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SCUTTLEBUTT EUROPE #1583 - 8 AUGUST

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

2008 BEIJING OLYMPIC GAMES Qingdao, China: The British Yngling team was first to the hoist after practice racing was abandoned at the Qingdao Olympic Sailing Centre on Thursday.

Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb, and Pippa Wilson (GBR) are favoured to win gold in the Women's Keelboat -Yngling event category, and wasted no time returning to the centre ahead of their 14 rival teams.

After several days of moderate breeze it was a frustratingly calm day in Qingdao. The flotilla of regatta management, race committee and media boats, Finn and Yngling fleets had waited for over an hour for the wind to settle and fill under mostly sunny skies.

Following the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games tomorrow, the Finn and Yngling fleets will get the 2008 Olympic Sailing Competition underway with their first two races scheduled for Saturday 9 August.

In the Heavyweight Dintghy - Finn event, Ben Ainslie (GBR) will be aiming to win a third consecutive Olympic gold medal. After winning every single ISAF Graded Finn event he has competed in since the Athens Games, including both Olympic Test Events and this year's Finn Gold Cup (the World Championship of the class), he is a heavy favourite to stand on top of the Olympic podium once again. Despite the hype surrounding him and his celebrity status in Qingdao, Ainslie is untroubled by the burden of expectation, "I think in my situation, my pressure comes from my own expectations and desires, because it really doesn't matter what others think," he said after today's abandoned race. -- ISAF, http://sailing.org

* After the draw for meausement, it seems we have to wait a couple of more days before gennaker-gate gets more serious. Mitch Booth is drawn to be measured on Sunday, so the first boats to measure in will have to second guess what Mitch and the other competitors with the Code 0 gennakers are going to do. Word in the boat park is that NED, USA, AUS and possibly the French team all have Code 0 gennakers at their disposal.

* After days of moderate breeze (six knots) it was a frustratingly calm day in Qingdao yesterday. The flotilla of regatta management, race committee and media boats, Finn and Yngling fleets waited for over an hour for the wind to settle and fill under mostly sunny skies before abandoning. Sailors have been dealing with the situation as best they can and this week optimised craft have been unveiled; 62 nations aiming to be the fastest at floating in the fog.

Focusing on a gold-or-nothing approach the Netherlands' Tornado champion Mitch Booth is to use a Code zero gennaker built especially for light conditions. The general feeling is if the conditions are light, Booth would end up a half a leg in front as his boat is significantly faster upwind.

The Irish squad are also to the fore in light air development. Dun Laoghaire's Ger Owens and Phil Lawton will hoist a mainsail this morning using the lightest sailcloth available. It's a development that will save them half a kilogramme aloft. Regrettably it's a technical advantage that has been copied by at least one other team.

The regatta could be spoiled by a carpet of foul-smelling algae that remains out there over the course, kept at bay by the might of the Chinese navy.

The World Sailing Federation appear to have held little sway when it allowed the world's top sailing regatta to proceed in one of the most windless places on the planet. Over the next two weeks it must witness the results of such inaction. It's all very well maintaining the conditions will be the same for everyone but the light winds will lead to shortened races where good fortune rather than pure ability will play a leading role. -- David O'Brien in The Irish Times, http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2008/0808/1218142761901.html

SKANDIA COWES WEEK Sparkling sun, glistening seas and a decent breeze. The sixth day of Skandia Cowes Week showcased the best champagne sailing conditions, helping along the celebration of women in sailing on Liz Earle Ladies Day.

With 14 knot winds that came in as expected from the south west, the fleet enjoyed some of the best racing of the Week.

Dunstone takes New York YC Challenge Cup Charles Dunstone and his crew on the TP52 Rio were in blistering form to win the New York YC Challenge Cup, which this year was contested by the fleets in IRC Class Zero and Class 1.

All week, Dunstone has watched Niklas Zennstrom's Ran get the better of the conditions but in 14 knot breezes, Rio whizzed around the 36nm course to post an emphatic four minute win over their rivals to crank up the pressure for the rest of the Week.

Quest turns heads in XODs The X One Design class, the second largest fleet at Cowes with a field of 80 craft, is guaranteed to deliver a smattering of 'bejabers' moments and 2008 is no exception.

Neil Payne, a former Dragons and Etchells sailor from Cowes has spent the past two and a half years restoring Quest, which was originally built in 1935. Six weeks ago, he put it in the water and this morning, he was lying near the top of the leaderboard which, bearing in mind he has not raced an XOD for 25 years, has been a bit of a surprise.

