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SCUTTLEBUTT EUROPE #1532 - 9 JUNE

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

ITALIANS WIN THE VOLVO MELGES 24 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Porto Cervo, Italy: The final day of racing at the Volvo Melges 24 World Championship, hosted by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in Porto Cervo, Sardinia, brought high drama and great celebration as the Italian Uka Uka Racing team of helmsman Lorzeno Bressani, owner Lorenzo Santini, Federico Michetti, Francesca Prina and tactician Francesco Bruni claimed victory over the 114 strong, 16 nation fleet in one of the most hotly contested events in the sailing calendar.

The Uka Uka Racing team was a favourite from the outset, but going into the final day and with three more races to sail it was still a five way shoot out between Bressani; IMS and Melges 24 World Champion Alberto Bolzan, sailing ITA727 Pilot Italia for Gianni Catalogna; America's Cup veteran and 2001 Melges 24 World Champion Flavio Favini, sailing SUI521 Blu Moon for Franco Rossini; Luca Valerio, sailing ITA722 Alina Helly Hansen for Maurizio Abba; and 2006 Melges 24 World Champion Nicola Celon, helming ITA638 Marchingenio for Giorgio Marchi.

Bressani, already a J24 World Champion and a veteran of world class campaigns in Mumm 30, Farr 40 and many other classes, teamed up with owner and Mumm 30 World Champion Lorenzo Santini and trimmer and team manager Federico Michetti, already a Melges 24 European Champion in his own right, last year specifically to challenge for this event. Adding America's Cup veteran, Italian Olympic 49er and highly experienced Melges 24 sailor Francesco Bruni as tactician and Women's World and UFO22 European Champion Francesca Prina as bow completed this formidable team.

In the Volvo Melges 24 Corinthian World Championship, for the all amateur crews, competition was equally fierce with Oyvind Peder Jahre, helming NOR554 Terra Eindomsmeglng and crewed by owner Stian Briseid, Sivert Denneche, Marius Falch Orvin and Taja Zaikova, ultimately taking the title by 14 points from reigning Melges 24 Corinthian North American Champion Bruce Ayres of Newport Beach, CA, sailing USA637 Monsoon. Third place went to the 2006 Melges 24 Corinthian World Champions FRA612 Bouygues Telecom, helmed by Jean-Francois Cruette and owned by Cedric de Kervenoael. -- Fiona Brown

Final top ten: Place-Boat-Owner-Helmsman-Nation-Points 1. Uka Uka Racing, Lorenzo Santini, Lorenzo Bressani, ITA, 39 2. Pilot Italia, Gianni Catalogna, Alberto Bolzan, ITA, 71 3. Alina Helly Hansen, Maurizio Abba, Luca Valerio, ITA, 80 4. Blu Moon, Franco Rossini, Flavio Favini, SUI, 83 5. Etabeta, Paolo Testolin, Luca Bursic, ITA, 89 6. Marchingenio, Giorgio Marchi, Nicola Celon, ITA, 94 7. Saetta, Nose Sailing Team Assoc. Sportiva, Nicolo Bianchi, ITA, 95 8. Full Throttle, Brian Porter, Brian Porter, USA, 97 9. Brontolo Ab Medica, Filippo Pacinotti, ITA, 103 10. Poizon Rouge, Jean-Marc Monnard, SUI, 116

http://www.melges24worlds2008.com

USA-17 - VENI, VIDI, VICI USA-17, the American boat owned by Larry Ellison and skippered by three times America's Cup winner Russell Coutts (NZL), the current MedCup Circuit champion skipper, won on her first and only outing planned for the 2008 series. The brand new all white TP52 missed the opening regatta of the season three weeks ago in Alicante and will take no further part in the six regatta international Audi MedCup Circuit as the BMW Oracle race crew focus on their main goal, winning the 33rd America's Cup.

The City of Marseille Trophy Regatta came to a premature end on Saturday afternoon with the famous Mistral wind still blowing strong. At more than 28 knots on the Rade Sud race area, racing was abandoned without anyone even leaving the Vieux Port of Marseille, and USA-17, the overnight leaders, ended their one and only regatta Audi MedCup Circuit with a win. Just behind them was the Swedish boat Artemis with BMW Oracle Racing team-mates on the identical Reichel/Pugh-designed hull. Artemis was six points adrift of the lead after eight races including one 40-miles coastal race.

The partnership between the two boats USA-17 and Artemis (SWE) - the new TP52 of the Torbjorn Tornqvist's (SWE) 2007 champions - has been a key part of the American boat"s success in Marseille, which was helmed through parts of most races by Ellison himself. Although the new USA-17 was only launched on 21st May, the settings and tuning notes gathered from Artemis in Alicante earlier last month were be applied directly to USA-17 to get her up to speed quickly.

