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J a n u a r y
2 0 1 2
How important?
The honest answer is that no one can yet be certain about the implications of David Raison's success, dominating the M i n i Transat w i t h his radical new design, at the finish beating the best of a well-honed M i n i 6.50 fleet by 150 miles. W h e n Raison's scow was first launched early i n 2010 many did n o t take i t seriously, partly because the boat, by any conventional measure, was definitely not a thing of beauty, but more substantially because i n early races i t appeared to be a patchy performer. B u t this is no amateur-built flight of fancy - Raison is a skilled marine engineer and an experienced competitor. He had correctly identified the fact that using the best materials i t is now possible to build a large box-structure, like a M i n i scow, extremely hghtly, and so reduce wetted surface enough to minimise the vulnerability of his design outside its best condition of power reaching. Raison's
TeamWork may also feature
a (now) reliable telescoping canting keel, to maximise w o r k i n g bulb 'extension', but even w i t h o u t deploying the keel and bulb Team'Work has f o r m stability at rest to match most of her rivals - w i t h their own keels f u l l y rotated. O n top o f this enormous reserve of power, i t is necessary to factor i n the accepted key hydrodynamic characteristic of a good scow, that once modestly heeled (assuming i t is not too heavy), the boat assumes a rapidly narrowing waterline profile w h i c h i n t u r n boosts speed through the water further. So the righting moment of a cat, w i t h comparable heeled drag, and all employed on a quasi-conventional m o n o h u l l - one that is capable of crossing the Atlantic. This w i l l be one hell of a story...
COVER: Teamwork
INSET: J e s u s Ren edo
F E A T U R E S
24
On the hook
STEPHEN 'SPARKY' PARK is at the very
pointiest end in terms of the performance of
Team GBR in 2012. He talks to A N D Y RICE
26
The next Step
Renowned for the quality of their boatbuilding,
Ovington Boats are now moving into design and
development... starting w i t h a slippery new skiff
30
Third time's a charm?
- P a r t i
It didn't get off to a great start but no
one doubts the pace of Farr Yacht
Design's new V O 7 0 . BRITT W A R D
34
Serious history
There was gravitas mixed in w i t h plenty
of conviviality when the Whitbread and
Volvo race veterans gathered i n Alicante
38
Step aside
The new America's Cup is certainly encouraging
more young sailing talent... A N D Y RICE and
TERRY H U T C H I N S O N report f r o m San Diego
40
Textiles to composites
- P a r t VI
B I L L PEARSON concludes this series w i t h a look
at more of the apphcations f o r thin ply techniques
R E G U L A R S
4
Commodore's letter
A N D R E W M C I R V I N E
7
Editorial
A N D R E W H U R S T
8
Update
C A M LEWIS is enjoying seeing the vision of his
Stars&Stripes team of 1988 finally reach modern
f r u i t i o n , T E R R Y H U T C H I N S O N is looking to a
busy winter, CAMPBELL FIELD is not getting
over-confident and D A V I D R A I S O N tells
PATRICE CARPENTIER why he is gratified to
have at last concluded his M i n i Transat quest
14
World news
'JP' survives (and prospers), BERTRAND FAVRE
on diplomacy, Italy enters ' t w o ' Cups, A N D R E W
PALFREY on Cup coaching, Orma 60s go south
and a new rule for the toybox... I V O R WILIONS,
BLUE R O B I N S O N , PATRICE CARPENTIER,
BRICE LECHEVALIER, DOBBS DAVIS,
GKJLLANO L U Z Z A T T O
22
Paul Gayard
And the Artemis Racing CEO bids a
cautious welcome to Luna Rossa...
28
IRG - be under no illusions
Times they may be a-changing but the
principles underpinning the I R C system
have not shifted one iota, says JAMES D A D D
43
RORG news
EDDIE W A R D E N O W E N
44
Design - Changing the game(sa)
- P a r t I
M E R F Y N O W E N previews a report on the latest
changes i n Imoca 60 design w i t h this look back
over his first 15 years of involvement i n the class
48
5ea^0r56 build table
- Hold me down
Is there no end to the new boats being launched
by the mighty McConaghy Boats pantechnicon
66 Seahorse
regatta calendar
67
Sailor ofthe Month
Two o f t h e most respected... as well as the fastest
Left: locked andloaded, and on film of c o u r s e , Mike Pammenter prepares to go up for the dally rig c h e c k on Camper during leg 1 of the VOR. T h e following day Pammenter would lose a front tooth after being thrown Into the s h r o u d s during a sail change. That i s certainly not what you want to s e e
(inset) when you
look down at the bottom of your VO70 hull. T h i s Is
Sanya's flooded
bow compartment after limping back into port with major hull damage
F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 2
F E A T U R E S
24
Aussie reflections
BLUE R O B I N S O N considers some of die other
heroes of Olympic sailing and A N D Y RICE
discusses the perfect race w i t h T O M SLINGSBY
S
Update
R O D N E Y PATTISSON has words on the way
that Olympic sailing is going, as does BLUE
R O B I N S O N - putting on his Finnster hat. Where
now f o r I A N W I L L I A M S and f o r goodness' sake,
'start smiling', says TERRY H U T C H I N S O N
28
A moose on the loose
Sanya skipper M I K E SANDERSON assesses
the performance lessons f r o m Volvo Leg 1 while
W O U T E R W E R B R A A K looks at routeing choices
Crucial times
Frank Cammas's Groupama failed to impress on Leg 1 of the 2011/12 Volvo Ocean Race, splitting early w i t h the rest of the fleet in a move that ultimately did not pay. Even i f i t had, to split w i t h all o f your competitors so early i n a marathon 8-month contest goes against every rule of regatta sailing, something that Cammas's rivals w i l l have noted w i t h interest. This experienced and hugely successful oceanic competitor no doubt has immense confidence i n his strategy team and i n the speed of his extensively developed Juan K V O 7 0 design, but his rivals w i l l already be wondering about the o l d sailors' joke of the inherent paradox of a French 'Team'. I t was a confident move by Cammas to take his enormous and well-established sponsorship programme i n t o the refined competitive cauldron of a modern crewed round-the-w o r l d race, but he round-the-w i l l have done his homework - and he also has the benefit of k n o w i n g that Groupama's is a two-event V o l v o Ocean Race project. I n the past there has been very little successful crossover by good shorthanded sailors into top-level crewed competition (other than at a level below skipper); encouragingly, however, the reverse is currendy proving true w i t h an expanding new generation of great all-round sailors such as the Spanish pairing of Martinez and Fernandez w h o are surely blazing the traU. The route f o r the very best regatta sailors into the V o l v o Race has been established f o r many years n o w , w i t h Paul Cayard, winner i n 1997/98, the pre-eminent example. N o w i t falls to Cammas to carry the shorthanders' torch in the same way. Just adding to the pressure, m o n ami!
