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CONTENTS

1. EDITORIAL - AY will be streaming LIVE the Audi MedCup - 2009-10 AYGP final coming up
2. AUSTRAL - ASIAN NEWS - Malaysia Announces Dynamic Elite Sailing Program - WMRT 2010 swings into top gear - 14th Asian Sailing Championship results - First Indian round-the-world sailor braves bad weather - Phuket King's Cup Regatta bags 'Asian Regatta Of The Year' - Yacht Club of the Year is the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club - The one varnish that really lasts - India's first marina to be opened - Aussie PM outraged after ship grounding on Barrier Reef - BIMP-EAGA Rallies draw-card to Equator Asia - ETNZ picks an Aussie to head their Camper VOR campaign
Up next in Asia - Sawadee.com Regatta (May 31 - June 5) - Six Senses Phuket Raceweek (21 to 25 July)
3. INTERNATIONAL NEWS - Governor Schwarzenegger commends Clipper crews as they depart San Francisco - Audi MedCup Circuit starts May 11-16 - BMW Oracle Racing returns to competitive racing - Louis Vuitton Trophy Sardinia in May - French sailing stars to meet in Extreme 40 Sailing Series - Valencia 4th venue of RC 44 Championship - New look schedule for Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12 - Plans for AC 34 revealed - Transatlantic Race 2011 and Atlantic Ocean Racing Series 2011
Follow the: Ongoing Clipper Race - Audi MedCup Circuit - Louis Vuitton Trophy Sardinia - Extreme 40 Sailing Series - RC 44 Championship
4. WORLD SPEED RECORDS - Formula 40 Soma, breaks Round Tortola Record in Nanny Cay Challenge - New York to Barcelona Record set - Indian Ocean Record to Franck Cammas
5. "Unluckiest sailors of the month" - Balanced atop the Equator - Tim Lynch’s J24 Erin finds black hole

1. EDITORIAL

Good News... We are pleased to announce that AsianYachting will be streaming LIVE the Audi MedCup - Portugal from May 11 to 16th via the Sail TV Player. It should be a great spectacle with five hours of live racing per day including onboard camera’s, helicopter shots and 3D graphics. Over the last few years Internet speeds have become fast enough to watch high-definition video directly on the internet and is proving to be a huge benefit to the sport of sailing. Sail TV is providing the best viewer experience on the net and have a very busy sailing season ahead of them. We will also be bringing all the action from the Louis Vuitton Trophy - La Maddalena, Sardinia from 22nd May through 6th June so go ahead and bookmark: http://asianyachting.com/SailTV.htm for your viewing pleasure.

The recently concluded Top of the Gulf Regatta shows the depth and strength sailboat racing has in Thailand plus the benefits sailors have had from hosting world championships and national titles there. The keelboat Racing Class contested the 9th event on the 2009-10 AYGP Championship and Ray Roberts became the Skipper of the Year and the results of the season ending Sawadee.com Samui Regatta (May 31st - June 5th) will determine the Yacht of the Year. The final event on the AYGP Championship at Koh Samui, is turning into a festival of sail and the spectacular prize presentation on the majestic lawn setting of the Centara Grand Beach Resort should not be missed. In fact if your looking for some tropical sailing and lively entertainment choose any major regatta on the Asian Calendar and we can assure you will not be disappointed.

Six Senses Phuket Raceweek (21 to 25 July) is the first regatta in the 2010/2011 Asian Yachting Grand Prix Championship and fabulous value ‘earlybird’ discounts on entry fees for boats and crew registration are now open via http://www.phuketraceweek.com/ For those who don’t have a boat in Phuket, there are numerous competitive yachts – from IRC to cruising, monohull and multihull – available to charter, either with skipper or bareboat. Check them out and hope to see you there.

On the International scene the high profile events are kicking into gear. The ISAF World Cup for Olympic classes, Louis Vuitton Trophy continues in Italy, the RC44 Circuit and the World Match Racing Tour are already underway. The TP 52's and GP 42's are gearing up for the Audi MedCup Circuit - Portugal and the first event of the Extreme 40's is at Sete, France from 27 - 30 May.

