Brought to you by boats.com Europe with the support of OC Events, Scuttlebutt Europe is a digest of sailing news and opinions, regatta results, new boat and gear information and letters from sailors -- with a European emphasis. Contributions welcome, send to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

EMIRATES TEAM NEW ZEALAND WINS, QUALIFIES FOR THE FINAL
Emirates Team New Zealand has qualified for the Final of the Louis Vuitton Cup. The Kiwis defeated Desafio Espanol 2007 on Wednesday afternoon to win their Semi Final series 5-2. The Emirates squad will face Luna Rossa Challenge in the Final beginning on 1 June.

Today's race took place in the most testing conditions seen to date at the Louis Vuitton Cup. Winds approaching 20 knots whipped up a swell of just over one metre, and the short, sharp waves tested both man and machine.

Emirates Team New Zealand led Desafio Espanol over the starting line and extended the rest of the way around the race course to claim the win and finish the series.

* So it's farewell to Desafio Espanol after the Kiwis romped away to a 500-metre victory, on a lumpy playing field that bore more resemblance to the Hauraki Gulf on a rough day than the more serene conditions we tend to associate with the Mediterranean.

As you watched the body language of the two teams when they crossed the line 1 minute 18 seconds apart, you could have been forgiven for thinking that it was the Spanish and not the laconic Kiwis who had won the day. There was not even a flicker of emotion as the New Zealanders booked their ticket into the Louis Vuitton Cup finals. Not that the Spanish were anything like as exuberant as on previous days, but there was still plenty of hugging and handshaking going on between the crew whose regatta had come to a sad but happy end.

The thing is, the Kiwis aren't in the entertainment business. The only form of entertainment appreciated by their demanding fans back home, is winning. Shows of exuberance seem to be interpreted as signs of weakness. When a question went up to Terry Hutchinson on the stage in the press conference about the lack of Kiwi emotion, Dean Barker sitting two seats away from me let off a 'harrumph', as if to say, 'what sort of question is that?' -- Andy Rice, http://www.sailjuice.blogspot.com/

The Louis Vuitton Cup finals begin Friday June 1.

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

SEAHORSE SAILOR OF THE MONTH
Last month's winner:
Liz Wardley, PNG
Marc Emig, Bertrand de Broc, Jeanne Gregoire, Eric Drouglazet, Gildas Morvan, Yannick Bestaven... just a few shorthanded experts familiar to Seahorse readers who finished behind this month's prize winner in the BPE Solo Transat. Now with a good sponsor for her Figaro campaign, good things lie ahead for this determined racer.

Isabelle Joschke (FRA)
There is a rush of new and talented women sailors appearing on the offshore scene, perhaps the first fruits of increasing female representation on the Olympic circuit? Isabelle Joschke is the latest to add her name with a most impressive win in the Mini 6.5m Pavois - 550nm sailed in winds up to 35kt - rough enough that 11 good skippers retired from this year's race.

Dave Ullman (USA)
61 years old he may be but the former 470 whizz and successful (very) Californian sailmaker showed the way round in this year's tough and windy Melges 24 world championships sailed in the fabulous big waves of Santa Cruz. In second place going into the final big wind race, Ullman watched series' leader Brian Porter capsize and coolly dropped his chute to ensure a safe finish and lock up another world title.

Seahorse Sailor of the Month is sponsored by Harken McLube, Dubarry & Henri Lloyd.

Cast your vote at seahorsemagazine.com

BREITLING REGATTA STARTS LIGHT
Light and shifty winds and a lot of sunshine were the conditions for the first day of racing at the Breitling Regatta in Medemblik. The difficult conditions created changing of the courses and postponement for some classes. At the end of the day most classes were able to sail and the results were in some classes surprising.

In the 49-er class three races were sailed. The number three on the world ranking, Italians Petro and Gianfranco Sibello started with a sixth place and came back with two bullets. They are now leading with just one point ahead of European Champions Stevie Morisson and Ben Rhodes from Great Britain.

The Laser Radials also managed to sail three races today. Belgium Evi van Acker, ISAF ranking leader is three points ahead of number two, Canadian Lisa Ross. With a first, a fifth and a third place Evi is on top of it.

