To bring you up to speed… We raced in the Womens Open Keelboat Championships and the J24 Autumn Championships, we won the mixed sportsboats class in the Garmin Hamble Winter Series and in 2012, the year of the London Olympics, there are plans for the Southern Area 707 Championships to be held at the Royal Southern Yacht Club. There is plenty to be excited about!

We are looking forward to bringing to you all the news as it happens and would love to hear about your own projects as well, so please get in touch.

Ed.

We managed to get around the courses really well and I made some great decisions, based on nothing other than a ‘gut-feeling’. I even helmed to win a race! But sometime during the summer I realised that although I had learned quite a bit about decision making, I didn’t really know why or what I was doing and I wanted to understand the basis for my instincts.

Luckily, I bumped in to Jon Emmett, Professional Coach and National, European & World champion who handed me a copy of his book ‘Be Your Own Tactics Coach’.

I set to work, reading each section and going through the diagrams, then watching out for the scenarios on the water each weekend and it all started to fall in to place. I started to unravel the rudimentary understanding that I already had and fill in the gaps, picking up new tips along the way.

The most useful parts of the book for me were the pre-start and starting sequence as that is something which just bamboozles me! Talk to me about line or course bias and wind shifts and you may as well be speaking Cantonese! But the diagrams in Jons book really explain these scenarios simply so that I can understand them. I still need a greater knowledge of the racing rules, and a lot more practice, but with my new understanding of the basics, I feel that I can be more involved in the team and help with decisions.

To conclude, I would say that whether you are a solo dinghy sailor, or part of a large team, or if you never even go within 2 feet of the tiller! you really should read this book. It will undoubtedly make you a much better crew.

‘Be Your Own Tactics Coach’ is available NOW at Amazon.co.uk. While you are there, why not check out the hugely popular ‘Be Your Own Sailing Coach’.

Tickets can be bought from the official Southampton Boat Show website : http://www.southamptonboatshow.com

Dress to impress and WIN!
Make sure you have your outfit ready in time for this year’s Show. It’s a great excuse to get the girls together for a day to remember. Enjoy the fantastic atmosphere of this thriving event, whilst you enjoy a glass of champagne overlooking the Show. This certainly is the place to pull out all the stops to dress to impress to win the title of  ‘Bessed Dressed Lady’ in association with The Daily Echo.
With great prizes to be won in the competition and The Southern Daily Echo snapper roaming around the Show it’s a day not to be missed

Have fun ladies!

This transatlantic (former Mini Transat) is single-handed, without routing or contact with the earth and without assistance. 80 sailors from 16 countries will leave for a 4200 nautical miles voyage (7800 km) on 21-foot sailboats.

It is starter for all the best sailors: Michel Desjoyeaux, Ellen MacArthur, Loïck and Bruno Peyron, Laurent Yvan Bourgnon, Bernard Stamm, Lionel Lemonchois, Thomas Coville, Isabelle Autissier, Catherine Chabaud, Samantha Davies…

This year 6 more women sailors will be following in their footsteps, setting off on the 18th Charente-Maritime/Bahia Transat 6,50. Six women out of 80 sailors! Thus, it shows a reality… The very small representativeness of women in offshore sailing race’s World. Yet, the most famous women have participated to The Charente-Maritime/Bahia Transat 6,50 such as Isabelle Autissier, Ellen MacArthur, Catherine Chabaud, Samantha Davies, etc. They all have great souvenirs from this transatlantic that was, for each of them, a revelation, a “propeller”…
 
“This race made me crazy, a complete revelation. The arrival to Canary Islands, at the end of the day, was magic, even though I was exhausted after 43 hours at the helm… At the start, I was not a professional sailor… At the end I had become one…” states Isabelle Autissier, 3rd in 1987.
 
Samantha Davies, 11tth in 2001: “This is a very difficult race but it is awesome. Very difficult, because it was my first singlehanded race, I suffered much… But the reward when you reach Salvador de Bahia is immense. This is one of my best memories. What really made a deep impression for me; it is the atmosphere and the spirit of this race. Even if you’re a foreigner, everyone helps you and everyone supports everyone. We all share the same wish and the same motivation… I really appreciated.”
 
Ellen MacArthur, 15th in 1997: “It gave me taste for open sea. I will never forget it!”

