Kaenon Polarized

SAILING – NICE COTE D’AZUR

Nostalgia, glory, passion and royalty all played out as both Louis Vuitton and Italia’s Azzurra team had hoped—as the resurrected and recently-assembled Italians beat favored Team New Zealand 2-0 for the Louis Vuitton Trophy.

Held on the French Riviera in cool, mostly windless conditions, skipper Francesco Bruni wearing Rhino Tobacco G12, stunned everyone with the win, setting off a celebration befitting of the host French Riviera resort town of Nice, the assembled international royalty, aside the passionate Italian victors and their fans.

Kaenon was present on most of the teams, with winning skipper Francesco Bruni (Rhino Tobacco G12) leading the way, runner-up tactician Ray Davies on Team New Zealand (Kore), and 4th place finisher from the UK, Team Origin, supported by helmsman Ben Ainslie (Rhino) and tactician Iain Percy (Baton).

Azzurra, from the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, made its international sailing debut at the 1983 Louis Vuitton Cup but has been in hiatus since the 1987 event off Western Australia.

The team was re-launched last month and today Azzurra won the first race by 25 seconds and the second by 17 for a well-deserved championship.

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BMW Oracle racing lost their 200-foot tall rig (mast and sails) on the water last week. While out training off the coast of San Diego / Mexico in moderate, nice conditions, a hardware failure occurred and an ensuing “gravity storm” hit – everything came crashing down. While they admitted it was very scary, luckily, nobody was injured.

See the sequence of events below – Sailing last week, next day rig comes crashing down and the carnage being picked up and towed back to shore, and the new Hard Wing that will get stepped and unveiled today.

BEFORE…

then, 24 hours later….

The team says it’s really not that big of a setback as they were testing that new, very large / tall mast – one of 3 so far. They had another new test coming this week – a radical “hard-wing.” Imagine a big 747 airplane wing planted on the boat as the new power train (replacing conventional mast and sails) – but it’s literally, even bigger than a 747 jet wing!

And…in final stages of building in their secret work shed, the biggest Hard Wing ever built…to be stepped and mounted for the first time this week.

SAILING – ANNAPOLIS, MD
Sheehy Lexus of Annapolis 2009 Melges 24 World Championships

In congratulating the guys on their win, “It was an incredible week! Richard was awesome, had to be the yellow lenses!” said Chris Larson. Richard agreed, “I owe it all to my yellow lenses!!!!!! Seriously in that overcast monochrome soup we sailed in they were perfect,” said Richard Clarke in his Hard Kore Tobacco Y35 Sunglasses.

Chris Larson, wearing Kaenon sunglasses in Hard Kore C12, was at the helm of ‘West Marine Rigging/New England Ropes’ sponsored team, who had led the week-long regatta on-and-off for much of the event, took a seventeen point lead into the final day and looked odds-on to take the title. However, with the potential for three races to be sailed on the final day, Larson was always potentially vulnerable to attack from second placed Gabrio Zandona at the helm of the Italian entry ‘Joe Fly’. The fifty-one international teams, who had traveled from across North America and Europe to compete in the 2009 Melges 24 World Championships, finally got the welcome opportunity to race in double-digit breezes on the final day of the regatta on Halloween. Despite the Championship racecourse being shrouded in appropriately Halloween style mist for most of the day, the Race Committee successfully banged off two four-leg races in winds which peaked at around fourteen knots.

Larson took second in the first race of the day – combined with disqualifications of his closest competitors – then found himself in the enviable position of sealing the World Championship Title without having to compete in the second and final race of the day. Making the world title even sweeter for Larson – a long time wearer of Kaenon Polarized Sunglasses – was that he won on his home waters in Annapolis, MD. Rounding out the all-Kaenon sporting crew were: Mike Wolfs wearing UPD, Curtis Florence in Kore and tactician Richard Clarke wearing Hard Kore. Kaenon Polarized was clearly present on many of the top teams, with long-time Kaenon wearers Brian Porter (Hard Kore) finishing 7th and Terry Hutchinson (Kore) in 9th.

