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SCUTTLEBUTT EUROPE #2012 - 22 JANUARY

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

MY NAME IS MAURICE AND I WILL BE RESCUING YOU TODAY The Cruising Club of America has selected Maurice and Sophie Conti to receive its 2009 Rod Stephens Trophy for their rescue of the crew of the 10m ketch Timella on October 12, 2008. The trophy will be presented to the Contis on March 5, 2010 by CCA Commodore Sheila McCurdy (Middletown, R.I.) during the club's annual Awards Dinner at the New York Yacht Club, in New York.

The Contis and their two small children were aboard their Catana 471 cruising catamaran Ocealys about 60 miles from Suva, Fiji, when near midnight they heard a mayday call on their VHF radio. Some 12 nautical miles away, the ketch Timella had struck a submerged reef and had begun taking on water. The yacht's three crew, New Zealander Ali Timms and Australians Cameron Slagle and Liz Schoch, needed urgent help.

By radio Maurice contacted Rescue Coordination Center New Zealand and the New Zealand High Commission in Suva about rescue options. There were few options; search and rescue vessels were many hours away. Then another radio call came from the stricken yacht, "We've gone down mate....We are getting in the dinghy." Ocealys responded, "Roger that Timella... We are coming to you."

On board Ocealys, the Contis begin heading to Timella's last given position, braving rough seas and strong winds. Just as the sun was coming up they reach the reef. Ocealys circled the reef looking for signs of life. They decided to circle again and saw something in the middle of the reef despite the heavy swell. It was the partially sunken dinghy.

Maurice, a trained rescue diver, donned a wet suit and with a radio, flares and other equipment, managed to launch the dinghy in rough seas with Sophie's help. He found a relatively calm spot to cross the coral on the outer reef. Inside the lagoon he spotted the wreck of the ketch and her haggard crew hanging on to their partly deflated dinghy. He got them aboard in less than two minutes, and to ease the tension he said "Good morning ladies and gentlemen. My name is Maurice and I will be rescuing you today."

Sophie was able to hold Ocealys in position in the swells, and the exhausted crew were able to get aboard. From there they were taken to Robinson Crusoe Island Resort a few hours away.

The New Zealand High Commission recommended Maurice and Sophie Conti for heroism awards and in November 2009, they traveled to London to receive the United Nation's International Maritime Organization Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea.

http://www.cruisingclub.org

IAIN PERCY AND ANDREW SIMPSON WIN 2010 STAR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Iain Percy and Andrew "Bart" Simpson (GBR) were crowned 2010 Star World Champions today. The reigning Olympic Gold Medalists continue to add treasures to war chests. Percy's sterling collection of championship titles includes the 2002 Star World Championship and an Olympic Gold Medal in the Finn in 2000.

Their last Star regatta was Sail for the Gold in Weymouth, where they won the Gold. They did not compete in the 2009 Star World Championship nor did they compete in the Taca Royal Thames and South American Championship earlier this season. They had two practice sessions leading up to this regatta. Percy commented at the pre-regatta press conference, "Sometimes short, sharp training sessions can work in your favor."

This victory places Percy in the rarified company of Torben Grael, Mark Reynolds, Bill Buchan, Jr.; Lowell North, and Agostino Straulino as a Star skipper who has won an Olympic Gold Medal and multiple Star World Championship titles.

Top Junior Tomas Hornos and Luis Hornos (USA) - the top Junior skipper at the 2010 Star World Championship is Tomos Hornos. Tomas sailed with his father, Luis, the District 1 Secretary. Tomas is the 2007 Snipe World Champion. The father and son combination finished 44th overall.

Top Master Peter Ficker and Urbirtran Oliviera (BRA) - The 1976 Olympic Silver Medalist in the Flying Dutchman teamed up with the 2005 Brazilian Star National Champion crew for this regatta and topped the group of eight Masters teams in the 2010 Star World Championship. They finished 38th overall.

