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IN LIKE A LION
A storm front hit the southernmost point of the United States in the wee hours of Sunday morning and lingered. When Monday dawned and the largest winter regatta in North America was due to begin, a fierce northeaster was delivering consistent winds ranging 25-30 knots and routinely gusting higher.

Event chairman Peter Craig huddled with his four principal race officers and the decision was made to postpone sending the 262-boat fleet out for two hours. Because the Corsair 28 class has a maximum wind range of 22 knots for racing, regatta organizers and skippers agreed to keep the lightweight trimarans on the beach. While some of the Corsair 28 owners were anxious to test themselves in extreme conditions, common sense prevailed.

"If you're out in survival conditions, it just makes it too difficult to compete. No one wanted to break gear on the first day," said class veteran Bob Harkrider of August, Ga., who placed second at this regatta last year.

Premiere Racing sent out two committee boats first thing in the morning to take wind readings and gauge the sea conditions. They were recording waves at 6-8 feet

Just after 11 a.m., Craig and company sent the remainder of the fleet to the four racing circles with the pronouncement that no racing would begin until 1 p.m. By noon, the Division 1 signal boat was reading regular puffs above 28 knots, exceeding the upper end of the wind range dictated by the Melges 32 class so those 27 boats were sent back to shore.

Regatta officials had hoped the wind would stabilize at a reasonable level in order to hold one race for the remaining 10 classes, but all four principal race officers reported conditions that were clearly "on the edge" and the decision was made to abandon all racing without beginning a starting sequence.

Forecasts call for winds to decrease to the high teens on Tuesday morning then ultimately drop to 8-10 knots by the afternoon. Craig said Premiere Racing will "work very hard" to complete two or three races on Tuesday.

www.Premiere-Racing.com

* A British team sailing a Farr 40 at Key West Regatta is nothing new. But a British team sailing a Farr 40 with 6 crewmembers under the age of 25 probably is. Ten Racing Group, sponsored by Turnstone Estates and Quantum Racing, have come to Key West to kick off their 2008 season. This year's goal is to win the ISAF recognised X-35 Worlds in Italy in September. It will be their second season in the class having finished 2nd in all the major 2007 Dutch regattas where the one-design fleet regularly exceeds 25 boats.

Key West presented the best training event possible. An opportunity to compete in one of the finest one-design fleets in the world and learn from their sailing heroes. The team chartered 2001 world championship winning boat, Le Renard. However, after mixing it up with the other Farr 40s in the training races on Saturday, the team will leave them behind having been disallowed to race in the one-design fleet.

The Ten Racing Group are left disappointed and frustrated at the stringent application of the 'alternative helmsman' rule. With team sponsors Turnstone Estates and Quantum Racing funding the charter, and the young crew desperate to keep the structure and integrity of their team in place, 24 year old Cat 1 helmsman Sam Carter came in 6 years too young for the team to compete in the one design fleet. Why? Because alternative helmsmen must be over the age of 30.

As such the team will now compete in IRC Class 2.
www.tenracinggroup.com

GROUPAMA 3 DUE TO SET OFF ON 24TH JANUARY
Just hours after the victorious arrival of Francis Joyon in Brest, the crew of Groupama 3 announce a new passage to Code Orange, synonymous with a possible departure on the Jules Verne Trophy attempt within the next 4 days. If this weather window is confirmed, the 31.50 metre maxi trimaran could leave its home port in Lorient on the afternoon of Wednesday 23rd January, in order to make the start line off the island of Ushant in the early hours of Thursday 24th.

Waiting for a favourable weather window since 6th December 2007, Franck Cammas and his nine crew have already seen two gaps open up and then close again (on 24th December and 1st January).

Interestingly, were Groupama 3 to cross the start line off Ushant next Thursday, it would set off three years to the day after Orange II, current holder of the Jules Verne Trophy with a time of 50 days 16 hours 20 minutes and 4 seconds.

