2016 World Match Racing Tour - Newport fog creates testing opener

by Barby MacGowan on 31 May 2016 2016 World Match Racing Tour - In yacht racing, sailors are often at the vagaries of the wind and occasionally too much of it or too little. However on the opening day of the World Match Racing Tour’s Newport stage, crews faced a fog so thick that at times it was hard to see the bows of their M32 catamarans, let alone marks of the course.

As the banks of fog rolled through Newport Harbor and the wind fluctuated from six to 16 knots, the race officials on the course – off Sail Newport at Fort Adams – had to shoehorn in racing as and when they could.

As usual with the modern-day WMRT race format, the first two days of this event are qualifying fleet races to determine day three’s “Super 16”. Five high performance M32 catamarans are being used, so the 20-strong line-up has been divided into four groups and through patience the race committee was able complete all but two races of today’s full schedule.

Stand-out performers of the day were New Zealand’s Chris Steele and his 36 Below Racing crew in Group One, Sally Barkow’s Team Magenta 32 in Group Two and the Yann Guichard-skippered Spindrift Racing from France in Group Four, none of whom finished a race lower than second.

This was particularly good for M32 newcomer New Zealand’s Chris Steele: “I am really happy with the way the guys are sailing with the boat. It was pretty tricky out there, and we didn’t come close to flipping it over. We just kept it clean.”

Steele attributed their result today to having come into this regatta fresh from last week’s qualification event. “That was massive in our preparation for this event. While we aren’t anywhere near some of the other top teams, coming off three days of racing is what helped this morning,” concluded Steele.

While fog is normally associated with light or no wind, in New England you can get fog and wind.

Sail Newport Executive Director Brad Read explained today’s pea soup conditions: “Generally this is the worst time of the year for fog because the ocean is so cold. But today’s fog was also caused by all the moisture from the tropical system that went into the Carolinas, and it’s why it is so humid at the moment.”

The lack of visibility created some unique problems on the race course. “Today you couldn’t even see the reach mark,” said Swede Stefan Rahm, whose boat capsized during the third race of Group 1. “You can get a bit disorientated when you don’t see the marks, but it is not a big problem. The worst part was that you couldn’t see the boundaries. It was really hard to see where you had to tack.”

During the first group’s racing, the M32s were sailing under full mainsails in wind gusting to 16 knots. In these conditions even the normally flawless Taylor Canfield and his US One team got caught out and flipped their M32.

Coming out on top in Group Three was GAC Pindar skipper Ian Williams, but he ended the day only a point ahead of American Michael Menninger’s 13Fifty Racing after taking not one but two course marks for a trawl during his group’s final race.

Proving that the World Match Racing Tour Newport could be the occasion that the girl-power of Team Magenta prevails, American skipper Sally Barkow is ahead in Group Two. “We are just trying to keep improving and these conditions are favorable for us.”

Barkow is perhaps more used to racing in Newport and New England than many other crews here and noted that it was difficult to sail their M32 as they would normally, with the water and gust patterns obscured in the fog. “It is tricky because we normally change modes on the boat with every knot change of pressure.”

While on the water almost a full day of racing was completed, the Memorial Day holiday in Newport suffered both from occasional rain as well as the fog. According to Brad Read, however, conditions are set to perk up tomorrow. “This morning the forecasters were saying that it is going to be sunny for the next three or four days.”

Racing continues tomorrow through Saturday, June 4 when the live-televised Final is set to take place from 2-4 p.m.

Hosted by Sail Newport, the World Match Racing Tour Newport is sponsored by WJAR TV Channel 10, Cox Business and Heineken. It runs from Memorial Day, May 30th, until June 4th at Fort Adams State Park and features high-speed stadium-style racing between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. each day except for Saturday when the finals are expected to end at 4 p.m. Racing is on the Newport Harbor side of Fort Adams.

The event will be live streamed online from Thursday 2 June through Saturday 4 June. The event also features the race boats on display at the public dock, live play-by-play commentary broadcast throughout the shore-side venue as well as music, food, family lawn games, a hospitality tent, and an M32 on shore. The event is open to the public, with no admission fee and free parking.

As Rhode Island's Public Sailing Center, Sail Newport aims to provide the experience of sailing to the public and will offer free Try Sailing! opportunities to visitors from Memorial Day through Friday of the World Match Racing Tour (May 30-June 3). (Sessions are from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on all days but Saturday, June 4, when they are scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to noon. No experience is necessary as certified skippers and life jackets (for all ages) will be provided by Sail Newport.

Results – Day One (Not all groups have completed the first round-robin.)

Group 1

1. Chris Steele (NZL), 36 Below Racing - 5 points
2. Mattias Rahm (SWE), Rahm Racing - 11 points
3. Taylor Canfield (ISV), US One - 11 points
4. Steve Thomas (AUS), RPM Racing - 15 points
5. Keith Swinton (AUS), Team Accure - 19 points

Group 2

1. Sally Barkow (USA), Team Magenta 32 - 5 points
2. Nicolai Sehested (DEN), Trefor Match Racing - 7 points
3. Nicklas Dackhammar (SWE), Dackhammar Racing - 8 points
4. Eric Monnin (SUI), Albert Riele Swiss Team - 12 points
5. Chris Poole (USA), Riptide Racing - 13 points

Group 3

1. Ian Williams (GBR), GAC Pindar - 9 points
2. Michael Menninger (USA), 13FIFTY Racing - 10 points
3. Evan Walker (AUS), KA Match / CYCA - 13 points
4. Hans Wallen (SWE), Wallen Racing - 14 points
5. Matt Jerwood (AUS), Redline Racing - 14 points

Group 4

1. Yann Guichard (FRA), Spindrift Racing - 4 points
2. Phil Robertson (NZL), WAKA Racing - 6 points
3. Johnie Berntsson (SWE), Flux Team - 11 points
4. David Gilmour (AUS), Team Gilmour - 15 points
5. Iker Martinez (ESP), Team Esp?na - 15 points