PUMA Ocean Racing Selects Crew For VOR

Friday - May 9 2008 - 0830 PST - Ken READ, skipper of PUMA Ocean Racing, officially announced his crew and management for the upcoming Volvo Ocean Race 2008-2009, as the team gathered for official training in Newport, Rhode Island and prepared for the christening of its new boat on 12 May in Boston Harbour.

Among the crew, PUMA Ocean Racing represents six countries and has 21 past Volvo Ocean Race participations to its credit. The sailing team members are: Andrew CAPE (AUS), Navigator; Rick DEPPE (USA), Media Specialist; Justin FERRIS (NZL), Trimmer/Driver; Sidney GAVIGNET (FRA), Watch Captain; Jerry KIRBY (USA), Bowman; Jonathan MCKEE (USA), Trimmer/Driver; Michael MUELLER (GER), Bowman/Trimmer; Chris NICHOLSON (AUS), Watch Captain; Rob SALTHOUSE (NZL), Trimmer/Driver and Casey SMITH (AUS), Bowman.

On the shore-team key management includes: Kimo WORTHINGTON (USA), General Manager, and Neil COX (AUS), Shore Team Manager.

Cumulatively, the management and sailing team for PUMA Ocean Racing shares a level of success difficult to match with five Volvo Ocean Race/Whitbread Race wins, 20 America's Cup editions and five wins, along with four Olympic Games entries and two medals.

"A top programme is only as good as the people that manage it and drive it, and we are extremely fortunate to have such a diverse group of the world's best sailors signed on to help sail PUMA's Volvo 70 around the world as fast as possible," said skipper Ken READ (USA).

"On the shore side, we have two first-class Volvo Ocean Race veterans managing the intricate logistics and support structure necessary for this race. All of these individuals combined with PUMA's commitment to the race and the strength of the brand are powerful elements that shape this team and will hopefully lead it to victory."

"Ken READ has assembled an impressive list of experienced and talented sailors, who will not only give PUMA Ocean Racing its best chance to win, but will represent PUMA and the sport of sailing in a special way as they travel 37,000 miles across the ocean," said Jochen ZEITZ, Chairman and CEO of PUMA AG.

For more on the team go to Volvo Ocean Race at VOR.

Who Will Win?

Friday - May 9 2008 - 0823 PST - Yesterday, we reported another win by the GGYC in the courts (see post on May 8 2008). With that said, in less than a month on June 5, 2008 at 14:00, the courts will hear oral arguments following the submission of briefings by America's Cup Defender Société Nautique de Genève (SNG) on April 21, 2008 and Challenger Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) on April 22, 2008. Who will win??? Let us know who you think will win the America's Cup on land by emailing us your vote today at info@xsracing.org

Dee and Aviva Are Ready

Friday - May 9 2008 - 0810 PST - Record-breaking British yachtswoman, Dee Caffari is ready to race against some of world's best solo sailors for the first time onboard her new generation Open 60 yacht, Aviva.

This Sunday, 11 May, Caffari steps onboard Aviva to start The Artemis Transat, an intense transatlantic sprint from Plymouth to Boston, USA against twelve highly powered carbon fibre racing machines.

The historic British race is a comparatively short sprint across the Atlantic for the round the world sailors, at only 3,000 miles in distance and approximately eleven days in duration.

The Transat represents a key marker in Caffari's Aviva Ocean Racing campaign as she builds momentum toward her ultimate goal - to become the first woman to sail solo, non-stop around the world in both directions by completing the Vendée Globe 2008/09.

Before departing from Plymouth Caffari said: "As far as I'm concerned, I've got to finish the race to build my confidence before the Vendée Globe. I have to be competitive in this boat, allow her to perform and make the right decisions. This relatively short sprint across the Atlantic is the last off-shore race before we all line up in Les Sables d'Olonne in November."

Caffari and Aviva line up in Plymouth alongside fellow Brit, Sam Davies (Roxy) in a fleet of thirteen yachts from six different countries. Alongside Davies, Caffari is one of only two women taking part in the Open 60 class and will be looking to challenge the men in the fleet whilst managing her own race strategy. The inspirational skipper will be testing her resolve, determination and solo sailing skills in a competitive race environment.

Caffari commented from the dockside: "I've really connected with Aviva over the last few months but miles under the belt are key to our campaign so we're going to be sailing strategically. Boston is our number one target and I'm aiming to get there as quickly and efficiently as possible."

The race across the north Atlantic is predominantly upwind, going against the preferred sailing conditions for Open 60s that are specifically designed for fast downwind racing. However, Caffari is an expert in these conditions having spent 178 days in 2005/06 battling against the prevailing winds and currents during her record-breaking circumnavigation.

Whilst taking part in the Transat she will celebrate the second anniversary of the Aviva Challenge when she sailed into the history books by becoming the first woman to sail solo, non-stop the 'wrong way' around the world.

Caffari reflected on her past achievements: "I can't believe it was nearly two years ago that I sailed past the Lizard on the Aviva Challenge. I've come such a long way and with the support of a dedicated team and sponsor I'm looking forward to realising my ultimate goal - to become the first woman to sail solo, non-stop around the world in both directions by completing the Vendée Globe."

