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NEW RECORD FOR GROUPAMA 3
Franck Cammas and his team have achieved the first of their planned record attempts. After departing from Cadix on Wednesday 24 April, on the Discovery Route, the new maxi multihull crossed the line at San Salvadro on Tuesday 1 May at 18h46'10'' TU, after 7 days, 10 hours, 58 minutes and 53 seconds (subject to ratification by the WSSRC). The previous record, held by American Steve Fossett since February 2003 - 9 days 13 hours 30 minutes and 18 seconds, was pulverised by 2 days 2 hours 31 minutes and 25 seconds.

The crew on this record setting run:

Franck Cammas
Franck Proffit
Steve Ravussin
Pascal Blouin
Loic Le Mignon
Bruno Jeanjean
Sebastien Audigane
Frederic Le Peutrec
Ronan Le Goff
Marcel Van Triest

Weather routers: Wouter Verbraak / Jean-Yves Bernot

www.cammas-groupama.com

TOO MUCH WIND SENDS YACHTS ASHORE
Valencia, Spain: After three weeks of disruption because of too little wind, today's racing was cancelled in Valencia because of too much wind. With winds constantly above 20 knots and gusting much higher, the Race Committees on both Louis Vuitton Cup courses sent the fleet ashore.

Quotes from Chris Bedford, BMW ORACLE Racing meteorologist: "The weather pattern we have been wanting to change for the past three weeks has, in fact, changed. What was driving the easterly gradient winds before was a low over Africa. Now we have a new low coming in off the Atlantic Ocean. A series of lows will be bothering us for the next few days with unstable winds - a mix of light and moderate conditions."

Bedford explained that the sea breeze battled to get going in the past three weeks because the gradient breeze was easterly, when it needed to be westerly to get the proper circulation going. Now the new situation has produced westerly gradient winds, but they are too strong. "I guess it is a case of beware what you wish for," said Bedford, who said the outlook for tomorrow was for less wind than today, but very unstable in direction.

* Is the Alinghi team about to implode? Whilst the challenger series is coming to a head, the Alinghi team have been very, very quiet but a persistent rumour has come into us via This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it from no less than five separate sources regarding the team going forward. The speculation arises from the signing of contracts for the next Cup cycle with Brad Butterworth, Simon Daubney and Warwick Jones allegedly and I quote from one: "not willing to negotiate beyond Valencia." It's no secret that team boss Ernesto Bertarelli is not the most popular of syndicate heads but if these three leave, who would want to be a part of a team that just had Jochen Schuemann as the boss with Ed Baird on the wheels? Exit visas are iminent methinks...

Could three of the tight-five be about to ditch the Swiss and fall in with a certain Mr. Coutts in Dubai or San Francisco in three years time? And will the likes of Phipps and Simmer be the next to stall on contract negotiations? The 'game' is hotting up... -- Magnus Wheatley in www.rule69blog.com

* Five losses in a row have seriously affected our morale, it would be wrong to deny. In today's sailing team meeting the burn from the losses was evident. However my men are not depressed but angry, with a real desire to recover and that is exactly the way I'd like them to be. We've also felt the fatigue from the last days. The Cup is a long and strenuous commitment, for this reason I have decided to change the helmsman, for tomorrow's race, from Flavio Favini to Cameron Dunn. We have very qualified and capable replacements and now is the time to make use of them.

I would like to thank all of those who have shown their affection and still believe in us: Mascalzone Latino is still very much alive! -- Vincenzo Onorato

* The Jury for the Louis Vuitton Cup has denied a request from Areva Challenge for redress.

The French team claimed it had properly completed its penalty turn and finished ahead of Team Shosholoza in Flight 11. At the time, the Race Committee scored Areva Challenge as not finishing.

At the hearing, Principal Race Officer Peter Reggio clearly stated that at no time was the entire Areva Challenge boat, FRA 93, on the course side of the finishing line, as it made its penalty turn around the finish pin, as required by the Racing Rules of Sailing.

