The main draw for the event was the premiere showing Jobson’s 52-minute film based on the recently completed 12-Metre World Championship, held in Newport in late September. But listening to the retelling of stories of Cup summers now over a quarter century ago was well worth the price of admission alone.

Intrepid, Freedom, and Victory '83 enjoy the breeze on Rhode Island Sound on the first day of competition. Victory won this class, which was called the "Modern" Division. Amory Ross photo

Seventeen 12-Metres participated in the 2009 Worlds, grouped in different divisions depending on age, and Jobson’s film included some footage of every boat, as well as original footage of several of the boats contending for the Cup when they were new. Using onboard cameras, the film followed the action in several individual races, giving viewers a great sense of the teamwork and dialogue that goes into racing as part of a 16-person crew on a heavy, complicated boat.

With Russell Coutts calling tactics, Bill Koch steers New Zealand K7 to victory in the Grand Prix division. Amory Ross photo.

One of the fun things about the film was its emphasis on the owners of the individual 12-Metres, each of whom is an amateur sailor with a love for a class of boat that represents a key piece of the sport of sailing’s history. Their enthusiasm for their boats, most of which have required significant investments, shone through. Most of them also said their boats were “challenging” to sail, probably because during this particular week in September, the wind was generally very light during the races. Twelves are big, heavy boats that when powered up can sail fast and point like crazy, but when under-powered they’re not easy to keep going in the waves. The week’s weather was challenging for the film-maker as well: dramatic bow waves and high-speed crossings were in short supply.

The Twelves drift in past Castle Hill Light in the "Candy Store Cup," which finished inside Newport Harbor in front of the dock at Banister's Wharf. This race was later abandoned and rerun later in the week. Amory Ross photo.

But sailors know to make good use of whatever breeze that they are given, and Gary Jobson did the same. Anyone with even a casual interest in sailing will enjoy every bit of this film, which airs on ESPN Classic today (Saturday, Nov. 7) at 1 pm EST and will no doubt be shown again. DVDs of the Jobson Sailing Inc. film can be ordered from the International Twelve Metre Association for $25. (Checks to Jennifer Stewart, 40 Mary St., Newport, RI 02840.)

—John Burnham

There we met the new CEO of the Turkish boatbuilding company, Alberto Perrona Da Zara. Also introduced to the press was the new president of U.S. operations, Dirk Boehmer. I’m not sure I’ve ever attended a hotter press conference; it was brutal in the sun, where Alberto and Dirk established themselves to address the crowd. Fortunately for the rest of us, while Vicem’s new top brass perspired, we stood in the shade…and also perspired. Thursday, October 29, 2009, will be remembered by many as the hottest day of a boat show in memory.

The Vicem 72 Classic (both photos above) has traditional lines and aft cockpit, not to mention a traditional hull material.

Alberto provided some background on Vicem, which builds its boats primarily of cold-molded wood using the WEST system. Labor rates in Turkey are favorable, and based on my investigation of a 72-foot Vicem Classic, I have to say the fine carpentry makes these boats unique and beautiful. Each closet and cupboard I opened was neatly finished in wood. The hull of the 72 is actually a composite hull made of four layers of epoxy and mahogany with E-glass on both the inside and outside.

The main saloon of the Vicem 72 Classic, a model with a $3 million price tag

Dirk told us he’d previously been with companies including Sea Ray, Walker Bay, and Bertram. He said the U.S. was Vicem’s most important market, and I’m not surprised that the classic yacht-like feel of the boats appeals to many traditional American buyers. According to Alberto, the company plans to build even bigger boats, and fiberglass composite hull construction is to be expected in the future.

Vicem CEO Alberto Perrona Da Zara (left) and Vicem USA's president, Dirk Boehmer

A Vicem 46 meter superyacht is in the works.

Man of Steel, a Heesen 50

According to Matt, a broker with Lone Star Yacht Sales:

Man of Steel is the second Heesen for this experienced yacht owner; built by the hands of the finest craftsmen in Holland, Man of Steel is the company’s largest build to date. After being kept very private in the first few weeks of her launch, she has since graced the covers of nearly all of the top yachting magazines. A particular credit is the interior design, the vision of the owners wife.

