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LAST MINUTE SQUABBLING...
An excerpt from Andy Rice's must-read in Sailjuice.blogspot.com:

Remember that Mascalzone Latino aberration from a few weeks back? When the Italian team discovered that they had been sailing illegally every time they clipped or unclipped their top-mast backstays from the mast during a race? Well, top-mast backstays are right at the centre of controversy once again, and this time it's Alinghi causing all the trouble.

If you've been reading the Public Interpretations from the Measurement Committee over the past few weeks (and I don't blame you if you haven't - because this is dry stuff), then you'll have noticed that someone has been asking some pretty bizarre interpretations of the Cup class rules. That someone - it became clear today - was Alinghi, who it seems still hasn't quite found the answer to the question that it dare not ask.

It centres around whether or not it is legal to tuck the top-mast backstays along the side of the mast when they are not being used (ie upwind when all they do is create extra drag). Views differ about how much drag they create, but the consensus seems to be that an absence of top-mast backstays could amount to about 20 metres per windward leg (ie not far short of a boatlength). That may not seem significant, until you think back to just how close for speed NZL 92 and ITA 94 were in the LV Cup Finals. And look what a big effect a small speed edge had on the outcome.

So this stuff is worth fighting for. Today Alinghi won a first-round skirmish against the Measurement Committee (click here for an explanation: http://www.americascup.com/en/news/detail.php?idRubr=70&idContent=26562 ), but it still doesn't mean the Defender has secured an absolute answer that it is OK to use the top-mast backstays in the unprecedented way that Alinghi would like. As head of the Jury Bryan Willis pointed out today, the rule has been sloppily worded, which makes it very open to interpretation. Which means that as things stand, Alinghi could go out and race with its clever top-mast backstay arrangement, but that the Kiwis could bring a protest to bear. Expect more back-room toing and froing between Defender, Measurer and Jury before Race 1 on Saturday. This is not done yet. -- Andy Rice in http://sailjuice.blogspot.com

* This just in: The America's Cup defender, Alinghi, has suffered a last-minute setback with a second ruling against the way it wants to use its unique mast and rig system in the yachting series.

The system allows it to stow the cables during a race and reduce wind drag.

Alinghi protested an initial ruling by the regatta measurer, who said the Swiss team could not alter the cable system during a race.

Radio New Zealand's correspondent in Valencia says the effect of the ruling, takes away a small advantage the Swiss team would have had over Emirates Team New Zealand in stronger winds. -- Radio New Zealand, www.radionz.co.nz/news/latest/200706220703/americas_cup_ruling_againstalinghi

32ND AMERICA'S CUP - THE GAME
The hit product of Valencia, 32nd America's Cup - The Game is the latest installment from the producers that brought you Virtual Skipper. Using a brand new Virtual Skipper 5 graphic engine, you can reenact the sailing action about to take place in the 32nd America's Cup Match by sailing against the computer or against other users around the world in the Virtual Skipper community.

Designed for PC, the game features many different modes of game play as well as a tutorial functions teaching sailing basics, and a film-making function. Playable from ages 3-103.

www.americascupstore.com/cart/add_to_cart.asp?id=VS5GAME.1

WHY EMIRATES TNZ WILL WIN THE AMERICA'S CUP
Excerpts from Richard Gladwell's editorial in Sail-World.com:

In over 60 legs sailed, there was only one lead change after the first mark from the Semi-Finals to the Finals of the Louis Vuitton Cup. There is a similar pattern over the last three America's Cup Matches, in that of 30 races sailed, only once has the boat which has led around the first mark not won the race.

Winding back from the first mark, in the Louis Vuitton Cup, there was a high probability that the yacht which had the advantage on the right hand side of the course by the mid-point of the beat, retained that advantage at the top mark and thereby the race.

This then gets us into the realm of who wins the first cross wins the race, which is not quite game-over, but they certainly have the advantage.

Same too, off the startline, where there is a trade-off for startline position and being first across the startline, albeit at the left hand end.

NZL-92 was generally strong in this regard and improved significantly as the Louis Vuitton Cup progressed.

In terms of crew-work, Emirates Team New Zealand was outstanding. Again improving as the Louis Vuitton Cup progressed. Alinghi will have to match a high standard in this area if they are to be competitive, and be able to retain a lead.

Picking between the Challenger and Defender in these areas is very difficult as they have not match raced against each other for almost a year, and were then in different boats, and now with the Defender not having named a helmsman or made announcements as to crew.

