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

ALINGHI TO RACE SUI 100
The Defender of the America's Cup, Alinghi, has announced it will be racing with SUI 100, the second new boat the team built for the 32nd America's Cup.

The team says it completed the measurement process for the boat on Wednesday.

Design team coordinator Grant Simmer says the team is happy with the speed of SUI 100. "We have been very pleased with SUI 100's performance since the launch on 17 March 2007. It embodies all the work that we have done in this class since 2000 and we have chosen it because we are very confident with the performance of this boat."

Alinghi has never raced in competition with SUI 100.

On Friday, the team is expected to announce who will be at the helm of SUI 100 when racing begins on Saturday. "Both Peter Holmberg and Ed Baird have been working together and competing against each other for several years," Simmer said, speaking about his two helmsmen. "We've asked them to do something really tough, to compete for that position while working together and supporting each other." -- www.americascup.com

* Alinghi must be a bit worried about Team New Zealand as they've announced that they'll be using the perceived rocket-ship SUI-100 for the Match starting on Saturday. This boat, apparently, is an upwind monster and is reckoned to be in the 15-20 second bracket faster than the kiwis if the VPP results are to be believed in breezes above 10 knots.

The kiwis had better hope for a flat calm or a gale... -- Magnus Wheatley in www.rule69.blog

BEST OF LOUIS VUITTON ACTS 1-12
America's Cup Internet TV available on www.americascupanywhere.com is proving to be a big hit with Cup fans around the world.

For fans eager to check out all the action on the last three years of racing the new official event DVD, The Best of Louis Vuitton Acts 1-12, is indispensable.

Clocking in at 180 minutes, this production retraces all the great moments throughout the Louis Vuitton Acts between 2004-06. Don't miss the finale of Valencia Louis Vuitton Act 12: Alinghi vs Emirates Team New Zealand - the last time these two teams lined up in a match race.

www.americascupstore.com/cart/add_to_cart.asp?id=LVCDVD.1

KING EDWARD VII GOLD CUP TO CELEBRATE 100 YEARS
Hamilton, Bermuda: Event organizers at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club have set October 9-14 as the dates for the 59th annual Bermuda Gold Cup for the King Edward VII trophy. This year's event also marks the centennial anniversary of the King Edward VII Gold Cup trophy.

The Gold Cup will offer $50,000 in prize money with $25,000 earmarked for the champion. The Notice of Race is available for download from the official event Web site, http://www.bermudagoldcup.com , under Event Info. The Schedule of Events also is available there.

The Gold Cup is slated as Stage 14 of the World Match Racing Tour. The tour champion at the end of the year will be named the ISAF Match Racing World Champion.

Requests for invitations to the Gold Cup should be made to the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club by Monday, July 9. Les Crane, Event Organizer of the Gold Cup, expects last year's finalists, including champion Ian Williams of Great Britain and runner-up Mathieu Richard of France, to be in the lineup.

The winner of this year's event will be marked in history for winning the King Edward VII Gold Cup on its 100th anniversary. The Gold Cup, the oldest match-racing trophy in the world for competition involving one-design yachts, was first presented at the Tri-Centenary Regatta at Jamestown, Va., in 1907 by King Edward VII in commemoration of the 300th anniversary of the first permanent settlement in America. C. Sherman Hoyt won the regatta and was the first to accept the now historic cup.

After three decades of holding the Cup, Mr. Hoyt gave it to the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club and proposed a regular one-on-one match-race series in 6-Meter yachts. In his letter he said "The gift of the Gold Cup expresses the long yachting tradition existing between the Original Thirteen States and the oldest self-governing British Colony." and expressed the propriety of "my returning a British Royal trophy to the custody of your club, with its long record of clean sportsmanship and keenly contested races between your Bermuda yachts and ours of Long Island Sound, and elsewhere." The first winner of the Cup in its new format was the celebrated Briggs Cunningham, who was also the first skipper to win the America's Cup in a 12-Meter.

