Displaying items by tag: Slalom

13th May 2016

Heurteau Misses Chance of Olympic Qualification

#Canoeing: Ciarán Heurteau finished 16^th in his second run of the K1 at the European Championships in Slovakia and missed out on a place in the semi-final, and the possibility of claiming a place at the Olympics. Heurteau had a poor first run, missing gate seven and incurring a 50-second penalty. His second-run time of 100.52 seconds was much better, but he would have had to finish in the top 10 to progress. Elliott Davidson placed 58^th and 20^th in his two runs.

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4th March 2016

Ireland International Places on the Line at Lucan

#Canoeing: The top Irish competitors in canoe slalom will be in action at the Irish Championships at the Sluice Weir in Lucan this Saturday and Sunday, March 5^th and 6^th. The races at the redeveloped Sluice Weir in the Lucan Demesne/St Catherine’s Park, will double as selection races for the Ireland senior and junior international teams for:

The Senior European Championships in Liptovsky Mikulas, (Slovakia) in May.
The five-event World Cup series in Ivrea (Italy), La Seu d’Urgell (Spain) and Pau (France) in June and in Prague (Czech Republic) and Tacen (Slovenia) in August.
Junior and Under 23 World Championships in Krakow (Poland) in July and European Championships in Solkan (Slovenia) at the end of August.

The Senior European Championships in Liptovsky Mikulas will also count as the final qualification event for places at the Olympic Games. Only one place is available in each class to European countries who have not yet qualified.

Racing on both days will feature London 2012 K1 finalist Hannah Craig, who is entering her second season back to competition following the birth of her son Arlo in May 2014. Hannah has spent the winter at the artificial whitewater course in Nottingham, England in preparation for the 2016 season.

Competing in the C1 category will be Liam Jegou who took 6th place in the Under 23 European Championships in Krakow last year and got semi-final placings in two of his three World Cup races and in the World Championships in his first season of senior races. He has just completed a winter-training bloc on the artificial whitewater course in Al Ain, Dubai.

Robert Hendrick will double-up with his brother Noel in the Under 23 C2 class over the weekend, having taken 4th place in the Junior World Championships in Brazil last year.

In the K1M class, Ciarán Heurteau is coming back to Ireland from a two-month intensive winter training bloc in New Zealand to compete for a place at the European Champs and Olympic qualifier after being out of competition last season due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury which required surgery and rehabilitation.

To provide a good benchmark to assess selection performance levels, Canoe Slalom Ireland are bringing in Mike Kurt (30th in men’s kayak world rankings and semi-finalist in the 2015 World Championships) from Switzerland. The Welsh junior and under-23 team will also take part.

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18th September 2015

Ryan Best of Irish K1 Competitors at Canoe Slalom World Championships

#Canoeing: Cade Ryan was the most impressive of Ireland’s three competitors in the K1 at the canoe slalom World Championships in Lee Valley in England today. Ryan clocked 90.42 seconds and 89.69 in the two runs, with no penalties on either. Elliott Davidson and Sam Curtis were pushed well down the rankings, through penalties on both runs.

Canoe Slalom World Championships, Lee Valley, London, Day Three (Irish interest)

Men

K1 – First Run (top 30 to Semi-Finals): 60 C Ryan 90.42; 98 S Curtis 145.17 (incl 54 seconds penalty); 102 E Davidson 203.59 (incl 104 sec pen). Second Run (10 qualify): 27 Ryan 89.69; 41 Davidson 99.06 (incl 6 sec pen); 65 Curtis 146.05 (incl 56 sec pen).

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27th April 2015

Hendrick Twins Place Fourth in World in Brazil

#CANOEING: Noel and Robert Hendrick narrowly missed a podium finish at the Junior and Under-23 Canoe Slalom World Championships in Brazil. The twin brothers, competing in a Junior C2 (Canadian canoe), finished fourth behind French, Czech and German pairings. The Hendricks compete for Ribbontail Canoe Club in Enfield in County Meath. Three Ireland competitors exited at the semi-final stage: Jake Cochrane (C1, Under-23), Aisling Conlan (K1, Under-23) and Robert Hendrick (C1 Junior). The Hendrick brothers are set to compete at the European Junior and Under-23 Canoe Slalom Championships in Poland next August.

ICF Canoe Slalom Junior and Under-23 World Championships, Foz do Iguassu, Brazil (Selected Results) – C2 Men, Junior: 1 France 104.25 seconds, 2 Czech Republic 101.64, 3 Germany 105.55; 4 Ireland (N Hendrick, R Hendrick) 109.91.

