Blue Sheets News

Box PR is launched

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 20:51:00 GMT

The company is a partnership between Louise Crowden and Lou Johnson, who both have marine marketing backgrounds.

Louise Crowden has worked for many years in the marine industry and for the last 5 years has worked freelance providing PR to marine clients with her company VServices. Prior to becoming freelance, Louise worked for Lewmar Marine.

Louise is partnered at box pr by Lou Johnson, who prior to joining the partnership was working at Elvstrøm Sails in Hamble and recently completed her Chartered Institute of Marketing Professional Postgraduate Diploma.

Box pr have several new clients and are looking to increase their client portfolio over the coming months. Current clients include; Baltic Lifejackets, RMK Marine Turkey, Clements Marine, Tides Marine International Limited and Ocean Art.

Follow box pr on twitter – www.twitter.com/box_pr

New Bayliner and Trophy Dealership

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:42:00 GMT

GulfStream Marine are delighted to have recently been appointed as a dealer of Bayliner and Trophy Boats. We supply Bayliner bowriders, cuddies and cruisers, as well as the full range of Trophy Sportfishing Boats direct from the factory at great prices. Why not check out the latest listings on gulfstreamshop.com or pop into the showroom to see our latest offerings! You’ll find our showroom at:

GulfStream Marine
1 Springtown Ind. Est.
Derry
N. Ireland
BT48 0LY

Rolex Ilhabela Sailing Week opens with two records

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 08:36:00 GMT

Rolex Ilhabela Sailing Week is now in its 36th edition and has proved once again to be the most important regatta in South America gathering ‘la crème de la crème’ of the South American yacht-racing community for a week of competitive sailing in the waters off the paradise of Ilhabela – ‘the beautiful island,’ located 140 miles north of Sao Paulo.

Amongst the competitors, the biggest noise is being made by the S40 one-design class, which made its first appearance at the Circuito Atlantico Sur Rolex Cup in January. Conceived by a group of Argentinean and Brazilian owners during a dinner at the 2008 Rolex Ilhabela Sailing Week, the class is proving to be the racing one-design machine of the moment in South America. From the sketches and ideas these owners created, designer Javier Soto Acebal drew the lines for this exciting one-design craft. Eduardo Souza Ramos was one of the visualizers and is racing here with the winning skipper of 2008/09 Volvo Ocean Race, Torben Grael, as tactician.

Yesterday, Sunday 5 July, saw the opening, long distance race at Rolex Ilhabela Sailing Week 2009. The 205 boats on the start line set a new record fleet size for this event. The S40, ORC International and ORC Club faced a difficult 55 nautical mile racecourse that tested their crew skills. At the start, the wind was a mere 5-knot northeasterly offering a downwind run to Alcatrazes Island. Once in the open sea the wind built to 20-knots and the waves peaked at 2.5 metres.

The second record of the day was set by the arrival at the finish by the Argentinean S40, Cusi 5, which completed the course in 6 hours 12 minutes 29 seconds, some forty-minutes inside the previous best time. “We are really happy with the result. Today we faced a very difficult racecourse with many different wind conditions,” commented the skipper Jose Estevez. The previous record, 6h 53m 27s, was set by another Argentinean boat, the 57-foot Fortuna in 2005.

Cusi 5 was followed across the line two-minutes later by a second S40, Mitsubishi/Gol (BRA). The Brazilian skipper and former-Farr 40 owner, Edouardo Souza Ramos, was happy, “it was spectacular. The day was one for the 40-footers. This boat is particularly strong on a beam reach and we hit 17-knots of boat speed. Unfortunately, we took a little bit longer to get to the east side of the course and that is where the Argentineans passed us.”

There are four S40s – two Argentinean and two Brazilian – competing here this week. Not bad for a class that is less than one-year old. Whilst disappointed to finish the race in second, the 2008 Rolex Ilhabela Sailing Week division winner remains optimistic about the racing to come, “one of our goals for this event was to finish ahead of one of the Argentineans and, at least, in one race we have managed that already,” explained Souza Ramos, continuing, " we are surprised by our time. We were 40 minutes ahead of the previous record! Today we showed the potential of this boat."

