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SCUTTLEBUTT EUROPE #1555 - 7 JULY

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

THE PLAN COMES TOGETHER FOR GBR RED While the GBR Red team started the final day of the Rolex Commodores' Cup with a comfortable lead, a double points scoring final race combined with a front passing over the Solent bringing with it solid 30 knot winds, even stronger gusts, rain and terrible visibility maintained the tension until the very last moments of the competition.

In the end John Shepherd's big boat, Fair Do's VII made it around the race course cleanly to post a second place behind Anthony O'Leary's Antix Eile in Ireland White, while the two smaller GBR Red boats, Jerry Otter's Erivale III and Peter Rutter's Quokka 7 had a much harder time in their classes, the mid-boat finishing ninth and the small boat coming home fourth. But overall the results were good enough for GBR Red to win the 2008 Rolex Commodores' Cup comfortably, on 122 points with the two Irish teams White and Green on 144 and 161 respectively, pulling ahead of France Blue today, the defending champions dropping to fourth on 166.5.

But today's outcome for GBR Red hung in the balance due to the race Quokka 7 was having in Class Three. Approaching the weather mark, Quokka 7 infringed and in order to avoid disqualification was forced to carry out two penalty turns. On the second of these the mainsheet block hit owner Peter Rutter. "I got hit on the head and the next thing I knew we were heading down the run," described Rutter, now sporting a large lump in his forehead. "I lost the plot for a few minutes."

Despite leaving the windiest wind race until last, the 30 knot near gale-force conditions proved too much for many of the competitors, with five boats in Class One along having to retire. Worst hit was the Netherlands White small boat Slainte which was dismasted. But most boats retired with boom or sail damage, sustained during the large number of wipe-outs today. Even defending champion Gery Trentesaux fell victim to gear failure when the end of Lady Courrier's boom broke on the first run.

Within the three Classes the top scoring boats were Anthony O'Leary's Antix Eile on a very impressive 24 points to second placed Fair Do's VII on 45 in Class One, while in Class Two, Kees Kaan's ROARK/Claus en Kaan Architecten held a similar lead over Eamonn Rohan's Blondie IV. But it was in Class Three that there was the closest finished, Quokka 7 squeezing ahead of Jamie McWilliam's well sailed Hong Kong boat Yeoman of Wight by just half a point.

The next Rolex Commodores' Cup will be held in 2010. -- Trish Jenkins

Top Six Teams - Provisional Overall Positions:

Team / Points / Place GBR Red / 122 / 1 Ireland White/ 144 / 2 Ireland Green / 161 / 3 France Blue / 166.5/4 Hong Kong / 180.5/ 5 Netherlands Red/ 206 / 6

http://www.rorc.org/comcup/index.php

MATTIAS RAHM WINS MATCH CUP SWEDEN Marstrand, Sweden: Despite the first cloudy day in a week of otherwise beautiful sunny weather, thousands of spectators still braved the chill to watch local favourite Mattias Rahm (SWE) win his first Match Cup Sweden finale. He and his Stena Bulk Racing Team of Oscar Angervall, Johan Barne, Daniel Bjorndal, and Fredrik Aurell put on an exciting display of match race sailing action in both the Semi-Final and Final rounds of today's competition, the fourth stage in the 2008 World Match Racing Tour.

For the Finals, the breeze backed off a bit to a temperamental 8-12 knots, with a few shifts to cause race mangers to re-shift the course so that the weather mark was now placed just metres away from the cliffs. This made the fight for the right seem even more important, and Rahm took full advantage of this to win convincingly in the first match.

In the second match things got more interesting. While Rahm was still starting well, and made the first cross over to the right to take early control, the Australians found a small shift to get back into the game downwind, and drove Rahm to the opposite side of the course, with an overlap created to leeward and thereby requiring them to gybe when on the layline to the bottom mark. This is a notoriously difficult call for umpires to make, yet after a few green flags they finally ruled against Mirsky, who eventually gybed and led back to the leeward mark by just two lengths.

