Rolex Ilhabela Sailing Week 2011 Day 3 VIDEO

Rolex Ilhabela Sailing Week 2011

The beautiful island of Ilhabela provides a stunning setting and challenging conditions for Rolex Ilhabela Sailing Week. The event, which had its first edition in 1973, has become a tradition for Brazilian sailors and its unique blend of hospitality, competition and camaraderie attracts sailors from all over the world. The steady trade winds produce great sailing conditions that test a fleet facing a mix offshore and inshore racing.





Day 1 in the Rolex Ilhabela Sailing Week (Brazil).
After 8 hours of racing, Pisco Sour wins, followed by Patagonia and Pajero in an incredible end of the race, explained by Guillermo Parada (Pisco Sour)







Day 2 of races in the RISW 2011. Unfortunatelly wind was not invited to the race course and the races should be cancelled. Enjoy the interviews to Bernardita Grez (CHI) and Jose Nolasco (Sailing Director YCI)





Patagonia takes the lead

Patagonia Soto to lead the fleet of 40. Source: Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi

Finally Eolo was present at the San Sebastian Canal and allowed the crews draw the desire to sail accumulated in the last 2 days.
10 knots on average and 2 knots of current were also players in this day of competition, where Barlo Soto40 competed in 3-Sota.
The Patagonia of Norberto Alvarez Vitale , got through to the top of the table after getting a 1st, 2nd and 4th place. It is worth noting the 4th place in the last race, they got after a great comeback after starting in last place by having to serve a penalty seconds before the top start.

Length of Soto40. Source: Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi

For its part, the Pisco Sour the Chilean Bernardo Matte is placed in second place 8 points of Patagonia, to get a 5th, 9th and 2nd place today.

Loyal roll-the Pisco Sour. Source: Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi

Third is located Aquarius II-Mitsubishi with a 3rd, 1st and 9th place in this journey. The Magia V of Torben Grael and helmed by his son Marco, manages to recover the 10 positions after the race points obtained in Alcatraz, arriving 2nd, 5th and 1st in the last race. This latest victory was actually a movie. In the long run MagiaV could not avoid hitting the committee boat, forcing him to be rehabilitated and long overdue. Without much to lose, MagiaV bet all the chips on the left side of the field (on the island), while the fleet went to the side of the continent. At that time, the pressure on the side of the continent fell dramatically to 4 knots, while the side of the island the wind remained at about 8 knots. In this way, not only passed MagiaV, but pulled a distance of more than 2 ½ minutes to his nearest rival. This difference is maintained, and after an hour of racing, became a comfortable victory.

Mitsubishi MagiaV Soto40 leading the fleet. Source: Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi

Rolex Ilhabela Sailing Week 2011 Lay day for the Soto40

Crews take a rest after the Alcatrezes cruise race. Guillermo Baquerizas, Samuel Albrecht and Mariano "Cole" Parada give us their impressions about the Soto40 fleet in South America and Europe.

Extreme Sailing Series In Boston

Terry Hutchinson, skipper of Artemis Racing, aka ‘Mr Consistency’ did it again on the penultimate day of the Extreme Sailing Series™ Act 4 in Boston. Ensuring that his team finished no lower than 5th place in any of the 8 races staged today, sees Artemis Racing go into the final day tomorrow with a 14 point lead. The Swedish team has only conceded their dominance once during the Boston event: “The most important day to be leading is the last day!” said Terry. “I don’t take anything for granted because I know how good the people around us are and how tricky the conditions can be here, so we have to keep on fighting the fight. Tomorrow is Independence Day and it’s a great day to be in the US.”

Terry Hutchinson, skipper of Artemis Racing @ Lloyd Images

The final day often throws up surprises, and at every Act this season victory has only been secured in the final double points race. And, right now, seven teams are still in the hunt for a podium place. But sailors are renowned for being a superstitious bunch and no one is counting their chickens (or is that rabbits?) just yet… Watch this latest video to discover what bad omens the sailors fear most, and their secret good luck talismans.

