US SAILING's 2009 Rolex Miami OCR

US SAILING's 2009 Rolex Miami OCR

Notice of Race Available Online

Miami, Fla. (October 30, 2008) – US SAILING’s Rolex Miami OCR is preparing for its 2009 debut as the second stop on the inaugural International Sailing Federation’s (ISAF) Sailing World Cup 2008-2009 circuit. Already a long-time ISAF Grade 1 world ranking event as well as a US SAILING Team AlphaGraphics qualifier and preferred winter training regatta for the world’s elite Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, the Rolex Miami OCR also will celebrate its 20th Anniversary when it returns to Coconut Grove, Fla., from January 25-31, 2009. The Notice of Race is now available online at the newly-launched event web site, www.RolexMiamiOCR.org.

US SAILING’s Rolex Miami OCR is open to the events chosen for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Sailing Competitions. The equipment used for each event will be chosen at the 2008 ISAF Annual Conference in Madrid, Spain from November 6-16, 2008. Starting December 1, 2008, competitors and coaches will be required to register online for the Rolex Miami OCR. The deadline for registration is January 19, 2009, and on-site registration will not be available.

Anna Tunnicliffe (Plantation, Fla.), who won an Olympic Gold Medal in the Laser Radial class, a silver medal at last year’s 2008 Rolex Miami OCR and is currently ranked number one in the ISAF World Rankings, is excited to return to Miami to compete in this competitive event. “I’m looking forward to getting back in the boat,” said Tunnicliffe, after a September victory in Sonars at US SAILING’s U.S. Women’s Match Racing Championship, followed by a second-place finish at the Snipe Women’s Worlds. “I haven’t been in the Laser Radial since the Olympics.”

While the Rolex Miami OCR has typically seen some downturn in participation after an Olympic/Paralympic year, Tunnicliffe believes 2009 will show an impressive turnout. “This (ISAF circuit) is a good incentive to get people to continue on (with their Olympic and Paralympic campaigns) straight away,” she said, adding that the World Cup schedule would be the foundation for her regatta training as she pursues a repeat berth at the 2012 Olympics.

The ISAF Sailing World Cup 2008-2009 consists of the following events:

16-21 Dec 2008 - Sail Melbourne Regatta, Melbourne, Australia
25-31 Jan 2009 - Rolex Miami OCR, Miami, USA
04-10 April 2009 - Trofeo SAR Princess Sofia MAPFRE, Palma, Spain
18-24 April 2009 - Semaine Olympique Francaise, Hyeres, France
27-31 May 2009 - Delta Lloyd Regatta, Medemblik, Netherlands
21-29 June 2009 - Kieler Woche, Kiel, Germany
14-19 Sept 2009 - Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta, Weymouth, Great Britain

In line with ISAF’s philosophy for the World Cup, the Rolex Miami OCR strives to create the best competition for Olympic and Paralympic sailors, with reviews of the event each year to ensure it exceeds the expectations of all who participate.

“We are excited to be a part of the World Cup,” said US SAILING Olympic Director Katie Kelly. “And with our long-time support from Rolex and other US SAILING sponsors, we know that we can bring something special to ISAF’s plate as well.” (Rolex is a partner of ISAF as well.)

San Francisco Bay Digital Images

Storm Trysail Club Hosts 2008 IRC East Coast Championship in Annapolis, Md.

Storm Trysail Club Hosts 2008 IRC East Coast Championship in Annapolis, Md.



Annapolis, Md. (October 28, 2008) – Later this week the East Coast racing season wraps up with the Storm Trysail Club’s IRC East Coast Championship, scheduled for October 31 – November 2, 2008 on Chesapeake Bay in Annapolis, Md. A total 37 boats ranging in length from a 30-foot M30, Mummbles owned by Brad Kauffman (Annapolis) to the largest, represented in three 52-foot entries: Mayhem, the TP52 owned by Ashley Wolfe (Calgary, CAN); the Judel/Vroljik 52 Anema & Core owned by Ennio Staffini (Annapolis); and the IRC 52 Vincitore helmed by Jim Mitchell (Zurich, SUI). Shore side activities take place at Annapolis Yacht Club (AYC).