Top Grand Master

Gastao Brun and Gustavo Kunze (BRA) - The 2010 Star World Champion Regatta Chair, and his family have been working around the clock helping to make the regatta perfect. Brun is the 2008 South American Champion and the 1990 North American Champion, and a lengthy list of other victories. Brun won the warm-up regatta and had two races in the top ten, including on Wednesday, the day that half of the top ten teams to cross the finish line were Brazilian. Gustavo Kunze sailed Optimists and Lasers and started crewing with Brun in 2007. They finished 16th overall, ahead of all of the Junior, Master and Grand Master teams. -- Lynn Fitzpatrick

Top ten final results:

1. Iain Percy / Andrew Simpson, GBR, 20 2. Flavio Marazzi / Enrico De Maria, SUI, 29 3. Torben Grael / Marcelo Ferreira, BRA, 39 4. Lars Grael / Ronald Seifert, BRA, 44 5. Alan Adler / Guilherme de Almeida, BRA, 44 6. Diego Negri / Fernando Colaninno, ITA, 52 7. Fredrik Loof / Johan Tillander, SWE, 52 8. Eivind Melleby / Petter Pedersen, NOR, 54 9. Robert Scheidt / Bruno Prada, BRA, 64 10. Johannes Babendererde / Timo Jacobs, GER, 66

http://www.starworlds2010.com

MURPHY & NYE AUSTRALIAN ETCHELLS CHAMPIONSHIPS Its 27 years since Australia II skipper John Bertrand won the America's Cup but he still is a great helmsman and he knows how to assemble a champion team.

Last week John Bertrand, dual Laser World Champion Tom Slingsby and Star Class Olympian and world class coach Andrew Palfrey convincingly won the Murphy & Nye 2010 Australian Etchells Championship with a race to spare, signaling that Betrand and Co are likely to be the team to beat in the 2010 Etchells World Championship in Dublin Ireland (Howth Yacht Club, Dublin, August 19-28).

Dockside Graeme Taylor (Magpie) who finished third on the podium commented 'In this regatta Bertrand, Slingsby and Palfrey were close to unstoppable; definitely a better combination than in Melbourne.

'To get two firsts yesterday in very light and shifty conditions, you had to be close to God.'

Andrew Palfrey, part of John Bertrand's winning Triad combination commented 'Tom (Slingsby) taught us a lot about succeeding in light puffy conditions this regatta.

'We still have decisions to make about sails before the Dublin Worlds. Here we've been sailing in one corner of the playing field, in very flat water. The kind of chop we could get in Ireland is much more akin to sailing in Melbourne.' -- Rob Kothe

Top ten:

1. Triad, John Bertrand, 22 points 2. Barry, Damien King, 53 3. Magpie, Graeme Taylor, 55 4. Banana's in Pyjama's, Ian Johnston, 61 5. Steam Packet 7, Adam Beashel, 62 6. North Star, Julian Plante, 71 7. Iron Lotus, Tom King, 75 8. Fantazia, Tom Braidwood, 76 9. Perfect Balance, Mark Bulka, 93 10. Why be flat, Kane Sinclair, 103

http://etchells.org.au/nationals/news-media/default.asp

SAILS AND SERVICE FOR ALL SEASONS No matter what the season, where you are or what sailing you do, Ullman Sails lofts worldwide are providing the best sails and service possible. In Key West, Ullman Sails customers are vying for first place in multiple fleets, including the Melges 24, Multihull, J/105 and J/80 classes. Down under in Geelong, customers are ready for the Saturday start of Audi Victoria Week, the largest sailing regatta in Australia. And in England, customers are awaiting the spring thaw with their sails at the loft for service, cleaning and storage. Ullman Sails - Make an investment in your performance.

http://www.ullmansails.com

STEADY WINDS AND BOAT SPEED RULE THE DAY John Kilroy has been leading the Melges 32 class since Tuesday and holds a comfortable 10-point advantage with just two races remaining at Key West 2010, presented by Nautica. However, the California skipper plans to sail the last day of the regatta the same way he did the first.

Stu Bannatyne is calling tactics while Morgan Reeser is trimming and helping with strategy aboard Samba Pa Ti, which has won three of eight races and finished sixth or better in three others in totaling 27 points. New Wave, owned by Michael Carroll of Clearwater, Fla., had a superb outing on Thursday to move into second place - 10 points behind.

Competition is still close in the Melges 24 class with skipper Lorenzo Santini and UKA UKA Racing taking a three-point lead into Friday. Lorenzo Bressani is steering while Jonathan McKee is calling tactics for UKA UKA Racing, which has been remarkably consistent this week. The Italian team has won three races and counts no worse than a third in totaling 12 points - three better than the Swiss entry Blu Moon.

Thursday brought the strongest wind of the regatta with a south-southeasterly delivering 14-16 knots. After three days of shifty conditions, the breeze stabilized and allowed tacticians to focus on boat speed instead of choosing sides of the course.

Skipper Giovanni Maspero and the Joe Fly team tacked on two more good results on Thursday and now hold a solid 11-point lead in the Farr 40 class. Tactician Francesco Bruni has made all the right calls this week as the Italian boat has finished fourth or better in seven of eight starts, notching its first victory of the regatta in Race 8.

