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Posted Robert Richardson, on May 23rd, 2013  The Liancourt Rocks, known as Dokdo (or Tokto, 독도/獨島, literally “solitary island”) in Korean, as Takeshima (竹島, Takeshima, literally “bamboo island”) in Japanese. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) PRESS RELEASE
Wednesday 22 May 2013
6TH KOREA CUP INTERNATIONAL YACHT RACE 2013
16-22 May 2013
FINAL OFFSHORE LEG GIVES OVERALL VICTORY TO RUSSIA’S CARRERA
The final offshore leg of the Korea Cup International Regatta was the longest and most exciting one, and would determine the overall winners of this year’s event. This leg took the 25 boat fleet from the Dokdo islands, off the eastern coast of Korea, back to the mainland and the city of Uljin, which they had left on 18 May.
To get to the start just off the Dokdo islands, the fleet took a long overnight trip from Ulleung island, the destination for the first offshore leg, and arrived at the Dokdo islands ready for a 1100 hours start. Holding special status as a nature reserve, the Dokdo islands are stunning volcanic islands, with a warm and humid climate, and host to numerous bird species, insects and plants.
The two classes, ORC and Open, started together in light winds under the watchful eyes of the Race Committee on the schooner Koreana. The race track took them around the islands and then back upwind to Uljin. Off the line first were Carrera and Linda Vista, with Carrera keeping to windward and taking a course closer to the islands, while Linda Vista decided to follow a wider route and avoid the potential lack of wind under the islands. The rest of the fleet followed closely, with Carrera’s tactic favoured by many of the teams. Team Bare Essentials desperately tried to catch up and claw back some of the distance they lost at the start, with a particular focus on Linda Vista, their closest rival who had claimed line honours in the first offshore race.
The crew of Carrera had made a smart strategic move, and with less distance sailed, were the first to round the island followed by Linda Vista in second and Team Bare Essentials in third. The rest of the fleet were chasing hard as they headed upwind, but with the prospect of a 134 nautical mile ahead of them, crews needed to conserve themselves for the long return leg.
Just before sunset the wind picked up and the boat speeds increased. The fleet were now on a close reach to Uljin and eating away at the race course, with the all Korean crew on the Open 60 Linda Vista safely in the lead with the rest of the fleet trailing. The breeze picked up more overnight, averaging around 20 knots, before decreasing as the fleet approached the finish line off the city of Uljin. Linda Vista continued her dominance and again claimed line honours, with Team Bare Essentials finishing just ten minutes behind, having caught up in the light wind. In the Open Class, line honours went to Diva, whose crew celebrated their victory with champagne.
By the afternoon, most of the fleet had crossed the finish line, and the hosts and organizers welcomed the teams back to Uljin, and on to the closing and awards ceremony which paid tribute to the winning teams with the presentation of trophies and prize money. The overall winner from the two offshore legs was Russia’s Carrera. In second place was Accanito, racing with a French and Korean crew, and the Korean, Australian, British, Japanese and Kiwi crew on Team Bare Essentials were third. The evening was a real celebration of the teams’ week long odyssey of offshore and inshore racing in some of the most beautiful and wild places South Korea has to offer. Recognizing the unique camaraderie that has prevailed throughout the event, all competitors signed the traditional Korean kite which had been flying at Dokdo island.
The 2013 Korea Cup International Yacht Race had it all, with thrilling conditions over a week’s competitive racing, which justly reflects its position as the largest and most respected yachting event in Korea.
Top 5 Results – 6TH Korea Cup International Yacht Race
ORC Class
- Carrera (RUS) – skippered by Sergei Beliaev
- Accantino (FRA/KOR) – skippered by Jean-Luc Seguin
- Team Bare Essentials (KOR) – skippered by Hosun Lee
- Elena (RUS) – skippered by Nikolay Korolev
- Linda Vista(KOR) – skippered by Gisung Kwon
About the Korea Cup International Yacht Race
The Korea Cup International Yacht Race takes place off the eastern coastline of Korea from 16-22 May. 2013 marks the 6th edition of this week long event, which is Korea’s largest and most renowned yachting event, attracting sailors all over the world, including Asia, Europe, Americas and Oceania, to race in a series of inshore and offshore races.
Event Website: www.koreacup.org
Posted Robert Richardson, on May 22nd, 2013 Farr 40 Class Association
May 18, 2013
Skipper Alberto Rossi and Enfant Terrible Team Capture Farr 40 East Coast Championship
Greetings!
Enfant Terrible was sailing in fifth place of the final race at the Farr 40 East Coast Championship when tactician Vasco Vascotto made a bold move. Vascotto decided to split from the leaders and head toward the left side of the course, a risky move because it could have cost skipper Alberto Rossi the regatta.
Instead, the move paid off handsomely. Enfant Terrible picked up a favorable shift and wound up passing four boats – rounding the final windward mark in first and maintaining that lead to the finish.
It was indicative of how things went all week for the Italian team, which figured out the tricky conditions on the Chesapeake Bay better than the rest of the fleet. Vascotto was on his game tactically while Rossi did a splendid job of steering as Enfant Terrible finished first or second in seven of 10 races during the four-day series.
