Annapolis 30
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One of the "2006 Sailboats of the Year" may finally float in 2008!
March 26, 2008 Open House
Detroit Area Open House - North Star Sail Club The Detroit Open House affords an excellent opportunity for "right coast" skippers who would like more information on the sport of solo sailing. GLSS members cover the aspects and techniques used in singlehanded sailing, and whether you're brand new to the sport, or an old salt, you'll walk away with some new information. There will be a cash bar and light appetizers served. For further information, check out the flyer, or please send an email to Mike Mahar.
Check out the
The Great Lakes Singlehanded Society website
or view the
Open House Flyer
.
VanGorkom Yacht Design - Open 30
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A new Open 30 by VanGorkom Yacht Design, build by Moondance Yaches in Cape Town, South Africa.
Click here to check out
VanGorkom Yacht Design
and get more details.
Barcelona World Race: Paprec-Virbac 2 back in Northern hemisphere
Sunday, 27 January 2008
Paprec-Virbac 2, the leader of the Barcelona World Race has crossed back into the Northern hemisphere and today managed to escaped the clutch of a stubborn doldrums. Skippers Jean-Pierre Dick and Damian Foxall are now on the home stretch, with just a little more than 10 percent of the race distance, 2838 miles left until the finishing line off Barcelona.
"It was quite difficult to get through the doldrums, tacking through the light winds," Jean-Pierre said on Sunday afternoon, sounding very, very tired. "It was very gusty, lots of wind shifts and rain so we had to stay awake to take care of the situation. It was a stressful, tiring night, but in the morning, we had better winds, and we are heading the way we want to now.
"Everything is under control and Hugo Boss is more than 500 miles behind us," he said. "They don't have very strong trade winds, so for the moment, it is a good situation for us."
Hugo Boss has indeed dropped just over 100 miles over the course of the week and now trails by over 600 miles or nearly three days of sailing at current speeds. Although the English/Aussie duo of Alex Thomson and Andrew Cape continues to fight hard to keep their chances alive, they are slowly running out of time to make the necessary gains. This week, the pair has been struggling to repair its rudder which had been damaged after an impact with something in the water.
"The rudder is looking like a Frankenstein creation with lots of bolts in it but it is doing okay," said Andrew Cape on Saturday. "The way it is it should last pretty well, we still have 3000 miles to go but we are hopeful, it should be okay. We check it every day and obviously the stresses on it right now are not too bad, so we should be able to get through the next week without any problems. The biggest dilemma will be if we hit another object, we are out of rudder parts and bits so we don't want that to happen."
The heat is on. The two race leaders, along with the two boats battling for third place, Temenos II and Mutua Madrileña, are now in tropical conditions as they approach the equator. The heat and humidity are up, the cold of the Southern Ocean seems to be just a bad memory, and the hot, wet conditions are posing their own challenges. Jean-Pierre, for example, spoke of the humidity with disdain, complaining that the sores on their hands wouldn't heal in the moist atmosphere. But for the Spanish sailors on Mutua Madrileña, the heat is preferable:
"I like it hot and humid, for me it's a lot better," said Javier Sansó. "I don't like the cold at all. I can deal with it, but I don't like it. For me, the heat and humidity is not a problem."
The Spanish are trying to keep the heat on to Temenos II in the battle for third place. Mutua Madrileña has stubbornly hung within 95 miles of Temenos II and is hoping a slightly different strategy over the coming days will pay off.
"Temenos II has taken an option that's a bit longer, to go around a small low pressure system," Javier explained on Sunday. "We are coming from the South with a good Southeasterly that is pushing us nicely at 12 to 15 knots. We might have some light patches coming up, it's a bit of a lottery, but I think we are in a good place. We'll know more in 48 hours."
For the crew aboard Educación sin Fronteras, the big news of the week was their rounding of Cape Horn. While skipper Albert Bargués has previously been around, for Servane Escoffier, this was the first time, and she was thrilled:
"It was a great, great moment, very emotional. The black silhouette of the cape appeared beneath the heavy sky, the wind was blowing at 25 to 30 knots, the sun came out and started to make the top of the waves shine... It was simply magical (...) I wanted to thank everyone supporting and sharing our adventure, you're helping me get through this journey."
BYM News
Novis 40 - Designed by Jim Antrim
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Early Class 40 boats were designed to emphasize offwind speed at the expense of versatility. Like modern Open boats, Jim has penned a Class 40 hull that will go to weather while still putting up some stunning speeds off the wind.
The sailplan is striking, with a huge flat-topped mainsail to maximize sail area. The 105% genoa will furl on the headstay. The staysail and storm jib will hank onto an adjustable inner stay. The retractable carbon bowsprit will accommodate furling Code Sails or socked asymmetrical spinnakers of over 2,200 square feet for amazing offwind speeds in even the lightest of winds.
While chined hulls are all the rage these days, Jim Antrim has been employing chines to great advantage in some of his designs for years. The Novis 40 employs two chines. At upwind heel angles the forefoot chine acts as a Vee bottom to soften the ride. The more visible chine aft provides offwind stability and power. Every Class 40 is powerful off the wind; the Novis 40 will sparkle upwind as well.
