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RS: X Medal Races
Four years of training, four years of dedication, four years of relentless hard work and it all came down to arguably one of the best medal races in history. The men's final reach separated bronze from fifth by barely a few board lengths whilst on the women's course, the podium continuously shuffled throughout the entire race.

France have emerged as the top nation from the Men's and Women's Windsurfing at Rio 2016. It all came good for the French on the final, critical day of Medal Races on the notoriously tricky Sugarloaf Mountain race course.

For Dorian van Rijsselberghe (NED) and Nick Dempsey (GBR) the men's Medal Race was a formality. The gold and silver medallists from London 2012 turned it on again for Rio and were another level above the rest of the fleet. In the early stages of the regatta, the British sailor had the legs on his Dutch rival, but gradually van Rijsselberghe found his form and stepped up another gear.

One of the leading contenders for the Women's RS:X, Stefania Elfutina (RUS), had a shocking start, being given a penalty turn for infringing Bryony Shaw (GBR) at the start line. Meanwhile Picon had not made the best of starts either, although she soon found a click of speed to move through the fleet to second by the first mark. However, Picon had to be careful because Peina Chen (CHN) had another gear downwind and shot up from sixth to second by the bottom of the first lap. China looked set to take the gold from France, but Picon held on in the light winds to the finish to secure the Olympic title, with Chen settling for silver. Despite her poor start Elfutina rallied to finish in seventh place and the 19-year-old just edged out the Medal Race winner Lillian de Geus (NED) for the bronze.

Final medal results:

RS: X Men
1. Dorian Van Russelberghe, NED, 25
2. Nick Dempsey, GBR, 52
3. Pierre Le Coq, FRA, 86
Full results

RS:X Women
1. Charline Picon, FRA, 64
2. Peina Chen, CHN, 66
3. Stefaniya Elfutina, RUS, 69
Full results

The Other Classes Continue...
As the RS:X fleets did battle in their Medal Races, the Finns, 470s, and Nacra 17 fleets continued their racing across Rio de Janeiro. Giles Scott (GBR) has won gold in the Finn with a race to spare. The reigning Olympic Champions in the Men's and Women's 470s are struggling to defend their titles. And the oldest sailor in the competition is showing his young Nacra 17 rivals the way round the track.

Heavyweight Men's One Person Dinghy - Finn

Giles Scott (GBR) won the gold medal in the Finn without needing to contest the Medal Race on Tuesday. The four-time and reigning World Champion was always expected to dominate the competition in Rio but where other favourites have faltered at this tricky venue, the Great Briton has delivered exactly what was expected of him. An eighth and second place from Sunday's races on the Niteroi course were sufficient to give him the winning margin.

Women's Two Person Dinghy - 470

Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie (NZL) won race six of the Women's 470 only to discover they had been UFD disqualified for crossing the start line too soon. Having already picked up a disqualification from race one, the reigning Olympic Champions now have a mountain to climb if they're to win a repeat gold.

Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark (GBR) continue to hold the lead, although the team now closest to them are the Americans four points back, Anne Haeger and Brian Provancha (USA). Third place is held by Tina Mrak and Veronika Macarol (SLO), although just a point behind are reigning World Champions Camille Lecointre and Helène de France (FRA) and a point further behind the French are Ai Kondo and Miho Yoshioka (JPN).

Men's Two Person Dinghy - 470

Sime Fantela and Igor Marenic (CRO) have extended their lead over arch-rivals Mat Belcher and Will Ryan (AUS). Once again, whatever the wildly variable conditions in Rio can throw at the Croatians, they seem to have an answer and today the result was 3,4 for Croatia, 8,10 for Australia. With an 11-point gap between them, Belcher will really need to turn it on for the final three qualifying races if he's to retain his Olympic crown.

London 2012 silver medallist Luke Patience (GBR) and his crew Chris Grube had a torrid time of the racing, picking up a UFD disqualification followed by a 20th place, which has dropped the British from third to tenth overall. This moves Panagiotis Mantis and Pavlos Kagialis (GRE) up to third.

Mixed Multihull - Nacra 17

Santiago Lange and Cecilia Carranza Saroli (ARG) have won the qualifying series in the Nacra 17 fleet after rounding off their scores with a second and first place. This means that Lange, the oldest competitor in the Olympic sailing competition at 57, holds a five point lead over Vittorio Bissaro and Silvia Sicouri (ITA) going into Tuesday's Medal Race. There are seven teams with a shot at gold, the others being AUT, AUS, NZL, SUI and FRA. Billy Besson and Marie Riou (FRA) couldn't follow up with the quite the stellar performance of the previous day, yet the four-time World Champions do have the slimmest of opportunities to come away with the Olympic title. That would be quite a turnaround after the week Besson has endured with his painful and debilitating back injury.