Despite this lead, they were not able to extend on it enough to take their penalty turn at the finish and finish ahead of Rahm, who coasted across a mere metre ahead, and take the series lead 2-0.

Having now won five matches in a row, Rahm was on a roll, and proved unbeatable. Amidst thousands of cheering and waving Swedes on shore, the Swedes on the course sailed across the finish and into history, winning the top prize of US$50,000 and valuable points to advance on the Tour leaderboard. Mirsky's runner-up share of the total $200,000 purse was $34,000.

In Petit-Final action, Magnus Holmberg dispensed with Richard in two matches in the first-to-two point series, but not without having been judged to have to share the blame for damage in a pre-start collision with Richard for which the French received the penalty. No matter, the tap will likely not put much of a dent in their respective $28,000 and $20,000 third and fourth place prizes.

Match Cup Sweden Final Results: 1. Mattias Rahm (SWE), Stena Bulk Racing Team $50,000 2. Torvar Mirsky (AUS), Mirsky Racing Team $34,000 3. Magnus Holmberg (SWE), Victory Challenge $28,000 4. Mathieu Richard (FRA), French Match Racing Team $20,000 5. Peter Gilmour (AUS) PST $16,000 6. Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Alandia Sailing Team $14,000 7. Jes Gram Hansen (DEN) Trifork Racing Team $12,000 8. Sebastien Col (FRA) French Match Racing Team/K Challenge $10,000 9. Ian Williams (GBR) Team Pindar $7,000 10. Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team $4,000 11. Paolo Cian (ITA) Shosholoza Team $3,000 12. Ben Ainslie (GBR) Team Origin $2,000

http://www.worldmatchracingtour.com

AIRX SPINNAKER FABRICS FROM BAINBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL In 1998, Bainbridge International redefined the standards in spinnaker fabrics with the introduction of AIRX, a range of spinnaker fabrics that combine unprecedented strength, performance and quality. Since then, AIRX spinnakers have won some of the highest profile events, been used by the highest profile syndicates and have been used exclusively by the world's top sailmakers. All styles feature exceptional burst and tear strength, allowing lighter sails to be used in higher wind ranges.

Contact us for more information and for your free style and colour samples - info@bainbridgeint.co.uk

CLIPPER 07-08 FLEET ARRIVES TO SPECTACULAR WELCOME IN LIVERPOOL Albert Dock, Liverpool, UK: The crews of the Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race have arrived back in Liverpool at the end of their 35,000-mile circumnavigation. For the non-professional crew onboard the ten 68-foot ocean racing yachts, the return to Albert Dock marks the end of a challenge of a lifetime as they battled the elements in search of victory and the title of Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race champions.

Crossing the finish line overnight at the end of the 14th and final stage of the Clipper 07-08 Race, the US entry, New York, claimed the maximum ten points for securing their sixth first place of their campaign and the Clipper Trophy. Hull & Humber, New York's closest rival on the overall leaderboard ahead of Race 14, saw their hopes of claiming the title fade as New York stretched out a small but significant lead in the fast reaching race from Cork, Ireland to Liverpool, UK.

The Clipper fleet's arrival back in Liverpool at the end of their 35,000-mile circumnavigation was part of the city's European Capital of Culture 2008 celebrations and thousands of Liverpudlians, race supporters and friends and family of the crews lined the banks of the Mersey to welcome the yachts back home.

Clipper 07-08 began in Liverpool on 16 September 2007 and, over the last ten months, the teams have circumnavigated the globe, crossing the Atlantic three times, the Pacific once, and sailed across the infamous Southern Ocean, with stopovers on five continents.

To date more than 1,400 people have become ocean racers by taking part in the Clipper Race and, of these, nearly 300 have achieved the rare accolade of becoming a circumnavigator by racing around the world under sail. Sixty-two new circumnavigators have joined the ranks of this exclusive club following the fleet's arrival in Liverpool today.

