A Recount of The 2022 International Regatta Brindisi- Corfu
The “International Regatta Brindisi- Corfu” (www.brindisi-corfu.com) was founded in 1986. During the first two years, the competition was limited to vessels from Brindisi. It was three years later that the participation of aggressive Corfiot boats began. In 2022. I was able to be a part of a multinational crew - a French boat under Greek flag, a Bulgarian owner, and a Bulgarian - Croatian crew. So we added a nice mixture to the already colourful image of the race - 78 entries from Italy, Greece, Croatia, Malta, Bulgaria, Sweden, Great Britain, Spain and USA. Our boat was lying in Corfu, so Nikola and I flew there to prepare everything for the delivery to Brindisi. The boat is a Sun Fast 3600, named after the American rock band from the 60s - “Iron Butterfly”. The first look at the boat already showed that it is fitted to be fast - custom Southern Spars carbon rig, full North Sails 3Di inventory, B&G instruments and lots of other racing gadgets. All in all, it makes you smile.
Corfu, see you in a couple of days..
Anyhow, the boat is ready, we meet the owner Nasco and his friend Dobry and we are ready to sail to Brindisi. A nice south easterly makes the first 30-40 miles pass by quickly, but than the unstable atmosphere with a low passing by shows us a good time. The first squall hits us around 8 PM, just before sundown.
The first squall
The second one comes around 1 AM with lots of wind and a lot more rain. It’s all part of the game, the only problem is that between the squalls there’s no wind and we are slowly motoring towards Brindisi. Early in the morning, around 6 AM we enter the rather big Italian port of Brindisi. A lot of industrial buildings make it hard to appreciate the traditional Mediterranean architecture.
The nice, Mediterranean part of Brindisi
In the next days we are preparing the boat for the race, gathering and installing all the safety equipment, checking the sails and finally - making some tourist routes around the city. The other part of the crew - Marko and Sapa are coming on Saturday evening, bringing a brand new 3Di mainsail for the race. Unfortunately, as the forecast predicted, there is a lot of wind on Sunday (30+ knots of north westerlies), and after a short wait around the starting line, the Race Committee postpones the start until Monday morning at 6AM.
Marko & Nasco shortly after the start
There are 78 boats racing in this year’s edition with a variety of different designs and lengths, all racing under the ORC rule. So, a fair chance for everybody. We are pretty psyched about the start so we start full power in 25 knots of north westerlies, under full main and A5. Soon after the start we change to A2 as the waves become longer and the surfs faster.
Iron Butterfly (aka Buffy) at her best
The wind varies from 20 to 25 knots, getting stronger near the Italian coast. After consulting our routing options, we decide to stay closer to the Italian coast before crossing the Otranto strait. Again, I was surprised at how little ships we met crossing the Otranto. There were definitely better days for the shipping industry. Back to sailing - the route to Corfu is 104 miles long, meaning there is plenty of time for the conditions to change. And so it is, some 40 miles before Corfu the wind starts to drop slowly, knot by knot. 15 miles before the finish there are only 10 knots of wind left, 10 miles from the finish only 5 knots and we knew we were headed into some really light winds just before the finish.
Nerves of steel
But we keep our morale high, Marko is making some good strategic choices and we are gaining on the boats ahead, mile by mile, minute by minute. A mile from the finish line we come to a complete stop, and the AIS is showing others boats closing in at higher speeds. But they will stop too, no worries.
The dynamic duo - Marko & Nikola
The slow motion finish finally comes to an end around 11 PM and we are all excited and proud to have entered 5th in real time. Now we have to wait for the compensated times, but with such a good race behind us we can only expect the best. But the but is always there, and just minutes from our finish Marko gets a message from the RC that we have to be present at the official crew weighing tomorrow at 9.30 AM. We know that our weight is close to the max allowed limit because we changed a lighter (read: female) crew member for a heavier (read: male) in the last moment, so we decide there’s no more food or water until tomorrow. Not an easy decision, after 17 hours of racing we can’t eat a nice steak? Merde. But it is all for a greater cause, so we don’t mind. After a good night’s sleep, we wake up for an early walk and prepare for the weighing. And, as usual, the scale is showing more than expected. We are 5 kilos over, and we have an extra hour to get rid of them. There is no other way - foul sailing gear on, and all of us are out for a nice jog in the Greek sun.
Why not?
It’s 30 degrees out and we are sweating like crazy. The regular folks are pretty confused seeing 6 guys running around the marina in sailing suits. The real connoisseurs of the ORC races are just smiling, they know what is really going on. On the second weighing, we are 2 kilos below limit meaning we managed to dry out 1.5 kilos each in just one hour. Not bad, not bad at all.
When we draw the line, we managed to enjoy a really nice race in perfect weather conditions with a super happy crew, in a great boat with an excellent result - 1st in ORC C, 1st in real time for the Groups B, C and D (the ones that started 10 minutes after the ORC A and Multihulls), and 1st in compensated times for the same Groups. And not to mention 3rd in ORC overall - www.brindisi-corfu.com/en/classifiche/ .
One of many trophies for the Iron Butterfly crew
You must admit it: it sounds pretty, pretty, pretty good.
Upcoming Regatta Repair Schedule
North Sails Certified Service Experts will repair your sails overnight. Our Service van is on-site at select events, offering regatta venue pick-up and drop-off. Tears happen, but they shouldn’t leave you without a key piece of race inventory. Look for our North Sails Certified Service Experts at the following regattas this season. *All pickups will be 4:30-5:30pm and drop offs will be 7:30-8:00am.
