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REST AND RECOVERY
Progress towards South Africa has slowed for ECOVER these last few hours as the winds are lighter and Mike Golding and Alex Thomson are forced to tack directly upwind. "The angles are not good at the moment and the wind has dropped quite a bit so we are just taking small hitches at a time but getting there slowly. It's a bit of a struggle." Reported Mike this afternoon.

Mike and Alex have re-lashed the broken sections of the mast to the deck and have set up some temporary wind instruments so that they can set the autopilot to steer to ECOVER to a wind angle rather than a compass course. This means they need to trim the sails less. Looking at the subject of redress and also trying to ascertain what the causes of the mast failure, Golding has been through his electronic log data to examine the timings more closely.

According to Mike he made his first call to the race office at about 0800hrs GMT and turned the boat around at 1127hrs GMT. He made his final approach tack at 1930hrs on a layline for HUGO BOSS and rendezvous'd at 2034. At 0522hrs the next morning he started the rescue procedure and at 0604hrs had made the pickup. By 0742hrs he had ECOVER back on course for Fremantle at a modest race speed, at about 80% of polars. And it was at 1126hrs that the mast came down.

"I do think that tells us something. To me it indicates that the rig was probably damaged going upwind, sailing at the same angle for a long time in winds up to 40 knots. I do feel that is the most likely thing, given that we had not really been sailing downwind for that long afterwards and were not pushing, just cruising along. It was awfully quick, three and a half hours, for it to be anything else. What we do know is that nothing failed in the rigging. No pins, nothing's come adrift, which is good in the sense that we didn't do anything wrong."

The next step will be to have a composite expert, probably from the rig's manufacturer Southern Spars, to have a look at it. "I am fairly sure that they will be able to look at the way that it has broken and give us a clearer idea of what actually happened."

Mike admits that, almost inevitably, the close confinement with Alex has resulted in both probably spilling th! e beans a little too much on their ideas for their new boats. "I think we have already learned from each others' ideas, but then I guess that is kind of inevitable given that is what we are both interested in. We are getting on well, certainly. Alex slept for England last night and is back asleep now. I am just letting him get as much rest as possible." -- Coralie Rassinoux

www.mikegolding.com

FAST FLEET!
After a spectacular start on Sunday, the ARC 2006 fleet are now settling into the daily routine of life of onboard after two days at sea since leaving Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. After a light first night which saw headwinds for some, conditions are now excellent, with settled Northeast trade winds expected through the remainder of the first week.

Yachts at the front of fleet are experiencing good sailing conditions at present which could make for a fast crossing for the 21st ARC. Capricorno, the Italian Maxi currently heads the fleet having had a 271nm run over the last 24 hours, followed by Sir Peter Ogden's Swan 601 Spirit of Jethou and the new Swan 100 Fantasticaa. Leading the RORC IRC Racing Division is George Vassilopoulos' Farr 520 Brave who covered 225nm since 1200 (GMT) yesterday leaving them 2,327nm miles to the finish, with Dark & Steamy, Nick and Annie Haigh's DK 46 hot on their heels. In the multihulls division, the French Outremer 45 Sir Henri leads the way followed closely by Timaios III , Jan-Peter Mahlstedt's Catana 582.

This year for the first time web visitors will be able to track the ARC2006 fleet using Google Earth. Click on the link to follow the ARC yachts on their voyage to Rodney Bay St. Lucia: 217.10.131.138/google/arc2006.aspx

Read more on the ARC website at www.worldcruising.com/arc2006

HYERES TO HOST FIRST FRENCH STAGE OF THE BREITLING MEDCUP
After being retained by the 'Association Mediterraneenne' of the TP 52 boat owners last July, the Town of Hyeres confirmed its commitment to the event on Tuesday 28th November with the signing of the hosting contract during a press conference attended by the Mayor Leopold Ritondale, Edmond Bacci, elected head of watersports, Arturo Delgado, President of the TP 52 Association, Ignacio Tray, President of the circuit's organising body as a whole and Fernando Inigo, the circuit's marketing manager.

The Town of Hyeres is to become the first French town to host a stage of the prestigious Breitling Medcup circuit from 10th to 15th September 2007. After organising numerous events and championships on this reference race zone over the past few years, which include the traditional Semaine Olympique (Olympic Week), the Town of Hyeres is now beginning a new chapter as it plays host to titled skippers from crewed international sailing.

Created in the USA and launched in Europe in 2005, the TP 52 boat circuit (for Transpacific 52 footers or 15.85m craft) has witnessed outstanding success.

With 13 boats in 2005, close to 20 in 2006, and 25 to 30 expected in 2007 representing 12 nationalities, the circuit brings together enthusiastic owners, the biggest stars from world sailing, the prestige of the top personalities (such as HM Juan CARLOS, HRH Prince Felipe, HM Harald of Norway) and some of the best architects of the day (Bruce Farr, Judel Vrolijk, Reichel Pugh, Botin Carkeek...).

