Friday 30 May 2014

Armen Race underway, Ultime, Multi50's and Multi30's compete

The Armen Race this year is hosting a good fleet of multihulls, more details on the race can be found here:

https://www.facebook.com/IgpArMen

and their website:

http://www.armenrace.fr/

You can find the tracker here:

http://yb.tl/armen2014

The Ultime's are completing a separate and longer course you can select their tracking in the Yellowbrick tracker.

Tuesday 27 May 2014

Rocket Factory trimarans, Pricing and specification available on request for Rascal 25 trimaran

From the following post by Tony Grainger on the Rocket Factory trimarans website:

http://www.rocketfactorytrimarans.com/2014/05/26/specification-and-price-for-rascal-25-available/

Pricing and specification work for the Rascal 25 is now completed and available on request. That's not to say there won't be some fine tuning of the sail controls or the rig specifications which occupy countless columns and rows of various spreadsheets.  

Initially the boats are available in two stages. Stage one includes completed structure for three hulls with all bulkheads and floors and the daggercase installed, faired and painted external and a painted race boat finish internal. The price includes the beams and folding system. Price; 66,000 USD ex factory in Thailand.

read more here

Contact details for Tony Grainger here

Rascal 25 trimaran, render courtesy Rocket Factory trimarans

 

Maxi trimaran Spindrift 2 enroute to Newport to go on standby for crewed record attempt on the New York to Lizard record

From the following press release on the Spindrift Racing website:
 
 
After a D35 podium finish this weekend, which put Ladycat top of the Vulcain Trophy 2014 rankings after two rounds, the Spindrift racing team are switching to offshore mode. Spindrift racing’s maxi-trimaran, Spindrift 2, left La Trinité-sur-Mer at 1400hrs (French time) on Monday, heading to Newport, Rhode Island in the United States. They will be on standby from the start of June, waiting for a favourable weather window to attempt to break the crewed North Atlantic record.
 
With eight days at sea in the programme, the team will obviously take advantage of this transatlantic delivery, as skipper Yann Guichard explained. “The shortest route would be upwind, into the wind and the lows, which is not very smart when we’re preparing for a record that will be downwind,” Guichard said. “We will tailor our best route to have the most time downwind and reaching. The aim is to get as close as possible to the sailing conditions we need for the record, so that everyone gets their bearings, especially at the helm. I cannot wait. Although we have had ​​several long voyages from La Trinité, there’s no substitute for ocean mode, both on the technical and human side.”
 
read more here

Saturday 24 May 2014

Multi50 trimaran Maitre Jacques has her new floats installed

The Multi50 Maitre Jacques has her new floats installed.  These floats are built out of the same mold as those fitted to the Multi50 FenetreA Cardinal (the former Crepes Wahou 3).  These floats will lift the boats performance and make it a more forgiving boat in tough conditions. 




34th America's Cup, Team Oracle USA and Emirates Team New Zealand's AC72 catamarans compared

From the following article submitted to Sail World by Richard Gladwell:

http://www.sail-world.com/index.cfm?nid=122447

For the past few weeks two designers from Oracle Team USA and Emirates Team New Zealand have been giving an almost two hour presentation in various venues around New Zealand, as part of the Institution of Professional Engineers NZ centenary celebrations.

Sponsored by leading New Zealand engineering consultancy, Beca, the free-entry presentation has travelled to six centres in the North and South Islands and has attracted packed houses.

The two design engineers Andy Kensington from Team NZ and Neil Wilkinson from Oracle, both graduates from New Zealand universities have been involved in America's Cup teams for 13 and 23 years respectively.

Kensington opened running through a few of the differences between AC72 technology and the earlier monohulls used in the America's Cup and looked at the canting keelboats. Then he turned to why Emirates Team NZ settled on the foiling concept from the outset.

read more here

Friday 23 May 2014

Spindrift Racing update, the latest edition of 40 metres solo explores Yann Guichard's sailing career and celebrates his 40th birthday

From the following press release on the Spindrift Racing website:

http://www.spindrift-racing.com/2014/05/spindrift-racing-series-40-metres-solo-episode-16-happy-40th-yann-guichard/
 
Not for Yann Guichard any crisis on turning 40. The skipper of Spindrift 2 celebrates his birthday today and just feels happy, surrounded by his loved ones and at the top of his sporting career. We caught up with him  on the dock at La Trinité-Sur-Mer, Spindrift racing’s home port.
 
