Bruno Peyron (Photo by George Bekris)

 

 

 

The Race: Created by the French sailor Bruno Peyron, The Race started on 31st December 2000, as a way to celebrate our arrival in the third millennium with a global ocean race. The Race was the first race around the world without limits, in other words it was open to boats without any size restrictions. The total freedom that was given to designers led to the birth of a new generation of sailboats, maxi-multihulls, now known as the G-Class.
For the first edition of  The Race, the first giant multihulls ever built set out from the start in Barcelona to sail around the world via the three capes (Good Hope, Leeuwin and the Horn) before crossing the finish line in Marseilles.
The reference time for the race was set by the New Zealander Grant Dalton aboard the maxi-catamaran Club Med, which completed the voyage in 62 days, 56 minutes and 33 seconds.

Three times holder of the Jules Verne Trophy and creator of The Race, the non-stop crewed race around the world without outside assistance and without limits, Bruno Peyron has officially announced that he has decided to relaunch The Race. After several months of studies and some careful thinking and after consulting the main potential competitors, a second edition of the race around the world for the giant G-class boats is therefore planned for 2013-2014, starting from a port in Southern Europe.

Around ten giants
After talks with leading maxi-multihull G-class skippers, it transpires that out of the dozen giants that have so far been built, between eight and ten of them may be lining up for the start of The Race, and that is without counting any new boats, which may be built by then, in particular using moulds from the latest multihulls from the most recent generation.
The ultimate goal remains the same as when the first edition was launched: Bringing together “the ten fastest teams around the world.”

All lights are green
Bruno Peyron, who took some time to think about this before coming to a decision explains: “As I’ve been able to stand back and gain some perspective since I last took part in the Jules VerneTrophy, there are several things I noticed that led me to take this decision to relaunch The Race. First, since the recent America’s Cup that we have just seen, we can conclude that we French are no longer alone in the world of multihulls and that is excellent news. We are entering a new era.
We can see too that since The Race, 12 giant multihulls have been built, including four in the past three years. So today there are certainly enough boats of sufficient quality for us to propose this event relaunch to their skippers and partners, without counting any new multihulls, which may be built following on from this by 2013 or 2014.
I have noticed that some major brands have been looking at the possibilities offered by the Volvo Ocean Race, which I can fully understand, but this does indicate that there is simply no alternative international race for multihulls. And just to conclude, others around me have become aware of this and share this feeling and my discussions with the leading G-class skippers have led me to move things forward in this direction.  
The new 100-foot class (of which three are already up and running and a fourth is about to be made ready) has shown what these innovative boats can do sailing around the world via the three legendary capes while budgets remain limited. So, in this respect, it is now much easier to be able to take part in The Race.
Why 2013 or 2014? To place the event in between two editions of the Volvo Ocean Race and to offer the main international challengers the possibility of taking part in the event.  This time frame will enable teams to draw up their project and get things moving by attracting a group of ambitious and enthusiastic partners.”

The organising team is being formed
After talks with various agencies specialising in sports marketing, Bruno Peyron has decided to award the overall management of The Race event to Thierry Reboul. Former Head of Advertising for Air France and Head of Communications at Alcatel, Thierry Reboul was the founder of the Ubi bene agency, which specialises in promoting events.

He will in particular be in charge of organising and negotiating with the main partners and the official event sites.

A call for tender will be launched to complete the arrangements with an international team, which will be appointed as executive producers.

Comments:

Grant Dalton, Winner of The Race: “When Bruno Peyron announced he was launching The Race, with my experience of round the world sailing, it immediately interested me. Although the Jules Verne Trophy was fascinating, what really attracted me here was the idea of a real race with other boats. Thanks to Bruno’s vision, I was able to experience the finest moment of my professional career. The maxi-catamaran Club Med was the first of her kind, measuring 108 feet and able to cover more than 600 miles day after day.  She was a marvel and I was privileged to be on board. The Race opened the way to more extreme sailing. It pushed back the limits and allowed us to do what had previously been thought impossible. This race remains by far the highlight of my 25 years of professional sailing. The idea of relaunching The Race will move the world of sailing another step forward.”

