Kaenon Polarized

SAILING
The Extreme 40 Sailing Series features top class competition racing through the close shore waterways of Europe in identical 40-foot high speed catamarans. Attracting sailing’s best talent and sponsorship, the Tour races around ancient urban waterways and off coastal towns for spectator enjoyment, pulling enthusiastic and large crowds at each stopover. Fueled by the America’s Cup that will be raced in giant multihulls early next year, this hot new racing series is quickly becoming a spectator and competitor favorite.

In a recent interview, James Spithill said, “It was obviously very light and today was definitely a different style of racing with a reaching course and I thought we were pretty weak at it so I think we’re happy to walk away with a second. Gitana were definitely on top of their game. So a lot of good lessons have been learnt and I think we’ll be better for it. (Venice was) fantastic, what a great venue, got to love it, we really enjoyed it.”

The Extreme 40 is a catamaran with two hulls and a deck that is made from a trampoline-like netting stretched between the hulls. This sailing machine, innovative in design and cutting edge in racing ability, can reach exhilarating and yet still provide a great ride flying around on one hull in light winds. For more on this series, visit the iShares Cup site.

James Spithill, BMW ORACLE Racing who placed second overall wearing Kaenon Polarized Lewi Black G12 at prize giving.

SAILING – VENICE, ITALY

BMW Oracle skipper James Spithill wearing Lewi, and his tactician John Kostecki who wears Hard Kore won 2nd in the iShares Cup during the Extreme 40 Sailing Series. Featuring top class competition the close shore-side waterways of Europe hosted the identical 40-foot high speed catamarans and attracted sailing’s best talent and quality sponsorship, the Tour raced around ancient urban waterways and coastal towns for spectator enjoyment. Fueled by the America’s Cup that will be raced in giant multihulls early next year, this hot new racing series is quickly becoming a spectator and competitor favorite.

In a recent interview, James Spithill said, “It was obviously very light and today was definitely a different style of racing with a reaching course and I thought we were pretty weak at it so I think we’re happy to walk away with a second. Gitana were definitely on top of their game. So a lot of good lessons have been learnt and I think we’ll be better for it. (Venice was) fantastic, what a great venue, got to love it, we really enjoyed it.”

SAILING

Olympic Sailing hits Europe each spring for an unofficial Olympic circuit in some of the greatest sailing venues in Spain, France, Holland, Germany, Denmark and others.  The first year of post Olympics is usually the rebuilding year as young talent shows up to launch their campaigns and veteran talent “check-in” to keep the touch and gauge their plans for the next quadrenial.

Some of Kaenon’s top talent will keep going to London 2012, and we will begin assessing the new crop over the next couple years.
1st – Women’s Laser Radial – Anna Tunnicliffe, USA – Beacon G12 (China Gold Medalist)
1st – Men’s Windsurfing – Shahar Zubari, ISR – Hard Kore G12 (China Bronze Medalist)
2nd – Men’s Windsurfing – Julien Bontemps, FRA – Hard Kore G12 (China Silver Medalist)
2nd – Women’s Windsurfing – Bryony Shaw, GBR – Hard Kore C28 (China Bronze Medalist)
3rd – Women’s Windsurfing – Blanca Manchon, ESP – Hard Kore G12, Calais, Leila
1st – Open 49er – Pietro / Gianfranco Sibello, ITA – Kore

Israeli Shahar Zubari won gold in Hard Kore G12, after winning Bronze in China.

French (legend in the making) Julien Bontemps won Silver in Hard Kore G12, and his wife Irina Bontemps racing for her native Bulgaria was seen in our Kaenon hat and Hard Kore Custom Ivory Sunglasses.

Brit Bryony Shaw in Hard Kore C28 won silver.

Reigning Olympic Gold Medalist Anna Tunnicliffe of USA in Beacon G12 – won the Laser Radial.

SAILING

Top boys and girls from around the country enjoying great conditions and top-notch instruction. (Above) Cameron Biehl coaching in Baton.

