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29 September 2008 "CUORDILEONE" IN TOP 3 AT ROLEX'S LES VOILES DE SAINT-TROPEZA formidable entry list of 43 boats in IRC B Division at Saint Tropez is a hefty number. After Day 1 of this week's racing, Leonardo Ferragamo's "Cuordileone" finished 3rd in her division. "Daring", skippered by John Hele placed 7th and Austin & Gwen Fragomen's, "Interlodge" placed 13th. This is Saint Tropez's 10th Les Voiles regatta and the town is host to an impressive list of traditional one, two and three masted yachts and modern yachts including Maxis. Over 3,000 yachtsmen have descended on the town, well-known for its love of sailing, and four projection screens have been mounted throughout the city for public viewing of the gala event. 28 September 2008 ABANDONED RACING ON LAST DAY GIVES "TSUNAMI" AYC CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE Perhaps it was revenge of the wind gods or global warming, but Mother Nature didn't leave much chance for redemption on the race course today. After only 1.5 legs completed, a flat calm descended on the fleet and ultimately the race was abandoned. Thus, the results at the end of yesterday stood with "Tsunami" taking 1st place, with "Arethusa" 2nd, "Barleycorn" 3rd, followed by "Bandit", "Mutiny", "Better Than...", "Celeritas", "Orbit", and "Quintessence". The win was nontheless a sweet one for Team Tsunami and Team Arethusa who bettered their 2nd and 3rd place finishes respectively from the AYC Spring Series. For some, this marks the end of the 2008 season with the focus now on the migration to Florida for Acura Key West Race Week in January. Others will continue to compete locally in Indian Harbor Yacht Club's Gearbuster Race on October 11, and Manhasset Bay Yacht Club's Fall Series October 18-19 & 25-26, while others will head to the IRC East Coast Championship in Annapolis October 31-November 2. 27 September 2008 "TSUNAMI" CONTINUES TO DOMINATE AT AYC FALL SERIESThe second weekend of the American Yacht Club's Fall got off to a great start with nine Swan 42's completing three races today. "Tsunami", skippered by Bud Dailey took bullets in Races 3 and 4 and "Arethusa", skippered by Phil Lotz took the bullet in Race 5. "Tsunami" has a strong foothold on winning the series with 6 points, but things are very close at the top with the next four boats. "Arethusa" is currently in second place with 10 points, "Barleycorn" in third with 11 points, "Bandit" in fourth with 13 points, and "Mutiny" in fifth place with 16 points. The awards presentation will be tomorrow afternoon on the lawn of AYC overlooking Long Island Sound. Typical to after race day celebrations, refreshments will be served to all competitors. Meanwhile, on the other side of the pond, three Swan 42's are currently in Saint-Tropez awaiting Monday's start of Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez. "Cuordileone", "Daring", and "Interlodge" will all be competing in IRC. 21 September, 2008 2008 NETHERLANDS CLUB SWAN 42 CHAMPION CROWNEDThis past weekend the 2008 Dutch Championships were held at Marina Seaport IJmuiden, about 30 minutes from Amsterdam. At the end of the three-day championship, "HOLMATRO ING RE", Club Swan Hull No. 42/033, skippered by Lennard Van Oeveren, won overall to claim the Dutch Championship in IRC for 2008. Congratulations! Today the fleet at American Yacht Club only managed one race due to light conditions. The course was eventually shortened to 3.375 nautical miles sailed under a light southerly breeze of 5 or less knots. "Tsunami" had a great start at the pin while two boats were over. She continued to hold the lead the entire way. "We had an overlap with "Bandit" who sailed the best beat of anyone", noted Bud Dailey, "Tsunami's" skipper. "We tacked to lay the mark and if we had gone any further to the right "Bandit" would have passed us by", he added. "There was pressure in the leeward leg and we held on longer on the port gybe than "Bandit" which put them further North. We got good pressure to extend our lead on "Bandit" and covered them to get to the lay line with good boat speed and a lot of luck". "Bandit" was 2nd, "Barleycorn" 3rd, "Better Than..." 4th, "Arethusa" 5th, "Mutiny" 6th, "Orbit" 7th, and "Celeritas" 8th. September 20, 2008 "MUTINY'S" WIN - LUCK OR LOCAL KNOWLEDGE? Co-owners Drew Shea and Gibb Kane of Rye, NY claim it was luck rather than local knowledge that gave them the win in Race 1 of the AYC Fall Series. Somehow they managed to come from 5th place at the leeward mark to claim the first bullet in the 7.8 mile 4-leg course today with an East wind at approximately 8 knots. "We got very lucky", says Shea. "Our zone of breeze lifted us off "Arethusa's" hip. The boats that went