Today's Sailing News 

Match Race Report

On the western side of Australia the Fremantle International match racing
regatta was contested. Teams from 3 America's Cup challengers raced in
J 24's.

Saturday the 8 team filed competed in 30 to 40 knot winds. Representing the
Swiss challenge Murray Jones advanced to the semifinals 2-0 over Italy's Luca Antonini.

The most anticipated match was between Oracle Racing's Chris Dickson and
Gavin Brady who now sails under Prada colors. In the first race Brady
was hit with 3 penalties and an automatic DSQ. In the raging winds he
then beat Dickson 2 straight to move on.

With the wind rising, the decision was taken to reduce the other matches to
one race, sudden death, contests, in which Sebastien Destremau and Simon
Sutherland beat Ben Dunstan and Xavier Destremau respectively.

The final day of sailing took place in 20 knot winds. Brad beat Destremeau
2-0. Jones was also a 2-0 winner over Sutherland.

The finals between Brady and Jones were a 2 race affair. Brady held off a 
late downwind charge from Jones in race 1. Race 2 saw Brady force Jones
over the line early. This gave his team an easy victory in race 2 to clinch the title.

Brady had been off the match racing circuit since early this year. His
victory along with Rod Davis' win at the New Zealand Match Race Championships shows that Prada has a formidable duo to put behind the Prada wheel.

Times Clipper Update

Leg 4 is  from Panama to the Galapagos Islands 

Leader: Bristol Clipper by 11 mile

Best 24 Hour Run: Bristol Clipper 164 miles

Position:  Clearing Panama

Current Weather: Light and Variable

Weather Forecast: More of the same

BT Challenge Update

Leg 3 is  Buenos Aries to  Wellington New Zealand via Cape Horn.  

Leader: Norwich Union by 1 mile

Best 24 Hour Run: BP 200 Miles

Position:  Nearing Cape Horn

Current Weather: Force 4 SW

Weather Forecast: Possibility of SW gale

Head to the Sailing Daily Forum and discuss sailing!

Today's Vendee Globe Report:   Parlier falls back

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 Today's Sailing News 

The Race: 13 days to the start

The 6 boats expected to start The Race spent the weekend sailing. Most to finish their 2500 mile qualifying voyages.

Sister ships Innovation Explorer and Club Med did sail in company off Antibes France. This was the first on the water meeting between Race Class catamarans. 

Club Med set a new speed record of 38 knots. This occurred while sailing off
Monaco with 2 reefs in the main.

Both are expected to be in Barcelona by today.

Team Adventure entered the Mediterranean Saturday afternoon. From on board
skipper Cam Lewis said: "We have ideal
sailing conditions and have had a very exciting day gybing downwind in 16 to
20 knots of wind," 

Playstation passed Gibraltar yesterday. Co-designer Gino Morelli commented
"We have made good progress - the winds are quite light now, but yesterday we were averaging 20kts. The last 12 hours or so have been a combination of the mainsail and motoring."

Warta Polpharma made a stop in Gijon France. Once they put back to see they
managed a top speed of 33 knots.

Team Legato was sailing south past Portugal, en route to Barcelona.

After arriving in Barcelona the fleet will sail together on Saturday.

Telstra Cup/Farr 40

This weekend saw the conclusion of the Australian Farr 40 Championships.
Sailed off Sydney the regatta is part of the selection process for the
Australian Admirals Cup.

Winning via consistent sailing was the current world champion Southern Star. With no score lower
than 8th, Southern Star was 5 points ahead of the American crewed Pegasus.

Pegasus with Sydney gold medallist Mark Reynolds on tactics won 5 races including the 
last 3. Pegasus broke the mast head crane early in the event. John Calvert Jones
loaned them his spare so they could compete.

Simon Whitson's Smile was 3rd. Whitson was successful at the Kenwood Cup in a 
Beneteau 40.7 also name Smile.

As John Calvert Jones has indicated he will not sail the Admirals Cup, Whitson
is the trial leader after this event.

Sailing mainly within Sydney Harbour, Nips-n-Tux, an IMX40 was the handicap winner of
the Telstra Cup.