While still without a win, he has posted a succession of top ten results but is feeling the pressure.

Celebrations for Sunbeam The 18 Sunbeam skippers and their crews will gather at The Prospect tonight to officially celebrate their 85th birthday, so an early conclusion to racing today thanks to the helpful breezes, was welcomed.

Daisy, last year's winner and a competitor in 1923 when the class was first introduced, leads the Sunbeams overall but Roger Wickens's Danny and Richard Pearson's Fay are both in with a shout for the title with two races left.

The top three boats represent 236 years worth of classic wooden keelboat history and the anniversary celebrations are sure to reflect the Sunbeam's graceful and distinguished heritage.

Madelaine remains undefeated In IRC Class 9, Edward Donald's Nordic folkboat Madelaine is continuing where she left off in 2007 and has now raced 11 races at Cowes - six from last year and five this - without being beaten. The last time she was defeated was the first Saturday of Skandia Cowes Week last year, when Magnus Wheatley swept to victory in his H-Boat Hesperus.

http://www.skandiacowesweek.co.uk

* There is video of IRC Class Zero and Alegre at http://www.malcolmdonald.com

* Kerry Gruson has been awarded 2008 Liz Earle Ladies Day Trophy at Skandia Cowes Week this evening.

The award, to celebrate the achievements and contribution of women in sailing is now in its third year, and at a special prizegiving ceremony this evening Dame Ellen MacArthur presented Gruson with the award.

Kerry was the first disabled woman helm to compete at Skandia Cowes Week. Her condition, termed Anoxia (a lack of oxygen to the brain after being strangled by a Vietnam veteran), has left her with paralysis in the legs and arms requiring her to use a wheelchair for mobility on land. While sailing a boat, Kerry uses a specially designed seat that provides the trunk stability necessary to sail in various wind conditions.

Competing in her third Skandia Cowes Week this year, Kerry continues her focus on overcoming her own disabilities and the additional element of recovery from cancer. She is a living illustration of joy and courage in sailing - a highly deserving winner of the Liz Earle Ladies Day Trophy.

The four others on the shortlist include Louise Morton, Sam Davies, Hilary Lister and Katie Miller, details of nominations are on http://skandiacowesweek.co.uk

HOLMATRO MARINE EQUIPMENT APPOINTS NEW AUSTRALIAN DEALER Holmatro Marine Equipment BV, specialist in hydraulic equipment for sailing yachts, is pleased to announce that they have expanded their worldwide sales & service network by appointing their new Australian dealer Riggtech Pty Limited.

Holmatro is proud that Riggtech now forms part of their dealer network. Riggtech was founded in 1989 and has ever since accumulated an in-depth knowledge of the latest yachting materials available from the world's best suppliers. Riggtech can be contacted at info@riggtech.com.au or by phone at +61 (0)2 9997 8100.

THE LAST AND LONGEST LEG - 825 MILES The third and final leg for the 2008 edition of La Solitaire du Figaro will set off Friday from Cherbourg-Octeville to L'Aber Wrac'h in Brittany. The course is 825 miles long from the start all the way up to the Irish Sea, round the Isle of Man and back down to the finish in Brittany. This is the longest leg in the history of the race. It will be the equivalent to two traditional legs, as the 39th edition will not be stopping in Ireland this year. All the same, the single-handed sailors will spend a long time in Irish waters, as they set course to round the Isle of Man, North-east of Dublin/

Race Director Jacques Caraes runs us through the course that can be divided into four parts: "Firstly there is a short 1.5-mile inshore course to the Radio France Mark before the open run to the Western Point of Cornwall. Some will sail inshore between Longships and the Scilly Isles; others will prefer to leave the Scilly isles to starboard. We will have simple start procedure and some 15 to 18 knots of NW breeze for the first day", explains Caraes.

The next part is when the fleet sail a Northerly course towards the famous Saint-George Channel, 42 miles wide; it is the narrowest passage between Wales and Ireland. The sailors then leave The Smalls lighthouse, known for its strong currents, to starboard before setting course for the Isle of Man (572 square kilometres and 53 kilometres long) to round it and it on the port side.

The third part will be a straight run South with several options: "The run can either be along the Irish coast, following the sand banks of Kish Bank, Codling Bank or Arklow Bank. These sand banks are well known for their accelerated currents; or the run can be on the Welsh side, sailing back to The Smalls lighthouse before joining the Celtic sea South of the Saint-George channel. The single-handed sailors will be free to choose how they pass the Scilly isles. Some will pass west whilst others will opt for following the Cornish coast. From Monday, the wind is due to back round to the South and lighten for the descent and veering west for the last part of the race.

