Brought to you by Boats.com Europe, 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 Williams and Berntsson On Top in St. Moritz Double match racing World Champion Williams came into St. Moritz following back-to-back wins in Portugal and Sweden. Key scalps for his team today included early wins over Pierre Antoine Morvan (FRA) Extreme Team Morbihan and Eric Monnin (SUI) Oklays Corum Sailing Team. Those points set the tone for his day with further big wins over the French Match Racing Team duo of Richard and Damien Iehl. A 4-0 scoreline soon became 5-0 after a resounding win in his final race against Jesper Radich (DEN) Adrian Lee & Partners. Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team will be buoyed not only with his unbeaten scoreline but also by the teams he defeated and manner in which he achieved it. Against both Phil Robertson (NZL) WAKA Racing and Torvar Mirsky (AUS) The Wave Muscat, he came from behind to take the spoils. For Richard, two of his four defeats came at the hands of fellow countrymen Iehl and Pierre Antoine Morvan in his opening two races. Williams dispatched him in the next match after which he rallied his team to take a much-needed win against Radich. Any sense of relief was premature though as his team signed off the opening day with a further defeat to Eric Monnin. Standings after the First Qualifying Session: Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar 5-0 Live coverage begins Thursday September 1sr from 1400 to 1600 local time (GMT +2) at www.wmrt.com. Catch the preview of the second Qualifying Session on The WMRT Morning Show with Hannah White at www.wmrt.com from 1100 local time (GMT +2) and a review of the day on The WMRT Today Show after racing finishes. Gold Coast Australia Wins Clipper Second Stage Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Gold Coast Australia has won Race 2 of the Clipper 11-12 Round the World Yacht Race from Madeira to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, crossing the finish line in Guanabara Bay today at 0407 local time (0707 UTC) after 19 days racing across the Atlantic Ocean. In a highly tactical contest between the teams racing the ten 68-foot yachts, the crew of Gold Coast Australia emerged victorious. The pivotal moment in their first transatlantic race was their decision to take a route directly through the middle of the Cape Verde Islands, off the coast of Africa, utilising the funnel-like effect of the islands on the wind to catapult them through the centre of the archipelago and out the other side into a position of strength. Paying tribute to his crew, who will pick up their second yellow winners‟ pennant at the Race 2 prize-giving ceremony in Rio de Janeiro next week, skipper, Richard Hewson, said, "I'm very proud, the crew have performed really well, they‟ve been fantastic. We‟ve played all our tactics as we said we would." The Tasmania-based yachtsman continues, "There were a few parts of the course where we just went from one side to the other just trying to cover the rest of the fleet in the first half of the race but we timed crossing the Doldrums really perfectly - only had about four hours of the Doldrums experience - and then we were off again. We‟ve had some brilliant downwind sailing and then coming in here this morning, it was just phenomenal. We got to enjoy it for a bit longer than we were expecting as the wind died just outside the harbour but to be here now...words can‟t describe it. I can‟t wait to explore Rio and I actually can‟t wait to start the next race! Bring it on!" Race 3 from Rio de Janeiro to Cape Town starts on Saturday 10 September at 1400 local time (1700UTC). Folkboat Week The 46th Folkboat Week, hosted by the Royal Solent Y.C. and sponsored by Lymington Yacht Haven, saw record numbers of Folkboats gathered in Yarmouth harbour during the last week of August. Traditionally the highlight of the Folkboat season in the Solent this year proved to be extra special for several reasons. The Association celebrates its 50th Anniversary. 46 boats entered, 35 in the Open (Nordic) division and 11 in the Cruiser division. The weather, although mixed, enabled a full programme of races to be completed, something that has not happened for a good few years. Ashore in the evening more members attended the daily social events, which culminated on Saturday evening when 110 members & guests sat down to the prizegiving dinner at the Royal Solent Y.C. and afterwards were entertained by Vice-Chairman Christine Webster, who with ruthless wit, examined in verse the foibles and mistakes of the whole fleet. Afloat two boats stood out at the head of the Open (Nordic) class. Stuart Watson's 'Crackerjack' and Jeremy Austin's 'Tak' have spent most of this season fighting for honours at either club or national level and this week was to be no exception. Although as not clear cut the Cruiser division also became a contest between two boats, both of them 'visitors' from the eastern Solent. Colin Eales sailing 'Mistress' had a string of five wins in the middle of the week and this was enough to see off the challenge from Susan Rutter's 'Folkdance' helmed by Lyn Evans. However Susan had her revenge on Wednesday when she took both the Ladies' and Crews' prizes ahead of Jenny Wilks sailing 'Yo-Ho of Wight' (FB 1). Wednesday evening also saw the arrival from Poole of Mike Martyn-Jones's recently restored Folkboat 'Sandmartyn' afloat for the first time in several years. Overall