SAILING – ROCHESTER, NY

Kaenon’s Anna Tunnicliffe, wearing Beacon Tortoise G12, and her team of Molly O’Bryan Vandemoer, Liz Bower and Debbie Capozzi have won US Sailing’s 2009 Rolex International Women’s Keelboat Championship. Racing took place at the Rochester Yacht Club in upstate New York October 7-10, 2009. At the gala Rolex Awards ceremony held this evening at the RYC, Tunnicliffe and her team were awarded US Sailings’s perpetual Bengt Julin Trophy and a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Stainless Steel & Gold Datejust presented by Jaimie Carlsen of Rolex Watch U.S.A.

The team also won the Kaenon Polarized Boat of the Day award, winning two of the 3 official race days, presented with one of Kaenon’s female-specific sunglass models for each of their daily wins. “My team did a great job in putting us in the right position, and staying alert no matter what our situation,” Tunnicliffe said. “I’m excited to sail with them again in two weeks in St. Petersburg, FL, for the Osprey Cup, a Grade 1 Women’s Match Race event.”

‘We’re very excited,’ said Tunnicliffe, Olympic Gold Medalist and a member of the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics, moments after returning the dock. ‘We wanted to win this event for a while and finally we’ve done it. We’re super psyched!’ Both Vandemoer and Capozzi are also members of the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics.
Her team’s five-race score line was 3-6-1-1-1 and with an unbeatable margin they decided not to participate in the final race.

Until this regatta, Tunnicliffe had held the record as the youngest competitor, having set the mark as a 14-year-old skipper in 1997. At that time, she confided that one day she would win the regatta. “I always thought it would be cool to do really well one day,” she said. “This is my fifth time sailing the regatta, my fourth time skippering it. We were getting to the point that we need to get up there sometime soon. I’m happy we sailed really well together and did so well. I have a fabulous crew. Debbie, Molly and Liz sailed together a few times before, and the chemistry has worked perfectly. It makes my life so easy on the race course and they make me look really good.”

WORLD MATCH RACE TOUR – ARGO GROUP KING EDWARD VII GOLD CUP – Bermuda

Hamilton, Bermuda: Ben Ainslie, wearing Rhino Black G12 got the gold he’s been chasing all week. In the Argo Group Gold Cup finals match today, the three time Olympic gold medal winner (one silver), Ben Ainslie (GBR) took the finals 3-1. He has finally etched his name on the coveted King Edward VII Gold Cup along with a host of match race sailing legends. Ainslie and his America’s Cup-backed Team Origin also took home the first place prize purse of $50,000. Ainslie sailed for the British America’s Cup challenger Team Origin with his crew of Matt Cornwell, Iain Percy, and Christian Kamp.

Ben Ainslie in Rhino, and his tactician Iain Percy wearing Jetty Tobacco G12, (also a 2x Olympic Gold Medalist).

Final Results
Ben Ainslie 3 v. Adam Minoprio 1
Click here for the full story.

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While the Swiss team, led by Brad Butterworth in Hard Kore packed up it’s Genoa, Italy training base and took their giant catamaran to the UAE race venue, BMW Oracle was back in court contesting not on the race venue but also the rules that will govern the event. The America’s Cup is slated to be raced in dusty Ras Al-Khaimah (50km from Dubai) February 8. This promises to be war of words and court challenges right up to the starting gun – where hopefully it will turn into spectacle on the water – we hope!

Above, Brad Butterworth in Hard Kore Matte Black G12, Alinghi during their last sea trials in Italy last week.

BMW Oracle training off San Diego and their skipper and CEO Rusell Coutts wearing Lewi Black Pearl G12 racing last week in Europe.

SAILING – BARCELONA, SPAIN – BREST, FRANCE

The Spanish boat led by Kaenon Polarized skipper Guillermo Altadill – who wears Hard Kore and Rhino – is sailing the third and final leg of the Istanbul Europa Race, from Barcelona to Brest (France) and aiming for a podium position in the overall classification.