For the competitors, the Vierge Lighthouse, whose light beam, flashing every 5 seconds, is visible up to forty miles away and from the middle of the English Channel, guide the sailors to the finish. Once completing the 825-mile course, the fleet will reach the pretty and rock strewn harbour of l'Aber Wrac'h.

The fleet of 47 boat are due to start in the Grande Rade de Cherbourg at 14:00 local French time Friday 8th of August. -- Sabina Mollart-Rogerson

http://www.lasolitaire.com

ORC INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP After the second day of inshore racing and a six hour race in ORC International Championship, the Finnish boat Alfa Romeo climbed from yesterday's fifth to third and thereby pushed down Bengt Falkenberg's Technova to fourth place. At the top Data Communication keeps the lead followed by Du Soleil II.

First to finish the six hour race was the Norwegian boat More Chaos with Audar Rune Sundvall as skipper. The winner of today's inshore race was the German boat Patent3 with Jurgen Klinghardt and his crew, who won the German championship this year. The Finnish boat, Alfa Romeo, with Jani Lehti as helmsman, usually is in the lead in bigger competitions. Let's see if they are satisfied taking third place when three inshore races still remains on Thursday and one 24 hour race during Friday-Saturday. The skipper of the leading boat, Ralf Aspholm has a honourable Swedish championship. Ingvar Hertzman in Du Soleil II was number one in World Championship of Corinthin Trophy, which is the prize of the amateurs. Total winner of World Championship was Christian Plump of Beluga Sailing who is now on fifth place.

For Friday, three inshore races are planned. The race of the two first days are enough for making the European Championship. By doing another three, the competitors have the possibility to drop one.

The boats will be equipped with transponders to make it possible to follow the race on the web during the 24 hour race. Click on http://www.livetracker.se or http://www.gkss.se -- Alf Tornberg

"TIAMO" DOMINATES J/80 NORTH AMERICANS Bruno Pasquinelli and his crew on "Tiamo" took the title at the 2008 J/80 North American Championships last weekend in Marina del Rey, CA. The team dominated on the race course, allowing them to win the event without sailing the final race. Pasquinelli's team, competing with an Ullman Sails mainsail and jib, skillfully handled the light conditions, consistently finishing in the top four of every race. Dropping their final score, the team finished 8 points ahead of second place in the 14-boat fleet.

For the Fastest Sails on the Planet, contact a local Ullman Sails loft and visit http://www.ullmansails.com

SEAHORSE SAILOR OF THE MONTH Last month's winner:

Dave Ullman (USA) Don't ya just love the sheer class of our readership (we do)... 'Not bad for an old fart' - Bill Reilly; Dave is a myth - Gianni Fairman (shurely 'legend'? - ed); 'just a great guy and so easy to work with' - Diane Haberer; 'go Dave go!!!' - Cindy Stenek of (competing) Art Nelson Sailmakers... which just about says it all.

This month's nominees:

Bill Hardesty (USA) We back winners... no sooner had we profiled (June 2008) this ace match race tactician and really, really talented young helmsman, than he rewards us by winning the 2008 Etchells worlds against an 83-strong field in Chicago. There are rags-to-glory parallels here with Hardesty's fellow San Diego YC member, Dennis Conner, 'that drapery salesman' as a rival once so ignorantly muttered..

Tom And Andy Partington (GBR) Call it age (or perhaps maturity!), but we are enjoying the second coming of some top 'older' names in small boat sailing, back and winning again in new partnerships with their offspring. The Int 14 is prominent among classes featuring such pairings, where father and son, Andy and Tom Partington, recently celebrated their fourth year sailing together with a popular family victory at Prince of Wales Cup Week.

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

Cast your vote at http://seahorsemagazine.com

FRIMPEKS WINS THE M30 ITALIAN CHAMPIONSHIP Rimini hosted the fourth and final series of the Italian Circuit M30, after the venues of Portoferraio, Marciana Marina and Rimini, 33 regattas managed extremely well by Fabio Barrasso.

All races have been very competitive with excellent crews onboard of M30 class, one of the most exciting one design boats.

On the final racing day, the fleet was racing with the northernly wind of 10 knots and gusts up to 14 knots.

The meticulous organization of the Club Nautico Rimini completed nine beautiful regattas on a great racing area and it was the perfect conclusion for a fantastic circuit.

