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40 Degrees Breaks Caribbean 600 Class40 Record
Peter Harding's Class40, 40 Degrees wins class and breaks the Class40 record by 3hrs 17mins 15secs, set in 2009 by Tony Lawson's Concise2. Photo by Tim Wright / Photoaction.com. Click on image to enlarge.

Class40 At 1300 on Day Four 20 yachts are still racing with the majority of them expected to finish the race later today or in the early hours of tomorrow morning.

Over half the fleet is now accounted for, however there are some weary teams still battling it out. The tough conditions over the last three days have abated a little but the big seas remain, making progress difficult for the yachts still racing. Spare a thought for the three Guadeloupe Grand Large Figaro II teams; just four up in a 33ft boat, tired, wet and hungry. Arthur Prat leads the Figaro Class by a slender 3 miles from Baptiste Maillet. Both yachts are expected to arrive in Antigua early this evening.

Peter Harding's Class40, 40 Degrees, crossed the finish line this morning to win the class with Mike Thrower's Jasmine Flyer just behind them to secure second place. Christof Petter's Vaquita claimed third in a very close race.

Harding knew that they had won the class but didn't find out that 40 Degrees had broken the Class40 course record, set by Tony Lawson's Concise2 in 2011, by a massive 3 hours 17 mins and 15 secs.

In IRC One Simon de Pietro's Briand 76, Lilla, finished this morning to take class line honours and the win after time correction under IRC.

Colin Buffin's Swan 62, Uxorious IV, finished just two minutes behind Lilla to take second in class for the second year running. The remaining podium place is still undecided. However with 65 miles to go, Jason and Judy Payne-James' Dufour 45, Heartbeat IV, is currently in third place, just ahead of Andy Middleton's First 47.7, EH01.

In IRC Two none of the yachts have finished the race. 34 miles from the finish, Ross Applebey and Tim Thubron's British Oyster 48, Scarlet Logic lead the fleet and have just rounded Redonda for the energy-sapping 40-mile beat to the finish. Joseph Mele's Swan 48, Triple Lindy, and Christian Reynolds' Swan 53, Northern Child, are over an hour behind Scarlet Logic after IRC time correction. All three leading yachts are expected to finish around sunset tonight.

In IRC Three Jonty Layfield's British J/39, Sleeper VIII, still leads the class on the water and on time correction under IRC and is expected back in Antigua at midnight tonight to win the class title. Valerio Bardi's Swan 46, Milanto, and Adrian Lower's Swan 44, Selene, have found another gear and should be back in Antigua tomorrow morning prior to Friday's prizegiving.

caribbean600.rorc.org

Alessandro Di Benedetto Final Vendee Globe Finisher
Here is what the French-Italian Team Plastique skipper had to say on the eve of his Vendee Globe finish in Les Sables d'Olonne.

Finishing in less than 105 days

That is something I'm very proud of. I hadn't really thought about it but now I realise that this is a very good performance. I was in full regatta mode but when the conditions are good enough to do other things, it's very pleasant too. And when you're at sea, whether on a cruise or in a race, pleasure is very important. And so is being able to relax. I did my best throughout this Vendee Globe, even though I didn't push the boat as much as I could have. I found out what he full potential was in the Pacific but I wanted to stay safe and avoid the risk of breaking something. My only priority has always been to finish the race with a bat in good shape.

Preparing for the finish

I'm not preparing too much because if I think about it too hard, I won't be surprised. I know a couple of things that will happen, of course, I'm familiar with the finish protocol and I'm going to stick to it. But when it comes to greetings and partying, it will be natural and spontaneous, I don't want to know the details so it remains a surprise.

I'm making sure everything is fine on board until the finish line. There are several little things you need to be careful about, like the ballasts. Everything has to be ready so the officials, my friends and my girlfriend can come on board. I'm focused on all that because I don't want to make mistakes so close to the finish.

What next?

