), and Henneke Stegweg’s iLost (NED). As well, there are two Moorings 50.5 charter boats with two crews from Oakville, Ontario, Canada, headed up by Andre Beese and Patrick Festing. Both crews are comprised of friends and fellow Etchells sailors, who were originally headed to Antigua to race when a friend suggested they race at Les Voiles de St. Barth.
The Classics class, while low on numbers with just five boats, were high on style points with the 76’ W-class White Wings, the 80’ Fife yawl, Mariella, the 60’ dark-hulled gaff-rigged yawl Kate from St Kitt’s, and the 26’ Friendship sloop La Sirene, gracing the line.
Carlo Falcone, from Antigua, is a frequent competitor with Mariella in both classic and offshore races around the world, which he, more often than not, wins. He enjoys sailing in St. Barth because it has, he says, “more European style than other parts of the Caribbean.”
The yacht was designed by American naval architect Alfred Mylne, and built by Fife in Scotland in 1938. As Falcone says, “The beauty of this boat is the mix of the two. Mariella is well sailed and immaculately maintained, and Falcone says, “I believe the more you use the boat the better it is. But it’s never-ending work – not buying the boat, but keeping it. They say, ‘the owners are just taking care of the boat until the next one.’” His regular crew is a mix of family and friends including his daughter Sylvia, his long-time navigator, 89-year old Henry Pepper (Marblehead, Mass), and crew from Italy, Australia and Dominica. Les Voiles de St.Barth is a way to prepare the boat for this summer’s classic yacht series in New England.
With a relatively new event, one may wonder what goes into the thinking for the course on day one. Following this morning’s skipper’s briefing, the, Les Voiles Race Committee Principal Race Officer, Jean Coadou offered some insight, “There were three main elements: the weather forecast, looking at the strength and direction of the wind around all of the islands. Also it was important with such a large fleet to avoid any boats crossing paths. And first and foremost, the enjoyment of sailing was a key factor. We try to ensure that the competitors encounter all the different points of sail, upwind, downwind and reaching. The idea is to come up with three hours of exciting racing each day; that is why the courses are around 30 miles in length for the fastest boats and 16 miles for the smaller craft.”
Key information: Les Voiles de St. Barth is being hosted from April 4 – 9 2011 by the St. Barth Yacht Club
Les Voiles de Saint Barth (Photo by Les Voiles de Saint Barth)
Entries
Yacht Name Sail Design LOA Skipper Status
SOJANA
GBR 115 FARR 115 Peter HARRISON /Marc FIDZGERALD
HIGHLAND BREEZE
888 SWAN 112 RS/GPR 112′ ALBERT KEULARTS
SPIIP
FRA 8686 CNB 86 86′ ROBIN DE JONG
RAMBLER 100 USA 25555 READ Ken
GENUINE RISK
8390 DUBOIS/MC CONAUGHY 97′ HUGO STENBECK
ICARUS
JONGERT 90′
PANIC ATTACK
750 OPEN 750 24′ JAN VANDEN EYNDE
TECHNOMARINE
FRA 27917 Farr 36,7 DEREDEC Christian
PUFFY
USA 45454 Farr 45 DEMARCHELLIER Patrick
ANTILOPE
GRB 1513L GRAND SOLEIL 43′ WILLEM WESTER
SPEEDY NEMO SBH 26 MAGRAS Raymond
VESPER
TP 52 54′ JAMES SWARTZ
VENOMOUS
GBR 60006 FARR DESIGN 60′ PETER CUNNINGHAM
MAE-LIA MAGRAS Raphael
SOLANO FRA 34625
Classic
Yacht Name Sail Design LOA Skipper Status
WHITE WINGS
US2 W CLASS 76′ DONALD TOFIAS
KATE
