COUNTING THE COST

by Josh Hall

During the 2008-09 Portimão Global Ocean Race, many people asked us how much it costs to stage a Round-the-World-Race and even more people have asked how much it costs to enter the event. We have always answered these questions honestly with the minimum and maximum relevant numbers.

I have found that running a boat race is much like running a raceboat campaign in as much as some costs are fixed and some are variable. In both cases there will be many occasions where surprise, hidden costs rear their ugly head and a few occasions (far too few) when something comes in a lot cheaper than anticipated.

In both scenarios the budget is quite heavily front-loaded with investments being made in boats, sails and gear by the skippers and in websites, safety systems, hardware and people by the race organisers. This fact makes cash flow difficult especially when any sponsorship payments are spread evenly through the programme – in particular during times like these when institutional borrowing facilities to bridge things are as rare as hen’s teeth.

The entries in our race, and indeed the vast majority of Class 40 boats, are owner-driver situations. In general they are successful entrepreneurs and talented sailors with a dream of racing around the world. They secure some sponsorship for their programmes but for the most part they are self-funding their campaigns. They have not become successful by throwing their money away so they run their projects like small businesses with budgets and parameters. However, if something is required out of budget on a need-to-have basis, they do have the means.

The event itself does not have the luxury of this safety net and has to run on purely the budget it has, so great care must be taken to keep everything within budget. At the same time, the event needs to “punch above its weight” and have all the features of safety, promotion and image that is expected by sponsors, skippers and the public. It is a tough marriage of bean-counting and looking good, but one that has to work.

With both boat projects and events mistakes are made and sometimes there are financial losses as a result. Sailors know very well about hindsight being a wonderful thing and I have learned over the years to recognise that we make decisions at the time based on the current information available, so we must not look back with regret.

Onboard a boat the dilemma of pushing a spinnaker beyond its limits when chasing the boat ahead can be costly in miles and money, but unless you push you will never win! With the event, a similar example is that we spent money on a sponsorship-finder. He never did secure any money for us, but he came close a fewtimes and if it had worked out our race would have been made a lot easier – for us that is!

Another similarity I have seen between boat and event projects is that investment in the right people is fundamental, whether they are staff or a supplier. Having commitment and trust both ways is the only way to success. In 25 years of managing my own and other people’s projects, I have always been fortunate to have a fantastic team around me and this event ended up being no different. Between us we succeeded in pulling-off what we believe has been an amazingly successful event and we brought it in within budget – just about!

Sharing the financial nuts and bolts is an important thing for us to do at this point – we are committed to running the next race in 2011-12 and we are equally committed to our own sponsors and our entries getting great value for money. Affordability and achievability are our favourite words.

So, here is a breakdown of where the money went on the recent race (Section 1 & 2) and also where the money goes on entering a boat (Section 3 & 4):

Overview of where the money was spent on the PGOR

Section 1 – Income (all figures in Euros):
€600,000 Sponsorship from Portimão
€50,000 Entry fees from 5 paying boats
Total income €650,000

Section 2 – Expenditure
€52,000 Sponsorship agent’s commission in Portugal
€122,000 Principle 1 pay for 20 months (average €6,100/month)
€97,000 Principle 2 pay for 12 months (average €8,083/month)
€37,000 Admin services 13 months (average €2,800/month)
€2,500 Assistant’s pay for 9 months
€16,000 Video filming costs (filming/expenses/local editing services etc)
€2,500 Still photography costs (Professional at start of race plus expense)
€14,000 Agency employed to seek additional sponsorship
€25,000 Media management costs
€28,600 Principle 1 expenses first 10 months (travel/hardware/ business development)
€21,500 Principle 2 expenses first 10 months (travel/hardware/business development)
€28,500 Race tracker R&D and purchase cost
€15,000 Race Viewer costs
€2,500 Tracker communication costs (transmission and calculation costs)
€45,000 Website creation and management costs (top of the range site that performed and never failed)
€13,200 Flights to ports (team of 4-5 people). Additional costs due to delayed restarts and returning boats
€29,100 Expenses at Portimão start and finish (hosting/accom/ cars/phones/ send-off party etc)
€35,000 Expenses at other ports (4 ports)
€33,000 Corporate fees for period (legal/management/accounting etc)
€6,000 Race rules creation consulting
€6,700 General expenses during event (office gear etc)
€15,700 Advertising costs (other sites/flags/banners/programmes etc)
€9,500 Shipping costs (container share/deliveries etc)
Total expenditure : €658,500

