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SCUTTLEBUTT EUROPE #1482 - 9 APRIL

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

GEARING UP FOR MIAMI "It's nice for my crew and me to be the current Farr 40 World Champions," said Vincenzo Onorato of Milan, Italy days before the Rolex Farr 40 Worlds warm-up regatta this week. "But I will try to forget all of that when I begin the first race. Pressure is part of the game; if you are not able to deal with that, you better go cruising." The adjectives that describe Farr 40 Class racing - intense, competitive, unrelenting - can be used to describe any one of the competitors, but especially two-time and current world champion Onorato, who is focused only on racing during the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship, set for Miami Beach on April 16-19.

Among the 33 entered teams, 10 countries are represented, with the bulk of the fleet (18) consisting of American and Italian entries. At the top of the list for favorites is Mascalzone Latino, Onorato's entry. He will have his work cut out for him as there are three past world champions among the fleet - Barking Mad (USA), Jim Richardson's two-time winner (2004/1998); Nerone (ITA, 2003), co-owned by Antonio Sodo Migliori and Massimo Mezzaroma; and Alinghi (SUI, 2001), owned by Ernesto Bertarelli and the 2007 runner-up - and about a dozen other teams capable of winning the coveted title.

The sentimental favorite of the group may be Richardson, who won the Class's first world championship, also held in Miami in 1998. Barking Mad has retained a core group of professional and amateur crew since the 2004 world championship win, with tactician Terry Hutchinson alongside Richardson. Earlier this year they collected back-to-back first place finishes at Key West Race Week and Acura Miami Grand Prix, which many see as an early predictor to the Worlds.

As always, the fleet is home to notable professional sailors from America's Cup, Volvo Ocean Race and one-design fame. In addition to Barking Mad, some of the stellar names are Adrian Stead on Mascalzone Latino; Paul Cayard on Steve & Fred Howe's Warpath (USA); Gavin Brady on Rod Jabin's Ramrod (USA); Brad Butterworth on Alinghi; Ian Walker on Doug Douglass's Goombay Smash (USA); Ray Davies onboard Peter de Ridder's Mean Machine (MON); Vasco Vascotto on Nerone (ITA); and Bouwe Bekking serving as tactician aboard HRH Crown Prince Frederik's Nanoq (DEN).

Racing takes place April 16-19 on the Atlantic Ocean south of Government Cut. The Regatta Village is based at Miami Beach Marina, in Miami Beach, Florida.

http://www.farr40worlds.com

BACK IN BLACK On Friday ‘Le Black’, the 41ft Alinghi catamaran built in 2000 for racing on Lake Geneva, was relaunched by helicopter from the yard facility in Villeneuve in Switzerland.

This high performance light air speedster designed by Jo Richards and Sebastien Schmidt is far from the future 90ft monster multi-hull that is to be built for the 33rd America’s Cup, but has been undergoing modifications by the Alinghi shore crew for use by the design team as a research tool with the Deed of Gift Match in mind.

"The original objective of this boat when it was first launched in 2000 was to compete against trimarans in strong wind and against catamarans in light air", commented Pierre-Yves Jorand, member of the sailing team and who is a regular onboard. "Eight years later, the whole team is very happy to see such a successful boat back on the water. It is the perfect platform for team training and is not intended in any way to be used for racing."

The 41ft catamaran has a winning pedigree having claimed the Bol d’Or four times consecutively from 2000 to 2003. -- Cup in Europe, citing Alinghi.com: http://www.cupineurope.com/NewsEN/2008/Alinghi.htm

GOLDEN OLDIES HEAD FOR AUDI HAMILTON ISLAND RACE WEEK The 25th Anniversary Edition of Audi Hamilton Island Race Week is destined to be a classic regatta in every possible sense as some of Australia’s best known old yachts, including famous maxis, will be joining the fleet.

These grand old ladies will bring an alternative and stimulating dimension to the competition as they represent the opposite end of the sailing spectrum to that seen with the modern Grand Prix racers.

