Race 6 Goes to alinghi

Today, Saturday 30 June, the 6th race started at 15:00 local time with a breeze of 10 knots from 120 degrees and a bright sun. The spectator fleet was really huge. Teamas did a dial-up in the pre-start and started at the gun, alinghi right hand side and ETNZ on the left. Both chose the left hand side of the course. Kiwis bounce alinghi off the layline, who round the mark second. In the downwind, nothing really changed. ETNZ rounded from the right hand mark and alinghi from the right. After the mid point of the second upwind, alinghi comes from the left and closing the distance as it approaches ETNZ, who are forced to tack away. After three tacks, Barker responds with an early tack and alinghi is windward and a boatlength ahead. The Swiss pass the weathermark first, controlling the match. In the downwind the difference went from 100 metres to 24 and back. Finally, SUI-100 was the first to cross the finish line with a 28 seconds delta.

3-2 for alinghi

High temperature - strong wind in Valencia today, Friday 30. An early southeatern breeze of almost 15 knots and flat sea guaranteed a spectacular race. Both teams left Port America's Cup for the race course at 13:00. Race five started on time. ETNZ had a very aggressive start, about 20 metres ahead, but soon alinghi covered up the difference and nosed in front. Barker manages to carry Baird all the way out to the starboard layline and tack first. Even though the Kiwis are only a few metres ahead, it could translate into a much bigger lead by the time they reach the windward mark. Kiwis lead by 12 seconds around the first mark. A problem with their spinakker allows alinghi to pass by the leeward. The Kiwis managed to hoist up a second spinakker and cut away the old one, but alinghi was already 170 metres ahead. Kiwis trailed by 26 seconds at the leeward gate. Alinghi kept ETNZ to the left hand side of the course. The Kiwis disengaged from a tacking duel. Alinghi lead by 24 seconds at the final mark, looking comfortable. ETNZ used the symmetrical spinakker. Alinghi crossed the finish line first, 19 seconds ahead. Next race is scheduled for tomorrow.

Protest Dismissed

By a majority decision the Jury dismissed the protest that Emirates Team New Zealand filed against Alinghi following race four. The Jury was not satisfied that Alinghi broke America’s Cup Class Rule 31.6, which reads: “Mainsails shall be able to be lowered to the deck without the necessity of a crew member going aloft.”

Emirates Team New Zealand filed the protest after watching television footage that showed one of the normal post-race measurement checks. The measurers asked both teams to lower their mainsails, without the assistance of a man aloft, to demonstrate compliance with ACC Rule 31.6. Emirates Team New Zealand lowered its mainsail without a man aloft, to the satisfaction of the measurers. The Alinghi team asked the measurer who had boarded SUI 100 if they could raise a man up the mast to fix a halyard (which wouldn’t be put under tension) to the mainsail, for safety reasons, to prevent the sail from being damaged if it came down uncontrollably, and the measurer on board agreed to this request. Alinghi bowman Pete Van Niewenhuyzen was raised to the top of the mast, fixed the halyard and held his arms out, to show that he wasn’t assisting or interfering with the process. The halyard lock was tripped, and the mainsail was lowered to the deck. At the time, the measurer was satisfied with the demonstration. Following a five hour hearing Thursday morning, the five-member Jury dismissed Emirates Team New Zealand’s protest.

The Day After

After a great start, the Swiss team was in control almost for the entire race. Ed Baird won the right hand side of the starting line and Alinghi was in a powerful position for the rest of the race.

Although alinghi was supposed to be a rocket in windws above 15 kts, it went very well against New Zealand in the light air. If ever the Kiwi boat was going to look superior to the Swiss boat, surely this was it.

Mainsails shall be able to be lowered to the deck without the necessity of a crew member going aloft. It was recorded on television showing Pieter van Nieuwenhuyzen of alinghi at the masthead to release the head of the sail. ETNZ protest and details will be presented to the International Jury. Racing will resume on Friday, with Race Five.

2-2 Square

Today's race started on time, with the wind just above 10 kts and temperatures as high as 23 degrees Celcius. Both teams had a good start but alinghi was better, and soon moved away from the Kiwis, half way up the first mark, with over 50 metres difference. A left shift helped the Kiwis shorten the distance down to 20 and later to 10 metres. Both boats sailing by the port layline. SUI-100 tacks and a few seconds later, the NZL-92 tacks too. Although the wind shifted left, in favour of the Kiwis, alinghi pass the wether mark 20 seconds ahead. The Kiwis go for a gybe-set and alinghi gybes in defence. SUI-100 appears to be faster, but NZL-92 takes metres out after each manoeuvre. One bad gybe from the Kiwis, gives a 150 metres advantage to the Swiss. Upwind the difference went up to five boatlengths although the wind fell to 8 knots. In a tacking duel, the Swiss tried to push the Kiwis off the layline. Rounding 25 seconds behind, the Kiwis go again for a gybe-set. In the final downwind, although the Kiwis fight to better their position, alinghi holds the 25 seconds delta. So, alinghi wins the fourth race by 30 seconds, squaring the series 2-2.

ETNZ Wins Second Match

With the score even at one win apiece, both Alinghi and Emirates Team New Zealand will be eager to grab the series lead today. Every America's Cup Match in history (bar 1871), that has required three or more races, has seen the winner of Race Three go on to win the Match.

Today, the race was breath-taking. Alinghi had a better start, but later on ETNZ slept in front. The difference went even to 360 metres. On the downwind leg, ETNZ bowman slept and almost found himself swiming in the waters of Valencia. He managed to climb back onboard but created a mess with the spinnaker sheets. The spinnaker could not come down so the difference between the two boats came down to 30 metres. A very clever tack form Brad Butterworth brought alinghi in front for the first time. In the second downwind leg alinghi weather conditions were very tricky and the two boats were changing places all the time. Finally, it was ETNZ that managed to cross the finish line first, scoring a 2-1, just a few meters in front of alinghi.

ETNZ Scores One!