Leading after the first two legs, Estralla Damm has encountered multiple problems on this final leg from Barcelona. First, damage to their mast shortly after the start last week forced Altadill to call for a “pit stop” in Gibralter to erect repairs. However, he reversed that decision after further thought hours later deciding to “nurse” the rig and boat to the finish up the West Coast of Europe – up the Spanish coast, then the French Atlantic coast to Brest.

Estrella Damm is holding on to 3rd overall with about 400 miles to go.

SAILING – SAN FRANCISCO, CA
Howie Hamlin of Long Beach, CA wearing Kore, with his crew of Paul Allen and Matt Noble, won it the hard way last week by coming from behind in the 10th and last race to finish one point ahead of Australia’s John Winning to take the championship.

Hamlin is straight off a 7th place finish at the 505 Worlds last week and stayed on windy San Francisco Bay to take the skiff title in heavy winds of 20 – 28knots – max conditions for these tippy rockets.

SAILING – ISTANBUL, TURKEY / NICE, FRANCE

Nice, France: The first real test in competition for Estrella Damm could not have ended any better. At 04.24 and 45 seconds, Estrella Damm Sailing Team led by Kaenon sailor Guillermo Altadill wearing Kore and Rhino, crossed the finished line as winners of the first leg of the Istanbul Europa Race. The team becomes the provisional leader of the around Europe yacht race after 7 days, 17 hours, 2 minutes and 45 seconds sailing from the start of the leg in Istanbul, Turkey to Nice, France with an average boat speed of 7.45 knots. The 1450 mile leg presented a number of challenges for Guillermo Altadill and Pachi Rivero’s team who had to contend with unstable conditions and at times very little wind, as well as sail against five of the most competitive IMOCA 60s in the world. The leg has provided its fair share of memorable battles. The last head to head battle for victory with Michel Desjoyeaux’s Foncia took place in the very last few miles.

“In the end it was a good decision to stay high on leaving Corsica. That is where we managed to pass Foncia,” explained Altadill.

With only 15 miles to the finish the Spanish boat managed to slip away from the French team and open up a gap of four miles, and enough to finish the leg with a victory.

Leg 2 was from Nice, France to Barcelona, Spain – Altadill’s hometown, where Estrella Damm 1876 came in third place. Saturday 12th September the Trophy of Barcelona will be held between the port and Olympic Port in the city, enabling the general public to follow the IMOCA 60 racing at close hand; many of the boats in the fleet will be taking part in the Barcelona World Race 2010/11.

SAILING – SAN FRANCISCO, CA

Since his 1999 win of the prestigious 505 World Championship title as crew with Howie Hamlin, Mike Martin has been on a 10 year quest to be the first to ever win from both ends of the boat – crew and skipper. By winning the 2009 title last weekend, Mike is now the first man in history to win the 505 World title as both a crew and a skipper (driver) – that explains how tough that feat is in this longstanding, timeless class. Mike, wearing Kore G12 and crew Jeff Larson, also wearing Kore, dominated the event with 6 bullets in 9 races to take the win in the very windy San Francisco Bay.

Mike and Jeff racing on the bay in strong conditions – relying on Kore G12 to see through the constant “fire-hose” spray, and read the tricky current and tide lines on San Francisco Bay

Martin and Nelson were dominant after the first 3 days, then briefly lost the lead as the breeze moderated for two days. After regaining the regatta lead from Holt/Smit in moderate breeze in race 8, Martin said he’d like to see the wind return to, say, 18 knots for the showdown on the final day – a virtual match race between Martin/Nelson and Holt/Smit ensued to determine the world champion. He wasn’t being greedy; that velocity and more had been standard earlier in the week – with gusts up to 30.

In the end, after the breeze had built from 12 knots to past 20 in the 3 1/2-lap, hour-and-a-half race, Martin and Nelson were at home in their element again, invincible with their sixth first-place in the nine-race series, Kaenon was used by 1st, 3rd and 7th place finishers.

Former World Champion Howie Hamlin chasing the leaders with Kaenon logos, sailing in Kore.

