Anna Tunnicliffe Takes Bronze in Laser Radial World Championship
Anna Tunnicliffe, a member of the U.S. Sailing Team AlphaGraphics from Plantation, Florida, battled a week of challenging wind and swell to earn the bronze medal at the 2009 Laser Radial World Championship in Karatsu, Japan. The ISAF Sailing World Cup leader delivered a consistently strong performance, finishing in the top five in eight of the twelve races.
The final race decided the silver and bronze positions. Tunnicliffe placed fourth while France’s Sophie de Turckheim took third in that race, securing the silver medal overall. Finland’s Sari Multala claimed the world title as the event champion. Reflecting on the conditions, Tunnicliffe said the port tack felt relatively flat and required strong hiking to reach the right-hand lane, while starboard tack into the mark meant riding waves and applying torque on each swell to maintain speed. The small chop atop the swell made the regatta physically demanding and a thorough test of fitness and technique.
The regatta was also marked by illness among several competitors. Team USA sailors, including Paige Railey, were affected by a stomach bug and bronchitis. U.S. Sailing U-23 athletes Sarah Lihan of Fort Lauderdale and Claire Dennis of Saratoga finished 16th in the gold fleet and second in the silver fleet, respectively. Other American entrants included Catherine Chimney, Anne Haeger, Margaret Love and Erika Reineke.
Antonina Wins Atlantic Cup Rally to Bermuda
Nineteen sailboats departed Tortola and raced northeast to southeast trade winds on the 850-mile passage to Bermuda during this year’s Atlantic Cup offshore cruising rally. The Atlantic Cup, organized by the Cruising Rally Association, combines friendly competition with shared weather updates, crew lists and twice-daily radio briefings for boats returning to North America from winter cruising grounds.
The Cherubini schooner Antonina, skippered by Vince Archetto of New Jersey and sailed by a crew of four, took overall handicap honors after outperforming its rating. Clover III, a Swan 56 under skipper David Fraizer, was first to finish on the water. Joy For All, a Farr 50 sailed by Gil Smith, finished second on handicap, while the Leopard 46 catamaran Fado Fado, helmed by Denis McCarthy, placed third. The rally fleet of nine boats completed the passage in 98 to 121 hours.
This year marked the first time the fleet departed from Nanny Cay Resort and Marina in Tortola. The Cruising Rally Association will return to Nanny Cay later in the year for the Caribbean 1500 Rally, scheduled to start November 2. The 2009 Caribbean 1500 will be the 20th running of the event and remains one of the largest and longest-running offshore cruising rallies in the Americas.
Velux 5 Oceans Reveals 2010–2011 Solo Circumnavigation Course
Organizers of the Velux 5 Oceans race announced the course for the 2010–2011 solo round-the-world event, which will consist of five major ocean legs. The eighth edition of this classic solo yacht race will start and finish in La Rochelle, France, and will include long-distance sprints that test endurance and strategy.
The course begins October 17, 2010, with a roughly 7,500-mile leg from La Rochelle to Cape Town, South Africa. The second leg to Wellington, New Zealand spans approximately 7,000 miles, followed by a 7,400-mile run to Salvador, Brazil. The penultimate sprint is about 4,000 miles to Charleston, South Carolina, with the final 3,600-mile leg returning competitors to La Rochelle.
Billed as “The Ultimate Solo Challenge,” the Velux 5 Oceans race emphasizes the stop-start nature of high-speed solo ocean racing, covering vast distances and extended periods entirely alone at sea. In support of participation, Velux and Clipper Ventures announced a 500,000 euro Skipper Prize Fund and an additional 700,000 euros to subsidize skipper accommodation, logistics and communications, helping reduce costs and encourage entries.
Kyle Rogachenko Wins U.S. Singlehanded Championship
Kyle Rogachenko earned his second U.S. Singlehanded Championship title with a steady performance that included four consecutive second-place finishes across nine races. The Detroit Yacht Club on Belle Isle, together with the Crescent Sail Yacht Club of Grosse Pointe Farms, hosted 20 top qualifying Laser sailors for the national championship event, sponsored by Rolex Watch U.S.A. and LaserPerformance.
Rogachenko of Collegeville, Pennsylvania, finished with 24 points to claim the George O’Day Trophy, overcoming a late surge from Zeke Horowitz of Sarasota, Florida, the 2009 U.S. Youth Sailing Champion, who finished with 28 points and won the final race. Racing took place over three days on Lake St. Clair in west to northwest breezes of 5 to 10 knots and pleasant mid-70s temperatures. Competitors ranged in age from 16 to 58.
Notice of Race for Rolex International Women’s Keelboat Championship
The Notice of Race is now posted for the 13th Rolex International Women’s Keelboat Championship, one of the most prominent women’s keelboat regattas worldwide. The event will be held October 7–10 at the Rochester Yacht Club in Rochester, New York.
Past competitors include Olympians and multiple Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year honorees such as Sally Barkow, JJ Isler and Betsy Alison, along with sailors from Asia, Australia, Europe, South Africa and New Zealand. For event details and to obtain the Notice of Race, contact event chair Anne Beadling at [email protected] or call the Rochester Yacht Club at (585) 342-5511.
U.S. Sailing Appeals Book 2009–2012 Now Available
The U.S. Sailing Appeals Book for 2009–2012 is available in hard copy and includes the ISAF Case Book for the same period. This resource compiles appeals and case decisions used by protest committees, judges and race officials to interpret racing rules. Dave Perry, chairman of the U.S. Sailing appeals committee, endorses the book for racers, coaches and judges, noting its valuable interpretations and practical guidance.
Members can read the appeals content online at the U.S. Sailing appeals pages. The appeals are decisions of the U.S. Sailing Appeals Committee and include national authority cases from around the world published by the International Sailing Federation. Protest committees commonly reference appeals and cases with comparable facts when issuing rulings.
This article originally appeared in the Mid-Atlantic Home Waters section of the October 2009 issue.