Skipper Alberto Rossi, far left, and the Enfant Terrible crew celebrate after capturing the Farr 40 East Coast Championship in impressive fashion, placing first or second in seven of 10 races.
“It was a fantastic week for our team. Vasco was outstanding while the crew showed that when we have to fight, they will do it,” Rossi said. “We were very consistent. We only had two bad races. This was difficult sailing and we really earned this win. This was our event.”
Enfant Terrible captured line honors in four races and was second in three others in posting a low score of 26 points – six better than runner-up Groovederci. The Italian entry entered the final day of racing one point behind Barking Mad and came through in the clutch by turning in a terrific score line of 1-2-1.
“We are very, very happy. We improved every day of the regatta and that is always the goal,” Vascotto said. “I am very proud of the progress we are making with the program. We are very competitive and that is what we are looking for.”
Enfant Terrible trailed Barking Mad by one point going into the final day of racing, but posted a pair of firsts and a second to win the regatta going away.
Annapolis can be a challenging venue since the Chesapeake Bay is famous for its wild wind shifts, dramatic pressure changes and strong current. Four boats had tacticians who have lived in Annapolis and have extensive experience on the bay, but it was Vascotto who got things right most often.
“Sometimes you need to be a little lucky. For the most part we had good feelings about what to do and took the right options,” said Vascotto, who has extensive America’s Cup experience.
Andrea Caracci served as navigator while Jacopo Bagnaschi, Paolo Mascino and Gaetano Figlia di Granara handled trimming aboard Enfant Terrible, which earned its first class victory since the 2012 Miami Beach Invitational. Daniele Fiaschi (pit), Roberto Strappati (mast), Alberto Fantini (bow) and Giovanni Cassinari (all around) completed the crew.
“We were fast, especially upwind. It is always rewarding to win a regatta in this class because it is not easy. There is no room to make any mistakes and our crew was very sharp this week,” Rossi said.
Skipper John Demourkas and his crew on Groovederci also enjoyed an excellent final day, posting a superb score line of 3-1-2 to move from third to second in the overall standings. Seasoned professional Cameron Appleton called tactics for Demourkas, who notched one bullet and finished second or third in five other races in totaling 32 points, two ahead of Barking Mad.
“We sailed very well this week and that is very encouraging. It feels good to be near the top of the leader board for a change,” Demourkas said. “This was a real confidence boost, which was just what the team needed. It was a real psychological improvement for me and the crew.”
Groovederci struggled with boat speed in finishing fifth out of six boats at Quantum Key West 2013 and last at the Miami Beach Invitational. Demourkas and Appleton decided to change the boat’s sail configuration and that clearly made a difference.
“Any time you sail well all week and can get on any part of the podium in this class it is a tremendous accomplishment,” Appleton said. “There were a lot of tactical opportunities out here, you could easily go up and down in the standings. Johnny D was good all week sailing in those tricky conditions and the guys all worked really hard to keep the boat moving.”
It was a somewhat difficult dock debrief for Barking Mad, which led the regatta by one point going into the final day and fell to third overall after posting a pair of fourths and a fifth. Barking Mad was winning Race 9 when it had difficulty getting the spinnaker down at the leeward mark rounding, which spoiled any chance of putting pressure on Enfant Terrible.
“We did not sail very well today. We had a couple mistakes that really cost us,” Richardson said. “We’ve got some things we can take away from this regatta and work to improve upon moving forward. Enfant Terrible did a great job all week and really deserved to win.”
Barking Mad, skippered by Jim Richardson of Boston, Mass., now leads the 2013 Farr 40 International Circuit after three events. Barking Mad took third in the East Coast Championship.
On the bright side, Barking Mad moved back into first place for the Farr 40 International Circuit Championship, overtaking Struntje Light in total points after three events.
New York skipper Alex Roepers and the team on Plenty placed fourth overall with 42 points on the strength of two bullets and a second. Annapolis skipper Rod Jabin and the Ramrod crew came out on top of a three-way tie with Asterisk-UNO and Nightshift to finish fifth. Evidence of the closeness and competitiveness of the class comes from the fact Struntje Light finished last in Annapolis after winning in Miami.
“The Annapolis Yacht Club was a wonderful host, the race committee did a great job, we got lucky with the wind and everyone had fun,” said Kevin McNeil, skipper of Nightshift and commodore of host AYC.
The Farr 40 class will reconvene in Newport from June 13-16 for the New York Yacht Club Annual Regatta.
2013 Farr 40 East Coast Championship (eight entries) 1, Enfant Terrible, Alberto Rossi, Ancona, Italy, 2-2-6-1-3-7-1-1-2-1=26 2, Groovederci, John Demourkas, Santa Barbara, CA, 3-3-5-4-2-4-5-3-1-2=32 3, Barking Mad, Jim Richardson, Newport, RI, 1-4-7-3-1-2-3-5-4-4=34 4, Plenty, Alex Roepers, New York City, 4-5-1-5-7-1-6-2-6-5=42 5, Ramrod, Rod Jabin, Annapolis, MD, 8-1-2-7-4-3-8-8-8-7=56 6, Asterisk-UNO, Hasip Gencer, Instanbul, Turkey, 6-8-3-6-8-8-2-6-3-6=56 7, Nightshift, Kevin McNeil, Annapolis, MD, 7-6-4-2-5-6-4-7-7-8=56 8, Struntje Light, Wolfgang Schaefer, Lueneberg, Germany, 5-7-8-8-6-5-7-4-5-3=58
Posted Robert Richardson, on May 21st, 2013 First time victory in Germany for Ian Williams
Langenargen, Germany (20th May 2013): Lake Constance left it right until the last moment to get uncooperative at Match Race Germany. An ominous-looking rain cloud was on its way across the third largest lake in Europe from Switzerland, sucking all the wind out of the vicinity and causing PRO Rudi Magg to draw proceedings to a close.