Arriving straight from Russia having won the Volvo Ocean Race, Torben Grael has joined the Mitsubishi crew as tactician for the week. For those who might wonder why Grael is taking part in Rolex Ilhabela Sailing Week after nine-months of sailing he has good reasons. His wife, Andréa, is racing on the all-female crewed Eiger, which won in the ORC International 700 class, and his son, Marco, is racing on Loyal, which came second in ORC 500. Proof again that this is a sailing dynasty through and through.

Asked about his experience on the S40, Torben Grael was quick to identify its plus-points, “it was a great sailing. It is a modern boat, very fast with different components that give it great speed. This is certainly a 40-footer that races well and is very fun to sail.”

Elsewhere in the fleet, in ORCi Sorsa III was the first to cross the finish line in ORC 500, but it was Touché Super which won on corrected time followed by Loyal with Mercenário 4 in third.

Provisional Results after Race 1
S40
1. Cusi 5
2. Mitsubishi/Gol
3. Patagonia

ORCi 500
1. Touchè Super
2. Loyal
3. Mercenário 4

ORCi 700
1. Eiger
2. Equilibrium
3. Meu Barco Novo

Oman Sail Masirah win iShares Cup Round 2 in emphatic form

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 09:12:00 GMT

Before start of play on the final day of Round 2 of the iShares Cup Hyères-TPM, there was some expectation that the breeze had settled in direction early and would deliver more wind strength. Overnight leaders Oman Sail’s Masirah sent helm Chris Draper up the mast to adjust the rig tension. The atmosphere on the dock was intense – the five front-runners knew they could all be in contention for the Round 2 iShares Cup title. James Spithill and his crew onboard BMW ORACLE Racing were subdued and tense, the Oman Sail boats of Masirah and Renaissance seemed visibly more relaxed, and Franck Cammas (Groupama) wanted desperately to get back in the game. With only six races on the table and a double points final race – the teams knew they would need to be good right from the start.

The first two races saw the breeze change direction (south-west) and soften (6-8 knots) and it was Shirley Robertson, Team iShares, who led off the start line to score their first morale-boosting win of the regatta. BMW ORACLE Racing and Gitana Extreme – Groupe LCF Rothschild (Yann Guichard) took 2nd and 3rd but the Oman Sail teams only managed 5th (Renaissance) and 8th for (Masirah). Were the tables about to be turned?

Not yet: the next race saw order restored… Gitana Extreme – Groupe LCF Rothschild, 1st; Loick Peyron (Oman Sail Renaissance), who had to sit out yesterday’s racing due to a damaged rudder, 2nd; and Oman Sail Masirah 3rd. Briton Mike Golding scored his best result of the event so far with a fourth place for Ecover: “We know we are new and we don’t want to put ourselves deliberately into a difficult situation,” said Golding. “But on the other hand if you want to make any impression on this high calibre fleet eventually you have to make some tough decisions and go in some places that are inherently dangerous to be!”

By race 4, there had been a change on the leaderboard – a victory from Spithill’s crew put them ahead of Peyron by 2 points. Pete Cumming’s crew were not making things easy for themselves with a 7th place but still maintained the top slot overall. Heading into the penultimate race and, with a double-points finale, it was still an open game. Oman Sail Masirah won the penultimate race ahead of Groupama and LUNA. Guichard will have been furious with his last place in this penultimate race, which put him out of contention for the overall Round 2 win.

Going into the final ‘double points’ race Oman Sail Masirah needed to finish higher than 7th place to secure victory in Round 2 of the iShares Cup Hyères-TPM. No one was surprised to see James Spithill covering Loick Peyron at the start leaving them at the back of the fleet, but Spithill went on to helm a blinding final race to cross the finish line in first. For Loick Peyron on Oman Sail Renaissance – they got back in the race but problems furling their gennaker ruined their chances. With those two teams covering each other early, this allowed Oman Sail’s Masirah to escape, and Pete Cumming and his crew crossed the finish line in 3rd place taking Round 2 in emphatic form.

“Brilliant result – all last year we hoped we could do it but fell short. In the final race, we just kept our heads down, stayed focused and stayed out of trouble. We’ve got it right here and great to get this result,” said Pete Cumming, skipper Oman Sail Masirh. “Chris and Mark did a great job at the back of the boat, and Freddie and I just backed them up best we could. It really felt that for the first time it has come together after our winter training in Oman. Last year we suffered from not keeping out of trouble – we’ve grown up a bit and know when to keep out of trouble and when to push.”