ES5 MYLNE 60′ Walwyn
LA SIRÈNE
3 FRIEND SHIP SLOOP R WILSON 26′ DAVID PERTEL
MARIELLA
464 YAWL/FIFE 80′ CARLO FALCONE Pre-entry
Racing Cruising
Yacht Name Sail Design LOA Skipper Status
FENIX
GBR 9660R SWAN 60′ MORITZ BURMESTER
L’ESPERANCE
123 Beneteau 45 VELASQUEZ Robert
BLACK HOLE
GER 150L FIRST 50 50′ JEROEN HIN
COSTA MESA
88 DUFOUR 425 GL 43′ REY PASCAL
ORMEAU
FINOT BENETEAU 47.3 ALAIN CHARLOT
MR. WALKER
FRA 491 REQUIN 33 MELISSA RIMBAUD
LIL’E
FRA 479 REQUIN 33 FOX MOWGLI
SUGAR CANE
BERRET 50.5 ANDRE BEESE
MAE-LIA
X-YACHT 34 MAGRAS Raphael
TRITON
BERRET 50.5 PATRICK SMITH
SPEEDY NEMO
DUFOUR 34′ RAYMOND MAGRAS
THULA
51952 BALTIC 39 39′ MAX IMRIE
TARA II
SUN ODYSSEY 54 DS 54′ HENRY ALBERT
SPLENDIDO
FRA37407 GRAND SOLEIL 40′ PHILIPPE HERVOUET
NIX
IVB 612 X-YACHT 60′ NICO CORTLEVER
AFFINITY
US 50007 SWAN 48′ JACK DESMOND
SOLANO
FRA 34625 LATINI 52 FELCI 52′ FREDERIC RIALLAND
DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER
GRB 1007L ELAN 37′ ANNIE O’SULLIVAN
COYOTE 2
GBR 9949 T FIRST 40.7 41′ KEN ACOTT
iLOST
HARMONY 42 42′ HANNEKE STEGWEG
SHAMROCK VII
USA 1 J 95 31′ THOMAS MULLEN
WILD DEVIL ISLAND WATER WORLD
NM 1993 KIWI 35 35′ BEN JELIC
TANGRA 413 REQUIN 35′ QUERE Pre-entry
Racing Multihull
Yacht Name Sail Design LOA Skipper Status
PHAEDO
399BC GUNBOAT 66′ PAUL HAND
DAUPHIN TELECOM
COULOMBEL 40′ ERICK CLEMENT
BLANCA
SEACART 30′ HERVE DE MARJOLIE
SPIRIT
GBR 565 40′ JASON GARD
BLUE CAT VAN PETEGHEM 40′ CHAYER
CARIB CAT
CATAMARAN MY CAT 26′ CONSIDERE CLAUDE
Extreme 40 sailing series first leg at the Wave Muscat Oman.22nd February 2011. (Photo © Lloyd Images)
In brief
- The tender and selection process for venues interested in hosting an Extreme Sailing Series™ event in 2012-2015 has begun.
- The bid process closes 13th May 2011, with Host Venue decisions made by 1st July.
- The Extreme Sailing Series™ is delivering ever increasing tangible, year-on-year, benefits for Host Venues – boosted further by the new global year-long format.
In detail
With the first Act of the Extreme Sailing Series™ 2011 finishing last week in Oman, the organisers have opened the next round of Host Venue selection process for prospective cities and regions that wish to host an event in 2012 and beyond. The award-winning and innovative circuit provides Host Venues with an outstanding value-for-money destination marketing package, alongside direct economic benefits.
Entering its fifth year, the Extreme Sailing Series™ attracts some of the biggest names in the sport to compete onboard the visually exciting Extreme 40 catamarans – the headline act of an all-encompassing shore and on-water entertainments package that appeals to a diverse audience. In 2011, the circuit spans North America, Europe, Arabia and Asia, with nine premium venues hosting 11 competing teams with sailors from 17 nations. World record holders, America’s Cup champions and seasoned Olympians, representing their sponsor brands such as Prada, Omega and Red Bull, will battle it out in front of the crowds, VIPs and the international media.
© Jean-Marie Liot/DPPI/OC Events
The event brings sailing to a whole new audience, with high adrenalin-fuelled stadium racing just metres from the shore with day-long entertainment in the public Race Village. VIPs are treated to the best seat in sport, with the chance to sail as a ‘5th man’ onboard the Extreme 40s during racing.
