Rolex Farr40

After day two of racing in the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship 2007, the top four boats overall are all familiar names - Mascalzone Latino, Alinghi, Nerone, and Barking Mad - all are previous Rolex Farr 40 World Champions. Yet several other boats picked the shifts well enough on a difficult day to move up in the standings. Struntje Light (GER), Siragusawa (FIN), Nanoq (DEN), and Norwegian Steam (NOR) all had a top five race finish. For the second day of the Rolex Farr 40 Worlds, weather conditions continued to affect the leaderboard. The day was overcast with scattered rain and a WSW breeze at 12-14 knots at the first race start, dropping to 8 knots for the second race. A third race was postponed as the wind was forecast to drop further. The Farr 40 fleet was back to its more aggressive race mode at the first start with two general recalls. In the third restart, several boats were over the line early and had to return to restart, including day one leader, Antonio Sodo Migliori's Nerone (ITA). Racing continues tomorrow, Friday 30 August with a first race start at 1100; three races are planned.

Farr 40 World

With the northwesterly breeze shifting steadily, and the pressure up and down throughout the day, on the Oresund Strait on day one of the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship, fortunes were won and lost throughout the day. The race committee ran three races - all windward/leewards, comprising four 2.2 mile legs - and all starts got off cleanly with no general recalls. Wind speed was close to 20 knots at times and down to below 10 knots during a couple of the races, but mostly in the 14 -16 knot range, nice conditions when it was steady and not shifty - which was rare. Massimo Mezzaroma/Antonio Sodo Migliori's Nerone (ITA) sailed most consistently with a 3-6-1 to edge out Mascalzone Latino by one point overall for the day. Some top teams clearly have not hit their pace yet and almost all had fairly inconsistent scorelines, and this highlighted the challenging and shifty wind conditions, which are apt to remain for the duration of the regatta. In past Worlds, an average of 7-8 place per race would put a boat in contention overall, though with top boats in the upper scoreline, that most likely won't be the case in Copenhagen. Racing continues tomorrow, Thursday 29 August with a first race start at 1100; three races are planned. The Rolex Farr 40 World Championship celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2007. The World Championship has been sailed in North America, Europe or Australia every year since the class was established in 1997.

Portugal Trophy Completed

Racing for the Breitling MedCup TP52 circuit’s Portugal Trophy on the beautiful Algarve coast may have opened Tuesday with an invigorating blast of over 25 knots, but with insufficient wind Friday and Saturday, but it expired with barely a whimper today as the current Breitling MedCup 2006 champions, Peter de Ridder and his crew, emerged with their first overall regatta win this season. Monaco based De Ridder and his crew – which includes six members of the Team New Zealand America’s Cup team – collect the Portugal Trophy, the Corinthian Trophy for the regatta’s top owner-helm, and the Santa Ana Trophy for winning the 25.18 miles coastal race. Even the two days of too-quiet breezes and long hours sitting waiting for wind, and a few spots of rain -could not erase the memories of two great opening days of racing as the Circuit ventured out of the Mediterranean and on to Portugal’s Atlantic coast for the first time ever. The Bay of Lagos provided a challenging and interesting race course which was more than complemented by the excellent facilities ashore including a luxurious 1300 sq m crew’s chill out lounge. Their final score of 17 points gave them a cushion of 15 points over Russell Coutts and his crew of Torbjorn Tornqvist’s Artemis, while Ian Walker and the crew of Patches, Eamon Conneely’s Irish flagged Reichel Pugh designed boat earned their first podium place of the season, finishing third, ten points behind Artemis. An exciting showdown is set for Hyeres, France where the five regatta Circuit concludes, starting on September 10th.