Section 3 – Global Ocean Race 2011-12 entry budget overview (used boat campaign estimate)
€175,000 Purchase of second hand Class 40
€10,000 Category 0 modifications
€30,000 Electronic upgrades and additions
€50,000 Sails budget for the race
€5,000 Spares and tools
€15,000 Safety gear Category 0
€12,000 Entry fee for race
€10,000 Insurance for race
€7,500 Container-share cost
€40,000 In-port costs at €10,000/stop-over
€20,000 Contingency budget
Total Gross : €374,500
Sale of yacht after race : €125,000
Total Net : €249,000

Section 4 – Global Ocean Race 2011-12 entry budget overview (new boat campaign estimate)
€330,000 Cost of new boat Category 0 build
€20,000 Commissioning costs
€60,000 Electronics
€65,000 Sails for campaign
€5,000 Spares and tools
€20,000 Safety gear Category 0
€12,000 Entry fee for yacht
€25,000 Insurance for race
€7,500 Container-share costs
€40,000 In-port costs at €10,000/stop-over
€20,000 Contingency budget
Total Gross : €604,500
Sale of yacht after race : €240,000
Total Net : €364,500

Note for Sections 3 & 4:
Not included in these figures:
1. Shore crew – assume using local specialists within port budgets listed above
2. Salaries for skippers
3. Flights to and from ports – allow €1,000/person for each port
4. Accommodation in ports – cost depends on style and size of any team
5. Sponsor graphics – usually covered by the sponsor
6. Media/PR costs – again, usually covered by any sponsor involved

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The latest development by the BMW ORACLE Racing team was unveiled today when an enormous wing was prepared to be wheeled out of the tent at the team base in San Diego.

The wing will be tested as an option to increase performance compared with a traditional soft sail rig as previously sea-trialed on the BOR 90, the 90-foot trimaran the team has built for the 33rd America’s Cup.

The construction of the wing took place at Core Builders, the team’s boatbuilding facility in Anacortes, Washington, with finishing work completed at the team base in San Diego.

“This was a massive undertaking,” said Tim Smyth (NZL), who, along with Mark Turner (NZL), has been overseeing the wing construction team in Anacortes and in San Diego.

“Building a wing of this size was something new for all of us, and we’re proud our guys were able to rise to the challenge.”

A wing of this scale has never been built for a race boat. In terms of size, the wing on BOR 90 dwarfs those on modern aircraft. Towering nearly 190 ft (57 m) above the deck, it is 80 percent bigger than a wing on a 747 airplane (102 ft / 31 m).

The primary advantage of the wing over a soft sail is that it is easier to control and does not distort. This makes it easier for the trimmers on board to maintain an optimum aerofoil shape in a wide range of conditions.

Full-scale, on-the-water testing of the wing will begin later this week as the team resumes sea trials in preparation for the 33rd America’s Cup Match in February.

• BBC – Big Boat Challenge 21.05
• Pantaenius Rund Skagen 24.05 (pending)
• Fyn Rundt 04.06
• Faerder Race 11.06
• Baltic Sea Challenge 25.06
• Hanseboot Offshore Open/Rund Bornholm 05.07
• Eurocard Gotland Rundt 07.07 (pending)
• Gothenburg Offshore Race 13.08
• Baltic Offshore Week Hanko 26.08
• Flensburger Fördewoche 13.09 (pending)

The new international racing series in 2010 in Baltic and North Sea

At the initiative of German offshore Owners Association, in cooperation with Per Weiskvist (Kerteminde Sejlklub) and the owners of offshore racing organizations from Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway a completely new racing series is launched in 2010: The hanseboot IRC Baltic Open. This race series is based on the collective international scoring of established classical offshore races in the Baltic and North Sea. 

A total of two to three established offshore races per country will be incorporated in the calculation according to the international IRC handicap system. The goal of the organizers is to promote the competition of international offshore sailors in the Baltic and motivate them to increasingly compete in races of neighbouring countries. Therefore, the two best results will be assessed for each yacht, taking into account the size of the participating field. Furthermore, extra points will be awarded for crews who participate in races of at least two different countries.

