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.