San Francisco Bay Sailing: May 2008

Monday, May 19, 2008

Big Turnout for Storm Trysail Club's Block Island Race

LARCHMONT, NY (May 19, 2008) – The Storm Trysail Club's 63rd Block Island Race, an annual distance race that serves as one of New England's first competition tune-ups for the summer season, starts Friday, May 23rd, at 5 p.m. and will host a fleet of more than 100 boats. The fastest boats are expected to finish by early- to mid-afternoon on Saturday after sprinting 185 nautical miles from a starting line just inside Stamford (Conn.) Harbor, down Long Island Sound, clockwise around Block Island (R.I.), and back to Stamford.

"We always get a bigger fleet in even years before the Newport to Bermuda Race," said Chairman Ray Redniss, adding that 104 boats have signed up with three more days left for registration, "and in 2006, we wound up with 105."

Redniss said it's also shaping up to be quite the interesting race, with Rambler, George David's 90-foot Reichel/Pugh design, returning to defend its title in the IRC Super-Zero class. Last year, nobody could touch him," said Redniss, explaining that by wide margins Rambler also took line honors, finishing in 18 hours, 57 minutes and 41 seconds, and secured the overall IRC fleet victory. When the conditions are favorable, the boats are always gunning to beat Boomerang's record in 2002 of just over 16 hours."

Plenty of IRC Super-Zero boats will be hoping for the "right" conditions to smash records and prepare for the distance they will have to log in the Newport to Bermuda Race, including three Reichel/Pugh designs--Hap Fauth's (Minneapolis, Minn.) new 69-foot Belle Mente, Bob and Farley Towse's (Stamford, Conn.) 66-foot Blue Yankee, and John Brim's (New York, N.Y.) 55-foot Rima2; Roger Sturgeon's STP65 Rosebud/Team DYT; Trey Fitzgibbons' (Greenwich, Conn.) Meriten 65 Mischievous; LLwyd Ecclestone's (West Palm Beach, Fla.) Frers 81 Kodiak, and the USMMA's Judel/Vrolijk 66 Defiance.

"Interesting also is the fact that a third of the fleet falls into the "classic" category for boats 15 years and older," said Redniss. Among those are John Melvin's (Riverside, Conn.) Concordia 39 Westray and Richard Breeden's (Charlottesville, Va.) recently re-fit 68-foot yawl (built in 1938) Black Watch, which will both sail in IRC. The fleet will also include at least 11 double-handed and 11 PHRF entries, and Redniss added that the preliminary scratch sheet (see www.yachtscoring.com) has been revised to split out the J/120s and J/122s (both sprit boats with similar sailing characteristics) into their own class.

Currently, the smallest boats entered are two Olson 30s: Benoit Ansart's (Old Greenwich, Conn.) double-handed entry Wave Dancer, and Thomas O'Connell's (Riverside, Conn.) PHRF entry Fin II. The majority of the smaller boats generally finish between midnight on Saturday and 8 a.m. Sunday morning.

The Block Island Race is part of the US-IRC Gulf Stream Series, the Northern Ocean Racing Trophy and the Double Handed Ocean Racing Trophy (both for IRC) and the New England Lighthouse Series (PHRF). Specifically for Long Island Sound sailors, the Block Island Race is a qualifier for the Caper, Sagola and Windigo trophies awarded by the Yacht Racing Association of Long Island Sound and the “Tuna Trophy” for the best IRC combined scores in the Block Island Race (weighted 60%) and Larchmont Yacht Club’s EDLU Race (weighted 40%).

Registration for the Block Island Race, open through Wednesday May 21, is on-line at www.stormtrysail.org. For more information, contact Ray Redniss, rredniss@optonline.net, or the Storm Trysail Club office at 914-834-8857.

About the Storm Trysail Club

The Storm Trysail Club, reflecting in its name the sail to which sailors must shorten when facing adverse conditions, is one of the world’s most respected sailing clubs, with its membership comprised strictly of skilled blue water and ocean racing sailors. In addition to hosting Block Island Race Week presented by Rolex in odd-numbered years, the club holds various prestigious offshore racing events (among them the annual Fort Lauderdale to Key West Race and the Pineapple Cup Montego Bay Race); annual junior safety-at-sea seminars; and a regatta for college sailors using big boats.