Guichard has sailed on almost all types of multihull on the professional circuit. From the Tornado (the 6-metre Olympic catamaran) to the 40-metre maxi-trimaran Spindrift 2, Guichard’s life has been played out balancing between air and water.
 
At 10 years old: Ile-aux-Moines, La Rochelle, Optimist Competitions
With three boys and three girls, the Guichard tribe is a large one…who have enjoyed moving around a bit. Settling in Paris, then Perros-Guirec and La Rochelle, the family liked to come together in the holiday home of the Ile aux Moines, in the heart of the Gulf of Morbihan. Between each cruise on his father’s boat, the children spent their time on the water. An independent spirit, Guichard followed his big brother into Optimist competitions. Jacques, the younger brother, chose windsurfing. He now designs the sails for Spindrift 2 and sails on board the maxi-trimaran. In sport studies from the 6th grade to the final year at school in La Rochelle, Guichard took the classic route and quickly shone.
 
At 20: In the 470 and then the Olympics in the Tornado
He got used to his oilies in the Optimist and then the 420. He learned his trade well. In 1994, he became vice-champion of the world in the 420 in Plymouth with his teammate Pierre Pennec. On their return, the duo did not want to continue on to the 470, they were looking for a boat that was more fun, one that could ‘glide’. There was a Tornado at the sailing club. One test was enough. Guichard and Pennec joined the ENV (France’s national sailing school) in Quiberon with the French team and began preparing for the Olympics, which concluded with a fourth place at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
 
read more here
 

Thursday 22 May 2014

34th America's Cup, Coroner's Report on Andrew 'Bart' Simpson's death in Artemis Racing tragedy

From the following article submitted to Sail-World by Bob Fisher:

http://www.sail-world.com/Australia/index.cfm?SEID=2&Nid=122373&SRCID=0&ntid=0&tickeruid=0&tickerCID=0

The cause of death of Artemis crewman Andrew Simpson was summarily dismissed by the Deputy Coroner for the County of Dorset, Mr. Richard Middleton, today in a brief hearing of sixteen minutes.

 The Coroner, in a prepared statement, from which he read, announced: 'This is a final hearing', leaving the five family members and ten journalists, no doubt that the matter was closed.

In what amounted to a résumé of the evidence of three SFPD officers and Adam May, a member of the Artemis Racing Team who was on board when the accident that led to the death of his teammate occurred, it mostly covered, in painful detail, the timescale and the position of the Swedish AC72 on that fateful day, May 9th last year from 1306 PST when the capsize happened, to 1341 PST when Simpson was pronounced dead.

From this, the Deputy Coroner, announced that the death of Andrew Simpson at 1341 PST on May 9th last year was due 'directly as the result of an human act.' This is the official description of an accident. He followed this by giving the cause of death as: 'blunt trauma with drowning.' He did report that Simpson’s helmet had been crushed, and that continuous attempts at CPR and resuscitation by defibrillator had failed.

read more here

F-22 production trimaran update, video from first factory built F-22 out sailing in Moreton Bay, Qld

Farrier Marine's Australian agent Peter Hackett has uploaded a video of an early sea trial of his new F-22 factory produced trimaran "Boom".  This is the first boat delivered from the Farrier Marine production facility in Christchurch, New Zealand.


