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SCUTTLEBUTT EUROPE #1505 - 7 MAY

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

TRADE WINDS TOO LATE? With at least a week go to before the finish at Saint-Barthelemy, it's still anyone's race, with the northern course having delivered big gains in the past week, but the trade winds have now touched the southernmost sailors in the Figaro Beneteau fleet. The question is... is it too late, are those on the southern route too far behind?

Leading the southern fleet is SNEF-Cliptol Sport, making 9.9 knots at press time, but sailing 262 miles behind the leader, Financo (Nicolas Troussel / Christopher Pratt). But they're whittling away at that lead, as Financo is only managing 4 knots.

The big loser in the equation are those who took the middle path: Bertrand de Broc and Gwen Riou on Les Mousquetaires, Armel Tripon and Dominic Vittet on Gedimat, Elodie Riou / Bertrand Casteinerac on KPMG, Fabrice Amedeo and Jean Pierre Nicol, all of whom are nearly 300 miles behind the leaders to the north and are now all headed straight south to pickup some wind.

>From Phil Sharp, who at press time was in fourth position but had been holding third earlier in the day:

* Well after 5 days of slogging upwind across the Atlantic the wind is miraculously going aft and we’re just prepared the spinnaker for hoist on this calm morning where dawn breaks noticeably later each day as we head west. Incredibly, despite our painfully slow progress and recent inabilility to point anywhere near the direction of the Caribbean, the northern pack of boats that we’re amongst is still holding a good lead on the boats down in the south. This looks set to change though as we have a very light couple of days ahead of us whereas the southerners have reached the trade winds now and will be blasting downwind in entirely different conditions to the finish. Right now though it is still wide open.

* Team Pindar’s Open 60 Boat Captain, Nick ‘Nobi’ Black, is taking part in the double-handed Transat AG2R race with Liz Wardley aboard Sojasun. He is one of just two British entrants in the race that set off on April 20th from Corncarneau in France to St. Barts in the Caribbean.

Well it is day 15 and we have had some great sailing conditions today. We managed to set the fastest 6 hour period of the day with an average of 11.8 knots. With 20 to 25 knots of wind and 26 degree pure sunshine it was fantastic. However everything did not go according to plan as I did not apply an equal spread of sun cream to my back today so it has gone quite red! We started the last packet of Haribo (sweets) this evening and the rule is we can only eat some when we overtake a boat.

Life on board the Green Rocket has started to resemble the film Ground Hog Day as nothing seems to be changing apart from our standings in the position reports. During the day the wind tends to increase in the trades up to 25 knots and then slows back down to just below 20 knots for the evening. As it is so constant it means that there are no maneuvers to be done and we just spend the day eating, sleeping and driving the boat.

We are hoping that our option to come south is going to pay off for us. So far all the signs are good as we are making up good miles on all the boats in front of us, but the next couple of days will show the real outcome.

Editor: Nick and Liz have taken the most southerly position in the entire fleet, are currently in 18th place and 400 miles behind Financo.

http://www.transatag2r.com http://www.philsharpracing.com http://www.teampindar.com

LONG DAY AFLOAT BUT TWO GREAT RACES The glorious Tuscany weather returned for the second day of racing at the Finn Open and Junior European Championship in Scarlino, Italy. However, again, the wind didn't make things easy. It took four hours waiting for the wind to stabilise and three general recalls before racing could finally start. When it did, race wins went to Gasper Vincec (SLO) and Pieter-Jan Postma (NED) with a number of favourites picking up high scores.

The moderate north-easterly offshore wind in the morning created some early problems for the race committee as a shifting wind produced two general recalls before the race committee decided to wait for the thermal breeze from the sea. They waited for an hour and nothing changed so decided to start race two in the offshore wind.

Zach Railey (USA), after a 64th place yesterday, scored a 6th and 5th today and is currently in 19th overall, became the new International Finn Association Vice-President Development at the class AGM on Sunday. In doing so he takes charge of various development initiatives around the world. Railey is particularly passionate about introducing younger sailors to the Finn and giving them a useful step up into international sailing. One such initiative is underway in the United States, where a new scheme has just been established to encourage sailors into the class. The USA Class Association is planning to buy a new Finn and offer it on loan for periods of up to one year to suitable candidates, who have to apply for its use. Railey stated, “The objective is to get one new sailor into the class each year through this initiative, probably a talented sailor from another class or someone who has got too big to sail a Laser.”

