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Superyacht regattas and luxury yacht racing around the world.

Rolex Capri Sailing Week Volcano Race 2013 to kick off tomorrow

May 17, 2013

The last preparations are in full swing for tomorrow’s race start at this year’s Rolex Capri Sailing Week Volcano Race. To last until 24 May, the event will welcome an international fleet of Maxi yachts to the Tyrrhenian Sea for nine days of exciting competing, as well as an amazing social programme.

Dockside ambiance in Gaeta - Photo by Rolex Kurt Arrigo

Dockside ambiance in Gaeta - Photo by Rolex/Kurt Arrigo

Composed of four segments, the Rolex Capri Sailing Week Volcano Race promises challenging conditions for the 14 participating Maxi yachts. Representing Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States, the fleet eagerly awaits the alluring combination of inshore and offshore racing, set against some of Italy’s most iconic destinations.

“Capri is one of the most beautiful places in the world,” confirmed Sir Peter Ogden, owner of the Mini Maxi yacht Jethou, overall winner of the 2012 event and likely to be one of the frontrunners in 2013. “For sailors it combines onshore glamour and Rolex hospitality with challenging sailing conditions. In particular, the offshore Volcano Race presents a host of tactical issues, depending on wind speed and variability in direction.”

Caol Ila (Sui) in preparation for tomorrow's race - Photo by Rolex Kurt Arrigo

Caol Ila (Sui) in preparation for tomorrow's race - Photo by Rolex/Kurt Arrigo

Thomas Jungblut, permanent tactician aboard superyacht Y3K, agreed with Ogden that capricious wind conditions in the area are known to upset the formbook. In 2012, Y3K was the second fastest boat on the water, a result the crew is aiming to better in 2013. “Due to varied winds and sailing conditions, sometimes the smaller or bigger yachts will have a big advantage or disadvantage,” said Jungblut. “Certainly there is no lack of tension among the fleet.”

In an effort to outperform this season’s competition, sailing yacht Y3K was optimised over the winter, configured with a more powerful mainsail, and, a deeper keel for increased stability and speed on the water. The crew has also undergone a four-day training session in La Ciotat, France to prepare for the challenges ahead. “The mix of races requires a variety of tasks, especially extremely good crew handling,” added Jungblut, emphasising the spirited contest expected within the fleet.

Dockside ambiance in Gaeta - Photo credit to Rolex/Kurt Arrigo

Dockside ambiance in Gaeta - Photo credit to Rolex/Kurt Arrigo

Ogden also confirmed the race’s reputation as being competitive and capable of surprises: “You can never prepare for everything and you have to adapt as the race develops.” He does offer some useful advice to newcomers; “The winning formula is easy: you just have to sail better than everybody else.”

Organised by the International Maxi Association, in collaboration with the Yacht Club Gaeta EVS and the Yacht Club Capri, racing officially begins tomorrow, Saturday 18 May, with a 100 nautical-mile offshore circuit that leads participants from Gaeta, past Ponza and Ventotene, to a finish on the iconic island of Capri. Two days of inshore racing will follow off Capri before the start of the fourth and final race, the Rolex Volcano Race, on 22 May. The Rolex Volcano Race is composed of a 300 nautical-mile journey around the UNESCO-protected Aeolian islands north of Sicily, with a start and finish in Capri.

Title Sponsor Rolex’s involvement in the Capri Sailing Week dates back almost a decade, while this is the third running of the Rolex Volcano Race.

Great Success of Oyster yachts at Tahiti Pearl Regatta in French Polynesia

May 17, 2013

The Tahiti Pearl Regatta represents probably the most famous regatta in the lovely yacht charter destination – French Polynesia. This year’s event was attended by more than 50 yachts, including eleven spectacular examples of Oyster Yachts.

Oyster 82/04 superyacht Pandemonium

Oyster 82/04 superyacht Pandemonium

The record entry for the regatta was largely due to the arrival of the Oyster World Rally in French Polynesia. Each year, Oyster Yachts organise regattas exclusively for Oyster owners and their guests and the lure of joining the fun in French Polynesia proved attractive to a number of Oyster Yachts from the World Rally fleet, enabling a unique Oyster Class.

