Fancy racing this winter?
Several boats are taking on the YCW Autumn and Winter series (often the best racing of the year) again this year including Flair 2, Tumbarumba, Tiger Lily, Orion and Echo.
Orion's skipper Paul Elson is looking to put together a crew to challenge Steve Dadd's Rumrunner (the other Achilles 9m) as well as the rest of the PY fleet so if you fancy some really good close class racing give him a call on 07964 685979. If don't fancy the commitment but still fancy crewing occasionally on one of the boats let me know and I'll let the skippers know - don't be shy, just email me at zclassnews-sailing@yahoo.co.uk
Moatt Sails are offering some interesting deals on new sails and sail care over the
winter period, between 31 October and 20 December 2013.
"To avoid musty boats and mouldy sails, make the most of our free storage. Your sails will be stored in a safe, dry and clean environment. When you collect the sails, they will smell fresh and they will be ready for you to fit and sail away hassle free. No time wasted.
This offer only applies between 31 October and 20 December 2013.
- Free Inspection. Your sails will be thoroughly inspected free of charge and overhauled at a competitive rate.
- Free storage between 31 October and 31 March - FIVE months free storage.
- 20% off launder fees (reduced from £4.80 per kilo to £3.80 per kilo). Your sails will be professionally laundered and stored dry on our premises, and will smell fresh on collection. This will guard against the risk of black spot and mould on the sail, and a musty smelling boat.
- 20% off new sails for Early Bird enquiries before 20 December 2013
- Free collection from Castle Cove Sailing Club for club members.
Moatt Sails will be down at Castle Cove Sailing Club over the lift out weekend to collect your sails and covers"
Contact them at the loft on 01305 824254, or on their mobiles - Steven on 07833 383221 and Mark on 07971 437255.
Americas Cup
If you haven't seen any of the racing this year, you missed something truly amazing. Even though by now everybody knows the outcome, if you've not seen the racing it's worth getting onto Youtube and watching it - it's incredible and proves once and for all that those of us who said sailing would never be a spectator sport couldn't have been more wrong. Ridiculously close racing in 70 metre monsters at speeds well over 40 knots just has to be seen to be believed.
The racing started with the US team already down 2 points following what the Americans called rule infractions earlier in the series (meaning they'd stuffed a load of illegal lead weights in their boat and got caught). In addition to the 2 points it also cost them a quarter of a million dollars in fines - even so many reckon they got off lightly as they were hosting the event and may well have faced exclusion otherwise.
Anyway when the racing started the Kiwi team seemed unstoppable, in the early races the US team couldn't get near them. Then they played their trump card - replacing one of the last remaining americans on their boat with our own Ben Ainsley. Within a couple of races they became almost unstoppable and rapidly closed the gap to the Kiwis, and then ultimately overhauling the Kiwis to retain the cup for the US. It went right down to the wire though, both teams on 8 points with the first boat to 9 points taking the cup is about as close as it gets.
Ben was amazing. It can't be coincidence that he stepped on a boat that was hopelessly outclassed and within 2 races became almost unbeatable. You have to feel for the Kiwi team though, 3 times they were miles ahead and it looked like the cup would be theirs, only to have the race stopped. Twice when the wind momentarily exceeded the race limit and once when the race exceeded the 40 minute time limit - with only a few hundred metres to go! They may have lost the cup but they won the hearts of the world.
