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THE CUTTY SARK FIRE
Statement From Richard Doughty,Chief Executive, Cutty Sark Trust:

A fire broke out Monday morning at 4.45am at the Cutty Sark in Greenwich,which was put out by the London Fire Brigade by 06.28am. The ship was undergoing a major conservation project and everyone involved in the project is devastated. It was a quarter of the way through and so much work has already been carried out. However, 50 percent of the ship had been removed for conservation reasons, including the masts,the coach house and significant amount of planking, so it could have been a lot worse.

We know that there is major damage to the tween decking and some of the ship's iron work has buckled but we have yet to assess the full extent of the damage.

When the original fabric of the ship is lost, the touch of the craftsman is lost, history is lost. To lose the timbers and iron frame of the ship is to lose not just maritime heritage but part of our national heritage. We must save as much as we can and hopefully the fire has left us much to still conserve.

This is a significant blow for us,and a major set back to the people working on the project. It will take us a significant amount of effort and funding to get the work back on track. 25m pounds was needed to preserve the ship; we had 18m pounds raised already and now we are appealing for help close the funding gap and to get us through the crisis and return the ship to its former glory.

One thing is certain - we will now redouble our efforts to save the world 's most famous clipper ship. It has been rescued twice before, in 1922 and 1953 - this will be third time lucky. Now more than ever the Cutty Sark needs support from all her friends across the world.

Details of how to make a donation are available on the Cutty Sark website at www.cuttysark.org.uk or donations can be sent to the Cutty Sark Trust at 2 Greenwich Church Street, Greenwich SE10 9BG.

DICKSON'S DAYS ARE NOT NUMBERED; THEY ARE OVER.
His demise from BMW Oracle Racing came officially at noon in Valencia, but the writing was on the compound walls long before that. The relationship had been strained for weeks and members of the team were relieved when the axe fell.

'The team will continue. I signed for this campaign and after the clearing-up has been done, I'll be heading home, taking the family to Disneyland on the way.' He added later: 'It will be a few months before the final decisions are made.

Dickson has been part of the America's Cup since 1986 when his performance in Fremantle drew the attention of the world at large to his undoubted talent. After splitting with his native New Zealand, Dickson led a campaign from Japan, then another small-budget operation from New Zealand that went further than its money, and finally linked with Larry Ellison after skippering his maxi-offshore boats.

It is, however, expected that this will be the end of the line for Dickson as a sailor in the America's Cup. As a campaign leader, on the other hand, he could be a valuable, if sometimes corrosive, asset. -- Bob Fisher in Sail-World.com, his full article at www.sail-world.com

TRADITION, HISTORY AND A NICE COLD BEER
Beer is an integral part of just about any sporting event, especially those involving hot summer days, beaches and boats. The Estrella Damm Tradition activity in the North Marina Sponsor Village tells the story of the America's Cup's official beer sponsor and presents a little history challenge giving visitors a chance to win prizes.

A presentation where visitors can learn facts about the history of the beer and the company, which was founded by August Kuentzmann in 1876 in Barcelona. The displays also highlight the brewery's long tradition of taking part is many of Spain's largest sporting events as a sponsor for the World Football Championship in 1982, the Barcelona Olympic Games in 1992 and now the America's Cup.

After getting a daily dose of historical factoids visitors can try their memory by competing in one of the two daily contests. Prizes are aplenty for the winners, who can walk away with a visit to the Desafio Espanol team base, bags, hats….and of course..beer! -- Lauren Richardson, www.americascup.com

BE IN THE FRONT ROW OF THE SPECTATOR FLEET IN VALENCIA!
Our Shosholoza team spectator boat still operates - every race day until the end of the America's Cup Match. Morning briefing on our rooftop terrace overlooking Alinghi and Luna Rossa. Official "event flag" puts us in the reserved area closest to the start box and laylines. Live AC TV on board. Full buffet lunch with drinks. Expert commentator. All the fun you would expect from "The Soul of Sailing". Many hotels available, we can help. GROUPS WELCOME.

Reserve tickets online at www.cupexperience.com or email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

TOP NAMES FOR THE 2008 VENDEE GLOBE
What a great line-up of yachting stars as far as the list of people already signed up for the Vendee Globe 2008 is concerned! 19 top class skippers are already officially declared for the single-handed non-stop voyage around the world.

27 boats may be lining up on Sunday 9th November for the start of the next Vendee globe. With eighteen moths to go before the start, among the many yachtsmen, who have confirmed that they would like to take part in the next round the world race, 19 have already carried out the required paperwork and filled in the forms allowing them to be on the official list.

