Copa Del Rey

The local wind, eight to twelve knots, gave a brilliant start to the 26 Copa del Rey Camper Audi. The first day of races in which four of the six participating classes made their debut (IMS 570, IMS 670, IRC and X-35), was fast and races were held on time, from 13:00 hours. The 26 Copa del Rey Camper Audi, organised by Real Club Náutico de Palma and Real Federación Española de Vela had three racing areas sailing simultaneously, instead of the one only area that was used traditionally.

A total of 76 units, representing four classes, sailed windward-leeward races of 7 to 10 nautical miles. The biggest excitement was seen in the IMS, with crowded and equal fleets. In IMS 670, the favourite boats showed their talent and finished in the top places in both races. The IMS 570 had its debut in this 26 Copa del Rey Camper Audi and offered a lovely show, with a very equal fleet sailing very close together. The one design X-35 that sail in real time also made their debut today. Most of the 14 participating units sailed very close today showing the equality of the teams. Another class that makes its debut in the 26 Copa del Rey Camper Audi is the IRC class. Tomorrow from 13:00 hours the six participating classes of the 26 Copa del Rey Camper Audi will compete. It will be the debut in this edition for the Transpac 52 and GP 42. All the attention will focus on the new GP 42 class that also sails in real time; in fact, the Copa del Rey Camper Audi scores for the Spanish Championship.

Troia Portugal Match

Álvaro Marinho and the Portuguese crew (Team Seth.pt) they didn't overcome the experience of New Zealander Gavin Brady, and they were moved away in the quarter final. Brady dominated the pre starts and won by 3-0. The second crew to celebrate the qualification for the quarter finals was Team Pindar, led by the Briton Ian Williams, that beat by 3-1 the leader of Match Racing World Circuit, French Mathieu Richard (Saba Sailing Team). Williams, which occupies the 3rd place of the Circuit, was able to overcome his long date rival and give an important step towards the top of the classification.

In the semi-finals all the flights were very close and the fifth and decisive flight was a matter of who controlled better their anxiety. The expert Peter Gilmlour defeated the French Sebastien Col (Areva Challenge) by 3-2. With the same result (3-2), Ian Williams overpowered Gavin Brady (BMW Oracle Racing Team), that experienced the bitter taste of defeat for the first time in this event.

Peter Gilmour, 11th of the World Match Racing Tour and Ian Williams (3rd) make their debut in the Portugal Match Cup final. The petit final between Sebastien Col (5th in the WRMT) and the New Zealander Gavin Brady (23rd) was also scheduled at the same time.

In the final day of the Tróia Portugal Match Cup, stage that is part of the World Match Racing Tour, the winner was not a surprise. For the first time in four editions of the Portugal Match Cup, the Australian Peter Gilmour (PST) won the event. In the final it was expected that Ian Williams (Pindar) would create some difficulties but that did not happen, with Gilmour recording 3 victories without answer by the opposing crew. Ian Williams committed some mistakes that ended up creating opportunities. The final was exciting and in spite of the 3-0 result it was disputed at a very high level with Gilmour leading the first two regattas and Williams in command during the third. This is Gilmour's first victory in Portugal and for that the Australian expert accomplished a long date objective. On the other hand the Briton Ian Williams, defeated finalist, was disappointed.

In the fight for the 3rd and 4th place the victory smiled to the New Zealander Gavin Brady, which in the petit-final was stronger than the French Sebastien Col, defeating him by 2-1. The crew of the BMW Oracle Sailing Team mitigated the pain after the loss in the previous day which prevented them to reach the final, after remaining unbeaten for eight regattas. French Col took advantage winning the first regatta but a flawless performance by Brady and his crew did not give chances to the Areva Challenge opponents.

Final standings:

1. Peter Gilmour, AUS, PST, 14-3

2. Ian Williams, GBR, 10-7, Team Pindar

3. Gavin Brady, NZL, BMW Oracle Racing, 12-4

4. Sebastien Col, FRA, Areva Challenge, 10-8

5. Mathieu Richard, FRA, Saba Sailing Team, 6-5

6. Paolo CIan, ITA, Shosholoza, 7-9

7. Philippe Presti, FRA, Luna Rossa, 6-6

8. Alvaro Marinho, POR, Seth.pt

9. Staffan Lindberg, FIN, Alandia Sailing Team

10. Eugeny Neugodnikov, RUS, Lord of the Sail Team

11. Bjorn Hansen, SWE, Team Apport.net

12. Sally Barkow, USA

Troia Portugal Match Cup

At the end of the first day's racing in the Troia Portugal Match Cup, only three of the twelve skippers had unbeaten records. Gavin Brady (NZL) of the BMW Oracle Racing Team won all three of his matches in the round robin, as did Peter Gilmour (AUS) of the Pizza-La Sailing Team. Five skippers, Sebastien Col (FRA), Mathieu Richard (FRA), Bjorn Hansen (SWE), Ian Williams (GBR) and Philippe Presti (FRA), won two of their three matches and Paolo Cian (ITA) and Staffan Lindberg (FIN) each had one win while Sally Barkow (USA), Eugeny Neugodnikov (RUS) and Alvaro Marinho (POR) suffered three defeats apiece.

