Superyacht News

ULLMAN SAILS NOW EVEN STRONGER

2013-06-30T14:16:00.000+01:00

ULLMAN SAILS JOINS WITH JANNIE REUVERS SAILS

PRESS RELEASE:
27th June, 2013.

There is big news afoot. Ullman Sails, one of the oldest and most respected brands in sailmaking has joined forces with Jannie Reuvers Sails, one of the largest and most technologically advanced sail and membrane production lofts in the world. It’s a strategic and exciting match – two longstanding companies bringing their own strengths to an alliance that is now positioned to rival the top names in the sailmaking industry.

This strong move forward means a bigger and more dynamic Ullman Sails group, adding new loft locations in South Africa including a major sail manufacturing facility and a state-of-the-art membrane plant in Cape Town, a specialized one design loft in Durban, and a sales and service facility in Johannesburg. Jan Reuvers, owner of the new Ullman Sails South Africa and founder of Jannie Reuvers Sails, also brings with him a talented and innovative team with expertise in the super yacht, OEM and one design markets.

MORE BENEFITS FOR ULLMAN SAILS CUSTOMERS

Here’s what you can expect from these changes:

* An even larger international network of service and support with now over 80 locations in 31 countries
* Expanded services and support in the super yacht, one design and other specialty markets
* The same high quality sail design and construction standards that you know and expect
* The same local Ullman Sails team that you work with and rely on
* The same pricing with more value for every dollar spent
* A stronger team of expertise and experience to ensure Ullman Sails provides the latest in design development and product technology

Visit our website for the original Press Release and other information about Ullman Sails.
http://ullmansails.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bc6796609ced7e16205f9b36&id=4f23c4e285&e=04c65eb0ec

Ullman Sails
124 Tustin Avenue, Suite #102
Newport Beach, CA 92663

Please note; this press release was originally issued by Ullman Sails and is republished by Superyachtnews.blogspot.co.uk Content may be used by anyone for republication by any means; please quote the source www.ajaxnetphoto.com in any republication. Visit; https://www.wuala.com/Jonathan_Eastland/Photos/AJAXNETPHOTO archives for other images.

Sea school order Seaward 29 at Seawork 2013

2013-06-25T19:23:00.000+01:00

Press Release.

25th June, 2013.

Angus Belcher, Principal of the Seasmart Motorboat Sea School based at Cowes, signed a deal at Seawork 2013 today to join forces with The Boat Development Co Ltd to form the Seaward Sea School. The new company has ordered a purpose designed Seaward 29 motor cruiser, drawn like other rugged Nelson type leisure and workboats within the Seaward range, by TT Design.

Angus Belcher, Principal at the Seaward Sea School said today: "The new sea school brings together the expertise of Seasmart and the security of Seaward's all-weather boats to encourage new people to take up motorboating and to develop their skills."

"The Seaward 29 is the perfect boat within the range, with an enclosed wheelhouse, a large class room area, and twin engine configuration. The school will be based at Cowes and we intend to run both RYA leisure motor cruiser and powerboat courses, and advanced RYA/MCA courses for those wanting to gain their commercial tickets "

Seaward 29 general arrangement adapted as a sea school motorboat

New at Seawork

 Seaward, which has been building these rugged Nelson commercial and leisure motor boats for more than 3 decades, is also introducing a new 8-seat Nelson 42 pilot boat with an extended wheelhouse designed to service multiple ships, and also demonstrating a new 19ft semi-displacement Seaward harbour/yacht club launch.

42 Pilot 8 seat GA

Custom built workboats 

To discover more about the new extended wheelhouse Seaward Nelson 42 with eight seats, or discuss your particular requirements for a Seaward 19, 21, 23, 25, 29, 35 40 or 42ft Nelson model, visit us on stand B69 at Seawork 2013 between 25-27th June at Southampton.

Free transfer from Southampton airport and station

If you are making a flying visit to Seawork 2013 and would like a friendly face to meet you at the airport or railway station, Seaward is running a courtesy car service for clients. Just e.mail your travel itinerary and we will be very happy to pick you up and show you what Seaward has to offer in harbour, pilot, and commercial workboats.  

To view Seaward’s well proven range of rugged, reliable and seaworthy workboats for pilots, police, harbourmasters and all workboat users, please visit: www.seawardboat.com 

For further information, contact:

Angus Belcher - Principal, Seaward Sea School - +44 (0) 7979 806629 Mike Burnham – Managing Director – The Boat Development Co Ltd 1, Prospect Road, Cowes, Isle of Wight PO31 7AD UK  Tel: +44 (0)1983 280333 Fax: +44 (0)1983 295095 Mobile: +44 77 33 47 48 47 web: www.seawardboat.com E.mail: Mike@seawardboat.com

Please note; this press release was originally issued by www.seawardboat.com and is republished by Superyachtnews.blogspot.co.uk Content may be used by anyone for republication by any means; please quote the source www.ajaxnetphoto.com in any republication. Visit; https://www.wuala.com/Jonathan_Eastland/Photos/AJAXNETPHOTO archives for other workboat (folder category) images.

2012-04-21T18:51:00.001+01:00

AJAXNETPHOTO IMAGE ARCHIVES - IMPORTANT UPDATE

Saturday, 21st April, 2012.

As some viewers may already be aware, AjaxNetPhoto >www.ajaxnetphoto.com< image archives have been hit by a coding glitch which has disabled both the search and image pages display functions.

AjaxNetPhoto web site pages are NOT affected except for the link buttons which provide search and display functions for each image category and independent keyword searches.

This is the first time in several years of perfect functionality the archives have encountered a problem. Investigation indicates a wide range of coding errors and or bug possibilities in the hosting application and because of this and the time needed to fix the problem, AjaxNetPhoto has made a decision to move its image archive to a remote server. (see Head in The Clouds article in October 2011 issue of The British Journal of Photography for an explanation of remote computing utility.)

This process has been initiated but it may take several weeks before status is up to scratch.

Low resolution thumbnail galleries and image previews can be accessed using the following link;

>http://www.wuala.com/Jonathan_Eastland/Photos/AJAXNETPHOTO<

Once the page opens in a browser, clicking on GENERAL_ARCHIVES opens more image folders.

Click on any folder to open it and see image thumbnails.
Click on any image to open a larger preview image.
Download a preview image by clicking on the image name (bottom left of image).
Copy or Send an image (or other options) using CTRL+pad or mouseclick on an Apple Mac.

Alternatively, at the top right of the page under the 'Open in Wuala' button, viewers will see a button labeled 'detail view'. Clicking this button gives a list and object name of each image in any folder. Clicking the 'i' button to the right will open any image on the page.

Please note; gallery page viewing efficiency is user CPU and internet connection and browsing dependent. Some thumbnail images may not open instantly. Please wait or use the alternative click 'detail view' and return to 'thumbnail' to reload gallery pages.

Please feel free to use the recommend buttons at the foot of each gallery page.

Progress updates will be posted in due course.

Thanks for reading this.

Quest for the fastest monohull on the planet.

2010-03-04T15:34:00.017+00:00

News Release 2 – 3^rd March, 2010

Revealing (some) Secrets Behind the SpeedDream Performance Concept

image from SpeedDream via www.ajaxnetphoto.com

In this News Release the SpeedDream team lifts (only slightly) the veil surrounding their revolutionary design concept and shares some ideas on how they plan to advance monohull performance to a totally new level. “We want the sailing public to be aware of our campaign and to get involved in the SpeedDream challenge with their ideas, comments and support,” says design coordinator Vlad Murnikov. “We do, however, have to be careful about how much information we can let out on this very early stage of the project. This News Release should be viewed with the understanding that our team has many more tricks up our sleeves which we will keep there for a time being. We will continue to work tirelessly on improving our radical SpeedDream concept until it evolves into the most extraordinary speed machine ever. And we will continue sharing our progress with you every step of the way.”

Items covered in this News Release are:

Monohull versus Multihull

A Slender Hull that Sails through the Waves

The search for the Ultimate Canting Keel

A Boat with Wings

Making a Wet Boat Less Wet – and More Beautiful

Learning from Powerboats

SpeedDream Design Background

Monohull versus Multihull

The SpeedDream campaign, the quest to create the world’s fastest monohull, is gaining momentum. The reaction to the SpeedDream announcement in early January was overwhelmingly positive demonstrating that the sailing world is ready for a radical super-fast monohull, capable of competing on equal terms with the record-setting multihulls.

"If everything comes together as anticipated our revolutionary boat will be capable of reaching and maintaining unprecedented open-ocean speeds," says project leader Vlad Murnikov. Murnikov is confident that many new records will be set in open ocean conditions including the fastest transatlantic crossing as well as the fastest non-stop global circumnavigation.”

Why a monohull?

“For decades catamarans and trimarans have proven themselves to be the fastest boats under sail," says Murnikov. "All this time these multihulls have enjoyed unrestricted development leaving their designers free to explore every possible recipe for speed. Monohull development, on the other hand, has always been governed by strict class rules which puts a big damper on single-hull performance capabilities."

Today’s fastest monohull, the VOR 70, is a relatively conservative design developed in accordance with a stringent 'box' rule in order to keep all boats similar and to reduce costs, and risks, associated with the ultimate ocean race. These rules put limits on length, beam, draft, displacement, rig dimensions, and sail area, all the major design parameters, as well as materials that can be used for boat’s construction. And yet, despite all these restrictions, VOR 70s are capable of reaching speeds in excess of 40 knots, the same as some of the fastest multihulls. The problem is, much wider and shorter monohulls tend to slow down after each burst of speed, while catamarans and trimarans, with their needle-like hull forms, can sustain higher speeds for a substantially longer periods of time. This explains why multihulls dominate the record pages.

The SpeedDream team believes, however, that the current superior multihull performance could be matched and even exceeded by a monohull if we are able to throw away all restrictions and design the most advanced boat possible.

“After all multihulls, no matter how long and slender, still sail in displacement mode while high-speed monohulls can glide over the water in a much more efficient planing mode,” explains Murnikov. “We see potential for a quantum leap forward in monohull performance, a true design revolution. While this is happening catamarans and trimarans would continue their incremental advancement becoming larger and wider while growing more complex and costly.”

Generally, light boats are fast. Monohull critics are quick to point out that the ballast weight that a traditional single-hull boat has to carry in order to achieve sufficient stability is dead weight most of the time. Recent advancements in canting keel design allow for enormous gains in stability while reducing ballast weight. In fact you can hardly call a canting keel a “keel”. It’s more accurately a ‘stability strut’ that adds power in a very efficient and effective manner. It’s true that multihulls don’t need ballast for generating righting moment but they do have to carry around the weight of at least one or even two extra hulls, plus all the complex structure necessary to keep it all together.

“Advancements in modern technology and design make it possible to produce a monohull with a comparable weight and righting moment of a multihull while taking full advantage of the drag reduction of a high-speed planing hull,” says Murnikov. “Our preliminary estimates show that the SpeedDream concept would result in a monohull capable of reaching speed in excess of 50 knots and maintaining an average speed on par with the fastest multihulls. Creating the world’s fastest monohull questions the status quo and shatters existing stereotypes of high performance sailing, while adding a new level of excitement to the never-ending quest for speed.”

When SpeedDream is built, the boat will effect the sailing community in more profound ways than any speed-record multihull could ever do simply because the vast majority of sailboats on water are monohulls. The design innovation and research that will go into this project, and the experience gained from it, will benefit the future of sailboat design and set the direction for generations of yachts to come.

A Slender Hull that Sails through the Waves

image from SpeedDream via www.ajaxnetphoto.com

High performance results from a combination of two main factors: providing a boat with enough power and reducing resistance in order to utilize this power in the most efficient way possible. Most designers focus performance optimization on increasing power. Multihulls are typical of this approach as they grow larger and wider with each new generation in order to achieve higher and higher sail-carrying capability. This, however, results in over-powered vessels that are inevitably over-stressed requiring a more and more robust structure to survive. This all comes at the expense of extra weight which in turn calls for even more power to maintain speed.

“Our solution is to reduce drag, by all means possible,” says Vlad Murnikov. “This way all the available wind power is used more efficiently requiring less sail area to achieve higher speeds. Less righting moment is needed, the boat is less stressed and will be lighter while remaining strong. Lighter means faster”.

To greatly reduce resistance the SpeedDream boat features a relatively narrow, slender hull, almost triangular in plan view and equipped with a sharp wave-piercing bow. The goal is to reduce drag in heavy seas as well as minimize pitching and slamming.

The boat is designed to sail most of time at a constant heel angle of around 20-25 degrees. This angle of heel will be maintained by adjusting sail area and keel angle in accordance to the changes in wind strength. Both the hull and rig are optimized to be most efficient in such conditions with the hull having two narrow planing surfaces port and starboard, each tilted at 20-25 degrees. Further design development will concentrate on verifying the optimal heel angle and determining both the shape and width of the planing surfaces in order to achieve the best combination of maximum hydrodynamic lift and minimal hull drag. The resulting hull design will have minimal volume and surface area with its buoyancy and hydraulic lift moved as far outboard as possible.

The search for the Ultimate Canting Keel

VOR 70 rules limit keel cant to 40 degrees. The geometry of most modern canting systems allows for a maximum cant of up to 50 degrees. Beyond 50 degrees the loads grow dangerously high. For SpeedDream we have developed a proprietary system that allows much higher cant angles while at the same time being able to significantly reduce loads. The goal is to ultimately sail the boat with the keel completely out of water thereby removing a significant amount of drag. Even if the keel is going get submerged periodically, on the whole this concept promises sizable benefits to overall drag reduction.

A Boat with Wings

Wings were first attached to the keel in 1983 to help the Australians win the America’s Cup. Recently we saw a huge wing sail propelling BMW Oracle to its victory. Now the SpeedDream designers are looking closer at wings, trying to utilize uniquely shaped hydrofoils to create additional righting moment and to partially offset the boat’s displacement. Placed near the center of gravity to diminish the negative effect of hull movement on their performance, these foils will be capable of creating lift equal to 30-50% of the total displacement. The wings could be retractable or fixed and could be used as separate appendages or in combination with a daggerboard. The parameters of the wing will be decided in the later stages of design process.

