Vendee Globe 2008/09

Two of Britain's most famous solo skippers, Mike Golding and Dee Caffari, move into the next stage of their ground-breaking technical alliance to develop the fastest Open 60 possible ahead of this year's gruelling solo round the world yacht race, the Vendee Globe 2008/09. Caffari and Golding, who between them have circumnavigated the global on eight different occasions, have developed an intensive testing programme to find a competitive advantage over the 30-strong Vendee Globe fleet and in particular the impressive French contingent. The two skippers announced the technical alliance, the first of its kind between British Open 60 teams, in March 2007. The alliance led to the construction of two identical sister-ships in Aviva and Ecover 3 and this summer Caffari and Golding will be testing the two boats against each other to maximise performance. The Aviva Ocean Racing and Ecover teams are taking a leaf out of Formula 1's book and believe in the merits of testing against similar machines. The upcoming period of two-boat testing will set the two Open 60s against each other much like the way F1 teams do with their two cars. One of the boats will be set as a control whilst the other makes changes to the sail trim, ballast and keel angle to determine the most effective set up. The ultimate aim is to find the optimum performance that will give the skippers an edge to challenge the French dominance of the Vendee Globe race. To date each of the five editions has been won by a French skipper.

Troubled 33rd AC Restores

The Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court today ruled in favour of the Société Nautique de Genève (SNG) declaring Club Náutico Español de Vela (CNEV) the rightful Challenger of Record for the 33rd America’s Cup and denying the Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) this status.

Ernesto Bertarelli, Alinghi president, comments: “We are delighted with this result; we can now continue with our vision of a multi-challenger event. The court’s decision validates our actions and enables us to put the America's Cup back on the water.”

Lucien Masmejan, SNG lead counsel, comments: “After a year of litigation interference by the GGYC, we are extremely pleased that the Appellate Division has found its challenges to SNG's conduct of the 33rd America's Cup baseless. The GGYC’s actions have wasted a lot of time, effort and resources over the past year and we hope that it does not appeal. We must now evaluate whether adjustments have to be made due to the time consumed by its improper litigation initiatives.”

The decision of the Appellate Division reads: “…...the orders of the Supreme Court, New York County (Herman Cahn, J.), entered March 18, 2008 and May 13, 2008, which, inter alia, declared CNEV's challenge invalid and GGYC the Challenger of Record under the Deed of Gift, should be reversed, on the law, with costs, CNEV declared the Challenger of Record, and, in keeping with the Deed of Gift's requirement that the defender be given at least 10 months' written notice to prepare for the challenge, the 10-month notice period should be tolled until service of a copy of this order.”

Copa del Rey

One couldn't have asked for a better start for the 27 Copa del Rey AUDI MAPFRE. Throughout the afternoon, all three race areas had a stable southwestern breeze that started at 10 knots and gradually picked up to 15. All classes, except the GP42's and TP52's that were practicing, were able to sail two tight races.

The IRC 1 class saw the clear domination of the former TP52 Spanish AIFOS that scored two bullets. Tied at second place are French Moana and Stuart Branson's Spirit of Jethou. The Farr 54 CAM, helmed by HRH Don Felipe, stands 4th, 2 points from a possible podium place.

In the IRC 2 class, consistency paid off for Italian Give me Five. Two second places put them at the top of the score table, followed by fellow Italians Kora 4. Tony Buckingham's is third, after a 5th and a 1st.

In IRC 0 the two Telefonica VO70 boats are carrying out an exhibition race, within the Copa del Rey, giving the right to the City of Palma Trophy. The Blue yacht, helmed by Bouwe Bekking, won both races. The Black yacht, helmed Pedro Campos, had to abandon the first race after a spinnaker problem.

The ORC 570 leaderboard is an Iberian affair. Jose Manuel Mesquita's Luso-Roux is first after a 3rd and 4th place. Manuel de Tomas' San Miguel is second, just two points behind the Portuguese boat, tied with Gustavo Martinez' Hempel-Power.

In the X-35 fleet the first race was a British-Dutch battle. After a clear start, Thorkild Juncker's Cool Runnings stayed ahead despite the tough race against Quantum Racing and Just for Fun. A clear indication of the tight racing was the fact the 6 first yachts crossed the finish line within 15 seconds. The second race was won by Italian X-TRIFIX, but with a 3rd and a 2nd respectively, Cool Runnings and Quantum Racing are tied at the top.

