The blunt bit
by John Curnow, Editor, Sail-World AUS 8 Jul 2018 15:00 PDT
Challenger of Record Luna Rossa competing in TP52's ahead of the 36th America's Cup © Carlo Borlenghi
Well it was always going to follow on from last week with The Pointy End, now wasn't it? Except this time we are not going straight off to the transom... Nup. Normally I'm quite happy to leave the Talk It Up Cup all to itself. There is more than enough oxygen supplied through the mask to keep that one reseparating all by itself. And before you all start emailing in, I'm not anti-Cup, just not a fan of the bollocks.
Now don't get me wrong. Dalts knows how to sail, and knows plenty about the world of AC too. Yet when you come out saying that a team can be competitive at just €40 million, when the big guns are playing with several multiples of that, then I am sorry, but the medicos must have mixed a bit of nitrous oxide into to your oxygen supply.
Sure you might be there, and you'll get around the track a few times, but you will be knocked out early. It is sort of making up the numbers, and as it appears as though there will be just four teams, it seems like he's going fishing with an empty hook, when you probably need to use hand grenades.
The Kiwi's can claim there are still four 'smaller' teams looking to be a part of it, and ETNZ will help them with some design elements. However, as we have noted before, spending USD1m for nothing other than being late, when it represents a significant proportion of your lower budget, and you get nothing for it, then it is a tad nonsensical. If you want these additional four, then waive the fee now and move on. You may just get one or more of the French, US, Italian and Chinese teams rumoured to still be in the mix.
Tacking. So last week it was the scow bow of a new Class40 that was interesting. During this week, the first female Skipper in the now four-strong Class40 Division of the 150th anniversary of the Atlantic Anniversary Regatta Bermuda-Hamburg Race was announced. Catharine Pourre is sailing Eärendil and becomes the second female Skipper in the event, with Germany's Melanie Aalburg as the other.
Pourre and Eärendil set a new Class40 record for the Caribbean 600, blasting around the 11 islands and completing the 600nm in 2 days 13 hours and 15 seconds. Nice one!
Onto the other board now, and our own King of Affability, Peter Rendle, talks J/70s with Ray Entwistle. The J/70 is a towable, exciting craft that all manner of sailors with differing abilities can sail together. They've only been around since 2013, and already there are over 1400 out there.
In terms of sexy bits there is a 316SS retractable keel with bulb, and a black stick and boom, too. There are 20 of them in Oz, and the race both OD and in mixed fleet, where the 7m gems serve it up nicely to the larger craft. 165 of them showed up for the Worlds, and Ray wants to see if a Champions League can get going here in OZ. You interested? Read on - here.
In finishing up, if you are attending Hamilton Island Race Week, and need land space for you, the race crew, or have a hefty shore crew to deal with, then contact Kristie and the team at Whitsunday Accommodation pronto. Kristie tells me the last of the properties are getting signed up smartly.
Right oh - here today there are some gems for you to review. We have information the Golden Globe Race, TP52 Worlds, the Clipper, Volvo to get the IMOCA 60, Extreme Sailing Series, Nacra 17 Euros, Jeanneau with a big showing at the Sydney International Boat Show, new Mirabaud website, Pittwater to Paradise (the Xmas time races will be here before you know it), youth sailors from Tassie taking on the world, WASZP Euros, GC32, and certainly there is much, much more.
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John Curnow, Editor, Sail-World AUS