6 September 2010
ISAF has published the 2012 Olympic Qualification System as approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition to be staged in Weymouth and Portland will feature 380 athletes competing across the following 10 events:

Men's Windsurfer
Men's One Person Dinghy
Men's One Person Dinghy (Heavyweight)
Men's Two Person Dinghy
Men's Skiff
Men's Keelboat

Women's Windsurfer
Women's One Person Dinghy
Women's Two Person Dinghy
Women's Match Racing

The total quota of athletes per National Olympic Committee (NOC) is 16, nine men and seven women (maximum 1 boat per event).

The Qualification Pathway states that 75% of each event's entry quota shall be qualified from those best ranked NOCs in each of the relevant events at the 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships (Perth 2011).

The remaining 25% of each events entry quota shall be qualified from each events 2012 World Championship or other event sanctioned by ISAF, to finish by 1 June 2012 at the latest.

Those NOC's already qualified from the previous qualifying regattas shall not be considered. The 2012 Women's Match Racing qualifying regatta will be sanctioned by ISAF but does not need to be a World Championship.

ISAF will inform NOC's and Member National Associations (MNA's) of Olympic quota places following the 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championship and each qualification regatta.

All NOC's, including the host country must confirm to ISAF the use of all quota places by 1 June 2012. After this date the unconfirmed quota places will be allocated by the ISAF Qualification Committee with ISAF confirming the reallocation of unused places by 18 June 2012.

Full details of the Qualification System for the XXX Olympiad can be viewed from the attached pdf: English version

For more details on the London 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition visit the ISAF London 2012 microsite at: www.sailing.org/london2012

J ONE and DARK SHADOW. photo Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi

Forty-seven maxi yachts took to the waters off the Costa Smeralda today, for opening encounters at the 2010 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. It was a good day for most with more breeze than expected, affording all classes some quality racing. For some, of course, it was a really good day. Notables include Alegre (GBR) in the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship with two wins out of two: a perfect opening salvo. Hamilton II (GBR) took Supermaxi, Ranger (CAY) won the anticipated battle of the J-Class and J-One (GBR) put one over her bigger rivals in Wally. All winners will be satisfied with a job well done, but will be keenly aware there is plenty more work to be done.


Y3K, Claus Peter Offen. photo Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi


Fleet races past Monaci Island. photo Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi


Maxi fleet getting ready for the 2010 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. photo Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi


INDIO and MAGIC CARPET 2. photo Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi

The three bigger boat divisions took on a 30-nautical mile course starting from just off Porto Cervo. A tricky beat up to the rocks at Monaci was followed by a beat up the outside of the Maddelena island chain to Isola Barrettinelli di Fuori, where the fleet cracked sheets and headed into the main channel. The predominantly westerly winds, which swung to the right throughout the day, provided a pleasant downwind run for the leg home, letting the competing maxis off the leash to eat up the miles on trip back to the finish off Porto Cervo. Wind strength floated either side of 10 knots throughout the afternoon, peaking at the top of the course at around 17 knots at masthead height, 14 or so closer to the water.

The Mini Maxi Rolex Worlds competitors had a harder time of it. The winds off Porto Cervo struggled to hit 10 knots at any time during the two windward-leeward races. The wind tracked right continually, eventually ending up from the north-east by the finish of the second race. The first race was a warm-up four-leg race of 7.2 nautical miles, which Andres Soriano’s Alegre won on real time as well as corrected, beating Neville Crichton’s Shockwave (NZL) into second place. Brian Benjamin’s Aegir (GBR) corrected out to be first amongst the equals in the cruiser/racers, but eighth in the world standings.

The second windward-leeward race of 10.2 nautical miles was a longer affair of six legs, in increasingly tricky winds that kept competitors and race committee on their toes. Peter Craig’s team stuck at keeping the course as honest as possible for the crews, “the wind walked right all day. It made for difficult races, particularly the second one, that would test the teams. We stayed ahead of the swings, re-orienting as necessary and I’m happy there was sufficient velocity throughout the day for two good races.”

Niklas Zennstrom’s Rán (GBR) led the fleet across the finish line of race two with sufficient margin over the chasing pack to finish second on corrected time, but the British crew could do nothing to stop their compatriots on Alegre. Back-to-back bullets completed a dream start to the Mini Maxi Rolex Worlds that will have settled any early-series nerves for Soriano. Aegir battled back from a poor first leg to secure another eighth overall, but second behind Alessandro Rombelli’s Stig (ITA) amongst the cruiser/racers.

On the long course, the expected on-the-water mismatch in the Maxi (Racing & Racing/Cruising) Division unfolded in brutal reality. Igor Simcic’s Esimit Europa 2 (SLO) may not have won the start, with the smaller Singularity (GBR) sneaking it at the committee boat end of the line, yet she put in such a strong performance over the two and three-quarter hour race that she secured not just first home, but a well-deserved bullet too. Highland Fling (GBR) put in a powerful effort too, correcting out behind Esimit and thirty seconds ahead of DSK Pioneer Investments (ITA).

Setting off at 11.35, Esimit reached Barrettinelli at just after 13.00, all the time muscling her way with ease to a solid lead, that saw Irvine Laidlaw’s Highland Fling round the red and black lighthouse some fifteen minutes later. Esimit may no longer be a supermaxi in categorisation, but in speed and potential she is the only supermaxi in town – true irony. Her margin at this point on the course left her competitors looking much smaller than they really are.

The Wally Division includes amongst its number Y3K, which is owned by Claus Peter Offen, President of the International Maxi Association, co-organisers of the event with host club Yacht Club Costa Smeralda. Jean Charles Decaux’ J One may have won the day, but with a successful start to the Association’s biggest event of the year to add to his second place in class, Offen was well-satisfied with today’s proceedings, “on behalf of IMA I am extremely happy for all the boats, and as a competitor I am very happy with our own result, just a short distance behind the first boat. This is a spectacular event, I guess the most spectacular we have ever had here with the number of boats, the quality of the boats, the quality of the sailors, and the weather of course!”

The Supermaxi Division was the last class to set off on the coastal course. They too made mincemeat of the distance. All yachts, including the graceful and sometimes sedate Hetairos, finished the race within four hours. First home was Albert Buell’s Saudade (MLT), proving waterline length will overcome if the crew work matches potential. Scratch boat in her division, she fairly thundered past Barrettinelli in an explosion of foam and spray, with Hasso Plattner’s Visione (GER) hot on her heels. Crews looked down from on high at the posse of press boats gathered to witness this contrasting display of brute force and elegance. Saudade pushed all the way home to complete the 30nm course in a fraction under three hours, joining Esimit as the only yacht to do so. Visione was just three minutes astern. Charles Dunstone’s Hamilton II (GBR) took boasting rights amongst her modern contemporaries, whilst the two J-Class yachts prevailed overall: Ranger correcting out ! ahead of Velsheda to secure a class win.

Racing continues tomorrow with a projected coastal race for the Supermaxi, Wally and Maxi Divisions. Competitors in the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship face another day of windward-leeward racing.