All these topics and much much more on the Asian and International scene are covered (Below) and regularly updated on the AsianYachting website.
Enjoy!
Capt Marty Rijkuris

2. AUSTRAL - ASIAN NEWS

2.1 Malaysia Announces Dynamic Elite Sailing Program
Putrajaya, Malaysia: Malaysia will soon be introducing a development plan to help develop the nation's sailing fraternity and raise its international potential on the professional yacht racing circuit. This dynamic new initiative, spearheaded by Malaysia's Youth and Sports Minister Dato' Ahmad Shabery Cheek, is aimed at accelerating the progress of local athletes in the sailing arena and propelling them towards international sailing events. These prestigious global yacht racing events include the ISAF World Match Racing Tour (WMRT), the Volvo Ocean Race and the America's Cup as "Special Events" in the sport as sanctioned by ISAF (International Sailing Federation). This new professional sailing programme for Malaysia is of particular importance for talented sailors looking to move into more professional and challenging yacht racing disciplines. Currently, the country supports a healthy following of sailors in the Optimist, Laser and 470 dinghy classes. Dinghy sailors are regular competitors with support of the Malaysian Yachting Association in the SEA Games, Asian Games and the Olympic Games. However, there is a big void of talent when it comes to the next level - racing in keel boats and on the professional world circuits - when the sailors reach their mid 20's and exit the dinghy class programmes. Dato' Shabery identified that this situation is due to the lack of a planned development route that sailors could follow and move up to the professional global circuit. http://www.wmrt.com

2.2 WMRT 2010 swings into top gear
Peter Gilmour, Acting President of World Match Racing Tour commented, “The World Match Racing Tour has already developed considerably since the start of 2010, we now have a new Asian based ownership, an adjusted Tour Card entry system, an additional event venue in Vietnam, improved website and an annual awards programme dedicated to not only the sailors but all the organisers that make WMRT events possible. Match Race France kicked off in fine style in April and we are looking forward to the Tour being the big topic of conversation for the next 9 months across 10 events in the world. I wish each team the best of luck for their 2010 racing and may the very best team win!”. See how the Monsoon Cup bagged a whole lot of awards last season and next up on the Tour is Match Race Germany from May 19 - 24 at: http://www.wmrt.com/

2.3 COMPETITIVE SAILS & FOOTWEAR
Quantum Sail Design Group is proud to announce the formation of a strategic partnership between Quantum Racing and Sebago®, the international marine footwear company. For the 2010 racing season, the Quantum race team will evaluate a new line of technical apparel and footwear developed by Sebago®. The gear will be worn during the highly competitive Audi MedCup Circuit, which is also used as a testing and validation platform for the Fusion M racing sails made by Quantum. Ed Reynolds, President of Quantum Sail Design Group, says “Everything matters on a race boat, even the smallest things can make the difference between winning and losing". The products will be co-branded with Quantum and made available to the public later in the season as part of the Sebago® Team Quantum Collection. Discover your winning ways at http://www.quantumsails.com

2.4 14th Asian Sailing Championship results
Although there was little or no publicity in the International media, the 14th Asian Sailing Championship was held from 20th-29th March 2010 at the Guangdong Ocean Sports Training Centre (GOSTC), Shanwei, China. The Championship is hosted by the Asian Sailing Federation and the Chinese Yachting Association and is organized by the Guangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee and the Shanwei People’s Government. When will they learn that posting a few photos of the Opening Ceremony and the results after the regatta is finished is just not good enough in this day and age? Full results can be found at: http://www.asafweb.com/news/asianchampionship_index.html
The match racing on J80 keelboats was hotly contested by seven national teams and the eventual results are:
1st Japan - Takumi Nakamura
2nd Singapore - Maxmilian Soh
3rd India - Mahesh Ramachandran
4th China - Zhou Jing
5th Pakistan - Zahid Rauf
6th Thailand - Kim Junggon
7th Korea - Morton Jakobsen