“The next Admiral’s Cup in England is planned for 2011,” says Volker Andreae, Chairman of the German offshore Owners Association. “Therefore, all committed sailors realize that only a preparation within the bounds of international competition has prospect of success. For this purpose, Hanseboot IRC Baltic Open provides an optimal platform.” Per Weiskvist, owner of the J/V 41 R “Visione 3″ from Kerteminde Seijlklub agrees: “It will be great, and at a high level, for Northern Europe conditions, I think.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

Yves Parlier/Pachi Rivero 1876
Arnaud Boissières/Vincent Riou AKENA VERANDAS
Samantha Davies/Sidney Gavignet Artemis Ocean Racing
Dee Caffari/Brian Thompson AVIVA
Armel Le Cléac’h/Nicolas Troussel Brit Air
Sébastien Josse/Jean François Cuzon BT
Marc Thiercelin/Christopher Pratt DCNS
Michel Desjoyeaux/Jérémie Beyou Foncia
Kito de Pavant/François Gabart Groupe Bel
Alex Thomson/Ross Daniel HUGO BOSS
Mike Golding/Javier Sanso Mike Golding Yacht Racing
Marc Guillemot/Charles Caudrelier Benac SAFRAN
Roland Jourdain/Jean Luc Nélias Veolia Environnement
Alex Pella/Pepe Ribes W HOTELS

Nu är det dags att ta i med storsläggan. Alltså båt + segel + riggfix + bottenfärg + dekal-trim + mätbrev + whatever = max 2.000.000:- när du seglar ut till din första start för säsongen… Vad blir det?

Click here to view the embedded video.

Appropå Expresser och shorthanded, så har jag lovat Expresseglarna att köra en kväll om shorthanded på deras Race-TV, på Båtmässan i Göteborg 11/2 18:00-20:00. Och så klart skall jag inte göra det själv, utan bjuda in massor av galna och underhållande människor.

Så hade det varit kul med lite tips på profiler att ha med och frågor som ni vill få avhandlade?

Svenskar på plats är ju Torbjörn Törnqvist & Mango på Artemis och Micke Lundh på Synergy.

Click here to view the embedded video.

NORLadies.no skal på ISAF sikkerhetskurs førstkommende helg 13.-15.nov i Sverige og har plass til flere seiljenter, og her er det plass til svenske jenteseilere!

http://www.norladies.no/ISAF%20Sikkerhetskurs%202009.html

Her blir det også lagt stor vekt på det sosiale ved siden av det faglige :-)

–
NORLadies.no l Lisbeth Røbekk
Prosjektleder +47 95 08 53 77

They’re off!
Jules Verne Trophy
15h 50′ 22”: Groupama 3 set off from off the Créac’h lighthouse (Ushant Finistère) in a good NW’ly breeze and big seas. Franck Cammas and his nine crew will have to be back from their circumnavigation of the globe spanning over 24,000 miles, prior to the morning of 26th December…

A granulated sky, gusts, intermittent showers, setting sun, big Atlantic swell, squalls, breaking waves: here we have the setting for this latest departure to gain a new reference time in the Jules Verne Trophy, the round the world record held by Bruno Peyron and his crew since 2005 (50d 16h 20m). Groupama 3 left the pontoon of the port of Le Château in Brest, NW France this Thursday 5th November at 1300 hours before a warm crowd of locals and the crew’s families, which came out as far as the Petit Minou lighthouse to bid them farewell. Under two-reefed mainsail and a small jib, Groupama 3 then released her tow at 1400 hours and headed out to sea in a building swell… As such the giant trimaran had to put in a few tacks to get to the North of Ushant before setting the clock running at 15h 50′ 22” UT.

A muscly introduction
The NW’ly wind associated with the low, which passed over Brittany on Wednesday, was still very active: the stormy sky with its cumulonimbus was generating a twenty to twenty-five knot breeze, gusting to over thirty-five knots… Above all though, the seas were hard at the exit from the English Channel with waves of nearly seven metres offshore! As such conditions weren’t ideal for the start, but the next stage in the programme is highly favourable, once the crew reaches the Portuguese coast. As a result, for half a day, Franck Cammas and his nine crew are likely to be tackling beam winds and may even have to sail close-hauled for a few hours…

“We’re going to set off under reduced sail to get free of the continental shelf. After that this NW’ly wind will shift round to the West for three hours at which point we’ll have to sail close-hauled. It’s not the ideal scenario for starting out, however the weather window is pretty favourable after that. In fact, from tomorrow lunchtime, Friday, Groupama 3 should already be sailing along the coast of Portugal. At that stage we’ll hit some N’ly and then NE’ly winds, which are set to accompany us to the archipelago of Cape Verde” indicated Franck Cammas a few minutes after leaving the pontoon.

