The race began at 6:25 p.m. on Friday from Charleston Marina with international competitors from the USA, France, Great Britain and Germany competing extremely closely for the three-day, first leg. The teams left Charleston harbor with Icarus jumping out in front of the fleet with the best start. Shortly after the start 40 Degrees’ cap shroud failed leading to their dismasting and retirement from the first leg of the race. Boats were mostly in sight of each other until they rounded Cape Hatteras, where the fleet split into two groups. One group opted to go towards the shore where the wind was forecasted to be stronger and the other half opted to sail further east into the gulf-stream to take advantage of the three knot push. Forecast winds didn’t eventuate for the group headed for the shore allowing the group in the gulf-stream to establish and extend the lead over the inshore path.

“It couldn’t get any better, really. So first place and the second win in the second race for the boat, which is pretty cool and I think we had a really really good race,”said Mare skipper Jörg Riechers.

“We tried to make a plan long before the start and stick to it, and I think that helps when you don’t let other people in on what you’re going to do,” said Mare skipper Ryan Breymaier. “The weather conditions might change a little bit, but as long as you sort of stick with the plan you know is right from the beginning, it’s all going to work out in the long run.”

For more results, go to www.atlanticcup.org.

Additional participants include:
Joy For All, Farr 50
Tiramisu, Beneteau 400
Jadimean, Catana 50
Borealis, Hallberg-Rassy 37
1700 Somewhere, MacGregor 65
Lady, Catalina 470
Windward, Tayana 48
Manureva, Voyage Cat 58
Charmed Life, Beneteau 49
Northstar, Tartan 43 CB
Minaxi, Abel Super Maramu 53
IL SOGNO, Oyster 56
Rum Runner, Caliber 40
Raftan, n/a

Anyone who would like to track the fleet can do so by going to http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0MOk2if7ipQOz3lSf6s9b7FkhvGWZqxWS.

BRP, Volvo-Penta and Indmar are participating in testing butanol-extended fuel (isobutanol) with the Argonne National Laboratory. The three engine manufacturers are part of a program organized by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Office to test the new fuel as a possible source for marine engines, instead of gasoline containing 15 percent ethanol (E15).

The tests, which started this week, come after the US EPA last year granted a waiver for E15 in the nation’s fuel supply. Industry test data shows that E15 can cause significant damage to marine engines. A separate study last year concluded that isobutanol was “a promising alternative fuel” for marine engines.

“Gasoline with 10 percent ethanol (E10) is still an acceptable fuel for marine engines, including BRP’s Evinrude outboard engines, but isobutanol, which has a higher energy content than ethanol, could be a viable alternative to E15,” said Jeff R. Wasil, Engineering Technical Expert for Emissions Testing, Certification and Regulatory Development at BRP, in a statement. “Isobutanol represents a unique opportunity for BRP, and the entire marine industry, to be at the forefront of innovation in alternative fuels.”

The tests will include multiple types of recreational marine inboard and outboard engines in both laboratory settings and on-water trials to determine the effects of butanol-extended fuel on engine power, performance, emissions and overall durability. Phase one of the isobutanol testing on the water takes place this week in Annapolis, Maryland. Phase two is planned for later in 2012.

Courtesy of www.ibinews.com.

The owners of an uninsured yacht which smashed on rocks at the base of Mauao in New Zealand are devastated by the “nightmare” of losing their sailing dream.

Kim Bade and Lorna Perry, both 27, only sailed their new Pied Piper yacht from Auckland to Tauranga last week, and had not yet arranged insurance.

Bade said the couple had been planning the yacht purchase for “a couple” of years. But a sailing trip last weekend turned out to be their only jaunt in the boat before it broke from its Pilot Bay mooring and crashed onto rocks, bursting a three foot hole in the wooden hull.

“It’s just devastating,” Bade said. “We’ve spent the last couple of months thinking about it. We were so excited thinking about summer … we’d been for one sail on it and that’s it. We’d been planning to fix it up and have it as a little boat we could take our friends out on and do weekend trips.”

“We bought it a couple of months ago up in Auckland and we finally sailed it down here a week ago. We’d been saving up for a little while. We’d put a lot of work into getting it down here and fixing it up,” he added. The 22-foot yacht, named Nivana, was found around 6:30 a.m. Monday pinned to the base of Mauao. The hull had been pierced and the boat was full of water, leaning about 30 degrees starboard.