There was some compensation for BMW ORACLE Racing though, after their result here in Round 2 they have now taken overall lead in the iShares Cup 2009 circuit. Oman Sail Masirah move into second place and Gitana Extreme – Groupe LCF Rothschild are in third overall after two rounds. Next stop Cowes in the UK from 1-3 August…

The new Y3K is launched

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:07:00 GMT

She is a further development of the current Y3K: the owner is a truly passionate sailor who enjoys cruising with his family as well as competitively racing.
The new Y3K is designed to perform all-round: the sail plan is very powerful, the hull is
characterised by large volumes, the appendages derive from those of the latest America’s Cup
Class boats with the trim-tab fixed keel, the rigging is in PBO, the mast is in super high modulus carbon fiber, and the 3-meter long bowsprit allows for more downwind sail area.

The deck layout features from bow to stern, the slim coachroof with the central skylight to give
natural light to the central corridor down below, the social cockpit amidships with table and seats for eight people, the twin helmstations, the flush deck area between the sleek coamings with the central skylight over the main saloon, and the aft raised Terrace on the sea, which serves as a second cockpit to safely enjoy sailing.

The interiors accommodate six-eight guests and four crew. The owner stateroom is forward with a
large queen size bed, plenty of storage cabinets, and the forward en-suite. Two identical guest
double cabins are on either side of the central corridor, both with two beds and one pullman and
the en-suite. The night area (owner’s and guests cabins) is separated from the crew, navigation
and service area by a door to enhance privacy and quite.
The main salon is aft and opens onto the raised Terrace on the sea.

The Wally 100 is an extremely versatile project suitable for the most competitive regattas as well as for round-the-world cruising. It comes into two versions: the flush –deck (Y3K, Indio, the new Y3K) and deck-house characterised by four guest cabins (+ two crew cabins). A truly high
performance blue-water yacht.

The construction of the new Y3K used the latest advanced composite technology with pre-preg
carbon to keep the displacement to only 57 tons.
She will make her first appearance at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in Porto Cervo, September 6-12.

The fourth Wally to be launched this year is the Wally 80.6 Bagheera, scheduled to go into the
water end September.

Chinese Sailors Excel As First Asian Youth Games Get Underway In Singapore

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:32:00 GMT

Sailing’s practice race, held a day before the actual event, turned out to be an accurate dress rehearsal in all aspects – including the race postponement part! The wind seemed to be having a good laugh at us as it blew in at almost exactly the same time from the start as it did for the practice race.

Racing managed to kick off smoothly on both courses, however. The Bic Technos on course Bravo put in two races, while on course Alpha, a third race was squeezed in, bringing both Byte CII fleets a race ahead of schedule.

Boys Windsurfer – Techno 293

It’s been a very consistent day across the fleet for the Bic Techno boys. Wei BIPENG of China pulled off two bullets, putting him at the top of the charts, two points ahead of Korea’s Kim CHANEUI, who with seconds in both races is number two overall.

Wei’s aim for the regatta was to finish in the top three. While it is still early in the regatta to determine anything with certainty, he is still a step closer to his goal!

Down the rest of the fleet, Kwok Tsz HIM from Hong Kong finished the day third and Vantana NAKARET of Thailand fourth. Both were third and fourth respectively in both races.

Singapore’s Chuah Jun LER finished sixth, tied on points with Shasha Krishna MURTI of Indonesia and Kuramochi DAIYA of Japan.

Girls Windsurfer – Techno 293

In the Bic Techno girls fleet, there was intense competition between Siripon KAEWDUANG-NGAM of Thailand and China’s Hao XIUMEI for the top spot. With a first and a second each, both are currently tied on points. China started with a first, but Thailand had her number in the second, closing down on her competitor once in the lead to ensure China stayed well behind.