The crew didn’t appear to be concerned about this choppy introduction to proceedings: being in a position to head out early in the season, not to have to hang around waiting for a favourable “firing window”, just after a preparation session in the mountains at the end of October, and knowing that the aim of the record is for the crew to be back before Christmas, all makes for a serene departure.”We’re going to be shaken about at the exit from the English Channel because the seas are big, but that makes for a good introduction before we slip southwards. It’ll be hot from this weekend, we’ll be at the equator in the middle of next week and the Southern Atlantic appears to be willing to enable us a swift passage”> explained Lionel Lemonchois.

As such Groupama 3 must cross the finish line off Ushant before 26th December at 08h 09′ 26” (UT)…

A tour of the weather
“Groupama 3 is setting off as the NW’ly wind is easing slightly to 25 knots with gusts at 35 knots and a reduction in the number of squalls: the storms have dissipated. Nevertheless, it is important to remain prudent as the big seas are set to last for a few more hours yet, due largely to a big NW’ly swell. The crew will have to deal with these tricky conditions right the way across the Bay of Biscay, because although the wind will continue to ease and it will be less gusty, there will still be big seas until Friday morning. As such the exit from the Bay of Biscay will be all the trickier as a result of a cold front moving in from the West, which will come face to face with Franck Cammas and his crew in the second part of the night. The approach of this front will cause the wind to shift round to the West as it becomes less steady, before clocking back round to the NW again on Friday morning. The main reason that Franck Cammas and his crew have opted to tackle such conditions is in order to be in a position to exploit some much more favourable conditions further along the track, in particular those level with the NE’ly tradewinds off Portugal and further to the South”. Sylvain Mondon from Météo France

Framförallt känns det bra att det är seglarna själva som nu har initiativet.

Sammanfattning ”Ägarmöte Havskappseglarna Ost”.

Intresset kring havskappsegling lever! Det kan vi konstatera efter genomfört ägarmöte med nästan 60 ägare på plats. Mycket roligt att vi, till bredden, fyllde sal K12 på Scandinavian Boat Show.

Först fick vi ett kort anförande av Atlantica rörande försäkringsfrågor. Nyttigt visade det sig då ett flertal principiellt viktiga frågor diskuterades.

Därefter presenterade Fredrik Feldreich, KSSS, nästa säsongs kappseglingskalender.

Eric Horwitz berättade kort om det nybildade IRC förbundet och deras motiv.

Hans Broman presenterade kort SHF och deras roll.

På plats var även representanter för Finsk Havskappsegling som berättade om deras situation. Vi konstaterade att man även i Finland har svårt att få en samlad organisation att administrera de olika reglerna ORCi, IRC och LYS (SRS).

Stefan Rahm från SSF var på plats för att reda ut de formella förutsättningarna för hur vi kan organisera oss. Mötets mening var att starta ett ORCi klassförbund* som direkt skulle ta kontakt med det nybildade IRC förbundet för att påbörja samtal om samarbete. Dessa två klassförbund kan sedan samlas under taket Svenska Havskappseglings Förbundet.

För att få mer struktur och resurser föreslog SSF att man kunde placera internationella och säkerhetsfrågor centralt på SSF.

Vi konstaterade att LYS attraherar allt fler och att kostnaden och enkelheten var bidragande faktorer. Ska vi kunna locka LYS seglare till ORCi och/eller IRC så måste vi fortsätta titta på att förenkla och hålla ner kostnaderna.

Alla vill segla i stora startfält. För att kunna erbjuda det undersökte vi intresset kring s.k. Dubbel Scoring. Det innebär att IRC och ORC båtar startar tillsammans. En förkrossande majoritet vill ha Dubbel Scoring och även segla de två mästerskapen på gemensam bana.

Gemensamma träningar under våren var det önskemål om. Björn Österberg och SHF får i uppdrag att komma med förslag.

Till sist vill vi uppmana alla ägare att faktiskt delta i de seglingar som våra klubbar arrangerar. Intresset för two-handed och nystart på Öland Runt var seglingar som lyftes.

Nu ligger bollen i händerna på de som vill starta ORCi klassförbund och SHF som måste agera utifrån de synpunkter som framkom. Ett nära samarbete mellan LYS, IRC och ORCi är vad alla vill. Vi är för få som seglar för att inte samarbeta!

Stort tack till vår moderator, Ralf Aspholm, som med detta initiativ visade att det faktiskt finns en ljus framtid för havskappseglingen om vi engagerar oss. Tänk om SHF årsmöte tilldrog sig samma intresse. Det vore ett positivt tecken!