The final series goes to MON 01 Frimpeks of Francesco Farneti and Andrea Musone with 7 points, second is Magic Mitsubishi Electric of Gasperoni-Franchini-Zaoli with 22 points and Black Rose of the Black Rose Sailing Team to 29 points.

The title of Italian Champion M30 is awarded to MON 01 Frimpeks of Andrea Musone and Francesco Farneti able to win 20 out of 33 races; this fantastic crew wins the Assonautica Trophy for the 4th series and the Perpetual Challenger for the combined series raced in Rimini.

In the Italian Circuit silver medal is Magic Mitsubishi Electric of Gasperoni-Franchini-Zaoli while the bronze goes to Spanezz of Maurizio Volonte.

The complete results are available on http://www.mumm30.it

MISTRAL BY DUBARRY: SAILING-PROOF TROUSERS No environment presents as big a challenge to technical trousers as that of a sailing boat. So Dubarry designed Mistral trousers to survive seasons of sailing in style. They're built from quick-drying, SPF 40 UV-resistant fabric with articulated knees for easy movement. Hard-wearing areas are reinforced with tough, high-twist fabric and there are practical features like a flip-up multitool pouch so it doesn't dig into your leg on the rail, splashproof zipped pocket and tough button fly that won't let you down. The results look good, and last longer.

Dubarry's Mistral Trousers: Same Rules. New Collection.

http://www.dubarry.com

18FT SKIFFS EUROPEAN GP CIRCUIT COMES TO THE UK After their successful European Championships in Six-Fours, France the European 18ft Skiff Fleet takes to UK waters next week for two events over the course of seven days on the South Coast. Both events are being generously supported by Ronstan.

The skiffs first head for Weymouth, to the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, for Round 3 of the European Grand Prix. This event also doubles up as the UK Class National Championships and will be sailed over three days between Sunday the 10th August and Tuesday the 12th.

The teams then have a day off to rest up, fix breakages and get themselves back up the coast to Hamble Point where Round 4 of the European Grand Prix will be held on the Solent by the Royal Southern Yacht Club from Thursday the 14th to Saturday the 16th.

This is the first time the Europeans have agreed to hold two of their circuit events in the UK, in recognition of the continuing strong presence of UK teams on the circuit. Following on from the earlier rounds at Garda and Six-Fours these events will prove critical in deciding overall European Grand Prix positions. -- Alec Mckinlay, http://www.sail-world.com/USA/18ft-Skiffs-European-GP-circuit-comes-to-the-UK/47366

Racing on the first day of each event will get underway at 1.00pm with up to four races to be held each day

August 10-12 - Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy UK National Championships & European GP Round 3 http://www.wpnsa.org.uk

August 14-16 - Hamble Point European GP Round 4 http://www.royal-southern.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 Captain Michael J Dailey: And Salvatore Sarno's comments/opinions are to be considered of importance based on what, his vast history and experiences with the Americas Cup?? Sorry, but I couldn't agree more with Vincenzo Onorato. So if you were going to create a counterpoint, at least do it with a representative of a team that has something to loose based on the Bertarelli cups rules, and not some newcomer who has only to gain by jumping on what looks to be the winners bandwagon at the moment.

Even considering the new "rules according to Bertarelli" as a draft, as he and his "technical representative" were so intent on shows their naiveté as they didn't even know any better than to try and change them, just get them clarified?

Is there something I am missing here, or was the proposed protocol not just the biggest crock you have ever heard of in the history of the Cup?

* From Daniel Charles: I'm deeply shocked by Captain Sarno's suggestion that BMW-Oracle be barred from America's Cup if Alinghi eventually wins in court. First, in his pro-domo interview Captain Sarno forgets that the modifications of the infamous Alinghi protocol were possible because the defender, weakened by GGYC's lawsuit, was forced to soften its hegemonist position. Second, a world where there is no right to dissent is a totalitarian world; and sport is supposed to be un-totalitarian, isn't it?

Meanwhile, in the matter of SNG vs GGYC the legal process has shown its total inadequacy. The appeal court's verdict is based upon an interpretation of the world "having" supported by a single source -any student who would submit a paper or a thesis based on a single source would be ridiculed. Also, the interpretation of the meaning of the annual regatta shows a total lack of knowledge of pre-WWI yacht-clubs practices. Finally, it is inept to have a world event depending on the local legal custom of one of the US States. The self-effacement of ISAF in this matter which brings more prestige to sailing than the Olympics shows that our international authority is NOT doing its job.

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THE LAST WORD No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another. -- Charles Dickens

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