[ItjiliWJi^M J a n u a r y 2QÖ5
Smokin'
A lot is now being expected of young Hugo Boss skipper Alex Thompson following his solo 24-hour monohull record last year. Although Thompson only secured his Vendée sponsorship relatively late, an intense refit programme has ensured that his Lombard-designed Open 60, which raced the last Vendée as Sill, lacks for little in terms of the latest technology, although diere must be some concern within the campaign over the relatively small amount of testing undertaken since the refit was completed. That said, Hugo Boss flew in the hard sailing of the first 10 days to lie in third place as the fleet, led by Jean Le Cam and Bonduelle, entered die Doldrums after a record-breaking passage south from Les Sables. One noteworthy aspect to this year's Vendée Globe fleet is the shared back-ground of the three British entries (Nick Moloney on Skandia is an Australian): all three GBR entries began their professional racing careers as skippers w t h Chay BIyth's Challenge Business, working for Blyth during his 'wrong way' round-the-world, pay-as-you-go events. Blyth has always maintained that his creation of this then unique type of competition, which also paved the way for many others including 96/97 Vendée Globe star Pete Goss, offered a way into ocean racing for those people who would otherwise have found access to a round-the-world event difficult; no one can now deny the influence on shorthanded sailing, when the evidence is out there at the front of the most prestigious shorthanded contest of all. During the past four years development in the Irnoca fleet has been characterised by refinement rather than revolu-tion. Now updated, several of the 2000 fleet remain genuinely competitive. But the Lombard nvins (Sill & Bonduelle) do look awfully 'right'...
C O V E R : Jon Nash INSET: Dietrich Fleeter
F E A T U R E S
32
A little of over
there over here
DOBBS DAVIS formally welcomes the IRC Rule to the United States
35
Fast & affordable
TORBJORN LINDERSON explains the design and assessment process followed in creating the rig for Marc Lombard's new SeaCart trimaran
39
The revolution's come - but
how did we get here? Part I
DAVE BECK charts the history of the canting keel and looks ahead to prospects for the future
Campos and Telefonica look beyond ^. the Volvo (perhaps), where are all the
^ 'new' Kiwis... Langman flies a Idte in the Hobart, Wharo starts to build, and at least 'they' hang onto the Little America's Cup... MAGALI, PATRICE ]ARPENTIER, JEAN RAGALAN, ARLOS PICH, IVOR WILKINS, DOBBS DAVIS and ROB MUNDLE
44
First born
The first of ABN Amro's two new Volvo 70s is due to go afloat as this is written. We talk with project CEO ROY HEINER about his new baby
R E G U L A R S
4
Gommodore's letter
CHRIS LITTLE7
Editorial
ANDREW HURST8
Update
The windsiurfing fraternity have finally retaken the outright world speed sailing record - and don't they deserve it! ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year interviews, RUSSELL COUTTS on keeping a (quite) low profile, GRANT SIMMER on some radical plans for 2008 and beyond... Plus Coutter's Flying Danes net him a seventh Bermuda Gold Cup
13
World news
Vendée Globe fleet 'bursts' out of Les Sables, (another) new Groupama for Franck Cammas,
22
America's Gup news
- t h e cheque's in the post
Valencia and Madrid finally agree... upon how to fund the next Cup and we talk to Luna Rossa's star recruit JAMES SPITHILL27
Paul Gayard
A mixed year for someone with high standards, but a pretty good year for others...
28
Olympic and small boat news
And PETE MEL VIN has good reason to feel pleased with his firm's new A-Class cat design31
ORC Golumn
KEN WELLER reports from Copenhagen
46
Design-The next step
RODGER MARTIN revisits a radical design concept that has lain dormant for over 20 years
48
Seahorse
raceboat build table
'Heh - we wanna play too'. TONY CASTRO50
RORG news
Challenging but rewarding - the Swan 45 OD
65
Seahorse
race calendar
66
Seahorse
Sailor ofthe Month
And time for a little more maturity, we thinkS///skipper Roland 'Bilou' Jourdain does a remarkably good performing seal impersonation in the run-up to the Vendée start. The pressure on skippers to fulfil commercial engagements in the final days ashore was noticeably higher in this latest race, not surprising given the much larger budgets that are involved at the front of this year's Imoca 60 fleet. Jourdain was a less obvious star of the previous race, finishing third in spite of several delays for repairs
r([ijOiWJi
^iMFebruarv2nQ5
T o u ^ choice How do you go about choosing just six people for the cover of your 300th
Anniversary Edition? It's an interesting exercise, every generation in sport has its heroes, but when you try to pull out a handful who have broken meaningful barriers over a longer timespan, or who have set benchmarks that will long outlive them - or just those who are widely missed long after they are gone - then there are as many candidates as opinions. We make no claims for our final selection, but we do stand by each of their credentials to be shortlisted.
Left to right: John Bertrand
was the skipper who somehow kept it together on 'their' day, coming back from 3-1 down to move the America's Cup from quaint - if supremely difficult - US summer regatta to global sport icon; Tom Blackaller was a great sailor, a great personali-ty and someone who passed on his sailing and communication skills to the influential disciples who followed in his footsteps; another Star champion, Dennis Conner won his second world tide in 1977 by winning five straight races, and he did a lot else besides, including bringing the America's Cup into the professional era; Olin Stephens brings the most incisive commentary to modem rating debates of anyone we know, and that in his 10th decade -and like DC, he's done rather a lot else besides; Francis Joyon is the ultimate racing seaman, his round-the-world solo record, with no routeing and in a borrowed and unmodified trimaran, will stand as a supreme achievement long after his time is beaten; and Florence Arthaud... well, Florence won the 1990 Route du Rhum in her Orma 60 10 years before another talent-ed skipper put a woman back in the ocean racing spotlight
C O V E R : F e v r i e r / B l u e g r e e n P i c l t t l i a l l / P P L Gilles Martin-Raget J a c q u e s Vapillon/DPPI THIS PAGE: F e v r i e r / B l u e g r e e n Gilles Martin-Raget
Great sport, great people... Clockwise from top left: Eric Tabarly, Mike Birch, Ellen MacArthur, Sir Peter Blake, Ted Turner, Russell Coutts, Paul Cayard, Alan Bond, Titouan Lamazou, Nigel Irens, Roland 'Bilou' Jourdain, Loic Caradec, Blondie Haslar, Steve Ravussin, Ben Lexcen and Frank Cammas. All have made a major mark over the past 35 years - one way or another most of them managed to share the experience
F E A T U R E S
34
Leap of faith
Largely overlooked at the time in the political maelstrom, Dennis Conner's 1988 wingsailed catamaran was a remarkable technical
achievement. Designers DUNCAN MACLANE and DAVE HUBBARD pick up the story
39
Nouveau Géant
We talk to designer VINCENT LAURIOT PREVOST about Franck Cammas's new beast
43
The revolution's come
- but how did we get here? Part II
DAVE BECK; continues his look at canting keelsR E G U L A R S
4
Gommodore's letter
CHRIS LITTLE7
Editorial
ANDREW HURST8
Update
IRC developments from the USA, Admiral's Cup news, MSKE SANDERSON interview, WILLI ILLBRUCK remembered, Volvo Race news, Ellen's travails continue
15
World news
Patrice's tough opener, Schnack leaves Team New Zealand, flying kites and broken tripods in Oz, and peace tries to break out among competing US rating systems. MAGALI, PATRICE CARPENTIER, IVOR WILKINS, DOBBS DAVIS and ROB MUNDLE
23
America's Gup news
The first sort-out for 'challengers', as a race format starts to emerge. GRANT DALTON interview
29
Rod Davis
Just like the old job, but some new fresh faces!