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16th August 2013

Ireland Canoeist Rheinisch Starts Well in Tacen World Cup

#CanoeSlalomTacen: Eoin Rheinisch started well at the Canoe Slalom World Cup in Tacen this morning. The Ireland paddler had a clear first run in a time of 102.21, placing him fourth in the K1 competition at this very early stage. Ciarán Heurteau was judged to have had a touch at gate four, adding a two-second penatly to his time of 104.77, and leaving him down the rankings. Patrick Hynes had a run of 123.17, including 10 seconds in penalties. The second run is due later today.

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28th June 2013

Heurteau Sole Irish Qualifier at Augsburg World Cup

# CANOE SLALOM WORLD CUP: Ciaran Heurteau was Ireland’s sole qualifier for the semi-finals on the first day of the canoe slalom World Cup in Augsburg, Germany. Heurteau, who has an Irish mother but was brought up near Paris, secured his place with his first run, and finished 23rd of the 40 qualifiers on a difficult course. Eoin Rheinisch placed 49th, missing a semi-final for the second successive World Cup. He also missed out in Cardiff.

Liam Jegou, who is just 17, did well but was disappointed with placing 44th in the men’s C1. Hannah Craig fell ill and did not compete in the women’s K1.

Canoe Slalom World Cup, Augsburg, Germany, Day One (Irish interest)

Men

K1 – Heats (First 40 Qualify for Semi-Finals): 1 Slovenia (P Kauzer) 98.22 secs; 23 C Heurteau 104.42 (incl 2 sec pen; 1st run); 49 E Rheinisch 107.52 (2nd run); 61 P Hynes 114.76 (2nd Run);

C1 – Heats (First 20 Qualify): 44 L Jegou 118.32 (incl 4 sec pen; 2nd run).

Women

K1 – Heats: H Craig did not start.

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11th September 2011

Heurteau's London 2012 Bid Comes Up Short at Canoe Slalom World Championships

Ireland’s Ciaran Heurteau finished 28th in the K1 semi-finals at the Canoe Slalom World Championships this morning in Bratislava in Slovakia. The top 10 go to the final, but a place in the top 15 countries would have qualified the boat for London 2012. Heurteau’s placing fell outside this mark.

Canoe Slalom World Championships, Bratislava, Slovakia

Men's Semi-Finals (Irish interest) – K1 (First 10 to Final; first 15 countries qualify for London Olympics): 1 France (B Neveu) 94.40; 28 C Heurteau 104.99 (9.59 behind).

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About The Middle Sea Race

The Rolex Middle Sea Race is a highly rated offshore classic, often mentioned in the same breath as the Rolex Fastnet, The Rolex Sydney–Hobart and Newport-Bermuda as a 'must do' race. The Royal Malta Yacht Club and the Royal Ocean Racing Club co-founded the race in 1968 and 2007 was the 28th Edition. Save for a break between 1984 and 1995 the event has been run annually attracting 25–30 yachts. In recent years, the number of entries has rissen sharply to 68 boats thanks to a new Organising Committee who managed to bring Rolex on board as title sponsor for the Middle Sea Race.

The race is a true challenge to skippers and crews who have to be at their very best to cope with the often changeable and demanding conditions. Equally, the race is blessed with unsurpassed scenery with its course, taking competitors close to a number of islands, which form marks of the course. Ted Turner described the MSR as "the most beautiful race course in the world".

Apart from Turner, famous competitors have included Eric Tabarly, Cino Ricci, Herbert von Karajan, Jim Dolan, Sir Chay Blyth and Sir Francis Chichester (fresh from his round the world adventure). High profile boats from the world's top designers take part, most in pursuit of line honours and the record – competing yachts include the extreme Open 60s, Riviera di Rimini and Shining; the maxis, Mistress Quickly, Zephyrus IV and Sagamore; and the pocket rockets such as the 41-foot J-125 Strait Dealer and the DK46, Fidessa Fastwave.

In 2006, Mike Sanderson and Seb Josse on board ABN Amro, winner of the Volvo Ocean Race, the super Maxis; Alfa Romeo and Maximus and the 2006 Rolex Middle Sea Race overall winner, Hasso Platner on board his MaxZ86, Morning Glory.

George David on board Rambler (ex-Alfa Romeo) managed a new course record in 2007 and in 2008, Thierry Bouchard on Spirit of Ad Hoc won the Rolex Middle Sea Race on board a Beneteau 40.7

The largest number of entries was 78 established in 2008.

