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THE FINAL SPRINT
With less than 200 miles to go to Lizard Point this Monday lunch time, Groupama 3 has made up its deficit on the reference time set by Bruno Peyron last year. Currently sailing at an average speed of around twenty-five knots, Franck Cammas and his nine crew are expected to reach the finish line at around midnight...

Record in prospect? Sailing to the South of Ireland at around 1500 hours UK time, the giant trimaran was benefiting from favourable wind conditions to complete the 2,925 mile course between Ambrose Light (New York) and Lizard Point (Cornwall, UK). However, though the wind Gods are with them providing 25 knots of N'ly on the beam for this final dash, Neptune is being a little less cooperative, providing short, confused seas off the European continental shelf. In spite of having to ease off the pace a little in order to preserve the structure, Franck Cammas and his crew are still managing to make around twenty-five knots of boat speed...on a direct course towards the goal. "The forecast is favourable in terms of wind: a N'ly breeze right to the end, which will enable us to sail with the wind on the beam and thus make good headway on a direct course without any trouble. It's perfect but it would be better if the seas were on our side too as it's real chaos: there are some pyramid-shaped waves impacting really hard and though the seas aren't very big, it brings the boat to a complete standstill!" detailed Franck Cammas.

The multihull's final trajectory is a considerable advantage for this end to the course, since Bruno Peyron lost time during the last few hours of his record as he was forced to make two tacks before crossing the finish line. Groupama 3 doesn't have to deal with this problem and the sea state is set to improve as they near the British coast. The maxi-multihull's trajectory has been carving out a massive arc across the Atlantic since Thursday evening, but over the past few hours the crew have been managing to take a direct course... With less than 200 miles to go to the finish at 1530 hours UK time this Monday, the giant trimaran is likely to cross the line between 2100 and 0100 hours (UK time), that is four to six hours faster than the reference time (4d 08hr 23' 54'') set by Orange 2 in July 2006. With a deficit of over 70 miles on the victorious catamaran on Sunday morning, the green trimaran had already made up the difference this Monday at 1530 hours (UK time).

"We're going to try to get to the finish within the time limit: that will be an achievement in itself. In this way, we forecast our finish to be around 2300 hours UTC. It all depends on the sea: if it calms down, we could finish one or two hours sooner. For the time being though we can't go too quickly as conditions are still fairly violent... We're lucky that Bruno Peyron on Orange 2 lost a few hours at the finish due to the wind shifting: they had to tack in the middle of the Channel, so that will enable us to make straight for Lizard Point with the weather we have at the moment. We're going to save a fair number of miles but it's not going to come down to pure speed as we can't really push the boat hard in these conditions. We'll be making a better course over the last ten hours than Bruno Peyron could... we're very excited as we approach the finish that's for sure! We know that we may well have a record at the end of it, but we're really afraid that something will break over the last few miles..." concluded the skipper of Groupama 3.

www.cammas-groupama.com

VALENCIA FOR 33RD AMERICA'S CUP?
If one is to believe the various reports that appear this morning on Valencia's newspapers and the local state television channel, the announcement of the final agreement between the city and the organization of the 33rd America's Cup is imminent and could take place as early as next Wednesday.

According to the reports, the two parties have worked out the final details of the contract and Valencia will repeat as host city of the America's Cup whose 33rd edition will take place in 2009, two years from now. For that reason, Ernesto Bertarelli, head of Alinghi, is having a meeting today (Monday) at 5pm in Madrid with Spain's prime minister Jose Luis Zapatero. All three levels of public administration involved (central, regional and local) work in tandem and no efforts will be spared to assure Bertarelli they all are fully behind this event.

Always according to the same reports there will be two Acts held in Valencia in 2008 during the months of June and July. Unlike the 32nd edition of the world's oldest sports trophy, each team will race only once a day and only one race course will be used, the north one. Apparently, the organization will eliminate the south course and will keep all racing activity off the Malvarosa beach.

For 2009 the reports call for the Challenger Selection Series to begin in April, similarly to what took place this year. Nevertheless, the major difference lies in the name of the title sponsor of the series. According to the reports, Rolex will now take the place Louis Vuitton had occupied during the last quarter century and the series will be called "Rolex Cup", or a derivation of it.

The intention of the organization is to hold the America's Cup Match approximately in the same time frame it took place in the 32nd edition, that is from late June to early July.

None of the reports specifies any regattas or Acts outside of Valencia, although it is obvious that we should expect them. It is a feature that gave excellent results in the 32nd edition and there is no reason why it shouldn't also do in the 33rd.

