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OLYMPIC GEAR: EQUIPMENT COSTS CONSIDERED
An excerpt from the third part of SailJuice.com's Olympic Equipment Survey:

On 9th November, just a few days from now, the International Sailing Federation will vote on which 10 Events will constitute the Olympic Regatta in Weymouth 2012. An interesting task, considering that there are currently 11 Categories, so ONE MUST GO. This is your opportunity to have your say, by taking part in the SailJuiceBlog.com Olympic Classes 2012 Survey. Read on, and then if you want to add your voice to the Survey, click on the link below,

The cost of Equipment is a major point of debate when it comes to discussing the relative merits of Olympic Classes. Yet in the five criteria that govern ISAF's decisions over which Equipment to choose, nowhere does it say anything explicit about cost. The closest it gets to mentioning cost is that it "must give the best sailors in each country the opportunity to participate in readily accessible equipment".

I remember interviewing Robert Scheidt in 2002, when he'd already won a gold and silver medal at the previous two Olympics. I asked him why he was still sailing the Laser, why he hadn't considered moving into another class. He said he'd like to move into a Star, but didn't have the financial means to do so.

If Brazil's second-most decorated Olympic sailor - after Torben Grael - couldn't afford to sail a Star, then this suggests the Star is not "readily accessible". Of course, since then Scheidt has won a third medal in the Laser, and has made a very strong transition into the Star, this year winning both the Worlds and the Olympic Test Event. So at last he can afford that keelboat campaign.

Equipment cost is a big issue for our Survey respondents, where many of the comments in the Olympic Classes 2012 Survey have focused on cost as a major determinant of a class's suitability for Olympic status. And yet this does not seem to be high on ISAF's selection agenda. "Accessibility" is not the same as "affordability".

Perhaps ISAF is right not to focus too hard on equipment cost. Talking to a coach and project manager who has been closely involved in high-level Olympic campaigning for more than 20 years, Mr X (he didn't want to be identified, but he is one of the most knowledgeable sources of real campaign costs) says that equipment cost forms a negligible percentage of the overall cost of a campaign. For a serious campaign - by which we mean a campaign that is making a serious attempt at winning an Olympic medal, not just competing at the Games - Mr X claims that equipments costs will not even amount to 10% of the total campaign bill... At one end of the scale, the seductive simplicity and affordability of the Laser and the RS-X certainly make these very popular Olympic classes in terms of competitor numbers, but the development cost in these one-designs is much higher than first appears, certainly if you are gunning for a medal.

At the other end of the scale, there is no getting away from the fact that the Tornado and the keelboats are expensive to campaign, but the long shelf-life of hulls and rigs must also be taken into account.

One conclusion we can draw: there is no such thing as a cheap Olympic campaign!

If you haven't already done so, add your voice to the 800 other respondents who have already taken part in the SailJuiceBlog.com Olympic Classes 2012 Survey. -- Andy Rice

sailjuiceblog.com/2007/10/29/the-cost-of-olympic-boats-not-a-simple-formula/

TRANSAT 6.50
If last night was very quiet with only two finish; there should be not less than 14 boats arriving today! Ari Huusela, should be the first and Tom Braidwood could end tiday's ballet.

Two competitors arrived last night: Veronique Loisel on De l'espace pour la mer and Sebastien Picault on Groupe Royer. Veronique left the Terminal Nautico de Bahia to rest a bit. As Sebastien Picault had a shower, got his phone back and tries to rehab to life on dry lands. Ari Huusela should be followed today by: Mathieu Girolet (Le Roi du Matelas), Dominique Barthel (Conseil General de l'Isère), Orti Nacho ( Medi Valencia), David Le Carrou (Le Treport), Matthieu Guillon-Verne (Dcns), Pierre Brasseur (Peintures Ripolin), Adrien Monsempes (Vendee Beton - Sas), Gael Retif (Okoume), Sophie Gueroult (Felibre) et esperes dans la nuit, Jelmer Bouw (Van Uden- Sail center.nl), Pierrick Laine (Wanita@doc), Sigrid Longeau (2B Consulting) and Tom Braidwood (Wombat).

At the moment there is quite no wind in the all saints' bay. Associated to the stream, the final approach might be complicated. Ari is actually suffering because of these conditions and is constantly delayed to finish.

www.transat650.org

NEXUS INSTRUMENTATION ANNOUNCES IMPROVED INTEGRATION WITH EXPEDITION RACING SOFTWARE
Nexus Marine is continuing to develop its highly successful association with Expedition, the complete tactical and navigation package developed by veteran Volvo Ocean Race navigator and Whitbread winner Nick White. The latest upgrade includes enhanced support for the Nexus FDX protocol, allowing substantially faster communication speeds around the network than can be achieved via standard NMEA. The outcome is updated information reaching the tactical team in real-time for a faster response that gives a genuine advantage. The Expedition development team is also currently working on deepening the integration with the new NXR big boat system from Nexus, with the results expected soon.

