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The Race for the Tradewinds
It's crunch time for the Volvo Ocean Race crews as they prepare to punch through a weather front that stands between them and the sought-after trade winds that will catapult them towards Miami.

"Today's the big day really. The first boat into the trades has a pretty major advantage -- you can extend for quite a long time and be quite hard to catch" - Tom Addis, PUMA

Whichever team best navigates the light winds of the cold front and reaches the trades first will hold a huge advantage over their rivals as they rocket north at speeds of more than 20 knots -- and any losses made over the initial days of Leg 6 will become brutally clear.

After overhauling CAMPER and Abu Dhabi as they struggled in lighter airs overnight, PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG looked strongest as the fleet approached the front currently blocking their path.

But with Telefónica and Groupama shaving miles off the leaders from their more offshore position, the pressure was on to get through as quickly as possible without losing miles to any other team.

Volvo Ocean Race chief meteorologist Gonzalo Infante said the cold front was narrower in the east, ahead of Telefónica and Groupama, and wider in the west in front of CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand and Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing.

The dilemma could force CAMPER and Abu Dhabi to head offshore from their current positions around 90 miles off the coast of Brazil, costing them precious miles.

volvooceanrace.com

No Vendee Globe For Liz Wardley
Jean-Baptiste Dejeanty's sailing team, officially announced on February 1st that Liz Wardley would compete in the next Vendee Globe. It was a dream come true for the young yachtswoman. Unfortunately, the dream soon became a nightmare. Despite signed contracts, positive announcements and press conferences, the sponsor did not keep his promises. There was no financial contribution on his part and therefore no boat, which led Liz Wardley to terminate the contract as her official notice had remained unanswered. Today, with seven months to go before the round-the-world race starts, the sad reality is dawning on Liz Wardley : "The project is dead, I'm not doing the Vendee Globe anymore."

Liz, during the March 9 press conference in La Roche-sur-Yon, Sensation Sailing Team officially introduced your sponsor for the upcoming Vendee Globe. A month later, you are issuing a statement saying the project is dead. What happened?

"Well, during the initial press conference, I already had serious doubts about the credibility of the project. Sensation Sailing Team has already been waiting two months for the first financial transfers and nothing was happening, which was making it difficult for us to purchase the boat. The person representing the sponsor always had a very good excuse to explain the delay. That press conference had been called by the sponsor so contractually, I had no choice but to attend and I couldn't say anything. After that, nothing changed and I terminated the contract with the sponsor after formally demanding him to respect his part of the deal, which remained unanswered. I am speaking today to explain my situation and express my anger."

In December 2011, when Jean-Baptiste Dejeanty told me the partner he had found wanted to sponsor another yacht and he asked me if i was interested, I thought it was a joke at first... And then it all went very fast. A week later, we visited a boat and the sponsor asked us to make an offer on it. Immediately after that, I met with the representative of the sponsor and a few days later, I signed a three-year contract. In the end of January, as requested by the sponsor, Sensation Sailing Team asked me to let the Vendee Globe organization I was going to enter the race and we made it official through a press release.

We never received the money we had been promised. We were lied to, period. I say "we" because Jean-Baptiste and his Sensation Sailing Team had to face the same issue. I don't blame them, they also had very good reasons to believe what was happening! As I said, the contracts between us and the sponsor had to be terminated. I don't even want to talk about the people who did that to us, I don't want to dignify their actions with comments. All I can say is that I'm enraged."

* Editor: Liz and the Vendee website may not want to name the "sponsor" but Jean-Baptiste Dejeanty, Sensation Sailing Team (and your humble narrator) have no such qualms: it's the Swiss LPG (Luxury Prestige Group).

www.sensation-sailingteam.com

The Hong Kong Sailing Federation (Hksf) Is Looking To Fill The Following Position
Coaching Director. The position of Coaching Director is a new appointment in the national authority's organisation. The successful candidate will be required to assume total responsibility for reviewing, modifying and updating, where proved appropriate, the Federation's current policies and procedures in respect of programmes for Dinghy Instructor training, Elite Athlete and Racing Coach training, Youth Squads and Safety at Sea Survival certification courses. Knowledge of and the ability to teach the HK PVOL course are also preferable.