Vid pennan,

Robert Carenfelt

Nu startar vi en gastbank!

Det sker en nystart för de större segelbåtarna på västkusten. LYS- cupen lever vidare och utvecklas. En ny cup i cupen planeras för de riktigt stora båtarna, och en nystart för Göteborg Offshore race planeras till augusti 2010.

Detta ger stora möjligheter för er som vill segla lite större båtar med större besättning att mönstra på. Därför startas nu VKSFs gastbank där man kan anmäla intresse att ingå i någon besättning, antingen någon enstaka gång eller en hel säsong.

Du skickar ett mail med namn, e-mail och en kort ”seglings. Cv” så håller vi banken levande för båtägare att hitta besättning. Det går naturligtvis bra för båtägare att söka gastar aktivt genom att göra likadant, och komma in på listan ”gastar sökes”.

Snyggt jobbat!

Se nu till att använda den. Och ni som brukar sakna besättning skall se till att komma med!

Finns det något annat vi skall göra under vintern för att tota ihop båtar och alerta gastar/rorsmän/taktiker?

Click here to view the embedded video.

The BOR 90 has dismasted
On Tuesday morning, during testing on the waters off San Diego, the BOR 90 dismasted. All of the crew on board are safe. No one was hurt in the incident.

Support craft were with the race boat at the time and are currently working to salvage the rig and get the boat back to shore.

The team is investigating the cause of the failure.

More information will follow.

Från BMW Oracle Racing Blog. Tipstack till Jack Sparrow.

Högre rigg, fathead & fock gör att LYS går från 1.09 till 1.14. Nästa år skall det tydligen på ett kartongnytt roder i kolfiber som härstammar från en viss VO70 och en större masttoppshissad gennaker.

Men det finns säkert fler båtar som skall vara med i en tävling om värsta LYS-pimpningen?

Den här kanske?

Och här har vi väl den bästa avvägningen mellan ombyggd båt och kappseglingsresultat – Dahlsjös Dominant Special:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Fler nomineringar???

The Groupama Insurance Group confirmed today that it will enter the next two editions of the Volvo Ocean Race with its long term French skipper, Franck Cammas, a commitment that will last until 2015.

The announcement was made as Cammas was in the French port Le Château in Brest, preparing to set off on a bid to conquer the Jules Verne Trophy aboard the 32-metre maxi trimaran. The chosen designer for Groupama’s new boat is Argentinean Juan Kouyoumdjian, the designer of the winning boats in the last two editions of the Volvo Ocean Race.

“It’s now been over 12 years that Groupama and Franck Cammas have worked together as a team. Today, we have decided to continue this commitment by participating in the Volvo Ocean Race to inspire a more international dynamic in our common project,” said Frédérique Granado, director of external communications at Groupama.

“Groupama is developing strong links overseas, where we carry out nearly 30 per cent of our business, and the Volvo Ocean Race is clearly the most suitable sports event to reflect our group’s new expansion,” Granado explained.

“We trust in Franck to take up this new challenge and we appreciate his ability to create a team and manage a crew and also the design of the most high performance boats. These qualities will be decisive in the Volvo Ocean Race,” she added.

Despite concentrating on his imminent departure on the Jules Verne Trophy, the skipper of Groupama is delighted. “Groupama is once again showing its trust in me at the very important moment where we’re committing to a new challenge, while a lot of sponsors wait for a sports events to draw to a close before announcing that they’re renewing a partnership,” Cammas said.

“This is even more motivating for me within the context of the Jules Verne Trophy and makes me keen to pay Groupama back for the trust it has shown. We are committing to the Volvo Ocean Race thanks to the support and trust demonstrated by Groupama. For our team, it is a huge responsibility, which we are tackling with enthusiasm and determination.

“I am very proud to be able to benefit from such commitment and such loyalty and I would like to make the most of this opportunity to thank all the group’s representatives and colleagues for their unfailing support during what has been over 12 years.”

Knut Frostad, CEO of the Volvo Ocean Race is very pleased about the return of a French boat to the Volvo Ocean Race: “The French certainly have their place in the Volvo against the cream of the Anglo-Saxon and European crews. It is excellent news that the Groupama team is joining the race. I have known Franck Cammas and his team for a long time. They are formidable competitors, who are remarkably well organised. It is going to be an exciting race.”

Just nu 24 anmälda.

