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"Four More Nations Qualify For Youth Olympic Games

"Azzurra Delivers Stand-Out Performance On Opening Day In Auckland

"McDougall Holds Onto The Lead At PUMA Moth Worlds

"New Youth Challenge Introduces Juniors to Offshore Sailing

"Four More Nations Qualify For Youth Olympic Games

The 2010 Techno 293 North American Championships were held as part of the 25th Calema Midwinters windsurfing festival. Over 20 competitors took part, representing Canada, Guatemala, Mexico, Puerto Rico and USA. As the North American Continental qualifier for the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games, qualification was open to the top two nations in the boys and girls Under 17 events.

Ignacio lleonart of Mexico sailed a terrific regatta to win the Boy’s Under 17 fleet and secure Mexico a qualification spot for Singapore 2010. lleonart was closely followed by fellow Mexican Jose Carlos Torres. In third place, Alejandro Monllor (PUR) ensured his place on the podium as well as the second qualification spot for Puerto Rico.

In the Girl’s event Marion Lepert of the USA was a clear winner, however due to IOC eligibility requirements (she does not have her full US citizenship), she is not eligible to qualify USA for the Youth Olympics. This gave the first qualification place to Canada, as Audrey Caron (CAN) took the silver medal. In the end, the US also got their qualification place as Margot Samson (USA) took the bronze medal.

The next YOG qualification event is the Byte CII Midwinter’s/North American Championship in the Cayman Islands from 10-15 March.

The Notice of Race will be published very soon and can be found on the class website with details of the remaining continental qualifiers: www.techno293.org. Singapore 2010

"Azzurra Delivers Stand-Out Performance On Opening Day In Auckland

Italian skipper and helmsman Francesco Bruni snatched a victory from Britain’s three-time Olympic gold medallist Ben Ainslie at the first weather mark of their race as their boats rounded the mark overlapped. Sailing above the mark, Ainslie tried to luff his opponent only to see the Italian execute a swift spinnaker set, sail clear and go on to win.

“Azzurra sailed a good race today, they seem to have a knack of overtaking us which is getting very frustrating!” Ainslie said. “We were fully in contention at the top mark and tried to hold them up, we were unfortunately set up for a gybe set and they were set up for a straight hoist which allowed them to gain some distance.”

In their efforts to stay on schedule, the race committee spent a long first day on the water. In the morning, cloudy skies killed any chance of a sea breeze developing and delayed racing. The Rangitoto Channel entrance to Auckland Harbour was so glassy at late morning that Principal Race Officer Peter Reggio joked that it appeared to have been paved.

The long wait for wind ended at 14:45 as the first pair started on the Blue Course at the mouth of the channel between Rangitoto Island and the Takapuna cliffs. The breeze was five to seven knots from the northwest. After a second race in similar conditions, the breeze switched to the south for the third race inside the harbour. The last race didn’t start until 19:10 and finished after sunset just before 20:00.

Race One: All4One def. Mascalzone Latino Audi Sailing Team, 00:44 – In the draw last night, the German and French boat All4One chose the starboard entry for the start and they protected the right side in the pre-start today. They split before the gun with All4One going out to the right on port tack, while Mascalzone Latino Audi enjoyed an early lead on starboard. All4One skipper and strategist Jochen Schuemann (GER) said a man up the mast had spotted wind out to the right and they chose to concede an early lead to reach the stronger pressure. All4One eventually tacked to starboard to cover and Gavin Brady (NZL) steering the Italian boat initiated a tacking duel. However Sébastien Col (FRA) on the helm of All4One had already worked out to a controlling lead on the right that he never relinquished.

Race Two: Azzurra def. TEAMORIGIN, 00:53 – Great Britain’s TEAMORIGIN enjoyed the starboard entry in its match against Italy’s Azzurra and used it to advantage in a dialup that took both boats well above the line before they sailed back with Ben Ainslie (GBR) on the British boat chasing Italian Francesco Bruni (ITA). Ainslie grabbed the right as they split away at the gun but Bruni kept it close and when they crossed for the first time Ainslie on starboard came down and hunted the Italian who tacked close to leeward and forced the British boat away. It happened again before they came into the weather mark overlapped, with Ainslie holding his opponent out from rounding. They tacked above the mark and the British boat luffed the Italian until Bruni capitalized on a miscommunication on Ainslie’s boat. Bruni was first to set a spinnaker and rolled over TEAMORIGIN forcing the British boat to gybe away. From there the Italians controlled the next three legs, finishing with a comfortable 53 second margin.

Race Three: Emirates Team New Zealand def. Artemis, 01:40 – Dean Barker (NZL) overcame the handicap of a port entry in the pre-start to grab the right side of the course off the start line. Strong outgoing current and shifty breezes played a major role as Terry Hutchinson (USA) steering Artemis took the fight to Emirates Team New Zealand but trailed by 55 seconds at the weather mark. Artemis came charging back on the run to close within 12 seconds at the leeward gate but then lost ground in lighter air under North Head. The Kiwis extended to win comfortably.