Emirates Team New Zealand have won Race Two of the America's Cup Match, coming from behind on the second lap of the course to beat Alinghi by 28 seconds. It's the first win for Kiwi skipper Dean Barker over former team mate Brad Butterworth in seven races. Up the second beat, Alinghi were giving Emirates Team New Zealand a bit of leverage, allowing them to close up. Near the top of the course, the right hand side is often very powerful in these conditions. So as the boats converged, in a left hand phase shift, Alinghi on starboard tack were mindful of keeping the right hand side of the course for strategical as well as tactical reasons. Race Three is on Tuesday, with a 15:00 start time.

Alinghi Wins 1st Match

Switzerland's Alinghi team, the Defender of the America's Cup, won the first race of the 32nd America's Cup Match on Saturday afternoon in front of an enormous spectator fleet on the waters off Valencia. Conditions were perfect for racing, with a stable 12 knot sea breeze on the race course.

Alinghi trailed very early in this race, with Emirates Team New Zealand looking strong off the starting line. But the Swiss showed good pace, eventually forcing the Kiwis to tack off, and when the boats came together for a first cross, it was SUI 100 that was ahead.

Alinghi was able to convert that small advantage into a 13 second lead at the top mark. The Swiss made gains on both runs, while the Kiwis were able to close the gap a little bit on the second leg to windward.

By the finish it was Alinghi winning by 35 seconds. The Swiss take a 1-0 lead in the 'first to five' America's Cup Match.

Baird to Helm SUI-100

Alinghi, the Swiss team built by Ernesto Bertarelli, will start its defence of the America's Cup on Saturday afternoon. Alinghi faces the Challenger, Emirates Team New Zealand, in the America's Cup Matchby Louis Vuitton on the waters off Valencia, Spain. Racing is scheduled to start with a warning signal at 14:50 local time. The forecast is for sea breeze conditions with winds in the range of 12 to 15 knots.

Today Friday 22 June, the Swiss Defender of the Cup revealed its sailing team. The helmsman will be the American sailor Ed Baird, who has been tasked with steering SUI 100 to victory. He'll be up against a motivated Challenger in Emirates Team New Zealand. The Kiwis, skippered by Dean Barker, were humbled by Alinghi in 2003, when Bertarelli's team swept the America's Cup Match, bringing the competition for the Auld Mug to Europe for the first time.

iShares Cup

Cowes, Isle of Wight, will mark the next stop on the iShares Cup Extreme 40 Sailing Series when four boats take part in the infamous 55-mile JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race. Starting early morning on 23 June, Offshore Challenges Sailing Team, Basilica, ABN AMRO and JPMorgan Asset Management will be putting in a challenge at this iShares Endurance Race not only for line honours but also for a course record.

The JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race is the second of three iShares Endurance Races in the 2007 Extreme 40 sailing calendar, the core of which are four premier European-based iShares Cup events where the Extreme 40 fleet is pitted against each other in three days of competitive racing.

IDEC II

51 years old Breton Francis Joyon in February 2004 became the fastest world solo yachtsman, setting a time over 20 days faster than the previous record for a circumnavigation of 72 days 22 hours and 54 minutes and 22 seconds, covering more than 28,000 miles at an average speed of 15.5 knots on the 90 foot (27.4m) trimaran IDEC. In February 2005 Ellen MacArthur bettered Joyon's record by 1 day, 8 hours, 35 minutes, 49 seconds. On 6 July 2005 IDEC skippered by Francis Joyon crossed the finishing line between Lizard Point and Ushant, 6 days 4 hours 1 minute and 37 seconds after the start at Ambrose Lighthouse off New York. The Breton thus broke the 11-year old record of Laurent Bourgnon for the single-handed crossing of the Atlantic Ocean with a sailing boat. On this voyage he also broke the 24 hour distance record for single-handed sailing by sailing 543 nautical miles in one day on the 3 July 2005. Joyon's remarkable record voyage ended tragically on 7 July when IDEC became stuck between two rocks off the Breton coast. The boat was steered by autopilot while Joyon slept. When he and his helpers tried to salvage IDEC, the boat was lifted by a wave and smashed onto the rocks. Thus, the 4-million-Euro trimaran was wrecked and Joyon had no vessel to attempt to break further sailing records.

On May 9th 2006 Joyon announced that he was building a new muilti-hull to be called IDEC II. He plans to attempt a solo circumnavigation in autumn 2007. His new boat will be designed for solo sailing, unlike the original IDEC. Construction started last summer. IDEC 2 touched the water on June 19 in Lorient.

The boat design is by Nigel Irens & Bernard Caberet. Nigel Irens was the man who designed Joyon’s Banque Populaire ORMA trimaran. With this boat Joyon won the OSTAR 2000. Nigel Irens & Bernard Caberet also designed Thomas Coville's Sodebo, which is to be launched soon. IDEC is 100 feet long and weighs 11 tons compared to his previous boat which was 90 feet and weighed 16 tons. It has 10% more sail area. The new boat is capable of taking 3 days of the existing record under the same weather conditions. The new IDEC has a totally different overall philosophy. The length of the floats is 20% less than the main hull for structural reasons, floats must have certain dimensions front and aft of the crossbeams. For the central hull, there is no such limitation, thus the 100 feet. This design is safer downwind. As far as width is concerned, the figure is rather conservative at 16,50 metres, exactly like on Ellen MacArthur’s B&Q, which is a shorter boat. In that sense IDEC 2 will be a narrow boat.

Elpida Cup

A perfect day started with bright sunshine and a moderate breeze of 12-14 knots. No less than 33 Greek Olympic medallists gathered in YCG beautiful veranda to be initiated into sail racing. Among them, Sofia Mpekatorou and Aimilia Tsoulfa, Nikos Kaklamanakis, Tasos Mpountouris, Leonidas Pelekanakis, Aimilios Papathanasiou, Takis Kouligkas, Elias Chatzipavlis and Gavrilis Tasos were the “experts” that had to take the rest of the Olympic medallists to crew with them. No doubt they got into sailing easily. After the briefing they went to the marina and were allocated to the 14 Platu 25s boats. Greek sailing World and European champions were filling in the crews. They went out for about an hour to practise. The race started at 13:10 local time, in the waters in front of the terrace of Pireas Sailing Club, which at the time was full of people. The Platus did two windward / leeward races in a spectacular form. The crews undoubtedly had a great time and tracked media attention. The race was very close to the shore.

