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Same place, same race, same story: Foil or die. And 56-year old Andrew McDougall AUS continues his rampage with another first, a second and an 11th in Race 3, after being buried deep on the first beat. After four races he remains comfortably ahead in the overall standings, leading Michael Lennon GBR by nine points and top US finisher, Brad Funk, the winner of Race 4, by 10. Again there was a lot of haze and the anemic sea breeze of 5 to 8 knots posed problems for many to get up and remain on their foils and forced the race committee to shorten the courses. USA. The World Champion Boris Gulari USA on 6 overall and the European Champion Arnaud Psarofaghis SUI on 7 overall are slowly coming back, and also www.sailing-news.ch editor Jean-Pierre Ziegert SUI on 13 is more and more used to these light wind conditions. The rankings and the daily report. Today Wednesday, we shall have more of the same during the scheduled three heats. If you want it live ... here's a long (1 h 08 min.) and wobbly race video..

With a little over 5,000 miles left before reaching Ushant, the virtual separation between 'Groupama 3' and 'Orange 2' has been yo-yoing for the past three days. The giant trimaran has picked up her average speed since escaping the zone of high pressure, whilst five years ago 'Orange 2' was beginning to slow down off the Brazilian coast. ‘Groupama 3’ had a 100-mile lead at Cape Horn but had fallen behind by more than 360 miles by now. However, propelled by some fresh Easterlies and rocked by 12-foot waves, Franck Cammas and company are doing their best to claw back while nursing the boat toward the finish in Ushant, some 4,900 miles away. Report and race tracker

Light wind and overcast skies greeted the 84 Star crews for Day 2 at the 2010 Bacardi Cup. These conditions also produced a shakeup of the standings. Rick Merriman/Phil Trinter USA followed up yesterday’s fourth with a second for the overall lead, seven points ahead of Andy Horton/James Lyne USA and Will Stout/Rick Peters USA. Yesterday’s leaders, Augie Diaz and Bruno Prada USA/BRA, scored a 21st and slipped to seventh, behind Lars Grael/Ronald Seifert BRA who opened the series with a 22nd yesterday, but won today’s race. Jud Smith USA, in second yesterday, dropped to 18th. Andrew Campbell had a hard day, first losing his crew Brad Nichol to injury (he was replaced by Chris Rodgers) then getting black-flagged with a bunch of other notables, including fellow San Diegans Mark Reynolds and George Szabo. Standings and gallery.

Yesterday, the Laser Radial South & Central American Championship off Florianopolis BRA ended with the races 8 and 9 without any impact on the results at the top. Mattheus Dellagnelo BRA remained first ahead of Alexander Zimmermann PER and Lucas Mattos BRA. Cecilia Carranza ARG finishing 6th overall, won the women's title. Stefano Mezzaferro BRA in 4th place was the best youth sailor. A total of 79 participants from nine nations were competing. The final results and the report (in portuguese).
Today, the Laser Standard and Laser 4.7 Championships will have the first starts. Robert Scheidt BRA, eight-time Laser World Champion, will attempt a comeback for this event, so stay tuned.

The second day of the Louis Vuitton Trophy in Auckland, New Zealand, brought four matches of Flight 2 in the first round robin. Waitemata Harbor dished out some fine conditions with moderate breeze and flat water. 'Emirates Team NZL' (Dean Barker NZL) against 'Mascalzone Latino' and 'Azzurra' (Francesco Bruni ITA) against 'Synergy' (Karol Jablonski POL) scored their second wins. With this, the two most cited favorites are already on top, followed by 'TeamOrigin', 'Artemis' and 'All4One' with 1 victory each. The results, photos und video.

The leaders in both fleets showed an excellent performance in yesterday's three races. With 5 first places, Muhamad Mohd Romzi MAS is on a straight track to the Laser Radial (PDF) champion's title. With 5 second positions, Paenyaem Natthawut THA is demonstrating the same consistency, and Keith Wilkins GBR, 5 times on the 3rd rank, is at the same time the clear leader of the Great Grand Masters-classification. His main opponent Paul Seidenberg USA follows at some distance on the 4th place.
The superior leader of the Laser Standard (PDF) class remains Keerati Bualong THA, finishing 2/1/1 yesterday and extending his lead on Mohd Afendy Khairulnizam MAS. Nik Azizan Nik Ashraf Qaedi MAS is on the 3rd place. The event-website.

Race 1 at the Moth World Championships, a windward leeward course, three times around, each leg a mile in length is in the books. Some wish it wasn’t. A meager breeze of 6 to 8 knots made it difficult for some to get up, and stay airborne. Andrew 'Amac' McDougall AUS, the patron saint of the foiler moths and classified as a Master (45+ years of age) found the secret potion and took first, followed by Michael Lennon GBR and Brad Funk USA in third. Defending champion Bora Gulari USA finished 12 and European Champion Arno Psarophagis SUI 17th. With a forecast for light to moderate breeze and flat water, the ability to get up and stay on the foils will become paramount for success. One who knows that is our intrepid correspondent Jean-Pierre Ziegert SUI, who bagged a 19th but lived to tell us about it in his blog. The Report, results and Thierry’s gallery.

After the mega multihulls had their day in the sun at America’s Cup 33 a few weeks ago, it’s back to good-ol’ lead-mine matchracing. The eight teams that entered in the Louis Vuitton Trophy Series in Auckland NZL (without BMW-Oracle and Alinghi) sail on the old IACC boats provided by Emirates Team New Zealand. There’s one round robin with each team meeting all other teams once and a one-race knockout that sends two teams to the semi finals and two teams packing. A round robin with the remaining four teams determines the other two semifinalists. The semifinal will be sailed as best-of-three series while the final will be best of five. In early racing ALL4ONE FRA/GER defeated Mascalzone Latino by 44 seconds, Azzurra ITA came form behind to beat Team Origin GBR and emirates Team New Zealand NZL defeated Artemis by 1 in 40 seconds.ALEPH Sailing Team vs Synergy Russian Sailing Team postponed. Results and live coverage

Tacking furiously in an attempt to make good distance toward the north despite the headwinds that are brought on by the high-pressure system off the Argentinian coast, ‘Groupama 3’ is racking up more minus miles. They now are nearly 350 miles behind current record holder ‘Orange 2’ But skipper Franck Cammas remains hopeful that conditions will change with a 30-40 kn easterly. They are 5379 miles from Ushant where they have to arrive before March 23rd, 06:14:57 UTC. The Report and race tracker.

Florida Skipper Augie Diaz teamed up with 2007 Star World Champion Bruno Prada BRA to open the first day of the Star class racing at the Bacardi Cup with a win. A zephyr of 5 knots from the east made life difficult in the talent-packed fleet of 84 boats. Second were Jud Smith/Brian Faith USA ahead of Gustavo Lima/Rubrio Basilio POR. Eleven teams were blackflagged. Later this week, other one design classes will join the Bacardi Miami Sailing Week. The Star races continue through Friday, March 12th. The Viper Class begins Wednesday, March 10th with Melges 20, Melges 24 and J24 joining on Thursday, March 11th.Report , results and Andy Campbell's USA blog. Browse the gallery.

Yesterday, the Asia-Pacific Laser Championship had its first race day enjoying a 15 kn breeze and summery weather at the famous Thai holiday resort, that attracted a number of Laser sailors from other continents. Up to now, two races have been sailed with Keerati Bualong THA leading in the Laser Standard (PDF) class, followed by Nik Ashraf Qaedi MAS. 32 sailors from 9 nations participate. With the Lasers Radial (PDF) (39 participants, 10 nations), Muhamed Romzi MAS is on the first position with two race wins, ahead of Paenyaem Natthawut THA. The two Great Grand Masters Keith Wilkins GBR and Peter Seidenberg USA follow just behind. Here Seidenberg's report delivering insider information daily, and the event-website.

The high-pressure system off the Brazilian coast produced a total lull at Florianopolis, and the 78 Lasers Radial stayed ashore. Today's forecast is not any better, but the organizing authorities still maintain their plan to complete three more races during this final day of the Radials. After 7 heats, Mattheus Dellagnelo BRA is in the lead overall, ahead of Edgar Diminich ECU and Luca Mesquita BRA. Cecilia Carranza ARG, the top lady, follows in 5th place. The results and the report (in Portuguese).

With one last race on Sunday, it's a wrap. After three days of Caribbean flair and fun for the 240 boats and more than 2000 sailors, the 30th edition of the Heineken St. Maarten Regatta is in the books, even though some might still be standing at a bar somewhere. In Spinnaker 1, the showcase class, Tom Hill’s racing red R/P 75 'Titan 15!' proved too much to handle for the bigger boats'Rambler' (R/P 90) and 'Highland Fling' (Wally 82). Three firsts and two seconds for a low-point score of 7 reflect the kind of regatta they had. In Spinnaker 2 ‘Sin Duda’ was equally dominant with the same score. Read the final report, check all results and thegallery.