The Coaching Director will thereafter assume responsibility for organising and overseeing the aforesaid programmes, including conducting inspections of Recognized Teaching Centres in Hong Kong.

Applicants for this post are expected to be well experienced sailors and holders of valid and suitable qualifications (equivalent to RYA qualifications) to function effectively in the following aspects:

(1) as a qualified Coach in varies disciplines which shall include, but is not limited to,
Dinghy, Keelboat, Multihull, Power Boat etc;
(2) as a qualified Personal Watercraft Trainer;
(3) as a qualified Teaching Centre Inspector;
(4) as a qualified Sea Survival Instructor;
(5) as a qualified First Aid Instructor;

and must have extensive experience in dinghy instructor training, elite athlete training and development of youth squads in varies dinghy classes.

Interested applicants shall send their application with full CV details and expected salary to for consideration on or before 11 May 2012.

Only shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend an interview. If you receive no reply by 8 June 2012, you may consider your application unsuccessful.

Initial Invitations to 2012 Argo Group Gold Cup Issued
Hamilton Bermuda: The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club has issued invitations for the 2012 Argo Group Gold Cup. Automatic invitations went to the nine Alpari World Match Racing Tour Card Holders. Another 13 invitations went to a selection of top sailors in the ISAF Match Race 'Open' Rankings, to some past participants in the Gold Cup and to up-and-coming skippers on the match racing scene.

The 24-team format of the Argo Group Gold Cup is unique on the Alpari World Match Racing Tour. Nine of the team slots are available for Tour Card Holders, three are selected from qualifying events - the Knickerbocker Cup and the Detroit Cup in the USA, and the Bermuda National Match Race Championship. The remaining slots are filled by application and invitations issued by the Gold Cup Committee.

Tour Card Holders for 2012 include Johnie Berntsson (SWE), Simone Ferrarese (ITA), Peter Gilmour (AUS), Bjorn Hansen (SWE), Laurie Jury (NZL), Pierre-Antoine Morvan (FRA), Phil Robertson (NZL), Keith Swinton (AUS) and Ian Williams (GBR). Former Gold Cup champions on the additional list include Ben Ainslie (GBR), Torvar Mirsky (AUS), Jesper Radich (DEN), and Mathieu Richard (FRA).

The deadline for acceptance by the initial group is May 14th. After this date, the Tour Card Holder's entry in the event will not be guaranteed. The selection committee will then consider additional ranked skippers and other applicants to be invited to fill all the available slots.

Racing for the 2012 Argo Group Gold Cup starts October 2nd and the finals are scheduled for October 7th.

The Argo Group Gold Cup is the 8th and penultimate stage of the Alpari World Match Racing Tour where the teams compete for the ISAF Match Racing World Championship. Match racing for The King Edward VII Gold Cup is recognized as one of the classic events on the Alpari World Match Racing Tour. -- Talbot Wilson

wmrt.com

Stepping Up the Pace for Warsash Spring Series and Championship
Photo by Eddie Mays, www.eddiemays.com. Click on image for photo gallery.

Warsash Spring Series It was a busy weekend for Warsash Sailing Club on 21st/22nd April when Saturday racing for the Spring Championship was added to the penultimate gathering of the Spring Series the next day. New entries had also come in resulting in over 190 boats out on the water enjoying a range of weather conditions.

The Warsash Spring Championship offers an intense schedule of four days' racing for selected classes. This year all IRC1 and IRC2 boats are eligible as well as Farr 45 and J/109 one designs. Sportsboats include Laser SB3, J/80 and Quarter-ton classes. Sections are also included for Brewin Dolphin Commodore's Cup triallists with an entry of 17 boats ranging from Cobra (Michael Blair - King 40) to Mike Moxley's HOD35 Malice, well known on the Solent circuit, and the J/109s Yeoman of Wight and Diamond Jem. The planned programme aims at 12 races for Black Group and 14 for White Group. The results of every race count towards the final placings.

The forecast 5 knots did not materialise in the morning and everyone waited for the wind until around 1130. When the breeze arrived it was in the 8/10 knot range west/southwesterly to westerly but shifty.

Conditions Sunday morning were bright and sunny with a forecast for increasing wind and squally showers.