For more on Dee and the Aviva Team go to Aviva Ocean Racing.

Mag 80 To Go After Cabo Record

Friday - May 9 2008 - 0755 PST - As race records to Baja California and Mexican mainland locations continue to fall, Long Beach Yacht Club is gearing up for the 2008 Long Beach to Cabo San Lucas International Yacht Race Nov. 7-13.

Entries are open to any monohull boat with a PHRF rating of +51 or below. Competitors will start in two separate PHRF classes, with Division 1 starting on Friday, Nov. 7 and Division 2 on Saturday, Nov. 8.

Record shredding Doug Baker's Andrews 80, Magnitude 80, is already off to a fast start by breaking course records to Baja in this year's Corona del Mar to Cabo San Lucas Race and the San Diego to Puerto Vallarta Race.

In the 2007 LBYC Cabo race, Magnitude 80 missed by only 57 minutes breaking the 22 year old record of 3 days 3 hours 46 minutes 24 seconds set in 1985 by Blondie, one of the first Santa Cruz 70s built.

Baker just completed the Newport to Ensenada race where Mag 80 was first-to-finish but could not get near breaking the record due to a dying breeze the last 25 miles of the race.

When asked about his plans for the LBYC Cabo race and another attempt at the course record, Baker replied, "Sure, I want to be there for it," he said. "We'll do our best [to break the record]. We're running in the Tahiti race [in June] and providing there aren't any problems and the condition of the boat is good when it returns, we'll be there."

First-place honors on handicap time for the 2007 Cabo race went to fellow LBYC boat Peligroso, a Kernan 70 owned by Mike Campbell and Dale Williams who corrected out on Magnitude 80 by 3 hours, 44 minutes.

"It was a great race," said Campbell. "We sailed most of the race with our chute up and lots of jibes. We had wind all the way down. We have a lot of fun in these races."

Adding to the great fun and good times in Cabo, Long Beach Yacht Club will be holding a trophy ceremony for all of the competitors Thursday evening, Nov. 13.

Notice of Race available at LBYC. Story by Rick Roberts. Photo by Pat Reynolds

Sun Sets On Clipper Race 9

Friday - May 9 2008 - 0745 PST - All ten of the internationally-backed yachts competing in the Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race have now finished Race 9 from Santa Cruz to Panama.

Following a thrilling race in which a group of six yachts battled it out for the podium positions, matching each other move for move, Hull & Humber emerged victorious to score their third win of the 14-race series. Qingdao finished second, just nine minutes ahead of New York who maintained their reputation for strong finishes by taking their sixth podium place in nine races.

Nova Scotia, who had enjoyed some close quarters racing with Qingdao missed snagging a podium place by a little over an hour. Glasgow: Scotland with style Clipper, who had taken the lead several times were stymied in the last 24 hours by a wind hole which held them back from the line in the final stages of Race 9. A disappointing result for the Scottish crew have yet to get their hands on the elusive yellow pennant awarded to the winning team but they remain in good spirits after finishing fifth.

Sixth placed Liverpool 08 took the most offshore course and sailed more than 300 nautical miles further than their rivals as they searched for stronger winds. It was a move that almost paid off and one that they are proud of.

Crossing the finish line at 1709 GMT on 7 May, skipper Ben Galloway said, "It was interesting to watch the majority of the fleet stick together but as per usual Liverpool 08 decided to run our own race making tactics based on the weather we were given at the time. As you may have seen, we went for the offshore route. Although we were not in sight of any other race boats, we kept pushing hard as we knew it would be a close finish especially if the race was called early."

Uniquely Singapore, who had also briefly held the lead in a race where overall control was hard to come by, also finished overnight, crossing the finish line in seventh place at 2327 GMT on 7 May.

Jamaica, who were involved in the three-way fight for sixth place with Liverpool 08 and Uniquely Singapore, struggled in very light airs as they approached the finish line off the Mexican coast. They ghosted across at 0039 GMT today to claim eighth place.

Skipper Simon Bradley says, "The last few miles took forever to complete as the wind died away on us. We saw Liverpool 08 then Uniquely Singapore finish before us, very frustrating as we hoped to beat both of them to the line. Well done to them both. We're motoring now to Panama and this will bring its own challenges: the noise, the heat and not running out of fuel. But it will allow us to get most, if not all, of our maintenance jobs done en-route."

Durban 2010 and Beyond were languishing in a wind hole and managed to cover just 25 miles in 12 hours yesterday. The Race Committee offered skipper Ricky Chalmers the option to accept their position as their final placing on this race in order to allow them to catch up with the rest of the fleet in Panama. The crew voted and decided to accept tenth place on Race 9.

westernaustralia2011.com fared even worse, at one point recording a 12-hour run of just 12 nautical miles. They were offered the same opportunity as Durban 2010 and Beyond, to accept their current position as their final standing in Race 9, but turned it down.

Psychologically for the crew of the WA entry it was important to cross the finish line after the drama of their dismasting during the race across the Pacific and missing the start of Race 8 from Hawaii as their new mast was built and the yacht re-rigged.

Their fortunes appeared to be changing, as skipper Martin Silk reported. "It feels like we're on a different ocean," he says. "Not only have winds have reached ten knots but the air seems to have some weight in it. In ninth position and less than 40 miles to the Angel Gate all that is left is to cross the finish and make best speed to Panama."