Final Results
1. Mike Martin/Jeff Nelson, USA, 1-(DNF)-1-1-1-(12)-2-1-1, 8 points.
2. Mike Holt/Carl Smit, USA, 2-1-2-2-2-3-(4)-(9)-4, 16.
3. Chris Nicholson/Casey Smith, Australia, 4-3-3-3-3-7-(8)-(8)-3. 26.
4. Jens Findel/Johannes Tellen, Germany, (72)-5-6-(15)-12-2-3-10-5, 36. 5. Dalton Bergan/Fritz Lanzinger, USA, 8-8-4-10-(15)-1-5-2-(16), 38.
6. Nick Adamson/Steve Bourdow, USA, 9-2-13-4-4-4-(17)-(14)-2, 38.
7. Howie Hamlin/Paul Cayard, USA, 5-6-(RAF)-7-(14)-5-10-5-6, 44.

Check out this great Scuttlebutt interview with Mike Martin
Scuttlebutt: Your domination at the 2009 Worlds was freakish (1-DNF-1-1-1-12-2-1-1). Explain the edge you had, and how it was developed?

Mike Martin: I don’t know about freakish, but you are right, it’s pretty uncommon to see one boat winning the majority of the races at a world championship, which is why I’m really proud of how we performed as a team, both tactically and with our boat speed. I honestly don’t know what caused the speed differential. We have always been quick in overpowered conditions. I would say it most likely resulted from lots of practice as a team, plus we physically work the boat harder than most teams. It was really satisfying to win six of the nine races sailed after all of the time and effort we put into this campaign.

Read full interview here.

SAILING – Portimao, Portugal

Emirates Team New Zealand came back to win another regatta on this European pro circuit over the weekend building their series lead for the championship to an almost insurmountable lead. Navigator Kevin Hall and Tactician Ray Davies were both wearing Kore leading this team to another victory.

Navigator Kevin Hall wearing Kore (in bucket hat) taping on his “deck-man” computer screen feeding tactical information to the man next to him, tactician Ray Davies in Silver Kore– they’re the braintrust on this successful team.

Defending Circuit Champion, Terry Hutchinson – wearing Kore – finished 3rd, but will not successfully defend his overall title won last year.

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AMERICA’S CUP – BMW ORACLE TESTING OFF SAN DIEGO

SAILING – SAN DIEGO, CA

While the defenders are cranking up the PR machine flying their boat over the alps and having parades on Lake Geneva, the BMW Oracle team is having a great time in San Diego testing their own machine – to determine it’s real potential while they drive technology and innovation to heights never gone before.

At the BMW ORACLE Racing Special Event held Tuesday August 11, 2009 in San Diego, the team celebrated the USA’s challenge for the 33rd America ’s Cup.

CEO and Skipper Russell Coutts announced that helmsman James Spithill will be driving the team’s boat in the 33rd America’s Cup. The rest of the team was introduced to nearly 400 guests that included the media, partners and sponsors, team families, local dignitaries and sailing community friends.

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Skippers and leading men of the competing America’s Cup teams, who, as the title says, were formerly best friends and the most decorated teammates in America’s Cup history, are now on opposing teams. Their friendship frayed by real world contention played out on the water and in the NY court system, has them rivaling once again in the America’s Cup.

Russell Coutts is the CEO and Skipper of USA’s Challenger, BMW Oracle, who wears Lewi, Hard Kore, Gauge and Kore

Brad Butterworth is the CEO and Skipper of Switzerland’s 2x Defender, Alinghi, who wears Kore and Hard Kore.

They have been battling in court (rather team owners Larry Ellison (Chairman of Oracle) and Ernesto Bertarelli (former CEO of drug company, Serano), making them now bitter rivals.

As the most decorated in sailing, skipper (Coutts) and tactician (Butterworth) duo in the history of the America’s Cup, when they won the Cup for New Zealand in the early 90’s, then defended it, then skipped town for a huge offer from the then unknown Bertarelli, to come build the first ever challenger from Switzerland. Then they promptly won the cup for the first time (from their old Team New Zealand, who they defected from for Switzerland. The island country and the continent went nuts over this dynamic duo – who had been best friends since childhood.