This handed victory at Match Race Germany to British helm Ian Williams and his American/Australian crew of Mal Parker and Bill Hardesty, supplemented on this occasion by stand-ins Graham Spence and Willem Van Waay. Williams’ GAC Pindar crew won today’s single Finals match against Adam Minoprio and his all-Kiwi Team Alpari FX crew of Nick Blackman, Chris Main, Tom Powrie and David Swete; reigning Alpari World Match Racing Tour champion (Williams), up against the 2009 champion (Minoprio).
A little slow out of the blocks in the Semi Finals yesterday, Williams was 1-2 down against Johnie Berntsson’s Stena Sailing Team crew as proceedings came to a close last night. However the GAC Pindar crew fought back this morning to take the next two points, to gain their berth in the final.
In his Semi Final match Minoprio had less to do this morning, scoring a come-from-behind win against France’s experienced Mathieu Richard and his GEFCO Match Racing Team to take him through on a 3-1 scoreline.
“We had a nice lead, maybe 8-10 boatlengths during the first run,” explained Richard after a long team de-brief. “But then we ran out of wind, and completely stopped while they had a little breeze coming from behind. Often in those conditions it is not too bad to be behind and they showed us that today as they were able to overtake us. It is very disappointing and a bit frustrating, but that is how it is.”
Otherwise the Frenchman, who heralds from La Baule on the Atlantic coast, was pleased with the performance of his GEFCO Match Racing Team in what is their first Tour event since St Moritz last year. Richard will be back for Korea Match Cup next week followed by Stena Match Cup Sweden at the beginning of July.
In this afternoon’s only Finals race, held once again in very light winds, Minoprio held up his hand, acknowledging that he had made a meal of the pre-start. “I forgot how long these boats take to gybe and I wasted a minute doing two gybes so we were late for the line. It was my mistake, I was kicking myself at the start of the race.”
From there all he could do was chase the GAC Pindar crew around the course, who in turn did an immaculate job of covering their Kiwi opponents.
Minoprio felt the Race Committee was correct to draw racing to a close prematurely and was gracious in defeat. “There is no wind at the moment,” he observed. “Ian sailed better than us in the one race we had and he won Qualifying – he deserves the win here. We sailed very poorly in that final race against him and we didn’t deserve it.”
However Minoprio reckoned it was a solid start to his come-back season. “Second is good points for the overall Championship and puts the pressure on everyone else.”
Williams was pleased with victory, a first in his lengthy match racing career at Match Race Germany, even if the last part of the event was curtailed. He felt he sailed the last race well.
“It was really light which meant manoeuvres were really costly. We did a nice job of keeping Adam down – he had to do a couple of gybes in the last minute before the start and that cost him a bit of speed which allowed us to be faster and closer to the line at start time. Then we did two less tacks on both beats and that is what allowed us to draw away by the finish.”
Victory at Match Race Germany, makes for a solid start to Williams and the GAC Pindar team’s campaign to win the Alpari World Match Racing Tour for a record setting fifth time.
“I haven’t been here in Langenargen for a couple of years,” admitted Williams. “They put on a great show here. The conditions are often difficult, but I like the big boats, they are impressive. Plus there is a good crowd turn-out here and the event works well for the local economy, so long may it continue.”
James Pleasance, Executive Director of the Alpari World Match Racing Tour felt that the beginning of the 2013 season had gone well: “It has been a fantastic week for the first stage of the 2013 Alpari World Match Racing Tour, and a good shakedown event for all the teams. The boats here are bigger and heavier and the teams have really had to find their stride in the variable lake conditions. But a great win for Ian and GAC Pindar, and against a former Tour Champion in the final as well. This Tour season is going be very close indeed.”
