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Sail-World New Zealand - the latest NZ and World news

Welcome to the Monday edition of Sail-World.Com/NZ's newsletter

In this issue we feature a couple of stories which maybe demonstrate why New Zealand has, and continues to punch above its weight on the international sailing scene.

The first arises from the crossing of Cook Strait by 14year old Nelson sailor, Phillippa Wood, sailing an Optimist.

Sorry to report that she was not the first or the youngest, nor sailed the smallest boat. That honour apparently belongs to America's Cup tactician, top match racer and professional yachtsman, Gavin Brady, who crossed the Strait aged about 10years old in a P-class - however his was a North to South crossing.

John Brady, Gavin's father has written to Sail-World outlining the trip, and the safety procedures they followed. As a professional skipper Brady is adamant that the crossing, while safe, should only be attempted after considerable planning, and should not attempted alone, under any circumstances.

The other story comes from the NZ Optimist Association - probably the most successful class association in New Zealand, which yet again has performed outstandingly in their fundraising, and will be sending 40 sailors in five teams, overseas to various Optimist Championships - including the defence of the World Championship title.

By having a policy of not sending a sailor to more than one international regatta a year, the Optimists are able to build a real depth of early international experience in New Zealand's junior sailors.

The issue of membership or affiliation fees to national bodies is a vexed issue around the world, New Zealand included. The US national body, US Sailing last week announced that they were backing away from their proposal to have mandatory personal membership for all active racing sailors.

Sail-World spoke to the President of US Sailing, Jim Capron, who provided some interesting insights to the thinking behind the retreat, and their new approach to significantly improve membership, and funding.

In the Newport-Bermuda Race, light airs have plagued the race fleet stalling any chance of the New Zealand built Speedboat breaking the race record - although she is near certain to be first to finish - with the US flagged Volvo 70, Puma, likely to be second over the finish line.

Good Sailing!

Richard Gladwell NZ Editor

Congressional Cup winner did Cook Strait crossing Last week's story about 14year old Phillippa Wood sailing across Cook Strait from the South Island to the North Island, and the view that this was some sort of world record, has generated several emails to Sail-World. It seems that top America's Cup sailor and match racer, Gavin Brady did a Cook Strait crossing, along with several other long distance voyages in his P-class in the 1980's... http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=45662&ntid=19

NZL Yachting Trust Optimist Worlds Team update There are now just under three weeks to go before the New Zealand representative Worlds Team leaves for Cesme in Turkey for the 2008 Optimist Worlds. The team is Logan Dunning-Beck from Wakatere, Sam Mackay from Napier, Andrew McKenzie from Kohimarama, Erica Dawson from Murrays Bay and Naomi Mannering from Napier. Andrew Wills will be their coach for his 3rd Optimist World Championships.... http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=45659&ntid=19

Wot Rocket to get carbon fibre rods Another valuable finding came from Friday's test sail, the crew of Langman and co-pilot Martin Thompson discovering that each time Wot Rocket's pod went to lift out of the water, the pilot experienced difficulties steering... http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=45656&ntid=19

Capron explains the way forward for US Sailing Mid-week came the news that the Board of the US national authority, US Sailing, had decided to back away from its controversial proposal to make direct membership of the organisation mandatory for at least one of the sailors aboard a yacht racing under the ISAF Racing Rules. Sail-World spoke to US Sailing President Jim Capron, who explained.... http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=45625&ntid=19

Mother Nature pulls the plug on Newport Bermuda An email Saturday night from Puma Racing skipper Ken Read said simply 'drifting in the Gulf Stream': an exaggeration perhaps, but not by much. His Volvo 70 Il Mostro is a rocketship with almost any breeze, but even the fastest boats in the world need some wind to keep moving at a rational pace.... http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=45655&ntid=19

BMW Round Ireland Race finally underway The BMW Round Ireland Yacht Race finally started after a 20 hour delay. With a westerly breeze gusting 40 knots, Alburn, Leopard and Galileo were the first over the line followed closely by Lee Overlay Partners and Cavatina.... http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=45661&ntid=19

High winds so no racing at Kieler Woche Day 3 No action today on all race courses! Due to strong south westerly breeze (22 to 27 knots) increasing to a moderate gale with westerly shower gusts and wind speed between 30 and 40 knots the Race Committee decided to cancel all races on the eight race courses of the International Part of Kieler Woche 2008.... http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=45660&ntid=19

