With Coco Chanel being the subject matter of a number of recent films, and Russia being very much on the up and coming cultural radar under Valery Gergiev’s guidance, it is no surprise to learn that Chanel has reintroduced a famous scent from their past – 1927’s Cuir de Russe. Legend has it that Cuir de Russie was born when a Cossack warrior rubbed birch fat into his fine leather boots on the Russian steppes. Whoever did it first, it is certain that tanneries of the area cured skins in such a way, and the scent produced inspired perfumers in France. It is a very physical fragrance, evoking warriors riding in wide open spaces.

Guerlain produced a Cuir de Russie fragrance in 1875, and Creed created one for Errol Flynn in 1938. Chanel created hers in 1924, and it is still highly regarded today. Luca Turin, the fragrance biophysicist, describes it as ‘a striking hologram of luxury bygone: its scent like running the hand over the pearl grey banquette of an Isotta Frashini while forests of birch silently pass by.’ In the early twentieth century Paris was heavily influenced by Russian culture. Many Russians emigrated to the city after the 1917 revolution and their culture became very fashionable.

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Has to be at the Algonquin, where the hotel has a resident , prize winning cat named Matilda. It’s a major attraction in managing to keep a jetlagged 13 year old quiet for a while. Last minute shopping was conducted on 5th Avenue of course, with Bergdorf Goodman, Saks and Juicy Couture all successfully raided. The picture is a way too early Christmas morning in the hotel lounge with a huge assorted wrapping bonanza, a special bright red Christmas bow tie lovingly given to me by the family dog, Charles, and various left overs from Christmas stockings (Santa was generous; everything from models of New York taxis to Chanel’s new Cuir de Russie fragrance, tins of Obama candies and Lady Gaga remix CD’s amongst much, much more…) For presents, I was given two rare out of print books, one a compendium of Dorothy Parker stories (she used to stay at the Algonquin) and the other a 1920’s biography of Nijinsky (see previous thread about Les Ballets Russe).

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Having been watching an excellent documentary on the life of Stravinsky this past weekend, I was taken (and surprised) by how much of his work was theatrically inspired. Indeed, the man wrote many ballets, and with leading choreographers of the time – Diaghilev, Nijinsky and so on. Stravinsky’s music, often when listened to on its own, can appear jagged, discordant and overly sonic. Not for nothing was there a riot at the 1913 premiere at the Theatre des Champs Elysee of his “Rite of Spring” – a ballet featuring primitive rhythms; the story of a spring maiden who dances herself to death. However, when paired together with dance, his ballets especially take on a marvelous quality of grace, humor and incredible sophistication. Stravinsky’s biography lead to researching the primary foil for his ballet compositions – Les Ballets Russe.

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The sixth race of the Kings Cup proved a step too far for China Briefing as the high winds caused problems for crew and control, and a ‘safety first’ conservative racing attitude was adopted to get the yacht through the tough conditions. With winds to 30 knots, and the yacht only insured to go out in up to 25 knot winds, the smaller size of China Briefing’s Jeanneau 32 was no match for the larger, more powerful boats, some of them up to 18 feet longer and with considerably larger and more powerful sails. The yacht finished 12th, still a credible performance given several entrants were unable to finish and retired. The result means the China Briefing team finished eight overall, dropping down two places from sixth on the final day. Over 110 yachts competed, including teams from Coca-Cola, Bentley, IFC Bank, Neil Pryde, and Monte Cristo.  

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Photo: China Briefing, in far center, showing larger competitors a clean pair of heels

China Briefing scored another fifth place finish in the fifth race of the six race Kings Cup yacht racing series in Phuket today, leaving them in with a shout of honors going into the final race tomorrow. With strong gusts of up to 30 knots in the morning, the yacht got off to its now customary flying start until the larger yachts with bigger sails and more power began to take command. Under exciting conditions, not for the faint hearted, two yachts lost masts in heavy gusts, including the perennial favorite, the Thai Royal Navy whose mast broke off about two meters about deck and was left trailing in the sea. Another Sunsail 35 lost its mast completely. A multihull participant turned over and sank as the conditions proved too much for several competitors. China Briefing stayed with the larger boats – some of them 18 feet longer than China Briefing’s Jeanneau 32 – for the duration of the race with spinnaker flying in the return leg of the event which saw a long course out to Ko Aeo Island from Kata Bay and return. To give a measure of the wind conditions, China Briefing finished in less than half the time the similar race took them on day one.

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China Briefing is off to a flying start in race one, day three (far right)  

Today we had two races, and on both occasions the China Briefing yacht got off to exceptional starts, way ahead of the pack and the far larger boats. With better winds, and a shorter course, the conditions featured us much better and the crew were far more disciplined and working far better together as a team.  

In race one we placed fifth, and in race two, fourth (just missing out on a third place trophy by two minutes). China Briefing is now placed sixth overall from 110 entrants. 

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The second days racing here in Phuket proved tough, frustrating and a mixture of sweet and sour as the days course, taking us well south of the island, ground to a halt in dead air around lunchtime. Until that time, China Briefing had been well positioned under an overcast sky and a receding tide, punching far above our weight as our Jeanneau 32 overtook larger and more powerful boats, including some of the first day winners. However, that all came to a halt for close to two hours just as the yacht had rounded the farthest point and had spinnaker up set for a 14 mile long stretch to the finish.   

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China Briefing enjoyed a promising start to the week long Kings’s Cup regatta today (Monday) by finishing a punishing 26 mile course with tricky winds in 5 hours and 18 minutes, placed eighth at the end of the first days racing. More than 110 yachts are participating.

The China Briefing yacht is competing in the Bareboat Charter division against yachts which are up to 18 feet longer and have far more sail power. Todays sailing conditions had both north-easterlies and south-westerlies blowing in with periods of dead wind, and temparatures of up to 40 degrees out at sea.

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Following a fairly lengthy adminsitration half day in finalising our registration for the event, confirming crew, showing insurance and other such stuff, we managed to get a three hours sail out today. Five of the six crew have arrived, and most of the time was spent calibrating sheets and ropes for the spinnaker and main sail, and asigning positions and responsibilities for crew. Practicing getting the spinnaker up was an utter disaster "Does anyone on this boat know what the f*cking mainsheet halyard is?" but that’s just part of bedding in crew. The winds have been light, but that actually suits us, we’re a smaller yacht than some in our class, and a light wind will mean we can be more proactive than the heavier craft which weigh more. At one point we were getting 2 knots out of a 2 knot breeze, so that’s very efficient! 

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This afternoon I leave the chilly climes of Beijing for the sunnier shores of Phuket, taking part in the annual Kings Cup Regatta where I shall give the good ship "China Briefing" a weeks worth of racing in what promises to be a very competitive field. I have a 32 foot Jeanneau, a French built yacht, fitted with a racing hull to play about with, and a crew of six, including Rob Williams, who is an America’s Cup participant. I’m skippering (well it’s my yacht!). The Regatta takes place over six days, with five days racing. We probably won’t win a major prize – this crew hasn’t sailed together before so we lack the teamwork co-ordination – but I’m hopeing we can possibly win one or two of the daily race events. I last participated as crew some ten years ago in the yacht "Kelso" – we came a credible fourth overall. This year sees close to eighty contestants, and rivalry will be high.

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