In the SWAN 45 class German Earlybird, one of the favourites to win the Copa del Rey, had a difficult first day. Blue Nights, the sole Finnish boat in the regatta, won the first race after a close battle with the Italian DSK-Comifin and the Japanese Yasha. The Italians were ahead from the start of the race but Tea Ekengren-Sauren's yacht grabbed the lead at the second beat and crossed the finish line ahead of the fleet. In the second race, Earlybird had a clear start and lead from the start. Blue Nights lead overall after a fourth in the second race.

The GP42 class premiered in the Copa del Rey AUDI MAPFRE the practice race and for the first time ever all competing yachts had a journalist guest aboard. Near Miss, the Swiss yacht owned by Franck Noel and helmed by Bertrand Pace, once again showed her clear speed advantage over the other yachts while the local crowds had a reason to cheer with the Spanish Desafio finishing second. Close behind them were the two Italians Roma GP42.2 and AIRIS.

The TP52's also had their official practice race, won by Vasco Vascotto's Mutua Madrilena, followed by Platoon, helmed by Jochen Schuemann. Terry Hutchinson, fresh from two victorious events in the TP52 circuit, helmed Spanish Desafio to 3rd place.

MedCup Mallorca

Just as they did in Cagliari earlier this month when they won the Audi Region of Sardinia Trophy, Quantum Racing proved the dominant force in Peurto Portals, Mallorca when they added the 14th Breitling Regatta trophy, winning this fourth regatta of the Audi MedCup Circuit 2008. Terry Hutchinson (USA) and the crew became the first team since 2006 to win back-to-back MedCup regattas when the AP over A flags were finally hoisted this afternoon. A breeze which was just too light and too unsettled across the race area to allow any competition before the 1600hrs time limit meant Quantum Racing (USA) returned to the dock victorious, winning by 14 points over Alberto Roemmers’ second placed Matador (ARG). Just as it was the 2007 build Matador’s first podium result of the season so third place here for Jochen Schuemann (GER) and the crew of Platoon Powered by Team Germany, was, like Matador's also their best regatta yet this season. Quantum Racing arrived in Mallorca with a lead of 6.2 points on the overall Audi MedCup Circuit 2008 standings, and leave the chic, compact marina town having built a cushion of 30 points.

MedCup Coastal Race

A perfect day for Quantum Racing and a black day for Mean Machine sees the Audi MedCup Circuit leaders take over the lead of the 14th Breitling Regatta off Puerto Portals, Mallorca. Their best Coastal Race of the Audi MedCup Circuit 2008 season so far, winning both sections of today’s 34.2 miles passage back and forth across the Bay of Palma not only increased Quantum Racing’s lead at the top of the Circuit leader board to 23 points of clear daylight, but as erstwhile leaders of the 14th Breitling Regatta Mean Machine had a day they would rather forget, so the American boat also earned a lead of 11 points in the regatta standings.

With two second places Platoon powered by Team Germany (GER) swapped places with Mean Machine, rising to second place in this 14th Regatta Breitling, while Matador’s pair of ninths today leave them to third with two days of racing to go. Having just yesterday got themselves back into joint second place in the overall Regatta standings Mean Machine’s 15th and then 14th today leaves the 2006 MedCup Champion team with a mountain to climb, again with just two regattas left after Saturday.

La Solitaire du Figaro

Fifty sailors will set off from La Rochelle tomorrow at 13:00 on the first of three legs of La Solitaire du Figaro, they key event of the Figaro solo sailing calendar.

The 2008 edition will cover 1,880 miles over three legs: La Rochelle to Vigo in Galicia, then a return leg to Cherbourg in France before the final marathon leg of 826 miles (the longest leg in the 39 year history of the race) to L’Aber W’rach on the northern tip of Brittany, by way of the Isle of Man in the north Irish Sea.

Race Director, Jacques Caraës has formulated a course that is long, tactical and testing in offshore sailing skills. The one-design Figaro Beneteau boat is enjoying continued success and the following of the solo sailors. For the highlight event of the season, 11 rookie sailors join the competition together with four highly experienced women sailors, another record in the race history. Jeanne Gregoire on Banque Populaire and Liz Wardley on Sojasun will be joined by two new aspiring Figarists, Elodie Riou (KPMG) and Isabelle Joschke (Synergy), both successful Mini sailors.

The growing international following the event is currently enjoying is reflected in the arrival some new faces on the circuit. There are five non-French sailors in all.