In 2011, four new host venues of Qingdao (China), Istanbul (Turkey), Boston (USA) and Nice (France) have signed up to the circuit, as the fleet returns to previous host venues of Muscat (Oman), Cowes (UK), Trapani (Sicily), Almeria (Spain) and Singapore. All host venues enjoy the direct and indirect benefits of having thousands of spectators visiting the event, as Don Luciano Alonso, Minister of Tourism, Trade and Sports for the Andalucia government explains: “The hotels were 90% full, 75,000 spectators watched the event… The results we have witnessed make it clear that we made the right decision when we bought the Extreme Sailing Series™ for Almeria.” An independent report commissioned by the region confirmed a 5 times ROI on their financial investment.
© Paul Wyeth/OC Events
Each Act gives the Host Venue a solid international platform to showcase the region and its marine facilities to the world, as well as promoting the sport of sailing within their local community. The Extreme Sailing Series™ is proud to leave a lasting legacy in each location, activating charitable, volunteer and try sailing programmes for all ages and experience levels.
Prior to the opening Act at The Wave, Muscat, Oman Sail, CEO, David Graham commented: “The value of hosting such events is enormous in terms of inspiring even more Omanis to discover sailing and writing the next chapter of Oman’s maritime history. We expect to bring many new visitors to Oman and many others to see the country through the global media coverage the event will generate.”
© Th.Martinez / Sea & Co
The venues visited by the Extreme Sailing Series™ are a vital element for its continued success and expansion, and the organisers recognise their importance by providing a powerful Destination Marketing package delivering excellent, proven ROI. In 2010, a significant number of venues from around the world approached OC ThirdPole directly to secure a spot on this year’s circuit, with those chosen now forming a mix of iconic cities, premium venues, great sailing destinations and emerging (sailing) markets.
As of today, proposals are welcomed from cities and regions that feel they can offer what it takes to host a great Extreme Sailing Series™ event for the next three years, beginning in 2012. Bids will be evaluated on the same criteria that were applied to select the 2011 venues. First and foremost, a suitable venue that can facilitate the ‘stadium’ racing concept, strong support from local governments and authorities, the ability to attract tens of thousands of spectators and a solid regional and national marketing and communications plan. To receive the Host Venue Tender document that outlines the full rights package and criteria, please email sarah.collins@octhirdpole.com
Two races from the end, and the entire top 7 boats could in theory still win the event! With 22 points available in the final seventh race of today, both Artemis Racing and Red Bull Extreme Sailing were able to take victory, but in the end Terry Hutchinson’s Artemis Racing finished in 4th place, one place ahead of Pennec’s men who had therefore done enough, Terry commented: “It’s good to see that all our hard work since the end of 2010 has paid off but there is still much room for us to improve. We’re having a little bit of a crew rotation for Act 2 in Qingdao, so there will be lots of work to do”. Act 2 of the Extreme Sailing Series will be staged between the 15th to 17th April in Qingdao, China, preceded by two open-water racing days.
Roman Hagara, skipper of Red Bull Extreme Sailing, leapt on to the prizegiving stage with his crew of Hans Peter Steinacher, Will Howden and Craig Monk, jubilant at having secured third place. For the Olympic duo of Hagara and Hans Peter Steinacher, who competed together last year on the European tour, this is their best ever result: “We are very happy tonight, that is the result we were looking for,” said Steinacher. “The level is up again a lot this year and the all fleet is very tight together, it’s really tough! But we are in fighting mode!”
A total of 32 races were held over the five days – 11 races out on the open water courses on the first two days, and the remaining 21 within the confines of the ‘stadium’ right in front of the public. The second day delivered the most breeze – up to 21 knots – with the breeze softening to between 5-10 knots in the last two days. As Hutchinson observed: “It’s interesting to see that in strong winds Alinghi and Groupe Edmond de Rothschild were doing very well, but since the wind is lighter some of the new teams are much stronger.”