I may be extremely focused on the finish, I know we'll soon have to sit down and think about what to do next, after the finish and after this Vendee Globe. We'll enjoy the boat while it is in Les Sables and then we'll see what happens. We'll think about it, we'll take our time, it's still too early to say what we'll do. If we have enough money, we may compete in a couple of other races. Why not the Jacques Vabre...

http://vendeeglobe.org

J/22 Class Celebrates 30th Anniversary with World Championship In Newport
The J/22 Class will honor its 30th anniversary this year with a World Championship in the birthplace of the J/22 - Newport, Rhode Island. From October 1-5, J/22 competitors from around the globe will convene for five days of racing in one of the most venerable keelboats worldwide to take place in the legendary sailing venue on Narragansett Bay. Sail Newport will serve as the Organizing Authority and host site for the World Championship event.

"We're really excited about the J/22 Worlds coming to Newport, RI this year," Jeff Johnstone of J Boats said. "2013 marks the 30th anniversary of J/22, and hull #1 was launched and sea-trialed in the same waters we'll be racing. It will be a reunion of J/22 sailors spanning three decades, and is not to be missed!" he added.

The Notice of Race has been issued, and registration opened at www.j22worlds.com

www.j22.org
www.sailnewport.org

Rogers Yacht Design Requires Full-Time Experienced Yacht Designer
Rogers Yacht Design A vacancy has arisen for a full time Yacht Designer with a minimum of 5 years experience in an international design office.

Past experience should show excellent organisational skills and evidence of being able to work as part of a team and on own initiative. The successful candidate must be well versed with, Maxsurf, Hydromax, Rhino and Win Design with Catia experience also being an advantage.

'Interests' should reflect a strong commitment to the industry.

To apply, please e. mail CV and any relevant references to:

Decision Day Looms For Red Bull Youth America's Cup Hopefuls
Photo by Erik Simonson, www.pressure-drop.us. Click on image for photo gallery.

Red Bull Youth America's Cup The 12 teams hoping to qualify for September's Red Bull Youth America's Cup will know on Monday whether their dreams have been realized.

Last week, six international teams were in San Francisco for the first qualifying session. This week, a second group of six teams from Europe, South America and New Zealand is working to impress selectors at the grueling training camp/selection series.

After the series wraps up on Sunday, the teams will learn their fate the following day. At least four of the 12 will be selected to advance to the Red Bull Youth America's Cup, scheduled Sept. 1-4 in San Francisco. The teams are evaluated on both their race results at the selection series, as well as their overall performance on and off the water, including fitness tests, training programs and professionalism.

The Red Bull Youth America's Cup is part of the "Summer of Racing" in San Francisco. The crews will be comprised of nationals, aged 19-24, and will compete on AC45 wing sail catamarans.

Red Bull Youth America's Cup Selection Series 1 - Overall Race Results

1. Full Metal Jacket (New Zealand) William Tiller - 16 points
1. STG/NRV Youth Team (Germany) Philipp Buhl - 16
3. Team Austria (Austria) Max Trippolt - 18
3. Danish Youth Vikings (Denmark) Daniel Bjornholt Christensen - 18
5. Objective Australia (Australia) Jason Waterhouse - 19
6. i'KaziKati (South Africa) Matt Whitehead - 21

Selection Series Session 2 (Feb. 18-24)
Arg Youth Team (Argentina), Skipper - Mateo Majdalani (18, Buenos Aires, Argentina)
GBR Youth Challenge (Great Britain), Skipper - James French (20, Newbridge, Isle of Wight, Great Britain)
Team Italy powered by Stig (Italy), Helmsman - Sivitz Kosuta (21, Trieste, Italy)
36 Below Racing (New Zealand), Skipper - Chris Steele (20, Auckland, New Zealand)
ROFF/Cascais Sailing Team (Portugal), Skipper - Bernardo Freitas (22, Cascais, Portugal)
Team TILT (Switzerland), Skipper - Lucien Cujean (23, Versoix, Switzerland)

www.americascup.com
facebook.com/rbyac

Congressional Cup: Ian Williams Eyes 3rd Straight Win
The first thing followers and fellow competitors want to know about the Long Beach Yacht Club's 49th Congressional Cup: Is the Brit coming back?