In its decision, the Jury said: "From the evidence presented, the Jury is not satisfied that Areva Challenge sailed completely to the course side of the finishing line after completing its penalty. In cases where the judgement of the Race Committee is being questioned, the Jury needs clear and convincing evidence to reach a conclusion that the action of the Race Committee was improper. The evidence did not meet that standard. The request is denied."

* CupInfo.com has uploaded a quick and dirty layman's graphic to interpret the Areva / Shosholoza finish from end of last week. See cupinfo.com/en/lvc_arevapenalty_1.php

Wednesday's Schedule:

1. Desafio Espanol vs. Areva Challenge
2. +39 Challenge vs. Emirates Team New Zealand
4. United Internet Team Germany vs. Luna Rossa Challenge
5. China Team vs. Victory Challenge
6. Team Shosholoza vs. BMW Oracle Racing

www.americascup.com

AN ABSORBING INTEREST
The long-awaited publication of Bob Fisher's history of the America's Cup, "An Absorbing Interest," is now available. Two lavishly illustrated volumes in a slipcase that cover the races, including all those of the challenger and defender trials, are available from the publisher by return. www.wiley.com/go/americas

FULLPOWER MELGES 24 WORLDS
Santa Cruz, California, USA: Perhaps nobody has been sailing a Melges 24 longer than Brian Porter and few have sailed one as well, which may mean he is overdue approaching the 2007 Fullpower Melges 24 World Championship May 3-12, hosted by the Santa Cruz Yacht Club.

Porter, from the boat's backwoods birthplace in Lake Geneva, Wis., has finished as high as second with "a couple of thirds," he said, in the class's nine previous global events, and he blew away the competition in the Pacific Coast Championship with four first-place finishes in six races on nearby San Francisco Bay last month.

A better test will be the Pre-Worlds tune-up regatta Saturday and Sunday, May 5-6, at Santa Cruz preceding the Worlds May 8-12. Porter will be sailing with a crew of Harry Melges III, the 2002 world champion; Andy Burdick and his brother, John Porter.

Other strong contenders will include veteran Dave Ullman, current U.S. national champion Chris Larson, driving for Scott Holmgren; Italy's Gabrio Zandona, driving Joe Fly for owner Giovanni Maspero; Riccardo Simoneschi, the recent Key West winner, and past world champions Vince Brun (1998 and '99) and Samuel (Shark) Kahn (2003).

The pack will include "the gang of four" boats from the Pegasus fleet of Philippe Kahn, the creator of the camera phone whose Fullpower company is the title sponsor. But Kahn is emphatic that nobody will be team racing, not even him with his 17-year-old son, Shark. In the PCC where Ullman placed second, Shark was third and Philippe finished ninth.

The entry list also includes 27 Corinthians---boats without pros on board---led by German legend Alba Batzill driving for Eddy Eich as the current European Corinthian champions; 2002 U.S. national champion Bruce Ayres of Newport Beach, and St. Petersburg NOOD winner Othmar Mueller von Blumencron, a Swiss national living in Great Falls, Va.

Full information, including Notice of Race, entry form and media info and registration, will be available at www.melges24worlds2007.com . Further information about the International Melges 24 Class is available from www.melges24.com -- Rich Roberts

WANTED... QUALITY ENGINEER AT B&G
B&G Ltd, the world leader in performance marine electronics, is looking to recruit a Quality Engineer, based in Romsey, UK. This is an exciting opportunity to join a successful team.

The position will involve developing improvements in Quality Assurance throughout the supply chain, through data collection and analysis, the planning and execution of internal and external quality audits, NPI involvement and supplier development. Closing date Friday 1st June 2007.

If you have what it takes to fill this exciting position please call Elisa Kinsman on +44 (0)1794 518448 to request a full job specification and application form.

www.bandg.com/careers.htm

JPMORGAN ASSET MANAGEMENT ROUND THE ISLAND RACE
The JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race has already attracted 973 entries and a host of Olympic stars will be amongst the 13,000 sailors lining up on the start line in Cowes.

