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THE PODIUM'S COMPLETE
Vincent Riou (PRB), Jeremie Beyou (Delta Dore) and Jean Le Cam (VM Materiaux) complete the podium for this third edition of the Calais Round Britain Race.

Coloured by fog and light winds the 2007 race time is 9 days 7 hrs 7 mins 36 secs or around 2.5 days longer than the record set in the 2005 edition, but in ideal conditions Riou improved on the 2003 Dover-Calais record last night, setting a new time of 1hr 08 mins 57 secs at an average speed of 7.35 kts.

Dominique Wavre and his crew arrived in glorious sunshine around lunch time today and a flurry of new arrivals is expected between 2100 hours Wednesday and Thursday morning, a precious 5th place still hotly contended between Generali, Artemis Ocean Racing and Roxy.

Dee Caffari on Aviva is now just 131.6 miles from the head of the fleet tonight, bringing up the rear of this Imoca 60' fleet.

www.calaisroundbritainrace.com

GIRAGLIA ROLEX CUP
St.Tropez, France / Genoa, Italy: The 159 Giraglia Rolex Cup Race participants left for Genoa today at 13.00, with a south-easterly wind of two knots. The energy at the starting line was electric and there were a few collisions although the race committee did not call back the boats. The teams are well on their way now and will spend their first night in calm conditions, navigating with winds between 15 and 5 knots.

Tacticians and their team members had to quickly regroup this morning to be the first across the starting line to catch the clear breeze. With three different starts, the race committee had a difficult time pushing back the numerous spectator boats who wanted to be as close to the action as possible.

Just before the last start, three boats crashed into one another, a collision that luckily had no serious consequences. Even though they left St. Tropez last, the Maxis and the Super-Maxis quickly caught up to Groups A and B of the IMS Class.

After only a couple of minutes on the course, Alfa Romeo took the lead and seemed to fly on her way to Genoa. Wild Oats did not participate in the offshore race so that they could be sure to arrive in Palma de Mallorca on Saturday for the start of the Super Yacht Cup, leaving Neville Crichton to concentrate on breaking the current Giraglia record. Alfa Romeo holds the current race record, set in 2003, of 22h 13mn and 48s. In the next few hours, the winds must favour the long strides of the giant New Zealand boat in order for her to keep her current pace until the finish. Alfa Romeo must cross the finish line tomorrow morning, Thursday to break her four-year old current record, but only the weather decides if she will make it.

To track the boats directly visit: www.webteamregate.it

Other sites: www.yci.it , www.snst.org and regattanews.com

HSH NORDBANK BLUE RACE
Newport, Rhode Island, USA: Newport Shipyard in the famous seaside sailing town of Newport, Rhode Island was abuzz with activity today as the 24 boats entered in the 3,500-nautical mile HSH Nordbank blue race continued final preparations for their imminent race across the North Atlantic Ocean. The testing Transatlantic Race will begin this Saturday with the first of two scheduled starts. The majority of the fleet will set sail on June 16th in the waters off Fort Adams in Newport. The largest boats in the race will then begin their offshore adventure a week later, on June 23rd, again off Fort Adams. Both starts will take place at 2:00 p.m. local time.

An international fleet flying the flags of six nations - Antigua, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Switzerland and the United States - have signed on to compete in the HSH Nordbank blue race. Among them are two high-profile campaigns representing the New York Yacht Club (NYYC), which is helping to organize the pre-race activities. The 50-foot Snow Lion, skippered by former NYYC commodore Lawrence Huntington, will be one of 21 yachts setting out from Newport on the June 16th start. On June 23rd, skipper Ken Read will lead an all-star crew of 19 offshore veterans aboard the 90-foot Rambler, which was recently purchased by Connecticut sailor George David.

Larry Huntington's Snow Lion perhaps doesn't boast as many sailing luminaries, but Huntington knows his way across the North Atlantic, having finished second in the last transatlantic race to Germany in 2003.

Other world-class campaigns are being mounted by the Irish 50-footer Chieftain, fresh from a series of strong spring regattas in the Caribbean; the 80-footer Bon-Bon, which, ironically, was sailed by Read in a 2005 transatlantic race under its former name, Carrera; the Whitbread 60, Maiden, and the 177-foot Parsifal III, both from Great Britain; and a host of well-sailed German yachts, including the Andrews 56, Norddeutsche Vermogen Hamburg, the Swan 82, Grey Goose, and the Elliott 52, Outsider.

www.hsh-nordbank-blue-race.com

WHAT DO THESE SUCCESSFUL SAILORS HAVE IN COMMON?
Simon Hiscock & Chris Draper - GBR - 49er - World Champion 2006
Darren Bundock & Glenn Ashby - AUS - F18 & Tornado - World Champion 2006
Holger Jess & Wofgang Hunger - GER - 5o5 - World Champion 2005
Stellan Berlin - SWE - 2.4 - World Champion 2006

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

THE KIWI PERSPECTIVE: ALINGHI LESS THAN IMPRESSIVE IN TRAINING RUNS
Valencia, Spain: While Team New Zealand were enjoying a couple of well-earned days off, their America's Cup rivals Alinghi were bashing it out against Luna Rossa on the Mediterranean.