In looking at hulls, appendages, and rigs we are well outside our areas of expertise and can only defer to designer Brett Bakewell-White's analysis which can be seen at www.sail-world.com/indexs.cfm?nid=34184

From Brett's comments, we can say that Emirates Team New Zealand have gone for a more manoeuvrable hull shape than Alinghi. The appendage packages may have changed from the initial Unveiling. Alinghi has gone for a canoe body with less resistance indicating they have traded off for more straight line speed.

Emirates Team New Zealand should have a significant advantage in the start with a more manoeuvrable boat and Barker's sharper and more aggressive starting technique. Expect Alinghi to adopt a less aggressive technique, concentrating on getting a start at least equal to NZL-92 and with the option open of being able to get to their preferred side.

Once through the start they should start drag racing with NZL-92 to maximise their perceived speed advantage.

Full article at: www.sail-world.com

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

* First race of the America's Cup is this Saturday, we'll have a special Saturday issue to cover it (and the gargantuan gathering that is the JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race... which may have its first boat across the finish line before the fellows in Valencia...)

SCHOONER JUAN SEBASTIAN DE ELCANO VISITS VALENCIA
The four masted, topsail schooner Juan Sebastian de Elcano will grace the America's Cup race course with its presence. The 80 year old Spanish Navy training ship has sailed around the world six times, since it was launched in 1927. It is 370 feet long and carries 20 sails.

The vessel is named after Basque merchant, Juan Sebastian de Elcano, who accompanied the explorer Ferdinand Magellan on his voyage to the Pacific islands. After Magellan's death, on Mactan Island, Elcano took command of the two ships left to the fleet and reached the Spice Islands before returning to Spain.

This year, a number of English cadets have joined their Spanish counterparts on board the schooner. -- Santiago Robatto in BYM News, www.bymnews.com/news/newsDetails.php?id=10642

EXTREME 40S GO ROUND THE ISLAND
Cowes, Isle of Wight, will mark the next stop on the iShares Cup Extreme 40 Sailing Series when four boats take part in the infamous 55-mile JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race. Starting early morning on 23 June, Offshore Challenges Sailing Team, Basilica, ABN AMRO and JPMorgan Asset Management will be putting in a challenge at this iShares Endurance Race not only for line honours but also for a course record.

Joining the fleet for this weekend's event will be Dame Ellen MacArthur onboard JPMorgan Asset Management representing the Ellen MacArthur Trust, the official charity of the race for the second year running.

The Extreme 40s will be competing in the JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race for only the second time and with last year's winner Holmatro unable to defend their title, the Extreme 40 line honours could belong to any of the four boats.

Weather dependent, the Extreme 40s are expected to take between 3-8 hours to complete the race.

To follow the progress of the Extreme 40s in both the iShares Cup and at the JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race, via news updates and race tracking visit www.iSharesCup.com

MINI-FASTNET : 22ND EDITION CANCELLED
A few minutes before noon a double hooting of a siren through the wall of rain in Douarnenez announced the Mini Fastnet race was postponed until further notice again.

Then just a few minutes after 1 p.m. the triple hooting announced the race was cancelled. This time for good. The problem is strong winds, a lot of rain and the huge waves north of Ouessant Island . The accompanying boats have issued a warning that there are more gusts of wind that exceeded 40 knots, the interval of 5m waves is 7 seconds, and the visibility is close to zero. In these conditions a fleet of minis would be practically invisible to the large transport ships although they have radar transmitters on their masts. Hence the Mini Fastnet 2007 is now definitely not going to happen. -- Ana Lukanc in seasailsurf.com

FLYING FIFTEEN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Mike Hart and Tim Hall (GBR) won the Flying Fifteen World Championship after tight finish in Mallorca, Spain. Hart and Hall held their nerve in the final race to hold off fellow Brits Steve Goacher and Phil Evans and take the gold medal.

After a strong start by Hart and Hall, Goacher and Evans had stormed back during the second half of the series in the Bay of Pollenca to send the title battle to a final-race decider. A sixth place, two ahead of their rivals, gave Hart and Hall the title with an overall winning margin of three points.

A bullet in the final race was enough for Aaron Googmanson and Alister Rowlan (NZL) to grab the final spot on the podium.