COVER: lan Roman/VOR
INSET: Mick Anderson
30
Third time's a charm?
- P a r t n
BRITT W A R D of Farr Yacht Design
explains the unusual deck layout
decided upon for their V O 7 0 Azzani
34
Finding balance
Louis Vuitton Cup impresario and
former 12 Metre Cup skipper BRUNO
TROUBLE is comfortable with how AC34 is
shaping up but has concerns for his wine cellar
14
World news
Flying on the Big Blue with LOÏCK PEYRON and
B R I A N T H O M P S O N , SAM's ftesh start, C H U N Y
B E R M U D E Z and BUBISANSO stay focused,
the heritage movement gathers momentum in
Auckland and it's kick-ass f o r Quantum Key
West 2012. PATRICE CARPENTIER,
CARLOS PICH, IVOR WILIONS,
BLUE ROBINSON, DOBBS DAVIS
22
Rod Davis
-Legitimate disagreement
It's so great listening to Rod when he's
trying oh-so-hard to stay diplomatic...
36
Rules of engagement (5)
While D A V E H O L L O M likes the big cats but
26
ORG-Finessing the offer
A L L E S A N D R O N A Z A R E T H
worries whether we are chasing the right rainbow _ pgp^ | |
40
Design for manufacture
44
Design - Changing the game(sa)
- P a r t i
A N D R E W HURST attempts to set out a context
for a calm discussion-about improving reliability
- especially of prototype raceboats - plus some
case studies f r o m A N D R E W M A C F A R L A N
M E R F Y N O W E N moves on to the substantial
modifications recently made to improve the pace
and reliability of M i k e Golding's Vendée steed
47
RORG news
A change of guard and a look ahead to events
further afield... EDDIE W A R D E N O W E N
42
Cherry picking
While D A N PRIMROSE looks further afield to
see if useful lessons can be taken f r o m elsewhere
R E G U L A R S
4
Gommodore's letter
M I K E GREVILLE
48
5da
/7or56
build table
- Overrated
Save on materials w i t h H U G H W E L B O U R N ' s
typically elegant alternative to a M i n i 6.50 scow
66 Seahorse
regatta calendar
7
Editorial
A N D R E W HURST
67
Sailor ofthe Month
I n the spirit of Christmas (huh! - ed) it's an
all-American final for this m o n t h . . .
Left: Azzam lines
up for the C a p e Town restart. It is hard to exaggerate the efforts of the s h o r e c r e w s In getting the three damaged V O 7 0 s ready for Leg 2 - just d a y s after the boats came off their s h i p s In bits. The improvements In oceanic race s a i l s still i m p r e s s , a new main (inset) on the Open 60 Gamesa bearing no resemblance to the flappy b a g s that u s e d to get these shorthanders around the world!
SLtjili^Mit
^l M a r c h 2 0 1 2
Benchmark
Unless someone exceedingly wealthy comes along to buy their existing 40m VPLP trimaran o f f them, i t looks as if the Banque Populaire saUing team w i l l be hanging onto the Jules Verne T r o p h y for some time. A l l of the current G-Class multihulls have n o w taken a decent shot at the most prestigious of saihng records and in the current climate the chances o f a newer, larger and faster boat being commissioned by a corporate sponsor - at least - l o o k slim. That's not to say that one of today's oligarchs may not g r o w tired o f bathing w i t h nymphs i n champagne onboard their current 'boat' and start l o o k i n g f o r a different k i n d of adventure (or perhaps they experienced enough risk f o r one lifetime on the way to accumulating all of their billions - ed). Though Frank Cammas talks bravely of the chance to beat 40 days w i t h
Groupama 3, he knows that
firstly she is f o r sale, and, secondly, that anything G3 can do, BP V can do better. N o , the best chance f o r a new record any time soon lies w i t h the blue machine, which according to the routeing calculations really does have a 40-day lap i n her. Skipper L o ï c k Peyron was generous in sharing the credit f o r his team's achievement, as you w o u l d expect f r o m this most gracious of sporting heroes. British watch-leader Brian Thompson came in f o r plenty of praise, as did Peyron's predecessor Pascal Bidégorry. The next big trick f o r Peyron - w o r k i n g w i t h his legendary brother, Bruno '79 days and nearly a capsize at Cape H o r n ' Peyron - is t o translate Jules Verne success i n t o the tens o f millions of euros they need to get their promising Energy Team into the next 'grown-ups' round of A C 3 4
COVER: Thierry Martinez
INSET: Nick Dana/VOR
F E A T U R E S
22
Right place right time
Sixty years young the R Y A Dinghy Show still
stands unique i n the world of small boat racing
26
My time
BEN AINSLIE and BLUE R O B I N S O N discuss
keeping non-participants o f f the field of play...
28
Design for manufacture
- P a r t l l
SP-High Modulus chief engineer R O D
FOGG responds to some of the points
raised i n last month's opening feature
32
Oak trees
We knew that we should soon expect
to see more offshore scows, but not
that the next one w o u l d be a M a x i .
J I M P U G H and M I C H A E L ROBERTS
34
No rest for the wicked
D E L A Y N E SALTHOUSE w i l l in future think
twice before answering his phone after midnight
36
Strategic review
W O U T E R V E R B R A A K looks at the lessons to
be taken f r o m racing between Monsoon seasons
38
The top of the jigsaw
A new breed of Maxi.looks set to tip the balance
in the class back to boats that go... fast. L U C A
BASSANI, R O L F V R O L I J K , JAMES A U S T I N ,
J I M P U G H , SIR L I N D S A Y OWEN-JONES
R E G U L A R S
4
Gommodore's letter
M I K E GREVILLE
7
Editorial
A N D R E W HURST
A N D Y RICE looks at the Olympic state of play,
I A I N M U R R A Y updates us on the good and the
bad in Cup W o r l d and at Key West T E R R Y
H U T C H I N S O N is awarded some time out for
good behaviour onboard a good 'ol one-huUer
14
World news
The relentless professionalism (and charm) of
L O I C K PEYRON, the tenacity of ROSS (and
CAMPBELL) FIELD, STAN H O N E Y adds a
quick Hobart success to an already mighty resumé
and the local USA talent gets a welcome boost.
