Supermaxi Luxury Yacht & Superyacht News

Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup returns for its 22nd edition in Porto Cervo

September 01, 2011

The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup returns for its 22nd edition in Porto Cervo. The renowned regatta organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in collaboration with partner Rolex will take place from 5th to 10th September when 46 of the world’s largest and most competitive maxi racing yachts are expected to do battle on the waters off Sardinia’s Costa Smeralda. Sixteen of the participating yachts will compete in the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship 2011 which takes place within the traditional Maxi event.

Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, Porto Cervo.

Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, Porto Cervo.

The fleet of yachts, which range from 18 to 45 metres in length, will be divided into various divisions according to their size and technical characteristics and will race off Porto Cervo for five days, with no lay day scheduled this year. The Mini Maxi fleet (yachts from 18.29 to 24.08 metres) includes many strong candidates for the title of World Champion including Niklas Zennström’s Rán 2, winner of the title in 2010 and fresh from overall victory in the Rolex Fastnet Race.

Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2010. Photo Carlo BorlenghiRolex.

Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2010. Photo Carlo BorlenghiRolex.

The remaining 30 maxi yachts racing in the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, which have an average length of approximately 30 metres, cover a vast spectrum of designs, models and technological solutions. From new launches such as the prototype for the new F-Class one-design sailing yacht Firefly, the Comet 100 Shadow and the classic Bermudian sloop charter yacht Annagine – all dated 2011 – to veteran competitors such as the 38-metre ketch Hetairos, launched in 1993 and winner of the Supermaxi division in 2010. Following last year’s victory in the Racing and Racing/Cruising division, Esimit Europa 2 owned by Igor Simčič will be looking to repeat their impressive debut performance. The 30 metre Reichel-Pugh sloop, which boasts a crew of top European sailors, recently took line honours in the 2011 Giraglia Rolex Cup.

As always a rich social programme has been organized for owners and crews including a welcome cocktail at the YCCS Clubhouse, a Rolex Gala Dinner and Crew Party and the closing prize giving on the Yacht Club’s Piazza Azzurra.

2011 Shipyard Cup: Sailing yacht Whisper Wins Overall

August 15, 2011

Hodgdon Yachts welcomed over 250 big boat racing sailors and their guests at the opening event of Shipyard Cup IX. In the relaxed Maine style, the Shipyard Cup final line-up included sailing yacht VIRAGO, (100′) S/Y ISOBEL (76′) superyacht CHRISTOPHER (150′) yacht WHITEHAWK (92) TENACIOUS sailing yacht (115′) sailing yacht WHISPER (116′) SUMURUN (94′) and S/Y SCHEHERAZADE (154′).

2011 Shipyard Cup: Sailing yacht Whisper Wins Overall - Photo by Billy Black

2011 Shipyard Cup: Sailing yacht Whisper Wins Overall - Photo by Billy Black

Race I on the 13th of August 2011. Results: it’s WHISPER!
Under a beautiful Maine sky and fair breezes the Shipyard Cup fleet saw a great day of sailing. After a one hour delay to let the breeze build to a pleasant 10-15kts, the staggered start spread the fleet out over 52 minutes. After 3 hours of racing on a delightful afternoon WHISPER grabbed top honours for the day with WHITEHAWK and SUMURUN not far behind. The finish offered a bit of excitement watching VIRAGO, SCHEHERAZADE and ISOBEL battle it out for 4th place with SCHEHERAZADE and VIRAGO exchanging leads several times in the closing meters to the finish. The final order of finishing was: WHSIPER (116′), WHITEHAWK(92′), SUMURUN(94′), VIRAGO(100′), SCHEHERAZADE(154′), ISOBEL(76′), TENACIOUS(115′), and CHRISTOPHER(150′).

SCHEHERAZADE WINS RACE II on the 14th of August 2011, WHISPER OVERALL WINNER
When the Sunday breeze built to a solid 8-10kts, first gun at 13:00 gave the start to the second and final day of Shipyard Cup racing.  The staggered start saw some early strategy as Isobel followed by Whisper then Virago diverted from the track of the earlier starters in the hopes of finding a lift from the southern tip of Southport Island en route to the first turning mark.

By the time the fleet was headed for home the low cloud ceiling was reducing visibility and the air became very light. The first to emerge from the fog was yacht SCHEHERAZADE who led the fleet most of the way to top day 2 honors.   The crowd of spectators, including quite a number that worked on the SCHEHERAZADE build, could not have been happier to cheer the hometown favourite.

Hodgdon Yachts President, Tim Hodgdon added:  “This year’s Shipyard Cup was another fantastic event with an impressive fleet of world class sailing yachts.  It was incredible to witness WHITEHAWK racing SCHEHERAZADE, both vessels from the hand of Bruce King, both extraordinary sailboats.  WHITEHAWK probably the first large boat designed by Bruce at the beginning of his career, SCHEHERAZADE the last, with a tremendous portfolio in between.  The two boats are 30 years apart in design, of varying styling but with equally beautiful ketch sail plans.  These are two of the world’s most magnificent sailboats”.

