Live Sail Die
Reputations on the Line
By Ian Grant
Proud International yacht racing reputations will be placed on the line when a World standard fleet compete for the prestigious Audi Hamilton Island Race Week IRC championship trophy from August 22-30.
The battle lines will be drawn off Hamilton Island tomorrow (Saturday) when the record fleet representing various high performance yachts from the International champion maxi and former Hamilton Island Race Week line honours champion Shockwave Club-Marine (Andrew Short) to slower yachts contesting the casual cruising class face the start for championship points in the Lindeman Island race.
A warm and pleasant 10-15 knot South East trade is expected to provide ideal sailing conditions for the Lindeman Island race before a robust ‘Southerly Buster’ with squalls to 30 knots promises to turn the regatta into a supreme ‘torture test’ of heavy wind sailing technique over the Whitsunday Island waters on Sunday.
This complex weather pattern will provide an exciting start to the 25th Anniversary regatta which has attracted former Olympians, Americas Cup sailors and Sydney Hobart Race winners in a duel for what promises to be the most exciting battle of sailing science and endurance ever staged in the history of this spectacular International regatta.
Size and sail power favours the Andrew Short skippered maxi Shockwave Club Marine to start as favourite to win the fastest yacht of the regatta trophy but this combination will have no margin for error with the super fast trio of maxi-chasers Wild Oats X (Mark Richards), Black Jack (Mark Bradford) and the Steven David skippered Admirals Cup champion Wild Joe possessing the capable crew skills and boat speed to cause an upset.
Special interest will focus on an Americas Cup type match race between the almost identical Wild Oats X and the new Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron challenger Black Jack.
Wild Oats X will have an edge in crew experience with Bob Oatley’s Rolex Sydney-Hobart champions on board but the Black Jack crew will be race ready for a tactical ‘dogfight’ with skipper Mark Bradford pitching his 2008 Americas Cup racing skills against the proven long and short distance race winners on Wild Oats X.
Last Tornado Race at the Games
‘Start of the third Tornado race - 2008 Olympic Regatta - Day 10 -’ Richard Gladwell
When the Tornado sailors line up for the start of the medal race today I’m sure it will be emotional. Today is the last race at an Olympic Games for the high performance Tornado catamaran…
From Sail-World.com & Australian Sailing Team Media
The Aussies need to finish the medal race two places ahead of Spain to take the Gold medal, but they also need to cover third-placed Argentina. For Argentina to win Gold, they need to finish at least three places ahead of Australia and five places ahead of Spain.
However, Bundock and Ashby are the only crew in the Tornado fleet to cross the finish line in the top ten in every race of this regatta.
The consistency of the world’s current number one ranked team and their ability to perform in the pressure cooker environment of a medal race will be critical in determining what colour medal they win tomorrow. Based on their medal race history over the past two years, the team has every reason to expect a positive outcome.
The wind is forecast to whip up with possible gusts up to 18 knots. However, no matter the strength of the breeze, the windshifts remain the biggest challenge for competitors on Fushan Bay.
‘You need to have eyes in the back of your head here, looking out for the shifts and changes,’ said Ashby.
‘We’ve proven that we go well in light, medium and heavy conditions and we’re happy to sail in anything.’
The Australians are highly experienced, with 11 world titles between them. While they are based in different states, with Bundock on the NSW Central Coast and Ashby in Victoria’s Bendigo, they spend so much time travelling and competing together they are almost a single entity on the boat.
This year alone, they have won the Australian Championships, Sail Melbourne, Sail Auckland, the Holland Regatta, the SOF Heyeres Regatta in France and the World Championships. Their ability to tame the Qingdao waters has already been proven with Silver at the 2007 Olympic Sailing Test Event.
‘We’ve been very consistent in difficult conditions and we’re looking good for a medal,’ said Bundock, who knows the thrill of Olympic success, having won a Silver medal with John Forbes at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
‘Tomorrow’s a big day - we’re just going to go for it and try to win.’
Can they do it?!?!?
Goodluck Jessica!
Qingdao Olympic Regatta 2008. RS:X. Jessica Crisp (AUS). - Guy Nowell ©
Aussie RS:X sailor Jessica Crisp definitely has a chance at a medal
“While Gold is a stretch given Yin has shown such dominance in this regatta, Silver or Bronze are very real opportunities for Crisp, particularly because of the double points up for grabs in the medal race.” AST Media
Laser & Radial Medal Races Today
Sarah Blanck
Photograph:Jack Atley
Moving focus away from the 49ers, Yngling and 470s it’s now time to zoom in on the Men’s Laser and Women’s Laser Radial classes.
