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SCUTTLEBUTT EUROPE #1568 - 22 JULY

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

BACK ON THE BAY, MUTUA MADRILENA SHOWS THE WAY The Bay of Palma enhanced its reputation today when it served up an interesting, challenging practice race as the prelude to tomorrow´s start of the 14th Breitling Regatta, the fourth Audi MedCup Circuit Regatta off Mallorca"s Puerto Portals.

A moderate easterly breeze, arriving off the land carried more than enough shifts in wind direction and changes in pressure to give lie to the prevailing belief that the Bay of Palma is always a venue which favours one side, or the other, of the race track.

Vasco Vascotto (ITA) and the crew of Mutua Madrilena (CHI) won today’s practice race, working the wind shifts well to escape from Alberto Roemmers (ARG)’s Matador (ARG) and Torbjorn Tornqvist’s Artemis (SWE).

Vascotto’s crew will be out this week to exorcise the ghosts of last year’s Breitling Regatta where they came off second best in the protest room, a decision which marred their entire season thereafter. And after a fourth placed finish in Cagliari, there are clear signs that Mutua Madrilena are a team on the ascent.

The early gradient breeze of nearly 20 knots subsided to 11 by the end of the practice race and there were salutary reminders to the likes of Mean Machine (MON) - who finished 13th today - and even Circuit leading Quantum Racing (USA) - 10th - that a good start and getting the first wind shifts right is vital.

On Cristabella (GBR) Sir Keith Mills, principal of Britain’s TEAMORIGIN America’s Cup project, did not prove to be the lucky talisman aboard John Cooke’s Palma-based boat, but the active sailor - who has sailed regularly with Charles Dunstone in the UK on the IRC’d TP52 Rio and raced with the TEAMORIGIN branded boat at Cork Week in Ireland last week, confirms he is on a reconnaissance mission here, looking at the potential for a TEAMORIGIN entry next season: “There are obviously a lot of Cup teams kicking their heels and waiting for things to settle down with the America’s Cup, we along with some of the other teams, are looking at this for next year.” Sir Keith Mills said: “ It would be good to get the team out here working as a unit. This is a great Circuit, and so one of the reasons for being here is to see how it all works, and later on in the summer we will make a decision.”

Racing for the 14th Breitling Regatta Trophy starts Tuesday with 10 races planned including the Coastal Race on Thursday.

Audi MedCup Circuit overall results and standings: http://2008.medcup.org/results/

PACIFIC CUP POTENTIAL TROPHY WINNERS EMERGE San Francisco, Califonia, USA: Almost a week into the 15th Pacific Cup, some of the earliest starters are preparing to hold their traditional halfway parties as they pass the 1035-miles-to-Hawaii mark.

Aboard perennial victor Cal 40 California Girl (Richmond, Calif.), a memorial will be held at the halfway party, with other boats joining in via SSB radio, for Davey Glander. Glander was an avid racer and friend to many Pacific Cup racers who passed away after the 2006 race. His motto, "go for greatness," inspired many. Glander participated in 2006 on California Girl and returned on Valis (Sausalito, Calif.). He passed away on November 17, 2007 at the age of 49. He was planning to participate this year on Valis.

Following Sunday’s standings, many will notice Paul Cayard’s family performance on Hula Girl (San Francisco), which moved them into first place overall. The crew sailed almost 300 miles in a single day, putting them on track to win several awards, such as the overall Pacific Cup trophy, the Division E trophy, and the Blue Water Sailing Family Trophy for "Fastest Family Afloat."

Updated official standings may be found at http://www.PacificCup.org, which also has links to time-delayed satellite reports.

* Next generation of Cayards head to sea...

Growing up in Kentfield, 19-year-old Danny Cayard and his 18-year-old sister Allie were raised on sea stories, not lullabies. Surfing around Cape Horn, waves sweeping over the decks, dodging freighters in the black of night - these images were the stuff of their childhood.

Danny and Allie are descended on both sides of their family from famous sailors. Their mother Icka's father, Swedish ocean racing veteran Pelle Peterson, was one of the true pioneers of the sport, winning three Olympic medals before they were born. Their father, Paul Cayard, won the Whitbread Round the World Race when they were still in grammar school.

On Thursday, the Kentfield teenagers got their chance to try out ocean racing firsthand when they set sail in the Pacific Cup race from San Francisco to Hawaii on the Santa Cruz 50 Hula Girl, racing in a crew of eight, composed of two adults and six young sailors ranging in age from 18-23.

Their dad told them this is an easy ride compared to the Southern Ocean, so they aren't afraid. But will they like it? Will they be able to sleep on a boat at sea? Will they be able to stand eating the freeze-dried food?

