Helly Hansen

Hyeres, France: UKA UKA Racing won the 2009 Melges 24 European Champions and the Giorgio Zuccoli Trophy. Their win creates a piece of unique Melges 24 history, as Lorenzo Bressani becomes the first helm to ever hold the World and European titles concurrently. On second place Alina, owned by Maurizio Abbà and helmed by Niccolò Bianchi. Both teams obviously looking extremely hot in their Helly Hansen outfits.. For hardcore Helly Hansen fans reading this newsletter we can reveal a totally new inshore range called “Hydro Power” is launched next spring – all developed and tested together with the very best sportsboat sailors in the world!!

#1 Braving The Northwest Passage

My name is Chauncey Tanton and from the time I could walk I was a skateboarder and sailor, then a surfer, and eventually a snowboarder. More an adventurist than anything, on a perpetual quest for all things new and unseen. If you are reading this you are probably of the same mentality. We congregate here. Telling tales and reminiscing on our latest adventures not to boast, but to inspire and encourage our peers. Go! Dropping! Hoist the main! One more blog. One more check mark as if to say “We have lived!”  And lived we have. A life full of surprise, challenge, and accomplishment.  Cheers to those that blaze a path all their own.

One year ago, miserable and behind a desk, I was approached by my stepfather Sprague Theobald,  with the opportunity to join his expedition producing a documentary about the fabled Northwest Passage. The Northwest Passage is a long sought after route linking the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean over Canada through treacherous ice locked arctic waters. History is littered with failed attempts and countless lives have been lost until Roald Amundsen, a Norwegian explorer, completed the route in 1903. Still the Northwest Passage remains highly allusive and very few people have successfully traversed the 2000 nautical miles from Baffin Bay to the Bering straight. Over the next 3 months we will be documenting our way through these challenging waters.

This is our story.
Motor Vessel: 57-foot Nordhavn “Bagan”
Sprague Theobald (executive producer, boat owner, and check writer)
Captain Clinton Bolton (also my sister’s boy-friend)
Dominique Tanton (stewardess and my sister)
Sefton Theobald (deck hand and Brother)
Greg Deascentis (still photographer and the only non-family person on board)
Chauncey Tanton (deckhand and cinematographer)

Please visit www.northwestpassagefilm.com to meet the crew, learn about the passage, and track our progress on our interactive map!
 












#2 Ice Bergs

Although the voyage officially began in Newport, Rhode Island our cruising began along the west coast of Greenland. Every day or so we weighed anchor and headed to the next inlet, fjord, or bay. Wherever our charts promised wildlife and scenery and of course the more remote the better. At times we found complete isolation and made the most of every anchorage as well.  On one occasion Sefton and I hiked a remote ice field and snowboarded down. Greg Descente’s, a master diver, filmed icebergs using an underwater camera.  Everything was possible. Greenland was a play ground the way it was when we were young.
Our last stop in Greenland before heading west was Disko Bay. Famous for the Jakobshavn ice fjord that produces most of the Icebergs drifting around the North Atlantic. Words fail however where these photos might pick up. There was a constant danger of the bergs fracturing, rolling over, and my biggest fear, pieces breaking off below the water line and unexpectedly rising to the surface. In a 20-foot zodiac it was hit or miss with no forewarning whatsoever.
Nerved but exhilarated we left Disko Bay and set course for Lancaster Sound, 450 nautical miles to our west and the mark of our official entry into the Northwest Passage.
PS: A big thanks to Marc Campbell and Mike Arzt at Helly for your support! We are dry, warm, and happy! Thank you thank you!

Please visit www.northwestpassagefilm.com to meet the crew, learn about the passage, and track our progress on our interactive map!






















#3 Entering the Northwest Passage!

Land Ho!
Crossing the 450nm of Baffin Bay was rather uneventful although we were offshore for 5 days. Our captain Clinton Bolton did an excellent job of picking the weather window and most of the time we experienced calm seas and low winds. This gave the crew a chance to catch up on laundry, hygiene, and camera equipment.  Arbitrarily we noted the 80th Meridian as our official entry into the Northwest Passage and celebrated with cupcakes. My sister Dominique is a great cook and stewardess!

