| The latest sailing news from New Zealand and the world. |
03 Feb 2017 |
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  Invisible Hand..Bobby Grieser passes..BoISW and Millennium Cup images
 | | Bobby Grieser - the 1988 America's Cup was his first Cup. Bob Grieser/Outside Images© |
Welcome to Sail-World.com's New Zealand e-magazine for February 3, 2017
Sad to have to report the passing of one of the great media characters, photographer Bobby Grieser.
Bobby G, as he was known, hailed from San Diego, and began his sailing photography career (if ever that word could be used in Bobby's context - he always seemed to be having too much fun to take life that seriously) with the Big Boat America's Cup Challenge in 1988.
His start in the sailing media came on the back of a long career as a news photographer for several US news outlets including an 18-year stint with the San Diego edition of the Los Angeles Times. That was preceded with a stint at the Washington Star and also on call for Associated Press (AP).
Bobby was a familiar sight around the Auckland waterfront whenever there was an America's Cup event in town - be it the 2000 or 2003 Cups, or the Louis Vuitton Pacific Trophy Series - run in 2008 and 2009 - when the Cup was embroiled in the New York court system.
 | | One of his favourite shots, Bobby G aboard his camera boat in San Diego Paul Todd© |
The frequency of his visits to New Zealand could have had something to do with the fact that his long-time business partner, Paul Todd, is a Kiwi, based in the USA.
As mentioned Bobby was one of the great characters of the sailing media scene. He had one of those body shapes that almost defied conventional dress - so whatever he could get away with was OK.
My first memory of Bobby is probably the same as everyone else's. Standing in the media boat with a bunch of photographers all concentrating on catching that vital shot, fingers poised on the shutter button. Just waiting for the moment the skipper of the Cup boat a few metres away turns for a fleeting at the waiting cameras.
 | | Bobby Grieser - waiting for the wind. Bob Grieser/Outside Images© |
Right at the critical moment, there is a loud guttural dog bark from somewhere further forward in the media boat. Those who hadn't worked with Bobby before, drop their cameras and turn their heads wondering how the large and loud dog had got on their media boat.
Those who had worked with Bobby before joined him in firing off their shutter release buttons - getting the perfect shot as not just the skipper but the whole crew briefly looked in the direction of Bobby's media boat.
Somehow, somewhere Bobby Grieser had learned to bark like a St Bernard dog. It was his trademark call-out in sailing, but apparently, he had used the trick right through his various photographic assignments. Those included a stint as a White House photographer, and Grieser is claimed to have barked at Presidents Nixon and Reagan. Those who knew Bobby wouldn't put anything past him.
Bobby Grieser was one of the few people who can rightly claim to have never worked a day in their life. He loved his photography and the lifestyle that went with it. He was always fun to be around and the America's Cup World which often takes itself way too seriously, Bobby was one of those people who could always pop the pumped up egos, and lower the tension levels, with a quick comment or aside, or just by being Bobby G - the media's Court Jester.
Bobby Grieser will be sorely missed, as will his great photographs which we feature in a story and tribute in this edition.
 | | TNL GAC Pindar - Pac 52 - Invisible Hand loading at Tauranga - January 2017 TNL GAC Pindar |
In this edition, we feature a couple of stories on the new Pac52 class, which is an initiative from the West Coast of USA to develop a useful 52fter - more along the lines of the original TP52, than the Super Series 52 which enjoys some excellent inshore racing.
The Pac52 as the new type is is a box-rule and will sit within a rating band and with a class rule based on Fox - another 52fter exported from New Zealand last year.
Two of the latest Pac52's have been built in Auckland by Cookson Boats. One - Invisible Hand - has been sea trialed in Auckland before being broken down and freighted out of Tauranga. The other will follow on a separate ship - both will be racing out of the West Coast later this year. A third is being constructed at Premier Composites in Dubai. The aim is to have a fleet of six boats, including Beau Geste and Fox racing this season.
Crew will be restricted to sailing owner-drivers only with a limitation of seven professionals on board. Nine crew will sail offshore and 15 inshore.
Part of the reason for the class rule is to bring costs under control and to ensure that boats from different designers and concepts can enjoy level racing - while being capable of serious offshore races such as the Rolex Sydney Hobart, the Transpac, and Auckland Fiji/Noumea races.
 | | Pac52 Invisible Hand on sea trials in the Hauraki Gulf, January 2017 Darren McManaway |
The changes to a Vrolijk Super Series 52 hull for the two Cookson built boats include raised freeboard and altered deck layout. The Cookson boat has a bigger rig and 'more gears in the box' than a Super52.