MedCup Puerto Portals

Mean Machine emerged from a classic sea breeze day of three good races on the Bay of Palma to lead the 14th Regatta Breitling by seven clear points from Matador. With sea breeze peaking at 13 knots, Mean Machine (MON) won their 11th victory from 31 starts when Peter de Ridder (NED) got the best of a busy tussle at the committee boat end of the line, pulling away from Quantum Racing (USA) to tack early and gain the right hand side of the course. In such typically Palma sea breeze conditions it was the right side of this race course which was almost always favoured, often making the starts the most critical and the most exciting part of each race. Indeed while the breeze was dropping a little during the third race, the right hand end of the start line, at the committee boat was busy, with three boats shut out. A final shift on the last run allowed some significant place changing. Mean Machine proved her strengths downwind when they recovered three places on the first run to eighth and then again on the second run when they rose from 11th to seventh.

While Mean Machine enhanced their position atop the 14th Breitling Regatta leader board, the 2006 MedCup Champions team will take a certain satisfaction in now sharing the same points tally as second placed Artemis (SWE) on the Audi MedCup Circuit standings, proving their steady recovery after being disqualified from the Coastal Race in Marseille.

Volvo Ocean Race News

Ericsson 3 and Ericsson 4 ran into 40 knots within 24 hours of a relatively gentle departure from Sweden on their round trip to the team training base in Lanzarote. Anders Lewander, skipper of Ericsson 3, reported that they had engaged in some close racing with their sister ship after leaving Nynashamn and made their way through the narrow channel between Denmark and Sweden.

The Extreme 40 Series will be part of the on-the-water entertainment package at selected stopovers during the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09.

The Green Team has been re-named the Green Dragon Team, after securing title sponsorship from a syndicate of Chinese companies, it has been officially announced.

Marstrand, the famous sailing and recreational island close to Goteborg on Sweden’s west coast, will be the Pit Stop for the 2008-09 Volvo Ocean Race en route to Stockholm, race organisers have announced.

The Volvo Ocean Race has confirmed Fan Pier in Boston as the sole North American stopover when the race visits the US East Coast port city in April-May 2009.

MedCup in Puerto Portals

De Ridder and his team sailed to two race wins and a fifth place to share the same overall points tally as Alberto Roemmers’ Argentinian boat Matador, but by virtue of the tie break it is the 2006 MedCup champions who top the Breitling Regatta leader board after a challenging day reading the shifting, changing breezes off the Mallorcan capital city. At times the sea breeze was fitful as the oppressive, clammy heat and cloud cover stifled any increase in wind strength and with big wind shifts in direction, and variations in pressure it was not an easy day for the tacticians to decipher. Consistency across the three races was vital. But it was a day where every hard earned place was vital as Mean Machine proved when they pulled up from ninth at the first leeward mark in the second race to earn their fifth, while their two race wins were the direct reward for smart starting near the extremes of the line and choosing the preferred side of the beat. With the wind peaking at 11 knots and at times as low as six or seven knots, the ability to change gears and adapt for best boat speed was equally important over what has been a day of the lightest average wind speeds since the opening regatta, back in May in Alicante.

Audi MedCup Circuit

The Bay of Palma enhanced its reputation today when it served up an interesting, challenging practice race as the prelude to tomorrow´s start of the 14th Breitling Regatta, the fourth Audi MedCup Circuit Regatta off Mallorca's Puerto Portals. A moderate easterly breeze, arriving off the land carried more than enough shifts in wind direction and changes in pressure to give lie to the prevailing belief that the Bay of Palma is always a venue which favours one side, or the other, of the race track. Vasco Vascotto (ITA) and the crew of Mutua Madrileña (CHI) won today’s practice race, working the wind shifts well to escape from Alberto Roemmers (ARG)’s Matador (ARG) and Torbjorn Tornqvist’s Artemis (SWE).

World Sailor of the Year

Nominations are now invited for the 2008 ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards, the most prestigious award of recognition in the sport of sailing. The list of nominees and winners since the first presentation in 1994 is an exceptional roll call of the world's top sailors from all disciplines of the sport.

There is only one male and one female ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year, who will not only win the coveted Rolex timepiece and trophy, but receive true recognition of their achievement from their peers across the world.

Nominations can be made by anyone and the only criteria are that sailors must have performed an "outstanding achievement in the sport" during the qualifying period of 1 September 2007 to 31 August 2008. Nominations should be sent in to ISAF by 10.00hrs (UTC) on Friday 5 September 2008 on the official form which can be found via www.sailing.org/worldsailor

A shortlist will be drawn up by ISAF from all of the nominations received at the ISAF Secretariat by the deadline and those sailors will go on to become the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year 2008 Nominees. The 126 ISAF Member National Authorities will then vote for one male and one female sailor who they believe merit the Awards.

