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SKANDIA COWES WEEK
Sunday proved a classic as the tricky conditions thrown up by the strong flood tide and baggy breezes caused a series of upsets.

The first major shock of the day was the seamless choreography that marked the start of the Laser SB3 class. After last year's problems in getting 87 boats onto the race track, Cowes Combined Clubs (CCC) this year decided to allocate 25 minutes to the SB3 starting sequence to allow for general recalls.

That time provision was needed on Saturday when dozens of boats were OCS at the start but today the 98-strong fleet were given a round of applause from race officials on the Royal Yacht Squadron platform after just two boats were recalled.

"Your reward for good behaviour yesterday is a difficult 'upwind uptide' course", Principal Race Officer Malcolm McKeag told the fleet over the radio prior to the start. In the tricky conditions, with light variable winds and a strong east flowing tide, the fleet made its way to the central Solent before heading up to Lepe Beach.

Another shocker was a general recall in Class 5 IRC which started off the RYS line. No one could remember Class 5 ever being black flagged but when they did eventually get going, just three boats over at the second attempt, they provided a striking vista, as they charged off towards Gilkicker Point at the precise moment that the SB3 spinnakers came powering through in the opposite direction behind them.

After completing their 20nm course, Cowes regular Harry Evans, the man who supplies the millions of plastic beer glasses to Cowes Yacht Haven each year, had his paws on the Victory Trophy after taking both line honours and victory on corrected time in his Swan 48 Alvine Jacobite, recording a one minute and 23 second advantage over Tontin, a brand new Joubert Nivelt 35 from Belgium owned by Wouter Borghijs.

After his triumphant start to the Week on Saturday, Magnus Wheatley made a disappointing start in Class 9 IRC today in his International H-boat Hesperus but recovered well to finish in third, conceding the Newport Citizens Cup to Richard Donald's folkboat Madelaine and the runners-up place to Philip Williams Nordic folkboat Tatterat.

Showers are being forecast overnight as a front passes through, then tomorrow it will be sunny with the chance of showers according to our weather guru Chris Tibbs. Winds will be light or moderate NW, backing W-SW and increasing 13-18. Sounds terrific.

Just as we were about to close this bulletin we received news that Josephine, racing in the XOD Class and driven by Mark Jardine, was dismasted in a collision with the Tall Ship J. R. Tolkein, a 42m gaff-topsail schooner. Her bowsprit ripped out the X-boat's backstay, leaving a buckled shroud and the boat needing a new mast.

www.skandiacowesweek.co.uk

* World renowned yachting journalist Bob Fisher will be hosting an exclusive book signing during Skandia Cowes Week of his new book "An Absorbing Interest: The America's Cup, a History 1851 - 2003."

The book signing will take place at the Henri Lloyd Cowes Sailing Store on Monday 6th August between 7 - 7.30pm. Henri Lloyd, Official Technical Clothing Sponsor to Skandia Cowes Week will be selling the book at all of their sailing stores.

This beautifully designed book published by Wiley Nautical charts the history of the world's oldest sporting contest in two volumes, from 1851 in Cowes to 2003 in Auckland. It is illustrated with photographs, cartoons, paintings and figures.

SIEMENS MATADOR WINS TP 52 FLEET AT 26TH COPA DEL REY CAMPER AUDI
Alberto Roemmers' Argentinian owned, Spanish sponsored Siemens clinched the overall title in the 22 strong grand prix TP52 class at the 26th Copa del Rey Camper Audi today on the Bay of Palma.

Twenty years after he last won the Mediterranean's premier trophy on the Maxi Il Moro di Venezia Paul Cayard called the tactics successfully for owner Roemmers and skipper-helmsman Guilermo Parada, winning a closely fought series by just six points from Vasco Vascotto's 2005 Breitling MedCup winning team on Mutua Madrilena.

A fifth place in the first race today meant Siemens entered the final race of 10 with a five points lead over Mutua Madrilena.

Caught flat-footed on the start line Cayard conjured a third from a poor opening, while Mutua Madrilena's pair of sixth places left them second with Roberto Bermudez de Castro's Corporacion CxG Caix Galicia finishing third overall.

For the second successive regatta Torbjorn Tornqvist's Artemis wins the Corinthian Trophy.

Caixa Galicia still lead the overall standings on the 2007 Breitling MedCup TP52 Circuit.