The ten-part television series to accompany the Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race, produced by the event's host broadcaster, Sunset+Vine I APP, is currently being shown by broadcasters around the world and others are preparing to show it in the coming months. Current listings can be found in the multimedia section of http://www.clipperroundtheworld.com

Final positions

1. New York, 103.5 points 2. Hull & Humber, 98 3. Glasgow: Scotland with style Clipper, 87 4. Qingdao, 77.5 5. Liverpool 08, 75.5 6. Durban 2010 and Beyond, 70 7. westernaustralia2011.com, 69 8. Uniquely Singapore, 65 9. Nova Scotia, 50.5 10. Jamaica, 40.5

http://www.clipperroundtheworld.com

ONE YEAR ON, IT'S THE AMERICANS' CUP IN CAGLIARI The American boat Quantum Racing steered by Terry Hutchinson with Americans Morgan Larson and Mark Mendelblatt lead a great team performance to win the Audi Region of Sardinia Trophy and lead the Audi MedCup Circuit 2008 at the mid-way point of the season.

One year ago this week Terry Hutchinson (USA) was a key member of the Emirates Team New Zealand crew which had only just narrowly lost the 32nd America's Cup match against Alinghi. Today off the Sardinian capital of Cagliari, Hutchinson and his team aboard Quantum Racing (USA) won a regatta of the 2008 Audi MedCup Circuit for the first time, lifting the Audi Region of Sardinia Trophy.

Quantum finished third in Alicante in May and fifth in Marseille last month and now, at the theoretical mid-point of the six regatta season, after 26 races the American boat tops the Audi MedCup Circuit 2008 standings.

A great, but intense final day of racing took full advantage of the continuing Mistral winds, blowing between 13-17 knots. An early morning start allowed three sharp windward-leeward to be completed by early afternoon.

It was only on the final run of the final race that Hutchinson and the Quantum Racing crew did just enough to beat Mean Machine (MON), Peter de Ridder's 2006 champion team, who are guided tactically by Hutchinson's former key crew-mates ETNZ tactician Ray Davies (NZL), along with navigator Kevin Hall (USA).

At the final windward mark of the regatta's deciding 10th race, Quantum Racing and Mean Machine sat locked together on the same points aggregate, and only by passing Spain's America's Cup Team on El Desafio and Matador (ARG) did Quantum Racing emerge triumphant by two clear points.

With Hutchinson steering, Morgan Larson (USA) as tactician and Athens Olympian Mark Mendelblatt (USA) helping out for the first time as strategist and 'guest'grinder, Quantum Racing won four of the 10 races and never finished worse than sixth.

Final Results:Audi Region of Sardinia Trophy Regatta.

1. Quantum Racing, USA, 37 points 2. Mean Machine, MON, 39 3. Artemis, SWE, 45 4. Mutua Madrilena, ESP, 49 5. Bribon, ESP, 55 6. El Desafio, ESP, 72 7. Matador, ARG, 75 8. Caixa Galicia, ESP, 86 9. Platoon by Team Germany, GER, 91 10. Cristabella, GBR, 101

Breitling Trophy for the best Elapsed Total Time at the regatta: Quantum Racing.

Audi MedCup Circuit 2008 Standings after 26 races in Alicante, Marseille, Cagliari. 1. Quantum Racing, USA, 129 2. Bribon, ESP, 135.2 3. Artemis, SWE, 137 4. Mean Machine, MON, 158 5. Platoon by Team Germany, GER, 190 6. Matador, ARG, 192 7. Mutua Madrilena, ESP, 200.4 8. El Desafio, ESP, 207 9. CxG Caixa Galicia, ESP, 232.6 10. Cristabella, GBR, 264

http://2008.medcup.org/results

DUBARRY'S NEW GENOA T-SHIRT: PERFORMANCE THAT WON'T LOSE YOU FRIENDS A strong performance usually means a strong smell because most anti-microbial T-shirts have a nasty habit of hanging onto to odour, no matter how many times they're washed. So does maximising VMG always mean maximising BO? Not any more. Dubarry's new Genoa T-shirt has fast-drying, anti-microbial fabric that leaves the memory of a good race in your head, not in your armpits. It's SPF40 too, so you don't need to grease up. And after racing, you might not create so much space at the bar, but you'll definitely get served quicker.