Naturligtvis har alla olika ambitionsnivå och förutsättningar, men många saker var gemensamma:

• vi vill se fler båtar som kappseglar
• vi vill att det skall vara enklare
• vi vill enas om vilka race vi skall segla
• vi vill ha bra arrangemang (och kalas)
• vi vill segla mer bansegling (kryss/läns)
• vi vill få till en ordentlig havskappsegling
• vi kappseglar för att det är kul i första hand
• shorthanded blir allt mer populärt

West Side Cup

Som en del i den LYS-cup som VKSF anordnar så kör vi West Side Cup. Få race, men commitment från i stort sett alla som var på mötet. Exakta regler för detta skall tas fram. Troligtvis motsvarar detta “stora klassen” i den vanliga cupen, och skall inte innebära något merarbete för arrangörerna. Troligtvis kan alla anmäla sig till hela cupen redan under vintern? Kontakt kommer att tas med de enskilda arrangörerna.

• 22-maj Stora Oset Race, BKSS
• 29-maj Pater Noster Race, TJSS
• 07-aug Hermanö Runt, HKS
• 21-aug Tjörn Runt, STSS
• 25-sep Sista Chansen, BKSS

Det fanns också önskemål om banseglingar kryss/läns i samband med något av dessa race…

Det skall finnas möjlighet för double-scoring under IRC. 6 båtar committade att segla IRC. Separat buckla för detta. Gemensam inmätning ordnas i maj.

Göteborg Offshore Race

Ansatsen just nu är en havskappsegling på 180 distans med start fredag 13/8 (förutsatt att Tjörn Runt körs 21/8). Både full besättning och doublehanded på samma bana (men olika starter). Cat 3 med/utan flotte? Eventuellt ett kustnära race med lägre säkerhetskrav samtidigt?

18 båtar sade sig vara villiga att komma till start med dessa förutsättningar.

En “rådgivande grupp” med Anders Nordström, Marcus Sylvin och undertecknad skall jobba fram konceptet med GKSS. Eventuellt med input från utländska ägare som vill köra racet.

Gastbank

Dan Björkman, VKSF, skall ordna detta på VKSF web (så snart den nya kommer på plats).

Träningar

Diskuterades ej. Men vi kommer att köra onsdagar i april/maj 17.30-20.00 i Långedrag.

Nästa möte

Måndag 8/2 18:00 på båtmässan i Göteborg.

Deltagare

- Aero, Mumm 36, Roger Ahlkvist
- Alinde, Faurby 424, Niklas Strandberg
- Blues, IMX-40, Hans Johansson (repr)
- Blur, J/109, Peter Gustafsson
- Blåeld, Centerline 40, Thord Lyrstrand
- Capio, Salona 37, Martin Nilsson (repr)
- Cayenne Tern, First Class 10, Lars-Bertil Gustafsson
- Chamsiin, X-382, Peter Dahlsten
- Chanty, Arcona 370, Ulf Nordqvist
- Donna, Dominant 150, Hans-Olof Ohldin
- Draklunne, Bavaria 38 Match, Mattias Wilson
- Josephine, Luffe 4004, Gunnar Ödman
- Lady Godiva, Dominant 105, Anders Dahlsjö (repr)
- Madame Blå, First 40.7, Carl Fjällman
- Manix2, Finn Flyer 36, Jonas Granhed (repr)
- Miss Match, Bavaria 35 Match, Andreas Samuelsson
- Monkey Business, X-332, Urban Edvardsson
- Mumm á Mia, Mumm 36, Patric Wollmersson
- Mummintrollet, Mumm 36, Dan Björkman
- NN, Cheetah 30, Mikael Vesala
- NN, First 35, Per Borgillen
- NN, First 40, Pär Larsson/Stefan Kyhlebäck
- NN, Lena Having
- NN, Marcus Sylvin
- NN, Micke Grundström
- NN, Tommy Andersson
- PrimeX, X-412, Jan-Olof Nilsson
- Sapphire, 1-ton, Mats Swensson
- Sjöglans, Dehler 39SQ, Sture Smith
- Spira, Bavaria Match 35, David Ivarson
- Surfer Girl, First 36.7, Thomas Wängberg (repr)
- Teknova, First 45, Bengt Falkenberg
- Temtation, X-34, Tommy Björkqvist
- Totte, Luffe 40, Martin Olofsson
- Trindy, First 31.7, Jonas Kjellberg
- UK Syversen, Arcona 430, Anders Nordström

Tack alla som var med!!!

Kommentera gärna om jag missat något.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Grattis som fan!