The first yachts are expected to arrive in Panama on Monday 13 May. For full results and more photos go to Clipper Race.

New Quantum Racing TP52 is Ready to Race

Thursday - May 8 2008 - 1540 PST - The new Botin Carkeek-designed TP 52 Quantum Racing completed its sea trials and initial sail tuning program last week and is ready to race in Alicante in the first regatta of the six-race 2008 Audi Med-Cup Circuit. Racing starts Monday, May 12. The new boat is owned and campaigned by partners Fred Howe and Doug DeVos.

"This new boat represents the distillation of four years MedCup and Breitling Cup experience, including two championship second places, with the Quantum-powered TP52s Warpath, Windquest and Quantum Lexus," said Terry Hutchinson, skipper of the new Quantum Racing. "Quantum has commissioned an all-encompassing design and build program which will be supercharged by sails from the new Quantum QRW2 program."

The Quantum Racing project was started by QSDG nine months ago with the objective of showcasing a new generation of Quantum sails, using the new TP52 as a platform. Botin Carkeek worked with closely with Quantum, the builder Longitude Zero, Hall Spars, and other key suppliers to deliver a boat that reflects the latest advances in America's Cup-level design, analysis, structures, engineering and construction.

Ed Reynolds, President of Quantum Sail Design Group, is the coach and manager of the team. He noted: "The new TP52 Quantum Racing personifies our philosophy at QSDG to trial and develop new sail design and construction concepts on our own boats wherever possible and pass along the benefits to all our customers."

Story and image courtesy of Quantum Sails.

'Le Black' Is Back

Thursday - May 8 2008 - 1445 PST - Alinghi launches "Le Black" in Valencia - The 41 footer has been reassembled in Valencia and set off for a shakedown sail today with Ernesto Bertarelli at the helm.

Yves Detrey, boat captain and regular sailor onboard gives some insight on the fast lake sailor: "This boat was built for Ernesto Bertarelli in 2000 for the famous Bol d'Or. It sailed for three years and since 2003 has been in a shed. In its time it was probably one of the world's most powerful multi-hulls on a power to weight ratio."

Today Le Black will complete the Alinghi training platform. "We are happy to have the boat back on the water and to be sailing it again. It is a very impressive boat and continues to be very competitive. Up until now, apart from the 60ft multi-hull, we have not had a very powerful platform to practice on. We still have a lot to learn and this boat will teach us a lot," said Yves Detrey.

The original objective of this high performance light air speedster was to compete against trimarans in strong wind and against catamarans in light air. The 41footer soon built up a winning pedigree claiming the Bol d'Or four times consecutively from 2000 to 2003.

'Le Black' 41ft Alinghi catamaran - technical specifications - Designer Jo Richards and Sébastien Schmidt - Builder Décision SA Length Overall LOA 64ft (19.6m) - Hull Length 41ft (12.5m) - Dry weight 1850kg - Beam 28ft (8.5m)- Mast Height (above water) 80ft (24.5m) Crew 6. Story by Alinghi and photo by Dr\Alinghi

Ready To Rock And Roll

Thursday - May 8 2008 - 1415 PST - The final pieces of the jigsaw are now in place for the 2008 iShares Cup Sailing Series. The venue for the German leg of the European tour has been confirmed as Kiel, on the Baltic Sea, and Tommy Hilfiger has been announced as the ninth entry in the series.

Kiel, in northern Germany, is the third new venue for the 2008 iShares Cup and home to the fourth event on the circuit - the Extreme 40 fleet will race there from 29-31 August, offering guests and spectators a chance to get a great close-up view of the fast-paced iShares Cup racing.

The bustling city has a strong maritime history, and lies on the busiest artificial waterway in the world, the Kiel Canal. Every June the city holds Kiel Week, the largest sailing event in Europe, which combines dinghy and yacht racing with a festival of ships, music and fireworks.

The event welcomes about three million visitors annually, who perch on the sea walls and rocky coastal defences to watch around 2,000 boats ranging from massive tall ships to racing yachts and Olympic dinghy classes. The iShares Cup racecourses will be held in the same fantastic sailing amphitheatre.

"Both the area's exceptional natural sailing stadium, and the enthusiasm of the city of Kiel to host the German venue of the 2008 iShares Cup, easily convinced us when it came to making the final call," explained Event Director Gilles Chiorri, of OC Events...

"The racecourse will be so close to the spectators that it will be an amazing spectacle to watch the Extreme 40 fleet rounding the marks just a couple of metres from the shore!"

Title sponsors iShares welcomed the addition of Kiel to the event circuit. "Germany is a key market for iShares and Kiel is an ideal location to host this stage of the 2008 iShares Cup. The style of sailing you will witness in the iShares Cup is revolutionary and we are delighted to be supporting such an exciting sport whereby its core characteristics reflect our brand values and business approach," said Dan Kiddle, Head of iShares Sponsorship, Europe.

Another new entry has also been confirmed, bringing the 2008 iShares Cup fleet to nine boats so far. The latest team to line up for this year's contest are Tommy Hilfiger, who will be returning to the circuit after finishing fourth in last year's iShares Cup.

