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ON THE RECORD
Portsmouth, England: Glenn Bourke, CEO of the Volvo Ocean Race, explains some of the key elements of the 2008-09 Notice of Race. The next edition of the world's most demanding offshore adventure features 11 ocean legs, eight inshore races and shorter stopovers in a route which takes in the hitherto uncharted territories of Asia, India and the Middle East. There are also changes to crew numbers and the introduction of an on-board media specialist. The race will start in the port of Alicante, Spain in the autumn of 2008.

Q: What is the thinking behind the introduction of a designated media crew member for 2008-09?

A: Our TV programming from the last race made for some compelling viewing, but for us to take that to the next level we decided that we needed to include a media specialist on board.

It's difficult to film, put probing questions to a crew member, and take photographs when all hell's breaking loose, but this is exactly where the story gets interesting for the viewer. And you certainly can't do it when the person responsible for the media output is an integral member of the sailing team.

So the media person allows the core crew to focus on what they do best - sailing the boat.

We will always have skippers filing their daily e-mails to the outside world, and followers of the race will always want to hear what the guys racing on board have to say on camera. With the media person at the controls of the camera and microphone we believe the output will be more insightful. The on-board material from the last race was exceptional: dramatic and humorous in equal measure, and often in the heat of battle. This time we want to up the ante, and, by virtue of the technology we have at our disposal, broaden the appeal of the race.

Q: How will you make sure that the media crew member does not participate in sailing the boat?

A: During the declaration procedure at the end of each leg, the crews are asked whether they have complied with the rules. If they sign the documentation to confirm that they have complied with a rule which forbids the media person from sailing the boat, and we have reasonable grounds for doubting them, then they risk the race committee proving a case against them. We can use footage from on-board cameras which we can switch on remotely if required. It's a heavy risk to run, so I don't assume anyone will cheat in this instance.

Q: What has been the reaction from the sailors to this innovation?

A: As always you get a mixed bag of reactions and feedback. As long as you get about 70 per cent of the people you canvass to agree in principle, it's worth pursuing. At least 70 per cent of the people we consulted said 'yes, we would be happy with a media person', particularly the sailors who will now be able to concentrate solely on sailing the boat. It actually gives the crews an extra half a pair of hands because previously the crews were doing all the media work in their off watch periods or limited spare time.

Q: What impact will it have on broadcast output?

A: From our television producers' perspective it is fundamental. Their need is for a better standard of footage. They need it to be edited when it arrives at race headquarters rather than have to cull the best pieces of footage from hours and hours of inconsequential material. A lot of that editing can now be done on the boat. In terms of documenting the race in celluloid, it's a very important next step for us.

Q: What is your thinking behind introducing the age limit for at least three crew members now needing to be under the age of 30?

A: We had a fantastic experience with the ABN AMRO TWO team in the last race. Not only did they prove themselves to be accomplished sailors by breaking the monohull 24-hour record, but they added youthful exuberance and vibrancy to the event. The 'kids', as they were known, built up a fan base all of their own, such was the enjoyment they brought to their sailing. Certainly at arrivals, departures and prize giving awards nights, they kept us all fresh and amused and they were a major plus for the event. We can also do our bit to unearth a new generation of round the world sailors with the introduction of this rule..

Q: How about an all-female crew now that that the crew numbers for such an entry have been increased to 13 (+ 1 media crew member)?

A: Increasing the crew numbers has strengthened the likelihood of a female crew entering the race. The three extra sets of hands will help a lot in manoeuvres and sail changes and the extra weight makes the boat more manageable. Not having had an all-female crew in the last race, it would certainly be an exciting addition for 2008-09, just as the ABN AMRO youth crew was. There are a couple of potential teams out there already looking at it.

Q: Do you expect the 2008-09 race to be tougher than its predecessor?

A: It will be an even greater sporting challenge than the 2005-06 race. We will still have in-port races and point-scoring gates, but we have introduced shorter port stopovers and the fleet will encounter a myriad of wind conditions with the new route.

