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SAP 505 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: THE DANES WIN IN EIGHT
Jan Saugmann and Morten Ramsbaek have won the SAP 505 Worlds in Adelaide Australia, after 8 of 9 scheduled races. Friday's performance put them out of reach, they don't have to sail the ninth race.

That ninth race is underway at press time, Rob Kothe's report:

Light winds for the final race, the 2007 World Champions Jan Saugmann and Morten Ramsbaek of Denmark have chosen not to race, having been celebrating into the pre-dawn hours.The battle today is for second and third.

The wind is coming from the south west again. The first leg is set to 215; the wind is blowing at 5-6 knots.

Top five after 8 races:
1. Jan Saugmann / Morten Ramsbaek, DEN, 17 points
2. Mike Martin / Jeff Nelson, USA, 30
3. Howie Hamlin / Fritz Lanzinger, USA, 31
4. Sandy Higgins / Paul Marsh, AUS, 32
5. Ian Pinnell / Steve Hunt, GBR, 39

www.505worlds2007.com

VELUX 5 OCEANS
The 15:08 UTC position poll shows Graham Dalton clinging onto fourth place with grim determination. Earlier today, the Kiwi skipper passed north of Antipodes Island, within sight of the last speck of land he will encounter during the 4,000 mile battle across the Southern Ocean to Cape Horn at the tip of South America.

For the 54 year-old veteran sailor, the island represented a hazard more than a curiosity: "Whenever there's a rock or an island in the middle of nowhere, it seems to be a magnet for a bloody boat, it always seems to be right in your path. Same with these islands. I didn't even know they were there until I pulled the charts up, which could have been unfortunate." Dalton is unaware that seven years ago, this dangerous, jagged, rocky outcrop claimed the yacht Totorore, tragically killing two crew.

The latest positions give Dalton a 19 mile lead over SAGA Insurance in terms of Distance To Leader, with Knox-Johnston keeping north, just 128 miles off the yellow Open 50's port quarter.

While the hull length, broad beam and increased sail area of Knox-Johnston and Basurko's Open 60s are optimised for the downwind, surfing conditions of the Southern Ocean, Dalton's smaller, narrower and more nimble Open 50 may have a technical advantage upwind. "For me, this leg doesn't really start until we get up the east coast of South America," he explained, revealing his ace: "That's where the passing lanes are, where you've got to work hard and believe me, I'll be working hard."

As Dalton and Knox-Johnston plough deeper into the Southern Ocean, the rivalry between these two highly experienced sailors is magnifying with every mile. Shortly after receiving this morning's 10:20 UTC position files, Knox-Johnston logged that SAGA Insurance was one mile further east than A Southern Man - AGD, although the Distance To Leader figure recorded Dalton leading by 20 miles. Inspired by this gain, he fired a celebratory email to his team: "Ahead of Dalton, so feel better. I have always said watch longitude not DTL."

There is a distance of 2,340 miles between race leader, Bernard Stamm on Cheminees Poujoulat and fifth place Sir Robin Knox-Johnston on SAGA Insurance. As Stamm continues to average a little under 12 knots today, the Swiss skipper estimates that he should round Cape Horn and leave the Southern Ocean early next week.

www.velux5oceans.com

TORNADO NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP
Key Biscayne, Florida, USA: Great racing on day three of the 2007 North American Championship; 3 races were completed and sunny skies have returned to Miami. The breeze started as a Northerly ended as an Easterly in the low teens.

There are a record 14 countries represented at the 2007 North American Championship, and the level of competition is top notch. All of the top 10 in the ISAF World Rankings are at the event; and 20 of the to 30.

The leader board has been very active, as Echavarri and Paz (ESP) have surged forward; as have Johansson and Stittle (CAN) and the Mittlemeier brothers (GER).

The Rolex Miami OCR champions Bundock and Forbes (AUS) were hit (hard) by the French team of Guichard and Guyader in Race 3. The Australians port bow was holed and one of the internal structural bulkheads was punched through. They have received redress for Races 3, 4, and 5.

