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NEW REFERENCE TIME FOR GROUPAMA 3
The passage of the equator is the first intermediary time, which enables a direct insight into how capable a candidate is of winning the Jules Verne Trophy. Nearly a day ahead over the round the world reference course, Groupama 3 has gained a 408 mile lead and has just achieved the best ever time by a yacht between Ushant and the equator: 6 days 6 hours 24 minutes.

Already sailing in the Southern hemisphere this Wednesday afternoon, Groupama 3 confirms what it had already demonstrated last summer when it racked up four Atlantic records: though it has no inhibitions in wind in excess of 25 knots, in relation to Bruno Peyron's catamaran, it is unquestionably the fastest giant multihull below fifteen knots of breeze. Today's new record time speaks volumes as the boat passed the equator today in six days 6 hours and 24 minutes, whilst the weather conditions weren't particularly favourable, a sure indication of the trimaran's great potential.

Back on the pace again at over twenty knots at the start of the afternoon, Franck Cammas and his nine crew will begin to increase their lead over Orange II again since the latter was still sailing through the Doldrums three years ago to the day. The tradewinds of the Southern hemisphere are shaping up nicely: with 15 knots of SE'ly at the equator, they will rapidly pass into a building E'ly. Their acceleration to over 25 knots is therefore already in view before the day is out and this is set to last until the weekend at least.

www.cammas-groupama.com

MEDAL DAY - 470 WORLDS
Australian pocket-rockets Elise Rechichi and Tessa Parkinson shortened as hot Olympic medal favourites after securing a bronze medal at the 470 Women’s world championships at Mordialloc Sailing Club today.

American’s Erin Maxwell and Isabelle Kinsolving helped ease the bitter disappointment of missing Olympic selection with an emphatic 10 point world title victory ahead of World No.1 Italians Giulia Conti and Giovanna Micol.

“If there was ever a way to make me feel better about not being selected for the Olympics this is it,” an ecstatic Maxwell said.

“I don’t know what the future holds but we’re going to savour today, that’s for sure.

“We’re going to campaign for 2012 but jobs, graduate school and marriages come before that,” Maxwell added.

Conti/Micol managed to win the medal race to consolidate the silver medal position, with Maxwell/Kinsolving finishing fourth, Rechichi/Parkinson fifth and de Koning/Berkhout second last in the 10 boat fleet.

470 Men

Brits Nic Asher and Elliot Willis overcame great odds this week to pull off a stunning 470 Men’s world championship victory at Mordialloc Sailing Club today.

The 2006 world champions survived a nasty mid-race collision in Race 8 before they rallied to win today’s top 10 double points medal race and their second world title by just 0.9 of a point.

Willis was out of action for 24 hours with severely bruised ribs but following a successful application for redress points for Races 8, 9 and 10, he and Asher were elevated into the bronze medal position for the start of the today’s action.

With just 3 points separating the top three crews, Asher/Willis managed to leapfrog overnight leaders Alvaro Marinho/Miguel Nunes (POR) who crossed the line in third place today.

Marinho/Nunes secured the silver medal, ahead of Gideon Kliger/Udi Gal (ISR) who struggled into today’s light conditions to eighth place and a bronze medal on 70 points.

The Brits won with 56.10 points with the Portuguese on 57 points.

Australian’s Nathan Wilmot/Malcolm Page, the 2004, 05 and 07 world champs, finished fifth in today’s medal race and eighth overall on 93 points. -- Jodi Kelly/Clare Murray

www.sailmelbourne.com.au

* Greek Olympic gold medallist boardsailor Nikolaos Kaklamanakis, who lost $30,000 worth of equipment to thieves at the RS:X world championships in Takapuna last weekend, was not the only victim.

A day after his gear was stolen, burglars broke into the containers of at least two other teams, and made away with other boardsailing-related items worth at least $15,000.

Custom-made wetsuits, gearbags, teal boxes and other personal surfing items were also stolen from the containers belonging to the Hong Kong and German boardsailing teams.

Hong Kong coach Ben Cheung said that although the organisers and police had been extremely helpful, he felt security for future competitions should be beefed up.

"Maybe we can have a 24-hour security guard patrolling around the containers," Mr Cheung suggested.