Amongst those returning, there is of course the title holder Vincent Riou, who will be turning up in a new boat from the American Farr design team. The same moulds were used for Michel Desjoyeaux's monohull, and Desjoyeaux, the 2001 winner, returns as a clear favourite.

Jean Le Cam, who came in second in 2005, will be there at the start again just like his fellow Breton Roland Jourdain, who was forced to quit the race last time suffering from damage to his keel. Bernard Stamm will be at the helm of the boat previously sailed by another 2004 Vendee Globe expert Jean-Pierre Dick. Mike Golding is returning in 2008 with the aim of winning.

11 new projects...
There are six French newcomers, including of course the Figaro young guns, such as talented youngsters like Yann Elies, Jeremie Beyou, Kito de Pavant, Armel Le Cleac'h and Arnaud Boissieres. While the first four have new machines at their disposal (designed by Finot for Elies and Le Cleac'h, Farr for Beyou and VPLP-Verdier for de Pavant), Boissieres will be at the helm of Sebastien Josse's former VMi, which finished fifth in the last Vendee Globe in 2004. Marc Guillemot has had a 60-foot boat designed for him especially by the VPLP team in conjunction with Guillaume Verdier.

Samantha Davies, a former Figaro racer is at the helm of the title holder, Vincent Riou's old PRB. The second lady is Dee Caffari, who made herself famous last year sailing around the world single-handed non-stop against the currents. Johny Malbon, Ellen MacArthur's former boat captain, will also be taking part on board Graham Dalton's former Owen-Clarke designed boat. The very same duo of architects have designed Caffari and Golding's boats, as well as one for the Canadian, Derek Hatfield, who will be lining up in Les Sables d'Olonne in 2008. Finally, the United States will be represented by Rich Wilson, who showed what he was capable of in his trimaran alongside Rich du Moulin, in races like the San Francisco - Boston via Cape Horn and New York - Melbourne via the Cape of Good Hope.

www.vendeeglobe.org

TEAMORIGIN BUYS SUI75 FROM ALINGHI
TEAMORIGIN, Britain's bid to enter the 33rd America's Cup, today announced its intention to purchase its first America's Cup Class training boat - SUI 75 - the training and testing boat used by Alinghi, the current Defenders of the Cup, during the pre-regatta Acts in 2005-2006.

SUI 75 was built by Alinghi at the Decision Boatyard in Vevey, Switzerland. It left Switzerland on 6th March 2002 and was launched in New Zealand. SUI 75 was used in New Zealand during the 31st America's Cup for testing and racing and was developed alongside SUI 64. Alinghi used SUI 64 in the AC Match where it won the 31st America's Cup but there was little perceived performance difference between the two boats. Alinghi raced SUI 75 during the 2005 and 2006 Acts in the build-up period of the 32nd America's Cup.

TEAMORIGIN plans to re-brand SUI 75 and it will later become GBR 75. It will be re-assembled and commissioned in Valencia and undergo a short test sail shortly after the end of the 32nd America's Cup in July 2007.

www.originsailing.com

32ND AMERICA'S CUP BEACH TOWELS
Summer's nearly here so if you're keen to show a bit of colour on the beach or boat this season, be sure to check out the beach towels range at 32nd America's Cup webstore. A great gift, all our towels are 100 percent combed cotton and with unmistakable jacquard woven graffiti designs.

Check out the range at
www.americascupstore.com/cart/view_sub_cats.asp?pg=1&desc=&style_id=147&catid=260

VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG LASER SB3 GRAND PRIX
All those taking part in this event will remember it for the weather, the exhilaration and fear of Saturday's wonderful Southwesterly blow and then the frustration of Sunday's fickle Southerly.

Only two races were completed on Saturday but within those few hours there was a near sinking, three dismastings and enough broaches to fill the display window of a Bond Street Jeweller. The day started quietly. Random safety inspections had found a few minor transgressions amongst the boats and these were penalised by having a place penalty on their finishing positions in each race.

Once afloat a good stiff Southwesterly breeze and a typical short Solent chop greeted the competitors. With a forecast of increasing winds during the day P.R.O. Tony Lovell set a starting line off the Hill Head shore. Most of the fleet coped well with the conditions, the beats were bearable, the reaches furious and the gybes frenetic. It was on the last second downwind leg that the first dismasting occurred. At the front of the fleet Volvo CEO Glenn Bourke helming 'Musto' had established a solid lead from Simon Blake on 'Sworded Fish' and Geoff Carveth with 'Palava'.