The Oyster contingent included: Amelie, Babe, Mariela, Pandemonium, Proteus, Purusha, Satika, Sotto Vento, Spent, Yantina and Wolfhound.

The Tahiti Pearl Regatta started from beautiful South Pacific island of Raiatea. Situated between Bora Bora and Tahiti, Raiatea is known as the ‘sacred island’, the cultural heart of all Polynesia. The Island has a fascinating history filled with legends, as well as the regions most significant archaeological sites. The competitors enjoyed two days of festivities including a night parade at Uturoa harbour with a Polynesian show, including traditional songs and dancing.

The race to Huahine Island was a memorable occasion; the lush tropical island is arguably the most picturesque in all of French Polynesia. Steep mountains rising above secluded bays with breath-taking emerald green water and stunning sandy coves makes the island one of the most sort-after locations in the South Pacific. However, the island is very sparsely populated and can only be visited by boat. Relaxing and stress free, Huahine is a place to find solitude and peace.

The race to Huahine was a lively affair with 20 knots of easterly wind making for a fast passage. The final part of the race was downwind, giving a spectacular spinnaker finale. With an international Oyster fleet, the USA Oyster 82 superyacht  Pandemonium took line honours in the monohull class completing the 14-mile race in two hours but after time correction, the class winner was British owned Oyster 655 yacht Proteus. The race back to Raiatea was a light airs affair. After the racing programme was completed the Oyster class was won by the German owned Oyster 56 yacht Mariela. The Swiss Oyster 575 sailing yacht Satika was second and the Oyster 655 yacht Proteus was third.

Speaking after the regatta, the Oyster 82 yacht Pandemonium skipper said: “We are very pleased and proud to represent the Oyster Family here at the Pearl Tahiti Regatta, racing in a remote location can cause issues especially if by pushing the boat, things get broken. However, Oysters are well engineered and big thanks to Debbie and Eddie from Oyster, we have had ‘on location’ customer service throughout the world rally. We love the diversity of the people taking part and the scenery is just fantastic. The festivities ashore have been wonderful, especially the Polynesian night put on by locals, which was spectacular and really entertaining to see sailors joining in with the dancers! All of the Pandemonium crew have really enjoyed the regatta.”

The finale for the Tahiti Pearl Regatta was a fabulous crew night under the theme of Pirates of the Pacific. Competitors enjoyed fabulous Polynesian fayre under the moonlight with Hula dancing and traditional music.

The Oyster World Rally started five months ago in Antigua, nearly 7,000 miles from French Polynesia. The next scheduled rendezvous for the Oyster World Rally will be in Tonga towards the end of May 2013.

Video of majestic J Class yachts competing in St Barths Bucket 2013

May 17, 2013

Taken place from March 28 to 31, this year’s St Barths Bucket Regatta once again hosted some of the world’s most spectacular yachts, coming to the Gustavia Harbor in the fabulous Caribbean yacht charter destination – St. Barths to enjoy three days of exciting competing. Below is an amazing video of the J Class yachts participating in the 2013 St Barths Bucket, made by Onne van der Wal. The yachts competing in the regatta included: S/Y Hanuman, Lionheart, Velsheda, charter yacht Ranger and Rainbow yacht.

Giraglia Rolex Cup 2013, June 14 – 22

May 16, 2013

The Giraglia Rolex Cup, a race that has annually taken place since 1953, will return from June 14 to 22, 2013. Organized by the Yacht Club Italiano in partnership with the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez, the weeklong event has long captured the imagination of the Mediterranean sailing community, and has experienced an important revival since Rolex’s emergence as title sponsor in 1998.

Group A Yachts, Start of the Offshore Race, Saint Tropez - Photo credit to Rolex Kurt Arrigo

Group A Yachts, Start of the Offshore Race, Saint Tropez - Photo credit to Rolex/Kurt Arrigo

This year’s proceedings commence with a prologue race from Sanremo to Saint-Tropez on Friday 14 June. The three days of inshore racing in and around the Gulf of Saint-Tropez that follow are an opportunity for the fleet to sharpen teamwork and tactics – with the town’s famous and eye-catching Vieux Port as a backdrop – ahead of the offshore race beginning on Wednesday 19 June.