DEVELOPING OUR FUTURE TALENT

There are a few sports that make up the core of Kaenon’s presence and ethos, sailing is one of them. Maybe the one. Ingrained in the roots of Kaenon’s founders, who set out to develop products that meet the unusual and rigorous demands of sailing and particularly, the visual needs that make Kaenon’s SR-91 the unique and superior product that it is. Where the greatest rely on our sunglass package of frames and lenses, we enjoy a strong brand reputation among the world’s best and up and coming sailors.

Kaenon has been supporting The CISA Advanced Racing Clinic, the premier youth development camp the sport has in America. Each spring during Easter week, this event is held here in Long Beach, CA.

CISA, founded in 1971, supports amateur sailors by providing travel grants for regional, national and international competition and also funds local sailing programs and racing clinics. The CISA Advanced Racing Clinic is sponsored by Laser Performance, North Sails, Kaenon Polarized sunglasses, Z Blok Sunblock and Point Loma Outfitting.

Kaenon Polarized is proud to partner with CISA and sends a hearty Congratulations out to Race Day winners:
29ER – Mac Agnese, 14, FL / Ian Simms, 16, CA; CLUB 420 – Declyn Whitmyer, 15, CT / Ian Storck, 15, NY; CFJ – Kate Rakelly, 15, CA / Colleen Hackett, 14, CA; INTERNATIONAL 420 – Mac Mace, 17, CA / Jeff Aschieris, 17, CA; RADIAL – Claire Dennis, 17, CA; LASER – Will Howard, IL.

SAILING

SEAHORSE MAGAZINE SAILOR OF THE MONTH – RAY DAVIES
Winning this award for upgrading to tactician and leading the hometown Kiwis to victory last month at the Louis Vuitton Pacific Cup – An America’s Cup showcase – New Zealander Ray Davies is making his name known. Ray’s been one of the greatest secret weapons in the sport – a lot of winning, not a lot of notoriety (which is why we call him HOORAY)!) He deserves it and we’re proud to say he’s been a Kaenon loyalist and great friend since the beginning. HOORAY! wears Hard Kore, Kore, Kabin and whatever sunglasses have an SR-91 lens.

As seen in last month’s Seahorse Magazine
Seahorse Sailor Of The Month
Last month’s winner: Ray Davies (NZL)
“Hooray, by a nose… from Monsieur Gautier. Highly underrated, for many years now Ray has been one of the key members of Emirates Team New Zealand – Peter Lester; No decision! – Peter de Ridder; Right-hand Ray! – Sander van der Borch; At long last Ray has been noticed! Its no coincidence that he’s guided so many yachts to success… and you missed his Hobart win on Aera! – Richard Prest. 3-1 over Butterworth, not bad – Simon Baker.”

PUERTO CALERO ISLAS CANARIAS RC 44 CUP – Canary Islands

Russell Coutts isn’t considered the greatest sailor in the world for nothing…not only an Olympic Gold medalist and most decorated America’s Cup sailor ever, he’s also a talented designer and has created one of the most successful racing classes going, today. The RC 44 is a scaled down America’s Cup style boat – advanced, high-tech and hard core. Kaenon is everywhere on these professionally crewed boats, including on Coutts who has favored Lewi Black Pearl and Hard Kore Black G12. Evenly matched, Coutts BMW Oracle team finished the fleet racing portion yesterday in 6th.

Russell Coutts in Lewi, at the wheel for BMW Oracle, and below as tactician and coaching his owner around the course.

Some sunglass styles showcased on board: Klemm, Kore and Rhino.

SAILING

ROLEX US YACHTSMAN AND YACHTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR CEREMONY

New York Yacht Club (Manhattan, NYC) – The New York Yacht Club’s renowned Model Room was the setting for celebrating Terry Hutchinson’s (Annapolis, Md.) and Anna Tunnicliffe’s (Plantation, Fla.) 2008 competitive sailing achievements as family, friends, sailing dignitaries and members of the press looked on. Terry races in Kore and Rhino, Anna in Beacon, Baton and Georgia.

Determined from nominations submitted by the members of US SAILING, a short list of nine male and five female sailors was evaluated by a panel of sailing journalists who ultimately selected Hutchinson and Tunnicliffe the 2008 Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year.

