Monday 27 October 2008

Quantum Racing - TP52 World Champion


TP52s racing at the World Championships. Image copyright Nico Martinez.

Quantum is the undisputed world champion; Mutua Madrileña second overall; Platoon 3rd overall with a paper-thin lead of 0.25 points over Artemis

by TP52 Worlds media

Quantum Racing put a fantastic end to a spectacular season. After being crowned Med champions last month, the American boat helmed by Terry Hutchinson, won the world title after a week of tough racing in Puerto Calero. Vasco Vascotto’s Mutua Madrileña takes the silver medal with a similarly good performance. The score table clearly reflects the tight nature of the TP52 fleet. Platoon grabbed 3rd place overall from Torbjorn Tornqvist’s Artemis, 2007 champion, at the last downwind leg of the Championship’s last race resulting in a mere 0.25 lead.


If the waves are big enough, even a TP52 can look small! Image taken on day four off Puerto Calero: copyright Nico Martinez.

Two races were sailed in the closing day of the series, both in strong (20 to 30 knots) but tricky conditions. The first race went underway with a 20-knot northeasterly breeze after a 30-minute postponement and was probably destined to be the shortest one the 14-strong fleet sailed in Puerto Calero. Its outcome was decided right on the starting line. While Quantum and Synergy had an excellent clean start, both Artemis and Mutua Madrileña, together with Desafío and Bigamist, were over the line.


Dean Barker at the helm of Bribon. Image copyright Nico Martinez.

As a result, most of the suspense and nail-biting excitement everybody was hoping for evaporated. Again, the left played well and Quantum, Synergy and AUDI Q8 opted for it and led the race until the finish line. Top place was going back forth between the American and Russian boats with Synergy finally prevailing. Throughout the race, the left side was definitely favored to the point that boats gybed only once in the first run. Mutua Madrileña and Artemis managed to recover a couple of spots but a 9th and 11th, respectively, meant they had no options towards the title.


El Desafio's crew get a cold shower. Image copyright Nico Martinez.

After doing the complete quantum physics calculations, Quantum was World Champion before the start of the second race and the Americans decided to convert themselves to spectators in the last race of the series, in order to avoid influencing the tough three-way battle for 2nd and 3rd overall, taking place between Mutua Madrileña, Platoon and Artemis as any of these 3 boats could finish the championship in any of the two podium places.


The Quantum Racing crew: TP52 World Champions 2008. Image copyright Nico Martinez.

Artemis led from the start until the leeward gate when Desafío overtook them after picking the right shift and staging a great recovery through the fleet. With Artemis second and Platoon 6 th at the bottom mark, the Swedish boat was guaranteed 3rd overall in the Championship. It proved too early to rule Jochen Schuemann out and Platoon passed Cristabella and Bribón and in the final leg it was Matador’s turn to surrender to the German attacks. Platoon crossed the finish line in the wake of Artemis and grabbed the bronze medal by the slimmest possible margin, 0.25 points.

Quotes of the day

Ed Reynolds, President of Quantum Sails / Project Manager of Quantum Racing

It has been an amazing year for the guys; unbelievable team, top to bottom, every aspect of the program, the people that supported it, everybody and the sail lofts, at the company, the shore crew and the naval architects. Everybody did their best this year and that was very rewarding. I think it’s too early to tell what’s in store for next year, we are weighing our options but everybody will take some time off. It’s been a big accomplishment and unless you’re in the middle of it you can’t assess the amount of work and effort we put into it, so we’ll take some time to relax. I’m pretty confident we’ll be back but we’ll have to see how it works out.

The rest of the fleet was very tough. In each and every race we had great respect for all boats and teams. Every time we docked out we were thinking how we could be better than the day before. This victory was a tribute to the team and the whole project. This was the best we sailed this year, the best we had the boat going and we never let up the entire year. It might have looked a little easier than it was but 90% of the work necessary to be in this position is done before you come here. We did the work upfront, we were prepared and this world title is a tribute to what great sailors they are.

Puerto Calero was a great venue. The race committee did a great job under tricky conditions and set remarkably good race areas. As I told other people as well, I’m not sure we would have come it if wasn’t here. I’m so happy we were able to come and see how beautiful the island is and this place is nice for any event all year long.

Terry Hutchinson, helmsman of Quantum Racing

The guys just threw me in the water, so I’m wet but it’s a nice feeling being world champion. It’s a really good end to this team’s season. We are over the top with excitement and incredibly thankful to Quantum Sails for the opportunity they gave us to represent them in the way we did. I really can’t thank everybody enough for the amount of work and support that went in this team. As for the future, it’s still too early; we have to get over the next 24 hours. I will definitely be involved in the TP52 class in 2009 in some capacity but for the moment, we’ll enjoy the next 48 hours and then think about next season.

Vasco Vascotto, skipper of Mutua Madrileña

First of all, I have to admit that won the boat that sailed the best. Quantum did a great job throughout a season and this World Championship is a gift to them. Congratulations to Quantum, the crew and their entire team. I think Mutua Madrileña had a great result, being second in this type of fleet means that you obviously sailed well in the championship. Earlier this morning we realized it was very difficult to beat them. Unfortunately we had a premature start, but the race committee called last, 35 seconds after the start!! Yet, we had a nice recovery and it was just a matter of controlling the other boats that could threaten us. It is great to finish second in such a tough world championship. As for the next season, we have already started planning; otherwise it could be very late. We want to remain in the TP52 class, we know it’s expensive and as a result we have to work hard to give our sponsors the best possible visibility. We hope to return with a better project next year and achieve even better results

Jochen Schuemann, helmsman of Platoon

It’s an excellent day for Platoon and Germany. We are more than happy with 3rd place; this is just what we wanted and we made that happen in the very last stretch of the last downwind leg. We are happy we achieved our goal and this just showed how tight the competition is and we have done a good job this season. I think that when considering the options we had here we really wanted a medal, it could have even been the silver one since we are close to Mutua Madrileña. Due to combination of small things, like the water intake in the offshore race, or other small errors, we finally got the bronze. Without any doubt the best team is Quantum, they are the most consistent, they had the best performance and probably nobody could have beaten them. As for 2009, we have sold our current boat to Bigamist and with the new one we are building, we hope to have a strong team next year.

Russell Coutts, tactician on Artemis

We had mixed results today. We were over the starting line in the first race and then got chained up with some other boats over the course and were unable to recover. It was a bad race for us. The second race was going pretty well but actually it was the boats behind us that did some stupid things that allowed Platoon to finish a quarter of a point ahead of us. We sailed too inconsistently in this regatta; we had good races and some really bad ones. I wouldn’t say I’m not happy; this was a good result for the boat at this stage. Today was a tough day with big waves and we are better on smooth waters, but overall this was not a bad series. I was very impressed by the way Quantum sailed their boat. They are obviously way ahead of everyone else and I was surprised to see that. They had a great result.