The event will be the last meeting of the 2007 circuit after Castellon in Spain (13th/ 17th June), the Breitling Regatta and the Copa Del Rey in Majorca (18th/ 22nd July/ 5th August) and Portimao in Portugal (19th/ 25th August); a circuit which is to culminate at the end of September with the TP 52 World Championship in Porto Cervo, Sardinia.

www.medcup.org

SAIL FASTER AND SMARTER
If you want to improve your results on the race course, you should read Speed & Smarts. This bi-monthly newsletter, written by winning America's Cup tactician Dave Dellenbaugh, has been praised by racing sailors worldwide for more than 12 years. Each colorful issue has 16 pages full of race-winning tips on boatspeed, tactics, strategy, rules and more! Whether you are a skipper or crew, on a one-design or big boat, Speed & Smarts will improve your performance.

To see a sample issue or sign up for a subscription, visit our website at www.SpeedandSmarts.com

COMING UP ON 2 BILLION...
Portsmouth, England: The mass appeal of the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-06 reached unprecedented levels with a total global cumulative television audience of 1.8 billion viewers, race organisers announced today.

The eventual audience figure will break through the 2-billion mark with the screening of the end-of-race documentaries, which air globally over the coming months.

The 2005-06 race figure represents a 121 per cent increase on the 811 million achieved in 2001-02 event.

It puts the Volvo Ocean Race in the top echelon of global sports coverage, with news output and the weekly programmes broadcast in over 190 territories.

The findings, the result of an independent tracking and evaluation programme undertaken by London-based research agency Connexus Precision, cover the period from October 1, 2005 to July 31, 2006.

The cornerstone of the race coverage was the 30-minute weekly programmes. These were complimented by features and daily news feeds which were distributed from the start of the race in Galicia, Spain in November 2005.

Countries where the half hour programmes were seen range from North America to China and Japan to Finland and include such diverse territories as South Africa, Australia, Canada, Britain, Argentina, Holland, Brazil, Russia, Ireland, India and Paraguay.

The race exposure has also been boosted by live coverage of the in-port races - an initiative for the 2005-06 race designed to bring the action closer to the general public. The in-port races in Spain in November 2005 was broadcast live on Spanish national station TVE, while Brazilian audiences were able to tune in to the in-port race in Rio De Janeiro in March via TV Globo. TVE also carried live coverage of the Rio race.

Besides the vast television audience figures, the media exposure for the 2005-06 race was bolstered further by over 18,000 newspaper and magazine articles globally. More than 2,000 accredited media visited race villages around the world and race imagery, distributed via Reuters, was supplied to 10,000 picture desks.

The official race web site recorded 100 million page views from 3.5 million unique users. Over 3,800 features delivered over 230 hours of live radio/audio content, produced to an estimated one billion listeners. -- Cameron Kelleher

volvooceanrace.org

SOLAR POWERED CIRCUMNAVIGATION
The Planet Solar Team unveiled the details of its unique round the world sea voyage powered by solar energy during a press conference at the National Maritime Museum, Paris, France. This world "first" will take place in 2009, aboard a solar powered trimaran equipped with a silent and non-polluting motorization, completely powered by renewable energies. The famous French sailor, Gerard d'Aboville will be the co-skipper; alongside the Swiss adventurer and the project's founder, Raphael Domjan.

The Planet Solar project was founded in Switzerland on the shores of Lake Neuchatel, through the vision of the 35 year old Swiss adventurer Raphael Domjan, who has been committed to a variety of environmental projects for many years. Mr. Domjan will be the boat's co-skipper alongside the famous French sailor Gerard d'Aboville; renowned for his legendary solo rowing crossings of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and also well-known for his dedication and service to the sea. Gerard d'Aboville serves as an executive member of the High Council of Navigation and Boating for the government of France, the European Parliament, as well as the Economic and Social Council.

The Planet Solar project is an extraordinary technological and human challenge that has brought together an international team of physicists, engineers, boat builders and many others who all realize the importance of environmental protection.

The first round the world sea voyage powered by solar energy will be attempted on an equatorial route.

The boat's design and construction will be undertaken by MW-Line Ltd., Yvonand, Switzerland; the European leader in solar powered electric boats.

More at www.planetsolar.org

FORMULA SPARS NEED PROJECT MANAGER
Formula Yacht Spars Ltd, Europe's leading mast builder (with two facilities in the UK and one in France) build carbon and aluminium spars for performance yachts from 27' through Volvo 70's, America's Cup to Superyachts. The largest mast to produced to date is for a 64m Schooner.

Rapid expansion has resulted in the immediate vacancy for a Project Manager. Working as a part of a project team, liaising regularly with busy design and production personnel, the successful candidate should have a good knowledge of the yachting industry and if possible a sound working knowledge of masts and spars. Project experience and organisational skills are important, together with an ability to keep track of multiple projects and their supporting paperwork. An ability to sail is an advantage.

