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ISAF ROLEX WORLD SAILOR OF THE YEAR AWARDS
Helsinki, Finland: The International Sailing Federation and Rolex have announced Laser Radial Champion Paige Railey (USA) and Mike Sanderson (NZL), winning skipper of the Volvo Ocean Race, as winners of the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards 2006.

At an Awards Ceremony tonight in Helsinki, Railey and Sanderson were honoured for their outstanding sailing achievements between 1 September 2005 and 31 August 2006, when Railey won a number of major international regattas in the Laser Radial, and Sanderson led TEAM ABN AMRO to a dominant victory in the Volvo Ocean Race.

This is the second consecutive year that Paige Railey from Florida has been nominated for the female ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award. Last year Ellen Macarthur (GBR) pipped her to the title, but still only aged 19, it would be no surprise to see Railey nominated again in the coming years. Since the Laser Radial was selected two years ago as the new equipment for the Women's One Person Dinghy Olympic event, Railey has proven herself as the sailor to beat.

Few teams have dominated a round-the-world race quite like Mike Sanderson's team on ABN AMRO ONE in the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-06. Sanderson brought an understated yet authoritative leadership to the campaign, as the team spent the best part of a year learning how to tame and master the frighteningly quick Volvo Open 70 design that was introduced for this race. Sanderson's team not only came up with the fastest boat, but they knew how to sail the Volvo Open 70 better than anyone. Over eight months and 31,500 hard miles around the planet, ABN AMRO ONE won all but three of the nine offshore legs and all but two of seven In Port races.

Presenting the Awards were ISAF President of Honour HM King Constantine and Arnaud Boetsch of Rolex.

The other nominees for the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards 2006 were:

Female
Monica Azon Canalda, Sandra Azon Canalda And Graciela Pisonero Castro (ESP)
Dee Caffari (GBR)
Dorte Jensen (DEN)
Helena Lucas (GBR)
Daida Moreno (ESP)

Male
Peter Gilmour (AUS)
Sebastien Josse (FRA)
Yves Parlier (FRA)
Bruno Peyron (FRA)

sailing.org/worldsailor

ROUTE DU RHUM: ORANGE CAPSIZES - RAVUSSIN RESCUED
At 23h28 GMT the skipper of the Orange project trimaran sent off his Sarsat distress signal. The trimaran has capsized, but Steve Ravussin is alive and inside the boat.

Following a request from the Cross maritime authorities, a container ship was alerted and has now reached the area to offer help. Radio contact by VHF has been established with the skipper of Orange project.

The trimaran, which set off from the Azores late on Saturday afternoon was sailing in rough seas and 30-knot winds, when she capsized for reasons that remain unknown for the moment.

During the night no oral contact was possible with the Orange skipper, who although taking refuge inside the hull, was able to have phone contact with his shore team, but was unable to reply.

* At 9:45 this morning, the Russian tanker "Okhta Bridge", which was making progress towards Steve after having received the distress signal emitted by the Norfolk (USA) MRCC, managed to rescue the navigator. The operation has been a tricky one, and Steve was in a state of shock, but he's now safe and sound, en route towards the South of England where he should step ashore on November the 13th.

While he was on the foredeck, busy tying up his gennaker to the net, the autopilot suddenly failed and the trimaran started luffing... Steve ran to the cockpit, but another pilot failure made the boat bear away violently this time! Nose-diving was unavoidable, the transoms were soon up in the air, the masthead came crashing into the sea... "The protection structure installed by Lalou Roucayrol (previous skipper of the boat, then named Banque Populaire) around the helmsman seat saved my life, Steve says. When t! he boat pitch-poled, I hung on to it, not knowing which way it would come down. The mast resistance prevented the total capsize for a moment, but eventually the boat ended up upside down. I found myself under the net. I was wearing my survival gear, which I had put on to shelter from the spray. I'm not a good swimmer, and I had to fight to keep my head out of the water. I saw my own death a first time... The crossbeam was on my back, and the swell, lifting the boat up, allowed me to breathe." Steve found enough strength to climb up on the upturned boat. He then was able to turn his distress beacon on, and the signal was caught by the Maritime Rescue Center Control of Norfolk, USA. Norfolk then contacted the Route du Rhum organisers, and alerted the ships that were sailing in the area. The Okhta Bridge tanker, which was the closest, changed course and came to the rescue. Ironically enough, this ship belongs to the Sovcomflot company, which was Steve's sponsor last year in the Oops Cup.