Results 1. Tak, Jeremy Austin / Royal Lymington, 14 points Cruiser Division - 11 entries - Top 4 1. Mistress, Colin Eales, Portsmouth, 8 points Full results: www.royalsolent.org Folkboat UK Congratulates the Folkboat Week Winners Folkboat Week 2011 showed exactly why this seventy-year-old class is in such great health; affordable, competitive, accessible to beginners but still exciting for experienced sailors, the Folkboat offers everything. Folkboats UK, which sponsored one of the week's evening celebrations, recently announced its first ever, annual boat show to coincide with Southampton Boat Show on 16th September. The show will be held at its premises near Lymington from 10th to 25th September 2011. The show will run daily from 9am to 5pm. Visit www.folkboats.co.uk or email for more information. ISAF Team Racing Worlds The ISAF Team Racing World Championship commenced in Schull, Ireland with twenty teams battling it out in the Youth and Open Championship. Teams from Australia, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Spain, Thailand and the USA are all in the Irish Village for the Championship and locals greeted them on Sunday in traditional manner with a parade of nations. Twelve teams contest the ISAF Open Team Racing World Championship and eight compete for the Youth Championship. The first day of full competitive racing took place in perfect conditions with a strong easterly breeze, which gradually swung southeast, allowing for a full round robin of 96 scheduled races to be completed on the day. At this early stage of competition, the top four places in the Open Championship are occupied by American and British teams. The American first team, NYCC Team Extreme, this year's winners of the Wilson Trophy British Open Team Racing Championship, dominated exchanges with ten wins from eleven races. Two British teams, the British University Sailing Association (BUSA) team and West Kirby Hawks share the second and third spots with nine wins from ten races and USA team, The Rockets from Newport, Rhode Island, are in fourth place on the round robin table. In the Youth section of the event, the Spanish team showed their strength on the first day, winning all their races until defeated by the Irish Youth Champions, Schull Community College, in their final race. This resulted in both these teams jointly topping the table at the the end of the first day's racing. The World Youth Finals take place on Saturday and World Open Finals and Prizegiving Ceremony on Sunday 4 September. Full results at www.schull2011.com Zhik Laser SB3 UK National Championships Congratulations to Joe Llwellyn, Nigel Wakefield and Ben Vines on Henri Lloyd - Forelle Estates, winners of the 2011 ZHIK UK Laser SB3 National Championships which concluded on Tuesday at the Royal Southern Yacht Club, Hamble. Racing on the final day of the Championships was abandoned due to the wind conditions. With less than 4 knots of steady pressure, Race Officer Tony Lovell abandoned racing to ensure a fair result for the event. Had a 10th race been run in poor conditions, a second discard would have been applied to the fleet's results. Joe Llwellyn wins the Laser SB3 UK National Championships for a second time, having previously won the event in Largs with Jerry Hill in 2008. Ben Vines replaced Jerry "Pasty" Vigus who is recovering from surgery having dislocated his shoulder in the penultimate race at the 2011 World Championships in Torquay. Henri Lloyd - Forelle Estates were also winners of the "Best New Comer" trophy as Joe owns and helms his own Laser SB3 for the first time in the 2011 National Championships. However, being the gentlemen that they are, they passed their prize to second placed best new comers Doug Paton, Matthew Thomas and Roddy Anderson on Superfly who travelled from Glasgow to compete. Ray Davies, Ray Newman and Graham Bridle on healthyone.co.uk won the "Salty Sea Dog" prize awarded to the best placed crew with an average age of 50 years plus. -- Katie Ashworth Final top five: Full results: lasersb3.com Trophee Clairefontaine Michel Desjoyeaux's skills are sharp: with two Vendee Globe under his belt, the "Champion of Champions" of 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2007 took up intensive competition once again at the beginning of the season in a D35 catamaran. Pascal Bidegorry currently holds the crewed transatlantic crossing record and the 24 Hour Distance record earned on the Banque Populaire V giant trimaran. He placed third at La Grande Motte in 2010 and is also aiming for victory this year Loïck Peyron and Franck Cammas will not be competing this year. Peyron is currently in England on the new AC45 competition circuit preparing for the America's Cup, while Cammas is preparing for the Volvo Ocean Race, an around-the-world race for crewed yachts setting out from Spain at the end of October. Australian Darren Bundock arrives at La Grande Motte with two Olympic silver medals under his belt won aboard Tornado (an Olympic catamaran), and no fewer than fourteen world championship titles won on catamarans. Nicolas Charbonnier, bronze medalist in the Men's 470 class at the Beijing Summer Olympics, will be competing in the Trophee Clairefontaine for the fourth time. Armel Le Cleac'h, two-time winner of the Solitaire du Figaro (2003 and 2010) and runner-up at the last Vendee Globe, has sailed the Trophee Clairefontaine several times as a crew member, and last year as a champion. Placing