2008 HYERES
North Sails Wins 40th Semaine Olympique Française!
by Dave Hughes

2008 INTERNATIONAL SPRING CUP
Costers powered by North Sails finishes 1st!
by Dave Hughes

The 33rd International Spring Cup
Sanary-sur-mer, France
April 6-12, 2008

Once again the 470 fleet decided to showcase its muscle in the breeze with the 33rd Spring Cup in France.  A traditional stop before the Semaine Olympique Française in Hyères, the Spring Cup was graced with cold temperatures, big waves, and increasing Mistral winds.

Sailed at Sanary-sur-mer from 6th to 12th April, 38 crews from 18 nations competed in the usual combined-gender format — Men and women racing in a single fleet — including most of the teams selected for the 2008 Olympic Games.

Sven & Kalle Coster reaching to the finish

Eight races were sailed over four days in 20-25 knots.  Racing on the last two days, including the Medal Race, had to be cancelled due to stormy weather conditions. The Coster brothers dominated with four bullets.  Two-time 420 World Champions Evans and Burling and Three-time 470 World Champions Wilmot and Page completed the podium.  Sailing with Igor Marenic, former Optimist World Champion Sime Fantela and probable Polish Olympic team members Piasecki and Zieminski finished 4th and 5th, respectively.

Top 5 Results
1. Sven Coster & Kalle Coster, NED
2. Carl Evans & Peter Burling — NZL
3. Nathan Wilmot & Malcolm Page — AUS
4. Sime Fantela & Igor Marenic — CRO
5. Patryk Piasecki & Kacper Zieminski — POL

2008 PRINCESS SOFIA REGATTA
North Sails 1st Men's and Women's fleets!
by Dave Hughes

2008 WORLDS
by Paul Hobson

Men: Congratulations to Britain’s Nic Asher and Elliot Willis who have just won the 2008 470 World Championships in Melbourne. Nic and Elliot used the following North Sails inventory: SN-9+ Mainsail, A-4 Jib and AP-8 Spinnaker.

Women: Congratulations also to Erin Maxwell & Isabelle Kinsolving (USA) who sailed a solid series to become Women’s World Champions.Erin and Isabelle used the following North Sails inventory: C21-L5 mainsail, S5-B4 Jib and V-2 Spinnaker.

 

Top 3 470 Worlds Men: 1. ASHER, Nic WILLIS, Elliot             2. MARINHO, Álvaro NUNES, Miguel               3. KLIGER, Gideon GAL, Udi

Results 470 Worlds Women: 1. MAXWELL, Erin KINSOLVING, Isabelle             2. CONTI, Giulia MICOL, Giovanna               3. RECHICHI, Elise PARKINSON, Tessa

Complete results, photos and regatta reports go to www.470.org/champ08/world/

For complete information on our 470 designs, don't hesitate to contact our 470 experts!

 

2008 SAIL MELBOURNE
North Wins 470s at Sail Melbourne
As amended from Sail Melbourne Media & ISAF
by Dave Hughes

Women's 470

Going into today's Medal Race Erin Maxwell and Isabelle Kinsolving (USA) were feeling good about their position ahead of Ai Kondo and Naoko Kamata (JPN) in second and Giulia Conti and Giovanna Micol (ITA) in third. "We've been at the top of the score board every day. We're mathematically guaranteed either first or second at an ISAF Grade 1 Event," an excited Maxwell said yesterday.

Happily, the US girls who missed out on Olympic selection, took out the gold medal today, their second place in the Medal Race more than enough to cover them, having led the Women’s 470 fleet from day one. A feisty Kondo and Kamata were awarded the silver after their third place finish in the Medal Race, while Conti and Micol received the bronze.

Yuka Yoshisako and Noriko Okuma (JPN) won the Medal Race today for a fourth in the regatta.  But it isn't over yet, as the ISAF Grade W 470 World Championships at Sail Melbourne will be held next week at Mordialloc Sailing Club.  The Americans are feeling confident about next week. "We trained hard this fall, then took a break, so we are well trained and rested."