Features of the latest Pac52's underline how far the Super52's have gone from the original TP52 concept. They include a galley, navigation station (under the cockpit), a head, crew lockers (tube and fabric), a sea hood, and the ability to remove the wheels and fit a tiller for inshore racing.
One of the intentions of the Pac52 is to equalise the boats, new and existing, through slightly adjusting keel depth to equalise righting moment.
Spars for all three new builds have come from Hall Spars and Rigging NZ, Doyle Sails have designed and built the sails for the first exported, Invisible Hand.
We expect to have more on this exciting new class and concept later this week/next week in Sail-World.com
 | | Pac52 Invisible Hand on sea trials in the Hauraki Gulf, January 2017 Darren McManaway |
Finally a plea for your help.
There are a lot of regattas underway in New Zealand this time of the year. It is near impossible for us to keep up with the action, find contacts, websites, Facebook pages and other social media for a string of regattas which often only last a day or three.
A few clubs and class associations know how to get the news out - but most don't. What is required is a simple email us (and other media) when the event is on, whether there are media boats available, who the media contact person is (and their mobile number/email) and the regatta website/Facebook page.
It is possible to get the images we need for coverage of an event with just 30 minutes on the water. Otherwise, we can readily download from a Facebook site (provided they are posted) and are of close-up racing shots. Good mobile phone shots will usually suffice. But a modest family camera with a small zoom lens is better. Don't shoot into the sun - light is your friend, not your enemy.
 | | Near miss in Race 3, Australia Day - Race 3 - 18ft Skiffs Australian Championship, January 26, 2017 © Michael Chittenden |
The best way to send copy and images to Sail-World is through our submit system - the link is at the top of our website sail-world.com under Submit News or use this link www.sail-world.com/NZ/submit
Don't waste your time on doing your finest prose - we can fix all that for you. Just some scribbled notes on a few key points/highlights of the day, what the conditions were and what is coming up on the next race day - rescheduled races, etc.
Our email addresses are below.
Almost all regattas have sponsors, one of the ways you can give your sponsors value for their investment is by sending in media reports on a daily basis - that way you and they will get two three or four times the coverage they would from a report sent at the end of the regatta.
At Sail-World we want to support sailing and give your sponsors return on their investment in the sport. We will give the naming rights sponsor mention in the story headline, we do refer to key sponsors throughout the report, and will run a sponsor list at the end.
Please help us to help you.
 | | Dennis Conner returns the America's Cup to USA - Fremantle, 30 yeasr ago tomorrow February 4, 1987 Bruce Jarvis |
Follow all the racing and developments in major and local events on www.sail-world.com, scroll to the bottom of the site, select New Zealand, and get all the latest news and updates from the sailing world.
Good sailing!
Richard Gladwell
NZ Editor
sailworldnzl@gmail.com
Please forward news stories and images these directly to Sail-World NZ using our new very easy to use submission system, or forward to the email address: sailworldnzl@gmail.com as text in the email and attach images in the standard way for emails.
To subscribe to Sail-World.com's NZ e-magazine published two or three times weekly go-to www.sail-world.com and click on Newsletter and Subscribe. You can see previous newsletters by clicking on Newsletter and then Archive from the drop-down menu.
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If you want to contact Richard Gladwell directly email: sailworldnzl@gmail.com or call (+6421) 301030
Don't forget to check our website www.sail-world.com, at the top of the page, select New Zealand, and get all the latest news and updates from the sailing world.
 | | FXOne - Mackay Boats, Southern Spars and North Sails - Millennium Cup and Bay of Islands Sailing Week, January 2017 © Will Calver - Ocean Photography |
 | | 2017 Millenium Cup |
 | | Pumula - Bay of Islands Sailing Week, January 2017 Mark Sims |
 | | Team MAPFRE will be on the start-line for the Volvo Ocean Race. © Ainhoa Sanchez / Volvo Ocean Race |
 | | Steinlager 2 - Millennium Cup and Bay of Islands Sailing Week, January 2017 Steve Western |
 | | Luffing now - Millennium Cup and Bay of Islands Sailing Week, January 2017 Steve Western |
 | | - Millennium Cup and Bay of Islands Sailing Week, January 2017 Steve Western |
 | | Race 3, Australia Day - Race 3 - 18ft Skiffs Australian Championship, January 26, 2017 © Michael Chittenden |
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