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ROLEX SYDNEY TO HOBART RACE: DISMASTINGS AND INJURIES
Sydney, Australia: As a spectacle to prise Sydney residents and visitors away from their Boxing Day BBQs, today's start of the 62nd Rolex Sydney Hobart could not have been better: a scorching sun, a respectable if chilly breeze, Sydney Harbour with its intricate topography and familiar landmarks such as the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge as a backdrop and a dense crush of spectator craft clearly delineating the race track out to the open sea.

While expectations of a spinnaker start were high, in the end the wind was more southeast than southwest and had piped up to 16-18 knots, rather than the forecast 10-12, causing the fleet to close reach out towards Sydney Heads at pace. With the 78 strong fleet starting as one but on two different lines, among the big boats on the northern line it was Bob Oatley's line honours favourite Wild Oats XI that led off the leeward end of line with ABN AMRO One and particularly Grant Wharington's Skandia initially on station off her weather aft quarter.

Wild Oats XI reached the turning mark between Sydney Heads, 1.9 miles away in just 6 minutes 51 seconds, ahead of her two other 30m rivals, Skandia and Maximus (Charles Brown and Bill Buckley), the latter having chosen the opposite side of the course where they found the wind less strong. The Volvo Open 70s ABN AMRO One and Ichi Ban were in hot pursuit. Once out into the open sea Maximus, the highest rated boat in this year's Rolex Sydney Hobart, slowed when she suffered a problem with her jib halyard resulting in a crewman being hoisted promptly to the masthead to resolve the issue. The Kiwi maxi quickly recovered and by 1700 had overhauled Grant Wharington's Skandia.

* Steep seas and unforecast winds gusting up to gale force strength resulted in two of the potential line honours contenders dismasting last night in the Rolex Sydney Hobart.

At 0308 (Australian time) the crew of ABN AMRO One advised the Race Committee that they had dismasted. Despite a forecast indicating there would be no more than 20 knots, ABN AMRO One were experiencing 30-35 knots of wind gusting up to 37-38 at the time, making 10.5-11 knots to the east of the fleet.

"It was all familiar territory," commented skipper Mike Sanderson, who skippered the boat through considerably worse conditions to a decisive victory in the Volvo Ocean Race earlier this year. "There were two big bangs and it all came tumbling down. Something broke which had just worn out. Maybe we were lucky it didn't go in the Volvo Ocean Race. All we have left is up to the first spreader." Being pitch black in the early hours of the morning at the time of the incident, the exact cause of the breakage remains a mystery.

With the mast flailing around the crew were concerned about damaging the carbon fibre hull of their boat and hurriedly set about cutting through the carbon fibre spar, PBO rigging and numerous thick ropes, in order to free the rig from the hull.

Fortunately no one was injured in the incident. "The boys are a bit shaken up and disappointed - we were going well," said Sanderson. At present ABN AMRO is motoring back to Sydney and their present ETA is 24-48 hours time.

In an altogether more serious incident that resulted in six casualties, the 30m line honours contender Maximus skippered by co-owners Charles St Clair Brown and Bill Buckley dismasted shortly after ABN AMRO One at 0300 local time. At the time they were closer to the shore than ABN AMRO, sailing in 28 knots in a sea that was lumpy but nothing extraordinary. "The boat was going very nicely, we'd been sitting on 12-12.5 knots and we were in good shape, just trucking down the coast," recounted one of the injured crewman, Ian Trelaven.

On Maximus it was a forestay fitting that broke, resulting in the towering carbon fibre spar crashing directly backwards into the cockpit. At the time the crew were preparing for a tack and the falling spar nearly crushed several crew at the aft end of the cockpit, thankfully saved as the fall was broken by the twin steering wheels and the handles for the grinders. "I think we were incredibly lucky no one was killed," said Treleaven.

In the dismasting Trevalen had suffered a head injury which briefly knocked him unconscious. "I was down to leeward getting ready for the leeward traveller and heard the crunching. I hit the deck and the boom must have got me in the back of the head and just pushed me into the deck. I landed on a winch and it stopped doing any serious damage to me."