The Moth World Championships 2010 in Dubai UAE are getting underway with 45 participants from 13 countries. After the Emirates Championship, won by local hero Chris Graham UAE, a slalom was run yesterday. It was one last chance for the gladiators to tune themselves and their vehicles for the looming battle. Five group qualifiers were admitted to the final: Rob Gough AUS, Simon Payne GBR, Bora Gulari USA, Dalton Bergan USA and Jean-Pierre Ziegert SUI. In a rather light breeze, gybing while foiling was crucial. Jean-Pierre Ziegert SUI, French editor of www.sailing-news.ch, held the second place for a while, but in the end he finished 4th behind Gough, Payne and Gulari. A (shaky) 7-minutes video of the slalom and the weblog of Jean-Pierre Ziegert including his interview with Sailing Anarchy.

Lighter and shiftier conditions challenged the competitors at the 2010 Miami Grand Prix on the final day. In the Farr 40 class, Helmut Jahn and Flash Gordon USA posted a 6, 1, 5 for the last three races for a final score of 37 points. It was just enough to resist a late charge by Massimo Mezzorama and ‘Nerone’ ITA, who had two bullets and a second but came up short by one point. Yesterday’s leader ‘Goombay Smash’ USA had a mediocre day and dropped to third. In the Melges 32 Jean-Francois ‘Oh-la-la’ Cruette and ‘Teasing Machine’ FRA held on to the top spot, which they had for most of the regatta, despite a pretty mixed final day. Second overall was John Porter on ‘Full Throttle’ USA, six points behind. Saving the best for last, Porter won the final race to eke out a tiebreaker over Jeff Ecklund USA. The IRC class was a rather lopsided affair, with ‘Gold Digger’ and James Bishop USA winning by comfortable margin of 13 points. The report, the Results and photo gallery

At the South & Central American Championship 2010, the Laser Radial class sailed Races 4 and 5 yesterday in a 12-13 kn breeze off Florianopolis BRA. Yesterday's leaders had some difficulties and Mattheus Dellagnelo BRA has replaced Edgar Diminich ECU in the men's division. Yesterday's leading lady, Cecilia Carranza ARG, slipped to 5th overall. The results and the daily report (in Portugues).

The information filtering back from the Calema Midwinters and the North American Championships in the Tecno 293 and Kona classes in Merritt Island, Fla, was sparse last night. But based on the posted results the qualifiers for this year’s Youth Olympic Games in Singapore, which were determined at this event, hasn’t changed. After seven races in the Boys Under 17 class, Ignacio Lleonart and Jose Carlos Torres MEX and Alejandro Monllor PUR qualified their home countries. Marion Lepert USA won the Under 17 Girls division by beating Audrey Caron CAN and Margot Samson USA. Even though Lepert is said to be ineligible as a US qualifier, the YOG berths went to the US and Canada. Results

No more wind for more races at the 2010 North American Kiteboard Racing Continentals in Puerto Vallarta MEX. After nine races and one throw-out, Adam Koch USA edged Bruno Sroka FRA based on the tiebreaker for wins. Both finished withy 21 points, just one point ahead of Damien LeRoy USA who won the three last windy heats. In the womens fleet, Steph Bridge GBR was absolutely dominant, but the Continental Champion is Melissa Gil USA. Next events are the PKRA tour in Thailand, and the 2010 Course Racing World Championship in late April in Corpus Christi, Tex. Results and report.

For the first time in the 80+ years' history of the Bacardi-Cup, THE traditional Star Class event, four other one designs have been invited by the organising Coral Reef YC, viz. the Melges 20, Melges 24, J-24 and Viper. With 60 boats from 18 nations, the Stars are still by far the largest fleet with a number of Olympic medalists starting. The entry lists of the other classes are mainly filled with North American sailors. The event-website and the entry lists.

Continuing her ascent of the Southern Atlantic ‘Groupama 3’ tries to stop the bleeding in her attempt to set a new record for the Jules Verne Trophy, but it will be a battle all the way to the end to catch ‘Orange 2,’ which set a blistering pace after rounding the Horn five years ago. For now they are up against a moderate NNW'ly breeze, trying to click off the miles toward the finish line in Ushant, some 5,700 miles distant after falling behind more than 260 miles. Report and race tracker

After a postponement for not enough wind, the fleet tried to get under way at 13:40 in 6 knots. A general recall brought out the black flag and BFDs for five boats. It stayed light and the right was right as the breeze clocked, but many heavier guys struggled to foil. It’s worth remembering that this is a tune-up event for the Worlds next week, so the results need to be taken with a grain of salt. Nevertheless, Chris Graham UAE put on quite a show to win the regatta, four points ahead of Arno Psarofaghis SUI who won both races yesterday. Defending World Champion Bora Gulari USA in third staged a nice comeback despite a DNF yesterday. Sailing News correspondent Jean-Pierre Ziegert finished sixth. JP shot some fun on-board video about life in the fast lane downwind. Day 2 video and results.

Jean-Pierre Ziegert, the editor of the French issue of Sailing News, just finished 6th at the UAE Nationals. Ever the reporter, he strapped on a head cam to let armchair sailors participate in the wet and exciting experience of, um, handling a Foiler Moth downwind with a good breeze on. Enjoy!

Flat seas, sunshine and rising temperatures off the coast of Argentina, make for a pleasant sail aboard ‘Groupama 3’ which is heading up the Atlantic on her final push to set a new Jules Verne record. However, her slim advantage over current record holder ‘Orange 2’ lead has turned into a deficit of 12 miles, so everybody’s itching to turn on the turbo again. The Report and the race tracker.

It was champagne sailing with lots of sun and breeze off Miami’s South Beach today and things couldn’t be any tighter in the Farr 40 and Melges 32 classes, which both have new leaders again. The final word will be spoken Sunday, so expect some exciting battles.
William Douglass and crew on ‘Goombay Smash’ USA with America’s Cup veteran Ian Walker calling tactics posted a 1, 1, 3 score to rise to the top of the Farr 40s. Helmut Jahn and ‘Flash Gordon’ USA remain in contention one point back and four ahead of Massimo Mezzaroma ITA and ‘Nerone,’ the leader after the first day. In the Melges 32, Jean-Francois Cruette FRA reclaimed first place, four points ahead of Pieter Taaselaar USA. In the IRC class, Jim Bishop USA steering ‘Gold Digger II,’ his 20-year-old J/44, has five firsts in eight races and looks to close it out on Sunday. Results and photo galleries.

The Laser South & Central American Championship at Fortaleza BRA began yesterday with three races for the 78 participants from nine nations. Edgar Diminich ECU was dominant on day with a 1, 3. 3 score, ahead of Alexander Zimmermann PER and the top woman, Cecilia Carranza ARG who posted an impressive 8, 2, 5 score in the 78-boat fleet. Note that the last race was won by Carlos Eduardo Wanderley BRA, who sails in the Masters class. The results and the report in portugues.
The Laser 4.7 and Laser Standard classes start their regattas next Wednesday. The comeback of the eight-time Laser World Champion Robert Scheidt BRA - very successful in the Starboat class in the meantime - will definitely be of special interest. The report (in port.).

Day two of the 30th St. Maarten Heineken Regatta brought a lively breeze from the south that topped 20 kts and made for some classic Caribbean racing with thrills and spills in the 240-boat fleet. The racing boats did a couple of short windward/leeward races offshore in the morning, and an afternoon sprint round the coast. On the Wally 82 ‘Highland Fling’ with Peter Holmberg at the controls, the forestay broke right after the first start. The team recovered from the mishap to save the rig, but was handicapped the rest of the day. 'Titan 15' with Peter Isler at the helm continued its dominance and remains in first overall by corrected time in Spinnaker 1. The bare boats raced off Simpson Bay but had the chance to enjoy quality time on the beach or a beer or two.Results and images.

The forecast was right for the boys and girls on the boards down in Merritt Island, Fla. at the Calema Midwinters and the Tecno 293/Kona North American championships. A total of six races has been run good-to-perfect racing conditions. Of special interest is the Under-17 category in the Tecno 293 class, because this is also a qualifying event for the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore later this year. In the boy’s class, Ignacio Lleonart and Jose Carlos Torres MEX are ahead of Alejandro Monllor PUR. These two nations are first in line to punch a ticket to Singapore. Ian Stokes USA is in 5th, a hefty 12 points behind. On the girls’ side, Marion Lepert USA is clear ahead of Audrey Caron CAN and Margot Samson USA. Results and photos

What would have been a lovely breeze for a stout cruising boat was on the upper end of what the Foiler Moths would want to handle at the UAE National championships. WSW breeze of 15 to 20 knots and sometimes more sent a lot of the foilers flying and decimated the field to only 9 starters in the second race. Runaway winner was Arnaud Psarofaghis SUI with two bullets (and a horizon job in the second race) followed by Chris Graham UAE and Rob Gough AUS with 6 pts each. World Champion Bora Gulari USA pitch poled and headed in early, along with many others who spent the rest of their day checking and repairing. Read the blog of the www.sailing-news.ch French editor Jean-Pierre Ziegert SUI (photo) and check the report and the results.

