What is this boat sailing on her way to Valencia?

[Source: AUDI Medcup] Russia’s Synergy Sailing Team will build a new TP52 for the 2011 Audi MedCup Circuit as they seek to continue their ascent of the overall standings on the world’s leading regatta Circuit, improve the top level of Russian grand prix sailing and introduce more young Russian talent to the upper echelons of world sailing.

Theirs is the third new build TP52 to be announced for next season and will be built from the same mould as the new Botin Carkeek designed Quantum Racing (USA), to be launched ready to have their first racing at Palma Vela in April next year. The boat will be backed by the same group of five enthusiastic owners and co-sponsors with the team also looking for new co-sponsors to come on board.

The Synergy Sailing Team have become longterm participants and first joined the MedCup Circuit in 2007 with a Botin Carkeek designed sister-ship to the 2006 runner-up Warpath (USA) before purchasing their current Synergy (RUS), the Reichel Pugh designed former USA-17 (USA) midway through the 2008 season. This season the team finished sixth overall.

“We are in a really good working relationship with Quantum Racing and will build a sistership from the same mould, but there will be some differences in the deck layout and we have been developing some interesting electronics systems this year. We have developed a lot of different tools to use, software and hardware” Outlines Synergy Sailing Team’s project manager Maxim Logutenko (RUS). “We will work together for next year. At the moment we are in the design process with Botin Carkeek for the deck. But the boats will both look very similar, the hull shape will be the same.”

Though they are aiming to improve their end of season finish on the Circuit, win regattas next season and finish on the podium, their Audi MedCup Circuit racing is only one key part of a longer term vision for Russian sailing: “We find that for our team the America’s Cup and MedCup are two completely different stories and we can work in parallel with this project. The Audi MedCup Circuit will allow us to bring more and more Russian people on board, training them to be ready for the America’s Cup. That is why we have had a young Russian helm here.”

Looking at their sixth place finish for the season, Maxim is looking to further improvements, and is looking to being able to test and tune early season 2011 to step up their level: “This season has not been easy for us. We did some good races and we made some bad races in the fleet. Almost everybody finished first and last but over the season we improved ourselves and the boat, and at the end of the season we find that we are quite a good team. We made progress.”

“But the restrictions on training before events this season has been a real disadvantage to us because we don’t have so much racing and last year we did a lot of practice and improved before regattas, improving our skills but this year we have not been able to do that as well.”

“The interest in Russia has gone up and up, and the Russian sailing community is happy to see us pushing and pushing. The long term process is to have fully Russian teams and you cannot do that in ten days, in one year. This is a long term project.”

Decisions as to the exact composition of the crew for next season have not been taken. This season their boat was steered by Karol Jablonski (POL) with Rod Dawson (NZL) on tactics, Chris Main (NZL) trimming mainsheet and Francesco Mongelli (ITA) navigating.

“The helmsman for sure will be Russian. We are very excited about the project. It is a good opportunity to bring Russian sailing to the world sailing community. We have five co-owners and some co-sponsors and we are looking for more sponsorship for next year. It is the same group which is pushing, pushing all the time.”

Who said you can’t waterski with a Melges 32?

[Source: GP42 Class Association] At the Audi MedCup in Cartagena, the GP42 Class has held a meeting to discuss plans for its future in the 2011 racing season, and beyond.

In an effort to maximize participation and interest for next year, the class has decided to announce its 2011 season championship schedule prior to the next stage of the Audi MedCup in Cagliari. This is to both attract previous GP42 teams back to class racing, as well as to attract new teams interested in the class.

An early commitment made by the GP42 owners will help event organizers in their planning, as well as to give the class a strong hand in pursuing potential sponsorship opportunities.

The choice of events will be made based on a variety of criteria, including:
- prestige of the regatta and its organization
- its excellence in race management;
- suitable locations for all participating teams
- press and media coverage

Venues currently under consideration include:
- Capri (ITA)
- Palma (ESP)
- Porto Cervo (ITA)
- Valencia (ESP)

Other venues and events are also under consideration.

“We are excited to make this firm commitment to the 2011 season,” said GP42 Class President Javier Goizueta. “The Audi MedCup has been fantastic for us, but we look forward to expand class racing to new and exciting racing venues.”

In addition to the season schedule options, confirmation was made of rule changes discussed at the previous class meeting in Barcelona:
- bowsprit allowed
- reduction of crew weight to 720 kg
- new sail limits (1 main, 3 jibs, 2 spinnakers, 1 staysail & 1 free sail)
- no outside assistance allowed while racing
- square-head mains are under consideration
- once approved, no further rule changes made until after December 2013

Furthermore, proposals have been submitted by the Comar, Longitud Cero, and Marine Composite boatyards to offer a series-produced GP42 design to be available for lower cost than comparable custom-built designs.

“These changes will help make the GP42’s even higher performance while limiting costs,” said GP42 Class Manager Paolo Massarini. “These changes are also made to help include boats into the class who are currently racing outside the MedCup.”

Not all sailing is about the America’s Cup, the TP52′s, carbon fiber or 3Di sails. While the world’s top sailors are racing in the Cartagena regatta of the AUDI Medcup, fifty beautiful classic yachts are taking part in the 7th edition of the Vela Clásica Menorca – Trofeo Panerai in the Balearic island of Menorca.