It's a complex sporting test. Having shorter stopovers introduces another level of urgency into the whole programme. In some cases, there might not be the chance to make the boat absolutely pristine during a stopover for the next leg. Shore crews will have to rationalize their job lists and focus on major work issues in order to have the boat ready for in-port racing and leg re-starts. Once on the water, the navigators will have plenty on their plates.

Q: What is the latest on port destinations and entries?

A: We are working hard with a number of the 'new' ports to include boats from those regions - adopting the model which was so successful for movistar and the region of Galicia in 2005-06. The new markets in Asia, the Indian sub-continent and the Middle East have huge potential. How many boats will come from these ports is yet to be determined but I am optimistic that there will be a few. I am content with our progress at this stage. We had an early announcement from Ericsson and Peter de Ridder's Mean Machine and we can expect some announcements fairly soon from Spain. There is a tremendous amount of work going on behind the scenes and the signs are very positive even though we've sliced a year of the race cycle.

volvooceanrace.org

DOWN TO THE WIRE AT ACURA KEY WEST
Dan Meyers and his crew aboard Numbers have engaged in a battle royale with Edgar Cato and the Hissar team with the two Farr-designed 60-footers sailing around the course in constant contact.

IRC 1 is among 12 classes still in doubt going into the final day of Acura Key West 2007, presented by Nautica. Organizers with Premiere Racing are planning to start one race on Friday and it will be do or die for Meyers and many other skippers.

Only two points separate the first and second place boats in IRC 2 and 3 as well. In the J/109 class, Tastes Like Chicken and Current Obsession are only one point apart. Surprisingly, the Farr 40s are one of the only five classes already determined after four days of racing.

Skipper Ernesto Bertarelli steered Alinghi to its fourth victory of the series on Thursday to clinch overall victory in Farr 40. The team from Geneva, Switzerland holds an insurmountable 20-point lead over Flash Gordon 5 in the 17-boat class.

While the boys on Alinghi can relax tomorrow, the intensity will be high in most of the other professional-laden, grand prix classes. Magic Glove, Colm Barrington's brand new Ker 50, will try to protect a narrow advantage over the TP52s Samba Pa Ti (John Kilroy) and Windquest (Doug DeVos).

It's still wide open in the talent-laden Melges 24 class, largest of the regatta with 47 boats. Joe Fly, the Italian entry owned by Giovanni Maspero, increased its lead over Dave Ullman's Pegasus 505 to five points, but things can change quickly in such a huge fleet. Franco Rossini's Blu Moon is one of three other boats still in striking distance.

Southern Sun, the Australian entry skippered by Bruce Eddington, took over the lead in Mumm 30 class with a strong performance on Thursday. Tactician Tim Davis made some great calls on wind shifts as Southern Sun posted a first and a second to take a four-point lead over Mean Machine. That effort also earned Southern Sun the Industry Partner Boat of the Day award.

Claudio Recchi and his Italian team aboard Let's Roll clinched victory in Melges 32 class with a first and a second on Thursday.

NKE Electronics, one of five Beneteau 10R designs that are making their Key West debut, is tied with John Edwards' Rhumb Punch in the standings. The championship, a new addition to the regatta, is determined by a combination of average corrected speed and class competitiveness.

Rhumb Punch, a J/29 that has sealed victory in PHRF 5, has a slight edge in terms of average corrected speed. However, a smaller time disparity between the first and fifth place boats in PHRF 3 benefits NKE Electronics.

www.premiere-racing.com

ROUND-UP! ROUND-UP! BE THE FIRST TO SEE THE NEW H3000 SYSTEM FROM B&G
Come and see the revolutionary H3000 Instrument system from B&G at one of the many International Boat Shows taking place this spring. Visit Dusseldorf, Gothenburg, Helsinki, Miami, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Auckland, Dubai or Madrid to name but a few, and let the experts run you through all the new features available with H3000. Allowing new ways of visualising sailing data, the NEW Graphical Function Display combines bonded screen technology with a high-resolution graphical display to give unbeatable clarity, durability and reliability. Along with NEW simple Auto Calibration Routines, H3000 is the future of marine instrumentation for performance cruising and racing.

www.bandg.com

2007 MIRROR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Port Elizabeth, South Africa: Today was the day that the weather gurus really got it wrong. We awoke to a fresh westerly as opposed to the predicted light south wester. True to form Principal Race Officer Viv James left his moorings before 9:00 a.m., the D Flag was dropped at 9:05 a.m. and the boats started launching in a wind touching 22 knots.

