Displaying items by tag: Aidan McLaverty

23rd October 2010

Day One Videos from Irish Match Racing Nationals

The Match Racing National Championships are underway in Kinsale this afternoon and we're on the water to bring you vidcasts from competitors at the Round Robin stage. Click read more and listen into George Kingston, Prof O'Connell and Aidan McLaverty.

Vidcasts by Brian Carlin

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Kiwi Makes Top Start at Laser Worlds

The strong tidal current and light and at times very shifty breeze proved to be the principal challenges on the first day of the Laser World Championships off Hayling Island. It left Irish Olympic campaigner James Espey in 52nd, the top third of the senior fleet. Ronan Cull is in 152nd and Paul McMahon is 157th in the 159 boat fleet.

For those sailors who had spent the preceding days, or – for some – weeks, learning venue's nuances idiosyncrasies it was intelligence gained about the tidal current which was of immediate value.

Racing Day 1 broke the pattern of blustery winds and intermittent rain which have prevailed through pre-championships training phase, replaced absolutely on cue by bluebird skies, summer sunshine and light to moderate mainly northerly breezes.

New Zealand's Michael Bullot, runner up at last year's World Championships in Halifax, Nova Scotia made the strongest start across the two testing opening races by posting a second and a first in the first of four days of scheduled Qualifying heats.

His early statement of intent saw the Aucklander ashore this afternoon with a lead of one point over Skandia Team GBR's Paul Goodison, the Olympic and defending World Champion who opened his regatta with third place and then won his second heat by a comfortable distance.

The shifting directions of the wind, oscillating through as much as 30 degrees at times in the Standard fleet's first race set the early test, but a big 50 degrees swing early in of the second contest, kept the racers and the race team on their toes; the second and third starts were delayed until the breeze settled.

According to Goodison patience was his key virtue through both races, waiting until changes in the breeze were sufficiently established enough to make a consideredmove, rather than falling to the temptation to try and benefit every small change.

And with up to a knot of current running and the direction of flow progressively changing, flowing to the NW at the start of Race 1 and moving to the NE tactical decisions were a movable feast, rich with opportunities to make gains and losses.

Australia's double world champion Tom Slingsby, who arrived late Saturday at Hayling Island fresh from winning the Etchells World Championships with America's Cup legend John Bertrand, showed no sign of ring rustiness when he won his first heat, but he admitted to trying to breaking from the pack's conventional thinking on the first downwind of the second race, and his error dropped him four boats to score an eighth.

Among those finishing their first day with results which were well ahead of their expectations were Nicholas Heiner who won the first heat for the Yellow fleet, the biggest senior triumph yet for the young Dutch sailor who seeks to emulate or better the record of his 1996 Finn Olympic bronze medallist father, whilst Estonia's Karl-Martin Rammo paired up a third and first to match the first day 4pts tally of Goodison.

In the Junior World Championships Italy's Francesco Marrai leads the 118 boat fleet after posting a second and third. Competing for Ireland are Chris Penney, Aidan McLaverty and Hammy Baker.

Laser World Championships, Hayling Island GBR,
After Day 1
1 Michael Bullot (NZL) 1,2, 3pts
2 Paul Goodison (GBR) 3,1 4 pts
2 Karl-Martin Rammo (EST) 3,1 4pts
4 Luka Radelic (CRO) 2,2 4pts,
5 N Thompson (GBR) 2,3 5pts,
6 Pavlos Kontides (CYP) 4,3 7pts
7 Tom Slingsby (AUS) 1,8 9pts
8 Matthias Del Solar (CHI) 4,5 9pts
9 Andrew Murdoch (NZL) 6,4 10pts
10 Giacomo Bottolli (ITA) 9,4 13pts

Junior World Championships
1 Francesco Marrai (ITA) 2,3 5pts
2 Lukas Feuerherdt (GER) 1, 5 6pts
3 Thorbjoern Schierup (DEN) 3,3 6pts
4 Bogoslav Bugarin (CRO) 8,5, 13pts
5 Antony Munos (FRA) 14,2 16pts

Paul Goodison (GBR): "The first race started off in a really shifty breeze, up to 12 knots but it dropped back to five or six knots with some big swings in the wind. I think it was a bit of a patience game waiting for the wind to come back. It can be too easy to go chasing things, but the wind usually came back and so that was a bit of a patience game.
The second race got super light just before the start but at the gun there was probably 10-11 knots, that dropped to about 4-5 knots, but there was nearly a knot of tide and so it was very important to stay inside the laylines with that much of tide running. Quite a lot of the fleet got outside the port tack layline which meant them reaching in and pushing tide and that hurt them quite a lot.".
" We had three great weeks of breeze at Sail for Gold and for the two weeks since, and so here today it has been nice to remember how to do it in the light winds."
"After Sail for Gold I did three days here and then arrived her last week and have been sailing most days since then."