Tommy Hilfiger reunites three of last year's crew with skipper Randy Smyth. The American helmsman took part in the Amsterdam leg of the 2007 iShares Cup as well as racing at the front of the fleet the previous year. Randy counts an astonishing 58 national and world championship wins in one-design multihulls, as well as taking a silver medal at the 1984 Olympics and winning the America's Cup in '88.

He will be joined by fellow Americans Jonathan Farrar, Tommy Hilfiger's tactician, and trimmer Stan Schreyer. Dutch bowman Mark van Gelderen brings a European touch to this trans-Atlantic team - he is an experienced Extreme 40 crew, having sailed in the class since its launch three years ago.

"Having Tommy Hilfiger back in the 2008 iShares Cup is already an important milestone for the circuit, and moreover having such a cat legend Randy Smyth as skipper on board gives an extra level of interest - certainly a lot is expected from this crew," said Chiorri.

The 2008 iShares Cup kicks off in just 21 days time. The first event is in the mountain city of Lugano, racing on the beautiful lake on the Swiss-Italian border over 30 May-1 June, before moving on to the French leg of the circuit at Hyères.

It heads to Britain on 2-4 August to race during Skandia Cowes Week, then Kiel, Germany from 29-31 August. The iShares Cup concludes in Amsterdam as the Extreme 40s return to the scene of last year's dramatic finale, racing right in the centre of the Dutch city over 19-21 September.

Follow all the action and find out more about the teams at the event website iShares Cup. Photo courtesy of Tommy Hilfiger, Munich 2007 © Jean-Marie Liot/DPPI/OC Events

Court Rejects Alinghi's Motion

Thursday - May 8 2008 - 1399 PST - GGYC welcomes decision of Appellate Court to reject Alinghi bid for more delay - The Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) said today it is pleased the Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court has today rejected a further effort by the defender to stay proceedings pending its upcoming appeal.

Last month, the defender unsuccessfully sought an interim stay, when it lodged an appeal against Justice Cahn's order declaring GGYC the Challenger of Record. A full panel of four justices of the Appellate court today again rejected this bid and confirmed the earlier court decision of Justice Andrias on April 15.

"We are very pleased with this outcome. Two courts have now both firmly rejected new SNG (Société Nautique de Genève)/Alinghi efforts to create more delay. We continue to expect to race in October 2008," Tom Ehman GGYC's spokesman said.

"We have renewed confidence that this match will not be delayed by SNG/Alinghi's appellate litigation and look forward to going racing." The appellate court also ordered that GGYC's arguments to dismiss the appeal can be addressed by GGYC in its main appellate brief. That means the merits of GGYC's motion to dismiss will be heard by the court on June 5th.

Stay tuned for more...to view the legal document go to Legal Doc.

Protests Put The French In The Lead

Thursday - May 8 2008 - 8-5-2008 - The tables turn at the European Finn Championship. The result of the protest between the leader of the provisional scoreboard Ben Ainslie and Canadian Christopher Cook saw both sailors disqualified.

The protest concerned two incidents in the pre-start phase of race 7. Ben Ainslie was disqualified when he established an overlap too close to allow Cook to respond. In a second incident the Canadian failed to keep clear of Ainslie who was to leeward.

In a separate protest between SLO Gasper Vincec and USA Zach Railey, the Slovenian was disqualified for an incident at the first mark.

After 7 races French Guillaume Florent leads with 20 points followed by Ainslie at 32 and Cook at 34.

Race 8 will get underway tomorrow and the Medal Race is scheduled for Saturday (double points). For more results and photos go to Euro Finn 2008. Photo Emilio Bianchi

Volkswagen Touareg King of Cowes is Back!

Thursday - May 8 2008 - 0835 PST - The second Volkswagen Touareg King of Cowes to be held in association with Skandia Cowes Week 2008.

LaserPerformance (Europe) Ltd and Volkswagen are delighted to announce that 2008 will see the return of the Volkswagen Touareg King of Cowes at Skandia Cowes Week. With the question being, who will be crowned King this year?

On Friday 1st August the class winners from Skandia Cowes Week 2007 will race in identical Laser SB3s off Cowes in a one-day, three race regatta. Following on from the hard-fought inaugural event held last year, some 32 leading national and international helms will have the opportunity to pitch their skills on the water against each other, to compete for the coveted 'Volkswagen Touareg King of Cowes' title.

Competition is expected to again be fierce, with prizes of a Volkswagen Touareg, Laser XD and Laser BUG up for grabs. Plus a fantastic holiday to Mark Warner for the owner of the winning boat.

A Diverse Entry List - With winning helms from classes as diverse as the historic XOD day boats and the high tech IRC Class Zero maxis this event draws together the very best sailors from Skandia Cowes Week 2007 to promise a truly exceptional competition.

As in 2007, the winning helms will be drawn at random through an independent draw to ascertain which SB3 owner they will be paired with. The class winners must helm their boat with the SB3 owner as principle crew member. The SB3 class winner will not be permitted to sail his own boat but will also be allocated to an SB3 through the independent draw to prevent any unfair advantage.

With so much at stake, Principle Race Officer Tony Lovell and his team from Total Race Control, will ensure a series of challenging races are set to test the skills and tactics of the invited helms and an International Jury will be on hand to ensure fair play.