Hutchinson (age 40), a first-time winner, redefined himself as a well-rounded fleet racer after emerging from his stint as tactician aboard Emirates Team New Zealand in the 32nd America’s Cup. He racked up four major European victories in the TP52 before skippering to become that class’s World Champion. He also scored major U.S. regatta victories in the Farr 40, Melges 24, M30 and Melges 32 classes, also as tactician.

Tunnicliffe (age 26), also a first-time winner, was cited for her rise to number one in the world rankings and her gold-medal performance in the Laser Radial at the 2008 Olympic Games in China. Her excellent 2008 sailing resume made her the panel’s unanimous choice for the award. Read the full story at USSailing.org

SAILING

Emirates Team New Zealand tactician Ray Davies and navigator Kevin Hall both wore Kaenon Polarized Hard Kore Sunglasses.

Auckland, NZL (Feb. 14, 2009) – On the final day, Emirates Team New Zealand laid claim to the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series, convincingly beating the Swiss team Alinghi with three consecutive wins on a grey, rainy and windy day on the Waitemata Harbour. The home team’s come-from-behind 3-1 victory marked the end of a 15-day match racing regatta in modified America’s Cup boats that drew praise for its format and its originality from all of the nine international teams that took part. Click here to read the full press release.

The Best Friends, former team mates and now bitter rivals, Brad Butterworth the skipper of Swiss team and Cup Defender Alinghi, and Russell Coutts, the skipper and helmsman USA’s BMW Oracle lined up to see who would challenge the Kiwis for the first ever Louis Vuitton Pacific Cup making it through to the Challenger Finals. Butterworth, alternating between Kore and Hard Kore, beat his longtime friend and former teammate Coutts who was wearing Lewi. Butterworth then lost in the finals to Team New Zealand, which left Auckland all a buzz with excitement and gossip over Valentines weekend.

Brad Butterworth, skipper and tactician about Alinghi wore Hard Kore and Kore.

SAILING

Russell Coutts with Team owner, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, (left) and Coutts wearing wearing Black Pearl Lewi G12 (right) leaving the dock.

KAENON POLARIZED IS A COMMON THEME IN THE FIRST LOUIS VUITTON PACIFIC SERIES IN AUCKLAND

Louis Vuitton has had an extremely long association with sailing, and the America’s Cup in particular – designed this trophy / piece of art that will go to the winners. On the Auckland waterfront, this tiny but very modern city goes abuzz over this event staged by Louis Vuitton.

(Auckland, NZ): Legendary French Luggage maker, Louis Vuitton became so upset waiting for the next America’s Cup regatta to be scheduled (due to disagreements between the defenders and challengers, it has been tied up in the US court system awaiting final rulings) that they decided to throw their own party, eerrr regatta, in the City of Sails, where sailing and their sailors are household names in Auckland, New Zealand. A round-robin format in equalized and existing America’s Cup yachts, they invited the current holder and defender, Alinghi from Switzerland (led by Kaenon’s Brad Butterworth wearing Kore C12 M sunglasses) and all challengers interested in the next Cup, including the sole US entry, BMW Oracle, led by Kiwi and former skipper of Alinghi, Russell Coutts who’s wearing Lewi G12 this week. The two week party / exhibition began with match races held on the Waitemata Harbor (Auckland City Front) over the weekend.

Defending and current America’s Cup Skipper / Tactician Brad Butterworth wearing Kore Black C12 M leading his Swiss team Alinghi.
Kaenon Polarized has considerable presence on the bigger names (skippers, helmsman, tacticians, etc) and several crew on most every team.

• BMW Oracle Racing (USA) – Russell Coutts (NZL) – Lewi Black Pearl G12
• China Team (China) – Ian Williams (GBR) – Hard Kore Tobacco C12
• Team Origin (GBR) – Ben Ainslie (GBR)- Rhino – Ian Percy (GBR) – Hard Kore Tobacco C12
• Emirates Team NZ (NZL) – Ray Davies (NZL) – Hard Kore Black G12
• Alinghi – Brad Butterworth (NZL) – Kore Black M C12
• Luna Rossa (ITA) – Peter Holmberg (USVI) – Hard Kore Black G12 /Andy Horton (USA) – Hard Kore Black G12
• Pataugas K-Challenge (FRA) – several Kaenon sailors on board
• Greek Challenge (GRE) – Gavin Brady (NZL) – Kore Black C12 M