PATRICE CARPENTIER, CARLOS
PICH, I V O R WILIONS, BLUE '
ROBENfSON, DOBBS DAVIS
20
Paul Gayard
- The game starts here
Why 2012 is going to be the
make-or-break year f o r America's Cup teams
24
IRG-Weightymatters
Why did we ever think that theory w o u l d beat
good a set of 'weighing scales'? JAMES D A D D
44
Design - Changing the game(sa)
- Part III
M E R F Y N O W E N and P H I L A N N I S wrap
up w i t h the rig options for an Imoca 60 i n 2012
47
RORG news
EDDIE W A R D E N O W E N
SeahorsebuM
table
- Something groovy from the East
A new entrant to the folding trimaran market
66 Seahorse regdXtdi
calendar
67
Sailor ofthe Month
A n d a rather magnificent contest... (we think)
With perfect timing BT Boats' third K i w i 4 0 F C launched in Wellington during the Global Ocean R a c e stop, with work on boat no4 n o w underway at Hakes Marine. The C l a s s 40 itself is still growing steadily, if not a s maniacally a s w a s the c a s e a couple of y e a r s ago. T h e c l a s s remains the obvious c h o i c e for anyone wanting to compete in the c l a s s i c big oceanic r a c e s - but short of the 3-4 million euro now needed for a competitive Imoca 60 c a m p a i g n . . .
(Now) it's getting interesting...
Last m o n t h we took a close look at W a l l y Yachts' latest contribution to improving the performance of large saihng yachts and f r o m now on we are going to be casting the Seahorse net wider still. It has taken a while f o r the biggest sailing boats, which have been rapidly growing i n number i n recent years, to match this growth w i t h a similar step-up i n sailing performance; but we are at last making some real inroads. Interestingly, one of the most often overlooked large yachts in this sense is the curious but technically
brilliant Mahese Falcon, the
giant modern interpretation of a square-rigger that was conceived w i t h and built f o r tech guru T o m Perkins. Far f r o m just being a technical tour de force (which i t is) this 1,240 tonner (sic) sails pretty w e l l . . . once up and moving! Certainly, i f you study Falcon objectively i t puts to shame some o f the smaller, and i n theory nimbler, vessels that should sail a lot better than they do. O u r interest w i l l initially focus on the best 'conventionally' rigged large yachts, w h i c h like the WallyCento are beginning to base performance more measurably against the type of larger yachts more usually encountered i n these pages; as A x e l de Beaufort concedes
(pg44), across the scale some
of the claims made f o r very expensive sailing craft have historically been 'unhelpfully' far f r o m the mark. But w i t h boats coming online like former One T o n W o r l d Champion designer Philippe Briand's new 108ft sloop (with giant square head rig), and other designers also w i n d i n g up the sail area to displacement ratio, well, things are getting interesting. So time to get stuck i n . . .
COVER: Tim Wrigiit INSET: Nic Compton
F E A T U R E S
26
A contradiction in terms?
N I C C O M P T O N takes us through the evolution and mysteries of the C I M Rule - now the de facto system of choice for 'modern' classic yacht racing
of the negativity around the 34th America's Cup
14
World news
CAMMAS'S boys are on the up, a new home for the Tour Voile, the Vendée list grows, new colours for
Hydroptère, I A I N MURRAY'S horsepower
~ " " " ' " " • " " concerns continue, J I M M Y SPITHflLL's (bruising)
31
The (new) benchmark
busman's hohday, Hamilton Island's siren call, and JASON C A R R I N G T O N argues that the C N C the politics of Key West 2012. With PATRICE milled tooling process w i l l soon be an essential CARPENTIER, I V O R WILKINS, CARLOS component in the build of a contemporary PICH, BLUE R O B I N S O N , DOBBS DAVIS grand prix racing yacht ^^"^^/ ^ • y ^ - i ^ A
20
Rod Davis - Clear the bench
36
Design for manufacture
. Because now we're going to designPart III
pv^ '^"^,4
^ ourselves an AC72 catamaran.h^s!:^^:5r ^^Sm mm
^
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look at design and build processes, ^
M
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- SeNOUS
tlmCS
with an example of a 'different' way ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ L I J I A ' L I L Y ' X U talks to BLUE to approach a large composite keel fin - ^ ^ g / ^ R O B I N S O N about human optunisation.
Plus, w i l l they be 'Doing a Bradbury' i n 2013?
40
The best of all worlds?
CBTF t w i n foil technology co-creator BILL
24
ORC ColUmU - EaSy
aCCCSS
BURNS and America's Cup veteran CHRIS DOBBS DAVIS
T O D T E R are among those behind an innovative „ - - - - — and affordable new design testing methodology
pg^jgj^ _
/^ttentiOO tO thO
dOtall
jyno A X E L DE BEAUFORT and an honest look at the
^ performance gulf between raceboats and cruisers
4
Commodore's letter -
^
-
^
M I K E GREVILLE
47
RORC
UOWS
- - - E D D I E W A R D E N O W E N
7
Editorial _ , .
.7 .,
A N D R E W HURST
48 SeRhorsB
Duild table
- S i z i n g things up
M A T T W O O D and T O R B J O R N L I N D E R S O N take a new approach f o r the Gunboat 55 sailplan
66 Seahorse
regatta calendar
67
Sailor ofthe Month
Two wise - and pretty fast - old men of the sea!
C a m p e r skipper Chris Nicholson, a former 505,18ft skiff and multiple 49er champion, s e e m s finally to have met his match - looking unusually wary a s he is introduced to his new steed in Abu Dhabi. 'Nicho's' Marcelo Botm-designed VO70 has really surprised with its patchy perfor-mance, a current s e c o n d place overall owing much to the team's typically strong Team New Zealand levels of reliability. Inset: coming s o o n . . . the very foxy n e w Soto 30
S
Update
M I K E SANDERSON is not having the easiest of Volvo Ocean Races, TERRY H U T C H I N S O N celebrates the success that is Key West Race Week, PAUL ' T H E O T H E R POPE' H E N D E R S O N is backing Rodney all the way, W O U T E R VERBRAAK analyses tactical performances on VOR Leg 3 and SIR RUSSELL COUTTS is tired
(
C o n t e n t s
| JiRW;itt^Jl
F E A T U R E S
•
26
Perception
JAMES D A D D looks at popular performance assumptions... w i t h the benefit of recent analysis
30
A rare glimpse
M I K E B I R C H is one of the sailing greats, though he can be harder to track down away f r o m the water... as J O C E L Y N B L E R I O T discovered
R O B I N S O N watches the air turn blue o f f Sydney
Coming on strong
Before the Volvo fleet set out on leg 5 they had just about enough time to digest the f u l l story of the previous leg to A u c k l a n d . . . A n d what they learned did not offer French skipper Frank Cammas's rivals much room to relax. The moment the fleet starts power-reaching i n heavy air Groupama's determination to optimise their Juan
K o u y o u m d j i a n V O 7 0 f o r these conditions starts to pay dividends. Also, Cammas's tendency to back his hunches rather than sail the fleet, which we've commented on previously, seems n o w to have been reined in. N o t surprising f o r such an accomplished skipper, after early tactical tumbles Cammas has accepted that this is a different fleet f r o m the Open classes he is more familiar w i t h , although, that said, the latest V O R fleet has been noticeable f o r taking more risks than i n recent editions. This may be a sign of growing desperation on the part of the non-Juan K boats, w h o see any condition specific theoretical advantage crumble on contact w i t h the enemy. I n fact, i t is the other way around in the 2011/12 V o l v o Race, i t is grand p r i x racers hke Ian Walker and Ken Read ( w i t h a Juan K design but playing catch-up more than he'd like) w h o are having to explore the corners. O f course, over a 33,000-mile course, h a l f w a y still leaves plenty of r o o m f o r change, and aside f r o m the consistent but steady
Camper, the pace boats
Telefonica and Groupama
are the only t w o not t o have suffered a m a j o r drama. I t is not uncharitable to suggest their rivals may be dwelling on this fact f r o m time to time during the next few months...