FINAL RESULTS
Ian Williams (GBR) GAC Pindar vs Adam Minoprio (NZL) Team Alpari FX 1-0
PETIT FINAL RESULTS
Mathieu Richard (FRA) GEFCO Match Racing Team vs Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Stena Sailing Team 1-0
FINAL SEMI FINAL RESULTS
Mathieu Richard (FRA) GEFCO Match Racing Team vs Adam Minoprio (NZL) Team Alpari FX 1-3
Ian Williams (GBR) GAC Pindar v Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Stena Sailing Team 2-2
LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 1 – MATCH RACE GERMANY
1 Ian Williams (GBR) – Team GAC Pindar 25
2 Adam Minoprio (NZL) – Team Alpari FX 22
3 Mathieu Richard (FRA) – GEFCO Match Racing Team 19
4 Johnie Berntsson (SWE)- Stena Sailing Team 16
5 Taylor Canfield (ISV) – USone 14
6 Björn Hansen (SWE) – Mekonomen Sailing Team 12
7 Karol Jablonski (POL) – Jablonski Sailing Team 10
8 Pierre-Antoine Morvan (FRA) – Vannes Agglo Sailing Team 8
9 Phil Robertson (NZL) – WAKA Racing 4
10 Keith Swinton (AUS) – Black Swan Racing 2
11 Philip Buhl (GER) – STG/NRV Youth Team 0
12 Sven Erick-Horsch (GER) – NRV Match Race Team 0
Posted Robert Richardson, on May 20th, 2013 
- SpeedDream, the quest for the world’s fastest monohull, added to warm-up bill for Istanbul – Watch the latest episode of the official TV Series presented by double Olympic gold medalist Shirley Robertson and brought to you from Act 2 Singapore here – Two further single event ‘wildcard’ entries have been granted and will be announced in the coming weeks
Team Tilt, the Swiss team selected for the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup has announced their participation at the next two Acts of the Extreme Sailing Series to be staged in Istanbul, Turkey (20-23 June) and Porto, Portugal (25-28 July) as the global tour heads back to Europe for the summer months. Also new to the Series is SpeedDream, an ambitious project that aims to build the worlds fastest monohull, and will join the NeilPryde Windsurf Racing Series as warm-up acts.
Since Team Tilt’s qualification for the Youth America’s Cup, the team of young sailors have embarked on a demanding training programme which includes racing on different high-performance multihull classes including the Decision 35, M2 and the Extreme 40. Just last weekend, the team competed in the first Vulcain Trophy event of the season where they came up against the Extreme 40 crews and their Swiss countrymen onboard Alinghi and Realteam for the first time. Lucien Cujean, the teams skipper, who started sailing multihulls in 2007 alongside offshore legend Alain Gautier, himself a former Extreme 40 helm, commented: “The forthcoming Extreme Sailing Series Acts in Istanbul and Porto are a great opportunity for us and perfect to prepare ourselves as best as possible for our ultimate objective, winning The Red Bull Youth America’s Cup. The Extreme sailing Series has some of the best multihull sailors in the world and for us it will be a great opportunity to compete alongside these very talented sailors. It’s also a new racing format that we will have to quickly adapt to. So, we have a huge learning curve ahead of us.”
 Team Tilt racing on the high-performance D35 © Loris von Siebenthal-myimage.ch
Cujean will be joined by Jocelyn Keller as tactician, Jeremy Bachelin mainsail trimmer, Thomas Mermod headsail trimmer, with the bowman’s position still to be decided between Mikis Psarosfaghis and Jonas Schagen. As well as giving Team Tilt the chance for some valuable multihull training, joining the Extreme Sailing Series will also give them the chance to size up the competition from the Kiwi Youth America’s Cup contingent onboard GAC Pindar, led by William Tiller.
As part of the Series’ continually developing entertainment programme, SpeedDream will add an exciting new element for the VIP’s and public in Istanbul. As part of the projects quest to build the world’s fastest monohull, SpeedDream have integrated some of their innovative design ideas, such as a flying keel, wave piercing bow and stepped hull, into a 27-foot prototype and Cam Lewis, one of the world’s most celebrated sailors as the first holder of the coveted Jules Verne Trophy and winner of the 1988 America’s Cup, will be in the driving seat demo-sailing the boat and bringing high speeds and excitement to the event in Istanbul.
 SpeedDream added to the warm-up bill for Act 4, Istanbul © Tara Roberts
Recognizing that record setting is as much about finding the right people as it is about radical design ideas, the SpeedDream team feel that coming to the very heart of competitive inshore racing where the best sailors compete is a natural fit for them. “We fully appreciate that if we are in pursuit of some global records that we will need to recruit some top sailors especially those who are used to high speeds,” said Project Leader Vlad Murnikov. “Clearly those sailors who race the Extreme 40’s in such close high speed competition are amongst the best in the world, and we want to introduce them to the SpeedDream concept and see how we can all work together to set some records and broaden the overall interest in sailing.”
For more information on SpeedDream click here.
Team Tilt Crew List Position/Crew/Nationality Skipper / Helmsan: Lucien Cujean (SUI) Tactician: Jocelyn Keller (SUI) Mainsail Trimmer: Jeremy Bachelin (SUI) Headsail Trimmer: Thomas Mermod (SUI) Bowman: Mikis Psaarosfaghis / Jonas Schagen (SUI)
*Thumbnail image © Studio Borlenghi/Stefano Gattini Studio
Posted Robert Richardson, on May 19th, 2013  RHKYC/ Guy Nowell Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club Spring Regatta
Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 May 2013
Sunday dawned with the same overcast and humid conditions encountered on Day 1 of the Regatta but RO Simon Boyde scoured the Harbour and managed to conjure up a 3 to 10kt Westerly in the central area just off Kellett Island.
Setting up the start line in a 100 degree swing, Boyde was prepared to wait for the breeze to settle, however the weather gods smiled on him, the wind stabilised in the west and racing got underway as scheduled in 8kts and sunshine.
