Update
saw the same result as the first event with Fox, Wizard and Windquest respectively rounding out the podium. The good news. We nailed the last start aboard Windquest.
Unfortunately mother nature and our competition had a different plan, such is sport! Regardless, it was a fun two events in Pensacola Bay and so great to have these grand prix events at the home of American Magic. Hearing the other teams rave about the conditions and the support of the city is heartwarming. Thank you, Pensacola! Other happenings: there is some big news, and I am not talking
about Pete leaving Team New Zealand, although that is big news. Charlie Enright taking over as CEO of US Sailing is a breath of fresh air. As our national governing body US Sailing carries a lot of respon- sibility at home. An organisation that serves more than racers and in fact I would suggest is more about the non-racer and educational side to promote our sport. I know all sailors were excited to hear about Charlie’s hiring as he has demonstrated from his time at Brown University through his Ocean Race win on 11th Hour that he is smart, can lead and understands how to navigate adversity. I look forward to a week of downtime at home. It has been a long
stretch and as I work to get back to race fitness I am excited by the opportunities ahead… American Magic/Quantum Racing, Bella Mente and Windquest. Who knows, maybe a couple more J/70 regattas. Standing by at 36,000ft!
A PERFECT REGATTA – Rod Davis Turangi International Regatta… More of a pilgrimage to Stump Bay, and Wally’s team of magical volunteers who simply make things happen when it comes to great regattas: 27 of the class faithful, from all across the land, made the journey to the mecca of grass- roots OK sailing. What sets this regatta apart? Everything. Notice of Race is four lines long. Sailing instructions just six
lines. Not pages but six lines. The lack of ‘officialdom’ is one of grassroots sailing’s biggest attractions. Wally (commodore of Turangi Yacht Club) and his team have run this regatta for as long as I can remember and it’s a damn good thing too, as Stump Bay in March can be challenging. Often the wind is very light, too light for most clubs to race. But not for Wally. If there is enough wind for the boats to move, we will start the race. ‘Wally calls the tune, we do the dancing’. Never a complaint because we embrace it. Also makes for the stuff of legends – last year Oscar won a race while drinking a beer! How good is that? Grassroots yachting fun. Another big draw, almost everyone sleeps on the club grounds.
Pitching tents, campervans, or sleeping in the cars, all together living basic for two days, a great glue to bond OK Dinghy sailors of wildly diverse backgrounds. From farmers to sailmakers, new sailors to the class, to veterans of decades of OK sailing. After sailing beers fire up the talk of sailing techniques. By the
time of the fabulous BBQ (thank you, Cowboy, Brenda and volun- teers) conversations move to families and life, and later into the night, as late as you want to go, to ‘setting the world right’. The New Zealand OK class has grown from the old adolescent
days of bonfires and burning boats (never OKs) to a calmer balance of cutting loose and reasonability. So that sets the scene, now to the racing. The thing about this regatta is don’t over-think tactics. There is a bit of craziness in how the wind field comes down the racecourse. Sail in the ‘here and now’ is the best advice I can give. Twenty-seven boats and seven 30-minute races meant lots of
action across the fleet. Every one had races that went well for them, others that didn’t work out. Interestingly, the final points had almost every place within a couple of points of the sailor ahead or behind. Meaning no matter where you were in the fleet, every point, every place in each race mattered. As it should be in great racing. Steve McDowell resumed his winning ways winning three races
and the regatta. He should have won a fourth race but fell out of his boat on the final tack to the finish. Maybe he did that to make us all feel better. Or maybe he is a mere mortal after all. Luke Gower’s guest appearance and brilliant sailing earned him a second, and your reporter here another two points back in third. Finished, packed up and driving home by two and home before dark. The perfect regatta.
18 SEAHORSE SNAPSHOTS Brought to you in association with
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l There is more uncertain… than certain about AC38… l The long and getting longer… time since the last Cup has allowed enthusiasm to wane… l Gone (apparently)… are Alinghi (two-time Cup winners…) l Gone is Ineos… with the jury still out on other British hopes l Gone quiet… is Team France… l Never knowingly… heard from is the hyped Spanish boat l Forza… no doubts about a new, younger Luna Rossa l But… could it end up as Italy vs New Zealand and little else? A two-boat DoG Match even? l Momentum… is everything… l Especially… where the big bucks are concerned… l Which will not have been overlooked… by SailGP either following their recent technical ‘postponement’ l On the other hand… new funding including from L’Oréal recently made its way into the French SailGP squad… l Which may or may not… have French AC implications! l Luca Devoti… new builder for the SB20 (née Laser SB3) l And determined… to see the class flourish in mainland Europe. Stand clear, folks… l Father, son… Matteo Barker won his second back-to-back New Zealand Opti title in April… l The event… sponsored once again by Toyota… l Same as… his old man’s former America’s Cup attire l Pause… for thought… l The first Jules Verne Trophy was won… in a time just shy of the magical 80 days… l Read… Cam Lewis's excellent book… to scare yourself… l Or skipper Bruno Peyron’s… if your French is good… l The Jules Verne record… came down over the next 10 years l But it was not until… 2002 and Bruno Peyron (again)… l On the giant… 100ft cat Orange, who got round in 64d 8h… l Marking the first JV time… faster than Charlie Dalin’s 64d 19h lap in the recent Vendée Globe... l One man… one 60ft hull… Respect l Well, we’re… certainly not betting against Ruyant and Beccaria, together this summer on Ruyant’s ex-Vulnérable l Class40 ‘globallist’… Cole Brauer will co-skipper the current Malizia this summer with Will Harris and Boris Herrmann… l Then in autumn... Boris takes delivery of a new Malizia... l At which point… his existing VPLP design is handed over to 470 Olympian Francesca Clapcich... l By which time… Élodie Bonafous should be well into working up her new Macif sistership… l While new pairing… Violette Dorange and Sam Davies should be fully lit up with an upgraded Initiatives Coeur… l While… keep an eye out for Vendée Globe eighth (extremely impressive)-place finisher Justine Mettraux… l If Justine... gets a new Imoca worthy of her talent then all previous bets are off l Loyalty… in just two words, Banque Populaire shrugs off a destroyed Ultim and unnecessarily ruined 2024 VG programme l The sport’s biggest… commercial sponsor returns with a new Imoca, a major refit for Ultim BPXI… l Not to mention… renewal of their very substantial longterm support of countless French sailing clubs and class federations l PS2… Banque Pop euros keep all of Eric Tabarly’s historic Pen Duick fleet immaculate and sailing too l Top 2025… for designer/Seahorse writer Dave Hollom... l Places… 1,2,3,5 in the Australian 14 champs, immediate success for the new Hollom Flying Fifteen… l Success too… for the new Hollom 2.4m… l High hopes too… for his first new Merlin Rocket design… l And… a new Hollom RC One Metre is appearing shortly l Formerly… Charles Caudrelier’s co-skipper on Gitana Ultim l Franck Cammas… is now co-skipper to Tom Laperche on François Gabart’s Ultim SVR-Lazartique l With… Gitana Ultim 18 fitting out at CDK… l Gitana Ultim 17… is for sale… l Yes, yes…
RaceboatsOnly.com… l Track record…
EurosailNews.com
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