* The Societe Nautique de Geneve (SNG), represented by Alinghi, received a challenge from the Royal Thames Yacht Club (RTYC), represented by TEAMORIGIN, for the 33rd America's Cup. AC Management (ACM) has now informed the RTYC and TEAMORIGIN that its challenge has been accepted.

Following the Spanish Club Nautico Espanol de Vela's challenge represented by Desafio Espanol and the South African Royal Cape Yacht Club's challenge represented by Team Shosholoza, the Royal Thames Yacht Club's challenge, represented by Sir Keith Mills' TEAMORIGIN, becomes the third officially accepted challenge for the 33rd America's Cup since Alinghi completed its successful defence of the 32nd America's Cup on 3rd July 2007.

TEAMORIGIN will formally present its key team members at the Southampton Boat Show on Friday 14th September 2007.

valenciasailing.blogspot.com

MILLS DESIGN SEEKS DESIGN MANAGER
This position combines yacht design and project management, working closely with clients, engineers, and builders. It requires decisionmaking and attention to detail with relevant industry experience in drafting, modelling, numerical analysis. This is an exciting opportunity to join a dynamic racing design firm with custom and production projects worldwide:

www.mills-design.com/designmanager.htm

REINRAG2 MAKES TRANSPAC A WINNING FAMILY AFFAIR
The first two times Reinrag2 sailed the Transpacific Yacht Race to Hawaii, Al Garnier was on the boat enjoying the fun with the family. This year he's on the docks greeting every boat that finishes the race, whatever time of day or night, because that's what Transpacific Yacht Club commodores do.

Late Sunday night at the Hawaii Yacht Club that duty included Reinrag2, his brother Tom's J/125 from Portland, Ore.

"Al said before the race, 'My dream would be to present the big trophy to you,' " Tom Garnier said.

And so it will be. The little 41-foot boat-that-could upstaged all 73 starters big and small to win first place overall on corrected handicap time. Al will hand the Governor of Hawaii trophy to Tom at the awards dinner Friday night.

Doug Baker's Mag 80, meanwhile, finished an hour before dawn Monday to clinch overall honors in Division 1 ahead of Pyewacket. Mag 80's elapsed time was 7 days 19 hours 8 minutes 10 seconds, second only to Pyewacket's 7:01:11:56.

And there was still considerable action at sea with a second match race between Cal 40s heating up to the level of the ongoing joust of Transpac 52s. Both were so tight that in each case the boat behind was ahead of its rival on corrected time---Steve Calhoun's Cal 40 Psyche over Don Grind's Far Far and the Morning Light rookies against John Kilroy Jr.'s Samba Pa Ti pros. The TP52s should finish around midnight Wednesday, the Cal 40s the next day.

Frank Easterbrook's Ladd 73 Ariadne from Newport Beach was the first Aloha boat to finish, crossing the line 13 minutes after midnight Sunday. -- Rich Roberts

www.transpacificyc.org

VOLVO OCEAN RACE
Hong Kong has moved a step closer to becoming a port of call for 2008-09 following a round of meetings this week between Volvo Ocean Race organisers and government representatives.

The latest development follows the recent confirmation of Qingdao as an Asian stopover.

The race's commercial director George Blake said negotiations were at an advanced stage. "We had positive discussions with the Home Affairs Bureau and things are moving in the right direction," he said. "We have the Hong Kong government's endorsement, now it depends on the response we get from the corporate community."

Blake added that West Kowloon was among a number of options being assessed as possible venues and an in-port race could be staged in Victoria Harbour.

Karl Kwok, president of the Hong Kong Sailing Federation, said that understanding what was required to host a Volvo Ocean Race stopover was "a bit of a learning curve. It's taking some effort but if Hong Kong wants to call itself Asia's world city it needs to get major events like this to town," he said.

Meanwhile, Volvo veteran Matt Humphries has been part of the discussions with authorities in Hong Kong with the intention of putting together a Hong Kong-backed entry.

* Mean Machine have announced the withdrawal of their entry for the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09 after failing to secure the full funding for their campaign.

The Dutch syndicate, headed by Peter de Ridder, had been in negotiations with a number of potential backers but with the start of the next event in Alicante next autumn, it was decided time had run out to put a competitive entry together.

The funding shortfall at this point has a direct impact on the timings in terms of logistics and the construction of a new boat.

Mean Machine had purchased the former Pirates of the Caribbean Volvo Open 70 as a training boat and had been making great strides in their on-the-water preparations. In May they shattered the North Sea Regatta race record with a stunning run on the final leg from the English port of Harwich to Scheveningen in the Netherlands.

www.volvooceanrace.org

TALL SHIPS' RACES 2007 BALTIC
The Norwegian ship Statsraad Lehmkuhl was confirmed as the winner on corrected time, both in Class A and overall. Second in Class A and overall on corrected time is fellow Norwegian Christian Radich, with Sorlandet placed third in Class A and overall.