Pascal Bidégorry, Skipper of the maxi-trimaran Banque Populaire V, holder of the North Atlantic record: “Since Banque Populaire V was built, taking part in The Race has seemed obvious to me.  I experienced the first edition as a spectator and I can still remember the enthusiasm that surrounded this race. After a few years of sailing multihulls and when you are lucky enough to sail on a maxi-multihull like Banque Populaire, I can’t imagine taking part in all these record attempts without entering an event like The Race. These are fabulous boats and battling it out around the world in real time is incredible. I admire what they do in the Volvo Ocean Race, but from a race and sailing perspective, there’s nothing like The Race.”

Francis Joyon, the single-handed round the world record holder: “I think that any project, which gets our giant multihulls racing is something that needs to be looked at, particularly when the idea comes from Bruno, who has so much experience in this field.”

Lionel Lemonchois, winner of the last Route du Rhum and who was on board Team Adventure in the first edition of The Race: “It’s great to hear that Bruno is relaunching The Race. He is finally giving us an opportunity to race around the world aboard these incredible maxi-multihulls. Personally, this race led me to discover these fantastic machines and I have some great memories of it. With another challenge ahead, I hope to be there….”

 

For More information about  The Race Click HERE

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Following a ceremony today on Tuesday 16th February 2010, under the auspices of His Highness Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq Al Said advisor to His Majesty and in the presence of a number of dignitaries, Ambassadors, friends and families, Jewel of Muscat departed today from Port Sultan Qaboos on its historic Voyage to Singapore.

In an opening note HH Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq Al Said Advisor to HM History mentioned
that it is a historic moment as the Jewel of Muscat departs. He included that the crew
members carry great responsibility as they follow the footsteps of our ancestors and that
through collaborative team work and great focus and determination they will reach their
destination with the God Al might’s blessings.
Captain Saleh Al Jabri and his mainly Omani crew waved their farewell to well wishers and
immediately settled down to getting used to life on board the Jewel, an Omani ship inspired
by a 9th Century hand sewn sailing vessel, found carrying what has become known as the
Tang Treasure.
The Ship will left the Harbour to sail across the Oman Sea and the Arabian Sea, heading to
Cochin in India.
“Today is the day the crew and I have been looking forward to. It will be an emotional
farewell for all of us but we are all also very excited to start this journey. Seeing the people
today, including those at the Corniche, waving their farewell to us was very motivational as it
is their prayers that will be our greatest source of strength.”
- - Captain Said Al Jabri
“Saleh is a strong man, this is not his first time sailing, he has a lot of experience with the sea.
He has been the second in command when the ship Shabab Oman had sailed earlier, and I am
sure that with their focus and enthusiasm he and the crew will have a successful trip to
Singapore Inshala”
- Abdullah Al Jabri, Captin Saleh’s brother
Saleh will steer the ship along the ancient trading routes to her final destination in Singapore,
calling in at Cochin in India, Galle in Sri Lanka and Georgetown and Malacca in Malaysia on
the way. The voyage is expected to take five months, arriving in Singapore in July.
The departure ceremony for Jewel of Muscat included the traditions including local dances
and songs in which Omani ships used to depart centuries ago for long journeys in the past.
Families and friends gathered expressing their best wishes and emotional farewell. HH Saied
Shihab then wished Captin Saleh and the crew the best and then gave the Captin the Holy
Quran in part of the blessing for the voyage. The ceremony reminded those present of the
historical renown that Oman’s maritime heritage enjoys. The atmosphere was charged with
pride and emotion as the ship raises her sails on her epic journey in the wake of her ancestors.

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 Team Finland makes good progress with repairs in Taiwan as the temperatures begin to plummet for the crews heading north.  ” “I have never felt the boat take such a beating,” says Spirit of Australia’s skipper

Team Finland’s crew have been working hard in Hualien, Taiwan, where they have diverted following the loss of the top section of their rig.

“We have had a productive morning, removing a seven metre piece of broken mast without incident,” reports watch leader and round the world crew member, Mark Cole.  “All the standing rigging deck fittings have been removed in addition to the fittings from the broken mast piece. We have fitted some blocks to the masthead that should enable us to fly the tri-sail and storm jib if required and the holes in the deck at the starboard gateway have been temporarily repaired with a plywood/epoxy sandwich, bolted through the deck.”

