Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Statement from GGYC

America's Cup defender Societe Nautique de Geneve has been asked if Alinghi 5 will meet the event's nationality rules. In a letter today to SNG, GGYC Commodore Marcus Young wrote, "We find the Deed to be clear and unambiguous. It requires that the yacht, including its hull, appendages, mast and sails, be constructed in the country of the club it represents. We have gone to great lengths to comply with the Deed in all respects, including 'constructed-in-country,' and expect that your Club will do so as well."

Alinghi 5 has been sailing continually with sails made at Minden, Nevada in the USA.

Absent agreement on the constructed-in-country interpretation, the five-member International Jury recently appointed by the International Sailing Federation would be asked to rule on the matter.

Both yachts should come to the start "street-legal." The sailing world expects this, and wants to know before the Match is sailed, not after. Having the Jury in place allows sailing matters to be dealt with by sailing experts.

GGYC's objective is that the on-the-water result of the 33rd Match be conclusive. Any remaining contentious issues should be dealt with properly before the Match is sailed. No one wants the outcome of the Match to have a question mark hanging over it.

Louis Vuitton Trophy

The World Sailing Teams Association (WSTA) and Louis Vuitton today announced more Louis Vuitton Trophy regattas for 2010 and early 2011. These new international events follow the successful regatta held in Nice, France, last month. Each Louis Vuitton Trophy regatta is a stand-alone regatta sailed in event-supplied 85-foot long AC Class yachts that require a crew of 17 top sailors to sail. The regatta concept is designed to transform a port venue, regardless of its previous sailing culture, into the capital of professional yacht racing for two weeks, along with all the associated activities and excitement, on and off the water.The concept of the Louis Vuitton Trophy regattas was inspired by the acclaimed Louis Vuitton Pacific Series raced in Auckland, NZ, last February.

The schedule for the next events covers four distinctly different parts of the world:

Louis Vuitton Trophy Auckland: 9 - 21 March 2010
Louis Vuitton Trophy La Maddalena, Sardinia: 22 May - 6 June 2010
Louis Vuitton Trophy Middle East: 13 - 28 November 2010
Louis Vuitton Trophy Hong Kong: 9 - 24 January 2011 (To be confirmed)

*The venue in The Middle East is embargoed until January 15th 2010

Court Stands for Americans

New York Appellate Division court ruled unanimously against an appeal from Societe Nautique de Geneve to reinstate Ras Al Kahimah as the venue for the upcoming America's Cup races, and again unanimously against SNG's position on BMW Oracle's rudders with regards to measurement. The BMW ORACLE Racing team has departed San Diego for Valencia in preparation for February's 33rd America's Cup Match.

Golden Gate Yacht Club: The focus for the 33rd America's Cup is now squarely on Valencia, Spain. Today, the Appellate Division rejected the defender's second attempt to have Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, host the February match.

"This is a big stride forward," commented Tom Ehman, Golden Gate Yacht Club spokesperson. "In place of doubt and delay, the sailing world wants certainty. It wants to see this contest to go-ahead soon and be contested under fair rules."

The New York Supreme Court ruled on October 30th that Ras al Khaimah did not comply with the Deed of Gift, a decision upheld by the Appellate Division in a unanimous verdict.

The Court also turned down SNG's second attempt to have rudders included in the crucial Load Water-Line measurement calculation. This has never occurred in the 32 previous America's Cup matches and won't happen in the 33rd.

"With the International Sailing Federation re-drafting the previously unbalanced and unfair agreement it struck with Societe Nautique de Geneve, and discussions continuing to normalize the Notice of Race, the common-sense approach to the remaining issues in this America's Cup is prevailing," added Ehman.

SNG: The Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court today upheld Justice Kornreich's decision of 30 October 2009 that disqualified the America's Cup Defender Societe Nautique de Geneve's choice of Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates as venue for the 33rd America's Cup. The four-judge panel also upheld Kornreich's decision to exclude rudders from the measurement of the load waterline length of the race yacht.

"Once again BMW Oracle's strategy to try to win the America's Cup in court instead of on the water has been successful. For the first time in the history of the America's Cup the Defender has been stripped of its fundamental right to select the venue. Societe Nautique de Geneve accepts this decision and Alinghi is looking forward to racing for the America's Cup on the water in Valencia, Spain, in February 2010," said Fred Meyer, SNG vice-commodore.

World Yacht Racing Forum

Russell Coutts, CEO and Skipper, BMW Oracle Racing shaking hands with Brad Butterworth, Skipper and vice president, Team Alinghi after the American`s cup debate: what is the future for challengers at the 2009 World Yacht Racing Forum 2009 at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco.
The World Yacht Racing Forum (WYRF) returns in 2009 with more speakers, more exhibition showcase displays, more networking sessions, more evening social functions and even greater industry participation.
A packed programme of plenary address presentations, 8 interactive panel sessions, 9 hours of networking time built into the programme, 2 evening social functions and a host of other benefits will ensure all participants have the time and opportunity to meet and engage during the two-day event.

Monsoon Cup

The 2009 ISAF Match Racing World Championship was at stake on morning four of the Monsoon Cup, the final round of the World Match Racing Tour in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia.
When this regatta started Australian Torvar Mirsky and his Match Racing Team crew were number two ranked on the Tour leader board and 12 points behind New Zealander Adam Minoprio and his Emirates Team New Zealand BlackMatch Racing. Mirsky was down 0-2 against the defending Monsoon Cup champion, America’s Cup and World Match Racing Tour veteran Peter Gilmour. The maths showed that if Mirsky was eliminated in the Monsoon Cup quarter finals and Adam Minoprio was to win his battle with Mathieu Richard, Minoprio would become the World Match Racing Champion. Entering the starting box Minoprio had his game face on... he nailed the start and was two lengths ahead on the left of the course. After contact at the top mark Minoprio was given a penalty and Richard a red flag, meaning he had to take an immediate penalty. Minoprio extinguished his penalty and went on to win the match.

Mirsky beat Gilmour in the third race; the scoreline was now 1-2. Mirsky had to win the next match in order to earn a fifth and final match that he would also need to win. Coming towards the top mark Gilmour was ahead by half a boat length. Mirsky decided to follow Gilmour, hoping to stay close enough to pounce when Gilmour did his penalty turn. On the third beat Gilmour was 45 metres ahead, looking to do his penalty turn in the best tide. Mirsky closed to 40 metres giving Gilmour no option but do a finishing line spin. Mirksy finished first, but was penalised and Gilmour won the match. Adam Minoprio is the new ISAF Match Racing World Champion.

Ben Ainslie and Adam Minoprio met at the Monsoon Cup final, Sunday 6 December. The drama started even before the pre-start when the New Zealand skipper Minoprio sailed out of the sailing area and ran aground. Crew member Dave Swete stripped to his shorts and went into the water to check the keel for damage and to clean off any of the river mud that may have stuck. In the first match of the final, Minoprio entered on port but headed to the starboard end of the box and had the pre-start advantage. Ainslie was over early and was penalized for failing to keep clear. Minoprio too was over early but was able to duck back while Ainslie almost stalled and was slow to get back. Minoprio had a massive advantage; he was in the current and steaming around the top mark while Ainslie was 18 seconds behind. Minoprio extended and headed for home with a massive ten boat length lead and crossed the finish line first.

It got worse in the second match as Minoprio timed his start perfectly and headed left, leaving Ainslie staggering. Minoprio crossed the line to go two up in the first to three. Regroup was what TeamOrigin certainly needed to do. Just seconds before the third race start, Minoprio saw pressure coming in from the right and did not contest the previously favoured left hand side. Ainslie hit the current on the left but it was not enough, Minoprio was around the mark two lengths ahead. On the third lap and on the right, Minoprio had private current and the best breeze. Adam Minoprio and his BlackMatch Racing team won the Monsoon Cup.

