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WILLIAMS WINS GROUP AT ALLIANZ CUP
San Francisco, California, USA: The leader of the match racing world championship standings won today the Group A round robin at the Allianz Cup Presented by Oracle, Stage 5 of the World Match Racing Tour.

Ian Williams, the 29-year-old skipper of Team Pindar, won the group with a 5-2 record. He topped a three-way tiebreaker with Peter Holmberg of Alinghi and Ben Ainslie of Emirates Team New Zealand, two syndicates for the America's Cup, for the win.

Williams defeated both in head-to-head matches for the tiebreaker. Holmberg defeated Ainslie in their Flight 2 match to place second and Ainslie third. Those three advance to Friday's Quarterfinal Round, a knockout series with the first to 3 points advancing.

Racing on Day 1 of the Allianz Cup was tricky with the wind on San Francisco Bay blowing between the northeast and northwest. That direction afforded great spectator viewing at the St. Francis Yacht Club, with the starting line just 50 yards off the club, it was perpendicular to the strong currents.

The current played a role in racing, especially in the ebb tide in the afternoon when the northerly died to 4 to 8 knots. On some runs the spinnakers on the boats were hanging limp, but they were swept down the course by the tide.

Group B is scheduled to begin its round robin tomorrow at 10:00 a.m.

Group A Provisional Standings:
(After 7 of 7 flights)
1. Ian Williams, GBR, Team Pindar, 5-2
2. Peter Holmberg, ISV, Alinghi, 5-2
3. Ben Ainslie, GBR, Emirates Team New Zealand, 5-2
4. Chris Dickson, NZL, BMW ORACLE Racing, 4-3
5. Johnie Berntsson, SWE, Berntsson Sailing Team, 4-3
6. Staffan Lindberg, FIN, Alandia Sailing Team, 2-5
7. Chris Perkins, USA, Team St. Francis Yacht Club, 2-5
8. Bjorn Hansen, SWE, Team Apport.net, 1-6

Event site: www.allianzcup.com
Tour: www.worldmatchracingtour.com

BRUTAL BISCAY
Following the exciting departure from Bilbao (Basque Country, Spain) at 13:00 on Sunday October 22, the fleet of 6 high performance Open 60 yachts has been blasted by enormous waves and violent winds of over 50 knots. The race is certainly living up to its name as the Ultimate Solo Challenge, as 3 boats [update below, it's now 4...] have been forced to turn back to land to make essential repairs following a torrential 24 hours of exceptional weather conditions.

The returning boats include two of the favourites to win the race, Mike Golding (ECOVER) and Alex Thomson (HUGO BOSS), as well as local Basque hero Unai Basurko (PAKEA). Meanwhile, Bernard Stamm (CHEMINEES POUJOULAT) continues to lead the fleet as the rounds the northwest corner of Spain, with Kojiro Shiraishi (SPIRIT OF YUKOH) close behind in second and Sir Robin Knox-Johnston (SAGA INSURANCE) battling for survival in third position.

Commenting on the weather patterns sweeping into the region, Adams added, "We always knew that this would be a nasty corner to negotiate. We were expecting strong winds of 40 knots, but none of the weather models or advisors predicted 60 knots, and it looks as if this big storm might be around for at least another 24 hours. With such conditions, you can expect waves of 12-14 metres. I spoke to each of the teams and their weather advisors before they left Bilbao and none of the skippers had concerns about leaving on Sunday."

At 18:30 local Spanish time yesterday, Alex Thomson (GBR) was the first boat to stop racing and make it back to land, arriving in Gijon onboard his battered HUGO BOSS. Alex was left with no choice but to head for land to make repairs following a gear failure.

Following Alex, Mike Golding (GBR) on ECOVER has also been forced to make a pit stop in La Coruna. Early this morning he was making fair progress sailing under Solent jib only in 17 to 18 knots of wind and is expected to arrive at the port sometime mid-afternoon today. Mike reported that he has suffered damage to three of the mainsail batten boxes which retain the forward end of the mainsail battens and connect them to the mainsail track which runs up the mast.

