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SCUTTLEBUTT EUROPE #1431 - 8 FEBRUARY

Brought to you by boats.com Europe ( http://www.boats.com ) and Yachtworld.com Europe ( http://www.yachtworld.com ) Scuttlebutt Europe is a digest of sailing news and opinions, regatta results, new boat and gear information and letters from sailors -- with a European emphasis. Contributions welcome, send to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

GROUPAMA LOSES 300 MILES AGAINST ORANGE II RECORD The Indian Ocean is living up to its reputation: unpredictable! Evidence of this comes in the form of a zone of high pressure, slipping along under Africa and a very big low kicking up a nasty swell past the North of 40 degrees. As a result Groupama 3 is having to pick its way through beam seas, which are making the sailing uncomfortable as well as tiring out both the men and the boat.

The paradox of sailing: whilst Groupama 3 has been racking up a fine day's upwind sailing with 620 miles at an average of 26 knots, the giant trimaran is continuing to lose its lead over the reference time set by Orange II And the hemorrhage is severe: half the 600 miles accumulated two days ago, have been reduced to just 290 miles this Thursday afternoon

Franck Cammas: "The weather's not very good and there are shifty winds and messy seas. We have seven metre waves, but they're short and it's difficult to know what sail to hoist as the breeze is changing very quickly, passing from 20 to 28 knots: we'll have to limit the impact as much as we can. In this way the boat goes very fast at times, making over thirty knots, and then comes to a stop sharply: it's not easy to control it. We still have twelve difficult hours ahead of us, then the swell will lengthen before reducing. We are in the process of making easting and the biggest seas should pass in front of us. By Friday, things will be better!"

When a front generating a strong NW'ly breeze is succeeded by a W'ly wind and then a S'ly storm, these three trains of waves form an extremely violent pyramid-shaped chaos, which is above all highly unpredictable. This mass of swells, which have mixed together, create a fearsome undulating disharmony for the structures of multihulls, not to mention the sailors who bathe in the spray they kick up, smashing against the bulkheads down below/

The weather for the circumnavigation Sylvain Mondon, from Meteo France "The crew of Groupama 3 will have 24 difficult hours due to the sea state as at midday, they had waves varying between five and seven metres and beam winds. The sea will continue to be messy and laborious, forcing the crew to ease off the pace. The aim for the weekend is to catch a low, which will form to the North of the Kerguelen Islands, to sail with a slightly more favourable wind, which will enable them to make a course to the SE. The seas will level off and allow higher speeds. It will be difficult to slip along to the South of this growing disturbance, given the speeds over these next few hours, but the trimaran will then be able to sail behind it with the NW'ly wind, which will enable them to round the stationary high pressure system to the South of Australia. The problem for Groupama 3, in relation to the other Jules Verne Trophy attempts, is that it will have to cover more ground. In this way it will make three quarters of its course in the Indian Ocean at 40 degrees, so it will lose at least 700 miles in relation to a course along 45 degrees South. To manage to maintain a lead over Orange II will be very difficult over this part of the course. -- Translation by Kate Jennings

http://www.cammas-groupama.com

UPWIND IN 25 KNOTS... AND RUNNING OUT OF FOOD Winning a global, non-stop, short-handed ocean race is never easy, but the two sailors on Paprec-Virbac 2 are facing a very stern test in the closing days of their circumnavigation. With the finishing line just 700 miles away, the wind and waves have picked up dramatically, and the second placed boat is closing fast. To add to the difficult circumstances on board, food is now in short supply with the finish still four days away.

"It's very windy now and quite rough on board," said an audibly tense Jean-Pierre when he was reached this afternoon. "We are sailing upwind of course, expecting even stronger winds. Now we have 25 knots, big waves, and we're keeping our finger crossed. We have not been fast these last hours, mostly because of the waves which are up to three metres. The swell is very short and strong, and the boat is pounding into the waves a lot. It's not great for our speed and not good for our tired boat. We're going to have similar conditions after Gibraltar, but that's the way the race goes. The wind is like this."