It was a day of mixed wind conditions; the early westerly breeze gave way to a shifting northerly at the end of the third flight, but the race officer waited until this had largely settled before resuming the racing. No flights suffered as a result of the change but there were many close matches with all the match racing gambits employed.

In four flights of racing Thursday 26 July afternoon, six of the quarter finalists were decided, but it took another five flights, well into the evening, before the other two were able to claim their places. Throughout the day the northerly wind persisted in direction, although it varied in strength.

Gavin Brady (USA), Sebastien Col (FRA) and Mathieu Richard (FRA) were the first to claim their places from Group A; Brady the only one with a perfect 5-0 score. From Group B. Peter Gilmour (AUS), Ian Williams (GBR) and Philippe Presti (FRA) were the claimants, with Gilmour the only one with a perfect score. Gilmour and his Professional Sailing Team PST had a tough match with Presti and another close one with Staffan Lindberg (FIN) with the two boats just one length apart at the finish. The highlight of the Group B round was a match between old rivals Ian Williams with his Pindar Sailing Team and Paolo Cian (ITA). Williams wanted the left end of the start line, obtained it and started in a left hand shift. Cian went right and hooked into the first wind change, a substantial right-hander, and led for three legs of the course. Williams had closed towards the final mark and then gybe-set and went left into better pressure and was able to beat Cian to the line.

Results:

Group A:

Gavin Brady, USA, 5-0

Sebastien Col, FRA, 4-1

Mathieu Richard, FRA, 3-2

Bjorn Hansen, SWE, 2-3

Eugeny Neugodnikov, RUS, 1-4

Sally Barkow, USA, 0-6

Group B:

Peter Gilmour, AUS, 5-0

Ian Williams, GBR, 4-1

Philippe Presti, FRA, 3-2

Paolo Cian, ITA, 1-4

Alvaro Marinho, POR, 1-4

Staffan Lindberg, FIN, 1-4

Valencia it Will Be

Just 22 days after the magnificent outcome of the 32nd America's Cup, with Alinghi's victory in Valencia, the Swiss Defender led by Ernesto Bertarelli, together with the Société Nautique de Genève and ACM, have made public most of the details for the 33rd edition of the oldest trophy in the world of sport. Following a new agreement with the Spanish state, the Valencia Regional Government and the Valencia Municipality, the Host City for the 33rd America's Cup will be Valencia. The event will take place in 2009, between May and July, with two pre-regattas to be held in 2008. One of them will be in Valencia in July and the other one in another European country in the autumn. They will be raced on the existing America´s Cup Class (Version 5) boats. Challenges for the 33rd America's Cup have been accepted from four yacht clubs to date, the first one being the Spanish Challenger of Record, Club Náutico Español de Vela, represented by Desafío Español. This was followed last week by another veteran from the 32nd campaign, the South African Team Shosholoza, representing the Royal Cape Yacht Club, and early this week by the British newcomer TEAMORIGIN, flying the flag of the Royal Thames Yacht Club. Today, the latest challenger to be accepted is the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and Team New Zealand. It was also announced that the Class Rule, the technical definition of the boats for the 33rd America's Cup, will be published on October 31st. The Competition Rules, with the precise format of the different racing phases, and the Event Regulations will also be published on October 31st.

Rita Barberá, Mayoress of Valencia, said: "As the President of the Consortium that has worked with ACM to make the 32nd America's Cup the best ever, I would like to invite Larry Ellison and his team to withdraw his legal action and come back to Valencia and join us. We would welcome him with open arms to join all the other challengers in the 33rd America's Cup."

Atlantic Crossing Record

Franck Cammas and his nine crew smashed the Atlantic crossing record in a time of 4 days 03 hours 57 minutes 54 seconds, at an average of 28.65 knots over the 2,925 mile course. Groupama 3 crossed the finish line off Lizard Point on Tuesday at 00 hours 00 minutes 49 seconds (French time), improving on Bruno Peyron's time of (4d 08hr 23' 54'') by 4 hours 26 minutes.

Nonetheless, the giant trimaran has not had ideal conditions for this historic record, officially established for the first time on 11th June 1905 by the Atlantic schooner helmed by the legendary Charlie Barr. For the past 102 years, this reference time has been beaten nine times by multihulls but the progress in speed has virtually tripled! In fact Groupama 3 has maintained an incredible average of over 28.6 knots for over four days... An unimaginable level just ten years ago, since it is greater than the ocean liners, which still cross the Atlantic today.

The weather situation at the start on Thursday 19th July at 20hrs 02m 55s off Ambrose Light (New York) only offered up a single, very narrow window that gave them a sniff of the record, though its evolution in the Atlantic was not totally clear: a depression for starters, a zone of high pressure to skirt to the North forcing them off the direct course and an unsettled area to follow with a Northerly of varying strength to end the course... Despite extending its trajectory in relation to the previous record set by Bruno Peyron, Groupama 3's configuration proved favorable in the end for Franck Cammas and his crew, who had to continually get the very most from the giant trimaran. In so doing, the ten men devoured the last miles in the Channel at over 29 knots, snatching back even more minutes on their course time...