The Star class sailed two races today. It was very close racing for them. The top four in the overall results only within one point difference from each other. With a first and an eight the Portuguese team of Alfonso Domingos and Bernardo Santos share their first place with the German team Marc Pickel and Ingo Borowski. Favourite Robert Scheidt, second on the ISAF world ranking, sailed a six and a twenty second place today. This puts him on a thirteenth place.

In the Womens Keelboat class the Dutch team with the young Renee Groeneveld, Marije Faber and Floortje Hendriksen had a successful day. With a fifth, a first and a seventh place they are leading after three races. Number first on the ISAF ranking Ulrike Scheuman with her team are on a third place with 17 points overall. Olympic Gold Medallist Shirley Robertson really didn't have her day. With a twenty four, a Black Flag disqualification and a twenty she is now third to last.

The Windsurfers Men and Women sailed two races today. Their first race was in really light and shifty winds of three knots. There was more wind in the second race, up to eight knots. In the Womens fleet Jannicke Stalstrom from Norway sailed two excellent races with two first races and is leading with two points. In the Windsurfer Men class Hongkong was strong and ended up with two teams in the top three. Leader of the fleet is after two races King Yin Chan. World Champion Casper Bouman from Holland had also a good day and is in fourth place.

For the Finn class Christopher Cook from Canada sailed two first places. Second place is for Ed Wright from Great Brittan who is eight points behind on the number one.

In the Men 470 team Italy with Gabrio Zandona and Andrea Trani was far out the strongest team today. With three straight bullets they dominated the fleet. With ten points ahead of number two, the Swedisch team Anton Dahlberg and Sebastian Ostling, they are well leading.

At 20.00 hours the Tornado, Laser and 470 Women are sailing their last race of the day.

The Breitling Regatta is Europe's second ISAF Grade 1 event for the year. The Breitling Regatta was formerly known as the Holland Regatta for the previous two years and the SPA regatta for the twenty years prior.

www.breitlingregatta.org

DECKMAN TACTICAL SEMINAR AT GIRAGLIA, ST. TROPEZ
B&G in partnership with Electronic Services from France are holding a Deckman Tactical Navigation seminar on Saturday 9th June 10am-1pm.

There will be a demonstration followed by training on Deckman with some navigational top tips to beat off your competition. Learn how to get the best start to races with its unique start screen with information you can trust. This is an opportunity for you to ask some of your burning questions on navigational software and instrumentation. The course will run be in French and English.

Please register with Electronic Services by email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or telephone: +33 494 564460.

www.bandg.com

MATCH RACE GERMANY
Match Race Germany has an extremely strong line-up in it's jubilee year: Amongst the twelve starting teams are seven of the top ten of the ISAF World Match Racing Rankings and representatives from five America's Cup teams. This includes World Tour and World Ranked number one, Brit Ian Williams of Pindar Racing, the number two Mathieu Richard of Saba Sailing and his French compatriot Sebastian of Col Areva Challenge, number three of the world ranking list. "We are very proud to present you such a top-class field", says co-organizer Eberhard Magg, "Match Race Germany can begin and will for sure place a sportive benchmark".

The German "Grand Prix" of the World Match Racing Tour attracts once again some of the world-best teams to Lake Constance. "We always love coming to Germany, because of the good and impressive atmosphere during the Match Race Germany", announces tour-favourite Ian Williams, who is taking this year to concentrate on professional sailing and perhaps a role with a team for the 33rd America's Cup. Last year Williams finished 3rd at Match Race Germany. Williams might have a chance to win the trophy from Kosta Boda (new partner), because last years title holder Peter Gilmour from Australia had to cancel his participation because of his commitment to Team Alinghi.

But there are others who might be dangerous for Ian Williams: For example co-favourite Markus Wieser from Germany will start together with Gunnar Bahr from Berlin, Team Germany's trimmer Matti Paschen from Hamburg, Thomas Auracher from Tegernsee and Jacek Wysocki from Poland , who sailed for the Italian America's Cup-campaign + 39 Challenge.