All the boys on the Highland Fling were happy to hear the weather forecast for Thursday. The Wally 82-footer, easily the largest entry at Key West 2010, has been unable to maximize its potential in the moderate, shifty conditions that predominated the initial three days of the regatta.

Highland Fling, owned by Irvine Laidlaw of Monaco, responded with its best day of the regatta - posting a second and a third to close to within two points of second place in IRC 1. In the International Team Competition for the Nautica Watches Trophy, the two Italian Teams have been close all week. Joe Fly, Calvi Network and UKA UKA Racing have a narrow 6 point lead over Nerone, Fantastika, and Blu Moon.

Provisional top three in class after eight races

IRC 1 1. Bella Mente, R/P 69, Hap Fauth, USA, 10 2. Interlodge, TP52, Austin Fragomen, USA, 23 3. Highland Fling XI, Wally 82, Irvine Laidlaw, Monaco, 25

IRC 2 1. White Heat, Summit 40, Mike Williamson, USA, 23 2. Pugwash, J/122, David Murphy, USA, 28 3. Cool Breeze, Mills 43, John Cooper, USA, 32

Farr 40 1. Joe Fly, Giovanni Maspero, ITA, 26 2. Barking Mad, James Richardson, USA, 37 2. Nerone, Massimo Mezzaroma, ITA, 39

Melges 32 (with discard) - Mid-Winter Championship 1. Samba Pa Ti, John Kilroy, USA, 18 2. Star, Jeff Ecklund, USA, 29.4 3. Ramrod, Roderick Jabin, USA, 31

Melges 24 (with discard) - Mid-Winter Championship 1. UKA UKA Racing, Lorenzo Santini, ITA, 12 2. Blu Moon, Franco Rossini, SUI, 15 3. WTF, Alan Field, USA, 19

J/105 - Mid-Winter Championship 1. Savasana, Brian Keane, USA, 18 2. Ghost, Kenneth Colburn, USA, 34 3. Blackhawk, Scooter Simmonds, USA, 35

J/80 - Mid-Winter Championship 1. Le Tigre, Darden / Hillard, USA, 27 2. Little Feat, Jeff Johnstone, USA, 33 3. Rascal, Will Welles, USA, 34

PHRF 1 2. Mariners Cove, Summit 35, IRL, 23 3. Rhumb Punch, Farr 30, John and Linda Edwards, USA, 27

PHRF 2 1. Bluto, Evelyn 32-2, Berges / Hall, Bokeelia, USA, 17 2. Rush, J/109, Bill Sweetser, USA, 18 3. L'outrage, Beneteau 10M, Bruce Gardner, USA, 25

PHRF 3 1. Bad Dog, Mariah 27, John Chick, USA, 8 2. Blah, Blah, Blah, J/24, Mark Milnes, USA, 17 3. Nojoe, J/24, Naroski/LeBlanc, USA, 31

Multihulls 1. Merlin, Gulfstream 35, Bob Harkrider, USA, 8 2. Tobiko, Corsair Sprint 750, Tim Britton, USA, 23 3. Strategery V, Corsair Sprint 750, Cliff, Farrah, USA, 27

http://www.Premiere-Racing.com

HENRI LLOYD TO LAUNCH NEW WAVE OF INTELLIGENT INNOVATION AT THE DUSSELDORF BOAT SHOW Henri Lloyd has entered an extremely exciting phase with the launch of our 2010 Marine Range, including a number of unique technological breakthroughs for Henri Lloyd as we continue to push the boundaries of marine technical clothing in the marketplace today,

Henri Lloyd will be exhibiting their 2010 marine range at Europe's largest boat show "boot Dusseldorf 2009", including the innovative Octane WINDSTOPPER® Range, Henri Lloyd's exclusive OPTIVISION Hood System which features on our Gore-Tex Race, Explorer, Phantom and Ventura ranges aswell as the DAME Award winning TP2 SHADOW 2G Jacket.

Every product in the 2010 Henri Lloyd range has been meticulously crafted and rigorously tested from concept stage to final design and will undoubtedly set the benchmark for years to come.

YACHTNETWORK Stand - Hall 11 Stand E22

http://www.henrilloyd.com

COUNT-DOWN TO THE RORC CARIBBEAN 600 With only weeks to go to the second edition of the RORC Caribbean 600, a highly competitive international fleet are assembling to take part in an ocean racing spectacular.

"We already have 11 nations represented" commented RORC Chief Executive Eddie Warden Owen about the entries so far. "Antigua, Canada, France, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, South Africa and the United States. The inaugural race in 2009 created quite a stir in the ocean racing world and the entry list shows a number of new competitors in a diverse fleet."

