ZER°MISSION AT ROLEX MIDDLE SEA RACE

by Noora

November 18, 2021

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Season 2021 ended with the toughest race of the project – Rolex Middle Sea Race that started from Malta on 23rd of October and took us through a ride of our lives. Now let’s have a recap of the journey with skipper Samuli Leisti.

The race starts in Malta’s spectacular Grand Harbour.
Start to Passero

We started the race with reasonable performance against the boats in our class. Caro (Botin 52) & Paprec (TP52) were 0,5-1 kts faster, they passed us relatively close windward and were gaining on us even though we were in a better position against the header when closing Passero. Teasing Machine (NMYD 54) was sailing with a Jib Staysail but not being much faster. Our mistake was that we didn’t keep track on Caro & Paprec, lost sight of them and were not able to learn from what they were doing.

We were full powered with 12-16 kts of wind. A good leg, one of the nicest one of the race.

Passero to Straight of Messina

On the leg from Passero to Messina we did a good job, not bleeding to Caro & Paprec and overtook Frechia, but lost a bit to Kuka 3 (Cookson 50) who was more east from us.

Straight of Messina

It’s obvious we took the wrong side of the straight. We should have monitored AIS better and known better what other boats were doing and see if the conditions are favouring our side or not. End of the straight this caused one jib change. Coming out of it was close that we would have catched the fleet ahead of us but took the wrong side.

The first night in the race. Light if some winds at all during the night.

Messina to Stromboli

Simple leg, not much to tell. Power reach and the wind was picking up. Sailing just in the limits of Code0 and changing to a jib.

Wind from 20-26 knots.

Stromboli to Trapani

Heavy downwind sailing and difficult to decide when to sail in the safe mode and when to push. There were a few boats (Caro & Paprec) that may have sailed longer with the spinnaker. Tactics were good, but halyard issues slowed us down and changed the race for us.

Loosing the main halyard forced us to drop the mainsail to the first reef. This ment that the the race was no longer about fighting for positions, it was about fighting to finish. I was most worried about the fact that there was no way of using the second reef or getting the mainsail down without climbing to the mast. Even after finishing the race this was a major issue for us.” Samuli Leisti, skipper of Zer°emission.

When the day set we sailed right in to the thunder storm.

“I was driving the boat at her and my limits. I could barely see the instruments and keep some track on the AIS, but had absolutely no visibility outside the boat due to the heavy rain. The night was rough with only lightnings in the pitch black sky. At some point we lost the instruments, caused by the lightning very close, but luckily got them back later on.” Samuli continues.

30-35 knots of wind with jib3 and the reefed main. No visual due to heavy rain. Pushing heavily from 20-30 knots of speed.

Trapani to Pantelleria

We sailed pretty well and were lucky not to bleed too much with one reef. Got a fishing net to keel and maybe should have sailed with the light jib the first part. Code & Jib Staysail combination worked well, same with A1 & Jib Staysail. Kuka and Paprec were just ahead of us when passing Pantelleria.

“Got the boat and gear dry and some rest, but too many of us on the deck, when many more should have rested properly. Fixed the main halyard with an outer main halyard.” Samuli sums of the easiest day in the race.

The wind died after the thunder storm. From light to no winds to champaign sailing in the sun.

Pantelleria to Lampedusa

We hade a good exit from Pantelleria. Code & Jib Staysail was working well, the wind picked up and we broke the outer main halyard during a rain gust. Luckily we ended up with a reefed main and the Code0 that was a killer combination at the time. Lost a lot at the end when we took the code down, probably too early. We were closing fast to Kuka 3 & Paprec before that, but they were gone at Lampedusa.

14-28 knots of wind. The conditions changed a lot during the rain gusts.

Lampedusa to finish

The roughest part of the race was the final 10 hours of beating to the finish. The leg was just about keeping the boat together and pure survival for the crew. The beating of the boat was infernal.

Samuli describes the last leg of the race as a struggle to get the boat safely to a harbour. “The crew was beat and the boat was hitting from one three meter wave right into the next one. Hitting the waves made the sound and the vibration of the boat infernal. We should have known what to expect to plan sleeping & eating better before that final leg. We were too tired to work properly and lost quite a lot.”

When reaching north of Malta, we had some traffic issues with the boats. During rounding the last mark we had an issue with the backstay in the wrong side of the reefed main sail and ended up breaking two top battens to make it to the finish line.