One race was sailed today to bring the regatta series total to 12 races sailed.

South African America's Cup Shosholoza team member and Isivunguvungu coach, Sieraj Jacobs sailing with the 2006 Optimist National Champion, Ashwin Daniels sailed a faultless race to gain first position, followed by Nick Davis and John Collova (Australia) and in third were Ross Kearney and Adam McCullough (Ireland)

Today's sailing put a smile on many sailors faces as they cried out to the bridge boat for more sailing and for the triangle sausage course. What a great end to an incredible regatta.

Top three Final places (after twelve races):

1. Anna Mackenzie and Holly Scott (England) - 44 points
2. Nick Davis and John Collova (Australia) - 48 points
3. Sieraj Jacobs and Ashwin Daniels (South Africa) - 60 points

Top Sailors by Country:

1. Anna Mackenzie and Holly Scott (England) - 1st
2. Nick Davis and John Collova (Australia) - 2nd
3. Sieraj Jacobs and Ashwin Daniels (South Africa) - 3rd
4. Doire Shiels and Graham Daly (Ireland) - 6th
5. Per Backlund and Thomas Backlund (Sweden) - 20th

Event site: abyc.org.za/mirrors/
Photographs: abyc.org.za/photos/categories.php?cat_id=4
Results: abyc.org.za/index.php?cat=45

BMW OFFICIAL MAIN CO-SPONSOR OF COPA DEL REY REGATTA
Palma, Spain: BMW will be the official main co-sponsor for the 26th edition of the Copa del Rey regatta that will take place at the Real Club Nautico de Palma (RCNP) from July, 28th to August, 5th, 2007. The agreement was sealed at the headquarters of the regatta organizer. There, the prestigious automotive brand took over the co-sponsorship of the most important nautical competition in Spain in collaboration with Spanish shoe manufacturer Camper, which already sponsored the regatta last year.

The Copa del Rey will take place, as usual, the first week of August. The main novelties in the new edition will be the inclusion of the IMS 570 and GP42 classes that joins TP52 and IMS 670, and also the division in two regatta courses. The organization leaves open the possibility to invite another class. The Organizing Committee, with re-confirmed Jaime Ensenat as President for 2007, will meet January, 23rd. After this meeting the regatta announcement will be published.

In the last year's Copa del Rey regatta approximately 1.000 sailors, 100 boats and more than 3.000 yacht club members, partners, sponsors and guests visited the nine-day-long competition. Amongst those 450 journalists and even the Spanish Royal Family who also participated in the event. The 25th edition of the regatta generated nearly five millions of media coverage and reached a TV audience of approximately 123 million spectators.

"FASTEST SAILS ON THE PLANET", PERIOD!
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UNCL AND SIRIUS EVENEMENTS LAUNCH THE 1st IRC NATIONAL
After announcing the launch of the first IRC National last October, the UNCL's new President Philippe Baetz and Sirius Evenements' Manfred Ramspacher, made their partnership official today with the signing of a 3 year agreement.

Actioned by the previous UNCL President Didier Dardot, the project will be registered within the framework of Deauville International Sailing Week. As a result, the event will gather together both top level one design series - identical craft competing in real time - and an equally high level IRC competition, in an international environment.

This new competition has been registered to complement the existing UNCL trophies, Trophee Atlantique, Trophee Manche, Trophee Mediterranee (Atlantic, Channel and Mediterranean Trophies), as a new national level element for the IRC.

The IRC craft will be grouped into 3 rating classes (0.950 / 1.010 - 1.011 / 1.070 - 1.071 / 1.280), which globally correspond with craft measuring 30 foot, 35 foot, 40 foot and above. Trophies will be awarded to the various winners by the UNCL.