2.5 First Indian round-the-world sailor braves bad weather
Furious winds, giant waves and lack of sleep have all plagued the journey of Dilip Donde, the first Indian to attempt sailing solo round-the-world. But, Donde remains unruffled: The Indian navy commander hand picked by the Navy for the voyage told CNN he had anticipated the violent weather in the rough far southern waters that skim the Antarctic coast. "Sailing through the Southern Ocean, it was bound to happen some time so I was expecting it, though that does not make it any more comfortable," he said. Donde set off in August 2009 and is hoping to reach Mumbai by mid-May. Full CNN interview at http://edition.cnn.com/2010/SPORT/03/17/india.solo.sailor/index.html

2.6 Phuket King's Cup Regatta bags 'Asian Regatta Of The Year'
The inaugural Asia Marine & Boating Awards were presented at a lavish Gala Dinner at the 15th China (Shanghai) International Boat Show held 8-11 April at the Shanghai Exhibition Centre in Puxi, Shanghai, China. "The standard of nominated entries to the Asian Marine & Boating Awards was exceptionally high and all winners should be justly proud of their success," said Alistair Skinner, who helped establish the inaugural awards on behalf of the China International Boat Show (CIBS) organisers."The Asian Regatta Of The Year award went to the Phuket King's Cup Regatta who continue to innovate and lead the way in regional sailing regattas. Its international recognition is evident with participants coming each year from all corners of the globe to take part, including more boats and crew from China each year," continued Skinner. The Phuket King's Cup Regatta, now in its 24th year, continues to expand its participant-base with over 2,000 people of 33 nationalities taking part in the 2009 Regatta. Showing continued year-on-year growth, the Regatta's organisers continue to work closely with the global yachting community to make each year better than the previous. Check out their website at: http://www.kingscup.com

2.7 Big discounts at Sunsail
Incredible big discounts up to 25% plus extra days charter for free on various sailing craft are some of the offers going in the Austral-Asian region. Grab a fantastic Sunsail bargain for your next sailing holiday. Vessels are booking fast so don't miss out! They are proud to announce that the Leopard 38 - better known to Sunsailors as the Sunsail 384 - has been named 'Boat of the Year' by Cruising World, earning the titles 'Import Boat of the Year' and 'Best Multihull Cruiser'. This new and innovative catamaran is now available at some Austral-Asian bases. Some yachts are still available for the Koh Samui Regatta 2010 (May 31st - June 5th) and Six Senses Phuket Raceweek (21 to 25 July). Check them out by visiting the Sunsail Asia website www.sunsailasia.com and receive regular updates on Sunsail's activities in the Asian region contact Tel: +66 (0)76 239057 Email: sales@sunsailasia.com

2.8 Yacht Club of the Year is the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club
The China (Shanghai) International Boat Show is the biggest boat show in China and is also the longest-running show in China, having started 15 years ago in 1996. To celebrate this anniversary, at the opening Gala Dinner CIBS presented the inaugural Asian Marine & Boating Awards. 'The RHKYC has been extremely helpful is assisting with the development of sailing throughout Asia. Members regularly move their yachts thousands of ocean miles each year to compete in and support regional regattas, and the RHKYC provides the Race Management for the China Cup in Shenzhen, ensuring that the event is run to the highest possible standards.' The AMB Awards were described by the organisers as 'designed to be a thank you to all our loyal exhibitors, and an attempt to set a new standard for recognizing excellence in the ever-growing marine industry in China'. Full run down on the awards at: Sail-World Asia Here...

2.9 The one varnish that really lasts
From Historical Vessel Vega March Newszene http://www.sailvega.com/newsletter_march/
When you get two skippers together for more than about an hour the conversation always seems to drift to either bottom paint or varnish. On Vega we have a lot of varnish and visitors seem to think we spend all our lives sanding and varnishing. The truth is we have varnish, still perfectly good, that was done in 2003 and has lived its whole life in the tropics. We almost never scrape or sand it. Over the years we have tried almost every “quality” varnish available. They all promise long life, UV resistance, and everything except making ice for the drinks. They can be very expensive and not a one seems to last more than a single season. Some of the most expensive don’t even make it that long in the tropics. Then in 2003 we discovered an obscure South African company called Rystix. It is owned and run by a chemist who simply got tired of having to re-varnish his beach cottage’s wood work every year so brewed up something designed to really last. After all the years his great work has saved me from scraping and sanding I can safely say he did a fantastic job. We use their Exterior Sealer in the light oak tint and just love it. All you need to do is follow the instructions when you first apply it. Be sure to really prepare the wood well as what you do now will be with you for years to come. Then once it’s on about once a year, or if you get chaffing somewhere, just wash it down with fresh water and slap on another coat. I say, “slap on” because it is so painter friendly even an amateur can get great results with no special tools or brushes. To find out more visit their website at http://www.rystix.co.za