Next weekend has the grand finale on 28th/29th April with a full schedule of racing over the weekend which sees the conclusion of both events in the Warsash Spring Series and Spring Championship Powered by SLAM. -- Flavia Bateson

Warsash Spring Series, Provisional results Week 5, 22nd April 2012

IRC1 Race 5 and 6 - Tokoloshe - King 40 - Michael Bartholomew
IRC2 Races 5 and 6 - Premier Flair - Elan 410 - Jim Macgregor
IRC3 - Elaine - Elan 37 - Mike Bridges
IRC4 - Prospero - Sigma 33 - Allan Fraser
J/Sprit - McFly - J/97 - Tony Mack
J/109 - Outrajeous - Richard & Valerie Griffith
Sigma 38 - Mefisto - Kevin Sussmilch
J/80 Races 13 and 15 - J2x - Rob Larke
J/80 Race 14 - Boats.com - Ian Atkins
Laser SB3 Race 13 - Eau No! - Mark Stokes
Laser SB3 Race 14 - 3 Sad Old Blokes - Jerry Hill
Laser SB3 Rac 15 - Team Russia - Oleg Zherebtsov

Warsash Spring Championship, Provisional overall results, Days 1 and 2

Farr 45 - Alice 2 - Simon Henning
IRC1 - Tokoloshe - King 40 - Michael Bartholomew
IRC2 - Winston - First 40 - Winston First 40 Charters
J/109 - Jahmali - Mike and Sarah Willis
Quarter ton - Espada - Louise Morton
J/80 - J2x - Rob Larke
Laser SB3 - Team Russia - Oleg Zherebtsov
CC Combined1 - Eaujet - Archambault A35 - Mike West

www.warsashspringseries.org.uk

Oracle Racing To Train In New Zealand In 2013
ORACLE Racing plans to begin 2013 off the coast of the Northland region of New Zealand as it prepares to defend the America's Cup in September 2013.

At the beginning of 2013 ORACLE Racing will prepare its defense of the America's Cup off the coast of the Northland region of New Zealand.

ORACLE Racing will stage its training program out of Northport, New Zealand's newest port facility located at Marsden Point, Northland.

Northport is a deep-water commercial port situated at the entrance to Whangarei Harbour, making it the northernmost multi-purpose port in New Zealand. The nearby city of Whangarei is among the 12 largest in New Zealand with a population estimated at more than 52,000.

The locale was selected for reasons including its close proximity to Core Builders Composites in Warkworth, about an hour's drive to the south. CBC is building many of the key components for ORACLE Racing's two AC72 wingsail catamarans.

Northport also has ample shore space and easy access to open waters, where the team can test its two AC72's. ORACLE Racing's training is scheduled to begin mid-January 2013 and run through the end of April.

www.americascup.com

Volvo Cup D-One
Photo by Tosca Zambra. Click on image to enlarge.

D-One Lerici, Italy: Two fantastic days of sailing and fun in Lerici for the Volvo Cup D-One opening event organized by Media Vip, Devoti Sailing and Circolo Vela Erix. A well trained fleet of 16 boats from 3 countries showed big improvement after the winter training to race the complete 4-race program.

Hungarian Balasz Tomai, former Laser and now Melges 24 sailor, took the event winning race 3 and the final double-point race after a hearth-breaking duel against argentinian Agustin Zabalua (RCNV, Valencia).

Third was Beppe Pontremoli (Yacht Club Italiano, Genoa), first italian sailor in the fleet. SSW wind from 12 to 18 knots, with 1,5 meter waves, gave the fleet lot of fun and excitement. Next event of the Volvo Cup D-One will be in Bracciano Lake, close to Rome, on May 26-27. The 2012 D-One Gold Cup will be held in Alassio next October from the 12nd to the 14th.

www.devoti-one.com

An Easter Rescue
Over Easter a boat sank off the coast of southern Australia while competing in an offshore race. This report (link below) was written from the account provided by the skipper of the rescuing yacht. Winds in the race ended up being far in excess of what was forecast, with a long period of 40 - 50 knots and gusts to 70 knots with huge seas. Two hours prior to the boat sinking, the boat's liferaft had been washed off the deck, and with no boats in close proximity, the six crew had to abandon ship into the cold waters of Bass Strait and spent two hours tethered together waiting for rescue by another yacht. All crew members were picked up safely with the only injury being one crew member suffering mild hypothermia.