Nano Negrín, tactician on Desafío

Finishing seventh overall is not a great result for Desafío but I think that generally speaking, given the early starts and some bad luck we had, a seventh place in a World Championship with two victories is quite good. Conditions have been very tough; we saw that yesterday as well as today. Boats that finish first in the first race then end up 11th in the second one, while we had a 12th and a 1st today. Look at Artemis, they win and then finish last. This fleet is extremely tight and tough, you either start well a race or otherwise there’s nothing you can do. The race course was also very tough for everybody as it started with light winds and then we had much stronger breeze. The clouds over Puerto Calero made the two prevailing winds converge, the land breeze and the northeasterly. At moments the left was the favourite, at times the right. This made everybody’s life complicated.

Note from SailRaceWin: As ever, there were Kiwis throughout the fleet - and several on the winning boat, including AC bowman Jero Lomas.


Quantum flat out on her way to victory. Image copyright Nico Martinez.

Overall Results

1. Quantum (USA) 45pts
2. Mutua Madrilena (Chile) 61pts
3. Platoon Powered by Team Germany (Germany) 65pts
4. Artemis (Sweden) 65.25pts
5. Matador (Argentina) 71.25pts
6. Synergy (Russia) 74.5pts
7. El Desafio (Spain) 79.25pts
8. Bribon (Spain) 82.5pts
9. Audi Sailing Team Powered by Q8 (Italy) 95pts
10. Valars (Russia) 98.25pts
11. Bigamist 6 (Portugal) 102.5pts
12. Cristabella (UK) 107pts
13. Tau Ceramica - Andalucia (Spain) 112.5pts
14. Fram XVI (Norway) 153.25pts

TP52 World Championships

VOR - Positions 1330 GMT 26th October 2008


Michael Joubert takes a picture of Team Russia's Kosatka, from up the mast on leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race. Image copyright Michael Joubert/Team Russia/Volvo Ocean Race.

Position/ Boat/ Distance to Leader(Gain/Loss)/ Predicted Time to Leader/ Distance to Finish of Leg

1 Ericsson 4 0 0 00:00:00 2958
2 PUMA Ocean Racing 1 00:04:17 +1
3 Green Dragon -4 01:49:13 +26
4 Telefonica Black -6 02:23:58 +34
5 Telefonica Blue -3 02:53:40 +39
6 Delta Lloyd -16 06:20:45 +78
7 Ericsson 3 -5 06:03:18 +81
8 Team Russia -12 15:30:06 +183

Archival Images of the VOR 2008-9 Boats


(l-r) Casey Smith and Jerry Kirby have their work cut out on the bow of il mostro. Image copyright Sally Collison/PUMA Ocean Racing.


20081014. Evening. Champagne sailing all day and it all sums up with a nice wind increase up to 22 knots. Image copyright Gustav Morin/Ericsson Racing Team/Volvo Ocean Race.


Telefonica Blue put their boat to the test, offshore at the start of leg 1 of The Volvo Ocean Race. Next is a 6,500nm battle to Cape Town, South Africa. Image copyright Dave Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race.


Green Dragon puts their boat to the test, offshore at the start of leg 1 of The Volvo Ocean Race. Next is a 6,500nm battle to Cape Town, South Africa. Image copyright Dave Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race.


Team Delta Lloyd puts their boat to the test, offshore at the start of leg 1 of The Volvo Ocean Race. Next is a 6,500nm battle to Cape Town, South Africa. Image copyright Dave Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race.


Light winds in the Doldrums on leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race. Image copyright Gustav Morin/Ericsson Racing Team/Volvo Ocean Race.

CREW LIST LEG ONE: ALICANTE – CAPE TOWN

Only one boat - Telefonica Black - does not have a Kiwi crew member sailing on board on Leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-9.

DELTA LLOYD
1. Ger O’Rourke/IRL - skipper
2. Matthew Gregory/USA - navigator
3. Sander Pluijm/NED -MCM
4. Stuart Wilson/NZL – watch captain
5. Stuart Molloy/NZL watch captain
6. Edwin O’Connor/IRL – trimmer/helmsman
7. Martin Watts/GBR – trimmer/helmsman
8. Ryan Houston/NZL – trimmer/helmsman
9. Bert Schandevyl/BEL – trimmer/helmsman
10. Ger-Jan Poortman/NED - bowman
11. Eduard van Lierde//NED - bowman

ERICSSON 4
1. Torben Grael/BRA - skipper
2. Jules Salter/GBR - navigator
3. Guy Salter/GBR - MCM
4. Brad Jackson/NZL – watch captain
5. Stu Bannatyne/NZL – watch captain
6. Dave Endean/NZL - pitman
7. Horacio Carabelli/BRA - trimmer
8. Tony Mutter/NZL - trimmer
9. Joao Signorini/BRA - trimmer
10. Ryan Godfrey/AUS - bowman
11. Phil Jameson/NZL - bowman

ERICSSON 3
1. Anders Lewander/SWE - skipper
2. Aksel Magdahl/NOR - navigator
3. Gustav Morin/SWE MCM
4. Richard Mason/NZL - watch captain
5. Magnus Olsson/SWE – watch captain
6. Thomas Johanson/FIN - helmsman
7. Eivind Melleby/NOR - helmsman
8. Stefan Myrälf/DEN - trimmer
9. Jens Dolmer/DEN - pitman
10. Anders Dahlsjö/SWE - mastman
11. Martin Krite/SWE - Bowman

GREEN DRAGON
1. Ian Walker/GBR - skipper
2. Ian Moore/IRL - navigator
3. Guo Chuan/CHN - MCM
4. Damian Foxall/IRL – watch captain
5. Neal McDonald/GBR – watch captain
6. Anthony Merrington/AUS – helmsman/trimmer
7. Phil Harmer/AUS – helmsman/trimmer
8. Tom Braidwood/AUS – pitman/trimmer
9. Andrew Mclean/NZL – pitman/trimmer
10. Freddie Shanks/GBR - bowman
11. Justin Slattery/IRL - bowman

PUMA OCEAN RACING
1. Ken Read/USA - skipper
2. Andrew Cape/AUS - navigator
3. Rick Deppe/GBR MCM
4. Sidney Gavignet/FRA – watch captain
5. Chris Nicholson/AUS – watch captain
6. Michael Müller/GER – helmsman/trimmer
7. Rob Salthouse/NZL – helmsman/trimmer
8. Casey Smith/AUS - bowman
9. Jerry Kirby/USA - bowman
10. Jonathan McKee/USA – helmsman/trimmer
11. Justin Ferris/NZL – helmsman/trimmer