89 of the 96 entrants turned out for the second day of racing, with the Flying Fifteen Fleet forming the largest class with 14 entrants. The first race set everyone off on a simple two lap course giving maximum exposure to Hong Kong’s best harbour vantage points. The second race of the day used the same course, with the Flying Fifteens shortened at one lap.
A fantastic day was had by all, with a top breeze of 14kts. There were three protests heard and, after the RHKYC Pipe Band had entertained the masses, a rowdy prizegiving took place on the Lawn with prizes presented by Wellock Lo, distributor of Old Pulteney scotch whiskey and Chang soda water and Emily Wong from Official Regatta Beer sponsor, Heineken.
Class Winners
Big Boat Division 1 – Peninsula Signal 8 / Jamie McWilliam
Big Boat Division 2 – Red Kite II – Anthony Root
Big Boat HKPN – Happy Hou – Harry Leong
Dragon – Eaux Vives – Joseph Chu
Etchells – Gunga Din – Nick Burns
Flying Fifteen – French Fries – Akira Takada
Impala – Impala 1 – Mike Burrell
J/80 – Sea Biscuit – David Fan
Pandora – Windfall – Tom Ho
Ruffian – Victory 9 – Li Fook Hing
Magic 25 – Fly By Wire – Frank van Kempen
Posted Robert Richardson, on May 19th, 2013 
Alpari World Match Racing Tour
Drift Innovation joins Alpari World Match Racing Tour as Official Supplier
London, UK (May 16, 2013): Drift, a leading action sports technology company specialising in the capture and sharing of digital imagery across all platforms, has signed a deal that sees them become the official action camera suppliers to the Alpari World Match Racing Tour (AWMRT).
As part of the deal, Drift will provide AWMRT with Drift HD Ghost cameras, enabling them to capture all the action as it unfolds around the globe. Video content of the races will be published on Drift’s social media platforms including Facebook, Youtube, Vimeo, Twitter as well as via other platforms.
Commenting on the partnership, Drift Global Brand Manager, Simon Wootton, said, “We manufacture quality HD cameras, mounts and accessories, inspiring action sports enthusiasts and like minded individuals to document their experiences, capture the emotion and share their vision.
Our innovative, intuitive products combine both our users needs and state of the art technology, to significantly simplify this process compared with other products on the market. Drift’s mission is to ensure that the unique product features found on our cameras (eg: two way active status remote control, integrated screen, rotatable lens) enhance the user experience by simplifying the process of capturing, editing & sharing key moments of their lives. We see sailing as a sport that can help grow our existing customer base and deliver an audience that we believe will really appreciate our products. We’re really excited about this partnership with the AMWRT and look forward to being present at the Stena Match Cup in Sweden and the Chicago Match Cup in 2013.”
James Pleasance, AWMRT Executive Director, added, “this partnership will help to heighten the fan experience and enable us to create a closer connection with them. We will look to use Drift’s technology and expertise not only to deliver more close up, on the water action but also to enhance and encourage the creation, and co-creation, of content that can be used as we develop our social media strategy. We’ll be actively encouraging teams, promoters and spectators to work with us to generate unique content that can be viewed across multiple platforms. We look forward to implementing this technology at Match Race Germany, the opening event of the 2013 season that takes place between 15th – 20th May on the idyllic setting of Lake Constance, Langernagen.”
The Alpari World Match Racing Tour (AWMRT) is the leading professional sailing series featuring six World Championship events across the globe, sanctioned by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) with “Special Event” status.
The Alpari World Match Racing Tour awards over US$1.5 million in prize money with points awarded at each event culminating in the crowning of the “ISAF Match Racing World Champion”. The prize fund includes a US$500,000 overall Tour Bonus for the top teams in the Championship.
ABOUT DRIFT INNOVATION
Drift Innovation is an action sports technology company specializing in the capture and sharing of digital imagery across all platforms. Drift manufactures quality point of view HD cameras, mounts and accessories, inspiring action sports enthusiasts to document their experiences, capture the emotion and share their vision with friends and family.
Drift’s mission is to ensure that their unique product features such as an LCD screen for instant playback, wireless remote control, rotatable lens and intuitive interface, guarantee a simple, positive user experience. Drift sponsored professional athletes in moto, auto, outdoor, snow, aquatic and airborne sports, are an integral part of the R&D process, testing the performance and durability of Drift products in the field. Drift, widely recognized as one of the top three point-of-view camera brands globally, distributes its products in more than 25 countries. For more information about Drift Innovation, visit http://driftinnovation.com and follow Drift Innovation on http:// facebook.com/driftinnovation and on Twitter, @DriftInnovation.
Drift Innovation Media Contact Laura Seward laura@driftinnovation.com
Posted Robert Richardson, on May 18th, 2013  Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club Spring Regatta
Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 May 2013
Heavy overnight rain meant that conditions on the morning of before the first race of the RHKYC Spring Regatta were humid and windless but, undeterred, Race Officer Simon Boyde was out on the water early to rustle up a breeze and came back to shore with reports of 3 to 11kts SSW at the possible marks of the course.
As the best conditions were to the west of the usual race area, Boyde selected courses 71 and 72, more commonly associated with the Club’s Friday night Sunset Series racing. These courses included the start/ finish line as a gate for every lap, which caught out several competitors and forced 12 retirements after racing as boats were alerted to their error.