MedCup Coastal Race

The Mean Machine mojo is back. Peter de Ridder and the crew of Valle Romano Mean Machine this season may have tasted the depths of frustration when they were disqualified after the coastal race at the Breitling Regatta in Portals last month, but they made no mistakes today when they comprehensively won both legs of the coastal race at the Portugal Trophy off Portimao to extend their lead to 15 points over Russell Coutts and the crew of Artemis at this fourth event of the 2007 Breitling MedCup Circuit. With three conflicting breezes battling for supremacy over the Bay of Lagos the 25.18 mile race was never straightforward, but De Ridder and crew once again took early ownership of the committee boat end of the start line and peeled away to the favoured right side of the first windward leg.

They followed hard on the stern of Artemis around the weather mark, in a gentle SW'ly sea-breeze which never rose much above eight knots for the first of the two-part race, and was often between five and six knots. Half way down the first run Artemis, racing just 30 metres to leeward and ahead of Mean Machine ran out of breeze whilst the older, black hulled boat just kept rolling away.

On the second run Eamon Conneely's Patches was one of the first to recognise a hole developing in the middle of the course and gybed away immediately to the right, offshore, and gained the best of the breeze, rising to second which they held, tailing Valle Romano Mean Machine through the scoring gate – albeit 3 minutes and 59 seconds behind the runaway leaders - and then across the finish line. Once the late afternoon strong NW'ly land breeze arrived to spur the fleet to the finish, with a fast fetch to the finish in up to 15 knots of breeze. By the time they took the finish gun Valle Romano Mean Machine were still three minutes and 12 seconds clear of Patches.

ΤΡ52 Portugal Trophy

On the first day, Peter de Ridder and his razor sharp 2006 Breitling MedCup champion crew on Valle Romano Mean Machine proved the masters of the big breeze as they opened the Trophy of Portugal regatta off Portimao with a seventh place and two wins to round off a thrilling opening day with a lead of one point ahead of Russell Coutts and the crew of Torbjorn Tornqvist's Artemis. With the northwesterly wind gusting to 24 knots and averaging in the low twenties for most of the second two contests today, racing was as testing as it was exciting. Although the waters remained relatively flat there was no room for crewing errors, especially on the gennaker hoists and downwind gybes any small mistakes were heavily punished.

A fifth from a tricky first race of the second day followed by their third victory from five starts ensures that Peter de Ridder and his Valle Romano Mean Machine crew extend their overall lead at the Breitling MedCup TP52's Circuit's Portugal Trophy off Portimao to ten points.

Volvo Ocean Race

John Kostecki, one of two skippers in the Ericsson Racing Team, has resigned and will leave his assignment with Ericsson, due to family reasons.

"I have decided to resign my position on Ericsson Racing Team. I realize what it takes to win the Volvo Ocean Race and feel that this is the best decision for the team, me and my family" says John Kostecki.

The process to appoint a new skipper is underway. The goal is to get a skipper on the same level as Kostecki - a skipper that can harness all the talent in the team to achieve Ericsson Racing Team's goal to be a top contender in the next Volvo Ocean Race. And there is time to find a new skipper. It's still more then a year until the start in Alicante, Spain in October 2008.

"I am proud to have been working with Ericsson and Ericsson Racing Team up until now, I will always stand behind the team and I will not get involved with any other team in the next Volvo Ocean Race," continues Kostecki.

"I would like to thank John for what he has done for the team up until now and wish him all the best of luck as he turns his focus more on his family." says Richard Brisius, managing director, Ericsson Racing Team.

The team is currently making preparations for starting activities at the training base in Lanzarote. The training boat (the old ABN Amro One) will be re-launched shortly after a refit, now bearing the Ericsson colors and new graphics.

Rolex Fastnet

At 08h 58m 53sec local time, Mike Slade's new 100-foot super maxi crossed the finish line off the Plymouth breakwater under spinnaker, breaking the Rolex Fastnet Race monohull race record that has stood since 1999. With an elapsed time of 1 day, 20 hours, 18 minutes, the Bruce Farr-designed ICAP Leopard (GBR) chopped just under 9 hours off the record set by Ross Field on the 80-foot RF Yachting. Wind was southwest at 10-15 knots as the boat finished in a light rain and reduced visibility.