A diver has also completed a full hull check to ensure there was no damage while the folded rig was hanging over the side of the 68-foot yacht.

Skipper Rob McInally and his team have been made very welcome by the local community who are celebrating Lunar New Year and the start of the Year of the Tiger.

“Last night we were hosted by the local Coastguard commander who invited us into their Mess. We enjoyed plenty of New Year toasts, local food and a bit of karaoke.  Team Finland’s rendition of Eye of the Tiger will be remembered in Hualien for some time to come,” says Mark.

“Afterwards we exchanged flags with the commander to thank him and his crews for seeing us safely into harbour. I think this now makes us unofficial members of the Taiwanese Coastguard!”

The crew is working towards being able to leave on Wednesday morning Taiwan time and is currently refuelling to maximum capacity - 1,500 litres in the tanks plus an extra 200 litres - for the journey ahead.

Spirits amongst Team Finland’s multi-national crew are high and they are understandably proud of what they have achieved as a team - both on the water to make the boat safe in the wake of the dismasting and in port as they make their repairs. They can’t wait to get back out and on their way again.

Out on the course the other yachts have had a torrid time in the last 24 hours. Spirit of Australia, at the back of the pack a week ago, is maintaining the lead she has now built up at the front - and it’s been anything but easy.

Brendan Hall, the Brisbane-based skipper of the Australian entry, told us this morning, “Last night was quite something. I have never felt the boat take such a beating by the steep sided waves. The sound the hull and rig make as they come crashing down off the crest into the next trough is incredible, like the sound of a car crash. Again and again and again. We were reefed down to our smallest possible sail plan and still making very fast speeds.

“The Spirit of Australia crew are handling the conditions well despite not many being able to sleep and many unable to eat due to seasickness. The fact we are now in the lead of this race has made each of us dig that little bit deeper and find the extra energy to make that sail change or empty the bilges every hour. We will grind our way to Qingdao, no matter what it takes.”

California is determined to make it to the podium this time and is just 20 miles behind Spirit of Australia.

Skipper Pete Rollason is full of praise for his crew today, saying, “As the temperatures are dropping quite considerably we are now down to a maximum of one hour on deck before the need get below and warm up becomes vital. I cannot praise the crew enough, never a grumble or moan, just a dogged determination to continue to drive the boat hard and secure a good finish in Race 6.

“The sea state is atrocious and the wind even worse, although the weather files do show some easing in the wind later today so we should be grateful for small mercies if it comes.”

Erstwhile leaders, Cape Breton Island, have taken the slowly slowly approach in another wet and wild night in the East China Sea, according to skipper, Jan Ridd, who says, “As we approached the north of Taiwan we saw the wind build and reduced sails accordingly. We had the storm jib, staysail and third reef in the main, which I thought would see us through the night, and had just crossed paths with California. We tacked back to the west and not soon afterwards the wind rose considerably and the boat was becoming difficult to control as we were launching ourselves off some fairly large waves.

“I had to make a decision whether to keep on driving hard or to dramatically reduce the sail plan and calm things down, losing positions in the race. It was an easy decision to make. Even though I am as competitive as everyone taking part in this race my primary concern is the safety and wellbeing of the crew and the yacht. So we dropped the staysail and sailed very slowly through the night, heading east on a losing tack but hopefully into lighter winds which will allow us to start sailing properly again.

“It was as daylight broke that we saw the true size of the storm we were in. During the night we just had numbers on the instruments, the howling of the wind in the rigging and being caught completely unawares as a wave broke on the deck, flooding the whole of the cockpit area but this morning, in a miserable, grey, rainy light we could see what we had been sailing through in the night. There were five metre steep seas regularly breaking and wind gusting up to 50 knots.

“I do not know if the crew will thank me or curse me when they see the latest position report but I know I would make the same decision every time.”

Jamaica Lightning Bolt’s crew still have a 13-point haul in their sights for this race, even though their progress over the last 12 hours has been painfully slow and they have made just 16 miles towards the finish line in that time.

