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DALTON'S BRASIL CURSE
Yesterday, must mark one of the lowest days of the Velux 5 Oceans for Kiwi skipper Graham Dalton onboard A Southern Man - AGD. The kiwi skipper was struck down so violently by a terrible sickness and diarrohea that he collapsed in the lobby of the hotel he is staying at the Brazilian Port of Fortaleza. Dalton pulled into Brazil to fix his electronics and the cassette that holds his rudder after he hit a UFO in the water over three days ago.

At 0800 UTC on Saturday morning Dalton reported to the race office that while combatting this debiliating condition he also discovered that all of his communication equipment, GPS, laptops, hand held phones, cameras etc had been stolen from his unattended boat. Barely able to function Dalton spent the whole of yesterday with local police trying to get to the bottom of this horrendous outcome. However, it appears increasingly unlikely that the police will be able to recover his stolen equipment.

* Disaster has struck again for Graham Dalton during his ill fated stay in Fortaleza, Brazil. Since arriving at 0930 UTC on the 14th March to fix the cassette which holds his port rudder after hitting a UFO in the middle of the night the kiwi skipper has been struck by blow after blow of misfortune, not to mention a debilitating sickness and an onboard robbery.

Today, was no exception as Graham Dalton rang Race Director, David Adams to inform him that during a boat test prior to re-joining the race he realised that the keel bulb was missing.

"I think my bulb has gone. It was blowing 8 knots and the boat fell over and I tried to cant the keel and I couldn't see it. So I dived down, the visibility was exceedingly poor but I could see that the bulb has gone."

Dalton has returned to the marina in Fortaleza, Brazil to re-assess the situation. Just when you think it couldn't get it worse - today is a public holiday in the port and so Dalton will not be able to get things moving until at least tomorrow. He is currently looking at his options.

www.velux5oceans.com

CLASSICS SAIL 4 CANCER THIS JULY
This July the Solent will be the focus for a resurgence in the UK's interest in classic yachts; for 2 weeks the Solent will be a spectacle of classic yacht racing with 3 regattas held in conjunction with each other. The British Classic Yacht Club & Spirit Yachts Regatta is being hosted by the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club from 14th to 21st July and is running alongside the International 6 Metre World Championships (16th to 23rd July), and immediately prior to the International Metre Association Centenary Celebrations held at the Royal Yacht Squadron (22nd to 27th July).

With a combined expected entry of over 220 yachts this will be the largest gathering of classic yachts in the UK after the Jubilee Celebrations in 2001. Therefore Sail 4 Cancer is very proud to announce that all three of these regattas will be supporting Sail 4 Cancer individually throughout the 2 weeks, helping to improve the quality of life for those living with cancer and providing sailing opportunities.

The organisers are committed to keeping the event fresh and rumour has it that more exciting plans are afoot. In the meantime to find out more about Sail 4 Cancer click on the website at http://www.sail4cancer.com or call Em Huddert on 0845 408 1849; for the BCYC Regatta see http://www.britishclassicyachtclub.org and for the 6 Metre World Championship and the Metre Association Centenary Celebrations see http://www.6mr.org.uk and http://www.imeta.org.uk

* The Notice of Race and Entry Form for the Metre Centenary Regatta are now available on the Royal Yacht Squadron website, at www.rys.org.uk/metreregatta

* Photos of four classic yachts your humble narrator would very much like to own at scuttlebutteurope.com/photos/ - the album's called Classics Sail 4 Cancer in the Classics section.

EXPERT OLYMPIC GARDA
Riva del Garda, Italy: Today, with the Medal Race (the final regatta where the top ten of every Olympic class have competed), the Expert Olympic Garda comes to an end. Italy prevails in the Women's Windsurf classes, in the Tornado, in the 49ER, in the 470M and in the 470W. Magnaghi was fourth in the Laser Radial, crew Negri - Viale third in the Star, Belli Dell'Isca second in the RS:X male. Poggi was only ninth in the Finn class and Bottoli eighth in the Laser Standard.