The cockpit is huge, taking full advantage of the beam of over thirteen feet. The twin rudders are tiller steered (twin wheels are optional). The cockpit is designed to allow the boat to be efficiently sailed shorthanded while allowing ample room for typical crewed events or family cruising. A built-in hard dodger over the companionway keeps the boat dry in surfing conditions. Sail and reefing controls are led aft to the cockpit for safe sail control in any seaway.
Click here for the
Novis 40 website.
2 Mini Transat boat in this years Key West Race Week
Jesse Naimark-Rowse and Andy Abel are competing in their 21foot (6.5 meter) mini's.
Barcelona World Race: Paprec-Virbac 2 and Hugo Boss in weak trade winds
Monday, 21 January 2008
It is painfully slow going at the front of the Barcelona World Race fleet where Paprec-Virbac 2 has only managed to make good 181 miles over the past 24 hours. Hugo Boss, behind, hasn't even done that, sailing just 176 miles. But on the first position report this morning, Boss was up to speed at 12.5 knots, whilst Paprec remains slow at 7 knots, with both sailing slightly west, towards the South American shoreline.
Meanwhile, Mutua Madrileña continues its pursuit of Temenos II, gaining 21 miles over the last 24 hours. The gap now is just over 60 miles, making this race for third place extremely close and tense.
Educacion sin Fronteras had a blistering 24 hours, making good 384 miles, and pulling withing just over 400 miles of Cape Horn, which they should pass near noon (GMT) tomorrow.
BYM News
Round the World Solo: Francis Joyon shatters record by 14 days
Sunday, 20 January 2008
An amazing feat. The IDEC trimaran crossed the finishing line off Brest on Sunday 20th January 2008 at 00h39'58 At the age of 51, Francis Joyon is once again the fastest solo yachtsman around the world having completed the voyage in 57 days, 13 hours, 34 minutes and 6 seconds. He has shattered the previous record, held since 2005 by the British yachtswoman, Ellen MacArthur by 14 days, 44 minutes and 27 seconds.
It is truly an incredible performance: while he thught it was possible to bring the time down to below 70 days (the time to beat was 71 days and 14 hours), the sailor from Locmariaquer in Southern Brittany has brought it down to below 60 days and even to below 58 days. On board IDEC, Francis Joyon has covered more than 26 400 nautical miles at the astonishing average speed of 19,09 knots.
Francis Joyon also becomes the only solo sailor in the world to have grabbed the non-stop single-handed round the world voyage record aboard a multihull on two occasions after a first record back in 2004. A feat that was has only been bettered once since then and that was when Ellen MacArthur successfully completed her voyage in 2005, which led to her being awarded the title of Dame by Queen Elizabeth II.
The second best time ever
We also should add that Francis Joyon has just achieved the second best time ever for sailing around the world, including crewed voyages! Thus, the crewed record set by Steve Fossett’s giant Cheyenne (58 days, 9 hours and 32 minutes in April 2004) has been beaten. Only the crew of Bruno Peyron’s maxi-catamaran Orange II still hold the outright record in just over 50 days.
On board his thirty foot trimaran designed by the design team of Irens/Cabaret, Francis Joyon has the additional satisfaction of sailing all the way around the world “cleanly”, without the use of any fossil fuel (no engine), generating his own energy with a wind turbine and solar panels.
After a final week that was very tough on the nerves – a shroud threatened to collapse, which would have led to IDEC dismasting - Francis Joyon will remain at sea for a few more hours after crossing the line. He will come ashore in Brest Commercial Harbour on Sunday morning at 09h00 local time.
BYM News
Paprec Virbac speed up; Temenos II and Mutua Madrilena head for Cape Horn
Barcelona World Race: Friday, 18 January 2008
After seeing its lead nearly cut in half over the past 10 days or so, Paprec-Virbac 2 has been sailing faster than its opposite number, Hugo Boss, for much of the day. And for the first time in days, the forecast finally appears to be favouring the race leader. Have they made a great escape?
"We've been working really hard to make sure it stays windy," co-skipper Damian Foxall told us today. "We had a bad day yesterday, but we've been lucky enough to ahead again of a front, which is good, because behind it's going to get very, very light. And on the other side of all that light stuff we have our mates on Hugo Boss! If we've got through this thing, we're back in more like 'oceanic' type scenario, with one high pressure that creates the trade winds."
For both boats in the South Atlantic, the situation remains complicated with small low pressure systems bubbling off the South American coast. The resulting winds are variable in speed and direction and in the centre of these mini systems are minefields of calm winds. That's the situation that Hugo Boss faces today and likely well into the weekend as well.
Roaring in towards Cape Horn are Temenos II and Mutua Madrileña as they battle for third position in the Barcelona World Race. The Spanish pair on Mutua Madrileña has been closing fast over the past couple of days, working the gap down to less than 150 miles - about 10 or 12 hours at the pace at which the two are sailing. Temenos II should be first at the Horn, overnight tonight, with chasing Spanish due to arrive near noon (GMT) on Saturday.