In the post-war years, the club placed the cup in competition in 1956 for match-racing in yachts of the International One-Design Class (IOD). Bert Darrell had the honor of being first to defend the Cup in this class and won it a total of six times. New Zealander Russell Coutts became the event's all-time winner in 2004 when he won his seventh championship. -- Sean McNeill

www.bermudagoldcup.com

TEXEL DUTCH OPEN
De Koog / Netherlands: Hugh Styles and Ryan Crawford (UK) scored two bullets on the first day of the Texel Dutch Open 2007 in the Netherlands. The British sailors shined at boat speed with their Nacra Infusion and 'simple sailing', as they called it. Mischa Heemskerk and Bastiaan Tentij, also on a Nacra Infusion, finished second twice in a fleet of 46 competitors. The British Spitfire team Chris Sproat and Georgina Burke are in third position overall. Last year's runner up of the Zwitserleven Round Texel, Hans Primowees on a 27-year old Prindle 15, is leading the nine small cats in the Open Class II. After a few hours of postponement, the conditions were close to perfect with a southwester force 4, waves and clear skies.

Heemskerk and Tentij (NED), Team Yamaha - Boskalis, scored a second and a 2,5. After calculation in the last race, they finished at the same time as Sproat/Burke, so both crews got 2,5 points.

The weather forecast for Thursday June 21st looks good, sunshine and a south-westerly force 4. Two races are scheduled.

Top 5 Class I:
1. GBR - Styles/Crawford, Nacra Infusion
2. NED - Heemskerk/Tentij, Nacra Infusion
3. GBR - Sproat/Burke, Spitfire
4. FRA - Mourniac/Citeau, Hobie Tiger
5. NED - De Koning/Van Leeuwen, Nacxra Infusion

Tot 3 Class 2:
1. NED - Primowees, Prindle 15
2. NED - Sonneveld/Sonneveld, Hobie 16
3. NED - Van Aart, Hobie FxOne

www.roundtexel.com

B&G TALKS DEPTH CALIBRATION
Welcome to the first of the B&G Calibration tutorials.

When calibrating Depth an offset value (DATUM) is set such that the depth display refers either to the waterline or bottom of the keel, which is purely a preference. From the level of your depth transducer you will either add the distance to the waterline or subtract the distance to the bottom of the keel.

Example: If your yachts draft is 2.4m and the transducer is 0.4 m below the water line you should subtract 2m for keel offset or add 0.4 for waterline offset.

Join us for the second B&G tutorial focused on Compass Calibration on July 5th in Scuttlebutt Europe.

www.bandg.com - Committed to performance sailing.

KIELER WOCHE OLYMPIC CLASSES' FINISH
Weather conditions varied within the first half of Kieler Woche 2007, but finally the Race Committee succeeded to finish the racing on all courses of the Olympic Classes and the top-ten teams of each class sailing exciting and media attractive Medal Races along the waterside of the Schilksee Olympic harbour. From June 21st to June 24th 16 international classes will continue to race on 8 different courses during the second half of Kieler Woche.

Top three:

470 Men
1. Gabrio Zandona / Andrea Trani, ITA, 30 points
2. Mathew Belcher / Nick Behrens, AUS, 34
3. Nathan Wilmot / Malcolm Page, AUS, 34

470 Women
1. Sylvia Vogl / Carolina Flatscher, AUT, 19
2. Elise Rechichi / Tessa Parkinson, AUS, 29
3. Ai Kondo / Naoko Kamata, JPN, 30

49er
1. Marcus Baur / Hannes Baumann, GER, 21
2. Pavle Kostov / Petar Cupac, CRO, 28
3. Lennart Briesenick-Pudenz / Morten Massmann, GER, 41

Finn
1. Gasper Vincec, SLO, 18
2. Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic, CRO, 20
3. Dan Slater, NZL, 23

Laser
1. Michael Blackburn, AUS, 6
2. Karpak Deniss, EST, 25
3. Vasilij Zbogar, SLO, 28

Laser Radial
1. Jo Aleh, NZL, 15
2. Krystal Weir, AUS, 34
3. Sarah Blanck, AUS, 39