The rest of the IMS fleet had an inshore race of 12 miles in a southern course. The weather conditions were the same over there as well. The prize-giving ceremony was held later Sunday night, where the cup sponsor, Alpha Trust mutual funds, handed in the cheque to the representatives of the Friends' Association for Children with Cancer 'ELPIDA'.

Bol d'Or Mirabaud

In typical Lake Geneva conditions with winds varying in speed and direction and after 12 hours of racing, the Bol d'Or Mirabaud came to a close in a tight finish for the three Extreme 40s who successfully completed the 82-mile journey of endurance in the 69th edition of this classic inland regatta. Female skipper and Olympic campaigning Tornado sailor, Carolijn Brouwer, led the Extreme 40s across the finish line onboard Holmatro at 2052 local time (+1hr BST). Then 5 minutes later Nick Moloney, skipper of Offshore Challenges Sailing Team, crossed the line obviously enjoying the conditions and the company of Swiss sailor Yvan Ravussin and Australian Olympic Tornado crew Darren Ashby onboard. The third Extreme 40, Volvo Ocean Race, this time steered by Herbert Dercksen finished just over 20 minutes later. It has been amazing to see 40 multihulls on the start line alongside over 500 other boats. The Extreme 40s would be doing 20 knots, flying one of their hulls.

Trofeo Alicante Completed

With Vicente Tirado's Caixa Galicia holding a lead of just two points and eight points separating the top five boats, the second coastal race of the Trofeo Alicante could prove to be the race that decides the regatta.

The southerly breeze offered the full range from eight to eighteen to four knots through the 28 miles course which took the fleet round Tabarca Island from the SW to NW. A long tactical beat in a building breeze saw the fleet split with a big lateral separation. The group which went left benefited from better pressure and a lifting direction.

While it was the pink flamed bow of the Valle Romano Mean Machine which breached the points gate and then the finish first, second in both sections vaulted Bribon to lead the overall standings. And although there has been a different leader each day, Bribon was looking forward to the final two scheduled windward-leeward races of Sunday with an eight points cushion.

On Sunday, day 6 of 6, there was no racing. The Rolf Vrolijk design was the last of the new 2007 build TP52’s to be commissioned and was completed in something close to record time. Launched only 13 days before the start of the regatta, with only four days sailing prior to the first start guns of the Trofeo Alicante, the crew of Bribon counted the clock down. When the 15:00 hrs time limit was finally reached and the last opportunity for racing expired with it, Bribon became the winners of the Trofeo Alicante, the first regatta of the 2007 Breitling MedCup circuit. The race officers made a valiant attempt to get a race away, but two general recalls thwarted their efforts and very quickly the seven knot south easterly gradient breeze died away to just a whisper.

While Bribon topped the 23 boat fleet which turned out for this first regatta of the season, Peter de Ridder’s Valle Romano Mean Machine won the Corinthian Trophy, taking second place overall.

Trofeo Alicante

With the 28 mile coastal race offering double points there was no room for errors today at the Trofeo Alicante, the first event of the 2007 Breitling MedCup circuit which has attracted 23 TP52's. The two boats which topped the leaderboard suffered their own costly problems. Artemis the Swedish boat skippered by three times America's Cup skipper Russell Coutts built a lead of over two and half minutes around the inshore course that took the fleet out from Alicante Bay around the Tabarca islands. But on the downwind sprint to the finish Artemis failed to pass to starboard of the final mark of the course before crossing the finish line and was subsequently disqualified from the race. Coutts protested for the jury's interpretation of the sailing instructions and Notice of Race who maintained they made a mistake and Artemis was reinstated as first for the first part of the race. The problems for series leaders, Ian Walker and the crew of Patches, were in their mainsail halyard lock that malfunctioned on the first beat.

Giraglia 2007

Maurizio Biscardi's sailing experience is not very extensive by his own admission, but that did not stop him and his crew onboard Libertine from taking home the top position in this classic Mediterranean regatta. Maurizio Biscardi's Comet 45s, with a corrected time of 28:42:29, became the IMS category winner with a lead of more than an hour and ten minutes over Ernesto Gismondi's Edimetra VI. Libertine had an excellent start on Wednesday in St. Tropez that allowed them to clear up their position among the fleet and stabilize their navigation. The first tactical decisions came in on Wednesday night when Libertine moved close to the coast and sailed on a stable wind of 6 knots. In the IRC class, it was nine full hours after Alfa Romeo that the second boat of the class arrived at the Yacht Club Italiano in Genoa. Quinta Santa Maria was second to arrive and Damiani Our Dream followed, only two nautical miles behind, taking 2nd place overall in the IRC Class on corrected time. Third place in the class went to K2Wind who came in on corrected time 10 minutes before Quinta Santa Maria, who was 4th and last overall in the class.

IRC Class

1. Alfa Romeo, Neville Crichton (NZL)

2. Damiani Our Dream, Claudio Uberti (ITA)

3. K2 Wind, Nicholas Wrigley (GBR)

IMS Class Group A

1. Libertine, Maurizio Biscardi (ITA)

2. Edimetra VI, Ernesto Gismondi (ITA)

3. Bcube, Andrea Siano (ITA)

Elpida Cup

Elpida (Hope) Cup is a charity race named after Friends' Association for Children with Cancer 'ELPIDA' ", which was established in 1990 in order to help and support sick children suffering from cancer, as well as their families.

The event includes one coastal race, held today, and an inshore round the marks race planned for tommorow. Crews participating must consist of one male and one female only. The boats were divided in two IMS groups, a total number of 22 boats, and there were another 14 Platu 25 in a separate class.

