The latest Global Ocean Race (GOR) entry is the Franco-British duo of Halvard Mabire and Miranda Merron: a team that will bring an enormous bank of offshore experience to the double-handed circumnavigation in a new and powerful Class40 Pogo S² from the Structures yard in Bénodet, Brittany.

For Mabire and Merron, entering the GOR is a fresh offshore challenge: “All adventures start with a wish, but also as a result of meeting people,” explains 53 year-old Mabire. “Miranda and I have already shared a few adventures and we trust each other implicitly on the boat, which is essential on a double-handed race,” he adds. Merron agrees fully with her co-skipper: “I am delighted to be racing with Halvard,” confirms the 41 year-old. “He has many thousands of miles of ocean racing experience and has been around the world a few times. Also, we work well together on the boat.”

The Farr 40 Class Association today announced that the 2011 Rolex Farr 40 World Championship will take place February 23-26 at the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron (RSYS), in Sydney, Australia. Immediately preceding the Worlds, the RSYS will host the Australian Championship from February 18-20.

“The Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron is known for hosting top-level sailing regattas, and we couldn’t be more pleased to return to Sydney for our Class’ 14th World Championship,” said Farr 40 Class President Jim Richardson (Boston, Mass. /Newport, R.I.), owner of three-time world champion Farr 40 Barking Mad (2009 - Porto Cervo; 2004 - San Francisco; 1998 – Miami). “The Australian Farr 40 Class has a robust fleet from which we expect 12-14 Farr 40s. Along with 8-12 non-Australian entries, we expect to see over 20 Farr 40s in February.”

With a long history of collaboration with the Farr 40 Class, the RSYS counts among its members Guido Belgiorno-Nettis and Transfusion, a two-time Australian National Champion and runner-up at the 2010 Rolex Farr 40 Worlds, plus 2005 Rolex Farr 40 World champion Richard Perini and Evolution.

The race village at the Segel-Club St. Moritz was buzzing today, with 12 world-class sailing teams making their final preparations for a week of fierce head-to-head competition in the St. Moritz Match Race, the sixth stage of the ISAF World Match Racing Tour Championship.

After a light dusting of snow on the hills above the lake overnight, St. Moritz sparkled in the morning sun. However, the unseasonably cold weather meant the trademark Maloja wind was absent today, leaving sailors to contend with an erratic and chilling northerly breeze. This was light and fitful at the start of the competitors’ registration and weigh-in session, but built to a useful 10-15 knots for the first practice session.

St Moritz, Switzerland – 30 August 2010 – Twelve of the world’s most successful skippers, including Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN, Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing and Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team, are preparing for a week-long series of head-to-head battles at the St Moritz Match Race.

The Swiss resort is a stunning sailing venue, despite being almost 2km above sea level, thanks to the legendary Maloja wind. This thermal breeze, created by rapid heating of the steep mountains above the resort, funnels through the valley to give reliable winds of 10-25 knots from mid-morning until sunset.

Today will be the last Sunday showdown of this Audi MedCup Circuit season, time for TeamOrigin to step up to the plate and see if they can pull back the deficit on regatta leading Emirates Team New Zealand. The sea-state could have a bearing on how today plays out. And in the GP42's three boats head afloat with a share of the lead

Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL) have a lead of 9.5pts over TeamOrigin 1851 (GBR) going into today’s scheduled final three races for the TP52 Series at the Caja Mediterráneo Region of Murcia Trophy off Cartagena.

The burning question for the British team is whether they can bounce back to resume the same level of consistency that they were maintaining prior to yesterday’s unfortunate forestay failure which dropped them to the back of the 20 miles coastal race.

With just over two weeks to go an impressive fleet of Swans is poised to sail into Porto Cervo, Sardinia for the 2010 Rolex Swan Cup. The 16th edition of this biennial clan gathering, unrivalled in the sailing world, includes the Swan 45 Rolex World Championship. 

At close of the official entry period, over 90 yachts had entered from 18 countries, which include Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom and the United States.

The smallest yacht in the fleet will be the Italian Swan 371, Rebelot, owned by Anaa Oesella Franchi; the largest are two Swan 112s, Mystery (GBR) and Highland Breeze (SPA). In between are a host of other examples of the Swan breed of which, impressively, twelve are 24-metres or over in length. The most recently launched entrant is the Swan 80, Berenice (ITA). In addition, there will be five Swan 42s and nine Swan 45s competing in their own classes.

The regatta is open to all Nautor’s Swan yachts. It is expected that the fleet will be divided into five classes, which include Maxis (18.29m and above); Grand Prix boats (18.28m and below); Classics, designed by Sparkman and Stephens; Swan 45 One Design; and Club Swan 42. 

(Photo - Ainhoa Sanchez - Audi MedCup)

Emirates Team New Zealand’s return to Cartagena proved something of a repeat performance as the 2009 Audi MedCup champions retained the overall Caja Mediterráneo Region of Murcia Trophy for the second year in a row on the same waters where they clinched the overall TP52 Series championships title last year.