Although a distinctly Franco-Italian event – the 243-nautical mile distance race runs from Saint Tropez to Genoa, via the Giraglia rock off the northern tip of Corsica – the 200 plus fleet regularly features scores of international yachts and comprises both fully professional and Corinthian crews.

Fleet in action during inshore racing in Saint Tropez - Photo credit to Rolex Kurt Arrigo

Fleet in action during inshore racing in Saint Tropez - Photo credit to Rolex/Kurt Arrigo

With race record holder superyacht Esimit Europa 2 not competing, an open field is expected for the battle to be first home in 2013. Among the likely pacesetters are three Mini Maxis who have shown impressive results recently: Sir Peter Ogden’s 62-ft sailing yacht Jethou (GBR), overall winner at the 2012 Rolex Volcano Race; Hap Fauth’s 72-ft yacht Bella Mente (USA), current Mini Maxi Rolex World Champion; and the 72-ft luxury yacht Shockwave (USA), owned by George Sakellaris, Giraglia Rolex Cup winner in 2010 under former owner Neville Crichton.

Last year’s overall race winner – determined by the rating system applied to the fleet – hailed from Switzerland, in the shape of Franck Noel’s TP52 Near Miss. In a democratic race with every yacht capable of victory, the crews’ ability to cope with the prevailing conditions during a contest that is often characterized by two distinct stages – the legs to and from the Giraglia rock – is decisive.

Prizes at final prizegiving - Photo credit to Rolex Kurt Arrigo

Prizes at final prizegiving - Photo credit to Rolex/Kurt Arrigo

Event Schedule

Friday 14 June
Race Sanremo, Italy to Saint-Tropez, France
Registration & Inspection

Saturday 15 June
Registration & Inspection (Saint-Tropez)

Sunday 16 June
Inshore racing (Saint-Tropez)

Monday 17 June
Inshore racing (Saint-Tropez)
Rolex Crew Party at La Citadelle (Saint-Tropez)

Tuesday 18 June
Inshore racing (Saint-Tropez)

Wednesday 19 June
Offshore race start – 243-nm Saint-Tropez – La Fourmigue – La Giraglia – Genoa

Thursday 20 June
Arrival of first boats (Genoa)
Race record: 14 hours, 56 minutes and 16 seconds

Friday 21 June
Final prizegiving, Yacht Club Italiano (Genoa)

America’s Cup 2013: Experts appointed to Review Committee

May 15, 2013

This summer’s events remain on track, as confirmed by America’s Cup organizers. In parallel with finishing the last arrangements for the America’s Cup, a highly experienced panel of sailing and safety at sea experts has been named and charged with reviewing the training as well as competing of AC72 yachts in the 2013 America’s Cup.

America's Cup Press Conference in San Francisco © ACEA Photo : Guilain GRENIER

America's Cup Press Conference in San Francisco © ACEA Photo : Guilain GRENIER

The Review Committee will make its recommendations following the loss of Artemis Racing crew member Andrew ‘Bart’ Simpson (GBR) in a training accident on San Francisco Bay on Thursday of last week.

Members of the Committee have strong backgrounds in the sport at its highest levels as well as involvement in other reviews where an incident at sea has claimed the life of a competitor.

Iain Murray, the Regatta Director, will chair and lead the Review Committee comprised of:

•    Iain Murray (AUS, Chair)
•    Sally Lindsay Honey (USA, Deputy Chair)
•    John Craig (USA)
•    Chuck Hawley (USA)
•    Vincent Lauriot-Prévost (FRA)
•    Jim Farmer QC (NZL)

The U.S. Coast Guard supports this approach and will assist as appropriate. Lt. Jon Lane, with 26 years in the Coast Guard and 10 years experience as a marine casualty investigator will serve as liaison.

Tom Ehman, the Vice Commodore of the Golden Gate Yacht Club (the America’s Cup Trustee), said, “The America’s Cup will go ahead this summer. We will see the world’s best sailors racing at the highest level on one of the most iconic race tracks in sport.”

With regard to the Review, Ehman added: “The Committee brings immense experience and expertise to this Review. At a meeting in San Francisco this morning, the teams expressed unanimous support for this Committee and this process.”

The Review Committee will report as soon as possible, given that racing starts in seven weeks.

