The week that was

Yachting World

All you need to know about what’s been happening in the world of yachting this week

 

  • Ben Ainslie has arrived back in the UK after his departure from the One World America’s Cup syndicate last week. Although there has been much speculation about his future plans, it has been confirmed he will back on the World Class Performance programme as a level A sailor in the Finn class. Rumour has it he’ll also be out on the water at Warsash this weekend for round two of the Devoti Finn winter series.

     

  • Steve Fossett, the man who broke not one, but five speed sailing records aboard his 125-foot catamaran PlayStation has won America’s Rolex Yachtsman of the Year Award. The records include the fastest times sailing from Miami to New York; across the Atlantic; around England’s Isle of Wight; and across the English Channel. While shattering the TransAtlantic record, Fossett also posted the fastest time for distance covered in a 24-hour period. The winner of the Rolex Yachtswomen of the Year Award went to Cory Sertl for winning the Rolex International Women’s Keelboat Championship held in September. This year Sertle, together with her Yngling team Swanson and Glaser, plans to compete in all of the US Sailing Team clinics and ranking regattas and will sail in the Yngling world championship in the build up for the Olympic Games.

     

  • The Royal Yachting Association, the national body of sailing in the UK, has applied for planning permission to develop a new national headquarters near Hamble, Hampshire. This entails selling the current building at Eastleigh and moving to Compass Point, a new purpose-built office and warehouse.

     

  • Another week has passed Daniel Nolan, the missing 14 year from Hamble in Hampshire has still not been found. Daniel, who spent his childhood on or around the river, was last seen on the pontoon jetty at Hamble at approximately 11.45pm on 1 January 2002. Contact the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police on 08450454545 with any information.

     

  • Bryan Willis, from the Isle of Wight in the UK, has been appointed by the International Sailing Federation as Chairman of the Jury and Chief Umpire for the Louis Vuitton Cup and 31st America’s Cup Match which will take place in Auckland, New Zealand from October 2002 to March 2003. For the 2002-2003 events Willis will lead a team of 18 International Umpires who will oversee as many as 175 races over five months beginning in October 2002.

     

  • Neil Pryde, sailing his racing yacht Hi Fidelity, won the elite Racing Class A Division at last week’s Singapore Straits Regatta. Pryde won the final race to add to his three previous race wins to take the championship with a total of just six points.

     

  • Nick Maloney will join Bruno Peyron’s 110ft catamaran Orange for the forthcoming Jules Verne Challenge. The boat was launched earlier this week in Marseille and will shortly be on her way to Brest before setting off around the world on an attempt to break the 71 day circumnavigation record.

     

  • Tracey Edwards’ proposed round the world racing project could see her racing head to head against Ellen McArthur in a bid to break the world speed record. Although it hasn’t been officially announced yet, it seems likely that Edwards’ all-girl team will be sailing the 110ft maxi catamaran, Club Med. Edwards however, will not be racing the boat herself, but managing the team from home.

     

  • Lack of sponsorship has forced the Royal Perth Yacht Club to cancel the Swedish Match Tour’s Australia Cup. However, the Swedish Match Tour has announced that the Congressional Cup will now be included in series and will take place from 7-13 April at Long Beach California.

     

  • It was announced today that Jason Carrington, bowman on Assa Abloy, will not sail leg four of the Volvo Ocean Race for medical reasons. Sadly, Carrington has not fully recovered from the urine infection he contracted during the previous leg and has