Larson Holds His Nerve To Take The Sheehy Lexus
of Annapolis 2009 Melges 24 World Championship

Annapolis, MD, USA – 31 October 2009 – The fifty-one international teams, who had travelled from across North America and Europe to compete in the Sheehy Lexus of Annapolis 2009 Melges 24 World Championships, finally got the welcome opportunity to race in double-digit breezes on the final day of the regatta. Despite the Championship racecourse being shrouded in appropriately Halloween style mist for most of the day, the Race Committee successfully banged off two four-leg races in winds which peaked at around fourteen knots.

Chris Larson at the helm of ‘West Marine Rigging/New England Ropes’, who had led the regatta on-and-off for much of the week, took a seventeen point lead into the final day and looked odds-on to take the title. However with the potential for three races to be sailed today, Larson was always potentially vulnerable to attack from second placed Gabrio Zandona at the helm of the Italian entry ‘Joe Fly’.

If Larson was in fact feeling the pressure of leading the championship into the final day, there was no visible evidence at the start of the first race. With several of the top teams including Zandona, Lorenzo Bressani on ‘Uka Uka Racing’ and Terry Hutchinson on ‘Quantum Racing/Gill Race Team’ being called OCS soon after the start, Larson was able to pick his way skilfully through the melee at the pin and followed eventual race winner Nico Celon on ‘Fantastica’ off the line. Rounding the top mark with only Carlo Fracassoli on ‘Gullisara’ in front of him, Larson sailed a calm and composed race and went on to record his fourth second place of the week. Zandona, Bressani and Hutchinson all received twenty percent Z-flag penalties and following an announcement from the Race Officer that there would be no third race, Larson now found himself in an unassailable position. With no reason to compete in the second race of the day, he and his delighted crew: Mike Wolfs, Curtis Florence and tactician Richard Clarke, headed ashore to start to begin to celebrate their Melges 24 World Championship victory.

The focus was now on the four-way scrap for the remaining podium places between Zandona on sixty-five points, Norway’s Eivind Melleby on ‘Full Medal Jacket’ on sixty-nine points, Celon on seventy-two points and Bressani on seventy-four points. Arguably the windiest of the Championship, the final race was a real humdinger with the top ten boats packed closely together at all the mark roundings. Jamie Lea on the British entry ‘Team Barbarians’ squeezed in for a near perfect start at the pin and led the early part of the beat. However it was Celon who led around the top mark, with Bill Hardesty on ‘Events Clothing/Atlantis’ in second and Lea in third. Hutchinson and Melleby rounded in fourth and fifth and as the leaders, all in close formation, ripped down wind for the first time, it was impossible to predict who would reach the gate first. In fact Celon managed to hold his lead, but only just from the charging Melleby who had blitzed into second place. The fierce battle for the lead between these two lasted until the finish, with Celon eventually prevailing and securing fourth overall. Meanwhile after rounding the first mark outside the top ten, Zandona was making steady progress up through the fleet. By the finish he was up to sixth, which tied him on points with Melleby. With the count back applied Zandona claimed second overall, with Melleby clearly delighted to have achieved the first ever Norwegian podium finish at a Melges 24 World Championship.

Without doubt Chris Larson is a popular and worthy winner of this Championship. Significantly, the only one of the top three whose scoreline did not include a race win, his amazing consistency in the capricious Annapolis conditions was simply too much for the opposition. Soaking in his victory tonight Larson said he was delighted to have won and relieved to have got through the final day on top. ‘As it turned out the OCS scenario on the first race really meant the battle was over before it began. We were pretty surprised just after the start when we saw Hutchinson, Zandona and Bressani all going back. That pretty much handed control to us and there was the regatta over.’

The battle for the 2009 Corinthian Melges 24 World Title proved to be equally and today brought a final showdown between California’s Bruce Ayres sailing Monsoon and Annapolis local hero Othmar Mueller Von Blumencron sailing Gannet. The battle for third place was also extremely close with just seven points ultimately separating third to seventh place.

Going into the day Ayres had a narrow four-point lead over Blumencron who was ten points ahead of Charleston’s David Dabney in Conejo Racing-Ocean Sailing Academy and Germany’s Christof Wieland aboard Unsponsored, both on 35 points. Also tied on 39 points were Henry Filter, from Annapolis sailing Wild Child, and August Hernandez of Chicago aboard High Voltage whilst seventh placed Zetzema Wietze helming Gelikt for Carlo Vroon of the Netherlands, trailed them by just a further two points.