In the Junior European Championship this week, Piotr Kula (POL) is leading the field after a 10th and a 41st today and stands in 15th place. Second placed junior is Jan Kurfeld (GER) in 21st while Andriy Gusenko (UKR) lies third in 29th place overall.

Two more races are scheduled for tomorrow at 12.00. -- Robert Deaves

http://www.eurofinn2008.it http://www.finnclass.org

A PEDIGREE LINE-UP FOR MEDCUP TP52 SEASON Take a glance over this year’s Audi Medcup TP52 entry list. It’s easy to see there’ll be a few dead certs with the racing; intense competition at its highest form, thrilling action for spectators and at the season’s finale we’ll know more about which new technology works and who’s made the real performance gains. Having rigged the last two years winners, this year five yachts will use the new 2008 Southern Spars designed rigs which feature further refinements to windage, rig stiffness and boom design. Southern Spars wishes all teams good, fast sailing.

http://www.southernspars.com

THE CUSTOM HOUSE 'CONTROVERSY' On April 28 the Societe Nautique de Geneve wrote the Golden Gate Yacht Club about the required "Custom House Registry" of the GGYC boat in build:

"GGYC must comply with the Deed's requirement to provide SNG with a custom-house registry of the vessel named USA and specified in further detail in the certificate accompanying its July 11, 2007 notice of challenge. If it is GGYC's contention that is has not yet obtained such a registry, please describe the steps that GGYC has taken in order to obtain such registry. The Deed of GIft expressly requires this registry to be provided "as soon as possible". Furthermore, this was affirmed in the GGYC notice of challenge.

There is no reason preventing GGYC from obtaining such a certificate so that it can be provided to SNG 'as soon as possible', as required by the Deed of GIft.

As GGYC is fully aware, a challenger's failure to comply with requirements under the Deed of Gift will render its challenge void. If GGYC persists in its non-complilance, SNG will have no choice but to consider the challenge of the first challenge received from a yacht club which is willing to comply with the Deed of Gift. We thus look forward to your prompt response."

On April 29 GGYC Commodore Marcus Young replied:

I am writing in response to your letter dated 28 Apri, 2008. We are in full compliance with the requirements of the Deed of Gift, including without limitation with regard to the 'custom-house registry." As the fiduciary trustee of the America's Cup under the Deed of Gift you know, or should know, the procedures for obtaining a registry in the United States for a new vessel. Following that procedure, we are in communication with a U.S. Coast Guard approved measurement organization. We are following the customary procedure for obtaining the tonnage certificate and then the Certificcate of Documentation from the U.S. Coast Guard, which we will provide as soon as possible. Finally, we reject the several other self-serving and erroneous assertions contained in your letter.

Editor: One wonders if another Alinghi attorney will be rolled out to reiterate the "Gosh, things are so different in the US than in Europe we're having trouble figuring it all out" line. Try to imagine yourself writing another big check to your attorney if he or she told you something like that.

MERMAID ON THE ROCKS Cowes, Isle of Wight, UK: The RYS Jubilee Haven in Cowes, Isle of Wight, has been completed with two very important finishing touches having been installed.

The Mermaid, which was sculpted by Belgravia-based Jonathan Wylder, was presented to the members of the Royal Yacht Squadron by the Commodore, Lord Iliffe, to commemorate the completion of the RYS Jubilee Haven, and in memory of The Lord Grantham who, on lst June 1815, presided over the first meeting of The Yacht Club, as the Squadron was known at the time of its formation, and whose yacht was called “Mermaid”.

On 3rd May 2008, the exquisite Mermaid was unveiled by Sharron Davies, the Olympic Silver and Commonwealth Gold medal swimmer, on whom she was modelled. The sculpture languishes on the rocks on the elbow of the breakwater on the seaward side.