SAILING

Beginning this Saturday in Auckland, New Zealand, long-time America’s Cup sponsor Louis Vuitton will host the first America’s Cup regatta since the last Cup challenge was held in Valencia, Spain in 2007. Featuring 10 strong challengers, including the current America’s Cup defending boat Alinghi, teams will compete in a rotation of evenly matched 1-generation-old America’s Cup class boats – equalizing the playing field and bringing the emphasis back to the skill of the sailors and teamwork on deck. As one of the most recognized sunglass brands in competitive sailing, Kaenon Polarized will have great presence on many of the boats, with three of the strongest teams led by Kaenon Polarized skippers Russell Coutts (Hard Kore, Lewi, Gauge) on BMW Oracle, Brad Butterworth (Hard Kore, Rhino, Lewi) on Alinghi, and triple Olympic gold medalist Ben Ainslie (Rhino, Hard Kore) on Team Origin. To learn more about this unique event visit: http://www.louisvuitton-pacificseries.com

SAILING

So much for a fun day out on the water! Open ocean rescues, damaged boats, and more carnage at sea, as Kaenon’s Vincent Riou abandons Vendee Globe – Solo Around the World Race.

Just like climbing Mt. Everest will test the limits of even the most skilled mountaineers, the Southern Ocean has been equally treacherous for some of the world’s top sailors. And this week proved it’s wickedness in the Vendee Globe – as raging seas took two lead boats out of the race. After making up distance to take 3rd position and officially passing the tip of Cape Horn to gain the Atlantic Ocean, defending Vendee Globe Champion and Kaenon Polarized sailor Vincent Riou (Rhino Rx) has been forced to abandon the race after damaging the rigging on his boat PRB, while completing a heroic rescue of his good friend and fellow racer Jean Le Cam. LeCam, whose boat had lost its keel bulb, had capsized and was drifting upside down two hundred miles west of Cape Horn when Riou changed his course to save his fellow competitor. With LeCam safely on board, they duo attempted to make repairs to the damaged outrigger but without success. Now out of the race, the two sailors are currently drifting with the currents aboard PRB and now searching for passing vessels to tow them to Chile. Sounds like fun.

SAILING

Kaenon Polarized Sailors Terry Hutchinson and Anna Tunnicliffe Win 2008 Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year Awards

TP52 World Champion Terry Hutchinson (Kore, Rhino) and Laser Radial Olympic Gold Medalist Anna Tunnicliffe (Beacon, Georgia, Baton) today were named US SAILING’s 2008 Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year. A shortlist of nine male and five female sailors – determined from nominations submitted by members of US SAILING – was evaluated by a panel of sailing journalists who selected these two sailors for the noteworthy distinction.

Nominated 4 times prior, Terry Hutchinson earned the coveted award as members of the selection panel remarked that in 2008 Hutchinson had “redefined himself” after he “emerged from the America’s Cup to be an awesome fleet racer.” Hutchinson got the year rolling as tactician aboard Jim Richardson’s Farr 40 Barking Mad, which won Acura Key West and Acura Miami Grand Prix. Switching to the TP52 and moving into the skipper’s position, Hutchinson racked up four major victories in Europe to win the Audi MedCup series, followed a month later by winning the TP52 World Championship and Melges 24 North Americans.

Anna Tunnicliffe, who wore Kaenon’s Beacon to win a gold medal at the Beijing Olympic Games, was also nominated to the award’s shortlist for the fourth consecutive year and was the unanimous choice of the panel, all of whom ranked her first in the voting that determines the honoree. Cited by one panelist for “an unbelievable year” culminating with victory in China, Tunnicliffe rose in the world rankings in the Laser Radial class as she worked toward fulfilling her goal of winning a gold medal at the Olympic Games.

Also recognized by the Rolex judging panel for his tremendous accomplishments in sailing was Paralympic Champion Nick Scandone (Hard Kore Rx, Beacon Rx), a religious wearer of Kaenon Polarized Rx who died last Friday after a 6-year battle with Lou Gehrig’s disease.

“What Nick overcame in 2008 went far beyond the limited scope of the Rolex award, and his story will not soon be forgotten,” said one Rolex judge.

