You are watching DesTopNews N°36 -- Week commencing September 6
• From Hayling Island in England, the 2010 Laser World Championships.
• From St Morritz in Switzerland, the St Morritz Match Cup
• From Quiberon in France, the 34th Micro Class world championship.
• From Propriano in Corsica, the Route des Iles
• From San Francisco in the US, the Finn Gold Cup
Make a regular appointment to watch this sailing report every week to keep on top of all of the important international sailing races and regattas. We've promoted this site before and we'll keep on doing it until every sailor, yachtsman or amateur boating enthusiast knows about DesTopNews. It's the best way to learn about the international competitive sailing scene and always has great clips that you can't find anywhere else online.
Visit the Destremau Sailing Blogspot to catch up on previous editions and to find episodes in other languages.
This series of videos from Motor Boat & Yachting Magazine is an interesting introduction to learning the basics of boating. The video instruction is given by John Mendez, qualified RYA tutor, who takes us through each aspect of the training at a very measured and easily accessible pace: perfect for beginners to follow. Part 1 covers the Safety Briefing; life jackets, location of flares and basic introduction to using the vhf radio.
Yachtmaster Training Part 2
Part 2 covers how to skipper a boat in and out of a port. It features step by step instructions of how to plot your course and use charts to help prepare a pilotage plan.
Yachtmaster Training Part 3
Part 3 covers basic boat handling concentrating on the various ways of picking up a mooring buoy, and basic instruction for turning the boat on the spot.
This is a very useful video series, perfect for amatuers, and we look forward to seeing future editions and learning more boating tips and skills.
Check out these great new sailing jackets that we have available:
MUSTO® BR1 Inshore Race Jacket
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The jacket is designed to have a slimmed-down closer fit, with noticeably less bulk overall and a racier look with distinctive sport styling. The Musto BR1 Inshore Race Jacket is practical and versatile, a very useful waterproof jacket onboard or for a variety of uses onshore.
Technical Details:
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Author Louay Habib:
[ "....Race leader Groupama had managed to struggle past the light winds around the Isle of Lewis and into fresher north easterly breeze. Getting to the breeze first means that they have opened up an 18 mile lead on rivals Telefónica Azul.
Looking at weather further up the track, the wind speed is due to increase in strength, to as much as 25 knots. Soon enough, the two Volvo Open 70s in the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race will be launched like guided missiles, speeding down the west coast of Ireland...." ] Written by Louay Habib 26/08/2010
[" On Wednesday 18th August at 21.15.24, Armel Le Cléac’h crossed the finish line of Leg 4 placed in the Bay of Cherbourg. It took to Brit Air’s 54 hours, 30 minutes and 24 seconds to cover the 435 miles of the last lap at an average speed of 7.98 knots. This summer le Cleac’h proved to be the man of all records. At 33 years of age he wins this 41st edition after having heavily dominated the race (with 3 leg wins) and enters the very selected club of double winners, thanks to his first victory back in 2003. Le Cleac’h was followed shortly on the line by Corentin Douguet on E.Leclerc Mobile and by François Gabart who thus secured second place overall."]
["Under a grey sky the 44 skippers taking part in La Solitaire du Figaro, left Kinsale for the fourth and decisive leg. Tension was high and the Committee was forced to give two general recalls. Swiss Bernard Stamm (Cheminée Poujoulat) and French Matthieu Girolet (Entreprendre) were involved in a collision and suffered from serious damages to their boats. Both decided to abandon racing. Excellent start for, young Portuguese Francisco Lobato and Italian Pietro D’Alì. Weather conditions are expected to be fairly tough, for a fast 435 miles passage to the finish in Cherbourg."]
"On the penultimate day of the Extreme Sailing Series at Cowes Week, the pace was fast and furious. After a light wind first afternoon race in 8 knots, the wind accelerated to 15-18 knots and the Extreme 40s were off -- power reaching at speeds of 20-25 knots. It was fast, it was wet and hugely physical for the crews as they pushed hard, playing a balancing act on a high wire. It was potential capsize conditions - the windward hulls flying insanely, leeward bows digging into the waves -- misjudge the situation and it would be game over. The fifth man guests were having the ride of their lives and the spectators were loving it..."