1. Erin Maxwell & Isabelle Kinsolving — USA
2. Ai Kondo & Naoko Kamata — JPN
3. Giulia Conti & Giovanna Micol — ITA (partial North inventory)
   

Men's 470

Yesterday's top three overall place holders managed to stay in their spots after today's close Medal Race, with Nick Rogers and Joe Glanfield (GBR) claiming gold with a convincing first in the Medal Race this afternoon in light wafty airs on the course just off host venue, Sandringham Yacht Club.

Athens silver medallists Rogers and Glanfield really enjoyed their week of racing at Sandringham and are looking forward to next week’s ISAF Grade W 470 World Championships at Sail Melbourne. "It's beautiful here. The best sailing place," Rogers said. The silver medal went to world ranked #13 Sime Fantela and Igor Marenic (CRO) and bronze went to world #4 Mathew Belcher and Nick Behrens (AUS), who just missed selection into the 2008 Beijing Games. The pair was extremely pleased, particularly Belcher who has come fresh from winning the Moth Australian title.

1. Nick Rogers & Joe Glanfield — GBR
2. Sime Fantela & Igor Marenic — CRO
3. Matty Belcher & Nick Behrens — AUS

 

For complete information on our 470 or Finn designs, don't hesitate to contact our470 experts!

2007 SYDNEY INTERNATIONAL REGATTA
Aussies and French take Men's and Women's 470s;
Ainslie Dominated Finns
Report by Dave Hughes

December 19, 2007
Sydney, Australia
(as amended from ISAF & SIR Media)

North Sails swept the top-5 positions in the Finn, 470 Men's, and 470 Women's classes at the ISAF Grade 1 Sydney International Regatta! Held on the busy waters of Sydney Harbor, the SIR is particularly well-attended this year as fleets prepare for multiple World championships to be held in Melbourne next month.

Finns

Ben Ainslie cleaned up in the Finn class as the ISAF Grade 1 Sydney International Regatta finished on Sydney Harbour this afternoon. It was a bright and sunny final day in Sydney, with racing getting underway from 10:00 in shifty southerly 10-12 knot winds. Before racing started in Sydney all eyes were on the performance of Ben Ainslie (GBR), and the double Olympic Champion lived up to expectations. He won two of today’s three races, finishing ninth in the middle race 7, which was used as his race drop for the series.

As well as boosting his chances of Olympic selection, Ainslie’s victory should also see him make a rapid rise up the ISAF World Sailing Rankings when they are released for this final time in 2007 tomorrow.

The triple Olympic medallist across two classes won six of the nine race series hosted by Woollahra Sailing Club, beating nearest rival Jonas Hoegh-Christensen (DEN) by a whopping 17 points. The bronze medal went Finn World Champion Rafa Trujilo (ESP) – just. The Spaniard finished the regatta on equal 30 points with another Brit and Olympian in waiting, Giles Scott, who missed out on countback.

Ainslie’s coach, Dave Howlett, a former Finn star himself, says he is pleased with Ainslie’s results at the Yachting NSW organized event. “Ben wanted to win here, so all is going according to plan.”

Ed Wright (GBR), Ainslie’s rival for the British Olympic place, had a mixed day, his best result a second in the final race 8 for a fifth place overall, 22 points behind Ainslie. It does not bode well for his Olympic chances.

Men’s and Women’s 470

Australia took gold in the Men’s 470, but it was not a simple job for the World Champions Nathan Wilmot and Malcolm Page, the result only being decided on the race course this afternoon and in the final of the three races, even though they won the opening race of the day.

Eventually, the pair defeated two sets of brothers who had been biting at the Aussie’s heels all week. Benjamin Bonnaud and Romain Bonnaud (FRA), who at one stage led the series, finished second overall just one point behind the Aussies. PAGE had said before the event the Frenchman would be strong contenders, and he was right. Sven Coster and Kalle Coster (NED) were third, a further four points behind. The brothers were up there all week and did not go away.

Veteran campaigners Ingrid Petitjean and Nadege Douroux (FRA) worked their way to the top of the scoreboard and made their final move in today’s races, winning the opening race and doing enough to jump from yesterday’s second place and into the gold medal position this afternoon late – but they did it by the seat of their pants, finishing on equal points with yesterday’s leaders.