Race Organizers announced next year’s Shipyard Cup is scheduled for 10-12 August 2012.

About Shipyard Cup
The Shipyard Cup began in 2002 with support from founding sponsors Hodgdon Yachts of East Boothbay, Maine and Boothbay Region Boatyard of Boothbay Harbor, Maine and today is a spectacular weekend long event showcasing the best of Maine and the Boothbay Region. With several billion dollars worth of boats competing for top honors, The Shipyard Cup like many other big boat races is held in the “Corinthian” tradition celebrating the “true spirit” of yachting.


About Hodgdon Yachts
Rooted in 200 years of boatbuilding tradition, the yard earned its way into the 21st Century with innovation. Today Hodgdon is a US leader in high tech composite construction while maintaining exceptional skills for world class traditional and modern interiors. This East Boothbay, Maine -USA Company’s diversification also includes high end superyacht interiors, custom sail and power superyacht construction, military and government contracting, superyacht refits and custom yacht tenders. Founded in 1816, Hodgdon is a fifth generation family run company still located in the heart of Maine’s famed Boothbay Region. New for 2011 is the launch of the Custom tender boats line and the annual Shipyard Cup with sailing superyachts 21 to 50 metres, (August 12-14 2011 Boothbay Harbor, Maine. Among some of Hodgdon’s more notable contributions to yachting in the last few decades are: ANTONISA (124’) SCHEHERAZADE (154’) AND LIBERTY (80’).

Transatlantic Race 2011 Winners Take a Bow

August 15, 2011

Cowes, England (August 12, 2011) – With the presentation of the awards this week at the Royal Yacht Squadron’s Cowes Castle on the Isle of Wight, the cast of players has taken its final bow, and the production that was the Transatlantic Race 2011 has closed to rave reviews.  The race made history with the establishment of a new record – crossing 2,975 miles of ocean from Newport, R.I. to The Lizard on the south coast of England – and was the result of a successful collaboration between the Royal Yacht Squadron (founded in 1815), the New York Yacht Club (1844), the Royal Ocean Racing Club (1925) and the Storm Trysail Club (1938).

Transatlantic Race 2011 Presentation of the awards at the Royal Yacht Squadron’s Cowes Castle on the Isle of Wight. (Photo Credit TR2011Paul Wyeth)

Transatlantic Race 2011 Presentation of the awards at the Royal Yacht Squadron’s Cowes Castle on the Isle of Wight. (Photo Credit TR2011Paul Wyeth)

A twenty-one gun salute greeted HRH the Princess Royal, President of the Royal Yachting Association, as she arrived at Cowes Castle for the official Prize Giving Reception.  The Princess Royal’s father, HRH Prince Phillip, has been the Admiral of the Royal Yacht Squadron for over 40 years and Princess Anne seemed very much at home as she was introduced to the honored guests before presenting the trophies.

Also officiating at the awards ceremony were the Commodores of the four organizing entities:  Michael Campbell of the Royal Yacht Squadron, Robert C. Towse, Jr. of the New York Yacht Club, Andrew McIrvine of the Royal Ocean Racing Club and Eric Kreuter of the Storm Trysail Club.

A glittering array of prizes had been flown across the Atlantic for the awards presentation that was held in the Pavilion, which had opened in 2000 as the venue to enable the Royal Yacht Squadron to cross burgees with New York Yacht Club in celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the America’s Cup.  After an enthusiastic assembly showed their appreciation to every winner, competitors and honored guests enjoyed each other’s company on the Squadron’s lawn before retiring to The Castle for the Transatlantic Race Owners’ Dinner.

Transatlantic Race 2011 Review – On June 26, cannon fire from the iconic Castle Hill Lighthouse signalled the beginning of the historic ocean adventure.  It was the first of three staggered starts, implemented so that yachts ranging in size from 40’ to 289’ would finish off The Lizard in close proximity to one another.  Representing 10 nations, the 26 entries were crewed by world-class professionals as well as Corinthian amateurs.  The youngest competitor was just 16 years of age, the oldest 80, and the fleet was just as diverse: from the 289’ superyacht Maltese Falcon that was nearly three times the length of any other participant, to high performance canting keel Maxis to pocket rocket Class 40s.