The geographical positioning of Deauville will give the competition an international dimension as it welcomes crews from England, Ireland and France as well as others countries. Of particular interest is the participation of the winners of the last Commodore's Cup, the French team skippered by Gery Trentesaux.

The opening of the event to the IRC will directly appeal to the numerous boats from the Norman clubs of Le Havre, Caen, Cherbourg, as well as those from the Western Channel such as St Malo and Dinard. -- Kate Jennings

www.deauville-week.fr

UNITED INTERNET TEAM GERMANY PRESENTS NEW YACHT-DESIGN
What is the German yacht going to look like when the races of the America´s Cup season 2007 start at the 3rd of April? United Internet Team Germany will answer this question at the opening of the "boot 2007" in Düsseldorf, world's biggest boat show, commencing on Saturday, 20th of January. At 10.30 a.m. an America's Cup yacht with a new look will be revealed and the designer of this design will be honoured. He is the winner of the competition in fall 2006, where more than 700 participants had sent in their ideas for a new design.

At the boat show in Düsseldorf the new design will be presented.
At the boat show in Düsseldorf the new design will be presented.

Germany I, the German America's Cup yacht, will participate in the Louis Vuitton Act 13 with this new design. Before, it will be presented together with the designer at the biggest boat show in the world by the CEO of main sponsor United Internet, Ralph Dommermuth, syndicate head Michael Scheeren and managing partner Michael Mronz. The winner of the design competition will receive a trip to Valencia for two persons including a visit of the German Basecamp and the honour of being 18th man on Germany I during one of the races.

There will be an "America's Cup Day" on Tuesday, 23rd of January, during the boat show. America's Cup Management, the United Internet Team Germany as well as other syndicates like Team Shosholoza from South Africa will give information and entertainment around the most important sailing regatta in the world. A press conference will be hold with team members who will also match race with remote controlled AC-yachts.

www.united-internet-team-germany.com

CONCEPT BOAT COMPETITION
The winners and runners-up of the 2006 Concept Boat competition were announced at the Collins Stewart London Boat Show.

The 2006 competition, organised by the British Marine Federation and supported by the Royal Institution of Naval Architects, was themed 'Tow a Boat'. It asked for entrants to design a recreational or commercial craft of up to 24m in length, that can be towed behind a mid-sized 4x4 (SUV) or large family car.

The competition was divided into two key categories:
'Concept and design', which looks for detailed designs that have moved beyond pure concept into a developed concept; and
'Pure Concept', which asks for a simple illustration of their concept boat with a brief written summary.

This year's winners

Design and Concept

Winner - Matteo Signorini from Munich, Germany
Runners-up - David Hitchen from Argyll, Scotland and Derek Kelsall from New Zealand

Judges thought Matteo's design, 'Origami boat', a lightweight, foldable, single-handed sailing dinghy, to be an excellent idea. They also praised the idea believing it to have 'the potential to set up an entirely new class of sailing'.

Pure Concept

Winner - Chris Challoner from St Albans, Hertfordshire
Runner-up - A Monteath from Haslemere, Surrey

Chris' design, the folding 17.5ft day sailor titled 'The Nutshell', was described by the judges as 'simplicity itself' and solved problems that had previously remained unresolved by those trying to design a boat of similar nature.

The theme for future Concept Boat competitions has been announced as 'treading lightly in our beautiful world'. The focus for 2007 is to design a boat that makes the best use of time, whether afloat, enjoying or using the boat, or accessing or launching the boat.

The 2007 competition, once again organised by BMF and in association with Royal Institution Naval Architects, is now in partnership with CSL Publishing's All At Sea - Britain's Waterfront Newspaper - with information appearing across their portfolio of titles.

BYM News: www.bymnews.com/news/newsDetails.php?id=2673

THE LAST WORD
Blow, blow, thou winter wind
Thou art not so unkind,
As man's ingratitude. -- William Shakespeare

OC Events, www.ocevents.org , 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) plus the Extreme 40 Sailing Series for The iShares Cup.

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

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