Perini Navi Cup 2013, August 28 – 30

May 14, 2013

This year’s fifth edition of the Perini Navi Cup will take place in the beautiful Italian yacht charter destination – Porto Cervo in Sardinia, from August 28 to 30. The event is reserved for the sailing yachts constructed by the Perini Navi Group, a world leader in the design and building of large sailing and motor yachts.

Perini Navi Cup

Perini Navi Cup

The event, organised in collaboration with the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, is a must see for all fans of sailing and of the Perini Navi lifestyle, at style that is synonymous with technological innovation, on board comfort and performance.

As of today there are 18 Perini Navi yachts enrolled in this competition that is characterised by great fun in total safety. The regatta will be held over three days. Yachts enrolled include the new 60m mega yacht Seahawk (hull C.2193), the 56m charter yacht Panthalassa and the latest 45m superyacht Clan. The 38m Racing Line charter yacht P2 will also be making her debut at this event.

Panthalassa - Cruising

Panthalassa - Cruising

A full calendar of social events will complement the racing calendar.

FC100 sailing yacht NOMADE IV leaves Maxi Dolphin shipyard to continue construction in Marghera, Italy

May 13, 2013

The beautiful 30,48-metre FC100 sailing yacht Nomade IV left the Maxi Dolphin shipyard in Erbusco, Italy to be transported to Marghera, near Venice, where construction works will continue. Nomade IV yacht is set to be delivered to her new owner in mid-July 2013.

Transportation of FC100 Yacht Nomade IV by Maxi Dolphin

Transportation of FC100 Yacht Nomade IV by Maxi Dolphin

Designed by the French naval architects Finot-Conq, superyacht Nomade IV has sleek waterlines with her hull and superstructure built entirely of carbon fibre and Nomex, which, with 51 tons of displacement, will guarantee outstanding sailing performance.

The “racing” style of the Nomade IV yacht is given by the shape of the hull with its prominent hard chine running from bow to stern, 9 tons of ballast on each side, lifting keel and two rudders.

The “cruiser” element of the Nomade IV yacht is expressed by her stylishly minimalist interior layout, designed by Pierre Frutschi and developed and implemented by Maxi Dolphin’s design office in close collaboration with the owner.

Superyacht Nomade IV - aft view

Superyacht Nomade IV - aft view

The elegant living spaces and cabins, designed and planned by the architect Pierre Forgia’ of Finot-Conq architects, are very comfortable and the luxury yacht Nomade IV can accommodate up to 12 guests in addition to the crew.

Following tests and sea trials (800 miles of sea trials are planned), an intense season of racing is planned for the FC100 yacht Nomade IV, starting from the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in Porto Cervo, Sardinia.

America’s Cup Director tasked with running fact-finding mission

May 11, 2013

Set to work on a review into the circumstances surrounding the capsize of the Artemis Racing AC72 yacht on Thursday, America’s Cup Director Iain Murray says consultation with stakeholders is already underway.

Image credit to Artemis Racing/Sander van der Borch

Image credit to Artemis Racing/Sander van der Borch

On Tuesday, Murray has scheduled a formal meeting when all four teams competing in the Summer of Racing – ORACLE TEAM USA, Artemis Racing (SWE), Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa Challenge (ITA) – will be in San Francisco.

“The meeting with the teams is a crucial next step,” Murray said. “We need to establish an open flow of information to ensure this review meets its goals of fact-finding and putting us in a position to recommend changes, if necessary.”

One aspect of the review will involve study of all data that was captured at the time of the incident.

“Once we have the information, the basic facts, all the data, then we will be able to re-build the entire chain of events and start to assess why this incident resulted in a tragic loss of life,” he said.

On Saturday, Artemis Racing released a statement: Artemis Racing is in the process of conducting a thorough review and analysis of this week’s accident. As a part of this review, Artemis Racing is sharing and exchanging data and information with concurrent work being performed by America’s Cup and the San Francisco Police Department. Until this process is complete, any conclusions being made about the events that led to the boat’s capsizing and its tragic outcome are pure speculation. Out of respect for Bart’s memory and his family, we ask that the broader sailing community and others reserve judgment until all the facts are known, and not persist in unnecessary rumor. We again thank everyone for their continued support and thoughts during this difficult time.