An up-and-down, back-and-forth breeze from seven to 20 kn with 50-degree shifts mixed in made life difficult for quite a few teams who are normally used to breathing clean air. In the Farr 40 classl 'Nerone' and Massimo Mezzaroma ITA were handed back to fifth, replaced at the top by 'Barking Mad' and James Richardson USA. In the stacked Melges 32 fleet World Champion Pieter Taselaar USA bumped yesterday's leader Jean-François Cruette FRA. All results the daily report and the gallery.

Franck Cammas and his mates on 'Groupama 3' have checked off Cape Horn, which they rounded yesterday at 18:30 UTC in unusually light winds, passing the rock in close proximity and marveling at the awesome sight. See the video . But that didn't last, because now it is pedal to the metal again, toward the finish in Ushant some 6,800 miles away. They managed to hold their lead over ‘Orange 2’ and extend it to 154 miles again. After the Horn, ‘Groupama 3’ was in pleasant conditions and flat seas, holding on a favorable course in a NW’ly breeze. ‘The three new cape horners (Bruno, Steve and myself) were very happy because we were allowed a piece of chocolate...’ Cammas radioed back to Groupama's Race HQ in Paris.
Report and race viewer.

More weird weather on the last day of the Auckland Match Racing Regatta. Good conditions at first, but still Round Robin 2 was cut short to get a full day of racing in. Promoted to the semifinals was the dominant team of Ben Ainslie GBR, and based on tiebreakers from the round robins, Dean Barker NZL, Adam Minoprio NZL and Tovar Mirsky AUS. The best-of-five semi-finals were shortened to a best-of-three series. Barker prevailed over Minoprio by a score of 2-0 avenging his round-robin loss, and Ainslie advanced against Mirsky by the same result. In the petite finals (also best of three) Minoprio beat Mirsky twice by 14 and 12 seconds respectively. In the final it was Barker of Emirates Team New Zealand, the hometown favorite, vs. the defending champs, Ainslie and his Team Origin mates who’d been dominating for the past three days. Expertly playing the shifts and the tide, Barker jumped out to a 2-0 lead, pulling away from Ainslie in both races. Then the rain doused the breeze thus crowning Dean Barker and his crew the winners of the event because no further races could be completed. Report & results.

The mother of all beerfest sailing, the 30th Heineken Regatta in St. Maarten got under way today in light breeze and sultry conditions. The big boats were sent around the island on a 32-miler, while most others sailed shorter courses. In the Spinnaker 1 Class, Tom Hill’s new Reichel/Pugh ‘Titan 15!’ corrected out to first, over George David’s ‘Rambler’ (R/P 90) and ‘Highland Fling,’ Irvine Laidlaw’s Wally 82. Spinnaker 2 saw ‘Sin Duda! Fritz Duda’s venereable Santa Cruz 52 correct out to first over the Swan 90 ‘White Lie’ and passion 4 C a Bill Tripp design. Sojan the massive Farr 115 owned by Sir Peter Harrison finished 6th on corrected time, one spot ahead of Hanse Yachts boss Michael Schmidt, who sailed one of his own products, a Hanse 630. All results

When they rounded Cape Horn at 1830 UTC on Thursday, Franck Cammas and his crew on ‘Groupama 3’ were 175 miles or 8 hours 55 minutes ahead of the old record of ‘Orange'. Grappling with difficult conditions, ‘Groupama 3’ missed a new record for the fastest crossing of the Pacific by 59 minutes. This record still belongs to ‘Orange 2’ with 8d 18h 08m. Now 'Groupama 3' is only 87 miles ahead in this virtual race and the challenge shifts to the Atlantic where headwinds await, which could wipe out their slim advantage. The stage is set for a riveting match over the next 7,000 miles back to the finish line in Ushant. Report and race tracker.

The weather hasn't been cooperative. One day too much, then not enough breeze. They still haven't finished Round Robin 2. After a lengthy delay due to a general lack of consistent wind, the rest of flight 7 has been abandoned due to lack of wind, and the remaining two flights will be sailed tomorrow. King of the hill for the time being with 13 victories is Ben Ainslie GBR, followed by Adam Minoprio NZL and Karol Jablonski POL with 9 wins each. The results.

The Moth rock stars are all in town, getting ready for the 2010 Moth World Championship beginning next Monday in Dubai UAE. This afternoon, the first heat of the Emirates Championship, a tune-up race, is set to get the ball rolling. Some of the foilers to watch include defending World Champion Bora Gulari USA, Simon Payne GBR, and Arnaud Psarofaghis SUI. The official Web site and the blog of our own Jean-Pierre Ziegert. JP is the editor of the French version of www.sailing-news.ch, and he's racing, believe it or not (see photo). So our coverage will have the inside track.

Strong and shifty winds off Miami’s South Beach challenged skippers and crews on the opening day of the 2010 Miami Grand Prix. All classes got in three races in NW winds that averaged 15-18 knots but gusted to 25 at times. Defending class champion Massimo Mezzaroma ITA and his tactician Vasco Vascotto on ‘Nerone’ were unflappable in the 10-boat Farr 40 class. They benefitted from a big right-hand shift in Race 1 and followed up with a sixth and another bullet in the other races. Although he’s a relative newcomer to the Melges 32 class, Jean-Francois Cruette FRA and his crew aboard ‘Teasing Machine’ owned the 23-boat fleet today with a fifth and two firsts, which put them nine points ahead of Joe Woods GBR on ‘Red.’ Another point back is Pieter Taselaar USA, the defending champ with Jeremy Wilmot calling tactics. In the IRC class, the breeze suited older boats just fine. Jim Bishop USA kept his venerable IRC-optimized J/44 above the fray with a solid score of 2-3-1. Read the report and check the results.
Photo galleries by Tim Wilkes and Sharon Green.

Alain Thébault, skipper of l’Hydroptere and the fastest man under sail (51.36 kts), is taking his concept of hydrofoiling trimarans to the next level. He and his team are developing two new boats. At this time they’re building a 35-foot prototype, called l’Hydroptère.ch, which will be based in Switzerland, because it is developed by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne. Then, based on the findings with l’Hydroptère.ch, they’ll build a maxi l’Hydroptere to sail around the globe in approximately 40 days. Watch out, ‘Groupama 3’ and ‘Banque Populaire V’ . They posted a fascinating video about the history of l’Hydroptere.

The international 470 class has sprung for a face lift of their Web presence with better layout, more images and video. We think they made a splash. Check it out.

While some are kiting and sailing in subtropical climes, there’s a hardier bunch, who need ice and snow to feel at home. In Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec, Canada, the 30th edition of the 2010 World Ice and Snow Sailing Association’s World Championships are under way. It’s a merry and a diverse affair, with lots of air, plenty of smiles and, yes, sunshine, too. Even the Canadian government, represented by The Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of State for Canada Economic Development, kicked in a cool $60,958 in non-repayable funding. Rarely hear that about sailing regattas, eh? These folks have not posted any results yet, but they sure know how to shoot nice videos. Need to sink a few minutes? Watch here

Starting today, three fleets with plenty of rock stars are contesting the 2010 Miami Grand Prix. The Melges 32 class has the largest fleet with 23 boats that include current World Champion Pieter Taselaar with tactician Jeremy Wilmot, and other US notables like John Kilroy /Stu Bannatyne, Jeff Ecklund/Harry Melges and John Porter/Jonathan McKee. They are up against a formidable foreign contingent led by Carlo Alberini and Carlo Perrone ITA, Stuart Simpson and Joe Woods GBR and Yukihiro Ishida JAP. In the Farr 40 Class look for US frontrunners James Richardson and tactician Steve Hunt on ‘Barking Mad,’ Helmut Jahn/Bill Hardesty on ‘Flash Gordon’ battling HRH Crown Prince Frederik DEN with Bouwe Bekking on ‘Nanoq’ and Massimo Mezzaroma/Vasco Vascotto ITA on ‘Nerrone.’ In the diverse 6-boat IRC class, two boats to watch are the TP52 ‘Decision’ with Stephen Murray and tactician John Lovell and the J/125 ‘Stark Raving Mad’ with James Madden and Gary Weisman.