Skipper Pete Stirling says, “The crew of Jamaica Lightning Bolt had another exciting night last night. At about 0200 (local time) the wind increased from 30 knots to a steady 40 knots plus. We hove to so that we could drop the staysail in a safer and more controlled manner. Just as well, as more than half the brass hanks securing the sail to the stay snapped. It’s not a particularly large sail but in gale force winds and mountainous seas it took a huge effort by the crew to wrestle it back under control and get it down below. Once below several crew set about replacing the broken hanks and at first light we re-hoisted it.”

Pete makes the point that Spirit of Australia has managed to build up a healthy lead but, he says, “As seen already on this race, big leads can quickly disappear if the weather turns against you.”

Hull & Humber and Cape Breton Island discovered that to their cost in the early stages of this race when their lead was wiped out by a patch of light air which developed in their path.

Piers Dudin, Hull & Humber’s skipper, knows it’s all part of the ocean racing game and you get the impression from his report to the race office this morning that, despite the heavy conditions, the Salisbury-based skipper and his crew are having fun out there.

“We’ve struck out east again and tacked early this morning for our first positive attack run on Qingdao. After the last few days of trying out different sail configurations we’ve hit upon the right plan and Hull & Humber is galloping along in a solid Force 7 and lovin’ it! Initially charging over the deep Kuroshio rolls, we’ve now stepped up onto the continental shelf and charging full tilt towards China.

“Life below decks isn’t too unpleasant yet, although it’s getting pretty damp. Once in a while the bow arches and everyone braces for impact; if the helmsman has timed it right everyone cheers, or if the wave was more of a cliff the resultant SLAM sends shudders through everyone and they wince for Hull & Humber’s discomfort as torrents of water wash down her decks. But off she goes again regardless…

“Tonight we should experience a sharp drop in temperature as we close in on our destination but, without the huge waves of the Kuroshio to douse us and an abating wind forecast, we’re hoping to stay dry and warm.”

The team representing the Olympic sailing city is sure to get a warm welcome - whatever the temperature when they arrive in Qingdao.

The weather in the city, where the first members of the Clipper Race team have arrived to establish the Race Office, is not as cold as it has been on previous visits, although the wind chill factor will take temperatures down to about minus 10C overnight. Add to that freezing water across the decks and you get some idea of how cold it is out there for the Clipper crews.

Qingdao’s skipper, Chris Stanmore-Major, says, “The dragon is all fired up as she enters the home run.  Helming was the name of the game last night with each taking a turn to tame the beast and point her head north.  Six-metre swell with broken white faces and two-metre breakers flooding over the boat combined with horizontal rain and dropping air temperatures produced challenging conditions. 

“For the skipper these are conditions in which sleep comes at a premium; with shipping to dodge, rig damage an ever-present thought at the moment and crew safety at the forefront of one’s mind, sleep is not possible except in five minute blocks, laying on the floor next to the nav station.  I have now had 1.5 hours sleep in 36 but by the power of chocolate and coffee I am still a functional human being and I am enjoying the opportunity to get on the helm and provide hints and tips in conditions crew rarely get to experience.

“Stealth Mode means I will not be commenting on our place in the fleet - we had a plan, we are following it and the results may not provide a better fleet ranking but will put us in the geographical position we feel has the advantage.  So far so good - you judge for yourself next time you log on.”
POSITIONS AT 0900 UTC, TUESDAY 16 FEBRUARY 2010

1 Spirit of Australia DTF 552
2 California DTF 572 DTL +20
3 Uniquely Singapore DTF 599 DTL +48
4 Cape Breton Island DTF 606 DTL +55
5 Hull & Humber DTF 610 DTL +58
6 Jamaica Lightning Bolt DTF 644 DTL +92
7 Qingdao DTF 669 DTL +118 (Stealth: position at 1200 15 February)
8 Edinburgh Inspiring Capital DTF 726 DTL +175
9 Team Finland DTF 750 DTL +199
10 Cork Did not start

The Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race started on 13 September from the Humber on the UK’s east coast and will return there in July 2010 after 35,000 miles of ocean racing. No previous sailing experience is required to take part as full training is provided. Crew can sign up for the whole circumnavigation or one or more legs. The overall race is divided into individual races and points are accumulated according to each individual race position. The yacht with the highest total at the finish wins the race trophy.