Final top three by class:

Star
1. Pepper-Nichol, NZL
2. Barovier-Colaninno, ITA
3. Negri-Viale, ITA

RS:X Men
1. Gadorfalvi, HUN
2. Belli Dell'Isca, ITA
3. Esposito, ITA;

Tornado
1. Sorrentino-Colombo, ITA
2. Saponara-Misso, ITA
3. Togni-Togni, ITA

49er
1. Angilella-Zucchetti, ITA
2. Poli-Gritti, ITA
3. Kostov-Cupac, CRO

470 Men
1. Zandona-Trani, ITA
2. Hmeljak-Nevecny, SLO
3. Dusekevich-Logunov, BLR

470 Women
1. Conti-Micol, ITA
2. Dekleva-Maucec, SLO
3. Cerne-Cerne, SLO

Finn
1. Vincec, SLO
2. Railey, USA
3. Misura, CRO

Laser Standard
1. De Haas, NED
2. Zbogar, SLO - Bronze Medallist in Athens' Olympics 2004
3. Mihelic, CRO

Laser Radial
1. Van Acker, BEL
2. Szotynska, POL
3. Drozdovskaja, BLR

Full results at www.fragliavelariva.it

MALCOLM WHITE LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE
Malcolm White, well known to many yachting magazines as a photographer and journalist, has launched a new website to display his wide selection of marine, country and travel photography. Whilst many may not know the name, Malcolm's work has regularly appeared alongside features and boat tests in leading magazines.

He is also able to undertake all types of photography projects for industry, from new product launches to catalogue and brochure requirements. The new website, produced by Strawberry Marketing offers easy navigation with quality presentation.

www.whitepix.co.uk
www.strawberrymarketing.com

ISAF SAILING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
The entry process for the 2007 ISAF Sailing World Championships has moved into its final phase after the deadline for nations to accept their Additional Places passed on 15 March. Already over 1,400 competitors have registered to take part, with many of the world's top crews already in Cacais, Portugal for their spring training.

The 2007 ISAF Sailing World Championships, taking place from 28 June-13 July, is on course to become the biggest ever event for the Olympic Classes and one of the highlights of ISAF's Centenary year. Seventy-four nations and 1,408 competitors have already registered to take part after the second phase of the entry procedure ended last week. As well as the eleven World Championship titles up for grab in Cascais, Olympic qualification is also at stake, with 75 percent of all national places for the 2008 Olympic Sailing Competition to be decided.

The final entry places for Cascais will be decided by an ISAF Qualification Commission. MNAs wishing to be considered for Commission Places should submit their applications to ISAF. More details on Commission Places and how to apply for them can be found on the ISAF Sailing World Championships microsite - www.sailing/worlds2007

Event site: www.cascaisworlds2007.com

BVI SPRING REGATTA: ON WATER UMPIRING FOR IC24 CLASS
Tortola, British Virgin Islands: The BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival, presented by Nanny Cay and held this year March 26 - April 1, 2007, is taking a cue from some of the well-established one design classes and providing on the water umpiring for the very competitive IC24 class.

On-water umpiring in fleet racing is gaining support in the more competitive classes. The Farr 40's and Mumm 30's have modified their class rules to allow judges on the water to flag violations. Too often in the past, boats would purposely violate the rules to improve their position, quickly knock off herpenalty turns and still end up ahead; not cricket in the sport and the judges have been finding ways to stop the practice.

Near instant adjudication on the water of the IC class will free up time for the other boats in the competitor arbitration forum. New this year as well, the first step in the protest procedure will be an arbitration hearing, open to the public, before a panel of competitors. Putting competitors on the panel and opening the procedure to everyone will help to take some of the mystery out of the process and interject the competitor's viewpoint.

BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival encompass two great events. The 2007 Sailing Festival - a low-pressure, three-day warm up for the regatta - starts on Monday, March 26 with a welcome party at Nanny Cay. Three days of destination cruising, racing and layday fun, including the Nation's Challenge Cup, lead up to the main three-day BVI Spring Regatta starting on Friday, March 30. The expanded seven-day format has turned the traditional three days of racing action into a weeklong sailing festival that takes participants throughout the British Virgin Islands.

www.bvispringregatta.org

SIXTEEN TO START MELBOURNE OSAKA RACE
A reduced fleet of 16 yachts will face the starter's gun when the Melbourne Osaka double handed non-stop 5,500 nautical mile yacht race gets underway at 1.00pm on March 25 of Station Pier in Melbourne.