Final Results:
1 Siemens (A Roemmers, ARG-Judel Vrolijk 2007) 55 points
2 Mutua Madrilena (V Vascotto, ESP-Botin Carkeek 2007) 61
3 CxG Corporacion Caixa Galicia (R Bermudez de Castro ESP) 73
4 Patches (I Walker, IRL-Reichel Pugh 2007) 77
5 Artemis (T Torbjorn, SWE-Judel Vrolijk 2007) 79
6 Bribon (SM Juan Carlos ESP-Judel Vrolijk 2007) 82
7 Stay Calm (S Robinson GBR-Judel Vrol! ijk 2007) 83
8 Platoon (H Muller-Spreer GER-Judel Vrolijk 2007) 88
9 Valle Romano Mean Machine (P de Ridder, MON-Judel Vrolijk 2007) 98
10 Balearia (G Aurajo, ESP Botin Carkeek 2005) 109

www.medcup.org

EXPERIENCE KEY WEST 2008
Get ready for your winter escape to Key West. Don't miss your chance to enjoy warm waters, phenomenal breeze, and fantastic sailing conditions. Join thousands of racing sailors from around the world already making plans for North America's premiere keelboat regatta. Prepare to experience all Acura Key West 2008 has to offer - exciting international One Design, IRC and PHRF competition, Premiere Racing's professional management, a unique race week village and Key West's tropical island ambiance. Race dates are January 21 - 25, 2008.

For invited classes, charter listings, marinas, logistics and planning details visit: www.Premiere-Racing.com

PRADA NOT TO COMPETE IN THE 33RD AMERICA'S CUP
After ten years and three campaigns, PRADA has decided not to compete in the 33rd America's Cup, which will be held in Valencia in 2009.

Participation in the next America's Cup was carefully analyzed, and while significant human and financial resources are already available, it was decided that, after three campaigns, a cycle had come to an end.

Patrizio Bertelli declared: "We challenged in three campaigns of the America's Cup and we had ten very intense years. It has been an unforgettable experience, both from a sports and human perspective. I want to thank the team, the Telecom Italia Group, Intesa Sanpaolo, the other sponsors and the Yacht Club Italiano who have constantly and enthusiastically supported us. From a corporate standpoint, participating in these three campaigns has allowed us to acquire and develop precious skills, experience, and visibility for our Group. I hope that another Italian team will be able to compete in the next edition and to keep Italy at the top of the game in the America's Cup."

AND VINCENZO ONORATO'S NOT TOO HAPPY EITHER...
Excerpts from "Thoughts on America's Cup XXXIII - and our proposal"

The "Class Rule" of the next event and the unilaterally-appointed race management and dispute resolution provisions are the critical points of objection to the current Protocol, which has already received a lot of criticism since its publication.

We believe that an America's Cup in which the Challengers would know from the Defender (without previous Challenger involvement) the new class rules only 18 months before the event would not be a competitive regatta, nor would be credible or sellable. We should count at minimum 8-9 months of design work, 8-9 months, if not more, in case of two yachts, for the construction. Challengers would not even have enough time to test the new yachts on-the-water. When the new class of yacht was created in 1988, all competitors had more then 3 years to prepare.

We therefore urge SNG/Alinghi to reopen the discussion on the AC XXXIII Protocol on the following basis, provided that AC 33 will be in Valencia in 2009, May-July as announced:

- Use V5 America's Cup yachts, with each team permitted to build one new yacht and modify one old yacht up to 50%.

- All AC 33 competitors agree, by entering AC 32, that in case of winning AC 33 they will use the new Alinghi 90' design in AC 34, with the final rule to be worked out between Alinghi and the CC (which would of course include the current COR) in the meantime, and starting now.

- The Protocol be substantially the same as AC 32, but with changes to be negotiated by SNG/Alinghi with the Challenger Commission. The revision of the Protocol should particularly solve the area of most concern of the recent adopted Protocol: SNG's unilateral ability, through ACM, to disqualify a challenging team, in particular for disputing any provision in the Protocol; ACM's ability to accept not all otherwise valid challengers, ACM's ability to unilaterally reject a challenging team; appointment of the arbitration panel and jury by the Defender and COR only and their ability to dismiss the members of the panel and jury at will; ACM's exclusive power to appoint race committee, measurement committee, umpires and any other event officials; ACM's powers and rights which far exceed the position of any Defender in the past, including the power to impose a penalty to competitors; ACM's power to "unilaterally" establish the rules for the all the events, including the Challenger Selection Series, the lack of any accountability by either ACM or COR to the challengers and the absence of any requirement of neutral management, the participation of the Defender in the CSS.

www.mascalzonelatino.it/home/dettaglio_news.jsp?ID=886

TODAY'S NEW PHOTO ALBUMS
We're up to 189 separate photo albums and nearly 50,000 views in the Eurobutt Gallery. Main page scuttlebutteurope.com/photos/

The latest:

