Racing News Briefs World Match Racing Tour Set to Conclude on Elba Island The Locman Cup-Elba Island, the eighth and final stage of the 2005-2006 World Match Racing Tour, takes place July 11-16 on Elba Island, Italy. Australian skipper Peter Gilmour placed first in last month’s Match Race Germany, thereby winning the tour title, a new BMW, and $30,000 in prize money. Although the tour champion has already been decided, the Locman Cup-Elba Island should see some intense competition between participating America’s Cup sailors Thierry Peponnet (Areva Challenge), Cameron Dunn (Mascalzone Latino – Capitalia), Ian Ainslie (Team Shosholoza), and Pierre Mas (China Team). For more news from the World Match Racing Tour, visit www.worldmatchracingtour.com . Ocean Racing Veterans Team Up for Barcelona World Race The Barcelona World Race doesn’t start until November 2007, but the team-to-beat has already been established. Vincent Riou, 2004-2005 Vendee Globe winner, and Sebastien Josse, skipper of ABN AMRO 2 in the Volvo Ocean Race, announced their participation in the doublehanded Barcelona World Race, the only non-stop, crewed race around the globe via the three great Capes. For more information about the Barcelon World Race, go to www.barcelonaworldrace.com . Notice of Race: The Vineyard Race The Notice of Race for the 72nd annual Vineyard Race, hosted by the Stamford Yacht Club, is now available online at www.stamfordyc.com . The race takes place September 1 on Long Island Sound. New features include transponders for every boat, a shortened course, expanded eligibility, and a classic yacht division. Industry News Briefs Former Saab Exec Joins Vanguard On June 27, Vanguard announced the hiring of a new vice president of marketing, Chip Wilkerson, former brand development manager for Swedish auto manufacturer, Saab. Wilkerson will oversee the sailboat manufacturer’s advertising, public relations, dealer promotions, and event sponsorship efforts. Vanguard president Chip Johns praised Wilkerson’s qualifications, saying, “Chip’s product management experience, along with his international and management background will be a tremendous asset to Vanguard as we continue to grow.” For more information about the changes underway at Vanguard, click here . Offshore Sailing School Offers One-Day Instruction Course For those seeking a quick introduction to sailing, Offshore Sailing School offers “Learn to Sail in a Day,” a condensed version of its popular instruction programs. The one-day course, conducted at the school’s locations in New York, New Jersey, and Florida, provides students with basic sailing instruction aboard Colgate 26 sailboats. For more information about the learn-to-sail program, click here . Wall Street Executives Shake-A-Leg for Charity Nine teams of corporate executives will compete in Shake-A-Leg’s 2006 Wall Street Corporate Challenge Cup (WSCCC) when it returns to Newport, R.I. July 7-8. Now in its 15th year, the WSCCC brings together business leaders for two unforgettable days of racing aboard America’s Cup 12 Meter yachts, American Eagle, Columbia, Courageous, Easterner, Freedom, Heritage, Nefertiti, Intrepid, and Weatherly. Each team raises $30,000 to participate in the event, the proceeds from which support Shake-A-Leg’s various programs for people with spinal cord injuries and nervous system dysfunction. For more information about Shake-A-Leg, click here . Crew Selection Underway for Disney’s “Morning Light” Film Applications for a position on the crew that will sail a Transpac 52 in the 2007 Transpacific Yacht Race for Roy E. Disney’s “Morning Light” film project have closed with 538 young sailors, including about 50 from foreign countries. Candidates for “the youngest crew ever to sail Transpac” are already being pared down to the 30 who will participate in selection trials held in Catalina 37s in Long Beach August 5-13. The final team of 15 will be announced August 12 and will undergo four months of training on Morning Light in Hawaii starting January 1, 2007. The crew will race the boat from Los Angeles to Hawaii in July, 2007. The film, scheduled for release in 2008, will chronicle the young crew’s recruitment, training, and racing efforts. For more information about “Morning Light,” visit www.pacifichighproductions.com . New Importer for Aussie Cats Fun in the Sun will be the North American distributor for Australian High Performance Catamarans (AHCP). The company’s designs include the Capricorn F18, Boyer A-Cat, Tool, Taipan, and Taipan F16. Although the A-Cat is well known and proven around the United States, the Capricorn hit the shores running, finishing first and second at the Summer Sizzler event in Daytona Beach, June 24-25. Capricorn has also been kicking the dust up in Europe, finishing first on corrected time at Round de Texel. For more information on the AHCP line of boats, go to www.ahpc.com.au .
