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QINGDAO INTERNATIONAL REGATTA: PERFECT MEDAL RACE DAY
Great Britain and Australia led the way as eight gold medals were decided in fantastic conditions for the Medal Races at the Qingdao International Regatta.

The breeze kicked in today in Qingdao with 15-18 knots sweeping across the courses for today's eight Medal Races. Great Britain ended the day with three gold medals and a silver, whilst the Aussies picked up two golds, a silver and a bronze. France also claimed four medals, all of them bronze.

When sailors turned the corner out of the marina they were surprised by the heavy winds and the waves. Some sent their coaches back in to get their hiking boots, hiking shorts and spray tops. As the day went on the wind came up and the current started to rip in the opposite direction of the wind making for tall rollers that broke over spectator boats by the end of the day.

Sailors had to adjust everything for today's sailing. The rollers and whitecaps were strong enough for the RS:X sailors to catch air while they zipped around the starting area. Everyone else tightened down their rigs and powered up for racing. Mental attitudes also changed. Sailors focused on the medals at stake and were less concerned about sunstroke and heat exhaustion.

On the outer courses the Yngling, Laser and Laser Radial fleets all completed the final races of their opening series and will line up for their Medal Races tomorrow, starting at 13:00 local time.

Top three final places:

470 Men
1. Mathan Wilmot/Malcolm Page, AUS, 30 points
2. Nicholas Rogers/Joe Glanield, GBR, 35
3. Alvaro Marinho/Miguel Nunes, POR, 58

470 Women
1. Elsie Rechichi/Tessa Parkinson, AUS, 52
2. Ai Kondo/Naoko Kamata, JPN, 52
3. Ingrid Petitjean/Nadege Douroux, FRA, 54

49er
1. Stevie Morrison/Ben Rhodes, GBR, 50
2. Iker Martinez/Xabier Fernandez, ESP, 51
3. Peter Hansen/Soren Hansen, DEN, 58

Finn
1. Ben Ainslie, GBR, 26
2. Pieter Jan Postma, NED, 34
3. Peer Moberg, NOR, 36

RS:X Men
1. Tom Ashley, NZL, 16
2. Yuan Guo Zhou, CHN, 25
3. Julien Bontemps, FRA, 28

RS:X Women
1. Bryony Shaw, GBR, 19
2. Alessandra Sensini, ITA, 23.6
3. Jessia CRISP, AUS, 27

Star
1. Robert Scheidt/Bruno Prada, BRA, 19
2. Hamish Pepper/Carl Williams, NZL, 23
3. Xavier Rohart/Pascal Rambeau, FRA, 27

Tornado
1. Roman Hagara/Han Peter Steinacher, AUT, 14
2. Darren Bundock/Glenn Ashby, AUS, 21
3. Xavier Revil/Christophe Espagnon, FRA, 26

Currently leading going into Thursday's medal races:

Laser
1. Maciej Grabowski, POL, 47
2. Paul Goodison, GBR, 49
3. Rasmus Myrgren, SWE, 53

Laser Radial
1. Anna Tunnicliffe, USA, 28
2. Jo Aleh, NZL, 39
3. Tina Mihelic, CRO, 58

Yngling
1. Sally Barkow/Carrie Howe/Debbie Capozzi, USA, 20
2. Sarah Ayton/Sarah Webb/Pippa Wilson, GBR, 21
3. Renee Groeneveld/A. Bes Marije Kampen, NED, 28

www.2007qdregatta.com

GOLDEN GATE GRANTED COURT ORDER TO ADVANCE AMERICA'S CUP RESOLUTION
The Supreme Court of the State of New York today granted an order sought by the Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) requiring the Societe Nautique de Geneve (SNG) to promptly answer a request to speed up the legal process for resolving its proposed new rules for defending the next America's Cup.

The San Francisco club sought the Court ruling alleging SNG is in serious breach of its fiduciary duty under the Deed of Gift that governs the Cup. It says SNG has accepted an invalid challenge from a sham yacht club, and is seeking to impose an unprecedented one-sided set of rules that hugely favor the defender to the detriment of all other competitors.

"We are very pleased with this ruling by the Court, because we believe the Cup will be irrevocably damaged if we don't get SNG's Protocol changed," Tom Ehman, Head of External Affairs for BMW ORACLE Racing, the US club's team, said.

