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THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING... TO THE VOR
Backed by Oleg Zherebtsov, a St Petersburg businessman, the yacht will be skippered by former Austrian Olympic Star sailor Andreas Hanakamp. Michael Woods, who was Director of Race Operations for the 2001-02 race, will manage the team.

"We will use the best international resources available to put together a competitive team in the 16 months we have available to design and build the boat and then have full training and sail testing programme," Hanakamp said. He added that there will be a strong Russian element to the campaign.

Oleg Zherebtsov, founder and chairman of Russian hypermarket chain Lenta, said: "The boats and the new course make the race a challenge, an adventure and a competition that I am excited about taking part in."

Commenting on the announcement, Glenn Bourke, CEO of the Volvo Ocean Race, said: "We are delighted to have another confirmed entry in the race and we our especially pleased to have a Russian boat, which will further broaden the global interest of the race."

The team plans to launch their new Volvo Open 70 in April next year to allow a full programme of sail testing and crew training in the North Atlantic before the start in Alicante, Spain in October 2008.

Prior to April, the team will use a Volvo Ocean 60 (the former Merit Cup), for crew selection and plans to develop new talent in order to create a crew of youth and experience.

The Russian announcement brings the number of confirmed entries in the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09 to seven. Both Ericsson Racing Team from Sweden, and Pedro Campos' team from Spain will enter two boats, joined by the US-flagged Puma Racing Team and Mean Machine from The Netherlands.

www.volvooceanrace.org

SPANIARDS SIGN FARR YACHT DESIGN
Annapolis, Maryland, USA: Farr Yacht Design (FYD) has been commissioned to research, design and support two Volvo Open 70's for a Spanish entry in the 2008/2009 Volvo Ocean Race.

This is the first time that FYD has elected to work for a single program for the Volvo Ocean Race. "This arrangement permits greater involvement of our design team with the project management, builders and crew," said Patrick Shaughnessy, Vice President of FYD. "We will be making a much bigger contribution to strategic planning, construction supervision, boat optimization and tuning assistance during the race than ever before."

Research work at FYD commenced in November 2006 and involves a team comprised of FYD designers and outside consultants. Tank testing is currently underway at the Davidson Laboratory at Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey. Having recently undergone renovations and upgrades, the facility is very attractive for this program. Frank DeBord of Chesapeake Marine Technology is managing the tank-testing program.

The Spanish entry has acquired an existing Volvo Open 70 and FYD has designed modifications to the boat that will be built and tested over the next few months. Sails, appendages, hull shapes and canting systems are all part of the full-scale testing program. FYD staff members have been sailing on the boat and will be onboard for testing of the modifications to obtain first hand knowledge to use in their research and design work.

www.farrdesign.com

"WE USED SEALnGLIDE ON OUR KITES LAST SEASON AND IMMEDIATELY SAW A
DRAMATIC IMPROVEMENT IN THEIR OVERALL PERFORMANCE."
Olympic bronze medallists Chris Draper and Simon Hiscocks, who have been using Holmenkol on their Olympic 49er.

HOLMENKOL SEALnGLIDE is the first and only sail protection coating worldwide! Advanced nanotechnology supplies a durable protection to all types of sailcloths and is very easy to apply!

Germany's coating expert HOLMENKOL launches with SEALnGLIDE+glaze, a highly water repellent sail coating, strengthening new and even aged sails surfaces in the struggle against dirt, water and mildew. It refreshes colours and increases tear resistance.

www.holmenkol.com/bilder/download/Haendler_Aquatic_weltweit.pdf

HEAD TO HEAD STATISTICS
The qualification of Luna Rossa Challenge and Emirates Team New Zealand for the Louis Vuitton Cup Final proves the credibility of the statistics. Both teams have had consistent results throughout the three 32nd America's Cup seasons and in the case of the Italians, shown remarkable progress in the final stages of the competition.

A quick look at the two team's victories since 2004 demonstrates their performance, in that their results have been very similar. The Kiwis won 85 of 102 races; an 83 percent success rate. 93 percent of the races where they rounded the first mark ahead, ended in victory.

Luna Rossa Challenge clocked up 72 out of 93 possible victories; winning 77 percent of their races. In 94 percent of the races where they reached the top mark first, they were triumphant.

However, despite the similarity in numbers, Emirates Team New Zealand has a notable advantage in results - the Kiwi team won the Louis Vuitton ACC Championship in 2004 and 2006, and was second in 2005, behind Alinghi. Luna Rossa Challenge was fourth in each of the three seasons. The Kiwis prevailed in Louis Vuitton Acts 2 and 12, whereas the Italians only won Louis Vuitton Act 5.