The final day of Act 1, one of the headline acts of the Muscat Festival, coincided with the last day the Festival. It was a fitting end to Oman’s annual cultural celebration and Act 1 of the 2011 circuit ended on a high as the party atmosphere kicked off at The Wave, Muscat. In front of the public and VIPs a traditional Muscat band entertained the crowds with upbeat, pulsing music before the official prizegiving began in the presence of His Excellency Al Sunaidi, Minister of Sports Affairs. After the trophies had been given out to the deserving 11 Extreme 40 teams, including the top three teams in the Beach Football League, the Red Bull show swung into action as nine time World Champion trial biking, Kenny Delay, performed an incredible stunt as he leapt from Extreme 40 container to container. Thousands of public enjoyed the last day’s racing, cheering the Extreme 40 teams across every finish line.
Dean Barker’s Emirates Team New Zealand had a big comeback in the second half of the Act to finish in 4th place overall, beating Italy’s Luna Rossa by 2 points. Max Sirena’s Luna Rossa team that includes Britain’s Paul Campbell-James, defending 2010 Extreme Sailing Series skipper, struggled with consistency but seven first places over the five days including a win in the double-points final race ensured they kept the chasing Alinghi team at bay. For the home teams of The Wave, Muscat and Oman Air the script didn’t quite go to plan. The Wave, Muscat skipper Torvar Mirsky, new to the game and the youngest skipper on the tour, was impressive in the opening half of the Act – adapting well from one hull to two. But some pushy tactics had them in trouble with the umpires and they dropped from third place on day 3 to seventh place. Oman Air’s Sidney Gavignet, also new to his role as Extreme 40 skipper, reveled in the experience ably supported by his experienced crew and although 8th place may not be where he wished to finish, it was a good first competitive Extreme 40 learning experience. Roland Gaebler’s Team Extreme and the all-Italian team Niceforyou, alongside Britain’s Ian Williams on Team GAC Pindar were on the sharp end of the learning curve having arrived at Act 1 with limited training and boat preparation time. But expect to see these top class sailors get into the groove as the season progresses. These sailors represent the hottest in the sport and as the Act 1 winning skipper put it: “They are improving fast and the competition will get even tighter soon.”
Bring on Qingdao!
Extreme Sailing Series, Act 1 at The Wave, Muscat
Overall Results after 32 races:
Pstn / Team / Skipper/crew / points
1st Groupe Edmond de Rothschild (FRA), Pierre Pennec / Christophe Espagnon / Thierry Fouchier / Hervé Cunningham / 253 points
2nd Artemis Racing (SWE), Terry Hutchinson / Sean Clarkson / Morgan Trubovich / Andy Fethers / 243 points
3rd Red Bull Extreme Sailing (AUT), Roman Hagara / Hans Peter Steinacher / Will Howden / Craig Monk / 239 points
4th Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), Dean Barker / Glenn Ashby / James Dagg / Richard Meacham / 236 points
5th Luna Rossa (ITA), Max Sirena / Paul Campbell-James / Alister Richardson / Manuel Modena / 234 points
6th Alinghi (SUI), Tanguy Carioiu / Yann Guichard / Nils Frei / Yves Detrey / 217 points
7th The Wave, Muscat (OMA), Torvar Mirsky / Kyle Langford / Nick Hutton / Khamis Al Anbouri / 208 points
8th Oman Air (OMA), Sidney Gavignet / Kinley Fowler / David Carr / Nasser Al Mashari / 188 points
9th Team Extreme (EUR), Roland Gaebler / Bruno Dubois / Sebbe Godefroid / Michael Walther / 143 points
10th Niceforyou (ITA), Alberto Barovier / Alberto Sonino / Daniele de Luca Simone de Mari / 95 points
11th Team GAC Pindar (GBR), Ian Williams / Brad Webb / Gilberto Nobili / Jono Macbeth / 62 points
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
Hanuman, Overall Winner Newport Bucket Regatta 2010 ( Photo by George Bekris )
Overall Winners
1st Place Hanuman
2nd Place White Wings
3rd Place Clevelander
Les Gazelles – Racing Class
1st Hanuman
2nd White Wings
3rd Clevelander
Les Grand Dames – Cruising Class
1st Meteor
2nd Azzura
3rd Gloria
Vitter’s Shipyard Seamanship Trophy
Easterner
Chippewa Bomb
Azzura
For More Images from the Newport Bucket Regatta visit our Images Page or click Here
Descriptions of Awards
Overall
These awards, first through third, are presented for the best performance overall for combined results, all classes, all races.