TEAM RUSSIA
1. Andreas Hanakamp/AUT - skipper
2. Wouter Verbraak/NED - navigator
3. Mark Covell/GBR - MCM
4. Stig Westergaard/DEN – watch captain
5. Guillermo Altadill/ ESP – watch captain
6. Rodion Luka/UKR - helmsman
7. Jeremy Elliott/IRL - trimmer
8. Ben Costello/NZL - trimmer
9. Mike Joubert/RSA - bowman
10. Nick Bubb/GBR - trimmer
11. Cameron Wills/RSA - pitman

TELEFONICA BLUE
1. Bouwe Bekking/NED - skipper
2. Iker Martinez/ESP - co-skipper/helmsman
3. Simon Fisher/GBR - navigator
4. Gabriele Olivo/ITA - MCM
5. Jonathan Swain/RSA – watch captain
6. Laurent Pages/FRA - helmsman
7. Jordi Calafat ESP - helmsman
8. Xabier Fernandez/ESP - trimmer
9. Pablo Arrarte/ESP Spanish - trimmer
10. Daryl Wislang/NZL - bowman
11. Pepe Ribes/ESP - bowman

TELEFONICA BLACK
1. Fernando Echávarri/ESP- skipper
2. Roger Nilson/SWE - navigator
3. Mikel Pasabant/ESP - MCM
4. Santiago Lange/ARG – watch captain
5. Jaime Arbones/ESP – watch captain
6. Maciel Cicchetti/ARG - helmsman
7. Javier De La Plaza/ESP - helmsman
8. David Vera/ESP - trimmer
9. Antonio Cuervas-Mons/ESP - trimmer
10. Francisco Rivero/ESP - bowman
11. Michael Pammenter/RSA - bowman

The Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09 is the 10th running of this ocean marathon. It started from Alicante in Spain, on 4 October 2008 with an in-port race. Leg One from Alicante to Cape Town will start on 11 October and the course will, for the first time, take in Cochin, India, Singapore and Qingdao, China before finishing in St Petersburg, Russia for the first time in the history of the race. Spanning some 37,000 nautical miles, stopping at 11 ports and taking nine months to complete, the Volvo Ocean Race is the world’s premier yacht race for professional racing crews.

More Archival Images of the VOR 2008-9 Boats


(l-r) Casey Smith and Jerry Kirby have their work cut out on the bow of il mostro. Image copyright Sally Collison/PUMA Ocean Racing.


Volvo Open 70 Ericsson 4 training in Lanzarote. Image copyright Oskar Kihlborg/Ericsson Racing Team.


Casey Smith examines the right rudder on il mostro. Image copyright Rick Deppe/PUMA Ocean Racing/Volvo Ocean Race.


PUMA Ocean Racing onboard il mostro, as they undertake the transatlantic crossing from Newport, Rhode Island, USA, to the race start port of Alicante Spain. Image copyright Rick Deppe/PUMA Ocean Racing/Volvo Ocean Race.


Team Russia's Kosatka, training for the in-port race in Alicante, Spain. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.


Team Russia breaks away from the start line in Alicante, Spain for leg 1 of The Volvo Ocean Race. Next is a 6,500nm battle to Cape Town, South Africa. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.


Telefonica Black puts their boat to the test, offshore at the start of leg 1 of The Volvo Ocean Race. Next is a 6,500nm battle to Cape Town, South Africa. Image copyright Dave Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race.


Telefonica Black puts their boat to the test, offshore at the start of leg 1 of The Volvo Ocean Race. Next is a 6,500nm battle to Cape Town, South Africa. Image copyright Dave Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race.


Team Russia's Volvo Open 70 Kosatka, test sailing in the Solent, UK. Image copyright Matthias Witzany.


Team Delta Lloyd puts their boat to the test, offshore at the start of leg 1 of The Volvo Ocean Race. Next is a 6,500nm battle to Cape Town, South Africa. Image copyright Dave Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race.


Bowman Martin Krite from Sweden onboard Volvo Open 70 Ericsson 2, sailing from Barcelona to their training camp in Lanzarote, Spain. Image copyright Oskar Kihlborg/Ericsson Racing Team.

Volvo Ocean Race

VOR - GREEN DRAGON LEG ONE DAY 15 QFB: Received 25.10.08 2244 GMT

by Ian Moore - navigator

It’s the calm before the storm and we are all taking a bit of time today to check our areas in preparation for the ‘Nam Off’ we are expecting early next week.

In the last three days we have covered almost 900 miles south from the scoring gate yet we are only 200 miles closer to Cape Town. The reward for this southerly dash is brewing just south of Cabo Frio and hopefully will start ploughing east following the south side of the St Helena high and dragging the entire fleet with it. The train still looks to be leaving on schedule; those not onboard could have a very long walk to Cape Town.

With all this wind forecast, it is imperative that we are prepared and that we minimize the chance of breakdown. We found a little problem with the sheave on the steering so Tom (Braidwood) has fixed that. Unfortunately he had to steal a bolt out of deck fitting right above my bunk so I am worried I will have a little water feature if he doesn’t seal it up properly. There is of course talk of 24-hour runs too and records and such, and in truth it does look like quite a straight run which is good for records. Certainly the best run for the leg will be set next week but no one could remember what the prize was.

We did quite a lot of sailing in similar conditions during our 2000-mile qualifier, which gives us some confidence in the gear, but it’s so easy for things to unravel very quickly when it’s blowing 40 knots. For sure there will be some tough decisions to make, whether to push hard and risk catastrophe or to throttle back and risk getting outpaced.

We are all looking forward to a bit of heavy weather sailing and although I have a few trepidations too, it will be good to turn the corner and start heading east, where every mile covered is a mile closer to Cape Town.

Volvo Ocean Race

VOR - PUMA LEG ONE DAY 15 QFB: received 25.10.08 2126 GMT

by Rick Deppe - MCM (Media Crew Member)

Today I'm going to write about my earplugs because they are great and I love them.. A lot. They are yellow and hot pink and the two colours are blended to look like wavy gravy ice cream - they are about 30mm long and take the shape of a bell. They work by scrunching up the thin end i.e. the top of the bell - pop them into your ear and let the foam expand to fill the ear...

A Volvo 70 is an unbelievably loud environment to put yourself in; it’s so bad that most of the time down below its hard to talk at a normal volume to someone sitting right next to you. The noise falls into three categories, the constants, the unexpected and the background.

