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SCUTTLEBUTT EUROPE #1489 - 18 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

KUSZNIEREWICZ / ZYCKI WIN STAR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS Miami, Florida, USA: Mateusz Kusznierewicz and Dominik Zycki (POL) won the 2008 Star World Championships at Coral Reef Yacht Club with a fifth place in the sixth race and a total of 14 points overall.

Second place went to Diego Negri/Luigi Viale (ITA) who crossed the finish line 18 seconds behind the leader with a total of 23 points. Both Kusznierewicz and Negri started at the signal boat end of the line and went after the start. Unfortunately, the wind went left and they got hosed. With 100 boats racing, they rounded mid-fleet at the first weather mark.

Third place went to Robert Scheidt/Bruno Prada (BRA) who finished the Star Worlds in fourth with 33 points.

Today's sixth race was won by the Irish team of Patrick O'Leary and Stephen Milne who could be deemed the comeback kids of the series. They were a solid candidate for a top five finish in race four but they lost their mast on the second downwind run.

Flavio Marazzi/Enrico De Maria (SUI) not only finished in second place today with an overall fourth, but qualified Switzerland for one of the four remaining Olympic slots in the Star Class event. The three other countries qualifying today were Croatia, Ireland and Austria. -- Janet Maizner

Day Six Overall Top 10 Standing after five races and lowest score discarded:

1. Mateusz Kusznierewicz / Dominik Zycki, POL, 14 points 2. Diego Negri / Luigi Viale, ITA, 23 3. Robert Scheidt / Bruno Prada, BRA, 33 4. Flavio Marazzi / Enrico De Maria, SUI, 40 5. Marc Pickel / Ingo Borkowski, GER, 45 6. Hamish Pepper / Carl Williams, NZL, 51 7. Mark Mendelblatt / Mark Strube, USA, 56 8. Iain Murray / Andrew Palfrey, AUS, 69 9. Xavier Rohart / Pascal Rambeau, FRA, 72 10. Rick Merriman / Brian Shap, USA, 77

http://www.starworlds2008.com

CLIPPER FLEET SAILS INTO SANTA CRUZ Uniquely Singapore has managed to steal line honours from Nova Scotia by crossing the finish line at 05:16 local (12:16 GMT) Wednesday morning at the end of Race 8 from Hawaii to Santa Cruz in the Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race. In a nail biting finish in light airs the Singaporean team managed to overtake Nova Scotia, the team representing the east coast province of Canada crossing less than an hour later at 05:51 local (12:51 GMT).

The victory for Uniquely Singapore marks their first win of the Clipper 07-08 Race series and their first podium position of the race so far.

A tactical decision to head north paid off for both teams as they achieved more favourable wind angles and avoided the wind holes that beset the rest of the fleet further south.

The majority of the fleet are expected to arrive over the next couple of days with the US entry, New York expected to take the final podium position and arrive in Santa Cruz Harbour later today. Durban 2010 and Beyond and westernaustralia2011.com will complete the fleet by arriving in Santa Cruz early next week.

Clipper 07-08 is the sixth edition of the biennial Clipper Race and the Santa Cruz stopover marks the first time the race has visited a port on the west coast of the United States. During the teams' short visit the fleet is being hosted by the Santa Cruz Yacht Club who will also host the prize giving ceremony on Monday 21 April.

The Californian stopover of Clipper 07-08 has also been timed to coincide with the Strictly Sail Pacific boat show, which begins today at Jack London Square, Oakland, California. The Clipper Race will be exhibiting at the show today and this coming weekend and Crew Recruitment Manager David Cusworth will be on hand explain how prospective crew members can get onboard and take on the challenge of a lifetime.

http://www.clipperroundtheworld.com

ULLMAN SAILS CROATIA The newest loft in the Ullman Sails group has a particular expertise in one design racing - both Bojan Grego and his father Anton Grego are Olympians. Anton competed in the Flying Dutchman class in the 1968 Mexico Olympics and took 5th place in Germany's 1972 Games. His son Bojan competed in the FDs in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Together, they have amassed numerous European and National Championships in several one design classes. Ullman Sails is committed to providing the best one design sails by using the expertise of world-class competitive sailmakers.