Further analysis will be focused on finding the optimal size and shape of the hydrofoils and their profile in order to achieve maximum lift and minimal drag.

Making a Wet Boat Less Wet – and More Beautiful

It’s hard to underestimate the importance of the deck design and layout as it relates to performance since at high speed the deck will frequently get submerged. Its shape will be sculptured to shed water as quickly and to throw as little water and spray forward as possible and to prevent large amounts of water reaching the cockpit. All of this will help reduce resistance and provide the best protection for the crew.

“Naturally the task of protecting the crew from the elements on a boat intended to reach 50+ knots in real ocean conditions is an enormous design challenge, but we have a few interesting tricks up our sleeve that will help make this inevitably wet boat a little bit less wet and more comfortable for her crew,” says Murnikov.

The deck, with several strategically placed breakwaters, is designed to shed water aside as quickly as possible. The cockpit is set far aft and is significantly elevated relative to the rest of boat, and both the helmsman and crew are protected by good-size dodgers. The cockpit sole is a mesh trampoline with a deep, steeply sloped channel below that allows water to easily pass aft and discharge through the open transom with minimal impact on the crew and boat speed.

“It has to be said that so far no offshore sailboat has ever sailed at such speeds so we are venturing into totally uncharted territory. No one quite knows what we will face there,” admits Murnikov. “High-performance sailing could be dangerous, but so is climbing Mount Everest or driving an F1 car. Our design team will keep working on making this boat as safe as possible and we believe that the experience gained throughout our project will greatly benefit all offshore sailors.”

All the functional attributes of the SpeedDream design also contribute to the boat’s strikingly futuristic image. “I view design as part science and part art and believe that beautiful boats are fast boats. This boat looks like nothing ever seen before and to my eye she is very beautiful, and therefore she has to be very fast,” jokes designer Murnikov.

Learning from Powerboats

Among other venues the SpeedDream design team is actively exploring are applications of stepped hulls, spray rails and other speed-enhancing features that are widely used on powerboats. “The next step will be to take a closer look on the benefits of bottom aeration in order to further reduce wetted surface,” says Murnikov. “And that’s only a start. During the extensive research and development process, throughout design, construction and boat testing, our designers and engineers will keep improving our revolutionary SpeedDream concept until it evolves into the most extraordinary speed machine ever.”

SpeedDream Design Background

SpeedDream is the brainchild of Vlad Murnikov, a radical sailboat designer, born in Russia, now based in the USA. Vlad was the project leader and design coordinator for FAZISI, Russia's first-ever entry in the Whitbread Round the World Race, the premier oceanic sailing competition in the world, now known as the Volvo Ocean Race. In the 1989-90 Whitbread race, not only did the remarkable FAZISI with her minimal budget and crew of novice sailors overcome impossible odds to place 11th in a field of the world’s best yachts, she posted the next-to-longest 24-hour run racking up the then-incredible 386 miles in a single day.

FAZISI was one of the lightest boats in the entire Whitbread fleet. Although the almost twice-as–heavy, over-canvassed New Zealand ketch STEINLAGER won the race under the command of the legendary skipper Peter Blake, the light-displacement boats ultimately prevailed in the design competition. Today they fully dominate the racing scene getting lighter and faster with every new generation. Murnikov’s unique SpeedDream concept improves upon the once-revolutionary FAZISI blueprint and advances the scientific art of boat design into yet uncharted territory.

Another trend-setting design that influenced the SpeedDream concept was MX-Ray, a revolutionary boat that forever changed small boat sailing. When Murnikov came up with the idea of super-fast, single-handed dinghy with asymmetric spinnaker, nobody believed that the concept could work or that there would be sailors skillful enough to handle such a boat.

Not only did the tiny 13-foot MX-Ray proved to be extremely fast, capable of reaching 27 knots, she turned out to be great fun and very easy to operate. Over the years more that a half-dozen designs from various manufacturers followed in her wake, and today practically every dinghy producer has a similar boat in their line-up. It is from the MX-Ray that the SpeedDream concept has borrowed her sharp wave-piercing bow, very narrow waterline, and dart-shaped hull.

Other members of the SpeedDream design team are bringing their cutting edge expertise in offshore racing boats, record multihulls, hydrodynamics, structural engineering, hydrofoil and keel design. On top of this SpeedDream’s innovative rig and sails are going be developed by industry leaders. We are confident that our team is capable of producing the fastest sailboat ever.

For more information please take a look at the latest SpeedDream magazine found online at http://issuu.com/speeddream/docs/speeddream2

Attached 3D renderings are by Tyler Doyle of Doyle Sailmakers - www.doylesails.com

For more information and to obtain the high-resolution images, please contact SpeedDream Media:

Speeddreammedia@gmail.com

Brian Hancock - Media Relations

Vlad Murnikov – Design Aspects

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ATOLLVIC SHIPYARD SPONSORS WORLD SUPERYACHT AWARDS 2010

2010-02-01T12:53:00.003+00:00

Press Release

29 January 2010, Vigo, Spain.

Atollvic Shipyard, specialists in the construction, refit and repair of luxury sail and motor yachts, is proudly partnering with organisers of the World Superyacht Awards 2010 by sponsoring the category for the Best Sailing Yacht in 30m to 44m size range. The 5th annual ceremony of the World Superyacht Awards, taking place on Saturday 22 May at London’s Guildhall, will see Atollvic celebrate the best of the best in superyacht build and design.

Strategically positioned in Vigo on the north-west coast of Spain, Atollvic’s new-build team combines a highly skilled group of designers with naval architects and interior specialists to craft vessels that perform seamlessly and offer the ultimate in tailored comfort and style. The Spanish shipyard, which also provides refit and repair services, can fulfil a broad range of projects including motor yachts, sailboats and luxury superyachts and is part of Grupo Vicalsa, a group of companies with more than 35 years experience in the construction and repair of steel and aluminium boats.

The World Superyacht Awards is a celebrated event in the superyacht industry calendar and recognises the talents of industry professionals including builders, naval architects and designers. Judged by an independent panel, the awards will honour the best yachts launched during the last 12 months.

Marco Villar, Yard Director of Atollvic Shipyard, is looking forward to the forth-coming partnership: “Atollvic is delighted to be sponsoring the World Superyacht Awards 2010. We are committed to offering our clients the highest standards in all aspects of our work and welcome the opportunity to share the celebration with the industry’s very best.”

Atollvic Shipyard was founded in 2006 and is strategically positioned in Vigo on the north-west coast of Spain. Experts in custom sail and motor yachts in steel or aluminium, Atollvic is dedicated to the construction, refit and repair of luxury yachts up to 70 meters.

Atollvic is part of Grupo Vicalsa, a group of companies providing the technical and logistic support needed to successfully design and build the most complex custom yachts.

Ends

For more information
Contact: Zoe Thompson, PR Account Director, Marketing Matters
E-mail: zoe@marketing-matters.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0) 1202 777111

Visitors, users and viewers of the foregoing content may copy and re-use it in other internet content sites on condition the source of all material so used is acknowledged with the attachment of the following. >www.ajaxnetphoto.blogspot.com< href="http://archive.ajaxnetphoto.com">http://archive.ajaxnetphoto.com

The products and companies named in this website content are trademarks , registered trademarks or servicemarks of their respective owners or licensed users.

Panasonic’s DMC-FT2 – Unique Hybrid Tough Model

2010-01-29T22:17:00.006+00:00

Press Release

Panasonic’s DMC-FT2 – Unique Hybrid Tough Model –
Perfect for Capturing the Action

Panasonic is pleased to introduce the new Lumix DMC-FT2, a successor to Lumix’s first camera geared for active outdoor use, the DMC-FT1. Featuring AVCHD Lite HD movie recording capability, the new 14.1-megapixel FT2 further strengthens its toughness to be waterproof to 10m, shockproof to 2m, freezeproof to -10 degrees C and dustproof. The camera is also empowered internally by the newly developed Venus Engine HD II integrating “Intelligent Resolution” technology.

The FT2 features a high-quality LEICA DC VARIO ELMAR 28mm wide-angle lens with a 4.6x optical zoom[1]. A folded optics shaft guide method is adopted to secure the toughness of the lens unit. Comprising 10 elements and a prism unit in 8 groups, including 1 ED lens and 5 aspherical lenses with 6 aspherical surfaces passing the Leica's stringent standards to deliver exceptional optical performance to the edge. Thanks to the newly incorporated Intelligent Resolution technology, the Intelligent Zoom is available with the FT2 which extends the zoom ratio by approx.1.3x maintaining the picture quality even combining the digital zoom. This means the 4.6x optical can virtually extend to 6x equivalent. Furthermore, the Extra Optical Zoom function that extends zoom power to 9.8x (at 3-megapixel resolution) by u sing the center part of the 14.1-megapixel high resolution CCD to bring subjects even closer.

Take Me Swimming

Thanks to rubber padding, reinforced glass and carbon resins inside the camera, the FT1 features an airtight body that lets users operate the FT2 underwater to a depth of up to 10 meters. The FT2 can even be used in seawater, so users can take images of friends snorkelling or tropical fish darting in and out of coral reefs. Since additional housing is unnecessary for underwater operation, the FT2 is an extremely versatile camera that you can take with you wherever the action calls. The FT2 can be used at a beach, ski resort, hiking trips, festivals and in a host of other active, outdoor situations where no-one would dare use a conventional camera.

Designed with users in mind, the FT2’s cover panel of the LCD is thickened by 1.3x compared to the predecessor FT1 to withstand pressure underwater as deep as 10 meters.

Feel Free to Drop Me

It’s true – the FT2 is drop proof from a height of up to 2 meters[2]. In addition to reinforcing the exterior of the camera with shock-resistant material, the FT2 uses folded optics to prevent its lens unit from taking damage when dropped during operation. The lens unit is protected by a supplementary damper to absorb the force from shock impact. Combined with its dustproof, waterproof and freezeproof performance, this makes it the ideal camera for anytime use outdoors, in active situations, and for casual everyday shooting.

Dust Proof Too

A dust proof design[3] shuts out airborne dust particles that can lead to malfunction – enabling worry free shooting in places like the beach, or any place with lots of dust.

Freeze Me

Expanding your photographic opportunities, the new FT model is now freezeproof up to -10degrees C – perfect for active winter travellers, skiers, and snowboarders for example. Don’t be fooled by the durability of this camera – the FT2 still looks good too! Sporting a folded optics design, the FT2 is sleek and sophisticated.

Film me in High Definition

In addition to Motion JPEG images[4], the DMC-FT2 can record high-definition motion picture in AVCHD Lite. It features almost doubling the recording time in HD quality compared with the conventional Motion JPEG format. The picture quality is greatly enhanced thanks to the newly added Intelligent Resolution technology. The FT2 also features Dolby Digital Creator to record high quality audio, so you can match the beautiful motion images with outstanding sound.

Now on the FT2, the popular iA (Intelligent Auto) is also available in motion image recording. Optical Image Stabilizer (O.I.S.) helps prevent handshake when using zoom or shooting in low lit situations. Face Detection automatically detects a face in the frame and adjusts focus, exposure, contrast, and skin complexion on it so it always turns out beautiful. Intelligent Exposure continually checks the ambient light level and adjusts the exposure setting as conditions change to prevent blown highlights and blocked shadows. And Intelligent Scene Selector automatically switches between Normal, Portrait, Macro, Scenery, and Low Light modes according to the situation to optimize visual quality.

The 4.6x optical zoom is also available in movie recording. With the newly added Video Divide function, users can divide the video into two sections to shorten or to delete the unwanted half on the spot in the camera. You can cutout a still image from a movie in the camera. Intelligent Resolution makes it possible to produce 1920x1080 still images from 1280x720 HD movies even recorded in AVCHD Lite. A Wind Cut function is also available to block out most of the noise from background wind.

Still or motion images recorded in AVCHD Lite on SD Memory Cards are easy to view on a Panasonic VIERA TV[5]. Simply insert the card into the VIERA Image Viewer (SD Memory Card slot) on VIERA TV or DIGA Blu-ray Disc Player to playback your contents. Alternatively, you can use an optional mini HDMI cable to output the still and motion images you took from the FT2 directly to the TV for VIERA Link. You can take maximum advantage of Lumix camera's playback functions including the slideshow in which both still and motion images are integrated in the timeline, category playback according to the scene mode you used or calendar display and so on. All control is possible using only the TV's remote control.

In addition, with the included software PHOTOfunSTUDIO 5.0 HD Edition, it is easy to view and edit your recorded contents. You may also choose to upload your videos to YouTube or burn them to a DVD disc for archiving.

Intelligent Resolution Technology Assures High Picture Quality for Both Photo and Movie
The high-speed, high-performance Venus Engine HD has been re-engineered to compile the new image processing technology “Intelligent Resolution”. It enables the recording of beautiful photos and high-definition movies with higher quality signal processing.

With the Intelligent Resolution technology, 3 areas –outlines, detailed texture areas and soft gradation areas are automatically detected. The outline parts are enhanced effectively to give edges more clearness while giving a moderate accentuation to the texture areas to look more finely detailed. To the soft gradation part, superior noise reduction system of the Venus Engine HD II is applied to make it smoother. Apart from the uniform enhancement of sharpness, the innovative technology Intelligent Resolution precisely performs signal processing pixel by pixel in the most effective way for it. As a result, images are naturally clear and crisp in both photo and movie recording.

The Intelligent Resolution technology also facilitates Intelligent Zoom, which virtually extends the optical zoom ratio to its 1.3x equivalent maintaining the picture quality even combining the digital zoom. Details of an image in high sensitivity recording tend to be lost in the noise reduction process, however, the Intelligent Resolution works to keep them.

