CHAMPIONS OF ALL AGES OUT IN FULL FORCE AT THE 2006 MELGES 32 WINTER REGATTA TUNE-UP

Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. • The Melges 32 is definitely a hot ticket this winter. Multiple Mumm 30 World Champion Claudio Reechi and Federico Michetti (Melges 24 World Champion, double M24 European Champion) from Italy on Let’s Roll have opted to skip the Worlds and race in Ft. Lauderdale this weekend. Glenn Darden and partner Reese Hillard from Ft. Worth, TX on Hoss (2004 J.105 North American Champion and 2006 J.80 World Champion) will also be in attendance. “The Melges 32 has a lot of horsepower which makes it very fun to sail,” commented Darden after participating at the National Championship this past July in Newport, Rhode Island.

Velux 5 Oceans: Sir Robin Knox-Johnston Yacht Saga Insurance not quite in Southern Ocean

 

“It is noticeably cooler.  The temperature on deck this morning is 16 C, and of course the South Westerly wind is the cool onde in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Irish team are Kickin ASS + lead Mumm 30 Worlds

 

11:07 PM Wed 29 Nov 2006 GMT
Opening day of the Mumm 30 World Championship had picture perfect conditions. Sailors on 30 boats from nine countries were treated to Florida sunshine, good breeze and some great surfing waves. All races were four leg windward-leeward races, with 1.75 mile legs. The easterly wind ranged from 14-20 knots, starting out light in the morning and building during the day, with stronger puffs on the left, backing slightly early afternoon.

Velux 5 Oceans: Stamm reaches Kerguelen Islands

Bernard Stamm, the defending champion on Cheminées Poujoulat, is in an upbeat mood despite reporting damage sustained in a ‘crash’. The Swiss skipper, who leads the VELUX 5 OCEANS by a comfortable 960 miles, reported that he has again broken the same halyard as earlier in the leg from Spain to Fremantle. He has also broken three battens in the mainsail. Furthermore, one of the mainsail battens is also caught in the leeward backstay, meaning Stamm is currently not able to lower his mainsail beyond one reef.

Barking Challenge 2006 at Helensburgh Sailing Club

As the Helensburgh Sailing club season drew to a close so did the last chance for a speedy time in the 6th edition of the ‘Barking Challenge’, which is a speed event for HSC members. This year the course was from a mark off the club to a large wrecked ship off Helensburgh, or the reverse, one way only, amounting to 2 nautical miles, competitors taking their own times and going as often as they like between the first series race and the last of the 2006 season.

AlexThomson Thomson HUGO BOSS rescue VELUX 5 OCEANS blog of the month

  Check out this, blogger of the month award has got to go to Alex Thomson of HUGO BOSS. If it was not bad enough getting in to trouble in the deep Southern Ocean without a Paddle as they say when it hits the fan. This shows great seamanship not only for executing a text book rescue by Mike Golding on ECOVER, but managing to make a Blog during what must be one of the worst times in his sailing career. Well done wee man, total quality, share it with us as it happens, pure dead magic.  BLOG of the year from all of Scotland. Check it out on YOU TUBE.

Two very tired sailors head for Cape Town

 

ECOVER has two very drained, very exhausted skippers on board this morning. A very long night saw work going on until they could do no more. With a staysail set only in 30-40knots of wind and extreme cold, they have been making steady progress on a course between North and 030 degrees.

Mike Golding reported this morning that both were in desperate need of the good, solid sleep they finally caught last night and much more is needed to recover from their ordeals.

Contrary to our report last night it seems like only today will they get the mainsail finally set. After setting up a halyard system, some work is still required on the batten cars, which will take another few hours. ECOVER was still polled making 7 knots during last night.

Audi Etchells Worlds at Fremantle, Australia – Overall

 

Jud Smith, the three times North American Etchells champion and four times Worlds runner up took the gun in the eighth and final race to win the 2006 Audi Etchells World Championship off Fremantle West Australia today.

Smith and his crew of Dirk Kneulman and New Zealanders Andrew Wills and Thomas Saunders, crossed the finish line and shortly afterwards the Star Spangled Banner boomed from the Black Swan, the very same tender that boomed out Men at Work back in 1983 when Australia 11 took the America’s Cup. Some great GBR race results, check out the final placings.

Golding suffers shock mast break hours after dramatic rescue

 

British duo head for Cape Town

At 1150h GMT this morning ECOVER, skippered by Mike Golding (GBR), broke part of her mast while in the Southern Ocean, some 1,000 miles from Cape Town, South Africa. Only six hours earlier Mike Golding had completed the daring rescue of his fellow competitor and compatriot Alex Thomson (HUGO BOSS) in the VELUX 5 OCEANS solo round the world race.

Golding confirmed that the mast had broken in two places, the first just above the main spreaders and the second about 1.5 metres from the top of the mast and that he and Thomson were securing the loose parts of the rig. The mainsail is intact and all the sails are still on board the boat other than the genoa.

Rivals turned comrades, Golding and Thomson are currently working to getting back under sail with a staysail and a reefed mainsail so that they can begin heading to Cape Town, some 1000 miles away. Lady luck has struck another devastating blow for the British pair. More details to follow

Success for Southern Ocean rescue in Velux 5 Oceans

 

At approximately 0635 GMT this morning, Mike Golding completed the successful rescue of Alex Thomson. Both the British skippers are now safe and well onboard ECOVER following a tense two hour rescue at first light this morning, close to 850 miles south of South Africa. The dramatic rescue was a text book operation, especially given the harsh and challenging conditions present in the Southern Ocean. The success of the rescue is a testament to the professionalism and bravery of both skippers, as they completed the rescue in winds over 25 knots and large seas.