Man Ka KEI of Hong Kong finished third in both races, and Singapore’s Audrey YONG came in a consistent fourth. Singapore’s windsurfing coach, Chua TAN-CHING, remains optimistic, however. “We’re getting closer to the rest of the competition, which is the main thing!” he said. Singapore’s windsurfers are still relatively new to the class, having only made the switch from dinghy to board sailing late last year.

Boys One Person Dinghy – Byte II

It was a good day for Darren CHOY of Singapore, who managed to pull off not one but three wins with a sizeable lead in each one. “Excellent!” commented a jubilant Serena WONG, sailing team manager for Singapore. “A great start to the regatta!”

CHOY’s performance today gives him a solid five-point lead over second-placed Thailand. Supakon PONGWICHEAT actually rounded the top mark first in the last race, but a difficult second work relegated the Thai to fourth, bringing his scores to 2, 2, and 4. In third place is Lu TIANHONG from China at 12 points.

Byte coach for Singapore, Mark PLUMMER, is understandably pleased. “Darren has a good day, and Najwa sailed well. It’s early days, though,” he cautioned.

Girls One Person Dinghy – Byte II

Najwa JUMALI kicked off the regatta well with a win in the first race for the Byte girls fleet. Singapore’s representative kept her cool despite a freak gust and waterspout caused by a passing aeroplane halfway up the first leg. While the sudden change in wind pressure and direction capsized many sailors, JUMALI managed to overcome the challenge and emerge well ahead at the top mark.

It was Jittiwa THANAWITWILAT who won the day, however, with her consistency. Two seconds and a first were enough for the Thai girl to place first overall with five points. THANAWITWILAT is also no stranger to the conditions in Singapore. “I came to Singapore to race once a year for three years,” she said.

Second overall went to Gu MIN of China, whose progressively improving scores brought her to six points by the end of the day.

It has been an exciting first day of racing. Races three and four for the windsurfers and four and five for the Bytes are scheduled for tomorrow, 1 July. Be sure to catch the action direct from the live blog at www.ayg2009.sg/page/Sailing.

Find out more on the Youth Olympic Games at www.sailing.org/youtholympicgames.

Dawn Liu

A Fight To The Finish

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 08:13:00 GMT

The battle for pole position continues and the lead has changed hands again today with Green Dragon edging back in front in the early hours of this morning, only for Torben Grael and his men to sneak ahead once more. The Dragon is still holding onto second just 3 miles from Ericsson 4, with Telefonica Blue closing in just 2 miles from the stern of Green Dragon. PUMA has seen the biggest gains and losses of the day, clawing back over 20 miles since this morning and moving up to third, only to once again find themselves at the back of the fleet 19 miles from the leader. Defending second place onboard Green Dragon will be hard for Ian Walker and his crew, conditions will stay light and tricky for the remainder of the leg and another tense finish awaits both the teams onshore and those onboard. It could be a long night and morning in Marstrand and a replay of the Leg 7 finish could be on the cards, this one really is too close to call.

The fleet have spent all day trying to dodge the centre of the low pressure system and get into the Baltic Sea as fast as possible. It was clear that hitting the centre would not have a happy ending as Ericsson 3 discovered earlier in the leg when they were caught in the light air in the centre of the low, costing them 40 miles on the fleet yesterday morning. Green Dragon and Ericsson 4 started the day stuck to each other like glue and remained the most inshore of all the boats, until later this afternoon when they both followed suit and made a move offshore to make their way around the northern tip of Denmark. PUMA still remains the furthest offshore after finally escaping the centre of the low and breaking out through the west side of the system in a move which may still pay off for them.

Volvo’s Race expert Mark Chisnell filled us in on the problem the navigators faced onboard today, “The forecast at that stage had the low pressure heading for Denmark on more or less the same path as the remaining six boats. Everyone was expecting to end up on the western side of the centre, in the same northerly breeze as PUMA. The real trick was to do it in such a way that the centre of the low pressure overtook them to the north, so the wind just shifted through the west into the north-west and then the north, rather than enduring the hours of light wind that PUMA had suffered by getting caught in the centre of the low.”