At the same time, the multi-task image-processing engine Venus Engine HD II supports a super-fast response time. The shutter release time lag is as short as approx. 0.005 seconds and the camera's quick response makes it easier to capture sudden, spur-of-the-moment photo opportunities together with the Sonic Speed AF (Auto Focus) that lets you lock on the subject minimum in approx. 0.24(wide-end) / 0.28(tele-end) seconds[6] and the short startup time of approx. 1.1 seconds. The high performance Venus Engine HD II is also energy efficient compared with the conventional Venus Engine HD, extending the battery life up to 360 shots (CIPA) per a single charge.

iA (Intelligent Auto) Mode Further Evolved with POWER O.I.S.(Optical Image Stabilizer)
Panasonic incorporated the iA (Intelligent Auto) mode in pursuit of the ultimate ease of operation and the reduction of misshots. In the iA mode the camera does all the work, leaving you free to compose shots and capture moments. Just press, aim and shoot. This mode is now further advanced with the inclusion of a greater advanced image stabilization - system POWER O.I.S. and Intelligent Resolution technology for DMC-FT2.

Taking advantage of Panasonic's accumulated optical technologies, MEGA O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer) has been incorporated into LUMIX cameras from the early stage of digital camera development. MEGA O.I.S. has evolved into the POWER O.I.S. on the DMC-FT2, with a great performance improvement - twice the shake suppression capability of the predecessor FT1.

The hand-shake component, which is physically generated when pressing the shutter button or when shooting at night with a slow shutter speed, is recognized as a low-frequency vibration, for which the new POWER O.I.S. is particularly effective. This greatly improves the quality of shots taken at night or indoors where a flash cannot be used, or where the photographer doesn't want to use a flash because it would spoil the mood. It captures beautiful photos in situations that previously resulted in blurring.

The DMC-FT2 features Face Recognition, a function that was made popular in the previous FT1, but with several upgrades. Three face images can be registered for each person, to raise the detection accuracy. And when the angle of view is changed horizontally, the name display also rotates for easier reading. The Intelligent Scene Selector, which automatically selects whichever of 6 Scene Modes - Macro, Portrait, Scenery, Night Portrait, Night Scenery and newly added Sunset -- that best suits the shooting situation.

In addition, newly incorporated Intelligent Resolution technology is always activated in iA mode which results in the clearer and higher picture quality in every photo and movie with extended zoom range equivalent to 6x optical zoom.

Once you enter the iA mode, these functions happen automatically together with other powerful shooting-assist functions - AF Tracking, Intelligent ISO Control, Intelligent Scene Selector and Intelligent Exposure - so you can shoot without the bother of adjusting settings every time conditions change. You can enjoy easy, trouble-free shooting in any situation and get the satisfaction that comes with capturing clear, beautiful images.

The new Happy Mode, a colour mode option in the iA mode, optimizes colour, saturation and brightness to make both photos and movies more vivid and true to the colour of the scenes you memorized.

Other Versatile Functions Adding to the Photographic Enjoyment

The FT2 is equipped with a 2.7-inch, 230,000-dot Intelligent LCD with wide viewing angle and AR(Anti-Reflection) coating. The screen brightness automatically adjusts in 11 steps as the surrounding brightness level changes, ensuring easy visibility at all times. The big screen reflects fine details, making it easy to check the focus before shooting. It also serves as a small photo and video viewer, allowing the user and friends to enjoy viewing the still and motion images together.

Scene modes, which are optimized for a variety of still-image shooting situations, are now available for motion images as well. The most commonly used scene modes for outdoor photography including Sports, Snow, and Beach & Surf can be accessed directly via the mode dial.

A High Dynamic mode is newly added to the existing Scene modes. This mode helps to capture a scene with moderate exposure, even though the scene contains both bright and dark areas together. The user can select either of three options, Standard, Art, or B/W, depending on the desired effect and personal taste to make the photo look natural to artistic.

The built-in LED light greatly supports shooting in dark situations and the included silicon jacket protects the camera by softening the shocks of dropping while preventing from scratching.

The optional marine case (DMW-MCFT2) is available for underwater photography even to 40m.

In addition to the conventional SD/SDHC Memory Card, the DMC-FT2 accepts the next-generation SD format SDXC (SD eXtended Capacity), that features high potential in both capacity and data transfer speed. The DMC-FT2 is compatible with Windows 7.

With an improvement of operational ease, an abundant of functions for both photo and movie recording

Enjoy stunning photos and HD videos with tremendous ease on land and under sea – the FT1 is the ideal partner for your outdoor adventures. The FT2 will be available in the UK from mid March in a choice of striking orange, cool blue or stunning yellow.

-ends-

Digital images available on request
Reader enquiry number: 0844 844 3852

Panasonic UK, Panasonic House, Willoughby Road, Bracknell Berks RG12 8FP

■About Waterproof / Dustproof performance of the camera
This camera’s waterproof/dustproof rating complies with the “IPX8” and “IP6X” ratings. Provided the care and maintenance guidelines described as following are strictly followed, this camera can operate underwater, to a depth not exceeding 10m(33FT) for a time not exceeding 60minutes. This does not guarantee no destruction, no malfunction, or waterproofing in all conditions.
- Attention -
To prevent water leak, take care not to nip any foreign objects, and close it by pressing until it clicks. ●Use the camera underwater up to 10m(33FT) depth, water temperature from 0℃ to 40℃, and not longer than 60 minutes continuously.●Do not leave the camera under low temperature in the cold climate, or where it has high temperature above 40℃ for long period of time.( Waterproof performance will degrade.)●Do not use chemicals, such as benzene, thinner, or alcohol, soap, detergents.●If it was used in the sea, soak the camera in fresh water a shallow container of for 10 minutes or less. Do not leave the camera uncared for more than 60 minutes after using it underwater. It may cause deterioration of the waterproof performance.●To keep the waterproof performance, it is recommended to replace the waterproof seal(with fee) at least once every 1 year at the retail store where you have bought the camera .● When the zoom lever or mode dial becomes difficult to operate, dip the camera in a fresh water and remove the foreign objects.

■About Shockproof performance of the camera
This camera complies with “MIL-STD 810F Method516.5-Shock”, the camera has cleared a drop test from a height of 2.0m.This does not guarantee no destruction, no malfunction, or waterproofing in all conditions.
Testing Method –
Drop height: 2,0m / Drop surface: thick plywood (lauan)
Drop orientation: On each face, edge and corner, for a total of 26 orientations. (5units)
Number of drops: Once for each orientation.
Camera was inspected after each drop, and found to be operating within product specifications.
Change of appearance - paint-loss or deformation not measured.

■About Freezeproof performance of the camera
●The performance of the battery (number of recordable pictures/operating time) may decrease temporarily when using in a temperature between -10℃to0℃( 14゜F to 32゜F)　(at the cold climate such as ski resort). ●If the camera gets cold in a cold environment, performance of the LCD monitor may temporarily drop immediately after turning the power on, such as the picture on the LCD monitor being slightly darker than usual or ghost images appearing. Keep the camera warm when using in a cold environment. The performance will resume to normal when theinternal temperature rises. ●When using the camera in a cold place such as a ski resort, if the camera is left with snow or water drops still on it , the snow or water drops in-between the zoom lever, the mode dial, or the camera (OFF/ON) button may freeze, making it difficult for some parts of the camera to function properly. This is not a malfunction. When the camera returns to normal temperature it will function normal.●It is recommended to use the camera while keeping it warm in the coat etc.

*Leica is a registered trademark of Leica Microsystems IR GmbH.
*The LEICA DC VARIO-ELMAR lenses are manufactured using measurement instruments and quality assurance systems that have been certified by Leica Camera AG based on the company's quality standards.
*The "AVCHD" is a high definition (HD) digital video recording / playback format jointly established by Panasonic Corporation and Sony Corporation. The "AVCHD Lite" is a subset of the "AVCHD format" for HD digital video cameras with HD video recording restricted to 720P. The new "AVCHD Lite" Logo and the "AVCHD Lite" License are restricted to devices within the AVCHD Video Camera category. Digital cameras have been added to the AVCHD Video Camera category.
*The "AVCHD Lite" and the "AVCHD Lite" logo are trademarks of Panasonic Corporation and Sony Corporation.
*AVCHD Lite motion images recorded onto an SD Memory Card or a DVD disc cannot be played from a device that does not support the AVCHD standard.
*Dolby and the double-D symbol are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories.
*HDMI, the HDMI logo and High-Definition Multimedia Interface are trademarks or registered trademarks of HDMI Licensing LLC.
*YouTube is a trademark of Google Inc.
*All other company and product names are trademarks of their respective corporations.
*This unit is compatible with both SD/SDHC/SDXC Memory Cards. You can only use SDHC Memory Cards on devices that are compatible with them. You cannot use SDHC Memory Cards on devices that are only compatible with SD Memory Cards. (When using a SDHC Memory Card on another device, be sure to read the operating instructions for that device.)
*Some accessories are not available in some countries.
*The use of recorded or printed materials that are protected by copyright for any purpose other than personal enjoyment is prohibited, as it would infringe upon the rights of the copyright holder.
*Design and specifications are subject to change without notice.

[1] Equivalent to 28-128mm on a 35mm camera.
[2] This camera has passed a drop test from 1.5 m in height in accordance with “MIL-STD 810F Method 516.5-Shock
[3] Equivalent to “IPX8” and “IP6X” standard
[4] Motion pictures can be recorded continuously for up to 29min 59 sec in some countries. Continuous recording exceeding 2GB is not possible when recording motion JPEG. Remaining time for continuous recording is displayed on the screen.
[5] AVCHD Lite motion images recorded onto an SD Memory Card or a DVD disc cannot be played from a device that does not support the AVCHD standard. Use a card with SD Speed Class with”Class4”or higher when recording motion pictures in [AVCHD Lite]. Also, use a card with SD Speed Class with”Class6”or higher when recording motion pictures in [MOTION JPEG].
*SD Speed Class is the speed standard regarding continuous writing.
[6] Using 1-area AF.

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SP WORKS WITH ARGENTINEAN BOAT BUILDER ON RADICAL NEW PRODUCTION

2009-11-25T22:57:00.002+00:00

Press release,

24 November 2009,

Isle of Wight

SP, the marine business of Gurit, has teamed up with M Boats, the Argentinean yacht builder, to supply materials for an innovative production race boat project, the ‘S40 - One Design’ (SD40-OD). The S40-OD is a modern racer designed by Javier Soto Acebal Naval Architects and while conventional in its construction, it is radical in its design. The boat is 40 foot / 12.3m in length with hull lines that are the result of a long research period that aimed to achieve a combination of speed and balance.

The relatively young company M Boats is rapidly building itself a name because of its team’s wealth of experience and strong relationships with world-renowned designers and structural engineers. Founded by acknowledged naval and nautical experts, the company’s mission is clear-cut – to satisfy the increasing demand for custom, semi-custom and high quality production boats between 30’ and 90’ in an efficient and competitive manner.

SP has been involved with the project for over 14 months, supplying a selection of composite materials including epoxy laminating and adhesive systems as well as SP’s marine structural foam Corecell™ and reinforcements for the hull, deck and bulkheads.

SP’s laminating system Ampreg 22, which is ideal for manufacturing large, high performance composite structures due to its long working time and low exotherm, and the low viscosity Spabond 340LV adhesive system, were chosen. Corecell™ also provides increased strength and durability in return for significant weight reduction making the boats faster, stronger and more economical.

The fifth S40-OD was launched earlier this month and is the first boat to hit the water that utilises SP’s new Corecell™ M-Foam, the only core to offer a complete cost-effective package comprising high shear strength, low weight and high elongation, low resin uptake for infusion processes and high temperature stability for prepreg processes.

The first two yachts produced have been running the Circuito Atlántico Sur Rolex Cup and, on 5th July 2009, all four yachts constructed raced at Ilhabela Sailing Week in Brazil where they demonstrated their potential and competitiveness, and ignited a lot of interest in the class.

Lucas Dittrich, Director of M Boats, says: “The S40-OD is a thoroughbred racing machine already being sailed by some of South America’s finest sailors. The design is truly innovative and has attracted much interest in the market, indicating a successful future for the S40-OD.”

Orders for boat numbers five and six have been received and advanced discussions are in place with a number of other clients.

M Boats is one of SP’s major raceboat clients, and SP has also worked with them supplying materials for a one-off IMS 42, a conventional construction significant because it is a boat made of ST70 E-glass prepreg from SP’s SPRINT® range. The IMS 42 boat is now built, and work on a 48ft design by Javier Soto Acebal will commence soon.

Ends

Product Information

Laminating Systems
Ampreg 22
Ampreg 22 is an established and widely used laminating system. It is intended for both wet lay-up and vacuum bagging processes and uses the most up-to-date epoxy chemistry available. Its long working time, low exotherm and low viscosity make it ideal for the manufacture of large, high performance composite structures. Consisting of a resin and a choice of five hardeners to provide a complete range of working properties, Ampreg 22 can provide laminate working times of over 14 hours at 20°C whilst having low exothermic reactions even when used in thick sections. The Fast hardener has such rapid through-cure at 25-30°C that it can be used to produce small mouldings that are demouldable in just a few hours.

Ampreg 22 resin has one of the lowest diluent contents of any epoxy resin system available today. Together with the use of some unique chemistry in the hardeners, the overall system shows marked improvements in handling safety over other products.

Spabond Adhesives

Spabond adhesives have been designed to offer Production, Superyacht and Race boat builders a comprehensive range of adhesives for structural bonding of polyester and epoxy GRP boats. Offering outstanding performance in numerous composite and non-composite bonding applications, Spabond adhesives are perfect partners for SP laminating products.
Spabond 340LV – Epoxy Adhesive System
Spabond 340LV is a lower viscosity variant of Spabond 340. It has been designed for mixing/dispensing from cartridges and to provide higher dispense rates from mixing machines. This product is ideal for bondline thicknesses up to 20mm.