Nike Kornecki and Vered Buskila (ISR) would have been disappointed to slip to silver, especially on countback, but at least they remained on the podium. The Swiss pair of Emmanuelle Rol and Anne-Sophie Thilo held their game together to claim the bronze medal, just four points behind.

Finn – Final Results
1. Ben Ainslie - GBR
2. Jonas Høgh-Christensen - DEN
3. Rafael Trujillo - ESP
4. Giles Scott - GBR
5. Ed Wright - GBR

470 Men – Final Results
1. Nathan Wilmot & Malcolm Page - AUS
2. Benjamin Bonnaud & Romain Bonnaud - FRA
3. Sven Coster & Kalle Coster - NED
4. Gideon Kliger & Udi Gal - ISR
5. Pierre Laboucher & Vincent Garos - FRA

470 Women – Final Results
1. Ingrid Petitjean & Nadege Douroux - FRA (PARTIAL)
2. Nike Kornecki & Vered Bouskila - ISR
3. Emmanuelle Rol & Anne-Sophie Thilo - SUI
4. Amanda Clark & Sarah Mergenthaler - USA
5. Yuka Yoshisako & Noriko Okuma - JPN

The fleets next head to their World Championships on Port Phillip Bay, Melbourne. The Finn and 470 will be hosted by the Black Rock Yacht Club and Mordialloc Sailing Club, respectively.  

For complete Results visit http://www.nsw.yachting.org.au

For complete information on our 470 or Finn designs, don't hesitate to contact our experts!

INTERVIEW - SARAH MERGENTHALER
Interview by Dave Hughes

Sarah Mergenthaler, with helm Amanda Clark, won the US Olympic Trials in the Women’s 470.  The pair will represent the USA at the 2008 Olympic Games in Qingdoa.  Sarah has held onto the #1 US Sailing Team ranking for the last four years and currently stands an impressive 7th in the World Rankings.  Clark and Mergenthaler are among the US’s best chances for a medal at the Olympics, and Sarah has proven herself as one of the best 470 crews in the World.  North Sails caught up with Sarah after she returned home from the Trials.  

Sarah, Congratulations on a well-raced Olympic Trials! You and Amanda certainly demonstrated speed and patience during the event.  Nicely done!

This will be your first time to the Olympics.  Has it sunk in yet?

Sarah - It defnitely hasn't sunk in yet, and I don't know when it officially will!  I've seen a few of my friends and family member since returning from the Trials in Long Beach and some have said things like, "Wow, I've never known an Olympian before!"  It's an honor and a dream come true to make the US Olympic Team- I just can't believe my name and that title come in the same breath!

How long have you been training in the 470 with your eye on the Games?  Tell us how and when you got started with Amanda.

Sarah - Amanda and I teamed up in April, 2002 so we're working on 6 years of training and compteting with each other.  We were serious about the Olympics from day 1 of our program.  I was sitting at work one day when my dad called and said he'd just spoken with Dennis Clark (Amanda's father) and that she was looking for a crew in the 470.  Side note here: Amanda and I grew up sailing Optimists against each other years beforehand, so I knew who he was talking about right away.  I called Amanda that weekend and we talked over the phone about each of our goals, plans, try-outs, etc.  I flew down to Miami the next weekend to go for a sail.  You see, I'd been a single-handed sailor all my life.  I wasn't sure if I'd fit the mold as a crew but was sure willing to try for an opportunity.  The other issue I had was that I'd never been on a trapeze before, so I had to make a few phone calls to dig up a harness for that weekend!  I immediately fell in love with the 470 and Amanda and I worked well together.  I took a leap of faith and decided to quit my job the following month so we could train full time in Europe.  The rest is history!

What lessons did you take away from the last Olympic Trials in 2003 that you applied to this Trials?

Sarah - Consistency of finishes and focus in each race.  The Olympic Trials is long, grueling event.  16 races span 9 days with only one drop.  This formula does not allow for multiple mistakes.  In 2003 we were just a little less consistent than the boat that won.  Our goal for this Olympic Trials was to sail the entire series without a drop.  Our worst race was a 6th while the second place boat had multiple finishes 7th or worse.  Each day of the Trials, we were 100% focused on the racing that day.  We kept the mental work rate up throughout the 16 races, not allowing a single lapse.  