Upon adjusting a course closer to the shoreline we were welcomed by a pack of Killer whales. The male dorsal fins were tall! Then we spotted Polar bears, two of them, no three! We hadn’t been 20 minutes within sight of land and the place was teeming. A herd of Musk ox as well.  I went down below for some much needed rest. I dreamt of pack ice and when I looked out my porthole there it was. Pack Ice. It seems dreams and reality blend north of the Arctic Circle. That morning was magical as we silently filmed and maneuvered through the ice and made our way for a small sheltered bay. Before we could drop the hook we witnessed a Polar Bear stalking a herd of Walrus. Amazing! No words….Our first anchorage in 5 days!

One aspect of the film is to highlight the long and rich history of attempts to find the Northwest Passage, some tragic and some triumphant. Our shooting schedule required a stop on Beechey Island where four graves from the British Navy’s Sir John Franklin Expedition lie. Although clouded in mystery Franklin’s two ships anchored there for two years and the island remains a desolate and eerie place. We filmed through the night and in the early morning the belugas arrived…….in the hundreds if not thousands. I’ve never seen a more awe-inspiring procession of wildlife.  They completely filled the small bay, masterfully devouring the schools of fish and left within an hour. It was akin to watching an army come to town.
Photos below!

Please visit www.northwestpassagefilm.com to meet the crew, learn about the passage, and track our progress on our interactive map!












#4 Snowboarding
Throughout our adventures in the high arctic we haven’t wasted a chance to grab our snowboards and “shred”. This day was no exception. With time to kill in between Beechey Island and waiting for a hydraulic pump to arrive in Resolute we decided to push further north and cross the 75 Parallel. From here we would be 900 miles from the North Pole and above any know human civilization. Upon anchoring inside Bear Point one slope presented itself as a likely candidate. The slope was…well…probably 50 feet long and 20 foot of vertical. Miniscule by any comparative standards but worth it nonetheless. In addition a small claim to fame to say we snowboarded above the 75th Parallel might boost moral amongst a weary crew.

Kinking our plans slightly was a large white mass (aka Polar Bear) moving along the coastline. By now we know what to look for and in the summer months anything white is either a Polar Bear or Ice. The bear disappeared over a hill and we persisted with our plans to “ride” the small remnant of winter snow. The photos were taken on the fly. Sefton, Clinton, and myself ran up, rode down and got out of there. I doubt any of us will ever snowboard something with as little reward for that amount of risk. To make matters worst, Sprague kept radioing us that he had spotted two more “white things” down wind and they were heading our way.
Needless to say we were glad to get back to the safety of Bagan and her warm cabins.
PS: Those are polar bear droppings on either side of Clinton as he is buckling in. Not to be deterred however! Glory at all costs! Aaarrgg!

Please visit www.northwestpassagefilm.com to meet the crew, learn about the passage, and track our progress on our interactive map!




















#5 Pack Ice

Pack Ice. A lot can be said about pack ice. Eleven months out of the year the Canadian Archipelago is locked in a sea of ice. It is only with luck and planning that hopefully we will slip through during the month of August when historically the ice is at a minimum. No guarantees though. Our most important resource is the daily ice report we download from the Canadian Ice service. They have proved very reliable and show us where the ice is, and given the current winds and tide,  we can predict is likely to go.

During our expedition we have encountered many threats and forces of nature all of which can disable us and leave us stranded or alone in the sea. Icebergs seemed like elephants; large and potentially destructive but easily seen and avoided. Pack ice on the other hand is like a swarm of insects. Thousands of pieces pushed and pulled by tide and wind. It can surround you, block your passage, and worse case, crush the hull. It will remain our principal concern for the foreseeable future as we make our way down Peel Sound to Gjoa Havn where Roald Amundsen, the famous Norwegian Explorer and first to complete the passage wintered in his ship the Gjoa.  We look forward to our next anchorages.
Wish us luck!

Please visit www.northwestpassagefilm.com to meet the crew, learn about the passage, and track our progress on our interactive map!


