ISAF taking allot of flak over Olympic events

The ten sailing events for the 2012 Olympic Games have been decided by the ISAF Council during the 2007 ISAF Annual Conference. ISAF President Göran Petersson led the ISAF Council in over two hours of debate and discussion before the ten events were decided. Of the ten events selected, keelboat match racing for women is the only not featured on the program for the 2008 Olympic Sailing Competition, with the multihull event being eliminated for 2012. It will be the first time women's match racing has been on the Olympic program, with the multihull event having been part of the Olympics continuously since 1976. The selection of the ten events is subject to final confirmation from the International Olympic Committee, with the equipment to then be selected by the ISAF Council in November 2008.-- Complete report: http://www.sailing.org/21257.php

It was always going to be controversial reducing the Olympic events from eleven to ten, but many believe that the decision by the ISAF Council to leave out the multihull disenfranchises a whole group of sailors and makes ISAF an organisation for monohull sailors only. The UK Catamaran Racing Association, has set up a new petition, aimed at the IOC. If you disagree with ISAF's recent decision regarding the multihull, then please sign the petition which can be found at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/multihullinolympics/index.html

Who has the biggest One Design fleet in Asia?

Event media at the inaugural China Cup Regatta claimed that the 11 Beneteau 40.7's racing there was the largest ever One Design keelboat fleet to set sail in Asian waters. After it was splashed over the news headlines Morten Jakobsen was quick to point out that in HK there are significantly larger fleets of Etchells and at his home club, Ocean Marina in Pattaya, Thailand, they regularly have 15 or more Platus competing at major events. He also went on to say that a new 5 regatta series is being planned for the Platu class next year. First of the rank is the Open Thailand Platu Championship in March 08 followed by the Top of the Gulf - Coronation Cup in May. International teams have expressed interest in joining and there are still some boats available for charter on a first come first served basis. More on The One Formula Platu Championship Series 2008 will be incorporated into the http://www.topofthegulfregatta.com site to promote the clubs activities.

Is ACup about Gaining Immortality? AC90 Rule is born...

While much has changed in the world's oldest and most prestigious sailing event, the game really is still the same. What does it take to win the modern America's Cup? Coutts, who knows better than anyone, says it's still all about masts, sails, hulls, keels, rudders, trim tabs, rigging, ballast bulbs, practice, time in the boat and those last-minute secret upgrades that the very best teams keep under their hats until it's too late for their foes to react. So it was and so it will be. It's a technology game, played on a tilted field where the rich have a built-in edge, where the commitment is immense and the rewards are laughably ephemeral: You get your name, inscribed on a silver mug that sits in a glass case somewhere gathering dust. In two words: Gaining Immortality.

31 Oct 07: AC Management, as scheduled, published the AC90 Rule marking an exciting milestone in the path to the 33rd America’s Cup. This rule has been crafted over the past six weeks through a design consultation process with all entered challengers, the Defender, and headed by Tom Schnackenberg as the class rule and competition regulations consultant for ACM. Designers from all six entered teams have met regularly since the design process began on 15 September. The AC90 Rule, in brief, will be 90ft overall maximum length, 6.5m in draft whilst racing and will have a displacement of 23tons. We now have to wait and see whether this will be sufficient for GGYC and BMW Oracle to drop it’s court action and let the existing challengers, as well as those waiting in the wings, reach a position where they are able to present potential sponsors with a concrete proposal. The full AC90 Rule can be downloaded in its entirety at: http://www.americascup.com/multimedia/docs/2007/10/071031-ac90_rule_final.pdf

Piracy in modern Southeast Asia, Setting the record straight

A tourism and yacht industry report
Imagine ghosting along at sunset far from civilization on an extended cruise of Southeast Asia and the tranquility of twilight is shattered by the distant whirr of a powerful outboard engine. Within moments a high-speed boat emerges from the shadows of a hidden cove on an intercept course with your own hopelessly becalmed yacht. As the vessel closes in, you see the silhouette of a group of men and they’re holding what look like assault rifles. It’s every cruiser’s worst nightmare. But how real is the threat?

Bianca Hein and Scott Neuman are both sailors and journalists - who are addressing the piracy issue in Southeast Asian waters. An ambitious report that covers all aspects of piracy as it relates to the modern day tourism and yachting industry. The ancient mariner Warren Blake who has sailed throughout the archipelago for over 40 years provides an interpretation of their findings in Piracy Against Yachts...an Overblown Fear is worth a read at the end of Part II as it contains some good advice for yacht skippers and crew worried about cruising through the region. This three part report is the definitive word on the subject. It is available for reading online at: http://www.biancahein.com/projects.html