Aussie Sarah Blanck is placed 4th going into the medal race and still has a very good chance to claim a medal. Current world champion Tom Slingsby didn’t manage to make the top ten and therefore misses out on racing in the medal event.
So best of luck to Sarah! She really does deserve a medal.
And in the Laser class - may the best sailor win.
Aussies claim double GOLD in 470
Fox Sports
AUSTRALIA’S double-handed dinghy crew of Elise Rechichi and Tessa Parkinson have won the Olympic gold medal in the women’s 470 event at the Beijing Games sailing regatta in Qingdao.
Their win makes it a double for Australia in the 470 class, with Nathan Wilmot and Malcolm Page taking gold in the men’s earlier.
CONGRATULATIONS!
Johnson & Johnson Athlete Support Program
Regardless of the 49er Medal Race results, Nathan Outteridge’s parents would still be proud.
Nathan’s dad Tony received a Johnson & Johnson Athlete Support Grant which enabled him to travel to Beijing to watch his some race in the Olympic Games.
The Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies is a Proud Partner of the Australian Olympic Team and a Worldwide Partner of the International Olympic Committee and the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. We believe playing sport and being active together can help families form closer bonds.
The first grant of $5,000 from the Johnson & Johnson Athlete Family Support Program was awarded to Tony Outteridge, the father of Australian Olympic Sailing Team representative, Nathan Outteridge. Tony will use the grant to travel to Beijing to support Nathan in his first Olympic Games.
Nathan nominated his father for the Johnson & Johnson Athlete Family Support Program, paying homage to the sacrifices made by his dad, and indeed the entire family, to help him become an Olympian.
In addition to financial support and endless hours spent fixing equipment and preparing for competitions, Tony was instrumental in Nathan’s rehabilitation after a near-fatal car accident in 2005 at age 17. Sustaining severe spinal injuries and facing the prospect of never walking again, Nathan not only got back on his feet but has gone on to become one of Australia’s elite sportspeople.
“Without the support of my dad, I would never have got back to the top in the sport I love,” said Nathan. “He is an incredible source of inspiration and I am thrilled that he can now be with me in the biggest competition of my life.”
“Dad made incredible sacrifices, like increasing the mortgage, to afford the travel costs, equipment and boats I needed for training and competing. He also spent countless hours in the shed fixing and re-rigging the boats while teaching me many of the practical skills that now help me compete,” said Nathan.
Check out the TV Commercial here >>
Australian Finn sailor Anthony Nossiter also received the grant to get his Dad to the Games as well.
Mainstream news site photo gallery
Aussie 49er crew Ben Austin manages a smile during an interview
Click here to view the photo gallery of the 49er medal race on ninemsn.com.au
The day began as promising as any other, perhaps better, as Australia’s 49er and Yngling medal hopefuls headed out onto Fushan Bay on the first real day of fast winds and lively seas.
But it descended into the worst possible nightmare, particularly for Nathan Outteridge and Ben Austin who capsized twice on the last leg of their medal race, robbing them of at least a bronze medal - the weather again ruining dreams of Olympic glory.
Austin struggled to sum up their pair’s disappointment, after they finished fifth overall, while Denmark claimed the gold, Spain the silver and Germany the bronze.
Whale mistakes yacht for Mummy
While surfing news site for Olympic news I stumbled across this…
Observers say the whale has mistaken a yacht for its mother. (Nine)
A humpback whale calf has lost its mother and is struggling with injuries within Sydney’s Pittwater inlet.
The calf may be just one month old and has most likely injured itself by rubbing up against boats at Pittwater.
Observers say the calf has mistaken an 11m yacht for its mother, swimming around the boat and nuzzling it.
The National Parks and Wildlife say it is most likely the calf has been abandoned by its mother because it was not well.
“It is only one to two months old and would not have been weaned yet from its mother. The outlook is not good, but we are giving the calf its only option,” said regional manager Chris McIntosh.
“It can’t be fed, and in fact we wouldn’t know what to feed it.”
“We are towing its mother substitute out to deeper waters in the hope it may hook up with another whale or may find its mother.”
A NSW Department of Environment spokesperson urged the public to stay away from the young whale.