Dubarry's Genoa T-Shirt: Same Rules. New Collection.

http://www.dubarry.com

FIRST WINNERS AT WARNEMUENDER WOCHE Great sailing conditions marked the start of the 71st Warnemuender Woche in Germany. More people than ever came to follow the sunny offbeat on the first weekend. 200 000 visitors watched the racing and shore entertainment. More than 1000 sailors from 30 nations started their competition in light winds. Karl Purdie from New Zealand won the pre-world series in OK class.

The current world champion Nick Craig from Great Britain started late into the pre-series and could not end among the top ten. But the three-time world champion is a highly rated favourite for the title. On Monday, the official opening of the Ok worlds will be held before racing gets serious on Tuesday on Warnemuende's course Bravo.

Warnemuende winners have been honoured in the 505 class as well: Erik Heil and Sebastian Salein from Berlin, Germany could place themselves in front of the current German vice champions Lutz Stengel and Frank Feller. "It seems we always become second", said Fellmer not too unhappy. "Erik and Sebastian have really been better today", said the helmsman, hoping for a revenge during the 505- Europe Cup in Travemuende in two weeks time.

Only half of the series are done for the Laser Europe Cup sailors. After four races (one discard) Jean Baptiste Bernaz from France leads the fleet of 70 starters followed by Valeriy Kydryahov from Ukraine. Third on the list is the Canadian Mike Leigh with just one point behind. Racing in the Laser Europe Cup continues until Tuesday.

In the Olympic 470 class the Australian team Sam Kievell/Max Taylor lead the series after six races, followed by the German team Morten Bogacki and his new crew Nils Schroeder. Third place take Jan Wagner and Lennart Scheufler from Berlin. The class will finish racing on Monday.

On Monday morning the chase for the record Round Bornholm begins. This year, nearly 70 yachts are registered for the 270-mile long distance race, which leads around the Danish island of Bornholm and back to Warnemuende. Four different groups will start from 9 a.m. on. In the afternoon at 2 p.m. a group of faster racing yachts will take off to chase the fleet. Among them the two VOR 60's "Rostocker" and Glashäger", as well as the Reichel/Pugh 57 "Scho-ka-kola", a DK 46 "Tutima" and "Utsider" the Elliott 45 formerly known as "Outsider.

The record was set in 2001 by "UCA" with 28 hours, 37 minutes und 23 seconds. The first yachts are expected to finish Tuesday night. -- Nadja Arp

http://www.warnemuender-woche.com

SEAHORSE SAILOR OF THE MONTH Last month's winner:

Jose Maria Torcida Seghers (ESP) Hola bl**dy hola! Swamped by Pichu's Spanish fan club this month, power to you!!! 'The best' - Jan Santana (and 30 others), 'Pichu es un 10!' - Alex Pella, 'the fastest there is' - Angel Inglesias, 'go, Pichu' - Carlos Echavari, 'driving force' - Gonzalo Botin, 'one of the greats' - Andres Lopez, 'a good sailor, a better friend' - Talo.

This month's nominees:

Dave Ullman (USA) Better late than never... the lobby for the former 470 ace and SoCal sailmaker of choice to several one-design fleets has been growing for a while. Winner of last year's 'big' Melges Worlds in Santa Cruz, winner after a stunning final day at Key West this January, Ullman is, however, being put up as much for the enthusiasm with which he supports one-design sailing as for his own outstanding track record.

Loick Peyron (FRA) 39 Atlantic crossings, five Orma champion­ships and two previous Transat solo wins, always on multihulls, Peyron has achieved so much in his career since first coming to fame with his giant killing performance on his little Lada Poch cat in the brutal 1986 Route du Rhum. Peyron returned to monohulls a bit reluctantly for this Vendee Globe but a win in the Artemis Transat shows this wonderful seaman remains a force to be reckoned with...