Pack ice Greg
Charts download

The world's elite of Olympic sailing will be meeting for the 127 years old Kieler Woche (20-28 June) - a part of the ISAF Sailing World Cup. Kieler Woche has even more to offer: three high class international championships (the X-35 Worlds, the X-41 Europeans and the SAP Europeans of the 505), the debut of the new Olympic women's class Elliott 6m and the virtual Kieler Woche online are the highlights of this year. Around 5,000 sailors from all over the World will attend parts of the event. Helly Hansen is for the 11^th year in a row the official clothing supplier of the Kieler Woche keeping all race officials dry, warm and stylish. Feel free to drop by our Helly Hansen tent at the Olympic Harbour at Schilksee if you are in town.. http://www.kieler-woche.de/

Hannah made it across the Atlantic - solo!
 
Hannah White was the first woman to cross the finish line this morning at 07.52 (EDT) in the 2009 OSTAR race; single handed from UK to Newport, USA. Twenty six year old Hannah, from Lymington, was the fourth skipper over the finish line after 17 days alone in the North Atlantic.

Hannah narrowly missed breaking Mary Falk’s record for 35 foot and under boats. Hannah reports that about one and a half miles from the finish, she had to drop her spinnaker and change course to avoid colliding with a large cargo vessel. She says that this manoeuvre may well have cost her the record in the final stages of the race.

Since Hannah’s first attempt at the OSTAR in 2005, she has been working and sailing with some of the world’s finest single handed sailors and this has paid handsome dividends for her OSTAR 2009 performance.
At Helly Hansen we are really proud to work with such a talented solo sailor as Hannah White, an athlete representing the next generation offshore sailors. As a part of Helly Hansen’s international team Hannah takes actively part in developing performance sailing gear for women’s for the years to come

In one of the closest finishes in the race to date, Ericsson 4 held off the recently resurgent PUMA and Green Dragon teams to win Leg 8 into Marstrand (Sweden), and claim their third consecutive leg win and fifth in the race so far. The victory puts Ericsson 4 in an all but unassailable position on the leaderboard.
"We're very close to winning the race," admitted Ericsson 4 skipper Torben Grael. "But we're not there yet."
His team now holds a 15-point lead with just three scoring opportunities left (for a maximum 20 points) before the finish in St. Petersburg

GALWAY, Ireland (May 24, 2009) - Ericsson Racing Team won its third consecutive leg of the Volvo Ocean Race early this morning when Ericsson 4 arrived here to a rapturous midnight celebration at the conclusion of Leg 7.
 
Skippered by Brazilian Torben Grael, Ericsson 4 crossed the 2,550-nautical mile course from Boston, USA in 7 days, 7 hours, 34 minutes and 22 seconds.
 
"We're very, very happy," said Grael, 48, the winner of two Olympic gold medals and five overall. "It was a rough ride into Galway. We pushed the boat hard and she responded well. It's fantastic teamwork to have a boat so sound that we can push in those conditions. The shore team has done a fantastic job setting up the boat and the boatbuilding and design teams have done a wonderful job giving us such a nice boat. The guys did a wonderful job pushing the boat without risking too much."
 
Meanwhile sistership Ericsson 3, skippered by Sweden's Magnus Olsson finished  some five hours later, but were philosophical about their position.  
 
"We're all disappointed," said Olsson. "It's going to hurt for two or three days, and then we'll forget about this. We sailed boat very well. We just didn't make it this time."
 
Ericsson 3 had a fantastic beginning to the leg. The crew enjoyed the tight reaching in the first 30 hours of the leg and either held the lead or was in the battle for it for a day and a half.
 
However, on the second day Ericsson 3 collided with a whale, damaging its port side daggerboard and the keel fin. The crew replaced the daggerboard with the spare it had onboard, but the damage to the keel fin couldn't be repaired.
 
"We had a loss in performance after hitting the whale," said navigator Aksel Magdahl. "We think we sailed well, but we could see pieces of the leading edge and trailing edge falling off the faster we went."
 
VOLVO OCEAN RACE LEADERBOARD
(After conclusion of Leg 7)
1. Ericsson 4, 92 points
2. Telefónica Blue, 77.5
3. Puma, 76
4. Ericsson 3, 60
5. Green Dragon, 52
6. Telefónica Black, 36
7. Delta Lloyd, 29.5

With the completion a long winter refit after a circumnavigation of the globe that quite naturally took its toll on both the boat and the skipper, the maxi-trimaran Sodeb'O will be tackling a brand new record campaign across the Atlantic in 2009.  As one of Helly Hansen's international athletes Thomas Coville is testing offshore footwear and apparel making sure we develop solid performance gear.

