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Musandam-Oman Sail Postpones Attempt On Round Ireland Record
With a very busy training and racing season ahead, Musandam-Oman Sail's French skipper Sidney Gavignet chose safety for the crew and the boat this morning over the Round Ireland Record attempt and decided to turn back to Lorient in France where the boat is based.

The strong winds that looked set to aid Musandam-Oman Sail's attempt on the Round Ireland record proved too strong in the end and while conditions had decreased a little overnight, the wind was gusting 38knots plus and the sea state was still very rough with 4m at the Fastnet. Writing from the boat, Sidney said: "We will not attempt the record this time, we are heading back to Lorient. The conditions are 'almost' ok, but we prefer to play it safe with such a busy season ahead, our priority is the crew and boat safety. Hopefully we will come back later in the year to try for the record in better conditions."

The six-man crew had been on standby for almost 18 hours, making assessments with each weather update on the feasibility of success in their attempt on the 708 mile record, with impact on both boat and crew figuring high in their considerations.

To set a new record, Musandam-Oman Sail had to complete the circuit in less than 44 hours and 42 minutes, the record set by sailor, balloonist and adventurer Steve Fossett on his 60 foot trimaran Lakota in 1993.

With a new crew featuring experienced internationals Neal McDonald, Damian Foxall and Thomas Le Breton and Omani nationals Fahad Al Hasni and Ahmed Al Maamari, the Round Ireland record attempt marked their first competitive activity, with this race against the clock seen as good preparation for a busy season of racing in Europe.

Musandam-Oman Sail was due to arrive back in Lorient on Sunday morning and training will resume apace from Wednesday.

www.omansail.com
www.gomusandam.com

ISAF Statement On Laser Class Dispute
Attorneys acting for Bruce Kirby have issued proceedings in the US District Court and named ISAF as a co-defendant. ISAF has not been served with the proceedings at this time.

ISAF's primary concern is for the sailors around the world who want to buy, sail and race the Laser dinghy. Since the middle of 2011, ISAF has been encouraging the parties involved to resolve their commercial differences through negotiation or mediation rather than expensive and time-consuming litigation. ISAF is therefore disappointed that the dispute appears to be moving towards court rather than a settlement.

ISAF encourages all parties to negotiate a settlement that allows sailors easy access to a competitively priced market for a Laser dinghy and satisfies the commercial interests of the parties. ISAF will continue to work towards this solution and urges the other parties to do the same.

www.sailing.org/news/34099.php

Kayospruce: 1983-2013: 30 years supplying the marine industry
Click on image to enlarge.

Kayospruce Kayospruce, based at Segensworth in Hampshire, celebrates thirty years as a leading supplier of textiles and hardware to the marine industry. The company is renowned for its fast delivery service to customers due to maintaining high stock levels and constantly seeks new and innovative products to complement their range.

It has developed from a small front room operation in 1983 to the 20,000 sq ft warehouse used today! This has been achieved by continuous investment being made ensuring that the latest equipment and technology is used, such as the new flat bed plotter and bar-code-enabled stock control system.

Kayospruce would like to thank all its customers, suppliers and staff for their support over this period and look forward to this continuing into the future.

www.kayospruce.com

Sailing Away With Our Money
Team New Zealand failed to provide information required as part of its $36 million deal with the Government for more than a year, a Sunday Star-Times investigation has found.

And it took the Ministry of Economic Development that long to do anything about the apparent breach of the funding deal - finally sending an email to the yachting team saying "we haven't received any quarterly reports from you in quite a while".

Team boss Grant Dalton apologised in an email, but complained that earlier reports "just seemed to disappear into a black hole".

The emails form part of hundreds of pages of documents released under the Official Information Act. We asked for financial information provided by Team NZ to the Government after sources close to the team told us they had concerns over a lack of accountability over how the money was being spent.

"So many people are asking these questions. There's no accountability, no transparency around the public money," an America's Cup veteran said. "Questions need to be asked of the Government - you provided the money, what accountability is there?"

The Ministry of Economic Development released cabinet briefing papers and the agreements signed between the Government and Team NZ, but very little financial information.

The team's agreement with the Government has a clause stating it must be prepared to be audited, but no audit has been carried out. At least $14m of the $36m has been released.

Full story by Simon Plumb and Tony Wall in Stuff.co.nz:

www.stuff.co.nz/national/8465020/Sailing-away-with-our-money

18ft Skiffs Alice Burton Memorial Trophy
Click on image for photo gallery.

18 Skiff Sydney Harbour, Australia: Gotta Love It 7 made a clean sweep of the 2012-2013 Season championships when she took out the final race and the Australian 18 Footers League Club Championship on Sydney Harbour today.

With regular skipper Seve Jarvin taking his place as For'ard Hand today with regular crewman Peter Harris missing from the team, World Moth champion Josh McKnight, of the UK, joined the Gotta Love It 7 crew for the race.

The skiff's regular Sheet Hand Scott Babbage, who was defeated in the World Moth Championship by McKnight, skippered Gotta Love It 7 to an all the way victory today.