“Since 2005 we have been hosting this regatta and every year it gets stronger and stronger,” said Regatta Chair Bill Kardash (Annapolis, Md.) of regatta host Storm Trysail Club’s Chesapeake Station. “Part of its success is our race committee, headed by Race Committee Chairman Dick Neville and Principal Race Officer Wayne Bretsch, who are two well-known figures in sailing race management. Along with their team of more than 20, they can always be counted on for excellent courses and a user-friendly environment.” The regatta began in 2000 and was raced under the IMS rule, however with the growing popularity of IRC handicap racing the switch was made in 2005.



Vincitore and Mayhem last lined up in September at the Rolex Big Boat Series, hosted by the St. Francis Yacht Club, in San Francisco, Calif., where they finished 5, 8, respectively.



“We plan on participating in Key West Race Week and Miami SORC again this year so Annapolis seemed to make sense,” said Wolfe. “Originally we planned to race the Newport to Cabo race on the West Coast, however some of our competition decided to head east. In efforts to keep the field competitive we decided to follow suit. My boat has never sailed on the Chesapeake Bay before, nor have I. My ultimate goal is to win the regatta, however I would be quite pleased to have a great time participating.”

As of the October 15 early registration deadline, the largest fleet is IRC 2 with returning champion Tsunami, owned by Preben Ostberg & Bud Dailey Jr. (Rockville, Md.) alongside a total of 12 boats, to date, including two NYYC Club 42s, a Melges 32, two J/122s and four Farr 40s. “Several local Farr 40 owners are interested in generating interest in a local Farr 40 fleet,” said Erik Wulff (Washington, D.C.), who finished second in the AYC fall series. “My hope is that this regatta will highlight the competitiveness of these boats beyond the grand prix circles for which they are most known. This is one of the premier regattas each year, with a very high level of competition. It is a must-attend regatta for those who are serious about yacht racing.”

Four U.S. Naval Academy Navy 44s make up the bulk of IRC 3 –11 entries to date – with two Beneteau First 40.7 and two J/109 entries, one of which is Rush, owned by Bill Sweetster (Annapolis), winner of its class in 2007. According to Andrew Roberts (Atlantic Highlands, N.J.) making the trip to Annapolis is always a highlight. “It is a great end of year event” said Roberts who owns Overlap, a Beneteau First 40.7. “Racing has ended in our home waters of N.J., and it is a way for the team to do one more major race at the end of the season. We've been doing this race for years, and though we've raced in shorts and tees, and hats and gloves over the years, we always have a great time.”

In IRC 4, the fleet is made up of all Beneteau 36.7s with returning champion Art Silcox (West River, Md.) in the mix with KA-IO. For Keith Mayes (Tracys Landing, Md.), owner of Jubilee, this regatta has double meaning as the fleet will also determine its season’s high point winner.



“The top 3 boats, KA-IO, Jubilee, and Pegasus are very close at the moment,” said Mayes, who finished sixth in class at the 2007 regatta. “I expect very close racing up and down the nine-boat class with stiff competition from Dreamboat Annie, Foxtrot Corpen and Team Aegis. We are delighted that Gary Tisdale from Youngstown, N.Y. will be chartering a local boat (Vitesse) – Gary was second in the 2007 Beneteau 36.7 North American Championship in Buffalo, so we are expecting that he will extremely competitive and test the skills of the local skippers.”



The schedule calls for up to six windward/leeward races on Saturday, Nov. 1 and Sunday, Nov. 2. Races not completed on Saturday may be sailed on Sunday. Races not completed on Friday or Sunday will not be sailed. A distance race is set for Friday, Oct. 31, of approximately 30 miles for smaller boat classes and 45 miles for larger boat classes. The IRC East Coast Championship Trophy will be awarded for Best Overall Performance at this regatta.