Read more about this on Sail World: 

http://www.sail-world.com/europe/SodebO-to-tackle-new-record-campaign-across-the-Atlantic/56165

Ericsson Racing Team continued its dominance of the Volvo Ocean Race today when Torben Grael/BRA/Ericsson 4 and Magnus Olsson/SWE/Ericsson 3 finished first and second on leg six from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to Boston, USA. The two Ericsson teams shared the same top two positions on the previous leg from Qingdao in China to Rio, but in that case, Ericsson 3 came out on top. Today, Ericsson 4 crossed the finish at 2105 GMT

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (Apr. 3, 2009) - Barely eight days have passed since Ericsson Racing Team swept Leg 5 of the Volvo Ocean Race. Now, the team is ready for the next contest of the globe-girdling race.
The Rio de Janeiro In-Port Race is scheduled for tomorrow, and Ericsson's two yachts are back in the water and ready for a tune-up. Ericsson 3 and Ericsson 4 will partake in today's practice race in anticipation of tomorrow's two races.
 
The first start of tomorrow's two races is scheduled for 1600 GMT (1300 local). The In-Port Race will be broadcast live on the Internet with video, audio and tracking all beginning at 1545 GMT (1245 local). Visit the official race Web site, www.VolvoOceanRace.com <http://www.volvooceanrace.com/> , for more information.
 
VOLVO OCEAN RACE LEADERBOARD
(Through Leg 5)
1. Ericsson 4, 63.5 points
2. Puma, 53
3. Telefónica Blue, 50.5
4. Ericsson 3, 43.5
5. Green Dragon, 39.5
6. Telefónica Black, 21
7. Delta Lloyd, 12
8. Team Russia, 10.5

Southern Ocean (Mar. 9, 2009) - A bold tactical play last week has resulted in Ericsson 3, the Nordic crew of Ericsson Racing Team in the Volvo Ocean Race, stretching a large lead at the head of the fleet on the fourth week of Leg 5.
 
The team's second yacht, Ericsson 4, is running second as the yachts make speeds between 20 and 25 knots across the Southern Ocean and advances on Cape Horn, the legendary point at the bottom of South America, some 2,800 nautical miles to the east/southeast. It is hoped that the leaders would reach Cape Horn around Mar. 15.
 
"Finally we can bear away just a bit and put some pace on," said Ericsson 3 watch captain Thomas Johanson of Finland. "It's a relief and it's so much more fun to sail when you can work the boat in the waves and go around 25 knots instead of 15 to 18."
 
At today's 1259 GMT position report Ericsson 3 had completed a 24-hour run of 516 nautical miles, tops in the fleet, and had 5,227 miles remaining to the finish in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Skipper Magnus Olsson's Ericsson 3 led Ericsson 4, skippered by Torben Grael, by 208 nautical miles.
 
The rounding of Cape Horn is a moment that all sailors cherish in this race. The cape has claimed many lives of explorers and adventurers through the years, but those that successfully navigate the rocky outcrop earn a gold earring as a mark of accomplishment.
 
Visit the official Ericsson Racing Team Web site (www.EricssonRacingTeam.com <http://www.ericssonracingteam.com/> ) to participate in a competition against the Ericsson 4 crewmembers, who have provided estimates for their rounding of Cape Horn.  To see the latest results check out www.volvooceanrace.com <http://www.volvooceanrace.com>  and www.volvooceanrace/TV <http://www.volvooceanrace/TV>  for some awesome movies.
 
