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ANOTHER CANCELLED DAY
Often the America's Cup world is referred to as a bubble, so splendid is its isolation from the rest of the world, but Valencia right now is more vacuum-like as the absence of reasonable winds meant race officers Harold Bennett and Peter Reggio were forced to call off racing yet again yesterday.

In the last eight days, only two days have permitted racing: Friday, when two series of matches were run, and on Sunday when only one was possible.

Instead of Round One being concluded it has scarcely started. Instead of last night and today being the day when the 11 teams would have re-moded their boats, making subtle changes to the wings on their bulb keels, rudder sizes, using new sails and so forth, having built a better picture of where their own boat's performance sat relative to their rivals, there will be a mad scramble to do this in just hours when this round is concluded. advertisement

Tension between the challenger camp and defender is nothing new in the America's Cup. It is a winner-takes-all, adversarial competition. But there has long been a feeling that the Swiss defenders, Alinghi, set the timetable for the trials in a way that was going hinder the development of a strong team emerging victorious from the selection process.

"If you use the conspiracy theory, you believe that Alinghi are trying to cook half the teams and the semi-finalists in the first two rounds," said Emirates Team New Zealand's boss Grant Dalton. "You're not given much time in the semis and the finals then you race the defender. So that could mean you're fried by the time you race Alinghi." -- Tim Jeffery in the Telegraph, his full article at www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2007/04/24/sosail24.xml

* From another great journo's blog covering the racing, Kimball Livingston:

When Shosholoza first came to Valencia, there were times when it hurt to watch them sail, but they had great spirit and a great fight song and people took them to heart. They've said all along this is a learning-curve "next time" effort, while holding onto a dream of making the cut to the semifinals this time. They're no farther from that after today's expected loss that, for them, was a win of sorts. They've come a long way.

But could they have done that if they hadn't been in competition for two years? I don't think so. Aside from offering brand exposure for sponsors, the pre-event racing gave this team, and others, the opportunity to measure themselves, learn, and grow. Take that away, leave them training in isolation or perhaps sparring with one of the other second-tier teams, then toss them into the ring with the likes of BMW Oracle and they would be swallowed in one gulp.

It was enough to make me wonder if Larry Ellison, one of the architects of the pre-event format, might have been having regrets as he looked up the course at the transom of Shosholoza. But I think not. Restructuring the America's Cup is his personal project. It's the opposite of the old days, when a single challenger would show up in Newport to try his luck.

After the race, Shosholoza navigator Mark Lagesse stopped by and said, "The team is upbeat. I'm a bit down because I think we should have won. But everything went well except the left shift. That's where we lost a five-length lead. We didn't lose it on the gate." -- Kimball's blog at sailmagazine.blogspot.com

* The Fish:
Each day passes without wind and little promise of it. The official forecast from ACM for Tuesday was: 'Warmer and less cloud, but less wind.' Any less and the heavens will have to suck.

There have now been just three of the twenty-two flights sailed and there are nineteen outstanding and there are fourteen days and two reserve days left. Betting that there will be no racing on Tuesday ('less wind'), it will mean that to complete the two rounds robin, there will need to be perfect conditions to have the eight round robin 1 races over in four days and leave nine days and the two reserve days to have one race per day.

That scenario would be pushing luck to the extreme and thus the race committee will have to schedule two races a day in round robin 2 in case there is a repeat of the current situation. No one envies Peter Reggio and Harold Bennett the jobs they have to do and their situation is made worse by the refusal of ACM to change the scheduling.

OK, there is the little matter of television scheduling, but that has already gone to hell in a hand-basket and one cannot help wondering what the television companies have said to ACM. Most of it would be unprintable, judging by what they have had to put up with thus far.

No one in their right mind would hold a regatta at a venue out of season, and no one has ever ventured to hold a regatta in Valencia in April, at least not according to a local sailor who is working for one of the superpower syndicates in an advisory capacity.

I would have given many euros to listen in to the telephone conversation between Luna Rossa's Patrizio Bertelli and Alinghi's Ernesto Bertarelli. I am assured the copper wire in the telephone wires was glowing. The head of Prada is a very unhappy man because of the present situation.