Andrew Maloney (NZL): "It was pretty shifty. I got a good start at the pin and then got a nice left shift and so managed to cross the fleet and from there it was just about sailing on the lifted tack and staying in the pressure on the downwind legs. It sounds easy but it wasn't!
The start and the first beat were vital and when you were out in front it got easier.
I was second at the first mark. He got back into the second left shift half way up the beat and that made the difference."

Nick Heiner (NED): "I had a really good start at the pin end, five boats from the pin and got a nice shift to the left and from there on was always ahead of the fleet, and could play with the shifts. Downwind I was not that fast, but I managed to stay ahead. But now I know what to work on for the coming days. It was a good start.
I like it here, with the current and the waves it is good fun, a bit like home in Schevenigen where I have trained a lot."

Tom Slingsby, (AUS): " I always say you can't win the regatta on the first day but you can lose and I managed not to do that which is good. It was a very tricky day with a lot of current. I got through pretty well, not as well as some but I am pretty happy with my day.
I have to say I was feeling a bit rusty on the way out to the start. Everyone else was kind of cruising around and I was racing trying to get used to it, trying to get the feel back. But all in all I sailed fine.
The first race was light, six to ten knots, I sailed quite well and rounded second and slowly caught the leader to win. The second race I was about fourth or fifth. But with the downwind the current was washing us straight across the course, I decided to take a bit of a risk and not join the train as we call it, and I broke away and unfortunately it did not work, but it could have been worse."

Karl-Martin Rammo (EST): "It was the best day of my life so far, off the charts. I managed to get in the front of the fleet early. First race I had a mediocre start but got to the front of the fleet by just sailing the shifts, I was kind of the middle but just got it right. It was so shifty and gusty.
The second race I had a really good start at the pin and tacked immediately and went pretty much to the right corner and was ahead at the upwind mark, had a mediocre downwind mark but has a good second upwind."

Nick Thompson (GBR): "All in all it was a pretty good start In the first race it was very shifty, probably averaging 10-12 knots at times but with big changes in pressure but it was nice to race in with lots of opportunities to come back. The second race was tough with strong current running which really skewed the course too much, but the race committee did a good job in moving the windward mark to square it up and so it was a decent race."

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About The Middle Sea Race

The Rolex Middle Sea Race is a highly rated offshore classic, often mentioned in the same breath as the Rolex Fastnet, The Rolex Sydney–Hobart and Newport-Bermuda as a 'must do' race. The Royal Malta Yacht Club and the Royal Ocean Racing Club co-founded the race in 1968 and 2007 was the 28th Edition. Save for a break between 1984 and 1995 the event has been run annually attracting 25–30 yachts. In recent years, the number of entries has rissen sharply to 68 boats thanks to a new Organising Committee who managed to bring Rolex on board as title sponsor for the Middle Sea Race.

The race is a true challenge to skippers and crews who have to be at their very best to cope with the often changeable and demanding conditions. Equally, the race is blessed with unsurpassed scenery with its course, taking competitors close to a number of islands, which form marks of the course. Ted Turner described the MSR as "the most beautiful race course in the world".

Apart from Turner, famous competitors have included Eric Tabarly, Cino Ricci, Herbert von Karajan, Jim Dolan, Sir Chay Blyth and Sir Francis Chichester (fresh from his round the world adventure). High profile boats from the world's top designers take part, most in pursuit of line honours and the record – competing yachts include the extreme Open 60s, Riviera di Rimini and Shining; the maxis, Mistress Quickly, Zephyrus IV and Sagamore; and the pocket rockets such as the 41-foot J-125 Strait Dealer and the DK46, Fidessa Fastwave.

In 2006, Mike Sanderson and Seb Josse on board ABN Amro, winner of the Volvo Ocean Race, the super Maxis; Alfa Romeo and Maximus and the 2006 Rolex Middle Sea Race overall winner, Hasso Platner on board his MaxZ86, Morning Glory.

George David on board Rambler (ex-Alfa Romeo) managed a new course record in 2007 and in 2008, Thierry Bouchard on Spirit of Ad Hoc won the Rolex Middle Sea Race on board a Beneteau 40.7

The largest number of entries was 78 established in 2008.