Friday, May 16, 2008

THE ARTEMIS TRANSAT – Day 6

It's oh so quiet for now for the IMOCA 60 fleet

In Brief
- BT still ahead despite the high-stakes second ridge crossing
- Strong winds to hit the leaders tonight, another light zone is expected before ice gate
- Oily seas, whales and magic sunsets - be sure to check the picture gallery
- Video race updates available http://theartemistransat.com/60/video.asp

In Detail

Voices of the high seas have been very quiet this morning - skippers had warned when contacted by Race HQ shortly before dawn, it had been a tiring night on top of 3 tiring days, and most of them would spend a few hours asleep. Wind conditions were steady enough to allow for some rest - the front boats doing around 8 knots, pilots coping well - and the tactical options were bound to be limited today anyway. This does not mean the whole fleet had taken the day off! Sébastien Josse, still leading aboard BT, managed to maintain his position despite yet another night of park up, and this morning the first trio has pulled away from Yann Elies (Generali), north, and Armel Le Cléac'h (Brit Air), south.

Sunrise onboard Gitana Eighty
© Loïck Peyron / Gitana SA

Aboard PRB, Vincent Riou lying in second place perfectly summed-up the situation this morning when we spoke to him. In typical laconic Breton fashion (on top of which an important level of fatigue has to be considered), he stuck to the facts: "It's a lot of work, the past three days have been tiring and real sleep isn't on the menu quite yet. There isn't a lot of wind, I'm in Sébastien's wake and tactically, that's my only option. Both of us are gradually gaining south."

With Michel Desjoyeaux now heading back home, the leading pack is down to five boats, but the very compact aspect of that flotilla one could observe earlier in the week has been disturbed by two successive ridges.

As Armel Le Cléac'h expalined this morning, Brit Air managed to catch up last night when the top 3 boats slowed down, but ended up losing ground once more... "I was just behind Vincent and Jojo, but I fell into a hole. There is a little more wind now, not much but at least we can rest." Some 70 miles away from BT in terms of distance to the finish, Brit Air might be able to overtake Generali, whose DTL (distance to leader) is roughly the same, but whose north positioning implies less wind in the coming hours.

Up in front, the leading trio is within less than 30 miles, Loick Peyron's Gitana Eighty having been slightly slower the BT and PRB - higher in latitude, the double winner had less pressure to play with. Having led the second group before being "passed" (one mile in terms of DTF...) by Akena Verandas this afternoon, Samantha Davies (Roxy) makes the most of every single puff, but has paid her dues to the ridge yesterday as she told us: "I'm sad because I sailed into the no wind zone so the lead I had on the other boats behind has completely vanished so looks like we're going to have a restart - but it’s better if one boat doesn't get away on its own as the fun is racing against everyone."

No wind for Roxy
© Sam Davies / Roxy

Southwesterlies are expected to kick in tonight, and it's going to be difficult for Sam and the middle of the fleet considering the breeze isn't exactly willing to come and meet them, the system moving north and playing hard to get. With the blackout beginning in a few hours, some psychological relief may intervene since the skippers will not be able to monitor their gains or losses every two hours tomorrow, and as Loick Peyron put it with humor this morning, "I think it's a very good thing, an excellent idea on the part of the organizers. I'd even be in favor of a 15-day blackout to be honest! The last data we will get (note: tonight) will be crucial, because they will be our last link with our little friends. I really like the notion that everything will be possible."

Jean-Luc Nélias's view - "The hardest part"
"Today's work will be to fight their hardest to get out of the glue they've been stuck in, and limit the losses on the boats to their west. For the boats further behind the messy conditions will continue a bit longer - ultimately they will have to cross the area, the calm area will not pass them - so its just hard work and perseverance that will deliver them to the new wind in the west. The low pressure system that brings the SW wind is moving very slowly, and mostly towards the north, so you have to go find these winds, they aren't coming to the boats."

Roland Jourdain's comments on Michel Desjoyeaux's retirement
"It's the first time for him, and I remember my first race abandon, it was an extremely cruel moment. I had to pull out of the Vendée Globe in 2004 due to keel problems, and psychologically it's very hard - it's like your arms have just fallen off. You may want to kick the bulkheads out of frustration, your face goes through every colour of the rainbow's spectrum."