to the beach did not have an advantage. We managed to stay in the breeze the whole way. The downwind leg with "Arethusa" had us separated by one or two boat lengths." "Arethusa" finished second, followed by "Barleycorn" who had led the way around the leeward mark, "Tsunami" was fourth, followed by "Bandit", "Better Than...", "Orbit", and "Celeritas". The second race was cancelled due to diminishing winds. It is hoped there will be two races on Sunday. September 19, 2008 NINE 42'S PARTICIPATE IN AMERICAN YACHT CLUB FALL SERIES This weekend marks the first of two weekends in back to back racing in the American Yacht Club's Fall Series held in Long Island Sound. The fleet includes "Arethusa", "Bandit", "Barleycorn", "Better Than...", "Celeritas", "Mutiny","Orbit", "Quintessence", and "Tsunami". KATTACK GPS tracking systems will once again be on-board. This series will be followed by a few more local regattas and ending with the Storm Trysail Club's IRC East Coast Championship in Annapolis, MD at the end of October, the last US regatta of the 2008 season. Meanwhile, several Club Swan 42's will congregate in France for Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, September 27 - October 4th. In this last event for the 2008 Med circuit, they will compete in IRC. Participants include both "Daring" and "Interlodge" from the US with as many as three entries to be confirmed from Europe. September 14, 2008 "KORA4" WINS CLASS AT ROLEX SWAN CUP WITH EASEWith one last race today Course 1 was an 8-mile windward/leeward wth winds in the 16-18 range with gusts in the 20's. Three boats were over early: "Affair", "Baraka GP", and Daring", and that clearly changed the dynamics on the course. "KORA4" had the lead to the first mark, but was overtaken by "Couordileone". "Interlodge" was third at the mark, however "KuujjuaQ" passed "Interlodge" at the actual rounding. At the second windward mark "KORA4" and "Courdileone" were neck and neck with "KuujjuaQ" close on their stern. "Interlodge" and "Daring" were 4th and 5th respectively on the second windward mark rounding and upon setting the chute, "Interlodge" ended up being pinned in by three Maxis which allowed "Daring" to pass. "It was a good race - this last day, and we needed to finish in the top five so we were were very conservative in order to control our placement", stated Diogo Cayolla, Tactician for "KORA4". "Passing "Couordileone" was double satisfaction and to win four races out of six showed we were very consistent. Apart from the first two races, four boats were very competitive", he added. Tactician Enrico Zennaro for "Courdileone" stated "It was a very difficult race because of the very strong winds in the range of 25-26. The gybe maneuver was most important and we lost it on the last gybe. We were happy with our performance". The final results of the Rolex Swan Cup with one throwout race are as follows: "KORA 4" 6 points"Courdileone" 13 points "Interlodge" 14 points "Daring" 15 points"KuujjuaQ" 21 points"Barkaka GP" 29 points"Affair" 34 points September 13, 2008 HIGH WINDS CANCELS DAY 5Once again Mother Nature seems to plague the Rolex Swan Cup. A front came in overnight and after a couple of postponements with winds in excess of 30 the Race Committee cancelled races for the day. Tomorrow will be a crucial day. It is hoped to have at least two races on the final day as things are quite close at the top. September 12, 2008 MOTHER NATURE & RACE 5Once again, light winds kept the 42's at the docks in postponement on Day 4 of the Rolex Swan Cup. With more postponements on the water, the start was eventually executed at 1530. Course #25 was 17 miles - a much shortened version of the planned 60 mile race got off to a slow start, but towards the end of the race the skies blackened, lightning strikes were the rule and the gusts approached 40. "It was very exciting from Monaci Lighthouse to Peveron" exclaimed Nicolo Reggio, Relief Helmsman on "Courdileone". "Staying high and using our A-3 was our strategy" he continued. Although "Daring" had held the lead, the top boats watched as "KORA4" passed to leeward. "KORA4 is very fast" confirmed Reggio and John Hele of "Daring". At the end of Day 5 "KORA4" is in 1st with 7 points, "Interlodge" in 2nd with 14, "Courdileone" in 3rd with 15, and "Daring" in 4th with 16. "KuujjuaQ", "Baraka GP", and "Affair" round out the field. September 11, 2008 LIGHT WINDS CANCEL ROLEX SWAN CUP COASTAL RACE Race 5 scheduled for today was to be a coastal race of approximately 60 miles. Due to light winds, the race was cancelled at 12:30PM. Tomorrow's Lay Day will now be used with racing to start 1.5 hours earlier in order to maximize the day. September 10, 2008 US & ITALY TOP THE LEADER BOARD AT ROLEX SWAN CUP ON DAY 