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quinta-feira, 31 de janeiro de 2013
RC44 season gets underway in Oman
Fonte: RC44
30 January 2013, Muscat, Oman: After a breezy practice race that had blown away the cobwebs after a three month break, conditions were more gentle for the start of the RC44 Oman Cup presented Oman Shipping Company.
With the race course just outside of The Wave Muscat’s marina complex, it was Katusha who relished the conditions at the events only day of match racing, finishing the day unbeaten. New tactician Andy Horton took the helm and held off some tough competition including 2012 RC44 Match Race Champions, Synergy Russian Sailing team, he clearly enjoyed the day. “It was awesome, what a day for it to all come together, the pieces of the team just seemed to fall in to place. We had 4-11 knots of breeze with six races seven flights in total, no other boat in the world would you get that many races in 4-10 knots of breeze and be on the dock by 4pm!”
It wasn’t just the professional sailors who shone on the day where either the pros or owners can opt to helm; Brian Benjamin joined the class at the end of 2012 having purchased the old ORACLERacing and for the first event of the season, class founder Russell Coutts is sailing with Team Aegir. Benjamin is helming both the match and fleet racing. The team finished the day with four wins and just two losses as the newest owner in the class explained. “Today was pretty cool, we enjoyed it a lot. We have never won a match race before so beating Ed (Baird) was very satisfying. After that we were on a bit of a roll and won three more matches before letting the last one go, but we had a really good day, the crew learnt a lot and I learnt a lot being at the helm for the entire day.”
Synergy also finished the day with a 4-2 scoreline, losing two matches to Aegir and Katusha. Out of the 13 boats, half the owners took the helm today. Another top performer was Igor Lah at the helm of Team CEEREF with Michele Ivaldi calling the shots. The Slovenian team won three of their five matches.
The French Lunajets Aleph Team match against Team Aqua proved to be the most exciting of the day. Rounding the final windward mark the French team were ahead of Aqua but a penalty down. As they approached the finish line they slowed, Aqua responded trying to match their every move. Both teams ended up the wrong side of the finish line, with Aqua then infringing Aleph as they tried to squeeze between their opposition and the finishing bouy. Their red penalty flag gave the win to Aleph.
The RC44’s crash bows, designed to take an impact and not damage the hull, also came into good effect in Team Aqua’s race against Ironbound. Chris Bake had successfully shut David Murphy’s Ironbound out at the committee boat in the pre-start, Murphy dipped to try and release himself from the situation, but just caught Team Aqua’s stern. Ironbound were deducted two points for the damage, Team Nika were also penalised and deducted 3 points in another incident.
Oman Sail are hosting the event at The Wave, Muscat. Although the class has raced the region before, this is their first time in Oman, and the fleet are clearly enjoying the new venue.
Thursday sees the start of four days of fleet racing for the RC44 Oman Cup presented by Oman Shipping; follow the racing live on the race blog on www.rc44.com.
30 January 2013, Muscat, Oman: After a breezy practice race that had blown away the cobwebs after a three month break, conditions were more gentle for the start of the RC44 Oman Cup presented Oman Shipping Company.
With the race course just outside of The Wave Muscat’s marina complex, it was Katusha who relished the conditions at the events only day of match racing, finishing the day unbeaten. New tactician Andy Horton took the helm and held off some tough competition including 2012 RC44 Match Race Champions, Synergy Russian Sailing team, he clearly enjoyed the day. “It was awesome, what a day for it to all come together, the pieces of the team just seemed to fall in to place. We had 4-11 knots of breeze with six races seven flights in total, no other boat in the world would you get that many races in 4-10 knots of breeze and be on the dock by 4pm!”
