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CHALLENGERS MEET TO DISCUSS CUP OPTIONS
Challenger representatives met this evening in a joint effort to move forward the process for the next America's Cup.

"It was a very good meeting. The challengers agree that certainty is needed to return to a conventional America's Cup regatta and we are committed to working together to get the event back on track," said GGYC spokesperson Tom Ehman following the meeting.

Twenty-four representatives of 14 challengers met in Valencia and by telephone conference. -- Golden Gate Yacht Club, www.ggyc.org

* The America's Cup remains in a state of uncertainty despite last Tuesday's ruling by the New York State Supreme Court. Alinghi, the Swiss holder, has yet to announce its plans following the disqualification of the Spanish yacht club that it had set up to be the challenger.

Alinghi, which won the America's Cup in 2003 in New Zealand and successfully defended it last summer in Valencia, will decide if it wants to appeal after reading the ruling.

Since then Ellison's team has contacted Alinghi to try to discuss the matter, but has so far received no reply. Oracle has also been in talks with other potential challengers, including Britain's TeamOrigin.

In a recent interview, Alinghi's owner, Ernesto Bertarelli, said that he would not negotiate new terms for the event and was prepared to meet only Ellison in a head to-head battle in 90-foot catamarans. Meanwhile the Swiss legal team circles Valencia while the sailors wait. -- Bob Fisher in the Guardian, sport.guardian.co.uk/sailing/story/0,,2220860,00.html

TOUR DE FRANCE A LA VOILE 2008: BIG CHANGES IN STORE
With a new regatta director: Alain Fedensieu (13 participations, 1 victory), the event will change considerably for the 31st edition:

- The event is more condensed, starting on the 28th of June in Dunkerque and finishing in Hyeres on the 24th of July.
- Fewer, but longer offshore legs in the Chanel and Atlantic, with 3 legs over 180 miles. Host cities are Dieppe, Granville, Perros-Guirec, Lorient and Royan.
-. More inshore racing in the Mediterranean, with transfers between host cities under motor at night.
- Only one Mediterranean offshore leg from Port Barcares to Marseille. Host cities are St Cyprien, Port Barcares, Marseille and Hyeres.
- Teams will discard their worst 5 races instead of worst 2 as in previous years.

The event is attracting renewed international interest from foreign teams that is expected to push entries well above the usual fleet of 30 to 32 Mumm 30's. New entries are expected from Australia, Finland, Germany, Spain, Turkey and the USA.

Alain Fedensieu, new Regatta Director for the Tour de France a la Voile:

"The 2008 edition is really condensed, with no downtime during the whole event. We've tried to reward well prepared teams by setting an intense rhythm from the start. At the beginning of the event, teams will spend almost every second night at sea, which will be very hard on the crew. Obviously the team that wins the Tour de France a la Voile 2008 will need to be incredibly strong.

"The inshore racing is planned to suit the normal weather conditions. We know that wind is almost nonexistent at night in the Mediterranean. For that reason we will use the evening to transfer the boats between host cities, and maximize time available for inshore racing during the day. The objective is clear, to increase the number of inshore races."

www.tourvoile.fr

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 and Christmas 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 Earls Court Boat Show Hall of Fame in Association with Yachting World, 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

HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM TAKES THE ROAR OUT OF THE FORTIES
Now that the majority of the Clipper fleet are in the Southern Ocean (south of 40 degrees south) the crew will be anticipating strong winds and massive waves. However, with an almost stationary high pressure system sitting just ahead of them, the majority of the teams have been enjoying moderate winds, flat seas and clear skies.

These weather conditions will continue for the next few days before the fleet starts to feel the influence of the next low pressure system before the weekend. This system will bring 40-knot winds, lots of rain and the big waves that all the crews have been waiting for.

After more than 1,500 nautical miles of racing, and with 2,700 still to go, Hull & Humber and Uniquely Singapore are in sight of each other which allows the skippers to study their opposite number's tactics and also puts more pressure on the crew to sail well.

Uniquely Singapore's skipper, Mark Preedy, writes, "We have Hull & Humber a few miles on our starboard quarter. It has focused the crew again and it is interesting to see that they are taking a more southerly course than we are."

Race Director, Joff Bailey, says, "Some of the skippers don't like other boats nearby as it freaks out the crew, but Mark is obviously not one of them, judging by his further comments. He said this morning, 'Hopefully the next sched will show that we have maintained our fourth spot. We are trying to defend it and having Hull & Humber in sight helps us keep things fresh and motivated. Uniquely Singapore definitely likes to have other boats in sight. If not, the crew are like me - easily distracted!'"

