Sailing organisations, yachting business, boat owners News and Views March 2001

Editorial: My thanks once again to those who have emailed me about the newsletter. You are one of the 700 plus privileged sailing organisations, yachting related business, boat owner, skipper, crew or just a interested participant in sailing from around the world to receive this Newsletter. Special News for the millions on the internet who search for websites containing current yachting news. You can NOW! be linked to one Asian site that covers all regional regatta's and keeps you informed with Yachting - News and Views

Internet News

1. The record breaking Vendee Globe and The Race's exceptional coverage on the internet has helped conjure the general public's imaginations back to viewing global yachting challenges. Thank the Internet and the latest technological advances for the ability to transmit live interviews and film back to their loved ones or country men and women to follow as they struggle with a yacht in the far away depths of the Southern Ocean. See Yves Parlier fight to the finish this weekend. Commercially using this new form of media coverage to internationally promote yachting events will see sailing in general benefit and perhaps most of all the sailors may yet, be able to reap some rewards.

Asian News

1. Perhaps it's no coincidence then, that local clubs are reporting they are feeling a resurgence of yachting interest as they begin running training programs and start their 2001 sailing seasons. Go to http://asianyachting.com/asiancalendar.htm for latest updates including the Ao Chalong YC, Phuket and Thailand's King's Cup Regatta 2001 dates.

2. Hold on! There is still allot of sailing news to come out of Asia yet!
Amongst the regular club races The Philippine Hobie Challenge highlights this month with Changi Sailing Club's Rawa Race/Cruise and the Hong Kong to San Fernando Yacht Race to come in April. Also follow the Times Clipper 2000 round the world yachts as they race through the tricky Asian waters.

3. Peter Capotosto reports that The Philippine Hobie Challenge the biggest international Hobie-cat regatta the Philippines has ever seen is on again this month between the 10th to 18th. This gruelling, yet exciting rally kicks off from Maya-Maya in Batangas and culminate in the beautiful Maricaban Bay in the islands of Palawan. Press release at http://asianyachting.com/HobiePhilNews.htm Or contact peter@sailing.org.ph about next years event.

2. Changi Sailing Club (Singapore) reports that the age old 110nm Rawa Race / Cruise to Pulau Rawa on Malaysia' fabulous east coast is coming up on the 12th to 14th April. This regatta is co-sponsored by Rawa Safaris the tropical islands main resort where the Rawa trophy will be presented at a beachside barbeque. The regatta is open to both the racing and cruising classes. Go to the NOR, Entry Form etc Closing date for all entries is 31st March.

3. Boating Oz News - Mar 12 John Messenger plans to take some time out from a busy schedule by racing his recently launched Sydney 38 'Utopia' on the Asian circuit later this year. Media release by Ian Grant.

4. Considered one of Asia's classic offshore races, the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club's biennial race to San Fernando is a major event for yachtsmen and an important sporting event for Hong Kong. It has been held over the Easter period since 1975 (every odd year) and this year (12th April to Mon 16th) has attracted interest from serious sailors both locally and internationally. Current record for the 480nm ocean race is 2 days, 2 hours, 2 minutes set by Lawrie Smith's UK entry Rothmans in 1991. Sir Robin Knox-Johnston's Times Clipper fleet of 8 identical 60ft yachts have included the San Fernando Race as an official leg of their Round the World race. Please bookmark the following address for full and updated information during the race. http://www.rhkyc.org.hk

4. The Times Clipper 2000 Round the World fleet is expected to arrive in Okinawa from 14:00 GMT on Thursday 15 March, which would be in the early hours of Friday 16th March UK time. Daily race reports and updated fleet positions are available at the Clipper Ventures' website, www.clipper-ventures.com and AsianYachting will maintain a page on the fleet as they move through Asia and tackle the often frustrating and difficult sailing conditions in the region at http://asianyachting.com/news/TimesClip.htm

5. The finish of these global yacht racing challenges broadcasted direct on the web and TV in Europe reminds me of what ever happened to the ideas of having a Round the World style Race for Asian competitors in 2005 using Datuk Azhar Mansor's WSSRC approved course starting from the legendary Langkawi Islands in Malaysia, which where being muted a few years ago? See archived article at http://asianyachting.com/Archive/SEAtales1.htm Using the latest advanced technology to view onboard competing yachts live from the comfort of your own living room is now available since Azhar's circumnavigation so imagine what a spectacular event could now be started. Anybody still interested?