Middle Sea Race History

IN THE BEGINNING

The Middle Sea Race was conceived as the result of sporting rivalry between great friends, Paul and John Ripard and an Englishman residing in Malta called Jimmy White, all members of the Royal Malta Yacht Club. In the early fifties, it was mainly British servicemen stationed in Malta who competitively raced. Even the boats had a military connection, since they were old German training boats captured by the British during the war. At the time, the RMYC only had a few Maltese members, amongst who were Paul and John Ripard.

So it was in the early sixties that Paul and Jimmy, together with a mutual friend, Alan Green (later to become the Race Director of the Royal Ocean Racing Club), set out to map a course designed to offer an exciting race in different conditions to those prevailing in Maltese coastal waters. They also decided the course would be slightly longer than the RORC's longest race, the Fastnet. The resulting course is the same as used today.

Ted Turner, CEO of Turner Communications (CNN) has written that the Middle Sea Race "must be the most beautiful race course in the world. What other event has an active volcano as a mark of the course?"

In all of its editions since it was first run in 1968 – won by Paul Ripard's brother John, the Rolex Middle Sea Race has attracted many prestigious names in yachting. Some of these have gone on to greater things in life and have actually left their imprint on the world at large. Amongst these one finds the late Raul Gardini who won line honours in 1979 on Rumegal, and who spearheaded the 1992 Italian Challenge for the America's Cup with Moro di Venezia.

Another former line honours winner (1971) who has passed away since was Frenchman Eric Tabarly winner of round the world and transatlantic races on Penduik. Before his death, he was in Malta again for the novel Around Europe Open UAP Race involving monohulls, catamarans and trimarans. The guest list for the Middle Sea Race has included VIP's of the likes of Sir Francis Chichester, who in 1966 was the first man to sail around the world single-handedly, making only one stop.

The list of top yachting names includes many Italians. It is, after all a premier race around their largest island. These include Navy Admiral Tino Straulino, Olympic gold medallist in the star class and Cino Ricci, well known yachting TV commentator. And it is also an Italian who in 1999 finally beat the course record set by Mistress Quickly in 1978. Top racing skipper Andrea Scarabelli beat it so resoundingly, he knocked off over six hours from the time that had stood unbeaten for 20 years.

World famous round the world race winners with a Middle Sea Race connection include yachting journalist Sir Robin Knox-Johnston and Les Williams, both from the UK.

The Maxi Class has long had a long and loving relationship with the Middle Sea Race. Right from the early days personalities such as Germany's Herbert Von Karajan, famous orchestra conductor and artistic director of the Berliner Philarmoniker, competing with his maxi Helisara IV. Later came Marvin Greene Jr, CEO of Reeves Communications Corporation and owner of the well known Nirvana (line honours in 1982) and Jim Dolan, CEO of Cablevision, whose Sagamore was back in 1999 to try and emulate the line honours she won in 1997.

THE COURSE RECORD

The course record was held by the San Francisco based, Robert McNeil on board his Maxi Turbo Sled Zephyrus IV when in 2000, he smashed the Course record which now stands at 64 hrs 49 mins 57 secs. Zephyrus IV is a Rechiel-Pugh design. In recent years, various maxis such as Alfa Romeo, Nokia, Maximus and Morning Glory have all tried to break this course record, but the wind Gods have never played along. Even the VOR winner, ABN AMro tried, but all failed in 2006.

However, George David came along on board Rambler in 2007 and demolished the course record established by Zephyrus IV in 2000. This now stands at 1 day, 23 hours, 55 minutes and 3 seconds.

At A Glance - Middle Sea Race 2024

First held: 1968

Organising Authority: Royal Malta Yacht Club

Start

The 45th Rolex Middle Sea Race will start on Saturday, 19 October 2024.

Grand Harbour, Valletta: seven separate starts, at 10-minute intervals, from 11:00 CEST Saturday, 21 October 2024

Start Line: between the Saluting Battery, Upper Barrakka Gardens (Valletta) and Fort St Angelo (Birgu)

Various vantage points all around the Grand Harbour, high up on the bastions or at water level. Harbour access for spectator boats is restricted during the period of the start.

Course

Set in the heart of the Mediterranean and is considered one of the most beautiful in the world. It starts and finishes in Malta, passes two active volcanoes and takes in the deep azure waters surrounding Sicily, and the Aeolian and Egadi Islands, as well as lonelier outposts of Pantelleria and Lampedusa, both closer to the African continent than Europe.

Length: 606 nautical miles (1,122km)

Outright Race Record: 33h 29m 28s, Argo, United States, Jason Carroll

Monohull Race Record: 40h 17m 50s, Comanche, Cayman Is, Mitch Booth