Race Four: ALEPH Sailing Team def. Synergy Russian Sailing Team, 03:26 – The Russian boat steered by Karol Jablonski (POL) dominated Bertrand Pacé’s (FRA) French entry in the pre-start only to see ALEPH wriggle clear and lead by three boat lengths at the gun. Jablonski kept it very close, pressuring Pacé on the first beat and was only 11 seconds astern at the top mark. As the sun set over the Auckland City skyline it was also sunset for the Russians as they ran over their spinnaker at the leeward mark. The French sailed away to a comfortable victory.

"McDougall Holds Onto The Lead At PUMA Moth Worlds

Day two of PUMA International Moth Worlds got to a late start as a foggy haze and light winds lead to a 30 minute postponement onshore. Today was really a pressure game - those who stayed in the pressure were able to get up on their foils and make gains.

The fleet had three races today, bringing the total for the event up to four. Races two and three saw light winds and tough foiling conditions. The breeze filled in a bit for race four, allowing the fleet to really get up and moving. The leaderboard remains relativity unchanged, with Andrew "Amac" McDougall still in the number one spot. After day two, the top five are:

1. Andrew McDougall (AUS)
2. Michael Lennon (GBR)
3. Brad Funk (USA)
4. Scott Babbage (AUS)
5. Chris Graham (UAE)

McDougall picked up where he left off yesterday, winning the day's opening race ahead of Simon Payne (GBR). After following that win up with an 11th and a second, the experienced Australian holds a nine-point overall lead. Reigning World Champion Bora Gulari (USA) has moved up to sixth place overall.

"New Youth Challenge Introduces Juniors to Offshore Sailing

Junior sailors from Narragansett Bay and the surrounding region will be able to extend their summer sailing season this year by 150 miles. The Organizing Committee of the Ida Lewis Distance Race has announced the introduction of its Youth Challenge--aimed specifically at introducing junior sailors to offshore sailing--for this year's sixth edition of the race, scheduled to start on Friday, August, 20, 2010.

Regional yacht clubs and sailing organizations are invited to field youth-crewed teams on the 150 nm mile course that is offered for PHRF classes. (The other course, reserved for IRC classes, is 177 nm.) "The idea of the Ida Lewis Distance Race Youth Challenge is to give junior programs an incentive to organize teams and develop the skills necessary to succeed in a medium-distance overnight race," said Committee Member Joe Cooper, who is spearheading the effort. "We have already had various teams compete in the race with kids onboard, and we have recognized that because it is a manageable distance - not too long but not too short, either -- it lends itself to this." In 2006, second-place finisher Tom Rich (Middletown, R.I.) said his mostly teenage crew experienced their first-ever overnighter on his Peterson 42 Settler, and they will never forget the whale that sprayed the boat when it spouted, seemingly in encouragement of their efforts.

To qualify for the Youth Challenge, more than 50% of the crew must have reached their 14th birthday but not their 19th birthday prior to August 20, 2010. Boats may have junior crew members outside those parameters; however, they will not count towards the youth component. Adults (minimum two aboard, one of whom must be designated as the Captain) will make up the balance of the crew, but it is intended that the adults serve only in a supervisory capacity. Teams must be registered under the flag of a US SAILING yacht club or community sailing establishment. All youth sailors will be required to attend a brief informational meeting the evening prior to the race (participants of all ages welcome), and they will be encouraged to attend one of the Storm Trysail Club Foundation's Junior Safety at Sea Seminars.

"The goal of the Ida Lewis Distance Race Youth Challenge is to introduce junior sailors to the disciplines of seamanship: navigating, night sailing, safety related issues, coordination of larger crews, sail handling and related areas of big boat sailing that are not required in typical dinghy-based programs," said Cooper.

It is anticipated that with sufficient numbers of entries in the Youth Challenge that the fleet will have its own start. Otherwise, the fleet will start within its handicap class. Furthermore, Youth Challenge boats are eligible for overall honors within the PHRF fleet.

For information on the Ida Lewis Distance Race Youth Challenge, visit www.ildistancerace.org or contact Youth Challenge Coordinators Joe Cooper, 401-965-6006, Hoodri-sales@att.net, and Andy Dickinson, 401-423-0600, andy@jby.com. There is also a Facebook Page for the Ida Lewis Distance Race. On-line registration is open through August 6.

More About the Ida Lewis Distance Race
The Ida Lewis Distance Race, in its sixth running, features a 177 nm "Montauk" course and a 150 nm "Block Island" course over some of the most storied and beautiful sailing grounds in the world. With a spectacular start off Fort Adams in Narragansett Bay, the race includes turning marks at Castle Hill, Brenton Reef, Block Island, Montauk Point, Martha's Vineyard and Buzzards Tower on its way to a signature champagne finish inside Newport Harbor off the historic Ida Lewis Yacht Club. It attracts family cruisers as well as grand prix racers, offering classes for IRC, PHRF (including Cruising Spinnaker and a new Youth Challenge), One-Design (including NYYC Swan 42) and Double-Handed boats of 28 feet and longer. Hosted by Ida Lewis Yacht Club, it is a qualifier for the 2009 New England Lighthouse Series; Northern and Double-Handed Ocean Racing Trophies; and the US-IRC Gulf Stream Series.

For more information, contact Dirk Johnson, info@ildistancerace.org, or go to www.ildistancerace.org for the Notice of Race and online entry (deadline is August 6, 2010).