After a modest sixth and fifth on the opening day, USA-17 won three races to complement their two third places, a second and a fourth places, always looking quick and at home over a regatta where the wind speed never fell below 15 knots.

Top 10 Final Results after eight races (14 starters)

1. USA-17, Russell Coutts, 26 2. Artemis, Torbjorn Tornqvist, SWE, 32 3. Bribon, HM King Juan Carlos, ESP, 38.2 4. Platoon by Team Germany, Jochen Schumann, GER, 41 5. Quantum Racing, Terry Hutchinson, USA, 46 6. Matador, Guillermo Parada, ARG, 50 7. CxG Caixa Galicia, Roberto Bermudez De Castro, ESP, 57.6 8. El Desafío, Laureano Wizner, ESP, 70 9. Audi by Q8, Riccardo Simoneschi, ITA, 73 10. Cristabella, John Cook, GBR, 78

http://www.medcup.org

DUBARRY'S NEW SIERRA SHORTS: HARD WEARING, QUICK DRYING, GOOD LOOKING A season of sun, seawater and sandpaper decks can take its toll on sailing shorts, and there are certain standards of decency to be observed. If yours are approaching that 'peek-a-boo' stage, save them for the bedroom and get yourself a pair of Dubarry's new Sierra shorts instead. With SPF40 UV-resistant fabric and tough, high-twist fabric reinforcement in the hardest-working areas, they're built to last. With a flip-up multitool pouch that won't dig in on the rail, a splashproof thigh pocket and button fly, everything you need is easily accessible.

Dubarry's Sierra Shorts: Same Rules. New Collection.

http://www.dubarry.com

GOLDEN OLDIES IN MEZE The fourth "Golden Oldies" classic multihulls meeting was hosted this year by the small picturesque harbour of Meze, inside the Thau laguna, in Languedoc, France. Starting as a lark four years ago, this event attracts a growing attention. In Meze, OSTAR entrants made a strong show, with Ms Moxie (1980 winner), Rebel-ex Umupro-Jardin (1984 winner) and Jonathan/Cat-Marine, (1980 Jester Trophy entrant). Also present was VSD (2nd Transat en Double 1979) and Region Picardie (Winner 1983 La Baule-Dakar), both very much in their original state, plus some smaller classic multis.

These rare witnesses of that pivotal period where multihulls finally proved faster than monos offshore are easier to master than to-day's high performance monsters, and are used by their owners as fast sport cruisers. Despite their age they still show an impressive turn of speed. About a hundred inhabitants of Meze, including kids, were taken along for some wet and exhilarating rides in a very strong tramontane. An Atlantic chapter of the Golden Oldies is in preparation. -- Daniel Charles

LATE ENTRIES STILL ACCEPTED FOR ACCBANK CORK WEEK... BUT BE QUICK... The deadline has passed for entry to ACCBank Cork Week 2008 and organisers are delighted that entries are up and exceed those at the same time two years ago.

Tony Donworth, Chairman of ACCBank Cork Week said: "We are very pleased that entry levels for the 2008 event match those for the last event and we still expect a number of late entries from boats who may still not have decided on which regattas they will target this summer. We can accept a limited number of late entries for the event but I would suggest that to avoid disappointment, one should enter now.

"We already have a huge range and mix of boats entering, we'll have six TP 52s racing for the Carroll Challenge Cup, which is going to be an amazing spectacle - these are the Grand Prix Racers of the sailing world and will be very exciting to watch. We will also have more than 50 SB3s racing on the One-Design Course."

The Gentlemen's Class looks like being the biggest IRC Class with fifty to sixty boats competing and a large fleet of Farr 45s are also expected.

ACCBank Cork Week takes place at the Royal Cork Yacht Club, Crosshaven, Co. Cork from July 12 to 18. For full information visit please visit http://www.accbankcorkweek.ie

COOL HEADS REQUIRED FOR A HOT DAY IN ST TROPEZ St.Tropez, France / Genoa, Italy: Day one of the Giraglia Rolex Cup was a day for keeping a cool head in a day of ever-changing breeze in St Tropez. With big holes in the 10-knot breeze, along with windshifts of up to 70 degrees, today was what sailors like to call a 'heads-out-of-the-boat-day'. Boatspeed was less important than picking your way through the virtual minefield in the Gulf of St Tropez.

In the IMS division Carlo Puri Negri repeated his first-day victory from last year's event, his Farr 70 Atalanta II dominating the IMS fleet. Neville Crichton's SuperMaxi, Alfa Romeo, won the IRC division, and José Calero's GP42 Canarias Puerto Calero emerged top of the GP42 Quebramar Cup leaderboard after posting three 2nd places.