NYYC ANNUAL REGATTAJune 9-10 | Sail Newport, The Alofsin Piers
BLOCK ISLAND RACE WEEKJune 17-22 | Block Island Maritime Center
SAIL NEWPORT REGATTAJuly 8 | Sail Newport, The Alofsin Piers
ORC ECC / IC37 NATIONALSJuly 14-15 | The Alofsin Piers
12M WORLDSAugust 1-4 | IYRS Pier
SAFE HARBOR RACE WEEKENDAugust 11-13 | Safe Harbor Newport Shipyard Pickup
NYYC INVITATIONALSeptember 9-16 | New York Yacht Club Harbor Court
IC37 NORTH AMERICANSOctober 6-7 | Sail Newport, The Alofsin Piers
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North Sails-powered TP52 Crush is victorious in the 700 nautical mile Fremantle to Exmouth Race.
David Davenport’s North Sails powered TP52 Crush has added a third race record to their long list of achievements in 2023, with the latest line honors win taken in the Fremantle Exmouth Race and Rally along Australia’s iconic western coast. North Sails Expert Andrew Harry commended the team’s efforts in the complicated race, “it was a great race for a lot of our clients. It’s the first time that the boat has done this race, and they add another race record to their names.” “Previously this year, they set a new record for the Bunbury return, which is 180nm, and the Cape Naturaliste and Return race which is 210nm, so three race records this year for the team, and all have been standing for quite some time. They won IRC overall in the race as well, which is part of our Bluewater Pointscore and secured the overall win for them this year in the series, so it’s a great win for the guys.” There was another win for North Sails customers in the long-distance race, with Alan Stein winning both the Overall PHF and Division 1 titles in his Pogo 40 called Fat Bottom Girl. “North Sails Expert Kyle Dodds onboard with Alan for the race, as he used to work in the Perth loft and sail with him before moving over to Sydney.” Andrew highlighted the development the team has worked with Alan on recently, saying, “Just three months ago, we put new sails on the boat, including all new 3Di inventory, and it really has transformed the boat. Alan’s really loving the sailing, and in this race, he won PHF, and he was fourth across the line as well. He’s stoked and really happy with the boat’s progress!” Unfortunately for Andrew and the crew on Obsession, they weren’t able to finish the race to Exmouth. “It wasn't the greatest for us, we got 100 nautical miles in and in a bare headed change, the breeze increased to about 35kts and we destroyed our headfoil, so therefore it gave the rig a bit of a shake, so we had to turn around. But the team and I all made our way up to Exmouth so we’re all here to support the rest of the fleet as they come in!” commented Andrew. “The first six hours of the race was really fresh, with easterly breezes between 18 to 38 knots, giving the fleet great power reaching conditions straight up the coast. As they got further north, there were a lot of shutdowns in the breeze, and it got a little trickier and more complex tactically. There was some great sailing going on out there, and everyone had fun with a big smile on their face as they arrived, so all in all, a successful race!” “It’s a great race. It's only the third time it’s been run, so over the last 30 years, it’s typically a long-distance race with a 1500nm around Bali, but as things changed over the past few years, it got moved to the beautiful Exmouth.” See full results from the 2023 Fremantle to Exmouth Race and Rally here.
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Fun For Sailors Of All Ages
The Dutch Shoe Marathon is almost a 5-mile race, a long-distance race in the world of 8-foot dinghies. The race starts in between San Diego and Southwestern Yacht Clubs and finishes at the Coronado Yacht Club. Every year almost 200 jr and sr. sailors come to race this fun race. For most of the Jr. sailors ,this will be a challenging and difficult race to complete. We asked rockstar coach Jon Rogers and last year's winner Ronan Servais for some tips.
How do you help prepare competitors for a race like the Dutch Shoe?
It's a long race. The first thing I do is to remember that it is as much an experience as it is a race. I triple check everything during the week before to try and ensure nothing breaks. I also check the weather forecast and tide so that I know what point of sail I will be on mostly on.
Why do you like the T6 mainsail?
The T6 is a good sail to cover all the conditions that we experience. It is especially good in events that have lots of boats and the related disrupted wind and chop that come with that. The T5 is a great sail, especially for smaller kids, but once the conditions get chopped up, the T-6 has a little more power to deal with it.
What is your advice for fuelling up for such a long journey?
I always remind competitors to bring a good amount of food, snacks and something good to drink. It can be a long race and all those little “pick me ups” help keep the mind focused. I tell kids to always bring something sweet that they really like. For me, it’s a frozen Snicker bar. Previous 2022 Dutch Shoe Winner Ronan Servais shares his tips on how to prepare for the race and what he likes most about the North T6 mainsail.
How do you prepare for a race like the Dutch Shoe? It's a long race!
It's a long race, so I get my snacks, fill up my water bottle and make sure my boat is ready to go. Last year my Dad and I reviewed my boat checklist the week before, which included a trip to North Sails, to inspect and pick up my new T6. I also suggest trying to get a good night's sleep and eat a big, healthy breakfast.
Why do you like the T6 mainsail?
I like the T6 mainsail because I go really fast with it. I have two hiking straps in my sabot so I can hike out farther and handle the power of the T6.
Do you bring any snacks with you for such a long journey?
Yes. I like cookies, candy bars and root beer.
What are your sabot sailing goals in 2023?
My sabot sailing goals for 2023 are to move up to Sabot A Fleet, and get a podium finish in an A fleet regatta. I’d also like to compete in the Dick Sweet Team Race for the first time with my SDYC teammates.
What are your future goals in sailing?
I’d like to learn to sail the C420 very well and then win a regatta in the Class.
Stop by the Dutch Shoe Marathon this year at San Diego Yacht Club where you can enter to win a North Sails Pace SUP. Must be present to win. The winner will be drawn and announced at the awards ceremony on July 21st, 2023 at Coronado Yacht Club. Don’t forget, order now and save 15% on Sabot sails plus have your new sail delivered before the Shoe!
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