Act 2 of the 2012 Extreme Sailing Series runs from April 17 to 20 in Qingdao, China. The Omani-flagged teams Oman Air and The Wave, Muscat have the advantage as they head to China, having scored a one-two respectively on their home waters during the opening round of the Series.
The racing has never been more competitive. The addition of the two Luna Rossa crews has ratcheted up the intensity level on the race course. Dean Barker’s Emirates Team New Zealand and Jimmy Spithill’s ORACLE Racing, separated by just one point on the 2011-12 AC World Series leaderboard, resumed battle on day one in Naples, and not surprisingly, neither team would give an inch. After two races, both have posted one-three on their scorecard to lead the fleet.
Ky-mani Marley will be appearing LIVE at Antigua Sailing Week on Tuesday May 1st. The event will be start at 6pm in Nelson’s Dockyard and tickets cost EC$40 in advance, $EC50 on the door. On sale now at Antigua Yacht Club and the Antigua Hotel and Tourist Association.
Azimut Benetti Group organised the Yachting Gala 2012, devoted to its customers worldwide. The event took place last month in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
America’s Cup Hall of Fame welcomes the next three inductees in 2012, coming from three distinct America’s Cup eras. Two of them are Americans and one is Italian. Established in 1992 the America’s Cup Hall of Fame celebrates and recognizes the achievements of individuals within the sport of sailing and in particular the America’s Cup competition.
Perini Navi and Comitato Leonardo have decided to reward again this year young graduates who have written thesis on subjects that are relevant to the promotion of nautical products that are made in Italy. The Prizes for Degrees program, first launched by the Comitato Leonardo in 1997, has already rewarded 100 top notch students for their work.
The sole participating Maxi, Geoff Hill’s sailing yacht Genuine Risk, won the Sunday Telegraph Trophy for Line Honours as well as a Rolex Yacht-Master timepiece at the 50th Rolex China Sea Race. The Overall title on corrected time went to the Singaporean entry Zanzibar, who also laid claim to a Rolex Yacht-Master timepiece in addition to inscribing their victory in the record books of Rolex China Sea Race history.
Ambassador David Thorne experienced the first day’s competing at the Naples AC World Series today, watching the two races up close from the support boat of America’s Cup champion ORACLE Racing. As a keen sailor himself, the ambassador was disappointed when the sea conditions prevented him from competing in Race 1 aboard the ORACLE Racing boat skippered by America’s Cup champion James Spithill.
In difficult conditions on the Bay of Naples, ORACLE Racing Spithill won the first fleet race going away. The quintet followed it up with a 3rd in Race 2 and finished the day tied for the overall lead with Emirates Team New Zealand. With the wind blowing steadily in the 20s and a choppy sea running at 6 to 8 feet, the conditions were rougher today than even in the more sheltered Plymouth, U.K., last September, widely considered the windiest regatta.
Strong winds and big waves created menacing racing conditions on the first day of racing in Naples. Terry Hutchinson was leading his Artemis Racing team to a solid second place in the first race when both bows buried in impressive fashion as he rounded the top mark. The front of the boat kept going down, the wind pushing the wing over, until they capsized.
Bellport’s Lido Yacht Anchorage & Drystack in the USA has been upgraded by Bellingham Marine. Its renovation included the removal as well as replacement of a portion of the marina’s docks and the marina received final approval from the fire department on April 3rd.
10th American Superyacht Forum has revealed the first wave of speakers for its ten-session programme. Whilst ASF 2011 was the year of the rallying cry to implement change and set the ball rolling, this year’s ASF will build on such momentum and focus on action.