An overcast day set the scene over Boston Harbor but that didn’t seem to deter the US crowds celebrating the 4th July holiday weekend. Also at Fan Pier to experience the Extreme 40 action was US sailing legend and commentator, Gary Jobson who went for a ride on Artemis Racing, and Dawn Riley, former round the world and America’s Cup sailor. A good gradiant breeze ensured the action was close and intense, even when the threat of lightning suspended racing the teams came back out fighting after the storm had dissipated. Emirates Team New Zealand reveled in the competition, posting two race wins, to knock The Wave, Muscat off 2nd place on the overall leaderboard but Dean Barker’s team only has the slenderest of margins, just 3 points, but for Leigh McMillan recently recruited as skipper, the team are exceeded expectations: “It wasn't our goal here to get on the podium, for me it was a bit unrealistic,” said Leigh. “But we are still in the hunt for a podium place. We'll go out and fight for every point.”

Leigh McMillan @ Lloyd Images

Max Sirena’s team continued to improve today and like the Kiwis, two race wins, helped them overhaul the all-French team on board Groupe Edmond de Rothschild to claim 4th overall by the end of play. “We had an okay day,” said Luna Rossa helsman, Paul Cambell-James. “We had our ups and downs but generally we are getting better and moving up. Anything can happen at the Extreme Sailing Series and tomorrow we will go out there and sail our own race. We might look at the last double points race and the scores and try to make a plan, but we’ll try any race.” Pierre Pennec’s team was not able to find their form today, although a win in the final race will, hopefully, be a good omen ahead of tomorrow.

Fleet of Extreme 40s @ Lloyd Images

Other overall place changes saw the Swiss team Alinghi claim 6th ahead of Roman Hagara’s Red Bull Extreme Sailing. Despite scoring three third places, things just didn’t go Hagara’s way in the other races. As normal, racing in stadium mode, kept the on-water referees busy, each race lasting just 10-15 minutes. Some of the legs were so short, the teams only had time to unfurl the gennaker, gybe, then furl again before piling into the mark. It is exhausting work physically and the 11 teams will need to rest up tonight ahead of the final day tomorrow when the pressure will be fully on if they want to secure a podium place.

Crowd at Fan Pier @ Lloyd Images

Extreme Sailing Series Act 4 at Fan Pier Boston, USA
Current overall standings after 30 races, Day 4 (3.7.11)

Position / Team / Skipper & crew / Points
1st Artemis Racing (SWE), Terry Hutchinson / Sean Clarkson / Morgan Trubovich / Julien Cressant 239 points
2nd Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), Dean Barker / Adam Beashel / James Dagg / Jeremy Lomas 225 points
3rd The Wave, Muscat (OMA), Leigh McMillan / Kyle Langford / Nick Hutton / Khamis Al Anbouri 222 points
4th Luna Rossa (ITA), Max Sirena / Paul Campbell-James / Alister Richardson / Manuel Modena 210 points
5th Groupe Edmond de Rothschild (FRA), Pierre Pennec / Christophe Espagnon / Thierry Fouchier / Hervé Cunningham 200 points
6th Alinghi (SUI), Tanguy Cariou / Yann Guichard / Nils Frei / Yves Detrey 199 points
7th Red Bull Extreme Sailing (AUT), Roman Hagara / Hans Peter Steinacher / Will Howden / Craig Monk 195.2* points
8th Oman Air (OMA), Sidney Gavignet / Kinley Fowler / David Carr / Nasser Al Mashari 149 points
9th Niceforyou (ITA), Alberto Barovier / Mark Bulkeley / Daniele de Luca Simone de Mari 133 points
10th Team GAC Pindar (GBR), Ian Williams / Mark Ivey / Andrew Walsh / Jono Macbeth 116 points
11th Team Extreme (EUR), Roland Gaebler / Bruno Dubois / Sebbe Godefroid / Bob Merrick 94 points