Bob Fisher's must-read at www.sail-world.com/indexs.cfm?nid=32932

* Here's one from Luca Devoti, Skipper of +39 Challenge after yesterday's defeat by the Kiwis, 'We have a great problem with our appendages that are not allowing us to sail. In races in light air when the boat is under nine knots we are sailing sideways rather than forwards. We knew we had modifications to do and planned to do them after the fleet racing of Act 13 but we unfortunately had work on the mast. Tonight we will change the front profile of the foil.' -- from Sail-World.com

www.americascup.com

THE SEAHORSE DREAM TEAM
'There is no Second' the Seahorse guide to the America's Cup is written by: Paul Cayard, Russell Coutts, Dennis Conner, Chris Dickson, Tim Jeffery, Tom Schnackenberg, Paul Bieker, Hamish Ross, John Bilger.

Scuttlebutt and her sister title Scuttlebutt Europe have been given exclusive access to 20,000 free digital preview copies of this title - download it fast, when the meter hits 20K the shutters will come down!

Get your copy FREE at www.seahorse.co.uk/americas/eu/

IMS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: ALFA ROMEO FIRST ENTRY
The entry lists for the IMS World 2007 at Hankoe opened this week and Jani Lehti (FIN) became the first entry with his Alfa Romeo, a Grand Soleil 42R. He's aiming for a podium place in the championship.

Jani Lehti has just bought the Grand Soleil 42R. The boat was launched last week with the colours of Alfa Romeo on the side. Team Alfa Romeo has sailed together for eleven years. Last year they campaigned a Vroljik 42 in Northern Europe and finished 4th overall in the Eurocard Gotland Round as their single best result. The last three years Lehtis team has been the best Finnish IMS boat in the national rankings.

They will be participating in both the Eurocard Gotland Round and the Finnish IMS Championship this year to. But their dream is a medal at the IMS world at Hankoe in Norway in August.

"Our main target is definitely the 2007 IMS Worlds in Norway and we want to be on the podium. We are also planning to take part in the North European Championships", says Lehti.

He won't be the only team that's going for the medals. Team Alfa Romeo will at least meet on more GS 42R on the race course at Hankoe, and probably two. At least that's what the rumour mills are saying. We will know more when the entries start pouring in.

The IMS World Championship, arranged by KNS and Norwegian Offshore Racing Club, will officially open August 11th and will comprise of three days of inshore races, plus one short and one long offshore race. The winner will be honoured on August 18th. The Norwegian Offshore Racing Club expects 40-50 boats from all over Europe.

Silver sponsor for the IMS World are Belamarin, the Norwegian distributor of Raymarine. Robline has signed on as Bronze sponsor.

BRANDRAPPORT IS HIRING
brandRapport, the UK's leading independent sponsorship agency, is looking for motivated and efficient PR managers and execs with sailing knowledge. Based outside Guildford, they have 45 staff and a superb range of clients.

Along with high profile sailing clients there's the chance to work with Vodafone (cricket and football), and to contribute to a range of other PR campaigns. Typical tasks will include placing features and promotions in international lifestyle, sport, non-sport and sailing media (print, broadcast and on-line). There's also some event management, sports marketing and hospitality.

If you can juggle lots of tasks and keep smiling, please email your CV to Kate Waterfall at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

www.brand-rapport.com

THEY'RE WAITING FOR WIND AT THE VELUX, TOO...
After four or five days of sailing in head-banging conditions as hard into the wind as possible, Leg 3 is entering a new tactical phase. The two leaders, Bernard Stamm and Kojiro Shiraishi, have been sailing the shortest course possible up to now, holding as north as possible without tacking. Progress has been hard in the strong adverse winds and washing-machine seas kicked up by the Gulf Stream.