Taken from the Adonnante TV YouTube Channel. no copyright infringement intended
"A second day of 20-knot winds ushers the fleet through match racing. The conditions today off Malvarrosa Beach were similar to yesterday's 20-knot winds, but the match racing at the RC 44 Valencia Cup was even more boisterous. New Zealander Cameron Appleton and Team Aqua captured the match racing portion of the week-long regatta with a 9-1 record. They clinched the title with a victory over Russell Coutts and BMW ORACLE Racing in flight 13." RC44 Class Association.
We have taken the following article from the Clipper site. It is so well written and informative, that we feel it summarizes the excitement and drama of the 2010 Clipper Race perfectly.
Following Article Source: Clipper Round The World website -
Authorship attributed to Clipper Ventures Plc. No copyright infringement intended.
["A spectacular welcome greeted the crews of the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race as they arrived back in Hull at the end of their 35,000-mile circumnavigation. For the non-professional crew onboard the ten ocean racing yachts, the return to Hull Marina marks the end of a challenge of a lifetime as they battled the elements in search of victory and the title of Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race champions.Tens of thousands of people lined the banks of the Humber and the quayside of Hull Marina to welcome home the crews after a gruelling ten-month challenge that has seen them take on the world’s largest and most formidable oceans, endured violent storms and frustrating calms, extreme heat and bone-numbing cold, unstintingly come to the aid of their fellow competitors in times of need and, all the while, raced ferociously to win.
Crossing the finish line overnight at the end of the 14th and final stage of the Clipper 09-10 Race, the Irish entry, Cork, claimed the maximum ten points for securing their second first place of their campaign. It is an achievement made all the more remarkable by the fact the team’s original yacht ran aground on a reef in the Java Sea in January.
Cork’s victory in Race 14 denied Hull & Humber their much coveted home port win but their second place finish did allow the ‘big orange boat’ to leapfrog Jamaica Lightning Bolt in the final standings to finish fourth overall. Again, a remarkable achievement for the team whose original skipper, Piers Dudin, was med-evac’d by the Japanese Coastguard in the North Pacific after his leg was broken when a huge wave washed him across the deck. Piers joined Justin Taylor, who took over as skipper, and the rest of the Hull & Humber crew on stage to great cheers and applause from the crowds.
Clipper 09-10 champions, Spirit of Australia, finished third in the final stage of the 14-race challenge, minutes ahead of Cape Breton Island, whose performance guaranteed them a place on the final podium. The Canadian team finish third overall, just 1.3 points behind Team Finland.
The ten yachts raced up the Humber in the presentational John Harrison Race, commemorating the man who, in the 18th Century, revolutionised the age of sail by inventing the marine chronometer, a device enabling sailors to accurately plot their longitudinal position. Hull & Humber wowed the crowds with a win while Spirit of Australia flew their spinnaker to the delight of the tens of thousands of spectators.
Brendan Hall, skipper of the victorious Spirit of Australia team, said, “Finishing in first place feels unbelievable. That was the seminal moment of my sailing career. All the hard work over the past two years and all the hard work of the team over the past ten months is finally recognised in public by everybody. A big thanks to our fantastic peers on the other boats, the people of the City of Hull and all our loved ones here on the pontoon. It’s absolutely fantastic and one of the best moments of my life!”
The warmth of the welcome the home team received was overwhelming, according to Hull & Humber’s skipper, Justin Taylor. “It’s a great feeling. I can’t believe it, all these people… it’s phenomenal. I’m a little bit overcome with emotion; I don’t really know what to make of it, to be honest,” he said.
“The crew accepted me and they really pulled together and showed some real grit and I think that’s reflected in the results that they achieved after I took over. It’s down to them really – I gave them a bit of encouragement and they did the rest. The crew are elated. It’s wonderful to be back and I think they’re feeling the same way, a bit overcome by the reception we’ve received here.”
The Parachute Regiment’s Freefall Display Team, the Red Devils, dropped in as the yachts finished the John Harrison Race and once the yachts had entered the marina the Royal Navy’s helicopter display team, the Black Cats, showed their flying prowess.
On stage the teams were called up one by one to be saluted by their supporters, California, in tenth were first up, followed by Edinburgh Inspiring Capital, Cork, Qingdao, Uniquely Singapore and Jamaica Lightning Bolt in fifth place.