Take us through a day of training - be it at the Trials or a World Championship.

Sarah - The alarm sounds around 7:15.  It takes about 15 minutes to brush my teeth and lace up the running sneaks, so I'm usually out the door at 7:30 on a 4-5 mile run.  I follow that up with an abs routine and stretching.  I like to take a little shower before breakfast so I can head down to the boat park looking fresh!  
9-9:45 is cereal and yogurt with Amanda and our coach.
10am-12pm: boatwork and prep to leave the docks, checking for any signs of wear on blocks, lines, fittings, etc
12-12:30: meeting with coach and training partners to discuss the day's focus areas, drills, ideas
12:45- 5pm: on water training
5-6:30pm: debrief with coach and training partners, watch video, discussion
7PM: shower
7:30: Dinner, Relax
10PM: bed
 
Where there any break-through moments or regattas from this last quad of training and racing?

Sarah - I don't think there was any one spike over the quad.  Insead, I like to think the average of the past 4 years was a constant, steady trend upward.  We carefully chose practice vs. peak events for each year, always keeping an eye on the big picture.  We wanted everything we did to have purpose.

You've done the 470 circuit for a number of years.  What has been your favorite regatta or venue to date?

Sarah - For me, I've always had a blast at the Rolex Miami OCR.  For starters, Amanda and I have always peformed well there (and don't we all love sailing in place we do well at?) and the event is usually a large portion of the US Sailing Team ranking formula.  So, it comes with a little pressure to peform, which is always fun.  More than this, the water is warm, the air is warmer, the wind usually blows and most of our closest sailing friends are there.  Plus, my family and friends in New Jersey a pretty much freezing their butts offat that time of year!  Some of my best sailing memories are sailing Biscayne Bay.

What's your schedule looking like from now until the Olympics? Are you non-stop until the Games?

Sarah - Now that the Trials are over, we're taking a 2 week break at home to recoup and start planning the next 10 months.  We will head to Australia mid-November through January 31 for a series of events: Go For Gold (Melbourne), SIRS (Sydney), Sail Melbourne and the 2008 470 Worlds (Melbourne).  Early February will be a break as our boats ship to Europe but we hope to get the invite to the ABeam Cup in Japan.  March, April, May and June are the usual stops on the Euro Tour: Barcelona, Princess Sofia, Hyeres (home of the Mistral), Holland and the 470 Europeans in Lake Garda, Italy.  We will break again in late June before heading to Qingdao, China in July to prepare for the Games.   I guess you could say it's full-on!

What advice would you give up-and-coming women sailors with their sights on the Olympics?

Sarah - Don't be affraid to take some smart risks in order to follow your dream. Talk to people who have already been there for advice and support.  Also, don't be discouraged things don't fall into place on your first try.  
 
Thank you, Sarah.  Best of luck to you and Amanda!

Note: Check out www.teamgosail.org for more information on Amanda and Sarah.

Photo credit: Sarah Mergenthaler - Team GO Sail

INTERVIEW - STU MCNAY
Interview by Dave Hughes

Stu McNay and Graham Biehl won the 2007 470 Men’s US Olympic Trials in the Men’s 470 event.  The regatta was hosted by the Alamitos Bay Yacht Club in Long Beach, CA, October 6-13.  The duo bested seven other men’s teams in a first-ever combined-gender racing format in which men and women were sailed and scored together. Stu and Graham will represent the USA at the 2008 Olympic Games in Qingdao, China to be held August 2008.  North Sails One Design caught up with Stu on his way to race the US Team Racing Championship just after the Trials.

US Olympic Trials – Men’s 470
1) Stuart McNay & Graham Biehl (ALL NORTH)
2) Mikee Anderson-Mitterling & David Hughes (ALL NORTH)
3) Adam Roberts & Nick Martin (ALL NORTH)
4) Justin Law & Mike Miller (ALL NORTH)
5) Keith Davids & Brad Rodi (ALL NORTH)

Stu, congratulations on a strong performance at the Olympic Trials!  You and Graham sailed a very consistent series to win a berth at the Games next year.