The gap on Thursday 24th January viewed by Sylvain Mondon, weather expert on Groupama 3:

"The window we're studying is narrow, only lasting a matter of hours and it emanates from a rather atypical situation for the start of a round the world record attempt. The Azores high, which is currently positioned fairly North, is climbing up towards the English Channel whilst repelling a cold front. Ahead of this front, we can observe a 10-15 knot SW'ly wind, but this is set to clock round to the NW for a few hours, kicking up between 20 and 30 knots of breeze. Today, we can see this phenomenon occurring in the early hours of Thursday 24th January.

With this gap being linked to the extensive high pressure, we'll have to keep a close eye on the movements of the Azores High over the next few days, as if it shifts over faster than forecast, the window could close."

www.cammas-groupama.com

NEXUS REGATTA SUPPORT
Nexus Marine, leading innovator in marine instrumentation and VHF communications, will be providing regatta support at over one hundred events around the world in 2008. With personnel available at almost every major sailing event in the coming season Nexus Marine will be providing its owners with one of the most comprehensive support packages on offer by any manufacturer, and feeding the invaluable experience and customer feedback into its ongoing product development programme.

Nexus Marine also offers its congratulations to 'Sailors with disABILITIES' the Nexus-equipped winner of the PHS division in the recent Sydney Hobart Race and a great project that deserves widespread support.

www.nexusmarine.se

YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES 2010
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today unveiled the names of the cities from which a final winner to host the first Summer Youth Olympic Games in 2010 will be voted on by the IOC membership.

Moscow and Singapore were chosen through a postal vote by the Executive Board last week, and will now be submitted to a postal vote by the IOC members. The winning city will be announced by IOC President Jacques ROGGE in a live web cast on www.olympic.org provisionally scheduled for 21 February.

The Youth Olympic Games aim to bring together talented young athletes - age group 14 to 18 - from around the world. The first Summer Youth Olympic Games will gather approximately 3,200 athletes and 800 officials and feature 100 sailors in four sailing events: one person dinghy men; one person dinghy women; windsurfing men; and windsurfing women.

The EB decision's on the two finalists was based on an IOC Evaluation Commission report.

Voting by post will take place over the coming weeks, with all IOC members, except those from the Russian Federation and Singapore, entitled to vote. An independent and certified notary based in Lausanne, Switzerland, will oversee the process to guarantee confidentiality. The city with the most number of votes will be elected as the Host City of the first Summer Youth Olympic Games in 2010, marking the conclusion of a candidature process that started in August 2007. In the event of a tie, the IOC President will consult the EB members entitled to vote and will make the final decision based on this consultation.

ISAF Youth, Development and Training microsite - www.sailing.org/development

OVINGTON LONDON BOAT SHOW GRAND PRIX
The last weekend of the London Boats Show has now become the traditional time for dinghy sailors to visit and take part. For the third year running Ovington Boats ran the skiff event on the Saturday. This year the 29ers were joined by the B14s and Musto Skiffs.

Racing started at 1200 with the Musto Skiffs going off first followed by the 29ers at 1300, then the B14s at 1400. The format was 3 races of 2 laps over the 400 m. upwind/downwind course for each fleet with all to count.

Conditions were almost perfect, 8 -15 knots from the west with only slight drizzle at the start of play! A live commentary from Richard Parslow kept the spectators on the dock informed, making excellent entertainment.