Top of the list for the constants would be the mid-range whine that is nearly always there at anything above around 9 knots of boat speed, I grew up in Yorkshire on top of a hill and the noise reminds of being a kid and lying in bed listening to the wind whipping around our house. The thing is it's not the wind its the rudder and its quite soothing in some ways.

Next would be the water rushing by he hull. This sounds 'to me’ like the receding part of a wave that has just crashed on a pebble beach ( small pebbles) without the crash and as a constant. The noise from the bow I would say falls into both categories - it’s constant but you never quite know when it’s coming.

Right now we are doing 16 knots of boat-speed in about 14.9knots of wind and the sea is pretty normal looking (non technical term). I'm sitting at the back of the boat inside and it sounds like being at the mouth of a cave with someone way down inside hitting a big huge drum every 5 to 10 seconds..... Woomf....... wooomf...... Other times when it’s rough, it’s really a whole body experience rather than a noise. If someone were to be teleported onto the boat in rough conditions, I think even an experienced sailor would think the boat was about to self destruct after the first two waves they heard.... Beam me up Scotty, there's no life down here! ...

OK, let’s keep going with the constants. This boat is jammed full of machinery: water-makers, canting keel hydraulics, generator etc and it seems like something is always running. So on top of the very organic sounds of the boat going through the water, we also have to deal with all these crazy modern world noises.

The ‘worst of the worst’ list of unexpected noises is easily topped by the spinnaker sheet on the winch - you know that fingernails on a blackboard thing that people always use as a way to get your attention. Well that wouldn't even register on this boat, I'm talking about a noise so vile you can actually feel your teeth starting to rattle out of their sockets. A noise that you hear deep down in your joints and bones, when the spinnaker is up you know its coming but its always a very unpleasant surprise that you never get used to.

Background noise to me would be the human noises, footsteps on deck, crew talking to one another.... ‘trim’... ‘hold’.... ‘check stay on 6inches’... ‘did we move ahead on them’.... It’s low level and always focused on making the boat go faster.
The more I write this piece, the more noises I'm hearing all over... I never mentioned all the squeaks, the groans, the thuds, the cracks… oh the cracks -makes me shudder...maybe I need another category?

I can feel the foam starting to expand, it’s like a huge metal door to a vault slowly closing and really quite hypnotic but it happens fast.... almost like a noise in itself.... sqquuwwsshhhhh....maybe now I can sleep..... I really do love my 10c wavy gravy earplugs.

Volvo Ocean Race

VOR - ERICSSON 3 LEG ONE DAY 15 QFB: received 25.10.08 2223 GMT

by Eivind Melleby - Helmsman/trimmer

‘Life at the Extreme’: that's the catchword for this race. So far it has been extremely wet, dark, hot, calm, beautiful, frustrating, fun and disappointing. All in all both many good and many bad experiences.

We still have left to experience the extreme cold and, not least, the frightening parts of this race. Since I have not done this race before I can only just imagine how it will be like with these boats, which has bigger muscles than any time before.
Maybe we will get a first taste of the more extreme conditions in the next coming days. It seems we will have breeze and waves enough for breaking the 24-hour-record on 563 NM, which means approximately 24 knots average.

We will have to hold on tight and stay concentrated to keep crew and equipment in one piece. We have a long trip in front of us.

Volvo Ocean Race

VOR - GREEN DRAGON LEG ONE DAY 15 QFB: received 25.10.08 1659 GMT

by Ian Walker - skipper

It’s been a tricky 36 hours on the Green Dragon as we have watched faster boats chip away at our lead and pass us to windward. It is easy to lose sight of the fact that it is day 14 and we are in sight of Puma and Ericsson fighting for the lead. We are punching above our weight and enjoying every second.

Now the wind has dropped and freed up a bit and we are no longer in 'stability reaching ' conditions we can feel a bit more confident about our speed. Our speed problem is simple - we have 460kg less lead in our bulb so power reaching and upwind in strong winds it will be difficult. Having said that, we are still learning the boat and the sail combinations and we know we can and will do a better job. We are collecting data all the time and using it to get faster.

Ahead of us now is a day or two of light air before the leaders pick up a cold front. This looks like being a significant feature which will literally launch us across the South Atlantic. It will be a rough ride and we have started preparing the boat for it and will rest up the crew. Everyone is getting on fine although Anthony Merrington (Youngster) incurred the wrath of Justin Slattery when he was called from his bunk for a sail change - he leapt up naked and threw on the first pair of shorts he could find - these were of course Justin’s.

No pants is one thing, but rushing upon the bow to help he got completely hosed from head to foot before returning the shorts to Justin - thanks mate!

You have to watch the Aussies!

Volvo Ocean Race

VOR - DELTA LLOYD LEG ONE DAY 15 QFB: received 25.10.08 1604 GMT

by Ger O Rourke - skipper

Delta Lloyd day 15, position 290nm east of Salvador, South America, heading south on a heading of 205 degrees. Boat speed 16 knots, wind speed 13.5 knots. Full Main after just shaking out a reef, mast head code zero (great sail).

The website gives Delta Lloyd as 6th which we are, as crow flies Fernando to Cape Town. We have ourselves at 7th. Still as we are first racing south to catch the weather systems there and E3 are further south so are ahead.

Given the compression of now five different weather systems moving through our race track our feeling is that the opportunity may present itself to close some of the leader’s gaps. Perhaps a location for a StealthPlay - let's see.

Media crewmember’s Apple PC went for a swim today when it fell into bilge water now not operating he is upset and will have to do his editing on land, he can still transmit photos. Not a good day.

Boat and crew in good shape looking forward to a steak and a South African red wine or two in the Cape. Our job list is long incl. a main engine change. Crew and shore support will get little rest in the approx 9 days before start of India Leg.

Cheers from Delta Lloyd

Volvo Ocean Race

VOR - ERICSSON 4 LEG ONE DAY 15 QFB: received 25.10.08 1216 GMT

by Brad Jackson – watch captain

The days have been rolling by very fast and we have been out here for 2 weeks already. It feels like we are on the home stretch now even though we have a lot of weather to get through before Cape Town.

The last 3 days into Cape Town sound wet and wild so we are enjoying being fairly dry and comfortable for another day or so before the low pressure comes and gets us and hopefully carries us most of the way to the finish.

We have had a good night and managed to get ourselves in front but not by much, this race reminds me of how tight the racing use to be in the Volvo 60 boats with the first 4 boats all in sight yesterday and of course we have Puma joined to us again which we are a little tired of.

The boys seem to be making up for Tony not being here but we notice the workload has gone up for everyone and we will miss his skills in the next few days.