NYYC's Commodore Towse (left) with Rambler 100 skipper George David (Hartford, Conn.), who receives the RORC Loujaine Trophy. (Photo Credit TR2011Paul Wyeth)

NYYC's Commodore Towse (left) with Rambler 100 skipper George David (Hartford, Conn.), who receives the RORC Loujaine Trophy. (Photo Credit TR2011Paul Wyeth)

On Sunday, 10 July, at 16h 08m UTC, Rambler 100 was the first yacht to cross the finish line of the Transatlantic Race 2011.   The elapsed time for Rambler 100 was six days, 22 hours, eight minutes and two seconds, which established a new record for the 2,975 nautical mile course from Newport, R.I., to Lizard Point, South Cornwall, U.K.  PUMA’s Mar Mostro was next across the finish line at The Lizard at 05:40 UTC on July 11, and when calculations proved that none of the 24 yachts still racing could beat them on handicap Mar Mostro was declared winner of IRC Class One and IRC Overall for the Transatlantic Race 2011.

After 22 days, all yachts and sailors were safe in port.  The incredible record set by Rambler 100, the milestone marked by all participants, and the bonds forged while racing across the North Atlantic bear witness to having taken on and successfully completed a great challenge.

Sponsors of the TR 2011 are Rolex, Thomson Reuters, Newport Shipyard, Perini Navi and Peters & May, with additional support by apparel sponsor Atlantis Weathergear.

Her Royal Highness Princess Anne presents Phaedo's Lloyd Thornburg (St. Barthelemy) with the RYS Benzie Trophy. (Photo Credit TR2011Paul Wyeth)

Her Royal Highness Princess Anne presents Phaedo's Lloyd Thornburg (St. Barthelemy) with the RYS Benzie Trophy. (Photo Credit TR2011Paul Wyeth)

More about the Transatlantic Race 2011

The Transatlantic Race 2011 charts a 2,975 nautical mile course from Newport, R.I., to Lizard Point, South Cornwall, England. Pre-start activities took place at the New York Yacht Club’s Harbour Court clubhouse in Newport, with awards presented at the Royal Yacht Squadron’s Cowes Castle clubhouse on the Isle of Wight. Three separate starts – June 26, June 29 and July 3 – featured 26 boats ranging from 40 to 289 feet in length. In addition to winners in seven classes (IRC Class 1 Racer, IRC Class 2 Racer, IRC Class 3 Racer/Cruiser, IRC Class 4 Racer/Cruiser, Classic, Class 40, and Open), the yacht that finished the course with the fastest elapsed time set the benchmark for a new racing record from Newport to Lizard Point that was ratified by the World Speed Sailing Council. Rolex watches were awarded to the record holder and the overall winner (on corrected time) under IRC.

The Transatlantic Race 2011 is also the centerpiece of the Atlantic Ocean Racing Series (AORS), which includes the Pineapple Cup – Montego Bay Race, RORC Caribbean 600, the Annapolis to Newport Race, Rolex Fastnet Race, Biscay Race and the Rolex Middle Sea Race. Of the seven races in the AORS, three races, including the TR 2011 must be completed to qualify for a series victory. Each race is weighted equally in overall series scoring with the exception of TR 2011, which is weighted 1.5 times. All entered yachts are scored using their two best finishes in addition to the TR 2011. Awards for the AORS will be presented in November, 2011, at the New York Yacht Club’s Annual Awards Dinner in Manhattan.

Transatlantic Race 2011 – Trophies Awarded:

Newport to Lizard Record – RORC Loujaine Trophy and Rolex timepiece
Rambler 100/ George David (Hartford, Conn.)

IRC Overall – RYS Queen’s Cup and Rolex timepiece
PUMA’s Mar Mostro/Ken Read (Newport, R.I.)

Youth Team – NYYC Venona Trophy
Vanquish/Oakcliff All-American Offshore Team (USA)

Open Division – RYS Benzie Trophy
Phaedo/ Lloyd Thornburg (St. Barthelemy)

Class 40 – RORC Gay Gannet Cup
Concise/Ned Collier-Wakefield (Oxford, U.K.)

IRC Cruiser/Racer Class 4 – RYS Cowes Town Trophy
Dawn Star/William Hubbard III & Will Hubbard IV (New York, N.Y.)

IRC Cruiser/Racer Class 3 – NYYC Brenton Reef Trophy
Zaraffa/ Huntington Sheldon (Shelburne, Vt.)

IRC Cruiser/Racer Class 2 – RYS Lord Iliffe Lighthouse Trophy
Jazz/ Nigel King (Lymington, U.K.)

IRC Racer Class 1 – NYYC Cape May Trophy
PUMA’s Mar Mostro/Ken Read (Newport, R.I.)

2011 Shipyard Cup: Sailing yacht Whisper Wins Day One

August 14, 2011

Under a beautiful Maine sky and fair breezes the 2011 Shipyard Cup fleet saw a great day of sailing.  After a one hour delay to let the breeze build to a pleasant 10-15 kts., the staggered start spread the fleet out over 52 minutes.  After 3 hours of racing on a delightful afternoon sailing yacht WHISPER grabbed top honors for the day with S/Y WHITEHAWK and yacht SUMURUN not far behind. The finish offered a bit of excitement watching sailing yacht VIRAGO, S/Y SCHEHERAZADE and ISOBEL battle it out for 4th  place with SCHEHERAZADE and VIRAGO exchanging leads several times in the closing meters to the finish.   All but sailing yacht CHRISTOPHER who encountered some trouble on the course finished within 8 minutes of the first finisher, a real testament to the prowess of the Bucket Protocol handicapping system lead by Jim Teeters.