Semi Final ResultsBen Ainslie (GBR) Team Origin vs Sebastien Col (FRA) French Match Racing Team/ALL4ONE 3-2Adam Minoprio (NZL) Emirates Team New Zealand/BlackMatch Racing vs Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing 3-1

Quarter Final ResultsBen Ainslie (GBR) Team Origin vs Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team 3-0Sebastien Col (FRA) French Match Racing Team/ALL4ONE vs Phil Robertson (NZL) WAKA Racing Team 3-2Adam Minoprio (NZL) Emirates Team New Zealand/BlackMatch Racing vs Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team 3-0Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing vs Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team 3-1

Monsoon Cup

Adam Minoprio and his Emirates Team New Zealand BlackMatch crew faced a sudden death match, fighting for his season with a scoreline of 4-6, against Sebastien Col, 6-4 (French Match Racing Team ALL4ONE). Sebastien Col attracted a penalty while Minoprio was looking for a clean start. The pair battled throughout the match; Minoprio finally taking the win to keep his World Tour Championship hopes alive.
In the other matches to complete the round robin, Torvar Mirsky (Mirsky Racing Team) defeated Peter Gilmour (YANMAR Racing).
Mathieu Richard (French Team) beat Ben Ainslie and his TeamOrigin crew handsomely.
Francesco Bruni and his Italian Azzurra team took the last match in the last flight from Ian Williams and Team Pindar.
The skippers who did not make the quarter finals were Magnus Holmberg (Victory Challenge) 5-6, Francesco Bruni (Azzurra), 4-7, Ian Williams (Team Pindar) 4-7 and Hazwan Hazim (Taring Pelangi TESA) 0-11.
Onto the quarter finals and Ben Ainslie (TeamOrigin) chose to sail against Damien Iehl (French Team). Ainslie controlled the left, while Iehl was very happy to go right, and the race started with a big split. Iehl gained two lengths in the heavier current, running up to five knots. But down the run Ainslie gained, staying out of the adverse current.
In the other quarter final matches, Peter Gilmour pushed young Perth competitor Torvar Mirsky to the left side of the line, before heading right. Mirsky headed right, but he fell in behind Gilmour and was unable to make an impression. Forced over the line early by Adam Minoprio (BlackMatch Racing), Mathieu Richard (French Match Racing Team) had to fight to stay in contact. At the bottom mark for the second time, Minoprio was two lengths ahead and headed right. But Richard gained rapidly in the left hand current; Minoprio was just a length ahead. With Richard failing to keep clear in a luffing match, the Frenchman attracted one penalty then another. All Minoprio had to do was to stay clear to win.
Although Phil Robertson lost his quarter final match against Sebastien Col this afternoon, he was still irrepressible.
The last quarter final match was the two Perth, Australian skippers, the old bull Peter Gilmour and the young bull Torvar Mirsky.

Monsoon Cup

Adam Minoprio and his Emirates Team New Zealand BlackMatch crew faced a sudden death match, fighting for his season with a scoreline of 4-6, against Sebastien Col, 6-4 (French Match Racing Team ALL4ONE). Sebastien Col attracted a penalty while Minoprio was looking for a clean start. The pair battled throughout the match; Minoprio finally taking the win to keep his World Tour Championship hopes alive.
In the other matches to complete the round robin, Torvar Mirsky (Mirsky Racing Team) defeated Peter Gilmour (YANMAR Racing).
Mathieu Richard (French Team) beat Ben Ainslie and his TeamOrigin crew handsomely.
Francesco Bruni and his Italian Azzurra team took the last match in the last flight from Ian Williams and Team Pindar.
The skippers who did not make the quarter finals were Magnus Holmberg (Victory Challenge) 5-6, Francesco Bruni (Azzurra), 4-7, Ian Williams (Team Pindar) 4-7 and Hazwan Hazim (Taring Pelangi TESA) 0-11.
Onto the quarter finals and Ben Ainslie (TeamOrigin) chose to sail against Damien Iehl (French Team). Ainslie controlled the left, while Iehl was very happy to go right, and the race started with a big split. Iehl gained two lengths in the heavier current, running up to five knots. But down the run Ainslie gained, staying out of the adverse current.
In the other quarter final matches, Peter Gilmour pushed young Perth competitor Torvar Mirsky to the left side of the line, before heading right. Mirsky headed right, but he fell in behind Gilmour and was unable to make an impression. Forced over the line early by Adam Minoprio (BlackMatch Racing), Mathieu Richard (French Match Racing Team) had to fight to stay in contact. At the bottom mark for the second time, Minoprio was two lengths ahead and headed right. But Richard gained rapidly in the left hand current; Minoprio was just a length ahead. With Richard failing to keep clear in a luffing match, the Frenchman attracted one penalty then another. All Minoprio had to do was to stay clear to win.
Although Phil Robertson lost his quarter final match against Sebastien Col this afternoon, he was still irrepressible.
The last quarter final match was the two Perth, Australian skippers, the old bull Peter Gilmour and the young bull Torvar Mirsky.

Monsoon Cup

After the monsoon drama of the first day, the toughest racing day so far in the history of the regatta, this morning the competitors had time to focus on the leader board. At the start of racing on day two of the Monsoon Cup the Asian Match Racing champion, New Zealander Phil Robertson, was 1-3. His single victory yesterday was against Ian Williams and he had been singled out as one of the teams who could miss the cut. Mathematically a team needs six wins to get through to the quarter-finals, so Robertson and his WAKA Racing crew had work to do.
However Robertson did not expect to beat Peter Gilmour the defending Monsoon Cup champion. Gilmour was aggressive in the starting box, but impressively Robertson outgunned him. Gilmour attracted two penalties in the pre-start; one a red flag meaning he had to take one penalty immediately. Game over. Sailing against the World Tour ranked number two Torvar Mirsky, Robertson forced the Australian to the left side of the starting line. Robertson was fast to the right hand current elevator and sailed to victory. Then came the Kiwi match up - Robertson against fellow New Zealander Adam Minoprio, who is the Tour leader. Minoprio and his crew were confident ahead of the match, but Robertson took control in the pre-start and grabbed the right hand side of the course. They were sailing bow to stern when the two boats reached the current at the top mark. Robertson was just a length ahead but down the run he extended to three lengths. He held the lead and went on to win.

Ian Williams and Team Pindar have dominated the World Tour for the last two years winning both the 2007 and 2008 World Match Racing Championships but right now Williams is in nightmare territory. After the first day Williams was 1-3, having recorded losses to Damien Iehl (French Team) Peter Gilmour (YANMAR Racing) and Phil Robertson (WAKA Racing), while defeating Torvar Mirsky (Mirsky Racing Team). Williams started with a workman like victory over the Malaysian Match Racing champion Hazwan Hazim Dermawan (MAS). He then lost to Sebastien Col (French Team/ALL4One) and Magnus Holmberg (Victory Challenge). But it was disaster for Williams in his match against Ben Ainslie, earning a penalty in the pre-start. Team Pindar sailed hard, won a leg advantage on the left, but lost the match. Robertson, the world ranked number 25, finished a great morning’s work beating Damien Iehl. WAKA Racing was now 5-3 and heading for the quarter-finals. Next the number 25 ranked sailor tackled former World Tour Champion Magnus Holmberg and in the tight pre-start Holmberg attracted a penalty. Robertson comprehensively outsailed his rival and went on to finish the day with a 6-3 score card.

Monsoon Cup

The Monsoon Cup, the final event of the nine stage 2009 World Match Racing Tour, will commence on the Pulau Duyong Basin course in Kuala Terengganu tomorrow and the stage is set for an epic battle.

Heavy monsoon rains have been falling in eastern Malaysia for the last week and today the World Tour's top match racing crews were on the water acclimatising to the conditions. The leader of the 2009 Tour, New Zealander Adam Minoprio commented as he came ashore this afternoon ‘We are set for a very challenging event this week and there is a lot at stake, the biggest prize money of any sailing event in the world (around US$450,000) and the 2009 World Match Racing Championship. ‘We are glad we had the Perth practice event last week, we certainly needed more time in these boats (Foundation 36s) and we will really need to be on the top of our game to hold out Torvar Mirsky and his MRT Racing Team. The battle for podium placings is going to be exciting.' The World Match Racing Tour's second ranked sailor, Australian Torvar Mirsky, stated ‘On paper it seems simple enough, we are 12 points behind Adam. We’d like to win and have Adam finish fourth. But the reality is much harder than that, the standard is so high and so even that if any of us stumble, we can fall pretty hard. Last year here, we made it to the semi-finals and then Peter Gilmour knocked us out, before going on to win.

‘Ian Williams or Mathieu Richard can take the World Tour crown too, so it’s getting tense.’
Peter Gilmour, the defending Monsoon Cup champion commented, ‘We are all in for an interesting week. It’s a very strong field and a challenging course. We can’t wait to get racing tomorrow.’

World Match Racing Tour Director Craig Mitchell summed up the situation this afternoon. 'With six crews in contention for podium places, the event is wide open. The points awarded in this deciding event are one and a half times that of regular tour events which means that with 150 points to be won, the World Match Racing Tour Championship is far from decided.'

Tour Standings (After 8 of 9 events)

1. Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing 100 Points

2. Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team 88 Points

3. Ian Williams (GBR) Team Pindar 75 Points

4. Mathieu Richard (FRA), French Match Racing Team Racing 74 Points

5. Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR 71 Points

6. Ben Ainslie, (GBR) Team Origin 65 Points

7. Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team 48 Points

8. Sebastien Col, (FRA) French Match Racing Team 41 Points

Transat Jacques Vabre

Mike Golding and Javier Sanso fin ished the Transat Jacques Vabre on a perfect Caribbean morning, arriving into Costa Rica's historic Puerto Limon - where in 1502 Christopher Columbus landed - to secure a hard won third place in race which winner Marc Guillemot had described as the toughest of his career.

