| The latest sailing news from New Zealand and the world. |
25 Oct 2017 |
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  Sail-World NZ - Oct 24 - Volvo Starts..Meech wins..
 | | Rambler 88 at Favignana – Rolex Middle Sea Race © Rolex/ Kurt Arrigo |
Welcome to Sail-World.com's New Zealand e-magazine for October 24, 2017
It has been a mad week in the Volvo Ocean Race - well with one entry at least.
Former New Zealand Sailor of the Year, Brad Jackson, one of just three people (all Kiwis) to have won three Round the World Races, had a short-lived tenure as skipper of Team AkzoNobel.
After a dispute with the naming sponsor and former skipper Simeon Tienpont's company STEAM BV, the company stepped in and contracted all the crew directly, and offered Tienpont the skipper's role on the same basis.
He refused and took the matter to Arbitration.
 | | Peter Burling shows off his "driving Miss daisy" helming technique aboard Team Brunel - Leg 01, Alicante to Lisbon, day 02, on board Brunel. Volvo Ocean Race. 24 October, 2017 © Martin Keruzore / Volvo Ocean Race |
In the meantime, Jackson took over the role as skipper, and we interviewed him on that basis last Thursday. Just before the start, the Arbitration Hearing declared that Tienpont had been wronged and he was re-instated as skipper.
Jackson, navigator Jules Salter and Joca Signorini (BRA) walked off the boat, along with replacement crew member Rome Kirby (USA), and were replaced from the balance of available sailors within the team. Their names have been removed from the online crew list (which includes active and reserve crew).
That still left the Dutch-flagged entry one short, which was solved with a quick switch of shirt dockside by reserve Antonio Fontes (POR), loaned by Sun Hung Kai Scallywag for the leg.
Normally shuffling the crew-list in that manner would have set the scene for a disastrous first leg. But so far the team is doing well - currently in third place on the leaderboard published by Volvo Ocean Race - using the method that the boat which has the shortest distance to sail is the leader. But as we know from previous Volvo OR's that is not the case, and rather it is the boat which is predicted to reach the finish in the shortest time is actually the on the water leader.
 | | Isotak X is being tested in the Volvo Ocean race and will be available for the 2017 Rolex Sydney Hobart.. Zhik |
We have fired up Predictwind.com's Weather Routing function to be able to evaluate the relative boat position on a time to sail basis, and are working on getting the data entry refined on this leg so it can be as simple as possible to run for a seven-boat fleet with four weather feeds and course options per boat.
We have not posted the 0100UTC prognosis yet, however a run on the lead boat, Vestas 11th Hour Racing (USA) expected to take 30 hours to reach the rounding point of Porto Santo off Madeira, and two and a half days to reach the finish in Lisbon.
Fickle winds are expected to dog the fleet for the next few hours and once Porto Santo is rounded the fleet should be in for a period of fast sailing directly to Lisbon.
 | | Leg 01, Alicante to Lisbon, First Morning on board AkzoNobel. Volvo Ocean Race. 23 October, 2017 © Konrad Frost / Volvo Ocean Race |
Vestas 11th Hour Racing has Tony Mutter (NZL) on board and with Simon Fisher (GBR) as navigator. 'SiFi' was navigator on Abu Dhabi, winner of the previous edition of the Volvo Ocean Race.
This edition of the Volvo Ocean Race marks an exciting milestone for leading sailing apparel manufacturers Zhik, who have their fine products aboard two entries - Team AkzoNobel and Dongfeng Racing. For many years there has been a deal done across the whole fleet for one manufacturers clothing to be used, but for the first time this year it is open to the teams to chose - and two have elected to wear Zhik.
Those who sail Olympic classes or small boats will not be surprised, as Zhik is the dominant brand amongst the top Olympic Sailing Teams. The lessons learned from the Volvo Ocean Race will be incorporated in the next releases of the Zhik offshore range - and everyone benefits.
 | | Southern Spars on display with the Volvo Ocean Race fleet dockside in Alicante ahead of the Volvo Ocean Race start Southern Spars |
The first round of the World Sailing Cup, or rather the Northern Hemisphere Sailing Cup has concluded in Japan. The revamped format removed all Southern Hemisphere venues and still failed to consistently pull the competitors from Europe.
Be that as it may, some fleets were very competitive, and the Mens Laser was one of those - won by New Zealand's Olympic Bronze medalist Sam Meech, with 2016 Olympic Gold medalist Tom Burton (AUS) tucked in behind in third overall, with top names dotted through the fleet.