2011 Shipyard Cup Sailing yacht Whisper Wins Day One - Photo by Billy Black

2011 Shipyard Cup Sailing yacht Whisper Wins Day One - Photo by Billy Black

2011 Shipyard Cup Sailing yacht Whisper Wins Day One - Photo by Billy Black

2011 Shipyard Cup Sailing yacht Whisper Wins Day One - Photo by Billy Black

A new feature of this year’s Shipyard Cup was a performance by the Texas Flying Legends Museum.  A collection of WWII aircraft performing crowd pleasing aerobatics following the race.

A collection of WWII aircraft performing crowd pleasing aerobatics following the 2011 Shipyard Cup - Photo by Billy Black

A collection of WWII aircraft performing crowd pleasing aerobatics following the 2011 Shipyard Cup - Photo by Billy Black

All of the owners, guests and crew were all smiles at the post race cocktail party, looking toward another of day of racing.  The forecast is not as favorable for the final day of racing but the breeze is expected to hold.

The final order of finishing was:  Sailing yacht WHSIPER(116′), WHITEHAWK(92′), SUMURUN(94′), VIRAGO(100′), SCHEHERAZADE(154′), ISOBEL(76′), S/Y TENACIOUS (115′), and CHRISTOPHER.(150′).

2011 Shipyard Cup Sailing yacht Whisper Wins Day One - Photo by Billy Black

2011 Shipyard Cup Sailing yacht Whisper Wins Day One - Photo by Billy Black

2011 Shipyard Cup Sailing yacht Whisper Wins Day One - Photo by Billy Black

2011 Shipyard Cup Sailing yacht Whisper Wins Day One - Photo by Billy Black

Sailing yacht Christopher at the 2011 Shipyard Cup Day One - Photo by Billy Black

Sailing yacht Christopher at the 2011 Shipyard Cup Day One - Photo by Billy Black

Emirates Team New Zealand wins the first AC World Series Cascais, Portugal

August 14, 2011

Emirates Team New Zealand made an incredible recovery during the ‘winner takes all’ fleet race on Sunday to win the America’s Cup World Series Cascais, the first event of a new global series leading up to San Francisco in 2013.

Emirates Team New Zealand wins the first AC World Series Cascais, Portugal © ACEA (2011) Photo G. Martin-Raget

Emirates Team New Zealand wins the first AC World Series Cascais, Portugal © ACEA (2011) Photo G. Martin-Raget

With nine boats on the start line, the competition was close, and with a tricky, patchy race course area, there were passing lanes throughout the day. ORACLE Racing Spithill jumped out to a convincing lead early, but couldn’t protect it. On the second lap of the race course, Kiwi skipper Dean Barker found more wind on his side of the race course to make the pass.

“For us it was fantastic,” Barker said. “It was always going to be a very difficult race, as the breeze never really established. There were big ‘holes’ in the race course, so it was about being at the right place at the right time.”

Artemis Racing, too, was able to work its way up to a second place finish from being back in the pack early; the early leader, ORACLE Racing Spithill, was forced to settle for third.

“The guys did an awesome job to battle us up into the race,” said Artemis Racing skipper Terry Hutchinson, after a day where he climbed back from mid-fleet to second place. “It’s probably the best we’ve gone in the entire regatta. It’s a very good finish for Artemis.”

Emirates Team New Zealand wins the first AC World Series Cascais, Portugal © ACEA (2011) Photo G. Martin-Raget

Emirates Team New Zealand wins the first AC World Series Cascais, Portugal © ACEA (2011) Photo G. Martin-Raget

But the feel-good story came from the Spanish Green Comm Racing. From a position of dead last early in the race, Vasilij Zbogar and his crew of dinghy champions began picking off the opposition on the final leg of the race to earn a fifth place finish, an incredible achievement for the novice crew.

“It’s a fantastic day for the team, we were last to arrive, and were very last for the first three races, then we have been improving every day,” he said. “We were eighth, then seventh, sixth and now fifth. Today the spirit of the team showed more than ever – we never give up. We fight to the end. Today, we are happy with our improvement, but still not happy with the result. We are a team of winners, so we won’t be happy until we win.”

Making its debut along with the AC45 catamaran was the new Guest Racer program – where each team takes a guest aboard its race boat to compete with the team. The list of guest racers this week included VIP guests like Yves Carcelle, the Chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton, pop singer Little Boots, Cecilia Meireles, the Secretary of State for Tourism in Portugal, along with names more familiar to the sailing world like former Cup winner John Bertrand, Artemis Racing CEO Paul Cayard and team principal Torbjorn Tornqvist, as well as ORACLE Racing founder and principal Larry Ellison, who was aboard ORACLE Racing Spithill today.