2.10 India's first marina to be opened
A significant development in constructing marine leisure activities in India occured with the opening of the country's first marina. The 37-berth Kochi International Marina, located in the south western state of Kerala, has been designed and developed by Ocean Blue Marinas on behalf of the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC). The marina, which can berth yachts up to 75ft, is a full service facility and is sited on Bolgatty Island as part of the Bolgatty Palace Heritage Hotel. India's Honorable Union Minister for Defense, Mr. AK Antony, and Honorable Minster for Home, Vigilance and Tourism, Mr Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, officially opened the marina. In addition to the berths the marina will offer maintenance and repair facilities, fuel, water, electricity and sewerage pump-out for yachts. The marina already has a number of yachts signed up for berths. There will also be a number of berths available for visiting yachts but initially there will be no berths for superyachts. The extra 13 berths under Phase 2 will be added within a year or sooner if demand requires it. Negotiations are presently in progress for marina projects in Maharashtra, Goa, Kerela, Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Chhattisgarh and Gujarat. IBI News at: http://www.ibinews.com/ibinews/newsdesk/20100322160052ibinews.html

2.11 Aussie PM outraged after ship grounding on Barrier Reef
A Chinese tanker, the Shen Neng 1, ran aground on the Great Barrier Reef on Saturday April 3rd and has been grinding against the shoals since, leading to concerns for the fragile marine environment. Tug boats have been used to stabilise the ship, which was carrying about 950 tonnes of oil and 65,000 tonnes of coal, and although there have been some oil spillages, the threat of oil slicks has been largely contained and it is hoped the ship will be salvaged. The Shen Neng 1 was about 7.5 miles outside the shipping lane when it ran aground near a known shortcut between the reefs. Registering his outrage that the ship could find itself so far off course in a protected area, the Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, said, "I take any threat to the Great Barrier Reef fundamentally seriously. From where I sit, it is outrageous that any vessel could find itself 12km off course." Mr Rudd also said that he would consider putting more pilots on cargo vessels traveling near the Great Barrier Reef.

2.12 BIMP-EAGA Rallies draw-card to Equator Asia
This year there are four new rallies announced for the exotic cruising grounds of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines (BIMP) - otherwise known as Equator Asia. The first is the Equator Asia Cruise, which is the signature rally, lasting four months and taking in all four countries in the region. Then there is the Borneo Palawan Cruise, the West Borneo Cruise, and the Mindanao/Sabah-Indo Cruise. Organiser Allan Riches explains: 'Each event aims to capitalise on the prevailing wind and weather conditions to create attractive sailing experiences in conjunction with the shore visits, functions organised by local private and government organisations, stops at resorts, marinas, major towns and local communities'. To learn more about these rallies, and register for updates, click on http://www.bruneibay.net/SailBIMP-EAGA/index.html

2.13 DK 46's still on Top of the Podium
If your serious about forming a racing team and joining the racing class at major regattas in the region, there is a specially modified Mark Mills designed DK46's, that has won nearly every major event in the Austral-Asian region on the market. DK is one of the most technologically advanced composite manufacturing facility in the SE Asian region. The design office works on high performance IBM CAD/CAM systems which are data supply linked to production and directly command the five-axis milling machine that accurately cuts hull plugs and moulds. Contained within the 110,000 sq ft facility is a multi-cycle computerized temperature oven (25m x 5m x 3.5m), a spray chamber (18m x 6m x 5.5m), an engineering workshop and a dedicated laminating room. In addition, DK also has an in-house 40m long autoclave to cure carbon fibre and kevlar finished products. So what are you waiting for? Serious Yachts for Serious Sailors can be found at http://www.dkyachts.com