Skip forward to the 21st Century and the former dynamic duo are the greatest in the game, their friendship hangs by a cordial thread, and they are now the Defender and Challenger of the next America’s Cup to be fought in the most outrageous race boats ever created – slated to start February 8 in UAE.

Kaenon Polarized will be the weapon worn by both Russell Coutts and Brad Butterworth in the much anticipated event that will make this next Cup race one of the greatest spectacles on earth.

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America’s Cup defender from Switzerland, Alinghi, flies their 100’ catamaran OVER the Swiss Alps and into the port city of Genova, Italia (Genoa, Italy) to resume training for the Cup in February. A 100’ Russian-built Cargo helicopter performed the unprecedented maneuver – the only practical method to transport the 100’ long x 65’ wide boat to the Sea. The nearly 200’ tall mast is hauled under the helicopter that took these amazing shots.

…and through the Swiss Alps … Saint-Bernard’s Pass

…and into the city of Genoa, Italy

…and touch down in the port of Genoa – where training will resume – mild ocean conditions.

FLIGHT VIDEO –

In this YouTube clip, compiled by Alinghi’s Media Team, there’s insane footage of the boat lifted out of Lake Geneva then flown through Saint-Bernard’s Pass to Genova, Italia, for her first sea trials.

In other news, Alinghi also announced the location of the America’s Cup race, a remote city in the United Arab Emirates expected to take place February. Alinghi’s skipper and CEO Brad Butterworth wears Hard Kore Tobacco.

SAILING – LAKE GENEVA IN SWITZERLAND

Alinghi 5, the America’s Cup Defender’s giant catamaran, was the star of the show on Lake Geneva for the 1 August Swiss National Day celebrations which started in Lausanne where the multihull was on public display along with the America’s Cup and culminated in Geneva at the head of a parade of over 1,000 boats.

Upwards of 10,000 people gathered in Lausanne to meet the team which was presented on stage along with 20 Alinghi Junior Crew selected from yacht clubs throughout Switzerland. ‘It is fantastic to see so many people today,’ said team president Ernesto Bertarelli, talking to the public gathered for the celebrations. ‘It is extremely important for our team to share moments like this one with you all – it is not just about sharing the victories but also about sharing the new beginnings and this is one. I thank everyone for their support.’

After the festivities ashore, Alinghi 5 led over a 1,000 boats the length of the Lake, by way of Morges, Rolle, Nyon and Versoix, to its home yacht club: Société Nautique de Genève where the team was welcomed by Federal Counselor Micheline Calmy-Rey for a short ceremony. The counselor hoisted the Swiss flag on the catamaran to the National Anthem before making a brief speech that touched on the technological feat that the team has achieved and her pride in the spirit of the multi-national Swiss team.

Next on the team agenda is to prepare Alinghi 5 for the flight over the Alps (BY A HELICOPTER!) into Italy to continue the training programme out of the Mediterranean port of Genoa.

Kaenon sailor since day 1 of our brand, Alinghi’s skipper and CEO Brad Butterworth in Hard Kore Tobacco, signing autographs.

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Last week we showed you the challenger, BMW ORACLE and their 90’x90’ Trimaran. At the same time, the defender ALINGHI launched their 90’ catamaran on Lake Geneva and put it through its initial test trials.
Incredible! That’s the sentiment felt within the sailing community.

The Cup is still going through its final stage of “land battles“ and disagreements, but a race between these two will occur in February or May next year. On August 8th Alinghi will announce the location. Speculation it will go to the highest bidder – with conducive conditionals suitable to the defender. This game plays under a whole different set of rules – and that’s part of the fascination and heritage. Most notably – the boats and the personalities. Check out Alinghi’s weapon, below.

Skipper and CEO Brad Butterworth in Hard Kore Tobacco C12, last week greeting the media on media day.