COVER: Yann miou/Groupama INSET: Christian Février/Bluegreen
35
A long road travelled
The sails on Banque Populaire V performed faultlessly around the w o r l d - but that had very little to do w i t h luck. J E A N BAPTISTE LE V A I L L A N T and CESAR D O H Y
38
Design for manufacture
- P a r t IV
Structutal engineer W I L L BROOKS distills the various points raised i n this series so far and suggests some practical and affordable steps
14
World news
Return of the king, Transquadra pressure, G R A N T D A L T O N 'won't' keep the big cats, the quietly superb J O R D I CALAFAT, the Caribbean takes its place at the top table, the M A R C O N A N N I N I fan club... and America's Cup-winner SKIP LISSIMAN talks media intrusion. PATRICE CARPENTIER, I V O R WILKENS, CARLOS PICH, DOBBS DAVIS, BLUE ROBINSON, G I U L L ^ L N O
L U Z Z A T T O , PETE H O L M B E R G
25
Paul Gayard
And there's more than one way to solve the new America's Cup puzzle
28
Olympic and small boat
news - Bygone era
M A R K M E N D E L B L A T T talks to i \ N D Y RICE about America's growing Olympic sailing challenge
42
Size matters
N I C K P A R T I N G T O N demonstrates how out of all the f r o t h the area of nano-technoiogy now offers genuine opportunities for advancement
R E G U L A R S
4
Gommodore's letter
M I K E GREVILLE7
Editorial
A N D R E W H U R S T8
Update
ROSS FIELD is not happy at all, TERRY H U T C H I N S O N ' S science project, Volvo leg 4 routeing w i t h W O U T E R VERBRAAK, R O Y DUNSTER on Olympic 'comparables' and BLUE
46
Design
- Historic roots, devilish details
As the H i g h Performance Rule proposal f r o m the USA gently bubbles forwards DOBBS DAVIS looks at its chances of gaining wider traction
48
S e a t e d build table
-Absolute beauty
R O Y DUNSTER is one of the lucky f e w to have already tasted the joys of M a r s t r ö m ' s new M 3 2
50
RORG news
E D D I E W A R D E N O W E N
66 Seahorse
regatta calendar
67
Sailor ofthe Month
T w o of the very best (but of coutse...)
j Inset: the square head i s s o 2011... I They may lead, I they may follow,
but what you s e e working in the skiffs i s likely to find its way onto a big boat s o m e time s o o n . One of the greatest moments in modern ocean racing (/eft) a s Mike Birch drives his tiny Walter Greene-built trimaran over the maxi sloop Kriter at the finish to win the first Route du Rhum in 1978 by just 98 s e c o n d s . . . and s o create a legend of both the race and of a humble but brilliant skipper
(
C o n t e n t s
ilflTffJ
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^kH
C l a s s of 2 0 1 2
In this issue Figaro sailor Marcus Hutchinson looks at the history o f a hugely important event and delves into the workings of the Artemis Offshore Academy, set up to prepare Anglo Saxon solo sailors to take o n their French and other -rivals at the highest level. Just as a proven record in Olympic sailing is a virtual prerequisite f o r a top Grand Prix sailing career, so a solid record in La Solitaire du Figaro is indispensable f o r those aiming at events like the V e n d é e Globe; it seems there's nothing like the transparent heat of one-design competition, offshore as well as round the cans. I t is interesting to look at crew photos of recent Jules Verne
winner Banque Populaire V
- the great majority o f Loïck Peyron's team had previously enjoyed Figaro success. Exactly the same is true w i t h
Groupama i n the V o l v o
Race. Franck Cammas is a Figaro winner, as is his no2 Charles Caudrelier; his helmsmen, Damian Foxall, Thomas Coville and Erwan Israël, have all done well on the Figaro, as has Cammas's navigator Jean-Luc Nélias. W h i l e the Figaro retains its unique place as a test of core solo sailing skills, advances i n the technology allowed f o r the race mean that graduates today also emerge w h o l l y familiar w i t h the latest navigation systems, GRIB file usage and AIS tracking (plus media skills including r u n n i n g various blog sites), all learnt onboard a wet, cold and violently pitching 3 2 f t Bénéteau one-design. One result of this increasing sophistication is that the best Figaro graduates are n o w stepping onto larger boats, crewed and shorthanded, and getting on pace very quickly. So, a good degree tp have...
COVER: Mark Lloyd
INSET: G Martin-Raget
F E A T U R E S
30
State ofthe art
Earlier than we could have hoped... G O N Z A L O
K O U Y O U M D J I A N A N D ANDRES SUAR of
Juan Yacht Design review design development
for their latest rather good Volvo Open 70s...
34
To make Nelson proud
Former Figaro racer and also Seahorse editor
M A R C U S H U T C H I N S O N describes the
w o r k i n g and philosophy of the Artemis
Offshore Academy programme
36
Before light was
(obviously) right
C-Class pioneer A L E X KOSLOFF
talks about the dawning of the light.
interesting observations on the Fast 40s and
P A T R I Z I O BERTELLI is back in America's
Cup town - and for quite a while, it appears
14
World news
Oracle's kiss of life. Class 40 bans 'raking', le bon
Spi, Fling flung. Core go all Russian, fresh plunder
down under, IKER and XABI's dazzling future,
shorthanded uptick in N o o York. PATRICE
CARPENTIER, PETE H O L M B E R G , ROB
M U N D L E , I V O R WILIONS, CARLOS PICH,
DOBBS DAVIS, G I U L I A N O L U Z Z A T T O
40
Design for manufacture
- P a r t V
I V O R W I L K I N S reports on a High Performance
Yacht Design conference that remained heavily
focused around the recent crop of V O 7 0 failures
22
Rod Davis
Why do certain people perform much
better under pressure than others...