For more information go to www.nexusmarine.se and effil.tripod.com

THE 3rd EDITION OF DEAUVILLE WEEK ON THE HORIZON
After two editions which have seen the rise of a great international event, the third Deauville International Week is due to held from 28th May to 1st June 2008.

In 2007 there were nearly 80 top level crews and 500 racers, 50% of which were international crews representing 12 nationalities, and contending a record 12 races.

The event is a development which was made possible by the determined commitment of the Mayor of Deauville, Philippe Augier, some highly involved institutional partners (Calvados County Council, the Basse-Normandie Region, the CCI of the Pays d'Auge), the main clubs of the Baie de Seine, as well as by the support of some first-class media partners (Ouest-France, France Bleu Basse and Haute-Normandie, France 3 Normandie) and a host of enterprises.

The 2008 edition will be held from Wednesday 28th May to Sunday 1st June 2008, with an optional training race on 28th and 4 intensive days of racing from Thursday to Sunday. The sporting programme has been organised to facilitate the transfer of the international crews with a first race on Thursday afternoon and an early close to the event on Sunday afternoon.

Emphasis will also be placed on the conviviality on shore with the organisation of a grand crew supper free of charge on Friday 30th May. The registration rights have also been adapted to boost the participation of small craft.

For the one designs (ranking in elapsed time), the integration of recognised labels in the event will guarantee strong participation. Consequently, for the first time Deauville Week will form part of the French J80 Cup, which is a particularly dynamic series. Similarly the 747 OD will contend their National 2008 in Deauville and the Beneteau 7.5 will also receive a warm welcome, both of them very well represented series in Normandy. Two other sizeable one design series fleets will also be putting on a show; the J 109 (7 craft in 2006, 16 in 2007) will again contest their European Cup with a strong English presence and the Mumm 30, a pioneering series in the Tour de France, for which Deauville Week is currently applying for inclusion in the French Crewed Championship.

An increase in the number of IRC craft (ranking in corrected time) is also a firm objective for the 2008 edition. All the IRC classes have been opened and the ratings reconciled with the UNCL Trophee Manche (Channel Trophy), together with a new National IRC label.

The Notice of Race is available on the website and registration is open via internet. -- Manfred Ramspacher

www.deauville-week.fr

ROLEX SYDNEY HOBART APPLICATIONS FOR ENTRY CLOSE FRIDAY
Those wanting to spice up their festive season by competing in Australia's best known offshore yacht race have less than one week to submit an application for entry.

So far a fleet of 66 has been nominated for the 63rd Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race including four 30 metre maxis vying for line honours, plenty of race regulars such as Impeccable and Polaris of Belmont, and a handful of first timers ready to try their luck and skill against Mother Nature.

International entries have already exceeded last year's total with eight overseas yachts so far representing the UK, USA, New Zealand and Mexico.

This week the first Mexican boat ever to contest the Rolex Sydney Hobart, Iataia (pronounced ya-tie-ya), docked at the CYCA following a six month cruise from Acapulco to Sydney via Tahiti, Tonga, Fiji and New Caledonia. The three delivery crew, including skipper Marc Rosenfeld, will now begin preparing the boat for its first Bass Strait assault and the remaining members of the all-Mexican crew will fly in closer to the race start on Boxing Day, 26 December 2007.

Every Australian state is represented on the application for entry list with the number of West Australian entries noticeably up on last year.

Applications for entry close at 5pm this Friday, 2 November 2007.

The final fleet for this year's Rolex Sydney Hobart will be announced at the organising club, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, on the morning of Tuesday 13 November 2007. - Lisa Ratcliff

Notice of race and entry form at www.rolexsydneyhobart.com

A STEERING WHEEL FOR RACERS
Upon request of several nautical professional Exit Engineering has introduced a new 1050 mm diameter carbon wheel. This CE certified wheel is as strong and light as any other, even if it weighs less than 1.5 kg, thanks to the Continuous Shell Construction Process. With this patent Exit Engineering can build monocoque wheels without weak joints nor secondary bondings. The elegant Exit Engineering's 3 spoke design confirms its superiority where weight, strength and total quality are concerned. Exit Engineering's new carbon gangways and steering wheels can be seen at METS - Stand n. 05.359

www.exitengineering.com

ISAF SAILING HALL OF FAME
As part of its Centenary year celebrations, the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) is launching the ISAF Sailing Hall of Fame.

