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Yolle Bajnoksá
posted by tizso » July 24, 2008
Nice 25 m2 Yolle on start
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MedCup in Puerto Portals
posted by erou » July 24, 2008
Peter de Ridder’s team were on top of their game when they chased Bribón across the finish line of the first race before going on to win the second race by a comfortable margin, but once again it was their ability to rescue a solid single digit result from the depths of the fleet early in Race 6 of the regatta which also highlights their class in this fleet. It was off the pin, left hand end of the line that Dean Barker (NZL) helm and Ross MacDonald (CAN), tactician, were able to engineer a win in the first race of the day, much to the pleasure of SM Juan Carlos, who enjoyed steering Bribón across the finish line. But Bribón could not match that early success and dropped to an eleventh and then a twelfth, falling to seventh overall for the regatta and relinquishing the second overall on the Audi MedCup Circuit they held at the start of this regatta. Guilermo Parada (ARG) and the crew of Matador (ARG) topped off another strong, consistent day when they got the better of Circuit leaders Quantum Racing on the final, exciting run to win the third race of the day to cement their second place three points ahead of the American boat which is steered and skippered by Terry Hutchinson (USA).
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MedCup Circuit
posted by erou » July 23, 2008
Winners of the first regatta of the Audi MedCup Circuit 2008, Peter de Ridder´s Mean Machine (MON) leads the Breitling Regatta after the first three races on the Bay of Palma off Puerto Portals. At times the sea breeze was fitful as the oppressive, clammy heat and cloud cover stifled any increase in wind strength and with big wind shifts in direction, and variations in pressure it was not an easy day for the tacticians to decipher. With the wind peaking at 11 knots and at times as low as six or seven knots, the ability to change gears and adapt for best boat speed was equally important over what has been a day of the lightest average wind speeds since the opening regatta, back in May in Alicante. After three races Mean Machine and Matador both have seven point aggregates, eight points clear of third placed Quantum Racing, with Jochen Schuemann (GER) and Platoon powered by Team Germany lying fourth on 17 points.
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Puerto Portals Practise Race
posted by erou » July 22, 2008
A moderate easterly breeze, arriving off the land carried more than enough shifts in wind direction and changes in pressure to give lie to the prevailing belief that the Bay of Palma is always a venue which favours one side, or the other, of the race track.
Certainly it was reminder that, for all that owners and teams invest in new boats and optimise to the nth degree, there are still days on the Audi MedCup Circuit which simply reward smart tactical sailing, using the wind shifts to best effect.
Vasco Vascotto (ITA) and the crew of Mutua Madrileña (CHI) won today’s practice race, working the wind shifts well to escape from Alberto Roemmers (ARG)’s Matador (ARG) and Torbjorn Tornqvist’s Artemis (SWE).
Vascotto’s crew will be out this week to exorcise the ghosts of last year’s Breitling Regatta where they came off second best in the protest room, a decision which marred their entire season thereafter. And after a fourth placed finish in Cagliari, there are clear signs that Mutua Madrileña are a team on the ascent.
Riccardo Simoneschi (ITA) on Audi powered by Q8(ITA) lead to the first mark, working the middle left of the first beat along with Mutua Madrileña, Artemis (SWE) and Matador (ARG), all then moving smartly to the right to take advantage of the next wind shift.
While Audi Q8 failed to convert their early lead to a podium finish, with Thierry Peponnet (FRA) now moved out of the coach boat into the role of strategist, alongside tactician Tomasso Chieffi (ITA) the Italian boat looked stronger throughout the race, making a good start and first beat.
While Artemis and Audi Q8 were engaged over the final third of the second windward leg, Mutua Madrileña and Matador were able to work further to the right and that was enough to give them the overall lead. -
MedCup in Puerto Portals
posted by erou » July 21, 2008
After the challenges of a new venue, Cagliari in Sardinia, Italy just over two weeks ago, the return to the well known and well liked Bay of Palma for the 14th Breitling Regatta will see a fleet of 15 TP52’s competing when racing starts on Tuesday.
After the World’s Leading Regatta Circuit has been to France and Italy, this popular Spanish showcase event will see the return to circuit racing of three key Spanish boats: Inaki Castener’s ONO, Javier Banderas and Rafael Diaz’s Tau-Ceramica Andalucia, and the fully repaired CXG Corporacion Caixa Galicia of Vicente Tirado.
The Caixa Galicia team won the Breitling Regatta here last year, a popular and keynote triumph en route to taking second place overall on the 2007 MedCup Circui, but after their boat was damaged in June in Marseille, they were forced to sail a substitute in Cagliari. But, with repairs completed, they are back with their 2007 Botin Carkeek design. -
European Champion
posted by Paul Goodison » July 20, 2008
After a really tough week in Belgium I came away as European Champion again, 4 in a row….
Back in January when we were planning my run in to the games I was unsure whether to compete in the Europeans. The conditions are very tidal even stronger than China which could be great practice but, if there was to be a low pressure system it could be very strong south westerly winds and sailing into nearly 2 knots of tide it could just be a hike off with predominantly upwind sailing, not ideal when you are trying to be small for the Olympics.