The coastal race started with ideal sailing sonditions, a southwestern breeze of 10 to 12 knots. The 22 mile course was very exciting with wind shifts and close racing. The first boat to finish was a Bashford designed 40 footer that took less than 3 hours to cross the finish line.

Giraglia Offshore

She may not have broken the current record, but Neville Crichton's 100-foot super maxi Alfa Romeo still had a stunning race finish today in the waters off the Port of Genoa. At 1230 CEST the super maxi crossed the finish line entirely alone as the rest of the 159 boat fleet had just started to round the Giraglia rock. Only 32 minutes and 10 seconds separated Neville Crichton and his crew from breaking the 243-mile course record set by Crichton's former 90-foot Alfa Romeo maxi yacht in 2003. It was 0543 CEST this morning when Alfa Romeo rounded the Giraglia rock, 80 nautical miles ahead of her fellow competitors and sailing at a speed of 9 knots. Only better wind conditions could have helped the silver-grey maxi yacht to sail any faster as everything on board went smoothly throughout the race. The crew of Alfa Romeo including tactician Michael Coxon had a true test on their hands in the prevailing light airs if they were to beat the course record set on the old, conventional keeled Alfa Romeo. Neville Crichton and his crew were welcomed at the docks of the Yacht Club Italiano by the YCI president Carlo Croce, the claps of the spectators and big bottles of champagne. Behind Alfa Romeo, Carlo Puri Negri's Atalanta II led a small chasing of boats around the Giraglia rock in second position, closely followed by Damiani Our Dream, and Silvano Bortoli's Quinta Santa Maria.

MedCup Alicante

Two good races on the second day of competition at the Trofeo Alicante, the first regatta of the 2007 Breitling MedCup circuit, and it is Ian Walker and the crew of the new Reichel-Pugh designed Patches, owned by Eamon Conneely, which tops the fleet of 23 TP52’s.

In ideal conditions, 20 knots of breeze, perfect sunshine and just enough swell and chop to help the TP52’s pop their bows and plane, it was the type of exhilarating conditions savoured by owners, crews and spectators alike.

With Walker calling tactics and Tim Powell driving, the Irish flagged Patches added a second fifth place to their scoreline in the morning before finishing runners up this afternoon behind Peter de Ridder’s defending champions on Valle Romano Mean Machine. Patches lead by three points from Russell Coutts and a high calibre team on Torbjorn Tornqvist’s new Judel Vrolijk designed Artemis. Artemis scored a runaway win in the first race of the day.

Coutts choreographed a text book start clear ahead within seconds of the gun. In 10-14 knots of southerly breeze they reaped the rewards of erring towards the right, favoured side of the first beat and were never challenged after the first mark. Slick handling was required especially in the second race, as the sea breeze built sharply and De Ridder and his team capitalised after they went round the windward mark first, building a comfortable lead. The coastal race, which counts for double points, is scheduled for today.

Transatlantic Maxi Yacht Race

Rolex SA and the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS) are to strengthen their quarter-century collaboration with the development of a new ocean race - the Transatlantic Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. Although the inaugural race is set to take place in late November, many Maxi yacht owners have already expressed their interest. Promoted by the International Maxi Association (IMA), the regatta is organized by YCCS in collaboration with the Real Club Nautico de Tenerife for the start and the Sint Maarten Yacht Club for the finish. It is open to monohull Maxi yachts with a minimum overall length of 18 metres (59 feet) that are in compliance with the IMA's five division regulations (Racing, Cruising, Wally, Spirit of Tradition, Mini Maxi).

Breitling MedCup Circuit 2007

The wind disappointed yesterday both in quantity and quality, allowing only one race. Today at the Trofeo Alicante, the first event on the 2007 Breitling MedCup circuit, there are three races scheduled. Most forecasts seem to confirm that there is a strong chance that the sea-breeze will build more today and we should see some more exciting racing. With Luna Rossa’s Charlie McKee calling the tactics Cristabella started with a valuable seventh place yesterday, just behind Bribon. Mark Reynolds was on Anonimo for several regattas in 2006 but this year it is planned that on the water he will be mainly advising from the support boat.

MedCup- Alicante

As if proof is needed that a new 2007 TP52 not a necessity to win on the Breitling MedCup TP52 circuit, the three year old Botin & Carkeek design Balearia stole the thunder from the posse of brand new boats among the 23 strong fleet by winning the first - and only - race of the Trofeo Alicante today.

Good starting and astute first leg tactics proved much more important than sheer boatspeed today. In just a gentle southerly 6 knot breeze which swung slightly to the right, Balearia were smartly off the start line and quick to break to the favoured right side of the course. With French Olympic 470 gold medallist Thierry Pepponet calling tactics for skipper-helm Gonzalo Araujo, Balearia broke free of the traffic at the windward mark, passing the windward mark 11 seconds up on Vicente Tirado's new Caixa Galicia with Ricardo Simoneschi steering Anonimo, the 2006 Judel-Vroljk design, only four seconds behind in third. Anonimo went furthest right on the downwind leg to round the leeward gate in second, but they could make little impression on Balearia who went on take first gun with 45 seconds in hand over Anonimo and Caixa Galicia another 12 seconds behind.

After a long wait a second race was started but the breeze expired and just after 1730hours an end was called to a long day afloat in the heat when it as abundantly clear that no further racing would be possible. Complementing these changes, as well as recruiting Pepponet, Balearia has several new crew including former members of Spain's Desafio Espanol.