I wanted to say hi to my oldest son Liam who follows this race permanently and I hope you are helping Mum with your brothers and behaving yourself, we are doing our best and will see you in Cape Town, Love Dad

Brad Jackson – watch captain

MCM note - Couple of bits of interest this morning, the first was Ryan (Godfrey) sporting a very white neck! Was he getting ready for London 2012 as a shot putter? No he just loves using Sudocrem for any minor scrape or scratch.

The other was the biggest flying fish I have seen - unfortunately it had arrived onboard over night and won’t be flying anymore. I reckon that if Chris Dickson had been hit by this fish in the Whitbread in ‘97, he would have had his head taken off rather than just the black eye he received!

Volvo Ocean Race

VOR - TELEFÓNICA BLUE LEG ONE DAY 15 QFB: received 25.10.08 1217 GMT

by Simon Fisher - navigator

Hi there!

It seems to be a dangerous strip of highway we are on today. We had a very near miss with a very nasty looking log covered in barnacles and metal and all sorts of other things that would be perfect for removing appendages.

After a quick breath of relief and some joking about how we may have found ourselves in the Porcao restaurant in Rio some months sooner than planned we had yet another near miss. This time it was something living. We couldn't make out properly what it was but judging by the hole it left in the water and the speed it went away it was pretty big and not best pleased to see us. We'll be sure to keep our eyes peeled for the rest of the afternoon!!

Despite the various obstacles in our path (including more clouds - but this time good ones with nice pressure and a quick chance of a shower), things are going OK. We seem to be connected by a rather long piece of elastic to the guys in front. They spent a bit of last night stretching it out but hopefully the slack is about to take up again and we should see the miles between us decrease. Fingers crossed...

There is not too much to complain about really, the sun is out, we have good breeze and we are going well. Obviously we are still aching to be higher up the rankings but hopefully with a little time and an awful lot of hard work that will come.

Cheers, until tomorrow,

Si Fi.

Volvo Ocean Race

VOR - TELEFÓNICA BLACK LEG ONE DAY 15 QFB: received 25.10.08 1004 GMT

by Mikel Pasabant

Hi everybody

As you can see, we are sailing at a pretty speed in 16 kts of breeze, reaching, so life on board is a little easier. We can boil water without having to hold the kettle so that it does not jump out of the galley!

The night passed with not many surprises, we still keep in sight with the Puma and still in the leading pack with Ericsson Int. and Green Dragon, who are sailing fantastically.

Yesterday we had a number of problems with the communications system on board, and we had to stay nearly all day dealing with resetting, shutting down computers and testing cable connections, but in the end we all managed to put everything to work.
We are sailing alongside the Brazilian coast, in search of the easterly winds which will take us to Cape Town, and we hope to be there as scheduled, around the 2nd or 3rd of Nov.

But first we will see what happens today. And tomorrow. And the next days.
And I will be here to tell you.

Volvo Ocean Race

VOR - PUMA Leg One Day 15 QFB: 0214 GMT

from Ken Read (skipper)

Three's company out here in the Atlantic. We have been accused of making this a match race so far because we have been in very close contact with E4 for just about all of the race. So today we lost E4 off to leeward and on comes Telefónica Black to take their spot in the rotation. They were quick jib reaching so we got another chance to go to school on our trim and learned a ton. Finally the breeze came aft and we got to put up some big gear and put them back on the horizon behind us pretty quick. Very nice feeling aboard "the monster" to find a nice angle that we like with a sail combination that we knew we liked and see it all work in short order.

So, a rest for the stressed you may think? No boats in sight for a while and we get to relax and enjoy one of the most beautiful nights I can ever remember? Forget it! As soon as we found a combination that put some distance on Black, all of a sudden E4 appears right in front of us about 3 miles away! Good news is we are slowly gaining on the two boats ahead. Bad news is the stress metre remains high. Actually on reflection I wouldn't call it stress at all. Just the competitive juices flowing at fairly high levels. All part of the sport I guess.

The horrid heat is slowly backing off and life down below is becoming a bit more tolerable. Doesn't mean it smells any better, just a bit more tolerable. We have one luxury on this yacht. One fan per person in each bunk. And you protect the health and well being of that fan as if it was your child. During the hottest days the fan was the only reprieve and made sleeping almost manageable. Remember, we have a black boat with a red cockpit floor. Pretty much a heat absorber on a good day (thanks Antonio).

Mix in light winds creating almost no circulation below, 11 stinky guys (a couple with terminal gas problems) and some bad freeze dried food--and you have the makings of a living condition that would be condemned in most states in the US. Check that- all states.

Besides that, life couldn't be any better. 11 boys getting along and pushing quite hard. Having company around us all the time tends to do that.

Kenny

Volvo Ocean Race

Sunday 26 October 2008

Volvo Ocean Race 2008-9 Leg 1: Image Collage


Water flies across the deck onboard Telefonica Blue as she races to catch the leading pack during Leg 1. Image copyright Gabriele Olivo/Equipo Telefonica/Volvo Ocean Race.


Stacking on il mostro as the fleet chases South during Leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09. Image copyright Rick Deppe/PUMA Ocean Racing/Volvo Ocean Race.


Mid-Bowman Anders Dahlsjö and Pitman Jens Dolmer wait for wind onboard Ericsson 3. Image copyright Gustav Morin/Ericsson Racing Team/Volvo Ocean Race.


Changing sails on Ericsson 3 as the fleet races South during Leg 1. Image copyright Gustav Morin/Ericsson Racing Team/Volvo Ocean Race.


A sail change aboard Ericsson 3 during Leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09. Image copyright Gustav Morin/Ericsson Racing Team/Volvo Ocean Race.


Ericsson 4 passes through the scoring gate at Fernando de Noronha, on leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.


Ericsson 4 passes through the scoring gate at Fernando de Noronha, on leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.


Green Dragon is first to pass through the scoring gate of Fernando de Noronha, on leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.

Visits by Neptune at the Equator


Team Russia's Media Crew Member Mark Covell receives Neptune's traditional punishment as he crosses the Equator for the first time aboard Kosatka during Leg 1. Image copyright Nick Bubb/Team Russia/Volvo Ocean Race.


Equator crossing on Ericsson 4, Phil Harmer and Ryan Godfrey tied to winch pedestal whilst the crew look on whilst King Neptune visits Ericsson 4 as they cross the equator on leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race. Image copyright Guy Salter/Ericsson 4/Volvo Ocean Race.


Ben Costello mends a sail onboard Team Russia, on leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race. Image copyright Mark Covell/Team Russia/Volvo Ocean Race.