2.14 ETNZ picks an Aussie to head their Camper VOR campaign
Emirates Team New Zealand has appointed Olympic and round-the-world yachtsman Chris Nicholson to skipper Campers’ entry in the 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race. Nicholson is a veteran of three VORs, his first as a watch captain in 2001-02 on Amer Sports 1 which was skippered by ETNZ Managing Director, Grant Dalton. In 2005-06 he was a watch captain on board Spanish entry movistar while in 2008-09 he started as watch leader on Puma, which finished second, although Nicholson was forced to stand down when he sustained an injury to his anterior cruciate ligament on the race's second leg to India. Nicholson will be joined by the Emirates Team NZ's 2009 World Match Racing Tour champion, Adam Minoprio. Minoprio’s young BlackMatch team has had a meteoric rise up the world match racing standings. After only two years on the professional circuit the team won the season championship and was first in the world match racing standings. ETNZ operations manager Kevin Shoebridge, who will manage the Camper project, said the appointment of Nicholson and Minoprio brought together veteran ocean racing experience and up-and-coming talent. Volvo Ocean Race crews number 10 plus a media/camera person who plays no part in sailing the yacht. “We are working with Camper on recruiting other members of the crew,” Shoebridge said. The Emirates Team New Zealand design team, headed by principal designer Marcelino Botin, is well advanced on the yacht’s design. Building will start at Cooksons in Auckland in August. She will be launched early in 2011 and undergo sea trials before being shipped to Spain. Full story The Daily Sail at: http://www.thedailysail.com/offshore/10/55120/camper-skipper-named

3. INTERNATIONAL NEWS

3.1 Governor Schwarzenegger commends Clipper crews as they depart San Francisco
The teams competing in the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race couldn’t have hoped for better conditions for the start of Race 8 of the 35,000-mile challenge from San Francisco. A brisk 20 to 25 knot wind powered the fleet of internationally sponsored ocean racing yachts across the start line opposite the Golden Gate Yacht Club and out under the Golden Gate Bridge. Ahead lies a 3,329-mile leg to Panama which is set to deliver quite different conditions to the dramatic North Pacific race from Qingdao, China. Wishing the crews well on the next leg of the race, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said, “This event brings together enthusiastic sailors for some great competition and I applaud all the participants for putting their talents and skills to work. As a former professional athlete I know what it takes to excel in demanding sporting contests. Everyone here has trained hard to be ready for this once in a lifetime opportunity and you can be proud of what you have accomplished so far. “To all the participants I wish you the best of luck and happy sailing.” The first boats are expected to arrive in Panama around 11 May after which they will transit the Panama Canal before commencing Race 9, a 591-mile sprint to Jamaica. For further information log onto http://www.clipperroundtheworld.com

3.2 Audi MedCup Circuit starts May 11-16
The first regatta of the 2010 Audi MedCup Circuit is in Cascais (May 11-16) and preparation activity is evident in several different European sailing centres where TP52 Series and GP42 Series contenders are making sure their programs are on schedule to hit the first start lines in Cascais, Portugal with the best chance of wining. Off Valencia the 2008 Audi MedCup champions Quantum Racing (USA) has started tuning and testing their freshly modified Botin Carkeek design. They have remodeled the deck closer to that of 2009 Circuit winners Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), and also stiffened the hull, strengthening the internal structure to comfortably accept the higher rig loads which prevail among the leading contenders. When the action gets underway follow them at http://www.medcup.org

3.3 BMW Oracle Racing returns to competitive racing
At the end of the month following its win in the 33rd America’s Cup in Valencia in February BMW Oracle Racing returns to competitive racing. First on the agenda is the RC 44 Austria Cup from April 29th to May 4th, the second regatta they will return to Cup style racing at the Louis Vuitton Trophy in La Maddalena, on the Italian coast of Sardinia, beginning on May 22. In the RC 44 Championship Tour BMW Oracle Racing will be represented by two boats. Team owner Larry Ellison (USA) and team CEO Russell Coutts (NZL) will be competing under the BMW Oracle Racing banner, while the winning skipper of the 33rd America’s Cup team, James Spithill (AUS), will be at the helm of a boat currently named ‘Boat 17’. Crew from the BMW Oracle Racing team will be sailing on both boats. In addition to competing on the water in La Maddalena, BMW Oracle Racing will be providing two of the four boats to be used by the Louis Vuitton Trophy teams during the three-week match race event. For more information about BMW Oracle Racing, go to: http://www.bmworacleracing.com