America’s Cup Director Iain Murray to lead review following tragic death of Artemis Racing crewmember

May 10, 2013

America’s Cup Director Iain Murray will conduct a review into the events surrounding the capsize of Artemis Racing’s first catamaran yacht AC72 as well as the subsequent tragic loss of crewman Andrew Simpson.

from left) – Regatta Director Iain Murray, ACEA CEO Stephen Barclay, Captain Matt Bliven, US Coast Guard Sector San Francisco, and Captain Thomas Cleary, San Francisco Police Department, address the media at a press conference on May 10, 2013, in San Francisco.

(from left) – Regatta Director Iain Murray, ACEA CEO Stephen Barclay, Captain Matt Bliven, US Coast Guard Sector San Francisco, and Captain Thomas Cleary, San Francisco Police Department, address the media at a press conference on May 10, 2013, in San Francisco © ACEA / Photo Guilain GRENIER

During training on San Francisco Bay yesterday, Artemis Racing capsized in winds between 18 and 20 knots. The boat broke apart and Simpson, 36, became trapped.

Support vessels on site rushed to recover the crew from the water and it quickly became apparent that Simpson was missing. After he was retrieved, CPR was administered by trained professionals, both afloat and at the dock, for more than 20 minutes. Approximately 30 minutes after the incident, he was pronounced dead.

“It was less than 24 hours ago when this accident happened and the pain is still very acute for everyone involved. Our condolences go out to Andrew’s family and friends, and the members of Artemis Racing,” said Stephen Barclay, chief executive of America’s Cup Event Authority, at a press briefing this morning.

“It’s too early to speculate about the causes of the accident. Iain will conduct the review and will liaise with the San Francisco Police Department and the United States Coast Guard and any other third-party experts as necessary,” Barclay said.

Murray is a veteran ocean racer and America’s Cup sailor, having been part of four America’s Cup campaigns. His knowledge of the sport is thorough and he declined to speculate on the causes, or prejudge the results of the review.

“All we know is that the boat ended up capsized, the hulls upside down, broken in half,” said Murray. “The split seconds from when the boat was sailing upwind to the pictures that we’ve all seen (of the boat turned upside down and broken apart), there’s a gap in there and that’s what we need to fill in and find out what happened.”

Artemis Racing chase boats were assisted in the recovery effort by members of ORACLE TEAM USA, Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa Challenge 2013, all of whom were on site observing the training session.

“This is a tragic reminder of the challenges faced by sailors on the water, whether they’re commercial sailors or recreational or professional sailors,” said Captain Matt Bliven of the U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Francisco, which will liaise with Murray on the review.

“It also underlines the importance of adequate training and proper gear to minimize the impact when something goes wrong. That’s something we’ve consistently seen from the America’s Cup organization and the participating teams – their level of preparation and training to avert these types of mishaps,” Bliven said.

No timetable has been placed on completing the review. The San Francisco Police Department is also conducting its own review as normal procedure when there is loss of life.

“Iain’s going to conduct his review and it’ll be thorough,” said Barclay. “I have every expectation that we will host a spectacular event here in the summer, but I’m not going to prejudge it. Iain will conduct his review and we will see the outcome and recommendations of that.”

America’s Cup Artemis Racing sailor Andrew Simpson passes away in training accident

May 10, 2013

Today, May 10, in San Francisco, saw Artemis Racing, with immense sadness, confirm the tragic death of crewmember Andrew ‘Bart’ Simpson.

San Francisco Harbour - Photo by Gulain GRENER/www.oracleracing.com

San Francisco Harbour - Photo by Gulain GRENER/www.oracleracing.com

Andrew, a British double Olympic gold medallist, was one of the 11 man crew aboard Artemis Racing’s AC72 catamaran which capsized during training on San Francisco Bay ahead of this summer’s America’s Cup. All other crew are accounted for.

Simpson however was trapped underneath the boat and despite attempts to revive him, by doctors afloat and subsequently ashore, his life was lost.

“The entire Artemis Racing team is devastated by what happened,” said CEO Paul Cayard. “Our heartfelt condolences are with Andrew’s wife and family.”

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