After hectic 9 races the fleets retired to the Guinness stand and the prize giving on the main stage. Many thanks to British Sailing and National Boat Shows for making the event happen. A very big thanks to Harken for the great prizes. -- Dave Hall and Mark Barnes

Top three by class:

Musto Skiff
1. GBR332 Helly Hansen - Richard Stenhouse
2. GBR305 Blue Marine - Dan Henderson
3. GBR 209 Gil - Tom Wright

29er
1. GBR174 - Phil Walker/John Mather
2. GBR1322 - Adam Larvin/Graham Wheaton
3. GBR838 - Sam Seddon/Josh Seddon

B14
1. Seavolution/Blue Marine - Mark Barnes/Pete Nicholson
2. CSC - Chris Bines/Dave Gibbons
3. MJF/North Sails (UK) - Dave Hayes/Drew Malcolm

www.sail-world.com/indexs.cfm?nid=41069

Event Photos by Tania Samus: www.photoblink.com/sailing/excel/

SOLO RACING FESTIVAL
The Solo Racing Festival promoted by Racing at Petit Bateau will take place at the Royal Southampton Yacht Club on Saturday 15th March 2008.

This second edition of the festival is aimed at bringing together all those involved in solo and short handed racing; we welcome skippers, designers, builders, race organisers and equipment suppliers with the objective of sharing their knowledge, experience, dreams and ambitions.

A full programme of presentations is planned including;

Survival; We will hear a first hand report from Ross Hobson after his capsize and rescue in the Route du Rhum when his trimaran Ideal Stelrad was lost, and examine the physiology of immersion and review survival strategies with one of the worlds leading authorities on sea survival; Professor Mike Tipton.

France is the epicentre of all the best things in solo sailing and we have a report from Nigel King, Figaro and TJV skipper, on his first season of training with the school of champions at Port le Foret. Aussie Mini skipper Nick Brennan will relate the story of his remarkable fifth place finish in the Mini Transat.

Sleep Deprivation; A special seminar is planned for the committed soloists, led by Dr Chris Idzikowski of the Edinburgh Sleep Centre to examine the effects of sleep deprivation and to develop strategies to minimise the loss of racing efficiency. This seminar will take place between 12am and 1pm.

New Designs in build; Last year we had a preview of the Fox 9.50 and the VQ32 racing boats, these are both in build and we will have progress exhibits from designers and the new owners. The explosion of interest in the Class 40 continues un-abated; Builder Paul Metcalf will be showing his latest version of the Express 40 and updating us on developments.

The price of a ticket for the Festival is 38 GBP, you can reserve a place by emailing Jerry Freeman at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Registration opens at 11.00, the sleep seminar is at 12.00 and the main sessions will begin at 14.00, finishing at about 19.30.

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
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
www.duboisyachts.com

RNLI STATEMENT
As the threat of Maritime and Coastguard Agency strike action looms, misunderstanding of the RNLI's role threatens next week's national fundraising day.

In recent media speculation over the possibility and consequences of strike action by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), there have been several instances where the respective roles of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and HM Coastguard have been confused by the media. This is particularly damaging to the reputation of the RNLI, a charity, whose annual national fundraising day - SOS Day, takes place on Friday 25 January.

Fundraising and Communications Director, David Brann, is concerned that the success of next Friday's national SOS Day could be at risk:

'Our volunteers have spent months preparing for this event but if the public think we are part of the Coastguard and part of any strike action they will not support our fundraising. That's why it is so important to us that our position is made clear and the selfless life-saving actions of our lifeboat volunteers, such as in saving eight crew from the sinking Ice Prince earlier this week, are accurately reported.'

Michael Vlasto, RNLI Operations Director explains how any strike involving HM Coastguard employees at Maritime Rescue Coordination Centres (MRCC) could affect lifeboats launching:

'HM Coastguard has a statutory responsibility for initiating and coordinating search and rescue around the coastline of the UK. Anything that causes a break in the communications chain between those requiring assistance, HM Coastguard and the resources - in our case RNLI lifeboats - could potentially put lives at risk. They have advised us that they are developing contingency plans to ensure that this vital communciations chain to our crews will be safeguarded.'

The RNLI is a charity dedicated to saving lives at sea. It operates 233 lifeboat stations and launches its 336 lifeboats in response to requests for assistance in maritime search and rescue (SAR) operations from both HM Coastguard in the UK and the Irish Coast Guard in the Republic of Ireland.

