Russia is Out

The Russian entry in the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09 has been forced to suspend racing in Singapore due to a funding shortfall.

Team Russia today announced it has suspended racing upon arrival in Singapore at the end of Leg 3 due to insufficient funds to continue the campaign. The team has been seeking sponsorship in recent months to secure enough financial support to continue to Qingdao and beyond. However no sponsorship has been forthcoming and the team has no alternative but to suspend racing until further financial support can be secured.

"From the outset, it was always a goal to bring commercial partners into the project," said Oleg Zherebtsov, the Team principal. "Until now, I have financed the team with my own money, in advance of anticipated sponsorship funding. By this stage in the Volvo campaign we had intended to find sponsorship, but this process has been impacted by the global economic situation."

Cessation of racing also means that Team Russia is unable to continue its partnership with the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS). The team was proud to "Sail For The Whale", during the first three legs of the race and was instrumental in spreading the call for safe habitats for whales and dolphins around the globe.

Volvo Leg 3 Finish

Fighting for every inch, Telefónica Blue, skippered by Dutchman Bouwe Bekking, crossed the finish line at the end of leg three of the Volvo Ocean Race to score an emphatic victory in Singapore today at 1451 GMT (2251 local time).

It was among the closest finishes in the race history, with the top four boats finishing within 20 minutes following nearly 10 days of racing.

The Spanish team takes a valuable eight points towards their overall score, which now stands at 30.5 points, putting them into second place overall (subject to protest).

Puma finished second on this leg. The final podium spot went to Ericsson 3 (Anders Lewander/SWE), who beat their teammates on Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael/BRA) to take third, and a total of 23.5 points overall. (Finish time 1509 GMT, elapsed time 09:05:09:48s)

Ericsson 4 was relegated to fourth place, adding five points to the four they earned for passing through the scoring gate a Palau We in first place. They still lead the race overall, but the margin has narrowed to just 4.5 points over Telefónica Blue. (Finish time 15:10:28 GMT elapsed time 09:05:10m28s).

Green Dragon (Ian Walker/GBR) and Kosatka Team Russia (Andreas Hanakamp/AUT) have been fighting their own private battle for the minor placings.

Leg Three Finishing Order Singapore
1. Telefónica Blue: 8 points (FINISHED)
2. PUMA : 7 points (FINISHED)
3. Ericsson 3: 6 points (FINISHED)
4. Ericsson 4: 5points (FINISHED)
5. Telefónica Black: 4 points (FINISHED)
6. Green Dragon: 3 points (FINISHED)
7. Kosatka Team Russia: 2 points (FINISHED)

Overall Leaderboard (Subject to Protest)
1. Ericsson 4: 35 points (FINISHED)
2. Telefónica Blue: 30.5 points (FINISHED)
3. PUMA : 27.5 points (FINISHED)
4. Ericsson 3: 23.5 points (FINISHED)
5. Green Dragon: 20.5 points (FINISHED)
6. Telefónica Black: 19.5 points (FINISHED)
7. Team Russia: 10.5 points (FINISHED)
8. Delta Lloyd: 8 points (RACING)

Vendee Globe

Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) is holding on to his lead, steady at around 65 miles over second-placed Roland Jourdain (Veolia Environment), but extending slightly away from the rest of those hanging on to his coat tails as the leading four pick up some more northerly pressure. As he lead across into the ocean which he remarked recently that he has always found more conducive to higher speeds, he has nearly doubled his lead since yesterday afternoon and now has just over 80 miles ahead of Roland Jourdain (Veolia Environnement), while Seb Josse (BT) in third has lost a little against the pace of Mich Desjoyeaux. Jean Le Cam in fourth (VM Matériaux) is valiantly keeping up.

Yann Elies' spirits and mood have lifted knowing help is with him and on its way His medical condition is stable. Marc Guillemot has attempted several times to throw water, food and medication down the companionway hatch to his stricken fellow skipper, but it has so far proven too difficult for Yann to grab them. Yann Elies, the skipper of Generali who broke his left femur on December 18, was successfully transferred to the Australian Navy's HMAS Arunta, an Anzac Class Frigate.

VOR Fleet at Scoring Gate

Delta Lloyd, after the initial shock and disappointment set in that broke their boat, it started to become apparent that they would be able to sail to the Malacca Straits and deliver the boat to Singapore. Even though the boat would be sailing in a severely crippled state, this was fantastic news. Everybody took the chance to get some rest after a busy night. Boat-captain Ed O’Conner and bowman Gerd-Jan Poortman worked all night to stabilise the keel-structure.

