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LOUIS VUITTON CUP
Emirates Team New Zealand finished Round Robin Two of the Louis Vuitton Cup at the top of the table, with a win over BMW ORACLE Racing capping an unbeaten run in the second round. By finishing as the top challenger, the Kiwi team now has the right to choose its opponent for the Semi Finals.

BMW ORACLE Racing, Luna Rossa Challenge, and Desafio Espanol 2007 are the other Semi Finalists. The Semi Final portion of the Louis Vuitton Cup begins on Monday, 14 May.

* Skipper Dean Barker, representing the Round Robin leading Emirates Team New Zealand, has elected to race against Desafio Espanol 2007 in the Semi Finals of the Louis Vuitton Cup. That means BMW ORACLE Racing will face Luna Rossa Challenge in the other pairing.

"It's great for us to race Emirates Team New Zealand," said Desafio Espanol skipper Karol Jablonski. "We are working on a few specific things to make the boat a bit faster and also on our strategy. But what you haven't done in two and half years, you're not going to do in the next two days."

The Semi Finals are a 'first to five' head-to-head series for each pairing. A race win is worth one point, and the first team in each pairing to earn five points goes through to the Louis Vuitton Cup Final. No scoring is carried forward from previous stages of the event.

* Yachting World's Guide to the Louis Vuitton and America's Cup is now free to download... Just go to www.zinio.com/express2?issue=209263232

* One day left on this week's America's Cup Quiz:

Which boat was fouled and her owner refused a race win, and when?

Submit your answer at scuttlebutteurope.com

First correct answer wins a 32nd America's Cup DVD, the 32nd correct one wins a 32nd America's Cup Official Book, and all entries get a shot at winning a Louis Vuitton Cup poster.

www.americascup.com

ISHARES CUP EXTREME 40 SAILING SERIES
The iShares Cup Extreme 40 Sailing Series for 2007 was officially confirmed today when Ellen MacArthur sailed up the River Thames onboard an Extreme 40 catamaran.

The iShares Cup Extreme 40 Sailing Series will comprise of four premier regattas and will showcase some of the world's most exciting racing, at Europe's leading sailing venues. Up to seven high-performance Extreme 40s will do battle on race courses set close to the shore, providing awesome views and thrilling racing for spectators.

The Extreme 40 crews are studded with past, present and future Olympians - including six sailors who are aiming to compete at Beijing 2008. They will be joined by sailors from the ocean racing world and the America's Cup.

Racing in the iShares Cup officially starts from 25-27 May just a stone's throw away from Munich at the popular sailing destination of Lake Starnberg.

Known for it's maritime history, Marseille, France will host the second stage of the iShares Cup, 7-9 July. The fleet then heads to Cowes, UK at the start of Skandia Cowes Week for the penultimate stage of the iShares Cup 3-5 August with the added bonus for spectators of some exhibition racing later in the week right in front of the public.

The 2007 iShares Cup will finally draw to a close in Amsterdam, the Netherlands where the Extreme 40s will compete on one of the cities biggest canals and where the overall winner of the iShares Cup will finally be determined.

As part of the iShares Cup season there are also three iShares Endurances Races, where the Extreme 40s will race at a number of Europe's most prestigious classic endurance races - designed to increase the visibility of the class across Europe. On 16 June, the world's largest inland lake event with over 500 yachts competing, the Bol d'Or Mirabaud, a tough 82-mile race from Geneva to the other end of the lake and back, usually sailed in highly variable conditions. This will be followed by one of the world's largest sailing events, the 55-mile JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race, 23 June. The Extreme 40 boats will join over 1600 boats and 13000 sailors expected to race around the Isle of Wight, UK, in this popular event. And then on 8 September on Lake Garda, Italy, the Extreme 40s will race in the fifth edition of the prestigious Centomiglia race.

TornadoSport, originators of the concept, who supply the Extreme 40s, have produced a further four new catamarans this winter, making a total of nine now on the water.

www.ocevents.org

VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG KING OF COWES
Performance Sailcraft Europe Ltd and Volkswagen Touareg have teamed up to create a very special invitation-only sailing event to find the 'Volkswagen Touareg King of Cowes at Skandia Cowes Week 2007'.