Audi MedCup Circuit in Puerto Portals

After the challenges of a new venue, Cagliari in Sardinia, Italy just over two weeks ago, the return to the well known and well liked Bay of Palma for the 14th Breitling Regatta will see a fleet of 15 TP52’s competing when racing starts on Tuesday.

After the World’s Leading Regatta Circuit has been to France and Italy, this popular Spanish showcase event will see the return to circuit racing of three key Spanish boats: Inaki Castener’s ONO, Javier Banderas and Rafael Diaz’s Tau-Ceramica Andalucia, and the fully repaired CXG Corporacion Caixa Galicia of Vicente Tirado.

The Caixa Galicia team won the Breitling Regatta here last year, a popular and keynote triumph en route to taking second place overall on the 2007 MedCup Circui, but after their boat was damaged in June in Marseille, they were forced to sail a substitute in Cagliari. But, with repairs completed, they are back with their 2007 Botin Carkeek design.

TP52 2008 Half Way

So far the Audi MedCup Circuit has seen 26 races sailed in three locations with 17 different boats taking part. Of those 17 no fewer than 8 boats have won individual races and there have been three different individual regatta winners. On top of that the leader of the Audi MedCup Circuit has also changed three times so far.

In Alicante, Marseille or Cagliari consistency has played the most significant part in the successful teams" approach. Consistency will continue to be the most important factor for the overall 2008 Audi MedCup Circuit honours, awarded at the end of the last event in Portimao in September.

A closer look at the results shows that a different yacht design offices have been responsible for each of the victories, Judel/Vrolijk in the lighter season opener in Alicante with Mean Machine, Reichel/Pugh with the windy Marseille event with USA-17 and most recently Botin/Carkeek with Quantum Racing in the most all round set of conditions, light airs, medium and windy conditions in Sardinia.

The overall lead of the 2008 Audi MedCup Circuit has been in the hands of three different yachts, firstly Mean Machine (MON), a brand new boat launched just weeks before the City of Alicante Trophy Regatta, secondly Bribón (ESP) a 2007 design that went through an optimisation programme with a few significant modifications over the winter, and the current leader, by just 6.2 points, Quantum Racing (USA) again a new boat launched in 2008 and beginning to find the consistency needed to be champion at the end of the year. The overall current standings sees the Reichel/Pugh designed Artemis (SWE) in second and Bribón (ESP) in third, still three different designs, two different generations and three different approaches to the campaign.

The only conclusion that can be drawn from this is that the 2008 Audi MedCup Circuit is continuing to produce the closest racing for the best sailors in the most exciting keelboat class the TP52.

Thomas Coville with Sodeb'O New Record

Setting out from New York 5 days earlier, the French sailor Thomas Coville, the skipper of the trimaran Sodeb'O, beat the legendary solo North Atlantic record under sail on Tuesday 15th July at 07 hours, 17 minutes and 20 seconds; a record held since 2005 by Francis Joyon.
Francis Joyon's time on Idec in 2005: 6 days 4 hours, 1 minute and 37 secondsThomas Coville's time on Sodeb'O: 5 days, 19 hours, 29 minutes and 20 seconds (to be approved by the WSSRC)
Already the holder of the 24 hour distance record since January 2008, with 619.3 miles at an average of 25.8 knots, this latest victory of Coville is clearly not down to chance. At age of 40, this multihull specialist is a sailor with one of the largest number of miles single-handed under his belt, thanks to his racing background in the 60 foot class with a second place in The Transat 2004 and a fabulous podium finish in the Route du Rhum in 2006. Since 2005, the young sailor from La Trinité, father of two children, has been committed to his loyal sponsor Sodeb’O in a single-handed record programme, which enabled him to become successively the fastest man around the British Isles, between Spain and the Bahamas and between Miami and New York.
This single-handed North Atlantic crossing on a 32 metre multihull is an amazing achievement, particularly given that Thomas didn’t benefit from exceptional conditions as was the case for Play Station. The latter completed the crossing in crewed configuration in 2001 in a time of 4 days 17 hours along the direct route without ever performing a single change of tack. Favourable for the first three days, manageable and without surprises between the currents, fog and dense shipping, the weather conditions over the last 48 hours proved to be particularly testing and tactical for Thomas. In order to get the boat making as much headway as possible, the skipper spent hour after hour at the helm, constantly trimming the sails, without sleep!
Designed by Nigel Irens and Benoît Cabaret, also the architects of Francis Joyon’s IDEC, the maxi-Sodeb’O has already traversed a fair amount of the world’s oceans. Built and launched in Australia in June 2007, this 32 m long three hulled machine (105 feet) and 16.55 m wide (55 feet) craft is equipped with a 35 m mast and can carry up to 650 square metres of sail area.