The 2010 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in conjunction with the International Maxi Association (IMA), runs from 5 to 11 September. Racing continues tomorrow, Tuesday, and with races scheduled for each following day, save Thursday, the prize giving on Saturday will be the culmination of an intense week of big boat competition. From the most luxurious, through the most traditional, to the most advanced monohulls afloat today, the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup is nothing if not an astonishing line up of sailing power.

Panagiotis MANTIS, Pavlos KAGIALIS

28 August - 6 September 2010, Istanbul Sailing Club, Istanbul, Turkey
With the great mosques of Istanbul providing the most dramatic of backdrops, the outcome of the 2010 Open 470 European Championships remained in the balance until the final leg of the men’s Medal Race.

Just five points separated the top six men’s 470 teams going into the Medal Race, and it was going to take an outstanding performance to secure gold. The Greeks were greeted with their favourite conditions - strong and gusty winds - and Panagiotis Mantis and Pavlos Kagialis took up the early running just ahead of Israel, represented by Gideon Kliger and Eran Sela.

Israel seized the advantage a short way into the three-lap windward/leeward course, although with the wind shifting wildly from side to side, no lead was every secure. On the final leg the Greeks pounced on a couple of small tactical errors by Israel and Mantis and Kagialis powered across the finish line just seconds ahead of Kliger and Sela.

Mantis explained his strategy after losing the early lead: “I focused on staying close, we got the lucky gust, and we moved to the front again.” Kliger, twice the runner-up in past European Championships, said he was “happy and disappointed” to have won a third silver in his long 470 career. “Gold was in my hands, so I’m a little bit disappointed, but I missed the layline at the last windward mark and gybed too late compared with the Greeks, we didn’t stay enough between him and the finish.”

Still, Kliger was happy to have come away with silver after a challenging week. “This is the hardest medal I ever won, you were never in control at any point in any race.” Istanbul marks the conclusion of a successful season sailing with his new crew Eran Sela. While for Kliger this was a bitter-sweet moment, for the younger and less experienced Sela it was unbridled joy. “My first senior medal in the 470, so I am very happy.”

The British team - Luke Patience and Stuart Bithell - had gone out with the gold spot on their mainsail, signifying them as the series leaders. They elected to start on port tack behind the fleet to be first into the middle of the race course, as Patience explained: “Before the start we’d been watching the wind, and it was always coming down the middle of the course, never at the edges. But then - sod’s law - the breeze died in the middle and we got wrapped round on either size, and before we knew it we were 9th or 10th, scraping the bottom of the barrel.”

>From sitting in gold medal position suddenly Patience and Bithell were facing the prospect of coming away with nothing. “But we kept our heads cool and just chipped away,” said Patience, whose climb to 5th place gave them the bronze medal. “We would like to have won but we’re still happy to come away with a medal.”

The women’s leaderboard may not have been as tight as the men’s, although there was still plenty of drama and uncertainty on the race course, with capsizes and boats hitting marks keeping the finishing order uncertain until the last. While the Danes had fallen out of medal contention after an unsteady outing the previous day, Henriette Koch and Lene Sommer gave themselves the consolation of winning the Medal Race. They nearly threw it away on an unforced error, hitting the final windward mark, but managed to take their 360 penalty turn in a strong gust and still stay ahead of the British boat sailed by Sophie Weguelin and Sophie Ainsworth.

Series leaders Emmanuelle Rol and Helene Defrance also struck a windward mark and took a penalty, but apart from that sailed a controlled race ahead of their chief medal rivals. In the end the French won gold by 18 points, a dominant performance for such a tricky week’s sailing. “The conditions were a little bit tough,” said Rol, “but we enjoy racing in these conditions. I don’t know if we understood the wind but we enjoyed it. Istanbul has been great. After Holland and Great Britain it’s nice to sail in a sunny place!”

Camille Lecointre and Mathilde Geron had been lying in silver medal position at the beginning of the day, but a poor first beat left them way back in last, and they only managed to overtake the Israeli team who retired after a prolonged capsize. This relegated the French team to 4th overall, with last year’s European Champions Giulia Conti and Giovanna Micol taking silver and another French duo, Ingrid Petitjean and Nadege Douroux taking bronze.

Conti, who had looked so furious the previous day after letting any serious prospect of gold slip away, was all smiles again today having at least salvaged a silver from Istanbul. “Finally some success again, after a couple of days of blackout,” she said. “It has been a really tough race course, very tricky, but the French seemed to sail perfectly. They deserved this win, they made fewer mistakes than the others, and they have won this event by far. For us the silver medal is a very good result after a very good season. We have finished in the top three in almost every event, and now we go home for the winter to work out what we need to improve on for next year.”

Earlier in the day the remainder of the 92 competing teams who had not qualified for the Medal Races, completed one final fleet race. Reigning Junior World and European Champions Sofian Bouvet and Jeremie Mion of France secured victory in the men’s Silver fleet.

This evening the prizegiving took place at Istanbul Sailing Club, before the sailors embarked on the long drive back to whichever corner of Europe they have come from. As for the new men’s 470 European Champion, Panagiotis Mantis predicted a night that would involve too much alcohol and not enough sleep. “And maybe when we get back to Greece we will break some plates!”

The 2010 Open 470 European Championships were organised by The Istanbul Sailing Club in co-operation with the International 470 Class Association and the Turkish Sailing Federation.

470 Men/Mixed – Final Top 10 (after 13 races)
Pos - SailNo - Crew
1. GRE 1 - Panagiotis MANTIS, Pavlos KAGIALIS
2. ISR 7 - Gideon KLIGER, Eran SELA
3. GBR 844 - Luke PATIENCE, Stuart BITHELL
4. GRE 165 - Panagiotis KAMPOURIDIS, Theodoros POLYCHRONIDIS
5. FRA 44 - Pierre LEBOUCHER, Vincent GAROS
6. CRO 83 - Sime FANTELA, Igor MARENIC
7. ESP 9 - Onán BARREIROS RODRÍGUEZ, Aarón SARMIENTO PADILLA
8. FRA 7 - Nicolas CHARBONNIER, Baptiste MEYER-DIEU
9. RUS 2 - Mikhail SHEREMETYEV, Maxim SHEREMETYEV
10. NED 77 - Steven LEFEVRE, Steven KROL

470 Women - Final Top 10 (after 13 races)
Pos - SailNo - Crew
1. FRA 12 - Emmanuelle ROL, Hélène DEFRANCE
2. ITA 23 - Giulia CONTI, Giovanna MICOL
3. FRA 4 - Ingrid PETITJEAN, Nadege DOUROUX
4. FRA 9 - Camille LECOINTRE, Mathilde GERON
5. DEN 143 - Henriette KOCH, Lene SOMMER
6. AUT 431 - Sylvia VOGL, Carolina FLATSCHER
7. EST 20 - Marjaliisa UMB, Elise UMB
8. GBR 840 - Sophie WEGUELIN, Sophie AINSWORTH
9. GBR 847 - Hannah MILLS, Claire CUMMING
10. ISR 311 - Gil COHEN, Dana MAMRIEV

One Design Class racing - identical Beneteau First 40.7's - at the China Cup International Regatta (CCIR). Team Phuket King's Cup have entered the 2010 CCIR

6 September 2010, Phuket
The Phuket King's Cup Regatta confirmed entry of a team in the 2010 China Cup International Regatta (CCIR), developing further ties with the regional sailing community and the CCIR organisers. The CCIR will take place 29 October to 1 November 2010 in Daya Bay, Shenzhen, P.R. China.