But RS:X event director Grant Cunningham said security was already tight and that the damage was done "by a few mongrels who didn't care that their actions would leave a bitter taste in the mouth of teams visiting New Zealand".

Mr Cunningham said steps are being taken to tighten security in future events, but he was not prepared to say what they were because "it would only serve as an advantage for the potential burglars".

North Shore police constable Bradley Sanderson said the locks on the containers which were at a carpark next to the Takapuna Boating Club were forcibly cut.

"We are unable to say whether all the thefts are connected or linked," Mr Sanderson said.

www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10489776

HOBART EXTREME
Camet International Clothing expands their line of technical gear with the new Hobart Extreme Technical shorts. Designed to be the lightest shorts on the market, they weigh in at only 9 ounces, and are designed with offset side seams to reduce chafing. The improved design provides extreme flexibility, while the Titanium silver nylon fabric has a durable water repellent finish that dries quickly, and has a UV rating of 40+. Features include two back pockets with Velcro closures, adjustable Velcro waist, two deep side-pockets, and a Cordura-reinforced seat for added protection from abrasive surfaces.

View all the Camet products: www.camet.com

CHAMPIONS RISING
Miami, Florida, USA: After three days of fleet racing at US SAILING's Rolex Miami OCR, the cream is rising to the top for the 369 sailors competing from 34 countries. The regatta, which is hosting fewer classes than normal due to conflicting world championships overseas, has shown no shortage of intensity or talent in the four Olympic classes (Laser, Laser Radial, Star, Yngling) and three Paralympic classes (SKUD-18, Sonar, 2.4mR) competing here on Biscayne Bay.

With the Yngling Worlds following this event here next week and the Star Worlds scheduled for here as well in April, these two classes have proven to be the deepest in talent.

"At the last Star Worlds there were teams from 32 countries, and only 15 countries can qualify for the Olympics," said Olympic Gold Medalist Mark Reynolds (San Diego, Calif.). "Now there are four slots left and 12 countries vying for them, so out of all the Olympic classes, this is the toughest for getting into the Games." Reynolds noted that this year's Worlds will be the end of the line for poor performers, though "poor performers" is a relative term in this fleet. It is sprinkled with no less than six World Champions and a slew of national champions and Olympic medalists. Reynolds, himself a World Champion and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist qualified the USA for its Olympic berth with his performance at the 2007 Worlds but will not represent the USA in 2008. Instead John Dane and Austin Sperry (both Gulfport, Miss.), who won the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, will sail for the USA. Dane and Sperry today landed in 16th overall after today's single race was added to the score line of four previous races, while Reynolds, sailing with Steve Erickson (Hood River, Ore.), logged in at 7th. Starting with tomorrow's racing, the fleet of 66 boats will split into Gold and Silver fleets, and by Saturday, the Gold fleet will have narrowed down to the top ten for a single medal race that will count double in scoring, simulating the new format that will be introduced for all Olympic sailing classes at the 2008 Games.

In Ynglings, Sally Barkow (Nashotah, Wis.) and her crew of Carrie Howe (Grosse Pointe, Mich.) and Debbie Capozzi (Bayport, N.Y.) are also in the unlikely position of eighth after a total of seven races.

The Russian team of Ekaterina Skudina, Diana Krutskikh and Natalia Ivanova currently lead the fleet of 28 boats with 23 points to the Netherlands' 34. Barkow's team has 55 points.

In the Laser Radial fleet, Paige Railey (Clearwater, Fla.) and Anna Tunnicliffe (Plantation, Fla.) are locked in a points battle for first. They are tied with ten each but the tie-breaker currently goes to Railey.

In Lasers, Poland's Marcin Rudawski leads, with Kyle Rogachenko (Collegeville, Pa.) in second. Rogachenko is on the USA's Elite Youth Development Team, what US SAILING's Olympic Sailing Committee Chairman Dean Brenner calls "the next generation of Olympians."

www.RolexMiamiOCR.org

ERICSSON RACING TEAM ADDS THREE SWEDISH CREWMEN
Stockholm, Sweden: Swedish sailors, Martin Krite, Martin Stromberg and Anders Dahlsjo, will join Ericsson Racing Team's Nordic crew in the Volvo Ocean Race, which starts in autumn 2008.