“You feel devastated, don’t you? I guess a lot of people with boats on moorings, you kind of have nightmares of coming back and seeing your boat on the rocks. It felt like a bad dream,” he said.

The owners were alerted to the wreck by the Tauranga Harbormaster and arrived to survey the damage at 8:30 a.m., about 300 feet west of North-west Rock, opposite Matakana Island.

For the complete story, go to www.bayofplentytimes.co.nz.

The book is the official course book for its Basic Coastal Cruising course (ASA 103), which is the second level in ASA ’s keelboat course progression. The new book builds upon the information presented in Sailing Made Easy, the textbook for ASA’s Basic Keelboat Sailing course (ASA 101). The highly visual, easy-to-read teaching tool is also appropriate for anyone with a basic working knowledge of sailing who seeks to day sail a bit farther from familiar waters.

As with Sailing Made Easy, Coastal Cruising Made Easy was written by a team of expert sailing instructors with more than 150 years of combined sailing experience. It was co-edited by Peter Isler, world famous America’s Cup winning navigator and commentator, Jeremy McGeary, a 30-year veteran sailing writer and editor, and Lenny Shabes, ASA’s founder and current chairman of the board. In addition to greatly raising the bar on the quality of illustrations, photos and text, the new manual is organized in a manner that allows students to easily master the concepts. Unlike most sailing books, the material in Coastal Cruising Made Easy is presented in the order in which it is typically taught on the water.

“A good sailor must have an understanding of the water, wind, tides, currents and weather,” said Charlie Nobles, executive director of ASA. “In addition to helping sailors master this broad skill set, Coastal Cruising Made Easy serves as the foundation of knowledge for subsequent ASA courses and their textbooks.” Nobles also pointed out that ASA conducted a top-to-bottom review of its 30-year-old set of standards for teaching sailing and updated them as part of the process used to create its latest textbook.

Coast Cruising Made Easy is the second of two books to replace a single book in use since 1984, which covered instruction for both the ASA 101 and 103 course levels. As a stand-alone book, it offers a more focused text for ASA’s Basic Coastal Cruising course. Updated content reflects the changes in equipment used on today’s teaching boats. For example, more of today’s boats at this instruction level are equipped with inboard engines and roller furling headsails.

In the past, the boats used had outboard engines with pull-start motors and hank-on headsails. Published in full color and containing world-class sailing photography from destination and adventure photographer Billy Black, Coastal Cruising Made Easy is also an attractive “coffee table” book. Other features include a water-resistant cover, an extensive glossary of sailing terms, and an easy-to-follow layout of two-page “spreads” throughout the book that allows for each topic to be covered in its entirety.

Coastal Cruising Made Easy is for purchase at www.asa.com or by calling the association at 310-822-7171. The retail price is $27.95, with discounts given to ASA members, instructors and schools.

On Friday, after precisely 32,401 nm, the M/S Tûranor PlanetSolar arrived back into the Hercule Harbor in Monaco, thereby achieving the first around-the-world voyage with solar energy!

It was probably not planned, but appropriate, that the vast-decked, strange-looking craft arrived back at its point of departure the day before Connect-the-Dots Day, a consciousness-raising day in search of world unity on the necessity for discarding fossil fuels. A large crowd turned out to welcome them. The 115-foot catamaran – the largest solar-powered boat ever built – crossed the finish line at 2:12 pm local time. The leader of the PlanetSolar expedition, Raphaël Domjan predictably told waiting reporters, “We are extremely happy to have achieved this first world tour with solar energy! We have shown that we have the technologies as well as the knowledge to become sustainable and safeguard our blue planet.”

In her journey around the globe, PlanetSolar visited 28 countries and traveled 585 days without using a drop of fuel. As well as the round-the-world record, she also holds records for the fastest crossing of the Altantic Ocean and South China Sea by solar power.

The main investor in the project, German Immo Stroeher, said, “The M/S Tûranor PlanetSolar is much more than a ship. It has become an ambassador of solar energy.

“The arrival in Monaco is only the start. We now have to take advantage of the fame of PlanetSolar in order to promote the use of solar energy.”

For the complete story, go to www.sail-world.com.

It was yet another day of episode and drama at Antigua Sailing Week. This year’s Antigua Sailing Week is producing intense battles right through the fleet with close encounters a plenty. Stress levels were running high today with start line incidents a plenty and a major collision on the first upwind leg of the day in the big boat class with just one final race tomorrow, nearly all of the classes are yet to be decided.