Top ten after five races:
1. Darren Bundock, AUS, 14 points
2. Fernando Echavarri, ESP, 17
3. Oskar Johansson, CAN, 31
4. Tino Mittelmeier, GER, 36
5. Roman Hagara, AUT, 39
6. Leigh McMillan, GBR, 44
7. Johannes Polgar, GER, 45
8. Andrey Kirilyuk, RUS, 45
9. Toni Rivas, ESP, 46
10. John Lovell, USA, 49

www.tornado.org

ULLMAN SAILS J109 AT KEY WEST
Congratulations to Gary Mozer and his J109 team on "Current Obsession" for winning their class at Acura's 2007 Key West Race Week. In this hotly contested class with grand prix talent and sailmakers on the top boats, Gary selected Ullman Sails to deliver the power and speed to win class in this international regatta. Again and again, Ullman delivers the performance and reliability that enables top teams to outperform their stiffest competition. If you and your crew are ready to race with the "Fastest Sails on the Planet", contact your nearest Ullman Sails loft and visit www.ullmansails.com

NEW 9.50M OPEN CLASS FOR MONOHULLS
Jean-Marie Vidal (past Figaro race winner and mini sailor) is launching a new open class for monohulls. Minis are too smalls for cruising, Class 40 is quite expensive, these are the first two ideas for the launching of the new rule which will define an 9.50 meter long open class for racing-cruising monohuls.

Some excerpts from the class rules:

- The appendages are limited to one keel, fixed while sailing and two rudders (non lifting blades) maximum.
- Canards and dagger-boards are forbidden.
- Canting and pivoting masts are forbidden
- Forestays, backstays, runners and shrouds (permanent or temporary) must be fixed to chain plates situated inside the natural intersection of hull and deck.
- Deck spreaders are forbidden
- The total number of sails taken onboard is limited to 7, including a storm-jib.
- Any material other than woven or laminated polyester is forbidden in the manufacture of the mainsail and jibs. Any material other than Nylon is forbidden in the manufacture of the spinnakers.
- The hull length must not exceed 9.50 m.
- This measurement does not include rudders and their fittings, bobstay fittings, devoid of devices designed to lengthen the waterline, nor pulpits and pushpits, solar panels and wind vane autopilots.
- The maximum beam must not exceed 3.75 m
- The maximum draft must not exceed 2.40 m
- The mean freeboard must not exceed 1 m
- The mass of the must not be less than 2.600 kgs

See www.fox-tech.fr

From SeaSailSurf.com

ISAF MATCH RACE RANKINGS
The Women's ISAF World Match Race Rankings hit 200 skippers in the latest release on 1 February. Claire Leroy (FRA) remains a clear leader as the Women's Rankings reach a new landmark, whilst Sebastien COL (FRA) stays top in the Open Rankings to make it a French clean sweep for the fifth Ranking release in a row.

The next Rankings release will be on 21 March 2007 following on from the ISAF Grade 1 Marseille International Match Race in France. This will be the second release of the ISAF World Match Race Rankings in 2007.

Sebastien Col (FRA) makes it five-in-a-row at the top of the ISAF World Match Race Rankings, with the top four skippers unchanged in this Ranking release. The 29 year old AREVA Challenge skipper has now held the world #1 spot since 24 August 2006 after an outstanding run of form during the European spring/summer.

Behind Col, Ian Willams (GBR) holds on to his career-best world #2 spot and actually closes the points gap on the leader following his second place at the ISAF Grade 1 Auckland Match Racing Cup and victory at the ISAF Grade 2 JPMorgan Asset Management Winter Challenge 3. Williams beat world #3 Mathieu Richard (FRA) in the semi-finals in Auckland, but the French winner of last year's ISAF Nations Cup still remains right behind the Brit, 45 Ranking points back.

Team Shosholoza's Paolo Cian (ITA) is also unmoved in fourth, whilst reigning ISAF Match Racing World Champion Peter Gilmour (AUS) moves back into the world top 5 at the expense of BMW ORACLE Racing skipper Chris Dickson (NZL).

Another America's Cup skipper, Jesper Bank (DEN) of United Internet Team Germany is the one new entry into the world top 10. The Danish star climbs up two places to 9 after victory at the ISAF Grade 2 Match Race Brasil. Luna Rossa's James Spithill (AUS) just misses out on the top 10 place, climbing from 27 to 11 after finishing runner up in Brazil.