A collision during the starting sequence of the second race caused a further postponement. Ian Hunt's 'Ship 4 Brains' suffered major structural damage and with the help of the support boats and the RNLI was put ashore at Lee-on-Solent and returned to Hamble by road. By the time the race did start the wind was starting to build and with the tide turned the waves were becoming distinctly unfriendly. Glenn Bourke again seemed impervious to the conditions and quickly gained a commanding lead. Behind him the next few boats, including Russell Peters, Craig Burlton, Jerry Hill, Daniel Geoghegan and Geoff Carveth, were also enjoying the ride. For many of the others each gybe seem to be a trip into the unknown, very few managed it without a broach of some sort and a third of the fleet decided to seek the comfort of the clubhouse. With gusts of 30 kts being recorded on the Committee boat it was time to call it a day and hope that more moderate conditions on Sunday would allow extra races to be sailed.

Overnight the weather pattern changed completely and Sunday morning dawned bright and sunny with clear blue skies, and no wind. By 11:45 Tony Lovell had found enough Southerly breeze off the Meon shore to set a course and the fleet started cleanly.

But at 13:10 with no sign of any breeze anywhere in the central Solent all racing was abandoned for the day. Glenn Bourke's 5th place was enough to secure him the overall win ahead of Russell Peters.

The full results can be found on the club's website, www.royal-southern.co.uk. The next round of the Touareg Grand Prix series is at Seaview on the Isle of Wight in a fortnight's time. -- Eddie Mays

* Photos of the racing courtesy Eddie Mays ( www.eddiemaysphotography.com ) in the Scuttlebutt Europe photo gallery (look in 'Other Events')

"AN EXCELLENT BIT OF KIT..." - SAILING WORLD MAGAZINE
Ocean Racing's waterproof Offshore Backpack will keep your laptop dry, even when everything else gets wet! Features include polyurethane-impregnated fabric with seams that are sewn, taped & RF welded. The removable neoprene computer sleeve cushions large screen laptops and the main compartment has plenty of room for weather gear and boots. Padded shoulder straps comfortably distribute weight and along with the matching Offshore Duffel, make the driest & best looking sailing luggage anywhere. Take advantage of the weak U.S. dollar now!

www.OceanRacing.com

VIKING LONGSHIP SAILS AGAIN
Dubliners can look forward to welcoming a magnificent Viking longship to the city this summer. The " Havhingsten fra Glendalough " - Sea Stallion from Glendalough - is a reconstruction by the Danish Viking Museum of a thirty metre long Viking warship built in Dublin in 1042. The National Museum of ireland is the principal host and the longship will form the centrepiece of a special exhibition in the National Museum of ireland at Collins Barracks from August 2007 to June 2008. The Department of Arts Sport and Tourism is working with the Royal Danish Embassy, the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Dublin Docklands Development Authority, Dublin City Council, Dublin Tourism, in supporting the visit.

The Sea Stallion will depart from Roskilde, Denmark in early July and travel across the North Sea, around the north coast of Scotland and southwards across the irish Sea to Dublin, where she is expected on 14th August. It will be welcomed in a two-day celebration at Custom House Quay organised by the Dublin Docklands Development Authority. The ship will dock alongside a specially constructed Viking themed village in Dublin's Docklands, before being transferred for display with an accompanying exhibition of authentic shipbuilding crafts at the National Museum of ireland, Collins Barracks.

Main events:
1st July - The Sea Stallion departs from Roskilde, Denmark.
14th/ 15th August - Welcoming ceremony for The Sea Stallion and two days celebration at Custom House Quay.
17th - 19th August - The Sea Stallion arrives in National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks.
August - June 2008 - The Sea Stallion and accompanying exhibition will be displayed at the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks until June 2008. -- www.visitdublin.com/visual/events_detail.asp?eventiD=3515

Project site (in English and Danish): www.havhingsten.dk

UNDERWAY ON HIS 'PERSONAL EVEREST' SAIL ROUND GREAT BRITAIN
Quadriplegic sailor, Geoff Holt, has resumed his attempt to be the first disabled person to sail around Great Britain.

Sailing his 15ft Challenger trimaran, Freethinker, Geoff sailed past the South Cardinal marker in Southampton Water at 1705 yesterday (Sunday 20th May) to start his round Great Britain challenge, which he describes as his 'Personal Everest'.

"It's a fantastic day to go sailing", said Geoff as he sailed in to Southampton Water. "I am so pleased to be resuming my challenge although, I must say, it was a bit of shock when Ian, my Project Manager, told me at 0930 this morning that he thought the weather was right for me to start. We have been waiting for the weather window all the week and Ian had said we couldn't start until at least Monday, so I was reading the Sunday paper and eating my toast when he arrived with the news that we could go today!"