Two high performance Maxis are top contenders for line honours and mounting a strong challenge for ICAP Leopard's mono-hull record. Genuine Risk designed by Ed Dubois is a 98ft canting keel speed machine based in Baltimore, USA but Karl Kwok's, Beau Geste will also be a strong contender. The Hong Kong based boat is fresh from winning the Transatlantic Maxi Yacht Cup, in a new race record of just over 9 days, the Farr 80 skippered by Gavin Brady has awesome pace off the wind.

From Italy, the stunning Swan 90, DSK Pioneer is back to defend their class title and will be pushing hard. Owner, Danilo Salsi has done a lot of miles since the last race and against top opposition. The highly experienced Italian team should have a close battle on the water with two other magnificent yachts, Peter Harrison's 114ft ketch, Sojana and Alexis Howard's 148ft classic schooner, Windrose of Amsterdam.

Heading the multihull division is John Bernie's ORMA 60, Region Guadeloupe.

Ondeck yacht charters have sold nearly all their places on board four Farr 65s, including one yacht crewed by Lloyds Yacht Club. Close to a hundred crew will enjoy a great private battle on the water and a huge party afterwards. Ondeck have also chartered a Beneteau 40.7 to Henrik Torgersen from Norway, adding a Scandinavian flavour to the race.

Another potential match race involves the high performance ocean racing Class 40s. Round the world veterans; Josh Hall and Miranda Merron lock horns on opposite sides of the guard rail. Josh has chartered South African Class 40, Ocean Warrior whilst Miranda will be on 40 Degrees, chartered by two highly successful RORC members, Michael Boyd and Niall Dowling.

The 2010 edition of the RORC Caribbean 600 organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club and hosted by the Antigua Yacht Club will start on Monday 22nd February 2010. -- Louay Habib http://caribbean600.rorc.org

ON THE ROAD AGAIN... Following the Success of the 2009 series, plans for a 2010 'Meet the Experts' road show has been announced.

Four of Britain's best known marine brands joined forces to launch a series of 'Meet the Expert' road shows, which proved a great success in a range of yacht clubs in Spring 2009.

Once again Henri Lloyd, Hyde Sails, Tacktick and Spinlock will be offering Yacht Club members the chance to hear about the latest in product innovation, top tips for the forthcoming season and information about new product launches. Experts from the manufacturers will be on hand to answer members' questions and queries as well as offering invaluable inside knowledge on how to get the best out of your equipment for the forthcoming season.

The series of free roadshows will take the form of informal evening events with drinks and practical presentations from the marine specialists together with product demonstrations and the chance to win a goodie bag of manufacturers prizes worth around £800.

Confirmed dates include: Castle Cover SC, Weymouth, 24th February 2010 Royal Dart YC, Kingswear, 3rd March 2010 Royal Falmouth YC, Cornwall, 4th March 2010 Parkstone YC,Poole, 10th March 2010 Royal Southern YC, Hamble, 13th March 2010 Largs SC, Largs, 19th March 2010

For more information on any of the Yacht Club events please contact Amy Grealish, PR and Sponsorship Manager Henri Lloyd, Tel +44 (0) 2380 454585 Mobile +44 (0) 7738579015 or visit http://www.henrilloyd.co.uk

For more information about Tacktick please contact Sarah Johnson, Tel +44 (0) 1243 370847, sarah.johnson@tacktick.com or visit http://www.tacktick.com

INDUSTRY NEWS * More than 1,550 exhibitors from 55 countries are attending this year's boot Dusseldorf, which opens its doors this weekend.

Although exhibitor numbers are down by 100 compared to last year's event, with 10 per cent less floor space than in 2009, all 17 halls in the Dusseldorf Fairgrounds are filled. Some 670 participants are coming from abroad, accounting for almost half of the exhibition space. The largest exhibitor country is the Netherlands with 150 boatyards, equipment suppliers and service providers represented, followed by Italy, France, Austria and the UK.

This decline can primarily be put down to a reduction in trade fair budgets as well as due to adjustments and restructuring processes of the market, both of which were clearly visible on the horizon before boot 2010

According to Messe Dusseldorf, the drop in demand for luxury boats and yachts has resulted in the range being presented at boot 2010 not being as broad as in the past. About 50 large yachts will be showcased in Hall 6.

Dusseldorf's Superyacht Show in Hall 7a, on the other hand, displays considerable buoyancy, with 120 exhibitors showing yacht plans, model and services catering for this segment, including four major joint group exhibits from Germany, France, the Netherlands and the Middle East.