Podium Positions after Sunday's racing:

Laser Men
1. Tonci Stipanovic, CRO, 57
2. Tom Burton, AUS, 67
3. Sam Meech, NZL, 77
Full results

Laser Radial Women
1. Marit Bouwmeester, NED, 47
2. Anne-Marie Rindom, DEN, 55
3. Annalise Murphy, IRL, 57
Full results

Finn
1. Giles Scott, GBR, 32
2. Vasilij Zbogar, SLO, 56
3. Ivan Gaspic Kljakovic, CRO, 69
Full results

470 Men
1. Sime Fantela / Igor Marenic, CRO, 14
2. Mathew Belcher / Will Ryan, AUS, 25
3. Panagiotis Mantis / Pavlos Kagialis, GRE, 32
Full results

470 Women
1. Hannah Mills / Saskia Clark, GBR, 20
2. Annie Haeger / Biana Provancha, USA, 24
3. Lara Vadlau / Jolanta Ogar, AUT, 32
Full results

NACRA 17
1. Santiago Lange / Cecilia Carranza Saroli, ARG, 65
2. Vittorio Bissaro / Silvia Sicouri, ITA, 70
3. Thomas Zajac / Tanja Frank, AUT, 72
Full results

49er Men
1. Peter Burling / Blair Tuke, NZL, 15
2. Erik Heil / Thomas Ploessel, GER, 17
3. Lukasz Przybytek / Pawel Kolodzinski, POL, 32.6
Full results

49er FX Women
1. Jena Hansen / Katja Steen Salsov-Iversen, DEN, 12
2. Martine Grael / Kahena Kunze, BRA, 19
3. Alex Maloney / Molly Meech, NZL, 19
Full results

Racing on Monday for the 470 Men, 470 Women, Laser Radial Women (Medal Race), 49er FX Women, Laser Men (Medal Race), 49er Men

Scuttlebutt's Craig Leweck will be following the racing LIVE on World Sailing's Olympic Blog throughout Rio 2016. Follow LIVE here

World Sailing Olympic Website - www.sailing.org/olympics/rio2016/home.php

Spice It Up In Grenada At The Island Water World Grenada Sailing Week 30 Jan - 4 Feb 2017
The first Grenada Sailing Week (GSW) in 2013 built on the long history of keelboat racing in Grenada, which started in the 60's. Passionate sailors and committed marine industry players who pumped new energy into this regatta are fortunate to be supported by sponsors who understand the sport of sailing and the way it can showcase Grenada.

Title sponsor Island Water World

known as the chandlery that "keeps you sailing" has been instrumental in keeping both international and Caribbean boats racing in Grenada. With outlets in St Georges, St Davids and Carriacou, the company sponsors the event and some of its highly competitive yachts, e.g. Apero, best performing yacht and Die Hard, the winning J24 in 2016.

Associate Partner Grenada Tourism Authority has supported the GSW from its first year, recognizing the potential of this event to bring new and returning visitors to the Spice Isle of Grenada, Carriacou & Petite Martinique.

Mount Gay Rum is a favourite Race Day Sponsor, continuing their unfailing commitment to sailors in Grenada for many decades. The Mount Gay Rum Red Cap, symbol of sailing accomplishment, is in great demand and the rum that invented rum adds to the spirit of adventure sought by racing sailors.

Check the website www.grenadasailingweek.com and register and pay by 30 November 2016 to benefit from the US$90 early registration fee for 4 days of racing and 6 nights of parties!

A New Ocean Race
The first edition of the RORC Île d'Ouessant Race started from the Royal Yacht Squadron Line on Sunday and the fascinating course has attracted a wide variety of yachts racing under the IRC Rating system, as well as MOD 70 Trimarans and a clutch of Class40 ocean pocket-rockets. The 400-mile race has a simple course; Cowes - Wolf Rock - Ouessant - St Malo. However, the race has the potential for complex strategy.

The start will mirror the Rolex Fastnet Race and getting a good start in the Solent will be on the minds of every competitor. Playing the tide and wind along the South Coast of England offers many tactical options and once the fleet round Wolf Rock, the next leg is fully offshore to Ouessant, 120 miles away.