Luna Rossa, in crescendo

Since the beginning of the Louis Vuitton Cup, Luna Rossa Challenge has won 21 out of 26 races, in comparison to 22 out of 27 won by Emirates Team New Zealand - essentially they have the same records.

The Round Robins were slightly more favourable for the Kiwis who won 17 out of 20 matches, compared to the 16 won by the Italians. However Luna Rossa Challenge qualified for the Finals with one race less: the Kiwis defeated Desafio Espanol 2007 5-2, whereas Luna Rossa reserved their position in the Final with a 5-1 victory over BMW ORACLE Racing.

Both teams used their latest boats in the Round Robins and the Semi Finals of the Louis Vuitton Cup - ITA 94 and NZL 92. Luna Rossa has won every race in over 13 knots of wind, whilst Emirates Team New Zealand has been slightly more consistent in lower wind speeds, and has an 83 percent success rate.

ITA 94 and NZL 92 have only come face to face on two occasions: once in each of the Louis Vuitton Cup Round Robins, with one victory for each team. Luna Rossa won the first contest on 26th April (7-10 knots). Luna Rossa was able to put a penalty on the Kiwis in the pre-start, although the Emirates team crossed the starting line first. The Kiwis led for much of the race, but never by a big enough margin to put in their penalty turn. On the final run to the finishing line, they slowed down, hoping to engage ITA 94 in an effort to offset the penalty. But ITA 94 sailed cleanly to the finishing line. By the time the Kiwis completed the penalty turn, the Italians had won the match by 48 seconds.

Emirates Team New Zealand took their revenge in Round Robin 2, on 7th May (12-14 knots). The first upwind leg of the second confrontation was a true tacking duel, with no less than 33 tacks per boat. NZL 92 increased their advantage on each leg until the final delta was 36 seconds.

Out of the eight legs sailed in the two matches, NZL 92 was the fastest in five, ITA 94 in one, and both showed identical speeds in the remaining two.

If we study the performance of Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa Challenge during the Semi Finals, ITA 94 appears almost invincible. Against BMW ORACLE Racing's USA 98, the Italian boat was first to every turning mark in each race (18 out of 18) and was only defeated in one of the six matches raced, and by a very small delta, overtaken on the very last leg. NZL 92 lost two of seven matches before eliminating Desafio Espanol 2007. They led the way to 15 turning marks; the six where they trailed were in races they lost.

ITA 94 needed 91 tacks and 73 gybes to eliminate the Americans. NZL 92 put in 141 tacks and 47 gybes to eliminate the Spanish. When comparing the two boats, the Italians made an average of 15 tacks and 12 gybes per race, in comparison to the 20 and 7 respectively for the Kiwis.

These statistics appear to show that the New Zealanders are better when the racing is close and requires rapid manoeuvres, whereas the Italians look for longer runs and good calls on wind shifts. -- from BYM News, bymnews.com, citing Javier Sobrino/AB

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 commentators. 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

CAP ISTANBUL: A WILD FINISH FOR LEG ONE
The team of Berenger-Chabagny has won the first leg with their Kone Elevators boat. They arrived to Trapani Port, Northwest of Sicily, at about 22:30 on 28th of May. Throughout this leg, 490 nautical-miles, the wind got faster every day. The Bestaven / Guerin team was second on Aquarelle.com while Thierry Vorsent-Kito de Pavant team was the third on their Domaine du Mont d'Arbois.

This leg is too hard to describe. They kept surfing sometimes at 15 knots. The first boat was just 3 minutes ahead of the second one and this proves what an exciting race it is.

1st boat- Nicolas Berenger (Kone Elevators): "This morning (Monday) after passing Sardinia, we noticed that we sail faster than the others and decided to use our big, old sail. At first, we passed Luisina Design and Mont d'Arbois boats. Then caught Aquarelle.com. And we began racing as if it was a match race. 30 natical miles to the finishing point we were fighting with huge waves. Thierry and I are so happy that we won this leg."

2nd boat- Yannick Bestaven (Aquarelle.com): "We were the second following the first boat 3 minutes behind. Weather conditions were so hard. It's unforgettable surfing with 15-17 miles. Ronan and I believe that we can win Cap Istanbul 2007. We always prefer hard weather conditions because we believe that this is better for our nerves."

3rd boat-Kito de Pavant (Domaine du Mont d'Arbois): "This was a wonderful race and we became the third boat arriving Trapani after 2 and a half days. I had forgotten how complicated and close the Figaro races were. This leg reminded me of this. 4 boats were quarelling with each other in final moments. The first boats were racing perfectly and so it was really too hard to catch them. We were leading, but we couldn't withstand the others. Our rank lets us dream for Istanbul."