Well, put that on my list to see. Go have a look at Matt’s full blog and if you’ll be at the show, maybe I’ll see you aboard Man of Steel or one of these other three boats:

• Lazzara LSX 76 Fly
• Azimut 70 Motoryacht
• Benetti Vision 43.6 m

Although my flight was late getting in from New York City tonight, I made it in time for dinner with Tom Sanders and Julio DeCastro, the general manager and marketing manager, respectively, of HMY Yacht Sales, Inc. Over fresh fish and a glass of wine, we did our best to avoid talking much business, but on the eve of the show, that was a tall order. Tom said that HMY has 28 boats in the show, four more than last year, and Julio mentioned that the yacht brokerage has opened a new sales office in Miami. Clearly this is one company that will have a lot going on over the long weekend ahead.

I could spend most of the weekend looking at Tom and Julio’s boats, but one I don’t want to miss is the 76 Viking, which you can read about on HMY’s new website. They are dealers for Viking as are Galati Yacht Sales, the family team whose story we published earlier today at Boats.com.

I’m also looking forward to seeing Boston Whaler’s new 320 Outrage, little sister the 370 Outrage I checked out and wrote about last spring. I’m just scratching the surface on my list of boats, but it’s getting late. In any case, tomorrow I’ll have my own pictures and, I hope, some fresh discoveries to show off.

The forecast calls for 90-degree temps. That might be hot after a while, but I’m looking forward to spending the day in the sun after two chilly, rainy days in New York. And if necessary, I’m sure I can duck into any one of a number of air-conditioned yachts along the docks.

— John Burnham

Tweeting. You’ve all heard of it. Some of you are even doing it. Maybe you’ve got a Twitter account and you’re blabbing to the world your status updates. Well, I’m doing it, too, and on this day in June, I did it throughout this epic, light-air circumnavigation every time I got a little break in the action as mid-deck crew on my boss’s J/80 named, of course, Boats.com.

I'm Tweeting and taking photos while Sam, Ian, and Dan work us downwind after rounding the Needles.

So here’s how it went:

“Shocking alarm at 0430 but due on dock for #JPMorganrti in 60 mins. Light is coming to the coast, pink sky below overcast to east. Gotta go!” 4:35 AM

“Heading down the Hamble, drizzling rain, a growing fleet of boats ahead and behind. The skipper says we’re bang on time. Even smiled once.” 6:10 AM

“First start getting lined up; we’re 3rd class. North end for pressure or south end for fair current #jpmoranrti” 7:28 AM

“Sailed the south shore which was good until headed, off Yarmouth now and w/ Sea breeze here; we’re well back but sky is bluer” 9:40 AM

“Almost at Needles, 12-14 kts seabreeze; made a couple gains. Skipper not smiling, but it’s a beauty of a day.” 10:13 AM

“Spinnakers up, approaching Atherfield ledge. Dan’s in shorts, trimming hard. fluky winds along cliffs, close w/ 1097 Jommy Dodger” 11:06 AM

“We’re 2 mi short of Bembridge ledge having just passed Jevan and Oi! (A1720) getting light at times but plenty of food still.” 1:53 PM

A sample view of my "johnsburnham" Twitter page during the race

“Appr. Bembridge Ledge, jibed offshore, passed 30 boats, then got inside of 50 more: left the J80s behind. Now beating toward Ryde in 9 kts” 3:28 PM

“The mighty @boatsdotcom is passing Ryde in sunshine and 8 kts SW breeze, in clouds and sun. Some Melges passed us but life isn’t bad.” 3:51 PM

“1.5 miles to go, closehauled along Cowes shore. RS400 close off our bow making good progress. Enough breeze at last to hike and make 5+kts” 4:59 PM

“Finished 1724; hopefully there was no mistake as the RaceC fired a gun when we crossed! From near last to 1st…I’d like to see the replay!” 5:47 PM

“@boatsdotcom confirmed first among J80s. We are a happy crew!” 6:13 PM

“Lights out on a great 18 hr. day; always wanted to do #rti; got to see the whole fleet both at start + Bembridge Ledge! Hope 2 be back soon.” 11:07 PM

Did I omit anything in my Tweets? Of course, I did, but if you read the story you’ll find out about the rock we hit.  You’ll pick up a few other points if you read my original blog on the race. And for some background on how we engaged J/80s and other sailors in Tweeting Round the Island, I’ve excerpted below a story written by my colleague, Jonathan Bowker:

…[not only did] YachtWorld.com magazine’s editor, John Burnham, have a Twitter account and plan to send “Tweets” about the progress of his boat and the race around him, but from shoreside, using the RoundTheIsland account, we planned to ReTweet his messages and those from any other sailors and observers sent to us so they would get further distribution.