Leaderboard - 14:00 GMT update
1- BT Distance to finish 1728 nm
2- PRB Distance to leader 22 nm
3- Gitana Eighty DTL 35 nm
4- Generali DTL 66 nm
5- Brit Air DTL 67 nm
6- Akena Verandas DTL 187 nm
7- Roxy DTL 188 nm
8- Cervin EnR DTL 221 nm
9- Safran DTL 222 nm
10- Aviva EnR DTL 250 nm
11- Spirit of Weymouth DTL 263 nm
12- Pakea Bizkaia 2009 DTL 267 nm
ABD Foncia

For more information about The Artemis Transat and to follow racing live online, go to Artemis Transat. Follow the race with the 2D Live tracker

- Read the latest blogs from the skippers in the Boat Logs section at Skippers Blogs

THE ARTEMIS TRANSAT – Day 6

THE ARTEMIS TRANSAT – Day 6
Before the darkness descends

In brief
- High pressure ridge begins to bite
- Updates and audio and video conferences with the skippers will continue throughout the blackout as normal

In detail
As the overnight blackout lifted at 0600GMT on Friday morning, it became clear that the race leader, Giovanni Soldini on Telecom Italia, had slammed into the ridge of high-pressure first, dropping his 4 hour speed average to just under 5 knots. "It's a high pressure ridge and conditions are not 'top of the top', you know. There's no wind."

One consolation for Soldini is that the sun has finally appeared on Day 6 of The Artemis Transat: "At least we have some blue skies," the Italian confirms. As far as tactics through this zone of light airs, Soldini is philosophical: "Now I've chosen the northern part of the course, that's it for me. If the southern boats do better, it doesn't matter," he said laughing, "I can't do anymore." His next geographical target is the 130 mile wide ice gate 150 miles to the south of The Grand Banks and approximately 900 miles south-west of Telecom Italia: "I'm just going to do the best I can until the next waypoint."

The Class40 fleet has divided into three distinct groups, fanning out over 180 miles north-south across a relatively shallow (450 metres) section of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. In the north, Soldini leads a French pack containing Thierry Bouchard on Mistral Loisirs - Pole Sante ELIOR (5th place), Yvan Noblet and Appart' City (6th place) and Christophe Coatnoan on Groupe Partouche (8th place). The racing within the top four has been tight throughout the race and only 26 miles separating the pack as the 36 hour blackout approaches. For Bouchard, just 27 miles behind Soldini, this situation is becoming a habit: "In front of me, there's always Telecom Italia," he commented this morning. "It would be interesting to have a close look and see if this boat isn't a Ferrari painted white! It was great to see him at the start of the race..but that's probably the last we'll see of him."

Miranda Merron on 40 Degrees in 3rd place, was first in the middle group to report entering the high pressure: "Oily calm in the ridge, spending a lot of time keeping the boat moving. Currently 4 knots, has been as low as 2," she informed the race office in an early email. "Think it's Beluga I can see. Must go!"

40 Degrees is part of an Anglo-Franco-Germanic sub-fleet of Boris Herrmann's Beluga Racer (2nd place), Simon Clarke with Clarke Offshore Racing (11th place), Alex Bennett's Fujifilm (4th place) and Halvard Mabire on Custo Pol (7th place).

Mabire described conditions in the no-wind zone: "This calm patch is not so bad. There is a little magic to making the boat glide along with only a breath of wind. Obviously, to benefit from the beauty of the moment, there is a basic rule - not easy to apply - and it is important not to imagine that the others have wind and you are the only one without it! To do so is the best means of transforming one good moment into a nightmare." Bouchard then shared some of his light-airs tips: "Physically it's very demanding, because one spends all the time on the helm and not moving too much weight about in the boat. The whole process is like trying to do everything with the steps of wolf [faire ça à pas de loup], minimizing movement, not risking shaking the boat and stalling."

The southern group is an entirely French affair with the duo Louis Duc on Groupe Royer (9th place) and Benoit Parnaudeau with Prevoir Vie (10th place).