Finally, Unai Basurko (ESP) is making his way to his home port of Bilbao to make repairs after damage to his headsail and mainsail, as well as reporting a loose mast. Unai is expected to arrive back in Puerto Deportivo (Gexto), the start point of the Velux 5 Oceans, in around 10 hours, currently doing 6 knots at 81 miles from Bilbao.

* Sir Robin Knox-Johnston reported this morning that he has suffered damage to his yacht 'Saga Insurance' overnight whilst sailing in over 60 knots. Sir Robin is currently sailing towards La Coruña, Northern Spain to carry out urgent repairs to his mast track and communications systems. He is expected to arrive within 1 to 2 days to be met by his shore team. Further details are limited at this time, due to damage to his communications equipment, but Sir Robin confirms he is safe and well.

"Rolled last night. Section of mast track bent. Cant remove all the screws so sail stuck. Heading Corunna but may take a day or two. Masthead instruments unserviceable but alarms keep going off. SatC still bleeping. Otherwise OK. RKJ"

* As the solo sailors battled upwind towards Cape Finisterre the APP Broadcast helicopter team was over the leader Bernard Stamm. With his mainsail reefed down to its smallest size, Stamm was on the foredeck wrestling with his storm jib as his boat, Cheminees Poujoulat, was slamming over and through huge waves.

See www.appftp.com/tvnews/velux5oceans/VELUX5Oceans_Storm.wmv

www.velux5oceans.com

ROLEX OSPREY CUP
Betsy Alison (USA) triumphed at the ISAF Grade 1 Rolex Osprey Cup for the fourth time, going undefeated through all 21 matches in St Petersburg, USA. Anna Tunnicliffe (USA) claimed the runners up spot for the second year running.

Alison and crew Amanda Callahan, Sarah Buckley, Nancy Haberland overcame Laser Radial world number one Tunnicliffe 3-0 in the final. Claire Leroy (FRA), the number one skipper in the ISAF World Match Race Rankings, claimed third place with a 2-1 petit-final defeat of Liz Baylis (USA).

Final Betsy Alison (USA) d. Anna Tunnicliffe (USA), 3-0

Petit Finals
Claire Leroy (FRA) d. Liz Baylis (USA), 2-1

Semi-Finals
Betsy Alison (USA) d. Liz Baylis (USA), 2-0
Anna Tunnicliffe (USA) d. Claire Leroy (FRA), 2-1

Rolex Osprey Cup Final Standings

1. Betsy Alison, USA
2. Anna Tunnicliffe, USA
3. Claire Leroy, FRA
4. Liz Baylis, USA
5. Katy Lovell, USA
6. Malin Millbourn, SWE
7. Sandy Hayes, USA
8. Rachael Silverstein, USA
9. Anna Kjellberg, USA
10. Kathy Lindgren, USA

www.rolexwomensmatch.org/ROC/2006/OSPREYHOME.html

YACHT: A HANDMADE BOOK ABOUT HANDMADE BOATS
'Owning a Classic is living the dream. Beauty, ingenuity, and design connect us to history.' Charles Dana, NYYC

Renowned artist Michael Frith's watercolour paintings of Classic boats. A limited edition, hand-bound book evoking the character of the Classic boat; rich mahogany-coloured leather spine and corners, and gold-blocked title and a special slipcase. Over 40 paintings and sketches. Contributions from Harry Spencer, MBE, and Dan Houston, editor of Classic Boat magazine, quotes from around the world and a specification of each Classic boat included. Bespoke editions can be created for corporate clients.

www.spotred.co.uk

ROLEX MIDDLE SEA RACE
Alfa Romeo fulfilled her status as favourite for line honours in the Rolex Middle Sea Race when the sleek 100-foot SuperMaxi ghosted across the finish line in Malta at 1442 hours this afternoon. New Zealand skipper Neville Crichton was pleased to have won the race across the water but had also hoped to improve on the race record of 64 hours 49 minutes and 57 seconds set by the Maxi yacht Zephyrus six years ago.

After a searing start from Malta three days ago in good winds, Alfa Romeo's speed peaked at 23 knots and as the yacht approached the southern shores of Sicily she was well ahead of record pace. Navigator Murray Spence said: "We definitely thought the race record was on. We had a very good first day, and we got through the Strait of Messina pretty well, so we were optimistic. But then along the top of Sicily the wind died and we parked up."