On Friday 3rd August the winning helms of some 29 of the most competitive classes of Skandia Cowes Week 2006, will come together racing identical one design Laser SB3s off Cowes in a one-day, three race regatta. For the first time leading national and international helmsman will have the opportunity to pitch their skills on the water without performance enhancing features, advantageous ratings or financial investment to compete for the coveted title 'Volkswagen Touareg King of Cowes'. Competition is expected to be fierce, with prizes of a Volkswagen Touareg, Volkswagen Eos and Laser GXD up for grabs.

With leading skippers from classes as diverse as Sonata's to Class 0, invited helms will be allocated their Laser SB3 boat through an independent draw. (The SB3 class winner will not be permitted to sail his own boat but will also be allocated to an SB3 through the independent draw to prevent an unfair advantage. )

The class winners must helm their boat with the SB3 owner as principle crew member. The third, and if necessary fourth, crew member (crew weight must not exceed the Laser SB3 class rule weight limit of 270kg) will be appointed at the owner's and skipper's joint discretion.

"We are delighted to welcome Volkswagen Touareg King of Cowes to the stable of events associated with Skandia Cowes Week. With a truly level playing field, the racing is set to be spectacular," comments Stuart Quarrie, Director of Cowes Combined Clubs. "Winners of Skandia Cowes Week classes are all very talented helms, used to competing at the highest levels, and this new competition adds an exciting additional dimension as we prepare for Skandia Cowes Week 2007.

With such big prizes at stake Tony Lovell, the event's Principle Race Officer, will ensure a series of challenging races are set to test the skills and tactics of the invited helms.

Each competitor will receive a limited edition Volkswagen Touareg King of Cowes Musto Navigator's Case and every participating boat owner will have their entry to Skandia Cowes Week 2007 paid and will receive a new Volkswagen sponsored spinnaker. All crews of the winning boats will also receive a trophy.

The racing will be tight, as they will be battling it out for:

Skippers / Owners
1st Volkswagen Touareg / Free SB3 trade-in
2nd Volkswagen EOS / SB3 Mainsail
3rd Laser GXD / SB3 Jib

www.kingofcowes.com
www.skandiacowesweek.co.uk

READY FOR COWES WEEK CHARTER
Chieftain Cookson 50 available for Cowes week charter, recently beat ABN in Antigua week with 2 crew aboard, race prepared & ready to go.

Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Mobile: +353 (0)87 253 4639
Tel: +353 (0)61 432010

EUROSAF JUNIOR AND YOUTH TEAM RACING 2007
The closing date for entries to the EUROSAF Junior and Youth Team Racing Championship is fast approaching, on Monday 14th May. The event takes place from 1st to 3rd June in Torbole, Italy and includes coaching for all teams under the expert Team Racing eye of Bruce Hebbert (GBR). Full details and entry forms are to be found on the EUROSAF website at http://www.eurosaf.org/1203

The equipment to be used is the RS Feva dinghy, generously provided by Racing Sailboats www.rssailing.com/fleets.asp?fleet=RS%20Feva

Accommodation and other facilities are all included in the entry fee.

This is planned to be an annual event and is aimed at introducing young people, between the ages of 12 and 18, into the Team Racing discipline. Team Racing is an excellent way to improve boat handling, racing techniques and knowledge of the Racing Rules of Sailing and is to be recommended to all keen and promising racers.

Please don't miss this opportunity to participate in one of the most exciting disciplines within the sport of sailing. -- John Friend, Secretary General, EUROSAF

SOLAR POWERED TRANSATLANTIC CROSSING
sun21, the solar powered catamaran developed and sponsored by the Swiss transatlantic21 Association made its historic arrival into New York's North Cove Marina at 3:00pm Tuesday. The arrival completes a 7,000 mile journey across the Atlantic in a motorized boat that utilized not one drop of oil. transatlantic21 Association set out to prove the feasibility of clean energy vessels on open seas, as well as the wide spread applications of this technology to transform the shipping and boating industry. This technology will benefit both our waterways and conserve other natural resources.