Race Week is scheduled from August 23 to 30, and leading the way to the series for the classic yacht competition will be one of Australia’s best known Grand Dames of the sea, the 44-year old Fidelis, owned by Nigel Stoke, from Sydney.

Designed by Norway’s Knud Reimers, and built in New Zealand from triple-planked kauri, the 61ft Fidelis crossed the Tasman to Sydney in 1966 and claimed line honours in the Hobart race for then owner Jim Davern. Once in Hobart’s Constitution Dock Davern regaled the media and well-wishers with a wide range of wonderful stories. When one journalist asked how such a long, lean and low profile design handled rough weather offshore he quipped, “Easy. We just sound the klaxon horn as we submerge and breathe through the mast.”

AHIRW Race Director, Denis Thompson, said he had already received expressions of interest from classic yacht owners in New Zealand, Melbourne and Sydney. He defined a classic yacht as being 30, or more, years old.

In a similar vein, a number of owners of some of Australia’s more famous maxi yachts from yesteryear have also expressed interest in being part of the 25th Anniversary celebrations of Audi Hamilton Island Race Week. Many of these yachts, from the ‘Golden Era’ of maxis more than two decades ago, now operate as charter vessels in the Whitsundays. What is being loosely titled a “Retro Big Boat” division is being planned to accommodate them in the Non-Spinnaker Cruising Division this year. -- Rob Mundle

http://www.hamiltonislandraceweek.com.au

COMMERCIAL MANAGER Gill, the highly respected technical marine clothing brand, is seeking a fully motivated person to work in an interesting and varied role as commercial manager. The job itself will be full of variety, with responsibility for certain international markets as well as significant involvement with Gill events, such as boat shows in the UK and overseas. An ability and desire to travel and work on ones own initiative is essential.

Further details can be found on our website http://www.gillmarine.com

If you would like to apply for this role please enclose your CV and details of your current salary to:

Bryan Stewart International Sales & Marketing Manager Gill, Manor House Road, Long Eaton, Nottingham NG10 1LR Email: stephanie.devlin@gilluk.com http://www.gillmarine.com

HONG KONG TO QINGDAO RACE The Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club (RHKYC) and the Chinese Yachting Association (CYA) have unveiled their plans for a major international yacht race of historical significance. To commemorate the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, the RHKYC and the CYA are organizing an offshore yacht race from Hong Kong via Xiamen to Qingdao, PRC - the site for the 2008 Olympic Sailing Event. The race is organised by the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club and the Chinese Yachting Association, and will start at 1100 hours on Friday 18th July 2008.

The race will start from Hong Kong on Friday 18th July with the fleet anticipated to arrive in Xiamen by that Sunday. Those crews who have work commitments could then fly to a nearby destination for a few days whereas the other crews can visit the city and its surrounding areas.

In view of the possible effects of typhoons in the region, this stopover will allow a buffer zone with the safe anchorage of Xiamen port to serve to maintain the safety of the fleet and the integrity of the event. Consequently, start times may be affected. Other safe haven ports will be advised to the participants should the need for a disabled yacht to put in for repairs or shelter.

The second leg from Xiamen to Qingdao will start on the following Saturday (26th July) leaving Taiwan to starboard and arriving about 1 week before the Sailing Event Opening Ceremony in Qingdao which is scheduled for 9th August, 2008.

The event will be open to local Asian based and international yachts and multi-hulls in the cruising, racing, maxi/super yacht and/or other divisional fleets depending upon the entry list. Careful attention has been paid to the prevailing weather conditions for July and August which should give mild to hot weather, following winds and a favourable current for the majority of the Race.

There is a possibility that entrants may be sent off on staggered starts for the legs with a view to achieving a mass finish of the entire fleet in Qingdao. The boats are welcome to stay in the Qingdao marina and watch the Olympic sailing from their yachts albeit from a respectable distance. Those boats then returning south should be in time for the northeast monsoon to make an easy passage home.