Anthony Merrington climbs the mast in the Doldrums. on leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race. Image copyright Guo Chuan/Green Dragon Racing/Volvo Ocean Race.


Bowman Justin Slattery take a hit from a wave on leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race. Image copyright Guo Chuan/Green Dragon Racing/Volvo Ocean Race.


Ericsson 4 in the Doldrums on leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race. Image copyright Guy Salter/Ericsson 4/Volvo Ocean Race.

Life on Board


Justin Ferris repairs the spinnaker onboard PUMA Ocean Racing's il mostro on leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race. Image copyright Rick Deppe/PUMA Ocean Racing/Volvo Ocean Race.


Ian Moore and Tom Braidwood take 5 minutes to relax below decks on leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race. Image copyright Guo Chuan/Green Dragon Racing/Volvo Ocean Race.


Laurent Pages checking the trimming onboard Telefonica Blue on leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race. Image copyright Gabriele Olivo/Equipo Telefonica/Volvo Ocean Race.


Freddie Shanks grinding on leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race. Image copyright Guo Chuan/Green Dragon Racing/Volvo Ocean Race.

Volvo Ocean Race 2008-9

HSBC Premier Coastal Classic - from it all a winner has emerged!


Taeping. Image copyright Richard Gladwell.

Taeping wins HSBC Premier Coastal Classic – but over half of fleet withdraws

by Zoe Hawkins

UPDATED 0830 SATURDAY - The most challenging HSBC Premier Coastal Classic yacht race in many years has been won, for the second year in a row, by Dave Andrews’ 44 foot trimaran, Taeping. Taeping finished at 0023hrs Saturday morning and was followed into Russell by Simon Hull’s Transpac 52, V5, at 0109hrs.

By 0800hrs, 11 more boats had arrived in Russell. They were the canting keeled 50 footer Sportivo, the iconic expatriate Kiwi boat Ragtime (nee Infidel) and Predictwind.com skippered by Jon Bilger. Another 12 were on the final leg from Cape Brett. 137 of the original 229 entrants had withdrawn because of the uncomfortable conditions or gear breakages.

This includes the SR26 Space Station, whose crew were safely rescued after running aground in their boat at Mangawhai. Coastguard Shift Officer Mark Fletcher says the boat withdrew from the race and advised that they were heading to Whangarei Harbour. However they became disorientated and ran aground. They activated an EPIRB and made contact with the fire department via cell phone. A co-ordinated effort between the local surf club and Whangarei Coastguard ensured they were recovered quickly and safely. They were already ashore at the time they were found, and the boat itself was recovered intact several hours later.

The fleet has mostly seen 20-30 knots of breeze since it left Auckland at 10am yesterday morning. But it wasn’t the strength so much as the direction and the seastate that caused problems for some boats. And while a few retired due to breakages, most took the cautious option of dropping out at or near Kawau where they knew they could anchor safely overnight or run with the wind for an easier journey back to Auckland.

High profile withdrawals included early leader Sundreamer, Dan Slater’s Line 7 Marine, the hot off the blocks Farr 55, Living Doll and the canting keelers Ran Tan II and Wired.

Taeping was up against more than the elements: Skipper Greg Roake was forced to climb the mast during the race start to fix equipment, forcing a delay of approximately ten minutes, and the boat anchored at Kawau for 30 minutes to carry out more permanent repairs. But the last three quarters of the race seemed designed for Taeping which was able to maintain very high averages throughout the race.

“Upwind we were doing speeds of around 12-13 knots. But when the wind was in the east and we had to plug back out from the coast the seas were too big, so we slowed down to 6s and 7s to get to the coast, then we'd go back up to 13s. We went right in close to the hen and chicks, where there were some good gusts in flat water and we were hitting 19s and 20s. We sat on 21 into Brett,” says Greg Roake.

“It was just amazing in the dark. The port light was glowing red with the spray coming off the leeward hull. It was unbelievable, a moment to cherish.”

He says that once the boat settled into a rhythm, they found the conditions fairly steady.

“Congratulations to the winners,” says David Griffiths, CEO of HSBC New Zealand. “The conditions were particularly challenging and to succeed as a race winner is a demonstration of their seamanship and tenacity. The day has been exciting and has delivered superb racing.”

The remainder of the fleet are expected to finish through the day today, a long way off the current race record set in 1996 by Split Enz for 7 hours and 20 minutes. The breeze is forecast to return with some strength from the north-west this morning, turning south-west later in the afternoon.

The HSBC Premier Coastal Classic is the biggest coastal yacht race in New Zealand, and one of the biggest in the world. It started life 26 years ago as a drag race between Auckland and Russell for just a few boats, and over the years attracted a bigger and more diverse fleet, consisting of grand prix racers, America’s Cup boats, and small family cruisers.

Organised by the New Zealand Multihull Yacht Club, it is a race designed for speed: except for at the beginning and the end of the race, there are few opportunities to use tactics to overtake, and success can often depend on getting a good tactical start.

As well as welcoming back principal sponsor HSBC, the HSBC Premier Coastal Classic is supported by some of New Zealand’s pre-eminent marine companies: Donaghys Southern Ocean, Harken, Line 7, Cookson Boats and Sail NZ, as well as the Duke of Marlborough Hotel, Steinlager, Maxxium, the Sunday Star Times, Trade-A-Boat magazine, De Walt, Dirty Dog and Yamaha Motors NZ.

Hundreds watched the start from Devonport Wharf, North Head, Orakei Wharf. The race website, www.coastalclassic.co.nz is updated regularly with photos, commentary and radio positions.

Top Ten Finishers on line:

1) TAEPING25/10 00:23:39
2) V525/10 01:09:35
3) SPORTIVO25/10 02:55:21
4) RAGTIME25/10 04:20:34
5) PREDICTWIND.COM25/10 04:35:04
6) SABABA25/10 04:42:57
7) ANTAEUS25/10 04:48:17
8) HOOTERS25/10 04:56:15
9) STARLIGHT EXPRESS25/10 05:03:38
10) WILD CARD25/10 06:15:57

HSBC Premier Coastal Classic

HSBC Premier Coastal Classic: The Race That Roared!


Oki Max at Rangitoto Light – Oki Max is a design that suits this year’s conditions. Image copyright Zoe Hawkins/HSBC Premier Coastal Classic.

Mass withdrawals from race fleet, but others soldier on

by Zoe Hawkins

77 boats have retired from today’s HSBC Premier Coastal Classic because of challenging headwinds and difficult seas. With a front due to pass over Northland on Friday evening, boats that continue on have been advised to expect winds of 30-40 knots and big seas.

