Sailpix Ireland

03 March 2010

Lorient to be Penultimate Stopover in Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12

Lorient, Brittany on the northwest coast of France will host the Volvo Ocean Race in the summer of 2012. It will be at the end of a 700 nautical mile leg from Lisbon. Lorient will be the penultimate stopover in the race.

Groupama, skippered by Franck Cammas, who is currently taking on the Jules Verne Trophy, has Lorient as its home base and will be France’s entry in the next two Volvo Ocean races. Ireland's Damian Foxall will form part of Groupama's crew as watch leader.

Great YouTube video below showing what we can expect from Lorient HERE.

NOTICE - Scheduled Maintenance of Website

SAILPIX IRELAND Galleries will be undergoing scheduled maintenance on Friday, March 5th, between 07:00 and 13:00 UTC (Thursday, March 4th, between 23:00 and 05:00 Pacific Standard Time).
Service may be inaccessible or slow during that time; apologies for any inconvenience. The Homepage/Blog will not be affected.
- Webmaster.

Change is not made without inconvenience, even from worse to better. Samuel Johnson 1709-84.

Update: Maintenance is now complete.

01 March 2010

Dublin Bay Sailing Club Spring Chicken 2010 - Race 5


Out in front, Finnegan's Wake - IRL 2008 (Copyright 2010 Sailpix Ireland)

Increased blood circulation was certainly in evidence on Sunday 28th February in Dublin Bay when DBSC's keenly contested Spring Chicken Race 5 went ahead as scheduled. The lengthened course this week seems to have played into the hands of the bigger boats in the 4th start. For the second week in a row Line Honours were taken in style by one of the more experienced racing crews, this time by Adrenalin - IRL 1348 (Archambault 35). Despite being pushed hard by Team Windmill - IRL 8088, RStGYC (J109) and last week's winner Orna - IRL 532, NYC (Grand Soleil 40), the race was testament to a near flawless mastery of the prevailing conditions by Adrenalin. Did the winners hold a secret weapon in the form of one or two new faces seen on board this week?!
Further down the fleet the drama was equally intense as a close encounter between the series leader (at the end of Race 4) Pippa IV - IRL 4281, (Sigma 33) and Lula Belle - IRL 3607, NYC, ICC (Beneteau First 36.7) led to the former's sails luffing at the windward mark. With a number of other boats arriving at the mark in quick succession, including Miss Scarlett - IRL 4763 (Jeanneau Sun Fast 40.3), Fflogger - IRL 3773, NYC (Flying Fifteen), Lara - IRL 1902 RIYC (Bavaria 33) and Golden Girl - IRL 139 (Ruffian 23), manoeuvring space diminished as pulse rates rose! In avoiding Pippa IV, which was by then in irons, Miss Scarlett - with nowhere else to go - gave the floating course mark a gentle bump. The incident cost Miss Scarlett a 360 penalty, carried out once clear of her pursuers. Pippa IV quickly recovered and with a slick spinnaker heist was back into the fray. No harm done, just more grist to the mill and added spice to the burgers in the après sail analysis back at the National YC!
Finnegan's Wake - IRL 2008, NYC (Grand Soleil 37) was Race 5 winner on corrected time. Meanwhile Team Windmill and Aztec - IRL 29832, RIYC, RORC, (Archambault 35) moved into joint overall 1st place on 52 points in this year's Spring Chicken series but have they peaked too soon? Sarnia - IRL 2260, NYC (S&S 36) lies in 3rd on 53 points. With Pippa IV and Valhalla - IRL 1273, RIYC (Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 32i) lying in equal 4th on 58 points the stage is set for a thrilling climax in next Sunday's DBSC Spring Chicken 2010 - Race 6.

Race 5 Photo Gallery HERE

Lisbon to be end of Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12 Transatlantic Leg

Lisbon has been chosen as the first European port for the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12. It will be the finish of the transatlantic leg of the race during the summer of 2012. The second European port will be announced on Wednesday 03 March. The entire route will be revealed by the end of the month.

What odds now on a return visit of the Volvo Ocean Race to Galway in 2012?

22 February 2010

Dublin Bay Sailing Club Spring Chicken 2010 - Race 4

Following overnight snow flurries, Race 4 of Dublin Bay Sailing Club's Spring Chicken 2010 was keenly contested on a chilly Sunday morning, 21st February. Nowhere was the enthusiasm of the participants more evident than at the start, particularly amongst the tightly packed J109 entrants. Orna - IRL 532, NYC (Grand Soleil 40), stayed clear of trouble and started at the pin end of the line. After making steady progress in the initial windward leg, Orna was uncatchable downwind under spinnaker and rounded Muglins with only Just Jasmin - IRL 3506, DMYC, SHSC (Bavaria Match 35) ahead. Orna completed its dominance in the final windward leg and grabbed Line Honours at the finish outside Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

Congrats to Moonfish - IRL 3107 (Beneteau Oceanis 411) Race 4 winner on corrected time and to Pippa IV - IRL 4281 (Sigma 33) now lying 1st overall in the event.

Race 4 Photo Gallery HERE

Cape Town is First Stopover Port for Volvo Ocean Race 2011-2012

The racetrack for the upcoming Volvo Ocean Race, due to start from Alicante in Spain in autumn 2011, is now set and the first port of call will once again be Cape Town, South Africa. This marks the beginning of the port announcement process for the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-2012. The rest of the course will be revealed before the end of March. Over 80 bids from ports around the world, including Galway, want to host the event.

Leg 1 at 6,500 nautical miles, which in 2008-2009 took the eventual race winner Ericsson 4 almost 22 days to complete, is one of the longest in the race and historically the team that wins this leg has gone on to claim the winner's trophy.

The European ports of call for the Volvo Ocean Race in 2012, including the finish port, will be the next to be announced and the entire route is set to be revealed before the end of March.

Update 26 Feb 2010: A press release will be issued at 1200 GMT/1300 CET on 01 March and 1100GMT/1200 CET on 03 March.