Contact Ullman Sails and visit http://www.ullmansails.com

WORLD TOUR KICKS OFF 2008 SEASON The world's top professional sailors and many America's Cup skippers are preparing for another season of the World Match Racing Tour. The first event will begin on April 22nd in Vitoria, Brazil with the Brasil Sailing Cup. The nine event series takes place in nine different countries, in four continents and with seven different types of yachts. It culminates in the crowning of the ISAF World Match Racing Champion at the Monsoon Cup in Terenganu, Malaysia this December.

With the America's Cup still on hold pending the current court decision on the fate of the DOG Match between Alinghi and Oracle Racing, the other teams once again turn to the WMRT to maintain their skills and keep fresh in hope of a conventional America's Cup in 2011. America's Cup teams and skippers competing this year include:

Paolo Cian, ITA, Team Shosholoza Magnus Holmberg, SWE, Victory Challenge Sebastion Col, FRA, K-Challenge Philippe Presti, FRA, French Spirit Ben Ainslie, GBR, Team Origin Adam Minoprio, NZL, Emirates Team New Zealand

"The current situation with the America's Cup is very unfortunate for the sport and for professional sailing in general," commented WMRT President, Scott Macleod. "However, the WMRT's commercial platform and television coverage enable the teams to continue to race and give their sponsors a return on investment. However we have lost a few teams that have either shut down or are now training for the DOG Match."

In addition to the America's Cup teams, there are a number of top sailors and teams including; defending World Champion Ian Williams, and Team Pindar; who are set to compete "We have renewed our title sponsorship with Pindar and are really looking forward to trying to defend our World title," commented Ian.

There are a host of America's cup skippers, World and Olympic champions and a wave of new names on this year's Tour. The Tour looks to be highly competitive, some of the teams and names set to compete in the series include:

Ian Williams, (GBR), Team Pindar - Defending World Match Racing Champion Peter Gilmour, (AUS), Team PST - 2x World Champion Matthieu Richard, (FRA), Saba Sailing Team - ISAF Ranked Number One Björn Hansen, (SWE), Alandia Sailing Team

As well as a new wave of up and coming talent including:

Adam Minoprio, NZL, Emirates Team New Zealand Torvar Mirsky, AUS, Mirsky Racing Team Peter Wibroe, DEN, Team Wibroe Brian Angel, USA, King Harbour Match Race Team

http://www.worldmatchracingtour.com

MOTH ALERT! Only flying must be more thrilling than sailing a Moth (International Moth Class) in a good breeze and riding with a Bladerider over the waves, ...a feeling very similar to flying over the water.

Even in moderate breeze the hull of this single-hander lifts onto the water and kisses the top of the waves. The sailor flies over the surface of the waves while fin-keel and rudder foil keep in contact with the wet element.

For the first time this spectacular 3,35 m Loa production built single-hander will be represented in the International Part of Kieler Woche 2008 (June 21 to June 24, 2008), and the International Moth Class Association expects more than 30 entries.

The Moth is a high-tech, fast Cat-rigged single-handed dinghy which was invented some 80 years ago. The Class Rules allow the designers to draw exciting one-off designs or to develop a production foiler Moth. Quite early Carbon Fibre was used for the hull production, thus optimising the lift-off speed of the hull.

Since 2000 the development and addition of foils contributed to the hull's weight which is mainly borne by the foils. Consequently, the hull lifts onto the water even at moderate breeze, but at the same time causes exceeding boat speed. The rather small Moth dinghy at high speed reaches easily 25 knots, - a boat speed which normally reach twice as big Cat hulls with an 8-times bigger sail area than the 8 square meter Moth sail. The width of the Moth hull is no more than 35 cm, and to balance and trim the dinghy the skipper sits on a 2,25 meter wide outrigger-frame. The Moth dinghy, ready to be sailed, has a weight of less than 30 kilos.

The Class was founded in 1928 and seems to stay forever young. -- Herman Hell

http://www.kieler-woche.de

VOR TAPS RICK TOMLINSON The Volvo Ocean Race will provide a cutting edge media photographic service in 2008-09, including state-of-the-art online archive and distribution, while leading marine photographer Rick Tomlinson has been appointed as the official race photographer.

