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USA RETAIN TEAM RACING WORLD TITLE
The USA won their third consecutive ISAF Team Racing World Championship as Silver Panda took the honours in Gandia, Spain.

The Americans started the Championship as clear favourites and the USA 1 team, aka Silver Panda, of Clay Bischoff, Lisa Keith, Peter Levesque, Elizabeth Hall, Colin Merrick and Amanda Callahan did not disappoint. They won the ISAF Team Racing World Championship Trophy for the USA for the fourth time, and for the third consecutive Championship. Two years earlier at the New York Yacht Club a large majority of the Silver Panda team had been losing finalists behind Team Whishbone, but since then they've been the star turn on the match racing circuit and once again displayed their technical and tactical abilities over five days of racing in 420s in Gandia.

Racing on the final day was cut short midway through the quarter-final stage. With the series curtailed as a result of the weather, overall victory was decided by the positions in the last fully completed round. This left USA 1 as victors, with the GBR 2 team of Andrew Bryson, Nicola Russell, Matthew Findlay, Georgina Corlett, Thomas Hebbert and Susan Short picking up the silver medal and NZL 1, namely, Graeme Sutherland, Jamie Dawson, Lurie Jury, Georgina Hill, Logan Sutherland and Anne-Marie Waugh, completing the podium.

In the under 21 competition gold went to the GBR 3 team of Elizabeth Stanley, Ian Robertson, James Goss, Oliver Mulcahy, Elliott Parsons and Stephen Videlo. AUS 1 finished second with ITA 1 third. -- ISAF, sailing.org

Event site: www.rcngandia.com/team-racing-world

YNGLING WOMEN EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP
Warnemunde, Germany: Due to severe wind and sea conditions the Medal Race was cancelled after several hours of postponement.

The storm warning was issued the day before the Medal Race because of warning for high sea levels the Sailing Instructions waweres altered so that boats were allowed to be hauled out of the water. This proved to be a good safety measure by the organisation since the entire Yngling dock was under water Friday morning.

The day of waiting was spent wisely by the teams making plans about future training periods. The next major Yngling Women Championship is the World Championship in February in Maimi, USA. Next year's Europeans will be sailed in April in Masnou, ESP.

Top five final places
1. Ekaterina Skudina / Diana Krutzkikh / Natalia Ivanova, RUS, 31.0 points
2. Mandy Mulder / Brechtje van der Werf / Marje Kampen, NED, 35.0
3. Sofia Bekatorou / Sofia Papadopoulou / Christina Charamountani, GRE, 44.0
4. Janneke Hin / Annemieke Bes / Floortje Hendriksen, NED, 49.0
5. Renee Groeneveld / Marye Faber / Petronella De Jong, NED, 51.0

www.yngling.org

NEXUS MARINE CONGRATULATES RORC SEASON WINNER
Nexus marine congratulates the J133 JB3, owned by Charles Ivill and equipped with the NX2 race instrumentation system from Nexus Marine, for coming first overall in IRC on points for the 2007 season and winning the Jazz Trophy. This fantastic result in the face of some stiff competition was the result of great teamwork by the crew and afterguard, and some help from the boat's NX2 instrumentation system. The NX2 is a highly accurate instrumentation system designed to racing boats up to forty feet in length. A fully networked system, data can be channelled to any multi-control display on the boat or via a computer for real time tactical analysis.

For more information go to www.nexusmarine.se

VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG LASER SB3 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
On the final day of the Laser SB3 National Championships two races were completed in light airs before the third race was abandoned. Overall victory went to Glenn Bourke, Jeremy Troughton and Tony Kilby sailing Musto. Russell Peters (Tack Tick) won the first race of the day with Glenn Bourke close behind in second and Barry Parkin (Hullabaloo) in third. Race two saw Paul Brotherton cross the line first with Colin Simmonds second and Parkin taking third once again. Bourke was safely in sixth place, with nearest rival, Peters, in ninth.

With the third race abandoned, Bourke, Troughton and Kilby were crowned the 2007 Laser SB3 National Champions after a 14 race series that saw some spectacularly close racing over four days. Second was Russell Peters with Greg Wells and James Grant, who had lead after the second day when they won three of the four races. An OCS on the third day and then a couple of double digit results were enough to let the ever-consistent Bourke, back into the lead, which he held to the final race. In third overall was Badger Racing; Paul Lovejoy with Rob and Peter Greenhalgh and Sally Wilson, and fourth was Paul Brotherton with Bill Masterman and James Fawcett in Pants.