32
Olympic and small boat news
A new Olympic singlehander - JON EMMETT46
Design-Newkids
GIOVANNI CECCARELLI has a new team
48
Seahorse
raceboat build table
Happy 'birthday'. Buddy50
RORG news
65
Seahorse
race calendar
Development today is frantic... or is it? Sebago, Adrian Thompson's immaculate minimalist 60ft
tri-foiler for Phil Steggali went afloat 16 years ago
66
Seahorse
Sailor ofthe Month
Speed (in heaps) versus maturity... well maybe!A date to remember It was completely appropriate that it was Rohan Veal's name that went on the first ISAF World Championship trophy to be captured by a foil-borne craft. Veal has been committed to Moth foilers since they first appeared more widely four years ago. Although he has won previous tides in the class using a mix of foil and conven-tional configurations, in the past 18 months it is fair to say that he has sacrificed other potential wins by persevering with foils, even in conditions when he knew they were not yet fully competitive. He has also bashed away for hour upon hour of training to gain full advantage ofthe latest elegant foils developed by Perth sailor John Ilett. But what was most remarkable about Veal's world championship win in Melbourne was not the eight-nil scoreline but the mix of conditions in which he was quick. Even the most ardent supporter of foiled Moths must have been surprised at how fast Veal went in lighter conditions, which points the way to more universal interest in foils for larger single and multihull craft in the near future. It appears that even in light conditions with an efficient enough sailing platform the reduction in 'apparent displacement', and thus drag, can more than offset the increased drag of the foils themselves. The implications are enormous: for lighter craft, such as offshore multihulls, direct extrapolation confirms that fully foiled sailing wUl work - once the details are resolved; and for heavier-displacement craft. Open Class and ACC designs, then the fore and aft pitch modulation available through moveable foils, and the commensurate gains in 'virtual length', should also produce a net reduction in global drag. In 10 years' time this will be seen as a pivotal time in sailboat development
Jeff C r o w / S p o r t Library
INSET: P P L
F E A T U R E S
34
Leap of f a i t h - P a r t II
DUNCAN MACLANE and DAVE HUBBARD set the stage for the successful development of Dennis Conner's two America's Cup catamarans
39
Nearly there...
TORBJORN LINDERSON and KARE LJUNG describe the engineering of the composite beams for Marc Lombard's foxy SeaCart 30 trimaran
42
Wobbly keels... across the ocean
The Volvo 70 Rule incorporates stiff structural criteria for its canting-keel systems - but it still all comes down to the engineering. ROD FOGGR E G U L A R S
4
Gommodore's letter
CHRIS LITTLESpain is finally in the 2007 America's Cup... barring some paperwork, TP52s continue to rattle on in Europe, as does IRC in its infectious spread across the US. ROB MUNDLE, CARLOS PICH, MAGALI, PATRICE CARPENTIER, IVOR WILKINS and DOBBS DAVIS
27
America's Gup news
The first pre-selection is done... plus an interview with 2007 Cup CEO MICHEL BONNEFOUS
29
PaulGayard
And there's hope yet for the good old US of A
SO
Olympic and small boat news
At last, ROHAN VEAL and foils go all the way!7
Editorial
ANDREW HURST8
Update
ROB MUNDLE talks to Skandia skipper GRANT WHARINGTON about the first capsize of a modernsupermaxi, the ORC finally goes box rule crazy... plus Volvo and Vendée Globe reports
15
World news
A tough trip to Hobart... but (another) triumph for Greek sailing, frustration for Patrice Carpentier, Mick Cookson's new 50 is a stunner,
32
Seahorse
letters
Of orcas, Athens and the real daddy of CBTF
45
Design-Plus ca change
DAVID H O L L O M takes an enlightening look at the history of rating systems... and the 'Cup'
48
Seahorse
rBLGeboat build table
Careful of what you think up on long journeys!
50
RORG news
65
Seahorse ruce
calendar
66
SeahorseSm\or
ofthe Month
The (very) old world versus the (very) newGreatest sailing moment of 2004? Francis Joyon I steps ashore after his
'<i incredible solo voyage wear-ing the 1972 FD Olympic gold medal presented by his close friend Rodney Pattisson. Below, and even more famous today-Dennis Conner, Gary Jobson and Ted Turner aboard Briton Chance's ill-fated 12-metre
F E A T U R E S
33
Leap o f f a i t h - P a r t III
DUNCAN MACLANE and DAVE HUBBARD describe the challenge of triaUing a solid-wing against a (gigantically) soft-sailed tuning rival
Where and what next? The same questions can be asked of Vincent Riou and Ellen MacArthur. Riou has aheady said that he just wants to 'go on racing', with talk of another Figaro campaign, perhaps as soon as this summer. Ellen is drawn to the allure of the solo transadantic record, which is very much unfinished business. What was impressive as Ellen arrived home was just how well she had taken care of B&Q, even though some of the mainte-nance tasks on a boat this big would normally require a team effort. Ellen's bond with her boats goes a long way towards explaining the English skipper's popularity with the wider public; she is far removed from the chnical America's Cup, or even some Volvo skippers, for whom a boat is a tool, pure and simple. Neither are wrong - just different philosophies (only one, however, will find warm identification ^vith the amateur sailboat racer whose boat represents a major personal investment). In the excitement of Ellen's return credit must also go to Nigel Irens and Benoit Cabaret, who drew the boat Nigel had always wanted, a proper solo long-distance record-breaker, with no heed to racing rules or class limits. Irens has always advocated the fact that many types of boat are not as safe as it is possible to make them for offshore use, due to the driver of regulation. B&Q is proof that with freeform talent and a great boatyard (well done, Boatspeed) it's now possible to build a boat that can be driven hard, singlehanded, but without gear-busting, on-the-edge control issues. Most exciting, with interest now flattening out in the Orma 60 fleet, more attention may soon be paid by big sponsors and good sldppers to the merits of these solo challenges. Good rimes - and boats - he ahead
COVER: Mark U o y d INSET: Gilles Martin-Raget
36
Tick took!