For further information, please contact RHKYC Sailing Manager, Alex Johnston by e-mail (alex.johnston@rhkyc.org.hk) or call +852 2239 0362.

WOMENS INTERNATIONAL MATCH RACING ASSOCIATION At the WIMRA General Meeting at the ISAF Women's Match Racing World Championship in Auckland, New Zealand, the Governing Council and Officers for 2008 were elected. Nominations were received from the membership via email prior to the meeting and the members present voted to keep the existing Council and Officers for another year.

The 2008 Governing Council:

* Representative for Africa: None * Representative for Asia: Junko Takano (JPN) * Representative for Central & South America: Andrea Grael (BRA) * Representative for Europe (Scandinavia): Lotte Meldgaard Pedersen (DEN) * Representative for Europe (non-Scandinavia): Claire Leroy (FRA) * Representative for North America & The Caribbean: Liz Baylis (USA) * Representative for Oceania: Katie Spithill (AUS)

The 2008 WIMRA Officers:

* President: Liz Baylis (USA) * Vice President: Lotte Meldgaard Pedersen (DEN) * Secretary/Treasurer: Katie Spithill (AUS)

For more information and contact information, please visit the WIMRA Organization page http://www.wimra.org/organization.asp

READY TO WEAR, READY TO WIN What do the following boats have in common? STP 65 Rosebud; TP52s Windquest and Samba Pa Ti; Farr 40s Barking Mad, Goombay Smash, Sled, Morning Glory and Warpath; Melges 32 Pinta? They've all had a great start to the 2008 racing season. And all these teams are wearing custom branded sailing clothing from Bluwave Solutions.

To look and feel like a winner, contact us at http://www.bluwavesolutions.com

LAUNCHINGS * A Viking ship made from ice-cream sticks set sail for England from the Netherlands on Tuesday.

The 15-metre (50-foot) long ship, named after the Norse god Thor, is made from 15 million recycled ice-cream sticks glued together by U.S.-born stuntman Robert McDonald, his son and more than 5,000 children.

'If you can dream it you can do it ... I want to teach children that anything is possible,' McDonald said.

Badly injured as a child in a gas explosion that killed the rest of his family, he has loaded his ship with cuddly toys and plans to reach London and visit children in hospitals.

He and his crew hope to cross the Atlantic later on the ancient Viking route to North America via Iceland and Greenland. -- Catherine Hornby, Reuters, cited in Sail-World.com, http://www.sail-world.com/indexs.cfm?nid=43358

* Monday April 7 saw the latest cutting edge IMOCA Open 60 hit the water ahead of the Vendee Globe 2008. Artemis Ocean Racing II, the new all-British designed, built and sponsored IMOCA Open 60 racing yacht, was officially unveiled at Ocean Village in Southampton. The boat has been two years in the planning, design and build and incorporates features which have, until now, been unavailable in this exciting class of mono hull ocean racing.

Jonny Malbon, 33, is making his solo sailing debut this season in the Artemis Transat in May 2008, before tackling the Vendee Globe. The young Brit cut his teeth preparing IMOCA Open 60 racing yachts for some of Britain’s most famous solo sailors, most notably Dame Ellen Macarthur, and now takes to the stage himself to take on the best in world, once his heroes and now his peers.

“I would like to thank everyone at Artemis Investment Management, Rogers Yacht Design, Neville Hutton Boat Builders and all the people within Artemis Ocean Racing that have worked so hard for such a long time to reach this point. I hope we can go on to achieve fantastic success in 2008.”

The Artemis IMOCA Open 60 will be the only British designed and built IMOCA Open 60 on the professional circuit. Last week in accordance with seafaring tradition to bring a vessel good luck the mast was stepped on top of a coin. Artemis purchased from The British Mint, a 2008 British Gold Sovereign which is now positioned at the very core of the Open 60 reinforcing once again that this is a truly British campaign. -- http://www.artemisoceanracing.com

* Hemisphere (formerly Project Gemini), designed by naval architects Van Peteghem Lauriot Prevost (VPLP) and built by Derecktor Shipyards in Bridgeport, Connecticut is on course to be delivered towards the latter part of this year.

