Today’s races won’t be remembered in the sailing history as the most pleasant ones. Indeed, most of them took place under a gray sky, cold rain and shifty wind that made it very hard for the tacticians to establish a reliable strategy.

The first regatta of the day – the long distance DHL Trophy – was the best and most regular one of the day. The race started soon after 10:00 AM, with a light but fairly stable breeze. The RC 44 fleet immediately split in two, with Puerto Calero, Artemis and Ceeref choosing the right side of the lake whilst the others opted for the left and mountainous side. The “countrymen” looked good for a while, until the “mountaineers” – and particularly Team Aqua - benefited from a massive shift to get back to the top.

Most boats reached the stunning Traunkirchen monastery at the same time, except for Ceeref, Organika and Puerto Calero who remained in a windless spot for too long. The tacking dual alongside the picturesque coast was interesting, with the RC 44’s gliding like ghosts on flat water, controlling each other’s moves as they neared the mark. Artemis was first up there, just ahead of Team Sea Dubai and BMW ORACLE Racing.

The downwind ride proved tricky, with unpredictable puffs of wind coming down from the mountain and a breeze dying closer to the arrival line. Markus Wieser had the best understanding of the situation and led his helmsman Stefan Linder in the right spot, winning the double points race. This was a welcome recovery following yesterday’s counter performance, when they had to retire after a spectacular broach in order to re-establish their spinnaker halyard.

Artemis finished the DHL race in second, ahead of BMW ORACLE Racing and Team Aqua.
Two standard windward leeward races took place after the DHL Trophy, in very difficult, light and unpredictable conditions. Team Austria was leading the first one with style when the wind completely dropped. Light puffs came from here & there, propelling some teams randomly towards the arrival line but avoiding the poor Austrians. Team Aqua crossed the arrival line first, followed by No Way Back and Team Sea Dubai. Artemis, who had been in the lead alongside the Austrians for most of the race finished last.

The second regatta took place in similar conditions; so much so that Race Officer Peter Reggio had to shorten the course and establish the final ranking at the windward mark. Pieter Heerema and Ray Davis had a lot of confidence in the left side of the course and this proved to be the right choice; team No Way back won the race ahead of Organika, Ceeref and Team Aqua. The Dutch team leads the overall ranking with 19 points, just ahead of Ceeref and Team Aqua (21).
 
They said:
 
Markus Wieser, tactician, Team Sea Dubai: “We had a very bad start in the DHL race, but then we played the shifts nicely and slowly came back. I think that the conditions were stable enough for a good race. On the way back we controlled the rest of the fleet well and managed to win the race.”
 
Pieter Heerema, owner, No Way Back: “We were leading the DHL regatta during the first half of the beat, but then the ghost of the lake started playing with us… All together we had a very good day and Ray Davies did a fantastic job. He is great at reading the course, but also at communicating with us and that’s essential. It was cold and wet but we enjoyed it a lot. The training we did in Copenhagen this winter certainly paid off today.”
 
René Mangold, owner, Team Austria: “The conditions were very tricky. I think that in order to excel, you need to be very calm and wait to see what happens. We were often too impulsive, and tacked as soon as the wind changed a bit. The good news is that we were fast, but we definitely need to work our starts and manoeuvres.”
 
Daniel Calero, owner, Team Puerto Calero Islas Canarias: “It’s the first time we are sailing on a lake and we are definitely suffering. In the DHL race for example, we were very good and confident. One minute later we were last; it’s really painful. You have to be a good chess player and to anticipate well to be good at this game.”
 
Ian Vickers, helmsman, BMW ORACLE Racing: “I got told at the last minute that I would be steering the boat and I feel very fortunate. During the races I mostly concentrate on my speed and I can’t look much out of the boat. Luckily, I get good advice from Russell. I haven’t raced much at all since 2000. Before this I was sailing as an amateur on keelboats; I also competed in the 470 Class and won the nationals (NZL) in 1990. I have been BMW ORACLE Racing’s boat captain since Trieste last year.”
 
