Kiwi’s Crush At Cascais—Sailing News from the U.S. and Beyond
by David Schmidt, Sail-World USA Editor on 12 Aug 2011
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If you’ve been wondering what team is the fastest afloat in the new AC45 class, the answer is obvious. Emirates Team New Zealand (ETNZ) continues to dominate the field at the America’s Cup World Series (ACWS) Cascais, Portugal event, sailing superbly in the fleet racing and beating Artemis in yesterday’s match-racing event. 'It’s very satisfying for us to feel like we are really improving and starting to get more and more to grips with the multihulls,' said Dean Barker, ETNZ skipper. Sudden-death racing starts this weekend, so stay tuned for more from Cascais, as it becomes known. Also, be sure to check out all of the ACWS coverage, including video interviews with Mr. Barker, as well as Terry Hutchinson, skipper of Artemis Racing, in this issue.
Meanwhile, at the Weymouth and Portland International Regatta, heavy winds forced most sailors to stay ashore yesterday. Star sailors were some of the few to get in any racing, and American Star-class reps Mark Mendelblatt and Brian Fatih didn’t disappoint. The team scored a tenth and fifth to hold onto eighth-place overall. Racing resumes today in Stars and Finns, with both classes medals races taking place on Saturday. Check out the full report, as well as video interviews with US SAILING Team AlphaGraphic Laser Radial rep Paige Railey, inside.
Midwest-based match-racing fans take note: The Chicago Match Racing Center is holding their Grade 2 Invitational in front of Navy Pier, starting today and running through Saturday. Big-name sailors include Anna Tunnicliffe, Bill Hardesty and Taylor Canfield (USVI). Ten international teams will be mixing it up in front of thousands of spectators, so count on the gamesmanship to be intense. Holding this event in front of Navy Pier represents an important evolution for this regatta, and it’s also proof positive that match racing’s popularity is on the rise in the States. If you’re near the Windy City, be sure to check out the scene at Navy Pier—otherwise, stay tuned to the site for more, as it becomes known.
And finally, check out the regatta reports from Cowes Race Week, the latest on Mike Sanderson’s Team Sanya (a last-minute Volvo Ocean Race entry with an impressive pedigree), the latest from the Snipe Worlds, as well as Ingrid Abery’s image gallery from the Weymouth and Portland International Regatta.
May the four winds blow you safely home,
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