Wieland’s chance of the final podium position evaporated on the start line of the penultimate race when he fell foul of the Z Flag and had to take a 20% penalty dropping him from 9th to 12th, his worst result of the series. Von Blumencron made no such mistakes and led the Corinthian division from the off to take a confident win (and a ninth in the overall race) with Hernandez second, Dabney third, Witze fourth and the Ukrain’s Vasily Gureyev sailing Null fifth. Ayres crossed the line in sixth putting Von Blumencron into the overall lead by a single point going into the final race. Dabney and Wieland were now tied for third with Hernandez fifth, Weitze sixth and Filter seventh.

For Ayres, one of the veterans of the Melges 24 class and a former North American Corinthian Champion, the Corinthian World title has long been unfinished business. From the off it was clear he had no intention of letting the championship get away from his grasp this time around. At the first weather mark he was lead Corinthian and managed to slide nicely over the top of a gaggle of open division boats whilst Von Blumencron, coming in on the port layline, was forced to dip and look for a slot rounding well into the teens. Having gained separation Ayres confidently stretched away and whilst Von Blumencron did manage to pick off several of the open division boats between them he was never in a position to challenge for the lead. Meanwhile the battle for third place was still raging. On the water it was Filter who took the third in race eleven, but right behind him was Hernandez with Wieland fifth, Weitze sixth, Gureyev seventh, local boy Jim Golden eighth and a disappointed Dabney ninth.

Having finished first and second respectively Ayres and Von Blumencron were tied on 28 points with Ayres finally getting his hands on the much-coveted Henri Samuel Corinthian World Championship Trophy on count back. Herenandez’s fourth place was sufficient to give him the final podium position whilst a disappointed Dabney had to be content with fourth overall.

Speaking after racing a delighted Bruce Ayres was full of praise for his crew of Don Smith, Dave Navin and tactician Jon Pinckney. “I’d like to particularly thank Don Smith and John Pinckney for hanging with me for ten years and of course Dave Navin. We don’t sail a lot but when we get to these regattas our goal is to hang in there with the best and we’re delighted to have achieved that goal.”

The International Melges 24 Class (IMCA) would like to take this opportunity to thank the Eastport Yacht Club, Regatta Chair Liz Filter, the Race Committee, the many volunteer club members, the International Jury, Title Sponsor Sheehy Lexus of Annapolis and all the supporting sponsors, suppliers and private donors who so generously contributed to make this regatta possible. This was the first time that the City of Annapolis has granted a one-design regatta the right to use the downtown City Dock as a regatta centre and the Melges 24 fleet is proud to have been the first to enjoy such a privileged position. “The sight of so many Melges 24s right in the heart of Annapolis and the added buzz of an army of spectators lining the dock morning and evening has made this a truly special event for us.” Noted the IMCA’s Fiona Brown.

The success of the partnership between the IMCA, Eastport Yacht Club and Sheehy Lexus of Annapolis was summed up perfectly by Paul Rochelle, General Manger of Sheehy Lexus of Annapolis who commented, “We are so proud to have been the title sponsor for the 2009 Melges 24 Worlds Championship. What an amazing competition! This has truly been an exciting partnership – between sailing’s elite competitors and the Baltimore-Annapolis area’s ONLY Elite of Lexus dealership!”
Full results are available from the Event Website. You can recap the regatta via the coverage posted from the race course on the IMCA Official Blog. For further information or to request photographs or video footage please contact fiona.brown@melges24.com.
Provisional Overall Top Ten Overall

1. Chris Larson – West Marine Rigging/New England Ropes – 46 points
2. Gabrio Zandona – Joe Fly – 71 points
3. Eivind Melleby – Full Medal Jacket – 71 points
4. Nicola Celon – Fantastica – 73 points
5. Flavio Favini – Blu Moon – 83 points
6. Lorenzo Bressani – Uka Uka Racing – 85 points
7. Brian Porter – Full Throttle – 100 points.
8. Carlo Fracassoli – Gullisara – 102 points
9. Terry Hutchinson – Quantum Racing/Gill Race Team – 109 points
10. Bill Hardesty – Events Clothing/Atlantis – 119 points

Provisional Corinthian Top Five Overall

1. Bruce Ayres – Monsoon – 28 points
2. Othmar Mueller von Blumencron – Gannet – 28 points
3. August Hernandez – High Voltage – 45 points
4. David Dabney – Conejo Racing-Ocean Sailing Academy – 47 points
5. Christof Wieland – Unsponsored – 48 points

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