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A GLOBAL ACHIEVEMENT
An amazing feat. The IDEC trimaran crossed the finishing line off Brest on Sunday 20th January 2008 at 00h39'58 At the age of 51, Francis Joyon is once again the fastest solo yachtsman around the world having completed the voyage in 57 days, 13 hours, 34 minutes and 6 seconds. He has shattered the previous record, held since 2005 by the British yachtswoman, Ellen MacArthur by 14 days, 44 minutes and 27 seconds.

It is truly an incredible performance: while he thught it was possible to bring the time down to below 70 days (the time to beat was 71 days and 14 hours), the sailor from Locmariaquer in Southern Brittany has brought it down to below 60 days and even to below 58 days. On board IDEC, Francis Joyon has covered more than 26 400 nautical miles at the astonishing average speed of 19.09 knots.

Francis Joyon also becomes the only solo sailor in the world to have grabbed the non-stop single-handed round the world voyage record aboard a multihull on two occasions after a first record back in 2004. A feat that was has only been bettered once since then and that was when Ellen MacArthur successfully completed her voyage in 2005, which led to her being awarded the title of Dame by Queen Elizabeth II.

The second best time ever
We also should add that Francis Joyon has just achieved the second best time ever for sailing around the world, including crewed voyages! Thus, the crewed record set by Steve Fossett's giant Cheyenne (58 days, 9 hours and 32 minutes in April 2004) has been beaten. Only the crew of Bruno Peyron's maxi-catamaran Orange II still hold the outright record in just over 50 days.

On board his thirty foot trimaran designed by the design team of Irens/Cabaret, Francis Joyon has the additional satisfaction of sailing all the way around the world "cleanly", without the use of any fossil fuel (no engine), generating his own energy with a wind turbine and solar panels.

After a final week that was very tough on the nerves – a shroud threatened to collapse, which would have led to IDEC dismasting - Francis Joyon will remain at sea for a few more hours after crossing the line. He will come ashore in Brest Commercial Harbour on Sunday morning at 09h00 local time.

www.trimaran-idec.com

* "It couldn't have gone to anyone better," said Ellen MacArthur in Brest, welcoming Francis Joyon who magnificently broke her solo round-the-world record, established in 2005. Joyon, who had been the first man to complete a non-stop circumnavigation in 2004, had the following year lost his crown to Ellen MacArthur, but yesterday set a staggering new benchmark time of 57 days, 13 hours, 34 minutes and 6 seconds.

"It's just huge," commented Ellen when asked to describe Francis Joyon's feat. "I really had to give everything I had to beat his 2004 record, today he betters mine by 14 days. Amazing seamanship, ideal weather and a faster boat are the key factors, but above all I cannot express how much respect I have for the man," said a visibly moved Ellen MacArthur.

Joining Francis on stage this morning after having flown over the IDEC trimaran, which left her mooring at 9:00, Ellen MacArthur wished to remain as discreet as possible, but was very warmly welcomed by the crowd - the French public being sincerely appreciative of her presence. Such was the case for Joyon too, and the hero of the day thanked her for being there before commenting: "Going after her record was a very tough challenge, and it's not something you'd do every two years. But then again, she had smashed mine, so I had to do something about it! I know how hard it had been for Ellen considering she bettered a reference time I really had to fight for in 2004, so when I set off I knew I was up against something really big. I'd never had dreamt of taking two weeks off her record," concluded an exhausted Joyon before slipping away to join his family.

"Beyond sports and the stunning performance he's setting, this journey also was a way for him to send a message regarding the planet and its preservation: he only relied on clean energies and did not have an engine aboard his trimaran, and it brilliantly shows that it can actually be done. Sustainability, resources management and environmental issues are at the centre of my preoccupations, and the "clean" aspect of Francis's journey certainly adds to its value as far as I'm concerned," concluded Ellen. -- btteamellen.com

* Photos of Joyon's finish by Thiery Martinez ( www.thmartinez.com ) in the Scuttlebutt Europe photo gallery, www.scuttlebutteurope.com/component/option,com_wrapper/Itemid,30/

ONE MORE FOR CAPE HORN AS THE GAME CLOSES UP
Four of five boats in the Barcelona World Race are back in the Atlantic Ocean as this weekend first Temenos II and then, just hours later, Mutua Madrilena rounded the famed Cape Horn. They join race leader Paprec-Virbac 2 and second-placed Hugo Boss in the Atlantic Ocean.

That leaves just Educacion sin Fronteras still in the Southern Ocean. On Sunday afternoon skippers Albert Bargues and Servane Escoffier were roaring towards the Cape at 15 knots, knocking off another 350-mile day. With the Cape less than 700 miles away, Educacion sin Fronteras should join the others in the Atlantic Ocean by early Tuesday (GMT) at the latest.

On Saturday, it was first Temenos II and then Mutua Madrilena who turned their backs on the Southern Ocean. For Mutua Madrilena, it was a momentous occasion; not only had they rounded Cape Horn, but they were the fastest boat in the fleet over this long stage from Wellington, New Zealand to Cape Horn.