Indeed, Ian Williams of Great Britain, still ranked No. 1 in the world, will return April 9-13 with his GAR Pindar team in quest of an unprecedented third consecutive victory in the prestigious Grade 1 match racing event. The first two launched seasons leading to his third and fourth championships on the Alpari World Match Racing Tour (the Congressional Cup is not a part of the tour).

If Williams wins again, LBYC already knows the size for his Crimson Blazer, the winner's traditional prize that goes with the check for the largest share of the $60,000 purse.

His rivals will include two former winners---the USA's Ed Baird (2004), currently unranked by the International Sailing Federation, and France's Mathieu Richard (2007), ranked 18th in the world---and five other skippers in ISAF's top 20: Laurie Jury, New Zealand, No. 7; Taylor Canfield, U.S. Virgin Islands, No. 8; Eric Monnin, Switzerland, No. 13; Simone Ferrarese, Italy, No. 15, and Jordan Reece, Australia, No. 16, plus Adam Minoprio, New Zealand, No. 217.

Baird, 54, is unranked because his recent match racing has been limited to America's Cups, and the rankings are calculated by accumulated scores of the best four results in each of the most recent two years. Although he drove Switzerland's Alinghi to victory at Valencia in 2007, the AC doesn't count in the world rankings, but Baird was recognized by ISAF as World Sailor of the Year.

Minoprio won the Alpari World Tour title in 2009 but has raced in only three events the last two years while sailing with the Emirates Team New Zealand Volvo Ocean Race and America's Cup campaigns.

The 10th Congressional Cup entry will be the winner of the Grade 2 Ficker Cup April 5-7, preceding the Congressional Cup. -- Rich Roberts

www.lbyc.org

SCA's Magnificent Seven - Part II
The selection process for SCA's all-women sailing team for 2014-15 is set to ramp up a notch with the second group of seven hopefuls now in Lanzarote for training.

A second group of trial candidates for the all-female Team SCA has arrived in Puerto Calero, Lanzarote. L-R: Martin Stromberg, Casey Smith, Magnus Olsson, Brad Jackson, Joca Signorini, Alicia Ageno, Justine Mettraux, Jessica Sweeney, Robin Hilton, Karin Berg, Sally Barkow and Sophie Ciszek. James Mitchell

"From a team perspective, although it is early days, the structure, people and strategy that we have put in place seem to be working well" - Joca Signorini

Spain's Alicia Ageno, Sally Barkow of the United States, Karin Berg of Sweden, Australians Sophie Ciszek and Jessica Sweeney, Canadian Robin Hilton and Switzerland's Justine Mettraux are all in place at the team's base to begin a 10-day training programme.

Some of the candidates are well known to the Volvo Ocean Race, including Hilton, a rigger on Team Sanya in the last edition, and Sweeney, a navigation and weather consultant with CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand.

SCA's (second) Magnificent Seven will undertake medical tests, fitness assessments and, of course, sailing trials to check their suitability for the team backed by the Sweden-based global hygiene and forest products company.

Earlier this month, a first group of candidates sailed from Southampton, UK, to the training base in the Canary Islands, using the repurposed and repackaged Mar Mostro as a training boat.

Five race veterans are overseeing the trials: Magnus Olsson, Brad Jackson, Joca Signorini, Casey Smith and Martin Stromberg.

www.volvooceanrace.com

Harken Youth International Match Racing Championships
Representing the RNZYS and the Royal Freshwater Yacht Club respectively, Scott Barnes and Sam Gilmour share the lead with 6 wins out of 7 races on day one of the HARKEN Youth International Match Racing Championships.

Barnes, a skipper in the RNZYS Lion Foundation Youth Training Programme, lost his lead of 6 wins out of 6 races at the 11th hour - 7.12pm - during flight 9 of the day's racing to fellow Kiwi Adam Middleton from the Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club.

1st equal Gilmour is ranked 101 in the world, and the highest ranked competitor in the event. His only loss of the day was to Barnes who beat him by 28 seconds on flight 8 this evening.