RS:X Men
1. Maksymilian Wojcik, POL, 20
2. Etienne Saiz, FRA, 26
3. Benjamin Barger, USA, 27

RS:X Women
1. Agata Brygota, POL, 7
2. Moana Delle, GER, 15
3. Regina Stadler, GER, 18

Star
1. Hans Spitzauer / Christian Nehammer, AUT, 20
2. Rick Merriman / Rick Peters, USA, 22
3. Alexander Hagen / Frithjof Kleen, GER, 25

Tornado
1. Johannes Polgar / Florian Spalteholz, GER, 10
2. Helge Sach / Christian Sach, GER, 18
3. Thomas Zajac / Thomas Czajka, 18

Further information: www.kieler-woche.de

HSH NORDBANK BLUE RACE
Ger O'Rourke's strategy paid off: Chieftain is on target for Point Alpha sailing the most northern course and leads the fleet right now. But her rival Outsider gets closer being just 50 miles behind the Irish yacht followed by Bank Von Bremen and Grey Goose. The 21 teams of the HSH Nordbank blue race set sail last Saturday to race the Northern Atlantic from Newport to Hamburg, Germany.

After passing Point Charlie, the 44-year old O'Rourke sailed further north than the rest of the fleet, and then took a wide swing south. His decision to do so paid off. However, the first serious reckoning looms at Point Alpha. By now the teams are about half-way to this imaginary point en route which marks the southern ice boundary.

The crews are now battling against winds of between 15 and 25 knots. "The weather has become a bit uncomfortable," explains German weather expert Meeno Schrader. "We had a classic low passing through with the wind changing to Northwest and at times even North. It is now steadying in its general direction of around 330 to 320 degrees. The middle wind is strong with stormy gusts," says Schrader from his base in Kiel.

Next Saturday will see the three maxi yachts Parsifal III (177 feet), Rambler (90 feet) and Bonbon (80 feet) starting off Newport to catch up with the fleet from behind. It remains to be seen whether the racers will be able to catch up with the leading Chieftain. At the end of the race, though, the corrected time based on the IRC handicap factor will be deciding on who will win the HSH Nordbank blue race.

www.hsh-nordbank-blue-race.com

MUSTO SKIFF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Lake Garda, Italy: 86 boats from 12 nations lined up on the start line for the fist formal world championships following the ISAF ratification of the Musto Performance Skiff Class last year.

The event is being hosted by Fraglia Vela Malcesine at Lake Garda Italy.

The wind kicked in from nothing to a 10 - 14 knot Ora breeze as the fleet launched for the first race.

The racing is being held just off the shore of the club giving spectators a great view of the racing which is being run as one huge single fleet creating a real spectical for both competitors and spectators alike.

The first race got away after a couple of false starts and the fleet headed off for the left hand corner. In the second race Ian Turnbull started well and was never headed as he took the race win followed hard by Richard Stenhouse and Ian Renilson. The wind moderated a little for the third race and again the left paid upwind and Richard Stenhouse was first their followed by Trotter and Turnbull. Those places remained to the finish.

Looks set to be quite a high scoring regatta.

1. Richard Stenhouse, GBR
2. Ian Trotter, GBR
3. Ian Renilson, GBR
4. Pablo Arandia, ESP
5. Rick Perkins, GBR
6. Kit Stenhouse, GBR

Full results here www.fragliavela.org

KONE ELEVATORS OVERALL WINNER CAP ISTANBUL
Kone Elevators (Nicolas Berenger, Thierry Chabagny) won the overall general classification of the Cap Istanbul, a double handed cross-Mediterranean race sailed on the Figaro Beneteau. Coming in third place in the final 100 mile leg across the Marmara sea put them onto the top of the podium. This final leg put the sailors nerves to a hard test, with light and capricious winds. Christian Bos and Rodolphe Jacq took the final leg victory, crossing the line at the Marina d' Atakoy on the European bank of the city of Istanbul at 16h26m French time on Thursday June 14.