Team Phuket King's Cup is made up of former national representatives and sailors with experience in the SEA Games.

Skippered by Regatta President and Commodore of the Royal Varuna Yacht Club, Kevin Whitcraft, who is also a former national representative (470 class), the crew includes Biranubongse Bhanubandh, another former national representative in the 470 class, Koravic Bhanubandh Na Ayudhaya (Secretary, Phuket King's Cup Regatta), Nicky Whitcraft, Tom Whitcraft, Malee Whitcraft (Junior Sailing Secretary, Royal Varuna Yacht Club), Viroj Nualkhair (former Thai Platu entry in the SEA Games), Kawin Nualkhair and Dave Littlejohn (Rear Commodore, Royal Varuna Yacht Club).

A first for the Phuket King's Cup Regatta, the team will be up against top teams from around the world including teams from the Japan Sailing Federation, the Philippine Sailing Association, Team Chicago and Team Manhattan skippered by Marcus Cholerton-Brown, both from USA, Team Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, and many more. A total of 31 teams are confirmed in the One Design Class and will be racing identical Beneteau First 40.7's.

"We're looking forward to meeting fellow international teams and some highly competitive One Design racing," said Kevin Whitcraft, President of the 2010 Phuket King's Cup Regatta Organising Committee.

The crew sail regularly together at Regatta's in Thailand and have had successes at the Phuket King's Cup Regatta previously on Octopussy (Farr MX41). Recently, they have been training on the GP42, AA, and took ninth place in AA's first outing at the 2009 Phuket King's Cup Regatta against what was arguably the most competitive racing class to line-up at any regatta in Asia, including a number of America's Cup sailors. In their second competitive outing, AA took fifth in the IRC 1 class at the 2010 Top of the Gulf Regatta.

"Entering the China Cup International Regatta allows to renew friendships and make new friends. Many sailing federations in Asia are attending and we feel it will be a unique opportunity to share ideas and experiences, and open-up communications on developing the sport of sailing in the region," added Whitcraft.

The Phuket King's Cup Regatta continues to builds strong relationships with the Chinese yachting community. Working with the Chinese Yachting Federation and its Secretary General Li Quan Hi, who is also President of the Asian Yachting Federation, in 2006 a special annual trophy was introduced for the Best Chinese entry. This was first won at the 2006 Regatta by Konka Hummingbird who was in the Racing Class that year. And more recently, earlier this year the Phuket King's Cup Regatta, was announced 'Asian Regatta Of The Year' at the inaugural Asia Marine & Boating Awards, held in Shanghai, China.

Inaugurated in 2007, the China Cup International Cup Regatta is the largest regatta of its kind in China and offers One Design racing unlike any other regatta in Asia. The 2010 CCIR will take place 29 October to 01 November at Vanke Longcheer Yacht Club, Shenzhen, P.R. China.

Under the auspices of Chinese Yachting Association and Executive Office of Organizing Committee for the Shenzhen 26th Summer Universiade, the 4th CCIR will be managed by Shenzhen Administration of Culture, Sport, Tourism and China Cup International Regatta Management Co. Ltd. Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club and Shenzhen Vanke Longcheer Yacht Club will provide venue and professional support.

The 2010 Phuket King's Cup Regatta will take place 4 - 11 December 2010 off Kata Bay, Phuket Island, Thailand. Now in its 24th year, the Regatta was first sailed in 1987 to celebrate His Majesty the King of Thailand's 60th birthday. Under Royal Patronage, the Phuket King's Cup Regatta is organised by the Phuket King's Cup Regatta Organising Committee under the auspices of the Royal Varuna Yacht Club, in conjunction with the Yacht Racing Association of Thailand, the Royal Thai Navy and the Province of Phuket.

Sponsors of the 2010 Phuket King's Cup Regatta include Kata Group Resorts Thailand, Chang Beer, Siam Winery, Mom Tri's Boathouse and The Moorings. Media Partners include Blue Wave 90.5FM, Helm Superyacht Asia Pacific, Indigo Media, Multihull World, The Nation, Phuket Gazette and YACHTstyle.


Establishing ties at the 2009 Phuket King's Cup Regatta. Simon James, Race Director of Phuket King's Cup Regatta (left), David Zhong, CEO of China Cup International Regatta Management Co. Ltd (centre). Photo by Guy Nowell/ Phuket King's Cup Regatta

Mathieu Richard,Greg Evrard, Olivier Herledant, Yannick Simon, French Match Racing Team, winners of the St Moritz Match Race 2010. World Match Racing Tour. St Moritz, Switzerland. 5th September 2010. Photo: Ian Roman/WMRT

St. Moritz, Switzerland - 5 September 2010
Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team won the 'King of the Mountain' title today in spectacular style, taking a huge stride towards his quest to become the 2010 ISAF Match Racing World Champion.

Having toyed with the teams all week at the St. Moritz Match Race, it was on the final day that the Maloja wind truly kicked in, bringing with it a supreme display of match racing for which the ISAF World Match Racing Tour is renowned. Richard, despite not always being on top of his game throughout the week, knuckled down when it mattered most, grinding out a series of hard-fought victories against his nearest rivals today.

When the two British skippers, triple Olympic gold medalist Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN and double ISAF Match Racing World Champion Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar won their first semi-final matches, the prospects looked good for an all-British final. However, Richard had no intention of playing second fiddle and led Ainslie all the way round the course in their next race to level the score.

It was standing room only in the packed grandstands and with everything hanging on the final race of both semi-final matches, the crowds of spectators were in for a treat. A dogfight before each of the starts characterized the races. With a penalty to his name in his deciding semi-final battle against Ainslie, it appeared Richard's only option as they approached the final mark was a brutal one - to pin a penalty on Ainslie. Fortunately for Richard, his Blu26 found a gust, giving him enough time to complete his penalty turn and dispense with the Brit.

Meanwhile, in the Williams vs Minoprio bout Williams took the first match, but Minoprio responded in the second with a move at the windward mark, where Williams collected two penalties in rapid succession, allowing Minoprio to take a decisive victory. Williams though regained his composure for the final race of his dual with the New Zealander, with just enough control over Minoprio to maintain a slim lead to the finish and a place in the final.

The scene was set for a fitting British-French finale, with the title going to the first team to win two races. This was sailing's version of 'Le Crunch'. At times, both played underdog, exchanging glances and penalties. It was one all after two races and in the deciding race, it seemed only right that the wind, so unpredictable and challenging all week, should have the final say. Richard, playing a string of gusts and shifts to perfection, pulling five lengths clear, a lead he maintained to take the 'King of the Mountain' crown and CHF36,000 in prize money.

Richard, reflected: "I wasn't happy after losing the first race against Ian in the finals. I was too excited, made mistakes and didn't have a positive feeling. So, we picked ourselves up, changed our mood and took the match to them. We go to Denmark with a healthy lead however we know there is still all to play for. For now though, we're overjoyed."