Les Gazelles & Les Grand Dames
In 2005, when the Bucket Regatta grew beyond all expectations and the fleet doubled in size, it was determined that the yachts should be split into classes that considered their essential attributes. However, the distinction of “Cruising Division” and “Racing Division” seemed just, oh so pedestrian, for a fleet of this stature. In the RC’s opinion, the designation of “Les Gazelles des Mers” for the Racing Division and “Les Grandes Dammes des Mers” for the Cruising Division, seemed far more appropriate.
Each Division has trophies presented for best performance overall, first through third.
Vitters Seamanship Trophy
Awarded to the yacht that demonstrates the best seamanship and sportsmanship in the interest of promoting safety on the race course. All participants in the Bucket acknowledge that superyachts have serious limitations operating safely in close quarters and therefore, the RC has always valued safety well above performance. This award will recognize the yacht that best demonstrates that understanding. It also goes to prove that nice guys don’t always finish last!!
VELA VELOCE , Sail N¡ CAN84248, Owner: Richard Oland, City: Saint John, CAN, Model: Southern Cross, Skipper: Richard Oland , Tactitian: Stu Bannantyne , Helmsman: Richard Clarke , Navigator: Geoff Ewenson , US-IRC 2 ( Photo by Rolex / Daniel Forster )
After four days of racing in a variety of conditions across a mix of around-the-buoys and distance, New York Yacht Club’s seventh biennial Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex came to an end this afternoon. Light winds threatened to cancel the last day of racing for the 35 competing boats, but by 2pm Newport’s classic southerly sea breeze filled in against a stubborn northerly and offered suitable conditions for racing. All classes raced on a four-leg windward/leeward course, and at the end of the day the Southern Cross 52 Vela Veloce was determined the best performing boat and was named the 2010 Rolex US-IRC National Champion. Its owner and skipper, Richard Oland (St. John, New Brunswick, CAN), was presented with a specially engraved Rolex Yacht-Master at this evening’s Rolex Gala and Awards Party held at Harbour Court.
“This is a tremendous thrill for us,” said Oland, who won his IRC class in March’s International Rolex Regatta. He pointed out that competing against all of the boats in the fleet is exciting. “That’s the secret of IRC. The reason it’s become so good is because it allows for innovation. If you look at the results, and you look at boats you see how close they are. Like in our class, class 2, we were all within 50 feet.”
The overall winner was calculated by comparing all entries based on a formula of average seconds per nautical mile. In determining the overall winner, the NYYC Sailing Office noted that the time separating winner Vela Veloce from the second-place overall was 13/100s of a second.
Winning the class wasn’t enough; it was the overall performance that counted. Not much of a consolation to Steve Benjamin (South Norwalk, Conn.) and his team onboard his Tripp 41 Robotic Oncology, which won IRC Class 3 and finished in second place overall.
“We knew we won our class quite easily,” said Benjamin. “We knew we had a good shot at the overall title. Today was great, but we were nervous because there was so much on the line. We have been trying to win with this boat for the past five years, and although we have had some success there was all this added pressure.”
Vela Veloce won IRC Class 2 with an impressive score line of four first places and two seconds. In second place was Captivity, George Sakellaris’s (Framingham, Mass.) Farr 60, 10 points back. Although Blair Brown’s (Padanaram, Mass.) 55-foot Sforzando won today’s final race, it wasn’t enough to move up in the standings, and it finished in third.Robotic Oncology finished the regatta with five wins and one fifth-place finish in six races. After racing, Benjamin’s oncologist Dr. Samadi of Mount Sinai Hospital, who was on the water watching today’s race was clearly impressed with his patient’s racing skills. “The way that he worked with his team is the same as when you do robotic surgery. You have to work together with your team in the same way. Steve did an amazing job.”
John Cooper’s (Springfield, Mo.) Mills 43 Cool Breeze placed second in IRC Class 3, while Philip Lotz’s (Newport, R.I.) NYYC Swan 42 Arethusa finished in third.
