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Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mapfre
Photo of Ben Ainslie by J Renedo, http://www.sailingstock.com. Click on image to enlarge.

Princesa Sofia Mapfre The second day in the Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mapfre provided great racing with all scheduled races completed by mid afternoon.

The southerly breeze started at 7 knots to build to 10 towards the middle of the afternoon, but remaining patchy, the wind made racing tricky.

For some teams, Olympic selection is an extra motivation to do well in Palma.

In the 470 women division, yesterday's leaders Sophie Weguelin and Sophie Ainsworth keep a narrow advantage from the Polish.

Agnieszka Skrzypulec and Jolanta Ogar are thrilled with their results so far: "We are very happy with our form here, our objective is to finish in the top ten and we have to maintain this level. This is important for our Olympic selection even if we have yet to select the country in the next World's!".

Emmanuelle Rol and Hélène Defrance (FRA) stay in third after winning the first race and collecting big points in the second. Australian pair Elise Rechichi and Belinda Stowell take the second bullet to place 7th overall.

World #5, David Evans and Edward Powys (GBR) have added two more bullets to their score to take the lead in the 49er class: " Our objective is to be top 3 and first British. Racing was tricky today with different pressure over the course so we are happy with our results so far." They are on equal points with Danish Jonas Warrer and Soren Hansen.

Early leader Peter Krüger Andersen and Nicolai Thorsell (DEN) suffered from the day's difficult conditions to fall from first to 15th.

For both top teams these results mean a lot as Palma is playing a role in their Olympic selection. The Trofeo Sofia Mapfre is one of a series of observation event for the British but for the Dane, good results could mean a ticket for London.

Top three by class

Laser Radial
1. Marit Bouwmeester, NED, 16 points
2. Alicia Cebrian, ESP, 16
3. Sarah Steyaert, FRA, 20

Laser
1. Simon Grotelueschen, GER, 19
2. Tom Burton, AUS, 21
3. Nick Thompson, GBR, 25

470 Men
1. Pierre Leboucher / Vincent Garos, FRA, 18
2. Alvaro Marinho / Miguel Nunes, POR, 20
3. Panagiotis Kampouridis / Efstathios Papadopoulos, GRE, 21

470 Women
1. Sophie Weguelin / Sophie Ainsworth, GBR, 24
2. Agnieszka Skrzypulec / Jolanta Ogar, POL, 28
3. Emmanuelle Rol / Helene Defrance, FRA, 29

49er
1. David Evans / Edward Powys, GBR, 19
2. Jonas Warrer / Soren Hansen, DEN, 19
3. Charlie Enlund Ekberg / Kalle Torlen, SWE, 27

2.4 Metre
1. Thierry Schmitter, NED, 13
2. Helena Lucas, GBR, 14
3. Bjornar Erikstad, NOR, 16

Finn
1. Ben Ainslie, GBR, 13
2. Daniel Birgmark, SWE, 17
3. Jonas Hogh-Christensen, DEN, 23

Star
1. Hamish Pepper / Jim Turner, NZL, 25
2. Fernando Echavarri / Fernando Rodriguez Rivero, ESP, 28
3. Iain Percy / Andrew Simpson, GBR, 29

www.trofeoprincesasofia-mapfre.org

* Another long yet productive day on the Women's Match racing Course as the Race Committee caught up on the matches lost Monday due to the light winds in the morning.

At the conclusion of Stage One, the top 3 from each of the two groups advance to the Gold Group and automatically qualify for the Quarter Final and the next 3 from each group will sail in the Repechage. The top 2 from tomorrow's Repechage Round Robin will take the last two places in the Quarter Finals. Meanwhile the Gold Group will sail a round robin to determine the seeding of the Quarter Finals.

The first teams to move on came from Group B as Olivia Price (AUS), Lucy Macgregor (GBR), and Tamara Echegoyen (ESP) earned their spots in the Gold Group. The next 3, Claire Leroy (FRA), Stephanie Hazard (NZL), and Silja Lehtinen (FIN) will sail in the Repechage.