Cowes Week, photos by OnEdition
scuttlebutteurope.com/photos/thumbnails.php?album=202

Archipelago Raid Final, photos by Thierry Martinez, http://www.thmartinez.com
scuttlebutteurope.com/photos/thumbnails.php?album=200

Copa Del Rey Camper Audi, photos by Gilles Martin-Raget, http://www.martin-raget.com
scuttlebutteurope.com/photos/thumbnails.php?album=201

OK Dinghy Worlds, photos by Robert Deaves
scuttlebutteurope.com/photos/thumbnails.php?album=199

WITH THE U.S. DOLLAR AT NEW LOWS AGAINST THE EURO & POUND….
...now is the time to pick up what Sailing World Magazine calls "An excellent bit of kit". The waterproof Offshore Backpack will keep your laptop and gear dry when everything else gets wet! Features include polyurethane-impregnated fabric with seams that are sewn, taped & RF welded. The removable neoprene computer sleeve cushions large screen laptops and the large main compartment has room for weather gear and boots. Padded shoulder straps comfortably distribute weight and along with the matching Offshore Duffel, make the driest & best looking sailing luggage anywhere.

www.OceanRacing.com

SPEED TEST TO BREST
Fun sporting conditions are forecast for the of the second leg La Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro; 344 miles from Crosshaven in Ireland to Brest in France. The 50 sailors competing in this single handed sailing event are due to start in the Bay of Cork at 11 am local time on Monday morning and are likely to complete the leg in just two days.

After the short inshore dogleg course, the fleet will head out West along the South coast of Ireland to the first mark, the legendary Fastnet Rock, which is to be rounded and left to port side. 8 to 10 knots of N-NW wind is forecast for the start building to 10-15 for the upwind tack to Fastnet. The wind could increase to 20-25 knots upon leaving the Southern tip of Ireland for the spinnaker speed run south to Ushant. The conditions should abate once the fleet levels with the Scilly Isles as the anticyclone moving up from the Azores pushes the last showers and squalls of the dissipating front off East.

The second part of the leg is the 226-mile crossing from Fastnet to the northern tip of Brittany where careful boat handling skills will be required to make the most miles before the wind lightens and at the same time as pushing the boat the skippers will have to protecting the sails and material on board.

This should be a short, fast and fun race for the single-handed sailors; with an upwind beat to the Fastnet followed by a speed race to Brest.

Schedule of remaining legs:

Rosshaven to Brest 344 miles: Start Monday 6th August
Expected arrival of the boats: Wednesday 8th August

Brest to La Coruna - 762 miles: Start Saturday 11th August
Expected arrival of the boats: Thursday 16th August

La Coruna to Les Sables D'olonne - 355 miles: Start Sunday 19th August
Expected arrival of the boats: Wednesday 22nd August

Afflelou Closing Regatta: Friday 24th August

www.lasolitaire.com

BASILICA BAG THE ISHARES CUP AT SKANDIA COWES WEEK
On home waters, British team Basilica won the iShares Cup at Skandia Cowes Week (3-5 August) with a race to spare, bringing their tally to three wins in the overall iShares Cup Extreme 40 Sailing Series. The heavy-hitting team skippered by Robert Greenhalgh and crewed by Peter Greenhalgh, James Grant and Justin Slattery finished ahead of BT helmed by Darren Bundock and skippered by Nick Moloney who not only took second at this penultimate event but moved into third place in the iShares Cup overall series.

While Basilica put in a stunning performance it was the battle between Nick Moloney's BT and Shirley Robertson's JPMorgan Asset Management that really showcased the highs and lows of Extreme 40 sailing. With only four points separating the two teams going into race 15 - the final, double points race - all could be lost or gained in the 25-minute race. Robertson's JPMorgan Asset Management finished ahead of BT but were unable to close the point gap, leaving BT to take second overall. But for double Olympic gold medallist Shirley Robertson, making her first appearance on the Extreme 40 circuit it was an impressive and gutsy performance to take third overall at the end of play today.

Carolijn Brouwer's Holmatro had a brilliant final day on the water. After suffering from breakages on day one and mixed results on day two, the team pulled together for the final day of racing stamping out four second place finishes. Holmatro still sit second in the overall iShares Cup Extreme 40 Sailing Series but BT lurk only one point behind the Dutch team.

The iShares Cup, Amsterdam is the next big date in the calendar. The final event of the iShares Cup will run from 14-16 September where the fleet will race on the expansive North Sea Canal only a five-minute walk from the city centre.