How long have you been sailing 470s with an eye on making the Olympics?  Take us briefly through your 470 career.
 
Stu - I have been in the 470 class for 6 years. I really only have 2 and a half years of full-time campaigning, and then in the last eight months, I learned a new definition of what full time means: it means not just going to lots of regattas with light training before hand. It means hard core training for extended periods so you are really ready to put your best foot forward in competition.

You seem to be putting together elements of your game in all sorts of breeze conditions.  What do you feel are your best strengths?
 
Stu - I feel we are strong on the starting line. Our boat-handling is excellent, so we are good at maneuvering and sailing when near other boats. Our speed is consistent throughout the wind range and never holds us back. I think people sometimes focus too much on getting a boat speed edge. The edge that is found is usually most apparent in a tuning environment and then seems less transferable to a racing environment. Basically, speed is necessary, but sometimes overrated. We have the speed to race in a wide range of conditions, so our decision making is what wins and what loses the regatta--but won't complain if speed wins it either!

What parts of your game are you targeting for improvement over the next 10-months of training before the Olympics? What will be most critical for China?
 
Stu - In china we will need to have sharp decision making and executing the decisions. Our speed is very good, but a touch more would help us medal.
 
What aspect of your training or coaching would you say put you over the top at the Trials?
 
Stu - We worked very hard and we spent a lot of time. We feel that good preparation was key to our success. We trained like we were racing and then raced as we had trained.
 
Are you taking much of a break this Fall or getting right back into the 470? Take us through the next year.  What does your schedule look like?
 
Stu - We will take the next month and a half away form 470 sailing, but will continue sailing other classes to keep us each developing as sailors. We will spend december and january in australia, and then we will head to europe for an aggressive regatta and training schedule.
 
There are 30 expected teams in the men's 470 at the Olympics. What teams do you feel are the biggest medal competition for you?
 
Stu -There are many strong teams who could medal: the australians, Isreali's, french, italians, portugese to name a few. We will see who can put forward their best performances at the olympic games!
 
Now that you've jumped over the hurdle of the US Trials how will you re-design your training in order to focus on a medal at the Games, or will much change from your previous focus leading up to the Trials?
 
Stu - We have had a lot of success with our current training style, so there is no need to change it.
 
You raced in China last year at the "Pre-Pre-Olympics."  Qingdao is clearly a tricky venue with its light air and fickle current.  What were your impressions from 2006 and what lessons will you take to the Games?
 
Stu - It seems that consistency will be challenging but critical to success. I am interested to see how much weather data actually factors into race-course decision making. There are some teams spending lots of time and money gathering this information and I look forward to seeing if it seems to pay off.
 
The 470 is a widely popular boat around the World, but not in the US.  What advice would you give future campaigners looking to break into the 470?
 
Stu - Come train with us! Seriously. Get a core training group in the US and a fun and experienced coach. Learn boat handling and boat control in the 470, then you will have no problem applying the skills you have form other classes of sail-boat racing in the big league 470 racing in europe.

Thank you, Stu. Best of luck at the Worlds in Melbourne!

Photo credit: Stu McNay c/o McNay-Biehl

 

2007 MIKEY MURRISON MEMORIAL REGATTA

Report by Dave Hughes

Long Beach, CA
Sept 21-23

16 top American and foreign 470 teams descended upon the Alamitos Bay Yacht Club for the Mikey Murrison Memorial Regatta, September 21-23.  The Murrison pays tribute to a former US Sailing Team 470 helm who lost his battle with cancer in his mid-20s during the Athens quad. The regatta served as the Olympic Trials tune-up event in the waters where the Trials will be held October 6-14.  

All US teams used the event a means to experiment with equipment and test the pulse of their competitors for the Trials.  The racing quickly turned into a storm of coaches with cameras and video cameras fighting for data on the opposition.  On the course action was tight and sometimes questionable, but highly competitive, nonetheless. The last race battle between Mikee Anderson-Mitterling and Stu McNay was one of the most epic match races in recent US 470 history.  Pre-start traps, mark traps, luffing matches, dial-downs, tacking duels, gybing duels, and protest hailing all played part.  In the end, Mikee prevailed putting three boats on Stu, but Stu took 3rd place by one point over Mikee's 4th in the overall standings.