"We are approaching the Cape and the wind is shifting and decreasing a lot so there are a lot of manoeuvres, some gybing, reefing, shaking out the reef," explained Dominique Wavre from on board Temenos this afternoon. "So we are spending a lot of time on deck, not really doing our regular watch pattern, as we're working a lot on our strategy with Mutua Madrileña closing so much."
Still four or five days from the famed Cape, Educación sin Fronteras has had a good 24 hours, racking up a solid 302 mile day as they spend their last days in the Southern Ocean. Already, co-skipper Servane Escoffier says she's seeing signs that their journey in the south is nearing its conclusion.
"It's great, it's nice and sunny today," Servane said. "But the weather is changing quickly here. We're already seeing less albatross these days but the temperature is dropping again as we head more south for Cape Horn. I think we're far from the risky area for ice though now. It should be okay."
Day 69 - January 18, 14:00 GMT - Position report with distance to leader
1. PAPREC-VIRBAC 2 - Jean Pierre DICK / Damian FOXALL - 4781 to finish 2. HUGO BOSS - Alex THOMSON / Andrew CAPE - 565 3. TEMENOS II - Dominique Wavre / Michele PARET- 2270 4. MUTUA MADRILENA - Javier SANSO / Pachi RIVERO - 2403 5. EDUCACION SIN FRONTERAS - Servane ESCOFFIER / Albert BARGUES - 3378
Abandoned - VEOLIA ENVIRONNEMENT - Roland JOURDAIN / Jean Luc NELIAS Abandoned - ESTRELLA DAMM - Guillermo ALTADILL / Jonathan MCKEE Abandoned - DELTA DORE - Jérémie BEYOU / Sidney GAVIGNET Abandoned - PRB - Vincent Riou / Sebastien JOSSE
In Quotes - Javier Sanso, Mutua Madrileña: "Pachi is sleeping; just off his watch, and we are doing long watches now. After six hours on deck at the helm getting into the bunk where it is nice and warm is a real pleasure, it is still quite cold. I know this part of the world quite well, the last time I was here was ten years ago with some friends on an expedition, and I said I would be back in a race - and here I am, I am really happy about that. We are in a competition and having a great race, with a competitive boat and once we round we are going for the kill- full on like as if we were on a TP52!"
BYM News
Round the World solo: Joyon on final tack for Brest
Saturday, 19 January 2008
Final manoeuvres, one final day and the final moments of being alone.. Just 168 miles (at 15h GMT) from the Brest Inlet and the finishing line of his incredible voyage, Francis Joyon carried out what should be his final gybe this afternoon, coming around with the wind astern, at the end of his amazing 27,000 mile voyage around the world. Taking the advice of his router, Jean-Yves Bernot, he headed off for two hours to try to pick up a corridor of stronger wind a few miles off to his north. He will then be brought back down directly towards the entrance to the Brest Inlet, and pass under the Petit Minou Light, where a gun will be fired to coincide with the mainsail coming down for the final time, marking the end of 57 days and a few hours of uninterrupted effort. It will most likely be in the middle of the night, at one, two or three in the morning that the explosion will sound bringing the voyage to an end. Francis has asked to be alone for the final hours of the night to get some rest on board his faithful IDEC, before mooring up alongside Recouvrance Quay in Brest at around nine in the morning (local time).
One final tack «Jean-Yves wanted me to do it before the Azores, and I've finally agreed!" Well placed in the strong south westerly flow, heading straight for the tip of Brittany, IDEC once again experienced a fast night of sailing, and Francis put off for as long as possible the moment when he had to to leave behind this flow to pick up some new "fuel," better suited to the final leg of this great adventure. «The wind got up to 30 knots during the night, and was fairly steady. I gybed this lunchtime and am tacking away a bit, while it is still daylight with some visibility and I'm not in the shipping lanes.» In order to avoid an area of calms to his south, Francis has thus decided to abandon the large arc of his trajectory since the Azores. "The gybe went well, apart from the fact that now the boat is hitting the swell on the beam, but that's OK. In a couple of hours, I'll gybe back again and then can head directly towards Brest.»
Maximum security as he approaches the finish... Having to keep watch for cargo ships, with one eye on the pressure, and another on the equipment, the distance to home is gradually falling, but the skipper is remaining on maximum alert. "The mainsail halyard is worrying me less and less as time goes by, as even if it breaks now, it won't be dramatic, as I can always finish with the foresail. It will only slow me down by a couple of hours.» Francis has granted himself a bit of a rest. Returning ashore to the world of ordinary mortals is never easy for single-handed sailors. Francis is keeping his friends and family and his partners waiting, as well as the media and the crowds of admirers, who have sent him their well wishes in their thousands. By sending him some very touching and sincere messages, they have expressed their admiration for a feat achieved in all modesty and simplicity. «I grabbed some sleep during the night to get ready for a sleepless night for the finish. The lack of sleep increases the tension I feel; I can see clearly I get stressed for very little, any odd little things. My ankle? That's just one of the wounds and bumps I have suffered, but it's all in order. In general I'm feeling quite well. If I had to go back the other way, I think I could manage it!»
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