For Duc, the youngest sailor in the race at 25 years-old, choosing the southerly option was a wise move: "I decided to go south to cross the high pressure ridge at the narrowest point," he explained via satellite phone earlier. Groupe Royer maintained good boat speeds throughout the day, polling a higher average than many in the fleet. Like Bouchard in the middle group, Benoit Parnaudeau has been practicing his light-airs skills: "I've discovered there's a huge difference between handsteering and letting the pilot drive the boat in these conditions," he reported earlier. "I'm easily 1 knot faster than the pilot."

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

ARTEMIS TRANSAT – Day 3 for Class40 Fleet

ARTEMIS TRANSAT – Day 3 for Class40 Fleet
May 13 – Spreading out into the Atlantic

In Brief
- Different tactical options north and south as the fleet finds open water
- Close quarters racing as paths cross in the night
- Fatigue and illness for Boris Herrmann
- Check the fleet's strategic analysis by Jean-Luc Nelias here http://www.theartemistransat.com/40/article.asp?sid=14815

In Detail: Class40 Fleet
Having slipped south of the Scilly Isles in thick fog during the early morning of Day 2, the Class40 fleet has picked-up speed and is fanning out north-south now they are clear of land. Race leader, Giovanni Soldini opted to take Telecom Italia north on a starboard gybe overnight in 15 knots of NE breeze, gybed south back towards the main body of the fleet at around 0900GMT this morning, dived down towards second place Appart' City before gybing north again and the Italian now holds a 12 mile lead over the yellow yacht's French skipper, Yvan Noblet.

In the south, Boris Herrmann's Beluga Racer and Miranda Merron's 40 Degrees became increasingly isolated from the fleet overnight. Merron's deep southerly option was a response to sail problems: “Long slow night on 40 Degrees following a spinnaker 'issue', now resolved. Will catch up the miles,” she reported earlier via email and soon slipped back onto starboard gybe this morning. As Merron headed north, Boris Herrmann kept south, remaining in 10th position, one place behind 40 Degrees. Having lead the race during the first night and featured heavily in the front pack during the early stages, Herrmann's sudden drop in the rankings was a concern and a flu bug contracted shortly before the start has been taking its toll physically and emotionally: "I've been sleeping a lot to get over it," he assured the race office this morning, "but I haven't felt confident enough to use the spinnaker or gennaker when I'm not on deck." Reduced sail, illness and a period during the night of just 2 knots of breeze have not helped morale on board: "I feel very alone," admitted the 26 year-old, "and I've never felt that before." In the afternoon, Merron gybed back south to rejoin Hermann and maintains a 3 mile lead over the German Class40.

When Soldini gybed south this morning, Christophe Coatnoan with Groupe Partouche and Alex Bennett's Fujifilm stayed north, almost locked together, matching their gybes with the French skipper reporting a visual sighting of Bennett's green Class40 shortly after sunrise. The British skipper was in an optimistic mood this morning, despite a difficult start to the race: "We have just crossed the continental shelf and are now powering our way out into the Atlantic at speed under Code 5 and full mainsail," he reports, averaging a healthy 9.9 knots over the past 24 hours. "Conditions on board are good and comfortable. I've been playing catch up with the fleet after I sailed into a light wind zone off the Lizard on the first night. However, it's a long race and I feel we are nicely placed to start making our charge from here on." For now, Bennett in 6th is less than a mile north Coatnoan, leading the French yacht by under a mile with the pair matching their average speed at 10 knots.

Further close-contact racing was evident as the fleet split and opted for port or starboard gybe late yesterday with Yvan Noblet on Appart' City sailing close to 40 Degrees just as Merron headed south. Noblet also had visual contact with Halvard Mabire on Custo Pol as Appart' City overtook, climbing the leader board to second place, 12 miles behind Telecom Italia. At the time, Mabire was dealing with an uninvited, feathered guest: "I've had a swift on board who has no clue about the weather and clearly didn't study the met forecast before leaving," the French skipper said this morning, doubting the bird's intelligence in setting off for Africa in an easterly breeze. "It hung around the inside of the boat and did (his business) on my computer keyboard before leaving. It was really very impolite and the bird should enroll in a course on manners."

