News Around the World
Summer days in Kiwi-land as the 2022 Coastal Classic fleet leave Auckland on their 120nm coastal sprint north to the Bay of Islands. Our heroic scribe Ivor Wilkins had a notable adventure to get his photo this year, eschewing his usual RIB ride, instead persuading an old friend to take him up for the day in a restored 1960s single-engine Piper – a rocky ride hanging out of the door for a clear shot. We declined the subsequent request for danger money as not having been approved in advance by management. We’re all heart…
of engineers who are constantly monitoring all of this data.’ Jean feels that the Imoca class strategy for the future is quite
confused. ‘If things continue like this we will soon see hyper high- tech boats costing 10 million euros reserved just for the ultra elite. We will reduce the number of real frontrunners very quickly, and then behind them others may lose interest as the class thins out and loses its big profile. ‘It is not my racing philosophy to know who will win before the
start, as often happens in F1.’ Jean and Eric are the only ones to make a new Imoca without
foils (the two boats are identical) with the Persico shipyard producing the platform… hull, structure and deck. The fitting-out is then done in Port La Forêt in the boatyard the two skippers operate together. Eric started this project using his own money but then quickly
found a partner. His own boat will launch first at the end of May with Jean’s boat going afloat in September. But thanks to the support of the Finistère department and the sponsorship of Armor Lux and Crédit Agricole du Finistère, King Jean’s sixth VG project is also very much a reality.
The teasing is finished At his seventh attempt Eric de Turckheim, accustomed to podiums in the other big classics on his series of Teasing Machines, this time finally won the much coveted Middle Sea Race in the Mediter- ranean. At 1.11am on Wednesday 26 October the 54ft Teasing Machine designed by Bernard Nivelt and built by King Marine in Valencia was the ninth monohull to cross the finish line. She secured the overall victory under the IRC system while most of his rivals were still at sea. It must be said that the winds that prevailed during the 49th
edition of this 600-mile ‘tour of Sicily’ were non-existent, or light, at best moderate, and benefited the big boats. Teasing Machine, at the bottom end of the big boats in size, nevertheless hung onto bigger yachts like the Botín 65 Spirit of Lorina, another French entry (first in class 1), and the Reichel/Pugh 60-footer Wild Joe (third). ‘I have a passion for the 600nm courses,’ said the owner, skipper
and often helmsman of this sailboat born in 2017. ‘It’s like running a marathon. You have to stay on top for several days and to manage the crew’s work well over that time. ‘It is a great feeling to win the Middle Sea Race as it is our first overall win after several consecutive podiums here. Plus it’s
22 SEAHORSE
definitely our favourite 600nm race because of the complexity of the course and the volatility of the winds.’ Laurent Pagès, tactician and navigator onboard, explained that
this victory was won on the north side of Sicily by staying close to the coast… ‘The times at which you pass the critical points of this course are decisive because of the complex currents, especially in the Strait of Messina, and for the direction and strength of the wind. This sometimes leads you to make quite radical choices.’ Another key to the good performance of the anthracite grey
sailboat is the slimming programme she has been on since her first sailing. In the wake of the previous Teasing Machine, a 43-footer, Bernard Nivelt had drawn a powerful and relatively heavy 54ft boat. But based on early confrontations the TP52s were found to be significantly faster in light airs, which is very bad when you are racing in the Mediterranean! To cure this the boat was lightened by 1,500kg by swapping the
straight ‘French-style’ IRC keel for a thinner fin and bulb arrangement. Satisfied with this change, they took out another 500kg in 2021. This slimming diet paid off in the 2022 Middle Sea Race where the wind speckled between 0 and 14kt. It remains to be seen what will happen in future more windy
races… but the answer will come soon because Teasing Machine is carrying on travelling around the world. On 8 January she will be at the start of the RORC Transat, then the Caribbean 600, after which she returns to Europe to participate in the 50th Rolex Fastnet Race. She will finish 2023 in Australia with the Sydney Hobart Race – all major events where the crew, who are all French except for the excellent Italian sailtrimmer Gabriele Olivo, would like to repeat the story of the Middle Sea Race. We also note that speaking globally France has performed
brilliantly in the Mediterranean this year. In addition to the victories of Teasing Machine (obviously also first in class 2) and Spirit of Lorina (class 1), we note that Albator, another Nivelt design, won class 4, and the JPK 10.80 Solenn for Pure Ocean won the two- handed division (after more than seven days at sea!) after her win in the Cap Martinique and the Drheam Cup. To be added to the French excellence in the RMSR are the
podiums of the IRC 52 Arobas2 in class 2 and of the Ker 40 Chenapan in class 3… In the nations ranking, the French are the best! Patrice Carpentier
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