Six inductees from across the world of sailing will enter the ISAF Sailing Hall of Fame in this inaugural year. They will be announced and awarded on Monday 5 November at a spectacular gala dinner at the Estoril Casino, Estoril, Portugal. The event is sponsored by Portugal Tourism, Estoril Tourism and Cascais Municipality.

ISAF President, Goran Petersson (SWE) said "We're celebrating 100 years of the International Sailing Federation! What better way is there than to honour those who have who have dedicated their lives to the sport of sailing throughout our history. The ISAF Sailing Hall of Fame is a legacy from our Centenary year and will be a record of achievement for generations to come."

This prestigious invitation-only event will play host to the heroes, personalities and supporters of the sport of sailing, together with VIPs from Portugal and around the world. The renowned sailing commentator, PJ Montgomery (NZL) will be the compere for the evening, so it promises to be an entertaining night.

The ISAF Sailing Hall of Fame will be a quadrennial event.

www.sailing.org/halloffame

CATAMARANS AT DAWN? OR SETTLEMENT SOON?
In an article at the Detroit Free Press, Tom Ehman of BMW Oracle told Eric Sharp that both sides seem prepared for either eventuality:

From the Detroit Free Press: "Within hours of the time we issued our challenge, they were on the telephone to the same multihull experts we've been talking to. In fact, for a while there was a kind of bidding war going on," said Ehman, who was one of the people arguing Oracle's case in New York City on Monday. The judge is expected to issue a ruling in two to three weeks....

If the Swiss lose, they can negotiate with the Americans. Ehman said that rather than have two syndicates race giant catamarans, BMW-Oracle would prefer to involve all of the challengers and the defender in selecting a new monohull design for a Cup off Valencia in [2009].

CupInfo Editor's note: this article originally quoted BMW Oracle as seeking a "2010" date, but after further inquiry we have confirmed that date was in error and BMW Oracle is still seeking a 2009 America's Cup regatta among defender and multiple challengers, as is Alinghi. -- from CupInfo: www.cupinfo.com , citing this article in the Detroit Free Press:

www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071025/SPORTS10/710250363/1058/SPORTS03

CAN ONE BECOME MEMBER OF THE CLUB NAUTICO ESPANOL DE VELA?
Imagine you wanted to join the yacht club whose privilege is to be the Challenger of Record in the world's oldest and most prestigious sailing competition in order to show off at your friends and boast about over dinner talk. According to the story that Jaume Soler's blog runs today, this is next to impossible.

Macarena Lainez, a well-known sailing journalist in Spain and director of the monthly magazine "Barcos a Vela", wanted to write an article on the required procedure in order for someone to become member of the CNEV (Club Nautico Espanol de Vela) and inform the general public about the organization, activities and services of the yacht club that challenges Alinghi in the 33rd America's Cup.

Nevertheless, what was supposed to be a simple task, gather some basic information, turned out to be an odyssey... According to Manuel Chirivella, president of the CNEV, they are "working" on the issue of the club's organization and their aim is to have all of Spain's yacht clubs as affiliates of the CNEV, adding that it was not born in order to compete with them. As for the issue of having private members, Chirivella said they were "studying" it but at some stage the club will have private persons as members.

The full story, in Spanish, will appear on the December issue of Barcos a Vela.

Read the full article in Valencia Sailing:
valenciasailing.blogspot.com/2007/10/can-one-become-member-of-club-nautico.html

GIPSY MOTH IV: STAR OF THE WHYTE & MACKAY EARLS COURT BOAT SHOW
The all-new Whyte & Mackay Earls Court Boat Show isn't just about exciting shows andChristmas shopping, it's shining with stars from sailing past, present and future. See Sir Francis Chichester's world-famous Gipsy Moth IV; watch Dee Caffari live by satellite in her first Transatlantic race; Michael Perham - the Transat Kid - auctions Cheeky Monkey; Gigi, the Cape Horn-rounding Contessa 32 takes a newly restored bow. There's the National Maritime Museum's Hall of Fame, the Steve Curtis Power Boat Display, good food, Guinness and much, much more. The all-new Whyte & Mackay Earls Court Boat Show: you can't beat boating in the heart of London!

www.earlscourtboatshow.com

GARMIN HAMBLE BIG BOAT SERIES
Following on from the first two days of the Garmin Hamble Big Boat Series held on 13th and 14th October, the ten race series was completed with more intensive racing on 27th and 28th October.

The racing was for two classes which turned out to be as different as chalk and cheese - 45 footers racing on level terms, and IRC 0 yachts on handicap. The breakdown of the level racing class this year was eight Farr 45s and two DK46s, while the IRC 0 class had an extremely diverse make-up, from a 70 foot 25 ton 12 Metre dating back to the 1987 America's Cup, to a Ker 11.3 via an ultra modern TP52, a Rogers 46, a Beneteau First 44.7, a couple of Farr 40s, a J/133, and a MAT12 - almost a one-of-a-kind regatta, but all the more interesting for that.