Rick Tomlinson Photography was established in 1986 at the conclusion of the 1985-86 Whitbread Round the World Race. Rick had been a crewmember/boat builder aboard the Maxi Drum and had a keen interest in photography. His pictures taken onboard Drum set new standards in onboard photography and were published in magazine and newspapers around the world.

Since 1986 Rick has been a professional yachting photographer. Combining racing and photography he competed in three Whitbread races onboard The Card, Intrum Justitia and Team EF where he was commissioned for a feature article by National Geographic Magazine.

Rick was the official photographer to the 2001-02 Volvo Ocean Race, producing some outstanding images which have become the icons of the race.

In 2005-06 Rick was responsible for photography for Ericsson Racing Team's entry in the Volvo Ocean Race, working in partnership with Thierry Martinez, from France.

See http://images.volvooceanrace.org and http://www.rick-tomlinson.com

MINI 6.50 COLLIDES WITH TRAWLER Local papers in Cornwall are reporting that the Penlee lifeboat last week rescued a mini transat yacht which had collided with a trawler.

Matt Trautman, from South Africa, was completing a 1,000-mile qualifying passage - from Lorient to Ireland and back - for the Mini Transat when the incident happened last Thursday evening. He and his boat were towed safely to Newlyn.

The collision happened 42 miles south of Land's End. The yacht's mast broke in four places, the bow was damaged and she started taking in water. In winds gusting to force eight, the undamaged trawler waited with the yacht for the lifeboat to arrive.

See The Cornishman's report here: http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=144125&command=displayContent&sourceNode=232510&home=yes&more_nodeId1=232470&contentPK 414859

>From Yachting Monthly, http://www.ybw.com/auto/newsdesk/20080317094640ymnews.html

INDUSTRY NEWS * The second Whyte & Mackay Earls Court Boat Show will run for just five days - half the length of last year's event - and has been brought forward by a week from the originally-announced dates. The new dates are 26-30 November.

"We want to condense it and make it more buzzy," the show's MD James Brooke told Classic Boat. The earlier date, "at the request of some international exhibitors", is to avoid a clash with the Paris Boat Show.

The show will once again have a classic element, said James, with a focus on classic powerboat racing, and plans for a classic boat auction. -- Peter Willis, Classic Boat, http://www.classicboat.co.uk

* The Superyacht Cup has announced the appointment of James Pleasance as Sales and Marketing Director. James will be working on the current portfolio of Superyacht Cup events in Palma and Antigua, as well as new projects within the Informa Yacht Group including the inaugural World Yacht Racing Forum in Monaco in December.

James joins The Superyacht Cup and Informa Yacht Group with more than 20 years experience in the marine industry, which has seen him in roles in marketing, public relations, and sponsorship management with a special focus on global yachting events. He has acted as a consultant to companies such as Rolex, Prada, BMW and UBS, as well as finding the time to successfully manage The Superyacht Cup regattas in Palma in 2005 and 2006.

The 2008 Superyacht Cup Palma will be held in Dique del Oeste from 11th -14th June and is expecting between 20 and 30 yachts to participate.

* Cookson Boatbuilders were the winners of the Marine Trade Challenge held on Saturday at Westhaven, Auckland.

The National Marine Trades Challenge 2008 was held on Saturday 29 March at 85 Westhaven Drive, Westhaven, Auckland. The boats built were paddled, sailed and outboarded around a course in the adjacent Westhaven bay.

The Marine Trades Challenge was created as a fun event for the marine industry's apprentices to show case their skills and knowledge in a reasonably competitive environment. Company based teams of four compete in building a boat and then racing it.

Teams are given a plan 15 minutes before the event starts and build a 'one-design' hull. They can innovate with sailing and paddling systems. They are judged on Quality of build, Worksite safety procedures, Innovation, Team spirit and support and their on-water performances. -- Colin Preston and NZ Marine Industries in Sail-World.com: http://www.sail-world.com/indexs.cfm?nid=43153

* Raymarine stock rose on the London Stock Exchange following an announcement on Tuesday April 2 that the company had been approached for a possible takeover. The stock had been trading at 2.46 GBP and rose 27% to just over 3 GBP following the announcement.