America's Cup News

Russell Coutts was appointed yesterday (Tuesday 24 July) by Larry Ellison to be CEO and skipper of the BMW Oracle Racing team for the next America's Cup. Coutts, who parted from Alinghi with animosity, will be delighted to race his old team. "We will build on what this team had last time to produce a winner," he predicted.

But where and when that will take place is something of a mystery as Ellison's club, the Golden Gate YC of San Francisco, has an outstanding court action against the Cup's holder, the Societe Nautique de Geneve that questions the validity of a challenge lodged by a Spanish club. GGYC holds that the Spanish club that the Swiss has appointed as Challenger of Record is improperly constituted and does not meet the requirements of the Deed of Gift, the 1887 trust document under which the America's Cup is raced. In addition, it objects to the draconian Protocol that the Swiss has imposed in which it can dismiss any challenger at any time without reason or warning.

Volvo Ocean Race

The latest development follows the recent confirmation of Qingdao as an Asian stopover. Hong Kong has moved a step closer to becoming a port of call for 2008-09 following a round of meetings this week between Volvo Ocean Race organisers and government representatives. Race’s commercial director George Blake said negotiations were at an advanced stage. “We have the Hong Kong government’s endorsement, now it depends on the response we get from the corporate community.” he said. Blake added that West Kowloon was among a number of options being assessed as possible venues and an in-port race could be staged in Victoria Harbour. Karl Kwok, president of the Hong Kong Sailing Federation, said that understanding what was required to host a Volvo Ocean Race stopover was “a bit of a learning curve. It's taking some effort but if Hong Kong wants to call itself Asia's world city it needs to get major events like this to town," he said. Meanwhile, Volvo veteran Matt Humphries has been part of the discussions with authorities in Hong Kong with the intention of putting together a Hong Kong-backed entry.

The Dutch syndicate, headed by Peter de Ridder, had been in negotiations with a number of potential backers but with the start of the next event in Alicante next autumn, it was decided time had run out to put a competitive entry together. The funding shortfall at this point has a direct impact on the timings in terms of logistics and the construction of a new boat. The tough decision to abandon the project, which had been launched 10 months’ ago, was made jointly by de Ridder, skipper Ray Davies, and operations manager Dirk de Ridder. Commenting on the decision, Glenn Bourke, CEO of the race, said: “It is disappointing that Peter de Ridder and his Mean Machine team will not be joining us for the 2008-09 race but I understand that they had set themselves a deadline on funding and that deadline has now passed. Mean Machine had purchased the former Pirates of the Caribbean Volvo Open 70 as a training boat and had been making great strides in their on-the-water preparations. In May they shattered the North Sea Regatta race record with a stunning run on the final leg from the English port of Harwich to Scheveningen in the Netherlands. Peter de Ridder and his crew, which included 2005-6 Volvo veterans Dirk de Ridder and Jules Salter (both ex-Pirates), South Africa’s Jonathan Swain (ex-movistar) and Dutchman Simeon Tienpont (ex-ABN AMRO TWO), took 11 hours and 5 minutes to cover the 185 nautical miles, eclipsing the previous mark by eight hours.

MedCup

It was the same successful formula that served them well through the three previous days on the Bay of Palma which today ensured Vicente Tirado’s Caixa Galicia won the famous Regatta Breitling Illes Balears for the first time.

With John Kostecki calling tactics for helm Roberto Bermudez de Castro, the new Botin and Carkeek design came off the start line close enough to the favoured left of the upwind track to benefit, but was able to keep their nearest rivals, the Russell Coutts skippered Artemis, at bay from mid-way up the windward leg.

Caixa Galicia’s comfortable, conservative fourth today in the 24 boat fleet, to Artemis’ seventh, in what proved the only race of the day, gave the Galician crew a ten points margin in the prestigious four day regatta. With a big gap between second and third this morning, there was no need for them to win the race, simply to keep Artemis behind them. Off the start line Caixa were well placed to take the benefit of the persistent bend in the wind to the left side of the course which has paid a regular dividend this regatta.

To their right Artemis gained a little early on but at the first windward mark Caixa Galicia rounded fifth, with Artemis 23 seconds behind in seventh.

Downwind Artemis stayed wide to gain a good lane of breeze and pulled to within three seconds of Caixa Galicia as the pair chose opposite marks at the leeward gate, but when Artemis lost two boatlengths on the second windward leg, the overall victory was all but in the bag for Caixa Galicia.

Peter de Ridder and the crew of Valle Romano Mean Machine won today, with Eamon Conneely’s Patches in second.

Top Ten Final Results after seven races:

1 CxG Corporacion Caixa Galicia (V Tirado-ESP, Botin Carkeek 2007) 24pts,

2 Artemis (T Tornqvist, SWE – Judel-Vrolijk 2007) 34pts,

3 Siemens (A Roemmers, ARG-Judel Vrolijk 2007) 59pts,

4 Patches (E Conneely, IRL-Reichel Pugh 2007) 62pts,

5 Windquest (De de Vos, USA- Botin Carkeek 2006) 66pts,

6 Bribon (J Cusi, SM Juan Carlos, ESP- Judel Vrolijk 2007) 67pts,

7 Platoon (H M Spreer, GER-Judel Vrolijk 2006) 76pts,

8 Stay Ca lm (S Robinsonm GBR-Judel Vrolijk 2007) 79pts,

9 Valle Romano Mean Machine (P de Ridder, MON-Judel Vrolijk 2006) 81pts,

10 ONO (I Castaner-ESP-Botin Carkeek 2005) 83pts.

MedCup

The coastal race carries a double points bounty at the regatta, and it is scored in two halves. Boats have to complete the first half correctly to score in the second half. The course is 25 - 30 miles within the Bay of Palma. As usual two variable marks are in use to offer a good mix of upwind-downwind work as well as the longer reaching legs which test the extent of the sail inventories a little more.