Three races are scheduled with no discard ensuring that the teams are given the most rigorous test. For 2008 the course format is revised slightly to include a Skandia Cowes Week style "round the cans" course in addition to the "windward leeward" format which was used exclusively at the inaugural event.

The "round the cans" format gives a greater test of navigational skills and was introduced in response to the competitor's request for a competition that offered the broadest possible test of skills.

For more on the race go to King of Cowes.

Steve White Becomes 13th Man in IMOCA Class

Thursday - May 8 2008 - 0815 PST - Steve White and Spirit of Weymouth officially entered in The Artemis Transat. The big news certainly is the official entry of Steve White aboard Spirit of Weymouth in the IMOCA Class taking the number of IMOCA skippers to thirteen.

Having completed his qualifying passage, the young Brit takes his place amongst a very impressive lineup of all the greatest names in singlehanded sailing with only four days remaining until the start on Sunday, 11th May at 1400 BST. On the other hand, Patrice Carpentier will finally not be at the start in Plymouth on Sunday in the Class40 category which leaves the Class40 with 11 skippers on the start line...

"90% of the fleet is ready at 95%", says Emmanuel Guedon, responsible for the safety checks. It has been another busy day under glorious sunshine here in Plymouth, where the boats are safely docked in Sutton Harbour. A stark contrast to what the skippers will face on the other side of the Atlantic where they will encounter extreme cold, fog and the threat of ice (see Michel Desjoyeaux's comments below and more on that subject tomorrow).

There is definitely a very summery atmosphere in The Barbican, where the crowd enjoys 25 degrees C of temperature and the various acts of the Blues and Jazz Festival. This first week of May has certainly benefitted from unusually warm conditions, encouraging a huge number of visitors to come and discover the high-tech racing machines moored in Sutton Harbour.

The Class40 boats definitely raise the public's interest as well, proving how open and accessible ocean racing has remained since the beginnings - the adventurous and pioneering spirit is clearly still alive, embodied by this class of boats which mixes seasoned professionals and enlightened amateurs, some taking on their first solo crossing.

And even if a few drops of rain can be expected on Friday, these exceptional conditions are here to stay, and it looks like the start of the race on Sunday will be spectacular: more than 25 degrees C, and a gentle easterly breeze to exit Plymouth harbour under gennaker!

It will then be vital to escape the English Channel's local effects as soon as possible, and to catch the expected northerlies - what lies ahead of that first phase is still somewhat hard to foresee, but it looks like this 13th edition of the original of all transats will require a lot of concentration in its early stages.

The Professor's opinion...

Having won the Vendée Globe, the Route du Rhum and The Transat in 2004, Michel Desjoyeaux boasts an unrivaled singlehander's track record. Today in Plymouth, the 'Professor' shared his views:

"The Artemis Transat is tougher than the Route du Rhum! It's an important event in terms of sporting results, and a difficult one since the course takes us against the prevailing winds - it's cold, and the risk of drifting ice is important. The waters around the Labrador current are only 2 to 5 degrees, almost the same conditions as in the Southern Ocean."

"This edition's lineup is again an impressive one, and we won't have any time to waste while crossing the Atlantic! I'll have to watch out for Sébastien Josse, whose boat is very close to Gitana Eighty in her concept, but of course people like Loick Peyron, Marc Guillemot, Yann Elies, Vincent Riou and Armel Le Cléac'h are very serious rivals. Samatha Davies has also optimized her boat with more ballast capacity, new daggerboards, new winches… and that boat, my ex-PRB, was already quite at ease upwind."

For more on the race go to The Artemis Transat.

BMW ORACLE Racing Staying Busy

Wednesday - May 7 2008 - 0830 PST - Following the season-opening regatta in RC 44s in Italy, the sailing team gears up this month for a very full program competing in RC 44s, TP 52s and Extreme 40 catamarans in Spain, Austria and France.

"We are racing across a range of classes and against some great competitors this season," said BMW ORACLE Racing helmsman James Spithill. "Right now we are placing more priority on multihulls and match racing in preparation for the 33rd America's Cup."

This includes an in-house match racing series in Extreme 40s in Valencia later this month and a 60-foot multihull training session in France in June.

Next week, nine BMW ORACLE Racing team members will join Torbjorn Tornqvist on board Artemis in the season opener of the TP 52 Med Cup circuit in Alicante, Spain May 13-17. John Kostecki will call tactics and will be joined by eight other BMW ORACLE team members.

BMW ORACLE Racing will enter a new TP 52, USA 17, later in the season with an afterguard that will include Spithill as well as team owner Larry Ellison and skipper Russell Coutts.

In Valencia, an in-house regatta May 20-22 will pit two Extreme 40s head-to-head for team bragging rights in the high-performance catamarans. Many of the core sailing team will compete including Coutts, Spithill and Kostecki and multihull consultant Franck Cammas.

The team also plans to return to France next month for its second training session with Cammas on the 60-foot multihull Groupama 2. In other multihull sailing, Kostecki and Cammas teamed up last weekend in Geneva at the Grand Prix Chopard D35, placing sixth overall.