"It will be a surreal experience to see nothing but water," said Allie, who plans to write a blog from sea appearing on http://www.cayardsailing.com -- Jan Pehrson ( http://www.janpehrson.com ), writing in the Marin Independent Journal, full article at http://www.marinij.com/marinnews/ci_9900742?IADID=Search-www.marinij.com-www.marinij

SPIDERTECH AT THE ACC BANK CORK WEEK The Spidertech Team proudly took part in their first Cork Week, the 2008 edition of Ireland's largest international sailing regatta. A brand new Corby 33 called Blackadder took part in IRC2 racing with a new suite of sails designed and built with Spidertech technology. The sail shapes were designed by Denzil Williams of Stephen Ratsey Sailmakers and the fibre-layout and membrane structure was designed by our new Spidertech authorized designer Simon Verner from ACS in Fareham. The suite of membrane sails were built in the loft in Milfordhaven. Spidertech technology is available to all sailmakers, so ask your local sailmaker for more details.

http://www.spidertechsails.eu

ISAF SAILING WORLD CUP NOTICE OF SERIES PUBLISHED ISAF has today issued the first draft Notice of Series for the 2008-2009 ISAF Sailing World Cup.

Due to launch at Sail Melbourne in December 2008, the ISAF Sailing World Cup has created to provide sailors and the media with a definitive annual series for Olympic sailing.

The Notice of Series outlines the proposed points and scoring system that will be used for this first season, throughout the year this will be closely evaluated to ensure fairness and competition.

ISAF Events Committee Chairman, Bjorn Unger said "ISAF and the Event Organizers have worked hard over the last few months to produce an ISAF Sailing World Cup series we believe will create the best competition for Olympic sailors. We will continue to review all of the components at each stage along the way to ensure it exceeds the expectations of all who participate."

The ISAF Sailing World Cup 2008-2009 will consist of the following events:

16-21 Dec 2008 - Sail Melbourne Regatta, Melbourne, Australia 25-31 Jan 2009 - Rolex Miami OCR, Miami, USA 04-10 April 2009 - Trofeo SAR Princess Sofia MAPFRE, Palma, Spain 18-24 April 2009 - Semaine Olympique Francaise, Hyeres, France 27-31 May 2009 - Delta Lloyd Regatta, Medemblik, Netherlands 21-29 June 2009 - Kieler Woche, Kiel, Germany 14-19 Sept 2009 - Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta, Weymouth, Great Britain

ISAF Sailing World Cup winners will be presented with a Cup, whilst nations with the highest scoring sailors can also compete for an overall Nation's Trophy.

Any queries with regard to the Notice of Series should be directed to ISAF at http://www.sailing.org/contactevents

To find out details of Title sponsorship opportunities, please contact the ISAF Marketing and Media department at marketing@isaf.co.uk

IODA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP A new record 255 sailors from 54 countries are assembled in Cesme on the west coast of Turkey for the 46th Optimist World Championship.

The IODA Team Racing World Championships were held Sunday with the course set just 50 metres from shore. Sixteen teams had qualified and they began racing in 12 knots of breeze. The current holders Greece had failed to qualify which left Singapore, last years runners up, hopeful of success this year.

The most exciting early match was between Sweden and Germany. Racing was close until Sweden had a capsize on leg 3 but, through some brilliant sailing which included taking one of the German boats way out to the left of the course, Sweden won to cheers and applause from the enthusiastic crowds gathered close by on the shore.

The slightly heavier Puerto Rican team seemed to have an advantage upwind and had a winning 1,2,3,7 combination as they rounded mark 1. They maintained their lead although Singapore challenged the third Puerto Rico boat without success. As the boats approached the finish line with Puerto Rico still ahead, they bunched and Puerto Rico was penalised by the umpires. As the boat took its turns penalty, it looked like Singapore might just surge ahead but Puerto Rico had done enough and crossed the line as well deserved World Champions.

Results: 1 Puerto Rico 2 Singapore 3 U.S. Virgin I.

Racing for the individual Worlds continues through Thursday.

Current top ten after 8 races: 1. Raul Rios, PUR, 32 points 2. Marten Jens, GER, 35 3. Ivan Aponte, PUR, 35 4. Jordi Xammar, ESP, 38 5. Ian Barrows, ISV, 55 6. Kristien Kirketerp, DEN, 59 7. Russell Kan, SIN, 65 8. Mathias Derren, FRA, 73 9. Luca Paolillo, ITA, 78 10. Hermann Tomasgaard, NOR, 83

Reports: http://www.optiworld.org/08worldnews.html Event site: http://www.optiworld2008.com

BILL BISHOP - MARINE ARTIST - ON LINE GALLERY Bill Bishop submitted watercolour works to the Royal Society of Marine Artists for their exhibitions in the early 1980s. In 1985 he started to paint in oils and received a commission from the Royal Naval Museum in Portsmouth for a depiction of 'Windy Corner' at the Battle of Jutland, followed by two commissions from the Mary Rose Trust.