As the Tour heads to the island of Bornholm, Denmark, next week, it is possible that the next few weeks will determine not just the outcome of this year's World Match Racing Tour but also shape the future of match racing with the America's Cup announcements that have been a hot topic all week in St. Moritz. Whatever the outcome, Richard and his rivals will remain focused on their endeavours to take the World Match Racing Tour title.

Overall Standings the 2010 St. Moritz Match Race:
Skipper/Teams Points
1 Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team 25
2 Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar 20
3 Adam Minoprio (NZL) BlackMatch Racing 15
4 Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN 12
5 Bertrand Pace (FRA) Aleph Sailing Team 10
6 Björn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Global Team 8
7 Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team 6
8 Francesco Bruni (ITA) Azzurra 4
9 Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team
10 Eric Monnin (SUI) Swiss Match Race Team
11 Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team
12 Jerome Clerc (SUI) Team CER Geneve


Mathieu Richard, French Match Racing Team (foreground) vs Ben Ainslie, TEAMORIGIN, in the semi finals of the St Moritz Match Race 2010. World Match Racing Tour. St Moritz, Switzerland. 5th September 2010. Photo: Ian Roman/WMRT


Photo Ian Roman/WMRT


Crowds at the St Moritz Match Race 2010. World Match Racing Tour. St Moritz, Switzerland. 5th September 2010. Photo: Ian Roman/WMRT


Ben Ainslie, TEAMORIGIN, trails Mathieu Richard, French Match Racing Team, in the second race of the semi finals of the St Moritz Match Race 2010. World Match Racing Tour. St Moritz, Switzerland. 5th September 2010. Photo: Ian Roman/WMRT

Tom Slingsby wins his third Laser Worlds title

With a fourteenth from a dramatic, blustery 14th and final race off England’s Hayling Island Australia’s Tom Slingsby clinched his third Laser World Champion title in four years ahead of Skandia Team GBR’s Nick Thompson who took silver.

The title finale saw the strongest winds so far of the seven day regatta, gusting up to 23 knots kicking up the big waves that Hayling Bay is renowned for.

By winning the final dramatic blustery race New Zealand’s Andrew Murdoch secured his second World Championships bronze medal of his career.

There were heart-stopping times for both Slingsby and Thompson during the final race when both capsized on consecutive legs, early in the final race.

Slingsby is delighted to have returned to the top of the class after a disappointing 2008 Olympics where he finished 22nd and sailing to a modest 17th at the worlds last year.

On his 26th Birthday, today his journey back from despair seems to be on course. It is also his second world title in as many weeks, after winning the Etchells worlds title last week on Dublin Bay crewing in the Etchells with America’s Cup legend John Bertrand. Laser world champion in 2007 and 2008, he won the Olympic pointer, Skandia Sail for Gold off Weymouth last month.

The Australian had to tread carefully through the final pair of races after being disqualified from the first Finals race. He proved his superior speed in the 13 knots plus breeze on Saturday with back to back wins by a considerable distance, but today was about sailing a couple of steady, safe scores rather than blowing the doors off the opposition.

With an assured sixth in the first race Slingsby looked to have done enough, rising through the pack to take sixth in the first race today.
But in the last race, when it looked like his name was already on the overall trophy, he gave himself a few nervous minutes when, lying 15th, he capsized, turning his boat completely upside down.
After recovering Slingsby prudently elected to cruise steadily and safely to the finish.

read more...

photo 34th America’s Cup

August 31st, 2010

Organizers for the 34th America’s Cup plan on September 13 to host a press conference in Valencia to reveal three of the four cornerstones of the next competition:

* The year in which it will be held
* The new Class of Boat for the competition
* The competition rules (The Protocol)

The objective for the 34th America’s Cup has been to create the fairest-ever competition, sustainable to teams and their partners with transformed racing to attract the widest possible audience for an event planned for either 2013 or 2014.

A new, dynamic and exciting class of boat will be revealed. The year of the 34th America’s Cup Match will also be confirmed.

Negotiations over the host city venue – the fourth cornerstone – continue, but organizers are confident of making an announcement ahead of the December 31 objective.

The Protocol is now finalized and will be formally signed by the defending Golden Gate Yacht Club and the Challenger of Record, Club Nautico di Roma, in a live-streamed ceremony on the official America’s Cup web site www.AmericasCup.com.

WHAT: 34th America’s Cup Press Conference
WHY: 34th America’s Cup year, Protocol and new class of boat announced
WHEN: September 13, 2010
TIME: 1300 CET

WHERE: BMW ORACLE Racing Team Base, Port America’s Cup, Valencia, Spain

WHO: Russell Coutts (CEO BMW ORACLE Racing Team) Vincenzo Onorato (syndicate head of Challenger of Record, Mascalzone Latino)

H.E. Mubarak Hamad Al Muhairi, Director General ADTA and Mohammed Al Mahmoud, General Secretary Abu Dhabi Sports Council. photo ADTA

Shortly after announcing Ian Walker as skipper for Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing Team, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) has confirmed that Jason Carrington has been hired as Technical Manager for the team, and that Farr Yacht Design will design and build their Volvo Open 70 for the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12.

Farr is known for creating race winning yachts, yachts that have been successful competitors in more than 40 World Championships and numerous grand prix events including the Volvo Ocean Race and America's Cup.

"Farr Yacht Design was selected because of its ability to tailor to our specific requirements and its strong commitment to research and design which has been ongoing since the conclusion of the 2008-2009 Volvo Ocean Race," said His Excellency Mubarak Al Muhairi, Director General, ADTA. "We anticipate being able to announce the appointment of the yacht-builder early next month after finalising selection of six tender qualifiers from throughout the Middle East, Europe and the Far East."

FYD president, Patrick Shaughnessy, stated that every member of the FYD team spent considerable time sailing Volvo Open 70s during the 2008-09 race. "The experience we gained has allowed us to view the design challenges a little bit differently," he said. "That real world experience is added to an always evolving set of tools that we bring to bear on any R&D project."


"The Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing team has made good decisions in its key resource appointments, starting with Ian Walker as skipper," Shaughnessy continued. "We believe the team will have a well designed yacht, a well built yacht, and a well sailed yacht."

One of the most important topics in FYD's design planning will be adapting the project to the 2011-12 rule changes, one of which is the reduction of sails each team can have. "These restrictions place a large priority on sail inventory planning, and ultimately sail reliability. The choices we make during the design process regarding sail inventory have large consequences for the way the yacht will be used throughout the race," explained Shaughnessy.

ADTA has also hired Jason Carrington of Great Britain as Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing's Technical Manager, another knowledgeable addition to the team. Carrington is a professional offshore sailor, and is also known for being one of the world's most experienced boat builders over the last two decades, having built five Volvo Ocean Race Yachts, project managed three campaigns and raced around the world more than once.

Carrington has competed in more than 30 top-level international regattas, but his first Round the World experience was on Fortuna in the 1993-94 Whitbread Round the World Race (former name for the Volvo Ocean Race). After this taste of ocean racing, he continued his sailing career, joining Silk Cut for the 1997-98 Whitbread Round the World Race, Assa Abloy in the 2001-02 Volvo Ocean Race and finally he sailed with the Ericsson Racing Team, for the 2005-06 race.

FYD will now enter a five-stage research and design process, where Ian Walker, double Olympic medallist, will play an important role in the research, creation and design of the ADTA's Volvo Open 70. The design process is scheduled to finish in late September, when the build will begin with a builder yet to be decided.