The countdown to the 2005/6 Volvo Ocean Race is drawing to a conclusion. We talk to Brasil 1 team head ALAN ADLER, plus STEVE WILSON (Southern Spars) and ERIC HALL (Hall Spars) look at VO70 rig development
42
Degrees of precision
TORBJORN LINDERSON and KARE LJUNG
explain the realities of designing and building top-quality foils for fast offshore multihulls
R E G U L A R S
4
Gommodore's letter
CHRIS LITTLE7
Editorial
ANDREW HURST0
Update
Where to begin? TIM JEFFERY watched as ELLEN MACARTHUR crossed the Ushant finishing line and was there when VINCENT RIOU hit the dock after a flawless performance in the Vendée Globe. Plus 'keel comment' from GIOVANNI SOLDINI and JIM DONOVAN is revved up about box rules
14
World news
Patrice is on the way home (finally!), Le Professeur
does it 'again', Spain's Cup plans emerge (slowly), critical mass at Bay of Islands Race Week, Wharo gets his head down, Peter Kurts remembered, and another magical Key West Race Week in 2005. ROB MUNDLE, CARLOS PICH, MAGALI, PATRICE CARPENTIER, IVOR WILKINS and DOBBS DAVIS
27
Rod Davis
More time, more money; and also a lot less fun
29
America's Gup news
GBR Challenge is put on the blocks as Valencia's hunt for cash starts to get vicious30
Olympic and small boat news
DR IAN WARD pays tribute to the achieve-ments of flying Moth magician JOHN ILETT45
Design-Of canting keels and
air-conditioning
CHRISTIAN STIMSON looks at what the latest technology offers in the search to create the 'perfect' high-performance cruiser-racer
48
Seahorse
raceboat build table
Kind of a GTi version of your favourite coupé!50
RORG news
The task of regulating canting-keel technology
65
Seahorsernce
calendar
66
SeahorseZdA\or
ofthe Month
A tough choice - especially pour La Belle France - and we've taken on extra bandwidth to copeYes, it's big. Most things are on Bruno Peyron's Ollier-designed Orange 2, currently busy at work in the Southern Ocean after sailing from Ushant to the longitude of the Cape of Good Hope in just 12 days. Peyron's latest cat is so big, and so well proportioned, that even at speed it hardly appears to be moving
Silent but deadly The trouble with Orange II is that it is so big and 'well' proportioned that until you pass close by the boat it hardly seems to move at all. During last summer's 55-mile Round the Island race in the UK many competitors were caught by surprise as this giant suddenly loomed large in their mirrors; even then it is easy to misjudge the speed of the latest big cat because it is so efficient that it moves through the water almost silendy. (You may ask why such a fast boat was over-taking slow boats at all, the answer is easy: Peyron wanted a new record [sic] and didn't get it on his first lap so immedi-ately went around again, lapping practically the whole fleet of 1,200 boats as he did so). The illusion of being passed by an electric ship is magnified by Orange ITs exaggerated freeboards, the only departure from classical proportions. Encouraged by Peyron, who knows a thing or two about taking cats out where it gets deep, designer Gilles Oilier deliberately raised the freeboards, and with it the cross-beams on his latest creation in order to minimise wave impact. His efforts were so successful that the crew claim that not once during a 50-day trip did a beam slam into solid water, in dramatic contrast to less fortunate lapsters such as Olivier de Kersauson and Geronimo and Steve Eossett's original incarna-tion of Cheyenne. Of course, even five years ago such an increase in structural area (hull sides) would have meant a punitive weight penalty, but with better materials and engi-neering almost anything is now possible; witoess the supreme build success of B&Q, which did not encounter a single structural problem. In anodier five years... 42-45 days? Six weeks around the world? We beUeve it's completely possible
COVER: J a c q u e s Vapilion/Benoit S t i c h e l b a u t / D P P I
F E A T U R E S
34
Leap of f a i t h - P a r t IV
DUNCAN MACLANE and DAVE HUBBARD conclude their review of the Stars & Stripes catamaran programme with the extraordinary leaps in development made in the final months
38
Sea change - Part i
Canting-keel technology is spreading right across the world of performance sailing - from Mini 6.5m racer to the Wally 80 series-built cruiser. BRITT WARD and RUSSELL BOWLER explain Farr Yacht Design's approach to this key subject
42
Prêt-a-porter
Three days after going afloat, the radical Simonis-Voogd-designed Nicorette set off... to take line hours in the Sydney-Hobart. ALEX SIMONIS gives us a little history, and explains the Triple Moving Foil (TMF) system employed
R E G U L A R S
4
Gommodore's letter
CHRIS LITTLE7
Editorial
ANDREW HURST8
Update
Orange II navigator ROGER NILSON gives a
personal perspective of BRUNO PEYRON's latest blue-water record and ROB MUNDLE reports from Sydney on a close-fought Farr 40 Worlds
16
World news
Monsieur Patrice makes it back to Les Sables... ahead of several official Vendée finishers, the well-named Maximns goes afloat (just) in Auckland, 'Chuny' Bermtidez juggles a busy schedule, two more supermaxis in Oz, and a US box rule for 65-footers. ROB MUNDLE, CARLOS PICH, MAGALI, PATRICE CARPENTIER, IVOR WILKINS and DOBBS DAVIS
26
ORG column
Plenty on... and we still haven't forgotten the IMS
27
PaulGayard
Of skiffs, one-designs... and owner-driver classes
28
Olympic and small boat news
- encore une fois
As STEVE MITCHELL (below) fails to stop les Froggies from taking another Star world title...