Currently, Bill's works are in private collections all around the world, and the paintings include a number of his passions, such as classic yachts sailing, warships and sea battles, as well as rowing and vintage cars.

Many of his works can be viewed on the William H Bishop website in the Gallery at http://www.bishopmarineart.com

JIM SALTONSTALL HONOURED AFTER 30 YEARS AT THE YOUTH WORLDS Arhus, Denmark: Jim Saltonstall was honoured on Thursday night at the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship, after 30 years during which he has coached some of the greatest names in the sport.

There have been many legendary sailing names to emerge from the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship; names who have gone on to win Olympic gold medals, lift the America’s Cup and triumph in the Volvo Ocean Race. Few of them have passed under the radar of British coach Jim Saltonstall, who during 30 years at the championship has made an immeasurable contribution to the youth sailing, first of all in Great Britain and latterly on a worldwide scale. On the occasion of his 30th and final ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship, Jim Saltonstall was honoured for his incredible achievements at the event.

A message sent from Great Britain’s two-time Olympic gold medallist Ben Ainslie, an ISAF Youth World Champion during Jim’s time as GBR coach, read: “I just want to say a huge thank you from me and my generation of sailors like Iain Percy and Nick Rogers. Jim you were the guy that got us into international sailing, you got us on the road. Thank you for all your efforts with British sailing and with the international youth here at events like this. You have spent years passing on your knowledge which has made such a huge difference to so many people. Not bad for a Queen’s peasant!”

Jim Saltonstall attended his first ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship at Quiberon, France in 1977 as RYA Senior Racing Coach. He continues in that role for 23 years, developing a formidable GBR youth team which won ten individual titles, the best-nation trophy in both 1995 and 1996 and went on to form the nucleus of the British sailing team which topped the medal table at both the Sydney and Athens Olympic Games. His achievements in Great Britain were recognized in the 1997 New Year Honours when he was awarded an MBE for Services to Yachting and to Young People.

After 30 years, today will mark Jim Saltonstall’s final day at the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship. During those 30 years many champions have been born and thousands of young sailors have benefited from his coaching expertise. All through this week in Arhus his video debriefings have been standing room only, as they are at every championship.

“If I had my life to live again I’d have done exactly the same again,” Jim said. “It’s been a fantastic experience for me and at the end of this week it’s going to be pretty sad really, an end of an era.”

http://sailing.org/24434.php?PHPSESSID=2a781d4d6b4c8b2254e4067acdbec916

NEW AMERICAN KITESPEED RECORD Day four of the 2008 Fuerteventura Kitespeed Grand Slam saw one of the most thrilling kitespeed races of all times. The first leg brought some big surprises, but todays second heat outperformed everything looked at before.

The first heat started in winds averaging 20 knots, gusting 25, but on a much broader angle than yesterdays races. The favorites seemed to have not big enough kites for such conditions, and so it was up to Robert Douglas from the USA to get the victory. The favourites, first of all Alex Caizergues and Sebastien Cattelan struggeled with the conditions, and so it was up to Robert Douglas (USA) to snatch the victory ahead of Rolf van der Vlugt (NED) and Christophe Prin-Guenon (FRA).

The second heat was postponed for one and a half hour to get hold of the best wind conditions of the day in the afternoon. What followed now was a race in really tough conditions, 25 knots average wind gusting 30, and quite rough water. With a wind angle of app. 145 degree it was hard for most of the riders to make the course.

The lead was changing with almost every run of the top riders, as the conditions improved more and moe during the afternoon. It was mainly again Robert Douglas ruling the heat, crowned with a new USA kitespeed record (subject to WSSRC ratification). 39.05 knots was also the best speed of the day, but in one of the last runs of the leg Sebastien Cattelan managed to get a better average and steal victory. Alex Caizergues then in third.

The womens heats were a "one woman" show of Charlotte Consorti (FRA) again, although Sjoukje Bredenkamp (RSA) was able to defend the lead of the second heat for a long time. But in the end it was again Charlotte ahead of Sjoukje, Katja Roose (NED) in third.

After the first discard, Sebastien Cattelan has a razer-thin lead ahead of newcomer Robert Douglas, Alex Caizergues in third. A second discard is far away at the moment, but could change a lot.

In the womens fleet, Charlotte Consorti is clearly in the lead with all races won, Sjoukje Bredenkamp and Katja Roose safely in second and third.

Racing continues until the 23rd of July, the races are broadcasted live in the internet at http://www.speedworldcup.com

ROCK UP AND RACE WITH ONDECK! Anyone can get involved in Skandia Cowes Week 2008

Simon Hedley, business development manager at Ondeck commented “Having lived in Cowes all my life, I got tired of hearing how you could not get involved in this event without either having very deep pockets or enormous amounts of sailing ability. With Ondeck, you need neither... just an appetite for adventure!.