The regatta is open to any IRC boat that meets the requirements of the IRC Rules and has an IRC Certificate with a rating for 2008.



For more information about the 2008 IRC East Coast Championship, including the Notice of Race, Sailing Instructions and a preliminary competitor list, go to www.stormtrysail.org or contact Bill Kardash, Regatta Chairman, Tel: 443-994-5706, Email: bkardash@columbiadirect.net.



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.

San Francisco Bay Digital Images

CONTI WINS ROLEX OSPREY CUP

San Francisco Bay Digital Images

CONTI WINS ROLEX OSPREY CUP

St. Petersburg, Fla., USA (October 28, 2008) – Italy’s Giulia Conti won the 2008 Rolex Osprey Cup – one of only two ISAF Grade 1 women’s match racing events in the U.S. – held at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club (St. Petersburg, Fla.), from October 22-25. Along with crew Alessandra Marenzi, Alessandra Angelini, Giovanna Micol, Conti (Toscolano Maderno, Italy) defeated Debbie Capozzi (Bayport, N.Y.) in the ‘first to win three’ final match format. A total of 78 matches were run by Principal Race Officer Pat Seidenspinner on Tampa Bay for the four-person teams sailing in Sonar class keelboats.

“I am feeling a mixture of pride, happiness and faith for the future,” said Conti. “If you consider that the Rolex Osprey Cup is, and has been, the only match race regatta that I have sailed during the Olympic campaign, except for the 2006, you have an immediate reply. I love the yacht club members, I love the climate, I feel happy when I’m there, and all of that helped me have the right attitude for racing.”

Conti, the 2005 Rolex Osprey Cup champion and runner-up in 2007, did well in winning seven of her round robin matches despite not actively match racing.

“I came here because I wanted enjoy the environment, despite zero training. So my expectations were far from the victory, but my heart and my mind were far from giving up. I have to confess also that inside me I was feeling that I needed a good performance after missing a medal in China in spite of my expectations there.”

Conti and Micol paired up to represent Italy in the Olympic 470. “Each crew member is excellent and they are all superb professionals,” continued Conti. “But they are also great companions before and after sailing, especially at dinner! They are serious when needed, but terrible jokers when it is time to relax!”

In the semi-final round Conti knocked out another pre-race favorite #16 ranked Lucy Macgregor (Poole, U.K.), the 2008 European champion. In the other semi-final match Capozzi defeated world #1 Claire Leroy (Nantes, FRA.), the current ISAF Women’s Match Racing World champion, to advance to the final round.

Capozzi also competed in the 2008 Olympics, representing the U.S. in the Yngling class. “I have not steered much the past couple of years so my learning curve was high,” said Capozzi, who crewed for Sally Barkow in the Yngling as well as when they won the ISAF Women’s Match Racing Worlds. “Fortunately I had a great crew who took care of everything else so I could focus on my job. We have never sailed together as a team but Genny Tulloch, Molly O'Bryan, and Derby Anderson did a fantastic job and they were a lot of fun to sail with. Giulia, Alessandra M., Alessandra A. and Giovanna sailed very well all week. The pre-starts were the highlight of our races with them. We had an offshore breeze so it was very shifty during all of the races and there were a lot of lead changes that kept us on our toes. St. Pete Yacht Club, along with Pat Seidenspinner, did a great job running the event. Every year we go there we have such a great time.”


Leroy, the 2007 ISAF Rolex Sailor of the Year and currently on the shortlist for 2008, went on to defeat Macgregor in the round to decide third and fourth place, or the ‘petit-final’ as it is called in match racing, with a score of 3-1.

Organizers describe the racing as competitive and exciting, however the event was not without obstacles. “We lost the entire day on Thursday due to high winds,” said Seidenspinner. “We completed the first round-robin on Friday morning and decided there was no way we would be able to complete the scheduled second round-robin. Rather than start what would surely be a partial round-robin, we opted to go right into the semi-finals and conduct a consolation round-robin for the remaining six boats to decide fifth through tenth places at the same time. That format kept everyone sailing for almost all of the time.”