Regardless of the US battles, the real story was with French team of Nicolas Charbonnier and Olivier Bausset, Mikee's tuning partners for the Trials.  Nico, a two-time Youth World Champion and two-time 420 World Champion, spent much of the year with Olivier as the World's #1 ranked 470 team. The duo posted a 1-1-1-1-2-2-1 after dropping a 4.  Stu, Mikee, and Lenka Smidova of the Czech Republic were the only teams to take a race win away from the French. Clearly, whatever the result of the US Trials, the Americans have some work to do before next year's Olympics.

Mikey Murrison Memorial Regatta Results:

1     FRA7     Nicolas Charbonnier & Oliver Bausset (*)
2     ARG61  Matias Buhler & Marcos Lamas     (*)
3     1713     Stuart McNay & Graham Biehl     
4     1734     Mikee Anderson-Mitterling & Dave Hughes    
5     1757     Erin Maxwell & Isabelle Kinsolving     
6     FRA11   Benjamin Bonnaud & Romain Bonnaud     (*)
7     FRA4     Ingrid Petit Jean & Nadege Daureaux     
8     439      Amanda Clark & Sarah Mergenthaler     
9     CZE1   Lenka Smidova & Lenka Mrzilkova     
10   1772     Charles Modica & Hans Jensen     
11   CAN630  Jen Provan & Carol Luttmer     
12   171     Stephan Locas & Oliver Bone     
13   1760     Keith Davids & Brad Rodi     
14   1768     Molly Carapiet & Molly O'Bryan     
15   1777     Nicole Breault & Casey Williams     
16   1766     Charlie Fox & A. Brock Braebel   

For complete information on our 470 designs, don't hesitate to contact our experts!

(*) partial North inventory

INTERVIEW MALCOLM PAGE
2007 470 WORLD CHAMPION
Interview by Dave Hughes

Three-time 470 World Champion, 420 World Champion, and ISAF World Games Champion, Malcolm Page is recognized as one of the World’s best trapezing crews. North Sails One Design caught up with Malcom in Qingdao, China where he is preparing for the 2007 Pre-Olympics.

Photo Australian Sailing Team

 

Malcolm, congratulations on another 470 World Championship! That makes three for you and Nathan. How long have you and Nathan been sailing together? Were you competitors before pairing up?

MALCOLM: Nathan and I started sailing together in 2001. Victor Kovalenko (the Australian 470 Coach) always dreamt of teaming us together, and this happened when we first went to Europe in 2001 for Kiel. We both campaigned the 470 in separate teams towards the 2000 Olympics, but both missed selection (2nd, 3rd in trials) to Tom King/Mark Turnball, who went on to win the 2000 Gold. Nathan and I have known each other for 20+ years. We first meet when nathan was about 5years old and organised for him to crew for a friend in Flying Eleven (11ft training boat). I then coached Nathan through many junior classes. He always love telling the story how he has his old coach is his crew now!

You have won a 420 World Championship with Nathan, as well. Do you continue to cross-train in other boats together, dinghies or keelboats?

MALCOLM: Yes the 420 Worlds was the first worlds Nathan and I won together. I had never sailed a 420 until the week before the worlds. But Nathan had done many years in the class. At that time (9months before Athens Olympics) we were always looking for high level, high pressure regattas to test ourselves under pressure. The 420 Worlds were local to our home (1000klms away) that year and made sense in our Olympic preparation. Nathan and I are often seen sailing on other boats. I am heavily involved in a Farr 40 campaign and Nathan is often racing on other IRC and one design yachts. The advantage of living in Sydney is that you can race regularly in anything from dinghies to offshore canting keel yachts.

Photo David Minis-Bell

How did you prepare for Cascais? What was your training schedule like during the 2007 season?

MALCOLM: We never sailed in Cascais until the 2 weeks before the World Championships. With travelling being logistically difficult from Australia, it sometimes is important to focus more on racing in Europe than worry about the exact location. But we thought 2 weeks would be enough to familarise ourselves to the place, but without getting sick of it. We always like to have completed some decent regattas before hand to make sure we have practiced our racing skills. That does not mean that we always have to do well, but more just so we remember how to race. Then we will normally focus on equipment preparation and practise racing leading into the regatta.