Middleton and Claudia Pierce with her all-female crew are next overall with 5 wins each out of 7 races. Middleton's score includes an impressive win over Barnes in the final flight of the day by 16 seconds.

The racing has been tight and intense; the finishing time difference in the majority of races being less than 30 seconds. After racing being delayed in the morning due to a lack of wind, followed by shifty conditions, the breeze filled in to a perfect 10-15 knots and summer sunshine on Auckland Harbour.

Light airs are expected tomorrow PRO Megan Kensington expects delays so was pleased to complete 9 flights by 7.30pm this evening.

So after a great day one of the regatta the points table looks like this:

Scott Barnes - RNZYS - 6/1/7
Sam Gilmour - RPYC - 6/1/7
Claudia Pierce - KIYC - 5/2/7
Adam Middleton - RPNYC - 5/2/7
Charlie Lalumiere - PYC - 4/2/6
Malcolm Parker - RPAYC - 4/2/6
Will Holz - CYC - 3/3/6
Hannah Osborne - RNZYS - 3/3/6
George Anyon - BBYC - 3/3/6
Stephanie Doyle - RPAYC - 2/5/7
Hampus Appelgren - KSSS - 2/5/7
Nick Howe - RSYS - 2/4/6
Christophe Killian - BYC - 1/6/7
Richard Minielly - RVYC - 0/6/6

www.rnzys.org.nz

Orion Racing Join MOD70 Class
Multi One Design (MOD) announced today that US-based Orion Racing has purchased MOD nr.02. "MOD is delighted to welcome an American boat-owner as it increases the number of nationalities in the circuit", said Marco Simeoni, President of Multi One Design. "Orion will bring a new dynamic to the development of the circuit and promote the MOD70 series in the American Market."

Cam Lewis, one of the top American multihull sailors and longtime and ambassador for multihull sailing in the US, is a principal in the formation of the Orion Racing team. Cam Lewis is regarded as one of the top multihull sailors in the US having won the 1988 America's Cup on the Wing Powered Stars and Stripes and skippered the Maxi-catamaran Team Adventure in The Race in 2000.

With 2013 being a transition year for the MOD70 circuit, Orion Racing will be training in the Pacific to fully discover this latest generation of racing multihull. The boat and team will set up a training camp in Puerto Vallarta Mexico in May then move to San Francisco for the summer and fall season. Orion Racing Team preliminary race planning for 2014-2015 includes the MOD70 circuit and the Krys Ocean Race (from Brest to New York).

www.multionedesign.com

Centre Port International Youth Match Racing Championships
Wellington, New Zealand: Sam Gilmour's team from the Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club have won the 2013 CenterPort International Youth Match Racing Championships in the closest final seen for many years on the Trans Tasman Youth Match Racing Circuit.

Racing could not have been closer against Ash Rooklyn's team from the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in the final series which went to an unprecedented sixth match.

After four days of racing the overall standings for the 2013 CentrePort International Youth Match Racing Championship were:

1. Sam Gilmour - Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club
2. Ash Rooklyn - Cruising Yacht Club of Australia
3. Sam Mackay - Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club
4. Basil Connor - Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club
5. Scotty Barnes - Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron
6. Milly Bennett - Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club
7. Hampus Applegren - Royal Swedish Yacht Club
8. Beren Beowulf - Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron

From the ISAF: www.sailing.org

Featured Brokerage
Featured Brokerage Boat 1980 Herreshoff Mobjack 45. A$ 295,000. Located In Thailand.

The Mobjack 45 is the perfect yacht for someone looking for a classic boat in good condition and in classic Herrshoff design. She has been stored in storage under shade for 11 years and still presents like new in original immaculate condition.

Gentlemen's boat

Current owner purchased her from the builder

New topside, deck, rigging, AWLGRIP paint job

Brokerage through Simpson Marine Limited: www.yachtworld.com/simpsonmarine/

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

The Last Word
The best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter. -- Winston Churchill

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