Sailing upwind through the gentle, long swell in just a gentle breeze Golding and Sanso eased the IMOCA Open 60 Mike Golding Yacht Racing through the finish line in the early morning to be greeted by a large, colourful and noisy crowd. Mike Golding Yacht Racing finished at 8:59 in the morning, Costa Rica time, 14:59h GMT. Their time for the course from Le Havre is 17 days, 1 hour, 29 minutes and 38 seconds, finishing 1 day, 6 hours, 7 minutes and 28 seconds after the first placed IMOCA Open 60 monohull Safran.

The duo played their stealth card for the final stage of the race, a spoiler just in case there was any unexpected, major slow down in the final hours of the race, but in the end it was not needed as they never stopped moving through the last hours, trimming hard until the finish gun confirmed their success.

Safran is the Winner

The tricky approach to the coast of Costa Rica ended successfully for the duo, Guillemot - Caudrelier Benac. In light winds, they led Safran to a fully deserved victory after 15 days, 19 hours and 22 minutes of intense sailing. It was daylight in France, but still dark in Puerto Limon when Safran crossed the finish at 2h 52’ and 10’’ (local time) or 8h 52’ 10’’, GMT. It marked the end of some genuine suspense, as Safran and the boat chasing after her, Groupe Bel had both been sailing in stealth mode since the previous day. Marc and Charles did not have any information about their most dangerous rival. As soon as they arrived, Jean-Paul Herteman, President of the board of the Safran group, thanked the two winners.

Safran’s race in figures
Race time: 15 days 19 hours 22 minutes 10 seconds
Average speed on the direct route: 12.46 knots
Average speed out on the water: 13.87 knots
Distance covered: 5263 miles

Transat Jacques Vabre

The last few miles may still hold a sting in the tail for the leading duo as the weather may slow the leading boat, with some nervous hours to the finish. On a race which has a recent history of close, tight finishes, the final miles of the Transat Jacques Vabre can be the most nerve racking.

The finish line is all but in sight, the miles counting down with a pleasing whirr, but for Safran's Marc Guillemot and Charles Caudrelier - who are seeking to convert the lead they have held for nine days - they still have no shortage of pressure, and it is likely to stay heaped upon them until the end.

And with less than 450 miles to go in this ninth edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre, the gap back from Safran to Kito de Pavant and Francois Gabart on Groupe Bel is just over 70 miles.

Groupe Bel are an ever present threat, as they have been to Safran since they eased past Mike Golding Yacht Racing a week ago, Saturday night 14th, to install themselves in second place.

A relatively stationary little low pressure trough has installed itself over the Gulf of Panama. That has contributed to some spicy squall activity for the two leaders today but so there is the distinct threat that the final miles in to the finish line off Costa Rica's Puerto Limon will not be easy.

Safran crossed the longitude of Cartagena (Colombia) which was the finish for the Transat Jacques Vabre from 1993 to 1999, with a time of 13 days and 22 hours of sailing.

Underlining the evolution of the class ten years ago, the winner of the IMOCA Open 60 division took 19 days and 17 hours over the same course. By comparison with the course record to Salvador de Bahia, JP Dick and Loick Peyron's 13.51 knots in 2005 compares with the course average so far of Safran at 13.26 knots. Safran had done 375 miles over the 24 hours to 1100hrs today.

While Mike Golding Yacht Racing and Foncia seem assured of third and fourth, the race for sixth to eighth remains the closest group of the IMOCA Open 60. While Pepe Ribes and Alex Pella now hold sixth place on W-Hotels, Dee Caffari and Brian Thompson were breaking away from eighth and the heat of battle to effect a rapid pit stop to collect a replacement generator control panel at a rendezvous off St Lucia. The British duo were just two miles short of Veolia Environnment's seventh when they diverged north.

Transat Jacques Vabre

As Safran lead across their theoretical half way point of this Transat Jacques Vabre from Le Havre to Costa Rica and life has become considerably easier for the IMOCA Open 60 crews and the remaining Multi50 duos, the days of sunshine and trade winds sailing may be pleasant but the pace is still intense right down the fleets, seeking every small gain, trimming more accurately and hand steering as long as possible.

Marc Guillemot and Charles Caudrelier top the IMOCA Open 60 standings by just 23.3 miles this morning, with Kito de Pavant and Francois Gabart on Groupe Bel gaining ten miles since the same time yesterday morning. A third of their lead devoured, Guillemot remarked yesterday that his preference is normally to do the hunting rather than be hunted.

The two leading sister-ships are very evenly matched now, whilst Mike Golding, the British skipper sounded mildly irritated this morning that, try as hard as they can, the two French boats have gained consistently over the last two days. In fact they have been breaking into slightly stronger breeze progressively and both Golding and Sanso acknowledged this morning that they may be losing a little time through manoeuvres - sail changes, mainly - due to their lack of time together as a duo.

Golding and Sanso have lost 34 miles over 48 hours.

Conditions are still not perfect, settled tradewinds. The unstable 12-20 knots breeze swings around in direction and rises and falls in strength, sailing under spinnaker may be pleasant but it is also tiring.

Completing the ninth day at sea today the biggest threat to the leaders might be Michel Desjoyeaux and Jeremie Beyou on Foncia.

Desjoyeaux noted that three hours of solid spinnaker trimming had worn out Beyou. They are now up to fourth place, accounting for Veolia Environnment who are now 45 miles behind and slowed too close to the cente of the high pressure, but Foncia are still 355 miles in arrears of the leader Safran.

Having made just 14 miles on Safran since the same time a couple of days ago, then the leading trio can feel safe for the moment.

Transat Jacques Vabre

Virtually the full range of emotions were starkly evident on the Transat Jacques Vabre race track today as the leading trio fast approach the half way mark for the IMOCA Open 60 fleet on their 4370 miles course from Le Havre to Porto Limon, Costa Rica.

As under-pressure leaders Marc Guillemot and Charles Caudrelier on Safran bent to the task of holding off the rapidly advancing, Kito de Pavant and Francois Gabart, their smiling, chilled rivals on identical design sistership, the laughing cow' logo'd Groupe Bel, back on eighth placed Aviva Britain's Dee Caffari declared herself one 'happy bunny' as she and Brian Thompson hit the trade-winds conveyor belt, into the warmth , the sunshine and brisker winds, for some fast, champagne sailing and a chance to unwrap herself from the layers of warm, waterproof clothing she has had on for the best part of week,

But for Alex Thomson, once again it is the unfortunately familiar welling up of bitter disappointment to deal with, as he and co-skipper Ross Daniel are forced to head for the Azores, limping north with Hugo Boss taking on water after they hit something at high speed yesterday afternoon. After a night at slow speed trying to keep the damaged area, an indentation of about 30 cms, Thomson and Daniel's race is over, all too soon.

If the anger and frustration feels like dejà vu after having to pull out of last year's Vendee Globe with structural damage sustained in the first big storm, less than 36 hours into the race, Thomson's shred of consolation this time is that he had done a good job through the worst storm and had earned a strong position with Hugo Boss. But this afternoon that was a bitter pill to swallow. He had certainly achieved the objective of giving former boat captain Ross Daniel a first hand insight into the rigours of ocean racing on the Open 60 with a view to maximising gear reliability for future endeavours.

When Daniel went forwards after striking an object with a thud during yesterday afternoon he found four tonnes of water in the watertight compartment.

Transat Jacques Vabre

A harrowing day for sailors in the Transat Jacques Vabre came to a safe conclusion as Seb Josse and JF Curzon were brought to safety by helicopter in the Azores. Their technical team were due in the Azores this evening ready to attempt a salvage mission. The pair set off their EIPRB beacon at around 10:20hrs Friday morning while 200 miles north of the Azores after the coachroof was badly damaged by the pounding waves. They said that the boat was taking water and required immediate assistance. At one point to a depth of nearly two thirds of hull was filled with water.

With storm-force conditions in excess of 55 knots overnight, Sam Davies onboard Artemis Ocean Racing this morning reported further damage to the boat. Sam called the shore team at 1030 GMT this morning to report: "We have lost a mainsail batten (third down from the top) which flew out of the sail, the third reef pin on the boom has gone and our main Iridium handset is broken - either water-logged or from the shock of the boat pounding through the waves."

None of the damage is terminal but the loss of the mainsail batten will compromise their race performance, however in a call at 1700 GMT today, Sam confirmed that after much consideration there is no plan to stop for repairs, but instead to press on in the best direct route to the finish.