However, they have now moved into a ridge of high pressure, which for the time being has knocked the wind out of their sails and a frustrated Stamm will be trapped in the light airs he foresaw prior to leaving Norfolk. Forty miles astern of Cheminees-Poujoulat, Shiraishi has yet to let Stamm break away or to experience drifting conditions, although the Japanese skipper can already detect a significant change in the weather

Sir Robin Knox-Johnston is also experiencing calmer conditions and has managed to bail 41 buckets of water from his bow. He will be reassured to know that Stamm and Shiraishi share his thinking over getting as north as possible in this first week of Leg 3. While the late morning position report revealed that Saga Insurance had yielded further miles to third-placed PAKEA - now almost 200 miles ahead - RKJ is sticking to his guns in the belief that his more northerly route will come good when the new westerly winds arrive.

Sir Robin needs to make up a deficit of 2 days and 9 hours on Unai Basurko from their combined times in Legs 1 & 2 - so he is gambling that this will pay off for him in the long run.

1. Cheminees Poujoulat, Bernard Stamm, 1988 nm to finish
2. Spirit of Yukoh, Kojiro Shiraish, 77 nm to leader
3. PAKEA, Unai Basurko, 330
4. SAGA Insurance, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, 447
5. A Southern Man-AGD, Graham Dalton, 1541

www.velux5oceans.com

GODDARDS MERMAID MATCH RACING CHAMPIONSHIP
The Goddards Mermaid Match Racing Championship 2007 was won by Tomas Gabinus of Sweden. The winner is currently involved in the Americas Cup programme in Valencia but had flown in from there for the weekend event. Fortunately the wind off Seaview on 21st and 22nd April was rather more suitable for match racing and this annual ISAF grade 3 event was completed as scheduled. The impressive international list of entrants included teams from France, Poland and Sweden.

The event is open only to those who have an ISAF World match-racing ranking and much was expected of Christian Hamilton from the UK who was 38th in the world rankings.

The top three received tankards and glasses donated by Goddards Brewery. Without a British win, it was heartening to see our international prizewinner returning home with a reminder Isle of Wight Beer in their hands! This event started the season for Sea View Yacht Club, whose Mermaid three man keelboats will be in use for members and corporate charters everyday throughout the season.

Results
1. Tomas Gabinus, SWE
2. Robbie Allum, GBR
3. Alex Baritol, FRA
4. Christian Hamilton, GBR
5. Matt Greenfield, GBR
6. Raymond Simonds, GBR

9ER EUROCUP ROUND 2 - FRANCE
The small resort of Cavaliere next to Le Lavandou was the venue for the second leg of the 2007 29er Eurocup. 49 boats from 10 countries descended upon the idyllic setting of a beach and clear water.

Along with the rest of the Mediterranean the winds seem to be a bit strange this spring. The competitors that arrived early had good strong easterly winds but in keeping with tradition it all went wrong when racing started. The first day racing was delayed until late afternoon when a light sea breeze eventually came. 2 races were started but the second abandoned in the end as the wind disappeared. Even so the eventual top 3 teams showed their hand with good results in the tricky conditions. Day 2 was not much better, the fleet was on the water and off the water all day. 5 races were held with the last 2 being held in a decent sea breeze. The slightly stronger wind brought a few different names to the front but with the majority of the races in the light it was not enough to pull them up the fleet. The last day came with the hope of a sea breeze, it came but with the time constraint only one race was sailed.

Top ten final results after 7 races, 49 boats:
1. Vincent Berthez / Thibault Heurley, FRA, 20 points
2. Lukasz Przybytek / Krzysztof Mongird, POL, 38
3. Robin Cnudde / Hugo Kerhascoet, FRA, 39
4. Sofian Bouvet / Nicolas Rossi, FRA, 43
5. Philipp Kramer / Thilo Kramer, RSA, 50
6. Annemieke Bekkering / Jeske Kisters, NED, 62
7. Kevin Fischer / Glenn Gouron, FRA, 63
8. Pauline Courtois / Nolwenn Lemaitre, FRA, 70
9. Niklas Jepsen / Maui Jepsen, GER, 71
10. Gabriele Avogadri / Nicolas Piccinelli, ITA, 73

INDUSTRY NEWS
* A number of UK-based marine firms are to receive a Queen's Award for Enterprise this year, one of Britain's most prestigious annual accolades for business performance. A total of 119 awards from all industry sectors were announced last week - 71 for international trade, 40 for innovation and eight for sustainable development.