The selection process is in its final stages for the rest of the crewmembers for Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing and with the help of Walker, the ADTA will decide the last members that will be on board the Volvo Open 70. The ADTA is committed to including a national UAE crewmember in the sailing team and another two on the Shore team.

photo WMRT

St Moritz, Switzerland – 30 August 2010
Twelve of the world’s most successful skippers, including Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN, Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing and Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team, are preparing for a week-long series of head-to-head battles at the St Moritz Match Race.

The Swiss resort is a stunning sailing venue, despite being almost 2km above sea level, thanks to the legendary Maloja wind. This thermal breeze, created by rapid heating of the steep mountains above the resort, funnels through the valley to give reliable winds of 10-25 knots from mid-morning until sunset.
Teams will have only a short practice race to get to grips with the Blu26, the lightest and most manoeuvrable design used in the ISAF World Match Racing Tour Championship. They are optimised for racing on Alpine lakes and designed specifically for the one-on-one dogfights of match racing.

The boats’ awesome power to weight ratio and lightning-quick acceleration make for a furious pace in the all-important pre-start manoeuvres, with skippers faced with a rapid-fire of split-second win-or-lose decisions. At the same time, their crew’s boat handling is tested to the limit – anything other than millimetre-perfection and immaculate choreography will hand their opponent a crucial advantage.

The requirement for perfection in such a high-intensity battle is a tall order even for the world’s best sailors. Ben Ainslie, winner of the last leg of the WMRT, the STENA Match Cup Sweden, and Britain’s most successful sailor ever, with three Olympic gold medals, knows all too well there is no room for complacency:

“We are looking forward to getting back into the World Match Racing Tour Championship; we are planning to do four events between now and the end of the year – St Moritz, the Danish Open, Argo Group Gold Cup and the Monsoon Cup.

“Currently we are lying fifth in the rankings so we will be focusing on improving on that status. St Moritz should be a challenging lake venue, and those conditions, combined with the new four-person Blu26 boats, means we will have a lot to take on in a short space of time."

Richard, is at the top of the overall rankings going into the event, but will be looking to improve on their performance in Sweden, where Ainslie knocked them out in the quarter finals with a 2-1 scoreline. Minoprio, the reigning ‘King of the Mountains’, however, is a significant force to be reckoned with and will not relinquish his title without the most gruelling of fights.

A preview to the St Moritz Match Race can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCqmo-2i3gs

For fans around the world, the event will also be featured in a TV highlights programme called The St Moritz Match Race. Featuring all the action from Lake St. Moritz, it will premiere on Eurosport at 21.35 on 6 October and also show on Eurosport Asia Pacific at 13.45 on 13 October. The programme will be screened on Sky Sports 3 at 18.00 on 22 October.

ISAF World Match Racing Tour Calendar
Match Race France 6 - 11 April Marseille, France
Match Race Germany 19 – 24 May Langenargen, Germany
Korea Match Cup 8 – 13 June Gyeonggi, South Korea
Portimão Portugal Match Cup 22 – 27 June Portimão, Portugal
Match Cup Sweden 5 – 11 July Marstrand, Sweden
St Moritz Match Race 31 Aug – 5 Sept St Moritz, Switzerland
Danish Open 8 – 12 Sept Bornholm, Denmark
Argo Group Gold Cup 4 – 10 Oct Hamilton, Bermuda
Monsoon Cup 30 Nov – 5 Dec Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia


2010 ISAF World Match Racing Tour Standings (After Stage 5 of 9)
1. Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team 77 Points
2. Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team 60 Points
3. Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing 54 Points
4. Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar 52 Points
5. Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN 45 Points
6. Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing 43 Points
7. Francesco Bruni (ITA) Azzurra 41 Points
8. Jesper Radich (DEN) Radich Racing Team 40 Points
9. Magnus Holmberg (SWE) Sigma Racing Team 29 Points
10. Paolo Cian (ITA) Team Italia 16 Points

photo Rolex / Kurt Arrigo

August 30, 2010
With just over two weeks to go an impressive fleet of Swans is poised to sail into Porto Cervo, Sardinia for the 2010 Rolex Swan Cup. The 16th edition of this biennial clan gathering, unrivalled in the sailing world, includes the Swan 45 Rolex World Championship.

At close of the official entry period, over 90 yachts had entered from 18 countries, which include Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom and the United States.

The smallest yacht in the fleet will be the Italian Swan 371, Rebelot, owned by Anaa Oesella Franchi; the largest are two Swan 112s, Mystery (GBR) and Highland Breeze (SPA). In between are a host of other examples of the Swan breed of which, impressively, twelve are 24-metres or over in length. The most recently launched entrant is the Swan 80, Berenice (ITA). In addition, there will be five Swan 42s and nine Swan 45s competing in their own classes.

The regatta is open to all Nautor’s Swan yachts. It is expected that the fleet will be divided into five classes, which include Maxis (18.29m and above); Grand Prix boats (18.28m and below); Classics, designed by Sparkman and Stephens; Swan 45 One Design; and Club Swan 42.

One of the newest models competing is the Swan 60, Emma (GER), launched in August 2009 and owned by Johann Killinger. The German sailor, whose background is more rooted in dinghy sailing, has made the leap to his new 60-footer quite handily. At the recent Copa del Rey regatta, Emma finished in sixth place overall in the highly-competitive IRC A class, just ahead of the Swan 601, @Robas, owned by Gerard Logel who is currently leading the Swan Maxi Class Circuit.

Killinger, who competed in the 2008 Rolex Swan Cup as crew on a Swan 601, is looking forward to a return to Porto Cervo, and said, “It’s a wonderful area to sail. Instead of going up and down (a race course), you go around lighthouses and islands and there is more variety of conditions. It’s perfect…the water, the climate, and the people.”

Back to defend their titles, are some class winners from the 2008 event, including Hendrik Brandis on the Swan 45 Earlybird (GER), and Enrico Scerni’s Swan 42 Kora 4 (ITA).

Brandis has co-owned Earlybird with Christian Nagel since the boat’s launch in 2003. Nagel was helmsman for the 2008 Rolex Swan Cup class win and Swan 45 Gold Cup overall win. This time, it is Brandis’ turn at the wheel.

On board Earlybird, calling tactics and hoping to repeat their 2008 success, will be Sten Mohr, the world-class match racer from Denmark, along with mainsheet trimmer Rasmus Kostner, jib trimmer Arnd Howar from North Sails Denmark, and downwind trimmer Arne Wioken.

The Swan 45 fleet has been locked in tight competition all season, especially Earlybird and Peter de Ridder’s No Limits (NED), which currently lie in second and first place respectively on the European Circuit, while on the International Circuit it is No Limits trailing Earlybird.

The Dutch boat is obvious competition, but with a World Championship at stake it is little surprise that the fleet is stacked with a number of formidable contenders. Brandis says, “I think No Limits is a very quick boat; another one who we consider to be highly competitive is Blue Nights (FIN) with (four-time Olympic medallist) Jochen Schümann on as tactician, and Charisma (NED) with America’s Cup and Volvo Ocean Race veteran, Ray Davies as tactician. Charisma’s owner/helmsman Nico Poons is able to spend much more time on the water than we can. Another boat to watch is Ulika, Italian Andreas Masi’s boat.”