Rounding out the standings were Samantha Osborne (Kerikeri, NZL) in 5th, Katy Lovell (New Orleans, La., USA) in 6th, Anne-Claire Le Berre (Brest, FRA) in 7th, JoAnn Fisher (Annapolis, Md., USA) in 8th, Rachael Silverstein (St. Petersburg, Fla., USA) in 9th, and Sandy Hayes (Scituate, Mass., USA) in 10th place.

Now in its 12th year of providing a platform in the U.S. for internationally-ranked women sailors, the Rolex Osprey Cup is managed by Pat Seidenspinner and Tom Farquhar (both, St. Petersburg) of the St. Petersburg Yacht Club. Only eight of the world’s women’s match-racing regattas have been granted ISAF Grade 1 status, the highest level of competition for match racing, the one-on-one format of sailboat racing. There are two in the U.S. of which the Rolex Osprey Cup is one.

Over the four days of racing in Sonar class keelboats, the St. Petersburg Yacht Club’s race committee ran 78 matches, consisting of one round-robin, two semi-final (first to win 3) matches, a consolation round-robin to determine fifth through tenth places, the petit-finals (first to win 3), and final (first to win 3). Racing conditions were excellent as they so often are on Tampa Bay, with wind at 5-20 knots and plenty of sunshine.

Final results – 2008 Rolex Osprey Cup
October 22-25, 2008 at St. Petersburg Yacht Club

Final match: Giulia Conti defeated Debbie Capozzi, 3-1
Petit-Final match: Claire Leroy def. Lucy Macgregor, 3-1
Semi-Final match 1: Debbie Capozzi* def. Claire Leroy**, 3-1
Semi-Final match 2: Giulia Conti* def. Lucy Macgregor**, 3-2
*The win advanced her team to the final match.
**The win advanced her team to the petit-final (term for consolation match for third and fourth places).

Overall standings -- Skipper (hometown) with crew members:
1. Giulia CONTI (Toscolano Maderno, ITA) Alessandra Marenzi, Alessandra Angelini, Giovanna Micol
2. Debbie CAPOZZI (Bayport, N.Y., USA) Genny Tulloch, Molly O'Brien Vandemoer, Derby Anderson
3. Claire LEROY (Nantes, FRA) Elodie Bertrand, Marie Riou, Claire Pruvot, Laura Jeffers
4. Lucy MACGREGOR (Poole, GBR) Ally Martin, Georgie Blaver-Mann and Mary Rook
5. Samantha OSBORNE (Kerikeri, NZL) Carla Holgate, Jenna Hansen, Genoa Griffin Fedyszyn
6. Katy LOVELL (New Orleans, La., USA) Ann Graham, Elizabeth Kratzig, Chafee Emory
7. Anne-Claire LE BERRE (Brest, FRA) Marion Deplanque, Alice Ponsar, Jeanne Gregoire
8. JoAnn FISHER (Annapolis, Md., USA) Maegan Ruhlman, Linda Hiller, Casey Williams
9. Rachael SILVERSTEIN (St. Petersburg, Fla., USA) Darby Smith, Kristen Herman, Kelsee Connon
10. Sandy HAYES (Scituate, Mass., USA) Phyllis Karlberg, Cindy Olsen, Karen Park

Pacific Cup to Hawaii Photos / San Francisco Race Start

San Francisco Bay Digital Images



Pacific Cup to Hawaii Photos / San Francisco Race Start

Aerial San Francisco Bay Sailing Photography

A collection of aerial sailing photography from the photography DVD "Above San Francisco" available at SFBAYSTORE.com. Photography by SFBAYIMAGES.com. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.



A collection of aerial sailing photography from the photography DVD "Above San Francisco" available at SFBAYSTORE.com. Photography by SFBAYIMAGES.com. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.


A collection of aerial sailing photography from the photography DVD "Above San Francisco" available at SFBAYSTORE.com. Photography by SFBAYIMAGES.com. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.