With great conditions for watching from the shore, there were gusts up to 15kts and several spectacular broaches along the Avenue of Stars. There were other moments where the breeze died and a strong ebb tide gave boats some problems in clearing the finish line, but ultimately, only one boat was out of time.
Races two and three take place tomorrow, with the first warning signal scheduled for 1105hrs. Photos may be used free of charge, however a credit must be carried in the form Image: RHKYC/Guy Nowell.
 RHKYC/Guy Nowell
Posted Robert Richardson, on May 18th, 2013
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Farr 40 Class Association
May 17, 2013
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| Barking Mad Overtakes Enfant Terrible for Lead at Farr 40 East Coast Championship |
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Greetings!
John Demourkas drank a beer while sitting in his support boat at the Annapolis Yacht Club docks and just shook his head when asked to describe Day 3 of the Farr 40 East Coast Championship. The California skipper remain baffled by the conditions on the Chesapeake Bay, but felt fortunate that his Groovederci team held onto third place for the third straight day.
“The Chesapeake continues to be a conundrum. Between the breeze, the tide and the current… just the overall fickle nature of the sailing,” Demourkas said. “It’s tough here. You have to really be alert and on top of your game to do well.”
With three days down and one more to go, it is skipper Jim Richardson and the crew aboard Barking Mad that have figured things out the best. Richardson steered Barking Mad to a second and third in Friday’s two races and that was good enough to overtake Enfant Terrible for the overall lead.
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| Skipper Jim Richardson (holding tiller) and the crew aboard Barking Mad posted results of second and third in two races on Friday and now hold the overall lead in the regatta. |
Barking Mad has posted two bullets and three other top three results in totaling 21 points, one better than the Italian entry that led the regatta upon conclusion of racing Wednesday and Thursday. Skipper Alberto Rossi and the Enfant Terrible team suffered a seventh in the opening race on Friday, but rebounded to take line honors in the second start.
“I’m happy with the way we are sailing. The crew has done an outstanding job and we’ve shown pretty good boat speed,” Richardson said.
Barking Mad struggled a bit at the Miami Beach Invitational in March, closing the regatta with consecutive sevenths to finish fifth in the overall standings. Richardson is pleased to see the veteran team performing closer to the level it did while winning Quantum Key West 2013.
“We made some adjustments to boat setup and things have begun to come together for us,” Richardson said. “I also think it helps that we’re all on the same page in terms of overall tone on the boat.”
Groovederci is five points behind Barking Mad after finishing fourth and fifth in Friday’s races. Demourkas, the defending East Coast Champion, is looking forward to a typically exciting conclusion to a Farr 40 regatta.
“As always in this class, things are tight. It’s down to the last day and it’s time to dig down and pull it out,” Demourkas said. “I’m pretty happy with where we are at the moment. We’ve given ourselves a chance and that’s never easy to do in this fleet.”
New York skipper Alex Roepers and the boys aboard Plenty are still in striking distance as well after winning Race 6. It was the second bullet of the regatta for Plenty, which also has four results of fifth or lower.
“I’m happy that we’ve won two races. However, I’m not happy that we can’t seem to string two good races together,” said Roepers, whose team was runner-up at the Miami Beach Invitational. “We’re going fairly well, but we just can’t seem to put it all together. My hat’s off to Barking Mad and Enfant Terrible for being so consistent in such difficult conditions.”
Principal race officer Wayne Bretsch hopes to complete at least two starts on Saturday, which provides opportunity for more place changes. Richardson said Barking Mad will not go into the final day with the idea of match racing Enfant Terrible.
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| California skipper John Demourkas said he feels fortunate to remain in third place in the overall standings after another difficult day on the Chesapeake Bay. |
“I think it’s too early to begin focusing on any one boat. We’ll go out and try to sail well and let the chips fall where they may,” he said. “If we get a chance to push Enfant or Groove back, we’ll take it. But we’re not going to go out of our way.”
Annapolis owner-drivers Rod Jabin (Ramrod) and Kevin McNeil (Nightshift) are fifth and sixth in the overall standings. Jabin, a local yacht yard owner, got the gun in Race 2 and has notched two other top three results in totaling 33 points – one better than McNeil, the current commodore of host Annapolis Yacht Club.
“This is a different type of event. You’ve got eight of the fastest Farr 40s in the world on a 1.1-mile race track. It’s like going to the Olympics and sailing against the best of the best,” said Gavin Brady, tactician for Jabin aboard Ramrod. “It doesn’t get any more exciting than this type of racing. You can sail a pretty good race and still find yourself fighting for last place against a really good boat.”
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| Skipper Alberto Rossi and his team aboard the Italian entry Enfant Terrible trail Barking Mad by just one point going into the final day of the Farr 40 East Coast Championship. |
Brady, who resided in Annapolis for many years before moving back to his home country of New Zealand, said he’s heard a lot of dock talk about the fluky conditions on the Chesapeake Bay and took time to defend the body of water he’s come to know quite well.