In the UK requests for RNLI lifeboats to launch are initiated through HM Coastguard-operated MRCCs. 93 per cent of all maritime rescues around the shores of the UK by rescue craft are by RNLI volunteer lifeboat crews.

www.yachtsandyachting.com/news/?article=139842

INDUSTRY NEWS
* Dehler, the German manufacturer of high-end regatta cruisers, has announced the acquisition of Belgium's ETAP Yachting for an undisclosed sum. The news comes just two months after growth investor Buchanan Capital Partners purchased a minority stake in Dehler with a view to accelerating the German boatbuilder's growth.

According to a company statement, ETAP Yachting's production facilities and its established brands will be fully maintained and further expanded under Dehler's ownership.

The merger of the two shipyards is thought to offer substantial synergies, particularly in purchasing, marketing, sales and finance.

Dehler's involvement with ETAP Yachting marks the beginning of the implementation of its strategy to create a powerful group of shipyards, which is targeted at the synergetic collaboration of various brands in dedicated market segments. -- IBI, www.ibinews.com/ibinews/newsdesk/20080021145718ibinews.html

* The 54th Collins Stewart London Boat Show in association with the Daily Mail saw 'over 127,000' people visiting the show, an excellent performance in light of the credit crunch and dreadful High Street sales.

The show now has what we've all been demanding since the first ExCeL show in 2004 - a stage to form the focal point of the show, a truly spectacular show on that stage and a group of features to captivate visitors.

At the same time, BB can't help but wonder where we would be now if this - as we all expected to see - had been the kind of show we took to ExCeL in 2004. With a show like this, there would never have been room for the Earls Court Boat Show.

There was an atmosphere and a buzz to the show that has been missing for too long and BB congratulates Andy Williams and the entire National Boat Shows (NBS) team for - hopefully - stopping the downward spiral in attendance.

There were over 500 exhibitors and over 1,000 boats on display, plus interactive features - like kite-surfing - that those of a less nervous disposition could attempt. And last year's favourite, Anchor Watch, made a welcome return to please the crowds. -- www.boatingbusiness.com

* Elvstrom Sobstad UK has announced the appointment of Michael Ennis as their sales and service contact in Ireland. Michael joins the Elvstrom Group full time and will offer sales and service facilities for existing and new customers in Southern and Northern Ireland.

Michael has been sailing all his life. As a successful dinghy sailor he has won various Irish national events, currently he is involved with a Slim 37 campaign for the Rolex Commodores Cup.

* Hosted in the world's wealthiest city where 420,000 residents live with a net worth in excess of US$17m per capita, the Abu Dhabi Yacht Show is set to be the most exclusive and luxurious event in the global yachting calendar. The impressive amount of waterfront developments in the region coupled with the immense spending power of the UAE provides a huge market potential for builders, owners and charterers of high quality yachts.

The invitation only Abu Dhabi Yacht Show will be hosted in the world class facilities of the new ADNEC (Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre) which will incorporate the show marina. Commensurate with the exclusivity of the event, the first Super Yacht Cup regatta staged in the UAE will also take place during the Show.

NEW SPARKMAN & STEPHENS 6-METER FOR SALE
The Museum of Yachting of Newport, Rhode Island, is pleased to announce that as part of an exhibit on the history of S&S, the building of a new replica six-meter racing yacht CHEROKEE. The yacht is being built from plans provided by S&S and will be launched in time to compete in the 6-meter World Cup-also being held in Newport in 2009. Price is $160,000US.

The full listing can be seen by following the link:

www.yachtworld.com/boats/1823739/0

Please make inquiries to: Sparkman & Stephens, Inc.
Tel: +1-212-661-1240
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

THE LAST WORD
Stress is an ignorant state. It believes that everything is an emergency. Nothing is that important. -- Natalie Goldberg

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