It wasn’t just the professional sailors who shone on the day where either the pros or owners can opt to helm; Brian Benjamin joined the class at the end of 2012 having purchased the old ORACLERacing and for the first event of the season, class founder Russell Coutts is sailing with Team Aegir. Benjamin is helming both the match and fleet racing. The team finished the day with four wins and just two losses as the newest owner in the class explained. “Today was pretty cool, we enjoyed it a lot. We have never won a match race before so beating Ed (Baird) was very satisfying. After that we were on a bit of a roll and won three more matches before letting the last one go, but we had a really good day, the crew learnt a lot and I learnt a lot being at the helm for the entire day.”
Synergy also finished the day with a 4-2 scoreline, losing two matches to Aegir and Katusha. Out of the 13 boats, half the owners took the helm today. Another top performer was Igor Lah at the helm of Team CEEREF with Michele Ivaldi calling the shots. The Slovenian team won three of their five matches.
The French Lunajets Aleph Team match against Team Aqua proved to be the most exciting of the day. Rounding the final windward mark the French team were ahead of Aqua but a penalty down. As they approached the finish line they slowed, Aqua responded trying to match their every move. Both teams ended up the wrong side of the finish line, with Aqua then infringing Aleph as they tried to squeeze between their opposition and the finishing bouy. Their red penalty flag gave the win to Aleph.
The RC44’s crash bows, designed to take an impact and not damage the hull, also came into good effect in Team Aqua’s race against Ironbound. Chris Bake had successfully shut David Murphy’s Ironbound out at the committee boat in the pre-start, Murphy dipped to try and release himself from the situation, but just caught Team Aqua’s stern. Ironbound were deducted two points for the damage, Team Nika were also penalised and deducted 3 points in another incident.
Oman Sail are hosting the event at The Wave, Muscat. Although the class has raced the region before, this is their first time in Oman, and the fleet are clearly enjoying the new venue.
Thursday sees the start of four days of fleet racing for the RC44 Oman Cup presented by Oman Shipping; follow the racing live on the race blog on www.rc44.com.
segunda-feira, 28 de janeiro de 2013
RC44 Championship Tour enters its seventh season
Fonte: RC44
The seventh season of RC44 Championship Tour is about to kick off with the RC44 Oman Cup presented by Oman Shipping Company and hosted by Oman Sail. Anticipation amongst the 13 competing teams is growing; who can stop Team Aqua taking the Championship for the third year in a row. Who will master the conditions in Oman, a venue that most are unfamiliar with and who will be the most consistent team this season, in a race format where no individual races can be discarded, you have to count four out of the season’s five events and the final event that doubles as the World Championships cannot be discarded.
The event format remains the same in 2013, one day of match racing where the pros or owners can steer followed by four days of fleet racing where only the amateur owner can helm. 50% of the team has to be amateur and with this season spanning 10 months, the teams must continue to improve throughout the season and keep sharp over a long time period to win.
Chris Bake’s Team Aqua have been the victors of the last two RC44 seasons, Bake’s long term tactician Cameron Appleton knows what they will be looking for this season. “As always we will look to have continuous improvement in all areas of our program, whether they are large or small refinements in how we race these boats in the toughest one design class.” And are they expecting the result to be the same. “We would like to be in the same position as last year but know we need to approach things differently to be able to get to the next level above the other teams.”
This year the multinational crew on Team Aqua is extending their youth programme to young sailors from nations across the world. The first youth member to join the team in Oman will be Michael Boucher, 20, from the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron Lion Foundation Youth Training Programme, a scheme two of the team, Cameron Appleton and Andy Estcourt, graduated from. The team will then give the experience to sailors from Denmark, the UK and USA – the countries represented within the crew of Team Aqua.
Having dominated the Match Racing in 2013 Valentin Zavadnikov’s Synergy Russian Sailing Team are not making any changes to their crew, American match racer Ed Baird will be calling tactics for the second year.