Torbjorn Torqvist's Artemis crew, lead by a great performance from skipper Russell Coutts, scored maximum points from the 33.7 miles coastal race which spanned the Bay of Palma and provided a comprehensive test on all points of sail. Artemis' finished three minutes and 11 seconds ahead of Peter de Ridder's Valle Romano Mean Machine and closed the gap on Regata Breitling Illes Balears leader Caixa Galicia to seven points. Vicente Tirado's Caixa Galicia came away with a fifth and fourth, which tactician John Kostecki acknowledged could have been worse, but it sets up the prospect of an exciting final showdown tomorrow when two windward-leeward races are scheduled. But the biggest loss today proved later to be that for Valle Romano Mean Machine who fell victims to the Coastal Race's double jeopardy penalty. A visit to the protest room was the result of an incident with Balearia at the first windward mark and De Ridder's team were consequently scored disqualified from both parts of the race, suddenly being burdened by an additional 50 points, dropping them to a provisional 14th in the regatta.

MedCup

A first and a fourth today on the Bay of Palma was enough for Vicente Tirado’s Caixa Galicia to move 14 points clear in the Regata Breitling-Illes Balears, proving that they are closest to being the most complete TP52 package at the moment.

But, as Eamon Conneely’s Patches proved on day two, margins can be lost quickly and summarily in this white-hot 24 boat fleet. Wrong decisions and choices, that may seem small at the time, are magnified by the changing conditions, and in the no-discard regatta such losses can prove terminal. The John Kostecki and Roberto Bermudez de Castro partnership is the strongest of the moment, one which transformed a modest start and then a visibly poor start into solid first windward legs which were the passport to their success today. In contrast Patches slipped from second overall, going into these two windward-leeward races, to fifth due to a sucker punch 22nd in the second race. Most consistent for the day, though, was Russell Coutts and the star-studded crew of Artemis. With owner Torbjorn Tornqvist steering Artemis scored a second then a first to haul themselves up from fourth to second overall, five points ahead of Peter de Ridder’s Valle Romano Mean Machine. Of the two contests the first enjoyed the best breeze, building from nine to 11 knots, with the first ranks of white horses flecking the waters of the Bay of Palma, but the second was contested in a steadily dying breeze which brought a serious shift on the final run as the sea-breeze all but expired. Race officer Peter Reggio then chose not to prolong the agony as the fleet headed homewards after two of the three planned races.

MedCup

Caixa Galicia leads the Regatta Breitling Illes Balearia after three difficult races in light sea breeze conditions on the Bay of Palma, out from Puerto Portales today. With Roberto Bermudez de Castro steering and John Kostecki calling the tactics, the new Botin Carkeek design showed pace across the wind range, between 5-11 knots, but it was sharp starting and equally acute tactics which gave Caixa Galicia back to back wins from the first two races and a solid fourth to lead the 24 boat regatta by three points from Eamon Conneely's Irish flagged Patches. Patches 2,4,3 for the day keeps them five points clear of Peter de Ridder's Valle Romano Mean Machine which won the third race. The breeze built to just on 10 knots for the second race and faded for the third race, late in the day, when it became more unsettled and fickle. Caixa and Artemis had a minor collision during a crossing in the middle of the second race and both boats are in the yard this evening for repairs.

Breitling MedCup TP52 Circuit, Regata Breitling-Illes Balears, Puerto Portals, Mallorca. Day 1: after three races:
1 CxG Corporacion, Caixa Galicia (V Torado, ESP-Botin Carkeek 2007) 6 pts
2 Patches (E Conneely, IRL-Reichel Pugh 2007) 9 pts
3 Valle Romano Mean Machine (P de Ridder, MON- Judel Vrolijk 2006) 14pts

Personal Everest

After a cracking 5 hour sail on Tuesday 12 July from Morfa Nefyn, Geoff Holt arrived at Holyhead at about 19:30 hours. He had a steady 15 knots of breeze from the SW which gave great sailing conditions. However, when he reached Holy Island lighthouse, the skies darkened, the cloud level lowered, the wind disappeared and he rounded the point with minimal visibility, the only hint of the headland being a ghostly grey silhouette through the cloud and the deep boom of the fog horn, even the light from the lighthouse was obscured.

Geoff Holt’s entry was delayed slightly by the arrival of a huge ferry, one of many that use the port, then he made his way around the breakwater, apparently the longest in Europe. Late Saturday evening in Holyhead and much to the teams surprise, a potential window was opening up for early Sunday. Weather proved even better than they could have hoped and so Geoff Holt arrived at the Isle of Man quicker than expected. The original plan was to sail to Port St. Mary on day 1, Peel on day 2 then up to Scotland, Port Logan on day 3. Sail was another long one taking almost 7 hours but Geoff Holt covered another 40 miles arriving Campbeltown about 19:30.