By sailing so quickly on the sixth stage of the race, Mutua Madrilena has closed up significantly on Temenos II, finishing the week just 89 miles behind. That means the Atlantic Ocean will almost certainly be the decider for third place and a podium position.

The battle at the front has closed significantly over the week as well, although Paprec-Virbac 2 still commands a 542 mile margin. But Hugo Boss has taken advantage of the fickle conditions off the coast of South America to close up to the race leader by more than 300 miles over the course of the week.

Day 71 - January 20, 14:00 GMT - Position report with distance to leader

1. Paprec-Virbac 2 - Jean Pierre Dick / Damian Foxall - 4373 To Finish
2. Hugo Boss - Alex Thomson / Andrew Cape - 542
3. Temenos 2 - Dominique Wavre / Michele Paret- 2069
4. Mutua Madrilena - Javier Sanso / Pachi Rivero - 2158
5. Educacion Sin Fronteras - Servane Escoffier / Albert Bargues - 3192

www.barcelonaworldrace.org

NAVAL ARCHITECT REQUIRED
FOR SOUTH COAST YACHT DESIGN OFFICE
SPECIALISING IN THE DESIGN OF SUPERYACHTS, BOTH SAIL AND POWER - The successful applicant will have a relevant qualification and good working experience within a superyacht/ship design office.

- A minimum of five years' design office experience is considered essential for this position, with at least two years' continual work using CAD.

- Experience with yacht structures and work with 3D modelling is a requirement.

- The salary is negotiable.

Please apply in writing to:
Helen Williams
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www.duboisyachts.com

MANAGEMENT CHANGES AT THE ROYAL OCEAN RACING CLUB
The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) has announced the management changes with the appointment of Eddie Warden Owen as its Chief Executive Officer from late February and Ian Loffhagen as the new Racing Manager. Eddie will be responsible for the overall management of all aspects of the Club's core activities. Ian Loffhagen and Mike Urwin, the Technical Director in charge of the Rating Office, will report to the Chief Executive.

Eddie joins RORC after having an impressive sailing career spanning over 25 years in the international sailing arena. He has raced in most of the classic offshore regattas around the world, Admirals Cup, Southern Cross Cup, Fastnet Race and Middle Sea Race. An accomplished match racer, he has been involved in 7 Americas Cups, the most recent as Coach to the Spanish team, Desafio Espanol 2007, in Valencia.

Ian Loffhagen has been deputy Racing Manager at the RORC for 7 years and takes over from Janet Grosvenor as Racing Manager from 1 March 2008. The Club will recruit a new deputy Racing Manager to support Ian. Janet will continue to work for the RORC with responsibility for management of events such as the Red Funnel Easter Challenge, the IRC Championships and the Rolex Commodores' Cup.

rorc.org

ASHLEY AND SENSINI TAKE WORLD TITLES
Tom Ashley from New Zealand has secured the 2008 RS:X Men's World Championship in the medal race sailed in blustery conditions off Takapuna beach. Alessandra Sensini has taken out the women's title with a win in the medal race.

South easterly winds gusting to 25 knots were seen for the first time during this event and the medal races took place close to shore with a crowd of spectators on the beach and nearby ramp.

Sitting on equal points going into the medal race it was all on between Sensini and local legend Barbara Kendall.

At mark one Kendall rounded in fourth place but made up remarkable ground to pass Blanca Manchon on the final leg and cross just twelve seconds behind Sensini.

"I blew the start, dammit" said Barbara Kendall with a wide grin. "From there it was catch up and it's pretty difficult to catch Alessandra because we're such similar sailors."

Just two points separated the old rivals at the conclusion of the regatta and Sensini rounded out the championship with five wins from ten races. She never finished outside the top ten in conditions which ranged from extremely light and shifty to a medal race which saw gusts of 25 knots.

The men's medal race was a tactical one for overnight leader Tom Ashley who was focussed on staying close to Shahar Zubari of Israel and Joao Rodrigues of Portugal who also had gold in their sights at the outset of the medal race.

While Przemyslaw Miarczynski POL and Nick Dempsey GBR fought it out for the medal race win, Ashley came home in fourth place ahead of Rodrigues and securing him his first world title. The young kiwi, who will represent New Zealand at the 2008 Olympic Games was delighted to bring home the win in front of a home crowd which included friends and family.

Shahar Zubari was eighth in today's medal race which saw him slip from second overall to third to take the bronze. Rodrigues, who was fifth in the medal race secured the silver medal.