24
ORC column
A fresh look at the HPR
proposal... through the O R C keyhole
42
Franck'sway
BLUE R O B I N S O N grilled Groupama's P H I L
H A R M E R about life w i t h F R A N C K C A M M A S
44
Franck talk
BLUE then sat d o w n w i t h the man himself, and
was fascinated by the iiaked intensity he found.
And words on the V O R future w i t h previous race
winner and Sanya skipper M I K E SANDERSON
R E G U L A R S
4
Commodore's letter
M I K E GREVILLE
7
Editorial
A N D R E W HURST
26
Olympic and small boat news
- Judgment day(s)
A N D Y RICE catches up w i t h some o f those who
were doing the hard yards at the recent ISAF
Olympic skiff and multihull trials i n Santander
28
Technical soapbox
8
Update
TERRY H U T C H I N S O N finally gets his hands
on an AC72 wing, K N U T FROSTAD has been
delving into the history books, DEE S M I T H has
46
Design-Study guide
Swiss high-speed design specialist SEBASTIEN
S C H M I D T is looking ahead at least 30 years i n
his search f o r the next generation of flying foiler
48
S e a t e d build table
- S t u d y guide
Spanish designer I G N A C I O O L I V A - V E L E Z E
takes us over his clever new micro canting-keeler
50
RORC news
EDDIE W A R D E N O W E N
66 Seahorse
regatta calendar
67
Sailor ofthe Month
It's design(er) time...
Leit: at a trickyregatta there w a s a s c r a p in T e a m G B R in Palma for best recovery. At the e n d Hannah Mills/Saskia Clark were c o m e b a c k q u e e n s , ending with 4 , L 2 , 3 , O C S (oops) after a s h o c k e r of a start... Only 2nd Pom 470, though, behind the two fast S o p h i e s , Weguelin a n d Ainsworth. No s u c h trouble in the Finn (inset)... yes, he did - again
(
C o n t e n t s
PfTiro^ilP^
Rumbling on
Only three boats i n the Volvo Ocean Race had scored on every leg when the M i a m i I n Port race kicked o f f , and they duly lay i n 1st, 2nd and 3rd overall... the f i n a l p o d i u m spot n a r r o w l y held by Team New Zealand's entry Camper
(pictured). I n the case of the
K i w i team, this placing was the result of hard w o r k and consistency rather than any signs o f sparkling pace f r o m their Botin design. I n fact, given the struggles endmed by Ian Walker's crew on their Farr V O 7 0 , i t appears r i v a l designer Juan K o u y o u m d j i a n has taken a bigger step f o r w a r d compared to his competition this time than in the previous race i n 2008-09; nowhere w i l l developments for the next Volvo Race i n three years' time be more closely watched than i n the Juan K offices in Valencia, although i n the immediate term they of course have more than enough to take care o f w i t h an A C 7 2 design programme f o r Artemis. I t is only a matter of weeks before the first AC72s h i t the water; Artemis have already made a nice j u m p by f i t t i n g an A C 7 2 w i n g and AC72-style floats to their test tri. Certainly, the changes visible in the w i n g set-up since the Swedish-owned team began sailing w i t h w i n g n o l suggest this time has been well spent. Artemis are less happy, however, about the current jury interpretation approving the 'mutual observation' plans of the co-operating Luna Rossa and E T N Z teams. They are all very big dogs i n this fight, but you can still have a little sympathy f o r Artemis w h i c h seems to have somehow been left as the only genuine 'singleton' 2013 Cup team when the music at last stopped playing
COVER: Hamish
Hooper/Camper
INSET: Adam
May/Artemis
F E A T U R E S
26
Confidence of crisis...
STEWART HOSFORD believes that, considering
the environment, saiUng is doing pretty good
28
49 years young
A N D Y RICE talks 470 development w i t h
London 2012 Olympians H A N N A H M I L L S
and LUKE PATIENCE
32
Strong spirit
N I C C O M P T O N and ERIK WASSEN
delve into the inexorable rise of the
Spirit of Tradition classics class
36
Design for manufacture
- N o t so fast!
M A R C V A N P E T E G H E M and
V I N C E N T L A U R I O T PREVOST feel
strongly that the designers and builders are
not entirely to blame f o r the recent spate of
raceboat structural failures
•6
Update
TERRY H U T C H I N S O N reckons deal w i t h the
fear early, ALESSANDRA SENSINI is singularly
unimpressed and J U L I A N B E T H W A I T E offers
praise for rivals at ISAF's Olympic class trials
14
World news
Praise for Nacira's new 6.50, RICCARDO
B O N A D E O diversifies, BOTIN's next step, JIM
Y O U N G still shaking the tree, McConaghy's deep
commitment... and the offshore community spirit.
DOBBS DAVIS, BLUE ROBINSON, CARLOS
PICH, G I U L I A N O L U Z Z A T T O , I V O R
WILKINS, PATRICE CARPENTIER
38
Top down
We just needed better torsion cables i n order to
make top-down f u r h n g a broader reality... and
now we have them, says A N D Y M E I K L E J O H N
42
Artisan approach
R Y A N GODFREY made sure the cameras were
all off before he started rebuilding Puma's 3Di J2
headsail. But BLUE R O B I N S O N was i n there...
43
No walk in the park
Puma trainer M I C H A E L C E C C H I on rebuilding
his athletes and W O U T E R V E R B R A A K talks
routeing strategy f o l l o w i n g a tricky V O R leg 6
R E G U L A R S
4
Commodore's letter
M I K E GREVILLE
23
Paul Cayard \
Sailing every single day i n San f
Francisco - fuggeraboudit! I
24
Technical soapbox
- In the works '
And at Persico Marine they are already tooling up
for their second A C 7 2 w i n g . . .
25
IRC column
The trick is i n the courses, says JAMES D A D D ,
who's also underwhelmed by pricey 'mega-40s'
44
Design - Organic growth
He's not stopped since moving back to South
Africa and S H A U N CARKEEK now has a new
45-footer coming that looks very quick indeed
^^ SeahorseWM
table
- Good lineage
Another very fast-looking machine, this one a
mid-sized canting-keeler f r o m GREG E L L I O T T
48
RORG news
EDDIE W A R D E N O W E N
66
5ea/;orse regatta calendar
7
Editorial
A N D R E W HURST
67
Sailor ofthe Month
Two magnificent, classy performances.