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The Cruising Club of America has selected Sir Robin Knox-Johnston to receive its prestigious Blue Water Medal, without date, for a lifetime devoted to the advancement of sailing, sail training and youth development and on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of his singlehanded, non-stop circumnavigation of the world. In the 85-year history of the CCA’s Blue Water Medal only seven Medals have been awarded without date. The medal will be presented to Sir Robin Knox-Johnston on March 5, 2010 by CCA Commodore Sheila McCurdy (Middletown, R.I.) during the club’s annual Awards Dinner at the New York Yacht Club, in New York.

 Born March 17, 1939 in Putney, London, Knox-Johnston went to school at Berkhamstead in Hertfordshire. He served as an officer cadet in the British Merchant Navy in 1957 and later gained his Masters Certificate in 1965. Between sea voyages in Bombay he built Suhaili, a 32-foot 5-inch LOA (length overall) India teak ketch of the Colin Archer type and sailed her to England.

 With Suhaili he entered the 1968 race for the Sunday Times Golden Globe Trophy for the first person to circumnavigate the world nonstop and singlehanded. Suhaili was the only boat to finish the race, completing the 30,123 mile course in 312 days. Robin Knox-Johnston donated his £5,000 prize to the widow of his competitor Donald Crowhurst, who was lost at sea during the race.

 In 1988 Suhaili started in the OSTAR Race across the Atlantic, but had to retire after 800 miles due to leaking seams. In 1989, after re-caulking, she set off across the Atlantic following Columbus’s route using only an Astrolabe for navigation. Arriving in San Salvador after 3,000 miles, they were only off 8 miles in latitude and 22 miles in longitude. On the return voyage in November of the same year, a large storm knocked them down four times and they lost both masts. Under jury rig they sailed 1,400 miles to the Azores.

 In 1990 Suhaili sailed north of the Arctic Circle to Greenland’s east coast so that a small team might attempt to climb a virgin peak. In 1992 Knox-Johnston was invited to become President of the Sail Training Association, a youth development organization which operated two topsail schooners. He also organized annual tall ship races and, before he retired from the post in 2001, £11 million had been raised to replace the two schooners with two larger brigs.

 Since winning the Golden Globe Trophy in 1969 Robin Knox-Johnston has participated in seven quadrennial double-handed Round Britain races. He skippered Condor to line honors in two legs of the 1977/08 Whitbread Race, co-skippered Enza New Zealand with the late Sir Peter Blake in 1994 to take the Jules Verne Trophy for the fastest circumnavigation of the world, and completed the Velux5Oceans solo around the world race in 4th position in 2006/07 at the age of 68.

In 1995, Knox-Johnston was knighted by Queen Elizabeth and retained the honorary title ‘Sir’. Notably, he has been named the 1994 ISAF World Sailor of the Year, the United Kingdom’s Yachtsman of the Year three times, and in 2007 he was inducted into the inaugural ISAF Hall of Fame. He has served as a Trustee of the National Maritime Museum and is currently President of the Little Ship Club and Chairman of Clipper Ventures.

About the CCA’s Blue Water Medal

The prestigious Blue Water Medal was inaugurated by the Cruising Club of America in 1923 to reward meritorious seamanship and adventure upon the sea displayed by amateur sailors of all nationalities that might otherwise go unrecognized.

Blue Water Medalists have included such luminaries of the sailing world as Rod Stephens, Eric and Susan Hiscock, Sir Francis Chichester, Eric Tabarly, Pete Goss, Rich Wilson, Minoru Saito and Bernard Moitessier. In 1940 it was awarded to the British Yachtsmen at Dunkerque who helped in the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force in June 1940.

The Medal itself was designed by Arthur Sturgis Hildebrand, a member of the Cruising Club of America, who was one of the crew of the yacht Leiv Eiriksson, lost in the Arctic with all hands in September of 1924.