Certainly there was a good mix of sizes at the top of the leaderboard, with Walter Caldonazzi's Sly 47, Rocket 1, coming second to Atalanta II in IMS, with 65-foot Maxi Edimetra in third. In IRC the top two boats were 100-foot Maxis, with Alfa Romeo beating Claus-Peter Offen's Y3K for top honours. But below that, the leaderboard was sprinkled with boats of different sizes. Paolo Scerni's Swan 42 Kora 4 is one of the smaller boats in the division, but it finished 3rd ahead of Igor Simcic's Valicelli 60, Esimit Europa.

As usual for the Giraglia Rolex Cup, the top names from sailing are out in force, not least in the GP42 fleet, which is contesting the second leg of the GP42 Quebramar Cup with a fleet of eight boats. America's Cup legend Tom Schnackenberg is taking time out of his Alinghi duties to do the navigating on Near Miss, which lies 3rd after scores of 5,4,1 in today's races.

Tomorrow sees the 167 boats in the IRC and IMS divisions contest the second heat of their four-day inshore series, while the GP42s will race another three of their shorter courses. On Thursday, a fleet of more than 200 yachts will start the Giraglia Race, a 243-mile marathon starting from St Tropez via the Giraglia Rock at the northern tip of Corsica to the finish in the Italian port of Genoa.

Provisional Results on Corrected Time - Giraglia Rolex Cup Race 1

IMS Class 0-2 1. Atalanta II - Carlo Puri Negro - Farr 70 2. Rocket 1 - Walter Caldonazzi - Sly 47 3. Edimetra VI - Erneso Gismondi - Wally 65

IRC Class 0-2 1. Alfa Romeo - Neville Crichton - Maxi 2. Y3K - Claus-Peter Offen - Wally 100 3. Kora 4 - Paolo Scerni - Swan 42

Provisional Results from first three races - GP42 Quebramar Cup

GP42 class 1. Canarias Puerto Calero, Jose Calero - 2,2,2 - 6 points 2. Desafio, Gonçalo Esteves - 1,1,6 - 8 points 3. Near Miss, Franck Noel - 5,4,1 - 10 points

http://www.yachtclubitaliano.it http://www.regattanews.com

FOR SALE Cruising/offshore 44' GRP cutter Pierre Meunier designed, custom built Reliance, located Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. Launched 1981, extensive refit 2004 after leisurely circumnavigation for RT cruise Azores, Ireland, Hebrides, Scotland, and SW England, completed trouble free, in 2006. RCD Exempt certificate, USCG documented.

Thoughtfully outfitted for short handed sailing, very comfortable 3 cabin 2 head layout with great sea galley, nav area and voluminous storage. Yanmar diesel. Much new 2004/5/6) equipment including safety gear and mainsail. Heavy ground tackle, storm sails, ARIES vane, Dyer sailing dinghy, Zodiac and Outboard, 250 gal water in 5 independent tanks, 85 gal diesel, 20 gal holding tank, Solar panel, numerous spares and tools. Mizzen available. Insured for $150,000 with 2006 survey attesting to condition and value. $105,000.

Contact owner for full details and photos at info@vineyardsailing.com or 001-508-693-6397.

STAR EASTERN HEMISPHERE CHAMPIONSHIP Split, Croatia: Everything went as scheduled on the final day of the 2008 Star Eastern European Championships. The Dalmatian sun shone during the morning and heated up the land enough so that the Bora, the sea breeze, started to fill. The winds reached 8 knots and brought a gentle chop and white caps. Clouds built over the shore and once again the ridge behind Split disappeared.

With the wind at 250 degrees, the weather mark was positioned between the northeast tip of Solta and the island of Drevenik. Further to the right, the coastal community of Mavaricica was stacked up on the sloping shore of Clovo.

This was an important day for the Croatians. Many of them came dressed in their red and white checkered jerseys and caps, showing their allegiance to their country and to their national football team, which was scheduled to play Austria in the European Championships later in the afternoon. The committee rolled into sequence shortly after 13:00.