RS:X Men's World Championships
Top Ten Results

1. Tom Ashley NZL - 44 points
2. Joao Rodrigues POR - 55 points
3. Shahar Zubari ISR - 56 points
4. Przemyslaw Miarczynski POL - 61 points
5. Ivan Pastor Lafuente ESP - 74 points
6. Nick Dempsey GBR - 75 points
7. Samuel Launay FRA - 75 points
8. Jon Paul Tobin NZL - 77 points
9. Piotr Myszka POL - 87 points
10. Nicholas Le Gal FRA - 91 points

RS:X Women's World Championships
Top Ten Results

1. Alessandra Sensini ITA - 23 points
2. Barbara Kendall NZL - 25 points
3. Marina Alabau ESP - 41 points
4. Faustine Merret FRA - 45 points
5. Blanca Manchon ESP - 54 points
6. Charline Piccon FRA - 55 points
7. Peina Chen CHN - 63 points
8. Bryony Shaw GBR - 67 points
9. Mingli Duan CHN - 68 points
10. Pauline Perrin FRA - 77 points

For full results www.rsxclass.com/worlds2008.html

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15TH DUBAI MUSCAT YACHT RACE
The 15th Dubai to Muscat race started at lunchtime on the 18th January from Dubai Offshore Sailing Club. The race this year has been overseen by the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC).

Twelve boats have entered the 365 nautical mile race from Dubai, up the west coast, through the Straits of Hormuz and across the Arabian Sea to Muscat. A good 20 knot wind sent the competitors on their way with a long beat into the wind heading up the UAE coastline. The early leader, as expected, was Yo, Toby O Connell's Pacific 50 which is expected to come close to breaking the existing record of 51 hours and 52 minutes held by Twister. Yo is closely followed by Faith, a Beneteau 44.7 owned by an Emirates pilot Francis Carr and the rest of the fleet are spread out along the coast.

There is a website to track the boats at map.globaltrack.com/dubai_muscat/# and if the winds stay as forecast then Yo could be in Muscat on the morning of Sunday 20th January breaking the record by hours. There will be a prize-giving and reception at the Bandar Al Rawdha Marina in Muscat on the 23rd January.

1928: COWES WEEK? OR THE OLYMPICS?
At this moment sailors in 11 classes from all over the world are working very hard to get selected for the 2008 Olympics in China. For many it is seen as the ultimate regatta to sail. For others it is the stepping stone to a career as professional sailor.

In 1928 the situation was somewhat different. The sailing event of the Amster- dam Olympics was organ- ized in only 3 classes (12" Dinghy, 6 Metre and 8 Me- tre). In the early days of the Olympic Games each sport had it's own period in the Olympic year. E.g. Athletics in spring, swimming in summer and gymnastics in autumn. Unfortunately the dates planned for sailing where overlapping the already established Cowes week. This proved to be a difficult choice for the top sailors at the time. The president of the Royal Dutch Yachting Union, made a journey in 1927 to England to make explicit that the 1928 Olympic Regatta would be special!

Fortunately some highly respected sailors, like King Olav from Norway, made the choice for Amsterdam. Some others went to Cowes.

From 20 - 27 of September 2008 the first Vintage Yachting Games will be held in the Netherlands, off the coast of Medemblik.

For the Europe, O-Jolle, Flying Dutchman, Soling and Dragon classes, 2008 will be the first year that these classes will reconvene in a regatta organized in the light of their Olympic history.

The Vintage Yachting Games Organization is aiming for about 20+ boats at the starting line in each class.

www.vintageyachtinggames.org

SIMON LACEY JOINS DOYLE SAILS SUPERYACHT DIVISION
Having recently retired as Captain of the 122' SY Ghost and prior to that, the 130' J Class yacht Velsheda, Simon Lacey is well known and respected in the Superyacht industry. Simon now joins Doyle Sails International as a key staff member. Based from the Doyle loft at Shamrock Quay, Southampton, he will be responsible for both design and production of major superyacht projects.

Before he took to the sea as Captain, Simon had undertaken all the development work for a number of major projects, including wind tunnel testing and sailcloth development. His experience racing high performance superyachts and completing numerous ocean deliveries gives him a unique knowledge of sail performance requirements in these large yachts. His role will include supporting Doyle worldwide with major sail design projects in addition to sales and marketing coordination.

www.doylesails.com
www.doylesails.co.uk

PORTO ALEGRE TO HOST 2009 ISAF NATIONS CUP GRAND FINAL
The International Sailing Federation (ISAF) has announced that Porto Alegre, Brazil will host the Grand Final of the 2009 ISAF Nations Cup.

In March 2009, the Veleiros do Sul sailing club in Porto Alegre will host the world's top match racing nations as they battle in both men's and women's divisions for the fifth edition of the ISAF Nations Cup. Between September 2008 and January 2009, seven Regional Finals will take place in Argentina, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, the USA and Oceania to decide which nations will be represented at the Grand Final in Porto Alegre.

The 2009 ISAF Nations Cup will be contested in both men's and women's divisions. The winning team of each Regional Final will progress to the Grand Final, where they will be joined by the defending champions France - who won both men's and women's divisions at the 2006 Nations Cup - and the hosts Brazil.

As well as being a contest to find the world's top match racing nation, the ISAF Nations Cup also aims to aid the development of match racing around the world. In line with this goal, each of the Regional Finals will be preceded by an ISAF Match Racing Clinic, where both sailors and officials can benefit from the advice and experience of some of the world's leading Race Officials and coaches.

www.sailing.org/nationscup

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THE LAST WORD
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