The team will return to the RC 44 circuit with a BMW ORACLE Racing entry for the Austria Cup on Lake Traunsee May 28-June 1. As in Cagliari, Italy last month,12 BMW ORACLE Racing crew will compete across three entries. After winning the match racing event at Cagliari and placing second in the fleet racing, Larry Ellison is planning to be at the helm again for the BMW ORACLE Racing entry in Austria.

"Racing in the RC 44s is a great chance to get out and compete against some of the top guys, and we can" Spithill said. "We are enjoying the match racing so this circuit will continue to be a priority for us. In both the RC 44 and the TP 52 classes, we have our crew across different teams so we compete against each other as well. With all of this racing, we are learning from each other and our competitors."

The team's Valencia base is also serving as the Med training camp for Olympic Star class contenders Hamish Pepper and Carl Williams who will represent New Zealand at the Games in China in August.

Story and photo by BMW/Oracle.

Follow The Finns

Wednesday - May 7 2008 - 0755 PST - 2008 European Finn Championships - Slovenian Gasper Vincec and Dutch Pieter-Jan Postma win race 3 and race 4 on the second day of racing at La Marina di Scarlino.

The first race of the day went to Gasper Vincec (SLO 5), followed by French Guillame Florent (FRA 73) and by Canadian Christopher Cook (CAN 41) in third position. The second race was won by Dutch Pieter-Jan Postma,(NED 842), followed by Christopher Cook (CAN 41) and by Slovenian Gasper Vincec (SLO 5).

The first race kicked off around 4 p.m. after three general recalls, one abandoned race and a long postponement due to the strong rotation and instability of the wind. The Race Committee presided by Carlo Tosi therefore decided to wait for the thermal breeze to kick in and stabilize before firing the gun.

Over 80 athletes from 30 nations cut the starting line under sunny skies, calm seas and a 6 to 8 knot westerly wind. The Island of Elba, Montecristo and Corsica served as a spectacular backdrop. first upwind leg with many shifts and pressure changes on the race course.

Brazilian Eduardo Couto rounded the first windward mark in the lead, followed by Slovenian Vincec and Croatian Ivan Gaspic. Couto extended his lead on the downwind leg as the breeze increased but lost his advantage on the second beat to Chris Cook (CAN) and Gasper Vincec (SLO).

On the final run the most favoured part of the course was the middle: Canadian Cook and Brazilian Couto went to the left while Vincec (SLO) and Guillaume Florent (FRA) went to the right. The right paid and Vincec took the win followed by Florent and Cook. Couto was yellow flagged on the final approach but only lost a place to Cook.

The second race began at 5.23 p.m. The breeze had built up to 11-12 knots gusting to 17, remaining steady in direction. The fleet evenly split on first beat and at mark 1 Dutch Pieter-Jan Postma was in the lead, followed by Zach Railey (USA) and Timothy Goodbody (IRL).

Ben Ainslie (GBR) chose the left side of the course on the first downwind leg, picking up four positions and finishing the first downwind leg in fourth place. The Oscar flag was raised for unlimited pumping on the second downwind leg and, the positions remained almost unchanged. Postma extended his lead, winning by 50 seconds, followed by Christopher Cook (CAN 41) and by Slovenian Gasper Vincec (SLO 5) who overtook Ben Ainslie by five boatlengths.

Two races are scheduled for today. To follow all the action go to Finn Europeans.

Home At Last...

Wednesday - May 7 2008 - 0730 PST - Russian solo circumnavigator Fedor Konyukhov returned to Albany, Western Australia, a hero today, throwing down the gauntlet to yachtsmen around the world to break his 102 day record around the Antarctica Cup Racetrack.

For the bearded 56 year old sailor, this was his 4th solo circumnavigation. 'Will it be his last?', Fedor was asked "Having just spent 95 days in the Roaring Forty and Furious Fifty latitudes, I'm not planning to go back in the near future. But the Southern Ocean provides the most spectacular sailing conditions in the world. If I go again, it will be with a crew to make the most of the wild surfing rides you get down there." He answered.

Setting out from Albany with his Open 85ft monohull Trading Network Alye Parusa at 18:21:40 UTC (10:21:40 WST) on Australia Day - 26th January to take on yachting's last great frontier. He braved a succession of storms, freezing temperatures, the ever present threat of icebergs and collisions with wales. Konyukhov came through it all unscathed, returning to King George Sound at 02: 56:50 UTC (10:56:50 WST) today to record a time of 102 days 00 hours 56 minutes 50secs for this 16,400 mile circuit of Antarctica.

He had set out from Falmouth England on 12th October 2007, and discounting a 5 day stop in Cape Town and 2 weeks in Albany prior to the start, his 85ft yacht has been home for the past 6 months. "We have done 30,000 miles together and now have the greatest respect for her. But I am looking forward now to a nice thick steak, a shower, clean sheets, and 12 hours of sleep. It sounds basic, but that is exactly what I need." He told reporters gathered on Albany Dock to greet him back.

To commemorate this inaugural voyage, Bob Williams, Chairman of the Antarctica Cup Race Management announced that they will name Gate 12 (0º W - 0º E) within the Racetrack as the Konyukhov Gate.

Fedor's achievements:

First solo sailor to complete the Antarctica Cup Racetrack.