“We had a great start but both Artemis and Team New Zealand managed to pass us and that’s what these boats are all about,” Ellison said following the race. “It makes the sailing much more exciting; it’s not a matter of ‘you win the start, you win the race’. So it’s just what we hoped for when we decided on multihulls for the next America’s Cup… It’s really competitive and that’s what people want to see. They want to see close races and the best sailors in the fastest boats.”

The America’s Cup World Series now moves on to Plymouth, UK, where the same nine teams will compete from September 10-18, before moving to San Diego, California in November.

Emirates Team New Zealand wins the first AC World Series Cascais, Portugal © ACEA (2011) Photo R. Pinto

Emirates Team New Zealand wins the first AC World Series Cascais, Portugal © ACEA (2011) Photo R. Pinto

America’s Cup World Series Cascais – Final points after Sunday’s races

Team Place Points
Emirates Team New Zealand 1 10
Artemis Racing 2 9
ORACLE Racing Spithill 3 8
ORACLE Racing Coutts 4 7
Green Comm Racing 5 6
Aleph 6 5
Team Korea 7 4
Energy Team 8 3
China Team 9 3

Cascais AC Match Race Championship – Final points after Saturday’s races

Team Place Points
ORACLE Racing Spithill 1 10
Emirates Team New Zealand 2 9
Artemis Racing 3 8
Team Korea 4 7
ORACLE Racing Coutts 5 6
Team Energy 6 5
Green Comm Racing 7 4
Aleph 8 3
China Team 9 3

ORACLE Racing Spithill wins Match Race championship Cascais, Portugal

August 14, 2011

James Spithill and his ORACLE Racing crew swept aside the previously ascendant Emirates Team New Zealand to win the Cascais AC Match Race Championship on Saturday, as the AC World Series Cascais enters the final weekend of racing.

ORACLE Racing wins Match Race championship Cascais, Portugal © ACEA (2011) Photo G. Martin-Raget

ORACLE Racing wins Match Race championship Cascais, Portugal © ACEA (2011) Photo G. Martin-Raget

Many of the matches featured close starts, blazing speed runs to the first turning mark and early passing lanes. With the race course boundaries crowded by spectator boats, Spithill and his crew sailed near flawless races on Saturday, with good starts, strong crew work, and winning decision-making.

“I feel like we’ve ramped up as we’ve gone through the week,” Spithill said, after the victory. “We’ve peaked at the right time. I’m very happy. It feels fantastic.”

For Emirates Team New Zealand it was a disappointing day, after the team dominated the competition to this point.

“Like any day there’s a list of things you can do a lot better, we have a lot of improvement left to make and things to develop,” Barker said. “We’re looking for an improvement tomorrow…”

ORACLE Racing wins Match Race championship Cascais, Portugal © ACEA (2011) Photo G. Martin-Raget

ORACLE Racing wins Match Race championship Cascais, Portugal © ACEA (2011) Photo G. Martin-Raget

Artemis Racing was forced to settle for third place after withdrawing from their Semi Final against Spithill when their giant gennaker sail came tumbling down on deck before it could be furled. Rather than risk more damage to the equipment, skipper Terry Hutchinson made the wise decision to pull out of the race.

“We had a little bit of an issue in which the gennaker came down and it was quickly going to start doing a lot of damage to the boat so we took the decision of retire and protect the asset,” Hutchinson explained. “But we did a lot of things really, really, well.”

In fourth place was a very happy Team Korea. Chris Draper and his crew opened the day with a win over ORACLE Racing Coutts, to make it into the semis.

“We’re over the moon to finish where we have,” Draper said. “It’s surpassed our expectations. We were very pleased to have beaten Russell Coutts, so it was a bit difficult to control our emotions, but we’re over the moon.”

ORACLE Racing wins Match Race championship Cascais, Portugal © ACEA (2011) Photo G. Martin-Raget

ORACLE Racing wins Match Race championship Cascais, Portugal © ACEA (2011) Photo G. Martin-Raget

The top three teams were celebrated in a podium ceremony following the last match, where winning skipper James Spithill was presented with a Louis Vuitton Watch by Yves Carcelle, the Chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton.

On Sunday, the focus shifts back to fleet racing. All nine teams will be on the water for the AC World Series Cascais Championship, a winner-takes-all, single fleet race, for ranking points that will carry forward throughout the America’s Cup World Series. Start time is 1500 local time (GMT+1).