Thomas Coville Atlantic record

Monday 15th July at 1400 hours UT, after 5 days and 2 hours of racing, the trimaran Sodeb'O skippered by Thomas Coville was just 258 miles from completing the North Atlantic crossing record and had a 313 mile lead over the record set by Francis Joyon in 2005. The trimaran was making good speed towards the finish this afternoon at an average of 20 knots pushed by 10 to 15 knots of wind. Thomas may well cross the line between 0800 and 1200 UT. The trimaran will then head for the port of Brest where she will be welcomed at the end of the day, between 1600 and 2000 hours UT. However, the weather situation is likely to make things very tense for the tired skipper and his team of routers onshore, as the wind will drop in the following hours. Currently due West the wind is right on his tail and had already forced Thomas to gybe several times Sunday night, taking him away from the direct course but enabling him to maintain a good speed. These exhausting tacks to reposition himself on the course have nevertheless enabled him to save time in relation to the initial routing. The skipper, who has only slept a few hours since last Wednesday, has been careful to focus on getting the boat to make good headway for the past five days. Aged 40, the sailor from La Trinité has some incredible resources and is in such exceptionally good physical shape, according to his team, that he can resist the lack of sleep and the superhuman physical effort which consists of single-handedly manoeuvring a 32 m long three-hulled machine for the past five days, equipped with a 35 m mast able to carry up to 650 square metres of sail area!

TP52 CAM sank

The leader during the three days of competition, "TAU Andalusia" of Cantabrian Jose "Pichu" Torcida has finally captured the Trophy. The Andalusian boat secures its first triumph in this regatta and this class since 2005 when it competed in the IMS 600 class. The sad note of the day has been the sinking of the "CAM" in front of El Saler. Taking in water from the bow during the final race, the situation got worse very quickly, and in spite of all efforts and assistance from the fleet and race committee, the boat sank. Luckily there were no injuries; the crew were all rescued safely.

Near Miss, the Swiss GP42 yacht flying the colors of the Societe Nautique de Geneve, dominated the 3rd event of the Quebramar GP42 Cup. After a total of 7 races the Swiss come first, followed by Roma GP42.2 and AIRIS. DesafIo is still leading the Quebramar GP42 Cup but Near Miss grabs 2nd place from AIRIS.

Monster Crab

It lurked in the wreck of an old battleship 160ft below the surface ��� a true monster of the deep. Diver Paul Worsley could hardly believe the size of the giant crab he found in Lyme Bay, off the Dorset coast. Careful to avoid its fearsome claws, he managed to get it into a bag and raise it to the surface. For his efforts, he can congratulate himself on capturing what experts believe is the biggest edible crab ever landed. It weighed 17lb and had a shell width of 12in while each of its massive claws was as big as a man's hand. The previous largest edible crab on record is in the collection of the Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris. Its carapace was 11in wide. Mr Worsley, from Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, said: 'I couldn't believe it when I saw it.' Andy Horton founder of the British Marine Life Study Society, said: 'If anyone has found a bigger one could they let us know?' Unfortunately, Mr Worsley's crab will not be displayed in any museum. A friend has eaten it.

Preventing Collisions at Sea

The Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, or COLREGs, was subject to lively debate at the recent 54th meeting of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the United Nations agency specializing in marine safety. At the meetings of the Safety of Navigation (NAV) Sub-Committee of IMO it was decided not to accept proposals from Italy for fundamental changes to COLREGS, a position supported by ISAF.

The proposals were contested in written and oral submissions by the delegations of the International Sailing Federation (ISAF), IAIN (International Association of Institutes of Navigation) and New Zealand. Thirty more delegations spoke at the meeting attended by 95 delegations.

The initiative from Italy, initially tabled in 2006, aimed to improve safety at sea by defining a new class of vessel to be called “pleasure craft” to be required to keep clear of shipping in many circumstances not envisaged in the present COLREGS. But it was argued that the proposed rules would cause confusion and the proposed new light and sound signals would impose considerable and unwarranted expense on owners.