3.4 Louis Vuitton Trophy Sardinia in May
Ten elite sailing teams set to race for two weeks on the sparkling waters of the Mediterranean Sea off La Maddalena. Racing begins on May 22nd, the host team, Mascalzone Latino Audi Team, is eager to extend a warm welcome to teams, sponsors and guests alike. “La Maddalena is among the best places in the world to sail,” said Vincenzo Onorato, the team principal of Mascalzone Latino Audi Team. “The waters are warm, the wind conditions are very good and the people of La Maddalena will be gracious hosts. I want to welcome all of my sailing friends and fans of the sport to join us here in May.” For La Maddalena, two additional teams will join the eight who competed in Auckland, and both are world-class sailing squads. BMW ORACLE Racing, who won the America’s Cup Match in February, rejoins the Louis Vuitton Trophy after it missed the Auckland regatta due to its Cup commitments. Luna Rossa, has competed for the America’s Cup three times, winning the Louis Vuitton Cup in 2000, will race for the Louis Vuitton Trophy for the very first time. Ed Baird, winner of the 32nd America’s Cup with Alinghi and tactician Torben Grael, who skippered Ericsson to a win in the last Volvo Ocean Race are on Luna Rossa. The teams match-race equalised America’s Cup Class boats. For La Maddalena, the boats will be supplied by BMW ORACLE Racing (USA 87 and USA 98) and Mascalzone Latino Audi Team (ITA 90 and ITA 99). Racing is scheduled from the 22nd May through the 6th June. But teams will start official training sessions on the 18th May. Follow the live action at: http://www.louisvuittontrophy.com/home/

3.5 French sailing stars to meet in Extreme 40 Sailing Series
The biggest French multihull sailing champions will meet once again in the five-round 2010 Extreme Sailing Series. Loick Peyron, holder of the most multihull championship titles, Yann Guichard, a favourite for the forthcoming Route de Rhum, and Franck Cammas, who convincingly won the Jules Verne Trophy just one month ago, will meet on the water for the first time this year on 27 May at the first event in Sete, France. They will all be looking at geting the better of the 2009 overall winners, Oman Sail Masirah, skippered by Pete Cumming (GBR).
The 2010 Calendar is confirmed as follows
27 - 30 May: Sete, France
31 July - 5 August: Cowes, UK
26 - 29 August: Kiel, Germany
23 - 26 September: Trapani, Italy
9 - 12 October: Almeria, Spain
Full story at: http://www.extremesailingserieseurope.com

3.6 Valencia 4th venue of RC 44 Championship
April 22, 2010 – The iconic sailing venue, home of the America’s Cup 2007 and 2010, will host the fourth stage of the RC 44 Championship Tour 2010. The RC 44 Class announced today that the fourth stage of the Championship Tour 2010 will take place in Valencia, Spain, on July 27 – Aug 1. The RC 44 Valencia Cup will follow the regattas held in Dubai (UAE), Lake Traunsee (AUS) and Copenhagen (DEN) earlier in the year. “I am very pleased that Valencia is confirmed as the fourth venue of the RC 44 Championship Tour 2010” said Russell Coutts, BMW ORACLE Racing CEO and Chairman of the RC44 Class. “One of our objectives with this Class is to sail in great sailing venues. The famous sea breeze that blows in Valencia in the summer should provide great racing and I look forward to competing again in Valencia.” More on RC 44 Tour at: http://www.rc44.com/en/