 
Fleet race, provisional results after five races (no discard):
 
(Ranking, name of team, helmsman, results (in bold, double points for the DHL Trophy), points)
 
1) No Way Back, Pieter Heerema, 5, 3, 8, 2, 1 - 19 points
2) Ceeref, Igor Lah, 2, 1, 12, 4, 2 – 21 points
3) Team Aqua, Chris Bake 8, 2, 6, 1, 4 - 21 points
4) Artemis, Torbjorn Tornqvist, 1, 4, 2, 9, 7 – 23 points
5) Team Sea Dubai, Stefan Linder, 11 (DNF), 11 (DNS), 0, 3, 5 - 30 points
6) Team Organika, Maciej Navrocki 3, 8, 10, 6, 3 - 30 points
7) BMW ORACLE Racing, Ian Vickers, 6, 6, 4, 5, 9 - 30 points
8) Team Austria, René Mangold, 4, 5, 14, 7, 6 - 36 points
9) Puerto Calero Islas Canarias, Daniel Calero, 7, 7, 16, 8, 8 - 46 points


 

• Marco Mercuriali – World Class experience for everyone’s benefit
• Four questions to René Mangold
• Frank Pong’s Team Jelik is now sailing in Hong Kong – before Malcesine!
• No way back – Pieter Heerema knows the way!
• Peter Reggio speaks about his passion for yacht racing

MARCO MERCURIALI – WORLD CLASS EXPERIENCE FOR EVERYONE'S BENEFIT

Marco Mercuriali is the Chief Umpire for the RC 44 Class. He tells us about the challenges he faces when he judges some of the best sailors in the world involved in the RC 44 circuit.


Marco MERCURIALI © Nico MARTINEZ

• Marco, what is your sailing background?

Marco Mercuriali: ”I have been sailing at a high level, in the 470 Class and then on Finns. I was a member of the Olympic team between 1978 and 1982, and I joined the first Italian challenge for the America’s Cup, Azzurra, in 1981 as a physical trainor and grinder. After this, the Italian Sailing Federation asked me to become their physical trainor and coach for the junior Finn, Europe and Laser Classes. I then got involved in the Olympic Games in Barcellona, Savannah and Sydney as coach for Finn and / or Soling, and Qingdao as rules advisor. In fact, I discovered match racing through the Soling Class. In 1997 I joined Luna Rossa for the America’s Cups 2000, 2003 and 2007 as rules advisor and coach. Basically, I have been involved into sailing full time for the past fifteen years.

• How did you become involved with the RC 44 Class?

MM: The Class contacted me last year, as I was in Qingdao for the Olympic Games. I think it is a very nice Class. There are not too many boats, but the level is high and it is very interesting.

• Are there any particular challenges related to this Class?

MM: Every race and every Class are different. The RC 44’s are fast and reactive boats so we need to be focused all the time. A situation can change in one second. I think that our main challenge is to be consistent, and to make sure that the sailors understand what we do, and why. There are sometimes situations where all the boats arrive at the gate at the same time. It is very challenging for us, but also a lot of fun. Of course we would be happy to be perfect, but I believe our realistic goal is to minimise the number of mistakes and to be consistent event after event.


  © Roberto MARCI

• You often organise workshops with the sailors, and explain the rules in detail. Why do you do this?