Trade Only, the largest US news publication for US marine industry professionals, reported the launch of www.sailing-news.us in today’s online edition . Early feedback for the simple layout and the clarity of presentation has been very positive. Some examples:
‘Site looks great!’ Bill Lynn, Atlantis Weathergear
‘Absolutely thrilled to see this news.’ Wanda Kenton Smith, Kenton Smith Marketing
‘It's a beautiful site, and I look forward to diving into it in greater detail.’ Jeff Papanek, Dehler US
‘Nice site!’ Ken Quant, Broad Reach Marketing
‘Bookmarked! Nice site...good stuff.’ Thayer Ridgeway, TriakSports
‘Congrats on getting this site up.’ Sarah B.
‘Very cool!’ Michou J.
‘Looking good!’ Rich Roberts, RRR Communications

Battling the cold and dampness 600 miles from Cape Horn, the crew aboard ‘Groupama 3’ consolidated its course with current record holder ‘Orange 2’ and has stopped the bleeding. The lead, which had shrunken to 187 miles yesterday, now is back up to 275 miles. They are expected to round the Rock in light air around noon on Thursday to start the 7‘000 miles home straight to France. The Atlantic Ocean weather forecast is difficult to predict at this moment. The wind conditions will be crucial to beat the record. Up to the Falklands, upwind legs will prevail. Report and video and the race viewer

Winds gusting to 25 knots cut short the racing action on Waitemata Harbour during the Omega Auckland Match Racing Regatta. ‘We have passed the stage of fair match racing,’ said regatta coordinator John Rountree of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron. Before that spectators saw close races with luffing duels, tight finishes, penalties and collisions. In an epic battle and on the verge of losing control under chute, Adam Minoprio NZL beat Magnus Holmberg SWE by 4 seconds. 'We were getting 30-40 degree windshifts with big gusts,’ said Minoprio. ‘In these boats, you have to react very quickly in those conditions to keep control. We were a bit lucky. It was definitely on the edge.' At the beginning of RR 2, Ben Ainslie of Great Britain who won his only race, was ahead with 8 points, followed by Minoprio, Dean Barker NZL and Karol Jablonski POL, 6 points each. Next were Tovar Mirsky AUS and Bertrand Pace FRA with 5 points. Current scores and reports.

France returns to host the Volvo Ocean Race with the confirmation of Lorient, in Brittany on the northwest coast of France, as the penultimate stopover for the 2011-12 (and the 2014-15) event before the final leg to Gothenburg SWE, home town of Volvo. The announcement of Lorient follows that of start port Alicante, and Cape Town and Lisbon as host ports. Lisbon in Portugal will be the start port of the leg to Lorient, approximately 700 nautical miles. The report.

Sail World reports that the Breach of Fiduciary Duty action leveled by the former America’s Cup Challenger Golden Gate Yacht Club against the former defender Societe Nautique de Geneve, is due by March 8. The second action relating to the Constructed in Country issue about Alinghi’s sails built by North Sails in the US, is due back in the New York Supreme Court on March 10. Alinghi executives Ernesto Bertarelli and skipper Brad Butterworth indicated they would not be entering the 34th America's Cup while they were being sued by BMWOracle and the new Defender has not announced that they would let these issues slide.
Then there’s the mutiny: According to a letter published on Sailing Anarchy, Societe Nautique de Geneve’s vice commodore Fred Meyer justified the action of SNG’s race committee before the start of the second race with concern about spectator boats in the area, improper sea state (the waves were too high) and the possibility of the race finishing after dark. When PRO Harold Bennett decided to start anyway the SNG committee members quit and retired to the cabin ‘[rather] than enforcing the Race Committee decision by physical means…' No word yet from ISAF who appointed Bennett.

The 2010 North American Championships of the Kona and Techno 293 windsurfers in Merrit Island, Fla. March 4 –7, is part of the 25th Calema Midwinters windsurfing festival and an important qualifier for spots in the Youth Olympic Games that will be held in Singapore, August 14 – 26. Extra significance has been placed upon this event by US Sailing - should a sailor qualify USA for YOG, they will also be selected to represent their country in the windsurfing event. For the Youth Olympics two boys and two girls (15 or 16 years old) will each qualify their nations in the singlehanded Byte CII dinghy and the Techno 293 windsurfer. Get the details about events and scheducles.
Next qualifying events for the Byte dinghy:North America & Caribbean YOQE, Byte CII Midwinter’s/North American Championship (boys & girls), March 10-15, Cayman Islands and Byte Cll World Championship YOQE (boys & girls), April 6-11, Cannes, France

The team 'Ville de Genève' is looking for a press officer responsible for all communication activities during the coming Tour de France in July 2010. The details

Born in Italy, but based in the UK, 32 year-old Marco Nannini, acquired Class 40 'Mowgli' - the yacht sailed by Jeremy Salvesen and David Thomson in the 2008-09 Portimão Global Ocean Race, to become entrant Nr. 13. Nannini raced double-handed in the Rolex Fastnet 2007 and single-handed in the bluQube Solo 1000 race as a qualifier for the 2009 OSTAR, during which he took line honors and first on corrected time in the IRC3 Class. The Portimão round-the-world race with stopovers for doubles on Class 40s was organised for the first time last winter. Actually the winners of this first edition, Boris Herrmann/Felix Oehme GER, are still missing on the entrants list, but the participation is already very international. At least 20 teams are expected. Read the report.

Fossil corals, up to half a million years old, are providing fresh hope that coral reefs may be able to withstand the huge stresses imposed on them by today’s human activity. Reef ecosystems were able to persist through massive environmental changes imposed by sharply falling sea levels during previous ice ages, an international scientific team has found. This provides new hope for their capacity to endure the increasing human impacts forecast for the 21st century. That's the result of this world's first study at eight fossile coral reefs in the Huon-Gulf region of Papua Neuguinea. An article in Powerboat World.

At the ISAF-Grade 3 (most likely to be upgraded to grade 1) Omega Auckland Match Racing Regatta action got underway for the high-caliber field of participants. Tops after the first eight flights of Round Robin 1 was Ben Ainslie GBR with a record of 6 wins and 2 losses, followed by Dean Barker NZL, Betrand Pace FRA and Adam Minoprio NZL, who are all 5-3. The results and the report (PDF).

Around 1,000 miles from Cape Horn, Groupama 3 reports ‘sporty’ sailing conditions with over 30 knots of breeze from the NW and chaotic seas. Because she’s not sailing a direct course to the Horn, her lead over the current record of ‘Orange 2’ has dwindled down to 235 miles. By sailing around a depression, ‘Groupama 3’ covered 750 miles over the ground in the past 24 hours, but made good only 575 miles. At the Horn, the crew expects conditions to dictate a southerly route that might have to continue eastwards for an extra 24 hours. Report & video and the race viewer

Pascal Bidégorry FRA and his team sailing the 140-foot monster-trimaran ‘Banque Populaire V’ shelved any plans to go for the Jules Verne record for the time being. In difference to the forecasters of ‘Groupma 3,’ which is approaching Cape Horn in their attempt to snatch the record from Bruno Peyron and ‘Orange 2’ the Banque Populaire meteorologists didn’t think there would be a suitable weather window in the near future. Hence they postponed the potential start to the fall of 2010. The report.

On Sunday, the second part of the coastal race St-Tropez - Cavalaire - St-Tropez, the return race, had been sailed with Luigi Balestra SUI defending his first position overall in the Groupe 1060 category with a 2nd place. 71 teams were racing in 7 classes. Next on the program of the triathlon is the ski race at Isola 2000, followed by the painters contest. The results and the report.

More than 50 dead and heavy damage is what the low-pressure system Xynthia left in its wake last weekend on the French Atlantic coast. A combination of spring tide, heavy winds and lashing rainproduced the French version of the Perfect Storm. The sea level temporarily rose seven feet above mean high water. While the drama unfolded, French kite-surfer Jérémiy Eloy risked life and limb as he headed out to prove he was up to these extreme conditions on the coast of Brittany. See the photos.

Sailing a north-easterly course, 'Groupama 3' deviated even more from its direct track to Cape Horn yesterday. Despite her high speeds of over 30 kn, Franck Cammas' advantage compared with the current record holder 'Orange 2' melted to 228 sm. 'Groupama 3' will probably reach the Cape on Thusday. The report with a video and the race-viewer.

Mateo Balestrero ITA came out on top of the 25 participants in the two San Remo events of the Melges 24 Italian Winter Championship.
However, when all was said and done after 23 races, the overall Melges 24 Italian Winter Champion is 'All In' with the world's top-ranked 49er-sailor Pietro Sibello ITA at the helm. The whole series was comprised of five weekend events with stops in Cattolica and Torbole also and attracted a total of 39 participants. You can read the report if your Italian is up to snuff.

Gathered in a tent city, wave riders, wind and kite surfers, cameleers and musicians came together during the annual 'Desert & Sea Festival' at the Moroccan lagoon of Dakhla. The 50-mile coastal run for wind and kite surfers had some prominent participants this year such as Björn Dunkerbeck, sailing for Switzerland, defeating the kite surf world speed record holders Alexandre Caizergues FRA and Sjoukie Bredenkamp RSA. Vendée-Globe-helmsman Sébastien Josse FRA was in it too, racing a windsurfer. The event-website with a film- and photo-gallery looks just just like a holiday brochure. Read the article in Sail-World.

As Sailing News reported two weeks ago during the Primo Cup, all the glam and splendor of Monaco doesn't help when the swells are up and the breeze is down. Check out the video posted by Skippers TV with the Surprises and Platus 25 battling with the waves.