VOLVO OCEAN RACE LEG 5 LEADERBOARD
(Mar. 9, 2009, 1259 GMT)
1. Ericsson 3, 5,227 nautical miles to finish
2. Ericsson 4, +208 NM
3. Puma, +222 NM
4. Green Dragon, +346 NM
5. Telefónica Blue, +499 NM

Leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race could hardly have gone any better for Ericsson Racing Team. Ericsson 4 won Leg 1 and took the lead in the overall standings. The International crew also achieved a new speed record for mono-hulls, all while being a man down; sailing 602 nautical miles in 24 hours!!. Ericsson 3 placed third a day behind their leading teammates, a resilient finish for a crew that was 180 nautical miles behind at one point. The two crews are shoreside in Cape Town, South Africa, until Nov. 15, when Leg 2 to Cochin, India, is scheduled to begin. During this time the boats will be given a thorough inspection in preparation for the second leg. A product team from Helly Hansen have done a detailed review with all 22 sailors to make sure the sailing gear is working 100%. For a recap of each boat’s adventures on Leg 1 be sure to check the Onboard, News and Features sections of the www.ericssonracingteam.com <http://www.ericssonracingteam.com>  . You can read about how the sailors layer up for different conditions at www.hellyhansen.com <http://www.hellyhansen.com>

"LANZAROTE, Canary Islands - The two crews of the Ericsson Racing Team last Friday completed their 3,000-nautical-mile voyage from Sweden to the training base in the Canary Islands. The voyage officially qualified Ericsson 3 and Ericsson 4 for the upcoming Volvo Ocean Race, of which a 2,000-nautical-mile voyage is required. The 37,000-nautical-mile circumnavigation race is scheduled to start Oct. 11 in Alicante, Spain. With the qualification complete, the team turns to the final preparation phase of its pre-race activities. It will spend the next six weeks at its training camp at the Puerto Calero Marina on Lanzarote tuning and working on its two Juan Kouyoumdjian designs. "It is great that we now have both boats qualified for the Volvo Ocean Race," said Richard Brisius, Ericsson Racing Team Managing Director. "Both crews were pretty happy with the performance of the boats, and the team will now spend the remaining weeks finalizing preparations within all areas of the team." The eight-day passage was the first sail for the new Ericsson 4, which was launched on June 26. Ericsson 3, launched in January, has been sailing at the base since March. The delivery to the Canary Islands proved to be a good shakedown for the race when both crews faced a strong front in the North Sea that produced big waves and strong winds. The crews also battled fog, strong tides and light winds in the passage, allowing them to test how the boats perform across a wide spectrum. "It was pretty good for us and we were in all types of conditions so we were able to push the boat for the first time," said Torben Grael, the Brazilian skipper of Ericsson's International crew. "Weather-wise we had a bit of everything, we were lucky to get through before the front in the North Sea and after that the Bay of Biscay was good, despite the strong winds." Anders Lewander, the Swedish skipper of Ericsson's Nordic crew, led his crew on a 6,000-mile passage. They delivered Ericsson 3 from Lanzarote to Sweden in late June as a means to strengthen their offshore experience as well as test Ericsson 3 in more offshore conditions. "It's been a superb reality check both day and night with a good mix of conditions," said Lewander. "This is the first and last time we'll be able to do a trip in this way, and we are very fortunate to be able to fit this into the program. It feels good to have qualified for the Volvo Ocean Race, and while we have some work to do I'm real happy with the boat's and crew's performance." Ericsson Racing Team is pleased to announce that Guy Salter of Great Britain will be the media crewmember for Grael's International crew. The media crewmember is a new feature of the Volvo Race, with each boat required to carry one crewmember whose time is devoted to chronicling life aboard a Volvo Open 70 and relaying all the information - text, pictures, audio and video - to the race office while at sea. "It's good to have filled the role, especially with such a good sailor as Guy, who also has great media skills," said Grael. "Guy has a good relationship with all of the crew and I think that this going to work very well - both for us as a team and the race as a whole." Salter, 36, is a previous Volvo Ocean Race participant and brother of Jules Salter, the navigator for Grael's crew. Due to his experience, Guy Salter, who has a degree in film and photography, understands the task ahead of him. "I think it going to be tough, but here I am doing it again," Guy Salter said. "The media job is going to be interesting, but it is not necessarily going to be easy."