SAILING – Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy

The world’s “other” top professional sailors not included in the America’s Cup this go round are on the TP52 circuit.

Emirates / Team New Zealand won this event in all types of conditions off the Italian island of Sardinia. Led by tactician Ray Davies in Kore and navigator Kevin Hall also in Kore, Team New Zealand won its second event in a row. Kaenon’s Terry Hutchinson sailing in Kore finished outside the top 5 – he’s the defending series champion aboard Quantum.

Ray Davies in Kore barking orders on Team New Zealand in the back, as they cross Terry Hutchinson’s Quantum.

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The Oldest Trophy in Sport, The America’s Cup will be a one-off match race (one-on-one) between the defender Alinghi from Switzerland (skippered by our Kaenon’s Brad Butterworth) and the American Challenger, BMW Oracle (skipper and CEO, Russell Coutts and owned by Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison), in Giant Multihulls. The race is expected to take place in February and the location will be announced August 8 by the defender.

These boats are insane – gigantic multihulls that have never been designed or built of this size that will reach unheard of speeds on the course. If you’re a sailor – and even if you’re not, the America’s Cup will be a spectacle. The world-wide exposure from this event will likely be unprecedented for many reasons.
Below, BMW Oracle’s 90-foot x 90-foot Trimaran training off San Diego last week in very mild conditions.

Jimmy Spithill driving from the windward helmsman pod in Jetty

Tactician John Kostecki wearing Hard Kore C12, Helmsman Jimmy Spithill in Jetty Black G12, one of the main designers

Mainsail trimmer Dirk DeRidder in Kore C12

SAILING – ISAF YOUTH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS – Buzios, Brazil
The top of the peak for youth sailors is the ISAF Youth World Championships. You must win your nation’s national championship to qualify for the World Championships. Leading nations (trophy for top combined team results) saw France once again winning the first team slot, followed by Great Britain, Italy, Brazil and then New Zealand in 5th. Several of the key contenders who represented America have dreams to be the best and they want the best too. Consequently, many of these young sailors are huge Kaenon fans. Morgan Kiss and Lauren McKenna, wearing Hard Kore Tobacco G12 were the top US finishers, 5th in the women’s doublehanded class and won bronze in the Girls 420.

Korbin Kirk(wearing Lewi) at just 15 years old, is one of Kaenon’s hot up and comers.

SAILING – SAN FRANCISCO, CA
Howie Hamlin wearing Kore Large G28, won this inaugural event held in front of Pier 39 on the City Front.

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Huge, big wind set the stage for the restart of this Round the World Race that is coming to an end after 8 months of racing. Kaenon Polarized Sunglasses have been worn by many sailors across the fleet.

Ericsson blast reaching in nearly 40 knots of wet and wild wind from Ireland to a “pit-stop” in Marstrand, Sweden – before heading to the finish in St. Petersburg, Russia.

SAILING – LANGENARGEN, GERMANY

Wearing Rhino Tobacco G12 and representing the British America’s Cup group, Team Origin and 3x Olympic Gold Medalist, Ben Ainslie start the year off with a bang in their first event on the Tour this year. The win puts Ainslie in 4th place on the World Tour standings with 25 points, as an estimated 45,000 people took in the event on the shores of Germany’s Lake Constance. His tactician continued to be his Team Origin mate and 2x Olympic Medalist Ian Percy who was wearing Lewi Tobacco G12. Next stop is Match Race Korea in a few days time. Read the full story here.

SAILING – Medemblik, Holland

Olympic aspirants completed the 4th of 5 major Spring European events that make up the annual training regimen gearing up for the London 2012 Olympics.

US Kaenon Polarized Results were:
3. Women’s 470, Erin Maxwell/ Isabelle Kinsolving (USA)- Hard Kore

4. Laser Radial, Anna Tunnicliffe (USA) – Beacon

5. Star, Andrew Campbell/ Brad Nichol (USA) – Hard Kore / Kore

7. Star, Mark Mendelblatt/ Mark Strube (USA) – Hard Kore

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.”