First solo sailor to traverse the South Atlantic Ocean - Cape Horn to Cape Agulhas - below 45° South.

First solo sailor to sail non stop from 121°E - 110°E, 15,700 NM, below 40° south taking 95 days - 40 days of which were below 50°S.

First solo sailor to sail a maxi yacht solo around Antarctica.

For more on Fedor and the record go to Antarctica Cup.

Third Victory For Hull & Humber

Wednesday - May 7 2008 - 0030 PST - Hull & Humber has won Race 9 of the Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race, crossing the revised finish line at 2022 GMT on Tuesday 6 May. It is the team's third individual stage victory of the 35,000-mile race which is being contested by ten internationally-backed 68-foot yachts.

Skipper Danny Watson says, "It was incredibly close racing from start to finish. Gybing under spinnaker at night with Glasgow: Scotland with style Clipper a quarter of a mile away on our beam was pretty exciting stuff! Routing repositioning meant you dropped from first to mid-fleet within a sched. We needed to have belief in our navigation which ultimately paid off."

"Keeping Hull & Humber moving in the lightest of airs required a tremendous team effort from all but everyone brought something to the table. We have belief and pride in abundance!"

Hull & Humber was one of a group of boats which also included New York, Qingdao, Nova Scotia and Uniquely Singapore who have been matching each other move for move in the bid for a podium position and the all-important points to add to their overall tally and for much of the race from Santa Cruz several of them have been within sight of each other.

Crew member Natalie Booker, 28, from Beverley, East Yorkshire, joined the crew in Santa Cruz for the last two legs of the race back to Liverpool. She says, "It was very frustrating trying to keep the boat going in light airs but it turns quickly into perseverance to keep going forward. It gets increasingly exciting when another Clipper boat is in view. It gives you that extra energy and adrenaline to put in more and more effort to be able to push harder!"

New York was second across the finish line at 2223 GMT. Skipper Duggie Gillespie commented, "It was very good sailing for most of the race until we came across this light winds - that was frustrating, very frustrating and a lottery at times. I said to the guys that there would be winners and losers given this race finish amendment and the time scale. Still, we are always pleased to be on the podium in this competitive fleet. The team work on board reached new heights with the continual spinnaker work. They did really well."

The results are provisional until all the skippers have submitted their race declarations for scrutiny by the race committee. If the results remain as they are Hull & Humber's victory will take them into overall first position, one and a half points ahead of second placed New York.

Clipper Race Director Joff Bailey says, "As much as this has been a thrilling race for us to watch unfold at home, with the variety of tactics being played out and the really close racing, this has been a difficult one ace for the crews taking part. There is great skill involved in keeping a yacht moving in the kind of light airs they’ve been experiencing and Danny, Duggie and their teams have done very well."

Because of the lighter than expected winds that the fleet has been experiencing since leaving the Californian port, and the forecast for the coming days, yesterday the Race Committee made the decision to shorten the course for Race 9, in accordance with the Sailing Instructions. The finish line is now off the coast of Mexico at Gate Angel, one of several pre-determined gates included in the Race 9 course. The rest of the fleet is expected to cross the finish line over the next 36-48 hours and will then motor sail towards Panama, with the arrival of the first yachts anticipated on 13 May.

For more photos and results go to Clipper Race.

Less Than A Week To Go

Wednesday - May 7 2008 - 0020 PST - This is a critical period for boats preparing for the first regatta of the 2008 AUDI MedCup Circuit. With just one week to go to the first race of the season for the AUDI MedCup Circuit, activity amongst all teams in preparation for racing is at an all time high.

The 2008 racing season is opening up all over Europe. Amongst the world's racing fleets next in line to start competition is the AUDI MedCup Fleet of TP52s, who will stretch their legs in earnest in just one week's time on the waters of Alicante, Spain.

And with just one week to go a little further up the Spanish coast in Valencia a flurry of new boat commissioning is still going on. Whereas plenty of boats from last year's season are revelling in the ability to be ready on time, practicing and testing new equipment and sails, many other teams are fighting the clock to be, not only ready but, competitive from the first race.

In previous years the MedCup Circuit featured the ability to drop several races across the season. The net result was that it wasn't a disaster if a team was late or not fully competitive at the beginning of the season because discarding the worst results would help the overall score.

This year, for the first time, the AUDI MedCup Circuit does not allow any discards at all. Every race – and there could be as many as 60 - will count. Starting the season slowly will not be a possibility for any team with the overall AUDI MedCup Circuit trophy as an objective.

For more on the race go to Audi Med Cup. Photo by Carlo Borlenghi

GGYC Says "We Are Compliant"

Wednesday - May 7 2008 - 0100 PST - GGYC Statement on 'Custom-House Registry' - We are in full compliance with the requirements of the Deed of Gift, including with regard to the 'custom-house registry.' We are following the customary process for obtaining the tonnage certificate and then the Certificate of Documentation from the U.S. Coast Guard which we will provide as soon as possible. This has no bearing on Alinghi's ability to get ready to race.