Due to varying reasons, a further four disappointed entrants have withdrawn from the race, which is held every four years by the City of Melbourne and the City of Osaka to celebrate the sister city and sister port relationship between the two cities.

The latest casualties include two Melbourne entries; No Fearr, co-skippered by Matt Hannaford/Wil Anderson and Joint Venture (Alexandra McKinnon/Bretlyn Brown). Others no longer participating is Sydney entry Endorfin (Peter Mooney/Henry Patterson) and Melbourne's David Tait/Peter Tardrew (The Wizard).

The Melbourne Osaka double-handed yacht race was first held in 1987 to commemorate the 120th anniversary of the opening of the Port of Osaka and, Mayor so says: "It tests boats and crews to the limit. It is not for the faint hearted. It is a major commitment of time and energy, but the personal rewards are immense."

Competitors and their yachts gathered at Waterfront City, Melbourne Docklands, on Friday March 16 for Melbourne Osaka Boat Week, supported by City of Melbourne. -- Di Pearson

www.osakacup.com

LAUNCHINGS
* 'Spirit of Weymouth', the ex-Gartmore, ex-Pindar Open 60 now owned by Steve White's White Ocean Racing team, was the centerpiece at this past weekend's Solo Sailing Conference in Southampton. White has plans for a number of events, including the Vendee Globe. See www.whiteoceanracing.com

* On Saturday 17 March, SUI100, Alinghi's latest and last new build, was launched at the base in Valencia. Syndicate head Ernesto Bertarelli's wife, Kirsty, joined the team to christen the boat, the first to have a three digit sail number in the history of the Class.

The christening marks the beginning of the sailing season for Alinghi in Valencia after a highly beneficial winter of training in Dubai, "We intend to get SUI100 out and sailing as soon as possible against SUI91. We want to see for ourselves what the developments and refinements that the designers have made mean for us in real terms on the water," said team skipper Brad Butterworth.

Alinghi will declare two racing yachts on the 31 March and will unveil them on the 1 April along with the 11 challengers, revealing the keel and bulb which have been hidden beneath the skirts since the 1 January 2006.

Racing for Louis Vuitton Act 13 will begin on 3 April and will be the last time that Alinghi meets the challengers until the America's Cup Match in June when the strongest one will come forward to race the Defender in the Match.

Photos at media.alinghi.com

* Speedwave has built International 14 #4. The fourth of the Speedwave/Bieker 5 series, but in many details different to build No 3.

In 07 Speedwave has already build 2 hulls out of the CNC milled female mould, with optional foam sandwich and partly Nomex Core.

The boat is ready to race with less than 75 kg, due to its extreme lightweight construction.

To achieve best performance and durability, for all parts of the Int. 14, only tempered and evacuated carbon, laminated in female moulds is used.

Already Build No 1 showed a huge potential with its success during it's first use and outing in the European Championship 2006, with no damage in the rough Lake Garda conditions.

One new feature is the self adjusting Gybing Centerboard (in anticipation of class rule changes), which optimizes the upwind performance of the Int. 14. According to the respective Sailing area, the centreboard can be changed fast and easily, also an option for a fixed board is available in the canting board version with the help of an adapter quick and easy to change.

Boat 5 will be started in 2 weeks from now, and Speedwave expects to be building up to a total of 8/10 boats in time for good preparation for the Worlds which will be held in Germany this year.

