Alternative Facts

17/02/2017

The latest sailing news from Asia and the world.
18 Feb 2017

Alternative Facts

Alternative facts? No, Virginia, HK Raceweek does not take place in Hong Kong harbour, and it is all about dinghies, not 'big boats'. © AFP

It's great to see sailing get a mention in Hong Kong's no 1 English language newspaper, but it is substantially depressing that they can get it so substantially wrong. Hong Kong Raceweek, running now, is one of the regattas that make up the Asian Sailing Federation's Youth Cup. It is sailed in Optimists, 420s, 470s, 26ers, windsurfers and Lasers. You get the feeling that most of the press can't tell the difference between an AC50, a J-Class, and Optimist. Actually, they probab;y can't – but that's because we are sailors and not soccer players, and we don't whinge enough. Heigh ho.

Yes, the ASAF Youth Cup HK Raceweek is happening now, reports below.

This week's breaking news on Sail-World of the ETNZ cycling team hit 70,000+ viewers on this website alone, and has been propagated beyond measure across the world. Who says nobody is interested in the America's Cup any longer? Still, four chaps pedalling a boat does look a bit funny, doesn't it? Reminds me of the kiddies' pedal boasts on the municipal lake in Exmouth, but a bit quicker.

We've been banging on for ages about how boring boats are getting these days. Once upon a time there were colourful boats and colourful spinnakers and the photos just looked... better? More colourful, at least! Not they're all white. On of the theories says that white spinnakers are longer-lasting because they haven't been dyed, but it's an Urban Myth. Or maybe a Nautical Myth. The natural colour of those exotic fibres that make up spainnaker cloth is an uninspiring beige, and to make it white – you guessed – it has to be dyed. Please, do the photography dept a favour: get a bright red spinnaker and paint your boat yellow. Front cover, guaranteed.

Sail-World Asia is off to the races tomorrow: HK Raceweek. The Oppies and all the other dinghies will all have white hulls and sails, but it's still good to see the younger end of our sport getting out there and giving it some welly.

Standing by on 72.

Guy Nowell, Sail-World Asia

Hong Kong Race Week – Day 2
RHKYC Media,

With the limited breeze in the vicinity of Middle Island, the decision was made to move the 100+ Optimist fleet to Tai Tam Bay where there was likely to be more breeze. Multiple ribs took up the task to tow the fleet the 3.5nm to Tai Tam Bay.... [more]

Hong Kong Race Week – Day 1
RHKYC Media,

The opening ceremony included remarks by Race Chairman Peter Davies, Hong Kong Sailing Federation's Tong Yui Shing and Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club's Vice Commodore, John Woo. The assembled crowd also heard from Sailors of the Sea representatives, John Crawford and Jackie Truhol.... [more]

Hong Kong Race Week - Record entries
RHKYC,

Hong Kong Race Week is a constituent event of the ASAF Youth Cup and is co-organised by Hong Kong Sailing Federation and Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club. The fourth edition of Hong Kong Race Week will see a higher level of competition with increased entries across 11 classes.... [more]

The Queen of Post-War yachting photography dies at the age of 101
Barry Pickthall,

Eileen Ramsay, the Queen of British yachting photography during the post war years, recorded the explosion in small boat sailing during the 1950s and 60s, capturing not only the boats but sailing pioneers like Francis Chichester, Alec Rose, Col Blondie Hasler and French legend Eric Tabarly, then pressing the frontiers of solo passage making across the Atlantic and around the world.... [more]

Spain's Xabi Fernández to skipper MAPFRE in Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18
Volvo Ocean Race,

The 40-year-old Xabi, who has taken part in the Volvo Ocean Race four times, won Olympic gold in Athens 2004, and followed that up with a silver in 2008 – both times alongside his long-term sailing partner Iker Martínez.... [more]

Vendée Globe – Arnaud Boissières takes tenth place
Vendée Globe,

After a slow final night at sea in very light airs as he waited to arrive after sunrise, Arnaud Boissières crossed the finish line at 0826hrs UTC this Friday morning to take 10th place in the non-stop solo round the world race.... [more]

America's Cup Year has special resonance for Andrew Simpson Foundation
Peta Stuart-Hunt,

It will not have escaped many people's notice that 2017 is the year of the America's Cup in Bermuda, a much-anticipated sporting event of global interest and of special significance to the Trustees, Management team, Supporters and Beneficiaries of the Andrew Simpson Foundation (ASF). The Foundation's founding Trustees include Sir Ben Ainslie and Iain Percy OBE.... [more]