Andrea Caracci goes back to the Ocean trought its main entrance: the Strait of Gibraltar. During this week the Helly Hansen team's athlete will take part to the Festival Dos Oceanos, a regatta to be run in double-handed reserved to the Mini 650 class. The route is made up of 4 steps, and will take Andrea and the Spanish Juan Carlos Oliva from Marsille to Lisboa, passing by Algesiras and Rabat. Juan Carlos bought the boat which won the last Transat with Yves De Blevec and needed a well prepared and competitive co-skipper like Andrea! Juan Carlos Oliva said: -I'm very happy to make this regatta with Andrea. For me it's a great opportunity to practise a type of boat which is new for me, with an exceptional teacher like him, with 4 years of experience and victories in his class.- The HH Team's athlete is going on with his project of his new boat designed by Sam Manuard for the next Transat and in the meantime has won with his old boat the Mini Solo Regatta in Sanremo. The Festival Dos Oceanos is a nice regatta, very interesting from a weather point of view. We will find changeable and demanding conditions!- says Andrea. -I go back to the Ocean but I'm not particularly worried, since it's not the Ocean that made me make a mistake, but just my shallownness in not considering the charges that had to support the backstay junction. (see two video made onboard during the Transat 650 in the second and fourth racing day: http://it.youtube.com/watch?v=NO-MlPaLHGQ and http://it.youtube.com/watch?v=UAg1zo_tpO4 ) This regatta with Juan Carlos Oliva is stimulating since his Mini is one of the fastest prototypes and will give me the chance to test some new ideas for the new boat that I'm building. Moreover he needed my help to take place to this race. He is a beginner and according to the rules of the Mini he couldn't have raced in the long race of 700 miles without a co-skipper, who had already run the miles required for the qualification.-

Malcesine, July 13th The famous Garda Lake thermal breeze didn't show up in the last racing day, forcing Race Director Peter Reggio to put an end to the event. The fleet regatta is however valid, with four races completed including Saturday long distance DHL Trophy. As a consequence, Armando Giulietti's Team Hiroshi - Città di Milano, sponsored by Helly Hansen, conquers the title of Continental Champion. The Helly Hansen team confirms its good results from the beginning of the season and increases its lead in the RC 44 Championship Tour. Patrick de Barros' Banco Espirito Santo finishes second, ahead of Team Ceeref and Team Sea Dubai. The owner Armando Giulietti said: -Of course, we can be very happy. We have done three excellent races and have had a premature start in the first. It is a solid performance.- Two more events will take place before the end of the Championship Tour: the Trieste Cup, on October 7-11 and the Puerto Calero RC 44 Gold Cup, in Lanzarote, on December 10-14. MPZ Fleet-race, final results after 4 races: 1) HH Team Hiroshi - Città di Milano, Armando Giulietti, ITA - 6, 1, 2, 2 - 11 points 2) Team Banco Espirito Santo, Patrick de Barros, POR - 3, 2, 6, 1 - 12 points 3) Team Ceeref, Igor Lah, SLO - 4, 5, 1, 3 - 13 points 4) Sea Dubai, Joki Hellmich, UAE - 1, 3, 5, 4 - 13 points 5) Team Beecom, Isao Mita, JPN - 5, 4, 8, 5 - 22 points 6) BMW ORACLE Racing, Larry Ellison, USA - 2, 7, 9, 6 - 24 points Rc44 Champions Tour Overall Standing (after 4 legs) 1) HH Team Hiroshi-Città di Milano, Armando Giulietti, ITA - 83 pts. 2) Ceeref, Igor Lah, SLO - 110 pts. 3) Banco Espirito Santo, Patrick De Barros, POR - 112 pts.

A very fine first day's sailing for Thomas Coville who is racking up the miles with the constancy of a metronome. 24 hours after leaving New York, the skipper of Sodeb'O has covered 546 miles and has a 192 mile lead over Francis Joyon's time in 2005. As forecast, Thomas Coville has benefited from relatively flat seas for the first 24 hours and a very steady 20 knot SW'ly. These conditions have enabled him to sail under full mainsail and small gennaker for the majority of the time. During the night, he reduced the sail area a little and hoisted the solent due to a large amount of shipping and a pea-souper fog which prevented the skipper from seeing either the top of the mast or the bow of the boat. Since he has got into deeper waters, the famous fog generated by the Nantucket banks has naturally lifted. Not only can the skipper see the horizon but he can also be seen and pinpointed, which will enable him to get a little rest. This will be very welcome as Thomas has only slept for short periods over the past 24 hours, with just two 20 minute catnaps. Over the next few hours, these stable conditions will last and the maxi trimaran may be able to round Cape Race by the end of Friday - the cape is the most E'ly point of the N! orth American continent and the last taste of land prior to the Atlantic crossing. Once there it will be a big run across the North Atlantic. To beat the record time achieved by Francis Joyon in 2005, Sodeb'O will have to cross Lizard Point (SW tip of England) prior to Tuesday 15th July, 1545 UT, but we should take the maxi trimaran's lead into consideration after just 24 hours. Indeed Francis set off relatively slowly but we know the end of the course to have been a perfect ride of 6 days 4 hours, one minute and 37 seconds, crowned by a solo 24 hour record of the time, that of 540 miles on the second day. Since then, the 24 hour record has developed. It has been beaten several times, notably by the self same Francis. The current record now stands at 619.3 miles and it is Thomas who has held this since January 2008. It should be noted that the WSSRC has validated Sodeb'O's start time: 9th July at 1147 hours UT. Text Scuttlebutt Europe