“I hope the owners go away feeling that Annapolis is a great place to race. Yes, it can be very tricky, but that is part of the challenge of yacht racing,” Brady said. “When we have the right race committee, which we do here this week, the racing is quite enjoyable. Today was a perfect example. We maximized the available breeze then called it a day. Now the crews are back onshore and able to enjoy all that this great town has to offer.”
For daily results and press releases for the Farr 40 East Coast Championship, please visit www.Farr40.org.
2013 Farr 40 East Coast Championship (eight entries)
1, Barking Mad, Jim Richardson, Newport, RI, 1-4-7-3-1-2-3=21
2, Enfant Terrible, Alberto Rossi, Ancona, Italy, 2-2-6-1-3-7-1=22
3, Groovederci, John Demourkas, Santa Barbara, CA, 3-3-5-4-2-4-5=26
4, Plenty, Alex Roepers, New York City, 4-5-1-5-7-1-6=29
5, Ramrod, Rod Jabin, Annapolis, MD, 8-1-2-7-4-3-8=33
6, Nightshift, Kevin McNeil, Annapolis, MD, 7-6-4-2-5-6-4=34
7, Asterisk-UNO, Hasip Gencer, Instanbul, Turkey, 6-8-3-6-8-8-2=41
8, Struntje Light, Wolfgang Schaefer, Lueneberg, Germany, 5-7-8-8-6-5-7=46
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Posted Robert Richardson, on May 18th, 2013
 English: Newport Rhode Island sailing 2010 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Media Pro Int’l, Barby MacGowan or Kirsten Ferguson, 401-849-0220
Oliver Hazard Perry Rhode Island Maritime Learning Experience on Tap for Students
NEWPORT, R.I. (May 15, 2013) – Oliver Hazard Perry Rhode Island (OHPRI), the Rozalia Project, and the Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing are banding together this month to provide 120 seventh and eighth graders from The Paul Cuffee Charter School in Providence, R.I. with a unique maritime learning experience on the Newport waterfront. On Thursday and Friday, May 23 and 24, at the Newport Harbor Hotel and Marina, 60 students will split into groups of 30 each and rotate between joining the Rozalia Project and their underwater robots to recover debris from the bottom of Newport Harbor and inspecting a fleet of Class 40 short-handed racing sailboats that are here for the third and final stop of the Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing. The students also will tour Fort Adams, courtesy of the Fort Adams Trust and Oldport Marine, which will provided launch service.
Students take part in debris removal at the Community Boating Center in Providence. (Photo Courtesy of the Rozalia Project) Available to download in high resolution by clicking the photo above The idea to join with the Rozalia Project’s education program as part of the Atlantic Cup was the brainchild of OHPRI’s Director of Operations Jess Wurzbacher (Jamestown, Rhode Island), who has been cultivating relationships with different Rhode Island schools as she develops the education program for the SSV Oliver Hazard Perry, Rhode Island’s Official Sailing Education Vessel. “The Oliver Hazard Perry is preparing to offer Education at Sea programs, and we have been talking with many organizations about collaboration once the ship has been completed (in 2014),” said Wurzbacher, “but then we started thinking, why wait to get something tangible going? The time for collaborating and connecting kids on the water is now.”
A tire is removed from the harbor in Edgartown, Mass. (Photo Courtesy of the Rozalia Project) Available to download in high resolution by clicking the photo above OHPRI, the Rozalia Project, the Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing and The Paul Cuffee School all link their education programs to the marine environment. OHPRI’s platform will be used by students throughout Rhode Island to study a wide range of subjects onboard the SSV Oliver Hazard Perry as she sails in New England and the Canadian Maritimes in the summer and south to Florida and the Caribbean in winter. The mission of the Rozalia Project’s Clean Ocean program is to find and remove marine debris, from the surface to the sea floor, through action, technology, outreach and research. Establishing a platform for public education that emphasizes the responsible use of energy and resources in the context of sailing is the purpose of 11th Hour Racing, whose sponsorship of the Atlantic Cup has created a short-handed Class 40 offshore race that minimizes the use of fossil fuels and impact on the marine environment. And finally, The Paul Cuffee School is a public charter school that meets the individual needs of Providence’s diverse students through a maritime-themed curriculum that cultivates independence, initiative, and a respect for the environment. “This is just the type of hands-on learning opportunities that both deepen and extend our students’ academic knowledge,” said Michelle Bush, the Associate Principal and Special Educator from The Paul Cuffee School who also participated, with five other Rhode Island educators, last summer in the week-long OHPRI-sponsored journey aboard the Tall Ship Gazela. “All of our programs—whether in the classroom, on the field, or in the community—foster cooperation, creative and critical thinking, and the development of personal and social responsibility.” The trash-removal exercise and touring of the Atlantic Cup boats will take place at 9:30 and 12:30 on both days at the Newport Harbor Hotel and Marina, on the harbor’s east side. There, from the surface, students will take part in operating and maneuvering the Rozalia Project’s submersible VideoRay ROV (remotely operated vehicle). The size of a toaster oven, the ROV can take video and still pictures, carry a manipulator to grab everything from plastic bags to fishing traps and can carry sonars, positioning devices and more. “We do not describe this as an awareness campaign; it’s about physically cleaning up rather than just pointing out the problem of marine debris,” said the Rozalia Project’s Executive Director Rachael Miller (Granville, Vermont), emphasizing that the Rozalia Project operates nationwide from docks and shorelines and throughout New England from its 60’ sailboat American Promise, where over the course of a summer 30 interns from fields such as ocean engineering, environmental studies and marine biology assist with accurate data collection and work with stakeholders (sailors, fishermen, boaters, citizens, schools, town leadership and more) to forward solutions. “In the past, we have performed operations on the Fort Adams side of the harbor, where the bottom was sandy, and I have to guess that the city front will be similar but, with more boat traffic, maybe even more target rich,” added Miller. “Our first choice for trash disposal is re-use, like when we were able to give winch handles back to Sail Newport and vice grips back to Courageous Sailing. Our second is recycle, like when we find glass bottles, plastic bottles and aluminum cans. And the third is containment in a proper dumpster where the debris can’t blow back into the sea.” For more information on the program contact OHPRI’s Jess Wurzbacher, jess@OHPRI.org or 401-841-0080. (end)
Posted Robert Richardson, on May 17th, 2013 Superyachts are the playthings of the rich. But, where is the place to be seen? Here’s five of the chicest, most expensive marinas to moor up and bump bows with the best of them.
