Finns, Andrew Simpson Sailing Centre, Clipper and more...
by Dan Ibsen, Sail-World UK editor on 12 May 2014
Giles Scott in action during the 2014 Finn European Championship Robert Deaves/Finn Class
http://www.finnclass.org
The British Sailing Team have had a fantastic first couple of months in the Olympic Classes at the two European ISAF Sailing World Cup regattas, and last week we saw GBR Finn sailors dominate the European Championship in La Rochelle.
But first of all we turn to the Olympic Marina in Weymouth for a very important event last week.
In Weymouth the Andrew Simpson Sailing Centre at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy officially opened on 9 May. This was the latest stage in the extraordinary rise of the Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation borne out of the universal love from their sport following the tragic drowning of 'Bart' Simpson on 9 May 2013 in San Francisco Bay when Artemis capsized on a training run. He was 36.
The new centre – officially opened on Friday 9 May in the company of Ainslie, Percy, other key members of the British sailing community and, perhaps most poignantly of all, Simpson's widow, Leah – is designed to provide the chance for children of all ages and backgrounds to sample not just the sport of sailing, but opportunities to work in the sailing industry.
'It would have been almost the perfect day for Bart,' Ainslie explains. 'It meant so much to him to provide the chance for all to sail or gain employment in the business. Ridding the sport of any remaining elitist perceptions was a huge goal for him, and he'd devote much of his time to helping others, advising anyone who asked. I just wish he was here to see it. I'd give anything for that.'
The Foundation has raised more than £500,000 so far and, apart from Friday's event, will also stage 'Bart's Bash' on 21 September, a synchronized series of races worldwide designed to annually encourage as many people as possible to get out on to the water, and to keep the memory of Simpson burning brightly. It hopes to break the world record as the race with the most participants.
Giles Scott wrapped up the European Finn Championship in the perfect way, with a win in the medal race to take the championship by an impressive 50 point margin. During the championship week he won 7 out of 11 races, very impressive.
The defending champion Vasilij Zbogar (SLO) took the silver, after a very close medal race, by just one point from Ed Wright (GBR).
Ed Wright made it a double podium celebration for Great Britain at the close of the Finn European Championship on Saturday (10 May), claiming bronze on a breezy final day in La Rochelle, only one point behind the defending champion from Slovenia. Wright’s medal ensures a second straight Europeans podium finish for the Bournemouth sailor, who claimed silver at the same event last year.
Andrew Mills was also in medal race action for the British Sailing Team, where he consolidated his overall sixth place, with fellow Podium squad sailor Mark Andrews ending his regatta in 11th.
In the Junior European Championships which ran concurrently for under 22-year-old sailors, Emsworth’s Peter McCoy finished as the fourth-placed Junior sailor (second European Junior) behind Australia’s Jake Lilley, reigning World Champion Jorge Zarif of Brazil, and Norway’s Anders Pedersen.
GREAT Britain claimed the top spot in Race 11: The PSP Logistics Panama 100 Cup from San Francisco to Panama, following a tense final few days tussle with Henri Lloyd.
After claiming its fifth line honours title of the Clipper 2013-14 Race, GREAT Britain skipper Simon Talbot remarked: 'What can I say, yet another absolute nail biter! After leading the pack for the majority of the race, our nemesis Henri Lloyd fought back hard to pip us through Remedios gate yesterday, triggering the fight back of the century on board GREAT Britain as we made for the finish line.'
Race 12 – a 590 mile sprint race to Jamaica is scheduled to start on 14 May, as all boats now have passed the Panama Canal.
The twelve yachts in Clipper Round the World Yacht Race is expected to arrive in London on Saturday 12 July.
If you want to welcome the twelve teams as they return into St. Kathrine Docks, London, tickets are now for sale to the official spectator boats, the best spot to welcome the teams back to London.
The official spectator boats will provide the best view and the most unique way of welcoming the twelve yachts back to the UK capital on Saturday 12 July. The spectator boats will meet the Clipper Race fleet on the Thames before following its victorious parade all the way up to Tower Bridge before entering St Katharine Docks.
Kate Laven in the Britain's Telegraph reported in the past week that British Olympian Ben Ainslie has secured the private seed funding for a British assault on the 2017 Challenge . While potential America’s Cup challengers wait for details of the 35th America’s Cup to be announced, Sir Ben Ainslie has secured the private seed funding for a British campaign, to be unveiled next month.
As with all other potential Americas Cup defenders, Sir Ben Ainslie is of course also waiting to see the protocol governing the Cup, which is currently being agreed by Cup holders Oracle Team USA and official challengers Team Australia.
The protocol, which was due to be announced in March, has been promised for disclosure very soon, and will contain the rules for the next event, including plans for a 62-foot foiling wing-sailed catamaran, a similar but smaller version of the high speed AC72 used so dramatically in San Francisco last year.
Next month, Ainslie is expected to announce, who he has engaged so far to be in his sailing team, with all members expected to be British. His AC62 designers is also expected to be unveiled.
His AC team and new office premises near Southampton plus his Extreme Sailing Series campaign to bring him up to speed helming multihulls, has been funded mainly by two of Britain’s most passionate amateur sailors Sir Charles Dunstone, co-founder of Carphone Warehouse, and Sir Keith Mills of Airmiles, Tottenham Hotspur and London Olympics fame.
Good sailing!
dan.ibsen@sail-world.com
Send your news and images directly to Sail-World by clicking here
To subscribe a friend to Sail-World's FREE newsletter click here
If you are a potential advertiser and want to understand how Sail-World can work for your company, website or product, then drop a line to our Sales Manager Lars Kiär by email at ukadvertising@sail-world.com.
If you wish to come off our mailing list please click the unsubscribe button on this newsletter.
Or, if you want to contact Dan Ibsen directly email: dan.ibsen@sail-world.com
Stay up with the latest sailing news, as it happens, on our website www.sail-world.com.
If you want to link to this article then please use this URL: www.sail-world.com/122053