2Day Two of the Rolex Swan Cup brought light winds in the 9-10 knot range. The approximate 2.0 mile course with 4 legs provided for two distinct approaches to the windward mark with a significant wind shift to the right on the first windward leg. "Daring" from the US held the lead the entire race in spite of lightening winds to 7-8 knots after the second windward mark and continued to the finish line. "KORA4" from Italy finished in 2nd passing "Interlodge" from the US on the last leg ending in 3rd. "Courdileone" of Italy was in 4th with "KuujjuaQ" of France in 5th, "Baraka GP" of The Netherlands in 6th and Lithuania's "Affair" in 7th. A number of protests flew at the starting line of Race 4 which were withdrawn at the end of the day as well as the protest on a mark rouonding. "INTERLODGE" of the USA skippered by Austin Fragomen took the bullet in Race 4. Austin and his wife, Gwen, credit teamwork as the result of their victory. "The crew did an incredibly great job - terrific teamwork . The European boats are very competitive and the finish was fantastic with a number of the boats finishing within 15 seconds of each other." "KORA4" was second, "Daring" third, "Courdileone" 4th, "KuujjuaQ" 5th, "Baraka GP" 6th, and "Affair" 7th. After Day 2 "KORA4" leads the series with 6 points, "Interlodge" has 10 points, "Courdileone" 12, "Daring" 14, "KuujjuaQ" 18, "Baraka GP" 24, and "Affair" 28. September 9, 2008 ITALIANS TAKE EARLY LEAD AT ROLEX SWAN CUPThe Cub Swan 42's made their maiden appearance at the Rolex Swan Cup at Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in Porto Cervo, Sardinia and it was the first opportunity for the European boats to compete against the two entries from the US. Two races were held today with "KORA4" skippered by Enrico Scerni of Italy taking bullets in Race 1 and Race 2 and "Courdileone", skippered by Leonardo Ferragamo also of Italy placing 2nd in both races. USA's Austin Fragomen's "Interlodge" kept a very close 3rd in both races. The pattern continued with "KuujjuaQ" of France, skippered by Ludovic De Saint Jean, in 4th; USA's John Hele and "Daring" in 5th, Olivier Graaf's "Baraka GP" of The Netherlands in 6th and Lithuania's Algirdas Pasukevicius in 7th place with "Affair". Racing was competitive this first day with a great deal of enthusiasm. Predictions are for lighter winds the next two days with a front coming through on Friday, the lay day, which should provide good winds Saturday and Sunday. August 26, 2008 NEW YORK YACHT CLUB WORLD INVITATIONAL CUPAs reported in Scuttlebutt, Commodore Charles H. Townsend announced today the inauguration of the New York Yacht Club World Invitational Cup, an invitational fleet-racing regatta. It's goal is to bring together amateur yacht club teams competing against teams from around the world. The sailing will be tough and demanding, allowing each club to demonstrate the skills of top sailors. According to Commodore Townsend, "The event will once again bring the Corinthian spirit to the forefront of the sport and enable us to share the excitement of sailing on the waters of Rhode Island Sound." Invitations have been sent to many of the most prestigious yacht clubs of the world inviting them to compete in this first biennial event scheduled for September 15-19, 2009 at the NYYC's Harbour Court waterfront location in Newport, RI. Racing on Rhode Island Sound will be done in the newly developed NYYC Swan 42 fleet. "We expect the New York Yacht Club World Invitational Cup to be a friendly competition between the world's most prominent yacht clubs," said Commodore Townsend. Please see the complete details at http://www.nyyc.org/worldinvitationalcup August 22, 2008 MOTHER NATURE TESTS "CELERITAS" IN IDA LEWIS DISTANCE RACE Team "Celeritas" was part of a 4-boat in Handicap Rules Class for IRC in the August 15th 177-mile distance race. "Celeritas" was the smallest boat and placed third on corrected time. According to owner, Malcolm Gefter, "The race went off uneventfully except for the violent thunderstorms the first night out. We managed to escape them all, but they managed to steal the wind for several hours. After wandering in circles, and putting up every sail we had to get moving, daybreak brought a fresh breeze (15-20 knots) from Norman's land around Buzzard's Bay toward Montauk and then back to Newport. Between Montauk and Newport we flew the 3-A spinnaker and the jib top stimultaneously for about an hour in the 20 knot breeze. We topped 11 knots of speed but found the combo too difficult to control on a steady basis. We arrived in Newport Harbor flying the 2-A just after midnight where we were met by the Race Committee with a cold bottle of champagne!" August 5, 2008 SWAN 42'S GEARING UP FOR ROLEX SWAN