seventh in 2010, he's eager for a comeback in 2011. François Gabart was a member of Michel Desjoyeaux's crew last year. This season, he's taking part as the French Solo Offshore Racing Champion. He raced in the Tornado early in his career. Jean-Pierre-Dick is making his comeback to the Trophee Clairefontaine this year, thanks to his second victory at the Barcelona World Race and his 2010 IMOCA Championship title. Jeremie Beyou, two-time winner of the Solitaire du Figaro (2005 and 2011), will lend support as an elite crew member. Finally, Roland Jourdain arrives at La Grande Motte thanks to his two placing performances in the Route du Rhum in the IMOCA monohull open 60 class (2006 and 2010). Seahorse September 2011 Paul Cayard Olympic and small boat news - Solid gold If you haven't subscribed to Seahorse already we're keen to help you attend to that! - Please use the following promotional link and enjoy the hefty Scuttlebutt Europe discount... and it gets even better for 2 and 3 year subscriptions... WMRT Launches Interactive Magazine The e-zine, called Match Racing 360°, is a digest of match racing events from all round the world, and of all grades from world-status to club level. Match Racing 360° will reach out to and bring together the international match racing community through its attractive and accessible digital platform. There are thousands of match racing events out there - Match Racing 360° wants to give them a voice. The quarterly interactive e-zine offers a mix of the latest news from events around the globe, in-depth features and comment and analysis from some of the biggest names in match racing, enhanced by embedded videos and links. The launch issue includes reflections on the America's Cup World Series from one of the sport's biggest stars Brad Butterworth, match racing legend Magnus Holmberg on the importance of educating youngsters in match racing, an insight into the world of blind match racing and a spotlight focus on the Swedish match racing mecca of Marstrand. Match Racing 360° will be available as a browser version for those who want to read it on a PC or laptop, with a mobile application for download through the World Match Racing Tour's iTunes channel currently in development. Check out the first edition of Match Racing 360° here: Short Tacks Restrictions: Winner is responsible for their own travel and accommodations. Only one winner. Ends October 15th. Winner Announced October 15th. ----------------------------------------------- In the Farr 30 Class's 15-year history, there has never been a World Championship in the most famous big-air venue in America; San Francisco. Thanks to Farr 30 Class President and Groovederci skipper Deneen Demourkas and the St. Francis Yacht Club, that's all about to change. The fleet will be based out of the Brickyard Cove Marina in Pt. Richmond for measurement, the Pre-Worlds hosted by the SFYC, and a prizegiving barbecue hosted by Quantum Sails. The Grand Prix fleet will then move to the StFYC, racing as part of the legendary Rolex Big Boat Series on September 8th to 11th. The Farr 30 Class will be providing live updates from the racecourse throughout the Pre-Worlds and World Championship. ----------------------------------------------- The finale of the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge North American Circuit returns to Newport, RI for the Museum of Yachting (MoY) Classic Yacht Regatta on September 3rd and 4th. The long awaited annual event, sponsored by Officine Panerai, brings enthusiastic vintage and classic yacht owners and skippers to Narragansett Bay. There they will compete in the final stage of the North American Circuit of the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge This year marks the 32nd annual running of this classic Newport event. On Friday, September 2nd, Panerai will kick off the weekend with a festive opening night celebration at the MoY's waterfront home at Fort Adams State Park. Sunday morning, a new tradition begins - for the first time, Officine Panerai is pleased to host a casual morning meet and greet between local sailing devotees and the captains and crews of the competing crafts. "Cappuccino with the Captains" will offer community residents an inside look into the dedication, commitment and tireless effort of those participating in the PCYC this year. It will also give the crews an opportunity to connect over their shared passion for classic wooden boats before immersing themselves into the competitive racing activities off the coast of Newport. Featured Brokerage With a beautiful Grey hull, this Elan 37 Performance has been spared no expense by present owner to bring her up to present condition with all the 'go faster' kit, upgraded pulleys and a superb sail wardrobe for the owners cruising pleasure. Lightweight bulkheads, and an unending list of modifications complements this superbly equipped fast cruiser. With beautiful teak wood furnishings, complemented with blue upholstery, this Elan 37 is truly a must see boat. Opening Lewmar side windows give a light and airy feel to the saloon and with large bathroom with pressurised hot and cold water and shower. Also included on this Elan 37 are Electric bilge pump; teak gratings; Wet weather gear storage; Folding racing propeller; 3 batteries with split isolaters and charging 220v circuit; shore power and battery charger; Electric anchor winch 700 watt lofrans. 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