Aegean Rally

Day six of the 44th Aegean Rally, sailed in the Gulf of Mirabello, Aghios Nikolaos, Crete, saw the IMS group A boat fleet set out with very unstable wind conditions. The first inshore race started after an hour delay with just 7 knots of northeasterly winds. Later on the wind changed direction and the racing committee changed the buoys for a fair course. First to cross the finish line and take line honours was SUPERFAST RACING (Farr52). The second race started after a while with better sailing conditions. An easterly breeze of 12 knots provided for a great start, especially for the big boats. SUPERFAST RACING took less than an hour to finish and take line honours again. But, winner of both races on corrected time was ALPHA BANK (JV49) skippered by Theodore Tsoulfas, a very experienced and talented young sailor. Tomorrow morning the 36 strong fleet will depart for the third destination, Ios Island.

Aegean Rally

A beautiful day of sailing today for the 32 boats that started the second leg of the Aegean Rally, the local coastal race from Rethymno to Aghios Nikolaos in Crete, distance 74 nautical miles. The northern breeze started from 13 knots but gradually went up to 20 in a broad reach, providing for a fast and spectacular race. First boat to enter the port was SUPERFAST RACING (N. Lazos, P. Livas). Tomorrow is a day off and on Wednesday there are inshore races scheduled.

AC news

The Golden Gate Yacht Club has counter challenged the Spanish Challenge of Record, claiming the Club Nautico Espanol de Vela’s challenge to Alinghi is illegal. French luxury goods giant Louis Vuitton is ending its sponsorship of the America's Cup, citing concerns that the sailing event has become too commercial. America's Cup Management chief operating officer called these claims an "exaggeration." Rumor has it that Rolex is interested in taking the place of Louis Vuitton.

Aegean Rally

The 45 strong fleet started from Piraeus, the port of Athens, Friday 13 of July, afternoon. All boats finally arrived in port Rethymno, Crete, yeesterday, Saturday 14 July, completeing a 170 nautical mile course. Strong etesian winds of 25 knots provided for perfect sailing conditions. Crews are now resting and enjoying the famous Greek hospitality. And that isn't all. Today the organising club HORC arranged a visit in ancient town of Knossos, a great exhibition especially for the six international crews. Later tonigh there is going to be a ceremony in the Fortezza castle, with the spectacular view in the bay. The "meltemi", the etesian wind holds strong at 20-30 knots of northeasterly winds. Tomorrow morning at 10:00 local time the boats will start from Rethymno heading to Aghios Nikolaos, a 74 nautical mile race.

44th Aegean Rally

Hellenic Offshore Racing Club is the organising club of the Aegean Rally, also known as International Aegean Sailing Week. The race is a regatta of 4 individual offshore races, usually starting and finishing at the Faleron bay, and visiting three beautiful Aegean destinations, different each year. The overall length of the race varies, according to the islands visited, and is usually between 400 and 500 NM.

Many sailboats participate in the spectacular race, from super yachts to classics and super sport-racers. Many international classes are supported for this reason, namely IMS, IRC and ORC Club, each one with multiple divisions. In the beginning it was purely sail racing. Good organising, participation and publicity however, turned it to a nation-wide sail festival with many glamorous events preceding and following the regatta. The Greek Naval Force, the Government and the local authorities support the Aegean Rally by all means. National and international press is also following the race with extensive documentaries. The Aegean Rally turned out to be an international event because of the support of the Greek Ministry of Tourism and the Greek Tourism Organisation, but mostly because of the famous Greek hospitality itself. A series of events prior to and during the race attract crews and boats from all over the world, offering unforgettable experiences in the Greek islands. As a result, large Greek organisations as well as multinational corporations sponsor the event, and support it by every means.

This year it is the 44^th edition of the Aegean Rally. Racing takes place between the 13th and the 22nd of July. The start is in Faleron Bay, first stop is in Rethymno, Crete, to Aghios Nikolaos, to Ios Island and back.

Qingdao in VOR

The port city of Qingdao was today officially confirmed as the China stopover for the 2008-09 Volvo Ocean Race with the signing of an agreement between race organisers and the Qingdao Municipal Government. Qingdao’s selection as the stopover on the marathon ocean race’s new route through the Middle East and Asia follows more than six months of negotiations and evaluation. The race CEO Glenn Bourke was in Qingdao for an official signing ceremony with the city’s Vice Mayor Zang Aimin who said that Qingdao, which is hosting the 2008 Olympics Sailing Regatta, was seeking to establish itself as China’s City of Sailing. With its selection as the stop for the Volvo Ocean Race, Qingdao can further enhance its positioning and strategy. Qingdao, will serve as the main stopover with in-port racing and a pro-am event as part of the programme.

Bourke said the race’s stopover in China for the first time was a milestone in the history of international ocean racing. Bourke and a team of race officials visited Qingdao in April after signing a cooperation agreement in Beijing with the China Water Sports Administration Centre and the China Yachting Association. Race organisers have held discussions with a number of Chinese ports and there is still potential for a second city to be selected as a pit stop before the fleet sails its longest leg, 12,000 nautical miles, to South America. Among the other cities, Shanghai appears the most likely but negotiations are continuing.