Piling the pressure on the leader is Hugo Boss. The black boat has completed a phenomenal 24 hours in gaining just a shade under 200 miles. The margin between first and second is now less than 400 miles and the forecast continues to favour skippers Alex Thomson and Andrew Cape who are cutting the corner to Gibraltar. Although it won't be long before Hugo Boss is tacking up the strong headwinds as well.

The cat and mouse game between Temenos II and Mutua Madrilena continues with a new twist. After days of shadowing each other, Mutua Madrilena made a move towards the west overnight, as conditions became slightly less stable. The move didn't pay off initially as it takes them further from their goal at Gibraltar. But the team is hoping that stronger winds will compensate for the extra distance.

Day 89 - February 7 14:00 GMT - Position report with distance to leader

1. Paprec-Virbac 2 - Jean Pierre Dick / Damian Foxall - 698 To Finish 2. Hugo Boss - Alex Thomson / Andrew Cape - 398 3. Temenos 2 - Dominique Wavre / Michele Paret- 1527 4. Mutua Madrilena - Javier Sanso / Pachi Rivero - 1630 5. Educacion Sin Fronteras - Servane Escoffier / Albert Bargues - 2878

http://www.barcelonaworldrace.org

CORSAIR 28R CLASS DUKES IT OUT AT KEY WEST Big breeze and close racing on the final day of Acura Key West 2008 ended with Ullman Sails customers sweeping the top four places in the Corsair 28R division. Tom Reese and crew on 'Flight Simulator' won the division by just half a point, beating out Peter Katcha and team on 'Relentless.' The two boats battled closely over the week, staying within points of each other every day. Kathryn Garlick's 'Evolution' finished in third, followed by Valdek Kwasniewski on 'Hi Five.'

For more information on the 'Fastest Sails on the Planet,' contact an Ullman Sails loft and visit http://www.ullmansails.com

TORVAR MIRSKY WINS WARREN JONES YOUTH REGATTA Perth, Western Australia: West Australian skipper Torvar Mirsky became the first Australian to put his name on the Warren Jones Youth Regatta trophy for a second time, when he beat New Zealand's Adam Minoprio in the final on the Swan River.

This was the battle of the two immediate previous winners, with Mirsky defending the trophy, while Minoprio had won in 2006.

The young skipper who was in fifth place at the end of the first day, admitted to being surprised he'd been able to come back and win, because of the high standard of the competition.

In the best of three race final series the local skipper stamped his authority on the game in the first confrontation, decisively winning the start, and controlling the race throughout.

The Kiwis took the second race after Mirsky misjudged the start, and despite several strong challenges could not break through to grab the lead.

In the decider the two boats came off the starting line evenly, but Mirsky and his team seemed able to squeeze a fraction more speed out of their boat, and quickly established a small advantage, which they managed to defend to the finish.

In the petit final, another New Zealander, Laurie Jury, beat Perth skipper Robert Gibbs 2 - 0 to take third place.

The last day of the regatta produced yet more testing conditions for the young crews, with strong and shifty easterly winds, and at times torrential rain.

Mirsky, from Fremantle, is the top ranked youth skipper in the world, having had a successful season last year in Europe.

The regatta is organised by the Western Australian Yachting Foundation, and was hosted this year by the Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club. -- John Roberson

Final results: 1. Torvar Mirsky, AUS 2. Adam Minoprio, NZL 3. Laurie Jury, NZL 4. Robert Gibbs, AUS 5. Phil Robertson, NZL 6. Evan Walker, AUS 7. Keith Swinton, AUS 8. Stuart Pollard, AUS 9. Tom Spithill, AUS 10. John Back, SWE 11. Richard McPharlin, AUS 12. Dylan Clark, AUS

JOG ANNOUNCE NEW 400NM OFFSHORE RACE A new offshore race, the Illingworth Challenge, has been announced by JOG (Junior Offshore Group). Starting from the JOG start line in Cowes on 19th July 2008, the race will take competitors west out of the Solent, around Ushant to the finish off La Trinite, a distance of approximately 400 miles.

Open to all monohull yachts with an IRC handicap rating of 1.200 and below, the race is in the typical Corinthian style of JOG. With three classes and double handed racers also catered for, the race will finish in the beautiful port of La Trinite, one of the most popular yachting centres in the Bay of Biscay.