Final rankings (cumulative time):

1. Kone Elevators, Nicolas Berenger, Thierry Chabagny, 10 days 06:46:07
2. Docteur Valnet, Laurent Pellecuer, Francois Gabart, 10 days 10:10:05
3. Capitol, Bos Christian, Jacq Rodolphe,10 days 12:35:27
4. Defi Mousquetaires, Thomas Rouxel, Erwan Israel, 10 days 13:10:36
5. Luisina Design, Eric Drouglazet, Christophe Bouvet, 10 days 13:22:13
6. Domaine Du Mont D'arbois, Thierry Duprey, Kito De Pavant, 10 days 14:02:27
7. Aquarelle.Com, Yannick Bestaven, Ronan Guerin, 10 days 14:13:55
8. Teb, Erwan Tabarly, Romain Attanasio, 10 days 14:55:07
9. Bostik, Nicolas Lunven, Oliver Krauss, 10 days 15:15:43
10. Groupe Celeos, Ronan Treussart, Anthony Marchand, 10 days 15:29:57
11. Marseille Entreprises, Jean-Paul Mouren, Elise Garcin, 10 days 16:35:59
12. Suzuki, Eric Defert, Christian Gout, 10 days 18:23:58
13. Baiko, Antonio Pedro Da Cruz, Pierre-Yves Collet, 10 days 19:16:09
14. Vakko, Frederic Rivet, Adrien Hardy, 10 days 20:09:05
15. Brossard, Servane Escoffier, Christophe Lebas, 10 days 20:47:31
16. Ergo Isvicre, Vedat Tezman, Ergun Turker, 12 days 02:56:11

www.capistanbul.com

THE ROYAL SOUTHERN YACHT CLUB REQUIRES THE SERVICES OF A SAILING SECRETARY
This demanding post requires a motivated individual who is able to work with a minimum of direct supervision. Responsibilities include the promotion and administration of all of the Clubs Sailing Activities, including management of our Club, National and International Regattas, Youth Programmes and Moorings.

Please apply in writing with cv to:
Rear Commodore Sailing
Royal Southern Yacht Club
Rope Walk
Hamble
SO31 4HB
Email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Or apply online at www.royal-southern.co.uk

ICAP LEOPARD ANNOUNCES CREW FOR RACE DEBUT
Ocean Marine, the British sailing team owned by Mike Slade, today confirmed the line up aboard the brand new 100 foot ICAP Leopard for the annual JP Morgan Round the Island Race on Saturday 23rd June. America's Cup sailor Adrian Stead and Volvo Ocean Race veterans Jules Salter and Tim Powell will join Mike Slade in the afterguard, with Volvo Ocean Race sailors Jason Carrington and Justin Slattery on the bow. Other well-known names such as Team Shosholoza's Paul Standbridge join Mike and his 28 man crew plus guests aboard ICAP Leopard. They will line up against over 1715 boats in one of the UK's largest regattas.

ICAP Leopard was designed by Farr Yacht Design, with styling and interior designed by Ken Freivokh. She was built by McConaghy Boats in Sydney, Australia, and arrived in Southampton, UK, earlier this month where she was christened on 15th June. ICAP Leopard is undergoing rigorous sea trials this week in preparation for Saturday's Round the Island Race. Mike Slade currently holds the record for the fastest boat round the island in this event; 4 hours, 5 minutes and 40 seconds, aboard Leopard of London, during the 2001 race.

ICAP Leopard represents a new concept in blending the often-opposing demands of a 100 foot luxurious charter yacht which is also able to perform on the maxi circuit and compete for passage world records. In terms of design style, she has moderate beam for her length compared to the narrow 30m designs that favour CBTF (Canting Ballast, Twin Foil) technology, or the very wide IMOCA Open 60's.

Following Saturday's race, ICAP Leopard is set to compete in a number of high-profile races and regattas all over the world. These will include Skandia Cowes Week, the Rolex Fastnet Race, the Middle Sea Race and the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race which starts on Boxing Day.

www.leopard3.com
www.roundtheisland.org.uk

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

VW TOUAREG LASER SB3 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
Another great day of strong breezes and sunshine greeted the 77 boats competing in the Laser SB3 European Championships at the Weymouth and Portland Sailing Academy today. After an hour's postponement in the morning and some discussion about the forecast and as to whether racing should take place in Portland Harbour or Weymouth Bay, racing commenced at about midday out in Weymouth Bay. 15-20 knot Southerly winds and a 2m swell guaranteed fantastic racing with exhilarating down-wind legs.