Wednesday 21 May 2014

Maxi Banque Populaire, delivery to New York with Armel Le Cléac'h to go on standby for solo Trans Atlantic record attempt

From the following article (in French) on the Maxi Banque Populaire website:

http://www.voile.banquepopulaire.fr/Armel-Le-Cleac-h/Convoyage-Maxi-Solo-Banque-Populaire-VII-Une-arrivee-prevue-vendredi-10059.html#suite

the rough bing translate below:

Delivery of Solo Maxi Banque Populaire VII: A Friday arrival

Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - 5:30 pm
 
The Maxi Solo Bank Populaire VII, her skipper Armel Le Cléac ' h and 5 men of the crew, departed from Lorient last Thursday, currently sailing in the Atlantic ocean, in 13 knots of wind at a speed of 13 knots. Cap on New York, they have already travelled more than half of the course and with 1000 miles remaining, they think to achieve the megalopolis Friday in the morning. On 2 June the 'stand-by' period will commence and Armel and his 'router' will carefully look weather conditions in order to better anticipate the North Atlantic crossing record attempt. Time to fly between New York and Cape Lizard: 5 days, 2 hours, 56 minutes and 10 seconds (owned by Francis Joyon on his Trimaran Idec).

After having seized from Francis Joyon two of its "legendary" records, the road of discovery and one of the longest distance covered in 24 hours, Armel le Cléac ' h tackles a myth constructed by sailors entered the legend of offshore sailing, Tabarly, Arthaud, Bourgnon.'This record is an Everest, record the hardest beating after the 'Med' and the discovery. The road is more difficult on the pace very high sea muscled. It's a huge challenge I want to raise. But it will not risk taking, because the aim of the season is the Route du Rhum. If appropriate, we will go to bottom! I go to New York with a lot of curiosity. I'll explore this city, with the boat... It's nice to get there by sea and navigate with a super boat..."

 

Radikal T26 trimaran, new videos showing the boat in action

Several videos of the Radikal T26 out sailing have been posted on the Trimaran Radikal T26 facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=1471121569791400&set=vb.1410096839227207&type=2&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=1471104873126403&set=vb.1410096839227207&type=2&theater

Trimaran Radikal T26, photo courtesy Perspective Yacht Design



Sodebo Ultime receives her mast at Lorient


Sodebo Voile - Thomas Coville : Mâtage matinal... by sodebo-voile

Friday 16 May 2014

Airplay Sports 30 trimaran update

The Airplay Sports trimaran is coming along well and should be launched soon.  In the mean time here are some photos courtesy of Airplay trimarans from the factory.  This model is intended to offer some more comfortable cruising amenity than the stripped back race boat interior of the RAW 30.

A new update on the sports progress and future plans has been published by Airplay trimarans you can read it here:

http://pub.lucidpress.com/GoodSports/






all photos courtesy Airplay Trimarans.

Airplay RAW 30, Prosail Asia report on the International Multihull Boat Show at La Grande Motte

The crew from Prosail Asia were responsible for displaying the Airplay RAW30 trimaran at the International Multihull Boat Show in La Grande Motte.  They have put up a nice article on their experiences at the show.  The prototype RAW30 was sold and is staying in France with it's new owners it will be interesting to see how it performs against the competition.

http://pub.lucidpress.com/LaGrandeMotte/

Thursday 15 May 2014

USA 17 the massive trimaran which won the Deed of Gift match against Alinghi to reclaim the America's Cup has been relocated by helicopter skycrane to outside Oracle's Headquarters

From the following article on Sailing Scuttlebutt:

http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2014/05/11/americas-cup-usa-17-sails/

Following the 33rd America’s Cup, won by Golden Gate Yacht Club in 2010, there was hope to see their massive 90-foot wing-powered trimaran USA 17 sailing in San Francisco Bay. It would have made for an impressive sight, and created early interest in the 34th America’s Cup that would be held three years later. But due to its enormity and considerable risk under sail, the manpower was directed elsewhere, and USA 17 sat dormant on the blacktop of Pier 80 in the Dogpatch that became home to the American defender.

So what becomes of this America’s Cup winning marvel? She becomes a pond ornament. Larry Ellison, owner of the defense syndicate, had USA 17 moved to the lake at his Oracle Corporate Headquarters in Redwood City. Affectionately known as Dogzilla, Erik Simonson describes the 20-mile transit..

read more here


Monday 12 May 2014

35th America's Cup, Oracle Team USA update from the Sydney training camp with Team Australia

From the following article on the Oracle/Team USA website:

http://oracle-team-usa.americascup.com/en/news/78_Video-from-Sydney-Fitness-fun-and-who-is-Justice-.html

ORACLE TEAM USA is in the midst of its second Sydney training camp.