Despite the famous name, David de Rothschild is an adventurer in his own right. He was the youngest Brit to reach the North and South Pole and he crossed the Arctic and Greenland’s ice cap, all of which puts him into illustrious company and netted him a slew of accolades. But the adventure goes on. Supported by sponsors like Swiss watch company IWC Schaffhausen, Hewlett Packard and Inmarsat, he now wants to sail 11,000 miles across the Pacific ocean, from California to Australia on Plastiki, a 60-foot catamaran made out of recycled PET plastic bottles.
His mission, which recently was introduced to an international Press Corps in San Francisco: Creating awareness for the millions of tons of plastic garbage that should have been recycled, but went into landfills or the ocean instead. It may sound a little crazy, but de Rothschild is a man who’s not just endowed with considerable means but also confidence and many believe he can pull this off successfully. For part of the voyage he and his sailing crew will be accompanied Olav and Josian Heyerdahl, two grandchildren of the famous Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl. Read the Sailing News-Interview (PDF) with David de Rothschild.

The 'National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association' NOAA developed - together with the military 'Precision Measurement Equipment Laboratories' PMEL - a Computer-model to calculate and predict Tsunamis. By means of MOST (Method of Splitting Tsunamis), qualitative and quantitative information about the tsunami, including tsunami wave interaction with ocean floor bathymetric features, and neighboring coastlines can be calculated. Check out the information on the disastrous earthquake of February 27, 2010 in the Concepción region in Chile. An article in Sail World.

Starting today, March 1, 2010, our acclaimed site is available in a localized US-version: sailing-news.us covers all the exciting sailing in North America and the important events in Europe and elsewhere around the world. In addition, we offer industry news, links to sailing books and publications and coverage of environmental topics that concern us sailors.
What makes us different? Sailing is a global sport and it happens 24/7. That's why we publish seven days a week and in three major languages (English, German and French).
We value your time: That's why we serve our content as brief daily updates, including images, videos and original sources. No need to register or read lengthy e-mails. Just bookmark our page sailing-news.us in your Web browser.
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We have an audience: Our German and French sites have been online for five years now, so we are not new to this game. Professional racers and weekend warriors, big-boat racers, dinghy, multihull or kite sailors, sailing associations, clubs and event organizers, more than 100,000 of them have been turning to our site for their daily fix of sailing news.
Who is in charge? Founder Beat Stegmeier from Zurich, Switzerland, and US Editor Dieter Loibner in Portland, Oregon, are two veteran sailors and sailing journalists with decades of experience in Olympic classes and all manner of other boats. In their early years they used to compete in the Finn Dinghy, so the claim 'by sailors for sailors' stands up to scrutiny.
Check us out and let us know what you think. We love to hear from you.
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The sailing conditions have become tougher as a low catches up with Groupama 3. Frank Cammas and company try to keep the giant trimaran at the front of this system until they round Cape Horn. To pull this off, they will have to maintain high speed, but the potential benefits could pay dividends in the form of a NW'ly breeze as far as the Falkland Islands.
Still faster than Orange 2, the giant trimaran has to cover more ground to reach Cape Horn and hence her lead continues to yo-yo, but still was 383 miles over Bruno Peyron and the old record. Read the day's report and check 'Groupama's' progress.

The sailing seaon 2010 is about to start. Why not drop in at the Yachting Systems online-shop offering everything needed for a leasure and racing: equipment, clothing, fittings, electronics, books, maps, and much more.
Swiss-Sailing-members can benefit of a 10% discount during the whole year. The access to the Shop functions over a simple login.

Under the direction of Christian 'Blumi' Scherrer SUI, ex Alinghi, ex +39 and bigboat Pro, matchracer Eric Monnin SUI and Stefan Eder GER, five Blu26-teams from Switzerland and Germany met for a 4-days training on Lake Garda. The venue was at its best with a full palette of all wind conditions. The enthusiastic participants will without doubt be back next year.

Yesterday, the starting list of the Congressional Cup, to be organised off Long Beach, Cal. end of March has been published. Among the participants in this traditional highly remunerated matchrace, the only ISAF grade 1 in the USA, are among others Francesco Bruni ITA, Gavin Brady NZL, Damien Iehl FRA, Johnie Berntson SWE and Eric Monnin SUI. The report. With daily video clips (see 2009), the Congressional Cup is among the best documented match-races ever.

After several days with stormy weather around 30 kn, the breeze became light to moderate - 8 to 12 kn - during yesterday's final two races by class. In the top-rated male and female RS:X-windsurfer fleets, the winners were Alex Guyader FRA ahead of Ivan Pastor ESP, in women's fleet victory for Marina Alabau ESP followed by Bryony Shaw GBR and Blanca Manchon ESP. The best Laser Standard helmsman was Angelo Tabernero ESP, and with the Lasers Radial, Lucia Reyes ESP finished first. All results and the final report in spanish.

The Swiss Regatta season began last Saturday with the winter race from Lucerne to Brunnen on Lake Lucerne. The storm announcing weather forecast kept many boat owners at home, and only 6 participants were on the starting line. The only missing was the wind, that filled in very lightly. Only at the end of the race approaching the Lake Uri arm, the 'Foehn', a typical South wind, caused some excitement with puffs of up to 50 kn. Only two boats finished the race with 'HH-Nessi-Racing' as winner after 5:40 hrs. In calculated time, the Inferno 29 of Jan Van den Broek was first. The report (PDF).

Last year’s Giltinan Championship winning crew of Euan Mc Nicol, Aaron Links and Trent Barnabas were the masters of the dreadful conditions that prevailed during Race 13 of the Australian 18 Footers League Club Championship on Sydney Harbour. With Euan Mc Nicol replacing Michael Coxon, the former champions showed their skills in bringing ‘Thurlow Fisher Lawyers’ home 11 minutes 26 seconds ahead of ‘Gotta Love It 7,’ which was also skippered by a replacement, Jonathan Whitty. Third place went to ‘Project Racing’ (Andy Budgen), a further 33 seconds back. With two more races still to be sailed, ‘Gotta Love It 7’ holds a one-point lead over 'Thurlow Fisher Lawyers.' The report with photo gallery.

George Andreadis GRE sharing the helm with Tony Rey won the third event of the Etchells Jaguar Series (54 boats) at Biscayne Bay Yacht Club. Sailing with crew Bill Bennett and Chris Busch, they did not have to finish the last race, because the only serious contender for top honors, Bill Hardesty, posted a 34th place, which dropped him to 7th overall because he already had carried a 36th from the first race.
Runner up was the Canadian team of Jud Smith, Dirk Kneulman, Darby Smith and Tim King who won the last race, but could not quite repeat the triumph of their hockey team. They finished with 14 points, four points ahead of Jeffrey Siegal, Jeff Madrigali, Becky Nygren, Willem Van Waay.
Next, the Etchells sail their ‘Midwinters’ at the cusp of spring, March 19-21, 2010. Posted results

With a few days to go, final preparations are well underway for the 30th anniversary of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta (4-7 March). There’s a steady flow of yachts arriving in the marina and the bareboat charter fleet is expected to surpass 100 boats, with Beneteau and Jeanneau yachts making up the bulk of the fleet. There’ll certainly be no lack of top-ranked competition in this fleet either with the likes of Margriet Matthijsse – Dutch, double Europe Olympic silver medallist – who will be racing with her team aboard a Beneteau Oceanis 473 Heineken Rotterdam (Monet II), among the notable entries. The big boat line-up includes Tom and Dotty Hill’s new custom Reichel/Pugh 75 ‘Titan 15,’ George David’s Reichel/Pugh 90 – ‘Rambler’, and Irvin Laidlaw’s Wally 82 ‘Highland Fling,’ Roberto Galperti’s Swan 90 ‘White Lie,’ Patrick Adams’ Swan 100 ‘Varsovie,’ Peter Harrison’s Farr 115 ‘Sojana,’ and Christopher Besser’s Swan 80 ‘Team Selene.’
Read more
Check out the videos

It’s been a tradition at the Heineken Regatta to shred around the Caribbean island of St. Maarten/St. Martin in big boats, small boats, race boats, charter boats and multihulls. This year the big Heineken celebrates 30 years (see separate report) and cats and tris got their own event a week earlier. Start and finish was Philipsburg on the Dutch side of the island and shred they did alst Saturday, Feb. 27. Fastest elapsed time was posted by Jeff Ledee on a Nacra Formula 18 in 2 hours 55 minutes and 17 seconds. Not far behind was Bernard Sillem on his Prindle 19 in 3 hrs. 01 min. 57 sec. See results and images

Wind shifts of up to 120°, made for turbulent racing on the last day of the Al-Maktoum-Trophy. Chris Bake (UAE) and his 'Team Aqua' managed to hang on to first place in the fleet-racing portion, narrowly edging 'Artemis' of Torbjörn Tornquist (SWE), who is the overall winner of the Al Maktoum-Trophy thanks to his 3rd place in the match race. The report and the video of the day.

Four day before the Cape Horn, the wind has change in a more westerly direction and the maxi-trimaran has slightly deviated from the direct course to the Cape. But thanks to the high speed around 40 kn, Franck Cammas FRA and his team have maintained 'Groupama 3's advantage on the record. The temperature of the sea has cooled down to a degree that ice growlers can can float around. Larger icebergs can be detected by the radar, but the drift ice must be spotted by eye. Thanks to the full moon and nights of 6 hours only, this is not too much of a problem. The Cape Horn seems to stand up to its reputation as a cold front brings a breeze of over 40 kn. The report and the race-viewer.