3 sp
31
America's Gup news
China hits the Cup scene, the Latin Rascals return and T I M JEFFERY talks to Emirates TNZ design chief ANDY CLAUGHTON
46
Design-Pop pop
(Yet) another new I R C design is on the way as the rule keeps growing in its influence; this is a tidy little IRC 40-footer from MARK MILLS
48
Seahorse
raceboat build table
A foxy new lady from SEBASTIEN SCHMIDT50
RORG news
And Ireland returns to the Admiral's Cup
65
Seahorse me
calendar
66
Seahorse
Sailor of the Month
And not the result a great many of you predictedTell me Hain't so... As she stepped ashore in Plymouth h looked ominously as if Dame Ellen MacArthur was surrounded by her own squad of minders (albeit one or two are a bit tidier-looking than usual). Presumably in our marvellous shelebredy-mad culture even a top sailor with a rare helping of media coverage is now assumed to be up for a bit of stalking? Hopefully Ellen's Cowes neighbours are ready for what lies ahead...
r
c o n t e n t s
B l i r B > A i B l » k l f e
Shows promise No sooner had Bouwe Bekking's Telefonica MoviStar set a new 24-hour monohull record of 530 miles than navigator Andrew Cape was confidently telling his shore team that with the benefit of the Gulf Stream, possibly during the Volvo Race itself, a 610-mile day is well within reach. Although controversy over the choice of a monohull for the Volvo Race continues to cause some angst, in offshore multihull circles especially, there can now be no doubt that at the very least the Volvo organisation has created a very quick and entirely modern class of boat - even if it does have fewer hulls than some would have Mked! The pace at which Bekking's team pushed across the Southern Ocean during their combined delivery/sea-trial, and the lack of downtime due to breakages, suggest that with the help of coundess technical advisers, Volvo has also come up with an ultra-modern monohull that does not err too far in the direction of lightness at the expense of reliability. All this is good news for the Volvo Race, because if you have a fleet of no more than eight boats, you don't want to lose any! More hnportant, though, is the fact diat widi the VO70 Class the creators have obviously hit upon a set of parameters that successfully encapsulate all that is best about high-performance monohull design at the start of the 21st century. From the perspective of the greater good, much of the detailing going into the VO70s will be of wider benefit, improvements in keelcanting equipment -possibly involving worm-drives - being one such area. In the immediate term, however, it is of more importance that the 'world's premier crewed ocean race' once again features the world's premier fleet of monohuU ocean-racing boats
C O V E R : Patrick A n d e r s o n / V o i v o INSET: R e n e e S p e a k
F E A T U R E S
33
Back in business
After the lows of 2003 and the brief highs of last year's ACC Act regattas, T I M JEFFERY finds Emirates Team New Zealand on much firmer ground as they work steadily towards another summer of ACC racing in Europe. Plus a last look at the Cup wannabes before the axe falls
36
Sea change-Part II
BRITT WARD of Farr Yacht Design looks at the engineering demands of canting-keel technology and at the implications for safety offshore
42
Afloat!
TORBJ0RN LINDERSON explains the construction solution adopted for the production build of Marc Lombard's SeaCart 30 trimaran which went afloat recently in Sweden
R E G U L A R S
Orma switches focus, the Vendée Globe just runs and runs, the first solo one-design Transat, Class 40 is go, Spanish Cup team gets afloat, Schnack is not going quietly... Storm Trysail's new 65ft box rule goes public... at last. Plus is the IMS fighting back (in disguise)? ROB MUNDLE, CARLOS PICH, MAGALI, PATRICE CARPENTIER, rVOR WILKINS and DOBBS DAVIS
25
Rod Davis
And what a great time to be around in sailboat racing... of course 'tomorrow' will be even better
26
Sea/^or^e letters
A justified hail for Vincent Riou, Open Class sails and top boat at the last Admiral's Cup?
J
28
Olympic and small boat news
' - Time out
PAUL BIEKER, as well as finding time to ';;/.create this cool dayracer (inset) and under¬
take mighty work for BMW Oracle, is still keeping his hand in with the International 14s
4
Gommodore's letter
CHRIS LITTLE7
Editorial
ANDREW HURST8
Update
610nm is the new target, as MoviStar sets a record on its maiden voyage, BOUWE BEKKING and VINCENZO ONORATO interviews. Admiral's Cup reflection, a Russell Coutts 'comeback'?, Acura Miami Race Week, Oryx Quest wrap-up
14
World news
Bob Oatley offers a warmer alternative for the 2005 Admiral's Cup, Blackburn struts his stuff,
45
Design - Two times a winner
PASCAL CONQ and GUILLAUME VERDIER describe the programme of improvement that equipped Groupe Finot's PRB to become the first-ever double winner of the Vendée Globe48
Seahorse
raceboat build table
The Class 40 gathers steam with the launch of Structures Shipyard's first production Pogo 4050
RORG news
2005 ISAF Racing Rules - the important bits
65
Seahorse
race calendar
66
Seahorse
Sailor of the Month
Boys and girls, old world versus the newIt's that man again! Irish-born British Virgin Islands citizen Finian Maynard raised his own outright world sailing speed record to 48.70kt in the St IVIaries trench on 10 April. Interestingly, the •Mistral driving this latest success brought slightly less wind (40-45kt) than previous record runs, but the humidity and thus density was signifi-cantly greater. Although Maynard did not carry GPS during his latest record run, it is almost certain that his peak speed was in excess ot 50kl
(
C o n t e n t s
^ I f i m j i l i K ^
Quite a result
When it was first known that the America's Cup was coming to Emope there was an immense froth of excitement, with confident claims that numbers of entries at the next event would exceed those in Fremande in 1987 - widely regarded as the best America's Cup of modern times. Reahty soon dawned, however, after a closer and more dispassionate assessment of the economics. The combination of a relatively strong currency in the euro (compared to the New Zealand and US dollar), combined with the high cost of Uving in Europe, and the daunting entry level already dictated by two frontrunning teams, Alinghi and Oracle BMW, soon made it clear that rather than a larger event, Valencia was in serious danger of playing host to just two or three superteams. That said, it is now to the substantial credit of America's Cup Management that their proactive support catalysed a body of entries that saw 11 chaUengers paid up and ready to go (weU, at least on paper) when the 29 AprU deacUine passed. As weU as direct support, such as the multi-mUUon doUar loan facUitated for Emirates Team New Zealand, there have been numerous and often imagma-tive instances of support and encouragement in kind, whether it be reduced facUity costs, valuable marketing leads, banging rival syndicate heads together, or just some cheap pre-owned saUs. At the same time the pressure on Valencia has been maintained, and works there are now weU underway, m spite of the con-tinuing 'softness' of national and local government support. The 2007 event has been assured a media value that makes even an also-ran a good sponsorship bet. That has always been the key - just as they discovered in Fremantle
COVER: Carlo B o r l e n g h i / D P P i INSET: Thierry Martinez
F E A T U R E S
20
No excuses!
