January 2004 FEATURES 12 World news ^HFaailin g at the last - 2003 Mini Transat, Looking ahead .V' Veendé e Globe goes up for sale, Transat Well, the ORMA fleet got to u»Jacques Vabre, VDH {left) sets out Brazil intact (this time), but i^P again, Spanish solo success. New trimaran expert NIGEL IRENS still J^r Zealand celebrates its 'first' Maxi launch, believes there is work to be done " 2003 Hobart Race preview, and Russell Coutts (winning) on his holidays... PATRICE 35 Challenging CARPENTIER, FVOR WILKINS, CARLOS Mari-Cha IV was the most dramatic offshore PICH, DOBBS DAVIS and ROB MUNDLE racer to go afloat in 2003 and FRED LOUARN and GIOVANNI BELGRANO were charged 22 ORC Column A iMg day indeed! with maldng it as stiff and as light as possible... The positive reception to the A fresh start - and it looks like it's for real! first significant announcement about a new Grand Prix Rule 39 Why ever not? 24 America's Cup news was greeted with relief all Groupe Finot's new series-built 40-footer is round. Had there been signs of ISAF collars its 'million', Gilmour takes Bermuda tortuous political resistance about as perfect a real offshore racer-cruiser as Gold Cup nail-biter and DICKSON speaks out then those who are funding the we have yet seen. PASCAL CONQ explains development of the new rule and putting in the legwork 26 Olympic and small boat news could have been forgiven for 43 Too much conflict, too many TORBJORN LEMDERSON describes Marstrom walking away. It was always misconceptions - Part I Boats' beautiful Tornado 'follow-up' going to be touch and go As Offshore Challenges moves into race whether the rule would be organisation, director MARIC TURNER looks at presented at a time when 28 Seahorse letters resistance was weak. As it the tough issue of global event co-ordination Simplified IMS can do a good job - even in current transpired, the complete domi­ nance of Botin & Caikeek's new IMS creations this sum­ REGULARS 46 Design - Little beauty mer seems to have knocked the JUAN KOUYOUMDJfAN'S elegant mini-ACC stuffing out of some who might 4 Commodore's letter one-design racer for K-Yachting is turning heads have been expeaed to cause CHRIS LITTLE mischief. Certainly many IMS raceboat owners are now 48 Seahorse raceboat build table facing the certain need for a 7 Editorial new boat. In Barcelona some ANDREW HURST And a true Caribbean gem from Trinidad kind of easy peace seemed to break out: the ORC will con­ tinue to run IMS, effectively as 8 Update 50 RORC news a class association, while still STUART QUARRIE of the RWP explains the offering its technical services to philosophy of the proposed new Grand Prix Rule offshore racing in general. The with initial feedback from JIM PUGH. Plus TIM 65 Seahorse rucB calendar ORC is also a key stakeholder JEFFERY catches up with TRACY EDWARDS, in the Rule Working Party, one who can now put petrol in her car once again... whose support will certainly 66 Seahorse Sailor of the Month speed things along and help in And not for the last time, we strongly suspect... selling the new rule to a wider audience. That it has been made clear that no one wants the new rule to formally replace IMS has helped to get Mediterranean sailors more on side. If the new GP Rule flies they can join in as and when they wish. In the meantime they can carry on racing specialist (IMS) boats that are more suitable for light air venues than they are for more windy parts of the world. Oh, and the picture... that was taken from aboard Australian racer Savoir-Faire while return­ ing from Hamilton Island Race OK, shorthanded Week. The boat photographed, sailing is generally the Sayer 38 Belle, was caught more about the sailors than by this breaking swell while the boats; but you can be certain crossing Wide Bay Bar at the that a chill wind ran through the IIWOCA southern tip of Fraser Island. fleet after the first and currently tlie only Belle was on autopilot at the Farr Open 60, Vi'rbac, won its first race, time... a set of four large waves the Transat Jacques Vabre, in the hands just popping up out of a of Jean-Pierre Dick {inset at right) and relatively calm sea - as they do! Nicolas Abiven. Note the tidy but strongly-built lifting-rudder cassettes {above) and the immaculately executed COVER: Dan Jenner and well-sheltered control pod {left) INSET: Pierrick Contin February 2004 FEATURES short, plus a round-up of the ISAF/ORC annual meetings 30 Honey I'm home! Within minutes of Valencia's 12 World news conhrmation as the 2007 America's Cup; no Marseille no Areva, America's Cup venue it seemed as Jean-Pierre Dick - a man on a mission, if all of Spain had