Beautiful in quite different w a y s . J a s o n K e r ' s new IRC 50 (left) went afloat in Germany with clear s i g n s of an evolution of the light Ker 40 that i s now doing so well offshore. This larger derivative should match that, with considerably more inshore 'bite'. Javier Soto Acebal penned the gorgeous Aries 31 (inset) for his own use, but w a s s o o n p r e s s e d into a production run!
C
C o n t e n t s fiTrWff3*>J
»SkB
A question of s c a l e
While the classic racing circuit continues to thrive, i n this issue we look at one end of the category that was causing us some confusion... Although the last 100-foot race M a x i s , like the Jochen
S c h ü m a n n - s k i p p e r e d Esimit
Europa 2 {inset) - ex-Alfa
Romeo - carry on ripping up
course records, as a breed they are in decline. Recent M a x i s have concentrated around the 7 2 f t mark, where the competition is closer,
something Alfa Romeo's first
owner Neville Crichton conceded when he replaced her w i t h a 72-footer. But there is no shortage o f larger new race yachts going into the water, it's just they tend now to be closer to 130ft w i t h displacements around 150 tonnes - six times that o f
the carbon Esimit Europa.
Just as in the upper echelons of 'gentleman's' motorsport, those w h o can buy today's most expensive race yachts i n the m a i n w a n t more than just outright performance (this is partly also a reflection of the sad passing o f a generation o f M a x i owners w h o were as keen to race offshore as around the cans). Times and fashions change; today's J Class owner is more likely to arrive at the dock i n a priceless Ferrari G T O than i n something brash like a Lamborghini Aventador (or w i t h the race crew in a rented minibus!). Sailing has been here before; i n a way we are here again w i t h the battle of billionaires that has returned to the America's Cup. There is plenty enough technical challenge in f i t t i n g o u t a 1930s design to safely dehver a 21st-century sailing experience; and the industry is keeping things moving 'up there' w i t h better rigs, sails and deck gear... Those hull shapes may well look old; but business is still business!
COVER: Oskar KihIborg
INSET: Gorazd Mauri
F E A T U R E S
24
Facing the future
A N D Y C L A U G H T O N and ALESSANDRO
N A Z A R E T H discuss the micro of sharpening up
ORCi, and IRC star designer J A S O N KER looks
at the much wider picture... including HPR
26
Titan
H o w else do you describe a man w i t h eight Laser
w o r l d tides plus three i n the Star? A N D Y RICE
talks to Olympic legend ROBERT SCHEIDT
29
Alpari World lUlatch Racing
And can maestro I A N W I L L I A M S
really win a f o u r t h w o r l d crown...
R E G U L A R S
4
Commodore's letter
M I K E GREVILLE
30
Funny old world
The 'modern'J Class matches the
M a x i fleet in size, w i t h at least three
new boats on the way... J E R O E N D E ' ^ F
VOS of Dykstra Design and CEES R E M ^
of Holland Jachtbouw consider how we
reached this extraordinary point and analyse the
steps required in the creation o f a new J Class
33
Big rigs...
... Plus M A R K HAUSER of Southern Spars and
former Oracle rig adviser K E I T H C A R E W look
at applying the latest technologies to a J Class r i g
7
Editorial
A N D R E W HURST
It's time to throw open the catchment once again
8
Update
TERRY H U T C H I N S O N dodges a wing, ROB
W E I L A N D is not a happy hooker. Plus, do rating
systems really make so much difference...
14
World news
Jean Maurel remembered, SLINGSBY
is a happy fellow, G A V I N BRADY is
not, C O L M A N ' s triumph, Caribbean
refinement, 'only in America'. DOBBS
DAVIS, FVOR WILIONS, PATRICE
CARPENTIER, BLUE ROBINSON,
PETER H O L M B E R G , ROB M U N D L E
35
The toughest game in town
us
Finn representative and
2008
silver medallist
Z A C H R A I L E Y tells A N D Y RICE his plans for
taking on a certain Finn class rival in Weymouth
22
Rod Davis
And a real team is a beautiful thing
28
Technical soapbox
- S e t t i n g new standards
44
Design - From first to last
Swede J O H N H E D BERG has never owned a
boat w i t h an engine - but at age 82 he is still
creating innovative and fast new sailing boats
38
A most remarkable man - Part I
BLUE R O B I N S O N reflects on the many and
varied achievements of F R A N K B E T H W A I T E
40
Design for manufacture
Rocketman ROBERT L A I N E believes that to
move forwards y o u need to admit vi'here you are
42
Nothing is for ever
M I K E SANDERSON discusses the introduction
of a new Volvo One Design. Plus a particularly
strategic study w i t h W O U T E R V E R B R A A K
SeahorsehuM
table
- A lone voice too long
C A M LEWIS raises unballasted awareness w i t h
a look at a (very) fast N I G E L IRENS cruising t r i
48
RORG news
EDDIE W A R D E N O W E N
66 Seahorse regaitdi
calendar
67
Sailor ofthe Month
A feline f o r felines and time very well spent
There has been a sharp increase in tempo ahead of November's Vendée Globe start. Sam Davies (inset) has started training with her well-travelled IVlarc Lombard design, while the favourite's favourite, Armel L e Cléac'h, is well into sail trials with Banque
Populaire, previously
Michel D e s j o y e a u x ' s Verdier/VPLP Foncia. Next up at the bookies after L e Cléac'h is Desjoyeaux protegée Frangois Gabart on the very lightweight new Verdier/VPLP Macif
rit^.liWJi
^iM S e p t e m b e r 2 Ö Ï 2
Dedicated
The father of the Hydroptère
(Eric Tabarly was godfather) A l a i n T h é b a u l t has moved his big-boat operation to the Pacific f o r some summer record-breaking while also raising the USA profile of new title sponsor DCNS. A t the same time, T h é b a u l t ' s smaller Europe-based squad are progressing their t w o -hulled 3 5 f t foiler on the Swiss lakes, where they have already broken a few records of their o w n . T h é b a u l t has devoted his whole adult life to this project, w o r k i n g on i t continuously since the late 19SOs, when he was first 'discovered' by Tabarly while trialling a one-man 15ft foiler - w h i c h still bears a remarkable resemblance to today's 60-footer. Like many pioneers, T h é b a u l t has sacrificed more than he w o u l d have wished along the way, i n both personal and financial terms, but i n the past few years he has begun to see his persistence rewarded. There are other competing speed sailing designers w h o continue to argue against the V - f o i l premise employed f o r
the original Hydroptère, but
to date T h é b a u l t has had the f i n a l w o r d , showing that his craft can n o w sail at 50kt over proper distances, and hitting peak speeds - i f a little nervously - o f over 60kt o n several occasions. T h é b a u l t ' s ambition is to move f o r w a r d into a probably, but not necessarily, considerably larger Jules Verne foiler w i t h i n the next three years, hopefully w i t h the continued support of D C N S - a defence supplier itself steeped i n high technologies. W o r t h noting, too, is the considerable support this project receives f r o m some of Europe's best universities - not a bad way to spend a student placement
COVER:
Christophe Launay
INSET:
Gilles Martin-Raget
F E A T U R E S
24
Got my toys back
B R I A N T f l O M P S O N is plenty thrilled to be part
of the revival of real offshore multihull racing
28
Outlook bright
M I K E SANDERSON is taking a very positive
view o f t h e switch to a one-design Volvo Race
TERRY H U T C H I N S O N confronts the reality
of sailing AC72s on the often w i l d waters of San
Francisco Bay and Global Ocean Race winner
C O N R A D C O L M A N explains the attractions
of an 'accessible' round-the-world yacht race.