The rescuing boat had only four on board, and most were very inexperienced in ocean racing, but the story of how they found the crew in the middle of the night, and how they subsequently got them on board in 40+ knot winds and huge seas makes interesting reading. While we all do lots of coures and read the "theory" of how to undertake rescue operations, practical experience invariably provides us with valuable lessons. There is an official investigation under way and no doubt the report from this inquiry will build on this first hand account. The crew of the rescuing boat have been widely praised for their navigation skills and seamanship in the rescue.

www.dunoon.com.au

Industry News
Nottingham based clothing company Gill has earned the Queen's Award for Enterprise after building its export sales to 75% of total revenue in the financial year ending September 2011.

Founded in 1975, the company grew from humble beginnings in the corner of a Long Eaton lace factory to become one of the top three technical sailing clothing brands in the world today.

Gill has also just been confirmed as the technical clothing sponsor to the Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week for a further three years.

The product range today is wide ranging, catering for all types of sailing and marine use from the dinghy sailor to round the world ocean racers. The recent emphasis has been on the keelboat racing sector and clothing for warmer climates to suit the growing export business.

www.boatingbusiness.com

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The Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club (RHKYC) and Royal Skandia, a leading offshore life assurance provider, has announced the continuation of its 5-year sponsorship agreement. The ongoing association with Royal Skandia will enable RHKYC to continue its efforts promoting sailing to its members and the wider community and increase the numbers that participate in its Skandia adult and youth sail training programs.

The Skandia training courses offered by the RHKYC have been a great success over the last five years, with nearly ten thousand students enrolling in these programs during this period and over 2,400 enrolling in 2011 alone. The courses offer local adults and children the opportunity to learn the basics of sailing under the guidance and expertise of professional sailing instructors.

www.rhkyc.org.hk

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Kos Pictures has acquired an historic archive of yachting, powerboating and superyacht material from IPC Media, owners of many sailing publications including Yachting World.

The archive contains over 800,000 images dating back to 1928. The large format glass plates are in the process of being scanned and uploaded to www.kospictures.com. The historic material features J-Class construction, sail making at Ratsey & Lapthorn, and J-Class and metre class racing on The Solent.

In addition, the IPC archive also features thousands of model and property released images taken aboard cruising yachts all over the world. These images are being uploaded and will form a key part of the Kos Pictures collection in the coming years.

Kos Pictures is exhibiting at Fotofringe London on Thursday 26th April 2012.

www.kospictures.com
www.fotofringelondon.com

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Bolle sunglasses are announcing two additional sponsorships, to benefit competitors' in both the SB3 2012 circuit and at this years' Dartmouth Sailing Week, the second largest keelboat regatta in the UK after Cowes Week.

Bolle's sponsorship means that competitors in the SB3 Scottish Championships (part of the Brewin Dolphin Scottish Series), the SB3 National Championships at Weymouth, and all keelboat classes at Dartmouth Week, will have the opportunity to win sunglasses from the Bolle polarized Marine Collection.

These announcements complete a programme of sponsorships for 2012, ranging from the popular RS FEVA youth class, the RS 200 and RS 400 Northern Tour, GAC Pindar sailing team, through to Official supplier to the RYA's Skandia Team GBR in the Olympic and Paralympic classes.

Featured Brokerage
Featured Brokerage Boat 2011 BTBoats Kiwi FC 40. Call for Price. Located In Auckland, New Zealand.

High Quality and Keep it Simple - these have been the targets for the KIWI40FC Class 40 project from conception to fruition.

Following our Keep it Simple concept throughout the structural design, the geometries, the details and ultimately the construction methodology we have arrived with the KIWI40FC - a reliable, stiff, safe, well-finished, fast and aesthetically pleasing Class40.

To achieve this result, the correct vision and approach have been crucial from the outset with Farr Yacht Design fully involved in every element since we launched the design brief. Farr Yacht Design have enthusiastically provided the appropriate design solutions.

Brokerage through Farr Yacht Sales: www.yachtworld.com/farr/

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

The Last Word
You've got as many lives as you like, and more, even ones you don't want. -- George Harrison

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