'The board of Raymarine notes the recent movement in its share price and confirms that it has received a preliminary approach which may or may not lead to an offer being made for the company,' the company said in a statement.

Only last month. Goldman Sachs said Raymarine was 'materially undervalued' after its shares had halved in value from a peak of around 500p in April last year

There is much speculation over where the potential bid might come from with companies such as Garmin, Furuno and Simrad being mentioned, although many feel an approach from one of these is unlikely and an approach is more likely from a private equity buyer. http://www.boatingbusiness.com/archive/2008/april/news/takeover_rumours_push_raymarine_up

* Henri Lloyd has strengthened its marine sales team, with the appointment of a sales agent in Ireland.

Aaron Lynch will commence his role on the 1st April, Aaron has a great deal of experience of the Irish marine market with 5 years as brand manager for Helly Hansen and currently as an agent for Grays Hockey and Gilbert Rugby, he is also a former semi-pro footballer, playing for 12 years in the League of Ireland.

Aaron's appointment is part of Henri Lloyd's continued commitment to the Irish marine market; at ACC Cork Week in July, the Henri Lloyd sponsored TP52 'Team Henri Lloyd - Cutting Edge' will be racing and local retailers CH Marine will be running a 'Henri Lloyd Store' at the event. -- http://www.henrilloyd.com

* Bainbridge International has announced the recent appointment of James Hudson as Export Sales Manager for their Sailcloth and Technical Fabrics division, following the recent departure of Kane Watkinson.

James brings with him many years of experience having worked in various roles within the Marine Industry, from skippering private and charter yachts in the Med', to After Sales Manager for Ancasta, Sealine and Fairline.

As an RYA Ocean Yacht Master, James enjoys getting out on the water as much as possible and racing, where time allows, with annual appearances in the Round the Island Race where he has gained some excellent results. -- http://www.bainbridgemarine.co.uk

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 Quentin Landman: I share a similar view as John Harwood-Bee with his comments.

It will appear that to have any chance of being a top flight sailor, I should switch my current study vocation, to Law. I will concede that there has always been a leaning towards legal proceedings with the simple complexity of race rules and umpires, BUT.... If I enter a competition I agree to be bound by its rules and regs. This includes the staff and appointed officials. Would this not imply that the very developed criminal and civil litigation channels only be opened when a life or possibility of life threatening situations is or was imminent? Gross negligence on an organisers part or 'Sailing Race" Rage with deliberate and malice intent.

Is it now that the sailing rules and redress procedure is sufficient for sailing events, from Radio Control IOM through the (EX) Pinnacle being Americas Cup, is good for fellow competitors, but for me, is a case of I accept the competition rules and then if its to my advantage, I will throw money at it buy going along "NON Sailing" legal recourse. Pushing the rules is part of the sport and most sports and the character of the crew or sportsmanship is revealed as they enter these marginal vagaries. When the decision is against them then take the failure as a skilled crew, and try again or change tactic. So far there is a lot of poor character being shown, from the AC, through the Olympics to the latest show down at American RS:X Windsurfing. Pooor show people, way to go.....Turn public and sponsor sentiment by revealing your true colours....shame on you all.

We love villains' like John McEnroe, he is super competitive, and pushed and pushed till the Umpire turned purple, he always turned away with a smirk, he lost that point, but wait he is winning the next... by serve, volley of mouth....

I am only one person, but old enough to have a seat on mahogany reef, I hereby withdraw my support publically for the Americas Cup and Olympic Sailing. I will make my point to all who will listen and will stop purchases to news publications and product/s of those who sponsor these poorly run classes.

Stop aiding these feuding derelicts, I have.

* From Eddie Mays: Reading John Harwood-Bee's letter yesterday I found myself agreeing with much that he said. However, from my very limited knowledge of the history of the America's Cup, I believe that it has often been associated with persons 'prepared to sacrifice the very best of sailing on the altar of greed, arrogance and ego'.

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THE LAST WORD Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight. -- Benjamin Franklin

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