Match Race Germany attracts over 40,000 visitors during the races to the natural arena of Langenargen on the shores of Lake Constance (Bodensee). A public village is planned for visitors and competitors including both cultural and amusement exhibitions including: remote-controlled America's Cup-boats on a small pool, a grinding-contest, massage-couch as well as other inter-active programs, food and music. In addition, BMW will organize the BMW Sailing Cup and will present many surprises for the audience on land. INTEL will present a Formula-1-simulator, where six drivers can take part at the same time. Entrance to the public village is free.

Entry List:
Ian Williams, GBR, Pindar
Mathieu Richard, FRA, Saba Sailing
Sebastian Col, FRA, Areva Challenge
Paolo Cian, ITA, Shosholoza
Eugeniy Neugodnikov, RUS
Bjorn Hansen, SWE, Apport.net
Staffan Lindberg, FIN, Alandia Sailing
Eric Monnin, SUI
Carsten Kemmling, GER
Markus Wieser, GER
Michael Hestbaek, DEN
Wearn Haw Tan, SGP

www.matchrace.de

CUMBERLAND CUP
Royal Victoria Dock, London: At (almost) the half-way stage of the inaugural Cumberland Cup International team racing contest being held in London's Royal Victoria Dock, Royal Vancouver Yacht Club narrowly lead Royal Thames, with the Southern YC from New Orleans and the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania snapping at their heels.

The seemingly bizarre venue for an international yacht racing competition has offered challenge in plenty and delivered some spectacularly close and exciting team racing. Monday's racing was held in fairly steady Easterly breeze, allowing the course to be set with a start just off the Novotel hotel, day-base for the regatta, and a finish to the tight 'squared-S' course right in front of the ExCel building, this week hosting the International Wine Fair. For much of the day, the balconies of both venues were well filed with onlookers enjoying the unexpected and unusual spectacle of eight international teams racing 24-foot yachts right in the heart of Docklands.

Tuesday provided both the teams and Race Officer Gillian Smith with even more of a challenge: a patchy westerly that came and went, sometimes delivering good 8 knots sailing breeze, but more often dissolving into catspaws and calms. Even so, this remarkable venue was able to deliver quality team racing.

The format for the contest offers two-days (Monday and today, Wednesday) of split round-robin racing, 6 teams in the morning, 6 teams in the afternoon to give the visitors from all over the world a chance to see something of the Capital, and two days of racing involving all eight teams. Yesterday (Tuesday) racing stopped after 21 of the 28 races had been sailed, to allow all eight teams time off to enjoy the ambitious social programme laid-on by the hosts: an evening dinner cruise on London's river from the heart of the Capital at Westminster downstream to the Thames barrier and back.

Racing picks up again today with Round-Robins 4 & 5, and will (provided the wind gods play their part) conclude on Thursday with the completion of Tuesday's schedule and a second set of races to ensure that each club races each other club three times.

royalthames.com

BALTIC SPRINT CUP 2007: EXCEPTIONAL CREWING OPPORTUNITIES
Due to unexpected last-minute commitments crew places are available on two entries in the Baltic Sprint Cup 2007 - enquiries very welcome from crew with offshore racing experience. Please contact Event Director Henning Rocholl via web text at www.balticsprintcup.com or +49 40 866 42 141. Total 624 miles. Start Copenhagen 20th July via Sassnitz, Gdansk, Klaipeda, Ventspils to final party, fireworks and prize-giving at Parnu, Estonia (short distance from Tallinn) 3rd August. Rating system ORC Club, closing date 30th June.

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

GRYPHON SOLO TAKES LINE HONOURS IN C2B
At about 8:45 EDT Tuesday night Joe Harris, owner and usually the skipper of the Open 50 Gryphon Solo, received a jubilant call from Hugh Piggin, acting skipper of Gryphon Solo in the Charleston to Bermuda Race. "Joe," he said, "We have crossed the line!! The big red boat had started the Charleston to Bermuda Race on Friday May 18th and finished the 777 mile crossing in 4 days 20:45:23 according to data on the iBoatTrack race site: charthorizon.com/races/2007_charleston_bermuda/htdocs/

All is good onboard and the boat immediately headed around the island to the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club for a that famous Bermuda libation, a Gosling Dark and Stormy. Gryphon Solo sailed a strong race from start to finish, although there was a substantial period of light wind in the middle of the race that slowed the boat and allowed some of the other competitors to catch up. The J120's were performing particularly well with less wetted surface and good sail area to power them through the light spots.