This year, the Six women from 27 to 40 years old will face the Ocean from the 25th of September. Two French, one Spanish, one Italian, one Dutch, one Briton and one American… 
 
- Marie Duvignac, Visit Var n° 660, 32 years old lives in Toulon, “Rédacteur territorial”.
Marie is not a woman we can call a fresher, twice World champion, once vice-champion and four times European champion in catamaran (Hobie cat and Melges), she says: “I was fed up. I wanted to see what’s after than the buoys…” In 2009, she buys her first Mini and successfully starts her own adventure (3rd of the Grand Prix d’Italie, 4th of the Mini Max and the Hexis Cup). Now, it’s time for the BIG adventure: “I am looking for adventure, to learn and to discover… To see the Doldrums and to know how I will react throughout three weeks of solitude. Not to feel lonely, I name everything on my boats, the sails, the pilots… and I talk to them. Of course, I want to have a part in the race but I have no exact idea about a possible ranking.”
 
- Fabienne Robin, Plume d’Ange n°708, 33 years old lives in Château d’Olonne (85), sailor.
She was accountant; it did not last once she had a foot on a Mini 6,50… “I have had already sailed a little when a member of the sail club next to my place called me. He was looking for a crewmember I went there, just to see. That has been “love at first sight”. I really did not plan this professional U-turn.” In 2007, she passes her professional skipper graduation and buys a boat in 2008. Soon on the start line, she tells: “First, it will be a very long adventure, but as it is also a race, I will do my best.”
 
-  Suzanne Beyer, Penelope n° 745, 33 years old, lives in Zoagli in Italie, skipper.
In 2008, she decided that it was time for her to “live her dream”, that means to take part to the Charente-Maritime/Bahia Transat 6,50. Suzanne buys a Pogo 2 named Pénélope. Suzanne is, since 2005, patron of a 1914 ketch named Tirréna II, a quadrangular sails yacht classic. And she loves her with “her ancient and complex manoeuvres and her crew members.” Suzanne also is found of offshore regattas and she says: “I want to live a great personal and professional adventure. An adventure that I would never imagine living a few times ago.”
 
- Christa Ten Brinke, Ran of the North Sea n° 758, 40 years old, lives in Hilversum Pays Bas, Artist.
Christa is an artist/sailor. Two passions that she conciliates very easily. And Christa won’t leave a life partner at home. They will be together at the start of the Charente-Maritime/Bahia Transat 6,50. Christa Ten Brinke and Ysbrand Endt will be the first couple ever to set sails at the same edition of the race. Wild spaces lover, Christa surfs and sails forever. Her objective: “to cross the Atlantic and see Salvador de Bahia.”
 
- Emma Creighton, Pocket Rocket n°574, 27 years old lives in Freeport (USA), skipper.
Emma’s parents sail and took her to sailing. She started competition at the University. Once she graduated, Emma moved from Maine (USA) to Saint-Barthélemy then to San Francisco where she devoted herself to sailing completely. In 2010, she takes part to the Pacific Cup (SF/Hawaii) on a mini and comes to France for the 2011 season to prepare the Charente-Maritime/Bahia Transat 6,50. Emma has one objective: “I do not participate only for the adventure even if it is part of it. I hope to be the first woman among the 20 first protos.”
 
- Philippa Hare, The Potting Shed – n°743, 37 years old, live in Felixstowe Grande Bretagne, Sailing Coach.
Philippa, known by the name of Pip, is not a beginner and goes from race to race. She sailed over 80.000 nautical miles on every Oceans, she crossed the Atlantic twice from Uruguay to Great Britain and from England to The United States. In 2010, she buys her Mini, a Pogo 2, but she starts sailing with her in Mediterranean only u-in March 2011. In 3 months, she completes the compulsory qualifications and she will line up on the start line in September: “In the end, my dream will come true.”

Please get in touch as we are looking for additional crew members urgently!
Admin@Ladieswotyacht.com

Some 16,000 sailors faced wind speeds of up to 28 knots and there were huge swells to contend with off the Needles and at St. Catherine’s as the record-breaking fleet of 1,900 yachts undertook this most famous 50 nautical mile westabout Island circumnavigation on Saturday.

A number of incidents were reported to the Coastguard, including ‘Man Overboard’ reports and capsizes as well as dismastings. There was a lot of sail damage across the fleet that ranged from high tech racers through to many smaller boats competing. However, a spokesman for the Race Management team at the Island Sailing Club, stressed that some of these incident reports were not attributable to the Race and were involving spectator boats rather than competitors. Dave Atkinson, Assistant Principal Race Officer of the day said, “It was a successful race for the Island Sailing Club and we have received many compliments on running a great but challenging event. We’re looking forward to welcoming competitors in 2012 for another record-breaking year.” Thousands of weary but generally happy sailors returned to Cowes and the marinas along the South Coast of England from mid afternoon yesterday, all feeling justifiably proud of their immense achievement in getting round the Island safely in tough conditions for even the most experienced and hardened sailor.