And at the end of the day it was Anna Tunnicliffe (USA), Sally Barkow (USA), and Mandy Mulder (NED) from Group A who topped the table and will go into the Gold Group. While Ekaterina Skudina (RUS), Silvia Roca (ESP), and Renee Groeneveld (NED) will have to continue to fight in the Repechage to try to earn a chance to move on.

Racing begins at 1000 tomorrow with the Repechage round Robins followed by a few flights of the Gold Round Robins.

Results after Day Two:

Stage 1 - Group A:
1. Anna Tunnicliffe, Molly Vandemoer, Debbie Capozzi - USA : 6 wins - 2 losses
2. Sally Barkow, Elizabeth Kratzig-Burnham , Alana O'Reilly - USA : 6 - 2
3. Mandy Mulder, Annemiek Bekkering , Merel Witteveen - NED : 5 - 3
4. Ekaterina Skudina, Elena Siuzeva, Elena Oblova - RUS : 5 - 3
5. Silvia Roca, Eva Gonzalez, Lara Cacabelos - ESP : 4 - 4
6. Renee Groeneveld, Annemiek Bes , Marcelien de Koning - NED : 4 - 4
7. Anna Kjellberg, Malin Källström , Lotta Harrysson - SWE : 2 - 6
8. Lotte Meldgaard, Susanne Boidin, Tina Gramkov - DEN : 2 - 6
9. Rita Gonçalves, Mariana Lobato, Diana Neves - POR : 1 - 7

Stage 1 - Group B:
1. Olivia Price, Nina Curtis, Lucinda Whitty - AUS : 7 wins - 1 loss
2. Lucy Macgregor, Annie Lush, Kate Macgregor - GBR : 6 - 2
3. Tamara Echegoyen, Angela Pumariega, Sofía Toro - ESP : 5 - 3
4. Claire Leroy, Elodie Bertrand, Marie Riou - FRA : 5 - 3
5. Stephanie Hazard, Jenna Hansen, Susannah Pyatt - NZL : 4 - 4
6. Silja Lehtinen, Silja Kanerva , Mikaela Wulff - FIN : 3 - 5
7. Genny Tulloch, Jennifer Chamberlin , Alice Manard Leonard - USA : 3 - 5
8. Silke Hahlbrock, Vera Dubina, Irina Lotsmanova - GER : 2 - 6
9. Stephanie Roble, Maggie Shea, Darby Smith - USA : 1 - 7

www.matchracingresults.com/2012/trofeo-princesa-sofia/

Light Winds off the Coast of Uruguay
After the busy build-up to the start of Global Ocean Race (GOR)Leg 4 from Punta del Este to Charleston, the four double-handed Class40 teams have made steady but slow progress over the first 24 hours along the coast of Uruguay led by Cessna Citation with the fleet spread over 15 miles.

Averaging under five knots just 13 miles from the coast at 16:00 GMT on Tuesday, Conrad Colman and Scott Cavanough are enjoying the comparatively relaxed sailing on Cessna Citation: "After the slightly manic 36 hours before the start it has actually been an idyllic start to the race as Scotty and I are still learning to sail with each other and slow speeds and light winds have made our first miles pass easily," reported Colman on Tuesday afternoon.

The New Zealand-Australian duo took the lead as the start line spectator fleet turned back towards Punta del Este on Monday afternoon, but the wind and speeds began to drop at 06:00 GMT on Tuesday.

Currently tied in second place, the South African duo of Nick Leggatt and Phillippa Hutton-Squire on Phesheya-Racing and the Italian-Slovak team of Marco Nannini and Sergio Frattaruolo on Financial Crisis are within hailing distance with the Dutch team of Nico Budel and Erik van Vuuren around nine miles further south with Sec. Hayai: "Now, almost 24 hours into the leg the four boats are still within sight of each other and we have occasionally even been able to shout across the water to Marco and Sergio," explained Nick Leggatt on Tuesday afternoon. Closest to the coast, Leggatt and Hutton-Squire are indulging in some sightseeing: "A few small hills are still visible to port, between Cabo Polonio and Punta Palmar, and as I write there is a hint of an easterly starting to blow," continues Leggatt.

globaloceanrace.com

Clipper Race Crew Member Hospitalised with Serious Injuries
Photo by Abner Kingman / onEdition. Click on image to enlarge.