Only 10 miles behind was George David's 90-foot Rambler (USA), finishing at 09h 43m 21sec and also well within the previous record time. She currently leads the fleet overall on corrected time. Dockside in Plymouth, Slade was presented with a Rolex Yachtmaster timepiece in steel and platinum and the Erroll Bruce Cup for his Line Honours win by Lionel Schurch of Rolex SA and RORC Commodore David Aisher.

ICAP Leopard was launched in June 2007 and was sailing in only its first proper offshore race. Slade recounted a great race with the first day match-racing out of the Solent and along the coast with Neville Crichton's Alfa Romeo (NZL) in 25 - 30 knots (with Alfa later retiring from the race). Slade said the worst of the weather was off the Lizard where, "we saw 40 knots, more in the gusts.it's at night, and it's hard to gauge the seas." He continued, "But the boat is very solid, you put water (ballast) in the back and lift the bow.it's like a Volvo 70 stretched out to 100 feet. We never had to back off, on the contrary, you can push the boat."

Rolex Fastnet

Race leaders used the strong breeze of an advancing low pressure system to power across the Celtic Sea and round the Fastnet Rock early evening on Tuesday. With the race leaders heading home, the bulk of the Rolex Fastnet Race fleet still racing is midway between Land's End and the Fastnet Rock sailing in southwesterly winds of 25-30 knots.

The super-maxis were neck and neck reaching up to the Rock at 14 knots in bright sunshine, rounding nearly together and then going on the wind to round the Pantaenius Buoy to port, some fives miles to the south west of the Rock. The 90-foot Reichel Pugh-designed Rambler went past at 18:00:35 BST followed by the Farr-designed 100-foot canting keeled ICAP Leopard at 18:00:38 BST. Subsequently, PRB, Delta Dore and Cheminees Poujoulat from the Open 60 Class have rounded. From the buoy, the distance to the race finish in Plymouth is 251 nautical miles.

Rolex Fastnet

Strong winds and short steep seas are taking their toll on the 271-boat Rolex Fastnet fleet, with approximately 90 boats retired as of 1130 BST. Boats have been streaming into Plymouth - the race finish - and other ports along the Devon and Cornwall coastline after they elected or were forced to retire and head for shelter. For some boats it was not so much the wind, but the accompanying sea state that was proving exhausting for the crews. One of the race leaders, the super-maxi Alfa Romeo retired last night at 2250. With the wind at 30 knots, gusting to 40 knots, the sea state wasn't too bad, but owner Neville Crichton and crew were concerned with the expected conditions at Land's End. According to the Coast Guard, three yachts have already experienced rig problems. The current race leaders, which include Leopard, Rambler and several of the Open 60 fleet are north of Bishop's Rock reaching in a southerly breeze at over 17 knots.

Barcelona World Race

The 2007 edition of the RORC’s Rolex Fastnet Race is also used as the official prologue to the two-handed Barcelona World Race. The Barcelona World Race duos will be racing in the same two-up format for the 608-mile race that started Sunday, 12th August. The Barcelona World Race counts nine official entries, following the announcement of the all-Spanish crew of Mutua Madrilena and the Franco-Catalan duet aboard Educacion Sin Fronteras who have joined this highly competitive fleet.

The IMOCA Open 60 fleet taking part in the RORC’s Rolex Fastnet Race, set off finally on Monday 13 August in front of the Royal Yacht Squadron. With 18 knots of southwesterly wind and under the sun, the powerful monohulls have tackled the Solent waters under reduced sails, expecting the wind to increase gradually during this first day at sea. First to cross the starting line, Alex Thomson and Andrew Cape’s Hugo Boss displayed an impressive speed potential, and led the fleet out of the Solent. Strong weather is on the menu for the crews, who are bracing themselves. The first hours at sea have been dominated by a captivating duel between Hugo Boss (Thomson – Cape) and her sister ship Generali (Eliès – Audigane), while right behind them PRB (Riou – Josse) was engaged in a match race against her “twin” Delta Dore (Beyou – Gavignet). Under reefed main and staysail, in challenging conditions, the IMOCA 60s put on a show of sheer upwind power, Estrella Damm moving into the leading pack right after the Needles. Unfortunately, for Spanish skipper Guillermo Altadill and American co-skipper Jonathan McKee their progress was short-lived and three and a half hours into the race then had to announce their retirement.