"The new Protocol would give SNG's team, Alinghi, radical new powers to control nearly all aspects of the event that are still unsupported by any explanation from SNG as to why they are needed," he said.

Ehman said the syndicate whose challenge had been accepted by SNG, the Club Náutico Español de Vela (CNEV), was a shell organisation that had been formed only days prior to issuing a challenge and did not comply with the terms specified by the Deed of Gift.

"We would still prefer to negotiate a solution outside the court, but we see SNG as violating its responsibilities as Trustee, and we are fully prepared to go the legal distance if needed to stop the America's Cup being subverted into a hopelessly one-sided event," he said.

The Deed of Gift that protects the Cup as a perpetual sporting challenge is governed by a fiduciary trust established under New York law in 1887.

The GGYC court action also seeks a preliminary injunction to obtain critical information related to the club's challenge under the Deed of Gift.

The American challenge is for a race next summer under the Deed's 10-month rule. GGYC need to know where SNG intends to hold that competition and what the SNG sailing rules are. Under the Deed, the Swiss Defender is required to provide these important details to the Challenger.

GGYC filed a challenge on July 11th, and asserts that SNG must accept it. If successful in this motion, the GGYC case could be heard by the Courts as early as October 2007. -- Golden Gate Yacht Club,

www.ggyc.com

SOUTHAMPTON BOAT SHOW
The Southampton Boat Show in association with ITV Meridian returns to Mayflower Park this September. Celebrating its 39th year the Show, which has Europe's largest purpose built on-water marina, takes place from 14-23 September 2007. This year, the Show will see an exciting line up of famous boats on the feature berth of the Hydropool Marina. Not only will Sir Robin Knox-Johnston be there with his Open 60 "Lombard Marine Finance:, along with Mike Golding and the Open 60 ECOVER but TEAMORIGIN, Official Challenger for the 33rd America's Cup, will bring the newly liveried GBR 75 race training America¹s Cup boat to the Show.

www.southamptonboatshow.com

FINN SILVER CUP - JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Day three - glass out in Moscow

Today's news from Moscow was not particularly good news, but it did mirror much of the news coming from certain other regattas. In fact the water was like a mirror itself as a glass-out descened on Klyazminskoe Lake.

There was no change in the overall results as day three of the Finn World Junior Championships was a day of no wind and waiting around in vain. The forecast for Thursday is no better so the organisers have decided to go ahead with the lay day anyway, so no doubt the sailors will get a chance to visit Moscow and see all the sights.

Results: silvercup.moscow-finnclass.ru/engResults
Photos: www.finnclass.org/News/Junior_WC_2007.htm

NEW RECORD
The WSSR Council announces the ratification of a new World Record:

World Record: Cowes to Dinard - the Cross Channel Record - Singlehanded.
Yacht: "IDEC". 98ft Trimaran
Name: Francis Joyon FRA
Dates: Sunday 18th August 2007.
Start time: 7 h 52' 41sec GMT
Finish time: 14 h 16' 17sec GMT
Elapsed time: 6 hours 23 minutes and 36 seconds.
Average speed: 138 miles - 21.6kts

Previous record: "Sodebo" - 60ft Trimaran, Thomas Coville FRA, 15th July
2006, 7 hours 55 minutes 47 seconds, 17.40 knots

John Reed
Secretary to the WSSR Council

CONGRATULATIONS TO FRANCK CAMMAS & CREW ON "GROUPAMA III"
Gori propeller is the chosen brand of propeller for high performance multi hulls and grand prix yachts, including GROUPAMA III, which broke the record crossing the Atlantic in less than 4 days, with an average speed of 28.1 knots.

Gori propeller when folded does not auto rotate, and has the lowest drag of all sailboat propellers. Find out more at www.gori-propeller.com

VALLE ROMANO MEAN MACHINE STRETCH THEIR LEAD
A fifth from a tricky first race today followed by their third victory from five starts ensures that Peter de Ridder and his Valle Romano Mean Machine crew extend their overall lead at the Breitling MedCup TP52's Circuit's Portugal Trophy off Portimao to ten points.

After the big winds of yesterday the series' fourth race started after a long wait for a sea breeze to develop.