T I M JEFFERY spent time recently with BMW Oracle technical director IAN BURNS; he found that this mega-team is well aware of the high expectations that come with such resources. Plus a look at the final line-up of challengers for 2007
34
'New' kids in America
Since IRC arrived in America at the 2003 Big Boat Series its influence has exploded. Leading the drive to co-ordinate growth and help resusci-tate US offshore racing is RICH DU MOULIN
39
Second coming
We flirted with it back in the late 80s, now it's back with a vengeance. SCOTT VOGEL and PHIL GARLAND look at the new generation of carbon-fibre rigging
R E G U L A R S
4
Gommodore's letter
CHRIS LITTLE7
Editorial
ANDREW HURST8
Update
Old faces set to return to the Volvo Race, Russell Coutts, still 'unemployed', still winning, KIABBE NYLOE and MATT HUMPHRIES on the Nokia Oops Cup, J U L L ^ l N BETHWAITE with the 79er story. Plus life and the universe with BEN AINSLIE
14
World news
A big night (the last one) and entries building
already (the next one!) for the Vendée Globe, wistful Cup reflections from Auckland, and a new job for Rod Davis, Wharington keeps up the pressure in Oz, and IRC passes its first big test on the all-important 'right coast'. ROB MUNDLE, MAGALI, PATRICE CARPENTIER, IVOR WILKINS and DOBBS DAVIS
22
ORG column
Revision 3 is out for the new ORC Grand Prix classes, and the new GS42 shows its pedigree...
25
Olympic and small boat news
- Something (new) for the summer...
Old Tornado sailors don't go out to grass, they move onto the thriving 'raiding'
circuit. WILL SUNNUCKS and MARK SELF (left) report back on
a successful forage to Scandinavia
45
Design - Hotel Galifornia
GERMAN and M A N I FRERS' elegant new design for RICHARD LOFTUS could prove to be the first of many, as interest grows in the concept ofthe dual-purpose 'daysailer'48
Seahorse
raceboat build table
MARC LOMBARD was pleased to see his first SeaCart trimarans go afloat, and delighted with the early performance straight out of the box50
RORG news
Measuring those new VO70s - JAMES DADD
65
Seahorse%?\\w
ofthe Month
Very very similar; very very different...66
Seahorseme
calendar
Nice to get a bit of rough-water kayaking in the magazine... actually this is one of the brave 2.4m keelboat competitors at Hyères this year, fighting hard just to stay afloat. As with the Vendée, you finish, you win
No more straw liats It seems a very long time ago indeed that the venerable gendemen of die defence committee of the New York Yacht Club manned their vessels off Newport in blazers, (dreadful) red trousers and straw boaters; contenders trembling as their launch cruised the prestart area, lest it approach bearing a message of "thanks but goodbye'. In fact the Victorian imagery was still the vogue as recendy as 1983, when Dermis Conner saw off a talented group of candidates for the right to lose painfully to Australia II, so relaunching the America's Cup. In contrast, the imagery in Valencia is of a level of mulriculturahsm undreamt of during those long summers in Newport. The appearance of contenders from China and South Africa is a credit to sailing in general and the 2007 Cup organisers in particular. Sadly the sailing conditions in Valencia are not what we could have enjoyed in Cascais; even BertareUi and ACM have their Umits. But the commercial draw of a Mediterranean port at the very heart of the European Union - in the financial rather than the geographic sense - has proved a success. Big money is flocking into Valencia because of the Cup, whether team ovmers setting up shop or those coming to network. Of course, it is aheady evident from the opening Louis Vuitton Act that, whUe the scenery may have changed, form remains the same, and, with the boats 'evening up' in design, the cost of marginal improvement in rigs and foUs wUl only escalate. AU grist to the miU for the top four and so far they look deeply untroubled by the rest. It would be good if some of the flood of money coming into Valencia could see the merit of pitching in behind the weaker teams, especiaUy Shosholoza - aheady firmly estabhshed as everyone's favourite underdog
COVER:
Gilles IVIartin Raget
F E A T U R E S
31
All change or no change?
Chris Dickson is back in the office as a very different America's Cup cycle begins in earnest in Valencia. T I M JEFFERY32
Letter from Valencia
Never one to court controversy.Seahorse's new letter writer checks
in from the Darsena Basin...
M
No excuses-part 2
BRUCE FARR and JUAN KOUYOUMDJIAN report on progress within the technical departments of the much-fancied BMW Oracle America's Cup team37
As the battle rages
VPP is a complementary, rather than competing part of the design equation, for without it the other tools are of limited use. Wolfson Unit VPP specialist JOHN ROBINSON explains his craft
41
We've come a long way
Orange II sail co-ordinator PHILIPPE PECHE
reviews the remarkable - and brief - history of sail development in the maxi multihull classes
4
Commodore's letter
CHRIS LITTLE7
Editorial
ANDREW HURST8
Update
PAUL CAYARD remembers his friend Pasquale Landolfi, TP52s score a stunning European debut in Punta Ala, (another) new foiler from that man in Perth... RUSSELL COUTTS interview,DON
STREET takes a sanguine look at mega yachts in Antigua and it's go for NEAL MCDONALD
16
World news
A disappointing OSTAR for the Class 40, a new Open 60 for Dominic Wavre, Pedro Campos interviewed. New Zealand Olympic Yachting
undergoes a savage rethink, Langman is go... and IRC makes its big-league debut on the
US east coast. CARLOS PICH, ROB MUNDLE, MAGALI, PATRICE CARPENTIER, IVOR WILKINS and DOBBS DAVIS
25
Rod Davis
So just why has Rod taken on what may prove to be his most challenging job ever...