Blue Water Medal awardees – without date (all award years are approximate)

Circa 2000 – Cloud Nine, Rodger B. Swanson (USA) 160,000 miles of remarkable cruising, two circumnavigations via Antarctica

 Circa 1978 – Humphrey D. E. Barton (GBR), A lifetime of cruising, racing, 20 or more Atlantic crossings, founder of the Ocean Cruising Club

 Circa 1961 – Seacrest, Dr. Paul Sheldon (USA) Extended cruises in Newfoundland, Labrador

 Circa 1959 – Vito Dumas (ARG), Global Circumnavigation 1942-1943 and other singlehanded voyages

 Circa 1956 – Carleton Mitchell (USA), Meritorious ocean passages, sterling seamanship and advancement of the sport by counsel and example

 Circa 1937 – Igdasil, Roger S. Strout (USA), Circumnavigation 1934-1937

 Circa 1932*– Jolie Brise, Robert Somerset (GBR),Award for a remarkable feat of seamanship, the rescue of 10 crew off burning schooner Adriana in the 1932 Bermuda race

*(no actual date appears in the CCA Yearbook)

The Cruising Club of America is dedicated to offshore cruising, voyaging and the “adventurous use of the sea” through efforts to improve seamanship, the design of seaworthy yachts, safe yachting procedures and environmental awareness.  Now in its 89th year, the club has 10 stations throughout the U.S., Canada and Bermuda, with approximately 1200 members who are qualified by their experience in offshore passage making.  In even-numbered years, the CCA organizes the Newport to Bermuda Race in conjunction with the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club

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A British yachtsman became the first quadriplegic to sail across the Atlantic on Thursday when he crossed the finish line in the Caribbean.

Geoff Holt, 42, from Southampton, took 28 days to complete the 2,700-mile voyage after setting off from Lanzarote in the Canary Islands on December 10.  He had an emotional reunion with his wife Elaine and their seven-year-old son Tim in the British Virgin Islands.  Mr Holt is already the first quadriplegic sailor to sail solo around Britain - a feat he achieved in 2007.

Ellen MacArthur praised Geoff’s determination: “Congratulations Geoff on what is a truly exceptional achievement. You had a dream, one that at first may have seemed impossible but through your courage, determination and a belief that you could succeed you have realised it and gone on to be an inspiration for us all. We wish you the very best for what will be an unforgettable New Year!”

The sailor battled light winds, mechanical problems and running out of fuel aboard his boat, Impossible Dream, during the voyage where he has been aided by a carer and filmed by a cameraman - but he did all his own sailing.

Poignantly, he returned to the exact scene of the diving accident that paralysed him 26 years ago - Cane Garden Bay, on Tortola island.

‘The arrival has been everything I expected and more,’ the yachtsman said.

‘I’ve been living off the memories. I now want to relive the experience. It seems right to sail back to Cane Garden Bay as this is where I had the accident.

‘I will be returning as a quadriplegic yachtsman and it is a personal challenge where I feel I will be closing the circle from having my accident and returning again as a yachtsman.’

During the voyage, Mr Holt’s only restrictions to sailing the yacht independently were those concerning his personal care.

Without help, he could not get himself into bed, dressed or even into the shower.

But, once up and in his wheelchair, he used his navigational and boat-handling skills to sail the purpose-built yacht, using the high-tech equipment.

Mr Holt’s care was provided by his personal assistant, Susana Scott, 28, who is originally from New Zealand.

She has specialist skills in caring for those with a high level of disability and was given some basic training in boat handling, but she had no input, either physically or verbally, into the sailing of the vessel.

Congratulations Geoff !!

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 CST Composites International Moth World Champion Bora Gulari and Semaine Olympique Française Laser Radial Champion Anna Tunnicliffe today were named US SAILING’s 2009 Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year.  A shortlist of 10 male and five female sailors – determined from nominations submitted by members of US SAILING – was evaluated by a panel of sailing journalists who selected these two sailors for the noteworthy distinction.   

 

 

 “I just do this because I love it, and I think this year was the start of great things to come for dinghy sailing in the U.S.,” said Gulari.  “With the addition of the foils, the Moths became easier to sail and a lot more rewarding  . . . generating a level of excitement for sailing in some of the top sailors in the country that I have not seen before.  I don’t think it will take people away from traditional dinghy classes, but the Moth is so fun that it’s attracting people that have never had any interest in dinghies, and its bringing people back to dinghies who thought they were done getting wet.”