But it wasn’t an easy escape, Green Dragon skipper, Ian Walker, confirmed they were becalmed in this email late yesterday evening, “This is where we remain but as we sit becalmed as the wind transitions back the other way it is only a matter of time before we get caught from behind. Sailing can be cruel and although we have sailed a good leg so far it counts for nothing until we get to Marstrand. It is clear this leg although short, has taken its toll on every crew member, “You can tell when people are really tired as they don’t bother to try and get in a sleeping bag, they just collapse in their wet kit wherever they can. This has been life onboard the Green Dragon for the last 2 days. Non stop manoeuvring and double stand-by watches means a maximum of 2 hours sleep in 8 if you are lucky”.

Ericsson 4 and Green Dragon were thrown some extra work as they had no place to go but north due to their position so far inshore, and as a result they were forced to gybe down the beach in order to round the tip of Denmark. Telefonica Blue, Delta Lloyd, Telefonica Black and Ericsson 3 decided to toake another option and stayed offshore, battling the centre of the low, but with the potential of sailing a better angle to the tip of Denmark once through the other side. The fleet are now in a role reversal as Green Dragon and Ericsson 4 find themselves offshore, whilst the Telefonica twins, Delta Lloyd and Ericsson 3 stay inshore and negotiate their way along the shoreline. The first finishers into Marstrand are expected at 0100 GMT tomorrow morning.

Leg Eight Day 5: 1600 GMT Volvo Ocean Race Positions
(boat name/country/skipper/nationality/distance to finish)
1. Ericsson 4 SWE (Torben Grael/BRA) 332 DTF
2. Green Dragon IRL/CHN (Ian Walker/GBR) + 3 nm
3. Telefónica Blue ESP (Bouwe Bekking/NED) + 5 nm
4. Telefónica Black ESP (Fernando Echávarri/ESP) + 7 nm
5. Delta Lloyd IRL (Roberto Bermúdez/ESP) + 11 nm
6. Ericsson 3 SWE (Magnus Olsson/SWE) + 15 nm
7. PUMA Racing Team USA (Ken Read/USA) + 19 nm

Junior Bourne End Week Regatta

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 08:08:00 GMT

Over 80 Juniors made this a record attendance with fresh breezes and warm sunshine adding to the enjoyment! A bouncy castle was supplied for those wanting to take a break from water activities. Parents also stayed on for the week, many of the visitors camping in the neighbouring field. This made it easy for the 88 youngsters, ranging in age from 3 to 16, to participate in the games and races organised by Adrian Hart and Alan Markham, Rear Commodore of UTSC.

The 3 race Series was won by Alex Hobern sailing a Firefly, followed by Becky Collen in a Topper and James Hobern in a Laser Pico. Sponsors of the Junior event were:Laser, the sailing dinghy manufacturer, who loaned the club a number of dinghies (6 Picos and a Bug); Yorkville Advisors who provided T-shirts; Silverbird Travel who paid for the bouncy castle; Lafarge, Purple Marine and Craftinsure.

Commodore of UTSC, Roy Burnham, commented:”the success of this junior event clearly shows the fun that young people can have on our lovely stretch of the Thames. Sailing is a sport which can be enjoyed by people of any age, so by starting young they will have the ability to sail for the rest of their lives and maybe represent the Great Britain team at future Olympic Games.”

Further details of UTSC can be found at www.utsc.org.uk

Bob………………

Fri, 15 May 2009 08:00:00 GMT

in case you are bewildered….Bob is the para anchor(used to steady the boat and prevent toooooo much drifting when having a sleep etc)

Due to the rough weather etc Sarah had to put out Bob…..but after about three hours she was able to haul him in and continue rowing.

All is well on Dippers.

Bob………………

Fri, 15 May 2009 08:00:00 GMT

Green Dragon Announce Crew List For Leg 7

Thu, 14 May 2009 08:58:00 GMT

“Ian did a great job and fitted into the team well on leg 4 to China. It was all upwind and I promised he would one day see the spinnaker! I have no doubts we will get some hard running conditions on this leg. Returning to Galway will be a huge moment for the whole Green Dragon team, it will mark a circumnavigation for the boat and the culmination of three years of work, we cannot wait to see everyone in Galway and share the project with all our supporters”. Skipper Ian Walker

Ian Budgen (Budgie) (GBR)
Ian joins Green Dragon with over 13 years of professional sailing to his name. He begun his career by dominating the Laser 5000 circuit before an Olympic 49-er campaign finishing second at the 1998 World Championships. In 2001 Ian joined GBR Challenge (The British America’s Cup syndicate) and has extensive experience on the TP52 circuit, which includes sailing onboard Lexus-Atalanti with Russell Coutts.