Ericsson 4 were tacking to the waypoint that is the scoring gate for leg 3. Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael/BRA) led the Volvo Ocean Race fleet through the scoring gate at Palau We Sunday 21 December, followed by Telefónica Blue (Bouwe Bekking/NED) and Ericsson 3 (Anders Lewander/SWE). Although they were disappointed not to be first through the gate, Bekking and his crew were pleased with the second place points, but today, they are not happy at all.

Leg three, at 1950 nautical miles was estimated to take around eight days to complete, but today, day nine, the leaders still have 220 miles to run.

America's Cup in 2010

AC Management today announced the entry list for the 33rd America's Cup that includes 19 teams, eight of which are new entries. All of the 32nd America's Cup challengers have re-entered, but one.

Aside from the Defender, Alinghi and the Challenger of Record, Desafío Español, a total of 21 teams presented a Notice of Entry and 17 were accepted. Three of the entered teams are pending minor details towards their official registration and have been granted an extension until January 15. Three other teams were denied entry as no further documentation beyond the Notice of Entry was received by the December 15 entry deadline. Carbon Challenge has withdrawn.

The teams have been working together over the past few months at regular Competitor Meetings to amend the 33rd America's Cup Protocol and to design the new class rule; this process is ongoing and will continue into the New Year with further meetings planned and a publication date for the class rule scheduled for the end of January.

The 33rd America's Cup schedule is for two pre-regattas in Valencia in 2009, the first in July and the second in October, plus the Club Náutico Español de Vela annual regatta in November, followed by an America's Cup Match in 2010.

33rd America's Cup teams (in order of entry):
Alinghi, Société Nautique de Genève (SUI) – Defender
Desafío Español, Club Náutico Español de Vela (ESP) – Challenger of Record
Shosholoza, Royal Cape Yacht Club (RSA)
TeamOrigin, Royal Thames Yacht Club (GBR)
Team New Zealand, Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (NZL)
DCYC, Deutscher Challenger Yacht Club (GER)
Green Comm Challenge, Circolo di Vela Gargano (ITA)
Ayre Challenge, Real Club Náutico de Dénia (ESP)
Victory Challenge, Gamla Stans Yacht Skallskap (SWE)
Argo Challenge, Club Nautico Gaeta (ITA)
Mascalzone Latino, Reale Yacht Club Canottieri Savoia (ITA)
Team French Spirit, Yacht Club de St Tropez (FRA)
Luna Rossa, Yacht Club Punta Ala (ITA)
Russia Team - Fiona, Yacht Club Seven Feet (RUS)
Joe Fly, Società Canottieri Lecco (ITA)
K-Challenge, Cercle de la Voile de Paris (FRA)
Greek Challenge, N.O.K. Poseidon - Nautical Club of Kalamata (GRC)
Dabliu Sail Project (ITA)
China Team, Qingdao International Yacht Club (CHN)

Keel Problems in Delta Lloyd

The Dutch/Irish entry in the Volvo Ocean Race, Team Delta Lloyd (Roberto Bermudez/ESP) has suffered damage to the port side carbon structure around the keel ram. The boat was half way across the Bay of Bengal when the damage occurred, at 1930 local time, midday GMT. Skipper Roberto Bermudez de Castro and his crew are safe and boat is not taking on water.

It is too early to know the exact cause of the damage, but it is likely to be a failure of the hydraulic system. The crew have not retired from the race but are considering the possibility of going to the nearest harbour or continuing towards Singapore, which is the preferred option.

The Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09 will be the 10th running of this ocean marathon. Starting from Alicante in Spain, on 4 October 2008, it will, for the first time, take in Cochin, India, Singapore and Qingdao, China before finishing in St Petersburg, Russia for the first time in the history of the race. Spanning some 37,000 nautical miles, visiting 11 ports over nine months, the Volvo Ocean Race is the world's premier ocean yacht race for professional racing crews.

Oman Sail Flagship Multihull

Currently being built in Australia and destined to be the first ever modern ocean racing boat to be assembled in the Middle-East, the first Arabian 100' trimaran will, when she hits the water in the winter of 2009, become part of a select group of the longest sailing trimarans ever built! She will join the Oman Sail Racing Team fleet as the largest sailing boat to be based in Middle-East region and, along with Musandam (ex-B&Q), form the embryo of a fleet of ocean racing boats based in the Arabian Peninsula.