The Mens 49er class lacked the top sailors from Rio but did feature three Kiwi crews in fifth, sixth and seventh place. The three crews are not exactly fresh to the 49er class, but are still very young in Olympic terms and will no doubt make significant progress by July 2018, when Peter Burling and Blair Tuke escape from the clutches of the Volvo Ocean Race.
 | | Leg 01, Alicante to Lisbon, . Photo by Ainhoa Sanchez/Volvo Ocean Race. 23 October, 2017. Volvo Ocean Race |
Gamagori will also be remembered fondly by Paul Snow-Hansen and Dan Willcox (NZL) after they placed fourth in the Men's 470. The Event was won by 2016 Gold medalists Mat Belcher and Will Ryan (AUS). Four Japanese crews rounded out the top six overall. That could be an interesting pointer of things to come in 2020 for the Rising Sun. Their third-placed crew in Gamagori finished 17th in Rio. So the 2018 result is either local knowledge or a big improvement in standard in the Japanese fleet.
Staying in Asia, New Zealand skippers Chris Steele and Phil Robertson are performing at the front end of the grouped fleets after the first day of the World Match Racing Championship, being sailed in Shenzen, China.
Sailing in the M32 catamarans adapted for match racing, the final regatta on the World Match Racing Tour has attracted some top talent and promises to be a very keenly contested regatta.
For those who have not watch M32 racing before, it is an acquired taste for match racing diehards. But the catamarans certainly introduce several new elements to the sport, and a race is never over until it is over.
 | | Oracle Team USA's Larry Ellison sets watch ahead of a race start in the America's Cup Match Richard Gladwell |
In this edition we feature the first extract from 'Lone Wolf - How Emirates Team New Zealand stunned the World'. The extract features several images not previously seen of Emirates Team New Zealand.
So far Lone Wolf is selling well with very good sales reports from the publisher and major outlets. For those outside New Zealand we have included some outlets where Lone Wolf can be ordered online, or your favourite bookseller can order it for you with the ISBN number we have included.
 | | TNL Pindar gets "Clockwork" to Pier 21, downtown Auckland ready for the Coastal Classic three days later. TNL Pindar |
Follow all the racing and developments in major and local events on www.sail-world.com by scrolling to the top 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
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 | | Day 1 – WMRT Match Racing World Championship © Ian Roman / WMRT |
 | | Day 1 – WMRT Match Racing World Championship © Ian Roman / WMRT |
 | | Leg 1 – Alicante to Lisbon, on board Vestas 11th Hour Racing – Volvo Ocean Race © James Blake / Volvo Ocean Race |
 | | Leg 01, Alicante to Lisbon, . Photo by Ainhoa Sanchez/Volvo Ocean Race. 23 October, 2017. Volvo Ocean Race |
 | | Leg 01, Alicante to Lisbon, . Photo by Ainhoa Sanchez/Volvo Ocean Race. 23 October, 2017. Volvo Ocean Race |
 | | The Extreme Sailing Series 2017 - 19th - 22nd October 2017. San Diego, California, USA. Lloyd Images |
 | | Emirates Team New Zealand used their tender with 4x300HP Yamaha's as a match racing partner on the "back paddock" in Auckland. Richard Gladwell |
 | | Emirates Team New Zealand revealed a ripped daggerboard gasket after being hauled after Challenger Final Race 6. Richard Gladwell |
 | | The Extreme Sailing Series 2017. Act 8. 19th - 22nd October 2017. San Diego, California, USA. The 'Oman Air' race team shown in action close to the shore, skippered by Phill Robertson (NZL) with team mates Pete Greenhalgh (GBR), Ed Smyth (NZL/AUS), James Wierzbowski (AUS) and Nasser Al Mashari (OMA) Lloyd Images |
 | | Leg 01, Alicante to Lisbon, day 01, First night on board Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag. Photo by Jeremie Lecaudey. 22 October, 2017 Volvo Ocean Race |
Atlantic Double - Start Leg 1 - RORC Transatlantic Race
Trish Jenkins, 
A record entry is expected for the fourth edition of the RORC Transatlantic Race, starting at Marina Lanzarote, Canary Islands, on 25th November, 2017. Close to 25 teams are expected, racing a huge variety of ocean going yachts. Nine different nations will be taking the challenge, racing 3,000 miles to Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina, Grenada, West Indies.... [more]
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