Again the pair ran through a couple of starting sequences before sailing two races. Starting maestro James Spithill was at the helm of Luna Rossa's ITA94 on the first day but yesterday the Italians had back-up Phillipe Presti steering.

With Ed Baird at the helm of what looked like SUI91, Alinghi won both races, which were sailed in very light conditions.

Practising starts was also on the agenda on the first day of racing between the pair, when it was Baird against Spithill. Both starts appeared to be quite aggressive.

The teams then sailed a near full course and Luna Rossa won.

Some noted the Alinghi crew work in that race was less than slick. The defenders also tore a spinnaker.

With the America's Cup now less than two weeks away, Alinghi are wanting to make sure their crew work is as polished as that of Emirates Team New Zealand - who have come through the Louis Vuitton challenger series battle-hardened.

* In an interview with a German magazine, Alinghi syndicate head Ernesto Bertarelli said that if his team successfully defended the America's Cup, the gap between regattas might be shortened to two or three years.

"The shorter the better," Bertarelli said.

"We want to be sailing, not sitting on the sofa." -- Julie Ash, New Zealand Herald:
www.nzherald.co.nz/section/4/story.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10444761

QUITE POSSIBLY THE BEST WAY TO SEE THE CUP RACES IN VALENCIA
Our Shosholoza team spectator boat has a reserved place in the front row of the VIP zone closest to the start box and laylines. And, our rooftop terrace overlooks Alinghi, so you‚ll be up close both on land and sea. We have live TV and expert commentators on board. Shaded upper deck. Full buffet lunch with drinks. All the fun you would expect from "The Soul of Sailing". Many hotels available, we can help book rooms. 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

SIX METRES IN THE SOLENT
The Red Funnel Series has kindly invited the growing Six Metre fleet to join their events and last weekend eight Sixes took up their offer and had the first of many Solent regattas. The racing was in light conditions and with new boats and new crews, the results were not necessarily an indication of their true performance. Nevertheless, it was intruiging to see the strong Lymington contingent (Andy Ash-Vie's Wildcatt ll and Nick Morgan's Cream) taking first and second. Irrespective of the placings, there is no doubt that there are some very fast and very beautiful Sixes coming to race in the Solent. Rob Grey's beautiful Scoundrel ll has come back from Germany, The Clothier's Battlecry is based in the Solent for the season, Robin and Rupert Richardson's Bluebird recently imported from Sweden and Martin Belvisi's beautiful Victoria is becoming very competitive under the helm of Tim Street. Caprice, elegant as every, was showing her new flotation marks - a new development of the Six Metre Class Rules introducing a tolerance to allow the older classics to measure without undue penalties.

The next event is the Six Metre Nationals, held with the Royal Southern Yacht Club during 29,30 June and 1st July. Over twenty boats are expected. With the Worlds in the Solent in late July, it is going to be quite a season! For future events, see www.6mr.org.uk -- Rees Martin

EXTREME 40S HEAD TO LAKE GENEVA
On Saturday, 17 June, three Extreme 40 boats will cross the start line of one of Europe's most prestigious multi-class regattas, the Bol d'Or Mirabaud, on Lake Geneva in Switzerland. This follows the inaugural iShares Cup premier racing event in Munich (Germany) in late May, where British team Basilica claimed victory at the first scoring event

"The iShares Endurance Races will give the Extreme 40 teams the opportunity to step away from the premier iShares Cup's short racing format and to stretch their legs on these longer, classic races. Although there are no actual iShares Cup points at stake in these endurance events, we expect to see teams push the boats in new ways. The Extreme 40 was designed for short, inshore racing so these events will demonstrate how the boats fare on longer courses where stamina is required." explained Alan Hillman, iShares Cup Race Manager.

The 69th Bol d'Or Mirabaud, organised by the Société Nautique de Genève, is the biggest regatta held on Europe's inland waters with over 550 boats entered to take part in the 2007 edition. This year marks the first time that the Extreme 40s will compete as a class and have been granted special 'wild card' status, allowing the fast-moving catamarans to take part.

The three Extreme 40s lining up on Lake Geneva are the Offshore Challenges Sailing Team skippered by Nick Moloney; Holmatro skippered by Carolijn Brouwer, the only female on the circuit; and the Volvo Ocean Race boat helmed by Extreme 40 mastermind Herbert Dercksen.