In 2006 Ian signed up with Paul Cayard and the crew onboard Pirates of the Caribbean for the 2005/06 Volvo Ocean Race. As a helmsman and trimmer he joined the team in Rio, sailing the remaining legs of the race, including winning the final leg to Gothenburg. This leg win cemented Pirates place on the podium where they finished second overall.

Volvo Ocean Race Experience
 2005/06 Pirates of the Caribbean

America’s Cup
 2001 – 2003 GBR Challenge

“Leg 4 was pretty brutal, but it was another great experience. This next leg is one of the best and sailing the ‘Dragon’ into Galway will be fantastic. As we have seen before the North Atlantic holds some of the most challenging conditions, it will be a fast and furious ride to Galway”. Ian Budgen

Leg 7 Boston to Galway
2,550 miles
Leg 7 starts at 13:00 local time (17:00 GMT/18:00 BST*/19:00 CEST) on the 16 May 2009. The classic transatlantic crossing, is dominated by the help available from low pressure systems and the Gulf Stream flow.

The North Atlantic oscillation (NAO) is a climatic phenomenon in the North Atlantic Ocean of fluctuations in the difference of atmospheric pressure at sea-level between the Icelandic Low and the Azores high. Through east-west oscillation motions of the Icelandic Low and the Azores high, it controls the strength and direction of westerly winds and storm tracks across the North Atlantic. It is highly correlated with the Arctic oscillation, as it is a part of it. But the crews should beware of the Azores High, if it moves north, as it can do in late May, it could slow the approach to Galway. The NAO was discovered in the 1920s by Sir Gilbert Walker. Unlike the El Niño phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean, the NAO is a largely atmospheric mode. It is one of the most important manifestations of climate fluctuations in the North Atlantic and surrounding humid climates. Westerly winds blowing across the Atlantic, bring moist air into Europe. In years when westerlies are strong, summers are cool, winters are mild and rain is frequent. If westerlies are suppressed, the temperature is more extreme in summer and winter leading to heatwaves, deep freezes and reduced rainfall.

A permanent low-pressure system over Iceland (the Icelandic Low) and a permanent high-pressure system over the Azores (the Azores High) control the direction and strength of westerly winds into Europe. The relative strengths and positions of these systems vary from year to year and this variation is known as the NAO. A large difference in the pressure at the two stations (a high index year, denoted NAO+) leads to increased westerlies and, consequently, cool summers and mild and wet winters in Central Europe and its Atlantic façade. In contrast, if the index is low (NAO-), westerlies are suppressed, these areas suffer cold winters and storms track southerly toward the Mediterranean Sea. This brings increased storm activity and rainfall to southern Europe and North Africa.

Green Dragon Crew List Leg 7 
IAN WALKER (GBR)  - Skipper
IAN MOORE (IRL) – Navigator 
NEAL McDONALD (GBR)  - Watch Captain 
DAMIAN FOXALL (IRL)  - Watch Captain 
ANTHONY MERRINGTON (AUS) – Helm/Trim
PHIL HARMER (AUS)   – Helm/Trim  
ANDREW MCLEAN (NZL)   – Mast/Trim
IAN BUDGEN (GBR) – Helm/Trim
JUSTIN SLATTERY (IRL)  - Bow  
FREDDIE SHANKS (GBR) – Bow  
GUO CHUAN (CHN)  - Media Crew Member

Dee's next adventure!

Wed, 13 May 2009 08:12:00 GMT

Dee has been back on shore for less than three months since the gruelling solo race but already has her sights on setting another world record. In June, Dee will attempt to break the speed record for sailing around Britain and Ireland and joining her onboard her yacht Aviva will be an all female crew, including fellow British yachtswoman and Vendée Globe race rival Samantha Davies.

Starting and finishing in Portsmouth, the route is almost 2,500 nautical miles around the British coastline featuring some of the world’s most technical waters with ever-changing weather conditions, tidal flows and adverse land effects.