The solar-powered catamaran left continental Europe on December 3, 2006 from Chipiona, Spain. It arrived in Martinique on February 2nd completing its journey on the open seas and has been traveling up to New York through March and April. sun21 has also come to New York to usher in the first annual World Clean Energy Awards - an international platform created by the transatlantic21 Association to recognize the mainstreaming of clean energy. Unlike other awards programs, the World Clean Energy Awards recognizes innovation in action, as opposed to innovation on the drawing board. sun21 serves as the shining example of clean energy applications in practice.

"The transatlantic21 Association set out to showcase the power of clean energy. It has been my distinct pleasure to be a part of the crew of sun21 and to prove we don't need oil to cross oceans. In modern society, we can travel the world in a way that is both efficient and respectful to our environment and our resources. This has been a liberating journey and one which I believe will transform the way we approach travel on our oceans, seas and waterways," commented Michel Thonney, Skipper of sun21. -- BYM news, www.bymnews.com/news/newsDetails.php?id=8162

BALTIC SPRINT CUP 2007
PARNU PREPARES FOR SPECTACULAR EVENT
The organization team continued this week its comprehensive preparation for the best Baltic Sprint Cup ever - as Parnu loses its last ice from the winter the 100-year-old Yacht Club under new commodore Egon Elstein is confident that Parnu will lay on a superb "showdown".

Sponsors Saku Brewery and Maag food suppliers are readying the shoreside welcome on a 24/7 basis. Entries for cruisers and racers 30 feet up with ISAF special regs Cat 3 + liferaft. First race starts Copenhagen 20th July. Showdown Parnu 3rd August.

Supported by Bank DnB NORD. www.balticsprintcup.com
THE BALTIC SPRINT CUP 2007 - DON'T MISS IT!

THE XOD CLASS CELEBRATES 75 YEARS OF RACING
The first time the starting gun for the XOD class was fired from the Itchenor Sailing Club race platform was on Saturday, the 7th May 1932 at 17:00, at a time suitable to allow the crews to rig their boats after working in the morning. Since then the class has been continually represented at the club and on Sunday, the 6th May 2007 the class held an afternoon of celebration in honour of the 75th Anniversary.

At 15:10 in a brisk Southwesterly breeze the latest gun started a fleet of 28 boats beating down the reach towards East Head. Amongst the crews sailing were representatives from the other XOD Divisions. Particularly welcome was Mark Hall, the XOD Class Captain from Yarmouth. Many of the crews had entered into the spirit of the day and were sailing in clothing representative of the 1930's, not always the most convenient garb with 20 kts over the deck and a sharp chop coming over the bow.

Following the race the fleet gathered at the entrance to the Itchenor Reach and led by the Division Captain Bill Barnes on board X39, the second oldest boat participating, the fleet sailed past the club pontoon where an informal salute from the crews was accepted by the Vice Commodore Nigel Pattison and many supporters of the class. James Froy, the winning skipper, brought up the rear and celebrated his win with a display of fireworks from his aft deck.

At the prize-giving reception every crew received a commemorative scroll. Amongst the special prizes were two for three generations in a boat, one for the Taylor family and one for the Moate family. The Ladies Prize went to XOD Class Secretary Tina Scott crewed by Clare Blevins & Liz Powell. The main prize of the evening was the specially commissioned crystal '75th Anniversary Bowl', which was presented to the winning crew by Elizabeth Roose.

At the Anniversary Reception, the 100 guests were delighted that the oldest member of the Itchenor Division, 93-year-old Barbara Payne, was able to join them for the evening. The continuity of the class was never more clearly defined than by her presence. -- Eddie Mays

Photos of the regatta and reception at scuttlebutteurope.com/photos in the Other Events section

LIFE AT THE EXTREME
Life At The Extreme, the official book of the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-06, chronicles over eight months of relentless competition in the world's most menacing of oceans.