Others hurt were Glenn Attrill, George Hendy, David Mundy and Martin Hannon suffering a mixture of injury to their lower back, head, ribs and pelvis. Most seriously hurt was New Zealander David Mundy who broke his leg and some ribs and was airlifted off in a stretcher. At first light this morning three crew were taken ashore to Moruya Hospital by helicopter while two were transported ashore to Batesman's Bay by police launch.

In the dismasting Maximus' rudder was slightly damaged and a sail became wrapped around the propeller. These have since been cleared and this morning Maximus was making for Jervis Bay, steered by the remaining half of a wheel.

In total from 78 starters, six have so far retired including Endorfin and Sailing With Disabilities suffering steering problems and the Cookson 50 Living Doll with radio problems. Most dramatic is Mike Freebairn's 1968 Sydney Hobart race winner, Ray White Koolmooloo that is sinking. At the time of writing she was 60 miles off Narooma and two rescue helicopters along with the British services former Challenge 67 yacht Adventure, were en route to rescue her eight crew.

Meanwhile the race continues with Bob Oatley's Wild Oats 5.5 miles ahead of Skandia. At 1000 local time the race favourite was approaching Gabo Island making 10.8 knots. Under IRC handicap, several of the 'classic boats' are doing well with the 1973 built two-time overall winner Love & War of Simon Kurts leading Lou Abrahams' Sydney 38 Challenge and Impeccable sailed by John Walker, at 84 the oldest skipper in the Rolex Sydney Hobart.

* The British Army'Adventure rescued the crew from the sinking Koomooloo this morning.

Koomooloo the 1968 Hobart winner, and the 2006 race leader this morning, sprung a leak in 6 metre seas and 30 knot winds, 60 miles off Narooma this morning and issued a MAYDAY at 930am.

Adventure, formerly a BT Challenge yacht, crewed by members of the Royal Corps of Signals within the British Army, diverted to aid the stricken yact.

A life raft transfer was effected and all the Koomooloo crew are now safe aboard the Adventure.

Mike Freebairn and his father Don had spent the last 10 years restoring the Kaufman-designed 41-footer to her former glory and it was a gut wrenching decision to abandon the sinking boat. -- Rob Kothe in www.sail-world.com

Event site: www.rolexsydneyhobart.com

VELUX 5 OCEANS
Graham Dalton has had a tough night, experiencing hurricane conditions with winds reaching top speeds of 70 knots. According to race director, David Adams, " He was hand steering for a while as the pilots could not handle the force of the seas. Had a knock down and thrown against the life lines. Dalton reported to me on that the inside of the boats looks like a teenager's bed room with a fair bit of water down below as well. The treacherous seas have been breaking over the boat and putting the rigging under incredible loads."

Speaking to the race office Dalton has reported that his main is trashed but he will still be able to push on to Fremantle. Dalton is currently trapped in a very small intense low which started just behind him and has now passed over the top of him. The wind will change direction and then be just as strong from the other direction. It is anticipated that this intense period could last another 6 hours. Dalton is currently sailing along the Rhum line (the most direct line to the finish) and if he maintains his course should be able to weather the situation and come out the other side.

Meanwhile onboard Saga Insurance, Sir Robin is frustrated by his arduous progress.

" It's Christmas Eve, I know that because everybody keeps asking me how I'm feeling spending Christmas at sea. But apart from that it feels like any other day at sea. I want to enjoy it, as I'm going to remember it for a long time, but the weather is testing my patience. I'll give my daughter and grandchildren a call tomorrow evening, which I'm looking forward to, but other than that it's back to the grindstone. We are pounding our way north or north-east, so heading for Java at the moment and hoping the wind might change direction or at some point we will have to tack and continue the long zigzag to Fremantle. I could make the motion easier if I flooded a forward ballast tank, but last time I did that it flooded the whole sail locker so I prefer to bash than flood. A grey day, a grey sea, wind varying in strength blowing directly from Fremantle, waves ditto. I know the Aus met boys say we have South Easterly winds here, but in fact its East North East at the moment

The problem with these constant delays is that they are eating into the time I desperately need to sort things out on the boat. We had pre planned to unstep the mast on the 28th, but with this weather I won't have arrived by then. What we do not have time to fix in the two weeks now remaining before the re-start. The longer the weather holds me back now the more problems I can expect next leg.