Vendee Globe Fleet in Problems

Cheminées Poujoulat entered Morbihan Bay in 40-45 knot winds on Sunday evening. In spite of the help that was given to him, Bernard Stamm was unable to moor up where a buoy had been set up for him while using his engine, the assistance of a RIB and the help of Dominique Wavre on board. Very quickly a series of events led to the 60-foot Imoca boat being driven ashore. The skipper was taken off safe and sound.

Vendée Globe leader Jean-Pierre Dick (Paprec-Virbac 2) reported early this afternoon that he had suffered a high speed collision with a floating object and badly damaged the mechanism at the head of his rudder.

The Nicois skipper has been forced to slow, deep reefing his mainsail to keep Paprec-Virbac flatter to maintain steerage with his port rudder as he climbs to pass the West Australian ice-security gate.

He insisted this evening’s during a live radio broadcast that he will fight on and try to affect a repair which he said will not be at easy.

Volvo Leg 3 Started

The third leg started 1530 local time from Cochin (1000 GMT) Saturday 13 December, after a Parade of Sail as well as a ‘Ceremonial Start’ (at 1400 local) which took place in the channel alongside the Race Village. Hundreds of thousands of spectators gathered along the river banks and in the Race Village itself to send the fleet off to Singapore.

Following the first ever stopover for the race in Asia, the eight teams were preparing to tackle what is expected to be a light, fluky, upwind leg, with plenty of potential pitfalls along the way.
Leg three is the shortest so far in the race – at 1,950 nautical miles – and takes the fleet around the southern tip of India and west into the Straits of Malacca, which ranks amongst the busiest shipping channels in the world. As much of the route straddles the equator, light, changeable conditions are expected for much of the leg.

PUMA leads as Volvo Ocean Race leg three got underway. Right after the start, E4 was sailing in 4kts of wind right now and in sight of most of the fleet. Puma was just in front; Telefonica Blue and E3 were just offshore of E4. Behind were the Russians, Green Dragon and Telefonica black inshore.

Vendee Globe Update

Passing Heard Island it is Jean-Pierre Dick (Paprec-Virbac II) who remains clear leader of the Vendée Globe, chosing a more southerly course through the channel between the Kerguelen islands archipelago and Heard Island. Gaining 8.5 miles on those in pursuit of him, Dick has been marginally quicker overnight than Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) who is still locked in battle royal with Roland Jourdain (Veolia Environnement) and Mike Golding, GBR, (Ecover 3). After a high speed, difficult overnight passage in confused, big seas and gusty winds of 35 knots there is still just 3.6 miles of difference between Desjoyeaux, third placed Jourdain, Mike Golding in fourth. In turn a gap from fourth to fifth placed Seb Josse (BT) of 36.8 miles is opened.

Peyron Out

Shortly after 1400 hours on Wednesday, Loick Peyron informed his shore crew about Gitana Eighty's dismasting. Barely three hours later, battling with what remained of the spar to manufacture a jury rig, the skipper of the monohull equipped by Baron Benjamin de Rothschild, went over this fateful incident during a special radio session. It is worth pointing out that Loick Peyron climbed to the top of the mast no later than yesterday and was able to perform a thorough and satisfactory check of the rig at that time.

Gilmour Wins Monsoon Cup

King of the 2008 Monsoon Cup for the second time is Peter Gilmour and his Yanmar Racing team.

Challenged on every part of the race course through four very tough races, Gilmour and his team of Yasuhiro Yaji, Rod Dawson, Thierry Douillard and Kazuhiko Sofuku, are deserved winners of the 2008 Monsoon Cup.

In the Petite Final Torvar Mirsky (Mirsky Racing Team) and recently anointed Match Racing World Champion, Ian Williams (Bahrain Team Pindar), took to the water to redress their semi final losses as they both refocused and looked to finish third in the event. A tough battle between the two with Mirsky dominating both matches to take out third place Monsoon Cup honours.

Overall Monsoon Cup Results
1st Peter Gilmour, Yanmar Racing (AUS)
2nd Adam Minoprio, ETNZ/Black Match Racing (NZL)
3rd Torvar Mirsky, Mirsky Racing Team (AUS)
4th Ian Williams, Bahrain Team Pindar (GBR)
5th Paolo Cian, Team Shosholoza (ITA)
6th Sébastien Col, French Match Racing Team / K-Challenge (FRA)
7th Magnus Holmberg, Victory Challenge (SWE)
8th Mathieu Richard, French Match Racing Team / French Spirit (FRA)
9th Ben Ainslie, Team Origin (GBR)
10th Keith Swinton, Black Swan Racing (AUS)
11th Johnie Berntsson, Berntsson Sailing Team (SWE)
12th Nurul Ain bt Md Isa, Perak Sailing Team (MAS)

Monsoon Cup Match Races

In the first match of the day Ian Williams(Bahrain Team Pindar) and SebastienCol (K-Challenge) went into the match with an equal number of wins from the previous days racing. Williams beat Col after a tactically challenging race in a soft, shifty breeze. It was only in the last leg of the course that Williams caught a soft puff on the left-hand shore and lead Col to the finish by five boat lengths.