The annual whale migration season is underway and several have been spotted off Sydney beaches in recent days.
Humpbacks breed every one to three years, with a gestation period lasting up to 12 months.
Scientists believe the mammals can live up to 80 years.
Let’s hope the authorities can get this young whale a real adoptive mother somewhere out to sea.
Gold gold GOLD!
Elise Rechichi & Tessa Parkinson 2007 ISAF Worlds - Photo source
In Sydney 2000 Australia won Gold in the Men’s and Women’s 470 class. In Beijing 2008 they could very well do that again!
The men’s crew of Nathan Wilmot and Malcolm Page have secured the gold and really can’t lose with the girls just a few tacks and gybes away from snatching gold as well.
Then there are the boys in the 49er, Nathan Outteridge and Ben Austin - they too could secure gold for Australia.
Sailjuice through Sail-World.com writes:
‘I feel like chicken tonight…’
Olympic sailing has its first Gold Medal , without needing a Medal Race The Olympic Regatta saw the first gold medal won today, but it didn’t come from a Medal Race.
It was the Australian 470 sailors, Nathan Wilmot and Malcolm Page, who sailed a phenomenal series. All they’ve got to do in the Medal Race is sail around and finish the race. Wilmot and Page are impossibly tall for the 470. They’ve been on a self-imposed diet for the best part of a decade, to stay competitive for a boat designed for little people. The diet stops tonight. ‘I don’t what I’ll be eating, but it’ll be a lot,’ said skipper Wilmot.
The Aussie 470 girls have all but wrapped up their gold medal too. A 16th place for the Dutch team means they will struggle to beat Elise Rechichi and Tessa Parkinson for the Olympic crown, although the gap back to 3rd place is also quite large, so Marcelien de Koning and Lobke Berkhout are all but assured of silver.
It certainly is a happy day for Australian sailors!
Can Tom Slingsby recover?
From Australian Sailing Team website
Ranked #1 in the world, can Australian Laser Sailor Tom Slingsby recover after his three mid fleet results?
Can he still win the Gold Medal???
Laser Class After 3 Races – AUS 23rd
The wind had dropped to only two knots for the Laser race, making it hard going. In the tough conditions, Tom Slingsby again finished mid-fleet at 21st over the line and is now also 21st overall with 64 points. Italy lead with 14 points, Portugal is second (16 points) and Argentina is third (23 points).
Laser Top 3
1 - ITA - 14 points
2 - POR - 16 points
3 - ARG - 23 points
AUS - 21st - 64 points
We certainly hope he can…
Keep sailing hard Tom!
ISAF: Decisions, decisions
Darrn Bundock & Glen Ashby at the 2008 European Championships in Greece - from the Australian Sailing Team website
From Sail-World.com - By Bob Fisher
While the subject of Code Zero sails in the Tornado class continues to cause unrest at the Olympic regatta, the international body for the sport should be carefully considering the open letter to President Goran Petersson from the UK Catamaran Racing Association’s president, Nick Dewhirst.
Dewhirst pulls no punches in his plea for reconsideration of the decision to eliminate multihulls from the Olympics, sending the letter to a magazine in the form of an advertisement because he points out that: ‘you have previously responded to our earlier research and suggestions only through the media.’
That original decision-making at Cascais in November last year was severely criticized throughout the sailing community and among members of the ISAF Council but despite Petersson ‘s recommendation that it should be re-affirmed at the mid-year meeting in May, the Councillors voted to review the decision.
Controversial Code O
The Dutch Sailing Team announced today (Sunday) that Mitch Booth has registered his highly controversial Code O Tornado gennaker with the measurers at the Olympic regatta at Qingdao and that they have accepted it, subject to measurement, as a legitimate sail for use in the regatta. At time of press, the sail had not been measured but Booth believes this should present no problem.
This sail, which he has spent several months developing, is considered by many to define where the medals will go, depending on the weather conditions.
Booth believes that the sail has a considerable advantage around the course over a normally rigged Tornado with a standard asymmetric spinnaker in winds of up to 11 knots. Only then, in stronger breezes, does the normal rig prove faster – the greater area of the standard gennaker produces more horsepower downwind and the jib is sufficiently powerful upwind.
While the arguments for and against this sail rage around the Tornado docks, Booth explained the reasons behind his developing this sail: ‘The advantage upwind makes up for the disadvantage downwind. For every Olympic Games the designing process of the best possible equipment starts all over again.