Middle Sea Race History

IN THE BEGINNING

The Middle Sea Race was conceived as the result of sporting rivalry between great friends, Paul and John Ripard and an Englishman residing in Malta called Jimmy White, all members of the Royal Malta Yacht Club. In the early fifties, it was mainly British servicemen stationed in Malta who competitively raced. Even the boats had a military connection, since they were old German training boats captured by the British during the war. At the time, the RMYC only had a few Maltese members, amongst who were Paul and John Ripard.

So it was in the early sixties that Paul and Jimmy, together with a mutual friend, Alan Green (later to become the Race Director of the Royal Ocean Racing Club), set out to map a course designed to offer an exciting race in different conditions to those prevailing in Maltese coastal waters. They also decided the course would be slightly longer than the RORC's longest race, the Fastnet. The resulting course is the same as used today.

Ted Turner, CEO of Turner Communications (CNN) has written that the Middle Sea Race "must be the most beautiful race course in the world. What other event has an active volcano as a mark of the course?"

In all of its editions since it was first run in 1968 – won by Paul Ripard's brother John, the Rolex Middle Sea Race has attracted many prestigious names in yachting. Some of these have gone on to greater things in life and have actually left their imprint on the world at large. Amongst these one finds the late Raul Gardini who won line honours in 1979 on Rumegal, and who spearheaded the 1992 Italian Challenge for the America's Cup with Moro di Venezia.

Another former line honours winner (1971) who has passed away since was Frenchman Eric Tabarly winner of round the world and transatlantic races on Penduik. Before his death, he was in Malta again for the novel Around Europe Open UAP Race involving monohulls, catamarans and trimarans. The guest list for the Middle Sea Race has included VIP's of the likes of Sir Francis Chichester, who in 1966 was the first man to sail around the world single-handedly, making only one stop.

The list of top yachting names includes many Italians. It is, after all a premier race around their largest island. These include Navy Admiral Tino Straulino, Olympic gold medallist in the star class and Cino Ricci, well known yachting TV commentator. And it is also an Italian who in 1999 finally beat the course record set by Mistress Quickly in 1978. Top racing skipper Andrea Scarabelli beat it so resoundingly, he knocked off over six hours from the time that had stood unbeaten for 20 years.

World famous round the world race winners with a Middle Sea Race connection include yachting journalist Sir Robin Knox-Johnston and Les Williams, both from the UK.

The Maxi Class has long had a long and loving relationship with the Middle Sea Race. Right from the early days personalities such as Germany's Herbert Von Karajan, famous orchestra conductor and artistic director of the Berliner Philarmoniker, competing with his maxi Helisara IV. Later came Marvin Greene Jr, CEO of Reeves Communications Corporation and owner of the well known Nirvana (line honours in 1982) and Jim Dolan, CEO of Cablevision, whose Sagamore was back in 1999 to try and emulate the line honours she won in 1997.

THE COURSE RECORD

The course record was held by the San Francisco based, Robert McNeil on board his Maxi Turbo Sled Zephyrus IV when in 2000, he smashed the Course record which now stands at 64 hrs 49 mins 57 secs. Zephyrus IV is a Rechiel-Pugh design. In recent years, various maxis such as Alfa Romeo, Nokia, Maximus and Morning Glory have all tried to break this course record, but the wind Gods have never played along. Even the VOR winner, ABN AMro tried, but all failed in 2006.

However, George David came along on board Rambler in 2007 and demolished the course record established by Zephyrus IV in 2000. This now stands at 1 day, 23 hours, 55 minutes and 3 seconds.

At A Glance - Middle Sea Race 2024

First held: 1968

Organising Authority: Royal Malta Yacht Club

Start

The 45th Rolex Middle Sea Race will start on Saturday, 19 October 2024.

Grand Harbour, Valletta: seven separate starts, at 10-minute intervals, from 11:00 CEST Saturday, 21 October 2024

Start Line: between the Saluting Battery, Upper Barrakka Gardens (Valletta) and Fort St Angelo (Birgu)

Various vantage points all around the Grand Harbour, high up on the bastions or at water level. Harbour access for spectator boats is restricted during the period of the start.

Course

Set in the heart of the Mediterranean and is considered one of the most beautiful in the world. It starts and finishes in Malta, passes two active volcanoes and takes in the deep azure waters surrounding Sicily, and the Aeolian and Egadi Islands, as well as lonelier outposts of Pantelleria and Lampedusa, both closer to the African continent than Europe.

Length: 606 nautical miles (1,122km)

Outright Race Record: 33h 29m 28s, Argo, United States, Jason Carroll

Monohull Race Record: 40h 17m 50s, Comanche, Cayman Is, Mitch Booth