Author and broadcaster Rob Mundle together with the world's best sailing photographers have captured every angle of the world's top offshore sailors doing battle over 31,500 nautical miles. The highs, the lows, the hardships in the quest for the overall prize - the Fighting Finish Trophy.

With over 150 pages of words and pictures, Life At The Extreme is available to buy online at www.volvooceanrace.org/booksanddvds or from leading high street book stores.

UK 18FT SKIFF GRAND PRIX 2007 - ROUND 2: BREEZE ON!
After a weekend of high wind, high drama and high speed the Fat Face 18ft Skiff sailed by Tim Penfold Matt Alvarado and Henry Clarke emerged worthy winners of a very demanding Grand Prix.

Saturday started with hesitation over choice of rigs until news of 30 knot gusts registering on the club anometer persuaded the majority of the fleet to "go small". The first race was very tight with the lead swapping between five boats.

Race 2 and with the wind building the PRO set a reaching course... at the fleet's request!! GE had built up a large lead by the first windward mark only to capsize at the gybe mark, breaking their bowsprit in the process - casualty 2. The reach to the wing mark was phenomenal with the skiffs hitting top speed on the flat Datchet water but every boat had trouble at the mark. Check out http://www.sailshots.co.uk for more shots of the ensuing carnage and fine aerial acrobatics. It was Wet and Wild who managed to get away almost cleanly and built up a large lead followed home by Fat Face and Hurley Palmer Flatt, the only boats to finish. On the following two sail reach nosedives were the order of the day and Base 1 helm Ian Turnbull demonstrated his diving skills once again, this time comparing the strength of his back-side to the kevlar in the mainsail - the kevlar lost.... leaving the mainsail unusable - casualty 3.

After the fleet licked its wounds, race 3 started with only 4 boats and General Electric was without a bowsprit and spinnaker.

Day 2 dawned with wind steadily over 25 knots and gusts in the 30's. In the concrete bowl of Datchet, the conditions were unsailable, so the fleet retired to watch the video of the previous days excitement leaving Fat Face the worthy winners of the event. Fresh from competing in the JJ Giltinan on Sydney Harbour, they showed they could shake off the dust and take the very challenging event.

Datchet Grand Prix
1. Fat Face, 2-2-1, 5
2. Wet & Wild, 4-1-2, 7
3. Hurley Palmer Flatt, 5-3-3, 11
4. General Electric, 1-DNF-4, 13
5. Base 1, 3-DNF-DNS, 19
6. SBR Racing, 6-DNF-DNS, 22
7. Pica, DNF-DNS-DNS, 24

Photos at scuttlebutteurope.com/photos in the Other Events section

GIPSY MOTH IV SAILS INTO VALENCIA
On Sunday 6th May, Gipsy Moth IV arrived in the America's Cup Village in Valencia, drawing the attention of both spectators and competitors. The 54ft ketch, which is nearing the end of her global voyage, provided a fantastic viewing platform for the young crew from the Isle of Wight, who were able to watch some of the world's most talented sailors from one of the world's most famous yachts.

The crew members were given a guided tour of Victory Challenge's base, thanks to Corum, the Gipsy Moth IV project's official timekeeper who also supports the Swedish Team.

The short stop in Valencia also provided the opportunity for members of Team New Zealand to visit the yacht and see how she has faired since her unscheduled stop-over at the Team New Zealand base in Auckland last summer. The team very generously donated facilities and staff to assist in repair work to enable her to continue with her global voyage.

Gipsy Moth IV left the bright lights of the America's Cup on course for Gibraltar, the final stop before she returns to Plymouth on Monday 28th May 2007, 40 years to the day since Sir Francis returned from his record breaking circumnavigation. -- Anna Symcox

www.gipsymoth.org

THE LAST WORD
I have always been among those who believed that the greatest freedom of speech was the greatest safety, because if a man is a fool, the best thing to do is to encourage him to advertise the fact by speaking. -- Woodrow Wilson

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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