Long days on the water battling against the cold northerly and a strong ebbing tide to get back to the warmth of the HISC bar meant many of the fleet found the event exhausting. This didn't stop them celebrating in the usual energetic style at the Saturday evening Championship Prize Giving and Dinner.

Prizes were awarded for the SB3 Grand Prix Series, which comprised of four events during the season:

1st Place: Palava - Geoff Carveth
2nd Place: Team Touareg - Craig Burlton
3rd Place: Champagne Blonde - Daniel Geoghegan

The top 10 for the Laser SB3 UK Nationals 2007
1. Musto, Glenn Bourke / Jeremy Troughton/Tony Kilby, 45 points
2. Tack Tick, Russell Peters / Greg Wells/James Grant, 66
3. Badger Racing, Paul Lovejoy / Rob & Peter Greenhalgh/Sally Wilson, 77.5
4. Pants, Paul Brotherton / Bill Masterman/James Fawcett, 94
5. Risk Premiur, Mark Rushall / James Baxter/Liz Rushall/C Savage, 105.7
6. Earls Court Boatshow, Geoff Carveth / Sarah Allen/Emma Clarke, 111
7. Team Touareg, Craig Burlton / Adam Heeley/Richard Gibson, 117
8. Alfie, Lawrie Smith / Ossie Stewart/Rob Cruikshank, 120
9. S4B, Jez Entwistle / T Hewitson/M Davies, 131
10. Charlie Fish, Iain May / Harvey Hilary, 149

Full results at: www.hisc.co.uk/openresults07/sb3_nats_2007.htm

RYA ANNOUNCES FURTHER BEIJING NOMINATION
The British Star crew of Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson are the latest sailors the RYA will nominate to the British Olympic Association to compete at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

The duo won bronze for Skandia Team GBR at the ISAF World Championships in Cascais in July, and aim to combine their quest for Olympic gold in China next year with sailing for Team Origin in the bid to bring the 33rd America's Cup back home to the UK in 2009.

For 31-year-old Percy, Beijing will mark his third Olympic Games after winning gold in the Finn class at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, and then finishing sixth with Steve Mitchell in the Star class in Athens four years later. Although a hugely successful sailor on the Olympic Classes circuit, Beijing would represent the 30-year-old Andrew Simpson's first Olympic Games, having narrowly missed out in the Finn class to Percy in 2000 and Ben Ainslie in 2004.

Percy and Simpson's nomination follows productive discussions between the RYA, Team Origin and the sailors to ensure that these top teams in British performance sailing work in partnership to ensure mutual success and to develop a strong, well respected and successful sport in the UK.

In the Finn class, the RYA Olympic Selection Committee has decided to continue the Olympic Trials, which will see double Olympic gold medallist Ben Ainslie and world number three Ed Wright shortlisted to compete for the single British spot in the heavyweight dinghy category for Beijing 2008.

The trials in the Finn class will continue with events to include the Sydney International Regatta in December and, if required, the Finn Gold Cup in January in Melbourne, and the Princess Sofia Trophy in Palma (ESP) and French Olympic Sailing Week at Hyeres (FRA), both in April 2008. The RYA Olympic Selection Committee reserves the right to disregard results of individual regattas if they deem the fleet quality inadequate for a Trials regatta.

The RYA Olympic Selection Committee has also determined the events which will form the continuing Trials in the Laser Radial class. The shortlisted four of Andrea Brewster, Penny Clark, Charlotte Dobson and Lizzie Vickers will be tested at the Rolex Miami Olympic Classes Regatta in January and, if required, the Laser Radial World Championship at Takapuna (NZL) in March and the French Olympic Sailing Week at Hyeres (FRA) in April.

www.skandiateamgbr.com

COLLINS STEWART LONDON BOAT SHOW CELEBRATES ITS 54TH YEAR
London's largest annual event, the Collins Stewart London Boat Show, returns to ExCeL from 11-20 January 2008. Now in its 54th year the Show, in association with the Daily Mail, promises to offer something for all.

Returning to the 2008 Show will be popular favourites including: classic boats, deck games, anchor watch, the Guinness Bar as well as showcasing spectacular boats, including Ellen MacArthur's Extreme 40 seen in 2007.

Taking advantage of ExCeL's fabulous waterside setting, the Show will once again host a Navy war ship as well as the largest exhibitor boats in production. NBS is looking at getting as many visitors out on the waters as possible to enjoy the experience of boating.

www.londonboatshow.com

RYA REACTS TO CATAMARAN REJECTION FURORE
The RYA have issued a response to the furore over their apparently high handed action in submitting two amendments to the ISAF Council which omitted/removed catamaran events and classes from future Olympics and the Youth World Championships.