Stormy winds of over 30 kn have been making the Olympic Week in Cádiz since Thursday very challenging. The entry lists are of a good international quality, especially for the Olympic windsurfers. After 5 heats, Ivan Pastor ESP ahead of Alex Guyader FRA are the top-ranked athlets in the RS:X male class. With the RS:X women, the world nbr 1 Marina Alabau ESP is leading ahead of Bryony Shaw GBR and Blanca Manchon ESP. The Lasers have sailed only 4 races so far. With the Standards (25 participants, 3 nations), Angelo Tabernero ESP is on the 1st place, with the Radials, Lucia Reyes ESP is the leader. The report (spanish) and all results.

The 'Festival Armen' (ARt-MEr-Neige) began yesterday with a coastal race from St. Tropez to St. Cavalaire, disputed in a light wind. 71 teams from 9 nations are on the entry list. Winner in the IRC-rankings was Luigi Balestra SUI with his 'Maluba'. Today, the race back to St. Tropez is on the program, during the coming weekend, a ski race will be disputed, and the final of this very special triathlon will be a painting contest of the participants. The report (PDF). The ranking of the race has not yet been published on the web.

Plenty of action yesterday with a prevailing South wind from the desert freshing up to 25 kn and carrying much sand. 'Artemis' of Torbjörn Tornquist SWE coped the best with these conditions, approaching the leader 'Team Aqua' of Chris Bake UEA to two points. The report and the Video.

The conditions for the crossing of the South Pacific remain excellent and 'Groupama 3' sailed again over 700 sm in 24 hours yesterday. The weather is still quite accommodating with a water temperature of 8°C, no danger of icebergs up to now, and a moonshine at night lightening the regular swell. The skipper Franck Cammas FRA expects a record Pacific crossing. The advantage on the exististing record has been extended to 525 sm this morning. The race-viewer and the daily report.

Neither rain nor sleet nor snow, all of which had combined to cancel flights and delay trains in the Northeast, could deter Anna Tunnicliffe (Plantation, Fla.), Laser Radial Olympic Champion, and Bora Gulari (Detroit, Mich.), Moth World Champion, from getting to Manhattan for their moment in the spotlight at US Sailing’s Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year Awards ceremony. The video and the report.

The initiators of the Multi-One-Design 70-class have high ambitions, planning to launch a new 70-foot-one-design trimaran by 2011 for regattas across the Atlantic, around the world and round-Europe. Thus far they managed to sign up Vendée Globe-winner Michel Désjoyeaux (FRA), who already ordered a MOD 70. Organizers are looking for a total of 12 teams to be ready in 2011. The current MOD newsletter, informs about the current status of the project and the promotion of world-wide access to clean drinking water as an ecological aspect of the program. Get the details from '(Multi One Attitude').

Phoenicia, a primitive sailing vessel, based on designs of Phoenician cargo ships from circa 600 BC, will soon face its biggest challenge yet as the international crew members onboard attempt to navigate a stretch of the worlds most dangerous coast line; Cape Agulhas on the southern tip of Africa, and its more famous brother, the Cape of Good Hope. The project of the English entrepreneur Philip Beale started in summer 2008 in Syria to prove that already the Phoenicians rounded Africa (more...). An article in Sail World.

A 15-18 kn offshore breeze caused a little sandstorm yesterday impacting the view considerably in certain moments. However, the wind speed was just right for fast heats by these light carbon-racers. Four regattas could be sailed, and 'Team Acqua' of Chris Bake UAE demonstrated a balanced performance (1/2/1/2) clearly taking the lead ahead of 'Artemis' of Thorbjörn Tornquist SWE. In the fleetraces, the owners take the helm. The report.

The frontal system with steady westerly winds has established a consistent swell creating ideal conditions to make 30 knots of boat speed without problems for the crew and the boat. 'Groupama 3' is now already in the South Pacific on a more southerly course making good headway in the direction of the Cape Horn. Today they are expected to cross the International Date Line. Their advantage on the existing record has grown to 374 sm and should remain so until the Cape that will probably be rounded on next Tuesday. The report and the race viewer

Over the past weekend, a 29er invitational regatta had been organised off Teneriffa, but only on Saturday, sailing was possible, as on Sunday a heavy storm prevented the skiffs from going afloat, as the photos on the official event-website show. After 5 races, Nathalie Keller SUI with Femke Adamske as crew were the winners followed by Helen Naess/Ane Gunderson NOR and Jule and Lotta George GER. The results.

We were discussing what we have seen over the years from various sailors and we were trying to capture a way to articulate the formula for sailing success. And here is what we came up with: High Performance = (Skill + Commitment) - Distraction.
Skill is great and in many ways is required in Olympic sailing. But it is not nearly enough. There are tons of great sailors who never get within sniffing distance of winning an Olympic medal. Only when some skill (and not always even the greatest skill!) is combined with serious commitment do we start see results…
Read Brenner’s column in The Medalist Report.

Last January, Iker Martinez and Xavier Fernandez ESP, World Champions on the Olympic 49er for the second time, and this after a one year's timeout to participate in the Volvo Ocean Race, seem to have become addicts of ocean racing. Yesterday, the Vendée-Globe-winner Michel Désjoyeaux FRA handed over his 'Foncia' to the Spaniards who plans to participate in the Barcelona World Race, a round-the-world race for duos, starting next autumn. For Michel Désjoyeaux FRA, a new Open 60 is under construction. The report.

Yesterday, the 30-meter Solar-trimaran 'Planet Solar' was unveiled for the first time at the HDW-shipyard in Kiel GER. In a few weeks already, she shall be launched. The round-the-world rounding project with solar energy only will start in 2011. The report (PDF) in french.

As expected, Markus Wieser GER and his team are the winners of the match race part of the Dubai Al-Makthoum Trophy, and this despite of a defeat against 'BMW-Oracle' (with Adam Minoprio NZL) yesterday. 'No way back' with mit Ray Davies USA are 2nd tied with 'Artemis' (Terry Hutchinson USA) after a win in the direct match. Today, the fleet racing part will begin as always in RC44 events. The report.

Actually, 'Groupama 3' passes the South point of New Zealand maintaining an average speed of over 30 kn. During the day, the multihull will have reached the mid-point of the round-the-globe distance. A year ago, the record attempt of Franck Cammas FRA and his team was over on this very spot after a damage causing the capsize of his maxi-trimaran. This time, the situation looks much more promising with an advantage over the previous record of 311 sm. The Race-Viewer und der report. A 5-minutes onboard-video demonstrates the work in process during a 30+ speed race.

The Italian Mascalzone Latino-Team has confirmed the participation as 8th entrant at the Louis Vuitton Trophy in Auckland, a must for the new America's Cup 'Challenger of Record'. The Auckland event begins on March 9 and lasts 12 days. The matches will take place on the old version 5 Cuppers of the Emirates Team NZL. The report.

Yesterday evening, after 2 days, 11 hrs and 21 min, 'Beau Geste' with Gavin Brady NZL as helmsman passed the finish line winning the 600 miles race across the Caribbeans. And Brady had his fun: 'I sailed in shorts and T-shirt the whole race, even though the wind strength got up to 20 knots. That's something you don't say very often after a 600 mile classic.' The report and all results.

During this season, the Olympic Laser Radial sailor Paige Railey USA is a class of her own with the victories at the Miami World Cup Regatta and the Midwinters of Clearwater Fla. - both with a huge advantage over her opponents. She has returned to the successes of 2005/2006, when she finished the season elected as ISAF World Sailor of the Year. In an interview, Paige Railey speaks about the differences between now and then.

The Feb 24 edition of the US Sailing Newsletter provides a comprehensive update on sailboat racing in the US from Optimists to big-boat racing. This week it also contains a video interview with America's Cup holder Larry Ellison, who lays out his vision for the future of the Cup.

'Groupama 3' crossed the Indian Ocean from the Cape of Good Hope to the East end of Australia in an absolute record time, and is now again ahead of the existing round-the-world record set by 'Orange 2'. For over 5 days, Franck Cammas and his team have been underway in the direction of the Cape Horn most of the time at an average speed of more than 30 kn. This morning, their advantage is already 129 sm. The report and the race-viewer.

The matchracing part of the Al Makthoum-Trophy went on with two more flights yesterday in light winds. The highlight of the day was the duel between the undefeated 'Artemis' with Terry Hutchinson USA and 'Team Sea Dubai' with Markus Wieser GER. In a tight fight, 'Team Sea Dubai' was the winner of the match and is with this victory already the overall winner of the Dubai Matchrace before the final race day. Behind the second-ranked 'Artemis' are 5 teams tied with a 3-3 score, and exciting races today are guaranteed. The report.