Sailors Fly Their Flag
Six sailors will feature amongst the 204 flagbearers participating in the Opening Ceremony of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad.
The International Olympic Committee announced the list of the flagbearers for the 204 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) shortly before the Opening Ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games at the National Stadium in Beijing at 20:08 on 8 August 2008.
The six sailors who will lead their national teams into the ‘Bird’s Nest’ were:
Belgium - Sebastien GODEFROID
Uruguay - Alejandro FOGLIA
Brazil - Robert SCHEIDT
Indonesia - Gusti Made Oka SULAKSANA
Ireland - Ciara PEELO
Austria - Hans Peter STEINACHER
On the honour of being selected as flagbearer, PEELO commented, “The Olympic Games themselves are an inspiration. Honour will help to motivate me to do the best for my country at the Games.”
Australia’s Sailing Flag Bearers have been:
1960 Rome - Alexander “Jock” Sturrock
2004 Athens - Colin Beashel
Who watched the opening ceremony on TV?
3 Boat Lengths in the 2009-12 Rulebook
One of the bigger changes in the new rule book are the changes to the mark room zone rules.
The previously blury 2 boat lengths is now a more solid 3 boat lengths. Here’s the new definition of a zone:
Zone: The area around a mark within a distance of three hull lengths of the boat nearer to it. A boat is in the zone when any part of her hull is in the zone.
I had someone ask me the other week how I thought 3 boat lengths would change the tactics in Team Racing. The short and long answer is that it won’t. The new Appendix D changes the definition back to 2 boat lengths…
D1.1(a) In the definition Zone the distance is changed to two hull lengths.
There will be a small change in the rules effect on Team Racing. One of the reasons behind changing 2 boats lengths to 3 was to seek to clear up a lot of the confusion with the hazy distance that was two boat lengths in the 2005-08 rules.
Rule 18.1 previously stated that Rule 18 applied when the boats began to round or pass the obstruction. This meant that in heavy winds and/or with spinnakers, the distance could be 3 or 4 boat lengths. At times it was a judgement call on the behalf of the competitor, judge or umpire.
No more! In the new rules the zone is fixed by the definition, so the zone in Team Racing is now always 2 boat lengths, not when the boats are “about to round or pass”. This should seek to clear up the confusion around when mark room begins to apply and make it easier on competitors and umpires alike.
Jos at Look to Windward also discussed the changes over on his blog
Live Sail Die Insider No Crap Olympic Preview (Part One)
By Charles Olney
The venueAn insult to Olympic athletes. This is just another example of the IOC and ISAF showing complete disrespect to all sailors. With sailing having difficulty maintaining its position in the Olympics at all, its hard to fathom why this venue was chosen in the first place and, approved by all the powers that be.
There are better alternatives in China and Hong Kong and it’s a shame that sailing will now be depicted as a novelty event, rather than as an elite competition to decide the worlds best.. Most public interest will be centred around whether the algae problem has been fixed, not on the incredible skills and talents on display in the event itself. Didn’t the nations bidding for the 2008 games have some basic guidelines to work with? No GOLD here!
The Australian Sailing Team (AST)With the exception of the Laser, the Olympic classes fleets are almost non existent in Australia..Try and find a competitive fleet of Stars or Finns! The result is that some classes had NO competition for selection at all and NO competitor could be found for the Mens RSX!
This makes the task of the AST so very difficult.
But it seems that rather than address the underlying issues, the focus has been to grab only the already successful junior talent, and put all the effort and funding into one, or at best two crews in each class. Very shortsighted and disrespectful towards those who are not quite on their radar screen …… YET!
Until AST/YA understands that this is a sport made up of more than just Sydneysiders and legends, then all actions and results will be viewed as ‘short-term’ glory. The team was in almost exactly the same position going into the 2004 games in Athens. No medals to the ‘medal - maker’,then!
The funding is NOT an issue, as some AST members have been overheard discussing the problem of ‘how’ to spend all the money!
There is no doubt that the sailors will bust their guts for AUS and hopefully all will win Gold. It is, however, highly unlikely, so even one medal will be a welcome improvement on 2004.
One wonders what will happen to funding if NO medals in 2008
Part two will look at our medal prospects.
