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BANK SUPRISES SPITHILL AND WINS MATCH RACE BRASIL TITLE
Rio de Janeiro, Brasil: Danish sailor Jesper Bank of Team Germany, surprised favorite Australian James Spithill, of the Italian Luna Rossa, by winning the 2006 Match Race Brasil. This boat-to-boat competition, held at Guanabara Bay in Rio de Janeiro, finished this Sunday. Bank broke Spithill's winning streak at the final regatta and finished the best of five series with a 3 x 2 victory. In the fight for third place, Danish sailor Sten Mohr of the US team, beat British skipper Iain Percy of the +39 Italy with 2 x 1.

Frustrated with the loss at the very final, after having won eight regattas in the qualifying round and two in the semifinal, James Spithill nonetheless stated that he is very pleased with his team's performance. "We came to win but I think that we took excellent advantage of the competition. We had fun and were able to train for the America;s Cup," said the 28-year old Spithill. "At the end we had to admit that Jesper Bank did a better job."

US sailor Sandy Hayes won the Match Race Brasil title in the female category. In a very well balanced race, Sandy beat Brazilian Fernanda Oliveira 3 x 2, in a best-of-five series. The US sailor's team consisted of Brazilians Adriana Kostiw, Cinthia Knoth and Roberta Borges. Fernanda had Isabel Sawn, her partner in the 470 Class, Larissa Juk and Mariana Teixeira on her team.

In the fight for third place in the women's competition, which began on Friday in J24 boats, Carol Bejar defeated Rossana Ramos in a 2 x 0, in a best-of-three series.

Overall ranking:
1. James Spithill
2. Jesper Bank
3. Sten Mohr
4. Iain Percy
5. Daniel Glomb
6. Alexandre Paradeda
7. Andre Fonseca
8. Joao Signorini
9. Alan Adler

www.matchracebrasil.com.br

DEFENDER TRIALS BEGINS
Alinghi is wrapping up the first period of the Dubai winter training camp at the Dubai International Marine Club with the first event of their Defender Trials Series. These Defender Trials will span the period in Dubai and later in Valencia and will have for long term aim the crew selection and later the racing yacht selection.

Pre-trials: This warm-up event for the "UBS Dubai Defender Trials", will take place from the 12-15 December when helmsmen Ed Baird and Peter Holmberg and their respective crews will go head to head over a four day event. There will be tworaces per day on an America's Cup course.

Round 1: Kicks off the first of two "UBS Dubai Defender Trials", from the 31 January-3 February, which will include two races per day.

Round 2: The second of the "UBS Dubai Defender Trials" will be from the 16-19 February and will result in the helmsman and afterguard selection for LV Act 13 in Valencia.

Valencia Defender Trials
Further rounds will be announced to be held after LV Act 13 in Valencia.

www.alinghi.com

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

IAN WILLIAMS TAKES ANOTHER MATCH RACING WIN
This weekend (8-10 December) some of the most talented match racers in the world competed in the JPMorgan Asset Management Winter Challenge Series at the first Grade 2 qualifier of the Challenge.

Run by the Royal Yachting Association, the match racing weekend attracted ten teams from six nations, including six of the top 25 from the World Match Race rankings. Every match was hotly contested and several were not decided until the final few seconds of the race.

Ian Williams, currently ranked second in the world, looked to be dominating the round robin with no losses until he met last year's Winter Challenge overall winner Damien Iehl from France. Staffan Lindberg from Finland took third with fourth place decided by a tie break between Andrew Cornah and Mark Campbell-James; Cornah took the win.

The best of five races, semi finals and finals, sailed in almost perfect match race conditions with a crisp, sunny seven to 12 knots, produced fantastic match races. Iehl and Williams went through to the finals both winning three and losing one match in the semis. As this was a Grade 2 qualifier both have secured their place in the JPMorgan Asset Management Winter Challenge final 9-11 March.

The wind steadily increased during the final and after one win each, the final place was wide open but Williams with his top crew of Simon Shaw, Mark Nicholls and Mark Williams kept the British flag flying and took the victory 3 to 1.

Lindberg won the 3rd/4th sail off against Cornah. Campbell-James won the 5th/6th sail off against Dorte Jensen, Women's World Champion from Denmark.

Final Results

1. Ian Williams (GBR), Simon Shaw, Mark Nicholls, Mark Williams
2. Damien Iehl (FRA), Fred Guilmin, Mika Mergui, Francois Verdier
3. Staffan Lindberg (FIN), Nils Bjerkas, Daniel Mattsson, Martin Krite
4. Andrew Cornah (GBR), Andy Bryson, Carl Gibbon, Oscar Hellstrom
5. Mark Campbell-James (GBR), David Mason, Matt Adams, Connor Myant
6. Dorte Jensen (DEN), Thomas Haktvig, Niels Gramkow, Henning Lambertsen
7. Christian Hamilton (GBR), Sam Carter, Mark Lapps, Steph Dawson, Charlie Osmond
8. Andreas Willim (GER), Helge Hormann, Chris Hartkopf, Carsten Happel
9. Pierre Antoine Morvan (FRA), Nicolas Pauchet, Devan le Bihan, Jeremie Raymond
10. Michele Perris (MON), Pierluigi Fornelli, Ferdinando Colaninno, Francesco de Vita

The series continues in the New Year and will be held on the following dates in 2007:

Winter Challenge Four: 13-14 January 2007, Grade 3
Winter Challenge Five: 27-28 January 2007, Grade 3
Winter Challenge Six: 9-11 February 2007, Grade 2
Women's Winter Challenge: 23-25 February 2007, Grade 2
Winter Challenge Final: 9-11 March 2007, Grade 2

rya.org.uk

BOOT DUSSELDORF 2007
Adventure and Excitement in the World of Yachting and Water Sports taken to a New Level.