This will be the first round-the-world race for the three sailors, who all have roots on Sweden's west coast. Ericsson Racing Team will compete with two boats, one with an international crew and one with an entirely Nordic crew, giving young Nordic sailors a chance to break into the small world of international yachting.

The youngest member of Ericsson's Nordic crew is 25-year-old Martin Stromberg.

The Ericsson Racing Team's training base is on Lanzarote in the Canary Islands, where, in addition to training, the team tests its boats and equipment. The Volvo Ocean Race will start in Alicante, Spain, in October 2008 and finish in St Petersburg, Russia, in July 2009.

www.ericssonracingteam.com

ISAF WORLD MATCH RACE RANKINGS
France stays on top in the ISAF World Match Rankings, with Mathieu Richard and Claire Leroy holding on to the world #1 spots in the latest Rankings released on 30 January.

Since the conclusion of the 2007 World Tour and the crowning of the 2007 ISAF Match Racing World Champion it’s been a relatively quite period in the match racing world with no new ISAF Grade WC or ISAF Grade 1 events counting in this release. Consequently both Mathieu Richard (FRA) and Claire Leroy (FRA) remain comfortably ahead at the top of the Open and Women’s Rankings respectively, giving France a top-spot monopoly for the third consecutive Ranking release.

Gian Luca Perris (MON) makes the most significant move near the top of the Rankings, gaining 29 places up from 66 to 37 after victory at the ISAF Grade 3 Finale du Championnat de Mediterranee in France. The USA’s Dave Perry is also a high climber, moving from 79 to 43 thanks to victories at ISAF Grade 3 events in Brazil and Argentina at the end of last year. Just ahead of him, India’s Mahesh Ramchandran moves up five places to a Ranking-best position of #40 thanks to a third place finish at the ISAF Grade 3 Mumbai International Match Race. Argentina’s Juan Grimaldi, who finished runner up to Perry at the Sudamericano de Match Race in Buenos Aires, also makes big gains from 114 to be the highest of seven new entries into the world top 100 at 52.

The big question at the start of 2008 is can anyone topple Leroy from the world #1 spot? It’s a position she’s held now for almost two calendar years (since 4 May 2005). Although her points’ advantage has fallen from its high point, it’s still around the 300 mark and currently the French skipper looks almost certain of lining up in Auckland to defend her title at the 2008 ISAF Women's Match Racing World Championship this April as the world #1 skipper.

Before the Worlds arrive, the 2008 women’s circuit gets up and running in Great Britain in February, with the ISAF Grade 2 RYA Women’s Winter Challenge. The Brasil Women’s Cup, schedule for the middle of March, is the first ISAF Grade 1 event of the year and will be included in the next release of the ISAF World Match Race Rankings on 26 March.

Top ten, Open
1. Mathieu Richard, FRA
2. Ian Williams, GBR
3. Paolo Cian, ITA
4. Sebastien Col, FRA
5. Bjorn Hansen, SWE
6. Staffan Lindberg, FIN
7. Eugeniy Neugodnikov, RUS
8. Pierre-Zntoine Morvan, FRA
9. Peter Wibroe, DEN
10. Damien Iehl, FRA

Top ten, Women
1. Claire Leroy, FRA
2. Lotte Meldgaard Pedersen, DEN
3. Katie Spithill, AUS
4. Christelle Philippe, FRA
5. Sally Barkow, USA
6. Jenny Axhede, SWE
7. Silke Hahlbrock, GER
8. Klaartje Zuiderbaan, NED
9. Linda Rahm, SWE
10. Silja Lehtinen, FIN

ISAF World Match Race Rankings - www.sailing.org/mrrankings
Open Rankings - www.sailing.org/mrorankings
Women's Rankings - www.sailing.org/mrwrankings

ROLEX FARR 40 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Farr 40 Class announced the venues for the Rolex Farr 40 World Championships from 2009-2011.

The 2008 Rolex Farr 40 World Championship, in Miami Beach, will run from April 16-19. Upwards of 40 boats are expected, with a solid group of Farr 40s that have been racing in southern Florida this winter, plus several new boats that are joining the class. The fleet will be based at the Miami Beach Marina. The Rolex Farr 40 Pre-Worlds will take place from April 11-12.