With a length overall of 44.2m (145ft) and a gross tonnage of just under 500, she is set to scoop the record as the world's largest sailing catamaran. However, this will by no means be her only impressive credential, and the team behind the project has pooled their respective talents and expertise to accomplish the execution of this vessel.

Derecktor Shipyards was chosen to undertake the project from their Bridgeport facility, which is one of Derecktor’s three locations serving the eastern seaboard of the US for new-build, repair/refit and service work. Likewise, architects Van Peteghem Lauriot Prevost were the obvious candidates to lend their expertise to such a specialized project.

A draft of only 3m (9.8ft) ensures ease of maneuverability and access to ports and lagoons inaccessible to monohulls of comparable size. Decks and rig are remarkably uncluttered as visible deck hardware has been minimized and the 53m (174ft) high mast soars free of spreaders with all lines run internally. Tenders are also ingeniously stowed out of sight and the port transom houses a full water sports and dive locker served by a large hydraulic swim platform.

Destined for the luxury charter market in tropical climates, Hemisphere boasts a spacious flybridge with Jacuzzi, sun pads and shaded dining along with a vast indoor/outdoor living area on the main deck. Accommodation for 12 guests is arranged in 5 comfortable suite cabins and the yacht will operate with a professional crew of 8. -- http://www.luxurycatamaran.blogspot.com

* Sunreef Yachts announced the second order in two months for a superyacht in the Sunreef series.

Just months after beginning construction of a Sunreef 102 Double Decker, Sunreef’s in-house design team has developed a new concept - at 106 feet,a fast, high-performance but luxurious multihull, the Sunreef 106 Sailing.

The basic 100 foot concept design has been customized and extended up to 106 feet to satisfy a European client's wishes for a somewhat larger Sunreef 100 while retaining the general aspect and exterior lines.

With this order, Sunreef Yachts is the first and only shipyard in the world to have under construction two multihulls over 100 feet.

* Hampshire UK based interior design studio Design Unlimited have been contracted to undertake the interior design of a Dubois 36m performance sailing sloop.

The brief given to the studio for the interior was for a modern stylish minimal look with little or no wooden finishes save for the wide-planked polished wenge floors. This has involved the design team in a challenging search for innovative and striking finishes resulting in the use of leather and shagreen wrapped wall panels and custom glass pieces which combine with lacquered bulkheads for an overall effect of cool contemporary elegance. Interest has been added with a variety of textured fabrics including new Majilite finishes, soft rugs and textured leather. Despite the minimal look comfort is still very integral to the yacht’s design with plenty of large sofas upon which to relax.

The yacht features a raised saloon with panoramic views and an extending coffee/dining table. Entertaining on board is important so a large well equipped galley with breakfast bar opens on to the crew mess for ease of use. Accommodation is by way of an elegant ensuite master cabin plus pullman aft and two separate en-suite guest cabins.

The yacht is building at Yachting Developments Limited in New Zealand and is due for completion in 2009. The project team is completed by project manager Guy Waddilove of Waddilove Yachts.

FEATURED BROKERAGE 1963 International Dragon, 8,500 GBP, Located in Basingstoke, Hampshire, UK.

Construction : Wood - Epoxy coated white hull Wheel Tiller Steering : Tiller Steering

Brokerage through AAA Marine (Cowes) Ltd.: http://www.yachtworld.com/aaamarine/

Complete listing details and seller contact information at http://uk.yachtworld.com/core/listing/boatFullDetails.jsp?boat_id=1867087

THE LAST WORD The glory of great men should always be measured by the means they have used to acquire it. -- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The opinions expressed in Scuttlebutt Europe do not necessarily reflect those of its editors or sponsors.

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