Plus Pauger Composites strike gold at the first
attempt with their innovative new twin-rig cat
29
Up front and personal
However, master raceboat builder K I L L I A N
BUSHE is 'somewhat' less enthused... and
not only for the more obvious reasons
32
End of term
Navigator and router W O U T E R
V E R B R A A K wraps up w i t h a look at
the final winning moves by Franck
Cammas and his hard-pushing team
34
A growing wave... with bumps
Up til now it has passed many of the keenest
racers by, but the growth in classic competitions
large and small and i n their competitiveness
-has been little short of explosive. But it -has not all
been pain-free along the way. N I C C O M P T O N
38
Backing himself
The Olympic sailor w h o is going to need the
broadest shoulders i n Weymouth opens up to
BLUE R O B I N S O N about his plans f o r 'and then'
44
A most remarkable man - Part II
Check out an Olympic class, skiff or Paralympic
boat park and you w i l l see the influence of
F R A N K B E T H W A I T E i n almost every corner
R E G U L A R S
4
Gommodore's letter
M I K E GREVILLE
7
Editorial
A N D R E W HURST
A good step... but the real w o r k has barely begun
15
World news
F R A N C K C A M M A S in his own words, a fight for
territory in New Zealand, PEDRO CAMPOS and
team are underwhelmed by the big Volvo Race
change, how Australia raised its Olympic
game and those M O D 70 trimarans w o w
the US of A. DOBBS DAVIS, Fv'OR
WILKINS, PATRICE CARPENTIER,
BLUE ROBINSON, CARLOS PICH
22
IRG
Back i n the major league again...
23
SuperSeries-Onwards!
The 52 SuperSeries is on the rise. We quiz ROB
W E I L A N D on the secrets p f its successful debut
27
Paul Gayard
And a change of America's Cup plans at Artemis
42
RORG n e w s - D u t y of care
EDDIE W A R D E N O W E N
46
Design - Born again
Designer-builder J O H N CORBY has been
successfully diversifying his field of operations
48
S e a t e d build table
- Bigger, faster, higher
And J A S O N KER is also moving up a peg ot t w o
66
S e a t e d regatta calendar
67
Sailor ofthe Month
Old sea dog (sorry, chum...) vs rising star
Innovation corner:while development h a s continued with the Jo R i c h a r d s - d e s i g n e d rotating-keel lake racer
{inset) Oracle have
moved onto lift-foil experiments using two of their four AC45S. With several rotating-keel monohulls now sailing, things have gone quiet in terms of positive feedback... Meanwhile, C u p rivals are speculating that O r a c l e ' s own latest development avenue may simply be a red herring - given that the adjustable foil s u r f a c e s needed to control ride height are outlawed under A C 7 2 c l a s s rules
r
co
ntents
O c t o b e r 2 0 1 2
Full on
From the moment the W o r l d Series teams began training for their first event in San Francisco the reality of the new America's Cup venue began to sink i n . W i t h i n days four AC45s had flipped, w i t h one of Prada's boats, i n particular, suffering severe damage to its w i n g . O f course, many of the AC45 crews are quite familiar w i t h saihng these boats i n rough conditions after several heav>' air days i n Europe, but the real message concerns the forthcoming A C 7 2 launches. San Francisco is one of the most exciting places to sail i n the w o r l d , the result o f rehable thermal breezes and fast-flowing tides producing a challenging short chop; the San Francisco breeze is also relatively unforgiving, being quite cold and 'hard' and prone to frequent and vicious micro-gusts all across the bay (ask any local I n t 14 or skiff sailor about those!). Loïck Peyron has gone on record as saying that he is d o u b t f u l whether the AC72s i n their current guise have sufficient righting moment to be raced hard on the bay w i t h any satisfactory degree o f reliability; contrast this w i t h
the observations (pg37) of
former Cup designer Philippe Briand, w h o says the AC72s are i n reality httle more overpowered than some of the best oceanic multihulls. The t r u t h probably lies somewhere i n between these two opposing points o f view; after a l l , the 72s w i l l be sailed and maintained by the best operators on the planet - this is the America's Cup. However, what is aheady beyond doubt is that there w i l l be either a l o t of prudence shown by crews as they pick their sailing days, or months of hard w o r k f o r shore crews and their floating salvage teams... or both
COVER: Erik Simonson
INSET: PPL
F E A T U R E S
28
^SuperSeries - It can be done!
ROB W E I L A N D and his team have worked hard
to produce a satisfactory way to allow existing
and brand new 52-footers to compete equally
30
Australia makes its move
A N D Y RICE was paying close attention as the
Aussies took the top nation slot at London 2012
36
Opening the presents
Cup designer M I K E D R U M M O N D watched
w i t h I V O R W I L K I N S as N e w Zealand's
first A C 7 2 began testing
39
Rules are there to be
broken
RICK C A V A L L A R O likes nothing
better than turning the status quo
firmly on its head... especially when
famous scientists are involved
42
Staying on top of our game
Hugo Boss race programme director STEWART
HOSFORD highlights the fundamental changes
going on i n sponsorship and proposes ways f o r
sailing to take advantage of the opportunities
R E G U L A R S
4
Gommodore's letter
M I K E GREVILLE
14
World news
And another world record for the force that is
FRANCIS J O Y O N , first WallyCento sighting,
weight saving with F R A N C K C A M M A S , AC72
watching w i t h M I C E D R U M M O N D , Volvo Race
reflections w i t h CHRIS N I C H O L S O N , a third
daggerboard goes into the Wild Oats... and the
USA takes i t squarely on the chin. DOBBS DAVIS,
I V O R W I L K I N S , PATRICE CARPENTIER, BLUE
ROBINSON, CARLOS PICH, ROB M U N D L E
24
Rod Davis
There's still nowhere quite like N e w p o r t R I
26
ORG column
And a victim of their o w n success...