It has also been confirmed that Veolia Environnement (Roland Jourdain and Jean-Luc Nelias) is heading to the Azores to try and repair damage to their mast track - the same damage incurred by Brit Air in the opening stages of the race that resulted in their retirement.

With the testing conditions forecast to last for another 24 hours, the British duo (Dee Caffari and Brian Thompson) took advantage of a brief becalmed period to send co-skipper Brian Thompson up the mast to replace the wind wand. As a result of the repair, Aviva has lost miles within the northerly pack of the IMOCA Open 60 fleet, but with the instruments now fully functioning, Caffari and Thompson will be looking to battle through the elements in an attempt to claw back some miles.

The breakaway trio, Safran, Mike Golding Yacht Racing and Groupe Bel continue to profit from the excellent conditions through Sunday, all seeing the speed readouts peaking over 20 knots for periods as the they relish wind, sun and high speeds.

Their Sunday has been a time to re-group, catch up on repairs but most of all simply making sure the pace does not drop off.

As the distance remaining of the 4730 miles course from Le Havre to Costa Rica counted down under 3000 today, Marc Guillemot and Charles Caudrelier's Safran has continued to be a little faster than her pursuers, opening up a lead of 53.7 miles on the British-Spanish duo on Mike Golding Yacht Racing, whilst Kito de Pavant and Francois Gabart is just a little more than 12 miles behind.

The threesome are sprinting south with a cushion of 134 miles back to the British crew on Hugo Boss, Alex Thomson and Ross Daniel, and the best part of 300 miles ahead of the best of the southern group, Foncia. Michel Desjoyeaux and Jeremie Beyou lie eighth.

Golding, pointing out that Safran was still no more than three hours ahead of him, remarked that he felt the three runaways have themselves a 'glamour hand', but that there are no guarantees. The current routings today sees a more northerly course still paying off, with a much more southerly option still bringing that southerly groups in 200 miles behind the leading trio as they enter the Caribbean Sea, but the weather predictions further down the track are changing all the time.

For Sam Davies and Sidney Gavignet on 11th placed Artemis, they have been getting towards the end of their long jobs list, one which has left them exhausted and which Gavignet said this morning has cost them many miles, not least 20 hours or so trying to sort out their mainsail problems.

Improvements to 2010 ORC VPP

The Offshore Racing Congress (ORC) has accepted and approved all changes made by the International Technical Committee (ITC) to next year’s VPP to be used in ORC International and ORC Club rating systems. This is the first year the ITC had met to finalize their changes and ratify them through the ORC test fleet of 300 designs prior to the ORC’s Annual General Meeting in Busan.

The following is a summary of the main changes:

Hydrodynamic model: The treatment of truncated sterns and the length assessment study has been finalized thanks to the thorough work coordinated between Axel Mohnhaupt, the programmer and the Chairman. A description of Axel's algorithm has been distributed. This formulation will finally address the IMS L sensitivity experienced in the past, and boats with truncated sterns will have the advantage they need to be competitive in ORC.

Aerodynamic model: The new Upwind Aero Model introduced last year is refined with a procedure for flat and reef parameters used in sequence and decoupled. This causes only minor changes on the test fleet.

Double Rudder: The Double rudder treatment, following a 2008 submission, has been developed and a proper evaluation has been programmed into the VPP that takes into account the distance of the rudder from centerline and its angle so that it can calculate which part of the rudder is out of the water. The rudder data is added at the end of the OFF file following the old code that was used as a simplified rudder measurement.

Regulations: The Racing Division regulations have been removed and all those boats who are not eligible with the Cruising Regulations, now renamed “Performance,” and the Cruising Division text has been revised by eliminating complex language that was a consequence of several layers of Rule revisions. This has simplified into two pages the simple concepts that define accommodation standards that are common and make sense for everyone. The Table of minimum requirements was replaced with simpler formulae.

Moveable Ballast Boats: Default Righting Moment for Moveable Ballast boats has been revised to validate a more appropriate VPP for these kinds of boats. Age allowance will maintain the same annual increment, but will have a top value reduced from 1.3% to 1%, corresponding to an age of 15 years. This is the proposal submitted by FIV, and addresses also a submission on the same topic coming from Argentina. 3D files (like RHINO or IGES) provided by Designer will now be accepted and processed by the ORC rating office to create valid offset files to issue new ORC International certificates, provided freeboard reference points are identified which are common to the real mold/hull and the OFF file provided by the Designer. A procedure to validate these offsets files will be prepared by the ORC and tested before the end of the year in Australia for the boats that will race in next month’s Sydney to Hobart Race.

Carbon Mast Default weight: A new default weight and VCG is being formulated to account for light carbon masts fitted with fiber rigging that would be applied when the “carbon mast” and “fiber rigging” tabs are activated. This will be substantially lighter than the present Default mast weight, which remains in use for unweighed aluminum masts and for all weighed masts to derive the gyradius increment due to the mast. This will ensure that unweighed carbon masts would get an unrated advantage, so the requirement for weighing carbon masts can be suppressed.

SPL: A new Blanketing function is being tested to produce an influence of SPL/TPS length on spinnaker performances. This new function, based on the ratio SPL/SMG (or TPS/AMG) will take into account the more exposed sail area to the apparent wind (less coverage from mainsail) that is obtained with a longer pole (SPL) or bowsprit (TPS).

Heavy Items: will be eliminated from the certificate, and their effect on gyradius adjustment ignored. Only anchor and chain weight will remain as gyradius correctors, if placed in the bow.

Jib Furler: The use of only one jib associated with a Jib furler will modify jib aero coefficients to assess the reduced efficiency of this configuration in the same way in ORC International as it currently does for ORC Club. Power driven winches (and generally stored power) will be allowed also for C/R boats under 20 m, with a penalty of 0.5% applied to all handicaps. This has been fixed to avoid exploitation of this configuration on aggressive C/R, so the ratio between Declared Crew Weight and Default Crew Weight squared will be used to diminish this penalty for reduced crew boats that really require the help of stored power. Internal VPP area for mainsails has been revised to take into account high roach and square top mainsails in a way more related to the true surface of these sails. Other minor adjustments have been made, like the revision of crossover point between jib and spinnakers, revised DA for non overlapping boats, non-spinnaker configuration revision, correction of Code 0 area for cruising boats to let them race without penalties.

Tank Test Research: The Congress funded the construction and testing of three new models that will be developed and designed to better represent the current racing fleets Hopefully the results of these tests may be ready for implementation in 2011.

Transat Jacques Vabre

Enjoying a temporary lull through part of today, skippers in the Transat Jacques Vabre were steeling themselves, preparing for one more beating which stands between them and the easier, faster conditions south of the Azores.

Once again the conditions will be tougher for those in the northern group, one which is looking like an increasing advantage for the meantime. Those who took the ''high road, the northern routing, have so far escaped relatively unscathed - fatigued and with a few bumps, bruises and the odd mechanical and electrical problem - while already some of those who elected to go for the seemingly prudent southern routing, were today regretting their decision.

Marc Guillemot and Charles Caudrelier became the fourth leader of the IMOCA Open 60 class when they steadily overhauled Seb Josse and JF Curzon on BT over today, with the radical, chined Prevost-Verdier design taking a lead of 4.7 miles ahead of Josse and Curzon, while Britain's Mike Golding may be struggling to get on top of autopilot problems and an electrical blackout from early this morning, but was up to third place on the late afternoon rankings.
Those on the southern routing have started to tack this afternoon. With a deficit of 277 miles Foncia turned NW this afternoon, as did Vincent Riou and Arnaud Boissires on Akena Verandas.

It has been a torrid and stormy time for Sam Davies and Sidney Gavignet onboard Artemis Ocean Racing in what has turned into a battering for the IMOCA 60 fleet in the Transat Jacques Vabre.

Decisions about the route for the highly experienced pair have been about preservation of the boat rather than the optimum course.

Transat Jacques Vabre

The Transat Jacques Vabre fleet will have to deal with some difficult wind and sea conditions through Wednesday and Thursday as they encounter the first big Atlantic storm of the race. Crews on both the IMOCA Open 60's and the Multi 50's were preparing for winds which are forecast to exceed 40 knots at times and big seas.

Seb Josse, co-skipper on BT, the IMOCA Open 60 which has lead the fleet through the day, admitted this morning that there are no clear cut advantages between the more northerly routing which he and Jeff Curzon have been following, and that of the double Vendee Globe winning Michel Desjoyeaux on Foncia, who last night seized the opportunity presented to maximise his southing with co-skipper Jeremie Beyou, and split away from the southerly grouping.

British pairing Dee Caffari and Brian Thompson on Aviva continued with their strong position, racing through the day in second place, sliding on the afternoon ranking to sixth with a 14 miles deficit to BT. Racing virtually alongside Kito de Pavant and Francois Gabart, only about 400 metres apart during the morning, Thompson highlighted the similarity in speed of the diverse designs before they tacked off to the north-west this afternoon, leaving the Mediterranean pairing, for the meantime, to a more southerly track.