Tea Ekengren’s Blue Nights is touted as one to watch and for good reason. Tea sailed in her first Rolex Swan Cup in 2006, having bought the Swan 45 Blue Nights earlier that year and had a successful run, including winning the Finnish Championship. She and her team competed in the 2007 Swan 45 circuit, and by 2008 she had assembled an international (Finnish/American/Dutch) crew with help from main trimmer and team leader Wally Cross, and they started improving their results. This year with Jochen Schümann onboard as tactician, they are a force to be reckoned with. Ekengren said, “I am really looking forward to this year’s Rolex Swan 45 Worlds – I know it will be a fantastic event.”

The Classics will race under the unique Nautor's Swan Rating system, based on the IRC handicap system, but which credits boats for adherence to the original design. The oldest Swan that will be competing in this class and the event as a whole is Paolo Michele Bruno’s Swan 55 Gandalf. The boat was launched in 1972 as Tauranga and has enjoyed close to 40 years of cruising and racing, literally around the world.

Designed by Sparkman & Stephens, the Swan 55 was a popular model among offshore sailors. Sixteen of these well-found, sea-kindly boats were built from 1970 – 1974, including Tauranga, which competed in the first Whitbread Round the World Race in 1973-74. Following that, and renamed Gandalf, the boat was campaigned steadily from 1990 to 2001. The boat competed in the 2001 and 2003 Rolex Fastnet Races, and won her (IRC) class at the America’s Cup Jubilee in Cowes in 2001.

After a major refit in Turkey, the boat was cruised in the Mediterranean from 2003 and 2008, when Bruno bought the boat. These days Gandalf is more apt to be used for cruising with family and friends, though Bruno did enlist his friends and their children to compete in Marciana at races run by the Classic Swan Association.

While Bruno enjoys the spirit and camaraderie of sailing a classic, he clearly has the racing bug as well, and said, “I'm personally looking forward to some strong winds and some fair racing in Porto Cervo, we've put together a competitive group of friends and hope to do well at the event. Gandalf has always been a competitive boat and we do not want to let her down!”

Racing at the Rolex Swan Cup begins on Tuesday, 14 September and runs until Sunday, 19 September for most classes, with the Swan 45s finishing a day earlier on 18 September.

At the close of competition, an array of trophies will be presented. Rolex timepieces will be awarded to each of the five class winners, who will also jointly be awarded the Swan Cup. The Swan 45 World Champion will receive the Swan 45 Gold Cup and the best performing owner-driver across all classes will take home the Highland Fling Trophy.

The full programme of shoreside activity will begin on Monday, 13 September with a Welcome Cocktail party at the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda clubhouse. The following race days will include after racing refreshments on the Piazza Azzurra, as well as glamorous social events throughout the week, including the Owners' Dinner hosted by Rolex on Friday and Rolex Crew Party on Saturday.

For more information about the Rolex Swan Cup 2010, including the entry list please visit www.yccs.it. To receive daily reports during the event and to download high-resolution images, copyright free for editorial purposes, register online at www.regattanews.com

29 Aug 2010
Emirates Team New Zealand’s return to Cartagena proved something of a repeat performance as the 2009 Audi MedCup champions retained the overall Caja Mediterráneo Region of Murcia Trophy for the second year in a row on the same waters where they clinched the overall TP52 Series championships title last year.

The Kiwis seemed to have sailed an almost blemish free regatta, consistent across the broad wind range through the event, emerging triumphant at the dockside with a comfortable cushion on second placed Matador, but the jury subsequently disqualified them from the second race of the day for infringing Quantum Racing at the first windward mark.

The protest outcome cut the Kiwi winning margin to 10 points over Matador (ARG) but the reigning Audi MedCup title holders head to next month’s season’s finale in Sardinia with a lead of 46.5 points, just ahead of the target that the Dean Barker skippered crew had considered their realistic target.

After winning in Cascais, Portugal in May this is the New Zealanders second regatta triumph of the season with skipper Dean Barker – who skippered Bribon to win in 2008 – unbeaten in the class at this venue.

The protest decision may have smudged their copybook but on the water the Kiwis maintained their regular scores through the regatta. TeamOrigin (GBR) seemed to have the measure of them at times in the light to moderate wind conditions and flat water, but the British crew were recalled for starting too early in the final race of the day, finishing ninth.

Added to their 11th in Saturday’s coastal race that left TeamOrigin, who lead early in the event, third overall.

Ben Ainslie and team will take some satisfaction not only from their first podium finish of the season and also the positive progress they are making on the season’s leaderboard, but they may look back and wonder else - other than those two ' majors' what they could have done to make good the tantalising 1.5 points deficit they fell short of second placed Matador.

On the overall standings Quantum Racing (USA) lie second on 179.5pts, but third placed Matador and TeamOrigin are separated by just one point, on 199pts and 200pts.

Racing in 9-13 knots of easterly breeze and blissful Mediterranean sunshine Alberto Roemmers’ world champions Matador won the first race of the day when Vasco Vascotto (ITA) and Francesco Bruni (ITA) combined to read the first run well, gaining five places on the downwind to take the race win ahead of Emirates Team New Zealand who had lead at the WW1 mark.

TeamOrigin were in contention at the first windward mark but slid to 11th on the first run, recovering to seventh.

In the second race TeamOrigin started sharply to win the preferred left side of the first upwind leg, rounding the windward mark first and going on to their third winning gun of the regatta.

Emirates Team New Zealand finished with a flourish winning the final race with Matador back in seventh, TeamOrigin in ninth and the Franco-German team on Audi A1 powered by TeamAll4ONE leaving Murcia with a measure of renewed confidence from their second place.

Despite the obvious increase in the overall standard at the top of the TP52 Series, the defending title holders will travel to Cagliari for September’s Region of Sardinia Trophy with a margin only 5.5 points less than they did at the same point in 2009.



Two in a row for Madrid - Caser Seguros
The racing in the GP42’s was never closer, with everyone taking turns leading and following in each of today’s three races.

And even though they won only one race in nine sailed, it was the consistency of Madrid-Caser Seguros (ESP) led by skipper Jose Maria van der Ploeg (ESP) and helmsman Paolo Cian (ITA) which was key to their second regatta win in a row. Their triumph here follows up on victory in Barcelona in July and sees them take an eight points overall lead on the Audi MedCup Circuit.

But the remaining places in this class were decided only on tie-breaks.
The fight for second was especially vigorous, decided by only a metre at the finish of the last race.
In a dramatic reversal of their first two day’s mediocre results that put them solidly in last place going into today, Iberdrola (ESP) led by Laureano Wizner (ESP) came back to win the day on scores of 1-1-2, and vaulted up into the runner-up spot on the podium.

Sliding back one place from this morning’s standings, third-placed John Bassadone (GBR) and his Peninsula Petroleum (GBR) team was still very pleased with their podium finish, their first-ever in the 2010 Audi MedCup.