From then on, Alfa Romeo's race became a very stop-start affair, and the 20 miles from Palermo to Trapani was a particularly painful time for Crichton's crew as Morning Glory and Thuraya Maximus closed the gap by 40 miles. Since then Crichton's Maxi rivals have been breathing down his neck. As Alfa Romeo turned the final corner for the finish in Marsamxett Harbour, the two chasing Maxis were still battling out in their private duel. Despite Morning Glory being 14 feet shorter and quite a bit smaller than the 100-foot Thuraya Maximus, Hasso Plattner's yacht had led its bigger rival for most of the course. They have been leapfrogging each other from the very start of the race on Sunday morning, although in the dying miles before the finish Paul Cayard steered the larger Maxi past Morning Glory to take the runners-up spot, finishing at 16:36:02, just 15 minutes in front of Morning Glory.

rolexmiddlesearace.com

GENEVA INTERNATIONAL MATCH RACE
Geneva, Switzerland: October is shaping up to be a very good month for Swiss skipper Eric Monnin. Coming off a victory in the Challenge Julius Baer in the Decision 35 multihulls, he knocked James Spithill out of the quarterfinals at the King Edward VII Gold Cup in Bermuda, finishing fourth overall., and has now finished second in the fourth running of the Geneva International Match Race, organised by the Cercle de la Voile de la Societe Nautique de Genève.

Finals:
Eric Monnin (SUI) - Pierre-Antoine Morvan (FRA) - 3 :0

Petit Finals:
Arnaud Psarofaghis (SUI) - Manuel Weiller (ESP) – 2 :0

1. Pierre-Antoine Morvan, FRA, 6 points
2. Eric Monnin, SUI, 4.5
3. Manuel Weiller, ESP, 4
4. Arnaud Psarofaghis, SUI, 3
5. Tino Ellegast, GER, 1.5
6. Michel Cohen, FRA, 1
7. Przmeck Tarnacki, POL, 1

NORDIC MATCHRACING CHAMPIONSHIP
When the Nordic Matchracing Championship was sailed in Gashaga, Stockholm the finalists were the same as in the European Championship two weeks ago. In Hamburg it was Staffan Lindberg from Finland who won but now Bjorn Hansen, Sweden and his Team Apport got their revenge.

Lindberg won his group without losing a match while Hansen lost one to Angsell, SWE in his. The top three from each group proceeded to the next round-robin where Lindberg once again was undefeated. Lindberg then chose Wibroe, DEN as his opponent in the semis which left Angsell and Hansen in the other semi.

Lindberg came undefeated to the finals and won the first race after passing Hansen on the first downwind. In the second race Lindberg was ahead all around the course till five boatlengths from the finishline when he received a penalty for gybing too close to Hansen. In the deciding race Hansen got a penalty in the prestart but in a dial-down situation on the first beat Lindberg got one back. Hansen managed to gain a few boat lengths lead after a split on the first down wind leg and could hold the lead to the finish line.

Team Apport.net consisted of Bjorn Hansen, Anders Jonsson, Johan Qviberg and Mathias Bredin. -- Karin Holmsten

Final Results
1. Bjorn Hansen, Team Apport.net, SWE
2. Staffan Lindberg, Alandia Sailing Team, FIN
3. Peter Wibroe, DEN
4. Martin Angsell, SWE
5. Jon Eriksson, FIN
6. Tapio Nissila, FIN
7. Rasmus Viltoft, DEN
8. Geir Victor Svendsen, NOR
9. Aage Rerslev, SWE
10. Anti Luhta, FIN
11. John Back, SWE
12. Kare, Svaboe, NOR

www.matchracing.nu

MORSE CODE SOS TRIGGERS RESCUE
Morse code, the dots-and-dashes signalling system first used at sea on the Titanic and long since consigned to the scrapheap, made a triumphant comeback this week in the rescue of a stranded fisherman.

The man had run aground near Hayling Island on the British south coast when his fishing boat began taking on water. He had no modern safety aids and no phone, but it was dark and he did have a torch.