27
From the top
And M a r l o w Ropes have launched
their o w n clever and affordable
top-down f u r l i n g cable solution
44
Design - No small task
V I N C E N T L A U R I O T PREVOST and Y A N N
PENFORNIS discuss the wholesale rebuild of
what was once a humble Orma 60 trimaran
46
RORG news
Ker 40s to the fore yet again (and this time i t is i n
the light). EDDIE W A R D E N O W E N
7
Editorial
A N D R E W HURST
0
Update
San Francisco i n now very much 'for real', says
TERRY H U T C H I N S O N , the next Global Ocean
Race is firmly a 'go', says JOSH H A L L , and BLUE
R O B I N S O N talks 'relief w i t h B E N AINSLIE
48
S e a t e d build table
- All carbon, all business
BRUCE BECA is finishing o f f t w o of the latest
fast trimarans f r o m designer I A N FARRIER
66
Sea^or^e regatta calendar
67
Sailor ofthe Month
They were almost rivals on the water as w e l l . . .
Inset: G B R 470 sailorsPatience and Bithell were clearly utterly unintimidated going into London 2012 and their Olympic debut drew c o m p a r i s o n s with the first appearance of a young Ben Ainslie in Atlanta back in 1996.
Left: further out to sea,
this y e a r ' s Vendée Globe entrants are training hard ahead of j November's race start F - this is IVlarc Guillemot E and his extensively ; developed Verdier ^ V P L P Imoca 60 Safran, [ w h i c h now features l
revised foils a s well a s : a vëry sophisticated <• new carbon rig (see : next month). T h i s large : a e r o s p a c e group have ; been putting every ^ p o s s i b l e technical c r e s o u r c e behind this < fascinating programme
f
C o n t e n t s
N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 2
Busy boy
N o sooner returned f r o m his latest trip around the planet w i t h Franck Cammas, picking up a maiden V o l v o Race victory along the way, than Thomas Coville was back on his o w n maxi
trimaran Sodebo S and off on
a new round o f solo record attempts. The Volvo win was the second big prize Coville has secured i n recent years w i t h fellow multihull expert Cammas - he was onboard
Groupama 3 for the big
green tri's successful Jules Verne run t w o years ago. Coville opened the batting w i t h a new TransMed mark, covering 45 Sum f r o m Marseille to Carthage i n 25 hours. But his real interest lies i n getting back some o f the serious oceanic records that he has been relieved of by the magnificent Francis Joyon - currently making fresh plans o f his o w n . . .
Sodebo's designer, Nigel
Irens, reports some new flickers o f interesr i n large multihulls, prompted at least in part by the tremendous increase i n coverage f o r the next America's Cup. Just as the big, loud new Cup, w i t h o u t necessarily meeting its commercial objectives, is nevertheless giving sailing a valuable public boost, so i t also appears to be delivering a leg up to the traditional image of the m u l t i h u l l - as an odd, 'unusual' type f o r speed freaks and eccentrics. We k n o w this because some o f the new interest Irens has had is n o t f r o m his customer base among the world's best ocean racers - i t comes f r o m owners of very large yachts w h o once w o u l d never have considered going to sea w i t h o u t plenty of f i r m l y fixed ballast. Yet another positive example of the laws o f unintended consequences. Bravo, we say!
COVER: Christophe Launay INSET: Gilles Martin-Raget
F E A T U R E S
27
Super S e r i e s - S e t for 2013
ROB W E I L A N D w i t h a tantahsing hint about a worthwhile new vocation for the Admiral's Cup?
8
Update
Oracle (briefly) get back on the water, TERRY H U T C H I N S O N has a mixed month, BLUE R O B I N S O N talks Australian gold and I V O R W I L K I N S goes all Italian w i t h CHRIS DRAPER
28
Here at last
I V O R W I L K I N S paid close attention as the America's Cup finally reached its 'desdnation'
32
Accelerated journey
B R I T T W A R D and the Farr Yacht Design team have been flat out preparing for the new V 0 6 5 one-design... w h i c h is already building!
36
Natural evolution
PHILIPPE B R I A N D cut his super-yacht teeth on boats like Mari-Cha
III and IV-even his most luxurious
designs slip along pretty s w i f t l y . . .
Builder's view
Alloy Yachts M D T O N Y H A M B R O O K and chief of engineering RUSSELL S A L M O N revisit some o f the key elements i n building BRIAND's largest sailing design to date
14
World news
Just one lady skipper in the next Vendée, though her fellow Rosbifs just took out the Normandy Channel Race.. .PETER LESTER grabs a ride on ETNZ's distinctly reliable first AC72, Spanish voting intrigue, the medals glitter at Hamo and four perfect days on the Bay. DOBBS DAVIS, IVOR WILIONS,
PATRICE CARPENTIER, BLUE ROBINSON, CARLOS PICH, ROB M U N D L E
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World Match Race Tour
And defending champion I A N W I L L I A M S has his w o r k cut out
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Can you afford not
to..-Shorthanded aficionado and Formula One technical chief M I K E G A S C O Y N E offers some typically strong opinions - and suggestions f o r change - on the state of play i n ocean racing
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Tilting at the ultimate
Safra7i designer G U I L L A U M E VERDIER led the
technicai group responsible f o r skipper M A R C G U I L L E M O T ' S highly advanced new Imoca spar
R E G U L A R S
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Commodore's letter
M I K E GREVILLE
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Paul Cayard
A C 3 4 - fascinating but tough to manage
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IRC column - Naughty naughty
So who's been testing the edges - JAMES D A D D
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Design
- A new twist to the (IRC) puzzle
M E R F Y N O W E N finds the latest I R C 40s and current Class 40s to be converging rather nicely
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RORC news
EDDIE W A R D E N O W E N
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Editorial
A N D R E W HURST
SeahorsebuM
table
- Something a little different
G I N O M O R R E L L I describes what you need to catch - and sometimes to rescue - an AC72
66 Seahorse regattn
calendar
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Sailor ofthe Month
It's not w h o you are but what you have done...
All those c o m p a r i s o n s , we felt it time to give Paul Elvstrom a little s p a c e . Ironic that the Great Dane's first gold was won in Fireflies at Torquay in 1948 (left), down the road from where Ben Ainslie won his latest gold in the Finn (both sailors now have three Finn golds.) C o m p a r i s o n s between eras are invidious but entertaining. Paul Elvstrorn also won numerous world titles a c r o s s many other tough c l a s s e s and pretty much invented modern competitive one-design racing. B e n is the greatest of his t i m e - b a r absolutely no one. E n o u g h ?
