(Contents January 1999 FEATURES Farr 40 OD world championship and 1D35 US 31 Towards clarity and simplicity nationals reports, Route du Rhum fleet storm For some time it has been well known that there south, man-overboard row in Sydney, Macquarie were anomalies in the 1996-2000 rules, espe­ Innovation winding up to 50, Sydney-Hobart cially as applied to match racing. Team preview, Syd Fischer scores New Zealand have been pushing for America's Cup points (ashore), Coutts changes for some time, and recently returns to match-race circuit to take some were made. But is it time for a Bermuda Gold Cup, Cayard hits whole new approach? RUSSELL back at Bitter End Pro-Am, and the COUnS and TIM JEFFERY Mari-Cha transatlantic story - and , lessons for The Race 2000. With FRONT COVER: 34 mOB Itl lieaven? V Mm PATRICE CARPENTIER, IV^OR Mike Golding storms into It sorted its differences with ISAF, but \ WILKINS, ROB Cape Town on Team Group the ORC failed to address IMS stability at MUNDLE, DOBBS DAVIS, JOHN 4 to win leg one of the its annual round of meetings. ORC and ITC ROBERSON and ALASTAIR ABREHART Around Alone Race member DAVID LYONS reports from Palma and This opening performance p^UL HENDERSON gives his views on the ^ P||ii| RmmPÉ X%?"^rking En ^f'^oSL at the JMV shipyard in S^n 6o\^a?b"üt'Th'Zgl , '^c M^" '""^^'i TTM 24 Olympic AwA sDiall boat news Goldingl projec mlnag^ ÏJÏïpP v'^'"^ T T7 A ^on't take that old 49er to Sydney, nor your ment te'am'ieant hard on ^FFERY reports on eg one of he Around Europe wing-mast. PETER BENTLEY JMV to produce precisely the ^1™*:' ^^''^'^ ^^^^^^^A^^Vl^^^Jc'^^.''% I'^Ports on the 1998 ISAE conference " boat they wanted, the French routemg strategies and ALEX PETERSON talks builders were impressed with to Class 2 winner JEAN-PIERRE MOULIGNE nn P..« Golding's quiet but dedicated •^0 AmenCa S UUP ttOWS approach and his patience Ai Thp Vnlvn flfiAail RanP Musical chairs begin as Fehlmann leaves FAST and attention to detail. The V *2000, Challenger Association meeting in result is what is probably one A HBW Ora Bermuda and syndicate profiles. TIM JEFFERY of, if not the best-finished The Volvo Ocean Race is certain to be a step up Open 60 yet seen, light and from its predecessor in many areas, not least OQ ICIIC nnllimn very strong Second place promotional investment. We talk to the man in . , , „.^TT ^ hnisher Isabella Autissier had choree HELGE ALTEN starts a second term PAUL HENDERSON expected Golding to have ^ ' gives his verdict on the ISAF conference speed on her now three-year- , • _ old PRB, but was surprised 44 TOPPing tllB yOar... 47 Qggjg _ O* , j . t , by the margin of difference. peter Gilmour and the Pizza-la team defended Z, i, ^ T . ^ ' Autissier herself had htted a ^^eir world match-race title in Japan in ^^"^ ^^chts managing director Giorgio Tn 7h u";''°"r ^T't" November. Race report from ANDY ^^S""' ^^^"'bes the development and ^ive L?boIt mor?power° HEMMINGS and an insight from Gilmour's innovation that went mto creating the give ner Boat more power. \^„„f-,^„ bowman KA7TTHTKO SOFTTKTT company's new showpiece German Frers steld?reflLl^nTsThuT KAZUHIKO SOFUKU j^^.g^^j swing-keeled 88-footer, Tiketitan shape, it seems the progress REGULARS cn p, made in lighter structures, — — OU dedAOfSd raCODOat more sophisticated swing 4 lOmmOdOre S lOtteP hlliW tahio keel mechanisms and more UUIIU IdUIC advanced rig configurations ^ C/l"* ' I "^^"^ INDREW HURST 52 RORC news and Race Director's estimated that his new hull lOttCr shape offered an improve- ^ I|nHatp ALAN GREEN ment or about one per cent U UpUulC on its predécessor, but IR2000 meets IMS in Palma and the ISAF/Sperry nr o • Autissier feels that in some Top-Sider sailor of the year awards 00 SeRllOrSe CalOndaP conditions the new boats are eveas mucn a twh aos pethrer ecen pet rmargi cent n is fastea couplr - e ino faround days. ,O thf ecourse world, s easaaa r''flk;'«««(, rw l '/• r /' ' . • that is only part of the story, / The 'mam man ; and Autissier has shown that leading Open tactically she is master of the Class designer field. Over the long haul she Jean-Marie Finot stdl remains most people's admires the favourite for an overall win, canting and but two days is a lot to rotating wing mast concede and can only add to fitted to Raphael the pressure. Dinelll's new Open 60, Sodebo Cover: Jaques Vapillon. Savourons la Vie Inset Guy Guriiey {far left), which was launched just before the Route du Rhum ariiliWjaMFebruary 1999 to Brady at New Zealand match-race champs FEATURES (just), James Spithill scores on offshore debut, 33 The most fun you'll ever have? Australian Olympic sailors cash up, and Macquarie Innovation goes back in the shed. Commodore Explorer designer GILLES OLLIER PATRICE CARPENTIER, FVOR WILKINS, talks to DAVID PALMER about tbe development ROB MUNDLE and DOBBS DAVIS. of his new 35m catamaran, conceived for The Race 2000. 