Caja Mediterráneo Region of Murcia Trophy
TP52 Series
Final after 10 races
1. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), 4+2+5+4+3+1+1,5+2+12(DSQ)+1= 35,5 points
2. Matador (ARG), 1+4+1+5+8+5+6+1+7+7= 45
3. TeamOrigin (GBR), 3+1+3+2+1+3+16,5+7+1+9= 46,5
4. Quantum Racing (USA), 9+5+6+3+7+2+7,5+6+5+3= 53,5
5. Artemis (SWE), 5+6+2+10+4+6+3+9+9+10= 64
6. Synergy (RUS), 8+3+7+11+6+7+10,5+10+2+4= 68,5
7. Luna Rossa (ITA), 2+7+9+6+2+9+15+3+8+8= 69
8. Bribón (ESP), 7+11+4+1+10+4+12+11+4+6= 70
9. Audi A1 powered by ALL4ONE (FRA/GER), 6+8+11+8+9+10+9+5+10+2= 79
10. Bigamist 7 (POR), 11+9+8+9+11+11+4,5+4+6+5= 78,5
11. Cristabella (GBR), 10+10+10+7+5+8+13,5+8+3+11= 85,5

GP42 Series
Final after nine races
1. Madrid – Caser Seguros (ESP), 2+3+1+5+3+2+3+2+2= 23 points
2. Iberdrola (ESP), 4+4+3+4+4+3+1+1+2= 27
3. Península Petroleum (GBR), 1+5+2+2+2+4+2+5+4= 27
4. Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (ESP), 3+1+5+1+5+5+4+4+1= 29
5. AIRISESSENTIAL (ITA), 5+2+4+3+1+1+5+3+5= 29

NEWPORT, RI, August 28
Canadians Fred Eaton and Magnus Clarke, the defenders of the International C-Class Catamaran Trophy – sailed at the NYYC’s Harbour Court -- won the first match race today with Canaan; they beat Australians Glenn Ashby and James Spithill on Alpha by about five minutes in light winds.

In the second race, the start line was off the pier in Jamestown with the weather mark to the west of Gould Island. Alpha led at the start by 10 seconds and at the first weather mark by 46 seconds. Canaan, however, used her lower and faster gear on the downwind leg to regain the lead at the second mark by seven seconds. On the second weather leg, the boats split tacks. Alpha stayed close to Jamestown, while Canaan went east, more to the center of the channel. Canaan extended her lead to about 48 seconds and later enjoyed her second gun of the day, leading the series 3-1. The racing was called after this, and Fred Eaton and Magnus Clarke have successfully defended the International C-Class Catamaran Trophy that they first won in 2007.

In the Consolation Round, Invictus was first, Patient Lady VI second and Orion third.

28 Aug 2010
Back-to-back wins in today’s rich diet of one windward-leeward race followed by an exciting 20 miles coastal race sees Emirates Team New Zealand seize the overall lead of the Caja Mediterráneo Region of Murcia Trophy regatta for the TP52 Series.

In blustery winds which topped 22 knots at times and produced some exciting downwind racing, the Kiwi Audi MedCup 2009 champions produced a performance which was entirely reminiscent of their dominant form here last year when they clinched the 2009 overall title. They lead Quantum Racing across the finish line of the windward-leeward, and were comfortably ahead of Artemis in the coastal circuit.

The two winning guns for Emirates Team New Zealand contrasted sharply with the fortunes of TeamOrigin. After a hard won third in the windward-leeward the British team still lead the regatta overall by six points but in the coastal race Ben Ainslie’s crew broke their forestay and had to struggle around the final four miles of the 20 miles circuit under mainsail only finishing 11th.

Emirates Team New Zealand’s afterguard read the breeze and current pattern best and were able to use their speed edge in the brisk conditions to win the windward-leeward – gaining more than 30 seconds on the downwind, choosing an inshore line against Matador who had rounded the first mark in second place.

Quantum Racing (USA) staged the best recovery of the race, gaining on the second beat from seventh place to cross second.

The coastal race started spectacularly with wind shift in the final countdown which suddenly placed a premium on being able to get clear of the line on port tack, Synergy, Artemis and Bribon looked to have read this change best but by the windward mark of the short opening upwind-downwind loop, Emirates Team New Zealand had forced their way back into contention, rounding third behind Synergy and Artemis. Again the inshore, right side on the downwind leg paid for the Kiwi champions and they were able to round the leeward gate mark with a small lead which they progressively increased on the long 5.5 miles windward leg.

A bold call from Matador (ARG) on this long upwind leg, breaking away to the inshore flank gained for Guillermo Parada’s crew, finding positive current flow and a lifting breeze which allowed them back into contention, turning the most easterly mark just behind Emirates Team New Zealand.

But Matador suffered a small problem on the short reaching leg when they could not drop their gennaker quick enough when the breeze went ahead and they lost two boats, dropping to finish fourth.

So Emirates Team New Zealand were the first to enjoy the affectionate cheers of the passionate crowds when the coastal race finished spectacularly in the tight confines of Cartagena harbour, with Artemis getting second and Pedro Mendonca’s Portuguese team on Bigamist 7 taking third.

Breaking ties at the top in the GP42
With their all-pro crews and their latest designs suited to today’s breezy conditions, Madrid-Caser Seguros (ESP) and Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (ESP) would have been predicted to dominate today’s races in the GP42 series.

But instead consistency, minimal mistakes, and just good solid sailing rewarded the two owner-driver teams who have burst through to the top of the rankings in a near-reversal of yesterday’s leaderboard.

Roberto Monti (ITA) driving his AIRISESSENTIAL (ITA) overcame a mediocre start to the event yesterday to vault into the lead on a three-way tie-break with Peninsula Petroleum (GBR) and Madrid-Caser, earning the day’s best scores of 3-1-1.

This is a phenomenal result for this AIRESSENTIAL all-Italian team guided by tactician Gabriele Bruni (ITA) who have until now not been able to break through to the top of the standings in the 2010 season.

In the broader view of the season standings, 2009 GP42 season champion Islas Canarias Puerto Calero’s (ESP) two last-place finishes today have moved them another point back to five points behind Madrid-Caser. But there’s only four points separating the front to the back in this highly-competitive fleet, and three races remain for tomorrow.

The schedule for Sunday has been amended, advancing the possible start time by one hour in an effort to allow three windward-leeward races to be sailed.

28 August - 6 September 2010, Istanbul Sailing Club, Istanbul, Turkey

Ninety-two teams from 25 nations are converging on Istanbul, Turkey, in preparation for the 2010 Open 470 European Championships which begin next week. Some 470 sailors have driven many hundreds of kilometres across Europe on the long road to Istanbul, the ancient city situated on the Bosphorus Strait, the narrow stretch of water where Europe and Asia meet.

Some sailors have arrived early, not just to train on the water, but to explore this huge and intriguing city, which in 2010 is also designated as the European City of Culture. However, from next Tuesday, culture is cast aside as the sailors focus on the competition and a chance to win a Championship medal in one of the strongest Olympic classes.

In the Men’s/Mixed division, defending Europeans Champions from Croatia, Sime Fantela and Igor Marenic are hotly tipped by many of their rivals as a good bet for gold in Istanbul. This team has been one of the most consistent of the past few years, winning both the Worlds and Europeans in 2009 and taking the bronze medal at the 2010 Worlds a few weeks ago in The Hague.