In an apparent turn around, the RYA statement has announced that the RYA Council will debate the issues and review its decision at their next meeting which is scheduled for Wednesday 3 October.

The two submissions to the ISAF Council provoked a furious response from the UKCRA.

'This would not only set back youth catamaran sailing worldwide but the knock-on effect of this would be to cost Britain its chances of ever again winning an Olympic gold medal in catamaran racing,' said Reg White, who won the very first catamaran gold medal.

'Without developing the youth teams, Britain will be sunk in future catamaran competitions,' he said.

Excerpt from the RYA statement:

The RYA is aware of the strength of feeling from UK-based multihull sailors, surrounding submissions from the RYA to the 2007 ISAF Conference, due to take place in early November, which relate to the future status of multihull events in both Youth and Olympic Classes programmes.

First and foremost, RYA firmly believes that catamaran racing is a vital and vibrant part of the sport of sailing in the UK and recognises the work carried out by the Catamaran Class Associations in generating and supporting activity.

Decisions on the future direction of the global sport of sailing remain the responsibility of the International Sailing Federation. However, difficult decisions have to be taken from time to time because of the expense of running competitions in a multitude of classes and restrictions placed on the sport by the IOC.

It's regrettable that certain parties feel the consultation process on this issue was lacking. Within the RYA the decision making process was consistent with our normal practice; there was no attempt to hide the policies. These issues were discussed by specialist [non-executive] groups, who then had their views commented on by the RYA Racing Committee. After this the ISAF proposals were then submitted to the RYA Council who are the final arbiters in the UK.

As a consequence of the attention that these two proposals have received from the Cat community in the UK and overseas, the RYA Council will debate the issues and review its decision at their next meeting which is scheduled for Wednesday 3 October. Council members will be provided with a selection of representative emails, letters and web forum addresses as well as this paper.

Representatives of the RYA are planning to meet Rob White and Brian Phipps on Monday 8 October in the late afternoon/early evening, venue TBC but probably London. Should representatives of the UK umbrella catamaran organisations and the Hobie and SL16 classes wish to attend could they email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it so that we can let interested parties know the exact time and venue.

Full RYA Statement on Sail-World.com:
www.sail-world.com/indexs.cfm?nid=37856

LA TRANSAT B TO B : THE BATTLE AHEAD
A single-handed transatlantic race reserved for IMOCA monohulls, the new race between Brazil and Brittany - The Transat B to B - looks like bringing together over half of the contenders from the forthcoming Vendee Globe. More than 4000 miles to sail between Salvador da Bahia and the port of La Foret-Fouesnant, as winter arrives...

With seventeen new prototypes built over the last few months with the Vendee Globe 2008 in mind, the IMOCA class is very active, but all these skippers and those, who already had a 60-foot monohull in their possession for the next single-handed non-stop round the world voyage, must first of all qualify. The rules oblige all newcomers to take part in a race, which is more than 2700 miles long and all the contenders must have carried out a single-handed qualifying run aboard their boat. What better way could there be than to set sail on a transatlantic return crossing from Brazil with just a year to go before the starting gun is fired in November 2008?

To follow on from the two-handed Jacques Vabre, where the 60' monohulls will be reaching the port of Salvador da Bahia sometime between the 16th and 20th November, Mer & Projets, a firm based in Port la Foret run by Gaetan Gouerou, was chosen by the IMOCA class to organise a single-handed return voyage across the Atlantic. Logically, the start will be from Brazil, with the finish in the port of La Foret-Fouesnant expected after just over two weeks of sailing.

With the start scheduled for the 25th November (with the possibility that the date will be put back to the 30th November according to the finishing times in Bahia), the Transat B to B will thus be taking place at the same time as the Paris Boat Show (1st -10th December), and there will be an opportunity to follow the race on the Brittany-Finistere stand with live daily reports from the single-handed yachtsmen. At the pace at which these 60' monohulls go, they should be approaching the Azores just as the Boat Show is closing its doors and be reaching La Foret-Fouesnant in Brittany, the end of the voyage, at around the 15th December.