Corecell™ – Structural foam core
SP’s Corecell™ is the leading structural foam core and has become widely accepted for the construction of large, high performance structures. Instrumental in improving the speed of boat production due to its smooth finish and ease of application, Corecell™ also offers increased strength and durability in return for significant weight reduction making boats faster, stronger and more economical.

Corecell™ is supplied in a wide range of product forms, optimised for different applications and composite production processes. Current grades within the range are Corecell™ A-Foam, Corecell™ P-Foam, Corecell™ T-Foam and Corecell™ S-Foam.

The Corecell™ product range provides increased levels of performance, strength, structural integrity and comfort, unmatched by any other core material.

Corecell™ M-Foam
Corecell™ M-Foam is the performance leader for all marine applications, whether slamming area or superstructure, hull or deck, using hand lamination, infusion or prepreg.

This new core product offers a unique combination of properties through enhancing the qualities in all Corecell™ products such as chemical resistance, built-in toughness, fine cell size and unique ‘knife-cuts’ (which ensure resin absorption is very low, saving both weight and cost). Furthermore M-Foam is tough and easy to machine, offers superior uniformity through lower density variation and is compatible with polyester, vinylester and epoxy resin systems.

Corecell™ M-Foam is available in a wide range of thicknesses, multiple resin infusion formats and in four grades – M60, M80, M100, and M130.

About Gurit
SP is the marine business of Gurit and currently supplies the superyacht market, high-performance custom, production and workboat sectors. The companies of Gurit Holding AG, Wattwil/Switzerland, are specialised on the development and manufacture of high-end composite materials featuring bespoke physical and chemical characteristics. The comprehensive product range comprises fibre reinforced prepregs, structural foam, gel coats, adhesives, resins and consumables as well as certain finished parts. Gurit supplies growth markets in Wind Energy, Transportation and Marine. The international Group has production sites and offices in Switzerland, Germany, the UK, Canada, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, the USA, India and China.

For more information
Contact Zoe Thompson, PR Account Director
E-mail: zoe@marketing-matters.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0) 1202 777111
Address:
Marketing Matters, Unit C, Acorn Business Park, Ling Road, Poole, Dorset, UK, BH12 4NZ

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www.superyachtnews.blogspot.com 2009
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Multi One Design 70’ Official Supplier

2009-11-19T18:27:00.007+00:00

Press release
Lausanne, November 19th 2009

Advanced Composites Group

Multi One Design S.A. is pleased to announce, at the occasion of the METS (Marine Equipment Trade Show in Amsterdam), a partnership with Advance Composites Group as official supplier for the construction of the 12 Multi One Design 70’ trimarans.

ACG Ltd, world leader in advanced composite materials in motor sports
Advanced Composites Group Ltd (ACG) is an international company which has been active for more than 30 years in sports highest level projects such as Formula 1. ACG offers a one-stop source for tooling and structural prepreg materials, combined with in-house manufacturing, design and R&D facilities. ACG is a global leader in composite material innovation with technical and manufacturing facilities both in Europe and the United States serving the marine, motor sport, construction, aerospace, wind energy, automotive and leisure sports industries.

MOD S.A. and ACG Ltd, committed to an eco-responsible process.

MOD S.A. and ACG Ltd are committed, not only to supply carbon fiber to the official MOD 70’ shipyards, but also to comply with the qualitative standards and the tracking process defined for the contruction of the 12 MOD 70’. This partnership enables to guarantee, to both the owners and the sailing teams, a permanent control over the boats’ overall production. It is an appropriate response to the MOD 70’ one design concept: promote sports equity and enhance man’s value.

ACG and its « Recycling Projects » : in line with the Multi One Attitude.

With its « Recycling Projects », ACG complies with the Multi One Attitude philosophy: the world leader has actually initiated a number of projects intended to develop manufacturing processes of composite material resulting from recycled carbon. ACG takes thus an active part in the eco-responsible initiatives promoted by the Multi One Attitude. More details on www.acg.co.uk.

Contact: Henry Nicholson-Cole - Marine Sector Manager -+44 (0)1773 766 204 - hnicholson-cole@acg.co.uk

www.multionedesign.com

The purpose of the company MULTI ONE DESIGN S.A., based in Lausanne (Switzerland), is the promotion of the eco-responsible initiative “Multi One Attitude”, focussing on water preservation, and the management of the “Multi One Championship” professional circuit which brings together the MOD 70’ multihull fleet. This international event will give a new drive to the ocean multihull races, ensuring sports equity, cost control and international development (European tour – Ocean World tour – Ocean races).

Multi One Design S.A Contact
Franck David
Mobile : +33 6 31 06 60 00
franck.david@multionedesign.com

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Victory for Cork in South Atlantic leg of Clipper 09-10

2009-11-15T17:01:00.003+00:00

Press release
12 November 2009
Cape Town, South Africa

The jubilant crew of Cork, Ireland, has arrived in Cape Town after taking victory in Race 3, the South Atlantic leg, of the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race. They crossed the finish line in Table Bay at 1638 local time (1438 GMT), accompanied by a pod of dolphins surfing down the face of the waves. Earlier in the day the cloud had lifted to reveal the iconic shape of Table Mountain which dominates the Cape Town skyline but it was in brooding conditions that the team crossed the line with Capetonian crew member, Marlon Jones, 20, at the helm.

Marlon, who started sailing five years ago at Cape Town’s Izivunguvungu Sailing Academy, joined the crew of Cork in Rio de Janeiro for the 3,300-mile race across the Atlantic back to his home city and his family was at Royal Cape Yacht Club to welcome him.

Beaming proudly Marlon said, “Helming over the finish line was great! I wanted to give the wheel to the skipper but he said no, I must keep it – it made me feel so proud. The whole thing was great fun – they made me feel really welcome and part of the crew.”
 The Irish team, led by skipper Richie Fearon, has led the race for the last six days, working themselves into an unassailable position to claim their first win of the 35,000-mile challenge of a lifetime.

Stepping off Cork onto the pontoon at Royal Cape Yacht Club an ecstatic Richie said, “That was absolutely brilliant – it’s great to arrive here first. It was hard out there; big seas and big winds and we pushed the boat good and hard. As a crew we came well together and I’d say we deserve it. We kept the boat going ahead of the others and I’m really chuffed.”

News of Cork’s victory has already reached the Irish Ambassador to South Africa. His Excellency, Colin Wrafter, said, "This is fantastic, the crew have done marvelously well. There deserve a few good days in lovely Cape Town. I am so proud of them. Up Cork!"

The crew were entertained by a traditional Cape Town minstrel group, the Ghoema Entertainers. The colourful troupe are regulars in Cape Town’s unique annual minstrel competition and have also played at the opening ceremonies of the cricket and rugby union World Cups.

Competition among the fleet is fierce and a battle royal is being waged between Team Finland and Uniquely Singapore for second and third place. Both teams are expected to arrive at Royal Cape Yacht Club this evening.

The rest of the ten strong fleet, including Jamaica Lightning Bolt, Hull & Humber, Qingdao, Spirit of Australia, Edinburgh Inspiring Capital, Cape Breton Island and California are due to finish in the next few days and are all expected in Cape Town by Sunday afternoon.

The whole fleet will move to the V&A Waterfront on Friday 20 November where the yachts will be available for public viewing. The race will restart on Sunday 22 November, the yachts departing the V&A at 11am for start of the race from Cape Town to Geraldton-Greenhough, Western Australia, at 2pm.

The Clipper 09-10 Race started from the Humber on the north east coast of England on 13 September and will return to there on 17 July 2010. It is the only event in the world where people from all walks of life can take on the challenge of a lifetime and race around the globe on stripped down 68-foot ocean racing yachts. A presentation for people interested in signing up for the next edition of the Clipper Race is being held at the Royal Cape Yacht Club on Sunday 22 November at 6pm. Email oceanracer@clipperroundtheworld.com to book a place at the event.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

Race 3 Prizegiving
Tuesday 17 November, 6pm at Royal Cape Yacht Club. This event is not open to the public. To confirm your attendance please contact Heather Ewing (details below).

Media sail
Media are invited to experience sailing one of the 68-foot yachts themselves during a special two-hour sailing event on Friday 20 November. Exact timings to be advised. Places will be limited so please contact Heather Ewing (details below) for more information and to reserve your berth.

Race restart
Places will be available for television cameras/photographers on media boats for the start of Race 4 on Sunday 22 November. Exact timings to be advised. Places will be limited so please contact Heather Ewing (details below) for more information and to reserve your berth.

Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race
The Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race started on 13 September from the Humber on the UK’s east coast and return there in July 2010 after 35,000 miles of ocean racing. No previous sailing experience is required to take part as full training is provided. More than 40 nationalities an 230 professions are represented by crew competing in Clipper 09-10. Crew can sign up for the whole circumnavigation or one or more legs. The overall race is divided into individual races and points are accumulated according to each individual race position. The yacht with the highest total at the finish wins the race trophy.

Standings after Race 2
1. Spirit of Australia .......... 21 points
2. Team Finland .......... 20 points
3. Jamaica Lightning Bolt .......... 14 points
4. Cork ............ 14 points
5. Cape Breton Island ......... 14 points
6. Hull & Humber .......... 14 points
7. Uniquely Singapore ......... 9 points
8. Qingdao ........... 7 points
9. Edinburgh Inspiring Capital ........... 5 points
10. California .......... 3 points

For further information log onto www.clipperroundtheworld.com

For media information or interviews please contact:

Heather Ewing, Communications Manager (in Cape Town – GMT +2)
Local cell phone: +27 (0)82 636 3355
Mobile: +44 (0) 7792 408 695
Tel: +44 (0) 2392 526000
Email: hewing@clipper-ventures.com

Zoe Williamson, Communications Manager
Mobile: +44 (0) 7793 417 751
Tel: +44 (0) 2392 526000
Email: zwilliamson@clipper-ventures.com

Visitors, users and viewers of the content to which this notice is attached may copy it for re-use and syndicate the content by whatever means for use to other internet content sites on condition the source of all material so used is acknowledged with the attachment of the following notice.
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This content may NOT be used in any print media made available for commercial resale.
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Race 3 of Clipper 09-10 gets underway in Rio de Janeiro

2009-10-28T06:37:00.003+00:00

Press Release - 27 October 2009
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

From one mountain to another... the ten yachts competing in the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race have started the next leg of the epic 35,000-mile global challenge, leaving behind the iconic Rio backdrop of Sugar Loaf Mountain for the race towards Cape Town, where Table Mountain dominates the skyline.

The 3,300-mile Race 3 will take the teams across the South Atlantic, dipping south towards the Roaring Forties and the treacherous seas of the South Atlantic, before approaching the notorious Cape of Good Hope at the end of the course.

The Brazilian sunshine which had shone so strongly all week was absent as the teams departed the Iate Clube do Rio and headed out into Guanabara Bay. With 12 to15 knots from the south, low cloud cover and heavy rain, the crews donned their waterproofs and hoisted their sails in preparation for the race start.

At 1511 local time (1711 GMT) the horn sounded across the bay for the start of Race 3. Race 2 winners Team Finland and Hull & Humber were the only two boats to opt for their Yankee 1, the largest of the upwind headsails, with the rest of the fleet opting for their Yankee 2 as the ten boats made for the start line. The choice paid dividends for Team Finland who crossed the line first just ahead of Uniquely Singapore and Spirit of Australia.

As the fleet made their way round the final mark at the end of Rio’s Copacabana beach and turned towards the African continent positions had altered considerably. Cape Breton Island had moved into the lead, closely followed by California and Spirit of Australia. Lying in fourth was Caribbean entry, Jamaica Lightning Bolt with Hull & Humber in fifth. Having made an excellent recovery from a disastrous race start, Edinburgh Inspiring Capital had moved up to sixth place with Team Finland, Uniquely Singapore and Cork in seventh, eighth and ninth place respectively. Bringing up the rear was Chinese entry, Qingdao, but, with more than 3,300 miles to go to Cape Town, these places are likely to change many times during the next two weeks of racing.

The Rio stopover has been a challenging one, none more so than for the crew of California. They have had just 58 hours to prepare for the start of the next leg after arriving in the early hours of Sunday morning. A herculean effort by California’s crew, including those who were waiting to join the yacht who had bought and bagged all the food supplies for the next race, and members of other teams who rallied around in support, has ensured that the yacht and her crew are ready to go.

The race to Cape Town should be much faster than the last one to Rio and the teams will be able to take advantage of the mountainous South Atlantic rollers to speed them on their way – provided they avoid the centre of the South Atlantic High Pressure system. After the light winds of Race 2, the skippers and tacticians will be very wary of getting too near to any wind holes that could slow them down.

Uniquely Singapore’s skipper, Jim Dobie, says, “I’m excited about the heavy winds and big seas coming up which is something I’m used to. Hopefully we’ll have more wind than on the first leg so I’m feeling pretty confident. We’ll be looking to dip down south to get as much breeze as we can whilst being mindful not to cover too much distance.”

Piers Dudin, skipper of Hull & Humber, is expecting a fast race to Cape Town. “You’ll see the level in racing really step up now,” he says. “The crews are getting pretty hot on trimming and driving the boats. It’s going to be a feisty run into Cape Town and barring any major damage I’m expecting most of the boats to get in within 12 hours of each other. We’re looking at a really tight race with a lot of slight variations in routes that will make a big difference to speed.”

Speed is one thing the crew of Jamaica Lighting Bolt know about. The team is named after the world’s fastest man, double world record holder and Olympic champion, Usain Bolt, and their result in Race 2 gave them Jamaica’s first ever podium position in the Clipper Race.

The sprinter has sent the team a message of support, “I would like to congratulate the crew of Jamaica Lightning Bolt for their very credible placing. I am happy that my name is associated with success and it can only get better. I am honoured to have the vessel named after me and so, therefore, it is important that the level of performance be maintained. I am excited at this opportunity and I am sure you are, too. I would therefore like to wish you all the best.”