We decided it would be a good regatta to go to to practice racing having missed a few regattas this year to spend time training in china.
The South Westerly winds blew and blew making it a very physically challenging regatta with some of the first beats lasting over 30 minutes.
I rose to the challenge well even though i was way too light, i battled hard having surprisingly reasonable speed upwind allowing me to hang in there. I sailed really well all week, starting well and consolidating my positions and taking the opportunities when they came.
To become European Champion for the fourth year running in such challenging conditions gives me great confidence going in to the Olympics.
I now have a few days at home before flying out to China at the weekend.
The results can be seen below http://events.laserinternational.org/en/events/results/100z19
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$10,000 Day in Qingdao
posted by Austin Sperry » July 19, 2008
Hello from Qingdao.
Yesterday was a big day for us here in China. We have been working on a few items for the light winds we expect for the Olympic Games next month, but before we can race with them we need find out how strong they are and see if the stuff breaks and what its range is.
As you can see from the photos, it broke. Yes we found its range. Hence it was a the $10,000 dollar day (the cost for a new mast and a new set of sails).
Some people may look at this like, man that was a really bad day, but call me an eternal optimist. I look at this situation from a different angle.
1) It was blowing 20kts, with puffs up to 25kts (this is when the mast fell over) with really big waves out on the Yellow Sea. We knew the risks associated with what we were doing and went for it. You will never grow as a team, in business, in life or as a person if you don’t take a few risks.
2) It was a brand new mast that had never been in the boat before today. You might say wow that’s bad, but I say that’s good because we will never know if it was a fast or slow mast.
3) When this happened, our team rallied around each other there was no yelling, no talking just the sounds of waves crashing over the bow and the sound of a torn sail blowing in a stiff breeze. Four guys got to work to clean the mess up get on the tow and make it back to harbor. We were about three miles to the SE of the harbor entrance when this happened. We had this yard sale cleaned up and off the boat ten minutes after we got back to the dock. Impressive, like we had done it before.
4) Team work and togetherness are really strong – I can tell that we are getting ready to peak for the Games. When someone is down we pick them up, build them up and get on with the day. No mulling around, no head down moping around…100% business.
Today is another day, seven knots predicted so more racing today against Marc Pickel. It’s another opportunity to become better and faster.
It’s been a great training camp. We have nearly everything sorted for the Olympic Games as far as equipment goes, just focusing on the basics now.
We have four more days of sailing left before we head back to San Francisco.
I have to roll, I need to rig another mast and make sure she is ready to race this afternoon.
More later
Austin -
China - 29 days until the first practice race
posted by Austin Sperry » July 18, 2008
Hello again from my second home – Qingdao, China.
The team arrived in Qingdao last Sunday after 30 hours of travelling. A long day, but nonetheless great to be back to work.
Since our last training camp in June, it sure has become a lot more humid and a bit warmer (I cooked two eggs on the asphalt next to our Star in the boat park today!). Rodney Hagebols, Hans Wallen, JD and I have been working non-stop since we arrived. We are here again with our training partners Marc Pickel and Ingo Borkowski. They are being coached by Mark Reynolds. It’s been great training with them. We are all really good friends and we push each other on the water, while off the water we press each other’s buttons for a bit of fun, always at someone else’s expense. This is usually good for at least 20 minutes of straight laughter.
We have a few new quotes this week that have stuck with us. My all time favorites are:
“Look at me when you speak to me”—JD3
“Diet Coke WITH ice”—JD3
“RODDNEEEEYYYY”—JD3 has perfected it with his southern drawl….
“Dude, du-de, de-dude dude dude”—Austin (the guys tell me when I see them screw something up I let out multiple dudes in one breath!)
A quick note about what we have been doing.
Testing, more testing and yes some more testing. But the good news is that we’ve finished testing and from this afternoon until this camp ends in a week, all we will be doing is racing. Time and dIstance, rounding marks, starts, match racing situations, gybing, tacking etc. Basics 101. It’s funny how you can get so wrapped up with testing sometimes you lose sight of the big picture. Remember, it’s a boat race and if we can’t execute the basics we’re already in a hole before the big show begins.
July 15th was John Dane III’s 58th birthday. We had a big night in Qingdao. We had a great dinner with the team at our standard restaurant DaVinci, from there we headed down to the club (which is also in the same hotel) where a bunch of sailors from other nations joined in on the celebration. An epic night! Just think about it, a guy who’s 58 is going to his first Olympics…pretty impressive.
I will be heading to team processing in San Jose, California on July 24th-25th. This is where JD and I hook up with other Olympians to get our USA team gear and fitted for our opening ceremony outfits. I read today that we will get Olympic Rings (for your finger, but I will also be getting my Olympic rings tattoo while I am in San Francisco. I still dont know where I will put it, most likely on my arm, but I am running out of room – sorry Mom). We have an option to take the standard ring which is free or you can upgrade to a more Super Bowl bling style. You guessed it, I am going for the bling!
I am really looking forward to it. This is an experience that I will never forget and have a hard time putting into words.
Austin
PS. Sally, honey I miss you and it’s almost over…