The split in the fleet, such as it is, sees a group of five opting for a more northerly routing - mainly BT, Veolia Environnement, Mike Golding Yacht Racing, and Aviva - while the southerly cluster now comprises mainly Akena Verandas, Artemis and W Hotels.

First to play the stealth card - going into furtive mode - was Yves Parlier and Pachi Rivero on 1876.

In the Multi50 fleet Prince of Bretagne has been forced to head for La Coruna after also suffering mainsail mast-track damage, while Crepes Whaou still leads from the advancing Region Aquitaine Port Medoc.

Grael - Tunnicliffe World Sailor of the Year

ISAF and Rolex are proud to announce that the male and female winners of the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards 2009 are: Torben Grael (BRA) and Anna Tunnicliffe (USA)Torben Grael received his award tonight, and in his winning speech said, "It's an honour to be here. It's not the first time I've attended this award ceremony, but it's truly a different feeling to stand here," he said, from behind the podium. "I am very thankful, and to be here I represent not only myself but all the people who helped me run my campaigns: the sailors, my family, my parents, my wife, the company Ericsson. it's been a fantastic year and it was a fantastic [Volvo Ocean] Race. This year has made me aware of some feelings I am not used to," said an emotional Grael as he accepted his ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award. "I'd like to thank Rolex for their continued support- it's great what they do for our sport," said Anna Tunnicliffe, upon being named the female ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year. "I've had great fun competing in a variety of classes, I love doing it, and I'd like to thank my sponsors, my teams, my parents for being my managers, and my husband for always allowing me to sail."

Valencia is Final

In a letter written today to New York Supreme Court Justice Kornreich following the unsuccessful discussions with the Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC), the America's Cup Defender, Société Nautique de Genève (SNG), has confirmed that it will conduct a Deed of Gift Match with GGYC in February 2010 in Valencia, which is the date and venue repeatedly requested by GGYC and previously ordered by the Court. SNG has also expressed its intention to publish the 33rd America's Cup Notice of Race with immediate effect.

When SNG's first choice of venue, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, was declared invalid by the New York Supreme Court, the Swiss Defender proposed two alternative Southern Hemisphere venues: Proserpine/Airlie Beach and Townsville in Australia, where the weather conditions are suitable in February.

GGYC's reaction has been to try to delay the Cup and to continue to try and gain competitive advantage while SNG attended the meetings in good faith with the objective of finding a settlement.

While SNG confirms Valencia as the venue for the 33rd America's Cup in February 2010, the offer to GGYC of an Australian venue for the same date remains on the table until 13 November 2009 provided GGYC agrees to withdraw all legal actions.

Transat Jacques Vabre

The first full day of racing in this ninth edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre, sees the fleet into the Atlantic with a pause for reflection, a chance to regroup before the first big weather systems descend on the fleet and, in time, the first telling strategic moves need to be made.

While Michel Desjoyeaux and Jeremie Beyou have lost little time in falling in line with their billing as pre-race favourites, leading out of the inky black of the first night at sea, quickly into a rhythm which can be established more readily thanks to the miles that both have sailed on the Farr design Foncia, which won this race in 2007, and more recently triumphed in the Istanbul Europa Race with co-skipper Beyou on board.

Foncia was leading the pack out of a ridge of high pressure early this afternoon, in close company with Groupe Bel - which has remained resolutely south since the start yesterday - Akena Verandas, which on board has Arnaud Boissires partnered by past Vendee Globe winner Vincent Riou, and record breaking British double-circumnavigator Dee Caffari with Brian Thompson well placed on Aviva in fifth.

Ahead for them is the first nasty weather system of a sequence of depressions which are forecast to bring them 40-45 knots and big seas on Wednesday. Such weather is standard fare for this time of the year in the Atlantic, but by Friday - the 13th - they should be through the worst of it and negotiating the Azores archipelago.

Transat Jacques Vabre

After days of rain, wind and even hail storms, the waters off Le Havre offered the 20 crews setting off on the ninth edition of the two handed Transat Jacques Vabre relatively benign conditions as they headed down the Channel, making west and south from the autumnal chills of Northern Europe for the sunshine of Costa Rica.

And for all that the six Multi 50's have a theoretical 5050 NM's to complete, leaving Barbados to starboard, and the 14 IMOCA Open 60's have 4730 miles to Costa Rica, leaving the Dominican Republic to starboard, no one was shy about pushing it on the start lines.

Appropriately, as leading lights in the class, in the multihulls Franck Yves Escoffier and Erwan Leroux were the first break the start line of this edition, easing away under gennaker in the 7-9 knots of breeze, picking up pace to forge through the sloppy, leftover sea and the spectator boat wakes.

The IMOCA Open 60's pushed harder to their start gun. Kito de Pavant and Francois Gabart on Groupe Bel were the first to unroll their gennaker, early for the line. Forced to scrub off speed to make the leeward end of the start line, they broke to the left early. Dee Caffari and Brian Thompson proved they are out to give this course their all, and made a nicely timed start at the windward end of the line, with Seb Josse and Jean Francois Cuzon on BT in the middle of the lineup with Marc Guillemot and Charles Caudrelier urging Safran across, all virtually at the same time.

A complex weather scenario awaits. Fast reaching conditions in a NW'ly breeze were due to give way to variable, light wind conditions of a high pressure ridge for the first full day at sea. Strategically there still seemed to be the option of staying north and fighting winds of perhaps over 40 knots on the front of the first of a series of depressions which will track across the North Atlantic, or prudently to head south early and try and breach the lighter breezes of the first part of the Azores high pressure system first.

The first Position report at 1600hrs (GMT) showed Crepes Whaou to be eading the Multi 50's from Actual and Guyader.

Groupama Circumnavigation

Groupama 3 set off from off the Creac'h lighthouse (Ushant Finistere) in a good NW'ly breeze and big seas. Franck Cammas and his nine crew will have to be back from their circumnavigation of the globe spanning over 24,000 miles, prior to the morning of 26th December.

A granulated sky, gusts, intermittent showers, setting sun, big Atlantic swell, squalls, breaking waves: here we have the setting for this latest departure to gain a new reference time in the Jules Verne Trophy, the round the world record held by Bruno Peyron and his crew since 2005 (50d 16h 20m). Groupama 3 left the pontoon of the port of Le Chteau in Brest, NW France this Thursday 5th November at 1300 hours before a warm crowd of locals and the crew's families, which came out as far as the Petit Minou lighthouse to bid them farewell. Under two-reefed mainsail and a small jib, Groupama 3 then released her tow at 1400 hours and headed out to sea in a building swell... As such the giant trimaran had to put in a few tacks to get to the North of Ushant before setting the clock running at 15h 50' 22'' UT.

The NW'ly wind associated with the low, which passed over Brittany on Wednesday, was still very active: the stormy sky with its cumulonimbus was generating a twenty to twenty-five knot breeze, gusting to over thirty-five knots... Above all though, the seas were hard at the exit from the English Channel with waves of nearly seven metres offshore! As such conditions weren't ideal for the start, but the next stage in the programme is highly favourable, once the crew reaches the Portuguese coast. As a result, for half a day, Franck Cammas and his nine crew are likely to be tackling beam winds and may even have to sail close-hauled for a few hours.

Transat Jacques Vabre

For some it's the first big chance to restore pride and confidence after the brutal last edition of the Vendee Globe, to others it is simply the next big challenge on the competition itinerary, but the 2009 edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre, which starts from Le Havre this weekend has drawn a remarkably strong fleet of 14 IMOCA Open 60's and a fleet of six Multi50 class multihulls which includes three brand new build boats.

With two days to go before the start the atmosphere, if anything, is slightly restrained. The pressures of the global economic downturn has perhaps eliminated some of the adventurers and those who might normally be taking their first steps on the ladder with this biennial classic race. That means that the IMOCA Open 60 fleet, seven months after the finish of the Vendee Globe, has been pared back to serious teams which are all well funded, highly professional and prepared to approximately the same high level. Meeting their respective international press contingents today both Michel Desjoyeaux, who is out to defend his win in the 2007 edition of this race, and Hugo Boss skipper Alex Thomson individually observed that the fleet of IMOCA Open 60's for this race contains neither weak boats, nor weak crews.