With just two of the 14 individual races that comprise Clipper 09-10 completed, the race standings show that the competition is still wide open. Just a point separates the leader, Spirit of Australia, and second placed Team Finland. Jamaica Lightning Bolt, Cork, Ireland and Cape Breton Island all have 14 points each while Qingdao and Uniquely Singapore, with seven points a-piece, are just four points behind sixth placed Hull & Humber and only just ahead of Edinburgh Inspiring Capital and California. The Formula 1-type scoring system, which awards points according to the results achieved on each race, means all ten crews have an equal chance of a place on the podium in Cape Town.

Joining Cork, Ireland, for the race to his home town is young South African sailor, Marlon Jones, from Izivunguvungu Sailing Academy in Cape Town. The Academy was established by one of the major investors in South Africa’s America’s Cup syndicate, Team Shosholoza, in order to give underprivileged youngsters the opportunity to get out on the water and make a difference to their lives through sailing. Marlon, 20, has proved himself a major talent and represented South Africa in the 2009 Laser SB3 World Championships where he and his team finished second.

For two of the Clipper 09-10 skippers, Eero Lehtinen of Team Finland and California’s Pete Rollason, the race to Cape Town will be a particularly emotional one as both men have made the city their home. Their families will be waiting on the quayside at Royal Cape Yacht Club to welcome them and their teams to South Africa.

The 180 crew taking part on this leg of Clipper 09-10 aren’t the only ones getting ready to set sail for Cape Town. More than 51,000 people are competing in the Virtual Race on www.clipperroundtheworld.com and they will set off from Rio to Cape Town at exactly the same time – racing across the South Atlantic on their computer screens.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race
The Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race started on 13 September from the Humber on the UK’s east coast and return there in July 2010 after 35,000 miles of ocean racing. No previous sailing experience is required to take part as full training is provided. More than 40 nationalities an 230 professions are represented by crew competing in Clipper 09-10. Crew can sign up for the whole circumnavigation or one or more legs. The overall race is divided into individual races and points are accumulated according to each individual race position. The yacht with the highest total at the finish wins the race trophy.

Standings after Race 2
1. Spirit of Australia ....................... 21 points
2. Team Finland ............................ 20 points
3. Jamaica Lightning Bolt ............. 14 points
4. Cork ........................................... 14 points
5. Cape Breton Island ................... 14 points
6. Hull & Humber ......................... 11 points
7. Qingdao ...................................... 7 points
8. Uniquely Singapore ................... 7 points
9. Edinburgh Inspiring Capital ..... 5 points
10. California .................................. 3 points

For further information log onto www.clipperroundtheworld.com

For media information or interviews please contact:

Zoe Williamson, Communications Manager (in Rio de Janeiro, GMT -2)
Local Mobile: +55 21 8250 9210
UK Mobile: +44 (0) 7793 417 751
Tel: +44 (0) 2392 526000
Email: zwilliamson@clipper-ventures.com

Heather Ewing, Communications Manager
Mobile: +44 (0) 7792 408 695
Tel: +44 (0) 2392 526000
Email: hewing@clipper-ventures.com

Visitors, users and viewers of the content to which this notice is attached may copy it for re-use and syndicate the content by whatever means for use to other internet content sites on condition the source of all material so used is acknowledged with the attachment of the following notice.
www.superyachtnews.blogspot.com 2009
www.ajaxnetphoto.com 2009
This content may NOT be used in any print media made available for commercial resale.
The products and companies named in this website content are trademarks, registered trademarks or servicemarks of their respective owners or licensed users.

Second victory for Team Finland in the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race

2009-10-19T23:44:00.003+01:00

Press Release 19 October, 2009
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Team Finland has taken line honours in Race 2 from La Rochelle to Rio de Janeiro of the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race. Crossing the line at 16:00:36 local time (18:00:36 GMT) their latest victory makes it two out of two for the Scandinavian entry.

“Race 2 was a very balanced and professional performance from Team Finland,” says skipper Eero Lehtinen. “Crew work has been way above my expectations and we are well ahead of the game. Our watch leaders Minke Docter and Emil Vartiainen have been great and their assistants Barry Anderson and Andy Philips never took their eyes off the ball.

“The whole team has worked without a word of complaint, in the extreme heat, under pressure from competition, in the long hours with no wind and no boat speed, during the endless sail changes and trimming. Mark Cole has not only been a great navigator but also performed as King Neptune, a gourmet chef and round the clock boat entertainer.”

In a race which has been marked by light winds, Team Finland took an early lead out of La Rochelle but soon lost it by sailing into a wind hole as the fleet rounded Cape Finisterre. The fleet then headed on a westerly course towards the scoring gate south of the Canary Islands in an attempt to take the first points of Race 2. As weather forecasts indicated light winds across the 90 nautical mile long gate, Team Finland made the decision to bail out and focus on a ten point win into Rio. It proved to be the defining moment of Team Finland’s race, as they regained the lead and held it all the way to the line.

Race Director, Joff Bailey, says, “It took several days for Team Finland’s tactical move to pay off, but pay off it did. They took the lead which they have now held for nearly three weeks and at times have been ahead of their nearest competitor by more than 150 nautical miles. Their passage across the Doldrums was faultless and they hardly lost any miles at all. All they then needed to do was to get across the finish line which nearly caused an upset as light winds reduced their lead down to less than 50 miles. But this was enough to take line honours and Team Finland is worthy the winner of Race 2.”

Periods of light winds have dogged the fleet for the first trans-Atlantic crossing of Clipper 09-10. With virtually no wind at the start in La Rochelle, around the Canary Islands and for half the boats through the Doldrums, the normally reliable trade winds have also been lighter than expected. As the fleet neared its final destination of Rio de Janeiro, once again light conditions brought the leading boats to a near halt.

A three way battle has been taking place behind Team Finland for the final two podium positions and at one point it looked as though a Finnish victory may not be guaranteed. Spirit of Australia has led the charge and if the Australian team takes second place they will retain their position as overall race leaders. Both Cape Breton Island and Jamaica Lightning Bolt have also been chasing hard with their positions swapping regularly over the final week of Race 2. Cork is still not out of the race for a podium and the team from Ireland has kept further east in the hope of picking up stronger winds further offshore and closing the gap on the front runners.

The Clipper 09-10 Race Committee has announced a shortened course for Race 2 from La Rochelle to Rio de Janeiro. The amended Sailing Instructions has given the teams 24 hours notice of the shortened course and the final positions will be taken at midday GMT on Tuesday 20 October. Those teams that have crossed the finish line will be awarded the relevant finishing position, while the others will be awarded the position based on their distance to finish at that time.

This is a standard procedure used in both ocean racing and around the cans events and is called into play by race organisers who must ensure they meet the goals of the teams, the spectators and the overall event.

The decision is not one that was taken lightly. In all around the world yacht races, the first priority is the safety of the crews and their boats and this is most certainly the case with the Clipper Race. Race 3 is due to start on Tuesday 27 October and it is important from the point of view of good seamanship that the teams get the opportunity to prepare themselves and their boats correctly for the next stage of the race, which will take them towards the Southern Ocean on the way to Cape Town, South Africa.

Once finished, the teams will make their way by fastest means, through a combination of using their engines and sailing, to the Iate Clube do Rio de Janeiro, which will host the fleet for the duration of the stopover.

First priority on arriving in port will be to clean the yacht and begin the routine maintenance required to keep the boats in peak performance condition, as well as catching up on much needed sleep and food other than the tinned and dried variety on offer at sea. The victuallers must also ensure their yacht is fully stocked for the next 3,385-mile race to Cape Town.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

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

For further information log onto www.clipperroundtheworld.com

For media information or interviews please contact:

Zoe Williamson, Communications Manager (in Rio de Janeiro, GMT -2)

Local Mobile: +55 21 8250 9210
UK Mobile: +44 (0) 7793 417 751
Tel: +44 (0) 2392 526000
Email: zwilliamson@clipper-ventures.com

Heather Ewing, Communications Manager
Mobile: +44 (0) 7792 408 695
Tel: +44 (0) 2392 526000
Email: hewing@clipper-ventures.com

Visitors, users and viewers of the content to which this notice is attached may copy it for re-use and syndicate the content by whatever means for use to other internet content sites on condition the source of all material so used is acknowledged with the attachment of the following notice.
www.superyachtnews.blogspot.com 2009
www.ajaxnetphoto.com 2009
This content may NOT be used in any print media made available for commercial resale.
The products and companies named in this website content are trademarks, registered trademarks or servicemarks of their respective owners or licensed users.

Magnificent start for Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race

2009-09-14T22:45:00.003+01:00

Press Release
13 September 2009
Hull, Yorkshire, UK

More than 100,000 people lined the banks of the Humber to watch the start of the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race today. As the cannon fired, the ten internationally sponsored yachts crossed the start line at 1400 BST (1300 GMT) to the roar of the crowds at the beginning of their 35,000-mile challenge.

Edinburgh Inspiring Capital led the charge across the line, followed by the Irish entry, Cork, and Spirit of Australia. The first race takes the fleet from the east coast of the UK to La Rochelle, France. The northerly breeze at the start and the weather conditions forecast for the next few days indicate that the 780-mile race will be a fast one.

By the time the fleet had rounded the second mark Cork had overtaken the Scottish boat, Team Finland had moved up from sixth place to second and Edinburgh Inspiring Capital had dropped back to third.

Before the race start the world renowned RAF display team, the Red Arrows, drew gasps and applause with their display of precision flying, the Hawk jets flying just two metres apart during some of the formations. On the ground the Band of the Royal Marines played as the home team, Hull & Humber, left Hull Marina to join the rest of the fleet on the river.

Addressing the tens of thousands of people who had turned up to witness the spectacle, Terry Hodgkinson, Chairman of Hull & Humber’s sponsor, Yorkshire Forward, said, “This event is about much more than sailing. It’s about bringing in trade and tourism to Britain and, in particular, to a place on the Humber. It’s great to see so many people having such a grand time.

“May I give my best wishes to al the crews and wish them the very best of luck. I hope that we can do better with our boat than we did last time, but it’s not about winning it’s about changing people’s lives. That’s why we have invested in it and I’m very proud to be the chairman of the organisation that has put money into this. I want to say a big thank you and watch out for the gun at the start!”

The Clipper Race is the only race in the world where the crews come from all walks of life, all ages and with all levels of experience. Prior to their training, some 40 percent of the crews had never stepped aboard a sailing yacht before. Race start day was an emotional experience for the crew and their families and friends who had come to support them on their challenge of a lifetime.

Skipper of the home team, Piers Dudin, said, “This has been a fantastic week, not only for us but for the whole fleet. Hull and Humberside should be really proud of the show that they have put on. I would like to say a big thanks to Terry Hodgkinson, Dan Wilkinson and the team at Yorkshire Forward for all the work they have put in.

“Danny Watson (skipper of Hull & Humber, Clipper 07-08) and his team did really well last year and so he hasn’t done us any favours this time round with their second place performance. He has established a really strong legacy with Hull & Humber and it is something that we will keep working on.”

Ahead lies a ten-month-long, 35,000-mile course that will take the race to France before crossing to Brazil, South Africa, Australia, Singapore, China, California, Panama, Jamaica, New York, Cape Breton Island, Cork and the Netherlands. The race will make its triumphant return to the Humber on 17 July 2010.

The Clipper Race is the brainchild of legendary yachtsman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first man to sail non-stop single handed around the world. He wanted to open the sport of long distance sailing to all and allow others to experience the challenges of ocean racing.

“The reception on the Humber has been simply fantastic,” said Sir Robin. “The enthusiasm from the city, Yorkshire Forward and, most especially, from the people has been incredible. It is wonderful to see the interest they are taking in ordinary people going out to do something quite extraordinary.”

More than 400 crews have signed up for Clipper 09-10. Some will complete a full circumnavigation while others will race one or a combination of the seven legs available.

Each Clipper yacht is entered by a city, region or country and sponsors use the event to showcase themselves to the world. On the last running of the Clipper Race, more than 212 million people worldwide followed the adventure through television, print media, radio and online.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

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

Order of teams across the start line.

First: Edinburgh Inspiring Capital
Second Cork
Third Spirit of Australia
Fourth Jamaica Lightning Bolt
Fifth Cape Breton Island
Sixth Team Finland
Seventh California
Eighth Hull & Humber
Ninth Uniquely Singapore
Tenth Qingdao

For further information log onto www.clipperroundtheworld.com

For media information or interviews please contact:

Zoe Williamson, Communications Manager
Mobile: +44 (0) 7793 417 751
Tel: +44 (0) 2392 526000
Email: zwilliamson@clipper-ventures.com

Heather Ewing, Communications Manager
Mobile: +44 (0) 7792 408 695
Tel: +44 (0) 2392 526000
Email: hewing@clipper-ventures.com

Visitors, users and viewers of the content to which this notice is attached may copy it for re-use and syndicate the content by whatever means for use to other internet content sites on condition the source of all material so used is acknowledged with the attachment of the following notice.
www.superyachtnews.blogspot.com 2009
www.ajaxnetphoto.com 2009
This content may NOT be used in any print media made available for commercial resale.
The products and companies named in this website content are trademarks, registered trademarks or servicemarks of their respective owners or licensed users.

Anchors aweigh for Scotland's newest, most prestigious marina

2009-08-25T23:53:00.003+01:00

Press Release: Portavadie Marina - Wednesday 26 August ,2009

A blot on the landscape created by the oil boom of the 1970s is to be turned into a £45million pound world-class tourist destination in the west of Scotland.

The first phase of the new 230-berth, deep-water, state-of-the-art Portavadie Marina complex and resort will be officially opened today (Wed) by Jim Mather, Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism.

Built on the site of a former 1970s oil-rig construction yard which never opened Portavadie Marina aims to provide some of the highest quality facilities in the UK for sailors, walkers, mountain bikers, golfers and other outdoor leisure enthusiasts.

The opening of the marina comes at a time when Scotland is experiencing a boom in sailing as marine leisure activities are now second only to golf in attracting revenue from tourism.