In the quarter fort now stands the historic RYS Leading Light. Keeping a light burning to help shipping into Cowes was an early development in The Royal Yacht Squadron’s history. -- Peta Stuart-Hunt

ONE LAST NIGHT AT SEA FOR KONYUKHOV Day 100: At 07:00 UTC (15:00 WST) Russian circumnavigator Fedor Konyukhov was within 80 miles of setting an inaugural record for the Antarctica Cup Ocean Race. Having turned his back on the Roaring Forty and Furious Fifty latitudes, the 56 year old adventurer is now sweating to make more than 4 knots in the light head winds produced by the high pressure system currently hanging over Cape Leeuwin and the finish line set inside King George Sound.

"Here in Albany the wind is blowing only 5-8 knots, so it is hard to work out Fedor's ETA with any accuracy." Said Oscar Konyukhov, Trading Network Alye Perusa's shore manager, adding. "We expect the winds to drop further overnight, so our best estimate is a Wednesday morning finish."

The press boat Silverstar will leave Albany Town Jetty at 08:00 WST. Weather permitting, it will then head out to greet Fedor Konyukhov off Eclipse Island, and follow his yacht Trading Network Alye Perusa to the Antarctica Cup Ocean Race finish line inside King George Sound. Once across the line Fedor will head for Middleton Bay and make a sweep around Marine Drive, then drop sails and moor up alongside the Albany Town Jetty.

Fedor will then attend a press conference aboard Silverstar when he will also receive the Antarctica Cup Perpetual Trophy and the City of Albany medal.

http://www.antarcticacup.com

ORC 2008 RULES NOW AVAILABLE The IMS 2007 book and its sections have been re-arranged in 3 documents as described below. This work has been more complex than anticipated, given the layers of changes and new concepts that have been accumulated in the 30 years of development of both the IMS and IOR, which remains the core of the new IMS measurement platform.

There will be no printed version of these Rules, as they are downloadable for free from the ORC web site ( http://www.orc.org ) to be saved and printed as needed. Compliance with IMS Rule 304 (a copy of the Rules must be on board while racing) can thus be fulfilled by having the pdf file on a computer, palm top or any other device taken on board while racing.

Due to the major overhaul, some clarifications or updates may be required in the course of the coming months. And whenever any corrections may become necessary, these will be published on the Rules & Regulations page.

IMS 2008 This is the measurement platform transformed from IMS and reduced to detailed measurement descriptions and instructions, without any reference to the formulae and algorithms that are used to create handicaps. The complete data set of IMS is intended to be used primarily for ORC International and ORC Club, but can also be used by other handicapping systems that wish to adjust their performance analysis or secret or public formulae.

The second part of the text is associated with the Accommodation Regulations, which previously were part of a separate publication, the "optional" IMS Regulations. They are now part of the Rule text, and include the table of standards.

ORC Rating Rules 2008 These rules describe how the data collected through the IMS platform are conveyed in measurements and parameters to be used by the VPP to calculate performances, and how these performances are presented in the ORC International and ORC Club certificates, and then used for scoring races. The document is divided in 4 sections:

Limits and defaults: In this section there are definitions and descriptions, formulae and limits for hull, rig, sails, stability, crew and how they are calculated in the LPP and VPP.

Rules applying when racing: This section describes how sails can be set, rig and boat and ballast adjustments and guidelines to handle measurement differences when they arise during a regatta.

Certificates: It's a description of the various types of certificates available: International, Club, One-Design and their revalidation and invalidation procedures. Samples of International and Club certificates are included. A wider selection can be found in other sections of this site.

Scoring: The various types of scoring methods are described, from the simple single number to the more complex interpolated ones as the Performance Curve Scoring (PCS) with detailed instructions on information about the necessary course description information, and the algorithms to produce, duplicate and validate race results

Green Book 2008 It is a slightly updated version of the 2007 text, with some small updates regarding the time limit and the Class limits for the 670 Class, whose low limit is set at 618 sec/mi.