Seeing the massive silhouette of a tanker getting dangerously closer surely is a scary experience... "The boat came 5 metres away from me, Steve recounts. I was tangled up in a mess of ropes, and I did not understand how the crew had planned to get me out of this trap. They tried to throw lines at me from the bow - I was right under it, and it culminated at 20 metres above the sea! I made myself a kind of harness, and managed to catch their rope. It was connected to an automatic winch, and when the crew thought I was properly tied, they turned the winch on, and I was dragged along the hull. I had kept with me a pair of scissors, which I used to cut all the ropes that were still tying me to the trimaran... I screamed like never before, I thought my end was near..."

Steve is now safe and sound, in the hands of the Russian crew. "They're incredibly kind and thoughtful. Physically, I'm fine. Mentally, I feel as if I've fired all my rounds, there's not much left..."

* While five out of the eleven ORMA skippers were recovering from their record breaking crossing into Pointe a Pitre last night, Steve Ravussin was setting off his distress beacon at 00h28. On the radio this morning, the Swiss skipper, aboard a cargo that rescued him, was litterally devastated by his capsize (see below). Yvan Bourgnon (Brossard) arrived today, 6th in the ranking but still in the frame of a record breaking. Alain Gauthier (Geant) should arrive overnight. Roland Jourdain (Sill et Veolia) is now less than 1,000 miles from his goal. The IMOCA are accelerating now, heading to the Southwest and the rhum ! Concerning the Class-40, we will begin to observe the results of the different options taken by the competitors and their weather routers. One thing is sure, and that is that the "pro" skippers in the fleet are impressed by Phil Sharp and his option in the North. They even think that he will not only keep his first place but also install a confortable lead on his followers. But as usual, nothing is over yet, but once they all are inside the Trade Winds, it will be difficult to make gains over the leader.

Class updates:

ORMA 60 multihulls
The next to "home in" is Alain Gautier (Foncia), then Thierry Dyprey (Gitana 12), Antoine Koch (Sopra Group), and Claude Thellier (Region Guadeloupe Terre de Passions)

IMOCA 60 mohonulls
The IMOCA fleet went through a cold front which occasioned exhausting manoeuvres overnight. Roland Jourdain (Sill et Veolia) now has to resist the attacks of Jean Le Cam (VM Materiaux ) and Jean Pierre Dick (Virbac-Paprec), who are trying to catch up the 160 miles deficit they accumulated crossing the ridge and through this cold front.

Roland, Jean Pierre, Jean and Armel are now heading Southwest. The ones who positionned themselves the most to the North (Jean Pierre, Jean and Armel who took an option further up) are now sliding fast behind, fetching for stronger winds from the Northeast (20 to 25 knots) a bit further to their West.

Armel Le Cleac'H's (Brit'air) option to the North has payed off as he jumped from 7th to 5th place.

40-footer monohulls
Gutsy Phil Sharp still heads fast in the West to hook up the Northwest shift ( 15-25 knots) of the low pressure system developing behind the cold front he is going through.

At the same time, the skippers in the south are awaiting until the Trade Winds build up to achieve more speed. But it was obvious for them today that the Britton - who took the riskiest option - would take a good benefit from it. Dominic Vittet talked today about a fair 300 miles of advance over the fleet when Phil Sharp will gibe and make the road to the South. We will start to assess the results of these different tactics by tomorrow.

Class leaders 4 :00 PM polling

IMOCA : Sill et Veolia / Roland Jourdain
Class 2 multi : Crepes Whaou ! / Jean Yves Escoffier
Class 3 multi : Ideal Stelrad / Ross Hobson

Class 1 mono : Jeunes Dirigeants / P.Y Guennec
Class 2 mono : Artforms / Kip Stone (US)
Class 3 mono : Roaring Forty / Michel Kleinjans (BE)
Class 40 : philsharpracing.com / Phil Sharp