The Race is ISAF/ORC Special Regulations Category 2 and will be run under JOG General Conditions with all entrants complying with ISAF (RRS) Regulation 20 Category A.

JOG was founded in 1950 and has run a successful series of races from their start line in Cowes for over twenty years. Each year JOG runs an Offshore Category 3 Championship and an Inshore Category 4 Championship. Nearly all of the races in both Championships are "destination" races, designed so that competitors can enjoy time at the finish socialising and exploring the location.

The Illingworth Challenge Race celebrates the origins of JOG, true Corinthian offshore racing in small, seaworthy boats to pleasant destinations. The race will run every two years.

For information on the race contact the Junior Offshore Group on 01983 291 192 or visit their web site at http://www.jog.org.uk

DEPUTY RACING MANAGER Applications are invited for the post of Deputy Racing Manager of the Royal Ocean Racing Club.

The post holder will be responsible for assisting with the development, planning and execution of RORC races. Good salary and benefits.

Applications with accompanying CV should be made in writing marked confidential to the

Racing Manager Royal Ocean Racing Club 20, St James's Place London SW1A 1NN racingmanager@rorc.org.uk

2ND ANNUAL CASA DE CAMPO REGATTA La Romana, Dominican Republic: With just a week to go before racing begins, 35 teams in four classes are preparing for battle in the 2nd annual Casa de Campo Regatta for the Presidente Cup. This year's format includes three days of IRC and PHRF fleet racing over Friday-Sunday, February 15-17, along with a day of exhibition match race sailing featuring Peter Holmberg, winner of the America's Cup on Team Alinghi, and the reigning Match Race World Champion Ian Williams of Pindar Racing. So besides sailing in some of the Caribbean's best conditions at a five-star resort, participants will also have a unique opportunity to experience firsthand the excitement of world-class match race sailing by taking part in a match race clinic with each of these veterans umpired by Dobbs Davis as they square off against each other on Thursday, February 14.

As the latest addition to the US-IRC's Gulfstream Series, fleet racing in the Casa de Campo Regatta has joined with other elite races and regattas of the US East Coast and Caribbean to offer IRC scoring in at least one Racing class, with PHRF used to score the Cruising and Classic classes. Inshore windward-leeward courses will be set for Friday and Sunday, with a 28-mile race around nearby Catalina Island set for Saturday by Racing Manager Pete Lawson.

Beside Presidente beer returning as presenting sponsor, a new sponsor to the event is Deutsche Bank, who will be the title sponsor of one of the fleet races as well as the sponsor of a Beneteau 265 to be skippered by Regatta Manager Tony Torres and entered this year in IRC Class B. And returning in IRC Class A to defend his title earned in last year's inaugural regatta is Pepe Rodriguez's Frers 45 Celtic V.

In all, over 300 participants in the event are expected to converge on Casa de Campo. This enormous 7000-acre property is located close to La Romana on the southeastern end of the Dominican Republic. In addition to its four Peter Dye-designed golf courses, three polo fields, lighted tennis courts, pools, beaches, and the like, it also has the world's only private airport serviced by a commercial airline, with service daily from San Juan and Miami on American Airlines.

But for sailing the site has also proven to be superb, with warm water and flat seas despite the daily 15-20 knot southeasterly seabreeze that fans the course area. Entrants to the regatta will be provided one month of free berthing between January 21 and February 22.

http://www.casadecamporegatta.com

NAVAL ARCHITECT and 3D CATIA MODELLER REQUIRED We need a senior NA and also a 3D modeller for an expanding yacht design office in the UK working on a diverse range of yachts up to 150m, both sail and power.

The successful applicant to have a minimum 7 years full time continuous experience (3 year min for CATIA modeller) and the relevant qualifications and experience in a Superyacht/Ship design office.

Please send detailed CV, photo, etc to: Tony Castro tony@tonycastroyachts.com http://www.tonycastroyachts.com

AUSTRALIA'S OLDEST OCEAN YACHT RACE This weekend will see the 82nd running of Australia's oldest regularly sailed ocean yacht race, the Bruny Island Race off the coast of southern Tasmania.