With 1,779 boats competing and some 14,000 sailors, and who knows how many family members, friends, and sailors who wished they were racing, we figured this would be a test of the technology and a chance to learn if other Twitter people (known as “Tweeps” in the vernacular) might join us. Although we didn’t have time or resources for full-scale pre-race promotion of our effort, we figured that the scale of the event would allow us to gain some traction, and we were right.

We registered a Twitter account called RoundTheIsland and connected in advance with a few key press folks and some sailors in the J/80 and other classes. The majority of the Tweeters and Followers who participated were land based but, judging from the content of their Tweets, many were moving around the island following the action. Having a central communication channel via Twitter meant they could receive up-to-the-minute race progress information, which helped them plan their movements for photo opportunities and updates. Likewise, those following or contributing to Twitter from their boats were able to enjoy the race from different perspectives — good for morale and plenty of extra jokes on such a long race. And of course, long-distance followers cheered for their teams and sent encouraging and other witty comments.

By mid-afternoon, we were tweeting to approximately 550 followers, from which there was an active core of 31 Tweeters, whose followers totalled over 11,000 people.

Our results certainly indicated that a serious marketing campaign in advance could have increased our reach significantly, especially if we were to work alongside the race organizers to encourage more boats to Tweet. Overall, the results from a small experiment would indicate good potential in the service and there seems to be plenty of scope for development for future races and events.

So that’s what we did. It was a memorable day on the water going from last to first, but it would’ve been memorable regardless, and whatever the results, we’d have dozens of Tweets to show for it!

—John Burnham

A clip from Yamaha's video

“Yamaha is priming the publicity pump for a new bass-boat outboard product it’s calling a ‘game-changer.’ I’ll be heading to the Yamaha outboard product development center in Alabama on November 16th to see this new motor in person and will file a full report as soon as possible thereafter. Until then, it’s all a big secret. Yamaha has launched a teaser website for the new motor at http://www.yamahagamechanger.com/ which includes video of the new motor blowing off a Yamaha Vmax two-stroke on hole-shot acceleration – captured from far enough overhead that we can’t really see the new motor. Here’s hoping it lives up to the hype.”

We’ll bring you Charles’ full report as soon as it’s ready. Meantime, have a look at the video. Yes, it’s a teaser, but it’s fun to watch anyway.

— John Burnham

Harken Radial winches

Harken CEO Bill Goggins

CEO Bill Goggins led the proceedings, which included announcement of other new products, notably the company’s new line of hydraulics, which is a whole new division of the company headed by America’s Cup sailor Robbie Young. On any other day, such an announcement taking on the Navtec brand, would turn heads. But winches are still the principal tool with which we control our sails, and it’s been a long, long time since a whole new winch line was announced. This one, as Goggins emphasized, has been re-engineered from the bottom up.

The winches are built in a dedicated new facility in Italy, and they come in aluminum or chrome and each style has a different and distinctive drum surface. When they start shipping in early 2010, they will range from 20s to 80s. They are reportedly anywhere from 25 to nearly 50 percent lighter, and also much easier to disassemble and clean without losing parts inadvertently.

As the guy on my boat who often cleans the winches, I like the fact that while the ears require greasing, these winches have greaseless Delrin bearings that only need cleaning periodically.

Partially disassembled, the Radial winch's greaseless Delrin bearings are distinctively Harken red; in the background, the chrome drum with new surface texture.

A detail that gives the winches a different and distinctive look is their tops, which Goggins said were designed with safety in mind. The top of the winch seems unlikely to snag anything and those equipped with self-tailers stay steady under your hand even when the drum’s turning.

Peter Harken expounds on McLube, "good snake oil that really works"

Another detail that most sailors won’t have to worry about is the installation, which is quicker and easier for builders or any sailor rebedding a winch. A skirt around the base of the drum pops off and captive-head bolts can be snapped in from the sides, poked through the holes drilled in the deck, and then fastened from belowdecks.

Harken has also developed a new more compact motor for powered winches, and you can retrofit any of these winches (except the smallest ones) by bolting a new under-deck unit into pre-drilled holes in the base.