The rank of the Trapani leg:
1. Kone Elevators - Nicolas Berenger / Thierry Chabagny
2. Aquarelle.com - Yannick Bestaven / Ronan Guerin
3. Domaine du Mont d'Arbois Thierry Duprey du Vorsent / Kito De Pavant
4. Luisina Design - Eric Drouglaz/ / Christophe Bouvey
5. Defi Mousqu/aires - Thomas Rouxel / Erwan Israel
6. Docteur Valn/ - Laurent Pellecuer / Francois Gabart
7. Teb - Erwan Tabarly / Romain Attanasio
8. Bostik - Nicolas Lunven / Oliver Krauss
9. Groupe Celeos - Ronan Treussard / Anthony Marchand
10. Brossard - Servane Escoffier / Christophe Lebas
11. Vakko - Frederic Riv/ / Adrien Hardy
12. Capitol - Christian Bos / Rodolphe Jacq
13. Baiko - Antonio Pedro Da Cruz / Pierre-Yves Collet
14. Suzuki Automobiles - Eric Defert / Christian Gout
15. Marseille Entreprises - Jean-Paul Mouren / Elise Garcin
16. Ergoisvicre - Vedat Tezman / Ergun Turker

www.capistanbul.com

ROYAL RACING YACHT IS RESTORED TO GLORY
A 70-year-old yacht once owned and raced by the Duke of Edinburgh has been restored to her former glory.

The Bloodhound, a 63ft wooden yawl, served the Royal Family for seven years in the 1960s. Prince Philip bought her in 1962 when she was already 25 years old and she was sold in 1969 for 25,000 pounds.

Tony McGrail, a yacht surveyor, bought her four years ago for an undisclosed sum and has spent 1 million pounds on bringing her to her present condition.

Mr McGrail, from Christchurch, Dorset, said: "She is probably the most famous ocean racer existing and won countless races. We are hoping that Prince Philip will visit her, and perhaps sail her once again."

Mr McGrail remortgaged his house to restore the yacht, renowned for her speed and race victories including the 1939 Fastnet. He says that he cannot afford to keep her and is hoping to sell her for about 1.5 million pounds. -- Simon de Bruxelles in The Times: www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1857044.ece

SOLOCEANS TAKES ON BOARD EUROSPORT EVENTS
Paris, France: Eurosport Events, new entity of Eurosport Group (100 % subsidiary of the TF1 group), and SailingOne have signed a partnership for the development of the SolOceans and the events coordinated by Yvan Griboval. This agreement will provide this new oceanic race with exceptional media exposure, as much the Eurosport Group's platform: Eurosport, Eurosport World (Asia - Pacific), Eurosport 2, Eurosportnews and on their websites, as on the world's large audiovisual networks, and in the countries of origin of the skippers competing in the SolOceans.

This is the first single-handed oceanic round the world race to follow a France - New Zealand - France course. It will be sailed on equal footing on sixteen-metre high-tech Oceanic One Design monohulls, all completely identical. This class has been named Veolia Oceans after the Main Sponsor, Veolia Environmental Services, of the SolOceans race. The start of the first SolOceans is set for 25 October 2009. The SolOceans will then be run every two years. Beforehand, the first Veolia Oceans will sail around the world for reconnaissance purposes, from October 2007 to March 2008.

The agreement signed between SailingOne and Eurosport Events is of significant advantage to the SolOceans. It depends, in the first instance, on the 110 million homes (240 millions of viewers) reached by the Eurosport channel, in 20 languages and in 59 countries. Eurosport Events, chaired by Jacques Behar, is a new subsidiary of the Eurosport Group, whose aim is to organise, promote and develop international sporting events, in the image of motor racing competitions, such as FIA World Touring Car Championship - WTCC; Intercontinental Rally Challenge - IRC; International Formula Master - IFM; CIK-FIA European Karting Championship.

This agreement between SailingOne and Eurosport Events will also be valid for the Trophee Clairefontaine des Champions de Voile and the Final of the French Solo Offshore Racing Championship - Course des Falaises. This offers a guarantee of exceptional media coverage for sailing events. All the partners of the SailingOne event will benefit from it, whether they are involved with the organization or accompanying competitors.

Moreover, the French and New Zealand prologue, start, stopover and finish sites of the SolOceans have now been determined. The official announcements will be made according to the initial SolOceans schedule; that is to say before the midsummer break for the French sites and during the second fortnight of September for the stopover site in New Zealand.