The Clipper fleet is expected to arrive in Fremantle on approximately 16 December.

www.clipperroundtheworld.com

FARR 40 10TH ANNIVERSARY REGATTAS
Miami, Fla. USA: Almost 10 years to the date of the Farr 40 Class's first regatta in 1997, Jim Richardson (Boston, Mass./Newport, R.I.) on his Barking Mad won the Farr 40 10th Anniversary Regatta, while Massimo Mezzaroma and Antonio Sodo Migliori (Rome, Italy) aboard their Nerone won the Farr 40 10th Anniversary Match Race Invitational. Sponsored by Rolex Watch U.S.A., along with North Sails and Edgewater Boats, the regattas were held November 27 – December 2, 2007 in Miami, Fla.

The match racing round robin as well as the eight-race fleet racing series was run by the Storm Trysail Club with assistance from the Farr 40 Class Association.

Eight Farr 40s competed in the match racing with Wolfgang Stolz's (Frankfurt, Germany) Opus One and Nerone tied on points at the end of the round robin. However Nerone's title was decided on the count back as Nerone had defeated Opus One in their match-up. Barking Mad finished in third place.

In the fleet racing regatta, 17 Farr 40s competed. "One of the most amazing things to me about this Class is that 10 years into it there were six new boats racing for their first regatta. Ten years ago we had seven boats total competing in our first regatta. In addition to the four new owners who competed last week, we had the pleasure of welcoming back Peter de Ridder (Monaco) and his brand-new Mean Machine to the Class and also Hasso Platner's (Chicago, Ill.) Morning Glory joined us after some time off from the Class, and they won a race."

Class newcomers Alex Roepers (Stonigton, Conn.) on Plenty won the seventh race, while Doug Douglass's (New York, N.Y.) Goombay Smash won the eighth race.

Most of the competing teams are expected to participate in the upcoming Rolex Farr 40 World Championship, scheduled for April 16-19, 2008 in Miami, Fla.

Farr 40 10th Anniversary Match Race Regatta (Nov. 27-28) Final results:

Boat name, Owner, Country
1. Nerone - Antonio Sodo Migliori / Massimo Mezzaroma, ITA
2. Opus One - Wolfgang Stolz, GER
3. Barking Mad - James B. Richardson, USA
7. Twins - Erik Maris, FRA
5. Ramrod - Rodrick Jabin, USA
6. Joe Fly - Giovanni Maspero, ITA
7. Ichi Ban - Matt & Lisa Allen, AUS
8. Mean Machine - Peter de Ridder, NED

Farr 40 10th Anniversary Regatta (Nov. 30 – Dec. 2)
Final results:

1. Barking Mad - James B. Richardson, USA, 28
2. Nerone - Antonio Sodo Migliori / Massimo Mezzaroma, ITA, 53
3. Mean Machine - Peter de Ridder, MON, 55
4. Morning Glory - Hasso Plattner, GER, 56
5. Joe Fly - Giovanni Maspero, ITA, 56
6. Ramrod - Rodrick Jabin, USA, 58
7. Goombay Smash - William Douglass, USA, 61
8. Mascalzone Latino - Vincenzo Onorato, ITA, 64
9. Plenty - Alexander Roepers, USA, 66
10. Opus One - Wolfgang Stolz, GER, 66
11. Ichi Ban - Matt & Lisa Allen, AUS, 69
12. Warpath - Fred & Steve Howe, USA, 84
13. Twins - Erik Maris, FRA, 84
14. Darkside, Charles Swingland, GBR, 97
15. Groovederci - John Demourkas, USA, 100
16. Flash Gordon 5 - Helmut Jahn, USA, 105
17. Nimbus - Hunt Lawrence, USA, 125

www.farr40.org

CORK WEEK ONLINE ENTRY
Drawing on years of experience, both as a competitor at and organiser of events, Dave Meagher, Chairman of the Cork Week Race Committee, has designed an on-line entry system for next year's event, which takes place from July 12th to 18th 2008. "Effectively, all you need is your Sail Number and a credit card and you're on your way to competing at the world's friendliest Regatta," says Meagher. The on-line system automatically picks up boat details from the IRC Database.

For those entering before February 1st 2008 , the Organising Committee have decided to maintain the 2006 Entry Fee. "Many of our competitors have been coming to Cork Week for many years and we see this as a way of recognising their loyalty to the event," Dave continued, "as a Committee, we are always looking for ways to facilitate our visitors and as an added bonus this year, we have decided to offer FREE entry to the 100th on-line entrant. "

Check out www.corkweek.ie for on-line entry and we also invite you to register to the Cork Week 2008 Newsletter in order to receive future updates.

FINN SAILORS WARM UP FOR GO FOR GOLD
The Finn class saw a three way shoot out between the world's top sailors including the brilliant UK pair of Ben Ainslie, Britian's dual Olympic gold medalist and Ed Wright who are vying for the same place in the British team and Australia's number one Finn sailor and Olympic team member Anthony Nossiter. After seven races Ben Ainslie came out comfortable on top followed home by Wright and Australia's Anthony Nossiter in third place.