Seventy-three crews from eight nations competed in the gold fleet in Mallorca. -- ISAF, http://sailing.org

Top ten final places:
1. Mike Hart / Tim Hall, GBR, 23.00
2. Steve Goacher / Phil Evans, GBR, 26.00
3. Aaron Googmanson / Alister Rowlan, NZL, 36.00
4. Nick Jerwood / Janet Jerwood, AUS, 37.00
5. Darren Martin / Simon Murray, IRL, 38.00
6. Jeremy David / Richard Rigg, GBR, 73.00
7. Ron Packer / Peter Mundford, AUS, 78.00
8. Rod Bzvrfeaux / Chris O'iceefe, AUS, 81.00
9. Justin Waples / Ian Stone, GBR, 81.00
10. Simon Kneller / Dave Lucas, GBR, 88.00

Event site: casa-rotger.net/Worlds/

MOTH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Torbole sul Garda: From Saturday 23 to Saturday 30 over 60 Moths will battle on the water in front of Torbole. Moth is a very light dinghy equipped with Hydrofoils, which make it almost fly on the water. A great performance and a great show.

We will have the possibility to follow the local star Raimondo Tonelli, Melges 24 World Champion 2005, who will challenge Rohan Veal, the "King of the foiling Moth".

Tonelli has received a Moth just by Rohan Veal and he is training very hardly with the "Ora", the typical strong afternoon wind of Torbole waters.

The World Championship will begin on Saturday and Sunday with 3 unofficial races, measurement and registration. From Monday 25 there will be the first official race at noon, with the famous "Ora". The Championship needs at least 5 races to be considered valid. Wednesday 27 will be a lay day, which can be used if too few races have been completed.

There will be skippers from Australia, Japan, Austria, Germany, Sweden, Croatia, Danemark, Britain, Switzerland, Estonia, Finland, Singapore and United Arab Emirates.

www.circolovelatorbole.com

Notes from Mark Robinson (President IMCA) at www.moth-sailing.org/worlds/2007_italy.xml

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

LAUNCHINGS
* Artemis Ocean Racing (AOR), the sailing team sponsored by leading UK investment company Artemis, today released information regarding the ongoing construction of their new Open 60. The task of designing and carrying out the new boat build rests with Simon Rogers, owner and founder of Rogers Yacht Design Ltd. Based in Lymington (UK), the design company has extensive experience and success in projects ranging from TP 52's to the GBR Challenge yacht in the 2003 America's Cup.

Jonny Malbon, the skipper of Artemis Ocean Racing, has been involved since the very beginning of the design process. He will continue to oversee all the construction phases to ensure that the boat is tailored to his specific needs with the ultimate goal to be a top contender in the Vendee Globe 2008. It is hoped that this cutting edge boat will provide the competitive platform and launch pad for the far reaching aspirations of this exciting partnership between Artemis and the team.

The new Open 60 will be built by Neville Hutton Boat Builders of Lymington, who have recently completed the new Hugo Boss Open 60.

The new Artemis Ocean Racing yacht will be launched in December of this year, followed by extensive trials in early 2008 to fine tune the rig and all other aspects of the boat

www.artemisoceanracing.com
www.rogersyachtdesign.com

* A new design with minimalist outside and inside aesthetics, it features a full deck level relax cockpit and a wide stern garage for a tender, all in under 22 meters. The first North Wind 72, a modern sailing yacht developed by ISO Naval and built by Monty North for the North Wind brand, was delivered to her owner in time the 18th of June.

At almost 22 meters, the new NW 72 is the biggest of the modern line for North Wind Yard of Barcelona. She is also a first for the Spanish yard in terms of deck design and superstructure, as it embraces the modern flush trend and abandons the traditional central cockpit plus raised deckhouse layout common to all North wind yachts. -- BYM News, www.bymnews.com/news/newsDetails.php?id=10526

* Now you have the opportunity to see the new VG Open 30 - and sail on one - in the flesh! Moondance Yachts and Van Gorkom Yacht Design will debu the boat at the Grand Pavois International Boat Show in La Rochelle, France

The show runs from September 19th to the 24th. The Moondance exhibit will be part of the on-the-water boat show. Please contact us for further details.

For more information on the VG-Open30 and Moondance Yachts, go to www.moondance.co.za. For more information on the Grand Pavois International Boat Show, how to get there, and accommodations, go to www.grand-pavois.com

* Bill Dixon tells me that he has been busy designing a complete new range of Moody yachts for the German yard Hanse - and that they are all going to be deck saloons.