Currently in 4th position, 4 miles behind Thierry Bouchard and Mistral Loisirs - Pole Santé ELIOR, Mabire is sailing cautiously: "I don't know the boat well and I'm taking care with all the systems," he told the race office earlier, before asking for news of The Artemis Transat IMOCA Open 60 fleet: "As you ask me to write messages, it would be kind if you could give me news of the 60s in return," requested 52 year-old Mabire who misses the constant radio chat and interviews of his previous OSTAR, Figaro and Route du Rhum races. "The race is a bit like a video game on the computer screens of those onshore," he wrote in an email last night. "I'm beginning to miss the proximity of human contact."

The north-south spread of the Class40 fleet is approximately 120 miles and while Fujifilm and Groupe Partouche at the northern extremity and 40 Degrees and Beluga Racer to the south seem content to race within a few miles of each other, the middle block of yachts are keeping a healthy distance between each other. Simon Clarke took a long gybe north today before gybing south and has held onto 8th place since dropping behind Group Partouche early this morning and Prevoir Vie remains the backmarker, 79 miles behind Soldini in 11th place. This morning, the French yacht's skipper, Benoit Parnaudeau, recalled the first full day of racing: "In the fog yesterday, it was a sunless day and I kept my eyes locked on the AIS radar to monitor the commercial shipping," he explained, praising the equipment that is now mandatory in Class40. "You can see the ship's name on the screen, its speed, heading and the unit sends and receives a radar echo. I can tell if a vessel is a cargo ship or a fishing boat, so the system is a good friend in all situations." Parnaudeau has suffered sail damage and has finally made repairs to the overheating engine on board Prevoir Vie, but the 36 year-old is pragmatic about his position: "It's time to look at the weather and as I'm behind the fleet, I really need to see what's going to happen." Currently, Parnaudeau is 27 miles behind Boris Herrmann and Beluga Racer in 10th.

For more information about The Artemis Transat and to follow racing live online, go to www.theartemistransat.com. Follow the race with the 2D Live tracker

Thursday, May 08, 2008

ICE GATE ANNOUNCED FOR THE ARTEMIS TRANSAT

ICE GATE ANNOUNCED FOR THE ARTEMIS TRANSAT
Race course length increases
In brief:
- Race direction announces a compulsory ice gate, course increases by 210 miles
- Loick Peyron statement on race
- Meet Steve White, the 13th man in the IMOCA 60 lineup
- LIVESKIPPER open registration – your chance to race the boats yourself, live, during the race from the dry and warm cockpit of your computer desk! http://www.liveskipper.com

In detail:
Race direction announces compulsory ice gate

Having kept a careful eye on the ice reports, the Race Direction team decided to put an ice gate in place on the course. The gate is a virtual horizontal line, a point of which must be left to starboard.

“Given the number of ice blocks and their presence very far South this year,” explained Sylvie Viant (Race Director), “we felt, after having consulted the skippers that it was a necessary move, because safety is our first concern.”

The gate, a 130-mile wide line located between 47º and 50º W at 40º N (below the Grand Banks), will imply the course is now longer by approximately 210 miles, for a total of 2955 miles. The risk of collision with an iceberg is obviously one of the singlehander's worst nightmares, and a major hazard at this time of year on the North Atlantic.

Loick Peyron, 25 years after

Coming back for the 5th time after having won the event twice - and thus equaling Eric Tabarly's feat - Loick Peyron is clearly among the favorites for The Artemis Transat 2008.

“It's great to be here at the heart of historic Plymouth, having the boats docked in Sutton Harbour, around The Barbican makes a huge difference in terms of atmosphere,” said the ever-relaxed Breton skipper, whose Gitana Eighty Open 60' was undergoing final preparations.

“Funny to think that it's almost been 25 years since I took my first transatlantic start here in Plymouth, and that I've never raced that course in a monohull. And if those boats are clearly less stressful to sail singlehanded than the multis, the new generation of monohull is very sophisticated and requires huge efforts. The sail area is massive, the ballast system crucial, and all the little refinements make maneuvers somewhat complex: a complete tack can take up to 25 minutes!”

Like his fellow competitors, Peyron acknowledges the fact that the race is very open this year. “It's very hard to foresee the podium, as I can identify at least 6 boats capable of winning,” he said. “Too bad a lot of our English rivals cannot be with us... But I really sympathize; it surely is a big disappointment."