Also known as Ushant in English, Ouessant is the largest of a group of islands marking the most north-western point of France and the south-western point of the English Channel, as well as the southern point of the Celtic Sea. To the west there is no land mass until Nova Scotia, over 2000 miles away. From Ushant to Scilly 'tis thirty-five leagues, or so the British naval ditty 'Spanish Ladies' explains. The passage can be a rough one.

Ushant itself is a notorious maritime location. Guarded by five lighthouses, the area is prone to dense fog, frequent gales and Atlantic swell with up to nine knots of tide. Shipping lanes also form a man-made hazard and the RORC fleet must successfully round this infamous land mark. The Fromveur Passage, sometimes called St. Vincent's Channel, is a strait that lies between the island of Ushant and the Kereon lighthouse and is an area prone to big tidal rips and huge seas.

Having rounded Ushant, the RORC fleet competing in the Île d'Ouessant Race still have about 120 nautical miles to go along the Normandy coast, and if the fleet are inshore cheating the tide there are many rocks and sandbanks to negotiate and the tidal height for St Malo, around the finish time for the race, will be close to 10 metres.

Yellowbrick Tracking

rorc.org

Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week
High pressure, brilliant sun and a solid westerly breeze again delivered perfect conditions for the final day of Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week. The wind dipped briefly in strength to around 10 knots as a belt of thin cloud moved across the Solent around midday, before increasing to 15 knots with stronger gusts when the sun returned 30 minutes later.

The bulk of the White Group dayboat classes completed their series today. Nigel Grogan's Rehydrated had already won the Squib class with a day to spare, counting seven points from six races, a performance that also saw him win White Group overall. Emma Baker's Buccaneer won today's race, lifting her up to sixth overall, while a second and fourth for Duncan Grindley's Surprise and Martin Harrison's Hussar cemented their overall second and third places respectively.

With Martin Harrison having beaten Grogan in the Squib class in Monday's race by 88 seconds, the title of overall Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week winner again goes to Adam Gosling's JPK10.80 Yes!, who finished the regatta counting only first places in IRC Class 3.

The larger boats dominated the Sportsboat class results, with Malcolm Wootton's Farr 30 Pegasus Dekmarx winning with a day to spare. A win in today's race helped seal second overall for David and Kirsty Apthorp's J/88 J-Dream. Lloyd Thornburg's Farr 280 Fomo took third overall, four points behind J-Dream. Rob and Lucinda Mclean's Spider Pig headed the smaller boats in Sportsboat Division 2, ahead of two other 1720s, Tom Richardson's Premier Cru and Stephanie Merry's Midnight Cowboy.

Jack Davies' Yeti won today's race for the J/70 class, winning both his class and the Under 25 trophy. -- Rupert Holmes

Full results of all classes: www.aamcowesweek.co.uk

Fast40+ - Girls On Film & Otra Vez Celebrate At Cowes Week
Peter Morton's British Carkeek 40+ Girls on Film has won the inaugural FAST40+ Class at Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week. Bill Coates' Texan Ker 43 Otra Vez came from behind to win the last race of the series, securing second place overall, and the prestigious New York Yacht Club Challenge Cup. Sir Keith Mills' British Ker40+ Invictus was third overall and was the winner of the Royal Thames 1840 Trophy.

Glorious sunshine provided a sensational finale to racing at Cowes Week for the FAST40+ Class. A light breeze of ten knots from the southwest, developed into a westerly sea breeze, touching twenty knots by the end of the 22 mile race in the Eastern and Central Solent.

The FAST40+ Race Circuit continues with the prestigious One Ton Cup to be hosted by the Royal Southern Yacht Club, Hamble between 16-18th September 2016. The One Ton Cup is steeped in history and reputation in the world of yacht racing. Created by the Cercle de la Voile de Paris (Paris Yacht Club) back in 1899. Hamble Yacht Services who will be the Presenting Partner for the event.

Final top five:
1. Girls On Film, Peter Morton, 11 points
2. Otra Vez, William Coates, 13
3. Invictus, Sir Keith Mills, 14
4. Pace, Johnny Vincent, 32
5. Tokoloshe II, Michael Bartholomew, 35

www.fast40class.com

Electrifying!
You no longer need to be a sandal-wearing eco-warrior to run your sailboat free of fossil fuels

For the performance-conscious racing sailor there are now real advantages to be gained by letting an electric motor take care of both the driving and recharging requirements of your yacht. Time wasted at the filling station becomes a thing of the past and, of course, there are the fiscal benefits of virtually zero running costs.

At its base in Vantaa, Oceanvolt has spent over 10 years developing the latest generation of electric motors and accompanying shaft and saildrive units - patented, custom gear, specifically designed and built for the marine environment.