After its start in Alicante, Spain, in mid-October 2008, the fleet sails via Cape Town in South Africa to the Middle East, India and Southeast Asia before its stop in China ahead of its longest leg to South America. It then stops in Boston on the U.S. East Coast and sails to Galway on Ireland’s west coast on the way to a Baltic port finish.

iShares Cup

In 15-18 knots of wind Basilica, skippered by Robert Greenhalgh dazzled her competitors winning five out of the six races held today and firmly winning the iShares Cup, Marseille, taking her tally to two events out of the four event Extreme 40 Sailing Series. While the entire fleet chose to reef their mains for the first race, Basilica struck out on her own, hoisted a full sail and carved a trail to victory stepping onto the podium ahead of Groupama and Holmatro. BT had an adventure of her own executing a glamorous nose-dive resulting in a near capsize. The British boat crewed by Peter Greenhalgh, Justin Slattery and James Grant started nearly every race in front and never looked back, leading around the windward mark and extending until the finish, racking up 153 points. "We were looking forward to a bit of breeze and knew that with some strong winds we could lay on the smack down," comments Peter Greenhalgh one of two trimmers on Basilica. After leading on day one, Franck Cammas' Groupama, who put in a one-off appearance in Marseille, were suppressed into second overall and finished the event with 131 points and pleased with their performance. Cammas is enthused by the Extreme 40 class. Shuffling up a place on the final day was Dutch team Holmatro. BT, the former Offshore Challenges Sailing Team, may have finished in fourth but had memorable day sailing. Tommy Hilfiger, heavy-hitters at the iShares Cup, Munich, suffered from a disappointing series in Marseille finishing the event in fifth overall. The iShares Cup circuit continues in three weeks time stopping in Cowes from the 3-5 August at the start of Skandia Cowes Week with the added attraction of exhibition sailing from 7-9 August.

iShares Cup, Marseille

Circuit rookie Franck Cammas and his team Groupama took an early lead after the first day of racing in home waters at the iShares Cup, Marseille. With four races completed on the first day of the three-day series, in a variable and shifty 5-10 knots, the French team topped the leaderboard with only a few hours practice in the high-performance Extreme 40. Romping to pole position the team filed a near perfect scorecard with a 1,3,1,1, proving that their seamless teamwork, usually practiced on the larger 105-foot Groupama 3, can lead them to success in the smaller catamaran class.

Cammas was excited after his team's positive result following their first full day in the Extreme 40. Nearest rival Basilica trail the French leaders by three points and remain close contenders in this regatta, scoring top three finishes all day. Third on the podium is BT, the former Offshore Challenges Sailing Team, skippered by Nick Moloney and with guest sailor Seb Josse, hailing from the south of France, calling tactics.

Volvo Ocean Race

Anders Lewander, skipper of Ericsson’s ‘Nordic’ boat in the 2008-09 race, and his crew aboard their 2005-06 entry, have taken line honours in the Swedish long distance classic – the Gotland Runt, starting and finishing from the picturesque island of Sandhamn on the outer rim of the Stockholm archipelago.

The team completed the 429 nautical mile long course in less than 48 hours as their crew selection programme continues. On the last half of the race Ericsson passed all its competitors to cross the finish line in Sandhamn under spinnaker.

"It has been a fantastic race and everybody did their best to get us through the course as fast as possible," Sweden’s Lewander said.

Ericsson Racing Team will have two boats on the Volvo Ocean Race start line next year. One skippered by John Kostecki (USA) with an international crew, and Lewander’s Nordic entry.

The Gotland Runt was also an opportunity for Lewander to try out a five potential Nordic sailors for the next Volvo.

The next phase of Lewander’s crew selection process will see another 10 potential Nordic crew members put through their paces. Lewander and Volvo Ocean Race and Whitbread veteran Magnus Olsson will be evaluating Nordic sailors on a three-day offshore trial.

33rd America's Cup

The Protocol for the 33rd America’s Cup was revealed on Thursday afternoon, detailing the broad outlines of the next event. Among the highlights was the introduction of a new class of boat, to be 90 feet in length overall, sailed by a crew of around 20 sailors. The final design rule for the new class will be issued on or before 31 December 2007. The 33rd America's Cup will take place no earlier than 2009 and no later than 2011. It will consist of pre-regattas (potentially to be used as qualifying for the main event), along with the 'main event', comprising Trials, Challenger Selection, and the America's Cup Match. This schedule will be confirmed on or before 31 December 2007. In the pre- regattas, teams will compete in the existing America’s Cup Class boats. There will be at least 18 months between the publication of the new Class Rule and the first race in that class.

The Challenger of Record is the Club Náutico Español de Vela which has agreed on the Protocol for the 33rd America’s Cup with the Defending Yacht Club, the Société Nautique de Genève (SNG).

The venue for the 33rd America’s Cup has not been announced. But it was acknowledged that there is an existing relationship with Valencia and a host city agreement with the city is being pursued. The selection of Valencia, or an alternative European venue, will be made and announced on or before 31December 2007.