Nick Rogers, who usually sails a 470 with partner Chris Grube, helmed the Contessa 26 Sundowner to victory at the J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race. Line Honours went to French skipper Lionel Lemonchois and his 50ft multihull Prince de Bretagne who were first to cross the finish line in 3hrs 49m and 58s.

The final number of boats to cross the finish line in Cowes was 1,302 and there were 438 retirements and 16 DSQ (disqualified) and/or OCS (on course side). The Race has become progressively more high profile as enhanced technology and communications has helped spread the scale and excitement of the Race farther and more widely around the globe. On Race Day, the total number of page impressions on the Race website amounted to 393,000 which is 100,000 up on 2010’s site visitors. The Race Viewer, allowing online spectators to track boats of their choice, was downloaded by over 32,000 people. The interactive Race Progress Blog produced by the Media Centre and Race Control attracted 17,762 visitors over the course of twelve hours with appreciative comments coming in from as far away as Australia, the Philippines, Mexico and the US.

The Island Sailing Club, the Title Sponsor J.P. Morgan Asset Management, and the Race Partners Britannia Events, Haven Knox-Johnston, Henri Lloyd, Nautica Watches, Old Pulteney Whisky, Raymarine, Red Funnel, Small Luxury Hotels of the World & Volvo Car UK, look forward to welcoming everyone to next year’s Race taking place on Saturday 30th June.

For full results and trophy winners, plus all the news, visit: http://www.roundtheisland.org.uk

International Paint has made a splash back into the world of yacht sponsorship with the announcement of their title sponsorship of Katie Miller’s Figaro II.

Miller will once again join forces with Matthew Lingley, co skipper of their successful Round Britain and Ireland Race in 2010, and the duo will compete in the 1000 Mile Double Handed Race. The race, starting in Scheveningen, Holland and racing to Lerwick, Shetland Isles and Bergen, Norway, is an official qualifier to the recently re-launched RWYC TwoStar TransAtlantic Race.

On the sponsorship Katie said, “I am thrilled that International Paint have decided to re join the racing frame. We are sure that the programme we have devised will provide an exciting opportunity to promote International Paint as the premium Yacht paint brand that they are.”

After the 1000 Mile Doublehanded Race, a programme of corporate racing will be undertaken, including East Coast Sailing Week and the Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week.

“It is a great pleasure to be working with Katie Miller and her Figaro II racing campaign from 2011. Katie’s dedication and enthusiasm to sailing reflects International Paint’s commitment to the sport. We are keen to see as many young people as possible take up the sport of sailing and with Katie being a fantastic ambassador for sailing we are proud to support her. It is our hope that her successes will inspire many others to follow in her footsteps. The whole International Paint team wish her the best of luck and look forward to seeing many podium finishes.”

Luke McCarthy, British Keelboat Academy Head Coach, commented: “Preparations are already underway for next year’s campaign and I am very excited to see the next wave of talented keelboat sailors at the selections in the autumn. The BKA offer a unique programme so are looking for people who have a passion for the sport, are determined and eager to learn and who have the right attributes to fit into the BKA squad. “Over the last couple of years the BKA has produced a constant stream of talented young keelboat sailors who have been able to identify a clear pathway for their future sailing. Members of the Academy sail regularly on the Farr 45 Kólga, loaned to the BKA by the professional Rán Racing team, and UKSA’s fleet of J80 keelboats and enjoy competing in a range of events throughout the season. McCarthy concluded: “There are still spaces available on the BKA race training weekends and I would urge sailors to attend one of these if possible as it will definitely give them an advantage going into the selection process. Spaces are bound to be limited at either one of the three regional centres so I would recommend booking as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.”

Online applications for 2012 BKA squads are now open with selection trials scheduled for 17/18th and 24/25th September at UKSA. Applications close at 12pm on Monday 15th August. To apply, please visit www.britishkeelboatacademy.org and click on ‘Squad applications’.

There are regional Keelboat training sessions taking place at Plas Menai, Port Edgar and UKSA throughout the summer. For a complete list of dates see the ‘Regional Centres’ pages of the website, where you will also find the contact details for the centres to book places.

The BKA’s sponsors include X-Ray at 77 and Group Dental, plus a number of generous supporters and suppliers. For more information about the British Keelboat Academy and how you can help with fundraising visit BKA website at www.britishkeelboatacademy.org, or follow the BKA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BritishKeelboatAcademy or on Twitter (@tweetbka).