Eight of the 28 IMOCA Open 60 skippers here did not finish their Vendee Globe, from the unfortunate Kito de Pavant (Groupe Bel), Alex Thomson (Hugo Boss) and Marc Thiercelin (DCNS) who were among the victims of the first big storm, Jeremie Beyou (who races on Foncia with Michel Desjoyeaux) to Sebastien Josse (BT), Vincent Riou (PRB)now Akena Verandas with Arnaud Boissieres), Mike Golding (Ecover, now Mike Golding Yacht Racing) and Roland Jourdain (Veolia Environnement) who was the last who was soloist who was forced to retire whilst lying second. All are back here, racing this new course to Puerto Limon,Costa Rica
French sailing legend Yves Parlier returns to the IMOCA Open 60 fleet, sailing on the Spanish flagged 1876 partnering Spain's Pacchi Rivero. Parlier is a past winner, in 1997 with the late Eric Tabarly, which he still describes as the highlight of his sailing career, and last competed in 1999 with Ellen MacArthur.

British female skippers Sam Davies and Dee Caffari are back in the fray too. Davies is sailing Artemis with Sidney Gavignet, while Caffari is joined on Aviva by Brian Thompson whose third Transat Jacques Vabre this is. While Caffari's confidence after the Vendee Globe and an all girl Round Britain record attempt on Aviva in the summer, is at all time high, Davies, along with Gavignet is just getting to grips with the very powerful Rogers designed Artemis.

SNG Offers Australia

Société Nautique de Genève (SNG), the 33rd America's Cup defending yacht club, has proposed an alternative venue to the American challenger in a bid to end their continued litigation and return the Cup to the water.

Ahead of tomorrow's hearing at the New York Supreme Court, the Swiss Defender has proposed a solution to the legal impasse brought about by the Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC). While the Defender's first choice for the Deed of Gift Match is Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates, in order to achieve a Match in February SNG proposes to stage the 33rd America's Cup on the east coast of Australia, in the Southern Hemisphere, in compliance with the Deed of Gift. This is a venue that should be acceptable to both teams if, as expressed publicly, the true intention of BMW Oracle is to race for the America's Cup on the water.

A specific race course in the Pacific Ocean off the east coast of Australia, with weather conditions suitable for racing in February, will be announced promptly should GGYC accept this offer and cease their legal strategy. The east coast of Australia offers several locations with ideal sailing conditions for the best-of-three match. A venue in this region would be approximately two and a half weeks away by ship from BMW Oracle's base in San Diego, while Alinghi's voyage from Ras Al Khaimah would take approximately three weeks.

SNG is hopeful that this offer will be accepted and that the competition will resume on the water rather than in court.

Alinghi's Request Rejected

The Appellate Division in New York has rejected the Swiss defender's request to freeze last week's Supreme Court decision that Ras Al Khaimah (UAE) did not comply with the Deed of Gift for the 33rd America's Cup. Golden Gate Yacht Club said Ras Al Khaimah was wrong all along. The Supreme Court said it was wrong last week. And the Appellate Division said no to a Stay today. The message is clear. SNG/Alinghi will try one more time to have Ras Al Khaimah re-installed in a fast-track expedited Appellate Division application due to be heard in the coming weeks.

The race dates for the 33rd America's Cup remain unchanged, commencing February 8th, 2010. Justice Kornreich ruled from the Supreme Court bench on Wednesday October 27 that Ras Al Khaimah was not Deed-compliant. There will be a further hearing before her this Friday. The Court will determine if Valencia (Spain) is confirmed as the venue - as both sides had previously agreed to this in Court - or if SNG/Alinghi can still choose a Deed-compliant location in the Southern Hemisphere despite the expired six month notice of the venue that the Defender is required to give the Challenger.

Groupama in Volvo

The Groupama Insurance Group confirmed today that it will enter the next two editions of the Volvo Ocean Race with its long term French skipper, Franck Cammas, a commitment that will last until 2015.
The announcement was made as Cammas was in the French port Le Chateau in Brest, preparing to set off on a bid to conquer the Jules Verne Trophy aboard the 32-metre maxi trimaran. The chosen designer for Groupama's new boat is Argentinean Juan Kouyoumdjian, the designer of the winning boats in the last two editions of the Volvo Ocean Race.
"It's now been over 12 years that Groupama and Franck Cammas have worked together as a team. Today, we have decided to continue this commitment by participating in the Volvo Ocean Race to inspire a more international dynamic in our common project," said Frederique Granado, director of external communications at Groupama.
"Groupama is developing strong links overseas, where we carry out nearly 30 per cent of our business, and the Volvo Ocean Race is clearly the most suitable sports event to reflect our group's new expansion," Granado explained.
Knut Frostad, CEO of the Volvo Ocean Race is very pleased about the return of a French boat to the Volvo Ocean Race: "The French certainly have their place in the Volvo against the cream of the Anglo-Saxon and European crews. It is excellent news that the Groupama team is joining the race. I have known Franck Cammas and his team for a long time. They are formidable competitors, who are remarkably well organised. It is going to be an exciting race."

Appeal on Ras Al Khaimah

The Defender of the 33rd America's Cup, Societe Nautique de Genve (SNG), is to appeal New York Supreme Court Justice Kornreich's decision of 30 October rejecting Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates as the venue for the 33rd America's Cup. SNG has applied for an expedited appeal to avoid any delay to the February 2010 Deed of Gift Match.

The choice of Ras Al Khaimah was made based on the plain language of Justice Cahn's (Kornreich's predecessor) May 2008 Court Order that ruled the location of the 33rd America's Cup Match to be in 'Valencia or any other location selected by the SNG'.

The Emirati venue was selected by the Defender for several reasons: the suitability of the weather conditions for a February Deed of Gift Match; the infrastructure offered by the country and the experience the UAE brings in organising world class sporting events.

While the Deed of Gift stipulates that racing for the America's Cup between 1 November and 1 May must take place in the Southern Hemisphere, Justice Cahn's 12 May 2008 New York Supreme Court Order 'that the location of the match be in Valencia or any other location selected by the SNG' led the America's Cup defending yacht club, Societe Nautique de Genve, to select Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates.

Larson Melges 24 World Champion

The fifty-one international teams, who had travelled from across North America and Europe to compete in the Sheehy Lexus of Annapolis 2009 Melges 24 World Championships, finally got the welcome opportunity to race in double-digit breezes on the final day of the regatta. Despite the Championship racecourse being shrouded in appropriately Halloween style mist for most of the day, the Race Committee successfully banged off two four-leg races in winds which peaked at around fourteen knots.
Chris Larson at the helm of 'West Marine Rigging/New England Ropes', who had led the regatta on-and-off for much of the week, took a seventeen point lead into the final day and looked odds-on to take the title. However with the potential for three races to be sailed today, Larson was always potentially vulnerable to attack from second placed Gabrio Zandona at the helm of the Italian entry 'Joe Fly'.
If Larson was in fact feeling the pressure of leading the championship into the final day, there was no visible evidence at the start of the first race. With several of the top teams including Zandona, Lorenzo Bressani on 'Uka Uka Racing' and Terry Hutchinson on 'Quantum Racing/Gill Race Team' being called OCS soon after the start, Larson was able to pick his way skilfully through the melee at the pin and followed eventual race winner Nico Celon on 'Fantastica' off the line. Rounding the top mark with only Carlo Fracassoli on 'Gullisara' in front of him, Larson sailed a calm and composed race and went on to record his fourth second place of the week. Zandona, Bressani and Hutchinson all received twenty percent Z-flag penalties and following an announcement from the Race Officer that there would be no third race, Larson now found himself in an unassailable position. With no reason to compete in the second race of the day, he and his delighted crew: Mike Wolfs, Curtis Florence! and tactician Richard Clarke, headed ashore to start to begin to celebrate their Melges 24 World Championship victory.

AC not in Ras Al Khaimah

The New York Supreme Court today ruled that the 33rd America's Cup, scheduled in February 2010, must take place in a venue in the Southern Hemisphere as per the strict reading of the competition's governing document, the Deed of Gift, or in Valencia, Spain, as the only exception to that rule.
“This is a disappointing result as we were certain that Justice Cahn's May 2008 decision allowed the Defender to chose Valencia or ‘any other location',” said Lucien Masmejan, Société Nautique de Genève (SNG) legal counsel. “Ras Al Khaimah has put enormous time and effort into this 33rd America's Cup project. We thank them and feel sorry for this unexpected result out of the New York court”.
“We are satisfied, however, as Justice Kornreich confirmed that the Deed of Gift Match will be conducted under SNG rules as she had already ruled in a previous court order,” added Lucien Masmejan.