Daniel Meyers’s (Boston, Mass.) J/V66 Numbers took a second in today’s only race and held onto the lead in IRC Class 1. George David’s (Hartford, Conn.) Rambler finished in second place, while Ray Roberts’s (Sydney, Australia) STP65 Evolution Racing is in third.
IRC Class 5 winner was Storm, Rick Lyall’s (Wilton, Conn.) J/109 that moved up to win the overall class by placing third in today’s race. “We only started racing in IRC, and this is our fourth or fifth IRC event. It’s a very good measurement and rating system. We seem to have a competitive boat. We worked really hard at making sure we had a good configuration in the sail plan, and we sailed really well. To have beat Carina, the winner of Newport Bermuda Race, in the Annual Regatta and now here. Well, that’s top-notch competition. You know, Rush beat us earlier this year, and it’s been back and forth with them. They put in a really good effort.”
Bill Sweetser’s (Annapolis, Md.) J/109 Rush finished in second, while Nordlys, Robert Schwartz’s (Port Washington, N.Y.) J/109, finished in third by winning the last race.
Lyall went on to give credit to the split-format of Race Week. “The first half of the week was our J/109 North American championship,” he said. “And that was very tough and competitive racing. Coming into it I was the defending champion. I was disappointed we didn’t’ defend, but Gut Feeling is a bunch of great sailors and we take no shame in losing to them. In the IRC event, we had a really terrific distance race. You can’t ever beat a race like that with 25 knots of wind. We were going 14 knots; it was fantastic racing!”
Christopher Dragon held onto its IRC Class 4 lead going into today’s final race, finished second and held on to win overall. “To tell you the truth, we were hoping for no race,” joked owner and skipper Andrew Weiss (Mamaroneck, N.Y.) “It turned out pretty well. The breeze filled in, and the wind wound up being steadier than yesterday.”
The J/122 won by one point over Craig Albrecht’s (Sea Cliff, N.J.) Farr 395 Avalanche. “All we did for today was cover Avalanche and the other J/122, Partnership,” said Weiss. “We sailed more conservatively, after being over the line early yesterday. To win the series was our goal.”
About the Rolex US-IRC National Championship
With the concept of moving the Rolex US-IRC National Championship around the country to encourage growth in IRC fleets, the 2009 championship was run in conjunction with St. Francis Yacht Club’s Rolex Big Boat Series, in San Francisco, Calif. and crowned a winner in Vincitore, the Custom 52 owned by Jim Mitchell (Zurich, SUI/Chicago, Ill.). In 2008, the championship was sailed in conjunction with the 48th Little Traverse Yacht Club Regatta and One Design Series, in Harbor Springs, Mich. and won by Stripes, the Great Lakes 70 owned by Bill Martin, (Ann Arbor, Mich.), and in 2007, the inaugural championship was held as part of the Storm Trysail Club’s Block Island Race Week presented by Rolex and won by Blue Yankee the Reichel/Pugh 66 owned by Bob and Farley Towse (Stamford, Conn.).
Robotic Oncology ( Photo by Rolex / Daniel Forster )
The event is part of the 2010 US-IRC Gulf Stream Series http://www.us-irc.org.
New York Yacht Club Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex
Rolex US-IRC National Championship| July 21-24, 2010
Final Results, July 24 – Day 4 of racing
One race completed (six in the series)
