Freo to Bali, Aussies in America´s Cup and in Europe, more Laser news

by Rob Kothe and the Sail-World Team on 8 May 2013 In the Fremantle to Bali Race, the Inglis 58 Walk on the Wild Side has retired with a broken mast. Skipper Garth Curran reported the retirement to race control at about 7pm last night. The breakage occurred soon after the fleet was hit by a severe frontal system.

Another new development in the widening legal dispute between Bruce Kirby, the designer of the world´s best known sailing boat, the Laser dinghy and one of the Laser builders LaserPerformance (LPE) the builder and supplier of Lasers into UK, Europe and North America, because of non-payment of design royalties, which has affected local builder Performance Sailcraft Australia.

ISAF and ILCA have attempted to change the Class rules explaining that they have been acting to protect European and US supply of the boats, as LPE, the notional owner of the Laser trademark in Europe and the USA, had threatened legal action if another company began selling Laser branded boats in those markets. The situation has become very messy with Performance Sailcraft Australia saying that ISAF and ILCA´s decision to provide new plaques removing Bruce Kirby from the plaques left them unable to supply Lasers across Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.

This subject is certain to be a hot topic at this weekend’s ISAF mid-year conference in Copenhagen. Ahead of this meeting, there has been movement on the Laser trademark front, with our own MarineBusiness-World.com breaking the story about a challenge to the US trademark ownership.

A nice little video piece today with Tom Slingsby and Nathan Outteridge, good mates on opposite sides of the America´s Cup fence.

Aussies back in action on the European scene with the first ever Eurosaf Champions Sailing Cup event in Garda Italy is being held from eighth to 12th May 2013. London 2012 silver medallists Nina Curtis and Lucinda Whitty will be back racing this week in Italy with the former team mates now going head-to-head in the new Nacra 17 mixed multihull class. Curtis will be sailing alongside Josh McKnight while Whitty has teamed up with Euan McNicol with the two pairs joining 15 other Australian crews competing in six classes.

Women Elliott 6 Regatta Mooloolaba - Entries in Mooloolaba Yacht Club’s newest event, the Women’s Elliott 6 Regatta, have filled quickly with only two spaces left for June 1st and 2nd event. Racing will be on Mooloolah River in front of the Wharf Mooloolaba, with competitors and spectators being afforded a close-up view of the action on short-race windward/leeward course. Each race is planned to last between 15 and 20 minutes.

Another interesting video interview set with some of the top sailors on the ISAF World Sailing Cup scene, echoing Victor Kovalenko´s unhappiness with the new ISAF scoring system.