CUPSeptember 8-14 marks the first time the Swan 42's from the US and Europe will meet as a One Design Class on the race course at the Rolex Swan Cup at Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in Porto Cervo, Sardinia. Entries include "Aella" from Greece, "Affair" from Lithuania, "Baraka GP" from The Netherlands, "Courdileone" from Italy, "Daring" and "Interlodge" from the USA, "KORA4" from Italy and, "KuujjuaQ" from France. Racing commences on September 9th and concludes on September 14th. The event will feature spectacular sailing conditions with top-notch social events. August 2, 2008 "KORA4" FINISHES 1ST AND 2ND IN IRC EVENTS IN THE MEDEnrico Scerni had an uphill battle with "KORA4" at Real Club Nautica's Copa del Rey regatta in Palma, Mallorca this past week. With time given to a competitior in the same division, "KORA4" finished 2nd in the premiere European event which spanned the course of six days. Happy with his finish, it seems he is using this regatta as a dress rehearsal for the Rolex Swan Cup in Porto Cervo, Sardinia, next month. Conditions were stellar during the week with breezes in the 12-18 knot range every afternoon. It must be said that this may perhaps be one of the best run regattas on the international circuit and is extremely well managed by Real Club Nautica with fantastic racing, facilities and social program. Try to make this event part of your schedule in 2009! Earlier in the season, "KORA4" won her IRC Class in the Giraglia Rolex Cup, a highly-respected distance race for European sailors for over 50 years. The 243 nautical mile course left St. Tropez, France rounding Giraglia on the northern coast of Corsica and finishing in Genoa, Italy. She had the best combined score from three days of inshore racing in St. Tropez and the Giraglia Race and as a result won the The Challenge Nucci Novi Trophy. August 2 & 3, 2008 NYYC SWAN 42'S STRONG CONTENDERS IN QUEEN & ASTOR CUPSFollowing up on Nationals with a few days rest, the Swan 42's were off and running again in back to back races which were part of the NYYC Annual Cruise. In the Queen's Cup Chris Bulger's "Blazer" and Phil Lotz's "Arethusa" finished 2nd and 3rd. The following day in the Astor Cup, "Arethusa" took top billing followed by"Conspiracy", skippered by Vice Commdore David Elwell, and "Blazer" in 3rd. July 26 & 27, 2008 "TIBURON" TAKES 2008 US NATIONALS CHAMPIONSHIP TITLEConsistency proved to be the order of the series as Mark Watson and "Tiburon" clinched the US Nationals with a 1st and 3rd finish on Saturday followed up by a 4th in the final race on Sunday. "Tsunami", skippered by Bud Dailey took a bullet in Saturday's first race with Phil Lotz's "Arethusa" and Chris Bulger's "Blazer" both taking 2nd place irespectively in Race 5 and 6 of Saturday's races. "Daring", skippered by John Hele had a best 3rd place finish in the second race on Saturday. Sunday marked the final day of the 20-boat 4-day National championship with Ken Colburn's "Apparition" finishing 1st in the sole Sunday race with Jon Halbert's "Vitesse" and Tom Hirsch's "Downhill Express" in 2nd and 3rd respectively. At the end of the week, the final results of US Nationals had "Tiburon" in 1st, "Tsunami" in 2nd, "Apparition" in 3rd, "Vitesse" in 4th, "Impetuous" in 5th, and "Arethusa" in 6th. July 25, 2008 TEXAS TEAMS PROVE THEY ARE TOP CONTENDERS AT NATIONALSAmidst light winds and 2-4' seas, the Swan fleet of 20 boats had not one, but three General Recalls in Race 1 of Day 2 of Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex. Light winds prevailed and "Apparition", skippered by Ken Colburn of Dover, MA, seemed to live up to her name taking line honors in Race 1. The finish was extremely close with "Tiburon", skippered by Texan, Mark Watson, taking 2nd, and "Tsunami", skippered by Bud Dailey of Edgewater, MD, taking 3rd. "The Cat Came Back", skippered by David Lussier of Newport, RI, "Bandit", skippered by Andy Fisher of Greenwich, CT, and "Vitesse", skippered by Texan, Jon Halbert, finished 4th, 5th, and 6th respectively. The all-women's team of "Better Than...", skippered by Gosia Rojek of NY placed 7th. Colburn remarked, "Crew teamwork is always key to any success and everyone did a great job today. Our strategy and approach in light air with chop was to minimize tacks and maintain clear air. Keeping the boat moving through the chop and looking for any wind advantage also paid off. We felt we had the boat well-tuned for today's conditions which meant that our point and speed were competitive". "The Cat Came Back" also loved up to her namesake. Lussier commented, "We had great starts even though we were never over early in any of the General Recalls. We passed a lot of boatsand are very excited about our improvements".