The event finished up with recognition for McGee Industries‘ Ward McClatchy and Ron Rosenberg for 10 years of partnership between Harken and the manufacturer of McLube Sailkote, the sailing hardware lubricant that Harken distributes. In his inimitable fashion, Peter Harken thanked and congratulated his partners for their “good snake oil that really works”. He added that they had a new One-Drop Conditioner for traveler ball bearings. Ward explained to me that it was formulated to solve the problem of ball-bearings getting too lubed and sliding, rather than turning.

—John Burnham

Sunrise on America's biggest sailboats-only show

At the top of Ego Alley, Island Packet Yachts had a couple of it’s new Estero models on display. The 36-footer, laid out with for a single couple, was first introduced in Oakland last spring.

A pair of Estero models with other Island Packets

Island Packet's Bob Johnson

I spoke with company president and designer, Bob Johnson, who told me that he was especially happy with the boat’s sailing capabilities, including tacking through about 80 degrees on the compass, and the Hoyt jib boom, which keeps the jib leech under control, even with sheets eased.

At the other end of the alley, the Johnstone clan and J/Boats dealers showed off a pair of new models, the J/97 designed principally by Al Johnstone for the IRC-oriented European market in Europe, the J/97, and the other, the J/95, designed principally by his old man, Rod Johnstone, for the U.S. market. The boats are very different, as reported in previous Boats Blog stories. I didn’t get to ask Al which he prefers, but Rod says the shoal-draft/double-rudder 95 is his favorite design to sail, ever.

Designer Rod Johnstone, far left, on the J/95; president (and son) Jeff Johnstone, on the J/80, at right

I had a brief look at Farr Yacht Design’s new First 40 for Beneteau, a racer/cruiser with clean lines and deck layout that appears fully functional as a racing design. The interior is not stripped out, however; it has striking lines, too, in common with previously released First 50 and First 45. More on this in a followup report.

Annapolis Beneteau dealer Garth Hichens shows off the new First 40.

That’s a snapshot of a few of the new boats I found on the docks. There are at least two other boats here that I reported on earlier, the Hunter 36 a couple weeks ago and the Catalina 445 last spring; I’ll also fill you in on some new equipment developments and new catamarans in follow-up reports. Although a few builders expressed guarded optimism after meeting with potential buyers today, nobody was saying that the recession for the sailboat market is over, and far from it. But for this day, the sun shone and being at the boat show imagining vessels to ride into the future was hard to beat.

—John Burnham

Lake Ontario wind and waves conspire to blow out the first scheduled day of racing at the 2009 Rolex Womens International Keelboat Regatta, hosted by Rochester Yacht Club. Rolex/Dan Nerney photo.

At my very first Rolex International Women’s Keelboat Championship in 1991, I made so many new friends I lost count. Fast-forward 18 years to this year’s event, and I find myself reunited with many of those women. The difference? This time around, their daughters are here, too.

Mother/daughter outings don’t usually include an international regatta, but several teams here are combining the two ideas. Annapolitan Cathy Parks has her daughter on her team – and her newborn granddaughter greets them when they come ashore. Canadian Katie Coleman Nicoll is sailing with her daughter, college student Clarity Nicoll. The list goes on.

Multi-generational team: Bridget Lawless, Martha Parker, Merritt Moran (skipper), Katja Sertl. Rolex/Dan Nerney photo

And then there’s local favorite Cory Sertl, a two-time winner of the event. She’s doing the mother/daughter outing a bit differently; teenaged Katja is crewing on a separate boat, for Merritt Moran – seventeen year old daughter of Cory’s longtime teammate Amy Moran. The two daughters have a ten year old in their crew.

And just to prove that sailing is a lifetime sport, 80 year old local Teresa Smith is crewing for 57-year-old Janice Ziobrowski.

Those of us in the middle of the age spectrum are here to enjoy a week of sailing with and against friends new and old. For over 20 years, this regatta has brought together a wide range of skill levels and goals as well as ages, creating a stew that includes every aspect of competitive women’s sailing.

Back in what seems now like the early days of the Rolex (as it’s referred to by followers, after the perennial title sponsor), teams of six women - or in some lightweight cases, seven - battled the wind and waves off Newport in J/24’s. I’m sure we had some light air sailing, but those aren’t the stories we still tell.