Clipper Injury There were triumphant scenes in Oakland, California last night, when the Geraldton Western Australia entry made it to the marina, after 30 long days at sea. One of its evacuated crew, who was injured when the boat was hit by a 100 foot large wave in heavy seas on Saturday, has been diagnosed with numerous cracked ribs and vertebra, as well as a ruptured spleen. Jane Hitchins, a 50-year-old doctor from Kent, UK, was injured when a 100 foot wave hit the Geraldton Western Australia yacht in its Pacific Ocean crossing from Qingdao, China to San Francisco Bay.

After being taken of the US Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf in Alameda yesterday, Jane has now been examined by doctors. She has suffered numerous cracked ribs and vertebra in her lower back, and a ruptured spleen. None of these injuries are considered to be life threatening. Despite the extensive injuries, Jane is in very good spirits and is expected to make a full recovery.

Crew member Nik Brobora, a 29-year-old software engineer from London, UK, who was medevaced with Jane was discharged last night. While tender with a pelvic strain there are no other causes for concern.

Upon crossing the finish line by the Golden Gate Bridge, Juan Coetzer, skipper of the Geraldton Western Australia entry said, "It's been a very long trip, so I am really delighted to be here. Everyone that has helped us during the incident over the past days have been so friendly and helpful.

"After a great welcome last night, today we've started the work to get the Geraldton Western Australia boat in order, ready for race re-start from San Franscisco Bay on 14 April."

Geraldton Western Australia has been awarded tenth place in Race 9 of the world's longest yacht race, with the first nine having arrived over the past three days. Crew member Max Wilson, 62, a farmer from Queensland, Australia, is today getting his suspected broken ribs checked at hospital.

Mark Burkes, 47, from Worcestershire, UK, who was on the helm at the time of the incident, still has a sore back, but has been taken off the casualty list.

The entire ten-strong Clipper Round the World Yacht Race fleet is now in Jack London Square, Oakland, San Francisco Bay.

www.clipperroundtheworld.com

Seahorse May 2012
What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine

Design - Historic roots, devilish details
As the High Performance Rule proposal from the USA gently bubbles forwards Dobbs Davis looks at its chances of gaining wider traction

RORC news
Eddie Warden Owen

Seahorse build table - Absolute beauty
Roy Dunster is one of the lucky few to have already tasted the joys of Marström’s new M32

Olympic and small boat news - Bygone era
Mark Mendelblatt talks with Andy Rice about America’s growing Olympic sailing challenge

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Sam Pearson Wins First Round of the Royal Southern Academy Match Cup
Sam Pearson led from the front throughout Heat 1 of the Royal Southern Academy Match Cup held on the Solent in Laser SB3s on 31 March/1 April.  

Pearson, with Tristan Jaques on main and tactics and Tom Dawson trimming, booked his place in the 2012 Final with a perfect score of 10 wins and no losses in the Round Robins, and 2:0 in the final against Lucas Brun (BRA), Aleix Selles and George Collett.

In the hard-fought petit final, Charlotte Lawrence and her all-girl crew, Katie McKenzie, Lavinia Paternoster and Jody Sanders, prevailed 2:1 over Savage Sailing Team helmed by Chris Savage.  This could have gone either way as in the second match Charlotte charged over the line just a metre ahead of Chris as he unwound his penalty on the line.

All these teams are now invited to the Final on 23/24 June.  Heat 2 is on 14/15 April with another pre-event seminar on 13 April.  Early entrants include Ali Hall and Rob Gullan, last year's semi-finalists, and there are still two spaces free.  Pearson, who also won last year, will be the man to beat for the 'Bill Foulkes Aladdin's Cave' Trophy and a guaranteed entry into the RYA National Match Race Final.

www.royal-southern.co.uk

Running The Rhumblines
Space will be limited on the rigging lawn of the Whitsunday Sailing Club this weekend when they host the popular multi-class Easter Regatta.