Al Hasni guides Omani team to victory in EFG Sailing Arabia – The Tour
Oman Sail,

EFG Bank Monaco skipper Douillard vowed to avenge the defeat in Leg 2, a 140-mile sprint from Sohar to Khasab on the beautiful Musandam Peninsula, the second of five offshore stages that will see the fleet race 763 miles around the Arabian Gulf.... [more]

America's Cup - Emirates Team NZ give first look at the pedaling AC50
Richard Gladwell, Sail-World.com NZ,

Emirates Team New Zealand formally christened their new AC50 America's Cup Challenger on a rainy Auckland afternoon. The team has been sailing for the previous two days making news headlines after it was revealed in Sail-World.com that the AC50 would become only the second yacht in America's Cup history to use pedal power.... [more]

America's Cup - Emirates Team NZ christen AC50 100 days from Cup
Hamish Hooper,

Just 100 days out from the first race of the Louis Vuitton America's Cup Qualifiers, Emirates Team New Zealand accomplishes the most significant milestone of its challenge for the 35th Americas Cup by christening their America's Cup Class catamaran that will begin racing in Bermuda in May.... [more]

Just 100 days to the start of the 35th America's Cup
America's Cup,

Right across the beautiful island of Bermuda, preparations continue apace for the incredible events that will unfold, with racing taking place on the Great Sound.... [more]

America's Cup - Kiwis sign Olympic Cyclist for the Tour de Bermuda
Richard Gladwell, Sail-World.com NZ,

Emirates Team New Zealand put in a second foiling display on Auckland's Waitemata harbour ahead of the official launching of their AC50 tomorrow. With brighter skies the cycling team took their places on the pedalstals and used leg power to provide the hydraulic pressure necessary to run the AC50's control systems for the foils and wingsail.... [more]

Vendee Globe - Conrad Colman sets sail again under Jury rig
Sail-World.com NZ,

Round the world sailor Conrad Colman (NZL/USA/FRA) is underway again in his attempt to become the first sailor to complete the Vendee Globe using only renewable energy. 'The boom is up with a sail on it. Conrad will put up the jib during the night. Long long day but determination and patience pays off and he's got a 'mast'!!'... [more]

Big breeze baptism of fire as EFG Sailing Arabia – The Tour kicks off
Oman Sail,

The eight international crews vying to be crowned champions were today facing a baptism of fire with heavy weather lying in wait on the opening offshore leg from Muscat to Sohar.... [more]

Vendée Globe – Crowds gather to welcome Alex Thomson
Alex Thomson Racing,

Alex Thomson was welcomed home today by crowds of people who gathered to celebrate the sailor's record breaking effort in the prestigious Vendée Globe, widely renowned as one of sport's toughest challenges.... [more]

Optimist sailors check out the foiling WASZP - Video
Nick Olson and Jon Bilger,

The Predictwind team took their foiling WASZPs out to Auckland's Eastern Beach to the Optimist training camp during the school holidays. The intention was to film the kids having a go in the WASZPs, but after the Optimists returned from their training session to have a sail on the single handed foiler, it was a bit breezy for the kids. So Jon and Nick went out anyway and produced this video.... [more]

Parade of Sail for Alex Thomson as he returns to his homebase
Alex Thomson Racing,

A parade of sail and celebratory event will be held in Alex's hometown of Gosport this weekend to celebrate the solo skipper's incredible race and podium finish in the prestigious Vendee Globe, a solo, non-stop, race around the world.... [more]

Beneteau Four Peaks Race 2017 - slow start, fast finish
Guy Nowell, Sail-World Asia,

The annual Four Peaks Race, organised by the Aberdeen Boat Club and this year with Beneteau in the chair as title sponsor, has been called many things. Exhilarating... frustrating... gruelling... addictive (really!)... [more]

CQS - above and below decks tour of the foiling supermaxi - Video
Sail-World,

Crosbie Lorimer takes a look above and below decks on the radical foiling supermaxi CQS ahead of the 2016 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race.... [more]

Send your regatta news and images directly to editor@sail-world.com

Stay up to date with the latest sailing news, as it happens, on our website www.sail-world.com/asia

You can unsubscribe from any or all of our newsletters here

If you are having difficulty with the above link, please copy and paste the link below into your browser
http://www.sail-world.com/subs/?sid=&pwd=&action=unsubscribe

Sail-World.com is operated by YY Online Services Ltd. registered in England no. 7895890
The George Business Centre, Christchurch Road, New Milton, BH25 6QJ, UK

Armstrong 728x90 - Performance Mast Range - BOTTOM