Confirmed registrations (14 entrants)
Akena Verandas : Arnaud Boissieres (Groupe Finot 1998)
Artemis : Jonny Malbon (Owen Clarke 2003)
Aviva : Dee Caffari (Groupe Finot 1998)
Brit Air : Armel Le Cleac'h (Groupe Finot 2007)
Cheminees Poujoulat : Bernard Stamm (Farr 2003)
Ecover : Mike Golding (Owen Clarke 2007)
Foncia : Michel Desjoyeaux (Farr 2007)
Generali : Yann Elies (Groupe Finot 2007)
Great America III : Rich Wilson (Nivelt 1999)
Groupe Bel : Kito de Pavant (VPLP-Verdier 2007)
Pindar : NC (Kouyoumdjian 2007)
Spirit of Canada : Derek Hatfield (Owen Clarke 2006)
Roxy : Samantha Davies (Groupe Finot 2000)
Safran : Marc Guillemot (VPLP-Verdier 2007)

LONE RUSSIAN SAILOR - IRISH MYSTERY
Mystery surrounds the discovery of a Russian sailor found alone and drifting in a stolen yacht off the Irish coast. The sailor, who may be suffering from dehydration and malnutrition, may have been without food and water for three weeks while drifting in a tiny yacht in the Atlantic at a time when there were several severe weather systems.

He was rescued by the Irish Naval Service some 210km off Ireland's south-west coast.

Valdim Smolyak -- who is in his early twenties -- was spotted by marine surveillance some 210 nautical miles off Loop Head. The Irish Coastguard liaised with the Naval Service and made contact with the man.

The authorities also confirmed that the 12-foot yacht had apparently been stolen from the northern French port of Roscoff in early September.

Contact with the Russian was complicated by the fact he was apparently unable to speak -- however, he eventually agreed to leave the yacht and board the the naval patrol ship, LE. Aisling on Thursday. He was taken to Haulbowline naval base in Cork where he was detained pending questioning by gardai.

Navy officials were amazed that he could have spent so long at sea and still managed to remain in such good health. Communication with the man had to be conducted through special language cards.

Gardai will liaise with the French authorities over the man's questioning. -- The Independent, cited in Sail-World.com: www.sail-world.com/indexs.cfm?nid=37873

LIGHT WIND CONDITIONS CONCLUDE THE ReGATES ROYALES - TROPHEE PANERAI
The organisers of the Regates Royales - Trophee Panerai have had a difficult week in Cannes, with the weather and wind conditions moving from one extreme to the other.

On Friday, mistral conditions with winds gusting over 35 knots kept the fleet ashore. On Saturday, the boats left the harbour, but struggled to complete racing in very light conditions. Sporadic rain showers over the course of the afternoon added to the misery. The classic and spirit of tradition divisions were able to sneak in one race, but the 12 Metre class didn't manage a start on the day, despite being on the water early to maximise their chances.

The 12 Metre fleet began the day with just three races completed in their centennial world championships. Sadly, the light conditions didn't allow racing on Saturday and three races isn't enough to validate the World Championship. So the class will settle for a three-race regatta at the Regates Royales - Trophee Panerai in its centennial celebration year, but no World Championship.

On Friday evening, the 12 Metre class hosted a press conference in tribute to the durability of the class, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. More than 100 boats were built to the 12 Metre rule over the years and according to the class association, 65 are still in 'sailing' condition.

The nearly 80 yachts making up the Classic Yachts and Spirit of Tradition divisions of the Regates Royales - Trophee Panerai managed to sneak in one race on Saturday, bringing the series up to three races. In each division, just the top two race results were scored, with one discard.

Among the divisional winners were Cambria (Big Boats), Emeraude (Classic Marconi A), Sagittarius (Classic Marconi B), Tuiga (Epoque Gaff - Class B), Bonafide (Epoque Gaff - Class C), Agneta (Epoque Marconi B), Amorita (Epoque Marconi C) and Shamrock V (Spirit of Tradition).

On Sunday, many of the Regates Royales - Trophee Panerai fleet took part in a 'feeder' coastal race to St. Tropez. -- Sabina Mollart- Rogerson

www.regatesroyales.com

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THE LAST WORD
Let not the enjoyment of pleasures now within your grasp, be carried to such excess as to incapacitate you from future repetition. -- Lucius Annaeus Seneca

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.

www.YachtsandCruisers.com the new place to buy and sell prestige boats, the website has been designed to showcase high-end boats. People looking to buy prestige boats will be able to easily navigate their way around the site quickly. The portfolio of thousands of boats can be viewed by category, make, location and price. Alternatively the 'Advanced Search' facility will benefit those buyers who have a specific boat in mind.

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