In CSA 1A, Stefan Lehnert’s Tripp 56, Passion 4C won both of today’s races, virtually assuring the German team of winning the division. Richard Matthews’ Oyster 82, Zig Zag retired from the first race of the day, dropping Zig Zag down to third overall. Hector Velarde’s NM92, Locura sailed with great precision today posting two second places and lifting the team to second overall. However, the first race of the day saw a serious collision between Oyster 82, Starry Night of the Caribbean and On Deck’s Farr 65, Spirit of Isis, which resulted in a large part of the Farr 65’s transom being smashed in. Luckily only very minor injuries were sustained and once safely on shore, the skipper and owner of Starry Night were quick to apologise for the collision showing good sportsmanship.

Skipper of Spirit of Isis, Vicky Blunt explained: “The regatta was going really well and a fantastic performance has been put in by the team who are charter guests. We were looking forward to another good race vying for a podium position. Whilst we were on starboard tack there was an unfortunate incident involving Starry Night which came at us on port tack, ending our regatta in dramatic fashion. Thankfully everyone on board responded well and rallied together to bring the boat and crew safely back alongside. Many thanks to ABSAR and the Coastguard for their speedy response and assistance in this incident.”

Check out the damage here!

For more results and the complete story, go to www.antiguasailingweek.com.

Cruise the Chesapeake Bay with The Moorings Annapolis Charming, historic and idyllic – boating in the Chesapeake Bay is the perfect way to discover the scenic shores of Maryland. A world-renowned boating destination, the Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States, spanning approximately 200 miles long from the Susquehanna River in the North to the Atlantic Ocean in the South. This area offers fantastic cruising conditions with consistent southwesterly winds averaging from 5-20 knots, as well as a balanced mix of sights ashore including the Bay’s more modernized, bustling east coast cities like Baltimore and the west coast’s quaint, old-fashioned fishing and crabbing towns with wonderful maritime heritage.

Cheryl Powell, Chief Operating Officer of The Moorings, said “We a very excited to offer a new cruising grounds in North America, The Moorings Annapolis our first location on the Eastern seaboard and the Chesapeake Bay is literally the ‘backyard’ for so many of our customers. Here, guests can charter for as little as two days or as long as they’d like to enjoy a leisurely weekend getaway while still experiencing the same world-class customer service and meticulously maintained yachts that are the hallmark of a Moorings vacation.”

The Moorings will offer a fleet mix of monohulls and catamarans for sailing charters.  Monohulls available for charter include the Moorings 40.3 (3-cabin/2-head) and Moorings 42CC (4-cabin/2-head), which features a center cockpit with offset helm position that opens up the cockpit space, allowing for improved sailability and an aft deck. The new Moorings 3900 sailing catamaran and Moorings 393 Powercat will also join the Annapolis fleet, both featuring 3-cabins and 2-heads, including a spacious master suite in the starboard hull, generator and air-conditioning.

The Moorings new charters on the Chesapeake Bay will begin May 15 from its new home at the Annapolis Landing Marina. For more information, go to www.moorings.com.

On Saturday, June 4, the National Women’s Sailing Association (NWSA) will hold the 11th Annual Women’s Sailing Conference Saturday at the Corinthian Yacht Club in Marblehead, Massachusetts. The perennially sold-out event gives women a chance to learn or enhance their skills in recreational sailing through seminars on the water, on the dock and in the classroom. Topics include introduction to sailing, sail trim, spinnakers, crew overboard, operating a motorboat, knots, charting, suddenly single-handed, diesel engine troubleshooting, understanding wind and more.

“Sailing teaches leadership and teamwork, adds skills that can bring a lifetime of enjoyment and creates memorable experiences,” said BoatUS Manager of Sponsorships Claire Wyngaard. “Attending this event will increase your confidence while learning and networking with others who share your love for the outdoors and active lifestyle.”

In addition to a keynote speaker at dinner, the 2012 BoatUS/NWSA Leadership in Women’s Sailing Award will be bestowed. This award, begun in 1999, honors an individual who has built a record of achievement in inspiring, educating and enriching the lives of women through sailing.

The conference includes continental breakfast, buffet lunch, dinner and raffle prizes. Registration fees are $120 for NWSA members or $155 for non-NWSA members ($15 additional after May 25). For more information or to register, go to www.womensailing.org or call 781-631-2084.