ORACLE Racing wins Match Race championship Cascais, Portugal © ACEA (2011) Photo G. Martin-Raget

ORACLE Racing wins Match Race championship Cascais, Portugal © ACEA (2011) Photo G. Martin-Raget

Cascais AC Match Race Championship – Final points after Saturday’s races

FINAL STANDINGS
Place Team Points
1 ORACLE Racing Spithill 10
2 Emirates Team New Zealand 9
3 Artemis Racing 8
4 Team Korea 7
5 ORACLE Racing Coutts 6
6 Team Energy 5
7 Green Comm Racing 4
8 Aleph 3
9 China Team 3

Match Race Results

Final – ORACLE Racing Spithill beat Emirates Team New Zealand, 2-0

Semi Final 1 – ORACLE Racing Spithill beat Artemis Racing 1-0
Semi Final 2 – Emirates Team New Zealand beat Team Korea 1-0

Quarter Final 1 – Artemis Racing beat Team Energy, 1-0
Quarter Final 2 – Team Korea beat ORACLE Racing Coutts

AC World Series Cascais: Kiwis continue to roll over the competition

August 11, 2011

Emirates Team New Zealand is quickly becoming the star of the show at the America’s Cup World Series – Cascais. For the second consecutive day, the Kiwis earned maximum points, after beating Artemis Racing in a match racing duel for first place to conclude a full day of racing.

AC World Series Cascais Kiwis continue to roll over the competition © ACEA (2011) Photo G. Martin-Raget

AC World Series Cascais Kiwis continue to roll over the competition © ACEA (2011) Photo G. Martin-Raget

The Emirates team picked up where they left off yesterday, winning two of the three fleet races to qualify at the top of the pile for the match racing final. Then, they beat the Artemis Racing crew handily, when the Swedish team accumulated a series of penalties around the race course.

“It’s very satisfying for us to feel like we are really improving and starting to get more and more to grips with the multihulls,” said a very understated Dean Barker, the New Zealand skipper, when he returned to the dock.

The battle for third and fourth on the day was between ORACLE Racing stable mates Russell Coutts and James Spithill. But the highly anticipated match was nearly over before it began, as Coutts was forced to restart after he jumped the line ahead of the starting gun, handing an insurmountable lead to Spithill.

Americas Cup World Series Cascais © ACEA (2011) Photo G. Martin-Raget

Americas Cup World Series Cascais © ACEA (2011) Photo G. Martin-Raget

There were also flashes of brilliance from many of the teams further down the table, as Team Korea, Energy Team and China Team all performed well at various times during the day. The Koreans beat Energy Team for fifth place, while China Team led for much of the third fleet race before it all unraveled during the second lap of the course.

“It’s been a difficult day,” admitted China Team skipper Mitch Booth. “We sort of saw glory and ran the other way… In the last race we were leading for the first lap but then we had a crew handling error and that cost us from qualifying for the match racing. But we are happy with the team’s performance and the improvement. We are racing against the best teams in the world, so we are relatively happy.”

Among the guest racers on Thursday was America’s Cup legend John Bertrand, the skipper of Australia II, the first challenger to win the Cup in 1983. In the previous 132-years of America’s Cup competition, no visiting team had been able to pry the trophy from the defending teams of the New York Yacht Club. Bertrand’s team won a thrilling come-from-behind victory that changed the course of sporting history. He sailed in the Cup as recently as 1995, and has been a keen observer ever since.

“This was my first race on an AC45,” he said. “The boats are extremely physical and the racing puts the crews under tremendous pressure to make the right decision at the right time. There is no margin for error… We haven’t seen anything yet!”

The daily seeding points from yesterday and today’s races will be added to points earned on Friday to determine Saturday’s finalists for the AC Match Race Championship. Only the top six teams will advance to race on Saturday.

AC World Series Cascais © ACEA (2011) Photo G. Martin-Raget

AC World Series Cascais © ACEA (2011) Photo G. Martin-Raget

The event concludes on Sunday with the AC World Series – Cascais Championship, a winner takes all fleet race that will determine the winner of the first stage on this new global professional circuit. The AC World Series continues with events in Plymouth, England in September and San Diego, California in November.

America’s Cup on display at the Audi Hamilton Island Race Week 2011.

August 11, 2011

The America’s Cup, the oldest trophy in the history of international sport, will be the spectacular centrepiece at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week this month, and while there it will celebrate a remarkable milestone: the 160th anniversary of when it was first contested in 1851.

Sporting history reveals that the contest for this remarkable trophy began before sports such as tennis, soccer, rugby union and cricket, as well as the modern Olympics, appeared on the world stage.

Over the centuries this bold yet ornately styled silver ewer has stood as the ultimate prize in international yachting, and the aura that has surrounded it has drawn some of the world’s most influential and successful tycoons, and its greatest sailors, to the contest.

The America’s Cup will be on display during the Audi Hamilton Island Race Week at regatta headquarters, Hamilton Island Yacht Club - Photo Credit Andrea Francolini Audi ©

The America’s Cup will be on display during the Audi Hamilton Island Race Week at regatta headquarters, Hamilton Island Yacht Club - Photo Credit Andrea Francolini Audi ©

The Cup is currently held by San Francisco’s Golden Gate Yacht Club after it was won by Larry Ellison’s giant trimaran, BMW Oracle, in a series against the Swiss defender, Alinghi, in Spain last year. Australian Jimmy Spithill skippered Ellison’s yacht.