Before then there is more exhibition racing to come. Visitors to Skandia Cowes! Week will get a second opportunity to see these boats up close and personal off The Green in West Cowes between 1730-1900 hours every evening from Tuesday, 7 August through to Thursday, 9 August. Then again before Amsterdam, some of the fleet will head to Lake Garda to compete in Italy's Centomiglia over the weekend of 8-9 September.

www.iSharesCup.com

ARCHIPELAGO RAID WON BY FRENCH NISSAN HOBIECAT TEAM
The Archipelago Raid, the extreme race through the 100,000 islands of the Archipelago region, finished today with the French team of Jean Christophe Mourniac/Franck Citeau clinching victory in what has been an exciting and drama filled event. In a tight fought battle between the French, Team Thule (Mathias Almstedt/Martin Strandberg SWE) one of the local Swedish teams and the F18 European Champions, Yamaha Red (Mischa Heemskerk/Bastiaan Tentji NED) it was the French that finally secured victory having completed a solid and consistent event.

The Archipelago Raid is notorious for the range of conditions it throws at the sailors, the magnificent landscape that the competitors must navigate and the obstacles that stand in their way. And this year was no different - there were two dismastings, a near sinking and numerous collisions with rocks causing significant daggerboard issues for the teams as well as broken gennaker poles and ripped sails. The victory for the French was even more significant as they have never competed in the event before so also win the rookies prize.

29 boats started the race with 5 retiring due to a number of things ranging from dismasting to broken daggerboards.

Final positions after 8 legs:
1. Nissan Hobiecat FRA (Mourniac/Citeau), 214.5
2. Yamaha Red NED (Heemskerk/Tentji), 190
3. Team Thule SWE (Strandberg/ Almstedt), 184.5
4. Nissan Hobicat SWE (Kjerstadius/Tempelman), 170
5. Wippies FIN (Karto/Ohman), 165
6. Team Musto Australia AUS (Pellew/Macpherson), 162.5
7. Catella Racing Team FIN (Johanson/Gahmberg), 161
8. Sundsvalls Bygg SWE (Ekman/Tempelman), 161
9. Team Brossard SWE/FRA (Hennix/Vauchel), 149
10. RBSC Murphy Nye BEL (Desmesmaeker/Thery), 146

www.archipelagoraid.com

RENAUD DE MALET/ROSSOLLIN EUROPEAN CHAMPION HOBIE 16
Gravenzande, Netherlands: On a perfect final day, the Frenchmen Christophe Renaud de Malet and Alban Rossollin from New Caledonia won the European Championship Hobie 16. 'It was a real Hobie Day', was the most quoted expression on the 's Gravenzande beach. Blue skies and a southwester force five made the competitors smile. The battle for gold was full on, as the top three pushed really hard. Le Gall and Obert (also from New Caledonia) took two bullets and moved up to the silver position, followed by Bader and Souquet from France. Top five after 12 races and two discards:

1. Renaud de Malet/Rossollin, FRA, 28 points
2. Le Gall/Obert, FRA, 31
3. Bader/Souquet, FRA, 32
4. Delius/Wiese-Dohse, GER, 74
5. Hahn/Jarling, GER, 75

Quakernack and Ruppel from Germany won the silver fleet.

VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG KING OF COWES
Touareg King of Cowes at Skandia Cowes Week delivered everything it promised and more as the 27 competitors kept the watching crowds and media at the edge of their seats in a stunning three-race regatta that was only decided in the final moments.

Raced in one-design Laser SB3's in perfect Solent conditions, last year's Extreme 40 class winner, Alister Richardson took the crown and drove away with the top prize of a brand new Volkswagen Touareg. Despite only pulling his crew together at the last minute and with virtually no practice Alister and his team of Laser SB3 owner Toby Litton plus Rachel Williamson and Dan Johnson put in a stunning performance to snatch the crown in a final race showdown.

David Apthorp, of the J/105 class, with SB3 owner Geoff Carveth had led the fleet going into the final race but he seemed to struggle as the sea breeze strengthened to over 20 knots. His problems were compounded when crewman Matt Adams took an unplanned swim when they were forced to take last minute action to avoid Hill Head buoy, which suddenly appeared in front of them! Despite losing out on first place, Apthorp found his consolation prize of a Volkswagen Eos more than made up for the disappointment.

Russell PetersRussell Peters, last year's SB3 winner at Skandia Cowes Week, who many thought would trounce the opposition despite not sailing his own boat, in fact only made the top three thanks to a second place in the final race. Peters, sailing with owner David Wilkinson and legendary sailor Zeb Elliott, adds another toy to his collection in the shape of a special edition Laser GXD.

www.kingofcowes.com

THE LAST WORD
To you I'm an atheist; to God, I'm the Loyal Opposition. -- Woody Allen

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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