The pricing, the description and the one-design rules of the Veolia Oceans will be presented next September, at the time of the first tests of the first boat in the series. Many skippers from different countries, who have shown interest in this new concept, will participate. The opening of the pre-registration list - for a dozen Veolia Oceans to be produced before summer 2009 - is already scheduled for the next Paris International Boat Show, on the stand of the French start and finish site of the SolOceans.

www.soloceans.com

NEW WEEKLY VALENCIA/UK SHIPPING SERVICE
With so much activity in Valencia for the Louis Vuitton and Cup races, Peters & May have introduced a regular weekly consolidated service running between the UK and Valencia for all freight and small parcels.

Also available is a dedicated express van service direct from Southampton to Valencia Port for urgent consignments. This will ensure that suppliers can deliver their products and equipment safely and at sensible prices. Delivery can be made direct to race yachts at team bases and visiting yachts around the area. The service will continue throughout the Summer, 2007.

Bookings can be made by calling Peters & May UK headquarters: Craig Stanbury, Tel: +44 (0)2380 480 492 This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or Valencia Office: Isabel Albiach, Tel: +34 963 673 648 This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

www.petersandmay.com

BELL LAWRIE SCOTTISH SERIES
Conor Phelan and the crew of Jump Juice, the Ker 37, won the Scottish Series Trophy, getting the benefit of the closest decision the regatta has seen for many years.

On balance the Jump Juice crew shaded it over their Royal Cork club-mates and rivals aboard Blondie III, the Corby 37 which won IRC Class 2. While Jump Juice trounced the opposition in IRC Class 1 with their seven wins and a discarded fourth, so too did Blondie III aggregate seven wins which was complemented by a second place which they discarded. But Class 1 was judged to be the slightly stronger fleet, and in winning the main award for the Loch Fyne based 174 boat regatta, Jump Juice left in their wake no fewer than three past holders of the elusive piece of silverware.

At the back of Jump Juice, Ruairidh Scott - who started his sailing on the loch as an infant on his parents International One Design - played a pivotal role as tactician.

The former national, European and world champion had a stressful final day when he learned his sister had sustained a head injury while racing on another Class 1 boat. Anna Scott - who sailed aboard the 1720 King Quick when Ruairidh won the Scottish Series Trophy in 2003 - had to be airlifted to hospital but was released later after treatment, but was not yet well enough tonight to join the triumph.

The vintage J35 Bengal Magic owned by John Moorehead and Chris Ferres retained their 2006 IRC Scottish Series Class 3 title, holding off Andy Budgen's Cowes Week winning Sigma 38 The Project. Past double Scottish Series Champion Hamish Mackay finished third on the J92S True Love.

IRC Class 4 saw Clyde sailmaker Murray Caldwell step up to race in a handicap class for the first time. A past winner in the Sonata and the Impala class here, he steered his Impala Hooch to win the 23 boat fleet by six points ahead of Shadowfax, the Beneteau 31.7 of Stephen and Billy Fortieth, while Jimmy Houston and Roddy Angus took third in their Stephen Jones half tonner Misjif.

www.clyde.org

GERMAN REGATTA ASSOCIATION OFFSHORE SAILING "RVS"
(Regatta Vereinigung Seesegeln) was founded in 1985 and has nowadays more than 200 members which include a lot of active German regatta offshore sailors, most of them being owners of German offshore racing yachts, and also some yacht clubs. Well-known members of RVS are e. g. Hans-Otto Schuemann (former owner of the famous racing yachts named "Rubin"), Harald Baum ("Elan"), Dr. Klaus Murmann ("Uca") and Dr. Wolfgang Schaefer ("Struntje light") as well as Kieler Yacht-Club, Hamburger Segel-Club and Norddeutscher Regatta-Verein. RVS is extraordinary member of the Deutscher Segler-Verband (DSV) and is accepted by the DSV and the race organizers as the only representative of the German offshore regatta sailors in a position like a class association.

RVS not only promotes offshore regatta sailing on all levels in Germany and represents the interests of the German offshore sailors to DSV and race organizers, but offers support and services like theoretical and practical training events, provision of an annual ranking list and, last but not least, get-together events after a race in the harbour.

RVS has made a survey amongst the German offshore sailors to find out their particular wishes for the time being which might be important for offshore regatta sailing in Germany. The results are summed up as follows:

- Short distance races: Up and down course type and IMS performance curve scoring are clearly favoured.

- Long distance races: A length of 20 to 60 nm is most attractive. However, long distance races having a length of more than 120 nm and taking several days find only very low acceptance. Scoring by a fixed time correction factor based on IMS or ORC-Club is clearly favoured.

Board members are Uwe Wenzel (Chairman), Sven Christensen (Vice Chairman), Juergen Klinghardt (Treasurer). More details under www.regatta-vereinigung-seesegeln.de

THE LAST WORD
If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea. -- Antoine De Saint-Exupery

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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