Whilst the number of reported collisions between small craft and large ships was small it was accepted that the lack of a common format made it difficult to analyse relevant statistics. The development of a recognized format is likely to follow.

Attention was drawn by ISAF and others to the accommodation under existing COLREGs of local schemes for traffic control and the separation of small and large craft, as effectively practiced in the port areas of, for example, the Solent, Harwich, Rotterdam and Sydney.

The IMO meeting welcomed the success of New Zealand’s national education programme involving 400,000 leisure craft. A number of ISAF Member National Authorities (MNAs) organize similar schemes. The promotion of voluntary training on a wider basis, with the co-operation of ISAF, is expected to follow.

The use of AIS-B by small craft was noted as another means by which small craft and large ships could become better aware of each other’s presence, helping them to assess the possible risk of collision and to take appropriate early avoiding action.

It was part of ISAF’s case that when possible a small craft should avoid putting herself in such a position that under COLREGS a large ship will be required to alter course or speed to avoid a collision.

The ISAF International Regulations Commission, representing ISAF at IMO, works on behalf of all leisure sailors on a wide range of safety, environmental and other issues at an international level.

ISAF Offshore microsite - www.sailing.org/offshore

World ARC

Crews from some of the 40 yachts participating in World ARC, the global circumnavigation rally, were keen to lend a hand in a beach clean-up on Suwarrow, a remote coral atoll in the Cook Islands in the central Pacific. Suwarrow, one of the most isolated of the Cook Islands, is a national park and wildlife sanctuary, normally resident to just the warden, John Samuels, and his family. Special permission had been obtained for World ARC yachts to call at this unique location, and as a thank-you, the crews were keen to help clear up winter storm damage. The two-day clean-up campaign saw fallen branches, battered huts and piles of oceanic flotsam removed from beaches and the main campsite. Since leaving the Cook Islands, the World ARC yachts have continued their cruise through the south Pacific to Niue, the Tongan Archipelago and Fiji. The yachts will shortly be arriving at Tanna, Vanuatu. With the half-way point of the rally almost reached, it is change over time as several yachts are completing their voyage in Australia and others are joining. So it will be farewell to BlueFlyer, Candela, Nutella and Whitbread as they finish the rally, and a warm welcome to Baccalieu III, Pelikan and La Boheme as they join it.

Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race

The crews of the Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race have arrived back in Liverpool at the end of their 35,000-mile circumnavigation. For the non-professional crew onboard the ten 68-foot ocean racing yachts, the return to Albert Dock marks the end of a challenge of a lifetime as they battled the elements in search of victory and the title of Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race champions. Crossing the finish line overnight at the end of the 14th and final stage of the Clipper 07-08 Race, the US entry, New York, claimed the maximum ten points for securing their sixth first place of their campaign and the Clipper Trophy. Hull & Humber, New York's closest rival on the overall leaderboard ahead of Race 14, saw their hopes of claiming the title fade as New York stretched out a small but significant lead in the fast reaching race from Cork, Ireland to Liverpool, UK.

Clipper 07-08 began in Liverpool on 16 September 2007 and, over the last ten months, the teams have circumnavigated the globe, crossing the Atlantic three times, the Pacific once, and sailed across the infamous Southern Ocean, with stopovers on five continents.

Rolex Commodores' Cup

Day five of the Rolex Commodores' Cup 2008 and the 45 competitors and their 15 teams found themselves challenged by a new course format. Today's single race was around a variety of marks in the central and eastern Solent, sailed in an awkward southeasterly breeze of around 12 knots. GBR teams earned the top two spots in Class One with Fair Do's VII taking second. Strong winds on Saturday led to a change of course from the planned round the island race to a 35 mile course down the Solent and around Hayling Bay, keeping the fleet out of the worst of the winds. Fair Do's VII once again benefited from leading Class 1 around the race course. In Class Two, the win for Jerry Otter's Erivale III was almost as tight, just 39 seconds ahead of Conor Phelan's Jump Juice in Ireland White. In Class 3 Peter Rutter's Quokka 7 had an easier time of it, finishing almost 3.5 minutes ahead of yesterday's winner, Marc Alperovitch's Prime Time.
In the end John Shepherd's big boat, Fair Do's VII made it around the race course cleanly to post a second place behind Anthony O'Leary's Antix Eile in Ireland White, while the two smaller GBR Red boats, Jerry Otter's Erivale III and Peter Rutter's Quokka 7 had a much harder time in their classes, the mid-boat finishing ninth and the small boat coming home fourth. But overall the results were good enough for GBR Red to win the 2008 Rolex Commodores' Cup comfortably, on 122 points with the two Irish teams White and Green on 144 and 161 respectively, pulling ahead of France Blue today, the defending champions dropping to fourth on 166.5.