Giraglia Offshore

The 159 Giraglia Rolex Cup Race participants left for Genoa today at 13.00, with a south-easterly wind of two knots. The energy at the starting line was electric and there were a few collisions although the race committee did not call back the boats. With three different starts, the race committee had a difficult time pushing back the numerous spectator boats who wanted to be as close to the action as possible. The spectators along the shoreline were in the best position to catch the first tacks and jibes of the race. Even though they left St. Tropez last, the Maxis and the Super-Maxis quickly caught up to Groups A and B of the IMS Class. After only a couple of minutes on the course, Alfa Romeo took the lead and seemed to fly on her way to Genoa. Wild Oats did not participate in the offshore race so that they could be sure to arrive in Palma de Mallorca on Saturday for the start of the Super Yacht Cup, leaving Neville Crichton to concentrate on breaking the current Giraglia record. Alfa Romeo holds the current race record, set in 2003, of 22h 13mn and 48s. In the next few hours, the winds must favour the long strides of the giant New Zealand boat in order for her to keep her current pace until the finish. Alfa Romeo must cross the finish line tomorrow morning, Thursday to break her four-year old current record, but only the weather decides if she will make it. The teams are well on their way now and will spend their first night in calm conditions, navigating with winds between 15 and 5 knots.

The Farr40 Class

Ten years ago, the world’s first Farr40 One Design was launched at Carroll Marine in Newport, R.I. with the hope of creating an exciting new one-design class that could compete on the international stage. Fast forward to 2007 and the Class is about to celebrate the 156th boat built. With owners in 19 countries and a recent surge in boat construction there will be a lot to celebrate at the upcoming 2007 Rolex Farr 40 World Championship in Copenhagen. Since being granted recognized one-design class status in 1998 by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF), the Class has continued to grow, attracting new owners to the helm and impressing every level of sailor along the way. “Outside of the America’s Cup, without a doubt, the Farr 40 Class is the most successful big boat racing today. The caliber of amateur owners driving their own boats never ceases to amaze me” said Geoff Stagg, president of Stagg Yachts, the management company behind the Farr 40 Class. The Farr 40 Class maintains an extensive international schedule that revolves around regional fleets in the U.S., Australia, Southern Europe and the Nordic region.

Giraglia Inshore Completed

The third day of inshore races drew to a close here today in St. Tropez with very light winds and a race that reaffirmed the positions of yesterday's leaders. In the IRC class, Alfa Romeo's lead never faltered as she finished the race in 1st position, 12 minutes ahead of Wild Oats XI who ended up finishing 3rd in the race after Magic Carpet Squared took 2nd place on corrected time. The Overall standings see Alfa Romeo in the top position, followed by Magic Carpet Squared in 2nd and Wild Oats XI in 3rd. In the IMS Class Group A, Edimetra VI came 1st overall, followed by Atalanta II and Nikimar who took 2nd and 3rd overall respectively. Group B saw Calima take 1st overall, followed by Citta' Di Genova in 2nd and Lima Golf 3 in 3rd.

It was the last day of the 2007 Giraglia Rolex Cup inshore races here in Saint Tropez and tensions were high as the leaders of each class set out on the water. The start for the IRC class and the IMS Class Group A was at 11:15 due to favourable weather conditions early in the day. As the Maxi's rapidly left the bay, Alfa Romeo was at the head of the group, leading the fleet into the 30-mile course along the coast which was later shortened due to a complete lack of wind. This lead never faltered, as Alfa Romeo was also the first of the IRC class to return to St. Tropez.

Today's races saw the first part of this weeklong regatta come to a close as the focus now shifts towards the second part of the Giraglia Rolex Cup. Tomorrow will see the start of the offshore race that is known as the "The Fastnet of the Mediterranean", a race that is well into her 55th year and that is one of the most popular regattas in Southern Europe. The Giraglia Race is a famous 243-mile course that takes the boats from the Gulf of St Tropez, South West along the French coast, around the island of Levant, across the Ligurian Sea and to the Giraglia Rock just North of Corsica before finishing in front of the Italian Port of Genoa. The Giraglia Rock is one of yacht racing's most famous landmarks, lending her name and serving as the turn mark for this now classic regatta.

Giraglia Rolex Cup

It's Bob Oatley's 79th birthday, and he could not have celebrated better than he did on the water today during the second inshore race of the 2007 Giraglia Rolex Cup. Taking first place on Monday 11 in both real and corrected time, the Australians move into the top 3 below Favonius and Magic Carpet after two days of inshore races. In the much disputed IMS Class Group A, Atalanta II lost her first place position to Edimetra VI, who came in 7th in the second race and who is now leading the overall ranking. The lack of wind on the course made navigation difficult for the leaders of Group B. By 17.00 the results were still unknown. The race committee once again announced delays for the start for the Super Maxis and the IMS Class A, after a few moments of hesitation. The first race mark faced the port of Saint-Tropez, a unique set-up which allowed for direct speed comparisons between the maxis and which could not have made the tourists any happier. Magic Carpet Squared welcomed Maud Fontenoy on board, and finished in 3rd place after the day's race and 2nd place overall in the IRC class. Alfa Romeo had a poor start and had to sail perfectly in order to join back up with the leaders finally finishing 2nd for a 4th place overall ranking. Wild Oats almost lost their comfortable advantage when they had a mishap. In the IMS Class Group A, the top three finishers were all French. Unfortunately for Group B, the once strong wind died out after a couple of hours. The provisional leaders of the class find themselves in a delicate situation as the conditions put their top positions in jeopardy.

Giraglia Rolex Cup

The first day of the Giraglia Rolex Cup finished with a beautiful real time victory for Alfa Romeo. Wild Oats tried but could not compete with the Kiwi boat's supremacy on the course. It was Pieper Roel's Swann 80, Favonius (ITA), that moved in to take the lead on corrected time in the IRC Class just ahead of Magic Carpet Squared and K2 Wind.

It may have been the first time that Wild Oats XI has appeared here in the waters of St. Tropez, but she did not disappoint. Wild Oats, face-to-face with all of her challengers, headed for the start line out of the harbour, no easy task with a draft of 4m50. In 2006, Alfa Romeo attempted this exact same manoeuvre and found herself stuck in the channel when the hull scraped ground.