Race 2 got off to a clean start although winds lightened and ultimately the course was shortened. "Tiburon" swapped places taking the bullet with "Apparition" in 2nd, and "Blazer", skippered by Chris Bulger of Brookline, MA, in 3rd. Rounding out the top six were "Impetuous", skippered by Swan 42 Class President, Paul Zabetakis, of Jamestown, RI, "Tsunami", and "Barleycorn", skippered by Brendan Brownyard of Bay Shore, NY, finishing 4th, 5th, and 6th respectively. After Day 2, the combined total of points places "Tiburon" in 1st, "Apparition" and "Tsunami" tied for 2nd, "Vitesse" in 4th, "Impetuous" in 5th and "Blazer" in 6th. NATIONALS KICKS OFF AMIDST THUNDER & LIGHTNINGThe second US Nationals had the 20 Swan 42's battling the elements with strong cells and lightning strikes at the start and downpours and 2-3 foot seas during the race. Two races were completed on Day 1 of the Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex. 2007 East Coast Champions, "Tsunami", skippered by Bud Dailey from Maryland, was the winner of Race 1. "Celeritas", skippered by Malcolm Gefter, showed his prowess on shorter distance races finishing 2nd. "Celeritas" was the recent Swan 42 winner of the Newport to Bermuda distance race. "Vitesse", skippered by Jon Halbert from Texas placed 3rd. "Wow, what a day for racing" exclaimed Dailey on "Tsunami". "It is incredible how iompetitive the fleet is. We were lucky to get a start at the pin, as we were looking to go left toward the shore line. After a fairly long starboard tack we were able to cross on port and took a long tack to the starboard layline for the weather mark. We had "Vitesse" really pushing hard the whole way. After rounding the windward mark, "Tiburon" rounded a vew boats back and really had the angle and a puff and took off like a rocket. We were able to pull off a successful gybe in the fairly strong breeze and that helped a lot. We took the left mark at the gate and went a short while lon port before taking the long tack on starboard back towads the shore. "Vitesse" got on starboard earlier and really made out well. We were barely able to hold her off during the last beat. "Celeritas" did a real good job going up the right side of the beat and was able to get ahead of "Vitesse". In summary he added, "It's early in the series and it's going to be a tough, fun series". '"In Race 2 "Interlodge", skippered by Austin Fragomen, finished in 1st with "Tiburon", skippered by Mark Watson in 2nd and followed by "Vitesse". Mark Watson enthusiastically declared, "It's the first time we've consistently been on a plane at 16 knots and it was really exciting.....a whole new experience!" He added, "The boats were close together with many position changes which made for exciting sailing. Premiere boat-handling skills were needed today as we could power up the boat at 22 knots with some some gusts in the high 20's downwind." At the end of Day 1 "Vitesse" is holding a small lead over "Tsunami" with "Tiburon" in 3rd place."Vitesse" has to be pleased with her results. Texan, Jon Halbert "Our goal for this regatta is to stay consistent and try not to lose the regatta on the first day. We have really been working on our set-up's and maximizing our rig tune with no headstay movement, but we have never seen conditions like this, so we are all very pleased. This is a long regatta and there are a lot of races to go. We are just happy to have survived the day".On his win in Race 2, Austin Fragomen noted "Conditions were very challengingand our plan was to sail conservatively and try not to make any mistakes. We had a good start and a great leg downwind with no hitches. The crew did a great job and executed well throughout the race. Bottom line.....nothing bad happened in heavy wind." July 15, 2008 Record Number of Swan 42's Compete in US NationalsThe 2008 US Nationals being held July 24-27 in conjunction with the Rolex New York Yacht Club Annual Race Week will see a record number of 20 Swan 42's on the line in Newport. Points accumulated in this event will count towards the 2008 East Coast Championship, part of the inshore regatta series. The entry from the UK, "Long Echo", owned by Barry Sampson will be coming the greatest distance followed up by "Tiburon" and "Vitesse" from Texas. Other entries include "Apparition", "Arethusa", "Bandit", "Barleycorn", and "Better Than...", owned and skipperd by Gosia Rojek and featuring an all-women crew. "Blazer", "Celeritas", "Conspiracy", "Daring", "Downhill Express", "Impetuous", "Interlodge", " Mutiny", "Orbit","Quintessence", "The Cat Came