How much sail testing do you factor into your campaign? Have you used certain regattas to test new gear?

MALCOLM: Equipment is extremely important in 470 racing. That is an area we feel as though we failed on at the Athens Olympics. So it has been a huge focus for us since last years worlds in China. We spent the AUS summer and early parts of Europe developing and testing many different sails and equipment. This sometimes really hurts you performance and confidence, which did happen with us. But with our coach we stay focussed and kept to our plan of focussing on the 2 major regattas this year being the Europeans and Worlds. Then on 2nd trip to Europe (Europeans, Kiel & Worlds) we felt like we had found some extra speed gears and started to bring some better results. Its great when the plan works!

What are your comments on this quad's Medal Race now that you have sailed a number of championship Finals under the new format?

MALCOLM: Hmmm, we have mixed emotions on the medal race. Mainly because it has not worked that many times for us. But I think the idea of making our sport more visible and exciting is a good thing. Maybe it is something we just need to get use to a little more. But what I think it does is put more emphieces on race management and jury decisions. Sailors get punished with bad results when they make mistakes and miss read the wind, but if there is an error from outside their control, many times I have seen them get punished with a double points non discardable race. Now that can hurt! I have already seen in the last couple of years some boats who sailed the best for the regatta not come away with the medal because of the medal race scoring. The old rule of consistancey will win you the regatta doesn’t always work when the medal race comes along.

You have now won the Australian selection for the 2007 Pre-Olympics, and you raced the Test Event last year. What are your impressions of Qingdao and the sailing conditions there?

MALCOLM: Its great to have won the pre-olympic spot. We are always very proud to sail for our country and fly the flag. In Australia we are lucky enough to enjoy the Chinese cuisine and culture everyday. But when I first arrived there I was very surprised by the size and development of the city. It was so big and commercial. It made Sydney look small (4 million people) with 7million people and with huge high rises. The conditions in Qingdao will be very testing. With average breezes being very light and a high current, it will be very challenging sailing. Although there is luck in sailing, and no sailor wants ever to rely on it, I think some in those conditions will go a long way.

 

Photo David Minis-Bell

You and Nathan are clearly fast in the breeze. What are some important big breeze skills that apply to the light air we expect in China?

MALCOLM: We get spoiled in Australia. There is always a good breeze. If not in the morning, there will be by the afternoon. We find ourselves practising in medium to strong winds most of the time . Although we are tall and on the heavy side, we feel as though we can match anybody. There are different skills for heavy and light winds, but I think it is fair to say that you do not get to our level without being able to sail well in all conditions. Some skills are the same no matter what the breeze strength, such as pre-empting the shifts, responding quickly to changes on the race course and the having the upperhand psychololgically. We just need to practise more in those conditions to feel more comfortable in them. This has been our plan for some years, and have been working on developing equipment and confidence in the light. It was satisfying to see that we were capable of getting a second in the Worlds in Rizhoa in China last year in similar conditions to what Quindao may experience. The latest trip to Europe has also cemented our confidence that our skills translate no matter what the breeze is like.

How will you organize training before the Pre-Olympics this coming month. Take us through a normal day's schedule.

MALCOLM: Although the exact plan is not finalised yet. We will be arriving some 2 weeks to the Pre-Olympics early. We will be following our normal style of preparation. We usually complete speed and equipment selection with a small core team (3-4 AUS 470 boats), and then move into some quality racing (approx 10 boats). We will partner with foreign teams that we respect and have the same objective. This will allow for us to maximise our preparation, without getting too tired. When you have too many teams it just becomes a nightmare and your effective time on the water just gets reduced. I think rest can be just as important as training, so delicate balance is always sort after. This is where our coach is great at reading us and knowing when to change tacks. Training is usually only for 3-4 hours with boat work afterwards. Afternoons and nights are usually our own for relaxing and hanging out with other team sailors. It's great sometimes to explore the local areas. We usually work in some fitness training as well such as cycling.

Lastly, how best can our readers follow your progress?