This will be only the third time that the Cup has been seen in Australia, so its presence at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week is high recognition of the stature that this regatta now holds on the international sailing scene.

‘We are extremely honoured to have the America’s Cup at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week,’ said the Chairman of Hamilton Island Enterprises, Sandy Oatley. ‘Hamilton Island is already well recognised across the world as an award winning holiday destination, and now the presence of the America’s Cup at Race Week confirms we are also well recognised as an international destination for sailing and boating.’

This year Audi Hamilton Island Race Week will be staged from 19 to 27 August. To date 192 yachts have entered.

The America’s Cup visit to Audi Hamilton Island Race Week was organised by Iain Murray, the Commodore of Hamilton Island Yacht Club. Murray is also the CEO and Regatta Director for the next America’s Cup match, which will be staged in San Francisco in 2013. Murray’s direct association with the America’s Cup spans almost 30 years. In that time he has been credited with making significant contributions towards the development of the event, particularly through yacht design and development.

It was on 22 August, 1851 that the New York Yacht Club’s rakish and radical schooner, America, beat the best yachts the English could muster in a race around the Isle of Wight. The stunning victory led to the Americans being awarded the Royal Yacht Squadron’s ‘100 Guinea Cup’, a trophy that had been created for international competition and was being contested for the first time.

Queen Victoria, who was watching from the deck of the Royal Yacht off Cowes, accepted the salute from the American crew as they crossed the finish line then asked one of her aides which yacht was second. The response became a now legendary phrase: ‘Your Majesty, there is no second.’ The British yachts were so far back they could not be seen.

When New York Yacht Club Commodore, John Cox Stevens, and his associates who owned the winning yacht returned home they donated the trophy to the club, their Deed of Gift stating it was to be ‘a perpetual challenge cup for friendly competition between nations’. It was also decided that the Cup should take the name of the yacht that won the inaugural contest, the schooner, America.

For 132 years the America’s Cup remained secure on its plinth in the New York Yacht Club as the symbol of world yachting supremacy. In that time the club had met 25 foreign challenges and defeated each one through what many considered to be fair means or foul.

The history of the Cup changed dramatically on September 26, 1983 when Australia II, which was backed by a very determined West Australian, Alan Bond, shocked the world by ending what was the longest winning streak in sporting history. The radical Ben Lexcen designed yacht with its famous winged keel came from behind in a cliff-hanger series to take the prize four races to three.

During Audi Hamilton Island Race Week Iain Murray and the Vice-Commodore of the Golden Gate Yacht Club, Tom Ehman, will be speaking at forums about the America’s Cup as an event, and the exciting new catamarans that will be competing in the 34th match in 2013.

The cup will be on prominent display at Hamilton Island Yacht Club throughout the week.

Hamilton Island Race Week’s naming rights sponsor, luxury carmaker Audi, is Australia’s largest corporate sponsor of yachting.

AC World Series continues to set pace for close action sailing in Cascais

August 11, 2011

Emirates Team New Zealand is setting a torrid pace at the Cascais AC Match Race Championship, the third stage of the AC World Series competition, leading after the first day of the series.

AC World Series continues to set pace for close action sailing in Cascais © ACEA (2011) Photo R. Pinto

AC World Series continues to set pace for close action sailing in Cascais © ACEA (2011) Photo R. Pinto

Following a two-hour postponement due to unusually light and fickle winds in Cascais, the three seeding fleet races were packed with thrills and spills, the most dramatic of which was a start line collision between ORACLE Racing Coutts and the Kiwis.

Top teams tangle in Cascais on first day of match racing championship Cascais, Portugal, 10-08-2011. © ACEA (2011) Photo G. Martin-Raget

Top teams tangle in Cascais on first day of match racing championship Cascais, Portugal, 10-08-2011. © ACEA (2011) Photo G. Martin-Raget

The day would culminate with a one-on-one duel between the Emirates team and the American defender, ORACLE Racing Spithill – the first match race of the America’s Cup World Series. At stake was top spot on the day, and the race didn’t disappoint with the lead passing back and forth until late in the match.

Barker, the Kiwi skipper, stormed away off the starting line to lead at the first mark, only to see the American team find a shift on the opposite side of the race course. By the bottom gate, ETNZ was in the lead again. But approaching the halfway point of the race, there was an important cross between the two boats, which resulted in a classic match racing set piece, giving the advantage back to Spithill.

The ping-pong battle continued on the second lap of the course until Emirates Team New Zealand was able to hook into a favorable wind shift and finally shake the ORACLE Racing boat for good. The Kiwis would end the afternoon with top points on the day, with Spithill settling for second place.