The part related to GP Classes has been taken out from the Green Book, and separate files for the 3 classes will be posted in each class section of the site.

http://orc.org

NEW BOAT AND A FRESH NEW CHALLENGE After sampling Extreme 40 sailing for the first time in 2007, double Olympic gold medallist Shirley Robertson will compete on the iShares Cup circuit this year aboard JPMorgan Asset Management's boat. The team's new boat is under construction by Tornado Sport in Sweden.

Two of Shirley's crew remain in place from last year; Fraser Brown (NZ) mainsheet trimmer and Nick Hutton (GBR) as bowman. The new addition to the team comes in the form of America's Cup and Farr 40 sailor Chris Main (NZ), who will be filling the position of tactician. Fraser Brown brings a wealth of multi-hull experience to the team having sailed onboard the Extreme 40's since 2006. He was part of the winning crew during the Oryx Quest Round the World Race, and holds five world records from his time onboard maxi multi-hulls Cheyenne and Maiden II, including breaking the Jules Verne record in 2004.

Two times British National Match Racing Champion Nick Hutton is the youngest of the crew at just 26 years old. His other notable achievements include winning the World Student Match Racing Championships in 2000. This will be the second season racing Extreme 40s for this extreme sports junkie, who lists kite boarding as his number one hobby.The latest addition on the team is New Zealander Chris Main. Chris brings a range of experience with him from two America's Cup campaigns. He was prominent in the after-guard as tune-up helmsman and tactician for Japan's Nippon Challenge in 2000, and then as a grinder onboard Britain's Team GBR Challenge during the 2000 America's Cup. He has enjoyed recent success on the Farr 40 circuit taking the Key West regatta in 2006.

A total of nine teams have signed up for the five stop European iShares Cup circuit which begins in Lugano, Switzerland, on May 30th. In a very competitive fleet Shirley will be taking on the boys as the only female skipper. Among the competition will be America's Cup winning skipper Alinghi's Ed Baird, and current iShares champion Robert Greenhalgh. -- Lucy Harwood

http://www.isharescup.com

VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG KING OF COWES LaserPerformance (Europe) Ltd and Volkswagen are delighted to announce that 2008 will see the return of the Volkswagen Touareg King of Cowes at Skandia Cowes Week. With the question being, who will be crowned King this year?

On Friday 1st August the class winners from Skandia Cowes Week 2007 will race in identical Laser SB3s off Cowes in a one-day, three race regatta. Following on from the hard-fought inaugural event held last year, some 32 leading national and international helms will have the opportunity to pitch their skills on the water against each other, to compete for the coveted 'Volkswagen Touareg King of Cowes' title. Competition is expected to again be fierce, with prizes of a Volkswagen Touareg, Laser XD and Laser BUG up for grabs. Plus a fantastic holiday for the owner of the winning boat.

With winning helms from classes as diverse as the historic XOD day boats and the high tech IRC Class Zero maxis this event draws together the very best sailors from Skandia Cowes Week 2007 to promise a truly exceptional competition.

As in 2007, the winning helms will be drawn at random through an independent draw to ascertain which SB3 owner they will be paired with. The class winners must helm their boat with the SB3 owner as principle crew member. The SB3 class winner will not be permitted to sail his own boat but will also be allocated to an SB3 through the independent draw to prevent any unfair advantage.

With so much at stake, Principle Race Officer Tony Lovell and his team from Total Race Control, will ensure a series of challenging races are set to test the skills and tactics of the invited helms and an International Jury will be on hand to ensure fair play.

Three races are scheduled with no discard ensuring that the teams are given the most rigorous test. For 2008 the course format is revised slightly to include a Skandia Cowes Week style "round the cans" course in addition to the "windward leeward" format which was used exclusively at the inaugural event.

The independent draw to match class winners with SB3s will take place in May and further information about the location and timing of the draw will be published shortly.

http://www.skandiacowesweek.co.uk

FEATURED BROKERAGE 2005 Farr 85 "Roma", Located in Tuscany, Italy

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Brokerage through Farr Yacht Sales: http://www.farryachtsales.com

Complete listing details and seller contact information at http://www.farrdesign.com/brokerage/535_Roma.htm

THE LAST WORD I won't say ours was a tough school, but we had our own coroner. -- Lenny Bruce

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