John Bassadone’s Peninsula Petroleum Sailing Team won the final event in 2012, and were crowned 2012 RC44 World Champions, their only crew change will be Gustavo Martinez Doreste standing in as tactician for the first event of the season. Boat Captain, German Panei revealed their team’s goals for the season. “We are always working to improve, last season was a great success; we improved race by race, with a fourth place in the Championship Tour and a win at the World Championships. This year we will fight to be on the podium at the end of the season and we will try to repeat the performance at the World Championship last season.”
Stepping into their first full RC44 season is Brian Benjamin’s Aegir Racing (GBR). The team will be joined for the season’s opener by class founder Russell Coutts. Benjamin is used to winning in his mini maxi, but how does he see his team faring in the RC44 class. “We would like to win of course! But we would be happy this year if we can consistently be in the top five boats. I’m really looking forward to Oman having never sailed in that part of the world before.”
Another team who are not underestimating the competition this season is Igor Lah’s Team CEEREF. “With the class getting more and more competitive it gets also more difficult to keep track of good results”. The team is not planning any major changes to their crew in 2013 and tactician Michele Ivaldi is looking forward to sailing somewhere new. “The RC44 circuit is going back to the Middle East and it is a very good thing for the class and for the sport of sailing in general. I have never been to Oman and I am looking forward to visiting Muscat and enjoying the brilliant sailing conditions I have been told about.”
Two more new professional sailors will join the Tour; 2008 Olympic gold medallist Paul Goodison (GBR) will join David Murphy’s Ironbound and former America’s Cup helmsman Flavio Flavini will be calling the shots on the newly named Team Italia.
Oman Sail will play host to the RC44 Class from their headquarters at The Wave, Muscat. “Oman is proud to be staging the RC44 Oman Cup at Oman’s elite sailing venue,” said David Graham, CEO of Oman Sail. “While Oman Sail aims to reignite Oman’s maritime heritage, from helping to show its youth the attraction of water sports, up to developing its top sailors into Olympians and participants in the other pinnacles of sailboat racing, hosting regattas for classes such as the RC44 clearly has the potential for bringing wider reaching economic benefits to the country.”
Oman Sail actively promotes Oman as a premier venue and host country for high profile sailing events with EFG Bank Sailing Arabia – The Tour, Mussanah Race Week – both created by Oman Sail – and the Extreme Sailing Series Muscat already well established. In 2013 the Laser World Championships will be held in Oman for the first time.
Also supporting the 2013 RC44 Oman Cup is Muscat Municipality. The RC44 Cup will be one of the key events taking place during The Muscat Festival (30 January – 28 February) a cultural, artistic and entertainment festival that will give the RC44 sailors and guests an opportunity to explore Oman trough numerous activities.
Racing at the RC44 Oman Cup presented by Oman Shipping Company will start on Wednesday 30 January 2013 at 11.30 GST (0730 GMT) with the final day of racing Sunday 3rd February. Follow the racing on the live blog at www.rc44.com.
sexta-feira, 2 de novembro de 2012
RC44 - Calendário 2013 com Cascais à mistura
Fonte: RC44 Class
Three new cities and two old favourites have been announced as the host venues for the 2013 RC44 Championship Tour. Racing will kick off at The Wave, Muscat the capital city of the Sultanate of Oman, with the successful format remaining the same; one day of match racing followed by four days of fleet racing. The RC44 champion will be crowned in November, when the final event of the Tour is hosted at a brand new marina being built at the old commercial port of Arrecife, Lanzarote.
2013 RC44 Championship Tour Calendar:
30th January to 3rd February – The Wave, Muscat, Oman
1st to 5th May – Sicily, Italy
25th to 29th June – Marstrand, Sweden
2nd to 6th October – Cascais, Portugal
20th to 24th November RC44 World Championship – Puerto Calero Marinas, Lanzarote, Canary Islands
The 2013 Tour will start in Muscat, Oman hosted by The Wave, Muscat, the first time the fleet has visited the country which invests so much in reigniting their maritime history. Occupying the south-east corner of the Arabian Peninsula, Oman offers crystal clear water and a prevailing north-easterly wind providing great sailing conditions to kick of the season. The country boasts a rich maritime heritage, has played host to a number of successful international sailing competitions over the past few years.