Gotta Love It 7 grabbed the lead soon after the start in the 8-12-knot NE wind and took out the race by 2m57s from Appliancesonline.com.au (John Sweeny, Paul Montague, Tom Anderson).

Asko Appliances (Marcus Ashley-Jones, Ash Rooklyn, Geronimo Harrison) was a further 40s back in third place.

Gotta Love It 7 finished on 39 points in the championship, followed by Smeg (Nick Press, Dan Phillips, Dave Ewings) on 52.

Thurlow Fisher Lawyers (Michael Coxon) and Yandoo (John Winning) finished on 62 points each, Coopers-Rag & Famish Hotel (Jack Macartney) 68 and Mojo Wine (James Dorron) on 90.

Today's race is the final race of the 2012-2013 Season.

The Australian 18 Footers League thanks all sponsors, ferry patrons and media for their support and advises that the 2013-2014 Season is due to commence on Sunday, 13 October. -- Frank Quealey, Australian 18 Footers League

www.18footers.com.au
www.flying18s.com
www.18footerstv.com

RYA Eric Twiname Championships
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Eric Twiname Championships Entries for the 2013 RYA Eric Twiname Championships, being staged at Rutland Sailing Club, are now open.

The annual Junior event will take place from 11 - 12 May 2013, and all sailors should enter online via the event website at www.ryaracingevents.org.uk

The regatta is now in its 27th year and will see young competitors in over 285 boats and windsurfers pit their sailing skills against the best young talents from each of the six English Zones, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, in a bid to help their Zone or home country team clinch the coveted Eric Twiname Shield.

The event which is an integral part of the Junior class calendar will offer the RYA Zone/Home Country Squads competitive racing in a fun and friendly environment. The weekend will welcome boats from across seven of the RYA Junior classes - Optimist, Topper, and Feva dinghy classes with the windsurfers racing on Bic Techno boards with 4.5m, 5.8m, 6.8m and 7.8m rigs.

Thanks to the long-standing and on-going support of the Eric Twiname Memorial Trust, the event, for sailors aged between eight and 15, is very cheap to enter with almost all of the costs associated with the running of the regatta met by the RYA and the Trust.

www.ryaracingevents.org.uk
www.erictwinametrust.org

Charter An Open 70
Project 1 Racing Experience the thrill of Volvo Open 70 racing! We have an extensive calendar planned for 2013. This includes: the RORC channel races, Fastnet, Cowes Week, Middle Sea Race, Arc Transatlantic and Caribbean Races.

We can tailor a package to meet your needs. Bring your friends and spend time with us team building with your colleagues, or take your clients out on an experience of a lifetime in a Volvo Open 70.

We can offer charters from the Solent, Europe or in the winter the Caribbean. We have vast experience of Inshore and Offshore sailing. If you'd like to join us for a particular event, check out our race events for more information.

Our boat charters are individual, and packaged to your specifications. Alternatively, if you are unable to get a full crew together, we can offer some individual crewing opportunities at many of the Race Events on our sailing calendar.

Our Volvo 70 is commercially coded and fully certified for the waters it sails. The Volvo 70 will accommodate up to 12 guests inshore and 8-10 guests offshore.

See our Race Events and more information on our new website: www.volvo70charter.co.uk

Foiling AC45
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Artemis Racing A big step forward for Artemis Racing as we launched our foiling AC45 onto San Francisco Bay. This is the first step in our foiling training for our second AC72. The modifications from our one design AC45 to our now foiling AC45 took about a month to complete.

Adam May, our foiling expert at Artemis Racing was the project manager for this conversion. "We set up a little commando group of guys to get the 45 foiling. Things were kept simple to get foiling as quickly as possible, taking input from the ongoing work on boat 2, what we've seen in use by other teams, and a healthy dose of 'just do it' attitude. Our structural test day progressed quickly into controlled foiling flight, with the boat behaving really well and Nathan getting to grips with it in no time at all."

The moral on the team is very positive and we are all excited to be getting back out on the water after all the hard work that has been happening inside the Artemis shed.

"Our shore and sailing teams have been working long days and nights to get us back on the water and foiling. To foil the new AC45 with complete control on our first outing gives our team great momentum. It's going to be a very exciting summer!" explains helmsman, Nathan Outteridge.

artemis-racing.americascup.com/news/4345

Loro Piana Caribbean Superyacht Regatta & Rendezvous
Photo by Carlo Borlenghi, carloborlenghi.com. Click on image for photo gallery.

Loro Piana Caribbean Superyacht Regatta Virgin Gorda, BVI: With a breeze of 10 to 12 knots, the race committee chose a long course clockwise around Virgin Gorda and outside all the Dog Islands, with the Division B yachts rounding inside Ginger Island and the Division A yachts heading outside Ginger.With most of the yachts heading left up the first beat, the first real test was at the northeast corner of Virgin Gorda. Here the kites were hoisted and the yachts were set for an epic gybing battle all along the south side of the island.

By the time the Division B yachts reached Round Rock, 62m Athos was out in front with the 23.5m Wild Horses just three minutes behind. The 25.2m Sejaa was also having a good day, rounding third.