After reaching the finish line, the engine would not start and we had to climb to the mast to drop the main down because of the main halyard issue. Finally we were guided to the race harbor by two tender boats. Exhausted but happy.

Sailing in these conditions was not safe, but the safest way was to head straight to Malta. Turning downwind towards Africa was simply not an option. 30-42 knots of wind.

Rolex Middle Sea Race pushed the team to it’s limits giving no mercy on the final beat. For sure for everyone this was a race to remember.

We knew most of what we learned during the race even before the start. We still struggled a lot with getting the water out of the boat. We made some tactical errors but that’s the way it is sometimes – easy to point out afterwards. Some of the boat electrical systems failed, maybe due to the thunderstorm, or just too much sea water.

After Stromboli the race was so demanding that we missed out on some basics like eating and resting in turns. We lost most in the straight of Messina, from Stromboli to Trapani and that final beat.

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ZER°EMISSION TO RACE IN 52 SUPER SERIES

by Noora

August 21, 2021

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Puerto Portals 52 SUPER SERIES Sailing Week & TP52 20th Anniversary Invitational 2021 Starts on August 24th and brings the action back to Palma Bay.

The regatta has attracted 16 boats from 12 different nationalities and will celebrate 20 years of the TP52 class with seven invited boats of different generations racing on the Bay of Palma alongside the nine 52 SUPER SERIES contenders. Zer°emission is attending the regatta as one of the seven invited and representing Finland first time ever in this world’s leading grand prix regatta.

TP52 20th Anniversary Invitational Fleet:
(Team, Owner, Nation, Designer)

  • AIFOS 500 – Ricardo Alvarez-Maldonado Parames (ESP, Farr 2005)
  • AIR IS BLUE – Roberto Monti (ITA, Judel Vrolijk, built in 2008 as Audi Q8)
  • AROBAS – Gérard Logel (FRA, Botín, built in 2009 as CAM from ETNZ mould)
  • BEAU GESTE – Karl Kwok (CHN, Botin Partners, built in 2018 as Onda)
  • BLUE CARBON – Toni Guiu (ESP, Botin Carkeek, built in 2005 as Balearia)
  • MACCHIA MEDITERRANEA – Giampero Russo (ITA, Reichel Pugh, built in 2008 as Artemis)
  • XIO – Marco Serafini (ITA, Botín Partners, built in 2011 as Quantum Racing)
  • ZERO EMISSION – Samuli Leisti (FIN, Reichel Pugh, built in 2008 as USA-17 / Oracle)

The road to Puerto Portals has not been an easy one, as the team and the whole world continues to struggle with COVID-19. The team has come a long way from Gotland Runt to Baltic Ocean 600 and then shipping the boat to the mediterranean waters where the first regatta really was a struggle, leading to mast repair in Palma Mallorca. After hundreds of hours of hard work once again, the boat now lies in Puerto Portals ready to Race!

Sustainability in the core of the 52 SUPER SERIES

At any one regatta, the 52 SUPER SERIES brings together 400 people – a mixture of staff and sailors – to one location for a full week of high performance sailing. So, in 2015, the 52 SUPER SERIES made a commitment to introduce new initiatives that would start to change the way that staff, sailors, marinas and yacht clubs would interact with the environment whilst on-site. This conscious shift in thinking was further refined in 2016 and 2017, when key team members of the 52 SUPER SERIES operation aggressively targeted the core elements of the event: the water supply, waste policies, food provision, fuel usage, materials and transport.

The collective mission of the 52 SUPER SERIES is to:

  • Implement and encourage environmentally responsible actions and initiatives from management to participants.
  • Follow, adopt and promote local recycling guidelines.
  • Strive to reduce waste of all types, adopt a sustainable procurement code, choose environmentally friendly products, upcycle and repurpose where possible.
  • Progressively reduce its environmental footprint via practical and meaningful steps.

Read more about the Sustainability acts and how to participate at: https://www.52superseries.com/sustainability/


The 52 SUPER SERIES remains the world’s leading grand prix monohull first-past-the-post sailboat racing. The 2021 season comprises three regattas starting 24th August in Puerto Portals and ends in Palma in November. Now, entering its tenth season with the strongest fleet ever, the 52 SUPER SERIES continues to offer 24/7 access to the action and information via the 52 SUPER SERIES App.