Top ten, open:
1. Sebastien Col, FRA
2. Ian Williams, GBR
3. Mathieu Richard, FRA
4. Paolo Cian, ITA
5. Peter Gilmour, AUS
6. Chris Dickson, NZL
7. Eugeniy Neugodnikov, RUS
8. Bjorn Hansen, SWE
9. Jesper Bank, DEN
10. Staffan Lindberg, FIN

Top ten, women:
1. Claire Leroy, FRA
2. Lotte Meldgaared Pedersen, DEN
3. Klaartje Zuiderbaan, NED
4. Silke Hahlbrock, GER
5. Marie Bjorling, SWE
6. Katie Spithill , AUS
7. Linda Rahm, SWE
8. Josie Gibson, GBR
9. Jenny Axhede, SWE
10. Christelle Philippe, FRA

sailing.org

LEAVE THE SOLENT AND THE CHANNEL
SAIL & RACE IN THE BALTIC THIS SUMMER! Do you want to sail somewhere completely new? Not too far away? Somewhere with historical attractions, unspoilt hinterland, tremendous parties, cheap direct air transport, a well-developed ferry network, low-cost hotel and holiday accommodation, English language regatta management, visiting some of the most beautiful new countries in Europe, only now open to outsiders - and take part in a great offshore cruiser-racer series?

When not racing, do you want too look around for new business opportunities? See at first-hand some of the fastest-growing economies on the block? Be in at the beginning of offshore sailing in this special part of the world enjoying the hospitality of cultures you have only read about!

After two highly successful seasons the Baltic Sprint Cup will start from Copenhagen on 20th July calling at Sassnitz (Germany, near the Polish border) -Gdansk, Poland - Klaipėda, Lithuania - Ventspils, Latvia, and Pärnu, Estonia for the final showdown party on 3rd August.

The regatta has introduced IRC for the first time and also uses ORC Club. -- Alan Green

Details at www.BalticSprintCup.com

GITANA 13 HITS THE WATER
Yesterday, on Tuesday 30 January at the Multiplast shipyard in Vannes (56), it was launch day for Gitana 13, the Gitana Team's new maxi-multihull. The manoeuvres commenced around 14:00 and the mild weather conditions meant that the team was able to step the catamaran's 33-metre mast at the same time. That very evening, the boat entered its home port, Trinite-sur-Mer, delivered by the team's permanent members who have been working on the boat all winter.

The boat will be skippered by Lionel Lemonchois, recent winner of the Route du Rhum 2006 aboard Gitana 11.

The 2007 programme for the whole Gitana Team will be unveiled in a few days.

Gitana 13: key facts…

Technical characteristics:
Length: 32.8m
Width: 16.5m
Mast: 41m
Weight: 22 ton
Structure: nomex-carbon sandwich

Genoa jib: 374m2
Solent: 177m2
Staysail: 104m2
Gennaker : 550m2

Honours:
2000: Launch under the name of Innovation Explorer
2001: 2nd in The Race skippered by Loick Peyron
2002: wins the Trophee Jules Verne under Orange's colours and skippered by Bruno Peyron
2003: aborted attempt (due to dismasting) at the Trophee Jules Verne in the colours of Kingfisher /Castorama, skippered by Ellen MacArthur.

After being brought into Vannes in May 2006, Gitana 13 has undergone a complete refit at the Multiplast shipyard....

The main modifications concern the rigging, with a new 41-m mast that is higher than the original one, the introduction of a hook system on the gennaker, staysail and main sail halyards and a full new set of sails made from Cuben Fiber in cooperation with Jean-Baptiste Levaillant from the Voilerie Incidences at La Rochelle.

The platform has also seen a few modifications. The fore beam has been raised by 30 cm to reduce frontal impact and the bows have been reshaped to give a straighter and more aggressive shape. The interior living quarters have been remodelled, and the boat has also been equipped with all the latest safety systems (man overboard, spotting, etc.)

www.gitana-team.com

TORVAR MIRSKY WINS THE WARREN JONES REGATTA
Perth, Western Australia: Torvar Mirsky of the Royal Perth Yacht club won a cliff-hanger final series, to become the first Western Australian skipper to take the International Warren Jones Youth Regatta.

He beat fellow West Australian Keith Swinton, South of Perth Yacht Club, 2 - 1 in the best of three final, coming from behind in both the heats he won, and taking the gun in the final courtesy of two penalties against his rival.

The runner up last year, Keith Swinton seemed to be on a roll going into the final, and won the start of all three races, but in the first couldn't hold off the Royal Perth skipper.