After an initial delay, the wind finally stabilized in a south south-easterly direction and the race committee could go ahead with the two first starts of the 2007 Giraglia Rolex Cup just after 12:00 noon. Situated at the entrance of the Pointe des Sardinaux and west of Saint-Raphaël and Sainte-Maxime, the start line was the site of the first duel between the two super maxis, a confrontation that quickly turned to favour Alfa Romeo. The New Zealanders set the rhythm from the start, a rhythm that was only accentuated with every advancing meter. Only with the last few tacks was Wild Oats able to catch up to the leader and finally finish 46 seconds behind in real time. It was Favonius who finished this 29.5 mile course in first place for the IRC Class, just 2 minutes and 11 seconds ahead of Lindsay Owen Jones and his Magic Carpet Squared. Alfa Romeo and Wild Oats XI finished in 4th and 5th place respectively on corrected time. This year's edition of the Giraglia Rolex Cup is said to be characterized by the battle between the two super maxis Alfa Romeo and Wild Oats

Farr 40 Europeans

Two more races, two more winners and one final change in the overall standings. The 2007 Rolex Farr 40 Europeans have been nothing if not consistent in painting a totally new picture every race and every day. In the end there was no doubt about the winners, Massimo Mezzaroma & Nerone stole the show on the final day to post a fourth and a first, winning by six points from overnight leaders Mascalzone Latino, with Kokomo from Australia a further eight points back in third. From the off all eyes were on Mascalzone and Nerone. The first mark of the first race proved to be the real turning point. Nerone, in sixth place at this point, approached the mark confidently and found plenty of room to round cleanly. By contrast, Mascalzone found themselves in trouble. On port tack and no gaps in the line-up to the mark they eventually rounded in last place. The eight-point cushion from the previous day had evaporated in the Sardinian heat. Mezzaroma and his experienced crew were not about to be upstaged by the class newcomers, overtaking the Finns on the first downwind run to minimise any problems from that quarter.

In the final race a fading wind strength and a huge shift, saw Stratis Andreadis & Atalanti XI start in last place after being caught over the line early and proceed to beat the entire fleet to the first mark after taking a flier and going out to the right-hand side of the course whilst the rest of the boats went left. Of more significance was the sight of Nerone rounding in 5th position followed by Mascalzone in 13th after the two boats had started the race side by side in true gunslinger style. Third by the leeward mark, Mezzaroma and Vascotto had worked themselves into the lead by second windward mark. Onorato and tactician Adrian Stead would not give up until the very end, working their w! ay through the fleet once more to finish the race in 6th. But by then, the Rolex Farr 40 European crown had passed to Mezzaroma and the crew of Nerone, who were celebrating a hard-fought victory with no little sign of relief. Farr 40 Class President, Jim Richardson - a two time Rolex Farr 40 World Champion - also believed the regatta had been one of the best and certainly one of the toughest, but is confident it demonstrates the strength and attractiveness of the class to the Owners and crew.

1) Nerone - Massimo Mezzaroma

2) Mascalzone Latino - Vincenzo Onorato

3) Kokomo - Lang & Sue Walker

Farr 40 Europeans

Three more races, three more winners and more change at the top of the leader board. The 2007 Rolex Farr 40 Europeans are exciting. Friday June 8 saw racing in north-easterly winds reaching 12 -13 knots at times. As the wind increased so did the pressure. Tacticians were much more certain in their aims and were prepared to fight hard for position. At times, mark roundings appeared chaotic with boats seemingly homing in from all angles as crews over stood laylines, unwound penalties and ducked in on port tack at the last moment. Whoever held their nerve the best would come out on top and with an apparently effortless score line of 4, 2, 9, current Rolex Farr 40 European and World Champions Mascalzone Latino have sneaked into a seven point lead. But as tactician Adrian Stead remarked, there are still two races to go and a possible 42 points to be gained if it all goes wrong.

Mascalzone's assault on top spot was by no means as straightforward as it might appear. After a tiring campaign at the America's Cup, Owner/Driver Vincenzo Onorato and crew could be forgiven for being a little off the pace. But if the Cup has taught them anything it is that hard work pays dividends, "coming from the Cup to this makes you realize how important attention to detail is. We're working on things a lot harder to be the best we can here. Maybe also because we are a little rusty we are thinking about what made us good last time and what can make us better. But we are getting the hang of the (new) boat now and Vincenzo's getting back into the swing of things. We're not as confident as we were in the old boat yet, but it is encouraging." On their current form, it is probably anything but encouraging for the rest of the fleet. Mascalzone in the final race of the day they moved from a lowly 17th at the first mark to 9th at the finish. In second place overnight are Massimo Mezzaroma and Nerone who had a day of mixed results posting a 7, 15 & 2. Nerone is in a similar position to Mascalzone, with key personnel having been engaged in the Cup till now.

1/Mascalzone Latino - Vincenzo Onorato
2/Nerone - Massimo Mezzaroma
3/Kokomo - Lang & Sue Walker

Who is Glenn Bourke

Volvo Ocean Race CEO Glenn Bourke could not resist the challenge from new logistics sponsor Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics (WWL) to be the helmsman in their boat competing in this weekend’s famous annual Faerder regatta on Oslo’s harbour.

Bourke is not just a “businessperson” controlling people's lives in the oceans from behind a desk, in Volvo Ocean Race headquarters. Bourke is a triple world champion Laser sailor and twice Australian Yachtsman of the Year. He has raced successfully in the Mumm 36 class, finishing third in the 1994 Mumm 36 World Championships in the Solent. Bourke also won the Royal Southern SB3 Grand Prix and Seaview SB3 Grand Prix recently.