Of an original 229 entrants, around 30 boats withdrew prior to the start, and the remainder departed Auckland at 10am, bound for Russell in the Bay of Islands, a 119 nautical mile marathon.

Last year’s winner Taeping and the Open 8.5m Hooters were the first to radio in at Sail Rock, Taeping being in contention despite stopping to fix equipment a number of times. The Elliott 16 Go, and the big 50 foot canting keelers, V5, Sportivo and Anteaus make up the remainder of the line honours contenders. Ragtime (nee Infidel), the legendary John Spencer designed boat built for Sir Tom Clark and which returned to New Zealand for this race has also featured strongly.

Vincent says the leaders are making very good progress. “Sail Rock is half way, it’s six hours since the gun, so they are averaging 10 knots. They are doing well.”

The fleet has consistently seen 20-30 knots of breeze from the north-east, but a predicted easterly swing could make life a little easier for many of the boats. A front bringing a direction change is expected to pass through later tonight or on Saturday.

New Zealand Multihull Yacht Club spokesperson Vincent says it was expected that a number of starters would withdraw in the first half. “It’s the direction of the wind, not the strength, that presents the major issue,” he says. “Anybody finding the conditions difficult can turn around and sail away from it on the way home, or shelter at Kawau if necessary.”


Woolly Jumper anchored to effect repairs, but is battling north. Image copyright Zoe Hawkins/HSBC Premier Coastal Classic.

High profile withdrawals include early leader Sundreamer, Dan Slater’s Line 7 Marine, the hot off the blocks Farr 55, Living Doll and the canting keelers Ran Tan II and Wired.

The first boats are expected to arrive in Russell late on Friday evening.

The HSBC Premier Coastal Classic is the biggest coastal yacht race in New Zealand, and one of the biggest in the world. It started life 26 years ago as a drag race between Auckland and Russell for just a few boats, and over the years attracted a bigger and more diverse fleet, consisting of grand prix racers, America’s Cup boats, and small family cruisers.

Organised by the New Zealand Multihull Yacht Club, it is a race designed for speed: except for at the beginning and the end of the race, there are few opportunities to use tactics to overtake, and success can often depend on getting a good tactical start.

The race can take as little as seven or eight hours for the very fastest boats in a southerly, or as long as two days for the slowest boats in light conditions.

As well as welcoming back principal sponsor HSBC, the HSBC Premier Coastal Classic is supported by some of New Zealand’s pre-eminent marine companies: Donaghys Southern Ocean, Harken, Line 7, Cookson Boats and Sail NZ, as well as the Duke of Marlborough Hotel, Steinlager, Mount Gay Rum, the Sunday Star Times, Trade-A-Boat magazine, De Walt, Dirty Dog and Yamaha Motors NZ.

Hundreds watched the race start from Devonport Wharf, North Head, Orakei Wharf.

HSBC Coastal Classic

Dan Slater Wins United States National Finn Championships

by Zoe Hawkins

Kiwi Dan Slater has become US National Champion in the Finn class, after winning three races out of a possible eight in the championship event held from 17-19 October in San Francisco.

Slater, who placed twelfth in the Finn class at Qindao, and was second in the World Championships in Melbourne last January, was racing a borrowed boat and finished ahead of the Olympic Silver medallist from Qingdao, Zach Railey.

33 boats were entered. Dan finished on 14 points, one point ahead of second place getter, Canadian Richard Clarke, and six points ahead of Railey.

“For me this was a great chance to do some Finn racing again, and Zach Railey and Richard Clark made the competition really tough,” says Dan.

“Over the three days we had 8-18 knots. Racing was really close and although the three of us dominated the racing, it was mixed up in a few races as well.”

Racing was held from 17-19 October by the St Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco and Dan has now returned to New Zealand to compete in his trimaran, Line 7 Marine, in the HSBC Premier Coastal Classic yacht race.

Paul Cayard to Speak at World Yacht Racing Forum


Paul Cayard. Image copyright Oscar Kihlborg/Volvo Ocean Race.

World renowned yachtsman Paul Cayard to attend the World Yacht Racing Forum, 10-11 December at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco

by Bernard Schopfer

Organisers of the World Yacht Racing Forum are pleased to announce Paul Cayard as one of the guest speakers at the inaugural two day conference in Monaco this December.

Cayard joins an already impressive list of speakers and panellists including Team Alinghi skipper Brad Butterworth (NZL), CEO of Team Origin Sir Keith Mills (GBR), world champion sailor Peter Gilmour (AUS), Volvo Ocean Race CEO Knut Frostad, Founder of the Louis Vuitton Cup Bruno Troublé, World Match Racing Tour President Scott Macleod, IMOCA Executive Director Franck David, Team Shosholosa CEO Salvatore Sarno, and many more.

Paul Cayard (USA) is one of the most successful sailors in the last 25 years. A veteran round the world sailor, Cayard skippered Team EF Language to victory in the 1988 Whitbread Round the World, and finished a narrow second behind Team ABN Amro in the 2005-2006 edition of the Volvo Ocean Race as skipper of Disney’s ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’.

A two time-Olympic sailor and seven-time sailing world champion, Cayard is no stranger to the yacht racing scene, having competed in six America’s Cup’s and won the 1992 Louis Vuitton Cup as skipper of the Italian entry ‘Il Moro di Venezia’.

“The yacht racing community needs a forum like this,” stated Cayard. ”The Forum will address some very interesting views on the future opportunities of the sport and I am looking forward to participating.”

The World Yacht Racing Forum will take place from 10-11 December at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco. Hosted by the Yacht Club de Monaco under the patronage of HSH Prince Albert II, the Forum has brought together some of the best known sailing events, racing teams, sponsors and venues to meet, network and debate key issues around the business of yacht racing.

The two day schedule will feature presentations and panel discussions on key subjects including the global growth of yacht racing, maximising the exposure of the sport to media and broadcast, the growth of classic yacht racing, assessing the impact of events on host cities and venues, learning the value of sailing sponsorship, and the rise of yacht racing events in the Middle East and Asia. There will also be a separate panel discussion on the future of the America’s Cup, and the future of multihull racing.

The Yacht Racing Forum is co-located with the 3rd edition of the well established Motorsport Business Forum, also taking place at the Grimaldi Forum from 10-11 December. Delegates from both Forums will have exclusive dual access to the exhibitor areas of each Forum plus an invitation to the ‘Track & Ocean’ cocktail party jointly hosted by both Forums.

World Yacht Racing Forum

Harken Announces Partnership with Mirsky Racing Team

by Kinley Fowler

Harken Yacht Equipment, the world’s leading manufacturer and marketer of yacht racing equipment recently named Torvar Mirsky and his Mirsky Racing Team (MRT) as it newest members of the prestigious Harken Speed Team.