The 45' level racing was exactly what it said on the tin - level. No less than six boats (including the two DK46s) won races in the ten race series, and every boat featured in the top 4 places somewhere in the series, so no-one was really outclassed.

It would be nice to be able to say the IRC class was also closely fought, but Jerry Otter's TP52 'Fidessa Fastwave' was so fast the others only saw her at the starts. Even on handicap she never fell below third place, and she was particularly impressive when the wind came up. Big Boat Series regular, Rob Goddard's 'Farrfalina' finished second overall in spite of a collision in Race 8 which put her and the other boat out for the remainder of the series. Third overall was the consistent J/133 'Jammie Dodger' of Neil Martin, and fourth place went to David Aisher's splendid Rogers 36 'Yeoman XXXII'.

In fifth overall was the magnificent 12 Metre 'Italia 7', owned and helmed by Richard Rankin. She was always a wonderful sight, and really came into her own when the wind came up on the penultimate day, taking a first and a second place. It was a pity that Richard had a prior engagement on the final day, when there was even more wind.

Conspicuous for her extravagant paint job and long name was John Stapleton's 'Vespucci's Black Sheep', which achieved sixth overall including a second place in Race 5. Jon Sanders' 'Floating Voter' missed the first five races, but made an impact on the second weekend when she won two races and had a second. -- Peter Danby

Results

Gamin Hamble Big Boat Series, 45' level racing, top five:

1 'Freddie Freeloader' Eamonn O'Nolan & Michelle Brachette, 29pts
2 'Fortis Excel' Agne Nilsson, 33
3 'Exabyte Four' Shaun Frohlich 48
4 'Alice 2' Simon Henning 55
5 'Dark & Steamy' Nick & Annie Haigh 55

Garmin Hamble Big Boat Series, IRC 0 class, top five:

1 'Fidessa Fastwave' Jerry Otter 30pts
2 'Farrfalina' Rob Goddard 41
3 'Jammy Dodger' Neil Martin 46
4 'Yeoman XXXII' David Aisher 52
5 'Italia 7' Richard Rankin 61

* Photos by Photo by Peter Danby, www.peterdanby.com , in the Eurobutt Gallery: www.scuttlebutteurope.com/component/option,com_wrapper/Itemid,30/

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 David Munge: Colin Smith's comment that Olympic classes are design for heavy people is factually wrong. Even the Star is now not sailed by heavy people, and with one or two exceptions in that class the helmsmen are also not heavy. Finns are sailed by middle weights and all the rest of the classes by light weights.

There are no classes that can be sailed by heavy weights, all racing boats are designed to keep weight out of the ends, so eliminating a heavy helmsman.

Dennis Connors and Peter Bromby are notable exceptions.

* From Adrian Morgan: Pre-judging the decision of the New York Court seems pretty risky to me. Judge Cahn, who appears to be a 'straight-talking, no-nonsense guy', may well agree that Alinghi do have a yacht club with an annual regatta, according to the rules. Nowhere in the Deed of Gift does it say how long the yacht club needs to have been established (five minutes? Who cares) or what form their regatta should take. ( Optmists? Why not).

* From Nick Jeffery : I noticed sponsor groupeidec has an option for English or Spanish on their web site: www.idec-ingenierie.fr/groupeidec/index.html

"All yacht publicity is good yacht publicity!" - Maybe they'll translate this into French & use for international PR campaign ;-)

FEATURED BROKERAGE
Transpac 52 "Stay Calm", $1,200,000 USD. Lying Palma, Spain

Stay Calm a fourth generation Farr Transpac 52, built by Goetz Custom Boats, RI, was developed to compete in both the European and US Transpac 52 competitions. Design # 597 is Farr Yacht Design's most recent generation Transpac 52. Designed and built beyond typical Med Cup standards, this Goetz-built TP52 is an All-Purpose design, capable of offshore racing in any condition. Stay Calm was launched in 2006 and immediately won Key West Race Week and continued to show great performance at the 2006 Global Championships and 2006 Med Cup Series. Currently lying in Palma, Spain Stay Calm is immediately available for the 2007 Med Cup Series or the up coming USA IRC and TP52 winter events. This is a fantastic offering on a current model All-Purpose design Transpac 52. This design is the direct result of first hand experience gained while sailing and competing in Transpac 52 class for the 3 years.

Brokerage through Farr Yacht Sales: www.farryachtsales.com

Complete listing details and seller contact information at www.farrdesign.com/brokerage/597_StayCalm.htm

THE LAST WORD
If you want to lose your faith, make friends with a priest. -- G. I. Gurdjieff

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 Artemis 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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