Photos in the Launchings section at scuttlebutteurope.com/photos/

* The IMOCA Open 60 PRB has been relaunched in Port-La-Floret with a new mast. Vincent Riou the winner the Vendee Globe 2004/05 broke PRB's mast during the first few days of the Route du Rhum 2006. Vincent expects to be sailing again in the next few weeks and is looking forward to a busy season finishing with the Barcelona World Race later this year. -- www.prb.fr/voile_index.php

* Chichester based Vizual Marine have completed the first sea trials of the 'sip and puff' adapted Artemis 20. The boat was taken to Weymouth and Portland Sailing academy at the beginning of the month for trials with Hilary Lister. The weather was kind with clear skies, sunshine and enough wind to put the Artemis 20 through its paces. It was the first time that all the components of this 'high tech' keel boat for able and disabled sailors were put together.

This has become an international project with the advanced sip and puff technology being flown in from Canada with its inventor Steve Alvey. Vizual Marine have been working alongside Alvey for many months to develop a system that can be sailed using the sip and puff technique as well as by a remote control should the sailor come into any difficulty.

The sailor is seated in a custom seating module that maintains the body position and comfort level. They can control everything on the Artemis 20 - with only their breath - through an innovative Power Assist System. The "control stalk" positions three pneumatic "straws", ready for breath commands as a "sip" or a "puff" semaphore. These straws are connected to sensitive pressure switches on a computer, programmed to do exactly what the sailor needs. See www.vizmarine.com

* First graphic renderings of the new FinnFlyer 36 by Strahlmann Yacht Design, to be launched in 2006, at personal.inet.fi/yritys/strahlmann/News.htm

* Photos of the launch of the latest RC44, named Ekipa, at Portoroz Slovenia, at www.seasee.com/events/imgList.asp?idEvent=716

* Two naval architecture firms have combined their skills to draw the lines of an entry for the new Classe 9.50 initiated by Jean-Marie Vidal: Sabrosa Yacht Design, headed by Olivier Gouard (designer of the Class40 "Fermiers de Loue - Sarthe" and Batkare-HF, directed by Hugues Farsy, designer of the Kyrsalid 42. Their design brief is to build a relatively inexpensive boat from well tested materials, using tested construction principles, for a simple and effective boat. See www.batkare-hf.com/news.html and www.sabrosayachtdesign.com

A cruising version is under consideration.

HANS STEFFENSEN
It is with great sadness ISAF reports that Hans Steffensen (DEN), a great sailor and personality in Danish sailing, has died, aged 90. For more than 15 years he was involved in the International Yacht Racing Union (IYRU), which became the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) in 1996.

In 1951 Hans was the driving force behind a decision in the Royal Danish Yachtclub to establish the first offshore race in Denmark, the Skaw Race, which was sailed for over 25 years. In 1954 Hans built his own 30 sq m yacht, with which he won the Skaw Race three times and took overall honours in the Gottland Round Race. He competed in the Sealand Round Race 17 times and kept the same boat for nearly 50 years. Every summer he sailed from Denmark to Hanko, Norway, the last time in 2001 at the age of 84, together with a sailing friend aged 74.

In 1965 Hans became a member of the IYRU Keelboat Technical Committee and continued this involvement until 1981, during the period 1977-1982 as Vice-Chairman of the committee. He joined the IYRU Measurement Committee from 1974-1979. Through all these years Hans was deeply involved in the IYRU work with the development of the class rules for many international classes.

FEATURED BROKERAGE
2005 Cookson 50 "CHIEFTAIN" 735,000 euro

Chieftain, a high tech Cookson 50 designed by Farr Yacht Design and built by Cookson Boats, has enjoyed an amazingly successful 2006 season winning in the Sydney-Hobart, UK IRC Nationals, BMW Round Ireland, Seven Star Around Briton & Ireland and 2nd at Cowes Week and finishing the season as IRCA Boat of the Year. This canting keel 50' has it all; speed, power, versatility and ease of sailing securing it's rightful place in IRC racing. Chieftain incorporates a proven and reliable canting keel system with a single forward canard providing incredible reaching and running speed and great upwind performance. Chieftain is now available, after a recent 2007 refit and ready to continue it's winning ways.

Brokerage through Farr Yacht Sales: www.FarrYachtSales.com

Complete listing details and seller contact information at: www.farrdesign.com/brokerage/Chieftain.htm

THE LAST WORD
The world tolerates conceit from those who are successful, but not from anybody else. -- John Blake

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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