According to the latest figures from the Scottish Boating Alliance and VisitScotland golf attracts an estimated £300million a year to the national economy, closely followed by sailing and boating which brings in around £275million. Walking is said to be worth £240 million, mountaineering around £104 million and mountain biking £35 million.

Owners Portavadie Estates Ltd, have so far spent around £18million on the first phase of the development, including the marina, restaurant, accommodation and luxury facilities which will eventually create more than 100 jobs.

The 12 metre deep lagoon, which is situated directly east across Loch Fyne from the village of Tarbert, provides fully serviced berths for almost any size of leisure craft. There are also a variety of shore side benefits, including luxurious showers and toilets, a launderette, drying room and a number of self-catering family apartments and cottages for between two and eight persons.

"The facilities are second to none," said Robert Kitchin, manager of the marina which is just one and a half hours by road from Glasgow.

"We are in an ideal spot to attract people looking to explore the west coast of Scotland with easy access to Largs, Kip, Troon, Ardrossan, Arran and Northern Ireland."

The marina's quality bar and restaurant, winner of the Benromach Nautical Restaurant and Bar of the Year 2009 at the Scottish Licensed Trade Awards, provides a wide menu of high quality delicacies, including Loch Fyne seafood, locally shot game and produce prepared by Chef Steven Gilroy who recently joined the marina from The Hilton Hotel in Dunkeld.

The 100 acres marine resort is situated among some of the most picturesque scenery in the world and great care has been taken to preserve and enhance the environment.

"Portavadie is unlike any other marina, not just on the Clyde coast but beyond, throughout Britain," said Brian Stewart of Stewart Associates, architects for the project.

"We have tried to create something special, a landmark building which has more of a Mediterranean feel to it rather than a traditional British marina.

"The restaurant, offices, board room, function suites and high-level viewing terrace all overlook the marina in a series of interlinking glass and stone buildings which are extremely environmentally friendly.

"The buildings are highly insulated and designed in such a way that they don't need a lot of energy because it's naturally lit and ventilated. The heating is all under floor and the LED lighting system, the first of its kind in Europe, is very, very energy efficient."

Wherever possible, local materials, suppliers and craftsmen have been used to create the show-piece development.

"We've used a lot of local firms. That's part of our sustainability approach," said Mr Stewart.

"It's all very well trying to use as much local materials as you can but if you bring in contractors from far away then it's not of great benefit to the local economy. We have tried to maintain as much of the construction and supply work within the Argyll area as possible."

Much of the appeal of Portavadie is that it is designed to be a year round destination for all types of visitors, whether they want to stay for a few weeks or a few hours.

"Portavadie is more than a marina. The idea is to create a destination which will appeal all year round to walkers, mountain bikers, golfers, horse riders, fishermen, divers and wildlife watchers as well as sailors," said Iain Jurgensen, General Manager.

"Everybody is more than welcome to enjoy what nature has given us - a wonderful view. On a clear night the stars are absolutely stunning and seeing the sunset across the loch is phenomenal.

"It's a beautiful part of the world and somewhat of a wee secret gem. There are a lot of people who have still to discover what we have to offer."

Minister for Tourism Jim Mather described the Portavadie Marina complex as an exemplar development.

"This marina development will really put Portavadie on the sailing map," said Mr Mather.

"The new pontoons, restaurant and bar and viewing terraces are a welcome addition for all those marine-based visitors and the proposed tourist hostel and letting apartments will further boost the local economy."

Visitors, users and viewers of the content to which this notice is attached may copy it for re-use and syndicate the content by whatever means for use to other internet content sites on condition the source of all material so used is acknowledged with the attachment of the following notice.
www.superyachtnews.blogspot.com 2009
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Coutts Quarter Ton Cup 2009

2009-07-19T19:10:00.003+01:00

RCYC Cowes, England: Press Release - 18 July 2009

Peter Morton Wins Final Day Showdown At Coutts Quarter Ton Cup

There was a cliff-hanger ending to the Coutts Quarter Ton Cup in Cowes today as husband and wife adversaries Louise and Peter Morton faced each other down in a veritable gunfight at the OK Coral that was ultimately decided by just one second and half a point. Sailing their Farr designed sister-ships Espada and Anchor Challenge they went into the final day with Louise leading the regatta by 4.5 points from Peter.

The race committee exercised their right to run additional races if conditions permitted and laid on three final races making a total of ten with one discard. With the south-westerly wind ranging from 20-25 knots and occasional gusts up towards 30 the race committee set up shop over the Ryde Bank giving choppy wind over tide conditions and plenty to challenge the navigators.

In the battle of the Mortons Peter's Anchor Challenge won the opening salvo taking second place in race eight, a windward leeward, behind Howard Sellars and Mike Till's Bullet with Rob Gray's Aguila third and ASAP, owned by the Layton/Christie/Crawford/Churchill partnership fourth. Louise in Espada did not fare so well with an incident on the first beat and some confusion over their first mark approach and as a result finished the race in eighth place, her worst result of the series, putting Anchor Challenge half a point ahead in the overall standings.

For race nine the committee varied the course a little to add some close reaching and while Aguila romped to victory Anchor Challenge and Espada were scrapping away for second and third place. At the finish it was too close for the crews to call the corrected times and so they went into the final race unclear who was leading overall.

With everything still to play for the Committee set a longer round the cans final race finishing off Cowes and from the outset Espada and Anchor Challenge were neck and neck battling it out with Bullet and Aguila. The first few legs were relatively short mixing beats, three and two sail reaches and as the fleet rounded the final mark before the long beat back to Cowes Espada and Anchor Challenge were within seconds of each other. Initially everyone headed up the Bramble Bank, seeking shelter from the tide, but about half way up Anchor Challenge broke ranks and tacked off for the Island shore leaving Aguila to head the pack, including Espada, on the mainly port tack drag to the western end of the Bramble. It was a brave move by Anchor Challenge and it was only on the final approach to the line that it became clear it had made little difference. Aguila took the line honours to win the race, her second win of the day, with Bullet taking second on corrected time, Espada third and Anchor Challenge fourth just six seconds behind her.

As the crews came ashore it was still unclear who had won the regatta. Who ever had the upper hand in race nine had the series so there was a mad dash for the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club where trusty scorer Jo Chugg finally delivered the news that Anchor Challenge had beaten Espada by just one second on corrected time meaning that Anchor Challenge wins the 2009 Coutts Quarter Ton Cup by a mere half point with Espada second, Bullet third, Aguila fourth and ASAP fifth.

For Louise and her young team of Vicky Lenz, Colette Blair, Libby Deegan, Josie Gibson and Mike Edmonds it was a huge disappointment, but as she joked at the prize giving "It's probably better at home this way!" For Peter, sailing with Kelvin Rawlings, John Newnham, Jules Salter and Jason Carrington, this was his second Coutts Quarter Ton Cup win, his first being with Espada in 2007. At the prize giving Peter thanked the Race Committee and the Royal Corinthian for their sterling work before paying tribute to all the competitors for a wonderful regatta and thanking his own crew for getting him out of a number of tight situations. He closed by asking ruefully, "Does anyone have a spare room I can use tonight?"

Alongside the main prizes there are also a number of special awards presented at the Coutts Quarter Ton Cup:

The Ruff-As-Gutz Trophy is a legend of the event and is traditionally awarded to the boat that Quarter Ton Class Chairman Peter Morton judges to be the scruffiest in the fleet. This year Morty decided it shouldn't go to a boat as they were all far too well turned out and not one of them truly deserved it, so instead he looked around for an individual who might be worthy of the title. After much careful consideration he was delighted to confirm that he had indeed found a worthy recipient. With the unanimous agreement of the assembled fleet the trophy was awarded to Mark Brammer of Shamu, who travelled all the way from Blackpool for the event and having played a leading role in the revelries at last night's Gala Dinner, was last seen staggering up the road asking everyone he passed where he lived! It's still not entirely clear whether he ever made it home.

For the second year running the Oldest Bowman Trophy (a beautifully engraved walking stick) went to Mike Till of Bullet at 70 years young

The Trophy for the First Production Boat went to Laurent Beaurin's Farr 727 45° South, winner of the 1975 Quarter Ton Cup in Deauville for New Zealand. Laurent travelled from France for the regatta and with his multinational scratch crew of Julien Sellier (French), Humphrey Carber (English) and Piers Taylor and Ben Gladwell (New Zealanders) he put in an excellent performance to finish sixth overall including winning two races.

The award for the Oldest Crew went to Bullet, owned by Howard Sellars and Mike Till and crewed by Jamie McWilliam, who had travelled all the way from Hong Kong to take part, Yachts & Yachting MD John Heyes, and young nipper Henry Bagnall. Despite Henry weighing in at only 22 years of age this team still managed to register a combined age of 261 years!

Manzanita won the prize for the youngest crew with George Kenefick (20), John Downey (24), Nathan Kirwan (20), Donagh Good (18) and Gavin Laverty (19) between them clocking up a mere 101 years. These Irish lads also ably demonstrate how Quarter Ton sailing runs in families. Manzanita was originally sailed by George's father Neil, co-owner Joxer O'Brien, designer Ron Holland and legendary boat builder and bowman Killian Bush who have been keeping a watchful eye on the boy's progress and are no doubt delighted to hear that the lads are following in their footsteps both on the water and in the bar!

Last but my no means least the Marineware Concourse de Elegance Trophy was presented to the beautifully turned out ASAP owned by Simon Crawford, Paul Churchill, Adrian Layton and Alex Christie. With her all black livery ASAP is one of the most striking boats in the fleet and this was a most popular win.

With a record 27 boats competing at this year's Coutts Quarter Ton Cup it simply isn't possible to mention every one by name but the quality of racing this year has been exceptional and truly thrilling to watch. Throughout the fleet there have been battles galore and one of the most exciting of these has been amongst the Bolero class, which was designed in 1977 by David Thomas. The five Bolero's competing in this year's Cup enjoyed some of the closest racing of the regatta with the ultimate victor being Sergeant Pepper owned by David Thomas's son Richard and his wife Ann. Second place went to Tony Dodd's Purple Haze (the original prototype for the class) with Roger Swinney's Ayanami third, Peter Hewitson's Shamu fourth and Andrew Greensmith's Hazard fifth. We hope to see even more Bolero's competing at next year's event.

Speaking after racing Paul Lees of race three winner Echo, who finished 11th overall, was thrilled to be back in a Quarter Tonner once again saying, "My first Quarter Ton Cup was in 1973 and I also did 77 and 78. We are the smallest and oldest boat in the fleet, a 1967 design by the brilliant Van de Stadt, and it's all my son Mark's fault that we're here. I've got a soft spot for Van de Stadt boats and Mark was trawling the web when he spotted Echo and called me over saying 'Dad, Dad, I've found a really cheap boat...' It was only Euro 500 and lying in Spain - which should have told us something! She had been abandoned by her owner and was being sold off by the marina. My son completely rebuilt her and redid the deck, she has her original keel and rudder and I was in charge of the rig and sails. It's been a great event - we'll be back next year."

Rupert Holmes of the 1975 De Ridder designed Minestrone was equally effusive saying, "If I'd know about this event last year when I was compiling the Top 50 Regattas for Yachts & Yachting it would definitely have made my top ten. We'll be back again next year."

A very special thank you must go to event sponsor Coutts whose support of the Coutts Quarter Ton Cup has been invaluable. Coutts and their guests have been out watching racing and meeting the sailors after racing each day and their presence has helped to build a very special bond between the class and its sponsor.

Coutts Quarter Ton Cup Overall Top Five

1 Anchor Challenge, Peter Morton - 29.5
2 Espada, Louise Morton - 30
3 Bullet, Howard Sellars & Mike Till - 39
4 Aguila, Rob Gray - 41.5
5 ASAP, Layton/Christie/Crawford/Churchill - 52
6 45° South, Laurent Beaurin -56.5
7 Runaway Bus, Paul Kelsey - 58
8 Diamond, Graydon and Thomas Dawson - 70.
9 Sergeant Pepper, Richard and Ann Thomas - 71.5
10 Snoopy, David Tydeman - 99

FULL RESULTS

For further information about the Coutts Quarter Ton Cup 2009 please contact Fiona Brown, Coutts Quarter Ton Cup Press Officer, E-mail fiona.brown@fionabrown.com, Tel +44 (0)7711 718470, Skype fpbrown, or Anthony Collis, Club Secretary, Royal Corinthian Yacht Club, The Parade, Cowes, Isle of Wight, PO31 7QU, Tel +44 (0)1983 293581, Fax +44(0)1983 294385, E-mail anthony@rcyc.co.uk or visit www.rcyc.co.uk.

For further information about Coutts please contact Antony Antoni on e-mail Antony.antoni@coutts.com or visit www.coutts.com

For further information about the Quarter Ton Class please contact Louise Morton, Class Secretary on e-mail louisemorton2@aol.com or visit www.quarteronclass.org .

To view archive galleries of past Ton Cup Championships visit the Yacht racing section of AjaxNetPhoto Picture Library

Visitors, users and viewers of the content to which this notice is attached may copy it for re-use and syndicate the content by whatever means for use to other internet content sites on condition the source of all material so used is acknowledged with the attachment of the following notice.
www.superyachtnews.blogspot.com 2009
www.ajaxnetphoto.com 2009
This content may NOT be used in any print media made available for commercial resale.
The products and companies named in this website content are trademarks, registered trademarks or servicemarks of their respective owners or licensed users.

Wood is Wonderful…

2009-07-05T22:19:00.003+01:00

The Wooden Boatbuilders Trade Association - Press release June 2009

…say the craftsman of the Wooden Boatbuilders Trade Association and to prove it, they are exhibiting on Stands B022 to B030 at the 2009 Southampton Boat Show.

Wood is wonderful as a boatbuilding material because it allows ‘one-off’ boats to be
hand-crafted and customised to the individual owner’s specific needs, yet they need not be more expensive than run-of-the-mill GRP craft. Wooden boats are wonderful because they are ‘proper’ boats; they feel right to the touch and traditionally built using time-proven methods, they look like boats ought to look.