Farr 40 Europeans

Three more races, three more winners and all change at the top of the leaderboard after another tough day at the office for the 21 crews competing for the Rolex Farr 40 Europeans. Once again it was all about minimizing risk and loss, trying to get a clean start and playing the shifts - far from easy in the 8 knots of breeze that atypically for a south-easterly in this region was far from warm. Not that the crews would have felt cold. The pressure was on from the first start or the day and did not let up until the finish. Only two boats in the fleet kept all three finishes in the top ten today, while Lang & Sue Walker's Kokomo from Australia stole into the overall lead posting scores of 5, 12 and 1. Kokomo is another crew using the European circuit as preparation for the Rolex Farr 40 Worlds scheduled for August in Copenhagen. Some crews must have wondered whether they were having a good or bad day, as the leaders in one race would find themselves the wrong side of a shift in the next and out the back door. Not only was picking the course side and the wind shifts a problem, in Race 2 Team Revolution struggled to get off the start line at all, when a crush near the pin left them hooked up to the buoy. Yesterday's leaders Norwegian Steam were caught up in the same melee and finished the race in 20th place, which served to open up the regatta once more after Eivind Astrup and crew looked to be nailing the door shut with a second in the first race of the day. Elsewhere, TWT (second overnight) suffered two poor results and the frustration of this must have been compounded when they incurred a penalty on the last run of the day and got the spinnaker halyard tangled as they executed their turn. But with every crew suffering at some point and the possibility of 5 races to go much of the fleet remains in with a chance.

Rolex Farr 40 Europeans

Three races, three different winners and only three points separating the top three boats. The Rolex Farr 40 Europeans are underway and the racing was as tight and exciting as expected. A difficult day for the tacticians with only 7-8 knots of breeze, that started from the North East and ended up from the South East. A perfect day for spectators gathered to watch one design racing at its best. The secret seemed to be to pick the correct side of the first beat, establish a lead and trust one's judgment for the remainder of the race. Easier said than done, as two of the leaders after the first two races discovered in the third race, when they finished at the back of the fleet. Leading after three 7 nautical mile windward-leeward races is Eivind Astrup and Norwegian Steam. By Astrup's own admission after a successful 2006 season, 2007 has proved difficult with poor results to date. A bullet in race 1 clearly helped their confidence and although that success was not repeated, two more top ten results have edged the Nordic crew led by tactician Morten Henriksen into a slender two point lead over Marco Rodolfi's TWT, who also posted a first today. One point further back lies Massimo Mezzaroma and Nerone. Tactician Vasco Vascotto kept the results firmly in the top ten in each race. And, as Farr 40 events have proven time and time again, it is consistent top ten finishes that offer a good chance for overall victory.

We Have a Challenger

Another immaculate start from James Spithill in todays race, that started after a short delay due to lack of wind. From the dialup in the pre-start, Dean Barker bear away but Spithill managed to get a better position off the committee boat in the windward position of the line. The boats remained close for most of the time of the upwind leg, when eventually both went outside the layline. But it was the ETNZ boat that passed the weathermark 20 seconds ahead, the same delta that retained in the second mark and again in the third. In the final leg the Italians tried to fight back, reducing the difference to just 30 meters, but Barker was cool enough to cross the line first, with a 22 seconds delta. For the first time the Newzealnders looked happy and cheered each other. Prada Luna Rossa challenge did an excellent match and a great appearance throughout the Louis Vuitton Cup.

Settimana delle Bocche

A highly competitive fleet has gathered to contest the Farr 40 class European Championships which is being held during the Rolex Settimana delle Bocche in Porto Cervo, Sardinia. Hosted by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda for the second time, this is the 8th edition of the Europeans and it has attracted one of the biggest fleets in the event's history. At a close-fought Farr 40 Mediterranean season opener in Capri, Jim Richardson (Class President) & the crew of Barking Mad led by tactician Bouwe Bekking won by a convincing margin of 9-points despite not posting a single first place bullet during the seven race programme. The coming four days will see 21 yachts from 9 nations do battle for the European Championship crown over a scheduled eleven race series comprising short windward-leeward courses that will once again test the tactical prowess of the afterguard, the concentration of the owner/driver helms and the physical endurance of their crew in this strict One-Design class.

Team New Zealand Wins 4th Match

The Italian challenger began the day down 3-0 to Emirates Team New Zealand in the Louis Vuitton Cup Final and couldn’t afford another loss. But, the Emirates Team New Zealand squad won its fourth consecutive race of the Louis Vuitton Cup Final and now sits one win away from a trip to the America’s Cup Match. The Kiwis trailed early in Tuesday’s race, but soon recovered to lead at every turning mark of the race course. Luna Rossa Challenge won the first cross in today’s race after the teams took opposite sides of the starting line and split early on the first leg. The Italians were on the right hand side and made a nice gain in the first few minutes after the starting gun. When the boats converged for the first cross, Luna Rossa skipper Francesco de Angelis tacked on Kiwi Dean Barker with nearly 100 metres on the bow to bow advantage line. After NZL 92 tacked back out to the left, each team tacked again, setting up a second cross. The Kiwis had clearly made a gain and Italian tactician Torben Grael called for an early tack to leeward of the New Zealand boat. Within minutes, the Emirates squad had lifted inside ITA 94 and regained the advantage line. The Kiwis sailed the Italians out past the starboard tack layline, consolidating their lead, and rounded the first mark 19 seconds ahead. From their, Emirates Team New Zealand was never threatened, and the Kiwis won the race by 52 seconds.

Groupama 3 New Record!

One month after taking the Discovery Route record, Franck Cammas and his crew on the maxi-trimaran Groupama 3 have absolutely pulverised the Miami to New York record, held by Steve Fossett with his catamaran Playstation. The all French crew left Miami on Sunday June 3, at 11:31 UTC and reached crossed the finishing line at the Ambrose lighthouse at 22:36 UTC on Monday June 4, to cut a staggering 18 hours off Fossett’s time. The new record (subject to WSSRC ratification) is 1 day 11 hours 5 minutes 20 seconds. Groupama 3’s average time was 26.77 knots, compared to 17.57 knots for Playstation. Shortly after the finish, Franck Cammas said “It was a stressful record run, but a great end result. We took advantage of a good weather window and a solid crew exploited a great boat to the full.”