The Protocol was announced at a press conference in Port America’s Cup on Thursday at noon, by Michel Bonnefous, the CEO of the event organisers, Brad Butterworth, the skipper of

Match Cup Sweden

Lingering showers, light air, and massive wind shifts tested competitors, race managers and umpires today on Day Two of Match Cup Sweden. The eight teams in Group B managed to complete seven flights to conclude Round Robin 1, but one flight remains to complete this round for Group A, who will resume the competition tomorrow morning.

The tricky conditions meant no lead was safe, and in numerous matches those who looked clearly out of contention managed to claw back and even pass their rivals when blessed with a favorable shift or fortuitous puff of breeze. The DS 37's used for the event accelerate quickly, and so are very responsive even in these light conditions.

One of the most dramatic examples of this was in this afternoon's first match of Flight 4 for Group A, where Gavin Brady (NZL) closed a losing margin of several boat lengths with Bjorn Hansen (SWE) to within less than one length on the second beat of the race, only to lose all of that gain again at the top mark. But then on the run, he and his team from Oracle Racing managed to close this gap and even passed Hansen at the bottom mark, and even drew a red flag penalty on him while rounding.

Jensen performed his penalty turn after the rounding, but fouled Brady again, and had to do yet another turn. Normally this would be the end of the match, and Brady let Jensen split to the right side of the course. But it was there that Jensen found a puff of breeze, rolled over Brady who sat windless in the middle, and sailed on to win the match.

Results - Round Robin 1

Group A: (incomplete)

Simon Minoprio, NZL, 5-1

Bjorn Hansen, SWE, 4-2

Mattias Rahm, SWE, 4-2

Gavin Brady, NZL, 4-2

Evgeniy Neugodnikov, RUS, 2-4

Jenny Axhede, SWE, 2-4

Ian Williams, GBR, 2-4

Torvar Mirsky, AUS, 1-5

Group B:

Jesper Radich, DEN, 6-1

Magnus Holmberg, SWE, 5-2

Mathieu Richard, FRA, 5-2

Sebastien Col, FRA, 4-3

Johnie Berntsson, SWE, 3-4

Eric Monnin, SUI, 2-5

Claire Leroy, FRA, 2-5

Malin Millbourn, SWE, 1-6

Swan European Regatta

The honours on Day 1 of the Swan European Regatta went to Sir Peter Ogden and his crew on board Spirit of Jethou (GBR). After narrowly failing to pull off an audacious port tack start in the first race, the British Swan 601 recovered to win the race and followed up with a victory in the second race of the day.

In the Swan 45 Gold Cup, the American entries thrived on Independence Day.

Alex Roepers Plenty (USA) tops the leaderboard with two second places, with William Douglas's Goombay Smash (USA) in third. In second place, nestled in between the boats from the USA is Glynn Williams' British entry WISC.

In Class B of the Swan European Regatta, Don Wood's aptly named Le Quatre Juillet (IRL) spent the day dueling with Richard Balding's Philippides 2 (GBR). Both of the Swan 41's from Lymington have a first and a second, to end the day on three points.

Provisional Results

Class A

1. Spirit Of Jethou, Swan 601, Sir Peter Ogden Gbr 1,1- 2 Points

2. Akarana, Swan 46, Graham & Libby Deegan Gbr 2,3 - 5 Points

3. Desperado, Swan 65, Richard Loftus Gbr 4,2 - 6 Points

Class B

1. Philippides 2, R Balding, Gbr 1,2 - 3 Points

2. Le Quatre Juillet, Don Wood, Irl 2,1 - 3 Points

3. Selene, Mark Jephcott, Gbr 3,3 - 6 Points

Swan 45 Gold Cup

1. Plenty, Alex Roepers Usa 2,2 - 4 Points

2. Wisc, Glynn Williams Gbr 4,1 - 5 Points

3. Goombay Smash, William Douglass Usa 3,8 - 11 Points

Match Cup Sweden

In a day of challenges produced by light, patchy winds and intermittent rain showers, Gavin Brady (NZL) and his team from Oracle Racing and Jesper Radich (DEN) from Desafio Espanol managed to emerge with unbeaten records in the first day of racing at Match Cup Sweden. The two are ahead on three and four wins each to lead their respective groups of eight in the first day of round robin racing.

Both Brady and Radich are recent veterans of the Louis Vuitton Semi-Final round in Valencia, but their America's Cup programmes have kept them too busy from being recently active on the World Tour. However, both are pleased to be back in battle against some of the world's best in Marstrand.

Brady continues to train Oracle syndicate head Larry Ellison in match race sailing. they intend to use the Tour events to learn about the latest moves and interpretations in the rules, and bring them back to practice with Larry Ellison in San Francisco on the two Swedish Match 40's.

About racing, it was a real mixed bag: Brady led in the first race from start to finish, changed leads twice in the second, and were behind and then caught up and passed on the last leg in the last. The DS 37 are highly manoeuvrable, especially compared to America's Cup boats.

Having competed as a skipper at last October's Allianz Cup, Ellison is keen to make another appearance at a Tour event. He really loves sailing in San Francisco, and had a lot of fun at the Allianz Cup.

The syndicate is not sure right now about Oracle Racing's future interest in the America's Cup. Ellison loves the event despite the obvious disappointment in the results for them. In the meantime their intent is to keep working on match racing skills, as that slip as a team in Valencia.

