UK-Halsey Newsletter
UK-Halsey International
April,2006

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CHINA TEAM powering downwind on CHN 79.  See article below for more information on this America’s Cup challenger using UK-Halsey sails.
NEW SCREEN SAVER AVAILABLE FOR FREE DOWNLOAD
    UK-Halsey is glad to re-introduce our free screen saver, which is available on the Downloads section of our web site. The new version has over 20 photos, some from the world’s top photographers. The colorful images are of racing and cruising action scenes. Bring the sport you love to your PC; amaze your friends and business associates.
UK-HALSEY NAMED SAILMAKER OF THE YEAR
    SAILING ANARCHY recently released its Fifth Annual SA’s, recognizing the highlights and lowlights of the past year. UK-Halsey has been recognized to receive SA’s “Best Sailmaker Award.” Two of our most prominent competitors fared poorly; too bad, guys!
CHINA TEAM MATCH RACES MAXIS IN HONG KONG HARBOR
    The CHINA TEAM finished up its first sailing session in China with two days of match racing on 76-foot maxi yachts in Hong Kong. Of the 15 Chinese sailors who participated in the first part of the sailing camp at Shenzhen, nine were chosen to take part in the racing on the two maxis belonging to Frank Pong, owner of UK-Halsey Sailmakers Hong Kong.
    These nine Chinese sailors quickly found their places on the CHINA TEAM crew.
“We were very lucky to be able to train on these maxis,” said skipper Pierre Mas. “After spending the week in Shenzhen, we needed to see how the sailors we chose would work out on a boat that is more or less similar in size to an America Cup Class boat. On this kind of yacht, everyone has a very precise role to play, and a specific job to do. It is totally different from a dinghy or even the smaller match racing boats. We can now begin to pare down our selection for the America’s Cup regatta in Valence in May and June.” Over the next couple of weeks, CHINA TEAM will put to sea the refurbished CHN79 beginning of April, and present its crew for the upcoming LOUIS VUITTON ACTS.
NEWS FROM UK-HALSEY FRANCE
The first Eryd 30, designed by Italian architect Emanuelle Rossi, is shown on her maiden sail, sporting UK-Halsey sails made by UK-Halsey France. From the masthead to the waterline, this boat exudes Italian styling.
    In the Massilia Mono Cup (an offshore one-design event), UK-Halsey customers won two divisions and took third in the always competitive Mumm 30 Class. REGION ILE-DE-FRANCE was very fast with its new set of T-Millenium foresails and Cuben carbon mainsail. She won two races out of seven to score third overall. Jimmy Pahun was helming and Fred Rivet (grinder on China Team) was calling tactics. AQUARIUS took seven firsts out of nine races in the Beneteau 31.7 Class, easily winning. Owner, Nicolas Petria, was sporting his new T-Millenium sails. KALINKA won the First 36.7 Class with three firsts in the seven-race series. Walter Radulic is doing it again! Walter will test his speed against a couple of new X35s during Marseille International Week on Easter week end.
“RUMOR” WINS OVERALL IN THE ST. PETE NOOD WHILE “SLICE” CUTS THROUGH OLSON 30 CLASS
The crew of RUMOR hiking hard at Key West Race Week this year. Tim Wilkes photo.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Sailing World's George Brengle named John Storck Jr., and his team on their J/80 RUMOR as the overall champion of the St. Petersburg NOOD. They won their division with all firsts, beating the next boat by nine points.
    "We've got a very good crew who have sailed together for a long time," said Storck. The crew combined experience with the next generation -- son Eric, nephew Bobby, daughter Kaity, and family friend Leigh Kempton. It proved an unbeatable combination in the 11-boat class as they won all three races and finished with a six-point lead over second place.
    "When we first got out there [on Saturday] we did some sailing to figure out where to go," said Storck. "In the first race we wanted to go right, but as the day went on the breeze backed and we went left in the next races. The current also let up as the day went on so there was less foul current on the left side of the course."
    Storck added that his team's experience with the J/80 proved invaluable, especially when it came to setting up the double-spreader rig. "It's amazing how rig tune seems to be more critical in light air. If you have the lowers and intermediates too tight, you just don't go."
    The victory came on the heels of a second-place finish in Key West Race Week in January. Last year, Storck said, they didn't do the St. Pete NOOD after Key West, but decided to tow the boat home to Western Long Island Sound. In Virginia, during the brutal snowstorm that hit the weekend after Key West, the boat flipped over and sustained heavy damage. Storck had it rebuilt last year and was happy to see it hasn't lost a step. "The rule now," he added, "is we do the St. Pete NOOD to keep us off the road going north in January."
    In the Olson 30 division, Gary Gochal’s SLICE cleaned up with four bullets, beating the second-place boat by 8 points.
OLSON 30 NATIONALS AND ST PETE NOOD GO TO UK-HALSEY
WILD ROVER leading across the finish line. Gary Hufford photo.
Mike McGagh sailing WILD ROVER crushed the fleet at the Olson 30 Nationals sailed on Tampa Bay in February. On the first of the three days, ROVER romped with three bullets. The team managed to pull out a first in race four after having to pull McGagh out of the water. Mike fell in during a tack and managed keep hold of the hiking stick until he was pulled back aboard.
    “In the 8-12 knots that the regatta was sailed there was no stopping these sails,” said McGagh. WILD ROVER’s final results were seven firsts, a second and a third. “We learned a lot about how to sail the boat when we sailed at the Nationals in Los Angeles in 2005, and that paid off this year.” We generally sailed a little deeper than the other Olsons, with about five degrees of weather heel. And we moved the weight way forward, when the wind went light, to try and get the wetted surface area down. We’ve had good success in previous regattas, soaking low in the puffs. And the strategy seemed to pay until the wind dropped below about seven knots. When it goes that light, we find we’re better off sailing the polars and maintaining speed.
    “After the regatta, all the competitors came over to check out our fast UK-Halsey sails. We were only too happy to show them off!”
BERMUDA BOUND
On the left is Tom Carroll’s brand new J/133 on her maiden sail. SIREN SONG will be racing to Bermuda later this summer in a division with two other UK-Halsey equipped J/133s. 2006 marks the centennial year of the Bermuda Race and gala celebrations are planned to commemorate this ocean classic, first sailed from Gravesend Bay, N.Y., in 1906.
ONLINE STORE SALE
Get them while they last. UK-Halsey backpacks are now on sale for $30 – that’s $25 off! These backpacks are perfect for day trips ashore or for carrying school books. They are large and have adjustable padded shoulders straps and a hip belts. Every pack has four pockets, including a secure zipper pocket deep inside the bag for passports or other valuables. Other details include padding between your back and the main compartment, adjustable side cinch straps as well as a built in clip to hold keys where they can be found. Size 18"h 15"w 8"d. Click here to go to the UK-Halsey online store.