The RC44 will once again hold its World Championship in Lanzarote. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info
Another new venue to be added for the 2013 season is a soon to be announced town in Sicily, Italy. The second event in May will be organized by Massimo and Francesco Barranco’s Vela del Sud.
June will see the Championship Tour return for the third consecutive year to the sailing mecca of Marstrand, Sweden, before heading south to Cascais, Portugal. The Class visited the venue for the first time in 2012 where some fresh conditions put the teams to the test. Set beside the Atlantic Ocean, the ancient fishing village of Cascais is world-famous for its spectacular and unpredictable sailing conditions.
The 2013 tour will draw to a close in Lanzarote. Returning to the Island for the sixth consecutive year the class will take in a new venue from Puerto Calero Marinas. The Calero family has created the new marina complex Marina Lanzarote, in the island’s bustling capital Arrecife. Perfectly placed for having the best racing conditions in the area, the RC44 World Championship event’s timing coincides beautifully with the traditional transat season, meaning sailors can take full advantage of the established Atlantic trade winds.
With the introduction of new host venues, the addition of Pelle P as official clothing partner and with 15 of teams confirmed to compete, the 2013 RC44 Championship promises to be another exceptional year and one RC44 Class founder Russell Coutts will be keeping a close eye on, ”I’m looking forward to getting back on the Tour events next year. The Tour will have some new and exciting venues, visiting Oman and Sicily for the first time. With some new teams expected to join the Tour in 2013, we are looking forward to another great year for the class.”
2013 RC44 Championship Tour Calendar:
30th January to 3rd February – The Wave, Muscat, Oman
1st to 5th May – Sicily, Italy
25th to 29th June – Marstrand, Sweden
2nd to 6th October – Cascais, Portugal
20th to 24th November RC44 World Championship – Puerto Calero Marinas, Lanzarote, Canary Islands
The 2013 Tour will start in Muscat, Oman hosted by The Wave, Muscat, the first time the fleet has visited the country which invests so much in reigniting their maritime history. Occupying the south-east corner of the Arabian Peninsula, Oman offers crystal clear water and a prevailing north-easterly wind providing great sailing conditions to kick of the season. The country boasts a rich maritime heritage, has played host to a number of successful international sailing competitions over the past few years.
The RC44 will once again hold its World Championship in Lanzarote. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info
Another new venue to be added for the 2013 season is a soon to be announced town in Sicily, Italy. The second event in May will be organized by Massimo and Francesco Barranco’s Vela del Sud.
June will see the Championship Tour return for the third consecutive year to the sailing mecca of Marstrand, Sweden, before heading south to Cascais, Portugal. The Class visited the venue for the first time in 2012 where some fresh conditions put the teams to the test. Set beside the Atlantic Ocean, the ancient fishing village of Cascais is world-famous for its spectacular and unpredictable sailing conditions.
The 2013 tour will draw to a close in Lanzarote. Returning to the Island for the sixth consecutive year the class will take in a new venue from Puerto Calero Marinas. The Calero family has created the new marina complex Marina Lanzarote, in the island’s bustling capital Arrecife. Perfectly placed for having the best racing conditions in the area, the RC44 World Championship event’s timing coincides beautifully with the traditional transat season, meaning sailors can take full advantage of the established Atlantic trade winds.
With the introduction of new host venues, the addition of Pelle P as official clothing partner and with 15 of teams confirmed to compete, the 2013 RC44 Championship promises to be another exceptional year and one RC44 Class founder Russell Coutts will be keeping a close eye on, ”I’m looking forward to getting back on the Tour events next year. The Tour will have some new and exciting venues, visiting Oman and Sicily for the first time. With some new teams expected to join the Tour in 2013, we are looking forward to another great year for the class.”
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