Current positions:
1. Cheminees Poujoulat, Bernard Stamm, Finished
2. Spirit of Yukoh, Kojiro Shiraishi, Finished
3. SAGA Insurance, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, 198 nm to leg finish
4. A Southern Man AGD, Graham Dalton, 929 nm
5. PAKEA, Unai Basurko, 1124 nm

www.velux5oceans.com

SHOW TIME FOR PETERS & MAY!
World leaders in global yacht transportation and logistics, Peters & May, are regularly shipping yachts around the world for race teams and private individuals but this time of year sees them operating complex schedules to meet Boat Show deadlines. With manufacturers and dealers wishing to move boats between shows, tailored solutions are required to service their programmes for London, Dusseldorf, Miami and Dubai Shows.

Peters & May will be exhibiting at the London and Dusseldorf Shows in January and in Dubai in March.

London - Stand S157.
Dusseldorf - Hall 7a, Stand 7aE02

www.petersandmay.com

MINI TRANSAT TROUBLE
With nine months to go, the Mini Transat is hugely over-subscribed. Yet it's a tough race for which to qualify. You need to have sailed 1,000 miles solo, and at least that amount in competition, which demands a long and gruelling run-up on the Mini circuit.

Despite that, by mid-December there were 143 entries, 125 of them fully qualified, for only 84 places (75 from the list and 9 wild cards). It has put the organisers in a pickle and it will disappoint and enrage some of the committed sailors who've worked hard to fulfil the criteria and consider they've earned a place.

To decide between them, entries will be ranked according to the miles raced by skippers in their boats. This year it ranges down from over 3,000 miles, weighting the Mini Transat heavily in favour of sailors who have done the race before and/or are professionals.

The resulting mix would be quite at odds with the image and tradition of the Mini Transat, and will close the door to many up and coming sailors struggling on smaller budgets and ordinary sailors looking for an adventure. Commenting in L'Express, the journalist Pierre-Yves Lautrou has called it a 'catastrophe'.

"It is an insoluble equation," he says, "precisely because it impossible to reconcile all the different types and profiles of the competitors who want to take part in this fantastic event." -- From Elaine Bunting's blog at www.ybw.com/yw/blog/elaine_bunting.html

Pierre-Yves Lautrou's blog is at blogs.lexpress.fr/aularge/

More discussions on Leo Leo Voorneveld's new Mini forum at www.minitransat650.com/simple/

BULLIMORE ON STANDBY FOR RECORD ATTEMPT
Hobart, Tasmania: The final countdown has begun for Tony Bullimore's challenge to break the 70 day barrier for sailing solo non-stop around the world. His 102ft (31m) catamaran Doha 2006 was lifted back into the water at the Incat shipyard in Hobart on Thursday and she will undergo final tuning and preparations over the Christmas break. The programme is now on standby for a start from December 31.

"We are just waiting for the last sails to arrive from South Africa, some new logos to be put on the hull and for the satellite communications equipment and onboard camera systems to be commissioned, and I will be ready." Tony said in Hobart today.

The British solo sailor is full of compliments for Simon Redding, Doha 2006's shore support manager who has been working to service the giant catamaran and her rig in preparation for the challenge ever since the Bullimore arrived in Hobart earlier this month. "Simon has done a fantastic job to get the boat ready and make final checks on all the equipment to ensure that everything holds up during the record attempt.".

"We have also been helped by an enthusiastic team from the Bellerive YC whose many members worked to strip the boat out when we arrived and have helped with the final preparations . We couldn't have better hosts in Hobart." Says Tony.

This enthusiasm, coupled with the thousands of e.mails received from well wishers across the Globe, has prompted the launch today of the Team Bullimore Challenge Club to give the public the opportunity to actively support Tony and his record attempt.