Round robin racing resumes tomorrow, with Group B racing three flights in the morning, followed by Group A racing four flights in the afternoon.

The cup goes to alinghi

Alinghi won the 32nd America's Cup on Tuesday afternoon on the waters off Valencia. The Swiss Defender won its fourth consecutive race in dramatic fashion, to win the Match 5-2. This final race of the America's Cup was befitting of what has been the closest, most exciting America's Cup in recent history. It was a perfect day for racing on the waters off Valencia, with the bright, warm, Valencian sun generating a strong 14 to 17 knot sea breeze until the final moments of the race. Emirates Team New Zealand spent much of the race ahead on the advantage line, but with Alinghi in strong tactical position on the right hand side of the race course. The Kiwis were never able to get a big enough lead to cross ahead and switch sides. After making a pass on the first run and leading through the leeward gate by 14 seconds, Emirates Team New Zealand again found it couldn't get across the bow of SUI 100 on the second upwind leg. With both boats approaching the top mark separated by just a few metres, the Kiwis, approaching from the left on port tack, faced Alinghi roaring in on the privileged starboard tack. Both boats went into a 'dial-down' and the Umpires penalised the port tack NZL 92 crew for not keeping clear of Alinghi. That, effectively, was the race. Alinghi rounded the top mark ahead by 12 seconds and looked secure for the win. But then, an enormous windshift saw Emirates Team New Zealand able to lay finishing line which was now upwind. As Alinghi struggled to drop its spinnaker, the Kiwis turned into tack to fulfil its penalty obligation. Now downspeed, the Kiwis could only watch in horror as Alinghi slid across the line, just one second ahead. As SUI 100 crossed the finishing line, the crew was muted in its celebration, still stunned by what had occurred over the past five minutes. The spectator fleet paid its respect through a cacophony of boat horns. Then, the relieved and excited Alinghi crew took up a tow to join in the celebrations in Port America's Cup.

Barcelona World Race

The first Spanish entry in the Barcelona World Race 2007, have chosen the Catalan Guillermo Altadill, one of the most respected and experienced professional sailors in the world, to skipper Estrella Damm's boat. The Barcelona World Race will start in Barcelona on the 11th November and for the first time will see the best professional sailors from both solo and fully crewed disciplines competing against each other in teams of two, in high performance monohulls, non-stop until they return to Barcelona. During three months, the navigators will sail 25.000 miles through the most difficult and unsheltered oceans of the world in the latest generation IMOCA Open 60 monohulls. This new challenge upholds the target of perpetuating the brand Estrella Damm with the best international sporting events. In 1992 Damm was the first brewer sponsoring the Olympic Games, and recently the company has sponsored the 32nd America's Cup with the Emirates Team New Zealand and Desafio Español team. With Catalan skipper Guillermo Altadill, the campaign will benefit from a skipper born and bred in Barcelona who has circumnavigated the world an incredible six times. Altadill, a father of four, aged 45, has competed in two Volvo Ocean Races (2005/06 onboard Team Ericsson and 2001/02 onboard Assa Abloy), two Whitbread Round the World Races, The Race onboard ‘Club Med’ and was part of the crew that raced around the world on Cheyenne in 2004. He has 18 transatlantic crossings and six circumnavigations under his belt so far. He has been the Spanish champion in the Soling class and Tornado class and coached the Olympic gold medalist in Atlanta in 1996 in the Tornado class. Most recently, he was part of the German America’s Cup team, United Internet Team Germany. British sailor Neal McDonald is joining the Estrella Damm Sailing Team as Performance Technical Manager from now until the start of the Barcelona World Race. McDonald brings extensive experience to the team with his background in offshore racing at the very highest level. The team is in discussion with top-level offshore skippers and an announcement will be made in due course to confirm the co-skipper. The Estrella Damm IMOCA Open 60 has been built by the Offshore Challenges Sailing Team, who are responsible for Ellen MacArthur’s record breaking voyages, and who will manage this race campaign. The monohull is a Farr design, sistership to Jeremie Beyou’s Delta Dore, also a competitor in the Barcelona World Race. The boat took eight months to build taking approximately 22,000 hours of labour.

Heavy Clouds, no Wind

The shifty, unstable conditions saw racing postponed for the day, yesterday Sunday 1st of July, making this effectively a two day break in the schedule. Today is the day off. For Emirates Team New Zealand, the break is perhaps an opportunity to get back on track after dropping three consecutive races to Alinghi. Strategist Ray Davies said the team was happy with the decision not to race.

Light, unstable winds forced the Race Committee to postpone racing for the day on Sunday at the 32nd America’s Cup Match. The Defender, Alinghi was looking to win its fourth match in a row, to successfully defend the America’s Cup. Emirates Team New Zealand, the challenger, was in a ‘must win’ position. But the wind gods didn’t cooperate. High cloud started to form near noon, inhibiting the development of a sea breeze. Whenever a clear patch opened up over the land, the wind would pick up, only to ease when the cloud returned. And it was always very shifty today, both in pressure and direction. At 16:10, Principal Race Officer Peter Reggio signalled there would be no racing for the day. Monday is a scheduled ‘off day’ at the America’s Cup, so racing won’t resume until Tuesday afternoon, when the forecast is for a strong, steady, 15 knot sea breeze.