Meet Steve White
Steve White, 35, the latest addition to the IMOCA fleet in The Artemis Transat, admits he started sailing “by accident, with a friend who bought a boat but didn't have a tow bar on his car. I did, helped him out, sailed with him because he was nervous to go alone... and a couple of years later I found myself buying a 30 footer.” But the big life-changing experience came in 1998, when Steve had a chance to round the Fastnet on a 67-ft boat in tough conditions. “We set off from Plymouth, and were blown out of our boots by 35 - 40-knot winds, it was great. I drove home, quit my job and decided that the Vendée Globe was my goal. I had followed Christophe Auguin's race and it had fascinated me.”

Read Steve's story here http://theartemistransat.com/60/article.asp?sid=14416

Ice detector aboard Marc Guillemot's IMOCA 60 Safran

Developped by Sagem (part of the Safran Group), a unidentified object detector is currently being set up aboard Marc Guillemot's IMOCA 60. The prototype, which will be tested during The Artemis Transat, consists of a miniature thermo-sensitive camera fitted on the masthead. The camera detects all objects which show a significant temperature difference with their environment - the system is essentially developed to spot icebergs and growlers, and originates from the special binoculars used by sea rescuers to catch a "thermal signal", like the emerged head of a man who has fallen overboard.

To follow The Artemis Transat, visit http://www.theartemistransat.com and click on race viewer options (2D and 3D viewers).

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

San Francisco Bay Sailing for Kids

Youth Sailing Schools - Education San Francisco - Non Profit

Sailing Education Adventures

SEA is a nonprofit community-based sailing training organization. We provide low-cost sailing education to the San Francisco Bay Area. Sailing Education Adventures (SEA) is a San Francisco Bay Area non-profit, volunteer, membership organization dedicated to promoting sailing through affordable instruction and related educational and social activities.
www.sailsea.org
America True Youth Sailing
America True is entirely dedicated to providing youth with opportunity to benefit from sailing and its inherent life lessons. We believe that sailing can teach youth valuable life lessons including confidence, independence, strategic thinking, teamwork and respect for the environment. We believe that sailing can, and should be open to all regardless of gender, culture, ethnic, or economic background. We believe that many of those who could benefit most do not currently have access to the sailing experience.
Write, call or visit us at:

America True, Pier 40, San Francisco, California 94107

Telephone: 415 974 1018, Fax: 415 974 1024

www.americatrue.org
Sausalito Yacht Club Junior Sailing
Sausalito Yacht Club Junior Sailing Program

Sausalito Yacht Club

Located at the Foot of El Portal

Mailing address: PO Box 267 Sausalito, CA 94966

(415) 332-7400
San Francisco Yacht Club Youth Sailing
Youth Sailing at the San Francisco Yacht Club has a number of distinct components: Youth Instructional Programs, High School Racing, High Performance Sailing, "All Age Programs" and Private Sessions are organized through the Youth Sailing Office. Below is an outline of these activities and details may be obtained by clicking on the appropriate links on this site.

Youth Instructional Sailing Programs

In the Spring, Summer and Fall, classes are offered for beginner, intermediate and advanced sailors. Members and nonmembers from 8-16 years of age are welcome to participate in these fun and instructional sessions.

Youth Sailing Program

98 Beach Road, PO Box 379, Belvedere, CA 94920
www.sfyc.org

Youth Sailing Program phone 415-435-9525

San Francisco Bay Axis - San Francisco Bay Area Informaiton. SF Bay Area Yacht Clubs

Spinnakers - The Downwind Leg - Photography from San Francisco Bay yacht Races from the past five years by SF BAY IMAGES. Colorful aerial and marine photography. Full Length high resolution Enhanced DVD without watermarks available at www.SFBAYSTORE.com.

Friday, May 02, 2008

TEN DAYS AND COUNTING TO THE START OF THE ARTEMIS TRANSAT

TEN DAYS AND COUNTING TO THE START OF THE ARTEMIS TRANSAT
Fleet will finish in Boston, Mass., USA

May 1, 2008

IN BRIEF:
* Race fleet now heading to Sutton Harbour, Plymouth (UK) to arrive one week ahead of the official start on Sunday 11th May.