26
Seahorse letters
Ofthe Admiral's Cup and high-pressure effects
27
Olympic and small boat news
-building miracles
Foiler guru JOHN ILETT explains why his lightest Moths ever are also his most robust
45
Design-Full circle, Parti
DAVE HOLLOM takes a more detailed look at the hydrodynamics of canting foil sections48
Seahorse
raceboat build table
- something new
MEMO CASTRO has news of two cool little Open 30s just launched in Argentina
50
RORG news
Mile-munching across the pond on Mari-Cha IV
65
Seahorse
Sailor of the Month
One blonde and two brunettes...66
Seahorse me
calendar
o o <
The christening of Anne Liardet's Roxy{ex-PRB) drew a fast crowd, including co-skipper Karen Leibovici, four-time surfing world champion Lisa Andersen {at left} and the IWoreno twins -both windsurfing world champions! IVIeanwhile, Tanguy de Lamotte {left) is well into his training forthe 2005 Mini Transat
(
C o n t e n t s
S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 5
Fresh out the liox? Louis Vuitton Acts 4 and 5 were the settings for the first major appearance of Alinghi's 'second' new ACC design for the 2003 America's Cup, SUI 75. It was the general view along the dock in Auckland that with shghtly finer sections, especially forward, SUI 75 was the better of Ahnghi's Uvo boats in hghter conditions. Of course this was never proved as during the last Cup cycle the boat was only ever used for m-house training and development. Also popular in die Viaduct Basm in 2002/3 was the theory that with every effort focusing upon the race speed oiSUl 64, the team never actually brought SUI 75 into full measurement trim. All that is irrelevant now, of course; there is no doubt that SUI 75 was very definitely in ACC measurement trim in Valencia m June 2005 where, under the cohesive leadership of Peter Hotnberg and Jochen Schuemann, she proceeded to whitewash the competition, winning all 11 of her match races in Act 4. Come the fleet racing and guile and hunger put Victory Challenge out in front on the water, only to lose out following a rare technical protest by the ACC measurers. Ultimately that handed Act 5 to Luna Rossa, which was also a popular result, given the continuous and substantial commitment made to the America's Cup smce 1996 by team boss Patrizio Bertelh. So Alinghi ended Act 5 as runner-up, giving her the 'overall' lead midway through the 2005 ACC season. Top challenger position is currently held by Emhates Team New Zealand, with a second and third m the Acts. Meanwhile, with a thkd and fourth place, BMW Oracle is enjoying similar results to Wilhams BMW in F l . The mood m the Oracle camp post-Valencia was succincdy described by one insider as 'black'
COVER:
Guido C a n t i n i / D P P I
F E A T U R E S
29
Box clever
As orders for new Class 40 designs pass the 25 mark MERFYN OWEN puts a persuasive case
32
Return of the mighty atom
Victory Challenge proved the other great winner in Louis Vuitton Acts 4 and 5 whatever the record may suggest. T I M JEFFERY reports on the comings and goings in Cup World and HEATHER PRENTICE catches up with those driving China's first America's Cup adventure34
Letter from Valencia
CHRIS LAW believes that it is not entirely wrong to believe that the Cup does indeed have a place in today's turbulent wider world36
The new battler
HUGO STENBECK found himself leading a Cup teain in the worst of circumstances. So far he has made a tremendous job of it. T I M JEFFERY
38
The 'changes' they wrought
FRANCOIS CHEVALIER and JACQUES TAGLANG dissect the changes to the ACC Rule40
Coming on strong
As the TP52 invasion of Europe continues we look in more detail at the class's longer-term prospects. MARCELO BOTIN is at the front of the TP52 design curve, DEE SMITH is busy keeping Caixa Galicia in front of the
pursuing pack, and MARK WISS looks at just how fast deck systems have had to develop to keep pace with this rapidly moving fleet
R E G U L A R S
4
Commodore's letter
CHRIS LITTLE7
Editorial
ANDREW HURSTJOYON'S heartbreak, MICHEL BONNEFOUS is the man who did indeed pull it off at ACM, NEAL MCDONALD gets sailing, HELENA DARVELID crushes egos round Gotland on Marc Lombard's SeaCart and TIM JEFFERY reports on Gillie's triumph at the Swedish Match World Cup
14
World news
King Franck is starting to threaten the Orma ' Class'... New Zealand is getting over I ^ Valencia, De Kersauson is the toast of
^ Oz, as Crichton's new baby goes afloat. Plus yet more IRC over in the USA. CARLOS PICH, ROB MUNDLE, MAGALI, PATRICE CARPENTIER, IVOR WILKINS and DOBBS DAVIS
24
ORC column
t's go for IMS. It's also go for the new box rules...
26
Olympic and small boat news
- Convergence!
Moth world champion ROHAN VEAL takes the first of a two-part look at the development of rigs in this fast-moving class and at the intense influence of windsurfer technology
46
Design - Full circle, Part II
DAVE H O L L O M knocks holes in a few of the more popular myths about drag and leeway
48
Seahorse
raceboat build table
- Apathy can be life threatening
RODNEY HOGG argues that to help stay safe we first have to wear our safety equipment!50
RORC news
And the old band get together one more time...
