ACWS SF event gears up—Sailing News from the U.S. and Beyond

First ever sailing limbo contest on the water - O’Pen BIC North American Championships Nevin Sayre

Artemis Racing on San Francisco Bay © Abner Kingman http://www.kingmanphotography.com

'Sailing on the Bay today was an important milestone for Artemis Racing,' commented CEO Paul Cayard. 'The Bay will become our field of play for the next fourteen months. It’s good to be here early.'

Also Cup-related, Emirates Team New Zealand (ETNZ) has been test-sailing their AC72 off of Auckland. Unfortunately for the team, some early teething pains emerged, namely in the form of some small breakage to a forward rib on their mighty wingsail. 'We had a good two hours of upwind testing in 12 knots of breeze and flat water before the break,' reported team boss, Grant Dalton. 'The boat is under extreme loads…. we could go out there every day and break something different.' Get the full scoop, inside this issue.

On the international stage, the 2012 Farr 30 Worlds ended in a similar fashion to the class’ 2011 Worlds, namely with Deneen Demourkas and her super-fast Groovederci crew winning the overall trophy. The event, which took place in Bastad, Sweden, is Demourkas’ second major international title, and her win also happened to coincide with the talented skipper’s birthday.

Deneen Demourkas, doing what she does best © Rolex/Daniel Forster http://www.regattanews.com

'This is definitely one of the best birthday presents I’ve ever had,' reported Demourkas. 'And to win against such a great group of people in this wonderful place makes it truly special… More and more sailors are figuring out that the Farr 30 is one of the best values anywhere in racing. The boats are tougher than any other Grand Prix boat, and they stay stiff and fast seemingly forever, and they are faster and more versatile than many of even the most modern designs.'

And for a great look at a fun, positive junior 'un-regatta', be sure to check out the report on the O’Pen BIC North American Championships 2012, which recently took place in Oshkosh, Wisconsin from August 4th to fifth. There, junior sailors benefitted from plenty of help from adults volunteers, as well as some fantastic, non-results-related contests.

Freestyle competition at O’Pen BIC Championships - O’Pen BIC North American Championships © Nevin Sayre

My personal favorite was the sailing limbo contest, which was purportedly the world’s first, where sailors had to get their rig under a limbo bar (spars) that was held in place by volunteers. Other crowd-pleasing contests involved a 'freestyle' session, mast climbing and hood-ornament flips. Get the full report, inside.

And speaking of junior sailing, the 2012 U.S. Junior Championship is currently taking place on San Francisco Bay. This event will help set the stage for the Sears Cup and the Bemis and Smythe Trophies, which are being hosted by area clubs. Get the full story, inside this issue.

And finally, don’t miss all the great Olympic coverage, inside this issue. You will not be disappointed!

May the four winds blow you safely home,