The first to join within minutes of the Club going live on the http://www.teambullimore.com was Alison Robbie who will now have her name written on the multihull, and will receive an autographed photograph of Tony Bullimore and Doha 2006. She will also receive the latest updates, have access to onboard pictures and video, and have her name put forward for a sailing trip with Tony after the record attempt. By visiting the web site www.teambullimore.com anyone can sign up and support Tony's challenge.

The 27,000 mile course will take Bullimore straight down into the Southern Ocean where the westerly winds in the Roaring Forty latitudes will slingshot him across the first 5,000 mile stage to Cape Horn. He will then follow the South American coast northwards to the Equator, from where he must pick his way through the calms of the Doldrums and those associated with the Azores high pressure system, to round the island of Flores before returning southwards to the Cape of Good Hope.

The course has been sanctioned by the World Sailing Speed Record Council www.sailspeedrecords.com which will time Bullimore's start and finish from Tasmania and monitor his progress around the world. The distance is exactly the same as if he started from Ushant on the north west tip of France where Dame Ellen Macarthur, the current record holder began her 71day 14hour 18 minute voyage last year.

www.teambullimore.com

NEW WAVE EVENT IN CAPE VERDE
The Professional Windsurfers Association (PWA) has announced a new specialist wavesailing event on the Island of Sal, Cape Verde. The event is set to run from Feb 22nd through to 4th March and will take the form of a roaming contest, shifting locations to take in the best conditions available.

Sal, and its legendary breaks such as Ponta Preta, has grown in stature in recent years as their lure to waveriding purists worldwide grows season upon season. Now with improved flight connections, and this small republic's high profile resident Josh Angulo acting as both host and ambassador, the hollow, powerful waves of Ponta Preta and nearby breaks will test even the most hardcore PWA athletes.

PWA Tour manager Rich Page said 'This will be a landmark event in PWA history. The conditions in Cape Verde provide a near perfect wave riding environment to challenge the finest sailors on the planet. As a specialist contest, featuring the top 32 men in the world, competitors will have a chance to purely express their abilities in a true challenge of man against the elements. We hope that the ground breaking agreement with Cape Verde Investment to host the event, will set the stage for Cape Verde to take its rightful place on the PWA World Tour for years to come'.

www.pwaworldtour.com

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
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* From Mike Sharpe: In response to 'Letters' in #1127; even 'Fish' knows that there's an 'e' at the end of Sharpe! I read with interest Grant and 'JP's' defense of canting keels. I do get it guys, I'm not too old yet! I also enjoyed Mark's objections to Grants comments about old 'klunkers'. I am with you Mark! I guess a 1977 Farr One-tonner would also be an 'old Klunker' these days, but not to me!

Having raced everything from centre-board 1/4 & 1/2 tonners, 3 handed 18' skiffs, Tornado cats, 5.5's and a Javelin with wings, rotating mast and gybing centre-board back in the 70's, (and a bunch of other skiffs and yachts), I'm definitely not against development, innovation or speed. I've even seen 20knots running between The Galapagos and Tahiti in the 'old klunker' I was delivering from Lymington to Fremantle, in racking up nearly 250,00 offshore miles.

I just don't like innovation in our sport that separates the combatants the way an innovation like canting keels can. Too may boats then become Grants 'old klunkers'.

The comments from Mark Chew probably typify the vast majority of offshore sailors who race older or 'normal' boats that were very quick in their day. Boats from Farr, S&S, Frers, Holland and so on, who enjoyed 'having a go' at the maxis on handicap, and, in the right conditions, even spent some time annoying them boat for boat, are now out of the running against this new fleet of boats that are off in the distance at the speeds Grant predicts. Where's the fun for the rest of the fleet in their 'old klunkers'.

Sydney-Hobart in a day; one day! I wonder if all the guys who struggle to get there by New Years Eve will feel the same sense of achievement when they finish, knowing some crews from the big boats are back in Sydney, New York or London. How did these big boats get into these events anyway?

I'm presently involved with 2 'fast' projects. Both are 140'+ maxi cruising sloops for separate clients. Speed is a pre-requisite from the owners. Probably won't have canting keels, but it will be interesting to see what the designers come up with.

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THE LAST WORD
The saying "Getting there is half the fun" became obsolete with the advent of commercial airlines. -- Henry J. Tillman

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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