Harken and Mirsky Racing Team began talks after Torvar was awarded the Seahorse Sailor of the Month in April. “We took notice of the strong performances this young team was putting out on the global match racing scene,” explained Bill Goggins, Harken’s commercial manager. Harken Australia’s managing director Carl Watson and I agreed it would be good to pursue a relationship with Torvar and team.”

Torvar Mirsky and team join an impressive group of sailors, including fellow Australians Iain Murray, James Spithill, and Seve Jarvin, all members of Harken Australia’s Speed Team.

“Our team has reached a number of milestones this season, both on the ISAF, and World Tour rankings and it is really great for these achievements to be recognized by a premier brand such as Harken. I’m thrilled to be part of such an elite team,” explained Mirsky.

MRT burst onto the international match racing circuit in 2007, winning the ISAF Grade 1 Internationaux de France halfway through their season. This important victory has seen the young team climb to 4th place in the world rankings just one year on.

Building on their success in the World Match Racing Tour showed them finishing second place in the Match Cup held in Sweden. They are now sitting in 4th place overall on the tour, and have a confirmed entry into the Tour’s final, the Monsoon Cup in December.

Mirsky Racing Team

HSBC Premier Coastal Classic Preview

Tough race predicted for north-bound sailing fleet

by Zoe Hawkins

On the nose, close hauled, sailing uphill, beating to weather, punching into it, pounding into it, smacking the snorer, doing the dead maggot or taking the elevator – whatever you call sailing into a headwind, the long range forecast for this weekend’s HSBC Premier Coastal Classic Auckland to Russell Yacht Race suggests a toughie.

The forecast for the race start on Friday morning varies according to who you talk to, but likely to be a moderate to strong northerly or, at best, an easterly. And that could mean a long day and night at sea for the estimated 1,000 sailors taking part. It also means this could be one of the rare years that a keelboat takes overall line honours over the multihulls.

“Northerlies in this race aren’t uncommon, but we generally expect the wind to come from the south at this time of year,” says race spokesperson Jon Vincent. “These conditions leave the opportunity wide open for a keelboat to take line honours – although it’s too early to make a firm prediction and the forecast could easily change between now and race day.”

Nearly 230 boats are entered in what is regarded as one of the greatest races in the world, and thought to be the biggest yacht race of its type in the Southern Hemisphere.

Only five keelboats have ever won the HSBC Premier Coastal Classic in its 26 year history - multihulls by their nature are lighter and swifter, but they also favour downwind races where the breeze comes from the south-west or south-east. The last time that a keelboat won was in 2004, and that was no ordinary boat and at 98 feet long was nearly twice the size of the favourites in this year’s race. The Farr 50 Georgia, newly launched, took line honours in 2000. The Davidson 66 Antaeus won in 1992, and Future Shock took line honours in 1991, after 25 hours and five minutes. Emotional Rescue was the first monohull to win the race, in 1989.

If the forecast holds true, favourites for this year’s race are the spectacular fleet of fifty foot-swing keelers: Formula One, V5, Sportivo, Systems Thunder, Ran Tan II and Wired.

A very new addition to the fleet, the Farr 55 Living Doll, will be using the event as her maiden race. While lack of tuning and crew practice could be a factor in such a new boat, her size and leading edge modern design should give her a running edge. The boat is owned by Melbourne yachtsman Michael Hiatt, and was built in Auckland by Cookson Boats.

But the big multihulls can’t be written off, particularly X-Factor (winner, 2006) whose 55 feet of waterline and heavy design makes her a contender in offshore conditions from any direction.

If the breeze lightens off or swings to the south, last year’s line honours winner Taeping, and second place getter Line 7 Marine, crewed by Dan Slater fresh from the Beijing Olympics, will be well up the front.

Wildcards for line honours are Lion New Zealand – Sir Peter Blake’s former Whitbread campaigner was built for races like this – and Ragtime – formerly Infidel, a 44 year old boat which at nearly 20m long has travelled from California to do this race. Dirty Deeds, an Open 8.5m multihull, was launched this winter and claims an occasional win against Taeping in winter racing.

“The HSBC Premier Coastal Classic is shaping up to be absolutely terrific,” says David Griffiths, HSBC New Zealand CEO. “We are very excited about seeing the boats line up for a spectacular start off Devonport Wharf and being there to welcome them to Russell. It’s one of the best weekends of the year for us.”

The HSBC Premier Coastal Classic started life 26 years ago as a drag race between Auckland and Russell for just a few boats, and over the years attracted a bigger and more diverse fleet, consisting of grand prix racers, America’s Cup boats, and small family cruisers.

Organised by the New Zealand Multihull Yacht Club, it is a race designed for speed: except for at the beginning and the end of the race, there are few opportunities to use tactics to overtake, and success can often depend on getting a good tactical start.

The race can take as little as seven or eight hours for the very fastest boats, or as long as two days for the slowest boats in light conditions.

As well as welcoming back principal sponsor HSBC, the HSBC Premier Coastal Classic is supported by some of New Zealand’s pre-eminent marine companies: Donaghys Southern Ocean, Harken, Line 7, Cookson Boats and Sail NZ, as well as the Duke of Marlborough Hotel, Steinlager, Mount Gay Rum, the Sunday Star Times, Trade-A-Boat magazine, De Walt, Dirty Dog and Yamaha Motors NZ.

For those watching the race start from ashore, prime vantage points are Devonport Wharf, North Head, Orakei Wharf and the race website, which will be updated regularly with photos, commentary and radio positions throughout the race.

QUICK FACTS
The Start: Watch from approx 9.30am Friday 24 Oct, first divisions away at 10am
The Course: 119 nautical miles from Devonport Wharf in Auckland to Russell Wharf in the Bay of Islands
The Entrants: 230 race yachts
New Boats: The Farr 55 ‘Living Doll’, a swing keeled Elliott 9m ‘Overload’, Open 8.5m multihull ‘Dirty Deeds’, and the Ross 30, ‘Physical Favours’
Overseas Entries: ‘Living Doll’ (Australia), ‘Ragtime’ (USA), ‘Internautic 6’ (New Caledonia)
Oldest Entrant: Jim Allen, 86, skipper ‘Zgy’ of Birkenhead
Youngest Entrant: Nick Egnot-Johnson, 10, son of America’s Cup and Olympic sailor Leslie Egnot racing on ‘Marshall Law’
Multihull Record: 7h20.51 set by Split Enz in 1996
Monohull Record: 8h29.50 set by Zana in 2005
The Organizing Authority: The New Zealand Multihull Yacht Club

HSBC Coastal Classic