We have 300hp Rigid inflatable Powerboat Rides & Helicopter rides for the ultimate in spectating through to racing days, weekends or whole weeks on Farr 65s, 40.7s and Dehler 39s. We even have Team Pindar’s Volvo 60 for some Class 1 action or the ultimate experience with Brian Thompson aboard arguably the most powerful Open 60 in the world today.”

For further details see http://www.ondeckshop.com/cowes-week-2008-1-c.asp or phone Katy on +44 1983 612642.

NOMINATIONS INVITED Madrid, Spain: Nominations are now invited for the 2008 ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards, the most prestigious award of recognition in the sport of sailing. The list of nominees and winners since the first presentation in 1994 is an exceptional roll call of the world's top sailors from all disciplines of the sport.

Nominations can be made by anyone and the only criteria are that sailors must have performed an "outstanding achievement in the sport" during the qualifying period of 1 September 2007 to 31 August 2008. Nominations should be sent in to ISAF by 10.00hrs (UTC) on Friday 5 September 2008 on the official form which can be found via http://www.sailing.org/worldsailor

A shortlist will be drawn up by ISAF from all of the nominations received at the ISAF Secretariat by the deadline and those sailors will go on to become the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year 2008 Nominees. The 126 ISAF Member National Authorities will then vote for one male and one female sailor who they believe merit the Awards.

The winners will be announced at an Awards dinner on Tuesday 11 November in Madrid, Spain, host city for the ISAF Annual Conference.

The past nominees and winners of the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year include the highest achievers in the sport, with the winners' roll call reading:

2007 - Ed Baird (USA) And Claire Leroy (FRA) 2006 - Mike Sanderson (NZL) And Paige Railey (USA) 2005 - Fernando Echavarri; Anton Paz (ESP) And Ellen Macarthur (GBR) 2004 - Robert Scheidt (BRA) And Sofia Bekatorou; Emilia Tsoulfa (GRE) 2003 - Russell Coutts (SUI) And Siren Sundby (NOR) 2002 - Ben Ainslie (GBR) And Sofia Bekatorou; Emilia Tsoulfa (GRE) 2001 - Robert Scheidt (BRA) And Ellen Macarthur (GBR) 2000 - Mark Reynolds; Magnus Liljedahl (USA) And Shirley Robertson (GBR) 1999 - Mateusz Kusznierewicz (POL) And Margriet Matthijse (NED) 1998 - Ben Ainslie (GBR) And Carolijn Brouwer (NED) 1997 - Pete Goss (GBR) And Ruslana Taran; Elena Pakholchik (UKR) 1996 - Jochen Schümann (GER) And Lee-Lai Shan (HKG) 1995 - Russell Coutts (NZL) And Isabelle Autissier (FRA) 1994 - Peter Blake (NZL); Robin Knox Johnston (GBR) And Theresa Zabell (ESP)

http://www.sailing.org/worldsailor

MICHEL HODARA QUITS AS HEAD OF ALINGHI Swiss America's Cup holder Alinghi is to lose its CEO Michel Hodara, the man in charge of organising not just the up-coming one-on-one defence against Larry Ellison's San Francisco-based BMW Oracle but in charge of the long-term planning of the next multi-challenge America's Cup in the event of Alinghi being successful.

Hodara was central to the planning of the Alinghi defence in Valencia last year alongside the then ceo Michel Bonnefous, who has relinquished that role and in the negotiations with Valencia about a future defence in 2009.

That agreement with both the regional and Spanish national governments has been ripped up, though Oracle has given a written undertaking to mount its first defence in Valencia if it beats Alinghi. No announcement has been made about Oracle's thoughts on timing, though the worry is that it could be as early as 2010, making any challenge very difficult to fund and organise for the up to 12 syndicates that have expressed an interest, including Sir Keith Mills' British challenge.

No replacement has been named for Hodara, who leaves to take up an offer he found too good to turn down. The America's Cup Management company, wholly owned by Bertarelli, continues to operate, though in much reduced form, from the Alinghi base in Valencia's America's Cup harbour, which will be the central feature of the new Formula 1 Grand Prix in August. -- Stuart Alexander

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/sailing/michel-hodara-quits-as-head-of-alinghi-872930.html

FEATURED BROKERAGE 1982 58' Roswell / GB Trimaran, 150,000 Euros, Located in South Coast, France.

Designed by Philip Morrison.

Brokerage through AYC International Yachtbrokers: http://www.yachtworld.com/ayc-yachtbroker/

Complete listing details and seller contact information at http://uk.yachtworld.com/core/listing/boatFullDetails.jsp?boat_id=991151

THE LAST WORD We tried not to age, but time had its rage. -- Pete Townshend

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