When it did it produced a demanding race track which challenged afterguards to balance the benefit of more breeze on the left side of the course against the favoured wind shift on the right side.

Russell Coutts set up Artemis well from a strong start near the middle of the line and lead Caixa Galicia around the first windward turn, but as Caixa Galicia erred further offshore on the downwind leg they were able to get their bow in front near the bottom of the run, to seize the advantage of the left hand gate mark with that the right side of the course.

With John Kostecki calling tactics for helm Roberto Bermudez de Castro, Caixa Galicia extended to win by 37 seconds from Artemis, with Tau Ceramica Andalucia clinging on to third place, their first podium finish this season.

As the conflicting breezes then fought for supremacy another long delay ensued and it was 1720hrs before the second contest of the day was started in a breeze which carried many of the hallmarks of yesterday's brisk NW'ly.

Standings after Day 2, Race 5.

1. Valle Romano Mean Machine, (P de Ridder, MON-Judel Vrolijk 2006), 15 points
2. Artemis, (T Tornqvist, SWE-Judel Vrolijk 2007), 25
3. CxG Corporacion Caixa Galicia, (V Tirado, ESP-Botin & Carkeek 2007), 29
4. Bribon, (Jose Cusi, SM Jua! n Carlos, ESP-Judel Vrolijk 2007), 31
5. Siemens, (A Roemmers, ARG-Judel Vrolijk 2007), 33
6. Patches, (E Conneely, IRL-Reichel Pugh 2007), 38
7. Windquest, (D de Vos, USA-Botin Carkeek 2006), 39
8. Cristabella, (J Cook, GBR-Judel Vrolijk 2006), 45
9. Stay Calm, (S Robinson, GBR-Judel Vrolijk 2006), 46
10. Balearia, (G Aurajo, ESP-Botin Carkeek 2005), 46

www.medcup.org

* Photos of Wednesday's racing by Thierry Martinez, www.thmartinez.com in the Eurobutt Gallery: scuttlebutteurope.com/photos/thumbnails.php?album=215

NEW NX1000 POCKET VHF FROM NEXUS MARINE
...the all-new, pocket-sized NX1000 is the perfect VHF for the racing sailor who wants to listen out for the committee boat without the hassle of a chunky VHF weighing him down. Incorporating the latest electronic circuitry and fully waterproof, the NX1000 uses standard AA batteries for added convenience while still giving 16 hours of operation with normal use. Added features include a large, easy-to-read screen, dual watch monitoring and a tough, rubberised outer casing. Available at all good chandleries, the NX1000 has an RRP of 69.95 pounds including VAT / 89 euros plus tax.

www.nexusmarine.se

THE CURLY HEADED KIWI
Geoff Stagg grew up in Eastbourne, a suburb close to the eastern shores of Wellington Harbour, just a short sprint from the Muritai Yacht Club where he made a name for himself as a young man in a hurry. He raced to win and took no prisoners. Fair, but tough!

After progressing through the very junior classes Stagg found success in New Zealand and Australia in the Cherub Class, a hard chine plywood 12 foot dinghy. His yacht was called 'Whispers', designed by the rapidly emerging Auckland designer John Spencer who, through the 1960's and '70's was championing hard chine, plywood yacht design and construction

This was all happening during the late 1960's, about the time that Chris Bouzaid took New Zealand sailing skills to Heligoland and demonstrated to the world in general that Kiwi's can sail! Stagg was like a lot of young New Zealand yachtsmen who was inspired by Bouzaid's success and he too, set his sights on distance racing in a bigger yacht.

He again turned to John Spencer and the design outcome was a 13.7 m. version of the late Sir Tom Clark's 18.6 m 'Infidel', a downwind flyer, still racing ( now 19.8m long) in the U.S.A as 'Ragtime'. Spencer had originally drawn the smaller boat in 1965

Geoff Stagg and friends built the boat in a lean-to shed near the Stagg family home and launched 'Whispers II' in 1970. The new yacht was an immediate success and in the fresh to strong breezes that are the norm on Wellington Harbour, 'Whispers II' quickly became the yacht to beat.