MALCOLM: Most 470 regattas can be linked to from the ISAF web page www.sailing.org alternately you will see many articles about the whole Australian Sailing Team at www.australiansailingteam.com.au I encourage everyone to sail for enjoyment and you might be surprised how much faster you go. Also, a big thanks to North Sails for your support with the best part being your fast sails!

Thanks, Mal! Good luck at the Pre-Olympics and with the AUS team trials!

 

 

2007 SOF HYERES
North Takes 470 Honors in Hyères
Report by Dave Hughes

2007 PRINCESS SOPHIA REGATTA
North Sails One Design Dominates 470 and Finn Podiums in Palma!!
Report by Dave Hughes
Fotos Rubben Ballester - www.nicomartinez.com

Gold, Silver, Bronze - 470 Men
Gold, Silver, Bronze - 470 Women
Gold, Silver, Bronze - Finn

Rain, more rain, and light winds greeted the participants of the 38th Annual Trofeo Princesa Sofia regatta on the island of Mallorca, Spain. Princess Sofia or 'Palma,' as it's better known is stage #3 of the new ISAF World Cup circuit which began in Melbourne, Australia this past January and ends in Kiel, Germany in June before heading to the ISAF World Championships in Cascais, Portugal. Palma is often considered the most-anticipated event of the year because of its typically warms and near-perfect sailing conditions. This year was truly an exception in terms of weather, but that didn't affect what was the event's largest-ever attendance.

68 women's teams and 116 men's team competed in this year's 470 competition. This showing proved to be larger than the two previous World championships. After days of non-racing and an over-stocked racing circle, the reigning 2-time World Champions Marcelien de Koning and Lobke Berkhout (Netherlands) took the women's honors, while 2-time Palma champion Álvaro Marinho and Miguel Nunes (Portugal) cleaned up the Men's fleet with a score line that included four individual race wins! 2004 Olympic Silver Medalist in the Europe, Lenka Smidova of the Czech Republic, and crew Veronkia Fenclova took the Silver in the women's fleet. After a four-year hiatus from the European circuit, the USA's Erin Maxwell -- with 2004 Olympian Iz Kinsolving crewing -- rounded out the top-three with the Bronze! In the men's fleet, 2003 World Champions Gabrio Zandonà and Andrea Trani (Italy) and new podium-finisher Pierre Leboucher and Vincent Garos (France) completed the Men's podium.

After spending a day of no-racing on the 470 race circle the PRO sent the Finns to the Star course where they completed their regatta. In the end, Croatia's Marin Misura proved that solid tactics win regattas, but boat speed sure helps! World Champion Jonas Høgh-Christensen of Denmark took the Silver, while the Netherlands’ Pieter-Jan Postma demonstrated yet again that he is podium material taking the Bronze only three points behind Jonas. The class standard was North's HV-2L main. We're learning more and more that the HV-2L consistently performs through the light, medium, and even medium-heavy. Complete results, click here.

The Olympic fleet next heads to Hyeres, France to the East of Marseilles for the 39th Semaine Olympique Française. More commonly known as 'Hyeres,' SOF is where the Mistral winds can make for some survival conditions! More information can be found here.

470 - WOMEN
1. Marcelien de Koning / Lobke Berkhout, NED
2. Lenka Smidova / Veronika Fenclova, CZE
3. Erin Maxwell / Isabelle Kinsolving, USA

470 - MEN
1. Álvaro Marinho / Miguel Nunes, POR
2. Gabrio Zandonà / Andrea Trani, ITA
3. Pierre Leboucher / Vincent Garos, FRA

FINN
1. Marin Misura, CRO
2. Jonas Høgh-Christensen, DEN
3. Pieter-Jan Postma, NED

Congratulations to all our North Sails champions!!

For complete information on our 470 or Finn designs, don't hesitate to contact our experts!

2007 CASCAIS INTERNATIONAL REGATTA
North Sails #1 470 and Finn classes!!!!!
Report by Dave Hughes

2007 US SAILING Team Trials
North Sweeps US Sailing Team 470 Team Trials

Report by Dave Hughes

2006 470 US Olympic Pre-Trials
Long Beach, CA

Report by Dave Hughes

2006 470 World Championship
Rizhao, China

Report by Dave Hughes