Wooden boats are about pride of ownership in a mass-produced world. Modern wooden boatbuilding techniques produce boats that require as little or less upkeep as plastic production craft…. yet they look gorgeous, are environmentally friendly and have a smaller carbon footprint! And wooden boats lend themselves to being repaired and restored, making them last for generations.

Ten individual wooden boats, some traditional, some modern, will be exhibited by 7 member companies of the Wooden Boatbuilders Trade Association. Founded 20 years ago, the WBTA – www.wbta.co.uk – exists to promote best practice in wooden boat construction and design and encourage green practises in the choice and use of materials. WBTA members come from all round Britain and overseas and each has to prove their skills to their fellow craftsmen to be accepted for membership. Contact details of all members and further information about wooden boats will be available at the show.

The companies and boats featured on Stands B022 to B030 this year will be:

Lakeland Wooden Boats: Mallard sailing dinghy & Cape Cod angling launch
North Quay Marine: NQ19 daysailer & NQ12 sailing dinghy
The Slipway Cooperative: Pilot Gig
Swallow Boats: BayRaider dayboat & BayCruiser 20 pocket cruising yacht
Willow Bay Boats: Shilling – Open 17 version
Jamie Clay: Clinker double-ender
Adrian Donovan: Whitehall Skiff

For further information and hi-res images of the boats being shown, please contact
Ted Spears on 01795 521711 or email: info@northquaymarine.net

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Horus Superyacht Cup update 27th June 2009

2009-06-29T07:40:00.002+01:00

SUNSHINE TAKES FIRST PLACE ON HORUS RACE DAY AND GLISS WINS THE HORUS SUPERYACHT CUP OVERALL

 A perfect end to racing at the Horus Superyacht Cup today, with stronger winds and bright sunshine giving spectators and photographers just what they wanted.
With event title sponsor HORUS also sponsoring the day, it was only fitting that 'Sunshine' finished in first place with their guests onboard. Antara came in second and Ithaka in third.
The overall ranking of the three days of racing has Gliss in first place, Antara in second and Open Season in third.

For more information and a full list of results go to: www.thesuperyachtcup.com

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Portimão Global Ocean Race update 13th June 2009

2009-06-13T12:49:00.003+01:00

Points, prizes, rules and regulations

With the Chilean duo of Felipe Cubillos and José Muñoz crossing the Leg 5 Scoring Gate at 2122 UTC on Thursday, Desafio Cabo de Hornos took the maximum gate score of two points, bringing their overall total for the circumnavigation to 41 points (the scoring system and individual team scores for Legs 1-5 are listed below).

For the German team of Boris Herrmann and Felix Oehme on board Beluga Racer, second place at the scoring gate crossed at 1800 UTC on Friday (12/06) supplies 1.5 points, bringing Herrmann and Oehme’s total pre-finish line to 47.1 points. In effect, as long as Beluga Racer now complete Leg 5 in first, second or third place or are even scored DNF (Did Not Finish) in the double-handed fleet, the German team have won the inaugural Portimão Global Ocean Race overall.

However, the threat of the damaged upper port spreader on the blue, German Class 40 has been a concern, although both Herrmann and Oehme are supremely confident that the lashings they have fitted and prudent sailing will get them across the North Atlantic to Portimão. Until the scoring gate there was, though, one threat to an overall victory by Beluga Racer.

The rules of the Portimão Global Ocean Race are very specific regarding a DNF boat. The event’s Notice of Race (NOR) supplies the information in NOR 14.3 ‘The time limit at a finishing line (not a scoring gate) will be 12 days after the first boat has finished, after which time any yacht not finished or retired will be scored DNF (changes RRS 35).’ Effectively, if the damage became worse and Herrmann and Oehme are forced to fit a jury rig or make a pitstop for repairs in the Azores, they would have to finish within 12 days of the first boat to arrive in Portimão.

read more

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Yachts prepare for Horus Superyacht Cup

2009-06-03T08:37:00.005+01:00

Meteor and Windrose to head to Palma

The gaff-rigged schooner Meteor and the elegant modern-classic Windrose have confirmed they will be taking part in The Horus Superyacht Cup in Palma in June. These two beautiful yachts were designed by Gerry Dijkstra & Partners; Windrose at 46m and Meteor at 52m.
Windrose was built by Holland Jachtbouw and launched in 2001. She made her racing debut at Antigua Classic Week in 2002, going on in the same year to race across the Atlantic against the 58m Jessica, beating her by 17 hours. Meteor, built by Royal Huisman, was launched in the spring of 2007 just in time to take part in the famous "Mother of all Regattas", The Superyacht Cup in Palma in June '07, when 52 superyachts seemingly filled the whole of the Bay of Palma and stunned the sailing world. Windrose and Meteor will be out racing hard again this year and with the contrast of the contemporary designs such as Open Season, Mari Cha III and Black Pearl it will be another truly spectacular occasion.
With less than a month to go to the Horus Superyacht Cup many yachts are preparing for their summer cruising and racing. Tenaz, the 40m Dubois designed sloop is finishing off a winter refit at the Pendennis Shipyard in Falmouth, England. Tenaz was originally built by Pendennis and launched in 1996. Following an extensive world cruise with her present owners she returned to Pendennis where according to her owner, she was 'put back to how she was when launched'. The work included a complete top to bottom interior and exterior repaint, some interior re-touching work as well as main engine exhaust rebuild . After successful sea trials the yacht recently left Falmouth bound for Palma, where she will be in action at the Hours Superyacht Cup with a combined Pendennis/Tenaz team and a few special guests. The newly-refurbished yacht is being considered for charter throughout the summer in the Mediterranean and the winter in the Caribbean.
Still heading across the Atlantic and bound for Palma are the Tripp-design Baltic 25 Black Pearl and Superyacht Cup veteran Sojana, (winner of the Superyacht Cup in Antigua 2007). 13 yachts are currently confirmed and with another 8 or so yachts still 'planning to attend' organisers are anticipating 15 -18 yachts in the final line-up.
For more information and a full list of provisional entries go to: www.thesuperyachtcup.com

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Cape Breton Island confirmed entry in Clipper Round the World Yacht Race

2009-04-16T08:13:00.006+01:00

15 April 2009 Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada

The image of a magnificent eagle, the emblem of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, will adorn the 68-foot racing yacht which has today been confirmed as an entry in the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race.

Cape Breton Island gets set to soar in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race
Artist’s rendition of how the Cape Breton Island yacht will look.

Following the hugely successful stopover there in the 07-08 edition of the race Sydney, Cape Breton, is also confirmed as a stopover on the Clipper 09-10 route and will play host to the fleet in June 2010.

Named Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia’s Masterpiece, the entry will be one of ten identical, stripped down 68-foot racing yachts competing in the event, each sponsored by an international city, region or country. They include Uniquely Singapore, Qingdao and Hull & Humber, all of whom will be making return appearances, the team sponsors having discovered that the Clipper Race provides a unique platform delivering cost-effective global market exposure. Joining them for the first time will be California, whose participation has been endorsed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger following the fleet’s inaugural visit to the state in the last edition of the biennial race. Also making a debut is Cork, the first ever Irish entry in the Clipper Race and the destination for the fleet when they leave Sydney.

The campaign to enter a Cape Breton Island yacht that will showcase Nova Scotia’s masterpiece, the majestic beauty of the region and the warmth of its people to a worldwide audience of more than 200 million people has been backed by Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation and Sydney Ports Corporation. They will use the event as a dynamic platform from which to promote tourism, investment, education, immigration and trade opportunities as well as establishing economic development contacts and opportunities in the countries the race visits.

On board the racing yacht will be a team of normal folk, many of whom who have never sailed before, who are taking up the challenge of a lifetime. Cape Breton native Elisa Jenkins, 30, signed up to take part when she saw the ten-strong fleet in Sydney in June last year and knew it was for her. The physiotherapist is using her experience to raise funds and awareness for the Cape Breton Cancer Center.

Elisa says, “I’m proud to be sailing into global harbours with Cape Breton Island on the hull. Our symbol of the eagle will be a source of strength for crew members as we race across the world’s oceans. The Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race has given me an opportunity to pursue personal challenges and draw attention to a meaningful cause in our community.”

Joining her will be two other Nova Scotians, Alyson Murray from Bridgewater and Achilles Huczel from Halifax, who will represent Cape Breton Island on a global stage. Six other Canadians have also signed up to take on the challenge of a lifetime. Housewives, lorry drivers, farmers, doctors, lawyers, stockbrokers and even a vicar are among the former Clipper crews who have demonstrated to the world their unique, inspirational qualities.

In addition to those people with a thirst for adventure who will race around the world representing the region, there are exciting opportunities for local businesses to be part of the event – benefiting both from the economic impact of the race visit and also using the race to showcase their products and services to the world. Teams in previous Clipper Races have helped galvanise the community spirit in their sponsoring city or region, generating a huge sense of ownership and pride in their achievement.

The Clipper Race was set up by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first man to sail solo, non-stop around the world, in order to give ordinary people the chance to do something truly extraordinary.

Sir Robin says, “Sydney provided the backdrop for one of the most spectacular starts of the last Clipper Race so I’m thrilled we’re coming back. We had some fantastic close quarter racing in the harbour and down the channel out into the Atlantic and I hope we’ll see that spectacle again – this time with Cape Breton Island among the fleet.

“We already have a Cape Bretoner who has signed up to take part in the race, along with two other Nova Scotians, and I hope everyone in Cape Breton and, indeed, across the province will get behind the team and support them all the way around the world.

“The Clipper Race will provide a unique platform for you to showcase Cape Breton around the world, both for business and tourism. We had a wonderful welcome in Sydney last June so we are very much looking forward to bringing the Clipper fleet back here to experience the warmth of the hospitality we know the whole of Cape Breton is renowned for.”

Berths are still available for Clipper 09-10. More information can be found at www.clipperroundtheworld.com, by emailing oceanracer@clipperroundtheworld.com or by calling +44 (0) 2392 526000. No sailing experience is necessary as all crew must go through a comprehensive pre-race training programme.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

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

High resolution race images are available on request. Images from Clipper 07-08 are available free for editorial use at www.w-w-i.com/clipper_0708_race/

For media information or interviews please contact:

Heather Ewing, Communications Manager (in Canada GMT -3 until Thursday 16 April)

UK Mobile: +44 (0) 7792 408 695
Tel: +44 (0) 2392 526000
Email: hewing@clipper-ventures.com

For further information log onto www.clipperroundtheworld.com

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Superyacht Cup 2012 regatta to be held in Cowes IOW

2009-04-14T20:47:00.004+01:00

London, April 2009 -

The organisers of The Superyacht Cup and the Royal Yacht Squadron have announced plans to hold a Superyacht Cup 2012 regatta in Cowes on the Isle of Wight prior to the start of the 2012 London Olympics.

The four-day regatta will take place from 22-25 July 2012 and is open to superyachts over 24m. The Royal Yacht Squadron will be the Organising Authority responsible for providing the race management and course setting for the event. The Superyacht Cup team will manage the overall event including the social programme.

The regatta has been carefully planned to immediately precede the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Olympics in London on 27 July 2009, and the start of the Olympic sailing races in Weymouth on 28 July. The participating yachts may opt after the event to head up the Thames to London for the Opening Ceremony, or alternatively to the sailing venue in Weymouth, where plans are being considered for Superyacht moorings to be made available to visiting yachts.

“The summer of 2012 in the UK is going to be the focus of many sporting, cultural and business activities, and with the help of the Royal Yacht Squadron we plan to host a very special event for superyachts from all over the world to join in the Olympic excitement. Cowes and the Solent are a world famous sailing venue and the perfect location for such a prestigious event” commented James Pleasance, SYC Marketing Director.

Full details of the racing and social schedule will be announced in due course. In the meantime, owners wishing to register their interest in competing in the 2012 Superyacht Cup are invited to contact the Superyacht Cup office in Palma, Mallorca at +34 971 70 87 95 or by email to info@thesuperyachtcup.com

About the Superyacht Cup
Established in 1996 in Palma, Mallorca, the Superyacht Cup is an annual series of regattas for superyachts over 24m. Each event is held over four days, with racing fleets split into cruising and performance divisions. In 2007, over 55 superyachts participated in the Palma regatta prior to the 2007 America’s Cup in Valenica, the biggest fleet of superyachts ever to compete in a single regatta.

The Superyacht Cup is part of the Informa Yacht Group, the global leader in yachting events and a division of Informa plc, the world’s largest public-owned organiser of exhibitions and conferences. The current IYG portfolio includes such high-end events as the Monaco Yacht Show, the Abu Dhabi Yacht Show, The Superyacht Cup Regattas, the Phuket International Boat Show and the World Yacht Racing Forum.

THE SUPERYACHT CUP | www.thesuperyachtcup.com

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The SYZ & CO hydrofoil catamaran has taken off !

2009-04-06T08:25:00.004+01:00

Genève, 3 April 2009

After two years of development and hard work, the SYZ & CO hydrofoil catamaran took off yesterday for its maiden flight in a northerly breeze averaging 13 knots on the slightly choppy waters of Lake Léman and has demonstrated its striking manner the validity of its concept. The next weeks will be devoted to tuning up in order to be ready for the main races of the season. To allow the public to follow project developments, a web site is now available (www.syzfoiler.com).

The SYZ & CO hydrofoil catamaran has flown over Lake Léman
After over two years of development, thousand of working hours and first trials marked by teething technical problems between December and March, the hydrofoil catamaran finally took off yesterday evening in the waters off Société Nautique de Genève.