been braced to Valencia celebrates, as does Galicia, Neville welcome the new arrival. TIM JEFFERY Crichton's thoroughly excellent year, new CBTF maxZ86 maxis kick out, plus 2004 Terra 35 KISS Nova Key West Race Week preview. PATRICE 'Keep it simple, stupid' runs the old adage, and CARPENTIER, FVOR WILKINS, CARLOS GEOFF STAGG thinks that the Rule Working PICH, DOBBS DAVIS and ROB MUISIDLE A safe bet Party would do well to heed the advice In Barcelona during the last ISAF meetings politicldng 23 Rod Davis began over the choice of 39 Gonfiicts and misconceptions Prada Challenge 2003 (or hero to zero) Olympic classes for Beijing in 2008. One class that need have - Part 2 no fears about being dropped MARK TURNER looks beneath the surface of 26 Olympic and small boat news is the 49er, wliich has brought the French professional offshore scene and finds MARK PIVAC and MII-CE CARTER have news a new level of spectacle and that all in the garden is not entirely rosy. Plus a of a foiling 18-footer that is already flying high performance not just to small look at the revised 'The Transat' solo classic in Oz monohulls, but to sailing in general. Out of the 49er have been spawned the 29er and 43 Go with the flow-Part I 28 Seahorse letters more recently the 59er - a very The aerodynamics triumvirate of DENIS And MERF OWEN and others beg to differ... classy and quick non-trapeze design (by Frank Bethwaite). OGLESBY plus DAVID and ANDREW Relative to dinghies of even just HOLLOM start a detailed look at the science 46 Design - Sweet! 15 years ago these new designs of improving foil performance in air and water Swiss designer SEBASTIEN SCHMIDT'S Psaros are light years ahead. The 59er 40 Lake Racer is not only proving fast but also will give a Flying Dutchman or REGULARS unusually rugged - testament perhaps to a 5o5 a good fight around the deliberately forgiving structural configuration course in light to medium airs - only in heavy air will these 4 Gommodore's letter fastest 'conventional' trapeze CHRIS LITTLE 48 Seahorse raceboat build table designs pull consistently ahead. Dinghy sailing has definitely And it's a long way from a famous 1/4 Tonner changed for ever, and for the 7 Editorial better, and the 49er is a model ANDREW HURST 50 RORG news example that should be on The RWP is doing sterling work, but now it's time show at the Games. But 49er to bite the bullet and risk upsetting a few people aside, the rest of the current A Special Regulations 'Inspector' writes... Olympic classes 'appear' to struggle with ISAF's new 8 Update selection criteria (see Update). SCOTT MACLEOD on the developing Swedish 65 Seahorse race calendar These criteria, however, have Match Tour - and 'that man' at ISAF, LOICK historically been the founda­ PEYRON on French sailors selling themselves tions - the fall-back - for the 66 Seahorse Sailor of the Month selection battles themselves. One for our Spanish readers - or rather two! With a lack of viable alterna­ Robbie Haines gives a cheery wave from the new tives do not be surprised if the Pyewacket as three years of research and Olympic line-up stays exacdy planning finally come to fruition with the the same for the next cycle. first-launched of this new breed of CBTF Possibly the Finn may be at maxZ86 designs. The powerful combination risk from one of the better solo of slender waterlines and a deep swing-keel skiffs, but it is hard to see the were dramatically demonstrated when Laser being threatened, with its Pyewackefs unrivalled claim to egalitarian- was tested(oS79 ism. More dramatic was Paul launched at McCon Henderson's successful move to abandon discards for the Olympic Regatta: most we have spoken to favour this change, provided there are plenty of races in a series. The lot of the media and the specta­ tor will certainly be improved - and rescoring recent Olympic Regattas suggests that, either way, the best man or woman will still win. No change there! COVER: Annemiek van Kinderen INSET: Andrea Francolini/DPPi FEATURES flyer' goes afloat, Bob Oatley goes CBTF (again), as Hobart goes IRC, El 32 Faster, faster ^ Rito fights for its euros, Cookson (Mick) With record-breaking experience on gets himself a groovy new toy, and new Maiden 2 PAUL LARSEN knows that his records are set at Key West. PATRICE next target, the outright sailing speed record, CARPENTIER, CARLOS PICH, IVOR will take some doing. But confidence is high! WILKINS, DOBBS DAVIS and ROB MUNDLE 36 Pirelli Regatta 2004 26 Rod Davis A look ahead to one of the most important And our two star (sic) America's Cup events in the Mediterranean calendar columnists get to team up for a change..