Overall Rolex US-IRC National Championship
1. Vela Veloce, Southern Cross, Richard Oland, Saint John, Maine
2. Robotic Oncology, Tripp 41, Stephen Benjamin, South Norwalk, Conn.
3. Numbers, JV 66, Daniel M. Meyers, Boston, Mass.
4. Christopher Dragon, J122, Andrew Weiss, Mamaroneck, N.Y.
5. Storm, J/109, Rick Lyall, Wilton, Conn.
Class Winners
Position, Boat Name, Boat Type, Skipper, Hometown, Race 1-R2-R3-R4-R5-6, Total points
Class – IRC 1
1. Numbers, JV 66, Daniel M. Meyers, Boston, Mass, 2-2-1-1-1-2, 9
2. Rambler, Custom 90, George David, Hartford, Conn., 1-1-2-3-3-1, 11
3. Evolution Racing, STP65, Ray Roberts, Alexandria, AUS, 3-3-3-2-2-3, 16
Class – IRC 2
1. Vela Veloce, Southern Cross, Richard Oland, Saint John, Maine, 1-1-1-1-2-2, 8
3. Captivity, Farr, George Sakellaris, Framingham, Mass., 2-2-8(DNF)-2-1-3, 18
2. Sforzando, Kerr 55, Blair, Brown, Padanaram, Mass., 4-3-4-3-4-1, 19
5. Snow Lion, Ker 50, Lawrence Huntington, New York, N.Y., 3-4-6-5-3-7, 28
4. Privateer, Cookson 50, Ronald O’Hanley, Boston, Mass., 5-6-2-7-5-6, 31
6. Rima2, R/P 55, John Brim, New York, N.Y., 6-7-3-4-6-5, 31
7. Anema&Core, JV52, Ennio Staffini, Annapolis, Md., 7-5-5-6-7-4, 34
Class – IRC 3
1. Robotic Oncology, Tripp 41, Stephen Benjamin, South Norwalk , Conn., 1-1-5-1-1-1, 10
2. Cool Breeze, Mills 43 Custom, John Cooper, Springfield, Mo., 2-2-4-3-2-2, 15
3. Arethusa, NYYC 42, Philip Lotz, Newport, R.I., 3-4-1-2-3-3, 16
4. The Cat Came Back, NYYC Swan 42, Lincoln Mossop, Bristol, R.I., 7-7-2-4-4-4, 28
5. Devocean, Swan 45, Stephen DeVoe, Jamestown, R.I., 4-3-3-6-6-6, 28
6. Big Booty, Lutra 42, Pat Eudy, Charlotte, N.C., 5-5-7-5-5-5, 32
7. Temptation, Taylor 45, Arthur Santry, Arlington, Va., 6-6-6-7-7-8(DNF), 40
Class – IRC 4
1. Christopher Dragon, J/122, Andrew Weiss, Mamaroneck, N.Y., 1-1-1-3-4-2, 12
2. Avalanche, Farr 395, Craig Albrecht, Sea Cliff, N.Y., 2-2-4-2-2-1, 13
3. Partnership, J/122, David & MaryEllen Tortorello, Fairfield, Conn., 5-4-2-1-3-3, 18
4. Act One, Sloop, Charlie Milligan /Tom Roche, Newport, R.I., 3-7-3-4-7-5, 29
5. Alliance, Summit 35, Dominick Porco, New York, N.Y., 7-3-8-5-1-7, 31
6. Indra, Beneteau First 44.7, Thomas Linkas, South Hamilton, Mass., 8-8-6-6-5, 33
7. Settler, Cust. Peterson 42, Thomas Rich, Middletown, R.I., 4-6-7-8-6-6, 37
8. White Gold, J/44, James D. Bishop, New York, N.Y., 8-5-5-7-8-DNS, 42
Class – IRC 5
1. Storm, J/109, Rick Lyall, Wilton, Conn., 1-4-3(RDG)-2-4-3, 17
2. Rush, J/109, Bill, Sweetser, Annapolis, Md., 3-2-4-1-3-4, 17
3. Nordlys, J/109, Robert Schwartz, Port Washington, N.Y., 4-7-6-3-1-1, 22
4. Carina, Cstm Sloop, Rives Potts, Essex, Conn., 7-1-1-6-7-2, 24
5. Cowboy, N/M 46, Isdale/Cochran, Greenwich, Conn., 2-5-8-4-2-6, 27
6. Good Girl, J/100, Robert W. Armstrong, Christiansted, St. Croix, USVI, 5-6-2-5-5-10(DNS), 33
7. Eclipse, Corby 33, Dave Kellogg, Oyster Bay, N.Y., 6-3-9-8-8-5, 39
8. Out of Reach III, X-35, Louis Nees, New York, N.Y., 8-8-5-7-6-10 (DNS), 44
9. Blue Rider, J/109, Eric Kamisher, Norwalk, Conn., 9-9-3-9-9-10 (DNC), 49
IRC 3 Start ( Photo by Rolex / Daniel Forster )