Copyright photos: Loris Von Siebent hal

This historical outing started yesterday evening a little before 6 pm and the crew, comprising Alex Schneiter, Patrick Firmenich, Arnaud Psarofaghis and Boet Brinkgreve, had a superb navigation in the Geneva harbour. Sailing in a breeze of approximately 13 knots with gusts going up to 16 knots, the hydrofoil catamaran first started with a reef on the main sail and the genoa. As the wind picked up, the crew quickly changed the fore sail and switched to the forestaysail. The SYZ & CO then proceeded windward until Creux-de-Genthod and the bearing away already promised to be spectacular. The crew gained in confidence in the prototype and rushed downwind towards Geneva at a speed of 10 knots. A magical moment, every one holding his breath until finally a hull lifts up out of the water followed a moment later by the second one! The catamaran accelerates to quickly reach 20 knots. The water is a little choppy and the boat dances on the waves. Helmsman Alex Schneiter later tells: « She’s quite light to steer and responds quickly but remains tolerant. In flight, she stays pleasant to steer and easy to trim. When she’s on the water, in Archimedean mode, she’s heavier than a conventional yacht but I think that a lot will depend on the tune up. »

Around 6.15pm, the wind weakens a little and the crew puts the genoa back on and continues with the full main sail. François Psarofaghis, on the chase boat, cannot hide his satisfaction: « It’s a good start, but it’s only the start! You can feel she has a great potential but we’ll need hours and hours of tuning. She’s really a racing monster and for the time being, we’re only using a tiny part of the boat’s potential. We’re really looking forward to sailing with the gennaker on on our next outing! »

Arnaud Gavairon, from North Sails, is also closely following the sailing: « These new 3Di sails also require a lot of tuning. It’s like the boat: we’ve gone very far with the technology and a lot of detailed work will be needed. There is a lot of room for progression. »

The beginning of an adventure
Back ashore, the crew confides: « It really went on very well and we got a very good feeling. Given our obviously limited flight experience, we needed little time to adjust to sailing aloft. We are now very confident in the gear but, as we don’t know the boat very well yet, we’re going step by step. »

Once these initial moments of emotion and the pleasure of discovery have passed, the crew will start a performance development phase and will indentify all the tuning factors. In fact, for this first test, the crew stayed voluntarily cautious and did not try to break any speed records. There’s a lot of tuning up to do, be it on the foils, on the flaps, on the crew position and the tilting of the mast. The first impression is very reassuring and encouraging: « She flies very well and you can drive her hard. We’re very happy because the concept proves to be very sound » adds Arnaud Psarofaghis.

Next sailing and test and tuning phase
An intensive training and testing program has been established. During this crucial phase, Pierre-Yves Jorand, member of the Alinghi team, and Boet Brinkgreve will be the key people. Pierre-Yves, who logically is very interested in this project, will be able to share his America’s Cup experience and the discipline that defines it. Boet, the on-board tactician, has put in place a test and checks program, managed from an on-board computer, and has created a systematic analysis database for all parameters. Moreover, an optical fiber sensor system has been installed in order to analyze the performance and the loads on the foils.

www.syzfoiler.com – all the news immediately
Encouraged by the strong interest received by the prototype both in Switzerland and abroad, the team has set up a website entirely dedicated to the SYZ & CO hydrofoil catamaran. This new site, www.syzfoiler.com, recounts the whole development of the project and features regularly updated photo and video galleries. All team results and news will be available.

For additional information, please contact:

Sandra Mudronja
Ricardo Payro
Sandra Mudronja Consulting & Co
Banque SYZ & CO S.A.

Tel : +41 (0)22 320 95 00

Mobile :+41 (0)79 445 87 92
Tel. : +41 (0) 22 819 98 05
E-mail : sandra.mudronja@smc-co.ch
E-Mail: ricardo.payro@syzbank.ch

Note to editors

About SYZ & CO

Founded in 1996 by Eric Syz, Alfredo Piacentini and Paolo Luban, Geneva-based banking group SYZ & CO has established itself as a respected financial firm thanks to its original concept and years of strong results. SYZ & CO focuses exclusively on asset management, with more than CHF 20 billion under management and 350 staff.

Headquartered in Geneva, the Group also has offices in Zurich, Lugano, Locarno, London, Luxembourg, Vienna, Milan, Rome, Nassau and Hong Kong.

Its activities are based on three complementary cornerstones:

· High-end private banking with Banque SYZ & CO SA

· High-performance investment funds with OYSTER, the Luxembourg SICAV

· High-quality alternative investments with 3A SA (Alternative Asset Advisors), one of Europe’s leading hedge fund management specialists

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Portimão Global Ocean Race update 26th March 2009

2009-03-26T21:59:00.002+00:00

Trouble ahead!

With 1,000 miles remaining to the Leg 3 finish in the tropical, Brazilian island of Ilhabela, the Portimão Global Ocean Race fleet are set for a finish line scramble early next week. Over the past 24 hours, the German team of Boris Herrmann and Felix Oehme on Beluga Racer have made a break away, consistently averaging the highest speeds in the double-handed fleet yesterday afternoon (25/03) as the boats beat north-east on port tack. This morning at 0620 GMT (26/03), Herrmann and Oehme have extended their lead over Desafio Cabo de Hornos by 27 miles since dawn on Wednesday and now lead the fleet by 71 miles, averaging eight knots.

Holding third place in the double-handed fleet, furthest west and 300 miles off the coast of Argentina, Jeremy Salvesen and David Thomson on Team Mowgli were the first to feel the breeze turn northerly, but have kept hard on the wind, averaging one knot slower than Beluga Racer and Desafio Cabo de Hornos sailing in slightly freer and stronger breeze further east. The net result for the British team is a loss of 16 miles to the Chileans and the British team now trail Desafio Cabo de Hornos by just 59 miles. Meanwhile, solo sailor Michel Kleinjans on Roaring Forty is pacing the double-handed fleet, matching speeds with Beluga Racer and Desafio Cabo de Hornos and is currently 200 miles astern of the race leader and 77 miles behind Team Mowgli.

After 6,500 miles and 33 days of racing, the closing stages of Leg 3 are going to be a tactical minefield for the four boats and the slightest lapse of strategic judgement or poor weather analysis could overturn the leaderboard. Felipe Cubillos, skipper of Desafio Cabo de Hornos explains: “We have 990 miles left to reach Ilhabela, but with the meteorology ahead, this is going to be a very complex six days.” As the area of high pressure east of the fleet expands across the South Atlantic, dragging the breeze further round to the east, the chances of the fleet having to tack back towards the coast of Uruguay and Southern Brazil increases.

If the wind stays more northerly, or moves to the west, sailing hard on the wind on port towards Ilhabela can be achieved. “The approach to the Brazilian coast is going to be winding,” predicts Cubillos. “We know that the final attack closing in on Ilhabela is going to be very, very complicated and pretty much anything can happen.” For Cubillos and his co-skipper, José Muñoz, there is only one clear plan: “Now, we have to work hard on recovering our lead,” he explains. “And never, never surrender!”

Note to Editors: For Rights Free images, flash videos, logos and other materials please contact:

Brian Hancock: brian@portimaorace.com
Tel: +1 617 314 4468

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Portimão Global Ocean Race update 19th March 2009

2009-03-20T00:00:00.003+00:00

VIVA CHILE! Desafio Cabo de Hornos are first to Cape Horn

At 0050 GMT this morning, (19/03), Felipe Cubillos and José Muñoz sailed into the history books on Desafio Cabo de Hornos when the Chilean duo rounded Cape Horn earlier today. Instantaneously, their offshore sailing CV has quadrupled in size. The first yacht in the Portimão Global Ocean Race to pass the cape; the first Chilean team to round Cape Horn in a race; the first modern, 40ft yacht to race around the bottom of the globe and the first Class 40 to take on the Southern Ocean and reach 56°S.

The overture to rounding of the world’s southernmost cape has been dramatic for Cubillos and Muñoz. At 1700 GMT yesterday (18/03), Desafio Cabo de Hornos passed three miles south of the Islas Ildelfonso: nine jagged, uninhabited and unlit stacks of rock at the western entrance to Drake Passage. Immediately, Cubillos fired off an email to the rest of the fleet: “Please take care of these rocks,” he warned. “They are north of our current position, but my impression is that they are a little bit south of the position marked on the chart and they’re unlit.” Three hours later, a Chilean Navy P-111 spotter plane buzzed Desafio Cabo de Hornos, quickly followed by a congratulatory call from the office of the Chilean President and greetings from Boris Herrmann and Felix Oehme 85 miles astern in second place on Beluga Racer.

With the light beginning to fade at 56°S, Felipe Cubillos sent a final message before rounding the cape: “I have an important message to deliver,” he wrote. “Everyone can fulfil their dreams if they apply passion and determination. If you can overcome pessimism, self-doubt and triumph over the fear of failure, it is worth it as the prize at the end is immense. For me – and possibly many of you – it is our reason for living. Each of us has a personal Cape Horn: it’s a matter of locating this goal and then heading straight for it. In a few hours we will be at the cape and we can hoist our country’s flag and shout VIVA CHILE!” In the latest 0620 GMT position poll, Desafio Cabo de Hornos has hardened up since passing the cape and Cubillos and Muñoz are making just over nine knots, 60 miles south of the Le Maire Strait, the 16 mile wide channel of strong tides and confusing currents between Tierra del Fuego and Isla de Los Estados.

On Beluga Racer, 37 miles west of the cape at 0620 GMT today and 76 miles behind Desafio Cabo de Hornos, Boris Herrmann and Felix Oehme have mixed emotions as they approach this crucial waypoint at the bottom of the world: “I am a bit sad to round the cape because that destroys the dream of challenging the Southern Ocean,” commented Herrmann late last night. “By passing the cape we have reached the summit, we have fulfilled that dream.” Averaging eight knots with a current ETA of 1030 GMT at the cape, the duo are just hours from German sailing celebrity. “I don’t want to leave the Southern Ocean behind us,” he continues. “It is cold, it is rough, but it is that intense sailing that makes me feel alive more than normal.” However, the duo will have company at the cape with Bouwe Bekking and his ten crew on the Volvo Ocean Race backmarker, Telefonica Blue, likely to pass Cape Horn around three hours after Beluga Racer.

Note to Editors: For Rights Free images, flash videos, logos and other materials please contact:

Brian Hancock: brian@portimaorace.com
Tel: +1 617 314 4468

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Cape Horn - drama or dream?

2009-03-16T20:35:00.003+00:00

When the fleet of four boats in the Portimão Global Ocean Race round Cape Horn over the next few days, it will mark the first rounding by a race of 40ft yachts and the first race rounding by a Chilean team. A truly momentous achievement for the seven yachstmen.

Debate continues over the original discovery of the world’s southernmost cape: did Francisco de Hoces - the Spanish commander of the caravel San Lesmes – first site the rocky outcrop in 1526 after being swept south while trying to navigate the eastern entrance of the Straits of Magellan? If so, he predates the 1578 rounding of Sir Francis Drake by a little over half a century. However, since the Amsterdam merchant, Willem Shouten, formally named the place in 1616, Cape Horn has been a craved destination and right of passage for offshore sailors: a prime objective in sailing aspirations, part maritime bogeyman, part Holy Grail.

The Horn marks the northern limit of Drake Passage, a fearsome stretch of water between South America and the Antarctic continent where the Southern Ocean is squeezed through a narrow and relatively shallow gap: a concentration of wind and waves that can produce monstrous seas. The cape’s legendary status and fearsome reputation has filled the pages of many books, but the “Long Drag Shanty” conveys a true sense of dread that the area can inspire:

Round Cape Horn where the stiff wind blows,
Round Cape Horn where there’s sleet and snow.
I wish to God I’d never been born
To drag my carcass around Cape Horn

Cape Horn has wrecked countless ships and claimed the lives of many sailors attempting to round this barren, rocky, outcrop; the southernmost, drowned peak of the Andes Mountains chain. One survivor of a Horn gale was Charles Darwin during the voyage of exploration that formed his theories on evolution. This experience totally demoralised the brilliant naturalist: “The necessary discomforts of the ship heavily pitching and the miseries of constant wet and cold, I have scarcely for an hour been quite free from seasickness. How long the bad weather may last, I know not; but my spirits, temper, and stomach, I am well assured, will not hold out much longer.”

For more information, please go to www.portimaorace.com.

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An even bigger lift for Sunseeker International

2009-02-17T08:31:00.005+00:00

PRESS RELEASE FEBRUARY 2009

A new 320 tonnes travel lift, believed to be one of the largest hoists of its type in the UK, has been installed at Sunseeker International’s Osprey Quay Shipyard on Portland in Dorset. The new hoist, supplied by Wise Handling Limited, has a height of 13.5 metres, an overall width of 15 metres and weighs 108,000 kg.

The new Wise 320 Tonne Travel Hoist shown here moving a Sunseeker 30 Metre Yacht Hull

The new travel hoist, which has been built to launch or retrieve boats up to 320,000 kilograms, has been acquired to operate with a brand new lifting dock. The dock, similar to that at the company’s Poole Shipyards, has been specifically built to meet the demand for boats over 30 metres (100 feet).

With a successful range of larger craft already in production – including the 37 Metre, 34 Metre and 30 Metre Yachts, along with the Predator 108 – the travel lift will also have the ability to elevate and move even larger vessels such as the Sunseeker 46 Metre Yacht currently in development and the Predator 130, which is due to be launched later this year. In addition, the hoist will have full remote control facility with double speed winching – enabling greater flexibility in moving boats.

Sunseeker recently announced its intention to build superyachts over 50 metres and the 11 acre site at Osprey Quay, along with the facilities now available, will be an important part in the company’s future development.

Robert Braithwaite CBE, Sunseeker’s managing director commented: “The investment in this type of machinery is vital to the future success of the business. With our range of models increasing in both length and weight having the new travel hoist will enable us to move the boats efficiently and safely.

“The continued development at Osprey Quay is very important to us if we are to maintain our position as one of the world’s major yacht builders.”

- Ends

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Sunseeker PR and Marketing, Gemma Langridge
Tel: +44 (0) 1202 381111 Fax: +44 (0) 1202 777005 Mobile: +44 (0)7764 320536
e-mail: marketing@sunseeker.com
Website www.sunseeker.com

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www.superyachtnews.blogspot.com 2009
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