“The guys on board are doing a fantastic job on crewing,” Barker said. “Yes, you make mistakes and it’s frustrating that you make them… And not that you are afraid, but these boats are very, very, hard on the crew. But there is an improvement since Auckland, we are getting more comfortable in the multihull environment which is an improvement.”

The three seeding fleet races were no less exciting than the final match. Team Korea continues to impress, finishing the day ranked third, while France’s Energy Team is fourth.

Top teams tangle in Cascais on first day of match racing championship Cascais, Portugal, 10-08-2011. © ACEA (2011) Photo G. Martin-Raget

Top teams tangle in Cascais on first day of match racing championship Cascais, Portugal, 10-08-2011. © ACEA (2011) Photo G. Martin-Raget

“The best bit of the day was our first race where we had two penalties on the first downwind and sailed a really good second downwind to get back into the race,” said Chris Draper the Korean skipper. “While the other races were really good, that was probably the highlight of the day.”

Top teams tangle in Cascais on first day of match racing championship Cascais, Portugal, 10-08-2011. © ACEA (2011) Photo G. Martin-Raget

Top teams tangle in Cascais on first day of match racing championship Cascais, Portugal, 10-08-2011. © ACEA (2011) Photo G. Martin-Raget

The big collision between Coutts and Barker came in the pre-start of the second race, when Cup-legend Coutts tried to box the Emirates team out of the start line. But his move was too aggressive and resulted in a collision and a penalty to the ORACLE Racing squad: “It put a lot of pressure on the skin… We’ll have to repair it tonight and be ready for tomorrow,” Barker said.

Cascais AC Match Race Championship – Seeding points

Place Team Day One Points
1 Emirates Team New Zealand 10
2 ORACLE Racing Spithill 9
3 Team Korea 8
4 Energy Team 7
5 Artemis Racing 6
6 ORACLE Racing Coutts 5
7 Aleph 4
8 China Team 3
9 Green Comm Racing 3


Match Race Results
Emirates Team New Zealand beat ORACLE Racing Spithill: 1-0
Seeding Fleet Race Results

Place Team RACE #1 RACE #2 RACE #3 TOTAL POINTS
Place Points Place Points Place Points
1 Emirates Team New Zealand 2 9 4 7 1 10 26
2 ORACLE Racing Spithill 1 10 2 9 4 7 26
3 Team Korea 6 5 3 8 2 9 22
4 Energy Team 3 8 5 6 3 8 22
5 Artemis Racing 7 4 1 10 6 5 19
6 ORACLE Racing Coutts 9 3 7 4 5 6 13
7 Aleph 5 6 9 3 7 4 13
8 China Team 4 7 8 3 8 3 13
9 Green Comm Racing 8 3 6 5 9 3 11

Superyacht fleet arriving for 2011 Shipyard Cup

August 10, 2011

Boothbay Harbor is starting to buzz with excitement as the entrants for this weekend’s Shipyard Cup start to arrive.  The Shipyard Cup is a big boat sailing regatta held annually in the Boothbay Region (racing Saturday and Sunday from about noon – 4:30 P.M. depending on conditions).  This year’s Shipyard Cup is of special interest as it includes a WWII vintage aerobatic aircraft show.

Superyacht fleet arriving for 2011 Shipyard Cup

Superyacht fleet arriving for 2011 Shipyard Cup

First to arrive on Monday were sailing yacht CHRISTOPHER a 150 ft. ketch recently launched at Pendennis Shipyard in the U.K.  and  WHITEHAWK a 92 ft. Maine-built schooner  designed by local world renowned naval architect Bruce King.

Others soon to arrive include the 100ft Nautors Swan  sailing yacht VIRAGO, the 114ft S/Y TENACIOUS, ISOBEL (75 ft.)  yacht WHISPER (116 ft.), SUMURUN (94 ft.) and the 154ft sailing yacht SCHEHERAZADE.  SCHEHERAZADE is poised to be the hometown favourite, having been built at Hodgdon Yachts in East Boothbay.

This is one of the few times the spectacular SCHEHERAZADE has returned to Maine waters since she was launched in 2003. SCHEHERAZADE was designed by Bruce King and features an exquisite interior designed by Andrew Winch Designs of London and is one of the world’s most respected sailing superyachts.

Superyacht fleet arriving for 2011 Shipyard Cup

Superyacht fleet arriving for 2011 Shipyard Cup

The air show will feature six WWII vintage aircraft from the Texas Flying Legends Museum in an aerobatic performance from 5-5:30 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday, weather permitting.  In addition, the planes will be on display at the Wiscassett Airport where they will depart at 4:45 pm for the over-water show.  The best way to see the airshow is by private or commercial boat.  A list of commercially available boats is available at the Boothbay Region Chamber of Commerce website.

A more complete description of the entrants, the aircraft and the Shipyard Cup “Notice to Mariners” for local mariners planning to be on the water is available on the event website.

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