Down wind she had no equal, but although a lot was talked about the design- and it was a quick boat- the skill of Stagg and his crew of ex-dinghy sailors also had a great deal to do with the yachts performance. Race after race the narrow, flying blue-green 'Whispers II' could be seen sailing on the edge down wind, mainsail easing out and trimming on as the helmsman required and spinnaker clew high to ease the leech and the luff just on the fold! Really 'smoking'!

The full story (and images of his new painting of Whispers II) by Jim Bolland at www.auldmug.com/newsletter.html (click on the August issue)

TEAM BASILICA AT THE LOCH NESS MONSTER RACE
The Basilica Extreme 40 Team has announced it will take part in the 2007 Loch Ness Monster race which takes place on Saturday 25th August on Loch Ness. The race, a fifty mile endurance event, will see over forty catamarans from across the UK sailing twice the length of Loch Ness. Basilica, one of the fastest sailing boats in existence, will be sailed by the UK's top sailors and will be the fastest boat on the water. At speeds in excess of thirty knots, Basilica will be the boat to beat, demonstrating why it currently sits at the top of the iShares Cup Championship.

Following the success of races in previous years, the 2007 Loch Ness Monster Race is set to be the biggest and best yet. Over one hundred individual competitors will race past the stunning Urquhart Castle to the turning mark at Fort Augustus. Competitors will then battle their way back to the quiet village of Dores to complete the non-stop, fifty mile ordeal. The high-performance fleet promises to be the largest turnout for a UK long distance race this year, with higher numbers than the well established East Coast Piers Race and the Weston Fast Boat Race.

The Loch Ness Monster Race takes place on the 25th August.

The final leg of the iShares Cup will be held in Amsterdam from 14th - 16th September. Team Basilica is on firmly on course to be the inaugural winners of the iShares Cup.

www.isharescup.com

RONSTAN 18' SKIFF INTERNATIONAL REGATTA
San Francisco, California, USA: The Ronstan 18' Skiff International Regatta kicked off with two bullets by Howard Hamlin, Mike Martin, and Paul Allen of Team Pegasus racing in a fleet of nine boats.

Conditions varied widely with winds both light and heavy, and seas smoothed by a flooding tide, but occasionally kicked up by commercial traffic.

Paul Allen said, 'It was up and down, and all around. The wind was really gusty, It was 5 to 25. There were times when we were fearing the bear away at the top mark, and other times when we were all standing in the middle of the boat.' -- Abner Kingman, www.sail-world.com

Top five after four races:
1. Pegasus, Howie Hamlin, Mike Martin/Paul Allen, 4.00 points
2. Yandoo, John Winning, Andrew Hay/Cameron McDonald, 8.00
3. Delonghi, Grant Rollerson, Simon Nurney/Chris Cleary, 14.00
4. GBR 22 (TMF), Jarrod Simpson, David Cunningham/Adam Ovington, 15.00
5. Blue, Patrick Whitmarsh, Chad Freitas/John Goldsberry, 24.00

www.stfyc.com

* Photos of the action on San Francisco Bay by Erik Simonson: www.h2oshots.com/gallery2/index2.php

FRANCO RODINO
Upon arriving up at the race village yesterday, all the sailors and teams were shocked to learn of the sudden death of Franco Rodino.

Franco was a lifelong photographer and sailing journalist from Italy. Franco suffered a heart attack in a RIB yesterday while out on the water doing what he loved to do...follow the races.

All of the TP52 fleet sends Franco's family our sincerest condolences. -- Paul Cayard

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 Alistair Skinner: Noted with interest the suggested move from Qingdao to Hong Kong for the Olympic Regatta.

Yes perhaps ISAF and the IOC should have looked more closely before they decided on or agreed to the venue but it is interesting to see that the strongest team, Team Skandia GBR, has sailors in 9 of the 11 medal races and currently 4 in pole position on the leaderboard. The best usually rise to the top after all.

Hong Kong in the Typhoon season where even the local clubs put their season on hold - mmm could be interesting.

FYI our club in Shanghai had 15 knots on Sunday while I was up in Qingdao cooking in no breeze

* From Richard Dobbs: Is there any truth to the rumour that Quingdao was selected on the basis of average historic wind speed - despite the fact that this is distorted by the odd cyclone?

FEATURED BROKERAGE
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THE LAST WORD
The first duty of a revolutionary is to get away with it. -- Abbie Hoffman

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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