MedCup Tuscany

With the Mistral wind peaking at nearly 30 knots at times only one race, the seventh of the Audi Region of Sardinia Trophy Regatta, completed on Friday on the Gulf of Cagliari before the race committee sent the fleet of TP52’s back to the dock in the heart of the capital city of Sardinia.

In the blustery conditions which produced spectacular, top speed racing that peaked with one fantastic adrenaline pumping final run to the finish line in more than 25 knots of wind, it was the cool, composed and slick team on Artemis (SWE), lead by John Kostecki (USA) with owner Torbjorn Tornqvist (SWE) steering which won the race from the rapidly advancing Matador (ARG).

A great, but intense final day of racing took full advantage of the continuing Mistral winds, blowing between 13-17 knots. An early morning start allowed three sharp windward-leeward to be completed by early afternoon.

It was only on the final run of the final race that Hutchinson and the Quantum Racing crew did just enough to beat Mean Machine. Hutchinson and his team aboard Quantum Racing (USA) won a regatta of the 2008 Audi MedCup Circuit for the first time, lifting the Audi Region of Sardinia Trophy.

MedCup Tuscany

While Italy’s Vasco Vascotto and the crew of Mutua Madrileña scored themselves a morale boosting pair of victories around today’s 32.7 miles, two-part coastal race into the Gulf of Angels, the bay immediately to the east of Cagliari, it was the steady perfomance of Quantum Racing which sees them at the top of both the overall leader-board for this Audi Region of Sardinia Trophy and the season long Audi MedCup Circuit.

Quantum Racing were fifth in the first section of the race and then managed to overhaul Torbjorn Tornqvist’s Artemis on an exciting last couple of miles to the finish, and steal the fourth place which was enough to give them a two points lead in the regatta ahead of Mean Machine and a wafer thin 0.2 point lead on the Audi MedCup Circuit.

But Jose Cusi’s Bribon had a good day too, with two second places to atone for a slightly disappointing Wednesday.

With the early breeze remaining light, 6-8 knots for most of the first ten or twelve miles, it was only on the five miles beat. Later on the sea breeze started to flex its muscles a little more, rising to 11-12 knots at times. But it was largely on that first, opening beat when the shape of the race was really set, and even by the first mark there was already 8 minutes and 20 seconds - a lifetime in the usual scheme of TP52 racing - between Mutua Madrileña and the 13th placed boat. MM broke their masthead crane just before the start of the first regatta, impairing their tuning and training. Then in Marseille, their regatta ended prematurely when their hull sustained damage at the first mark of the Coastal Race.

Rolex Commodore's Cup

Slightly stronger breeze and more reaching than was anticipated resulted in the offshore race of the Rolex Commodores' Cup, providing the 45 yachts taking part with a most complete test.

For the small boats in Class 3, the bigger conditions also made for a shorter race with the leaders arriving home unexpectedly early, at breakfast time this morning, with the Hong Kong boat, Yeoman of Wight, skippered by Jamie McWilliam winning by a substantial margin of 17 minutes ahead of Radboud Crul's Netherland Red yacht Rosetta from the Rocks and 25 minutes ahead of France White's Felix, skippered by Samuel Prietz.

Rolex Commodores' Cup

The Rolex Commodores' Cup took on a different complexion both in terms of the racing and the weather. The offshore race set sail at 10.30 from the Royal Yacht Squadron line off Cowes, but rather than the welcome sunny 10-20 knot conditions of the past two days it was in three to five knots of southwesterly breeze under a grey sky. The start coincided with a building ebb tide to take the boats west out of the Solent.

Under the Rolex Commodores' Cup rules, the offshore race is aimed to be of 24-36 hours duration. The course for the three classes is mostly in Poole Bay and to the south of this, initially with 20 mile long legs out to marks in the English Channel. After this the boats must sail west and there is variation between the courses the three classes take: the big boats sailing two legs, Class 2 sailing two laps to St Alban's Head (a total of 173 miles) and the small boats in Class 3 sailing just once to St Alban's Head (a total of 137 miles). All classes finish at the North Head mark at the western entrance to the Solent.