In addition, Kaenon Polarized also swept the prestigious Rolex World Sailors of the Year awards when Brit Ben Ainslie and Italian Alessandra Sensini won timepieces in recognition of being the most outstanding sailors in 2008.  Like Rolex, Kaenon Polarized is synonymous with excellence, as represented as the sunglass and lens technology these great sailors rely on for protection and visibility to win races.

To get the complete report: http://www.ussailing.org/awards/rolex/

SAILING

Kaenon Polarized Remembers Olympic Sailor and Friend, Nick Scandone

A longtime friend of the Kaenon Polarized family and Parlympic Gold Medalist Nick Scandone died Friday after a 6-year battle with ALS, also commonly called Lou Gehrig’s Disease, a debilitating neurodegenerative disease that affects the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. A religious wearer of Kaenon Polarized prescription products, Nick wore Kaenon Polarized (Hard Kore, Beacon, UPD) to win the Gold Medal in the SKUD-18 class at the 2008 Paralympic Sailing Championship in Qingdao, China, this past summer. Nick’s sheer will to live, to experience and to ultimately win Olympic Gold was the dream that kept him alive much longer than his doctors ever expected.

Nick was a US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics member, named US SAILING’s 2008 Sportsman of the Year, nominated for US SAILING’s 2008 Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtsman of the Year award and winner of US SAILING’s 2005 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year Award

Every heart at Kaenon goes out to Nick and his family – he will be greatly missed. The sport of sailing has lost a great competitor and one of the most inspirational personalities on the planet.

From the LA Times:

“It was inspirational,” Rocky Scandone told The Times on Saturday. “Nick knew what he wanted to accomplish, and he kept himself alive for the Olympics. When he was diagnosed with [ALS], we thought it would be a couple years. Around the fourth year he had his eyes set on the Olympics, and we all said, well, that’s great to have that goal, but no one thought he would be that strong to last two years. He willed himself through it. It was an incredible, incredible journey.”
For the full story, read here

SAILING

Race Takes its Toll. Seb Josse retires while Kaenon’s Vincent Riou moves into 4th position in the Vendee Globe – Solo Around the World Race

The Vendee Globe began 58 days ago, with 30 boats and 30 hopeful solo skippers at the start. And yet, not two months into the race, significant casualties have occurred in the Southern Ocean, leaving only 14 boats still racing. With a severely broken boat, Kaenon’s Seb Josse (Hard Kore) has been forced to retire and hopes to arrive in New Zealand this week. However, defending champ and race record holder and Kaenon Polarized skipper, Vincent Riou (Rhino Rx) has moved into fourth position in the Vendée Globe, lying 700 miles behind the race leader and is expected to round Cape Horn and the tip of South America tomorrow night. Once around Cape Horn, Vincent will sail North up the Atlantic towards the finish area in Europe. A formidable sailor and weather expert, Vincent is still the defender… and therefore the man to beat.

SAILING

Back-to-Back Gold is the Ultimate Aim for Kaenon Polarized Sailor and Beijing Olympic Champion, Anna Tunnicliffe

Stepping back into a Laser Radial dinghy for the inaugural event of the ISAF Sailing World Cup – Sail Melbourne this week, Beijing Gold-Medalist Anna Tunnicliffe (Beacon G12) isn’t resting on her Olympic laurels quite yet – evidenced by an impressive start to the ISAF Sailing World Cup season. Topping the leaderboard in the Laser Radial class, the 24-year-old worked her way through the field to post a third, second and first respectively to lead the regatta on six points. Her adaptability to challenging conditions makes her an early favorite for the inaugural ISAF Sailing World Cup trophy, with the seven World Cup events across Oceania, North America and Europe sure to provide a wide range of very different sailing conditions and challenges.

As for another Olympic medal, Tunnicliffe said, “I’m a pretty driven person and I try to succeed at whatever I set my mind to – it would be fantastic to win another gold medal but I know it will probably be harder again this time. But if I do it again, it will just prove it was worth all of the effort I’ve put in … but right now I’m just thinking of the small goals that I have to achieve to get there.”