The Extreme 40s and other multihull classes will start at 09:00 local time, on a separate start-line 400 metres ahead of the monohull classes. The course will send competitors from Geneva along the length of the lake to a mark off Bouveret, a small village in the eastern corner of the lake, before turning around and sailing back. Traditionally the race starts in light winds that build to a moderate breeze in the afternoon. Weather dependent, the Extreme 40 class is expected to take between 8-17 hours to complete the 82-mile course.

www.ocevents.org
www.boldormirabaud.com/boldor2007/CH/en-ch/index.cfm?

SWAN 601 ARTEMIS IS AVAILABLE FOR CHARTER FOR THE 2007 SEASON
This is a rare opportunity to charter this 2005 stunning high performance German Frers-designed Swan. Sporting full carbon composite construction and renowned Nautor Styling, Artemis will provide you with the ultimate racing experience. She is fully race-prepared to the highest standard and raring to go.

Racing with a maximum crew of 16, Artemis is available for Caribbean and UK based race charters and corporate entertainment. She will also be available in the Mediterranean for America's Cup 2007 series viewing.

Please contact Peter Bresnan on +44799097081 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

MARION BERMUDA FLEET SET AT 73 MONOHULLS AND 3 MULTIHULLS
Marion Massachusetts, USA: The stage is set for the 30th Anniversary Marion to Bermuda Race starting from Buzzards Bay near Marion MA this Friday and Saturday. Several boats have had to withdraw because of mechanical problems leaving the fleet with 73 monohulls and 3 multihulls.

At home spectators can follow the race on iBoatTrack at www.iboattrack.com

Henry Roberts, race scorer, said today that scratch sheets are being prepared now to divide the fleet into classes and divisions. "US Sailing which administers the ORR and IRC ratings, will crunch the numbers for the fleet. We are waiting to make sure we get the latest data. Then we can produce the class breaks." ORR is the main rule for the race, but 13 boats will also race under non-endorsed IRC for another set of prizes,

The race pits spinnaker and non-spinnaker and celestial and electronically navigated boats into an overall performance competition for the Gosling's Founders Trophy.

Yachts choosing to sail with celestial navigation only will receive a favorable 2% rating credit to their corrected time. They will then compete alongside yachts using electronic navigation for overall prizes. The 2 percent rating credit reflects the statistical difference between celestial and electronic performance in the past three Marion to Bermuda Races. Yachts racing spinnaker and non-spinnaker will be rated accordingly under the rating handicap system.

www.marionbermuda.com

VELOCITEK 2007 MUSTO PERFORMANCE SKIFF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Musto Performance Skiff Class Association and Victor Boats are delighted to announce that the Velocitek 2007 Musto Skiff World Championships, which starts on the 20th June, will be contested by 91 teams from 11 nations.

The Musto Performance Skiff World Championships is being hosted by Fraglia Vela Malcesine, Lake Garda. The mixture of a huge fleet and great conditions look set to make a truly memorable event for all involved. The racing will be run on a single large course in just one fleet.

Event sponsor Velocitek will attend the event and will run daily debriefs showing the tracks of competitors as they round the course. As well as the usual points racing that will of course decide the World Championships there will also be a Vmax competition run by event sponsor Velocitek. Velocitek are offering an S10 unit as first prize.

Tony Arends, Velocitek Sales and Marketing Director:
"This year we will continue to run competitions within the event to give everyone something to race for. We will be running a silver and bronze fleet competition that excludes the hot shots and a buddy competition that with formalise the already healthy flow of information and advice from the front to the back of the fleet.

Daily prizes will also be awarded and you will only be able to win a daily prize ONCE ... so by the end of the week these will be awarded further and further down the fleet.

There will also be a number of "special awards" given as the committee sees fit. So any full on wipe outs or after-hours nonsense could be awarded.

www.mustoskiff.com

JPMORGAN ASSET MANAGEMENT ROUND THE ISLAND RACE
Cowes, Isle of Wight: With just days to go to this year's JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race, entry numbers are showing an increase on 2006 and stand at a current total of 1,738, the second largest in the history of the race. Over 12,000 sailors across the whole spectrum of the sport will be lining up on the start line at Cowes, making this the fourth largest participative, annual, UK event, after the London Marathon, Great North and Great South Runs.

Charity fundraising has added an important dimension to the event with many skippers and crews participating. The classic yacht Gipsy Moth IV will also be sailing for charity. She has recently returned from her second round the world passage. Those on board for the JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race will include people undergoing treatment or in remission from cancer. Each of the race's four main charity partners will be represented plus one extra place being made available through a competition run in conjunction with BBC South Today. This is open to any viewer who would like to take part, whether a seasoned sailor or not.