The sail off for third and fourth place was a battle of the Sydneysides, with the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia's Evan Walker scoring a 2 – 1 victory over Murray Gordon of Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club. -- John Roberson

Final results

1. Torvar Mirsky, RPYC
2. Keith Swinton, SoPYC
3. Evan Walker, CYCA
4. Murray Gordon, RPAYC
5. Mark Dorling, RSYS
6. Tom Barker, CYCA
7. Ali Hall, OCSS
8. Peter Nicholas, RFBYC
9. Yuki Nagahori, JYMRA
10. Nick Deussen, CYCSA
11. John Back, GSYS

RORC CHIEF EXEC MOVES ON
Colin Gruar, the enigmatic Chief Executive of the Royal Ocean Racing Club, is understood to have left last Friday under circumstances that have yet to become apparent. A statement is due from RORC imminently to clarify the situation.

Last year, under new Commodore David Aisher, it was decided that a management restructure of the RORC's full time secretariat was in order. Central to this overhaul was the appointment of a strong individual to the new post of Chief Executive who could lead the club through into a new era. Racing Manager Janet Grosvenor was attempting to become more part time while the club's previous General Manager, Peter Wykeham-Martin stood aside to make way for the new Chief Executive. Gruar's appointment came as a considerable surprise. Most were expecting the job would go to a Glenn Bourke-type figure, someone established within the sport and carrying the necessary gravitas. Instead Gruar's previous job was as Head of Marketing for the British Heart Foundation and with little background in sailing. -- from The Daily Sail: www.thedailysail.com

Royal Ocean Racing Club: www.rorc.org

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Letters are limited to 350 words. No personal attacks are permitted. We do require your name but your email address will not be published without your permission.

* From Memo Castro: As I read in Scuttlebutterope # 1152 1 February, Mr. JM Vidal will propose to the Solo Conference to be held in Southampton a new Class 9.50 to fill the gap between Minis 6.50 and Open 40.

If there is a existing Open 30 Class with rules published since 2002 and boats sailing and under construction in different parts of the world, why to propose a new class that is so similar? There are only small differences in the rules meanwhile the concept is exactly the same!

It does not make sense for me. Please can someone explain it?

You could see the Open 30 rules at www.open30.org
You can see boats under construction at www.vgyd.com/vg_open30.html
You could see boats constructed sailing and racing at www.40gradossur.com

* From Geri Conser: So very good to hear the plans for the America's Cup expo. It will be a real joy as well as an eye opener to see how the plans come to be.

My minds goes back to the 1984 Transat Tag Race and the wonderful expo that was part of the venue in Quebec. The America's Cup event sounds like a real combination of the excitement of the race and the artistic endeavour of the sport.

Looking forward to the experience.

* From Colin de Mowbray, Operations Director for Clipper Ventures: Simon Rowell joined Clipper from the UKSA in 2001 and now returns there as Head of Yachting; maybe he will get his old hook back for his oil skins.

I first met Simon at the Boat Show in Jan 2001 when he applied to be a replacement Clipper Skipper. Sure enough the wheel of fortune turned and three months later he left the UKSA and flew out to Hong Kong to join Leeds Clipper and race the boat back to Portsmouth.

History repeated itself in Clipper 2002 when Simon set off to Cuba to apply his magic touch as the replacement Skipper in Jersey Clipper. His competitive streak came out and, after a hard nine month battle, he sailed Jersey victoriously into Liverpool. On a subsequent visit to Jersey all the islanders feted him and his crew; there was even talk of allowing him to live in Jersey!

Next, as Deputy Race Director for Clipper 05-06, he ended up packing his bags at short notice and heading for Jersey Clipper in Qingdao, China. At 6,000 miles, this was the longest ever leg of any Clipper race and with the beautiful weather, fair winds and breathtaking scenery of the North West Pacific in April, he was keen to add these treasured memories to his experience. On arrival in Victoria he joyously jumped onto the pontoon, thereby wrecking his back and making quite sure that, this time, he would return to UK in an aeroplane.

Simon is XXL in size, heart and style and his departure will leave a big hole in Clipper. His ebullient character, permanent smile* and endless list of friends and contacts has made him part of the Clipper scenery. Above all, and most importantly, he will be missed for his professional sailing qualities and his talent of running a happy and extremely efficient ship. * ...with possible exception in the NW Pacific

Editor: Colin's new blog at colindemowbray.blogspot.com

THE LAST WORD
Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind. -- Albert Einstein

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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