Meanwhile, the Division A yachts were fighting tooth and nail. By the time they got to the western end of Ginger Island, it was Indio that had made the best progress on the run, dropping her kite and hardening up for the reach to the Dogs a minute ahead of Salperton and Cape Arrow, who were separated by just 10 seconds. Hanuman, P2 and Rebecca were not far behind.

From the Dogs it was a final beat to the finish, and it was Indio who took the final line honours. But with so many close finishes there were some tense moments as the yachts headed back to the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda marina while the race committee crunched the numbers to see who the victors would be.

When all was said and done, it was the 45m Fitzroy Salperton that took the lion's share of the glory, nailing a bullet in the last race on corrected to secure the win in Division A overall, Division A's cruising division, and the Boat International Media Trophy. In Division B, a strong third race - and a second bullet - meant that the classic 22.4m ketch Bolero took the series.

Full results are available online.

www.loropianasuperyachtregattaandrendezvous.com
www.yccs.com

Neilpryde Windsurf Racing Series Returns to the Extreme Sailing Series
The eight Extreme 40s taking part in this year's Extreme Sailing Series are preparing to continue their global tour with Act 2 taking place in the heart of Singapore in less then three weeks and returning to the line-up of entertainment for the first time in 2013 is the NeilPryde Windsurf Racing Series.

The NeilPryde Windsurf Racing Series was the main warm-up Act to 2012 Extreme 40 racing, with world class windsurfers including three-times RS:X World Champion and Olympic silver medallist Julien Bontemps from France and British Olympic bronze medallist Bryony Shaw amongst the world class windsurfers who graced the role call.

The NeilPryde Windsurf Racing Series is unique in that it provides a platform for windsurfers of all levels, ages and ability to compete together on a level playing field on the one-design windsurfing class, the RS:One. And with windsurfing back on the agenda for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, this dynamic series is expected to draw even more attention in 2013.

The windsurfers will be racing from the 13-14 April on the world famous Marina Bay reservoir in Singapore as part of a full programme of entertainment which also includes try sailing sessions, 'chat with champions' for local kids, a free public Race Village including food stands, bars, live music, a family area and a welcome and after party open to the public and hosted by Red Bull.

A full schedule of entertainment can be found at www.extremesailingseries.com/singapore

Francis Joyon Poised To Claim Grand Slam
French solo sailing legend Francis Joyon currently holds the singlehanded round the world record (57 days), the solo 24 hour record (668 miles at an average speed of 27.83 knots) and most recenlty recover the Route of Discovery record, between Cadiz and San Salvador in the Bahamas, taking more than one day off the record by completing the voyage in 8 days, 16 hours, 7 minutes and 5 seconds.

Next up Joyon will be making a fresh singlehanded attempt on the eastbound North Atlantic record. If he achieves this, he will become the first sailor ever to have managed the Grand Slam. For any offshore record hunters, be it with crews or solo, four major records comprise the Grand Slam, - the round the world record, the North Atlantic record, the 24-hour distance record and the Route of Discovery. For Joyon there is a real possibility of simultaneously holding all four of these records something that neither Ellen MacArthur, nor Thomas Coville - his two closest rivals in this field - ever achieved.

The current record is held by Thomas Coville on Sodebo with a time of 5 days, 19 hours, 29 minutes and 20 seconds. -- James Boyd in TheDailySail.com

www.thedailysail.com

Francis Joyon's site: www.trimaran-idec.com

Cosworth TideApp
TideApp is a simple tool intended to enable professional sailors/coaches to easily measure surface tides using a tide stick or float.

The app logs the locations at which a tide stick is released and retrieved, and uses the data to give an indication of tide speed and direction. Users can share tide readings with each other using email and Twitter, and can export multiple records as .csv files for further performance analysis. A variety of data are logged, including measurement duration, start/finish coordinates, compass bearing, speed (as knots, km/h or mph), and measurement accuracy. Tide App is intended to assist recreational dinghy sailors during short races. It is not intended to be used as a primary navigational tool.

TideApp is free and available for iPhones on the App Store now. Searching for 'Tide App' or 'Cosworth Electronics' will locate the TideApp on the store. Alternatively please use the following link.

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/tide-app/id596796178?mt=8
www.cosworth.com/sport/marine/contact-marine-team/

Featured Brokerage
Featured Brokerage Boat 1991 Hoek Design Classic Ketch. EUR 980,000. Located in Edam, Netherlands.

Built by the top Dutch yard Engelaer in 1991, Kim was one of the first of many epic retro classics from the boards of Hoek Design. With her low profile, long overhangs and beautiful sheer line, this 70 ft ketch is an excitingly pretty yacht. Moreover, her classic appearance is combined with an ultra-modern underwater body with wing keel and elliptic spade rudder. She has travelled the world in classic style.

In 2006, Kim was completely refitted by another leading yard, Holland Jachtbouw. The expert craftsmen modified the interior and she is now perfect for chartering, sleeping up to six guests in four separate cabins. An entirely new saloon and comprehensive equipment upgrade ensures that your on board life will be very pleasant indeed.

Brokerage through Hoek Brokerage BV: www.yachtworld.com/hoekbrokerage/

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

The Last Word
You can always pick up your needle and move to another groove. -- Timothy Leary

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