Sail Melbourne Regatta now looms
This years Sail Melbourne World Championships and qualifications for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games will attract over 3000 world class sailors from more than 30 countries who will be in Melbourne throughout December and January.

Sail Melbourne International Regatta includes five Sailing World Championships and is on between December 27 and January 30.

JPMORGAN ASSET MANAGEMENT ROUND THE ISLAND RACE
2008 marks the 77th year of the Island Sailing Club's annual race round the Isle of Wight and the date to note is Saturday 28th June. The Notice of Race will be available online from Thursday 3rd January 2008, when entries open - http://www.roundtheisland.org.uk . From its small beginning in 1931, with just 25 entries, the event has grown to see a record 1,603 finishers in 2007.

Following an initial three year title sponsorship, JPMorgan Asset Management will be supporting the race until 2010. The event also benefits from a dedicated group of Race Partners. They have also signed up for the coming three years and include Britannia Events, Dean & Reddyhoff, Nautica Watches, Old Pulteney Whisky, Raymarine, Red Funnel, St Margaret's Direct and Volvo Car UK. Each sponsor entered the race in 2007.

From replies to the online questionnaire this year, a number of issues were raised which the Club's Steering Group are investigating. As a result, the declarations barge will be discontinued in favour of a mobile phone text messaging system. This can also be used to communicate to individual competitors on protest matters or to the fleet regarding postponements. The Club is also making additional declaration points available ashore.

Over 1,600 boats are normally attracted to the JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race which means mooring in Cowes harbour is stretched to its limits. Race Partner Dean & Reddyhoff is helping by offering permanent berth holders in East Cowes free mooring at one of its other marinas during the event which will release additional berths.

Visitors to the Boat Show running at Earls Court can see the JPMorgan Asset Management stand which is part of the special feature on Cowes. There will be footage to watch from this year's event and a competition to win a image on canvass from top marine photographer Rick Tomlinson. -- Flavia Bateson

www.roundtheisland.org.uk

DUBAI GOLD CUP
Dubai International Marine Club (DIMC), the dynamic club from the United Arab Emirates, organises the eighth and last event of the RC 44 Championship Tour 2007 on December 13-16. The Dubai Gold Cup is also the first overseas regatta for the RC 44 fleet. All RC 44's have been transported together, on their custom-made containers, saving a lot of manpower, effort and extra costs to the teams.

The regatta will reassemble eight teams representing eight nations. Both fleet and match races are scheduled. The winner of the Dubai Gold Cup will be the team with the smallest number of points in the combination of fleet and match races.

The three leaders of the RC 44 Championship Tour 2007 (Chris Bake's Team Aqua with pro sailor Cameron Appleton, Russell Coutts' Team Omega and Miroslav Reljanovic's Cro-A-Sail) are comfortably established at the top of the RC 44 Championship Tour. However, the regatta promises to be intense with newcomers ES Bankers Dubai (Patrick De Barros / Dean Barker), Team Ceeref (Igor Lah / James Spithill) and Team Hiroshi - Citta di Milano (Armando Giulietti / Sebastien Col).

The Dubai Gold Cup will start on Thursday, with fleet races. A match racing round-robin is scheduled on Friday and Saturday whilst the teams will complete the fleet race on Sunday. A short coastal race will be incorporated in the fleet race ranking.

The teams involved:
(Name of team, owner, pro sailor)
Team Aqua, Chris Bake / Cameron Appleton
Team ES Bankers Dubai, Patrick De Barros / Dean Barker
Team Ceeref, Igor Lah / James Spithill
Team Organika, Maciej Nawrocki / Mateusz Kusznierewicz
Team Omega, Russell Coutts
Cro-A-Sail, Miroslav Reljanovic / Morten Henrikson
Team Hiroshi - Citta di Milano, Armando Giulietti / Sebastien Col
Team Beecom, Isao Mita / Kevin Harrap

www.rc44.com

MICHEL DESJOYEAUX NAMED FRENCH SAILOR OF THE YEAR 2007
Tonight, at the traditional "Soiree des Champions" organized by the Federation Francaise de Voile, Michel Desjoyeaux was named as French Sailor of the Year. The winner of the Solitaire Afflelou le Figaro and of the Transat Jacques Vabre with Emmanuel Le Borgne on the 60 feet monohull Foncia succeeds to Lionel Lemonchois, winner of The Route du Rhum - La Banque Postale as French Sailor of the Year. Michel Desjoyeaux receives this price for the second time, he was already crowned for his victory on the Vendee Globe in 2001.

The awards evening took place during the Nautical Paris Boat Show with Desjoyeaux beating seven other nominees to the award.