The ISAF rules books changes after every OG; they modify some wordings, and open up new interpretations. I think it is very important to clarify inside the umpire team and discuss them with the guys, because there are sometimes grey areas. The bowsprit is a good example. The solution we have adopted is not necessarily the best one, but I need to make sure that everyone understands it and is ”comfortable” with it. The sailors are very smart people; they understand the implications of a new rule, with all the possible consequences.
I organise those workshops at my own initiative or when requested by Bertrand Favre and the Class. The purpose is to anticipate the problems; it’s an ongoing process.
The umpires team’s next target is ”Addendum Q”. That rule was created for direct umpiring of the last fleet race in the Olympic Games: the ”medal race”. Only the top ten competitors are allowed to be in this ”medal race” and the points count for double. Because it is a ”final”, everyone wants to know who the medallists are immediately after the finish and it is therefore very important to have direct umpiring. However the medal race is a fleet race after a program of fleet races and Addendum Q is based on the fleet race rules.
The situation is very different with the RC 44 Class because there are different types of races: match-race, fleet race and long distance race (the DHL Trophy). I believe the RC 44 is the only Class with a such a full program of races; this is the reason why it deserves an amended Addendum Q.
The purpose of the rule is to reduce the differences between match, fleet and long distance as much as possible, and we hope to get better races from a sporting point of view for the sailors and easier to understand for the spectators.


FOUR QUESTIONS TO RENÉ MANGOLD

Owner of the new Team Austria, René Mangold tells us who he is, what is special about his team and what their goals are.

René Mangold: ”I have been sailing all my life. My family runs a charter business, and I have spent all my holidays on sailing boats. I have also been competing throughout my life – except between the age of 12 & 16 - when I was studying. I have raced on all sorts of boats, and have been active in the X-Yachts Class until 2007. I then became a father and decided to stop racing. The RC 44 project arrived soon after this, and I am back...
I am not a professional sailor; this is only a hobby for me. I work in the advertisement and graphic design business. I am not a rich man; in fact we are three partners in this project and we are fully sponsored.


Christian BINDER and René MANGOLD - Team Austria © GEPA pictures / Martina WOHLESSER

• How and why did you join the RC 44 Class?

RM: Until now I was mainly sailing IMS in the Adriatic. I discovered the RC 44 Class last year, during the Austria Cup, and I thought that it would be a good option to move to the next step. We started looking for sponsorship in September, and quickly found the Traunsee Arena as our main partner. It is a touristic platform for the area; they use our partnership to promote the region. We do some incentive sailing with them, and take some guests sailing. It works very well.

• What are your goals?

RM: Our goal is to be in the middle of the fleet. We know that the level is very high in this Class, and we have never sailed at this level before. There is also only one real professional on board; all the others are amateur sailors. The nationality of our team members is not a real issue. However, we speak German, we like to eat together and we want the atmosphere on board to be excellent. That’s why we have a strong local identity.

• How is your project perceived in Austria?

RM: The project is very well known in Austria, because we are the only professianally run sailing project in this country. We have 5’000 hits every day on our website. In fact, I am really impressed by the interest we have generated considering our small budget. I really look forward to the Austria Cup. It’s an important event for us because it takes place on our waters; we also need it to generate money for the campaign.


FRANK PONG’S TEAM JELIK IS NOW SAILING IN HONG KONG – BEFORE MALCESINE!

Balint Sarmay, technical coordinator for the RC 44 Class, was in Hong Kong last week, helping Frank Pong’s team to assemble its two RC 44’s. Russell Coutts joined them on May 7, and exchanged some precious tips with the team.
Frank Pong’s two RC 44’s have since been packed, and are on their way to Europe. The two boats will make a pit stop at Pauger, where they will be upgraded. One of them will then be taken to Malcesine, where it will sail for the first time at the beginning of July. The RC 44 Class will provide a technical team of highly experienced people to help Pong’s team to get up to speed. Their plan is then to take part to the Malcesine Cup on July 8 - 12.


Team Jelik in Hong Kong © Balint SARMAY


NO WAY BACK – PIETER HEEREMA KNOWS THE WAY!
 
Pieter Heerema’s Team No Way Back has show great potential since the beginning of the season, managing to finish second of the match race event in the recent Cagliari RC 44 Cup. No Way Back will sail the rest of the season with Ray Davies at the helm for the match races.