Follow the 52 SUPER SERIES on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/52SuperSeries/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/52superseries
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/52superseries/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/52SuperSeries

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Run against sea pollution

by Noora

November 5, 2019

events

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Lähde Zer0emission-tiimin kanssa merellisille juoksulenkeille ja tue samalla WWF Suomen pitkäaikaista työtä Itämeren hyväksi. Juoksuun osallistumismaksu (10 €) lahjoitetaan WWF:lle.

Ti 5.11.2019 | Ti 3.12.2019 | Ti 14.1.2020 | Ti 11.2.2020  

RUN against sea pollution -tapahtuman tavoitteena on kasvattaa tietoisuutta mertemme tilasta ja liikkua yhdessä rantoja pitkin lenkkeillen.   Juoksu lähtee Lauttasaaresta, Ravintola Blue Peteristä 5.11.2019 lähtien klo 18. Yhteisiä juoksulenkkejä järjestetään yhteensä neljä ja lenkkien aikana on mahdollisuus jutella Zer°emission -tiimin jäsenten kanssa. Reitti kiertää Lauttasaaren rantoja pitkin merellisissä tunnelmissa ja on noin 10 km mittainen, kestäen tunnin verran.

Jokaisen juoksun aluksi on luvassa lyhyt tietoisku Race against sea pollution -projektista/juoksun yhteistyökumppaneilta.   Juoksun ajaksi tavarat voi jättää säilytykseen ravintola Blue Peteriin ja juoksun jälkeen on mahdollisuus saunoa/peseytyä/vaihtaa vaatteet HSK:n rantasaunassa.


Join Zer0emission’s challenge to run against sea pollution.  

Tue 5.11.2019 | Tue 3.12.2019 | Tue 14.1.2020 | Tue 11.2.2020  

Join the Zer°emission team for a run along the coastline of Lauttasaari in Helsinki and support the fight against sea pollution. The event participation fee (10 €) will be donated to WWF’s work against sea pollution.  

We will start our run from Lauttasaari, Restaurant Blue Peter on 5th of November 6 pm. The event will occur four times and during the runs you will have a chance to chat with the Zer°emission team-members. The running route will take us round Lauttasaari island. The duration of the course is approximately 10 km/1 hour.  

Before the run, there will be a short status update about our project from Zer°emission team-leaders and our partners. There is a possibility to change/shower after the run in the HSK facilities.

Join the events on Facebook

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Zer0emission sailed for a more sustainable regatta experience with a female crew in Hanko

by Noora

July 8, 2019

events

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Hangon Regatta is one of Finlands biggest sailing events attracting over 200 participating boats and nearly 50 000 visitors to a small southern city that is mostly known of it’s vivid summer life. The regatta brings together sailors from different classes and is the place for all sailors to meet and enjoy not just sailing but also meet for after sails. Hangon Regatta has a reputation of being fun and loud. Not all the feedback from the locals is positive, because the event also attracts lots of young party people to join and well – quite a mess is left behind.

To us at Zer0emission Hangon Regatta was an opportunity to bring awareness of our mission to this lively event and raise discussion as well as act for a more sustainable regatta experience. Zer0emission participated in the regatta with a female crew who did not only sail, but also organised cleaning actions on shore. The boat itself attracted a lot of attention and performed very well as an ambassador of our mission #raceagainstseapollution.

On Saturday and Sunday mornings a Hanko Cleanup Challenge sponsored by Zeropoint and North Sails was organised and led by the female crew. We cleaned up the marina, docks and shore, inviting everyone to join. Such a positive female squad was not left unnoticed!

The best feedback of our work was received from the local juniors who were on the same mission as us now for the fifth year in a row. The extremely efficient cleanup patrol told us that the word is starting to spread around sailors and that the regatta area was in better condition than in years. We would like to give this group of volunteers a big hand! The work these kids were doing was just amazing.

What it comes to sailing itself, the regatta offered an amazing experience on Friday and Saturday, unfortunately on Sunday the wind was too light and the third start could not be organised. The female crew grew more familiar to the boat and it’s manners mile by mile and offered us great moments on the race course. Very enjoyable sailing and joy of learning new things set the course of the race, leaving everyone tired but happy after a busy regatta.

Now the boat is already in Helsinki and we are taking a small summer vacation before starting preparations for ORC European Championships in Oxelösund, Sweden 11 – 17 August.

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