* Ten boats to take part in the prologue race from Douarnenez (France) to Plymouth.

* Race village opens Saturday, 3rd May encompassing an exciting mix of exhibits, education and entertainment.

http://www.theartemistransat.com

IN DETAIL:
Race fleet heading to Plymouth
Twenty-five skippers are now heading towards Plymouth in preparation for the start of The Artemis Transat on Sunday, 11th May. The entire race fleet must be berthed inside Sutton Harbour, Plymouth by Sunday evening, 4th May. Once at Sutton Harbour the skippers and their shore teams will continue with their final preparations as the Race Committee carry out final boat inspections to check the boats comply with the racing rules. Then the fleet is confined to their pontoons on Friday, 9th May at 1100hrs until the start.

Michel Desjoyeaux, skipper of IMOCA 60 Foncia, and winner of the ORMA 60 Class in the 2004 edition of the race observed: “The North Atlantic in May is a very demanding playground, but it will be a bit more relaxed for me this time since I'm now racing a monohull, which is less stressful…but it certainly won't be an easy ride. The Artemis Transat will be a good round of observation as far as our future Vendée Globe rivals are concerned, but given the specificities of the course, it will be important not to jump to conclusions."

Yvan Noblet, skipper of Class40 Appart City, had this to say: “I've heard the accounts of the oldest of all transatlanticraces ever since I was a child, and for me it really is a reference - its course on the North Atlantic is certainly the toughest given the extreme conditions that are likely to be encountered. I'm very confident as far as my boat is concerned, and am looking forward to going back to solo racing, which I have not done since the last Route du Rhum."

Ten boats to compete in Prologue
Following on from the Grand Prix Petit Navire in France, up to ten of The Artemis Transat race fleet plan to take part in the official prologue from Douarnenez to Plymouth. The IMOCA 60s include Akena Vérandas (Arnaud Boissieres), Brit Air (Armel Le Cleac’h), Foncia (Michel Desjoyeaux), Generali (Yann Elies) and PRB (Vincent Riou).

The Class40 players are Appart’ City (Yvan Noblet), Beluga Shipping (Boris Herrmann), Custo Pol (Halvard Mabire), Prévoir VIE (Benoit Parneaudeau) and Telecom Italia
(Giovanni Soldini).

Race Village Opens Saturday, 3rd May

The Race Village for The Artemis Transat located at Sutton Harbour (UK) officially
opens at 10.00am on Saturday, 3rd May. Councilor Glenn Jordan, Plymouth City Council Cabinet Member for Healthy Communities and Leisure and Nigel Godefroy, Chief Executive, Sutton Harbour Group will be cutting the ribbon to mark the occasion. At the heart of the action the Race Village will offer a host of attractions to the public including the Tall Ship Earl of Pembroke, Gipsy Moth IV and an Ocean Racing Exhibition (part of the education program). The entertainments package is extensive with street entertainers plus the inaugural Barbican International Jazz and Blues Festival.

"The best events have color excitement, ambience, uniqueness and community support. Event South West has worked very hard with OC Events to ensure that the cultural heart of the The Artemis Transat has been a real focus. The extensive entertainments and educational programs centered around the race village really demonstrate how it has become a great public spectacle which was central to Plymouth being awarded its host city status," commented Conrad Humphreys, Managing Director, Events South West who have been a driving force behind the cultural program of activities.

For full information on the Race Village and program of events, visit the website
http://www.theartemistransat.com and click on the What’s on in Plymouth button

(end)

Additional Notes to Editors:
Media Center in Boston -- located at the Boston Harbor Hotel from May 20, between 0900-1800 EST. The Media Center will be open for a minimum of two hours for any boat arrival outside of these opening hours.

Boston Harbor Hotel
50 Rowes Wharf
Boston, MA 02110
Tel: +1 617-838-0273

Online Media Center http://media.theartemistransat.com
Accredited media will have access to the Online Media Center where all written and multimedia content required to cover The Artemis Transat is available. Written reports, audio files (raw and edited), onboard video files, video race updates, video news releases, 2D animations, photos, etc. will all be made available to download.

San Francisco Bay Sailing

Monday, May 19, 2008

Nostalgic Sailing Montages

Storm Trysail Club's Block Island Race