For all those that were born when personal computers and mobile phones didn’t exist, the boat Eilean (flag 15) might strike a chord because it was the yacht Duran Duran were pretending to be sailing in the videoclip of their hit Rio back in 1982.

Here’s a selection of excellent photos young Spanish photographer Pedro Martinez sent us for the event.

Vela Clásica Menorca – Trofeo Panerai. Menorca, 27 August 2010. Pedro Martinez: Photo copyright Pedro Martinez

Vela Clásica Menorca – Trofeo Panerai. Menorca, 27 August 2010. Pedro Martinez: Photo copyright Pedro Martinez

Vela Clásica Menorca – Trofeo Panerai. Menorca, 27 August 2010. Pedro Martinez: Photo copyright Pedro Martinez

Vela Clásica Menorca – Trofeo Panerai. Menorca, 27 August 2010. Photo copyright Pedro Martinez

Vela Clásica Menorca – Trofeo Panerai. Menorca, 27 August 2010. Photo copyright Pedro Martinez

Vela Clásica Menorca – Trofeo Panerai. Menorca, 27 August 2010. Photo copyright Pedro Martinez

[Source: New York Yacht Club] Six boats and wings were ready to fly on day two of the 2010 Little America’s Cup, aka the International C-Class Catamaran Championship. Instead of racing as planned yesterday — and now today! — internationally accomplished sailors from five countries played show and tell under the tent at New York Yacht Club. A collection of designers, America’s Cup evaluators and multihull pioneers sat out a blustery weather system. One of the most prestigious titles in the world of ultra-high performance sailing, the Championship was last raced in 2007, at the Royal Canadian Yacht Club in Toronto. There, Canadian challenger Fred Eaton and crew Magnus Clarke sailed Alpha to a 5-0 victory over the previously undefeated Steve Clark’s Cogito.

Of the four catamaran divisions, the C-Class is governed by a simple set of rules that reward outside-the-box thinking in aero- and hydrodynamics to create the lightest, fastest course-racing boats on the planet.

“All wings under the C-Class rule are the same area of 300 square feet, but it can be distributed in any fashion,” said Steve Killing, the designer for Fred Eaton’s C-Class program. They are propelled not by traditional fabric sails, but by elegant wings, rigid but with twist capability.

The twist, however, was no match for the weather the last two days in Newport, RI.

“The C-Class cats were never meant to be convenient, practical craft, instead efficiency and high performance are the goals,” Killing says. Exotic materials allow them to sail significantly faster than the wind, with a top speed near 25 knots, approaching efficiencies of ice boats.

John Casey, multihull sailor and writer, observes, “The Canadian Defenders have meticulously constructed Canaan, a completely new black and white boat to challenge for this year’s ‘Little America’s Cup.’ It may be the lightest such boat ever built, but Eaton has a target painted on his back.”

Steve Clark is ready with crew Oliver Moore and a new boat as well, Aethon. He decided to stay with his proven Cogito wing for reliability instead of an untested new design, hoping that his new boat can give enough of an advantage to win back the trophy that he held for so long.

Four other competing teams will try to wrest the “Little America’s Cup” trophy away from Eaton, including James Spithill, BMW/Oracle’s winning helmsman of the 33rd America’s Cup in Valencia, Spain. Spithill will crew for seven-time A-Class Catamaran World Champ and Olympic Medalist Glenn Ashby. Both Australian nationals, they will sail in Eaton’s proven champion Alpha.

“I’ve looked forward to two regattas this year,” said Spithill. “The America’s Cup and this one.”

British challengers Paul Larsen and Gordon Kaiser have worked for years to get to this event with Invictus, which is also sporting a wider wing than the rest, designed with the help of Airbus engineers. They’ve spent countless hours perfecting their unique racing cat, and their enthusiasm is evident for many reasons. “The C-Class is what will drive sailing forward for years to come,” said Kaiser. “It’s a complete honor to be sailing on Invictus against such a great field and a privilege to work with such a devoted group of teammates and supporters.”

Antoine Koch and Jeremie Lagarrigue will sail the 25-year-old Patient Lady VI under French colors.

She’s the Grand Dame of the fleet, but one who has also attained the highest top speed of any of the six boats. This upper-end power may work perfectly to Lagarrigue’s advantage — he currently holds the world record for the fastest speed ever attained on a sailboat onboard the trimaran Hydroptere – 51.36 kts, set in 2009.

Royal Canadian Yacht Club high-performance sailing coach Dan Cunningham and Canadian shore team guru, Rob Paterson, will sail Orion, the slender-bowed design that makes up the second half of the Canadian team.

Principal Race Officer Kevin Keogh has cancelled racing for the second day due to sustained 25+ knot winds in the course area. Racing is scheduled daily through the 28th and will likely take place north of the Newport Pell Bridge. The format of the regatta has been changed to allow for two days of fleet racing on Wednesday and Thursday, followed by two days of match racing on Friday and Saturday.

Spectators can watch from the water, or watch live streaming videos at www.LittleAC.com. The website will also feature interviews, news, photos, and live satellite tracking of the entire event.

As title sponsor of the 2010 SAP 5O5 World Championship, SAP provided race analysis software solutions, in effort to help sailors better understand their performance, and strategize their next course. SAP is proud to be a part of the innovation, collaboration and technology applied which have allowed a worldwide audience to gain insight into the complexities of sailing.