There is strong demand for floor space amongst exhibitors of boating equipment, onboard electronic systems, engines, accessories and watersports wear. In Halls 10-12 some 350 exhibitors will present a selection of products for boats and for use on and around boats.

http://www.ibinews.com/ibinews/newsdesk/20100021124356ibinews.html

* YachtWorld.com, the world's leading Internet yacht brokerage portal and a division of Dominion Enterprises, today announced that it has launched new mobile Web sites for the U.S. and the U.K., optimized for iPhone/iTouch, Blackberry (OS4.6+) and Android devices. They are streamlined versions of the full service Web sites that allow visitors to search boats for sale, view the boat details and photos, and contact the appropriate broker for more information.

"At YachtWorld.com, we are constantly working to keep up with new technologies and to make sure people looking for boats have access to the appropriate information when, where and how they want it," said Mike Dickman, director of marketing, YachtWorld.com. "In early February, we will launch additional international YachtWorld.com mobile Web sites in French, German, Italian and Spanish to further our global reach." -- http://www.yachtworld.com

* Sailing, training & events company Ondeck have announced that Virgin Atlantic Airways are to become their 'official Airline partner'. Initially this 2 year deal will see Virgin Atlantic supporting the sport of sailing both in the UK and the Caribbean at world class events such as Antigua Sailing Week, the JP Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race & Cowes Week.

Ondeck have bases in both Antigua & the UK and their Transatlantic Adventure ends in Barbados each November meaning that each of these locations is a route served by the airline. Ondeck clients will now benefit from exclusive VAA deals in Economy, Premium Economy and Upper Class cabins.

The Virgin Atlantic Airways brand will be evident at many major yachting events over the next two years and beyond both shore side and aboard Ondeck's fleet of high performance yachts.

Both Ondeck and VAA are official sponsors of Antigua Sailing Week and will also be supporting the upcoming second edition of the RORC 600 in Feb 2010. Cowes Week will see an 'Ondeck Virgin Atlantic Hospitality Suite' in Cowes Yacht Haven for the duration of the next two regattas with the unmistakable red uniforms in attendance at many sailing events. -- http://www.ondeck.co.uk

* Confidence is returning to the UK leisure marine industry according to the British Marine Federation, which announced future trends and 2008/2009 figures at the London International Boat Show.

Prospects for the next six months have improved, with only 12 per cent of respondents to the BMF's latest trends report now saying that they perceive the future negatively, compared to 23 per cent in spring 2009 and 38 per cent in autumn 2008.

Workload and order book value has also increased over the last six months and workforce levels are also now more stable.

Chief executive of the BMF Rob Stevens said in a statement: "We know that we cannot be complacent, and for many companies there may still be difficult times ahead, but we must also acknowledge that through hard work and sound business decision making the industry is well-poised to continue to grow in the future." -- International Boat Industry, http://www.ibinews.com/ibinews/newsdesk/20100012113622ibinews.html

FEATURED BROKERAGE 1980 33' Aphrodite 101, 15,000 GBP. Located in Burnham on Crouch, United Kingdom.

Fast cruiser/racer well suited to short handed sailing and competitive club racing. This example has had new standing rigging in 2008 and has a large sail wardrobe ready to compete.

Brokerage through Clarke & Carter Interyacht Ltd.: http://www.yachtworld.com/clarkeandcarter/

Complete listing details and seller contact information at http://uk.yachtworld.com/core/listing/boatFullDetails.jsp?boat_id 99794

THE LAST WORD What's the subject of life - to get rich? All of those fellows out there getting rich could be dancing around the real subject of life. -- Paul A. Volcker

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

About Boats.com Boats.com provides marketing and Web services to boat builders, dealers, brokers and service companies throughout the global recreational marine industry. The Boats.com Website provides consumer access to information, boat listings and financial and insurance products. With more than 143,000 new and used boat listings from more than 5,500 brokers, dealers and manufacturers, Boats.com is the largest concentration of recreational marine industry marketing in the world.

About YachtWorld.com Formed in 1995, YachtWorld.com is the premier online sales channel for yacht brokers around the world. The site lists more than 110,000 boats for sale in 115 countries by some 2,500 brokers in 60 countries. The total value of boats listed is over $40 billion. Headquartered in Seattle, YachtWorld.com has its European headquarters in the United Kingdom, with sales offices in Germany, Italy and Russia and sales representation in Dubai, Australia and China.

Yachtworld.com on line magazine is available free of charge and delivered digitally every month. Click here to receive your copy: http://www.yachtworldmagazine.com/ywm/issue14/

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