While Franck Cammas FRA is chasing the circumnavigation record with his maxi-trimaran, the former 'Ericsson 4', winner boat of the last Volvo Ocean Race, is repainted in the colours of the French insurance company at the boatyard in Lorient. When returning from the Trophée Jules Verne, 'Groupama 70' shall be ready for the first trainings. During the next winter, a new Volvo 70 shall be constructed for Cammas and his team.
But the most active offshore racing organisation at present will remain busy: The maxi-trimaran will be modified in a single-handed multi after her return from the Trophée Jules Verne. Franck Cammas will sail the 2011 solo Transatlantic Race 'Route du Rhum'. The report (f).

International Moth World Champion and 2009 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year Bora Gulari (11 pts.) beat ten other contenders to defend his title at the International Moth U.S.National Championship at Kaneohe Yacht Club, Hawaii. Runner up was Dalton Bergan (16), followed by the McKee brothers Charlie (27) and Jonathan (33). Due to conditions, the event was shortened to two days with 11 races. Next up: the 2010 International Moth World Championships in Dubai, March 8-14. Read Gulari’s report from Hawaii on Sailing Anarchy and a Video.

The Italian Alessandro Di Benedetto has been on his way around the globe alone with his 6.50 mini for over 4 month now. Yesterday, he passed the most-southern point of New Zealand in a 40 kn breeze, and he is now on his most dangerous leg to the Cape Horn. Remaining on a rather northerly course, Di Bendetto could avoid the heaviest storms so far. The report.

'Groupama 3' keeps up its high speed pace off Southern Australia. Yesterday, Franck Cammas FRA and his team sailed 744 sm in 24 hrs. The deficit on the record-time had melted to 31 sm this morning at 4 a.m. With the fastest time ever from Cape Town to Tasmania, the maxi-trimaran will most probably again be ahead of the previous record-holder 'Orange 2'. The weather forecast looks good. The daily report with a video clip and the race-viewer.

Over the last weekend, 180 Lasers from 13 nations started at the Mediterranean Championships off Hyères FRA. With the Lasers Standard (42 boats), Ryan Seaton IRL was the winner after 3 races, followed by Antony Munos FRA and Angelo Tabernero ESP. With 92 participants, the Lasers Radial were the largest fleet with Jacob Lundquist SWE on the first place ahead of Mattis Naud FRA and Kevin Paul FRA. The best girl, Michon Pernelle FRA, finished 16th. A French victory by Hugo Fedrigucci FRA was recorded in the Laser 4.7 class, with Antoine Bezile FRA and Georgy Paches UKR on the podium. The regattas were sailed in good, sunny conditions, as may be noticed in the photo gallery.

'Team Sea Dubai' with Markus Wieser GER was the team of the day winning all 5 matches on the first day of the 'Al Makthoum Sailing Trophy'. Terry Hutchinson USA on the 'Artemis', score 4-0, is also without defeat. In good sailing conditions, initially with a 7 kn breeze, increasing to 12 kn, all teams could sail four to five matches. The report.

Little by little the stopover ports for the next Volvo Ocean Race are becoming known. After the starting venue of Alicante, Spain, Cape Town, South Africa, the pit stop with the longest tradition in the VOR/Whitbread, again signed up as the finishing port of the first leg, which will be approximately 6,500 miles long. "We have taken our time to evaluate carefully over 80 bids from ports around the world who wanted to host the event, before making our decisions,” said VOR CEO Knut Frostad.
Speculation is rife with possible stops in Abu Dhabi, Australia/New Zealand Miami replacing Boston, and finishing in Gothenburg, in Volvo’s home country of Sweden. But organizers say that the European ports of call, including the finish, will be the next to be announced and the entire route is set to be revealed by the end of March.
Frostad hinted at 50 interested teams, with two heavy hitters already signed up:
Italia 70 led by Giovanni Soldini and the French Groupama syndicate of Franck Cammas, who currently chases the Jules Verne Trophy on his trimaran Groupama 3.

Every year, the Geneva Centre d'entrainement à la régate CER dedicates a price for outstanding performances of its sailors or teams. Fabrice Germond SUI, a long-time member of the CER, a finisher at last year's Mini-Transat on a 6.50 Mini prototype designed and constructed by himself, is the winner of the Prix du CER 2010. The report.

Scores of spectators gathered on Shirley Heights and Fort Charlotte on the island of Antigua to witness the start of the RORC Caribbean 600. The first boats crossed the line for the 605-mile race on Monday, 12:30 p.m. local time, taking on the course that will take them around 14 Caribbean islands in what organizers consider 'probably the best sailor's play ground in the world.' Competitors were treated to some superb sailing conditions, with warm waters and a balmy easterly breeze of 12-15 knots. Read daily reports and track the fleet.

Thanks to a consistent performance in all conditions and a bullet in the last race, defending champions Seve Jarvin/Sam Newton/Tom Cloud AUS repeated last year's victory at the JJ Giltinan Trophy-with a little help from Lady Luck. 'Project Racing/Team PRB' (GBR) with Andy Budgen at the helm came close during the 7th race, but a trapeze wire broke resulting in a capsize. The Brits nevertheless managed a podium finish in 3rd place. 'Thurlow Fisher Lawyers' (AUS) with Michael Coxon/Aaron Links/Trent Barnabas, the overall leaders before the last race, never got it going and had to settle for second overall. Skiff veteran Howie Hamlin (USA) sailing with Fritz Lanzinger and Matt Noble sputtered to 16th overall. For complete coverage, see final results, the race report and the video of the day.

The final day at the Laser Midwinters East was another light one. The race committee patiently waited for the southwest wind to settle in at around 6 knots before sending the gladiators on the course for the final two races. The Laser Standard Gold Fleet remained in Swedish hands with Emil Cedergard from Gothenburg sailing it home with a comfortable 14-point margin over runner-up Lee Parkhill (CAN) and Simon Grotelüschen (GER) 19 points back. Paul Goodison (GBR) staged a valiant comback, but carried one of his two BFDs. Best (and only) Master was John Bertrand, who had a BFD and some high scores toward the end, finishing 35.
The Laser Radial Gold Fleet was never in question with Paige Railey (USA) the runaway winner, 13 points ahead of Lisa Ross (CAN) and 36 ahead of Maike Foght Schutt (DEN).
No changes in the Laser 4.7 class on the last day. Columbian Steban Echevarria, remained well ahead of Juanky Perdomo (PUR) and Ravi parent (USA).
All results. Thank you Sailgroove for a job well done, capturing the races on video.

This morning, 'Groupama 3' passed Cape Leuwin at the most South-Western point of Australia after only 7 days. With day distances exceeding 700 miles, Franck Cammas FRA and his team reduced the gap on the current record holder 'Orange II' from 300 to 124 miles during the crossing of the Indian Ocean. The report and the race-viewer.

Carlos Robles ESP is the winner of the Trofeo KABB after three race days and 6 regattas, defeating 360 participants from 20 nations. In moderate conditions but with a big swell, - see gallery - Maximilian Kuster ITA and Rodolfo Dilaghi ITA complete the podium behind the excellent Spaniard having accomplished 5 bullets. The results and the event-website.

In 2001, Bruno Peyron FRA organised for the first and only time up to now 'the Race', a nonstop round-the-world regatta for multihulls. In the meantime, the unlimited multihull G-class has made extreme development progress, and today, there are already twelve 100-foot-plus boats in action. Peyron has announced that he plans for a new edition of this race in 2013/2014. 8-10 teams had shown interest. In addition, he expects some new constructions so that a remarkable fleet would race around the globe. The report.

Light winds did not deter the motivated fleet of 14 boats that gathered at the Coconut Grove Sailing Club for the second event of the series. In the end local knowledge was the difference. Jeff Ecklund from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. took home the winner’s hardware with 6 points, beating Eric Wynsma from Grand Rapids, Mich., (10), and Michael Kiss, Macatawa, Mich., (21). Round 3 of the winter series will be sailed March 10-13 at the Miami Sailing Week

Due to not yet completed technical updates, some of our news today are presented without images. Repair actions are under way.
Please excuse this inconvenience.

An exciting situation at the 18-footer championship on the eve before the last day today: The three teams on top - 'Thurlow Fisher Lawyers' (Michael Coxon AUS), 'Project Racing' (Andy Budgen GBR) and 'Gotta Love It 7' (Seve Jarvin AUS) - are separated by two points only. Yesterday's race winner was Rob Greenalgh GBR with his 'Project-Racing'-Team, only 3 seconds ahead of the defending champions 'Gotta love ot 7', back in the 18-footer title race again. The weather has stabilised now and with a 15 kn breeze, the typical Sydney condition are finally prevailing. The report, the overall rankings and the video of the day.

Yesterday, the schuss of 'Groupama 3' continued with speeds exceeding 30 kn - big, day-long surfs, the major reason why the Southern oceans are so popular with circumnavigators. The deficit has been reduced to 180 miles actually, and the wind forecast remains favorable. The daily report, the race-viewer and the video of the day.