INTERNATIONAL

1. Meanwhile, there is still plenty of news coming in from the BT Global Challenge and with the teams getting ready for the Volvo Ocean Race - Round the World 2001-2002 coming up on the 23rd of September – see the links below to catch up on the latest situations in these events, and other major news from around the world.

2. Kiwi Grant Dalton and Frenchman Franck Proffit who co-skippered Club Med have set a new record time of 62 days six hours 56 minutes to complete a sailing circumnavigation after setting off on The Race from Barcelona on December 31. That's sailing over 27,400 miles averaging about 18 knots for the entire voyage! The previous record set in 1997 by 2nd placed Innovation Explorer is 71 days. Club Med also broke the 24 hour record by going 655.2 miles. That's an average of 27.3 knots, or more than 50 kph for 24 hours.

Initially there is some doubt whether Club Med's wonderful effort would be officially recognised. On Mar 12 - The World Sailing Speed Record Council's (WSSRC) rule on Round the World says "... a vessel must start from and return to the same point". The Race started in Barcelona and finished in Marseille. The WSSRC had not received an application from Club Med to ratify their record and the world awaits the outcome

3. The rule also prescribes that "... the orthodromic track of the vessel must be at least 21,600nm in length...." - Not the miles sailed which, of course, in every case is far in excess of this. The WSSRC has calculated that, in the Northern Hemisphere Les Sable d'Orlonne is about as far South you can go for a start point to comply with this distance requirement. This means that results from the Vendee Globe can be used to claim WSSRC World Records and therefore 2 new records will be ratified in due course i.e. Round the World, non stop, singlehanded, monohull - both "outright" and "female".

4. On the first day of March 2001 the first deadline for syndicates wishing to challenge the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron for the America's Cup expired. So far eight challenges have been officially received they are from:
The New York Yacht Club, on behalf of Team Dennis Conner, USA
Dusseldorf Yacht Club, on behalf of the Illbruck Challenge, Germany
Yacht Club Punta Ala, on behalf of the Prada Challenge, Italy
Union Nationale pour la Course au Large le Defi, France
Royal Ocean Racing Club, on behalf of Britannia Challenge UK
Societe Nautique de Geneve, on behalf of the Swiss Challenge
Seattle Yacht Club One World, USA
Reale Yacht Club Canottieri Savoia tba Italy
Gamla Stans Yacht Sallskap Victory Challenge, Sweden

From now until the second and final deadline of March 1, 2002, the entry fee increases to US$ 300,000. The Oracle Racing challenge entry had not been received at the time and there is still the prospect of at least one other late challenge from a country that has not yet declared an entry. What ever happened to Australia? Dates for the America's Cup are scheduled from February 15, 2003.

5. Tornado Goes Extreme - At long last the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) has announced that the "class rule changes to introduce the new Tornado rig have now been approved and are effective March 1, 2001." The new standard rig for the Tornado includes a 25m/sq asymmetric spinnaker and a second trapeze, together with a modern square-top mainsail and high aspect ratio jib should make her a exciting boat to sail and a spectacular class to watch sailing.

The changes were mandated at the November 2000 ISAF annual meetings at which the Tornado, with spinnaker and double trapeze, was selected as the equipment for the doublehanded multihull event at the 2004 Olympic Games in Greece. Maybe you will see a few old Hobie 18 sailors consider making a comeback?