Scandinavians took the first three places in Class B on corrected time with Jens Krogh from Denmark in first place, Albanus from Finland in second and Constantia from Sweden in third. Polish vessels held the first three winning places in Class C on corrected time with Dar Natury in first place, Gwarek in second and Dar Szczecina in third. Class D on corrected time was won by Svanen (Denmark) with Feelings (Finland) in second and Nasz Dom (Poland) in third.

The first vessel to have crossed the finish line, in an elapsed time of two days, 19 hours, 0 minutes and 24 seconds, and therefore awarded 'Line Honours' was Hansa from Spain.

The full list of positions and photos on www.sailtraininginternational.org

NEXUS MARINE REGATTA SUPPORT AT SKANDIA COWES WEEK
Nexus Marine will be providing full regatta support at this year's Skandia Cowes Week both on and off the water. Owners of the NX, NX2 and Grand Prix NXR instrumentation systems will be able to obtain expert technical assistance with installation, calibration, and general troubleshooting. Prospective customers are also welcome to get in touch to arrange a demonstration. Call Jonas and Mathias any time on 00 4670 661 1917. Nexus Marine provides support at over 100 events every year - go to www.nexusmarine.se to find out more.

Nexus Marine is an Official Supplier to Skandia Cowes Week 2007.

AXHEDE SUCCEEDS
Jenny Axhede of Sweden emerged the triumphal victor of the Troia Portugal Women's Match Cup, defeating Sally Barkow of the United States by three races to one in an action-packed final the finished shortly before sunset. It was a final in which wind shifts and penalties played their part.

Axhede's all-Swedish crew of Nina Bake, Elisabeth Nilsson, Johanna Sarna, Annita Carlnnger and Erin Aderman, was faultless in all four races.

Earlier, Axhede had needed only three races to beat Klaartje Zuiderbaan of the Netherlands in the semi-final. Barkow had a considerably tougher time defeating Claire Leroy of France by 3-2. In the petit-final for third place, Leroy beat Zuiderbaan 2-0. -- Bob Fisher

Final results:
1. Jenny Axhede, NED
2. Sally Barkow, USA
3. Claire Leroy, FRA
4. Klaartje Zuiderbaan, NED
5. Camilla Ulrikkeholm, DEN
6. Rita Gonçalves, POR
7. Lotta Thorelius, SWE
8. Julie Bossard, FRA

www.portugalwomenscup.com/cups/index.php?etapa=1

THE 8TH GLANDORE CLASSIC
The 8th Glandore Classic Regatta closed with an impressive firework display which illuminated the Classic fleet at anchor in Glandore harbour following four days of excellent racing on both harbour and offshore courses.

All of the scheduled races were run off with little impact from the very changeable and shifty conditions which prevailed during some of the races. While it was a mixed week of weather Wednesday was the only dull day for the participants on the off shore and coastal courses, when the winds fell light on a race to the Kowloon bridge mark SW of the Stagg rocks.

Leading in the offshore classes was the sloop "Sonata" a 53' fife design built in 1950 and sailed at this regatta by R Breare, this yacht has historic ties to Cork harbour having been raced extensively in Cork harbour during the 1950's and 1960's. In the Gaff rig class the leader was also a historic Cork Harbour boat, "Elsie" the Fife One design built in 1896 at Carrigalow in Cork and now sailed by P Dorgan.

There was scheduled racing each day from Tuesday to Saturday on the harbour course, for Work boats, day boats dinghies, and with the exception of Friday when racing was abandoned in view of the gale warning all races were completed by Race Officer Donal Lynch by Sunday morning. The Gleoiteogs, West Cork Lobster and Oysterboats made up the workboat fleet, and this fleet enjoyed close and competitive races each day with Pat Tanner's "An Faoleán" taking the overall fleet prize together with the Spirit of the regatta trophy.

The visiting Fife one design boats from Anglesea and the Menai straight were delighted with their regatta. This fleet of boats was built in the mid 1920's. The winner was H Mattox sailing Siglen, by Saturday evening they were already planning a bigger fleet for the 2009 Classic Regatta.

The Second Irish Classic Dragon Championship was another element of this years regatta and this Trophy the Brian O'Connor trophy was one again this year by "Tarasque" sailed by M.Cotter.