Among this year's marine-based winners was UK powerboat builder Sunseeker International, which was recognised for strong growth in overseas earnings and commercial success.

Other winners from the marine and shipping sector were Witherbys Publishing Ltd, a UK publisher of shipping and marine manuals; the marine division of International Paint Ltd, makers of a fouling-control coating for ship hulls and propellers; and marine electronics company Tacktick, makers of the Micronet range of wireless, solar-powered marine electronics. -- IBI News, www.ibinews.com/ibinews/newsdesk/20070323122632ibinews.html

* Due to high demand, especially for an event further north than Kettering, National Boat Shows (NBS) has extended its boat show roadshow events to take in Glasgow on May 22.

The event is part of a series of roadshows organised by NBS to provide updates on developments on the Southampton and London Boat Shows, including exhibitor plans, visitor feedback and other new initiatives.

The first event took place in Kettering yesterday and after today's Southampton roadshow, the schedule takes in Egham on Friday April 27, Plymouth on Monday April 30 and now Tuesday May 22 at 17.00 at the Audi Centre in Glasgow.

www.boatingbusiness.com/archive/2007/may/news extra_date_added_to_nbs_roadshow_schedule

* UK yacht transporter Peters & May has opened a new logistics operation in the south of France.

Located at the superyacht shipyard in La Ciotat near Marseilles, the new French office will provide a full range of logistics services for the businesses in the shipyard, including delivery of equipment and support containers, customs clearance and bonded warehousing.

The office will also manage cargo movements throughout France and is already linked to other Peters & May offices and agents around the world. -- www.petersandmay.com

* Gavel Securities Limited (the holding company of Performance Sailcraft Europe Limited - PSE and Laser Sailboats Limited - LSB), has acquired Vanguard Sailboats which includes Seitech Products Inc and all three Vanguard owned retail stores in Illinois, California, and Rhode Island, USA. Chip Johns (former president of Vanguard) and David Graham (current president of Vanguard and director of PSE) have spoken at length about the great value of merging the two companies for some time. Chip Johns will stay on indefinitely as a consultant to Gavel as the integration and transition takes place.

www.teamvanguard.com/2005/base/content.asp?section=news&dir=news&page=news&newsid=670

* Offshore Spars has announced the expansion of their aluminum mast making facility in Jakobstad, Finland to include the production of carbon fiber mast packages. The facility will include a 33m (108') autoclave for the seamless, male molding of one piece masts. Oy Offshore Spars Ab will also manufacture the very popular "Park Avenue" booms.

* MarineBiz TV, billed as the world's first 24-hour maritime satellite TV channel, will launch May 7. The channel is owned by Aries Marine, an Indian company based in Dubai.

MarineBiz TV is a free-to-air channel that its owners hope will become the world's "window" to marine and maritime activities. Aries Marine described MarineBiz TV as the first single point of contact for the international marine industry.

The channel will first be available in eight languages in Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia, and will extend to the rest of the world by August. It will be accessible via DTH and other networks. Aries Marine has created two months of programming. -- IBI news, www.ibinews.com

* LEO is not just a horoscope sign. It also means Low Earth Orbiting satellite. The telecommunications company Globalstar has just signed a contract to buy 48 of them.

What this will mean for mariners and remote area citizens and workers is a likely increase in coverage for satellite phones and better call quality in the long term. It also means that future data transfer services will be much faster.

The first four replacement satellites are expected to be launched next month. The 48 second generation satellites are expected to have a life span of approximately 15 years. The first may be launched as soon as 2009 and will be expected to last to at least 2025. They are expected to have a significantly longer life expectancy than the existing constellation. -- Helen Hopcroft, www.powerboat-world.com/index.cfm?nid=32509

THE LAST WORD
Public opinion is a weak tyrant compared with our own private opinion. What a man thinks of himself, that is which determines, or rather indicates, his fate. -- Henry David Thoreau

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.

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