As in March, some new sailors are getting a chance to strut their stuff, while the crew focuses on race practice against Team Australia.

“It’s going great so far. We have a few new guys here, who are fitting in really well,” said sailing team manager and helmsman Tom Slingsby.

“We just finished our fitness testing which has been pretty tough. We’ve seen a few of the boys crack, which is good to know, but it’s been great. We have a few more days to go and we’re going to get the most out of it."

Sailor Rome Kirby says he’s happy to be back out racing, with Team Australia pushing the defending America’s Cup champions.

read more here
 

Seacart 26 trimaran, First Grand Prix event of the Multi Cup results

This year nine teams are competing in the Seacart 26 trimaran for the Multi Cup.  The results for the first Grand Prix of the season are below.

Saturday 10 May 2014

35th America's Cup, Sir Ben Ainslie secures funding for British challenge

From the following article on the uk telegraph:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/sailing/10820934/Sir-Ben-Ainslie-prepares-to-unveil-Americas-Cup-team.html

While potential America’s Cup challengers wait for details of the 35th America’s Cup to be announced, Sir Ben Ainslie has secured the private seed funding for a British campaign, to be unveiled next month.

It will be difficult for him to go ahead with the next phase of the Ben Ainslie Racing (BAR) campaign - raising the £100m commercial sponsorship - until he has seen the protocol governing the Cup, which is currently being agreed by Cup holders Oracle Team USA and official challengers Team Australia.

The protocol, which was due to be announced in March but has been promised for disclosure next week, will contain the rules for the next event, including plans for a 62-foot foiling wing-sailed catamaran, a similar but smaller version of the high speed AC72 used so dramatically in San Francisco last year.

read more here

Friday 9 May 2014

Wednesday 7 May 2014

Oman Sail on their experience at the Grand Prix Guyader

From the following article submitted to Sail-World by Oman Sail:

http://www.sail-world.com/Asia/Grand-Prix-Guyader---Omani-sailors-step-up-their-learning-curve/121880

Oman Sail’s flagship campaign, Musandam-Oman Sail, got the racing season off to a flying start in Douarnenez last weekend at the Grand Prix Guyader with a majority Omani crew onboard for the first time.

As a first regatta on the MOD70 since the Transat Jacques Vabre last November, the objectives were to learn the boat and to continue developing the Omani sailors that make up the MOD70 and M34 squad for 2014, in a race environment.

The format with its stadium racing and speed runs was the perfect platform for some swift learning and a good warm up towards the next phase of the Grand Prix which kicks off today onboard the M34. The M34 fleet includes a number of Oman Sail’s closest rivals for the Tour de France a la Voile so will prove a useful benchmark event.

read more here

'2014 Grand Prix Guyader - Musandam-Oman Sail'    Jacques Vapillon ©

Radikal T26 trimaran design, first test sail

The recently launched Radikal T26 foil assist trimaran design has been out for it's first test sail.  This new entry into the trailerable trimaran field comes from the pen of Phil Roulin of Perspective yacht design:


There is also a short video of the boat sailing on the Radikal T26 facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=1464448207125403

Spindrift Racing update, latest video in the "40 metres solo" series covers the autopilot installation and function on Spindrift 2



From the associated article on Spindrift Racing's website:

http://www.spindrift-racing.com/2014/05/spindrift-racing-series-40-metres-solo-episode-14-the-autopilots/

Designed for crewed sailing, the maxi-trimaran Spindrift 2 has never had autopilot. A small revolution has taken place on board since the decision to compete in the Route du Rhum. It is a fact that, sailing solo, Yann cannot be on the helm 24 hours a day. He has to sleep, and eat, but he also has to set the sails, make manoeuvres, or work on the computer on board, so, needless to say that without an autopilot, sprinting solo across the Atlantic would be impossible. But it took some ingenuity to devise a system suitable for a machine of this size. Meet Yoann le Quintrec, ‘Mr Pilot’ from Spindrift racing.
“The racing boats like those in the Vendée Globe or our future opponents in the Ultimate Class on the La Route du Rhum mostly use hydraulic pilots with actuators that operate the rudders,” Le Quintrec says. “That was an option that we had to discard because everything is supersized on board Spindrift 2 and there was no system that allowed us to have a strong enough lever arm. So, we had the idea of ​​studying electrical pilots developed for large multihull cruisers. It was an idea that soon proved worthwhile.”
 
read more here

Tuesday 6 May 2014

Sodebo Ultime trimaran, Out of the shed at Multiplast

From the following press release (in French) by the Sodebo Team:

http://www.sodebo.fr/voile/actualites/article/grand

And the rough bing translate below:

In the great outdoors!
 