The gold in Match Cup Sweden went to French sailing star and Helly Hansen athlete, Claire Leroy. But the victory did not come easy. Young uprising Swedish sailor Anna Kjellberg really showed skill and spirit in the Finals series. Reigning Women's World Champion Claire Leroy and her HH Mermaid Sailing Team showed why they've dominated the women's game for nearly two years now, taking the top women's prize at Match Cup Sweden Saturday. In an otherwise all-Swedish field of Semi-Finalists, Leroy is the first non-Scandinavian to win this event. The team is always wearing Helly Hansen from top to toe when sailing! -This feels great. The team has done so well and Claire Leroy is a really experienced sailor. Tonight we are going to party!- the happy home skipper said. Clare Leroy continued: -It was really important for us to win the event, because the story of the team began here in 2003. We received an invitation to do the event, and I want with some friends of me. We did a bad result, but we did really good matches. So, we said that probably we had to build something serious, because we think that we could do something and win the event. So, we did, and since then you know the story. Since 2005 there hadn't been any women's event, so this year when they asked us to come for the women's match cup we accepted, and we said that this year we have to win this event. We had a big training in Sweden in june with the french men team, Linda Rahm, Jenny Axhede and some other teams. So we were more confident with the boat. During the race, we had a good Round Robin, we lost 2 matches. We arrived 2nd of the Round Robins . We had close matches, but we did some mistakes... After during the semifinal, we were very concentrate, we take good start. You know it was a day like when everything is easy... Linda Rahm did a good job, but we won 3 wins at 0. Afterwards we sailed against a local girl, the surprise of this event. Anna Keelberg. We had close matches, and all the public was in favour of them but we had the french open team, and they encouraged us a lot. And we won 3 Matches at once. That's really cool!-

Thomas Coville crossed the official start line for the single-handed North Atlantic record attempt Wednesday 9th July at 0747 hours local time, or 1147 UT (subject to confirmation from the WSSRC). The 105-foot maxi trimaran set off in a 16 knot SW'ly air flow which is set to fill rapidly to around twenty knots. To beat the record set by Francis Joyon in 2005, Thomas will have to cross the Atlantic at a hellish pace of less than 6 days, 4 hours, 1 minute and 37 seconds. "Maintaining the speed of the maxi Sodeb'O at an average of over 19.75 knots for 2,980 miles for nearly 6 days remains an achievable performance" commented the skipper, who is the 24 hour speed record holder aboard his maxi Sodeb'O, having covered619.3 miles at an average of 25.8 knots.

Thomas should cross the start line off Ambrose Light tomorrow morning, Wednesday 9th July, between 0600 and 1200 UT. On stand-by in New York since 19th May, the maxi Sodeb'O skippered by Thomas Coville, will leave Brooklyn Harbour this evening, Tuesday, prior to nightfall (local New York time) in order to position himself on the start line off Ambrose Light. Today's objective for the skipper of Sodeb'O is what he refers to as "a heavy week's work" since he'll have to reach Lizard Point (south-west tip of England) in less than 6 days, 4 hours, 1 minute and 37 seconds. This record was previously set by Francis Joyon aboard the trimaran Idec I in July 2005. View the video of Thomas recorded a few hours before leaving Brooklyn Harbour on the website sodebo-voile.com Download the PHOTOS, VIDEOS and SOUND from Thomas Coville directly from the press zone of the website www.sodebo-voile.com Follow all the latest news about the Trimaran Sodeb'O on the website www.sodebo-voile.com