The Hague was a very windy and wavy regatta on the North Sea, and for some it was a war of attrition, with a number of the big names succumbing to gear failure. Istanbul offers a final shot at redemption in 2010 for those who stumbled at The Hague.

Pierre Leboucher and Vincent Garos had a terrible Worlds but bounced back to win gold at Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta in Weymouth just over a week ago. “Istanbul is our last big regatta of the season,” said Leboucher, “and although we know the competition is going to be tough, we are certainly going there with the hope and intention of winning.” Some of Leboucher’s biggest competition will come from his fellow French sailors, notably Nicolas Charbonnier and Baptiste Meyer Dieu who won silver at the Worlds, and up and coming young crew Sofian Bouvet and Jérémie Mion who dominated the 470 Junior European Championship in La Rochelle last week and, with an ISAF World Ranking of 15, are not doing too badly at senior level either.

Mion is ambitious but realistic about his chances at senior level. “We were disappointed with our World Championship performance,” said the Antibes sailor who came 24th in The Hague. “We have not had that much practice in the really big winds and we paid the price. But if we get the same kind of conditions that we experienced earlier in the year when we trained in Istanbul - 15 to 25 knots - then we will hope to do well in those conditions.”

British sailor Luke Patience is capable of winning a medal, as he has just proven with his bronze in Weymouth two weeks ago, not to mention a silver at last year’s World Championship. However he and crew Stuart Bithell are focused on getting things right for a regatta in Perth at the end of the year. “We are not putting ourselves under pressure to win a medal in Istanbul,” said Patience, “but it’s a great opportunity to get into some racing with some of the best boats in the world.”

In the 35-boat women’s division, reigning European Champions Giulia Conti and Giovanna Micol will be hard to stop, always being keen to make their mark whenever possible. Chief among their competitors will be the French team Ingrid Petitjean and Nadège Douroux. Denmark’s Henriette Koch, like some of the men mentioned earlier, is looking to Istanbul to make amends for a World Championship that didn’t work out as planned. “We had some bad luck in Holland,” she said. “For us this is one of the most important regattas of the year and we are keen on making sure that as much as possible goes our way in Istanbul.”

Racing starts with the qualification series on 31 August and the regatta concludes with the Medal Race on 6 September. The 2010 Open 470 European Championships is organised by The Istanbul Sailing Club in co-operation with the International 470 Class Association and the Turkish Sailing Federation.

In the closest ever finish in the four year history of the Audi IRC Australian Championship, Stephen Ainsworth’s Loki and Harvey Milne’s Aroona went-blow-for-blow in the fourth and final event at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week to decide the winner, and this afternoon, Ainsworth received Australia’s richest prize in sailing.

Representing the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in Sydney, Ainsworth, who launched his Reichel/Pugh 63 in December 2008, did not realise he had won the Championship until this afternoon, thinking his main foe Milne had beaten him to the punch after the results see-sawed between the two all week.

In the end, Loki won by a mere 0.31 of a point after finishing the four-event series on 13.21 points, with Aroona second on 13.52 and Peter Horn’s King 40, Canute, was third on 18.53 points. All three yachts come from NSW.

Ainsworth was understandably over the moon when Audi Australia’s Managing Director, Uwe Hagen, presented him with the keys to a brand new A5 Cabriolet 2.0 TFSI quattro S tronic valued at over $90,000 at Hamilton Island Yacht Club this afternoon. Loki‘s owner was also presented with the elegant Perpetual Trophy designed by John Woulfe.


“It was a battle to the end, but obviously the best boat and crew have been victorious,” Uwe Hagen said on handing Stephen Ainsworth the keys outside the Hamilton Island Yacht Club this afternoon.

“I’m speechless,“ Ainsworth said when told of his win. “I was sitting on my boat this afternoon thinking “I’ve lost the Audi; you’ve made my wife very happy, because I promised her the car if I won it – she’s been checking it out to see if the golf clubs will fit in the boot,“ he said.

Ainsworth confessed he had taken his wife Nanette and friends sailing in today’s final race, thinking he had just missed out on winning. “I even steered to give Gordon (Maguire) a break for the day – we just went out to have a bit of fun.“ Fortunately, that fun translated into a second place.

There was plenty of support at presentation for the well-liked yachtsman, including Hamilton Island owner Bob Oatley, and Hamilton Island Yacht Club commodore Iain Murray.

On being presented with the keys to his new car, Ainsworth said: “I go out to sail and to enjoy racing, because I love sailing – to win the Audi is a bonus. I thank my great crew – what a roller coaster ride this has been.“

Now in its fourth edition, the Audi IRC Championship starts with Audi Victoria Week in January, a mixture of offshore and bay racing. Round 2 is the Audi Sydney Harbour Regatta in March, sailed inshore and offshore, followed by the 386 nautical mile Audi Sydney Gold Coast Race at the end of July and climaxing with Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, contested in the magical Whitsunday Islands, where over 200 entries enjoyed the full gamit of conditions over seven testing days of racing.

It takes everything one can muster to win yachting’s pre-eminent Championship, in which 144 boats took place this year, but to do so when your main rival is racing in another division (Loki in IRC Grand Prix and Aroona in IRC Passage 2, in which Canute also raced), demands a certain audaciousness.

Both boats crews’ also had to fight off advances from other Championship contenders from within their respective divisions, the Championship taken out of their control to a certain degree, leading to a rousing finale.

In the ring for the final round and punching above her weight was the Archambault 31 Aroona, her rival, the Reichel/Pugh 63 Loki, was at her best in the hands of Irish sailing boffin Gordon Maguire.

Loki settled in early, running away from main contender Living Doll, a Farr 55 owned by Michael Hiatt from Melbourne, reeling off two bullets in the opening races and continuing on for a runaway victory, but Aroona’s crusade went to the wire. Milne came into the final day locked on equal points with Local Hero from Sydney and finished second in division to her nemesis.

Harvey Milne gave himself the best chance of winning the Championship by contesting all four events, of which the three best results count in the final tally. However, he didn’t bargain with the power of Loki, which won its division in the latter three events.

On winning Division 1 at the Audi Sydney Harbour Regatta, Ainsworth said: “Absolutely I’ll be at the remaining regattas; I’d love to win an Audi and I’d really love to have my name on that Championship trophy.” Today he got his wish.

Such is the dedication of Ainsworth’s crew, under the watchful eye of Gordon Maguire, they were in a class of their own in the IRC Grand Prix division at Hamilton Island this week where Ainsworth pumped out five wins from nine races; their worst result a fourth place which was used as their drop. They are undisputedly, the best yacht and crew in Australia this year.

A new scoring system was put in place for the 2010 Audi IRC Australian Championship which has worked well. “The perception was it was easier for the smaller divisions to win, so we have a new formula to calculate the winners of each event this year,” Principle Race officer Denis Thompson said.

The fifth edition of the Audi IRC Australian Championship, endorsed by Yachting Australia, commences with the 2011 Audi Victoria Week starting January 20.

In a first for the Championship series, major sponsor, Audi, has partnered with ONE in 2010 and the highlights from each regatta will be shown nationally following each round of the series.

Highlights from Round 4 of the Audi IRC Australian Championship can be viewed on September 27 at 8.30pm on ONE.