Besides a strong entry from North Queensland clubs the competition to race on Pioneer Bay regarded among Australia's best championship racing venues has also attracted interest from sailors representing Brisbane and Sydney clubs.

Local Optimist dinghy skipper Eva Lorenz who recorded 8 wins in the 9 race championship last Easter will unfortunately miss the regatta as she will be representing Australia at the New Zealand Nationals.

This allows the opportunity for Brendan Hoffman who won the Optimist Silver Medal last year to steer his dinghy G-Wizz to a Gold Medal regatta result.

His recent form guide achieved from racing in generally strong winds suggests G-Wizz should be the class pacesetter.

Flag Officers and their willing team of happy volunteers are expecting another very competitive fleet of Optimists, Tasers, Lasers and speed sailing catamarans to duel for the 2012 class championships.

Brian Mears who just managed to keep the bow of his Taser On Ice in front of the equally well sailed Corsair Well Lay'd (Bruce Carter) to win their class championship is expecting to face another tactical arm wrestle when the sails are tensioned for title honours this weekend. On Ice has been a consistent performer in all winds while Bruce Carter has steered Well Lay'd to her best results in moderate to fresh winds which suggests the tactical separation will be decided on the strength of the wind velocity that prevails.

A 15-20 knot South East trade wind similar to that which blew over the Whitsunday Passage on Sunday (April 1st) would be perfect but Brian Mears and Bruce Carter will need to be prepared to select the best lifts from the knocks in the wind direction to set their individual tactical plan in place to win what is expected to become another close match race.

However Bruce Carter believes he has improved the overall boat speed during the past 12 months but he still has to prove that on the race course to finish the series with a Gold Medal winning result over the defending champion On Ice. -- Ian Grant

Oyster Regatta BVI
A fleet of 25 stunning examples of the Oyster range of yachts has gathered in the idyllic Caribbean setting of the British Virgin Islands for the 28th event in the Oyster Regatta series. The dockside at Nanny Cay Marina was a hive of activity today, as crews meticulously prepared their yachts for the Concours d'Elegance. The magnificent Oyster fleet has been given a very warm welcome by the team at Nanny Cay Marina, a glorious safe haven on the south western coast of Tortola, where the Oyster Customer Service team has been in attendance to assist the fleet for several days prior to the start of the regatta.

This event showcases 12 different examples of the distinctive Oyster range, from the Oyster 46 to the Oyster 82.

The Oyster BVI Regatta programme includes four races in the spectacular islands. Oyster regattas are organised exclusively for owners and their guests and besides well-managed racing, the fleet benefits from world-class customer service and technical support, provided by experienced Oyster staff and their regatta partners; Dolphin Sails, Formula Marine, Lewmar, Pantaenius, Pelagos Yachts, Raymarine, Reckmann and Yachting World.

The on the water action starts, Tuesday 3rd April with a race from Nanny Cay and finishing at Cane Garden Bay. -- Louay Habib

www.oystermarine.com

Les Voiles De St Barth: Back For More
On the eve of the third running of Les Voiles de St. Barth, April 2 7, the palm-fringed port of Gustavia, St. Barthlemy quickly filled with an impressive array of race boats: ocean-racing maxis including the 90-foot Rambler and the Swan 112, Highland Breeze; classic beauties such the Olin Stephen-designed Dorade and the Fife-built yawl Mariella; a trio of IRC 52s, multi-hulls including the 66 Gunboat Phaedo, and two large racing classes with a mix of Melges, J/boats, and a mix of 40-footers, including the hot-off-the-press Carkeek 40, Decision.