 

Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year

Anna Tunnicliffe (Photo by Walter Cooper)

– Anna Tunnicliffe (Plantation, Fla.) has been named US SAILING’s 2009 Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year.  She was nominated to the award’s shortlist for the fifth consecutive year, and, having won the award in 2008 as well, becomes the first woman in 27 years to win the award in back-to-back years, a feat previously accomplished by only four women in the award’s 48 year history:  Jan O’Malley in 1969/70, Jane Pegel in 1971/72, Sally Lindsay Honey in 1973/74, and Betsy Alison in 1981/82.

Tunnicliffe’s success on the 2009 match racing circuit was also notable.  She won the Detroit Cup in Ultimate 20s and was second at U.S. Women’s Match Racing Championship in St. Thomas sailed in IC 24s.  Her medal haul also included bronze collected at the ISAF Nations Cup Grand Final in Brazil sailed in J/24s, and at Skandia Sail for Gold in England, sailing the Elliott 6 Metre, the equipment chosen for the debut of the new women’s match racing event at the 2012 Olympic Regatta.

In October, Tunnicliffe was fleet racing J/24s in Rochester, New York, where she won the Rolex International Women’s Keelboat Championship.  (It was during the 1997 running of this event that she first gained national prominence – at age 14 she was the youngest skipper in the fleet.)   Less than a month later, the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) named Tunnicliffe its female 2009 ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year for accomplishments during the qualifying period of September, 2008, through August, 2009.

The 27-year-old Tunnicliffe, a native of England, grew up in Perrysburg, Ohio, sailing from the North Cape Yacht Club in Michigan.  Her college sailing career at Old Dominion University (Norfolk, Va.), where she earned ICSA All-American honors three times (2003, ’04, ’05), was highlighted with being named the 2005 Quantum Female College Sailor of the Year.   Ranked number one in the world in the Laser Radial class since April of 2008, Tunnicliffe’s recent commitment to a match racing campaign in the Elliott 6 Metre focused on the 2012 Olympic Games shows the versatile sailor has no plans to slow down. 

“I’m so happy I can do this [sail] for a living,” added Tunnicliffe.  “I have more goals to reach in my sailing career, and starting this year [2010] with this award is amazing.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Whilst she was set to leave South Africa this Friday morning, the Groupama 3 trimaran has now been forced to remain in the port of Cape Town temporarily after her generator failed. 

“We were in the process of charging the batteries one last time when, all of a sudden, the alarm sounded in the engine compartment. After a thorough check by Yann Mérour, it has been deemed to be out of service. It’s annoying as we should already be at sea by now but that’s just the way it is” says Fred Le Peutrec. He continues: “It’s better that this problem occurred now rather than after we’d set sail because, without power, we can’t desalinate the seawater. As a result we would have been forced to make a stopover, which is never simple in such a large boat”.

Around the basin where Groupama 3 is tied up, cameras from all around the world are trained on the drawing of lots for the World Cup football tournament. However, the main focus for the Groupama Team is arranging a new Yanmar engine block to be sent down from France: “We’ve found an identical one to ours, which is a positive step. We just have to get it delivered to Cape Town, which isn’t easy. If everything goes smoothly at customs, we should receive the block on Sunday evening, assemble everything onto it on Monday and then head out to sea on Tuesday” explains Fred Le Peutrec.

Though it may seem surprising that a yacht is stuck in port with engine failure, it is worth pointing out that, without power, Groupama 3 is deprived of:
- Communication with land
- Weather information
- Lights and radar
- Electronic instruments showing the strength and direction of the wind
- Freshwater, which is essential for hydrating the crew and the freeze-dried food.

And even though Groupama 3 has a wind generator and solar panels, they are only back-up energy sources and hence not sufficient to cover the 6,000 miles (11,200 km) under satisfactory conditions of safety: “From our arrival in Cape Town, we decided that Groupama 3 had to leave South Africa in as close to perfect condition as possible in order to validate all the repair work on the return delivery trip. The same is true for the engine” adds Fred Le Peutrec, who concludes: “By leaving Cape Town on 8th December, we still have a chance of making Brest before the Christmas festivity. Indeed this is the latest challenge we have set ourselves as, together with the start of stand-by for the Jules Verne Trophy remaining set at 1st January, there will be little time left to share with our families”. 