Water sports in all its many facets. The latest equipment, accessories, technology and fittings. The most fascinating destinations for holidays and leisure for the 2007 season. On hall space measuring over 230,000 m2 boot Düsseldorf will be presenting the latest international developments in all these areas from 20 - 28 January 2007.

Around 2,000 boats and yachts plus the global ranges of 1,650 exhibitors from 50 countries will merge technical know-how, advice and excitement making the fair for the entire world of water sports a really unique experience.

For further information go to www.boot.de

HMS BOUNTY TO RECREATE VOYAGE
One of the stars of the blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean movies is coming to west Cumbria, creating a 'tourism bonanza' for the area, next summer.

HMS Bounty, which is Captain Jack Sparrow's The Black Pearl in all three Pirates films - is coming to Maryport and Whitehaven in August.

She is expected to pull in over 100,000 visitors during her two-port stay, before embarking on an epic voyage recreating the Mutiny on The Bounty, which was led by west Cumbrian-born Fletcher Christian.

As well as being a genuine replica of Captain Bligh's Bounty, the ship is a real movie star, having been commissioned by MGM studios in 1960 for Mutiny on the Bounty starring Marlon Brando.

She is now owned by the HMS Bounty Organization in New York and her visit to west Cumbria, just two months after the 2007 Whitehaven Maritime Festival in Whitehaven, is also expected to coincide with the release of the third Pirates of the Caribbean film, At Worlds End, starring Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightly.

He and Mr Sherwin, together with Solway port pilot, Captain Charles Grant, met with the executive director and marketing director of the HMS Bounty Organization yesterday to secure the visit, and help them with researching Fletcher Christian's history.

The Cumbrian mutineer [Fletcher Christian' has links to Whitehaven, Maryport, Cockermouth and St Bees.

He was born at the farmstead of Moorland Close near Cockermouth on September 25, 1764, and baptised at Brigham Church the next day.

His father was born and raised at Ewanrigg in Maryport, his mother at Cockermouth Hall; he was distantly related to William Wordsworth and was educated at St Bees and Cockermouth.

After visiting west Cumbria, HMS Bounty, whose home port is Greenport, New York, will embark on the recreation of the original voyage, from Spithead in Portsmouth to Tahiti and the Pitcairn Island, via Tenerife, Cape Town and New Zealand. -- From Whitehaven News, www.whitehaven-news.co.uk/news/viewarticle.aspx?id=440926

* Editor: There are two Bounty replicas, the one referred to here is Bounty II, which is not an exact replica... it is approximately 1/3 larger than the original, built to accomodate the filming of the 1962 film. It is presently in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, USA; since April 2006 it has been undergoing repairs and restoration. Your humble narrator had the privilege of boarding her in Yorktown, Virginia 2 summers ago. Alas, no wind that day for sailing... See www.tallshipbounty.org

The second reconstruction was built for the 1984 Dino de Laurentiis film The Bounty. That vessel was built of steel, clad in wood, and has modern conveniences. It is currently located in Darling Harbour, Sydney, Australia, where it serves the tourist excursion market. -- From Wikipedia.org

Bounty III's website is at www.thebounty.com

COURSE AU LARGE LAUNCHES ITS INTERNATIONAL VERSION:
OCEAN RACING WEB MAGAZINE
Boat yards, designers, racers, sponsors, fans: the editorial team behind Course au Large magazine has always remained in touch with the leading figures in offshore sailing outside of France... the magazine always intended to be accessible to international readers. That has now been achieved!

Why an English language version? Firstly, because ocean racing is a global discipline and the content of Course Au Large magazine since its creation, essentially international... Secondly, what is going on with French racers and French technology is of great interest to sailors and fans around the world. The story of major ocean races (Vendee Globe, Route du Rhum...), the development of multihulls, single-handed racing as well as major records have always attracted the interest of fans and sailors in the four corners of the world.

The first ocean racing magazine online !

This is now the case, as English-speaking readers from around the world can now view the entire content of Course Au Large magazine in English in a web version. This choice of technology removes the constraints linked to publishing, supply and distribution of the printed version, and ensures too that this new magazine is easily available to an international audience!

Thanks to the arrival online of OCEAN RACING, every two months, English-speaking readers will now be able to discover at their leisure in depth articles, stories, technical dossiers and interviews all with the same graphic quality that has made Course Au Large famous.