Dee commented:
“It’s been over two months since the end of the Vendée Globe, so I am really looking forward to being reunited with Aviva and getting back out on the water. Although I haven’t sailed with a crew for a while, I think it will be great to have some company for this record attempt.”

The current outright record to sail around Britain and Ireland in a monohull yacht stands at 7 days 4 hours and was set in May 2004 onboard Solune. The record for an all female crew stands at 10 days and 16 hours, which was set by Samantha Davies and her crew onboard Roxy in June 2007. With the potential to break two records, Dee and the crew of Aviva will be waiting for ideal weather conditions before setting off.

So let’s introduce you to the ladies who will be onboard with Dee…

Miranda Merron is taking a break from campaigning her Class 40 called “40 degrees” where last year she was first in the Class 40 Championships to join the team as the navigator. Miranda has held every female Round Britain record that has stood so is an essential part of the team.

Alex Sizer is also onboard as there is nothing she cannot fix with competitive offshore race yachts. She is currently racing with Miranda and also project managing the build of a new Class 40 race yacht.

Isabelle Joschke has just finished in 9th place in the Transat BPE race where she has taken to the highly competitive environment of the Figaro with ease. Formerly racing a mini, Isabelle is now campaigning a Figaro sponsored by Synergie.

Roxy chick, Sam Davies also joins Dee onboard Aviva and they are looking forward to sailing together, having spent three months sailing against each other in the recent edition of the Vendée Globe.

Sailing novice, Jo Payton, who is a freelance journalist, will also join the girls. With Jo onboard, the crew will be able to keep in touch throughout the record attempt and you will be able to follow their every move!

There are now even more ways to follow Dee and the Aviva Ocean Racing team! Whilst these newsletters will continue to cover all the main events over the summer and regular updates will be posted on www.avivaoceanracing.com, you can also keep up to date with Dee via Twitter and Facebook:

Twitter – follow Dee Caffari
Facebook – join the Aviva Ocean Racing group

WILLIAMS Wins Out At PWA Slalom Season Opener

Mon, 11 May 2009 10:04:00 GMT

In total, four race eliminations were completed over the event’s six day holding period, in winds ranging from 7-25 knots. On predictably good form, three-time World Champion Antoine ALBEAU (FRA) set the pace for the opening race, seamlessly winning all of his heats before sailing to victory in the elimination’s final. Hot on his heels was the Ross WILLIAMS (GBR) who looked calm and collected as he picked a path through the elimination to bag second place ahead of France’s Julien QUENTEL in third.

Race two saw the early departure of ALBEAU in the first round following a start line collision with George MANEV (BUL). With the elimination depleted of the multiple World Champion, Bjorn DUNKERBECK (NED) seized the opportunity to take reigns and claim his first race victory. Behind him, Finian MAYNARD (IVB) showed class by securing second place in the highly testing Austrian conditions, leaving Gonzalo COSTA HOEVEL (ARG) to make amends for his second round departure in race 1, by filling out the final podium position in third.

Moving into the second day of competition, the wind stepped up a notch to deliver some classic slalom racing in 15-25 knots of breeze. As the third race elimination was narrowed down to the semi finals, COSTA HOEVEL continued to exert his dominance by winning his heat, equally, MAYNARD’s campaign grew momentum with some slick sailing to hand him second place.

The following semi final proved to be close fought battle, ultimately going to a newly invigorated Kevin PRITCHARD (USA), who fended off advances from ALBEAU in second, and at-the-time event leader, QUENTEL third.

The elimination final proved to be an Anglo-French battle between WILLIAMS and ALBEAU. DESPITE ALBEAU’s blistering straight line speed, WILLIAMS’ faultless gybing and tactical negotiation of the race course rewarded him with a convincing victory. Close behind, ALBEAU made his presence felt as he chased in second, and QUENTEL continued his run of outstanding consistency in third.

The fourth and final elimination of day two saw more consistent sailing from MAYNARD, who executed three back-to-back heat victories to advance into the race final. Rising to meet the challenge, COSTA HOEVEL mimicked the British Virgin Islander’s run by stitching together his own faultless run into the final eight.