The fleet of 22 modern ocean racers will sail the same course that eight gaff-rigged wooden boats took when they set sail from Hobart on March 17 1898 - down the Derwent River to circumnavigate elongated Bruny Island that runs almost to the southernmost shores of Tasmania.

The Bruny Island Race will start from Hobart's Castray Esplanade at 9.30am on Saturday, when the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania race committee will signal yachts in which direction they must circumnavigate Bruny Island, depending on the weather forecast.

The fleet will sail either straight out from the river past the Iron Pot into Storm Bay and down the ocean side of Bruny Island to round Tasman Head and Cape Bruny before entering d'Entrecasteaux Channel and then sail up the inshore passage back to the Derwent and Hobart - or a reverse course.

The list of past winners of the Bruny Island Race reads like a history of yacht racing, not only in Tasmania, but also of its influence on the sport nationally, with several prominent Sydney, Melbourne and even overseas yachts competing over the past 110 years.

While there have been some breaks, notably during the two World Wars, the Bruny Island Race has been sailed almost continuously since that first race in 1898. For the first 30 years it was simply known as The Ocean Race.

The race in 1902 was sensational when out of the five starters only two finished. The race started in light weather but by the time the Friars (off Tasman Head) was reached, a gale force sou'wester had developed.

Two boats turned back with the other three battling across the bottom of the island. Off Cloudy Bay Mabel, sailed by G.Cheverton, opened up and the skipper was forced to run her ashore. -- Peter Campbell

YES... THAT'S AN OPTIMIST Check the photos out from the "Semana del Mar" in Mar del Plata, Argentina of some Oppy dudes having it large on the awesome rollers! I defy Topper International or any Topper sailor to send me a better series of shots (magnus@rule69blog.com) ... In the Oppy versus Topper debate, so far the Oppy is ahead by a country mile!

Many thanks to Alejandro Capizzano for sending them in and thanks to Matias Capizzano for taking the shots...one of the best sailing galleries I've ever seen...This is where it's at! Big time... -- Magnus Wheatley

Amazing shots at http://rule69blog.com

A FAREWELL TO ENGLISH RAIN Glenn Bourke, the former CEO for the Volvo Ocean Race round the world and the man credited with delivering the world's best ever Olympic sailing regatta, is to become the new Chief Executive Officer for Australia's premier tropical island destination, Hamilton Island.

Announcing the appointment the Chairman of Hamilton Island Enterprises, Mr Sandy Oatley, said he was delighted that Glenn Bourke had decided to take up the position.

After coordinating all aspects of the sailing regatta at the Sydney 2000 Olympics, Glenn Bourke became the CEO of Australia's leading ocean racing yacht club, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, in Sydney. His business and sailing talents then led to him being appointed CEO of Germany's Illbruck Challenge which won the Volvo Ocean Race 2001-2002, and the following year Volvo lured him into the position of CEO for the actual event. In that role he propelled the race into an exciting new era and reinforced its status as the world's most successful long distance ocean race.

As a yachtsman Glenn Bourke has won seven world sailing championships including, remarkably, three consecutive world titles in the Olympic Laser dinghy class, in 1988, 1989 and 1990. He represented Australia in the Finn dinghy class at the 1992 Olympics, has sailed in the America's Cup and Admiral's Cup, and was named Australian Yachtsman of the Year in 1989 and 1990.

Glenn will be based on the island and be responsible to the Oatley family for all island operations. He will take up his appointment in March. -- Rob Mundle

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - editor@scuttlebutteurope.com 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 Marieke Poulie, re: the mystery man on Oracle's VX40 catamaran in Valencia:

The Tom Cruise look alike is Herbert Dercksen, former Olympic Tornado sailor for the Netherlands (crewing for Mitch Booth) and one of the owners of Tornado Sports, the company selling VX 40's. Also one of the owners of TNG watches (explanation for wearing two watches).

THE LAST WORD Nobody can give you freedom. Nobody can give you equality or justice or anything. If you're a man, you take it. -- Malcolm X

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