One of the new features of Oceanvolt's set-up is the engine and its propeller being used not only to drive the vessel, but for battery charging too. Compared with transom hydrogenerators, seen on the Imoca 60s in the last Vendee Globe, using the engine propeller for charging offers significant advantages; unfolded, the main propeller is substantially larger and so can generate more power in less time. It is also more likely to remain immersed.

www.seahorsemagazine.com

Anna Ostling Wins Lysekil Women's Match
After five years of Danish triumph in Lysekil Women's Match, local hope Anna Ostling finally sailed to a very longed-for success. With the smallest of margins she pushed herself past Stephanie Roble, USA, right before finishing the very last finale match.

Anna Ostling and her crew kicked off their Saturday in Lysekil by quite easily defeating reigning World Champion Lotte Meldgaard 3 - 0 in their semi final. World #1 Camilla Ulrikkeholm Klinkby started with two straight victories over Stephanie Roble in the other semi final/

The Swedish defeated Roble in the first match of the finals. But the Americans broke back in the second match, leading the final and deciding match all the way from the start and almost until the finish. With a little help from a generous puff, and with a nothing but perfectly executed gybe, the Swedes could pass just a few boat lengths from the finishing line. In a millimetre drama accompanied by loud cheering from their home supporters on the cliffs, Ostling & Co beat Roble, to secure their first and very longed-for triumph in Lysekil Women's Match

The next event on the 2016 WIM Series is the Women's Match Racing World Championship & Buddy Melges Challenge in Sheboygan, USA, September 20 - 25.

Final results:

1. Anna Ostling, SWE, 25 points
2. Stephanie Roble, USA, 22
3. Camilla Ulrikkeholm Klinkby, DEN, 20
4. Lotte Meldgaard, DEN, 18
5. Caroline Sylvan, SWE, 16
6. Pauline Courtois, FRA, 14
7. Alexa Bezel, SUI, 12
8. Johanna Bergqvist, SWE, 10
9. Sanna Hager, SWE, 8
10. Marinella Laaksonen, FIN, 7

www.wimseries.com

Jean Le Cam Has Relaunched His Boat
On Thursday 11th August in Port-la-Forêt, after a long spell in the yard, Jean Le Cam relaunched the IMOCA 60, aboard which he is doing his utmost to be able to compete in his fourth Vendee Globe, the race of his life.

But with less than three months to go to the start in Les Sables d'Olonne, he still needs to find one or more partners.

"In the last Barcelona World Race (the double-handed round the world race, won with Bernard Stamm), I noted down all the little details that could be changed on the boat. It was a long list, but we worked well with the few means at our disposal. We cut back the daggerboards, changed the engine, replaced the electronics and electrics from top to bottom, checked out the mast and keel... During the Barcelona, the mast track snapped off three times. That gets you thinking... So, we fitted a new track. We also went to Karver hooks for all the headsails. We got rid of everything that was hydraulic on the boat and repainted her. We carried out a thorough refit removing all the unnecessary items from the IMOCA, which has been in the hands of many owners since her first launch. We managed to save 350kg."

Full interview: www.vendeeglobe.org

Featured Brokerage

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Perfectly ready to race, with traliercontainer,
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Twice Centomiglia and Gorla Winner,
Bol ' 7th, Blaues Band Bondensee 4th.
Sailed only on Lakes

Details

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mobile +39 335 6254900

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C40-HPR 12.2m - NEW BOAT

Another one for the nascent Fast 40s. Particular attention has been paid to developing a hull form that planes downwind easily but that also delivers a competitive performance in light air.

The latest boat will shortly head to the UK for Peter Morton

Details

Contact
Carkeek Design Partners
+34 638 191 068
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2009 JUMPA LAGI. 195,000 EUR. Located in North West France.

The racing yacht JUMPA LAGI, POGO 2 from the famous shipyard STRUCTURE has proven track record on the coveted Open 40 circuit. Fast in all aspects, the 40 S, which was designed by the renowned architectural firm FINOT, is a more accomplished model and provides high versatility in terms of performance.

Details

Contact
Tel : +33 (0)4 67 66 39 93
email :
Web : www.bernard-gallay.com

See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/

The Last Word
I think we can all look forward to the time when these three theories are given equal time in our science classrooms across the country, and eventually the world; one third time for Intelligent Design, one third time for Flying Spaghetti Monsterism, and one third time for logical conjecture based on overwhelming observable evidence. -- Bobby Henderson

Editorial and letter submissions to

Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: or see www.scuttlebutteurope.com/advertise.html