From June 24-27, 2009, the Farr 40 class will return to the azure waters off Porto Cervo, Sardinia. The Worlds' fleet was there in 2003, enjoying great sailing in the 25-30 knot breezes, and will again be hosted by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda.

In the winter of 2010, the class will explore an exciting new destination -- the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean - based out of the Casa de Campo resort. The newly-expanded Casa de Campo Marina & Yacht Club will play host for the World Championship.

The following winter 2011, finds the class returning Down Under to summer in Sydney, Australia.

For more information about the 2008 Rolex Farr 40 World Championship, including the full list of entries, go to the official event website www.farr40worlds.com

AND FOR THE TRULY INSANE
A circumnavigation race in ten foot boats...

Following in the footsteps of Russian solo sailor Sergei Gvozdyev and his 12ft microyacht Said, and Hugo Vihlen's 5ft 4in micro Father's Day - which is the smallest yacht ever to sail across the Atlantic - comes the first organised circumnavigation for microyachts - The Around In Ten.

Four competitors are confirmed for the start, with boats in build, and making preparations for the Bahamas 2009. Members of the public are invited to contribute to shaping the event and organisers still seek a sponsor.

AroundInTen starts in the Bahamas on the 10th January 2009 and will take 18 months to two years to complete, depending on progress.

The racers can take any route they wish. The only compulsory stops being Panama, Darwin and Cape Town, finishing back in the Bahamas.

Rules are created by a poll of the racers after public debate on the race website's forum. -- from Practical Boatowner, www.ybw.com/auto/newsdesk/20080030141905pboyacht.html

www.aroundinten.com

BREWIN DOLPHIN 10TH JERSEY REGATTA
The organisers of the 10th Jersey Regatta are delighted to announce that Brewin Dolphin is the new sponsor of this major Channel Islands sailing event. The largest independent private client investment manager in the United Kingdom, Brewin Dolphin has had a presence in Jersey for nearly 36 years.

The Brewin Dolphin 10th Jersey Regatta takes place from 5th to 7th September 2008.

Providing three days of great racing, the Regatta caters for all tastes, be it out-and-out competitive racing or the possibly less demanding racing enjoyed by those who only compete occasionally. The wide variety of racing classes includes sportsboats, cruiser/racers, quarter-tonners, dayboats, dinghies and sport-catamarans. Whilst the cruiser/racer and quarter ton classes generally race offshore, the smaller boats compete over Olympic-type courses set within the picturesque confines of St Aubin’s Bay. Following the success of their visit, last year, the organisers are delighted to report that the UK Quarter Ton fleet will be making its presence felt again this September.

The Regatta will be launched on the evening of 4th September with an ‘ice-breaking’ reception for competitors and sponsors. As well as a packed racing schedule for all classes, the Brewin Dolphin Jersey Regatta will be accompanied by a lively social programme ashore to round off each day’s sailing. This year, racing gets under way on the Friday morning with a Round-the-Island Race for the cruiser/racer and quarter ton classes, a very popular race and undoubtedly one of the best ways to view the Island’s beautiful coastline.

The Brewin Dolphin Jersey Regatta is jointly organised by the Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club, St Helier Yacht Club and St Catherine’s Sailing Club.

The Notice of Race and entry form will shortly be available on the club web-sites: www.rciyc.org and www.shyc.je

FEATURED BROKERAGE
Sunbeam, 45,500 GBP, Lying Cornwall, England

The Sunbeam One Design is a rare and beautiful open racing yacht. Mostly built between the wars, competitive racing fleets thrive on the Solent and in Falmouth. A trickle of new boats are built at around 100,000 GBP each. This particular Sunbeam was subject to restoration in 2002 including a new racing rig and sails. She is currently in a shed and awaiting painting.

Brokerage through YachtsAndCruisers.com: www.yachtsandcruisers.com

Complete listing details and seller contact information at
www.yachtsandcruisers.com/boat/Sunbeam/18188/

THE LAST WORD
If you want the present to be different from the past, study the past. -- Baruch Spinoza

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