Double Olympic gold medallist Shirley Robertson is no stranger to the event, having competed on many occasions on a variety of craft. She will be joining fellow Team Volvo for life sailors, helming J/80 sportsboats for the 50-mile race around the Isle of Wight. Shirley plans to compete in the women's keelboat discipline at the Beijing Olympic Games but for the JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race she will be sailing against her crew rather than with them, since Annie Lush and Lucy MacGregor will each be heading their own J/80 team. Other skippers in the class include Helena Lucas, Britain's top 2.4mR class, single-handed Paralympic sailor, plus Nick Rogers and Joe Glanfield, who took silver in the 470 class at Athens.

Record-breaking yachtswoman Dee Caffari is currently preparing for her next challenge - the Vendee Globe solo, round the world yacht race. Her Open 60 "Aviva" will also be joining the JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race fleet but for this event Dee will have the luxury of a crew, including top UK sailors Miranda Merron and Nigel King.

At 14, Michael Perham broke the record as the youngest person ever to sail single-handed across the Atlantic. In March, JPMorgan Asset Management assisted Michael in shipping his boat "Cheeky Monkey" from Antigua back to Cowes so he can join the race. Michael was also made an Honorary Cadet Member of the Island Sailing Club and like many other competitors in the race he will also be raising funds for charity.

This year the ISC and JPMorgan Asset Management will be expanding the charitable dimension of the race by encouraging all entrants to make their race count for charity. A bespoke website has been set up to facilitate this. To register, simply go to http://justgiving.com/roundtheisland . Competitors can choose any charity although some may want to help fight cancer by supporting Macmillan, Breast Cancer Care, Prostate Research Campaign UK and The Ellen MacArthur Trust.

Entries for the race can be made through the website www.roundtheisland.org.uk

IRM ASSOCIATION - DAVID DIEHL TROPHY
The Royal Thames Y.C. hosted the second event of the IRM Class season. The David Diehl Trophy is contested over four regattas throughout the summer. The first of these was held over the weekend of 28th & 29th April and attracted a fleet of Farr 45s. Saturday morning saw the first race sailed in a reasonable land breeze and Shaun Frohlich's 'Exabyte' took the first win.

With the wind fading Race 2 was shortened at the top mark and Nick Lutte' 'Shockwave' was the first across the line. There followed a short period when it seemed likely that the sea breeze might come in from the Needles Channel. However the Northeasterly re-established itself and in the next race Jerry Otter's 'Werewolf' went left up the first beat and rounded the top mark just ahead of 'Exabyte' & 'Alice II' (Simon Henning). Although they all chose different lines to the bottom mark the positions stayed the same but it was slow sail handling on 'Exabyte' that made the greatest difference, and dropped her to 4th. Having finished 2nd in the first two races Robert Lutener & Martin Elwood's 'HL - Cutting Edge' then improved to win the final race of the day ahead of 'Werewolf'.

Sunday morning saw another light Northeasterly and, with a strong Westerly going tide, the top mark was offset down tide to achieve a reasonable beat. 'HL - Cutting Edge' reached the mark first, rounded and then ground to a halt as the wind died. Everyone who didn't gybe immediately and go off to the left was sucked away with the tide. Progress downwind was particularly painful as the wind came & went. At one stage the boats on the right picked up a Westerly zephyr but in the end as the boats approached the bottom mark, and the finish, it was 'Exabyte' who took the gun with 'Alice II' recording her second 2nd place of the weekend. After deliberation, and with no sign of a useable breeze returning, the Race Officers had no alternative but to return the fleet to harbour. As a footnote the Association have now asked the club to consider amending the SIs to include a minimum wind clause. The series continues in a fortnight's time on the 12th & 13th May. -- Eddie Mays / IRM Association

Photos by Eddie Mays at scuttlebutteurope.com/photos/

IMOCA'S AT GRAND PRIX PETIT NAVIRE
The Imoca monohull race, at the Grand Prix Petit Navire, is not a major event in the 2007 yachting calendar, but winning is always a good feeling and, in taking the victory, Vincent Riou - on the new PRB - will have, no doubt, been able to put painful memories of his Route du Rhum dismasting completely behind him.