 
The organisation of Groupama 3’s crew between Cape Town and Brest:
Watch No.1: Fred Le Peutrec, Eric Lamy, Nick Legatt
Watch No.2: Lionel Lemonchois, Ludovic Aglaor, Clément Surtel
Watch No.3: Ronan Le Goff, Thierry Duprey du Vordent, Jacques Caraës
Off-watch navigator: François Salabert
Land-based weather adviser: Sylvain Mondon

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On stopover in Cape Town, South Africa since 21st November, after suffering damage during her Jules Verne Trophy attempt, the trimaran Groupama 3 will head back out to sea again tomorrow morning, Friday, bound for Brest. Having been repaired and reinforced by the team’s shore crew, the maxi trimaran is likely to take two to three weeks to cover the 6,000 miles (11,500 km) separating her from Brittany. 

Of the ten men making up the Jules Verne Trophy crew four will be onboard to deliver Groupama 3 to Brest, where she will begin a new period of stand-by to tackle the Round the World record on 1st January: “The presence aboard of the entire Jules Verne crew wasn’t justified. As such, together with Lionel Lemonchois, Jacques Caraës, Ronan Le Goff and six new crew, we’ll be in a position to validate the reliability of the repairs carried out in Cape Town” explains Fred Le Peutrec, who will be shouldering the role of skipper during this climb up the Atlantic.

“We’re going to make the most of this delivery trip to give some members of the shore crew a chance to sail, as they know Groupama 3 very well. They will include Eric Lamy, Clément Surtel as well as François Salabert. We will also be playing host to some other multihull specialists: Thierry Duprey du Vorsent, Ludovic Aglaor as well as a South African who notably sailed aboard Cheyenne, Nick Legatt” adds Fred Le Peutrec.

In all, Groupama’s stopover in Cape Town will have lasted nearly two weeks: “Once we’d worked out where the damage was, it was necessary to bring in the architects and engineers to determine the cause so that we could be sure about what repairs and reinforcement were required on the beam-float joints. There was great understanding in the collaboration between the Groupama Team’s research department and the architects from VPLP and HDS. As such we’ll be setting off with complete trust in what is a more solid boat in tip-top condition. It was very important for the whole team to take the time to do things properly, without being overly hasty” continues Fred.

Determined to set off on a fresh attempt at the Jules Verne Trophy from 1st January 2010, the crew of Groupama 3 has managed to find the energy necessary for this new challenge, despite the inevitable disappointment caused by this damage: “We were really on the pace. Despite our retirement, we monitored the evolution of the weather system we’d been sailing in. It was excellent as far as Australia. That goes to prove the quality of the work carried out by Stan Honey, our navigator, as well as Sylvain Mondon, the weather adviser at Météo France. This augurs well for the next stage and the five weeks of stand-by we’ll have at our disposal between 1st January and 6th February for our new attempt” comments Franck Cammas.

Returning to France a few days ago with Bruno Jeanjean, Thomas Coville, Stève Ravussin and soon to be joined by Loïc Le Mignon, the skipper of Groupama 3 will be monitoring the return delivery trip very closely: “We chose to repair Groupama 3 in Cape Town in order to validate her reliability at sea. Calculations have their limitations. Nothing can beat offshore trials for testing the structure and I have complete trust in the crew onboard to achieve this”.

As regards the weather, conditions will be favourable for getting back into the Northern hemisphere: “We’ll be setting off in 15 to 20 knots of SSE’ly. As such we’ll be on a reach along the coast until Sunday and then we’ll put in some westing to cross the equator at around 25° West. The next stage of the passage will depend on the depressions sweeping across the North Atlantic, but whatever happens we should make it into Brest before Christmas and hence spend the festive period with our families” concludes Fred Le Peutrec. 

 

The organisation of Groupama 3’s crew between Cape Town and Brest:
Watch No.1: Fred Le Peutrec, Eric Lamy, Nick Legatt
Watch No.2: Lionel Lemonchois, Ludovic Aglaor, Clément Surtel
Watch No.3: Ronan Le Goff, Thierry Duprey du Vordent, Jacques Caraës
Off-watch navigator: François Salabert
Land-based weather adviser: Sylvain Mondon

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