21 Rod Davis 37 The Volvo Ocean Race 'You have no idea': the Prada Sailing Director learns to sail lACC boats in Auckland Moving on... As website commentator for the last Whitbread Race, grand-prix navigator MARK CHISNELL 22 Olympic and small boat news was well placed to assess areas of possible Bundock and Forbes dominate Tornado worlds in Brazil, ERIC DROUGLEZ. Plus Nicho drops FRONT COVER: change for the next Volvo Ocean Race. This is his 'wish list'. by the skiffs - and wins, and ROB BROWN'S Laurent Bourgnon celeb- 49er tip of the month. trates his second consec­ utive Route du Rhum win 40 A hard start For the Swiss-French solo The opening of leg two brought brutal conditions 26 America's Gup news star, this latest Transatlantic to the Around Alone fleet and saw race favourite Prada syndicate profi ed, windy times in victory will have special sig­ Auckland and will DC merge with Holmberg? nificance, as he works hard Isabelle Autissier's poor Southern Ocean luck to secure the sponsorship he return yet again. TIM JEFFERY reports. TIM JEFFERY now urgently needs to com­ plete his new 38 metre Nigel 45 For the greater good 28 ORG hens designed catamaran, 'That' stability quick fix - and why it happened. for which Bourgnon now has Sail developments for the Around Alone fleet KEN WELLER. a finished plug sitting in a should have immediate benefits for other areas shed near his home in of the sport. BARRY and RUSSELL Brittany. For Bourgnon, and PICKTHALL look at the progress made. 31 Seahorse letters for the other skippers trying to raise funds for The Race, One rule and one language (please), requests the launch in December of ROB WEILAND. Steve Fossett's impressive 32 REGULARS metre Morelli/Melvin designed PlayStation (see 48 Design - Hobart rocket? p.8), should also bring some 4 Commodore's letter ANDY DOVELL describes an unusual design benefits. The publicity brief recently completed for a lightweight new Fossett's new boat is certain 7 Editorial Australian mini-maxi. to generate will raise the profile of Bruno Peyron's ANDREW HURST round the world event, 50 Seahorse ncebotit which in turn should assist 8 Update build table in the wider quest for cash. Steve Fossett's PlayStation goes afloat and the Bourgnon, meanwhile, with newly amended ISAF match racing rules come his latest victory, really has under the spotlight in St Thomas. 52 RORG news and Race Director's established himself as the man to beat in this disci­ letter pline. His record of achieve­ 10 World news The Fastnet gains a Class Zero. ment in offshore multihuUs Bourgnon takes Route du Rhum double as ALAN GREEN stands comparison with any­ Coville and MacArthur top the monohuU one, with his outright and divisions, plus Mumm 30 worlds, strong IMS solo 24 hour record of 538 65 Seahorse calBnAdir miles being perhaps his fleet for Key West Race Week, Dickson loses out crowning glory. But Bourgnon is well aware that though that distance will survive for some time as a solo record, once Steve Fossett's team start to wind up their new machine it is likely to be quickly superced­ ed as sailing's outright 24 hour benchmark. Bourgnon knows that he needs a new boat, and he needs it soon. No one deserves it more. Cover Thierry Martinez Inset Jean Marie- Uot/DPPI A windy second day at the Mumm 30 worlds, In Carolina, brought good spectacle for those watching. Through it all Luca Bassani's well-practiced team (centre) cruised on to their well-deserved title. March 1999 Isabelle Autissier's crazy Christmas, Hydroptere IRES to go for Atlantic record, Mini-Transat, Trophy 34 A black day Clairefontaine, Auguin for Volvo Ocean Race, ROB MUNDLE reports on the tragic events of new floats for Cammas, US CMAC news, Acura the 1998 Sydney-Hobart Race, with additional SORC preview, lD48s go to Bakimore and a new comment from MARK RUDIGER and MARK boat for Team Dennis Conner. IVOR WILKINS, TURNER, both competing in the event. PETER BENTLEY, PATRICE CARPENTIER and DOBBS DAVIS. 42 By numbers Pani navarri Steve Fossett's new 105 foot catamaran V"J'** " ,. , , • PlayStation is one of the most significant new I" light of the Hobart disaster, the dominant wm- raceboats to have been launched in the last 50 of the last Whitbread Round the World Race FRONT COVER: Designer GINO MORELLI describes the takes a hard look in the mirror, battles its way across the evolutionary, rather than revolutionary design Bass Strait on December and bmld process employed.