GGYC replied to the decision: "We're pleased with the court's decision today that Alinghi's choice of the venue for the 33rd America's Cup was not allowed under the Deed of Gift. We look forward to Justice Kornreich's decision later this week regarding two additional issues. First, we hope she will agree with our position that Alinghi cannot add additional ballast, equipment or sailors to the boat after it has been measured for compliance with the Deed of Gift's restriction on length along the load water line. Enabling any team to add additional weight after measurement - thus lengthening its load water line and increasing its speed - violates the Deed of Gift, decades of sailing practice, and the spirit of the rules that govern the America's Cup.
Second, Justice Kornreich understands the need for a fair and impartial jury. Our position is that the sailing jury must have the normal powers to adjudicate. We remain motivated to negotiate all remaining issues with Alinghi to ensure a fair, competitive and successful America's Cup in February 2010. We took a big step towards this goal today. "

America's Cup to Court

The Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) has asked the New York Supreme Court to remove the Swiss yacht club from its position as Trustee in a Breach of Fiduciary Duty complaint filed today.
In its place, GGYC - the Challenger of Record the 33rd America's Cup - has requested the Court to appoint a faithful, fit and proper substitute to oversee the next Match to be sailed in 2010, starting 8 February.
Foremost among a catalogue of failures of SNG and listed in a Breach of Fiduciary Duty complaint are:
- Offering the America's Cup hosting rights in order to extract secret commercial deals
- Repeated attempts to seize control of the rules and officiating processes to ensure that Alinghi can not lose
- Moves to disqualify GGYC's yacht despite assurances to the New York Supreme Court that this would not happen
- Selecting Ras Al Khaimah for the 33rd Cup to further its own business interests whilst exposing GGYC to unnecessary danger

"Winning the Cup brings not just honor and pride, but responsibilities too. The honor may have gone, but the responsibilities remain," said Russell Coutts, Skipper and Chief Executive of GGYC's challenging team, BMW ORACLE Racing.

"The America's Cup is meant to be hard to win, not impossible to lose," added Coutts.

---

“By filing their eighth legal action against the Defender of the America's Cup in two years, Larry Ellison and his Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) have demonstrated yet again that their true intention is to win sailing's most prestigious trophy in court instead of on the water. After failing in their attempts to circumvent the terms set in the governing Deed of Gift, Ellison is now seeking to snatch the Cup from Société Nautique de Genève (SNG) with a new round of baseless allegations,” said Fred Meyer, Société Nautique de Genève Vice-Commodore. “As two-time winner of the America's Cup and organiser of what was widely considered the most successful America's Cup event ever in Valencia, Spain, in 2007, SNG and Alinghi will continue to fight for their legitimate rights in order to promote the sport of sailing around the world. We hope that GGYC will abandon this unsportsmanlike conduct and either join the competition on the waters off Ras Al Khaimah this February or let other teams who want to participate challenge for the Cup,” he concluded.

Alinghi team skipper Brad Butterworth said: “BMW Oracle should clean up their unsportsmanlike behaviour with a dose of saltwater and sunshine and challenge for the Cup on the water. Otherwise they should stand aside and let other teams compete.” "The complaint is an affront to the America's Cup, to the UAE, to our country's relationship with an important ally, and to the judicial process. It is just a PR stunt. There is nothing in the complaint that hasn't been the subject of prior or pending legal proceedings. Basically, GGYC doesn't want to race SNG on the water after it disenfranchised 19 other clubs from competing in an elimination series and dislocated hundreds of sailors and participants in the sailing industry,” concluded lead counsel for the Société Nautique de Genève, Barry Ostrager of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett.

Transat 650

Portuguese sailor Francisco Lobato illuminated the night with his flares a few seconds after greeting the jury's boat. The Series winner, happy and relieved, was celebrated by his friends gathered on the dock of the marina's yacht club. "It's done!" he exclaimed. And he honoured his predecessor, Charlie Dalin who arrived yesterday afternoon, too late to make up the 22 hour gap in their total elapsed time for the two legs.

"Charlie has done a very good race. I can finally relax." Impressive speed and consistency between The Charente-Maritime and Madeira, the young Portuguese made a more conservative crossing of the Atlantic to Brazil; "The important thing was to get here, regardless of the advance one minute or 20 hours I don't care, I am happy. I really thought about Sam Manuard who had dismasted just before the finish." No risks were taken in this leg of a thousand traps. "I left Funchal tired and not at all in my race, after a week of media madness" he explains. "The passage to the Canaries, with rotating winds in the west almost cost me a lot. I chose to be more conservative in the crossing of the doldrums. I was there 3 days two years ago. I lost miles on Charlie but I did not panic. I focused on my route without minding about the others. And now, my team and I, are rewarded of four years of work. I know that my partner is satisfied and I now I look forward to attack the next Figaro sea! son. "

The racing time of Francisco betwwen Funchal and Bahia is 20 days, 17 hours, 8 minutes and fifteen seconds.

His overall time is 26 days, 19 hours, 39 minutes and 18 seconds at a speed of 6.65 knots on average.

Before any Jury adjustments, he is ahead of Charlie Dalin by nearly 11 hours.

Louis Vuitton Trophy - Nice

With two weeks to go until the eight teams are scheduled to assemble for practice sailing in Nice, preparations for the first Louis Vuitton Trophy regatta are gathering pace.

The facilities in Nice are being readied, the race boats are being tested, equalised and prepared for racing, and some of the teams spent some time on ACC yachts last week, working out the kinks ahead of the first race day, November 7.

In Valencia, the site of the last America's Cup where several teams still maintain a base of operations, the four ACC boats that will be used for the racing in Nice have been set-up for the November regatta.

On Tuesday afternoon, two of the boats, GBR 75 (provided by TeamOrigin) and FRA 93 (provided by ALL4ONE - previously known as K-Challenge) arrived in Nice under tow, following a 400-plus nautical mile journey up the Mediterranean coast.

The confirmed line-up of eight world-class sailing teams for the Louis Vuitton Trophy - Nice, which runs from the 7th to 22nd November, includes:

- ALL4ONE (FRA/GER)

- Azzurra (ITA)

- BMW ORACLE Racing (USA)

- Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL)

- Swedish Challenge Artemis (SWE)

- Synergy Russian Sailing Team (RUS)

- TeamOrigin (GBR)

- Team French Spirit (FRA)

BMW ORACLE Racing, Emirates Team New Zealand and ALL4ONE (as K-Challenge) each competed in the last America's Cup and TeamOrigin competed in the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series earlier this year. While the other four teams are new to ACC racing, experienced Cup sailors are sprinkled throughout their crew rosters. This past week in Valencia, the Synergy Russian Sailing Team and Azzurra had an ACC familiarisation session using boats belonging to Victory Challenge, while ALL4ONE sea-trialled with FRA 93.

The Louis Vuitton Trophy - Nice is the first event inspired by the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series in Auckland, New Zealand, earlier this year. The host team of the Nice event is ALL4ONE. Further dates and venues for the 2010 season will be confirmed soon.

Oman Unveils Majan Tri

After four months of assembly in Oman's southern most port of Salalah, skipper Paul Standbridge has been stretching the legs of Oman Sail's new Arabian 100 (A100) trimaran during sea-trials off the Omani coast. Now named Majan, after the ancient name for Oman, Oman Sail's new flagship is now operational and is heading into the Gulf and a tour of neighbouring countries.Based on the proven design of another trimaran, Sodebo, which is the holder of the solo North Atlantic crossing record, the design has been tailored for the needs of Oman Sail and their objective of training and developing Omani sailors to compete on the international stage.The launch of Majan is an ambitious addition to the project's mission to inspire a new generation of young Omanis. The first chapter was started when Mohsin Al Busaidi returned to the shores of Oman after successfully circumnavigating the world non-stop on Majan's 75ft sister ship, Musandam. From there, success has followed success as the two Oman teams took 1st and 3rd in the 2009 European iShares Cup and two Omanis are currently also sailing around the world in the Clipper Race. At the heart of all this success lies the Oman Sail Academy where young Omanis are now taking part in try sailing courses and looking to emulate their peers. Oman Sail's aims are ambitious: by 2015, the project aims to have seven academies running across the country enabling over 30,000 Omanis to try sailing. Majan will sail with a crew of seven: 50% of the sailors will be Omani offshore trainees joined by three international professional crew and a cameraman providing the one-on-one training that the recruits require at this early stage of their career. The first chapter will be a 'Tour of Arabia' starting next week from Muscat, which will include stops in UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar before Majan joins the Dubai-Muscat race back to Muscat one month later. The name Majan is used with pride within Oman and is a fitting name for a futuristic racing yacht for a country with a long maritime history. As Majan's newest crew member, Mohsin Al Busaidi, commented "The acceleration of Majan is incredible: we moved from 20 - 30 knots in one gust of wind. We now look forward to showing the world what she can do!"

Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race

Team Finland has taken line honours in Race 2 from La Rochelle to Rio de Janeiro of the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race. Crossing the line at 16:00:36 local time (18:00:36 GMT) their latest victory makes it two out of two for the Scandinavian entry.