There was a class of Ette's sailing this year with 4 boats out for each of their races, the Ette originally designed and built by the O'Mahony's in Castletownsend in the mid 1940's and are enjoying a revival ,some newly built and also restored boats were raced each day, these are true little west Cork Originals! The regatta winner was the 1952 "Saguette" sailed by R Ferrieira,

The Shannon One designs returned to compete for their perpetual trophy, the Lough Derg Chart. There was close racing on this on as you expect on the SOD's and the winner was P Coote..

Hal Sisk sailed his 1898 replica waterwag "Twist", and Anne Barry sailed her sandbagger "Gertie" in the dinghy fleets. -- Cormac O'Carroll

Full list of trophies, results and photos on www.glandoreyc.com

AN ABSORBING INTEREST
The America's Cup is in turmoil; it has happened before. To discover the truth of the previous occasions and the background to the reasons for the current state of affairs, it would be advisable to read Bob Fisher's book - An Absorbing Interest, the America's Cup 1851-2003, a history - still available as a limited edition, signed by the author, lavishly illustrated and the key to the intrigue.

Go to: www.wiley.com/go/americas for full details and to purchase a copy.

THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA AWAKES...
The thirty competitors of the Tour de Voile sailed only one leg today. The Race Committee had to quickly end the race because of the difficult weather conditions. Toulon Provence Mediterranee - COYCHyeres (Fabien Henry) is still at the front of the overall ranking.

The wind stayed between 15 and 18 knots during the departure but it got stronger and stronger toward the end of the leg. Christine Briand, head of the Race, explains: "the weather conditions were hard to handle; the wind went up to 33 knots. Even though the boats can sail in a force-8-wind, it simply became too dangerous for the sailors and their boats". The Race Committee sent the Mumm 30s back to the harbour after the first leg for safety reasons.

Toulon Provence Mediterranee - COYCHyeres finished first. Fabien Henry, the skipper, explains how his crew succeeded in crossing the arrival line more than one minute before the second, Perpignan Mediterranee (Paul McKenzie). The amateur crew of Saint-Malo Purflo Team SNBSM (Francois Lebourdais, Pierre Hingant) finished third in this race.

In the overall ranking, Nouvelle-Caledonie (Vincent Portugal) is back in sixth position before Courrier Dunkerque (Daniel Souben), which had to abandon after colliding with T. Service Interim - Region de Bruxelles - Capitale (Laurent Declercq, Cyril Michel). Both are damaged, and will have to repair their boats before taking the offshore leg from Roses to Port Barcares tomorrow at 8am. If the weather allows it... -- Anatole Lucet

Complete rankings: www.tourvoile.fr/site/classement.php

SOMETHING OLD
Way back in 1939 Raymond Hunt, one of the great American naval architects and a crack Marblehead racing skipper, pondered the perennial problem of creating the design of a yacht that could be produced at a price that enabled sailors on an average income to compete in a fast, one design.

The result of several experimental boats and a lot of drawing, was a 24 foot, flat bottomed, wall sided and generally unlovely craft that gave admirers of conventional craft the horrors.

But the '110', as she was called, proved to sail much better than she looked and as sailors absorbed her performance and accepted the 'handsome is as handsome does' principal, the 'Class grew to prominence in the US sailing scene.

So much so in fact that it became known and still is called, the International 110 Class. The '110' relates to the designed working sail area of 110 square feet.

Raymond Hunt, encouraged by the success of his 24 foot 'ugly duckling' continued the theme into the larger 27' 8" overall '210' class in 1945. the appearance of the '210' was improved with rounded stem and stern profiles, but this class did not match the growth of the '110'.

Apart from his designs for many more conventional sailboats, Mr Hunt was a leading figure in the move to 'deep vee' development in offshore powerboats during World War II. This work carried through to pleasure craft in the late forties and into the fifties. -- from Jim Bolland's newsletter 'A Brush with Sail', www.auldmug.com

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 Rob Martin: The Swiss have learned a lot from the "Americans" over years of cup racing as observers and what they picked up from an assortment of competitors and lookers on, in turn are now dishing out medicine the Americans once did when they reigned supreme.

Why a 90 ft boat, small competitors like South Africa can barely get a local backer never mind the cost to develop and build a new hull,we need to encourage new entrants and not push them aside for selfish gain, after all its supposed to be a sport?

The "Swiss" should sculpture a chocolate statue of "Robert Mugabe "the Zim dictator and use it as their symbol as it mounts to dictate and destroy.

Shosholoza's spirit and team attitude is what Americas cup should be and needs.

THE LAST WORD
Life doesn't make any sense, and we all pretend it does. Comedy's job is to point out that it doesn't make sense, and that it doesn't make much difference anyway. -- Eric Idle

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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