Back", and "Tsunami" complete the entry list. Four days of racing for the Swan 42 One Design Class will commence on Thursday and end on Sunday. There will be receptions each night with daily prize-givings and dinner under the tent on the lawn of the NYYC on Saturday evening with the presentation of some special Swan 42 Class awards. Sunday evening marks the final Rolex prize-giving. June 29, 2008 "Impetuous" and "The Cat Came Back" Place in Top Three at Block Island At Block Island Race Week, “Impetuous” finished in 2nd with “The Cat Came Back” in 3rd. Pleased with the results, Class President, Paul Zabetakis, commented “We were the only IRC boat to beat the King 40 (“Act One”). Impetuous actually beat them twice …..not an easy task considering their rating (the Swan 42 owes them time) and the fact that they are a purpose built IRC boat”. June 26, 2008 "Celeritas" Top Finisher in Bermuda RaceMalcolm Gefter and Team "Celeritas" were the first Swan 42 to cross the finish line in 95 hours 30 minutes placing them 5th in Division 8 of the St. David's Lighthouse Division (ORR) of the 635-mile Newport to Bermuda Race. Following were "Barleycorn", skippered by Brendan Brownyard, "Morgan's Ghost", skippered by Bermuda owner Preston Hutchings, "Conspiray", skippered by George Hinman, and "Mutiuny", skippered by charterer, Edward Mandara, III. Gefter explained Team "Celeritas's" strategy, "Our plans, spearheaded by our navigator, Rob Morton, were to follow the near consistent outlook for weather and Gulf Stream reports. This called for going west of the rhumb line (loxodrome) to catch the warm ring eastern edge for a 2kt favorable current before reaching the stream. Our tactical plan was to sail above 8.kts of speed and assess whether or not we could fetch the warm ring. Twelve hours in, it began to become clear that we would have to tack to port to get the ring. The crew collectively decided to take the chance and tack to go west to the ring. We went west until the favorable curent was seen and the water temperature indicated we had hit the ring. We tacked back on to starboard and rode the current for about 30 miles with a push of about 1.5kts. On exiting the ring and reaching the northern edge of the stream it was clear that we had to cross the stream on port tack - we all met and decided to go, but.....an 8kt wind made this not very effective. By assessing that we were at least 40 miles west of the other Swan 42's and equally close to Bermuda, we decided to consolidate our position and enter the stream on starboard, i.e., going east for a bit, waiting for more pressure and after about an hour, the breeze filled in and we tacked to port to cross the stream. This was uneventful. On exiting we tacked back to starboard and headed for Bermuda. We did encounter a squall and got becalmed for about a half an hour and had also taken on water in the anchor locker, but that's racing! The wind predictions suggested a possible tack back on port for more west, but as time progressed, we started to get lifted suggesting being able to fetch Bermuda in about 40 hours. Our position with respect to the other Swan 42's continuously improved. We were advancing with very little loss of gauge. Wind predictions kept on suggesting more lift as we went South and so it remained right to Kitchen Shoals." Gefter added, " The sailing was very demanding on the 42 crew. Steering was sometimes very difficult with strong wave action causing rather powerful yawing.....our steering platforms will be enlarged to improve this situation. The rudder was fine! Winds of 20+ sailing at about 30 degrees apparent were fine for a full main and heavy jib. Speeds averaged about 9.5kts (hitting 11.6 top winner)." Reflecting on his crew, Gefter commented, "The crew worked extremely hard to make this happen. We were pushed by the other 42's not giving any ground easily.....we were ALSO cognizant of "Barleycorn" and "Conspiracy" being in sight of each other and certainly pushing each other hard.....this kept us motivated for sure.....thanks to them. Congratulations to the Swan 42 crews for finishing!" A reception for Swan 42's was held last evening at The Waterloo House's terrace overlooking Hamilton Harbor and the Beruda Race fleet. Some 50 race participants exchanged 'war stories' of the endurance race while sipping Dark & Stormy's, the traditional Bermuda drink. This evening, Malcolm Gefter received a Swan 42 Half Hull from Nautor USA at their cocktail reception before the Swan Owners Association dinner at the Hamilton Princess.
LINK to race results......