Marazzi/DeMaria won the final race and Percy/Simpson sailed a tactically brilliant race, but were unable to control Scheidt/Prada's appetite for passing boats and winning the 2008 Eastern European Championship. Scheidt/Prada finished eighth in the race and held on to the series, finishing just one point ahead of Percy/Simpson and three points ahead of Kusznierewicz/Zycki. Croatian sailors, Marin Lovrovic Jr. and Sinisa Mikulicic, who are also on their way to the Olympics in the Star, demonstrated their skill in predominately light air conditions on their Dalmatian seas. All in all, the regatta was a productive final battle of the Titans before they meet again in Qingdao, China for the Olympics in August. -- Lynn Fitzpatrick, http://www.worldregattas.com

1. Robert Scheidt / Bruno Prada, BRA, 18 points 2. Iain Percy / Andrew Simpson, GBR, 19 3. Mateusz Kusznierewicz / Dominik Zycki, POL, 21 4. Marin Lovrovic / Sinisa Mikulicic, CRO, 23 5. Diego Negri / Luigi Viale, ITA, 23 6. Flavio Marazzi / Enrico De Maria, SUI, 27 7. Hamish Pepper / Carl Williams, NZL, 30 8. Eivind Melleby / Petter Morland Pedersen, NOR, 40 9. Alex Schlonski / Frithjof Kleen, GER, 43 10. Lars Grael / Marcelo Jordao, BRA, 44

Full results at http://www.starclass.org

MORGAN CUP The 2008 Morgan Cup Race was won by David Lees High Tension 36, Hephzibah, in a lightening quick race to Cherbourg from the Solent.

"It was a picturesque start at Cowes as the fleet unfurled spinnakers in a west, north westerly, breeze of about 14 knots and sped off east out of the Solent." commented RORC Racing Manager, Ian Loffhagen. "The last boat finished just before midday on Saturday. It was a race of high speed sailing for the competitors."

Once the fleet left the Solent the breeze picked up further and the yachts enjoyed downwind surfing conditions making their way to the first Channel mark, Ocean Safety. The fetch from Ocean Safety west to the RORC Channel buoy proved the decisive leg of the race.

"It was a fast race for sure." Commented, Formidable 3 Boat Captain, Matt Trautman. "We hit a top speed of about 18 knots on the run down to Ocean Safety, but then we were virtually beating into tide for about three hours which really knocked our VMG. There were a few squalls coming into Cherbourg but we carried the same kite all the way through to the finish from RORC."

Piet Vroon's Lutra 56, Formidable 3, was the first to cross the line in Cherbourg covering the 132 mile course in a rapid; 11 Hours 23 Minutes and 31 Seconds. -- Trish Jenkins

Full results at http://www.rorc.org

ROYAL LYMINGTON CHALLENGE CUP A new IRC interclub team racing regatta, The Royal Lymington Challenge Cup, is to be held in June 2009. Up to 15 teams are expected to take part in the event which will consist of windward leeward courses in Christchurch Bay and a long inshore Solent race. Designed to coincide with the weekend following the Round the Island race, yachts have the option to stay in the Solent area for a further weekend to take part in this event which will run from Thursday 25th - Saturday 27th June 2009.

Teams will be accepted from any nationally affiliated yacht club or association and the three participating yachts will each fall into one of three IRC rating bands: Class 1: 1.026 - 1.070, Class 2: 1.001 - 1.025, Class 3: 0.970 - 1.000. Yachts are to have IRC endorsed certificates. ISAF Regulation 22, Sailor Classification Code, shall apply in that each yacht may include only one Group 3 (professional) crewmember. The group 3 crew member may only helm the yacht if he or she has been the bona fide majority owner of the same yacht for the previous 12 months.

Event Chairman Mike Sinfield comments "We are very excited about this major new event which is designed to be a key attraction for the June calendar. While the regatta is intended to be Corinthian in nature the Challenge Cup is also expected to be fiercely competitive." He further adds "The Royal Lymington Yacht Club has a pedigree in race management expertise, and will attract the highest level of competition".

Further information is available from http://www.rlymyc.org.uk/challengecup, where expressions of interest should be registered.

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 Tim Quinlan: re: dedicated client accounts: I note your piece on the above subject. Having been a broker myself for more time that I care to remember, it would be interesting to note how many of the YBDSA members operate a separate clients account (BA Peters were members of course) - let alone brokers who are members of the BMF. Having been a member of both in the past I would not dream of operating a brokerage house without a separate brokerage account. The industry needs tightening up and it would seem neither the BMF or YBDSA have the impetus to do so (hence I am no longer a member of either!). Even when something as big as BA peters goes down, none seem that worried about it do they?

On another matter - could you lobby HM Customs and Revenue on the matter of VAT for yachts?

* From Matthew Reid: re: "There were six protests from the incidents, all three boats are seeking redress, but CxG Caixa Galicia's owner Vicente Tirado confirmed this evening that the damage to the bow of their boat is such that he is presently looking for a suitable replacement boat to continue the Audi MedCup season with."

Isn't the replacement boat obvious? The BMWO boat is retiring after this regatta, so wouldn't that be the choice?

THE LAST WORD The tighter you squeeze, the less you have. -- Thomas Merton

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