Over 60 boats are registered for this years edition, up fromwith a large number of returning entries, proof that the regatta has filled the need for spirited competition towards the end of the winter season a time when tourism typically begins to wind down in the Caribbean. Though that was hard to tell yesterday, at the islands tiny airport, as the steady stream of small commuter planes landing were filled with a duffle bag-wielding collection of sailors from the ranks of the Americas Cup, round-the-world-ocean races, and Olympic competition, that included Gavin Brady (Vesper), Scott Vogel (Rambler), Bouwe Bekking (Nilaya), Cam Lewis (Paradox), Charlie McKee and Ross MacDonald (Mayhem), Tony Rey, Jeff Madrigali, and Nacho Postigo (Powerplay), and Dee Smith (Decision).

Racing will run from Tuesday, April 3 Saturday, April 7 and will feature a mix of Olympic triangles, short coastal courses, and a 20-30 nautical mile round-the island race. The fleet will be split into seven classes: Maxi (> 21 meters), IRC52 (former TP52s that have been optimized for the IRC rule), Spinnaker I + II, Non-Spinnaker (racer/cruiser), Classic (vintage/traditional), and Multihull. Thursday is a layday at Nikki Beach, with lunch and a full afternoon of activities, including a paddleboard competition.

New this year, Les Voiles will offer real-time race tracking with 2D visualization via the internet. Waypoint-Tracking ( www.waypoint-tracking.com ) developed the system in close collaboration with ISAF. The site will allow enthusiasts to follow the daily racing action live or to replay at a later time.

The weather forecast for the next few days calls for light winds, though the breeze is expected to increase throughout the week. -- Sabina Mollart-Rogerson

www.lesvoilesdesaintbarth.com

Cutty Sark to Reopen Later This Month
Cutty Sark will open to the public later this month for the first time since fire almost destroyed the world's only remaining tea clipper five years ago.

A £50 million restoration project pieced the 143-year-old clippe together in Greenwich, London, utilising nearly 90 per cent of the ship's original fittings and fabric.

From a new glass-roofed visitor centre that has been built under the ship in the dry dock, visitors can see Cutty Sark from underneath for the first time.

Conservation work was already under way in May 2007 when a vacuum cleaner, left on-board overnight, caused the fire. This fortunately meant that much of the cabins, deck features and the mast and rigging were not on board when the blaze sparked.

It is hoped now that the vessel will survive for at least the next 50 years.

www.pbo.co.uk/news/531367/cutty-sark

Not Sailing...But Very Cool...
The physicist Stephen Hawking is trying out a device the size of a matchbox that is designed to allow him to communicate by merely thinking, David Ewing Duncan reports in Tuesday's New York Times.

The iBrain, as it is called, is part of a new generation of portable neural devices and algorithms intended to monitor and diagnose conditions like sleep apnea, depression and autism.

The researchers traveled to Dr. Hawking's offices in Cambridge, England, fitted him with the iBrain headband and asked him "to imagine that he was scrunching his right hand into a ball," Dr. Low said. The algorithm was able to discern Dr. Hawking's thoughts as signals, which were represented as a series of spikes on a grid.

Dr. Hawking has also worked with other inventors seeking to better elucidate his thoughts. Engineers at the semiconductor and computing giant Intel recently hooked up a customized computer to communicate with his cheek-reading infrared glasses, along with a voice synthesizer, a webcam for using Skype, and special monitors. Intel is developing new face-recognition software that can monitor subtle changes in expression and may help Dr. Hawking communicate more efficiently.

www.nytimes.com/2012/04/03/science/

Featured Brokerage
Featured Brokerage Boat 2009 Melges 32. EUR 129,500. Located In Helsinki, Finland.

"Manta" benefits from a road trailer specially designed and built for Melges 32, the trailer tilts the boat so the load is 2,55 meters wide. She also has mast which can be taken to two pieces for transports. She has North Sails racing set, most of the sails have been used 5-6 times so all in extremly good condition, everything shows as new with this boat.

She's ready for Melges 32 OD racing or having some fun with mixed fleet.

Brokerage through Vinces Oy: www.yachtworld.com/vinces/

Complete listing details and seller contact information at
uk.yachtworld.com

The Last Word
If you stop eating donuts you will live 3 years longer. It's just 3 more years that you want a donut. -- Lewis Black

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