Geoff Carveth in "Palava" continued his consistent top-form today with a 1, 4, 1 in his three races sailed. Marshall King in "Into the Blue" is snapping at Geoff's heels, scoring 2, 3, 1, with 8 points overall to Geoff's 5. Glenn Bourke was back on form after his gear failure yesterday and is currently sitting in 3rd place overall with 10 points.

Tomorrow is the last day of flight races which will split the competitors into 2 fleets - Gold and Silver - where they will compete for the ultimate European Champion Crown on Friday.

Full results at: www.wpnsa.org.uk

ALL SKIPPERS READY FOR MATCH CUP SWEDEN
All skippers are now ready to sail in the World Match Racing Tour's Match Cup Sweden in Marstrand, July 2-8. Today the two last places, 15 and 16, were filled with two top, Nordic sailors from the America's Cup. The final two skippers are Sweden's Mattias Rahm, strategist and second helmsman onboard Victory Challenge, and Denmark's Jesper Radich, from the Spanish boat Desafio Espanol.

Mattias Rahm, 34 year old sailor from Torslanda, Sweden, has been one of the key people with Swedish Victory Challenge during the America's Cup pre-event Acts in 2005 and 2006, and during the Louis Vuitton Cup. He was appointed strategist onboard during pre-races and as second helmsman during the Louis Vuitton Cup. Mattias is the brother of Stefan Rahm, Victory Challenge's tactician.

Mattias has four World Championship medals, two gold in E-dinghy, silver and bronze in the 470 and European Championship gold also in the 470. Mattias also participated in the Sydney Olympics 2000. Since then he has been skipper and strategist with Magnus Holmberg in Match Racing and with Victory Challenge.

Jesper Radich started his Match racing career at the 1996 Danish Championship, resulting in an honourable fourth place. In 2001 he started sailing on the World Match Racing Tour full time and in the 2002-2003 season was crowed Tour Champion. Jesper has participated in Match Cup Sweden several times, regularly appearing in the quarter finals. He is part of the Spanish America's Cup challenge, where he helped take Desafio Espanol to the Semi finals in Louis Vuitton Cup.

Match Cup Sweden in Marstrand, July 2-8, is the largest sailing event in Sweden.

Skipper roster:

Ian Williams (O1), Great Britain
Peter Gilmour (O4), Australia
Eric Monnin (O15), Switzerland
Jenny Axhede (W7), Sweden
Sebastien Col (O3), France
Gavin Brady (AC), Nya Zealand
Bjorn Hansen (O8), Sweden
Magnus Holmberg (AC), Sweden
Claire Leroy, Frankrike (W1), France
Malin Millbourn (W13), Sweden
Simon Minoprio (O21), Nya Zealand
Eugeniy Neugodnikov, (O6), Russia
Mathieu Richards (O2), France
Johnnie Berntsson (O14), Sweden
Jesper Radich (O88), Denmark
Mattias Rahm (AC), Sweden

(ISAF Rankings in Open/Women's list of May 07)

www.matchcupsweden.com
www.worldmatchracingtour.com

CHARLIE CARY
Charlie Cary, founder of US-based yacht charter company The Moorings, passed away last week at his home in Vero Beach, Florida. Charlie, 89, founded the company with his late wife Ginny in 1969 in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) with six 10.7m (35ft) Pearson yachts. Today the company has more than 850 yachts in its fleet in over 30 locations worldwide.

www.ibinews.com/ibinews/newsdesk/20070520142012ibinews.html

THE LAST WORD
Never let your sense of morals get in the way of doing what's right. -- Isaac Asimov

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

Scuttlebutt Europe is available via email:
To subscribe visit scuttlebutteurope.com

Editorial and letter submissions to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or see www.scuttlebutteurope.com/content/view/7/6/