Black Jack takes line honours in Club Marine Brisbane to Keppel
At 20:13:13 hours Sunday 3rd August Peter Harburg’s Reichel Pugh 66 Black Jack slid across the finish line of the Club Marine Brisbane to Keppel Tropical Yacht Race.
As this is the first running of the race to the new destination Black Jack has set a race record that’s going to be tough to beat.
They finished the race almost in complete darkness with only torches and a spectacular meteorite shower lighting the waters of Keppel Bay.
Sailing with their Code 0 at an extraordinary 6 knots in only 3 knots of easterly breeze, the crew received a shout out from spectator craft that were following their progress from this afternoon.
Skipper Mark Bradford was extremely happy with the yacht and the crew he hand-selected.
“We were pretty lucky with the wind but it does look like it has shut down for the night. We didn’t stop during the race at all which was great especially when the breeze did die right off,” said Bradford.
“As expected Black Jack is a pedigree yacht and we are really happy with her performance and that of the crew. We gelled together with the senior guys encouraging the younger crew to get involved.
“This was our first race and already the crew is improving. We are a great team who just want to go sailing. I’d give this performance 7.5 out of ten!” continued Bradford.
Sir Jack Brabham who put his famous nickname to the yacht is thrilled with their performance and wanting to know how many laps the crew had won by. Sir Jack was reminded that this was yacht racing in a straight line!
The next yacht due to finish as at the 1705 sked is Peter Goldsworthy’s Volvo 60 Getaway-Sailing.com. Bill Wild’s Hugh Welbourne 42 Wedgetail is tipped to cross the line in third. In the 2007 race that finished at Great Keppel Island, Getaway-Sailing.com were the line honours winner with Wedgetail taking out IRC and PHS.
Ray Sweeney’s Farr 11.5 Mondo were just rounding Breaksea Spit at the 1705 sked putting them at the finish line in approximately 24 hours time.
For all the latest log onto the official race website – www.brisbanetokeppel.com
Club Marine Brisbane to Keppel Tropical Yacht Race Underway
The Club Marine Brisbane to Keppel Tropical Yacht Race is underway with 23 yachts starting the race in a 12 knot westerly breeze on the waters of Moreton Bay east of Brisbane. The fleet had a clear start at 1100 hours. Right on schedule.
Peter Harburg’s Reichel Pugh 66 Black Jack led the fleet from early on with the Inaugural Line Honours winner Getaway-Sailing.com following close behind. Black Jack’s crew looked excited as they started their first race cruising at a steady 14 knots.
Last years IRC and PHS winners Wedgetail, owned by Bill Wild was cautiously making their way north as they prepare to fight to hold onto to their titles.
The beautiful clear day saw perfect conditions for the fleet that are now bound for Keppel Bay Marina were the festivities will begin once the first yacht arrives.
Principal Race Officer Denis Thompson encouraged the fleet to travel safe as they make their way north.
“The reaching start has me thinking they will cruise up the cost for most of the night and with the current weather conditions the first boat is likely to arrive at Keppel Bay Marina at approximately at 5pm Sunday afternoon,” said Thompson. “The Race Committee has a sweeps stake going for the time of the first boat home. I’m saying 5pm!”
The Beureau of Meterology at last nights weather briefing advised the fleet they would be dealt with fresh winds for the start, however the front predicated came through early at approximately 3am and has since eased considerably. The fleet is in for light and chilly conditions tonight.
An email received from the Radio Relay Vessel Kokoda said it was a beautiful morning for a yacht race. The will follow the fleet north until the last boat rounds Cape Capricorn.
The start was supported by the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron Powerboat Cruising Group creating a spectacular display of colour and atmosphere for the competing yachts.
The yacht tracker will begin once the first sked has been completed at approximately 1730 hours.
Follow the Brisbane to Keppel Tropical Yacht Race by SMS
Sign up for free SMS updates to the Club Marine Brisbane to Keppel Tropical Yacht Race
South Pacific Laser Masters
UPDATE
Photos from the South Pacific Laser Masters are now available!
Click here to view the entire album. Towards the end is where the carnage begins!
In between getting ready for the Club Marine Brisbane to Keppel Tropical Yacht Race and everything else I have on at the moment, I managed to get onto the water for about an hour to snap the South Pacific Laser Masters.
When I get a chance (hopefully soon) all the photos will be uploaded to SAILINGphotos.net
In the mean time, check out the reports from the Kiwi sailors who entered the 4 day regatta.