In the last 50 miles, the winds came forward to a Northeasterly direction and Gryphon Solo had to beat to windward to get to the finish line off St. David's light. Overall, Piggin and the crew of Jeff Wargo, Susan Lee Ford and Hank Hofford sailed a very strong race to capture line honors in the boat's first entry into the C2B. More news from the boat will follow once the crew catches up on a shower and some sleep. Gyphon Solo owner Joe Harris will fly to Bermuda on Friday to skipper the boat on a solo crossing back to Newport in preparation for the next race, the Bermuda 1-2. The skipper's log and photos from the C2B are at www.gryphonsolo.com/page.

INDUSTRY NEWS
* Denmark's Elvstrom Sails, one of the largest sailmakers in Europe, has been sold to Danish businessman Peter Jorgensen for an undisclosed sum. Effective immediately, Jorgensen will assume the role of chairman of the Elvstrom Sobstad Group, which produces more than company 30,000 sails per year at its main factories in Denmark and France.

Claus Olsen, owner and chairman of the group since 1980, will remain in a management position to oversee the group's subsidiary companies in the UK and Norway, as well as purchasing and other foreign supply contracts. None of the other 100 employees at the main factory in Aabenraa, Denmark will be affected.

"I am delighted to be taking over such a well known and successful company as Elvstrom Sobstad," says Jorgensen. "There will be no major changes to the company in the short term, but we will of course be looking to optimise many areas of the business and at the same time focus our efforts on developing our existing and new markets."

Founded as Elvstrom Sails in 1954, today the company is the preferred supplier to many of Europe's best known yacht manufacturers, including Bavaria Yachts, Beneteau, Hallberg Rassy, Sunbeam, Dufour and Etap. In 2002, the company bought US sailmakers Sobstad, and the company was renamed Elvstrom Sobstad. -- International Boat Industry news: www.ibinews.com/ibinews/newsdesk/20070422145829ibinews.html

* Primedia has sold the 70 enthusiast magazines, 90 websites and 60 event programmes of its enthusiast media division to Source Interlink Cos, a home entertainment distributor, for US$1.2 billion. According to a story in AdAge, Source Interlink intends to combine Primedia's content with its magazine-distribution and merchandising programmes to create a full-service media company.

Primedia's 70 titles include the boating titles Power & Motoryacht, Voyaging, Sail and Boatworks. -- IBI, www.ibinews.com

* Bladerider International, a leading manufacturer of extreme sailing products, has appointed prominent Australian yachting identity John Bertrand to its board of directors as an independent director.

Bladerider International, based in Melbourne, Australia, is a global innovator in extreme sailing. Its main product, the Bladerider, is the fastest single-handed sailing craft in the world.

The Bladerider X8 is derived from and 100 percent compliant with the renowned International Moth class which has seen rapid growth in class numbers across four continents and offers an exciting blend of speed, action and thrills.

Due to its light-weight construction and advanced engineering design, the Bladerider can lift in 6 knots of wind, fly through a lull as low as 4 knots, and will achieve boat speeds in excess of 20 knots in a 12-15 knot wind.

High profile sailors of the Bladerider include Australians Rohan Veal, a Moth world champion, 18' skiff champion John Harris, 49er and Volvo Ocean Race sailor Chris Nicholson and French Vendee Globe veteran and Volvo 70 skipper, Sebastian Josse.

* It is expected that Whyte and Mackay, the Earls Court Boat Show title sponsor, will get a new owner, when Indian billionaire Vijay Mallya, chairman of United Breweries and owner of Kingfisher Airline is scheduled to announce the purchase of the privately owned Scottish distiller for about 600m pounds.

The purchase is interesting since, until now, Mallya, an Indian MP, has always opposed the Scotch Whisky Association's efforts to try and reduce Indian import taxes of up to 500 per cent, which have largely been in retaliation for European Union regulations that stop Indian spirits, made from molasses, being labelled as whisky. -- Aldous Grenville-Crowther in BYM news, www.bymnews.com/news/newsDetails.php?id=8529

THE LAST WORD
Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city. -- George Burns

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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