Initially based at our Lymington facility, travel to the other sites and overseas projects may be required. Send comprehensive curriculum vitae and two summaries of recent projects you have managed to: The Managing Director, Formula Yacht Spars Ltd, Waterloo Road, Lymington, Hampshire. SO41 9DB ENGLAND or email to: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

www.formulaspars.com

INDUSTRY NEWS
* Collins Stewart is the new title sponsor of the London Boat Show, due to be held from January 5-14, 2007.

The company is a UK independent stockbroking, corporate advisory and wealth management business with offices in London, New York, Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, Dublin and Paris. The show will be known as the Collins Stewart London Boat Show.

The Collins Stewart London Boat Show is organised by National Boat Shows (NBS), a subsidiary of the British Marine Federation (BMF), the trade association for the UK boating industry. -- IBI, www.ibinews.com/ibinews/newsdesk/20061028140741ibinews.html

* Nautor's Swan announced the appointment of a new CEO for Nautor Group, during the successful inauguration of the extension of its headquarters (Wednesday 15 November) in Pietarsaari, Finland. In a speech to special guests and staff at the new yard, Leonardo Ferragamo, Chairman of Nautor's Swan celebrated the extension of the yard and introduced Filippo Masci as new CEO of Nautor Group.

Filippo Masci brings great experience to the role and has a strong business knowledge, having taken a degree in International Business Administration at Schiller University in London and also gaining a Masters in Science of Economics at the London School of Economics.

After gaining experience in the financial field, with JP Morgan as an associate, from 1994 to 2000, he went on to work as Managing Director and then as C.E.O. for Trafilerie Meridionali, his family company, active in the iron metallurgy.

In 2000 he entered the Mantero Group, the leading textile brand for luxury products, in the role of CEO. In 2003 he took on the role of CEO for Tecno S.p.A., furniture designers for offices and museum spaces including the European Parliament and George Pompidour Centre.

Filippo Masci sailed around the world in 1979/1980, he has participated in many regattas and is also a member of the RORC.

* Effective December 1st, 2006 Ronstan (UK) will take on the exclusive distribution of the FSE Robline range of yachting ropes for the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Ronstan manufactures in Australia and Denmark and is represented around the world by a network of regional offices and distributors.

FSE Robline is one of Europe's top brands in yachting ropes and are manufactured by the Teufelberger Group, based in Austria. -- ibinews.com

* Victory Challenge announced that a contract has been signed with Rutgerson Marin for the production and technical support of fittings for sails, masts and boats for the teams America's Cup challenge.

The assignment as the official supplier applies for both the new boat SWE 96, just newly completed at Victory Challenge's boatyard in Lindholmen Science Park in Gothenburg, and for the continuing developmental work with SWE 63 and SWE 73 (Orm).

Rutgerson Marin AB was founded in the beginning of the 70' s. The founder, Goran Rugerson grew up in Marstrand, north of Gothenburg and has long experience in sailing. Based on his experience, he has created many new innovative products and solutions for the boating industry. -- victorychallenge.com

* Following the purchase of the outdoors and distribution capabilities of Silva Group by US outdoors group Gerber in July 2006, Silva Nexus Marine AB has completed its transformation into a fully independent company specialising in the design and manufacturing of navigation and sail race instrumentation and electronics.

The company has now been renamed Nexus Marine in recognition of the way in which the company's products operate at the centre of a boat's navigation functions, and interconnect seamlessly both with each other and with the human element on board. Nexus inherits over 70 years experience in navigation instrumentation built up by Silva, and retains the same product research and development team as well as other senior personnel.

Nexus products will continue to be distributed worldwide by the distribution network operated by the Gerber-owned Silva Group.

* Formula Yacht Spars and Green Marine of Lymington and Southampton UK have announced the formation of a joint company. The new company will manage the combined activities of Formula Yacht Spars and Green Marine, producing one of the most technically advanced composite companies in Europe.

Both Formula and Green Marine have extensive experience in both the quality cruising yacht and high performance yacht markets, including the America's Cup and the Volvo Ocean Race.

The management teams at both Formula and Green Marine will integrate within the newly formed Formula Group, which comprises of the marine companies; Formula Racing, Formula Custom Spars, Formula Production Spars, Formula Development, Formula Technical Services and the non marine sector company of Formula/Green Structures. Also included in the Group are Green Marine's Custom racing yachts, Lifeboats-new build, Lifeboats-refit, Fast Cruising and the CNC facility.

* Southern Spars announced the appointment of David Glen as Group General Manager.

Among David's yachting achievements have been his involvement in Whitbread Round the World Race campaigns 'Fisher & Paykel' and 'Yamaha', the 1993-94 winning Whitbread 60. David also played a key role in the development of the Whitbread 60 Class. His passion for the sport has extended through to all levels of yachting where, more recently, he was President of the NZ International Optimist Dinghy Association.

Southern Spars comprises businesses building composite carbon fibre spars for all markets as well as the innovative Element C6 carbon fibre rigging and Rig Pro service.

The company recently merged with Marten Spars and now employs over 230 people, spread across four continents, in sales, design, manufacturing and service.

THE LAST WORD
Never attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by stupidity. -- Unknown

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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