Rolex Fastnet

The Rolex Fastnet is a race steeped in history. First contested in 1925 and, except for a break during the 1940s, run biennially since the early 1930s, this year will mark the 42nd edition. A true bluewater ocean race, to compete in this race is a goal for many sailors whether for the first time, the fifth or the 20th time. RORC Race Office announced at the Race & Weather briefing that the Rolex Fastnet Race start would be postponed for 25 hours due to the continued severe weather warning issued by the UK Met office. The first start for the 300 boat fleet was Monday 13 August at 1100 BST. So, race crews had an extra day to prepare for the Rolex Fastnet Race start. For the first time in race history, RORC race organizers elected to postpone the start by 25 hours due to a severe weather warning from the UK Met Office, which would have put the bulk of the fleet in the middle of the Celtic Sea as a low pressure system approached, with no safe port to run to. Finally, 271 boats set off Monday 13 August from the Squadron line in Cowes for the start of 46th edition of the Rolex Fastnet Race. It was a picture-perfect day with blue skies and puffy cumulus clouds, and little sign of the severe weather that is forecast ahead. The IMOCA 60 class was first off at 1100 BST, followed by six more classes as the 15 -18 knot breeze and a four knot ebb tide produced a short choppy sea. First out past the Needles was the IMOCA 60 fleet, with the Alex Thompson-skippered, Hugo Boss leading, followed by PRB and Cheminees Poujoulat. Three and a half hours after the start, Spanish skipper Guillermo Altadill and American co-skipper Jonathan McKee have officially announced their retirement from the Rolex Fastnet Race.

iShares Cup

For the first time in its class history eight Extreme 40s, the biggest fleet to date, gathered to compete in the iShares Cup at Skandia Cowes Week from 3-5 August on the Solent waters just off the Isle of Wight, UK. British powerhouse team Basilica, skippered by Rob Greenhalgh, was leading the four event series, winning 10 of 15 races at each of the previous two events and is fast becoming the favourite for the overall iShares Cup title. Day One of the iShares Cup at Skandia Cowes Week brought glamorous sailing conditions to the Solent with the drama and action of Extreme 40 racing unfolding in a series of soaring hulls, damaged boats and heartbroken sailors. The eight-boat fleet kept the crowds basking in the British sunshine along the shore fully entertained throughout the five high-octane races. British team Basilica maintained their domination of the fleet in the 10-15 knots of wind. Following six races in 8-12 knots of wind and a punching tide, Basilica remained in pole position at the iShares Cup, Skandia Cowes Week, boasting a healthy lead over the eight boat Extreme 40 fleet at the close of day two of racing. Day two saw several boats shine with Shirley Robertson's JPMorgan Asset Management slipping into the top three and Nick Moloney's BT getting comfortable in second overall. On home waters, British team Basilica won the iShares Cup at Skandia Cowes Week (3-5 August) with a race to spare, bringing their tally to three wins in the overall iShares Cup Extreme 40 Sailing Series. The heavy-hitting team skippered by Robert Greenhalgh and crewed by Peter Greenhalgh, James Grant and Justin Slattery finished ahead of BT helmed by Darren Bundock and skippered by Nick Moloney who not only took second at this penultimate event but moved into third place in the iShares Cup overall series.

Rolex in China

In Hong Kong, ROLEX celebrated the start of a long-term partnership with the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club (RHKYC), one of Asia's premier sailing and rowing clubs, which over its rich 150 year history has been a focal point for active and competitive oarsmen and sailors through to the present day.

