Update
from to set yourself some reasonably ambitious goals. SH: Following the tracking it seemed to me that, to put it delicately, you weren’t very fast. GP: It is a 2017 boat without any keel and rudder updates, as the entire fleet began to do from 2019. There are conditions in which we lack a bit of speed… we have to work more on the mast settings, trimming of sails and manoeuvres to make the speed deficit as small as possible. Between 14 and 18kt of wind we are struggling, while I felt quite comfortable with light winds… It’s a starting point. SH: Is it possible to do a quick update of the appendages? GP: I think not – it was considered over the winter but it was decided not to. I don’t think the owner will change his mind now, perhaps it is better to work more on the sails for the rest of the season and save money for a possible new boat next year. SH: In which of the remaining regattas would you most like to score another great result? GP: Today I tell you Scarlino, after Scarlino I will say Mahón, there I will tell you Portals and then it will be Barcelona. A politically correct answer would be Barcelona, the end of the season. But on a personal level it is Mahón. It is a demanding racecourse, sometimes with big waves that are difficult for the helmsman. I like difficult challenges.
NEW FACE? – Dobbs Davis The Long Beach YC’s Congressional Cup is one of the oldest events on the World Match Racing Tour, even older than the Tour itself having been founded in 1965. There were few match racing events in those days that featured the top sailing talent of the day pitting their skills against their peers, so this quickly became a go-to event for those invited. Past winners include household names in the sport like Ted Turner, Dennis Conner, Ed Baird, Dean Barker, Taylor Canfield, James Spithill, Paul Cayard, Gavin Brady, Dave Perry… all have left LA with the crimson blazer emblematic of winning this event. There’s now a new name to add to the list, part of a new wave of
young talent from the USA that is taking the fight to the upper echelons. Chris Poole and his Riptide Racing team of Matt Cornwell, Luke Payne, Malcolm Parker, Bernardo Freitas and tactician Joachim Aschen - brenner crushed the competition as never before in the 57 previous editions of this event: they won every single match. And now they sit on top of the World Match Race rankings. ‘This result is stunning to us but it’s the culmination of years of effort with this team across many different venues and many different boat types,’ said Poole. On the water Riptide was untouchable: they dominated their pre-
starts and even with the occasional penalty they had a speed gear upwind that others did not have. This is a vast improvement from Poole’s previous events several years ago when penalty flags seemed to follow him around the course. ‘I have definitely matured from those days,’ he said, ‘by recognising what’s important and what’s not. I’m much better at recovering from a bad situation to catch up if behind and put us in a more favourable situation to win.’ Poole says his team’s approach is simple: eliminate luck from the
equation, meaning don’t count on good luck or bad luck. Just be methodical and disciplined in approaching each match, remembering the playbook of moves in each situation. And stay with the plan. q
SNAPSHOTS Brought to you in association with
l Dick Carter… known to enter parties with ‘Dick Carter is not dead’ l Carter’s designs… will be celebrated with a special regatta in La Trinité on 10/11 August l Steady, chaps… 11th Hour pinches the brilliant Charlie Dalin for an Ocean Race leg… l Then breaks… him after hitting an unknown object at speed l Speed… they wondered how fast a fully crewed Imoca could go… l 620nm… then 622nm then as we write 640.91nm in one 24-hour period for Holcim PRB l Or in scientific terms… bloody hell!!! l Vultures, circling… Tom Slingsby’s words not ours, as rival teams try to poach his unbeatable SailGP team l Mate… pains us to say it, all-for-one and that malarkey… l But you guys take a blood oath… then together take the money l How much… given who’s on the buy-side the mind boggles l And how desperate… some of them are getting (we never said that) l Dollars before dolphins… we’ll always be with the dolphins (for chrissakes, you even need to think it) l Fortunately… we believe no dolphins were hurt at SailGP Auckland l But the Kiwi love-children… still got their investigation into bad things that might have happened… l Normally… we’d rip the blesses off the pavement but in this case... l And it is a very serious point… SailGP (and AC) mammal protection teams have a lot on, with knife blades slicing along at 50kt+ l Trickle-through… encouraged by their success hosting American Magic, Pensacola plans a $15million Centre of Maritime Excellence l Russians at Paris 2024… impossible? Surely not? l Never!! the IOC (and World Sailing) have some real backbone… l Yeh, mate… and Grant Dalton’$ Cup $trategy is driven by the milk of human kindness l But… it may all be a fuss about nothing… l War has broken out… between Olympic organisers and those who make their living from tourism and the Marseille beach trade… l And they… have a point… l 35km2
of beach area… is what they want to seal off for three weeks
Bummer. The exploration superyacht of late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen tumbled loudly off its blocks in a Scottish shipyard this spring… but she wasn’t the first to suffer this expensive indignity
20 SEAHORSE
at peak-peak French tourist season (plus the Port of Marseille) l Shit-storm… ahead (surely sandstorm – ed?) l Talking of… we thought the Laser mess had finally reached its messy conclusion… l Now… it’s kicked off between LaserPerformance and the Sunfishes l After… ‘LP’ withdrew their offer to supply a fleet of boats for the 2023 Sunfish Worlds l Poor form, chaps… very poor form l Talk of… fake World Sailing plaques, this we will not countenance l BTW… one boat LaserPerformance can no longer build is… (you don’t need us for that) l Having a laugh… the 60th Cape 31 will soon be delivered l Although… the one-design rocket is now the new home for those serious-budget ex-Fast40 teams… and other big ticket chariots l Which is kind of… a shame but there you go… l Plenty of gainful… employment for pro crews, though… l More, in fact… than we thought the rules were going to allow… l Guess that’s where… the Italian ice cream salesmen ended up l Gillette razors… anyone out there old enough and still alive l It’s fitting… North Sails’ (indirect) owner Peter Dubens won this year’s Maxi Europeans l We expect his sails… were pretty good (certainly hope so) l But did he… get them trade? l Oh, those uplifting… smiley photos we get sent from numerous big O’pen Skiff ‘Un-Regattas’ taking place in the USA and elsewhere… l Then… we walk down the road and see scowling Oppi parents who (sic) did not make the ‘gold squad’ and with it another five years of top-end, high-mileage 4X4s and fossil-burning private Rs l Kids… just wanna have fun, fun l Seems the best… graduates to Wazps, 29ers and the Youth and Women’s America’s Cup teams now come out of the little plastic skiff l And now for… that Oppi-shaped brick through the window (again) l Remember… kids just wanna have fun, fun l Looking to join that fun…
RaceboatsOnly.com l Don’t know who to ask…
EurosailNews.com
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