By the time Geoff reached the Solent the wind had dropped and the tide was against him, but he arrived at the Lymington River at 2015 and was met by the Lymington Inshore Lifeboat and the Royal Lymington Yacht Club Committee Boat and a crowd of well-wishers greeted him on the dockside. "It's great to be here for my first stopover", he said. "I am so happy to be on my way at last".

Geoff, aged 41 from Shedfield, Hampshire originally started from Southampton last Monday, after a farewell reception at the Royal Southern Yacht Club at Hamble, attended by hundreds of well-wishers. A flotilla of boats followed Geoff down the Hamble River and out in to the Solent, but his passage was cut short just a few minutes after the start, when the wash from spectator boats caused Geoff's boat to broach and he was thrown into the sea.

The start of the challenge was abandoned while Geoff and his project team met with their equipment suppliers and made some modifications to some of his safety equipment . Since then Geoff has been waiting for a good weather window to resume his challenge.

" The weather since last Monday, the 14th, has been very windy, said Project Manager, ian Clover. "We've made good use of the down time to work on a variety of measures, but the past two days we have been waiting for the weather and tracking its progress hourly. The weather was suitable for Geoff to start yesterday and we are pleased to be in Lymington and to have got the round Great Britain sail off to a good start. We had hoped to leave today for Portland, but with 25+ knots of wind forecast for the Solent, we will have to wait until tomorrow. If weather conditions allow, Geoff will leave on the ebb tide at dawn".

Follow Geoff's progress on this "Personal Everest" round Great Britain sail on www.personaleverest.com

Geoff's Personal Everest Project has been made possible by sponsorship from law firm Blake Lapthorn Tarlo Lyons, who are providing the funds to ensure that Geoff has the necessary back-up team and equipment to make his Personal Everest attempt safe and efficient.

OPEN DEMI-CLE
This year's Open Demi-Cle started on Saturday at Lorient, sailing doublehanded in the Mini 6.50 class 200nm to Douarnenez. Skipper Yves le Blevec took line honours and first the Prototype series fleet, Koen van Esch of the Netherlands took first in the Series fleet.

Top ten (53 boats)

1. Yves le Blevec, FRA, Actual
2. Matthieu Cassanas, FRA, Metalco
3. Fabien Despres, FRA, Soitec
4. David Sineau, FRA, Bretagne lapins
5. Franck Colin, FRA, Quietude Promotion
6. Koen van Esch, NED, KLM - Flying dutchman, (First series boat)
7. Elodie Riou, FRA, KPMG, (Second series boat)
8. Brian Caldwell, USA, Netcarrier
9. Nicholas Brennan, AUS, Rafiki
10. Tom Braidwood, AUS, Wombat

www.demi-cle650.com/actualites-6.50-14-4.html

FiRST CLASS 40 TO SAIL IN US WATERS ARRIVES IN PORTLAND MAINE
The first Marc Lombard designed Class 40 to sail in US waters has arrived in Portland, ME. The yacht is one of an exploding class of box-rule 40 footers and marks the start of what's expected to be a burgeoning fleet of US-based short-handed sailboats. Co-owners Micah Davis and Brian Harris expect to spend the summer tuning the boat before embarking on a more aggressive racing schedule in 2008.

The Lombard Class 40 was built by MC Tec in Tunisia under French supervision with the key components - keel, rudders and mast - built in France. The finish work and commissioning will be carried out at Maine Yacht Center. To date there are more than forty Class 40's worldwide, most of them in France, yet Harris and Davis believe that their project will ignite interest in the class and expect that within a year there will be a competitive fleet racing in US waters. "We know of three other Class 40s slated for US delivery as well as at least one Class 40 being built here," Harris continued. "That's a great start upon which we can build an active and competitive fleet."

Harris and Davis are Maine natives, both of whom have logged tens of thousands of ocean sailing miles and who together have competed in numerous races over the past two decades. Brian Harris is widely considered to be one of the top project managers in the world for the iMOCA (Open 60) class, and has managed numerous single-handed campaigns over the last decade. Davis and Harris, who will partner for the single and double handed events, have raced at the international level over the past fifteen years in various regattas, including the Sydney-Hobart, Newport to Bermuda, Halifax, Cowes Week, the Fastnet, Round the Island (UK) and the EDS Challenge. -- BYM News, www.bymnews.com/news/newsDetails.php?id=8844

THE LAST WORD
if you can look back on your life with contentment, you have one of man's most precious gifts: a selective memory. -- Jim Fiebig

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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