The initial four-year partnership will feature ROLEX as the Official Timepiece for all of RHKYC's activities, with the China Sea Race and the San Fernando Race, the Club's biennial races to the Philippines, becoming part of ROLEX's distinguished portfolio of international offshore races.

ROLEX welcomes this partnership. Highly visible in the world of sailing for almost 50 years, ROLEX has successfully partnered with some of world's premier yacht clubs and sailing events around the world, including the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and the Rolex Fastnet Race, both considered the pinnacle of ocean racing. Yacht racing is a sport steeped in history and passion, and it is with this passion that ROLEX signifies its intent and commitment to the development of yacht racing in the Asia Pacific region.

MedCup Copa del Rey

The third event in the Circuit is part of the famous Copa del Rey, which has become the largest and most important cruiser regatta in the Mediterranean and a first-class event in the world calendar. After a start to their 2007 Breitling MedCup Circuit season which has been quite disappointing so far, Vasco Vascotto and the crew of Mutua Madrilena showed a marked improvement in the first day when they posted a first and a second to lead the 22 boat TP52 fleet after the first two races of the prestigious 26th Copa del Rey Camper Audi on the Bay of Palma. Mutua Madrilena made the best of a reshuffle in the bay of Puerto Portals as the TP52 fleet beat to their final windward mark to win the second section of the 27 miles costal race. While a consistent day, posting a third and a fifth, was enough to return Alberto Roemmers' Siemens to the overall regatta lead again, a standout pair of victories by Stuart Robinson's Stay Calm elevated them to third overall. In the second race the British boat was chasing Jose Cusi's Bribon hard on the approach to the final leeward gate. But the Bribon crew had misheard or misread the course instruction and did not realise that it was a five leg windward leeward, and one final beat to the upwind finish remained.

Alberto Roemmers' Argentinian owned, Spanish sponsored Siemens clinched the overall title in the 22 strong grand prix TP52 class at the 26th Copa del Rey Camper Audi on the Bay of Palma. Peter de Ridder and the Valle Romano Mean Machine scored what has become something of a 2007 trademark, a final race victory when they bolted from the pin end of the line and were first into the left side advantage.

Copa del Rey TP52

Alberto Roemmers' Argentinian owned, Spanish sponsored Siemens clinched the overall title in the 22 strong grand prix TP52 class at the 26th Copa del Rey Camper Audi on the Bay of Palma. Twenty years after he last won the Mediterranean's premier trophy on the Maxi Il Moro di Venezia Paul Cayard called the tactics successfully for owner Roemmers and skipper-helmsman Guilermo Parada, winning a closely fought series by just six points from Vasco Vascotto's 2005 Breitling MedCup winning team on Mutua Madrilena.

A fifth place in the first race of the final day meant Siemens entered the final race of 10 with a five points lead over Mutua Madrilena. Caught flat-footed on the start line Cayard conjured a third from a poor opening, while Mutua Madrilena's pair of sixth places left them second with Roberto Bermudez de Castro's Corporacion CxG Caix Galicia finishing third overall. For the second successive regatta Torbjorn Tornqvist's Artemis wins the Corinthian Trophy. Caixa Galicia still lead the overall standings on the 2007 Breitling MedCup TP52 Circuit.

With the modest Southerly seabreeze fluctuating between six and 10 knots through the day the SM Juan Carlos skippered Bribon looked for all the world to have won the first race today and in so doing atoned for one minor error yesterday which cost them a victory when they misread the number of legs of the course. But Bribon were judged to have started early and were disqualified, handing the race win to Kiki Sanchex and Santi Lopez's CAM. Bribon's protest against their disqualification was later denied. Peter de Ridder and the Valle Romano Mean Machine scored what has become something of a 2007 trademark, a final race victory when they bolted from the pin end of the line and were first into the left side advantage.