65
Seahorse
Sailor of the Month
Two great winners - in every sense of the word66
Seahorse
race calendar
Behind you... well, the racing got close at times during the Rolex IMS Worlds in Menorca. First prize in the new 'non-Corintliian' (ie grand prix) division was taken by the
B&C 49 Azurde |
Pu/gr with Dee g
Smith {/nsef ^
above) along as 5
tactician. Winner S
of the Corinthian m division was the g
B&C-designed " Grand Soleil 42 ^
O c t o b e r 2 0 0 5
nill chat - and it's oniy lilowing around 20... The DeVos family's fixed-keel maxZ86 Windqiiest screams mto Hawaii at the end of the Transpac. However, it was the canting keel maxZ86 Morning Glory of Hasso Plattner that took hne honours this year, as well as a new record of 6d 16h 4m; her time for the 2,225-mile course slashing nearly a day off the previous Pyetvackefs mark set m 1999. The current Pyewacket, sistership to Glory, finished just Uvo hours behmd. And these tunes were set in a year that definitely did not have typical record-breaking conditions. Besides the impres-sive speed of the canting-keel yachts over the course, the other interesting aspect of this year's race was how each of the leading contenders chose to configure around a VPP speed limit estabhshed by race organ-isers. Trade-offc of cant angle, sail area and appendage sizes were manipulated by each team in a series of trial certificates to see how different combinations would play against the speed limit. For example, the largest entry, Randall Pittman's Dubois 90 Genuine Risk, chose to reduce sail area and cant angle, and fit a smaller rudder... but then found out that the small rudder resulted in a speed increase beyond the limit! Pittman's team then opted for a smaller canard and kept the origmal larger rudder. Despite all the efforts, the maxis again lost out to theh smaller rivals on cor-rected time. Roger Sturgeon's Reichel-Pugh TP52 Rosebud was three hours behind Phihppe Kahn's new Farr TP52 Pegasus at the Diamond Head finish, but Rosebud had been reconfigured for the race outside the TP52 box and, through the magic of handi-caps, prevailed to beat her by 40 mmutes and claim victory. Dobbs Davis COVER: Sliaron Green INSET: Simon P a l f r a d e r / R o l e x / D P P I
F E A T U R E S
31
Improving the breed
Greg Elliott's innovative 100-footer Maximns is not only fast but so far it is also proving robust. BRIAN JONES, head of engineering at High Modulus New Zealand, describes how his company goes about such a complex project
35
Simulating!
Sailing simulators generally come and go, mostly of amusement at shows but of litde deeper value. When ERANK BETHWAITE applied himself to the task the results were far more interesting...
39
So what's going on?
On paper they have (had) it all, Toads of money', talent, design skills and a head start on all of their competition. T I M JEFFERY asks where and how BMW Oracle might have lost the thread
40
No excuses-Part 3
Highlighting the extraordinary depth of resource that Oracle (still) have stacked on their side, we hear from BMW's INGO RAASCH, sail designer MICKEY ICKERT, tank test supremo FRANIC DE BORD, structures co-ordinator PAUL BIEKER and rig designer STEVE WILSON
R E G U L A R S
4
Gommodore's letter
CHRIS LITTLE7
Editorial
ANDREW HURSTTrysail 65 goes public. Plus some interesting 'history' on IOC president JACQUES ROGGE!
8
Update
Final Volvo Race entries go afloat, Ericsson build-manager JASON CARRINGTON on 'detail', SIR EDWARD HEATH remembered, DEE SMITH reports on TP52s at the Copa del Rey, new Storm
16
World news
Two new Open 60s for the Farr office, Iromiguy is indeed alright, Fabien Henry grabs the Tour, the Dashews set new standards in a 'new' field, IRC 'niggles' in Oz, as rules and racers fight it out on the Mackinac courses. Plus Swans and the IRC - a popular fit... especially in New York. ROB MUNDLE, PATRICE CARPENTIER, FVOR WILiaNS and DOBBS DAVIS
26
Rod Davis
Most people have plenty of sailing war stories, but if you are a 12-time America's Cup competitor you tend to have more than most...
28
Olympic and small boat news
-Gonvergence!
- P a r t 2
Moth world champion ROHAN VEAL looks at rig settings for foilers and at mast development
45
Design-Full circle, Part III
DAVE HOLLOM mates appendages with the trend to super-wide Open Class hull shapes48
Seahorse
raceboat build table
- Open all the way
Two contrasting new Open Class designs from KEVIN DIBLEY and ANGELO LAVRANOS
50
RORG news
A slow but great Fastnet. One for 'the people'!
65
Seahorse
Sailor of the Month
The 'lands' of the pizza fight it out this month66
Seahorse
race calendar
When you've got it, flaunt it; not the stonking new 100-f ooter Alfa Romeo 2, but rather the exquisite finish that builder John McConaghy has achieved with Neville Crichton's latest maxi. This plexiglass cover over the keel mechanism allows Inspection, but it also shows great confidence in the product
N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 5
A vety good show - and a good week at the office For Louis Vuitton Acts 6 and 7 in Malmo the Ahnghi Team put multiple Olympic medalhst Jochen Schiimann onto the handlebars of SU/ 75 m order to ensure that they did indeed have two match-ready race crews. But whether it's Ahnglii's other hehn, Peter Hohnberg, or Schiimann driving, it is increasmgly clear there is hfe 'after Russell'. This is a formidable team, with strength in depth m every key area - that much is becoming depressingly clear to ACC rivals. Nevertheless the game is closing up, whether or not some of the teams are sandbagging-which looks pretty unlikely at this point. All the teams are hungry for results Ul front of thek sponsors and at this stage in the cycle raising dollars, for die smaller teams anyway, is still a priority. And the evidence now suggests that, with the tightenmg of the ACC Rule m V5, the gaps are coming down. Over the past four Acts several small teams have enjoyed important race wms which only add to interest m 'the show'. Sails similarly are becoming more consistent across the fleet, as the benefits of pre-Cup competition are seen in transparency in terms of development. Most of ACM's changes have proved a success; mdeed the biggest tlireat to an exciting America's Cup may yet be the pace of ACM's sister team. Given how much better the Cup 'scene' is with more openness between teams, it seems a retrograde step, next year, when skkts are reuitroduced to protect new designs. Yes, investments should be protected, but the past 18 months have shown the benefits of having a bigger cake to play with. Perhaps it's time for those big teams to show how 'big' they really are?