June 20, 2008
Swan 42's Split Tacks with Bermuda and Block IslandFive Swan 42's embarked on the 635-mile ocean race from Newport to Bermuda this afternoon. Competing in the second leg of the Offshore Series Championship in the Swan 42 Class, "Barleycorn", "Celeritas", "Conspiracy", "Mutiny", and "Morgan's Ghost" will be out of sight of land for most of the race and are expected to arrive in Bermuda sometime on Tuesday. The race crosses a stretch of the Atlantic Ocean known for challenging weather, especially in the Gulf Stream, where there are strong currents. By the end of the afternoon today, close to 200 boats will have crossed the starting line in a variety of divisions. The Swan 42's will have their eyes on the prizes.....the prestigious St. David's Lighthouse Trophy and the Swan 42 Class Trophy. On the opposite side of the spectrum, "Impetuous" and "The Cat Came Back" will be competing in Block Island Race Week. Block Island offers fantastic sailing and is a favorite family event. June June 15, 2008 "Tsunami" Takes Day Two of the NYYC 154th Annual Regatta , but "Arethusa" Maintains Her Hold on the Series Lead2007's East Coast Champions, co-owners Bud Dailey & Preben Ostberg, took 1st in both races for the day. On their victories, Dailey and Ostberg offered,”Racing the NYYC Swan 42 Class is the most fun and competitive sailing we have ever done, and it gets better every event. Our goal for Sunday was to improve on Saturday’s performance, try and get better starts and not make costly mistakes. Our first start wasn’t very good so we were forced to tack early - we were looking to go left. When we tried to go left we got tacked on twice forcing us to go right. Luckily the wind shifted right and it put us back in the battle. It was close racing and we covered when we could. In the second race, our start was a little better. We found a lane on port just to windward of most of the pack and took a long port tack, always keeping an eye on the boats to the left. “Bandit” was always pressing and we were able to cross them on port at a critical time. They kept it close but we were able to squeak by at the top mark. “Vitesse” was always there and pushing us hard all day, and they did a great job in the series. I would attribute our success to the whole team and all the hard work they have put in since April, and how well our boat is run by our Captain Tim Fetsch”. "Bandit", with a 3rd and a 2nd took 2nd for the day, followed by "Vitesse" in 3rd. Standings after the two-day regatta place "Arethusa" in 1st overall, "Vitessse" in 2nd, and "Tsunami" in 3rd.....LINK for race results June 14, 2008"Arethusa" in 1st Place After Day 1 of One Design Racing Phil Lotz and his family have once again proved that they may have the recipe for success as they took two bullets in Saturday's races of the NYYC Annual Regatta, the second leg of the East Coast Championship. "We worked on getting clean starts that we thought let us get to the favored side of the course. In doing so we gave away some line favor and started closer to the Committee Boat. This allowed us to get to the first mark with the leaders. We made our biggest gains downwind. On both races we sailed toward what we thought was more pressure, based on our upwind observations, what we saw on the water and what we saw in the other fleets. We also kept an eye on wind direction trends. We wanted to stay on the favored jibe, but we were mindful that the shifts were long in duration and we could sail the lift for some time before jybing. That said, we got more than our fair share of breaks trying to put this all together." "Vitesse", skippered by Jon Halbert of Texas was 2nd on the day and "Impetuous", skippered by Jamestown resident, Paul Zabetakis, is in 3rd place.....LINK for race results June 13, 2008One Second Splits Top Finishers in Distance Race of the NYYC's 154th Annual Regatta.The three-day regatta kicked off with a distance race on Friday. The results proved that the locals had no advantage as our owners from Texas skippered their boats into 1st and 2nd place. Tiburon , skippered by Mark Watson and "Hoss", co-owned by Glenn Darden and Philip Williamson, were in a photo finish. On his win, Watson declared, "While I have competed in a number of NYYC events, this was my first Annual Regatta. The conditions for the distance event could not have been better.....good sea breeze all day giving us great windward/leeward racing most of the day.....and with a great view of the island!" He added, "We had a great start.....just where we wanted to be and changed leads several times en route to the windward mark at Beaver Tail. Staying inshore and out of the current was essential. The downwind leg was close racing all the way down the bay with several lead changes again. It wasn't until the last few boat lengths from the windward mark that we held our position and rounded first. On the last beat we stayed inside with good pressure all the way to the finish. The wind was very shifty, and we were able to stay with it." "Bandit", skippered by Andy Fisher, followed up in 3rd. June 3, 2008 Double-Header Heats Up for Mid-June RegattasJune will find the Swan 42's from the Americas fleet dueling for championship points in both the East Coast Championship at the New York Yacht Club's 154th Annual Regatta as well as the Offshore Series in the Newport to Bermuda Race a week later. The Annual Regatta, June 13-15, will have sixteen Swan 42's battling it out for the summer season opener. Entries include "Apparition", "Arethusa", "Bandit", "Blazer", "Celeritas", "Conspiracy", "Daring", "Hoss", "Impetuous", "Interlodge", "Orbit", "Quintessence", "The Cat Came Back", "Tiburon", "Tsunami", and "Vitesse". Most of the boats are from the New England/New York area with a couple of owners coming in from Texas for the event. The 