To moor in one of the world’s most expensive marinas during high season, a superyacht owner can be expected to pay up to $4,130 per night, and during prime time events such as the Monaco Grand Prix rates can skyrocket to $100,000 or more for a five-day stay in Monaco’s prime berths.
1. Marina di Capri
You can expect to pay around $4,000 per night in high season for a place to dock in this Italian marina. Capri has been a favorite with the rich and famous for many years now. In the 1950s, the likes of Clark Gable, Sofia Loren and Jackie Kennedy would congregate on the this island. Today, it is not unusual to see both Rising Sun (8th largest yacht in the world) and Pelorus (20th in the Top 100 Largest Superyachts), both owned by media mogul David Geffen, floating out at anchor. A-list celebrities such as George Clooney, Beyoncé and Jay Z are also often seen exploring the tiny island, or gracing one of its super excusive nightclubs.
2. Marina di Portofino
High season prices skyrocket up to $3,335 per night for a mooring in this exclusive marina. Portofino was once a small fishing village and has only one road in and out, which incidentally is usually closed, allowing the area to remain unspoiled. Arguably one of the prettiest harbours out there, Marina di Portofino is where only the wealthiest can afford. It has only 14 berths maximizing the privacy and therefore the exclusivity of the marina. If you get a spot, expect to mingle with the likes of Steven Spielberg (owner of the yacht Seven Seas), Coldplay front man Chris Martin and pop singer Rihanna. It is also a favorite spot for Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko, owner of the 119 metre Philippe Starck-designed superyacht A.
3. Porto Cervo, Sardinia
To moor your 50-metre-plus superyacht in this super luxe port it is going to set you back up to $3,100 a night in high season – and why not, seeing that back in 1959 Prince Karim Aga Khan carved out this village as a private retreat for his wealthy friends and family. Today, it is a little different from HRH the Aga Khan’s original dream. The “village” today is made up of high-end boutiques, and designer nightspots including the nearby infamous Billionaire nightclub. The world’s largest superyachts are often seen gracing the surrounding seas too, including the 110 metre Dilbar, and Serene, the world’s ninth largest yacht.
It was in this very town a few years back that George Clooney was refused entry into one of the exclusive nightspots.
4. Port de Saint-Tropez
Saint Tropez in the south of France has long been associated with the rich and famous. Originally made famous by Bridget Bardot in the 1950s, this French Riviera town still holds the heart of jet-setters, models and celebrities alike.The town has largely kept its quaint charm with its narrow streets. The marina doesn’t actually allow superyachts over 70 metres, instructing them to drop anchor out of port. Bernard Arnault’s superyacht Amadeus is often seen floating off France’s Côte d’Azur, along with the iconic 88 metre Maltese Falcon, originally built by US venture capitalist Tom Perkins and now owned by Elena Ambrosiadou. Hotel million-heiress Paris Hilton is another fan of Saint Tropez and can be found sampling the delights of La Voile Rouge – one of the most expensive beach clubs in town.
5. Ibiza Magna
This marina is often referred to as one for the young, rich and trendy. Ibiza Magna is located minutes away from the island’s casino strip and infamous nightclub Pacha – renowned for it’s extortionate bar prices and all-night parties.
For those with yachts below 60 metres be prepared to pay up to $3,660, and for superyachts over this length, once again the preference is to drop anchor outside of the main port. The Indian steel billionaire Lakshmi Mittal’s yacht has been seen out at anchor here, along with arguably the most famous yacht in the world – and the current largest yacht on the planet – Eclipse, owned by Roman Abramovich.
In Ibiza, superyacht billionaires mingle with the stars like Jade Jagger and Kate Moss who either own or regularly rent villas on the island.
For most superyacht owners or megayacht charterers, you could say that these pricey mooring fees are nothing but a drop in the ocean, but it’s not only the very rich and very famous who get to enjoy superyachts and megayachts in these exclusive locations – you can too, if you have the wherewithal to charter one of these magnificent vessels.
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