ORMA Arrivals

Lionel Lemonchoix (Gitana XI): 7d17h19'06" - speed average: 19.11
Pascal Bidegorry (Banque Populaire): 8d04h25'07" - speed average: 18.03
Thomas Coville (Sodeb'O): 8d13h39'02"- speed average: 17.22
Michel Desjoyeaux (Geant): 8d13h48'24" - speed average: 17.21
Franck Cammas (Groupama 2): 8d17h55'17" - speed average: 16.87
Yvan Bourgnon (Brossard): 9d00h40'15" - speed average: Not provided

www.routedurhum-labanquepostale.com

* Editor: More photos from our friend Thierry Martinez of the arrivals of Thomas Coville and Michel Desjoyeaux in the new photo gallery. See scuttlebutteurope.com/photos/ (324 pics viewed in less than 24 hours... not bad. My thanks to the Coppermine Photo Gallery open source coders... )

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW THE RULES?
If you'd like to feel more confident about racing near other boats, you should get Learn The Racing Rules! This new two-part DVD, written and narrated by David Dellenbaugh, uses live sailing action and computerized animation to explain all the important right-of-way rules in the 2005-2008 rulebook. Part 1 covers the essential rules that apply whenever boats meet. Part 2 explains the often-confusing rules about marks and obstructions. Each is an hour long and includes the text of all rules discussed. Produced by SEA-TV - makes a great gift! To learn more or place an order, go to www.SpeedandSmarts.com

WINTER TO SUMMER: SEVEN SOLO SAILORS FEEL THE HEAT
The Velux 5 Oceans fleet is now fully entrenched in the sweltering temperatures of the Atlantic as the heroes of the Ultimate Solo Challenge chase leader Bernard Stamm (Cheminees Poujoulat). Stamm, the defending champion, was the first of this brave band to enter the Southern Hemisphere at 16:15 UTC yesterday and has continued to keep up a ferocious pace as he leaves the Doldrums well behind him. The Swiss skipper has led the race since the fleet battled the horrendous storms as they left the Bay of Biscay and rounded Cape Finisterre (Northwestern Spain). The 43 year old skipper still holds a lead of 291 miles over Kojiro Shiraishi on Sprit of Yukoh and the last 24 hours has seen him setting the fastest average speed within the fleet at 11.53 knots.

The solo skippers are facing rapidly rising temperatures as they near the Equator and leave the European winter behind. Down below in their cabins it is especially humid making working, living and sleeping down below extremely challenging and uncomfortable. The conditions are made worse as the sailors regularly run their engines to power onboard technology, from communications equipment to water ballasts systems and charging batteries.

As the fleet approaches the Equator, the skippers must tackle the notorious Doldrums, which lie between 5 degrees N and 2 degrees S. This infamous region presents one of the many unique challenges of round-the-world sailing, completely different to the extreme nature of the Southern Ocean that lies ahead. The skippers must physically and mentally tackle the heat and the frustrating fluky and unpredictable conditions, choosing their strategy carefully.

Although Mike Golding (ECOVER) believes he is already through the worst and riding the South trade winds, he is still within the danger zone along with the 'Silent Assassin', Kojiro. As Mike breathes down the neck of Shiraishi, the FICO World Champion will set a new record as the only Briton who has raced more times across the Equator than any other professional sailor, notching up a 17th crossing in the early hours of tomorrow morning. It now remains for the rest of the fleet to choose their route through the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone.

As the fleet chases Stamm, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston (SAGA INSURANCE), sailing legend and oldest competitor in the race, is focused on catching the 'Young Pretender' he has mentored for many years, Alex Thomson (HUGO BOSS). The 'Ultimate Pioneer' has over 800 miles to make up on the young maverick, but has been making good progress over the last few days.

Boat Positions as at 10:20 UTC Tuesday November 7, 2006

1. Cheminees Poujoulat, Bernard Stamm, 8,101 nm to leg finish
2. Spirit of Yukoh, Kojiro Shiraishi, 291 nm to leader
3. Ecover, Mike Golding, 340
4. Hugo Boss, Alex Thomson, 580
5. SAGA Insurance, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, 1423
6. A Southern Man-AGD, Graham Dalton, 1890
7. PAKEA, Unai Basurko, 2184

www.velux5oceans.com

GLENN BOURKE ON THE VOLVO EXTREME 40 CLASS
With the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09 going full steam ahead, [the VX40 class] caught up with Glenn Bourke, CEO of the race, to discuss the Volvo Extreme 40 class.

Why was the Volvo Extreme 40 incorporated into the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-06?

