Archiv für die Kategorie „Sailing“

30 Jan 2012

The Singapore Strait

It’s all hands on deck as the fleet crosses the Singapore Strait and heads towards the South China Sea.

Leg 3 Addendum inc amendment 2

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on Saturday, January 21st, 2012 at 5:58 pm and is filed under Sailing Instructions

Video: Mike goes for an unexpected dip

Onboard video from CAMPER on Day 11 of Leg where a net caught around the boat’s daggerboard means that bowman Mike Pammenter has to go for an unexpected swim in an effort to clear it.

World Sailing Management (WSM), organizers of the MedCup sailing circuit, the official international competition of the TP52 and Soto 40 classes, regrets to announce to all those involved and interested in this prestigious circuit, that it has decided to suspend the 2012 season.

This difficult business decision was taken for the following reasons, all of them related to the economic and financial crisis affecting the whole world and Europe in particular:

1. Serious uncertainty regarding the number of boats, mainly in the 52 Series (TP 52 class), willing to commit to compete in all of the events comprising the circuit with the risk of an insufficient number of competitors to ensure the competitive level reached by the circuit in previous seasons.

2. The lack of financial resources available to local authorities in their bid to become potential venues for the events of the circuit, which limited the ability to address their usual obligations and maintain the circuit’s level of quality.

3. Together with the abovementioned factors, a decrease in the support needed from AUDI AG, which has been the circuit’s title sponsor, has led WSM to terminate, early and peacefully, the sponsorship deal linking both companies.

In brief, WSM believes that it is more rational to suspend the Circuit than let it continue with falling standards.

Nevertheless, WSM will continue to work during 2012 in order to overcome these difficulties, confident that it will be able once again to provide the sailing world with the spectacle that the MedCup Circuit has always been.

Madrid, December 6, 2011

One new city and four old favourites have been announced as the host venues for the 2012 RC44 Championship Tour. The competing teams will again be challenged by a mixture of lake, ocean and harbour racing in 2012.

2012 RC44 Championship Tour Calendar:

8 – 12 February         Puerto Calero – Lanzarote

28 March – 1 April    Cascais – Portugal

30 May – 3 June       Gmunden – Austria

18 – 22 July               Marstrand – Sweden

3 – 7 October             Rovinj – Croatia

The 2012 Tour will start where it finished in 2011, Puerto Calero in Lanzarote, a favourite venue for the fleet and one of the best open sea sailing venues in Southern Europe.

From Lanzarote the class will head to Cascais, Portugal, a city frequented by many global sailing events including the Americas Cup World Series in August 2011, the venue will be well prepared for the arrival of the RC44’s.

The 2012 Championship Tour will then move on to familiar territory for third and fourth events of the season returning to Lake Traunsee in Austria for the fifth consecutive year. Flat water, unpredictable weather conditions and a Lake that is surrounded by mountains can often catch out even the most experienced skippers.

The fleet will then head north to the sailing mecca of Marstrand Island in Sweden. In 2011 the Island provided some spectacular stadium sailing for spectators to watch and a diverse range of conditions to challenge the teams.

The final event of the Tour will be held again in the beautiful setting of Rovinj, Croatia. The fleet returns for a second year after the city proved itself a fantastic host to the Class in 2011.

RC44 Class founder Russell Coutts. ”Next year’s Tour will offer the teams 25 days of diverse and challenging racing at some very different venues across Europe. With some new teams expected to join the Tour in 2012, we are looking forward to another great year for the class.”

Saif Al Shibli, Vice Chairman of the Oman Watersports Committee said of the Accreditation, “Since October 2009, Oman Sail has taught over 6,000 people to sail and created a first class sail training scheme. We are delighted that the training scheme is accredited by ISAF, which will allow the programme to go from strength to strength.”

Speaking to ISAF after the Inspection Neil Coxon, the Director of Sailing Development at Oman Sail said, “Of all those we have trained Omanis now account for 26 Full time instructors, 12 Senior Instructors and 3 Examiners. We are looking at opening another National Sailing School in Oman late in February 2012 and we hope to open more throughout the following 2 years. This will enable increased access to sailing and grow the sport for the future benefit of all Omanis.”

ISAF Inspector Andy Jeffrey offered his thanks, stating, “Both of the Centre Managers, Ali Abusaidi and Mohammed Al Balushi provided a superb welcome to their respective Sailing Schools. Their pride in their work, the staff and the achievements so far was evident and justified. The combined efforts of the team in Oman has attributed to the rapid and impressive development of the Omani National Sail Training Programme as delivered by Oman Sail.”

Dan Jaspers, Training and Development Manager at the International Sailing Federation said of this latest accreditation, “Oman has shown that a small MNA can make a huge difference! The Watersports Committee and the Ministry of Sports Affairs in Oman has shown us that a dedicated team of professionals working along very clear guidelines can set up, deliver and maintain a National Programme of Sail Training that is truly beneficial to all in the Country, regardless of age or gender. We welcome the Oman application and resultant accreditation as the first in the Gulf region and encourage all of our other members to see this opportunity to be recognized by ISAF as a step towards creating a truly global forum for sharing of best practice models of delivery for cohesive National Sailing Programmes.

“I thank all those in Oman who offered the Inspector such hospitality and warmth and for being receptive to all the ideas and recommendations that were made. We look forward to many years of growth for the Omani programme and continued partnership with the International Federation.”