Team No Way Back - Puerto Calero Islas Canarias RC44 Cup 2009 © Gilles MARTIN-RAGET

This is definitely an ambitious team, led by an ambitious owner who tells us more about his plans: ”Our goal is to be in the top five this season and to win one event. In order to achieve this, we hope to sail all 6 events and  to have a steep learning curve throughout the season. We also plan to sail outside of the scheduled events with some other teams. Our boat is the ex-BMW ORACLE Racing from 2008. In the autumn and early winter, we trained and tested sails and crew in Copenhagen. This has led to quite a number of reshuffles in the names, but now we are happy with the team. It has a healthy mix of young guys and more seasoned experienced sailors. With Martin Kirketerp, we have  half of the 49-er gold medal of the last Olympics on board ! And most of the other names ring bells as well, as former Olympians, World Champs, AC participants etc etc in many different boats and as competitors in the match racing scene.”


JUSTIN CHISHOLM INTERVIEWS RC 44 CHIEF RACE OFFICER PETER REGGIO

Publisher of ”Offshore Rules”, Justin Chisholm has been following and covering the RC 44 Championship Tour; he recently published an interesting interview with Peter Regggio. Extracts below:

• OR: Is it fair to describe you as the most high profile PRO on the major regatta scene right now?

PR: Unfortunately. [LAUGHS] To be honest with you I really don’t pay much attention to that sort of stuff. The reputation, if you can call it that, is based on the fact that some people made some nice comments about the job I have done in the past. But the truth is that can all fall apart in one race.


© Gilles MARTIN-RAGET

• OR: Given the obvious pressure and stress associated with running the racing at events like the America’s Cup and the other events you run, we wondered why you want to put yourself through all that? How did you get to be where you are now?

PR: Well you know I have sailed and raced all my life and I was a sail maker for a short while at North and I spent a good deal of time at Sobstad in the seventies and early eighties. The race officer thing just really evolved from me doing some local stuff and because I was actually a sailor I just did things a little differently.

• OR: What were those differences? More communication with the competitors?

PR: Well the communication thing was not something I came up with. I was just part of the evolution. I’m not smart enough to think something like that up. My approach was simply to run the racing how I would want to have it run if I was racing. Back then that wasn’t generally how it was done.

• OR: Given that you don’t do much racing yourself now, how do you keep up with what the sailors want?

PR: Well I think that I do know what they want. Well God I hope I know what they want. Over the years I’ve got to know a lot of the sailors and we talk all the time about what’s going on and what problems there are. I believe you just have to listen to people who know what they are talking about in this sport and they will tell you what’s wrong.  

• OR: How do you judge the success of a regatta that you run?

PR: Everybody has fun.

• OR: And how do judge that?

PR: Well you are always going to have people who find fault in what you do because it doesn’t suit their finishing position. It’s not that you have to be a hard ass about it. You just have to realise that things will never be perfect. One of the things I have found over the years is that sailors are very forgiving.  When you make a mistake you hold your hands up and say ‘mea culpa’ before they even start coming at you and they just say ‘OK fair enough.’ A lot of people unfortunately try to talk their way out of issues or hide behind the rules to protect themselves. Doing that is the quickest way to lose the sailors respect.


Peter Reggio © Nico MARTINEZ

• OR: How does it feel when a team puts in a protest against the race committee?

PR: It doesn’t bother me. It’s part of the game. Personally I think that redress is one of the best things in the world for this sport. I think it adds an additional element of fairness that quite frankly a lot of other sports don’t have. Sure some sports might have instant replay but we have redress. I’m a big fan. Sure some people put in some claims that are a bit ‘out there’ but you just laugh it off and move on. None of it is ever personal.

• OR: Is ego a big factor in the PRO game?

PR: To be honest with you, yes. Don’t get me wrong, I have an ego – you have to be confident in your own ability. But what I see is people who set themselves up to fail by striving for absolute perfection. It’s absolutely unattainable and it drives them to some strange defensive behaviour when they don’t achieve it.

• OR: What’s the worst part of your job?

PR: The travel can be a real bastard. But in all honesty it’s a small price to pay for doing a job I love so much. Long may it continue!

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