Gilmour (against Ainslie) dominated with some smart sailing to win the match and move up the scoreboard with four wins.

Ainslie went into his next match, against Monsoon Cup round robin leader, Paolo Cian. The Bahrain Team Pindar needed to win this match to secure their quarter final berth. Cian challenged them every moment of the match, but Ainslie took the lead to finish clearly ahead of Cain to be one place behind Cian on the point score.

At the mid-way point of the day Cian and Adam Minoprio lead the field on seven wins each and have secured their quarter final berth. Torvar Mirsky with six wins also looks secure. Williams, Ainslie and Gilmour are all placed in a strong position to qualify for the quarter finals with five wins each.

It is now down to Col, Richard, Holmberg and Berntsson to fight it out for the quarter final.

Monsoon Cup

The first day of the Monsoon Cup started with pomp and ceremony as the fourth edition of the Monsoon Cup was officially launched today in Terengganu, Malaysia.

On the water three flights were conducted in the late afternoon breeze with tactics and strategy the key factor in achieving success on a race course with challenging tidal conditions and shifting breezes.

The toughest match of the day was between defending Monsoon Cup champion Ian Williams and his old foe Paolo Cian. Cian went into the match unbeaten in the regatta with two wins already to his name. Cian won the start with Williams squeezed under the start boat. A red flag penalty on the start did not deter Cian from hunting Williams around the course as the breeze softened and shifted. On the last leg Williams covered Cian gybe to gybe to win his first match in the 2008 Monsoon Cup.

There was clearly some difference of opinion on the incident between Williams and Cian on the start of their match. Italian Paolo Cian and his Team Shosholoza lead the field with four wins in the second day of racing in the 2008 Monsoon Cup being held in Malaysia. Cian is one place ahead of defending match racing world and Monsoon Cup champion Ian Williams’ Bahrain Team Pindar and Torvar Mirsky’s Mirsky Racing Team, both with three wins, at the half way mark in today’s racing.

The starts have been a lot fairer in the second day, with the start line being moved in towards to the regatta dock and out of the tidal stream.

In the first flight of the day Sebastien Col defeated Mathieu Richard, Paolo Cian beat Adam Minoprio, Mirsky defeated Nurul Ain and in the match of the flight, Ian Williams defeated Peter Gilmour.

In the Williams versus Gilmour match Gilmour started brilliantly, but with a luffing duel before the top mark, found himself carrying a penalty and Williams taking the lead. A rip in the spinnaker had Williams looking nervous, but it held until race end. It was not until the final beat that Williams then took a left hand shift and extended his lead. By the final rounding of the top mark Williams was five lengths ahead.

In the second flight of the day Cian defeated Mirsky, Williams defeated Nurul Ain, Magnus Holmberg defeated Gilmour and Adam Minoprio defeated Keith Swinton.

A third match for the day went underway afterwards, with a further two matches scheduled for the afternoon.

Ericsson 4 Wins Leg 2

Ericsson 4, Skippered by Torben Grael from Brazil, arrive in Cochin, India, to win the second leg of the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09. Torben Grael from Brasil and his international crew onboard Ericsson 4 made it two wins in a row when they crossed the finish of leg two of the Volvo Ocean Race in Cochin, India at 2252 GMT (0422 local time). The 4,450 nm leg, which started from Cape Town, South Africa on 15 November took Grael and his men 14 days, 11 hours, 32 minutes and 30 seconds (elapsed time 14:11:32:30). Adding the four points the team collected for passing through the leg two scoring gate (the line of longitude 58 degrees east which the fleet had to pass from east to west anywhere south of the latitude 20 degrees south), to the eight points for a leg win, boosts the team’s overall score to 26 points.

Telefonica Blue, skippered by Bouwe Bekking from Netherlands, finishes in second place on leg 2 of the Volvo Ocean Race, from Cape Town, South Africa to Cochin India. The boat crossed the finish line 12:37:50 GMT under a beautiful Indian sunset. Meanwhile, both Green Dragon and Puma were still within sight. The Green Dragon was about 200 meters off the windward stern quarter and Puma was about 6 miles away- behind and to leeward to Delta Lloyd. This is great racing.