Course Shortened Due to Light Winds

Tuesday - May 6 2008 - 1410 PST - Clipper Race Update - Race 9 course shortened due to forecast light winds 06 May 2008 - The movers and shakers overnight appear to be Hull & Humber, Nova Scotia and Qingdao. All three have posted better than average 12-hour runs and it makes the top half of the table extremely open for any of the top five or six teams to challenge for the podium places.

With the generally light winds across the area these three benefited from a very narrow band of slightly stronger wind that only lasted a short period of time but gave them another ten miles towards the finish.

Qingdao's skipper, Marcus Cholerton-Brown says, "The race is set for the next sprint to the gate, and we are in hot battle with Nova Scotia. All day we have been at each other in very light and variable winds, but by nightfall we had gained the upper hand. Hull & Humber seems to be the next target, but we can rest assured Nova Scotia will keep coming at us."

The team on Hull & Humber know they are in the other crews' sights and skipper Danny Watson says, "We're doing all we can to keep Hull & Humber moving in light winds to the revised finish line at the second gate."

It just shows how fickle the winds are becoming as Jamaica, who have taken the middle road, and were less than 100 nautical miles away from the lead group have not benefitted from this additional pressure and have had a terrible 12 hours, making only 17 miles towards the finish.

Many of the skippers are reporting massive wind holes that appear to grab hold of the boat and trap them for hours with no boat speed before a slight increase in wind allows the very smallest of boat speed to be generated.

Durban 2010 and Beyond appears to have benefitted slightly overnight from their inshore route but this is probably too little too late and they will struggle to make any impact on the top half of the table. Meanwhile Liverpool 08, although still in last place, continues with her offshore route and is always threatening the back of the fleet.

Skipper Ben Galloway says, "Only a couple of hundred miles to the finish and although the scheds show us in tenth we know we are closer to the gate than at least one other boat and it's not impossible to catch another or two and get some points. So, as usual we are at the mercy of the wind gods and remain optimistic."

It would only take a few hours of steady wind for Ben and his team to leapfrog several of the yachts ahead of them.

The course for Race 9 has been shortened due to the lighter than expected winds en route to Panama City, threatening the fleet's scheduled transit through the Panama Canal.

With the fleet currently logging 12-hour runs of between just 17 and 48 nautical miles and the winds forecast to remain light before building as headwinds, the Race Committee has decided to utilise the pre-determined Gate Angel, approximately 140 nautical miles ahead of the lead boats, to finish the race that started 13 days ago in Santa Cruz.

Gate Angel is one of several intermediate gates contained within the Sailing Instructions for Race 9 that allow the Race Committee to shorten the course and finish the race early in case of abnormal weather conditions that seriously affect the safety of the fleet or the overall programme for the race. Most of the fleet crossed the first gate yesterday off the coast of Acapulco.

Race Director Joff Bailey said, "The Race Committee has been studying the forecasted winds for the next seven days and monitoring the fleet's slower than expected progress towards Panama City due to the lighter than expected winds since the start in Santa Cruz. In order to ensure a smooth transit through the Panama Canal, the fleet has been informed that the Race Committee has opted to shorten the course and finish the race at Gate Angel."

It is expected that the first teams will finish during Wednesday with the remaining teams finishing over the following 24 - 36 hour period. After finishing, each of the teams will motor sail to Panama with the first boats expected to arrive in Panama City on 13 May.

For more photos and postition reports go to Clipper Race.

The Fleet Is In

Tuesday - May 6 2008 - 1055 PST - The Artemis Transat fleet hit Plymouth and so do the crowds!The Artemis Transat race fleet of 13 IMOCA Open 60 boats and 11 Class40 boats have arrived at Sutton Harbour, Plymouth and so have the crowds - an estimated 25,000 of them over the opening weekend.

Plenty of attractions bring thousands of visitors to the Race Village and the Ocean Racing Exhibition that forms part of the education programme. The inaugural Barbican Jazz & Blues Festival sits at the heart of the cultural programme with top-line acts performing throughout the start week.

ECOVER 3 skipper, Mike Golding, will officially start the 13th edition of the race from onboard the Royal Navy's HMS Argyll on Sunday 11th May at 1400 BST.

LIVESKIPPER has opened its registration - your chance to race the boats yourself, live, during the race from the dry and warm cockpit of your computer desk! Check it out at www.liveskipper.com.

The 13 IMOCA 60s and 11 Class40 boats competing in The Artemis Transat 2008 are now all berthed at Sutton Harbour, Plymouth having arrived over the weekend. The Race Village came alive with the arrival of the fleet and thousands of visitors over the Bank Holiday weekend have already been through the village taking in the spectacle of these high-tech ocean racers and all the exhibits within the village, as well as enjoying the bars and restaurants in the Barbican.

Alongside Nigel Godefroy, Chief Executive, Sutton Harbour Group who shared the duty of cutting the ribbon to declare the race village open. Since then the public have arrived en masse to view the 24-strong race fleet, the Tall Ship 'Earl of Pembroke', the legendary Gipsy Moth IV and the Ocean Racing Exhibition that forms part of the education programme. The entertainments package is extensive with street entertainers plus the inaugural Barbican International Jazz and Blues Festival.

The Race Village is open daily from 1000 through to next Sunday, 11th May. For full information on the Race Village and programme of events, visit the website Artiemis Transat. Photo by On Edition/OC Events.