Each Clipper yacht is entered by a city, region or country and sponsors use the event to showcase themselves to the world.
Terry Hodgkinson Chairman of Yorkshire Forward which sponsors Hull & Humber and is responsible for bringing the Clipper Race to the Humber, said, “We’re here to celebrate these crews’ achievements and celebrate this wonderful city and the wider region. They’ve all done a fantastic job of getting the boats back safely. Clipper has done a wonderful job raising the profile of this area both nationally and internationally and bringing visitors to this fantastic region.”
Clipper Race founder and chairman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first man to sail solo non-stop around the world, said, “We have had fantastic support from the people of this region for this race. I’d like to mention Yorkshire Forward, Welcome to Yorkshire and of course the people of the City of Hull. It’s been fantastic, the way you’ve supported this race right from the start has been heart warming and we’re very grateful to you.”
Sir Robin had a message for the crews waiting next to the stage. He said, “You’ve achieved your ambition. You have sailed the oceans of the world, you have seen more of the sea than most people do and you have come through it all. You’ve come back very experienced sailors and you’ve achieved something very special in your lives and I’m very, very proud of you.
“I hope you go off now and continue sailing, take some of what you’ve learned the way you work as a team, back into your lives. Do you remember what I said at the beginning? I want to hear you say, ‘That’s the best thing I’ve done with my life’ – and then I want to hear you say, ‘So far,’ because then I know we have widened your horizons.”
Doctors, students, teachers, lawyers, engineers and a taxi driver are among the crew members who have succeeded in their challenge. On board each of the ten internationally-backed yachts is just one professional, the skipper, whose role it is to lead the team to victory. The crew members were all amateurs, nearly forty percent of whom had no sailing experience when they embarked on their Clipper Training, before setting off on this adventure ten months ago.
For every crew member this final race is a poignant moment. Sailing around the world is a considerable achievement – more people have climbed Mount Everest than have raced yachts around the world. The fleet’s arrival in Hull Marina this afternoon is the climax of this once in a lifetime adventure.
To date more than 2,000 people have become ocean racers by taking part in the Clipper Race and, of these, more than 300 have achieved the rare accolade of becoming a circumnavigator by racing around the world under sail. Eighty-two new circumnavigators have joined the ranks of this exclusive club following the fleet’s arrival in Hull."]
Article Authorship attributed to Clipper Ventures Plc. 2010. No copyright infringement intended.
Via the LiaDitton YouTube Channel. Copyright Lia Ditton. All Rights Reserved. "Plymouth, Sunday 6th June.
'Freebird,' the F31 Corsair led the way in the multihull class;
'Phesheya Racing' in the monohull class, taking the lead within the first hour from 'Fujifilm.'"
Thanks for uploading this video, Lia. It has been hard to find video footage from this year's race, so far, but it's a long race and we will keep searching!
Mike Perham is a young 17 year old British sailor that is very close to completing his solo circumnavigation of the world, only 20 days left until he returns!
It's an amazing achievement for such a young sailor. Zac Sunderland and Mike Perham are an incredible inspiration to us all. They are really living the ultimate sailing dream. There are so few sailors that have successfully completed a solo circumnavigation, let alone done it as teenagers! It is really incredible.
You can follow Mike on Twitter @PerhamMIKE or check out his website for his regular blog updates, photos, and Youtube video gallery. Mike's video gallery is the best, his videos are really interesting, and help you understand exactly what his journey has been like. Check out the Panama Video Blog taken from up the mast of his boat, Totallymoney. It really does give you a bird's eye view!
We are always on the look out for great sailing sites, like Yachting & Boating World http://www.ybw.com/ybw/home.htm which really does have everything you could possible need, including a terrific users forum. The forum is very well supported, and a great way to find answers to all your boating question, discover events, and even make friends.
We recently found another excellent Yachting site, called Yachting Life Magazine, http://www.yachtinglife.co.uk/ This site is aimed at people in the North of England, and primarily Scotland. There are some great news articles, a handy events page and a lovely photo gallery. There is also an interesting reviews page where you can read first hand reviews of new boats and sailing experiences. This site is very interesting to anyone interested in yachts and boats, and may even prompt you to try sailing in the North and Scotland, judging by the photos, the scenery is spectacular.