3.7 New look schedule for Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12
Alicante, Spain: The course and dates for the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12 have been officially announced. This edition of the race will see a new format for the racing program in the host cities, including the start city of Alicante, Spain and finish city of Galway, Ireland. For the first time, the Volvo Ocean Race will finish with an In-Port race in Galway. The new racing schedule for the stopovers will conclude with an action-packed long weekend in the host cities. The Pro-Am races will be first on the agenda for the weekend. The second day sees the Volvo Ocean Race teams battle it out in two In-Port races, which count to their overall scores. The race will visit eight stopover ports on five continents and race through four oceans, in under nine months. The Volvo Open 70's will cover over 39,270 nautical miles racing around the globe. The full Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12 racing schedule is at http://volvooceanrace.com

3.8 Plans for AC 34 revealed
Russell Coutts the CEO of BMW ORACLE Racing and Vincenzo Onorato, the principal of the Mascalzone Latino team representing the Defender and Challenger of Record respectively, revealed details of the 34th America’s Cup Match at a press conference in the spectacular Musei Capitolini, in the heart of Rome, the home city of the Challenger of Record’s yacht club on Thursday 6th May.
Highlights of the Press Conference included:
1. New design of yacht - currently concepts being drawn up for a Monohull by Bruce Nelson and a Multihull by Morelli and Melvin. Decision to be taken by competitors/teams
2. Yacht is to be fast, physically demanding and hooked up with cameras and microphones for live onboard experience
3. Yacht must work on television and trials will take place in the coming months to explore concepts
4. Collaboration with World Sailing Teams Association (Louis Vuitton Cup) to provide annual racing series
5. Coutts: "Larry is open to take this America's Cup to any venue" - Venue to be decided by end of year
6. Protocol published end of August. NoR and SIs end of December. Last entries until end of Jan 2011
7. 2013-2014 For next Cup
8. Coutts: "to have 8 or 10 very competitive teams is fantastic" - quality over quantity
9. Neutral race management who have more authority
10. BMW Oracle will not race in Challenger Selection Series at venue
11. Defence will be open to other American Teams
12. Races designed for Television with start time and finish time to fit schedules
13. Coutts hinted that previous significant commercial partners are now interested in returning to AC34
The press conference was streamed live on the internet and the repeat is available for on-demand viewing at http://www.americascup.com

3.9 Transatlantic Race 2011 and Atlantic Ocean Racing Series 2011
New York, NY: Were announced by their organizers: the New York Yacht Club and the Royal Yacht Squadron, in association with the Royal Ocean Racing Club and the Storm Trysail Club. The Transatlantic Race, from Newport, RI to the Lizard, west of Plymouth, England, will offer staggered starts from June 26th-July 3rd, 2011 and is for Racing, Racing/Cruising and Classic monohull yachts with a minimum length overall (LOA) of 40 feet. The minimum crew number is four. There are no maximums. On the other hand there will be eight races in the Atlantic Ocean Racing Series. Three races, including the Transatlantic Race 2011, crews will be required to qualify. The eight qualifying races and their starting dates are:
Pineapple Cup - Montego Bay Race, February 5, 2011
RORC Caribbean 600, February 21, 2011
Ft. Lauderdale to Charleston Race, end March/early April, 2011
Annapolis to Newport Race, June 3, 2011
Transatlantic Race 2011, June 26 through July 3, 2011
Rolex Fastnet Race, August 14, 2011
Biscay Race, September, 2011
Rolex Middle Sea Race, October 22, 2011
Yacht owners, skippers or charterers interested in participating in the Transatlantic Race 2011 alone or as part of the Atlantic Ocean Racing Series can obtain more information and complete contact details at: http://www.transatlanticrace.org

4. WORLD SPEED RECORDS

4.1 Formula 40, Soma, breaks Round Tortola Record in Nanny Cay Challenge
Nanny Cay, Tortola, British Virgin Islands, April 16, 2010 - Soma, a St John-based Formula 40 catamaran and frequent BVI visitor, smashed the Round Tortola Record yesterday in the first attempt on the Nanny Cay Challenge announced in February. Soma circumnavigated Tortola and outer islands in 2 hours, 50 minutes and 15 seconds smashing Triple Jack’s record of 3 hours, 33 minutes and 27 seconds set in the PegLegs Round Tortola Race November last year. Soma’s owners and crew Nils Erickson and Meredith Pridgen sailed with a crew of 6 friends including Nanny Cay general manager Miles Sutherland-Pilch. “I’ve been wanting to do this record attempt since it was announced,” said Nils. Starting off Nanny Cay just before 10am, Soma sailed anti-clockwise leaving Beef, Scrub Island, Great Camanoe and Guana Island to port before heading down the north side of Tortola and through Soper’s Hole back up to Nanny Cay. Total distance point to point is 31 miles, Soma sailed 45 miles to complete the circumnavigation averaging 15 knots with a highest speed of 25.4 knots. The Nanny Cay Challenge is an all-comers event for multihulls and monohulls. For more information on Nanny Cay visit: http://www.nannycay.com