Black Jack arrives in Brisbane The long anticipated wait for the arrival of the Reichel Pugh 66 Black Jack is finally over for excited new owner Peter Harburg. Formally known as Stark Raving Mad, Black Jack is the sister ship of the highly successful racing yacht Wild Oats X.... http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=45645&ntid=19

Last Rani crewman Ray Richmond dies at 88 Lt Ray Richmond RN (ret), the last surviving member of the winning crew of Rani, the line and handicap winner of the inaugural Sydney Hobart Yacht Race in 1945, has died at the age of 88.... http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=45648&ntid=19

Groupama 2 flying start at Saint Nazaire A few rays of sunshine, Force 3 breeze and flat seas; suffice to say, conditions were perfect for entertaining the crowds massed along the sea walls to witness a fine start to the Record SNSM.... http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=45642&ntid=19

Fickle winds test Bermuda race entrants patience It has been slow going out here on the race course as the wind and current gods have been fickle and have tested the patience and mettle of the Bermuda race sailors this year.... http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=45637&ntid=19

Great start for Gitana 80 in Record SNSM Great start for Gitana Eighty in the Record SNSM. For the five crew of Gitana Eighty, the upcoming 360 miles will very likely resemble a sprint entailing very few moments of respite... According to the latest forecasts at the start, Loick Peyron estimated that the monohull in the colours of the LCF Rothschild Group could well be back at the entrance to the Loire estuary during Tuesday.... http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=45641&ntid=19

Fog-shrouded Tahiti fleet sails out of summer Never mind Tahiti, which way's Catalina? Good question to ask when four boats started the Transpacific Yacht Club's 13th Tahiti Race Sunday in a dense offshore fog off the Point Fermin bluffs.... http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=45639&ntid=19

Slowboat to Bermuda - race record not under threat George David owner of Rambler and Alex Jackson on Speedboat, the two men vying for line honors in their respective classes, will have to put their record-breaking ambitions on hold for two more years. A light wind blowing up the rhumb line directly from Bermuda has dashed their hopes. Speedboat's navigator had predicted an ETA of 1500hrs on Sunday, but an ETA 24 hours later seems more likely.... http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=45627&ntid=19

USA favourites for 2008 Etchells Worlds Crews from 33 different Etchells fleets across seven countries will face the starter on Monday off Chicago Yacht Club's Belmont Station, in the 2008 Etchells World Championship.... http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=45619&ntid=19

ECOVER 3 returns to racing after six month re-fit Mike Golding's ECOVER 3 will return to the race track this evening after a six month re-fit in Palma and Cherbourg, as the British solo skipper sails with a five-man crew on the annual SNSM race from St Nazaire north up the Breton coast.... http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=45623&ntid=19

Earthrace record run to continue through Suez Earthrace, the world's fastest eco-boat, will thunder into Port Suez, Egypt on Monday 23 June at 8am local time for the final port stop of its world record attempt.... http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=45628&ntid=19

Smiling Qingdao sailors work up in tide and fog Many of the Olympic Class sailing teams are starting to put some serious time into training at Qingdao over the last months. A container park has been set up at the only marina people can sail from as the Olympic Marina is closed - apart from the Chinese sailors from time to time. (The Chinese have just finished the National Championships for the RSX and laser classes.)... http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=45620&ntid=19

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MAJOR EVENTS

2008 Audi Hamilton Island Race Week http://www.sail-world.com/index.cfm?SEid=1097

2008 Olympics Qingdao http://www.sail-world.com/index.cfm?SEid=1013

Audi MedCup Circuit 2008 http://www.sail-world.com/index.cfm?SEid=1091

2008 - 2009 Volvo Ocean Race http://www.sail-world.com/index.cfm?Eid=1081

Clipper 07-08 Round the World Race http://www.sail-world.com/index.cfm?SEid=1018

2008 World Match Racing Tour http://www.sail-world.com/index.cfm?SEid=1090

Earthrace Round the World Record attempt 2008 http://www.sail-world.com/index.cfm?SEid=924

Gitana 13 Record attempts http://www.sail-world.com/index.cfm?SEid=1084

New Zealand Sailing http://www.sail-world.com/index.cfm?SEid=225

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