Looking more comfortable in the Austrian conditions, Josh ANGULO (CPV) posed a potential threat as he tapped into his usual form to bag a spot in the semi finals. His run would be halted by a false start; in effect ruining his chances of posting a top ten finish in the overall event standings.

As the final rolled round, a selection of familiar faces took their positions to finish up the day’s racing with one last high-speed slalom bout. From the off, WILLIAMS showed he was very much in the groove. Taking the lead on the first reach, the four gybes looked to be a mere formality for the Brit, who consolidated his lead on the final reach, allowing him to savor the moment he secured his second race win of the event, and in turn the event lead.

Giving chase was COSTA HOEVEL, who finished the race in second, ahead of ALBEAU in third.

The remaining four days of the event were lost to scorching sun and long periods of waiting on standby while the wind refused to blow. The final day of competition would seal the event’s fait, as the wind completely backed off, ultimately handing WILLIAMS the event title thanks to a super consistent run of results. ALBEAU showed he’s still able to deliver the goods riding for the JP-Australia brand, finishing in second, and COSTA HOEVEL showed his calibre by taking third.

To view the full results list, in addition to photos, videos, press releases and interviews from the event, log into www.pwaworldtour.com.

The World Tour now heads to South Korea for the 2009 Ulsan World Cup from 16-22 May.

PWA/Andrew Buchanan

Solwey Challenge

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 06:09:00 GMT

Press Release :: Press Release :: Press Release

Yachting Challenge Ahead for Marine Defence and Ocean Technology Companies

Brand new yachting event, The Solwey Challenge, has been launched for 2009. Taking place over 3 days, 2nd – 4th July, the event, has been devised for the Marine Defence and Ocean Technology Industry and will link two of the south coasts most prestigious sailing waters.

Starting in the Solent – the worlds most famous sailing region and ending in Weymouth Bay – the sailing venue of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The main event takes place over the first two days with a long distance race on the first day followed by three short races in Weymouth Bay on the second day, then either free sail back to the Solent or stick around Weymouth & Portland for the third day taking in either sailing lessons, sea kayaking, spa treatments or even a heritage talk & tour.

Portland based event organisers Creative Solutions Managing Director Roy Griffiths said ‘With the ever increasing focus on Weymouth & Portland as the sailing venue for The Games in 2012, coupled with the areas former connection with the Marine Defence and Ocean Technology Industry, we felt the timing was right to launch this event. The programme of activities being planned will not only create a very memorable event but allow us to build on it year on year.”

Simon Coates, Challenge Manager, has been involved in most of the well known industry regattas and is really looking forward to the brand new ‘Solwey Challenge’ “This event combines the best elements of both the Solent and Weymouth. I foresee it becoming one of the most memorable and groundbreaking yachting events on the sailing calendar” he says.

Britannia Corporate Events have been appointed as Charter Partners “Britannia are delighted to be partners in this new and most exciting event, in its formation and build up to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. We will be providing the Solwey Challenge entrants with a skipper and mate in one of our race prepared Beneteau First 40.7’s which are ideal for this type of racing being fast and accommodating for up to eight guests” says Simon Boulding, Marketing Director of Britannia Corporate Events

To check out the full Solwey Challenge itinerary and details visit www.solweychallenge.co.uk

Ends

Editors Notes

Event Organisers – Creative Solutions
Roy Griffiths 01305 824900 / 07976 425719 roy@creativesolutions-uk.com
www.creativesolutions-uk.com

Charter Partners – Britannia Corporate Events
Simon Boulding – 023 8045 8005 simon@britanniaevents.co.uk
www.britanniaevents.co.uk

Photograph Thumbnail – Beneteau First 40.7’s in action – High Res version available

The Solwey Challenge is taking part during the Spirit of the Sea Maritime Festival www.spiritofthesea.org.uk

Weddings & Events at the Yacht Club Cala d'Or

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 23:07:00 GMT

Here at Yacht Club Cala d´Or we are proud to have been host to some of the finest, and most memorable special events.

With the exquisite cuisine served on our splendid pool and garden terraces, on our rooftop patios or inside our new salons –the choice is yours. With room inside for 200 persons seated, and a further 200 on the wonderful terraces, set immediately alongside the stunning marina of Cala d´Or–where better to make memories last a lifetime.

For further information, please email us at events@yccalador.com