The other seven nominees were:

Antoine Albeau
Franck Cammas
Yves Le Blevec
Claire Leroy
Ingrid Petitjean/Nadège Douroux
Xavier Rohart/Pascal Rambeau
Nicolas Troussel

French Sailors of the year since 2001 :
2001 : Michel Desjoyeaux
2002 : Olivier Backes and Laurent Voiron
2003 : Xavier Rohart and Pascal Rambeau
2004 : Faustine Merret
2005 : Vincent Riou
2006 : Lionel Lemonchois

LEOPARD ARRIVES IN SYDNEY
ICAP Leopard, the 100 foot super maxi yacht run by Ocean Marine, the British sailing team owned by Mike Slade, will be known as City Index Leopard for the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. City Index, one of the world's leading providers of spread betting, contracts for difference and FX trading, is part of IPGL Limited, shareholders in the world's leading derivatives broker ICAP, who are the ongoing title sponsors of Leopard. City Index Leopard arrived in Sydney early yesterday morning. Canting her keel to one side to allow her towering 154 foot mast to pass under Sydney Harbour Bridge, City Index Leopard will be now be based in Woolwich Marina in Sydney until the start of this year's Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

City Index Leopard will be aiming to take line honours as well as setting a new course record in the 2007 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. Only two British yachts have previously ever taken line honours in the race's history. Capable of speeds of over 35 knots, City Index Leopard has a total downwind sail area of 1,604 square metres. She will be one of the largest boats competing in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht race, with a world class crew onboard.

Built at McConaghy's Boat Yard, Sydney, this time last year, City Index Leopard has spent the summer season based in Southampton, UK, where she has undertaken corporate sailing as well as taking line honours in both the Round the Island Race and the Rolex Fastnet Race, in which she set a new course record. Whilst in Sydney, City Index Leopard will undertake various corporate commitments prior to the start of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

leopard3.com

PARIS SHOW FOCUSES ON ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
The 47th Salon Nautique de Paris, which started on Saturday, expects an attendance increase of 10 per cent to 300,000 by the end of its run on December 9. Organisers have increased the size of the show to 15 kilometres of space, with 1,200 stands. About 170 of the show's 1,200 exhibitors are non-French companies.

This year's show theme stresses environmental stewardship, and highlights measures by the boating industry to protect the environment. According to a story on the AFP wire service, the French boatbuilding industry says that boating activities cause only one percent of water pollution. Show organisers have set up displays stressing the importance of proper disposal of waste materials, and ways of using energy more efficiently. The Bic group also displayed a sailing dinghy made of recycled Bic Biros.

Annette Roux, head of the French boatbuilding federation FIN, and the main shareholder of Groupe Beneteau, told the wire service that the industry has worked hard on techniques to destroy old fibreglass hulls, instead of having owners abandon them. "But so far we are having difficulty finding any: they are in good condition and sailors continue to use them," she said.

Roux said that the French industry is generally healthy. The industry reported an 8.0 percent increase in sales of sailing yachts this year, following an 8.3 percent increase last year. Sales of motor yachts grew by 9.0 percent this year, after 9.8 percent growth in 2006. This year's total sales will be about 1.25 billion Euros. -- International Boat Industry news, www.ibinews.com/ibinews/newsdesk/20071103165053ibinews.html

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 Blue Robinson: Nick Moloney made my cheeks hurt.

For most of this afternoon I was grinning so much the sides of my face now ache, and this is all the fault of Nick, his team from OC events, and the outrageously fast machine that is the ishares Extreme 40 catamaran.

Fast? The extreme 40 slides through the water like something fired out of a crossbow. Acceleration? Slowing down going through the gybe gave my DNA chance to settle back into place before being sped round the harbour again in this two hulled particle accelerator.

The extreme 40 is is Sydney for the next week, racing the 8 km from Manly to the Opera House every day, with different guests on board for the celebrity challenge. The team who sails the fastest time for the week chooses a charity to donate $5,000 dollars to. Fast, fun and fiscally responsible!

First off is triple Olympic swimmer and double Gold medalist Michael Klim, and a storm is forecast to rip through Sydney when they are on the harbour.

* From David J. Elliott: It concerns me that one of the criteria required of a sport to qualify as an Olympic sport is determined by the ability of the media to provide adequate TV coverage – are we testing the athleticism of cameramen? It is undoubtedly easier to point a camera across a gymnasium (not to single them out especially) and collect hours of coverage of a large number of events which have relatively low levels of participation at a competitive level. The cost/minute to cover sailing must be huge in comparison so must necessarily be limited, not least because very few film crew have the necessary skills and resources. Perhaps our efforts should be directed towards developing better ways to report on our sport.

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THE LAST WORD
There is more simplicity in the man who eats caviar on impulse than in the man who eats Grape Nuts on principle. -- G. K. Chesterton

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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