Premier sold the British brand earlier this year to Hanse, and the new range will be built at Hanse's yard in Rostock in Germany. The first of the new range, the Moody 45, will be launched at the Southampton Boat Show.

The new model looks quite different to previous Moodys. The intention apparently isn't to keep pushing upmarket, as Moody did latterly, but to produce something at a competitive price and with a rather sportier feel and most of the living accommodation at deck level. -- Elaine Bunting's blog, www.yachtingworld.com//yw/blog/20070507104208blog_elaine_bunting.html

* Francis Joyon's new trimaran Idec was launched in Lorient harbour yesterday, Tuesday 19 June. Designed by Nigel Irens and Benoit Cabarret, the boat and Joyon will take on MacArthur's round-the-world solo record later this year.

After almost 15 months in construction, the boat will be fitted with her rig this weekend. The sails from Incidence are ready and Francis hopes to go on the boat's maiden voyage nxt week. Once she is ready, the new Idec will be taken to her new homeport of La Trinite-sur-Mer, where more test work will continue. -- www.ybw.com/auto/newsdesk/20070520094337ymnews.html See also www.trimaran-idec.com

* And another maxi trimaran with an eye on Ellen MacArthur's record... the new Sodeb'O, skippered by Thomas Coville, was launched in Newcastle Australia on Thursday. Designed by Nigel Irens and Benoit Cabert, its centre hull is 32 metres in length, it's 35 metre mast carries 25 percent more sail area than Coville's old Sodeb'0 ORMA 60. At the end of this month Coville and team will carry out the first tests in the bay off Sydney. This summer the boat will be sailed, crewed, to Europe through the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean.

www.sodebo-voile.com/accueil/var/lang/FR/rub/1/breves/441.html

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Letters are limited to 350 words. No personal attacks are permitted. We do require your name but your email address will not be published without your permission.

* From Al Wood: On 21 Jun 2007, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it wrote:

"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."

This isn't true - Leopard only holds the monohull record, not the race record.

Indeed, in the same 2001 race we beat them in 4hrs 2 mins on a little 30ft trimaran, and we were only third. Might isn't always right.

* From Rob Wilkinson, Auckland, New Zealand: Although it would improve my bank balance for the Cup to come back down 'ere, I have to agree it's better for the sport for it to stay in Europe. The hyperbole in the local media is "they're one step away from bringing it home", but personally I can't see them overhauling Alinghi. My bet is 5-3 to the Swiss, not that I'd tell my staunch Kiwi father-in-law that. He'll personally march me to Immigration and have my passport revoked for being a traitor.

It's quite incredible, though, how New Zealanders really get behind the team. People who know the square root of duck all about yachting - they still think Anchor is a brand of butter and port is just a fortified wine - are totally compelled by the whole thing. Our small nation tucked away in the corner of the world might just possibly beat Bertelli and his billions.

The morning after the LV Cup final match, I was sitting in a waiting room and some little old lady was yawning and remarked she hadn't slept for a week because she'd stayed up all night to watch the racing. She didn't know anything about sailing but wanted to "support the boys". I swear there's only two degrees of separation between everyone in the country so her grandson is probably on the team.

Then I went to the chemist and the two old guys behind the counter were clarifying who the strategist and tactician were (they finally agreed, and got it right). It's like that everywhere. There are few places in the world you'd get that kind of public support for yachting.

I'm glad Sir Keith Mills has entered the Cup fray and put the Poms back in the game but I bet few landlubbers north of Hampshire could tell you (come 2009) who the Origin skipper is. Down here, every man, woman and child knows that Deano is "captain" of our boat. No pressure, mate.

I still recall watching the first race of the 2003 final at Auckland Airport. The whole arrivals terminal came to standstill as the boats crossed the line. No one cared about people pouring through immigration. Hundreds of eyes were transfixed on the big screen. The boom broke, blue bucket came out to bail out, the headsail ripped out of the foils and the team retired and people around me started crying. I was more staggered about the public reaction than NZL82 almost sinking.

If Dalts, Dean and co do win it back, it'll be one 'eck of a party. It'll make the '95 celebrations look like a village carnival. Cheers from Kiwi land, possibly the future home of the Auld Mug.

THE LAST WORD
All are lunatics, but he who can analyze his delusions, is called a philosopher. -- Ambrose Pierce

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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