This year, teams of four or five women are racing J/22’s in Rochester, and the first day has been abandoned due to high winds and seas. Will the next generation reminisce about today’s weather at the Rolex in 2027?

Kim Couranz, Carol Newman Cronin (skipper), Margaret Bonds Podlich, and Kate Drew Fears, a.k.a. "Team Spidey"

Positioned aft in the main saloon, the helm station on the Hood 43 keeps the skipper and guests together.

Capturing the best powerboat prize in the Best of Newport awards competition was the Hood 43, a fast, modern cruiser with classic lines, laid out for a couple, and built with a traditional wood interior that’s a refreshing break from the chrome and mirrors, carpet and fiberglass of many modern power cruisers. Only in New England, perhaps, but this boat by C.W. Hood Yachts really does look sweet, although for over $1.5 million, one might have certain expectations! (The annual awards are sponsored by Sailing World, Cruising World, and MotorBoating magazines.)

The Hood 43

Chris Hood and his award winner

When I saw Chris the day after he received his award, he reacted modestly, deflecting praise to the construction team back in Massachusetts. Grinning, he explained how they’d all knocked off for the day after he’d called them with the news, and they’d headed over to the well-known sailors bar in Marblehead, Maddie’s, to celebrate—well before lunch.

The Summit 35 team, Barry Carroll, George Carabetta, Mark Mills, and Peter Truslow receive the Best Sailboat Award from the Newport Show's Nancy Piffard. Mills (in back) is the designer and Truslow (right), the president of Edgewater Power Boats, is the builder.

The Summit 35

Top sailboat was the Summit 35, a new racer/cruiser that offers exceptional performance and a good rating under the IRC handicapping rule. The interior is open and functional and can accommodate several sailors whether in an intense race or a modest cruise. The exterior features a wide, purposeful cockpit and an open transom. In an unusual manufacturing twist, Summit Yachts has shifted from overseas manufacturing and awarded the contract to a powerboat builder, Edgewater Power Boats, in Edgewater, Florida. If the 35 follows in the wake of Summit’s first design, the bigger King 40, also drawn by to IRC designer Mark Mills, we’ll be hearing plenty more about it in regatta reports in the near future.

The new Hunter 39 features an innovative T-top bimini.

Other new sailboats at the show, some of which I’ve written about earlier, included the Catalina 445, Morris 52, Island Packet Estero, J/97, and J/95. I was able to spend some time aboard the Hunter 39, by Hunter Marine and have a couple pictures to show here of this impressive new family cruiser. I particularly like seeing the fact that Hunter is continuing to make strides in improving their cockpit and deck layouts while being innovative with sail controls.

Belowdecks, new countertops and floorboards provide a striking departure for Hunter designs.

New powerboats included the Hunt 52, Sabre 40 Sedan, and the Fjord 40. I poked around aboard the new trawler by Kadey-Krogen, the Krogen 55 Expedition, as well as the new motoryacht design, the Hatteras 60. In the former case, which is a boat that can be heavily customized for each owner, the main living deck featured a large, comfortable main saloon adjacent to an innovative and open galley space. On the upper deck, aft of the commodious and quite livable wheelhouse, we found a great built-in barbecue as well as tender storage. I only had a brief visit aboard the Hatteras, but it’s a successor to the popular 56, according to Scott Lucas of Boston Yacht Sales, who was showing the boat. The words “spacious” and “gracious” are the adjectives that come to mind to describe the boat, meaning comfortable and with plenty of different places to relax. It has three staterooms, including a full-beam (18′ 2″) master amidships.

The Krogen 55 Expedition

The Hatteras 50

But the biggest boat I visited wasn’t a motorboat, it was the big, bold Hanse 630e, an epoxy-built sailboat by Hanse Yachts in Germany that has powerful sailing lines and high freeboard drawn by the America’s Cup-winning Judel/Vrolijk design team. The resultant interior volume is amazing—belowdecks you’ll find more space than in many city apartments, and unique style, too. This boat is meant to sail and has covered lots of miles in the Caribbean, Florida and up the East Coast of the United States. The 630e isn’t a brand new model, but this is the first to come to the United States; you can catch it next at the U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis, Maryland, next month.

—John Burnham

The Hanse 63 was queen of the sailboat side of the show.

Like all Hanses, the 63's interior is voluminous and uniquely modern.