The wind will be southerly over the course as the boats sail south out into the Channel, veering southwest as they sail in this direction down towards Portland. Tide is another major feature of racing offshore in the English Channel where getting a tidal gate right or wrong usually represents the difference between winning and losing.

Audi MedCup

The MedCup Circuit’s return to Italy for the first time since 2006 in Punta Ala, Tuscany, was rewarded with a great opening day of solid, building sea breezes which remained solid until early evening to allow the target of three races to be met with relative ease.

De Ridder (NED) on the helm nailed a great start at the left, pin end of the line and they crossed the fleet clear ahead two thirds of the way up the first beat. Racing in 10-13knots of SE’ly sea breeze the victors from the season’s first regatta in Alicante, went on to win by a comfortable one minute and three seconds. The breeze built to a brisk 16-18 knots for Race 2 Quantum Racing (USA), when the fleet was just a hearbeat late to the gun, helm Terry Hutchinson (USA) made a solid start, and tussled with series leading Bribon (ESP) around the windward mark first time up on the windward-leeward loop, but with their nose ahead at the first turn Quantum were able to lead at each mark, going on to their third winning gun of the season so far. The third race belonged to Mean Machine while Quantum made up places to take sixth. A tricky first run, offered another blast of air coming down off the windward mountains and shore-side flatlands to provide not onlymore wind but a more favorable heading to the leeward mark down that left side of the course.

Rolex Commodore's Cup

If yesterday conditions allowed crews to ease gently into the 2008 Rolex Commodores' Cup, today's conditions proved that much more testing. With the wind having backed around to the southeast overnight, racing was held off Hill Head, in the Central Solent, in more breeze, occasionally gusting to more than 20 knots and a short chop making for a wet ride. Once again two windward-leeward courses were held with different teams moving into the lead after each one. After the first race it was the turn of Ireland Green to move ahead with a comfortable 4.5 point margin over GBR Red, Monday's leaders France Blue relegated to third place after all three boats in Gery Trentesaux's team posted fifth placed finishes. The results from this race were particularly good for the Irish with Ireland Green's medium boat, Eamonn Rohan's Blondie IV, winning her class while Eamon and Alan Crosbie's small boat, Teng Tools/Voodoo Chile won the small boat class for Ireland White.

Consistency is exactly what the GBR Red team showed in today's second race with each boat scoring a second place. The best showing was that of the big boat John Shepherd's Fair Do's VII which after a fantastic start in the first race today, led around the course to win that race, following this up with a second in the second race - a fine showing after her backstay problems yesterday. The wind was a little different and the tide was changing. While France Blue's performance was lacklustre in race three, the team more than made up for it in the final race today with Gery Trentesaux's big boat Lady Courrier winning Class 1 and Marc Alperovitch's Prime Time taking victory in Class 3. These results enabled them to regain second place.

Rolex Commodores' Cup

The Rolex Commodores' Cup is taking place off Cowes, Isle of Wight, from 29th June to 6th July 2006. Fifteen teams representing France, Ireland, Great Britain, The Netherlands, Hong Kong and Spain are participating.

After a two hour delay waiting for the wind to fill in, the 2008 Rolex Commodores' Cup got underway shortly before lunchtime today with two windward-leeward inshore races in the Western Solent. Conditions could not have been better for the 45 boat fleet with 12 knots of wind from the southwest and brilliant sunshine.

Race one saw the French defenders, Géry Trentesaux's France Blue, pull into first place tied with GBR Red, led by John Shepherd's big boat Fair Do's VII, followed by the two Irish teams. In particular Trentesaux's own Class 1 boat Lady Courrier, won her division with their small boat, Marc Alperovitch's Prime Time, scoring second, while in GBR Red Peter Rutter took honours in Class 2 aboard his new Corby 36 Quokka 7, and Jerry Otter posted a third on Erivale III.

The second race of the day was held on a similar course, but by this time the flood tide was ripping into the western Solent. With the wind and tide against them on the beat, competitors short tacked up the mainland side of the Solent darting out into the tide only to round the weather mark. However many boats got into trouble calling this layline and were forced to crab sideways to make it around or throw in a costly tack. The result was one boat being swept down on to the mark, while on another the crew succumbed to the stress causing them to mess up the hoist and trawl their spinnaker. In the end in Class 1, Géry Trentesaux's Lady Courrier won her second race of the day - earning her a perfect scoreline.