Seahorse Sailor of the month is sponsored by Harken McLube, Dubarry and Henri Lloyd.

Cast your vote at http://seahorsemagazine.com

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 Erdbeer design@duboisyachts.com http://www.duboisyachts.com

IODA EUROPEAN OPTIMIST CHAMPIONSHIP The 26th IODA European Championship concluded today with a single 12th race.

Lake Garda has provided varied conditions for the 239 sailors from 39 countries. Up to 30 knots where recorded on several days but often winds were lighter and the course perhaps unexpectedly provided quite a current due to recent rain increasing inflows to the lake. However any rain this week has been mostly at night and there was bright sunshine for all races.

The girls event was won by Paulina Rothlauf (GER) of the Royal Bavarian Y.C., the latest in a chain of results in the last three years which has produced two world champions from a region with no great history of Optimist success. Indeed this is the first time ever that Germany has taken gold in either boys or girls events. Fanni Pech (HUN) sailed a highly consistent series with all results in the top 10 to take silver, again a first for Hungary. Sara Piasecka (POL) was third.

Among the boys Luca Mazzaferro, a Brasilian of Italian family origin, celebrated his family's visit to the old country with a fine 20-point victory. Behind him second-placed Bernard Matteo (ITA) from Lake Bracciano near Rome took the European closed championship ahead of Spaniards Vicen Antich and Esquivias Burgos.

http://www.optiworld.org/ioda-news.html

BILL LUDLOW, CHAIRMAN AT WPNSA 1999 - 2008 It is with sorrow that the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA), host venue to the 2012 sailing events, today (July 5, 2008) announces the passing of Bill Ludlow, Chairman of WPNSA from 1999 to 2008.

Bill has been at the helm of WPNSA since the idea started and the subsequent development of the concept Academy to an Olympic venue in less than 6 years, demonstrating his enigmatic leadership and vision. His passion for sailing and for all maritime aspects meant that his influence reached out across the whole of Portland Harbour, Weymouth Bay and beyond. Bill has worked tirelessly for WPNSA and enabling access for local community people to sail at the Academy.

In addition to the Chairmanship of WPNSA, Bill was the driving force behind the 'Chesil Trust', a registered charity with the objective of assisting young or disabled people to experience sailing. The Chesil Trust has been responsible for the very successful 'Sail for a Fiver' programme which has, to date, enabled over 2000 young people to taste their first experience of sailing.

Bill will be very much missed for his enthusiasm, determination and fantastic sense of humour, the WPNSA team will be considering an appropriate way of permanently recording his contribution to the Academy. In the meantime, our thoughts and sympathies are with his wife Di and the rest of his family and friends.

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 Daniel Charles: I know Scuttlebutt is not about beautiful people, but can we miss an opportunity to mention them when they're linked with sailing?

Take the celebrated couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie (hereforward "Brangelina") and their multidunous family: they have taken refuge in South of France, more specifically at the Domaine de Miraval North of Brignoles. The official story is that Ms Jolie expects to give birth to twins some time soon and needs a peaceful place. However, the Domaine de Miraval is exactly where its late owner, a Joseph-Louis Lambot (1814-1887), being tired to see his orange-tree wooden boxes rotting, invented a metal structure covered with a thin coat of cement. Carried away by the durability of his new orange-tree boxes, he then built in 1848 one boat according to this principle (this prototype of all the ferro-cement boats still exists at the Musee de Brignoles), then a second one. Lambot subsequently patented his invention (French Patent #22120 of January 30, 1855).

I wish to mention to the sailing community the fact that "Brangelina" have established themselves where ferrocement boats were invented. Maybe someone prompt to see hidden meaning in famous people' actions might deduce that Brangelina's choice of refuge and the fact that 2008 is the 160th anniversary of the invention of ferrocement might not be a coincidence. One can always dream.

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THE LAST WORD Character is much easier kept than recovered. -- Thomas Paine

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

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