The first edition of Ocean Racing (98 pages) can be viewed online at absolutely no cost at the following address: www.ocean-racing.net

INCAT GIVES BULLIMORE A LIFT
As Tony Bullimore returns to the UK for a week of media interviews and sponsorship appearances, work continues in Hobart to prepare his 102ft (31m) catamaran Doha 2006 for the challenge ahead - to break the 70 day barrier for sailing solo non-stop around the world.

Last week, members of the Bellerive YC rallied round to remove 3.5 tons of extraneous gear from the multihull, including her engines, bunks and galley. Her sails have also been removed for service by Hood Sails.

Tomorrow, at 10:30am local time, the catamaran, which has now been moved to the Incat shipyard at Prince of Wales Bay, will have her 118 foot (36 metre) mast lifted by crane onto the wharf at Incat in preparation for the boat being lifted out for a thorough inspection early on Wednesday morning, 13 December.

Tony plans to return to Hobart next weekend and set out on his 27,000 mile record attempt around Cape Horn, the Azores island of Flores, the Cape of Hood Hope and Cape Leeuwin in January.

www.teambullimore.com

A PIECE OF YACHTING HISTORY TO OWN
At age 16 all Jon Nash knew was that he wanted to become a professional photographer. Armed with nothing more than a camera he started out his photographic journey to become one of the world's most renowned yachting photographers. His signed prints of the Volvo Ocean Race winners ABN AMRO as well as the iconic 60 ft HUGO BOSS campaign, which appeared on front covers world wide are now available on high quality art paper ready for framing. These exclusive pieces of art are the ideal X-MAS gift for the avid sailor.

www.jonnashphotography.co.uk/shop/

DRUMSTICK AGAIN AT PHUKET KINGS CUP
There was a dramatic finish at the 2006 Phuket King's Cup. The big boats in the Racing 1 division were 'neck and neck' battling for the King's Cup. Neil Pryde's Farr 52 Hi Fi was on 16 points, Paul Winkelmann's TP52 Island Fling was on 17 points and last year's winner, Toby O'Connell's DK46 Dhevatara Drumstick, was on 19 points.

The race started in easing conditions, there were windless holes and Frank Pong's 76 footer Jelik was the first victim. Island Fling was first around the top mark, followed by Hi Fi, then Mandrake and Jelik. At the bottom mark Island Fling went left looking underpowered, while Hi Fi stepped out to the right, finding pressure, and then tacked into a fast lane.

Just one run from the finish of the final race, the Racing division leader, Neil Pryde had sailed his Farr 52 into a regatta winning position - then the wind stopped. Pryde watched the fleet sail up to him. Behind him the entire fleet, from the largest Grand Prix racer Frank Pong's 25 metre Jelik, down to the 8 metre sports boats, joined the parking lot.

Behind Hi Fi, Paul Winkelmann's Island Fling was caught in the windless zone and drifted into the mark. She completed her 360 in painfully light conditions. Gradually the fleet ghosted round the buoy, with boats heading offshore looking for the sea breeze. Instead it infilled from the land and Hummingbird Konka reached along the inside of the fleet, with her larger rivals still waiting for the breeze. Within a minute Dhevatara Drumstick, the second smallest boat in the Grand Prix fleet was reaching up to the bottom mark, at 17 knots. For Pryde the regatta was just about over.

Going into the final race Dhevatara Drumstick needed to place three spots above Neil Pryde's Hi Fi to maintain her crown. The happy team on Drumstick achieved their goal and will be presented with the King's Cup for the second year in a row. Hi Fi was second and Island Fling (Paul Winkelmann) finished third. -- Rob Kothe

Full report and results for all classes at www.kingscup.com

PETIT BATEAU SOLO 2007
Racing at Petit Bateau has announced the course of the 4th edition of their classic solo race for 2007, a 600-mile test of the single-hander's skills set on the coast of South West Ireland. The mix of open water passage races and coastal day races are staged between ports renowned for their hospitality and fine food.

The fleet assembles at Mylor Yacht Club, Falmouth, in preparation for the 185 mile first leg, rounding the Lizard and Lands End, passing north of the Scillies across the Celtic sea to Kinsale in Ireland.

The second leg, following two or three nights of intensive recovery in Kinsale, takes the sailors south to Baltimore in a 40-mile sprint. The famous Fastnet Rock is the turning mark for stage three, a short 25-mile loop from Baltimore around Fastnet and Cape Clear Island and back to Baltimore for resuscitation.

Dawn on the 21st of July heralds the start of the most dramatic leg from Baltimore to Dingle with the Bull Rock and Great Skelligs dividing the 75-mile course into fun size stages.

The climax of the event is the longest leg, the 280 miles return to Mylor leaving Bishop rock in the Scillies to port. The yachts will be at sea for two nights and are expected to finish at Black Rock in the mouth of Falmouth harbour on Thursday the 27th July. A hero party is planned for the Friday night at Mylor Yacht Club.

The race is open to experienced skippers in mono hulls from 28 to 40 feet.
For more information on ports and dates www.petitbateau.org.uk/pb2007.pdf

THE LAST WORD
Perhaps I am a bear, or some hibernating animal underneath, for the instinct to be half asleep all winter is so strong in me. -- Anne Morrow Lindbergh

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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