If you think that your National Training Programme would benefit from the ISAF Recognized Training accreditation but are not sure of the process or for a full Oman Accreditation Report plus previous inspection reports then visit our dedicated page here.

For updates on all ISAF initiatives and news from the wider world of sailing why not tell all of your friends about our highly commended ISAF Connect to Sailing Facebook page here

For all Training and Development related Twitter discussions why not join us – www.twitter.com/connect2sailing

For any other information on ISAF Initiatives that could help grow participation in the sport of sailing contact our Training and Development Manager, Dan Jaspers here.

London, UK – 26 January, 2012: Match Race Germany, the opening event on the 2012 World Match Racing Tour, has announced world renowned car manufacturer Porsche as a new event partner. This year marks the 15^th anniversary of Match Race Germany which will take place on Lake Constance, Langenargen from 23 to 28 May 2012.
 
Following a successful trial sponsorship by MHP, a subsidiary of Porsche, at Match Race Germany in 2011, Porsche AG will now become a sponsor and boat partner to this year’s event which attracts over 30,000 sailing fans. A marketing campaign, including on-event activation, will allow the brand to engage with current and prospective customers at the annual event. 

Porsche AG is noted for its motorsport heritage and feels this venture into sailing is a natural progression for the brand. “Sailing is a very popular and highly respected sport amongst our customers,” said Klaus Zellmer, President and CEO of Porsche Germany GmbH. 

“Both sailing and motorsport rely on clear rules, teamwork, strategy, tactics and of course good fortune – and these values are also reflected in our management style. Sailing is clean, fair, free of doping and essentially comes down to one thing – working out how to get from start to finish in the fastest possible way.” 

“Match Race Germany is what the Carrera Cup represents to us,” said Zellmer. “It offers an enthusiastic sporting audience, all within touching distance, delivering a live experience and not just a satellite transmission.”

Speaking about the announcement, Harald Thierer, Match Race Germany Organiser, emphasised that Porsche is joining a group of corporate event partners, including STIHL, MHP, Ultramarin, Rolf Benz and Bavaria, who will each benefit from a year-round activation: 

“Our partners can expect much more than the five-day appearance and exposure at an international sporting event, with enthusiastic spectators and associated media coverage. Porsche and all our other partners will benefit from our wider offering which includes an event centre, business coaching, training programmes and yacht charter department.” 

As a partner Porsche will also benefit from the Tour’s international broadcast both on television and the internet. Sailing fans can follow each event online via a live blog as well as a few hours of live coverage each day including expert commentary from on and off the water. In addition morning and evening shows are produced daily by Red Handed TV showing interviews with sailors, event organisers and sponsors as well as highlights from all the day’s action on the water. 

A biltong crime and some full on days ahead

Hamish Hooper blogs from onboard CAMPER….

As we were sitting on the stack sailing along last night a couple of the guys thanked me for making a good dinner. As it turned out they both were surprised to hear it was something completely different to what I had cooked, Adam thought it was Honey Soy Chicken, Animal thought it was Beef Teriyaki- I had cooked a Lamb Stir fry.

I guess this shows how good a cook I am.

While on the topic of food, there has been a bit of unrest emerging again amongst the guys with the unspeakable happening- people have been missing out of their daily ration of biltong. This can only mean one thing- someone is stockpiling.

I have my suspicions but am not one to point fingers without having some concrete evidence so I can come down on them with an iron fist. I am subtly investigating, but the fact there is so much unrest about it from everyone I think the culprit has ceased criminal activity- at least for now.

I am considering installing 24-hour video surveillance around the food bags.

Life onboard is a mixed bag, it’s becoming more comfortable with the temperature dropping, but on the flip side is now becoming less comfortable with the increasing sea swell. Cooking and cleaning in the galley is once again becoming like riding a bucking bronco standing up.

I have a sense that the last 4 days of this legs are going to be rather full on.

There is big discussion in the nav station about our final route we take. Until a couple of hours ago it looked like most of the fleet were going to take the coastal route, sailing north to close to the Meecong River mouth before tucking into the Vietnam coast and short tacking up there to minimize the effect of the current. Since then it seems Puma has tacked away and opted for a more easterly route, also Telefonica has tacked away, either to come across to our line or also take the easterly route away from the coast.

These seemingly late changes in tack may have something to do with the weather, which is looking pretty rough, windy and unpleasant with one local Chinese weather model forecasting up to 48 knots. One line of thinking is it could be too heinous for the fishermen to be out, so less fishing nets to avoid, I don’t really see much comfort in this thought other than it possibly presents a small sniff of opportunity for us on CAMPER.

Here’s a fact for you:

The Meecong River is 2800 miles long and begins in the mountains of Tibet and flows through China, Burma, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam before emptying into the South China Sea.
That’s a big river.
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GOLDEN QUOTE: “It’s getting pretty interesting now as the fleet start tacking up the South China Sea, again the question- East or West, which is best?
We expect the fishing fleet of Vietnam to be as numerous as in the Straits of Malacca but the reality is we know far less about this coastline. No body sails there because it’s too rough, that is except for the Volvo Ocean Race.” WILL OXLEY

30 Jan 2012

The Singapore Strait

It’s all hands on deck as the fleet crosses the Singapore Strait and heads towards the South China Sea.

Leg 3 Addendum inc amendment 2

Return to the Home Page

This entry was posted

on Saturday, January 21st, 2012 at 5:58 pm and is filed under Sailing Instructions