The first night of this Cross Channel race was a tedious one for the four entrants, as they battled very weak winds, around Ushant, and PRB did not come through on top; the leader then was Dominique Wavre on Temenos. PRB came into its own though and overtook the Swiss boat when the monohulls encountered 15 to 25 knots along the English coast.

Riou and crew were feeling pretty confident, during the second night, until they spotted lights coming up on them and realised that Jan Le Cam, whose VM Materiaux had not found the light airs to its liking, had also overtaken Wavre.

It was a fierce battle to the finish and Le Cam's boat, which had been 14 miles behind Riou, at the 2000 Monday positions, crossed the finishing line - 14 hours later - just 8 minutes behind PRB! Dominique Wavre arrived less than half an hour later. -- Marian Martin, BYM News, www.bymnews.com/news/newsDetails.php?id=7625

1. PRB at 9H 58min 28s
2. VM Materiaux at 10h 07min 00s
3. TEMENOS at 10h 34min 11s
4. Akena

www.grandprixpetitnavire.com

100 YACHTS FOR METRE RULE CENTENARY
The event, to be held at the Royal Yacht Squadron from 22-27 July, will commemorate 100 years of the International Rule - more commonly known as the 'Metre Rule'. Among the entrants so far are five 12-Ms, 18 8-Ms and dozens of 6-Ms, among them the Fife-designed Nadia, cover star of CB223. For a time, it was thought that the event was on shaky ground due to a lack of interest, but over the last two months, momentum has accelerated rapidly. Organisers, the Royal Yacht Squadron, hope to announce their title sponsor, as yet not released to the press, during the next few days. -- Steffan Meyric Hughes, Classic Boat, www.ybw.com/auto/newsdesk/20070401113756cbnews.html

ILL WIND BLOWS WELL FOR A FEW IN 60TH ENSENADA RACE
Ensenada, Mexico: If Alec Oberschmidt or Mark Folkman and Mike Galloway had any complaints about the 60th Lexus Newport to Ensenada International Yacht Race, it wasn't about the wimpy wind.

"The weather band was working for us," Oberschmidt said after sailing Staghound, a venerable Reichel/Pugh 50, to first place overall among the big boats on handicap time to claim the President of Mexico trophy.

Meanwhile, Folkman and Galloway's Ono, an Olson 40 half the size of the fastest finisher, Doug Baker's Magnitude 80, won the President of USA Trophy by correcting out on all PHRF entries.

There were 449 entries but only 241 official finishers before the 11 a.m. cutoff Sunday. There were about 20 non-starters and an undetermined number of dropouts along the way. Some gave up the struggle in winds that reached double-digit velocity only briefly, while others---including many of the Cruising class boats that comprised one-third of the fleet---simply motored into Ensenada. -- Rich Roberts

First 10 finishers
1. Magnitude 80 (Andrews 80), Doug Baker, Long Beach, elapsed time 21 hours 4 minutes 23 seconds/corrected time 27:00:38.
2. Stark Raving Mad III (Reichel/Pugh 66), Jim Madden, Newport Beach, ET 21:16:52/CT 25:45:37.
3. LoeReal (Jenn trimaran), H.L. Enloe, San Diego, and ET 21:27:28/CT 27:36:13.
4. Peligroso (Kernan 70), Mike Campbell/Dale Williams, Long Beach, ET 22:45:06/CT 27:01:21.
5. Staghound (Reichel/Pugh 50), Alec Oberschmidt, San Diego, ET 23:40:14/CT 25:26:29.
6. Pendragon IV (Davidson 52), John MacLaurin, Los Angeles, ET 23:51:44/CT 26:40:29.
7. Cat Attack (Reynolds 33 catamaran), Randy Reynolds, Long Beach, ET 23:55:03/CT 27:02:33.
8. Holua (Santa Cruz 70), Brack Duker, Los Angeles, ET 24:09:36/CT 27:10:51.
9. Blue Blazes (R/P 50), Dennis Pennell, San Diego, ET 24:10:43/CT 25:31:58.
10. It's OK (Dencho), Lew Beery, Newport Beach, ET 24:11:20/CT 26:35:0

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THE LAST WORD
First things first, but not necessarily in that order. -- Doctor Who

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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