In a race which has been marked by light winds, Team Finland took an early lead out of La Rochelle but soon lost it by sailing into a wind hole as the fleet rounded Cape Finisterre. The fleet then headed on a westerly course towards the scoring gate south of the Canary Islands in an attempt to take the first points of Race 2. As weather forecasts indicated light winds across the 90 nautical mile long gate, Team Finland made the decision to bail out and focus on a ten point win into Rio. It proved to be the defining moment of Team Finland's race, as they regained the lead and held it all the way to the line.

Periods of light winds have dogged the fleet for the first trans-Atlantic crossing of Clipper 09-10. With virtually no wind at the start in La Rochelle, around the Canary Islands and for half the boats through the Doldrums, the normally reliable trade winds have also been lighter than expected. As the fleet neared its final destination of Rio de Janeiro, once again light conditions brought the leading boats to a near halt.

The Clipper 09-10 Race Committee has announced a shortened course for Race 2 from La Rochelle to Rio de Janeiro. The amended Sailing Instructions has given the teams 24 hours notice of the shortened course and the final positions will be taken at midday GMT on Tuesday 20 October. Those teams that have crossed the finish line will be awarded the relevant finishing position, while the others will be awarded the position based on their distance to finish at that time.

Once finished, the teams will make their way by fastest means, through a combination of using their engines and sailing, to the Iate Clube do Rio de Janeiro, which will host the fleet for the duration of the stopover.

Photo Copyright onEdition 2009© Zoe Williamson

Rolex Middle Sea Race

ICAP Leopard (GBR) was first home at the 2009 Rolex Middle Sea Race taking the award for line honours. Try as they might, Mike Slade's all-star crew were unable to crack the nut that is Rambler's course record. Arriving just before midday at the Royal Malta Yacht Club line in Marsamxett Harbour, the 100-foot Farr designed supermaxi was just over half an hour outside the mark set by George David and Ken Read two years ago. She had made a tremendous effort never straying far from the pace required despite less than perfect conditions.Slade made no excuses on the dock after stepping ashore. He believes they raced as well as they could. ICAP Leopard's record attempt was always in the balance the moment they crossed the start line. They gave it a good go though, relishing a promising forecast. Slade was quick to compliment his crew on a job well done. Even if one sails the boat to its full potential and suffer no breakages, success is still dependent upon the weather. Completing the 606 nautical mile Rolex Middle Sea Race in less than 48 hours is well within the capability of a canting keeled, water ballasted flying machine staffed by some of the world's top inshore and offshore yacht racing specialists. The wait for the next boat home was a short one. Just as during the Rolex Fastnet, Karl Kwok'sBeau Geste (HKG) had been shadowing her bigger rival for the whole course, waiting for a chink in the armour that might let her snatch the lead. Skipper Gavin Brady, tactician Francesco de Angelis and navigator Andrew Cape are a deep-filled talent pool, but even they found the conditions testing. Brady is a tough customer, but even he acknowledged the severity of the situation after Stromboli on Saturday night/Sunday morning. With two boats tied up in the harbour we have a yacht race. When Beau Geste crossed the line at 15.28 she moved into pole position on handicap. Her moment in the spotlight was short lived. Alegre (GBR) finished at 18.33 and moved back into a lead that she has held since Stromboli. Neither Ran (GBR) nor Luna Rossa (ITA) were in a position to dislodge her when they finished. Intermatica VO70 (ITA) won the battle of the two Volvo boats, beating Ericsson (SWE) on handicap although not on the water. The bulk of the fleet is still racing. 23 yachts have now retired citing various reasons, mostly sail and equipment damage resulting from the vicious squalls that persisted until Monday midday.

Roma Wins The War

Coming into the final day of racing, Roma enjoyed a nine-point margin over nearest rival, Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (ESP), and with excellent teamwork, good boatspeed, and consistent results the Italian team lead by helmsman Paolo Cian (ITA) needed only to finish within three points of the local-based team to claim the overall GP42 Global Cup crown. On paper, this looked easily achievable, but the highly-competitive nature of this class means nothing is predictable, especially in the perfect 14-17 knot conditions of today's racing.

In the first race, for example, the two front-runners found themselves tangled up with each other and Team Nordic, all fighting for a pin-end start as the fasted path to the favored left side of the course. Aggressive maneuvers between the three resulted in flags, shouting from the teams, and a whistle from the on-water jury before the three disentangled and set off for the left corner. Keeping clear of the fight with an perfectly-timed start in the middle of the line, Javier Goizueta’s (ESP) Caser-Endesa (ESP) took and held the lead for their second win of the series. Roma’s (ITA) third place and Islas Canarias Puerto Calero’s (ESP) second place in this race closed the point gap down to eight, but there were still two races left.In the second race, Team Nordic (SWE) was this time nowhere to be found, having dropped out for an unrepairable gear failure on their deckhouse, yet somehow Roma and Islas Canarias Puerto Calero got tangled up, fighting yet again for the pin. The Italian team won the fight this time, forcing the Canarians to tack away and duck the rest of the fleet coming off the line on starboard tack, but Roma paid the price of being slow and barely able to clear the pin end.Yet this power of the pin kicked in further up the leg, allowing Roma to stay close and hang on as the breeze built and Islas Canarias Puerto Calero found a favorable lane on the right side and put her awesome boatspeed in these conditions to work and take the lead. With Caser-Endesa having to fight off a late charge made by Jose Maria van der Ploeg’s (ESP) Turismo Madrid (ESP), and the two finishing overlapped with Caser-Endesa in the lead by a mere metre, Roma was able to go into the final race with a strong position: a 7-point gap now with the local Canarias team and only one race left.

In this race Caser-Endesa this time took the pin for themselves, and in a playbook now very familiar after four days of racing, they led to the left corner, crossed everyone close to the layline, led around the top mark and offset, and simply continued to lead around the track to extend to victory. Islas Canarias Puerto Calero had tried repeatedly to get into a passing lane, and for a while Caser-Endesa would make aggressive covering manouevers to prevent this, but the 3-point gap needed to fill with other boats to take the runner-up position from the local favorites just couldn’t be overcome, so Caser-Endesa, with owner Javier Goizueta (ESP) on board as a guest, had to settle for being third overall but satisfied as winner of the day on scores of 1-3-1, their best day of the series and second time being champions for the day.

This is the final event of the GP42 season, after an impressive debut in this year’s Audi MedCup’s five stages, an Owner-Driver Championship in Cascais, and this spectacular Global Cup finale in Lanzarote.

The next event for the GP42 class will be at next year’s Audi MedCup Circuit Stage One in May, 2010 in Portugal.

Puerto Calero GP42 Global Cup Final Results

1. Roma (ITA, Paolo Cian), 27 points

2. Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (ESP, José María Ponce), 33 points

3. Caser-Endesa (ESP, Juan Luis Páez), 34 points

4. Turismo Madrid (ESP, José María Van der Ploeg), 48 points

5. Quebramar Xacobeo 2010 (POR, Felipe Regojo), 55 points

6. Airis (ITA, Roberto Monti), 58 points

7. Península Petroleum (GBR, John Bassadone), 84 points

8. Nordic Team (SWE, Magnus Olsson), 97 points

Extreme Sailing Series Asia

OC Events, organisers of the award winning iShares Cup, the European Extreme 40 Sailing Series, has announced today the creation of the inaugural Extreme Sailing Series Asia to be staged between November 2009 and March 2010. The first year of the Asian series will include events in Hong Kong, Singapore and Oman with the possibility of a fourth venue to be confirmed, and with a plan to grow this to a six-event series by 2011/12. Bids have already been received for the future series from a number of other venues across Asia.

After the spectacular finale of the six-stage European iShares Cup circuit last weekend in Almería (Spain), five of the boats were packed up to be shipped directly to Hong Kong. Mark Turner, CEO of OC Group, which includes the Series’ organisers OC Events, declared: “The iShares Cup has been running very successfully for three years now in Europe and the Extreme Sailing Series Asia is the next step in the evolution of this exciting sailing format - a format which has become a benchmark in terms of changing the way sailing is seen. Our aim is to build this series each year on the same foundations on which the European iShares Cup has been built - a comprehensive sailing entertainment event that packages the sport to appeal to the public, media and provide experiential VIP client hospitality. For this inaugural series in Asia we won’t be focused on the public side directly, instead we will work hard on the VIP and media aspects, as we did in the early iShares Cup years. But, of course, our aspiration is to build this circuit up over the coming years to match the award-winning iShares Cup format including a strong public element.”

Each event will consist of five days of racing, combining the established format of short, easy to understand races, a media day, VIP sailing days and special events. The Extreme Sailing Series Asia Notice of Race has been issued today and the announcement of the first of the competing teams will follow imminently. Five boats have already committed to the Asian circuit, as in the first year of the iShares Cup series in Europe.