Breitling MedCup

With the opening event in the Breitling MedCup just over a week away, the last month as seen a flurry of new boat launches and presentations of some of the 24-strong TP52 fleet. As the Louis Vuitton Challenger Series draws to an end, increasing numbers of America´s Cup sailors are now joining their boats and preparing for the competitive season ahead. This year there are nine new boats that have been built for the Circuit. New designs as well as updating of older models, all will have the competitive edge to sail in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. The cards have been played and the crews are ready to see, who will be the overall victor of the Breitling MedCup.

Franck Cammas

Sunday 3rd of June, at 8:31:20 local time, Franck Cammas and the crew of the maxi-trimaran Groupama 3 crossed the start line in an attempt to break the Miami to New York record. The current record of 2 days 5 hours 54 minutes and 42 seconds, is held by Steve Fossett and was set in May 2001 onboard his maxi catamaran Playstation. Cammas and team will have to pass the Ambrose lighthouse, at the entrance to New York harbour, by today, Tuesday 5 June at 14:25:02 local time. The course is divided into two parts: a first phase with the Gulf Stream from Miami to Cape Hatteras in North Carolina, approximately 600 miles, the second a coastal phase of 350 miles past the states of Virginia, Maryland and New Jersey. It is an exercise very different than a trans-oceanic crossing like the Discovery Route. Miami to New York is measured in hours, not days. The team should leave with about 15 knots of wind from the west, a flow which will increase as they head north. By the time they reach Cape Hatteras, the wind conditions will be stronger and there could be heavy seas.

Personal Everest

Geoff Holt left Plymouth Sunday morning at 1000 hours headed Falmouth. It was a pretty uneventful run although it was 1900 hours by the time he hauled out at Mylor Yacht Haven. Almost all nine hours he sailed under grey skys with drizzle, with only the GPS confirming the route was towards Falmouth. Paralysed from the chest down and confined to a wheelchair, ex-professional yachtsman Geoff will sail over 1,600 miles around Great Britain in an inspirational Challenge that will take in excess of 50 days to complete. Already the holder of many disabled sailing endurance records, the Personal Everest Challenge will be exactly that, Geoff’s own Personal Everest.

ETNZ-Luna Rossa 3-0

3-0 is now the score of the third match between Emirates Team New Zealand and Prada Luna Rossa Challenge. The key moment of the match took place in the last minute before the start. This was a great job from James Spithill, who used the starboard entry to control Dean Barker in a long dial up on port tack in 10 knots of sea breeze. Spithill matched every change in Emirates Team New Zealand pushing the situation to its limit until the last minute before the gun. Then, Luna Rossa built speed to come back below the starting line at the moment as Dean Barker engineered his escape by tacking onto starboard. While Luna Rossa had the advantage, should tack in front ETNZ, but the Italians preferred to continue to the left. But the NZ boat had better speed and more pressure on their sails so soon after the start passed the Italian boat, pushing them out of the left layline. The Italians perfermed a perfect gybe set after the first weather mark and chose not to follow the track of the Newzealand boat. The delta kept on increasing and finally ETNZ finished 1:38 ahead. Apart from that, there are also two points I have to make: Fisrt, the ETNZ boat speed may be comming from the very different mainsail trim - traveller positioned upwind, the sheet fully trimmed and the halyard loose. Second, after taking down the spinakker, the ETNZ was approaching the mark with the Genoa trimmed in, while the Italian boat had the Genoa trimmed for downwind. Thus needing more time to take in and point closer to the weather mark.

ETNZ-Luna Rossa: 2-0

It was a beautiful day for racing on the waters off Valencia, with bright sunshine and warm Mediterranean temperatures generating a 12 to 14 knot sea breeze. A spectator fleet of over 250 boats lined the borders of the race area to enjoy the spectacle of two top America's Cup teams battling for supremacy.

Having conceded the right-hand side of the start line yesterday, James Spithill took some risk in getting across the bow of Emirates Team New Zealand while Luna Rossa was on port tack. Despite a Y-flag protest by the Kiwis, the Umpires green-flagged the situation and the Italian gamble had paid off; Spithill was now controlling the right-hand side of the start box.

As the start gun fired however, it was the New Zealand boat that was fully up to speed, with the Italians close to windward but forced into an early tack to the right. That extra momentum off the start gave Dean Barker an early boatlength's advantage, which he used to tack over and shadow Spithill's progress to the right.

Like yesterday, the boats looked absolutely matched for speed in these moderate, steady breezes, which made that early advantage to the Kiwis all the more crucial. When the Italians eventually tacked back to face the enemy, the New Zealanders were able to respond to every assault and put added distance on their rivals as a tacking duel ensued.

The Emirates Team New Zealand squad sailed what appeared to be a perfect race on Saturday, winning the start, taking an early advantage and extending the rest of the way to a convincing victory. The Kiwi team is now up 2-0 in the 'first to five' Final of the Louis Vuitton Cup.

ETNZ Win 1st Final Match

In their first match for the finals of the Louis Vuitton Cup that started today, Friday 1^st of June, Emirates Team New Zealand took its first win over Prada Luna Rossa. Both boats started immaculately but in the first weathermark, ETNZ had an 11 seconds lead. In the next weathermark pass the difference was just 2 seconds, leaving Luna Rossa second with a final delta of 8 seconds. Emirates Team New Zealand won an incredibly close match over Luna Rossa Challenge on Friday to take a 1-0 lead in the Final of the Louis Vuitton Cup. The Kiwis never led by more than 12-seconds around the race course. Most observers were expecting some close racing in this contest and the two finalists didn’t disappoint. The final run to the finish saw Luna Rossa make a small gain on the left hand side of the race course. With the boats just a few hundreds metres from the finishing line, ITA 94 helmsman James Spithill threw in a final gybe that put his team charging at the line. But Kiwi squad held its nerve, executing a precision gybe just moments before crossing the line, with Luna Rossa nearly overlapped behind them. Emirates Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker and his team draw first blood, leading the series 1-0. Conditions were ideal for racing, with a Southeasterly sea breeze of between 10 and 14 knots. Racing was postponed for a short time to allow the Race Committee to re-set the starting line after a 10 degree wind shift. An enormous spectator fleet was on hand to enjoy the close racing.