Read more from Sail Melbourner here – http://www.sailing.org/26527.php

SAILING

Carnage at Sea – Seb Josse Continues on in Vendee Globe Solo Around the World Race

Day 43 and now over halfway through the 24,750 mile Vendee Globe race course, Kaenon Polarized sailor, Sébastien Josse (Hard Kore G12) has finally crossed from the Indian Ocean into the Pacific Ocean and he continues to slam his way forward. With leaders dropping out and seeking the nearest land in the race that redefines sailing, Seb is currently in 3rd position and gaining on the leaders slightly as wind speeds decrease in the transition between two low-pressure systems today. Seb is hanging tough in the front pack of 3 during a week that has been nothing short of disasterous for race leaders. One leading sailor, French skipper Yann Elies, broke his femur bone and several ribs while attempting a repair and was forced to be rescued by an Australian Navy frigate dispatched from Perth. To get the latest on Seb’s position and condition – visit www.btsebjosse.com. Keep track of Seb Josse and defending champion Vincent Riou (Rhino Rx) through our weekly updates.

SAILING

Race Takes a New Turn as Seb Josse Endures Day 37 in the Vendee Globe – Solo Around the World Race.

In a race that redefines the term ‘seaworthy’ – Kaenon Polarized sailor Sébastien Josse (Hard Kore G12), continues to make up time in the Vendee Globe Solo Around the World Race today and is currently only 78 miles behind the leader JP Dick (who just collided with an iceberg in the Southern Ocean this morning), and sailing at 19 knots when he reported to the Vendée Globe organizers today. The past week has seen the Vendee fleet dodging small icebergs while encountering strong storms that bring big breeze and huge waves in the treacherous Southern Ocean. The fleet is expecting very rough weather in the next 48 hours, and this morning’s quiet conditions will be a short-lived respite. To get the latest on Seb’s position and condition – visit www.btsebjosse.com.

SAILING

The Mt. Everest of sailing, the Vendee Globe solo ’round the world race, set sail from Les Sables d’Olonne, France in front of 100,000’s of fans. Kaenon adorns two of the race’s 30 sailors: defending champ Vincent Riou (Rhino Rx) of France at the helm of PRB and Frenchman Sebastien Josse (Hard Kore) on BT. Both will count on the unparalleled clarity of their SR-91 lenses to read the water and protect their vision from nature’s harshest elements.

The two most decorated sailors of these past Olympics, Alessandra Sensini of Italy and Great Britain’s Ben Ainslie, took home Rolex World Sailor of the Year honors. Could their Kaenon sunglasses have had something to do with their success?

SAILING

Kaenon Polarized applauds World Champion Sailors Ben Ainslie and Alessandra Sensini on their latest achievements as recipients of the 2008 International Sailing Federation (ISAF) Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards.

BEN AINSLIE of the UK is an Olympic Gold Medalist, Three Time World Champion and the most decorated British Sailor in history – wears Kaenon Polarized sport frame RHINO™ – the performance minded sunglasses with plenty of street attitude.

ALESSANDRA SENSINI of Italy is an Olympic Silver Medalist, World Champion Sailor and the most decorated female athlete in Italian Olympic History. Sensini alternates between BATON™, the small, clean, and comfortable, performance frame from Kaenon Polarized and JETTY™ to support her active lifestyle on and off the water.

As stated on the ISAF website -

“It’s so difficult to describe my feelings in this moment,” said Sensini upon being named the female ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year. “It’s an honour to stand on the same stage as the best sailors in the world and receive this recognition. I remember seeing the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games and dreaming of being on the podium with my country’s flag. I’ve now completed 5 Olympics, that’s 20 years of adapting to new technologies and changes and to be here now, tonight, is so important and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.”

Ben Ainslie made history once again this evening as the first person ever to have won the Award three times in his career. “Like Alessandra I would like to give a big thank you from my heart to everyone who made this happen,” Ainslie said, gesturing to his parents and his sister who joined him at the Award ceremony. When asked what his plans are for the future Ainslie’s ambitions were clear: “The next goal for Britain is to try for the America’s Cup- we have a great British team. There are a lot of America’s Cup heroes in this room and we hope to see you on the water in the near future,” he added with a smile.

Everyone at Kaenon is behind you all the way as you set even higher sights to surpass!