Metamorphosis lasted more than a year. A chrysalis away from the eyes during which the trimaran Geronimo of Olivier de Kersauson became Sodebo Ultim', the new weapon of the solitary sailor Thomas Coville.
 
The end of construction approach. Today, the 'beast' has passed through the doors of the hangar Multiplast in Vannes and met the rays of the Sun. The size is impressive and three slender hulls elongate a modern and aggressive silhouette. The work is not completed. Sodebo team do not release pressure, well instead. There is still a thousand details to finish and a few days to work outdoors on the banks of the Gulf of Morbihan before putting the boat in the water.

How will more than 30 metres long and more than 20 of wide but do it alone on such a machine? The question has not finished to be posed by those who discover this new Member of the ultimate class that will start on the Route du Rhum in November. For the skipper who has 20 years of multihull behind him and two circumnavigations of the globe single-handed at the helm of his previous trimaran Sodebo, this birth marks the beginning of a new adventure to his measure, in agreement with his experience and ambitions.

"When I think back to this day of March 2013 we went seek Geronimo on his platform to Brest...Need to project and believe it," remembers the skipper. "Very soon, we had numbers in mind, shapes, volumes, we imagined a new central hull, drawn from new fronts of floats. With the entire team involved in this project, we have created a boat that became ours over the weeks and months of construction."

Lord passionate enthusiasm of steel, Thomas viewing Sodebo Ultim' as if it were the first: "I could tell me: still a boat, one, the desire could erode home and although not, when hulls was unmasked after painting and I've seen the platform as a whole, it was a great moment." And treading the net for the first time, I felt the same emotion when we had turned Jet Services in Commodore Explorer (1990s). Today I have this same collective pride in having dared."
 
Picture Fred Morin/Sodebo
 

Sodebo voile - Thomas Coville : teaser... by sodebo-voile

And the modifications in an animated form:


Sunday 4 May 2014

Philippe Presti of Team Oracle USA interviewed by Vsail

From the following article on Vsail.info:

http://www.vsail.info/2014/05/03/philippe-presti-coach-of-oracle-team-usa-talks-to-vsail-info/

It is clearly evident that mastering the art of foiling will be a key in the America’s Cup, at least for the foreseeable future. Who better to talk about foiling yachts, of all types and sizes, than the French coach of the America’s Cup Defender, Oracle Team USA:

VSail.info: You have been foiling a lot lately and a few days ago you took your maiden sail on a Moth. How was the experience?
Philippe Presti: It was good fun. It was just my first try and it was very interesting. It’s a very small boat but I have already ordered one, in order to learn and figure out how to set it up and rig it. It’s very complex and if you don’t fine tune the foiling and the angles you aren’t going to make it. I went to the training camp with the Swiss team and we had a great training session.

read more here

Extreme Sailing Series, Video of Day 3 of Racing in Qingdao


Saturday 3 May 2014

Extreme Sailing Series, video of day 2 of racing in Qingdao


2013 Rolex Fastnet race, a great video covering the race in detail


Extreme Sailing Series, strong and gusty conditions challenge Extreme 40 crews on second day of competition in Qingdao

From the following press release on the Extreme Sailing Series website:

http://www.extremesailingseries.com/news/view/full-pressure-day-as-the-extreme-40-fleet-battle-huge-gusts-on-the-qingdao#.U2QjeK-KDrc

It was a full pressure day as the fleet moved into the stadium racing mode at the Land Rover Extreme Sailing Series™ in Qingdao, described by the skippers as ‘radical’, ‘full-on’, ‘unpredictable’ and gnarly’, with gusts up to 32 knots weaving their way through the surrounding skyscrapers like bullets screaming across the stadium racecourse. The racing was right on the edge, and the teams used all their strength to muscle their speed machines expertly around the track, tackling a huge wind range of over 20 knots. The experience of both Alinghi and The Wave, Muscat was evident, and the teams relished today’s big breeze as much as yesterday’s light winds, remaining first and second respectively, while one first and two second places for the Kiwis on Emirates Team New Zealand upgraded their overall position to third, ahead of tomorrow’s penultimate day’s racing.