Using the code's legendary short and long flashes, he managed to communicate the SOS distress message to the coast-guard building, where rescue officer Steve Mann was on duty.

'I was absolutely amazed to see the flashed SOS message,' Mann (31) said. 'I never thought I would ever see it.'

A spokesperson for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said Morse 'never happens any more'.

He added: 'This man was caught out on the one occasion he went to sea with absolutely no safety equipment. Even without radio communication, going to sea without even a portable flare is extremely dangerous and could cost you your life.'

The stricken fisherman was later picked up by a coast-guard inshore lifeboat.

www.sail-world.com/cruising/index.cfm?nid=28293 (citing an article in the UK Guardian)

NATIONAL 12 GILL SERIES FINALE
The culmination of the celebrations of the 70th year of the National 12 class is the final showdown of the 2006 GILL National 12 Series which will take place this Saturday 28th October at Grafham Water S.C. Plenty is still unresolved and up for grabs.

The Overall trophy is a shoot out between current holders and series leaders Graham & Zoe Camm and Tom Stewart & Liz Ross with Tom and Liz needing to win the event to take the trophy. This leaves open the possibility of some very interesting match-racing between the two top teams in the class over the last few years. Third place is very open with John Ibbotson & Charlotte Stewart, John & Katy Meadowcroft and Fran Gifford & Sophie Mackley all in the running.

In the Admiral's Cup section for the older single bottom boats, Jerry & Margaret Garner currently have a slim lead over John & Alison Cheetham and Kean Gunton sailing alternately with his sons Ethan & Elliott. Interestingly, the only one of these three pairs to have won the category at an individual event this year is the Cheethams which just goes to show how competitive sailing the older boats can be. -- Graham Camm

SHORT TACKS
* "When the next war is over, and if I live though it, Bea and I are going to sail her around the world." So said George S. Patton about the sixty-three-foot Alden schooner he and his wife had commissioned in 1939. Built by FF Pendleton in Wiscasset, Maine, When and If, as she was named, incorporated improvements for comfort and safety on the high seas. General Patton's dream was not to be. He was killed in an automobile accident in Europe shortly after the war ended.

The National Sailing Hall of Fame will host When and If at the DNR/Hall of Fame dock and Susan B. Campbell Park in Annapolis, Maryland, USA from October 23 through November 2. -- Lee Tawney, www.nationalsailinghalloffame.org

* West Kirby Sailing Club has withdrawn as organizing club for the 2007 ISAF Team Racing World Championship. ISAF is currently looking for alternative venues for the 2007 World Championship.

More details will be published on www.sailing.org shortly.

The first ISAF Team Racing World Championship was held in 1995, and the championship has been held every two years since then. Last year the New York Yacht Club hosted the championship in Newport, Rhode Island, USA, where the home American Team Whishbone came out on top of a field of 16 teams from ten nations.

* Alberto Predieri from Italy has been elected as the new President of the International 470 Class Association at the class's General Assembly that took place last weekend in Istanbul, Turkey. During the General Assembly decisions were also taken on the venues for future 470 Championships. More - www.sailing.org/default.asp?PID=19591

* Catch some great video footage from Andy Green on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtERp8iO-8I

* The new Volvo Open 70 Rule has been published, showing subtle refinements from its predecessor. The main focus is on improving durability while safeguarding the Volvo Open 70's status as the world's fast ocean-going monohull. Key changes include placing a maximum value on the weight of the keel, fin and bulb of 7.4 tonnes, reducing the overall weight range of the boat to 13.86-14.00 tonnes, banning bomb doors, and introducing furling spinnakers plus one additional masthead kite to the sail inventory.

Read about the rule and download your copy here: www.volvooceanrace.org/abouttherace/vo70rule/

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www.berthon.co.uk

THE LAST WORD
I'm tired of all this nonsense about beauty being only skin-deep. That's deep enough. What do you want, an adorable pancreas? -- Jean Kerr

OC Events, organisers of two major IMOCA 60 oceanic events, the new double-handed Barcelona World Race 2007, and the original solo transocean race, The Transat 2008 (ex-OSTAR) www.ocevents.org

Over 80,000 boats for sale on www.boats.com

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