The four final legs - from Inverness in the north, to Portsmouth in the South - became a thrill. The three boats started in Scotland leading the RB4 class, and were first and second in the RB3 class. The two 36 P1 SuperSport was also 1st. and 3rd. overall when the fleet started on the east coast. The four final legs - from Inverness in the north to Portsmouth in the South - should become a thrill... Skilful piloting and excellent navigation had given Team Sealbay in the 29 RIB Tender a confident lead leaving Inverness. The well tested concept of the 29 RIB Tender never let them down the way up north, and should again prove outstanding throughout the rest of race. Pilot Fredrik have been owning an other 29 RIB for a couple of season, and knew exactly how much to push the boat without taking to large risks. This resulted in a in an outstanding 9th place overall, and first in class - 2 hours and 25 minutes ahead of their closest competitor. Well done guys! While the boys in the well tested 29 could concentrate fully on the piloting and navigation, the two teams in the new 36 had two technical challenges that kept them from going full throttle. First of all the Yanmar engine mounts had proven to be too weak for racing. (yes we knew that, but the modified brackets was not ready in time...) Secondly, the Bravo I stern drives became too delicate when the boats where loaded with dead weight of more than one ton. The three teams got new engine mounts before they started on the east cost, and that problem was now out of the world, but the stern drives kept causing GuttaBoyz and Lionhead a lot of worries. Unfortunately for GuttaBoyz, their problems came in the beginning of the legs, and that ruined their chances in the overall. Team Lionhead on their side, broke one of the stern drives twice, but being much closer to the finish line, they could finish the leg without loosing too much time. The two 36 P1 SuperSport took two out of four wins down the cost to Portsmouth. Team GuttaBoyz took a prestigious last win on the final stage. They crossed the finish 60 seconds behind the Buzzi Techno 40 with twin 750 SeaTech, but got an on hour penalty because their went one the wrong side of the last buoy. Team Lionhead was in for an exciting finish. After winning the second last stage, they were in second position (behind GuttaBoyz) on the last leg to Portsmouth when one stern drive broke down again! Going 30 knots+ with one hour the last 25 nautical miles, the toughest competitors was passing us on our way towards the finish line. Luckily we only lost 12 minutes of our 32 minute lead, and crossed finish first in class, second overall! It has been a memorable two weeks, with some outstanding results. We would like to than all the teams that made this event to what is was, and to all the fantastic people in the organizing comity making this possible. Helly Hansen is a proud partner to this project and has supported the teams with offshore apparel to keep them warm and safe in all conditions - in addition to provide the boats with special made canapies and upholstery. Congratulations!

After the last spectacular races run in Marsille in strong weather conditions, the Transpac52s fllet will fight this week in Cagliari. This regatta will be the occasion for CXG Corporacion Caixagalicia, sponsored by Helly Hansen, to try to close the gap that separated it from the winner boats in the first two legs of Ausi Series. The serious crash of HH CXG, happened in Marsille, makes more difficult again its situation. HH CXG sailed next to first mark when the Russian boat impeded to HH boat to give priority to Mutua Madrilena so HH boat struk it hardly while it run to more than nine knots of speed. HH CXG lost almost all its bow and it has been forced to go to build to rebuild it. Chuny Bermudez, the helsman of HH Team: -The boat is really and hardly damaged. We are working hard to arrive to race in Portals in time at the end of July. We have chartered an other boat to run in Cagliari this week so we is working also in bring this charter boat (ex-Artemis 2007) and put everything ready to the race. We will be happy to return to race with another competitive boat.- Vincent Tirado, HH CXG owner, says: - Chuny has wanted repeatedly to be here to achieve some points for the series standing. The charter is a Transpac designed with helm bar, it's very different from the two wheels that normally he used. We are very pleased with this rapid solution and especially I want thanking the crew of TAU and Javier Banderas, who gave us the opportunity to continue scoring in the circuit (the boat was present to first two legs with the name of TAU Ceramica)-. Good job guys and we'll hope that Eolo recompense your efforts! MPZ