There was plenty of hull flying, bows down and extremely close mark rounding’, with the fleet reaching top speeds of 25 knots as they tried to predict the huge wind shifts which saw the breeze go from 10 to 32 knots in a second. Before racing, Race Management made the call to split the fleet, first into groups of eight, and then groups of four, to minimize the chance of collisions on the tight race track. Leigh McMillan, skipper of The Wave, Muscat who is out to defend his title in Qingdao, commented: “We like it when the breeze is up, today was pretty radical. Gusts and big shifts is quite a handful. But we’re happy to have made it through the day with no big collisions which is great - it was pretty full on out there.”

read more here

A short highlights video from day 2 in Qingdao:

Friday 2 May 2014

The first production F-22 trimaran designs shipping from Farrier Marine and F-33 trimarans from Multihulls direct being delivered

The first F-22 production trimarans are leaving the Farrier Marine factory.  A complete F-22 trimaran and trailer can be packed into a single 40' container.  More details here in the May 1st entry:

http://www.f-boat.com/pages/News4/FM-Factory2014.html



The F-33 trimarans that have been constructed in the Multihulls Direct facility in the Phillipines are also being delivered now.  These are a custom/semi production design and in this case built to a kit stage for the final fitout to be carried out by the owner, the finish looks excellent.

more detail and photos here:

http://www.f-boat.com/pages/News4/F-33Update1.html




Extreme Sailing Series update, day 1 of Qingdao event presents light conditions and tactical racing

From the following press release on the Extreme Sailing Series website:

http://www.extremesailingseries.com/news/view/testing-light-winds-on-day-one-as-the-home-team-make-best-ever-debut-by-an#.U2KD0q-KDrc

- Start line collision between Oman Air and GAC Pindar see the Omani team knocked out before racing even begun and with a long night of repairs in the pitlane ahead.
- Team Extreme Qingdao has best ever start for a home nation invitational team, challenging the more experienced crews to finish day one in third place.
- Alinghi dominate in the testing conditions, staking an early 14-point lead over second placed The Wave, Muscat.
- Series Main Partner Land Rover strengthens its commitment to the Extreme Sailing Series™ with the new Above and Beyond Award. Read more here.

Racing began in China’s Olympic sailing city today at the Land Rover, Extreme Sailing Series™ Act 3 Qingdao, for the ‘Double Star Mingren’ Cup, where five different race winners emerged from the eight races sailed, in a day that saw the fleet struggle for consistency and the leaderboard reshuffle after every race. On the open water racecourse, the Swiss team Alinghi dominated in testing light winds and strong tide, to edge ahead on the leaderboard at the end of day. But it was the local boat, Team Extreme Qingdao, who will be grabbing the headlines tonight after an outstanding debut performance sees the team in third place at the end of day one - the best ever performance by a home nation invitational team.

Unfortunately for Oman Air, their day was over before it had a chance to begin, after a collision with GAC Pindar in the start line tussle of the first race left the team with severe damage to their port hull, forcing them back to the pit lane. Rob Greenhalgh, skipper of Oman Air - who has welcomed the talents of America’s Cup winner Kyle Langford to the team this week - explained what happened: “Just after the start of the first race, GAC Pindar tacked onto port and misjudged the dip on us and T-boned us pretty hard – we have a pretty big hole in the side of the boat. These things happen unfortunately. The shore guys will work hard tonight and get the boat ready for racing tomorrow. We will lick our wounds and be back. It’s a disappointment – we were pumped to race.”  The team will be given a redress and will likely be awarded average points from their races over the next two days by the international jury.

read more here