Very light winds prevailed on the third day of the Laser Midwinter's East, but after a start postponement, two races by class could be sailed. In the Laser Standard Goldfleet, Emil Cedergardh SWE did replace his team mate Rasmus Mygren SWE (DNC/DNC) on top. Lee Parkhill CAN and Michael Leigh CAN follow at some distance on the ranks 2 and 3. Despite of an early start (together with many others), Simon Grotelüschen GER could defend the 4th position.
The excellent performance of Paige Railey USA (5 bullets and a 3rd) was interrupted yesterday with a 16th place, but this had no consequences on her lead with the Lasers Radial . Sari Multala FIN and Lisa Ross CAN closely together follow on the ranks 2 and 3.
Estreban Echevarria COL maintained his lead in the Laser 4.7 class.
All other results and the daily report by Clay Johnson USA, who progressed on rank 10 thanks to the discarded result.

Yesterday, race 2 - cancelled on Tuesday due to too much wind - was resailed in very light winds around 5 kn. With 'Fisher & Paykel', a new race winner showed up in this year's Giltinan. Trevor Barnabas, having passed the age of 50, dominated the 18-tooter-activities in the 90ies with 5 championship wins in a row. This year, he returned as a substitute at short notice, winning now this very close race defeating the favorites. 'Thurlow, Fisher Lawyers' defended their lead with a 3rd place. Two more races are on the program. The report, the results and the video of the day.

763 miles in 24 hours - an average speed of 31,2 kn (58 km/h !) - the maxi-trimaran 'Groupama 3' continues with a high speed pace in the Roaring Forties. This morning, the deficit had melted to 207 miles. In a few days, Franck Cammas and his team will pass the Cap Leeuwin at the South-most point of Australia within the range of the 'Orange 2' record mark. The race-viewer and the daily report.

More cold and less wind was the order of the day for the 199 participants in the 2010 Laser Midwinters East in Clearwater, Fla. Anemic breezes in the 5 to 8-knot range allowed only two races for the day.
In the Laser Standard Rasmus Myrgren claimed the top spot overall after posting a 2nd and an 8th-place finish yesterday. One point behind is the Canadian Lee Parkhill followed by Germany’s Simon Grotelüschen. Two more Swedes, Emil Cedergårdh and Johan Wigforss round out the top 5. The former leader Nick Thompson (GBR) had a forgettable day with a DNF and DNC, which put him back in the pack. Olympic gold medalist Paul Goodison (GBR) dropped to 20 overall after getting black-flagged in Race 4 and finishing 12th in the last race. Much better fared John Bertrand (USA), the elder statesman of the fleet, who posted a 7th and a 3rd for 8 overall.
In the Laser Radials, Paige Railey (USA) scored two more bullets and tightened her grip on the lead 8 points ahead of Sari Multala (FIN) and 21 points ahead of Marit Bouwmeester (NED).
In the Laser 4.7 Columbian Esteban Echevarria opened a three-point lead over Juanky Perdomo from Puerto Rico and 17 over third-place holder Ravi Parent (USA).

No more races yesterday off Cannes at the Finn Internationals. Rafal Szukiel POL is the overall winner followed by Giorgio Poggi ITA and Filippo Baldessari ITA. Jan Kurfeld GER just missed the podium finishing 4th. 82 participants. The final results.

Due to their America’s Cup commitments, BMW-Oracle Racing’s top brass, Larry Ellison and Russell Coutts decided to skip first regatta of the RC 44 Championship Tour 2010 in the United Arab emirates next week. Instead they hand the helm to Adam Minoprio and his Black Match Racing team, the winners of the World Match Race Tour 2009, who will sail BMW-Oracle in the Al Maktoum Sailing Trophy RC 44.
Organized by Dubai International Marine Club (DIMC), the Al Maktoum Sailing Trophy RC 44 has attracted nine teams and rock star sailors including Paul Cayard, Terry Hutchinson, Cameron Appleton, Rod Davis etc. The preview.

French teams are the winners in the World Rankings over the past weeks with now three olympic number one boats, taking the lead in the nations classification. Emmanuel Dyen/Stéphane Christidis FRA are the new leaders with the 49ers, Ingrid Petitjean/Nadège Douroux FRA are now on the first place with the 470 women. Flavio Marazzi/Enrico De Maria SUI remain the Star Class nbr 1 with their good results in Brasil. Remarkable Anna Tunnicliffe USA, who not only defends her lead in the Laser Radial class but is meanwhile already on the 8th place of the new Olympic Women's Matchrace event. All rankings.

The 'Concordia', a threemaster from Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, capsized and sank in high seas about 480 kilometers off the coast of Rio de Janeiro reported The Globe and Mail. The vessel is part of the West Island College Class Afloat program and was underway from Recife, Brasil to Montevideo, Uruguay. The cause for the sinking of the 'Concordia' is unknown, but Brazil's Navy said a distress signal was picked up from about 5 p.m. (2 p.m. ET) on Thursday. All crew and passengers - 64 people on the 10-month voyage including 48 students in grades 11 and 12 and first-year university - have been recovered and are uninjured. A report with a video.

The second event of the 2010 Audi Melges 20 Sailing Series is under way at Coconut Grove Sailing Club in Miami, Fla. Conditions for the 14 teams are expected to be more “Florida-like” than in the previous weeks, with temperatures in the 70s and light to moderate winds mostly from the east. The Event Web site.

With their second race win in a row, 'Rag & Famish Hotels' with John Harris/Peter Harris/Scott Babbage AUS has progressed on the 5th position overall after four races, and this despite of the 'not-finished' first race. After 5 races, the discard comes into effect and it is very likely, that 'Rag & Famish Hotels' will take the lead this evening. Otherwise, the sequence of the top teams remains unchanged. Three more races are on the program. The report and the video of the day.

Eventually, the long-expected perturbance reached the maxi-trimaran 'Groupama 3', and for almost 24 hours, she has progressed at an average speed of over 30 kn. Accordingly, the deficit of 440 mile has been reduced to 306 miles until this morning. The conditions should remain favorable for the coming 8000 miles to Tasmania. The skipper Franck Cammas FRA expects to have a small advantage on the record again when reaching the Pacific. This is badly needed as 'Orange II' crossed the Pacific at a record time in 2005. The race-viewer and the daily report with a video.

In atypical cold conditions with temperatures around 10°C, the ISAF-Grade-1 Midwinters in Florida began yesterday. All three fleets could sail three races each in medium winds between 8 and 12 kn. The Laser Standard class (96 boats) has been split in two fleets. After the first day of the Laser Midwinters, the favorites are heading the leader boards. Nick Thompson (GBR), winner of the Miami Worldcup Regatta, tops the Laser Standards 1 point ahead of fellow Brit Olympic Champion Paul Goodison and 2 ahead of Rasmus Myrgren (SWE) in third. Clayton Johnson (USA), rank 31 with a 4/1/BFD score is definitely another contender for a top place. On the 15th place, John Bertrand (USA/Master), World Champion in the 70s, is doing extremely well in this top athletic Laser fleet.
Paige Railey USA sailing in her home waters is already on the first place of the Laser Radial fleet (93 boats), followed by Sari Multala FIN and Mitchell Kiss USA (first boy). Nathalie Brugger SUI, another potential top-rank sailor, is still back on the 40th place after a BFD.
In the small Laser 4.7 fleet (15 boats), Juanky Perdomo PUR is on place 1.

Enough breeze yesterday to race three more races. Considering the discard, Rafael Szukiel POL has now taken a 3 points lead on Giorgio Poggi ITA. Filippo Baldessari ITA is 3rd and the day best Jan Kurfeld GER (5/4/1) progressed to the 4th position. The results.

The America’s Cup traveled back to the US in first class. Now it is going on tour. Saturday morning, a public viewing is planned at the San Francisco City Hall Rotunda. At 11:30 am Mayor Gavin Newsom will formally welcome the Cup and team, including team owner Larry Ellison, back to the United States in a City Hall ceremony open to the public. A press conference will follow. On Sunday afternoon, the America’s Cup will head south to San Diego, where the team operated a training base for 16 months in 2008 and 2009. At 4:00 pm the America’s Cup will be on public display at the USS Midway museum on the city’s waterfront.
Following a 5:00 pm ceremony with Mayor Jerry Sanders, trophy and team will head to the San Diego Yacht Club on the replica of the yacht America, for which the trophy is named. Details for a possible extension of the victory tour to the East Coast are yet to be announced. Report
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Larry Ellison does not exclude that the Cup defense would be raced in the San Francisco Bay. The Moët-Cup 2003 against Alinghi was already a big spectator success.

Les sorciers de la voltige - the French title - presents in text and photos the extensive sailing activities on Lake Geneva. A special emphasis is given to innovations and experiments such as the hydrofoil boats. A report. The book can be ordered online with Amazon.

Two new venues were added to the event schedule of the 2010 Med Cup for the TP 52 and the GP 42 classes:
Event 1: Cascais (Portugal), 11th to 16th of May
Event 2: Marseille (France), 15th to 20th of June
Event 3: Barcelona (Spain), 20th to 25th of July
Event 4: Cartagena (Spain), 24th to 29th of August
Event 5: Cagliari (Italy), 20th to 25th of September
Report.