The event will certainly be putting a smile on the face of America's Cup skipper and Olympic gold medallist Iain Percy. With his Olympic Star campaign crew Andrew 'Bart' Simpson he will be racing on Skandia Big Grin, an 8.5 metre canting-keel sportsboat. This high-performance sportsboat was built for former UK Paralympic team member Mike Browne, as a smaller version of Full Pelt. The race will give an exciting break from Iain and Andy's Beijing training programme. Other Olympic sailors taking to a different craft for the day include Shirley Robertson, Nick Rogers and Paul Goodison.

Entries to the JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race must be received by 12 noon on Saturday 16th June.

A bespoke website has been set up to facilitate charity entries. To register, simply go to justgiving.com/roundtheisland. Competitors can help fight cancer by supporting the race's charity partners: Macmillan, Breast Cancer Care, Prostate Research Campaign UK and The Ellen MacArthur Trust, or choose their own charity. -- Flavia Bateson

www.roundtheisland.org.uk

FREIGHTER FLINTERHAVEN RESCUES MINI
Brazilian solo-sailor Carlos Alberto de Matos Luis was doing a 1000 miles qualification for the Mini Transat race that will start in September in Rochelle, France to Salvador in Brazil.

On his way from Duarnenet to Ireland and back he got into trouble in the Gulf of Biscay in 40 knots of wind and big waves when the keel of his mini started to break. After sending a distress signal using his Epirb, he was rescued by the French Coastguard.

The Coastguard requested the Flinterhaven, underway from Liepaja to Santander, to salvage the abandoned yacht, because it was a danger to navigation. The crew of Flinterhaven, in a 3 hour operation, managed to safely connect to the yacht. In this operation the broken mast had to be cut loose.

Carlos Alberto de Matos Luis started sailing at the age of 30 and never stopped since. He sailed on the Laser class for many years, winning several championships. After that he sailed Lightning and Snipe. Some years ago Carlos and his wife he bought a 36 feet sailing boat and sailed along the Brazilian coast participating in severalal championships (winning some of them). Last year he decided to build a Mini to participate in the Mini Transat. This was Carlo's old dream. He wanted to have the opportunity to cross the ocean sailing and the Mini class was a nice option. Unfortunately the boat built in Rio de Janeiro proved not to be strong enough for these kind of winds. Bad luck is also the the boat was not insured, as apparently no insurance company is willing to take on these kind of risks.

www.flintergroup.com/pages_en/nieuws_artikel.php?id=172&return_hoofdgroep=Logistics

Mini Transat site: www.minitransat650.com

70S RULE! ...AND HOAG HOSPITAL IS A BIG WINNER, TOO
Newport Beach, California, USA: New boats are nice, but four Santa Cruz 70s harkened back to their glory days Sunday by sweeping the top four spots overall on corrected handicap time in the second biennial First Team Real Estate Invitational Regatta for the Hoag Cup.

Not to say there weren't any records set. Jim Madden, a competitor and chairman of the big boat inshore event, announced at the awards ceremony that organizers of the Balboa and Newport Harbor Yacht Clubs had topped their goal of raising $400,000 for the Hoag Hospital Heart and Vascular Institute, believed to be the largest amount ever raised by a charitable sailing event.

The 15-boat fleet represented a variety of some of the USA West Coast's best racers over the last few decades, from Ragtime, now owned by Chris Welsh, in the 70s to Doug Baker's Magnitude 80 in the 21st century. But handicap ratings and good sailing trumped new technology this time as the 70s---a.k.a. the iconic "sleds" that dominated downwind racing in the 80s and 90s---sounded a triple blast from the past.

After the 70s came Morning Light, Roy E. Disney's team of young chargers and subjects of a documentary film in progress but who seem more bent on becoming world-class racers than movie stars.

Roger Sturgeon's new STP 65, Rosebud, won Class A in its maiden regatta, while Grand Illusion also topped Class B and Oscar Krinsky's 1D48, Chayah, came from behind to edge Andy and Camille Rasdal's DK 46, Valkyrie, in Class C. -- Rich Roberts

Final standings (5 races; by corrected handicap time)

Overall top five:
1. Grand Illusion (Santa Cruz 70), Patrick O'Brien/Ed McDowell, USA,11 points
2. Westerly (Santa Cruz 70), Tim and Tom Hogan, USA,19
3. Skylark (Santa Cruz 70), Doug Ayres, USA, 19
4. Holua (SC 70), Brack Duker, USA, 20
5. Morning Light (Transpac 52), Jeremy Wilmot, USA,28

www.firstteamregatta.com

THE LAST WORD
Prejudice is the child of ignorance. -- William Hazlitt

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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