GB: For the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-06 we took a bigger risk than normal. There are only a few opportunities to make gains, which is why for the 2005-06 addition we decided to bring in a new class, in-port racing and the Volvo Extreme 40 class.

The impression that I had from the last race was that once the fleet reaches port there is not a lot to show the spectators apart from sponsor products in the race village, which is why we decided to fill in this time with some exciting sailing. It was a chance to show off technology at the same level as the Volvo Open 70's and also to have some fun in the down-time whilst the race boats are being maintained and repaired.

Do you think the 'risk' paid off?

GB: Introducing the Volvo Extreme 40's was a calculated risk but the benefits outweighed the potential pitfalls as the Connexus report, which valued individual's opinions, showed. 65-70% of individuals interviewed remarked that the idea of the Volvo Extreme 40's was 'excellent' and a 'good contribution' to the Volvo Ocean Race and this was just from those that watched and didn't actually participate in the racing. Out of those that did participate in the racing, 90% of them thought that it was a 'fantastic opportunity'.

Do you feel having the Volvo Extreme 40 alongside the Volvo Ocean Race sent a confusing message?

GB: There was some criticism that it confused the message but I don't think this was the case. Those that didn't understand sailing saw boats sailing and thought it was the Volvo Ocean Race. Those that knew sailing knew that the Volvo Ocean Race was the Volvo Open 70's and that this was the real race, and the Volvo Extreme 40's was the side show.

Will we see the Volvo Extreme 40's included again in the Volvo Ocean Race?

GB: We were so pleased with the success of the Volvo Extreme 40's that it is very likely that they will again participate in the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09. We are in discussions with the board at Volvo and working hard to make sure it happens again. The Volvo Extreme 40 embodies everything that is important about the Volvo Ocean Race.

Full interview at www.VolvoExtreme40.org

ISAF ANNUAL CONFERENCE: EQUIPMENT TO THE FORE
Today in Helsinki, Finland, equipment was the hot topic, with the classes coming under the spotlight at both the ISAF Women's Sailing Committee and the Equipment Committee. RS:X World Champion Alessandra Sensini (ITA) was amongst the interested observers looking on.

One of the key issues at the Equipment Committee were the applications for ISAF Recognized and International Class status. The Committee gave their support to applications for International status by the RS:X and RS Feva classes, and for the X-35 keelboat to become a Recognized Class. The Committee will now pass their recommendations onto the ISAF Council, who will make the final decision on the applications.

Looking towards the London 2012 Olympic Games, the Committee gave their approval to Submission 079 to delete Regulation 16.1.6, which currently limits the classes from which ISAF can choose the equipment for the Olympic Games and Regional Games.

The ISAF Meetings microsite contains the Agendas, Supporting Papers and Submission from past meetings, 1997 to date. Via the online Minutes Archive you can access all past minutes of ISAF Committee Meetings from 1993 to date.

See sailing.org

TEMPEST WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Philippe Boite and Regis Viateur (FRA) dominated the Tempest World Championship contested in very good conditions in Martinique, recording a perfect nine bullets to take the title. Mario Suter and Christophe Mueri (SUI) won a close battle for the silver medal.

Behind Boite and Viateur, the battle for medals went right the way to the final race. Suter and Mueri secured silver with a solid 4,3,2 finish, just holding off the challenge from Gerhard Albrecht and Hausjorj Schafer (GER), who took bronze with a third place in the final race. -- ISAF, http://sailing.org

Top Ten Results
1. Philippe Boite / Regis Viateur, FRA, 7
2. Mario Suter / Christophe Mueri, SUI, 18
3. Gerhard Albrecht / Hausjorj Schafer, GER, 21
4. Michael Schmohl / Ralph Aostertag, GER, 25
5. Alain Lotaut / Albert Paul Jean-Charles, FRA, 25
6. Mathieu Moures / Harry Asselin De Beauvil, FRA, 37
7. Michael Adams / Paul Adams, GBR, 53
8. Gerard Mazure / Edouard Koch, FRA, 60
9. Robert Davis / Barbara Davis, GBR, 76
10. Alan Curtis / Nick Stewardson, GBR, 77

www.asso.ffv.fr./tempest/pages/wc2006/pages/World2006.htm

THE LAST WORD
Always acknowledge a fault. This will throw those in authority off their guard and give you an opportunity to commit more. -- Mark Twain

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

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