101st Newport to Bermuda Race will have six Swan 42's on the starting line on Friday, June 20th. "Barleycorn", "Celeritas", "Conspiracy", "Morgan's Ghost", "Mutiny", and "Orbit" will be racing for the prestigious St. David's Lighthouse Trophy (won by a Swan 45 in 2004). as well as Class points in the Offshore Series. The race is 635 miles in the Atlantic Ocean with boats finishing anywhere from 3-6 days. To date 218 boats are entered in this highly regarded event. In other area races, "Celeritas" and "Hoss" will be participating in Sail Newport's Halfway Rock Regatta June 7-8 and "Impetuous" and "The Cat Came Back" will be competing at Block Island Race Week June 15-20. May 27, 2008"Celeritas" Wins Block Island RaceMalcolm Gefter and Team Celeritas won their Class in the first offshore long distance race of the season. Phil Lotz's "Arethusa" was second while "Mutiny", skippered by Edward Mandara, III, and representing a 3-boat entry for the American Yacht Club took second in Team Racing and Third in Class. Gefter noted "The conditions overall seemed to be in "the sweet spot" for the '42 and strategy was based on winds averaging 17 knots out of the Northwest switching to the West by daybreak. At the start we had pretty much a run all the way until nightfall. The breeze increased to about 26 knots which was well above all forecasts as we headed for Plum Gut. At dawn we were rounding Block Island staying as close to shore as possible and out of unfavorable current at 1-BI. The big decision was a route back. Forecasts were mixed as to wind speed and direction down the Sound.....if the sea breeze filled in, westerly held or Notherly predominated. We decided to play the middle going just North of Plum Island. This almost cost us the race as we found ourselves in several 'holes' of no wind three times. We were lucky to escape each one after slowing to under 2 knots each time. Gradually we made our way to the CT shore and, as it turned out the Northerly predominated. We stayed as high as possible all the way to the finish with our Jib Top averaging about 9.5 knots for the last 30 miles. In other words, we were lucky!", Malcolm declared......LINK for race results May 23, 2008Storm Trysail Club's Block Island Race UpdateSix Swan 42's started the Storm Trysail Club's distance race of 185 nautical miles from Stamford (CT) to Block Island (RI) and back to Stamford. "Arethusa", "Barleycorn", "Celeritas", "Conspiracy", "Orbit" and "Mutiny" are among the more than 100 entries vying for the prize in this Offshore Series Championship. The race started at 5PM Friday with the fastest boats expected to finish mid to late afternoon on Saturday. April 27, 2008Spring Opener - American Yacht Club "Mutiny" in 1st Place at end of first weekend of American Yacht Club's Spring Series......LINK for race results April 26 and 27 marked the first weekend of the Spring competitive season with the Swan 42’s. Nine boats rallied for the first weekend of the American Yacht Club’s Spring Series with eleven expected on the second weekend.
Bud Dailey and Preben Ostberg’s “Tsunami”, winner of the 2007 East Coast Championships, were the leaders after Day 1 with a Second and First Place Finish. However, Day 2’s laurels were swapped with “Mutiny”, owned by Gibb Kane and Drew Shea. They find themselves clearly in 1st Place overall with a First and Fourth place finish on Day 1 and a First and Second on Day 2.
The Lotz family has good reason to celebrate. “Arethusa” ably skippered by Phil Lotz finds himself in 2nd Place overall. Sailing with his wife, Wendy, and son, Chris, it is a real family affair. “I think overall it was a pretty tricky weekend with the breeze at the upper end of the 3 and into the 4 on Sunday – which made boat handling important; then a light to moderate easterly that had its share of holes and shifts. Consistency was important – with “Mutiny” the most consistent - and the rest of us rotating in and out of the top 3. Weekend Two provided winds steady at 24-25 knots out of the East with gusts reaching 29-30 and 4-8' seas for Saturday's race. Eleven boats started the race and six finished. "Everyone struggled upwind and down", noted Roger Widmann of "Quintessence". "We tried to fly a spinnaker in the practice race and made the decision not to fly the chute in the race which is probably why we won that race". He added, "We saw a J/44 dismasted, a number of spinnakers blow up and others who couldn't even get their spinnakers up. There was a lot of broaching that day. I give credit to anyone who finished the race". "Mutiny" took the bullet on Sunday maintaining their lead in the series. "Tsunami" finds herself in second place overall with "Arethusa" and "Daring" tied for third place and "Conspiracy" only one point behind.....see recent race results for details. April 22, 2008
Revisions to the Swan 42 Class Rules and Americas Fleet Race Schedule have been posted.
February 11, 2008
Swan 42 ITA 42028 "Cuordileone" wins the Primo Cup held in Monaco February 8 - 10.....see recent race results for details.
November 25, 2007Outstanding 2007 Season -- Looking forward to 2008... LINKOctober 9, 2007
SUCCESS FOR SWANS AT LES VOILES 2007.......more details LINK
October 1, 2007
The American Yacht Club Fall Series results have been posted.....LINK
September 17, 2007
The 2007 Swan 42 Class US National Championship results have been posted.....LINK
September 10, 2007
Less than a year after the launch of the NYYC ClubSwan 42 the New York Yacht Club will host the inaugural Swan 42 Class US National Championship with 18 boats set to take part. Read more at http://nyyc.org/home/article_72/
The Swan 42 US National Championship entrant and crew lists, Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions are available on the NYYC event website at http://www.nyyc.org/Swan42/ |