COVER: Chris Cameron INSET: Carlo Borienghi/DPPI
F E A T U R E S
29
Tightening up
Louis Vuitton Acts 6 and 7 in Malmo saw Alinghi having to fight harder to hold onto the top slot... and BMW Oracle begin to live up to their billing. T I M JEFFERY
32
Fresh start
TERRY HUTCHINSON starts a series of regular updates from Emirates Team New Zealand
33
No time for tears
PIERRE MAS has fought for years to be part of a serious French Cup Challenge. Now he finally feels that his patience is paying off... albeit with the help of a new and very different partner
35
Use and misuse
CFD expert DIMITRI NICOLOPOULOS explains to DOBBS DAVIS why you should take care to read all that is written on the packet
38
An interesting year
ANDERS LEWANDER and TORBJORN LINDERSON have learnt some wider lessons while perfecting the sail package for the SeaCart
R E G U L A R S
4
Gommodore's letter
CHRIS LITTLE7
Editorial
ANDREW HURST14
World news
A strong fleet lines up for the 'TJV', Beyou finally gets his Figaro, New Zealand sailing remembers its heritage, a blistering week at Hamilton Island, Koch's little gesture... and a tribute to the USA's
Southern Yacht Club. ROB MUNDLE, PATRICE CARPENTIER, FVOR
^ , WILKINS, CARLOS PICH and
> DOBBS DAVIS
22
Paul Gayard
••" And the Pirates go to sea..8
Update
'
25
ORG news
The TP52 is a roaring success and now there are three more Box Rules slotting in underneath
26
Olympic and small boat news
Don't a s k ! - P a r t i
Spanish designer SITO AVILES RAMOS describes how to design and build a 20ft cat on which to go fast - and take on the Atlantic
45
Design - Two hulls strike back
HUGO LE BRETON has commissioned VPLP to create a feisty new 45ft production cat; the key criteria being that (unlike some 'rivals') this one is designed to sail as fast as it says on the tin48
Seahorse
raceboat build table
- (Another) beauty
Seahorse's vote for 'most-underrated designer
of serious performance yachts'; PAUL BIEKER
50
RORG news
And a popular choice for Yacht of the Year RUSSELL COUTTS really does get his own new
boat to sail... Volvo Ocean Race development and PAUL CAYARD andMKE SANDERSON assess the next 12 months with their new VO70s. Plus BEN AINSLIE pulls off the near-impossible (again)
65
Seahorse me
calendar
66
Sailor ofthe Month
This month it's 'two' Ainslies who fight it out
It's been Rowing hard in San FraoWscö, tffe St Fr-artci's*YC Big B o a t j^ i e s (nióièfl&jitMO
being preceded by a spectacular l f ï t§ è i| f l é i ^ ^ , -eventually won by evergreen dinghy champion • Howard Hamlin's teamon Pe^asufWfiite. Andrew Cuddihy's teatn on Fisher'& Péyt
(
C o n t e n t s
D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 5
An important revival Larry Ellison is not the only one to whom it was important, the 32nd America's Cup also needed BMW Oracle back on the pace. Over die next 12 months there will be a subde change m the 'presence' of Alinghi on the racecourse as they make the transition from 'one of the boys' to the Cup Defender. On recent form a patchy BMW Oracle would have left Luna Rossa and Emirates Team New Zealand fighting it out for the challenge slot, widi BMW Oracle over-resourced and under-managed, frittering away the chance to heighten the tlireat to Aluighi's supremacy. Many of the latest (terrific) Louis Vuitton Acts have gone to rie-break, but every single one has ended m an Ahnghi victory. As the saying goes, 'read my hps': Alinghi is further in front of its rivals than you would ever deduce on the basis of results alone. Some major challenger figures were clearly distressed after witnessing the winning performance in Trapani of Alinghi against United Internet Germany, after faUing 800m (sic) behind with a broken main halyard. 'Abandon all hope' sprang to rmnd for some. Only teams with a massive and crafty technical resource, plus a hungry and collectively motivated saihng team, have any hope of taking the Cup off Ahnghi hi 2007. BMW Oracle have plenty of resource but, until Trapani, hopes were fading of Larry EUison's team ever finduig the more cunning human uigrechent. There is more turbulence ahead for the mighty US team, the personnel mix guarantees it. But U the combuiarion of Farr and Dickson can be persuaded to play it safe... Trapani showed there is stiU a chance for Gohath to get it together in time to take the Cup back to the big wuids of San Francisco. Now for those new boats...
COVER:
Bluegreen Pictures
THE 2005/6 VOLVO OCEAN RAGE
28
No picnic in the park
T I M JEFFERY looks at what can be expected of the daunting new breed of
VO70 round-the-world racers / .
30
(The) way to go
A D R I E N N E C A H A L A N will be joining Brazilian genius Torben Grael for the latest of her many saUing laps around the planet
31
My big new'14'
N E A L M C D O N A L D has done alright since first winning a major title - the International 14 Worlds nearly 2 0 years ago. And he is pretty happy with his new toy, the V O 7 0 Ericsson
32
Creating the beast
Most radical? Depends what your view is - either way, the two innovative VO70 designs of JUAN KOUYOUMDJIAN for the ABN-AMRO team add considerably to the race's technical interest
35
Progress... some (maybe)
DON STREET sailed his first Fastnet in 1955, so this year's race was a 50th anniversary - and a 100th birthday for his yawl lolaire.'Much has changed in 50 years, but not the power of the sea
38
Bonanza!
Trapani was a hit with just about everyone (except for visiting yachtsmen who noted some rather 'special' local marina prices). T I M JEFFERY reports on the best Cup 'Act' yet
41
Giao,bella!
L U C A D E V O T I has now brought his unique brand of 'Italinism' to the America's Cup arena
R E G U L A R S
4
Commodore's letter
C H R I S L I T T L E7
Editorial
ANDREW HURST8
Update
The incredible MR ROBERT SCHEIDT, TERRY FFUTCHINSON's end-of-term report, St Francis' Big Boat Series, DEE SMITH on TP52s. And Ms Tracy Edwards, oh what have you done... allegedly
15
World news
Franck Cammas's new toy is coming along nicely, a blistering pace for the Minis, Spanish sailing hooks a virus, a 'new' match race event, those Aussies just have it coming (to us), end of Year 1 and USTRC is hummin' along. ROB MUNDLE, PATRICE CARPENTIER, FVOR WILKINS, CARLOS PICH and DOBBS DAVIS
Don't be fooled, the big four are getting 'bigger'
26
Olympic and small boat news
DoBi'task!-Part2
- . ^ SITO AVILES RAMOS and ANDREA i f U M n GANCIA take us across the Atlantic
44
RORC news
^
45
Design - Teclinology for all
MARK KEATING of Fluent Software Engineering believes that much wider access to good CFD tools is just around the corner48
Seahorse
raceboat build table
- Affordable flyer
FRANCOIS LUCAS has a cool new Class 40 design liuilding using family-friendly materials
65
Seahorse
ruGe
calendar
66
Sailor ofthe Month
We're never going to make this easy for you...
All those glamorous Swan events you go to around the world... just bear in mind the history of that suave gentleman who may well have sold you your lovely yacht; Nautor Swan's Pat Lilley 'celebrates' in Plymouth's IVIillbay Dock, having just completed the 1975 Fastnet Race aboard the Hong Kong Admiral's Cupper Trailblazer