4.2 New York to Barcelona Record has been set
(April 21, 2010) - The sailing record between New York and Barcelona has been set at 12 days, 06 hours, 03 minutes and 48 seconds. Estrella Damm's co-skippers Alex Pella, Pepe Ribes and Stan Schreyer opened a new chapter in the history of sailing records when they became the fastest crew to travel the distance by sailboat. Also competing in the Open 60 New York Barcelona Transoceanic Sailing Record challenge was W Hotels' co-skippers Pachi Rivero, Tono Piris and Peter Becker, who took 12 days, 15 hours, 23 minutes and 50 seconds to finish the 3,666 nm route. -- Event website: http://www.ny-bcn.org/

4.3 Indian Ocean Record to Franck Cammas
The World Sailing Speed Record Council announced the ratification of a new Indian Ocean Intermediate Record by Franck Cammas (FRA) and a crew of 9 onboard the 103-foot trimaran Groupama 3. Setting the time from February 15th to the February 23rd 2010 of 8 days 17 hours 40 minutes, Cammas bested the previous record set by Bruno Peyron (FRA) on Orange II of 9d 11h 4m in 2005. -- http://www.sailspeedrecords.com/

5. "Unluckiest sailors of the month"

5.1 Balanced atop the Equator
31 Mar 2010: Serving as both an object lesson and a cautionary tale, the image was enough to send a shiver down any sailor's spine. We were on our final approach to Academy Bay, at Isla Santa Cruz in the heart of the Galápagos archipelago, when we spied the three cockeyed masts not far from the harbor entrance. This was clearly a fresh shipwreck, and we later learned that the big charter vessel had come to grief only a week before our arrival. A navigation light had blinked out, and the skipper reportedly mistook Santa Cruz for a neighboring island; remarkably, it was the second ship he'd lost. The crew and the passengers all escaped safely, but the message was crystal clear. Even in well-traveled, supposedly familiar waters, an extremely bad day is just a submerged rock away. More at Herb's Watch http://www.cruisingworld.com/article.jsp?ID=1000081951&cmpid=enews040110

5.2 Tim Lynch’s J24 Erin finds the hole
It was Winds 1, Yachts 0 today as Tim Lynch’s J24, Erin, took a death roll and sank on the last leg of Race 5 of Bermuda International Invitational Race Week regatta. Erin was flying downwind under spinnaker in 30 knots of wind on Bermuda’s Great Sound. She took a knockdown and stuck her mast in the water. The cockpit and cabin flooded almost immediately. No one was injured. Lynch and his crew Barry Surbuchen, Steven Musicant, Natalie Luthi, Tiffany Wardman were picked up quickly by chase boats on the course. Several racing boats diverted to render assistance as well. Efforts to raise Erin from about fifty feet of water continued when Patton and crew took two work barges to the site. It was quite windy and the Great Sound had a two-foot chop, so after attaching a chain to the boat's hoist ring they lifted the boat just off the bottom. Moving at about a half-knot, they took Erin into the lee of Long Island to get out of the wind and waves. They couldn't just lift the boat out of the water because the weight of all the water inside would have broken the boat in half. A diver positioned two straps under the boat, one in front of the Keel and one behind it. The winches on the two barges lifted Erin so her deck and cockpit companionway were just above the water. They lowered a high capacity pump into the cabin. As the water was pumped out, the boat rose out of the water. Erin was back at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club marina by 2:00PM Wednesday afternoon. When racing in Bermuda International Invitational Race Week resumed on Thursday, Erin raced again.

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