http://spinnakerweb.net SPINNAKER Powered Site en_IE http://spinnakerweb.net/article347.html Champagne sailing conditions returned to ACCBank Cork Week for Friday's finale that saw South Africans Dave and Steve Hudson collect the overall Boat of the Week trophy for their win in the 40-strong Laser SB3 event. http://spinnakerweb.net/article346.html Ericsson 3 and Ericsson 4 left Sweden today and set sail on their mandatory race qualifier. The race crews will not return to Sweden until they return for the Marstrand stopover in mid-June 2009 during the Volvo Ocean Race. The 3,000 mile trip back to the team's training base in Lanzarote, Canary Islands, will be used by the two-boat Ericsson Racing Team, as their shakedown for the round-the-world race, and will be the first time that Ericsson 4 will head out on  a long passage since its launch in late June. http://spinnakerweb.net/article345.html A finely balanced leader-board at the front of the Super Zero class at ACCBank Cork Week was outcome of the third day of racing that sees Niklas Zennstrom's TP52 Ran maintain a one-point lead over Dan Meyer's Judel Vrolijk 66 Numbers. Both boats had a win apiece on the Windward-Leeward course in the light airs. http://spinnakerweb.net/article344.html The Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship 2008 will take place from 11 - 19 July in Århus, Denmark. There are over 250 competitors from 60 nations taking part. Volvo are the title sponsor of the event, which is run by ISAF and encompasses single-handed Laser (boys) and Laser Radial (girls), the double-handed 29er (boys and girls), the RS:X windsurfer (boys and girls), and multihull SL16 (open) classes in this world class event. http://spinnakerweb.net/article343.html Nieuwpoort, Belgium: Tom Jeffcoate and Dave Hynes (GBR) have won the 2008 Fireball European Championships. 56 Teams from 9 countries took part in a windy weeks sailing off the Belgium coast. http://spinnakerweb.net/article342.html Day two at ACC Bank Cork Week dawned with a solid south-westerly breeze gusting to more than 20 knots at times for the 410 entries gathered at Crosshaven. Boat-handling skills were tested across the variety of courses though the fleet did not escape without gear failure and ripped sailcloth. http://spinnakerweb.net/article341.html Those who think the GP14 is “an old boat for old people” would have got a shock if they looked out on the Malahide Estuary on weekend 5th & 6th July!  http://spinnakerweb.net/article340.html The Green Dragon Team's Volvo Open 70 completed its first offshore passage, arriving into Cork in Ireland on Sunday (13/07/08). The boat, was commissioned and has undergone sea trials in Gosport, UK, sailed with a full crew for the 450 mile trip to Ireland. Onboard were two new additions to the Green Dragon Team ; internationally renowned yachtsmen Neal McDonald (GBR) and Anthony Merrington (AUS) have joined the existing 10 strong sailing team. http://spinnakerweb.net/article339.html The final countdown to the start of one of Europe's premiere regattas, ACCBank Cork Week, has begun. The arrival of three of the world's most competitive yachts into Cork Harbour signals the real beginning of the highlight of Ireland's Sailing Calendar. "Rambler" a 90 footer, skippered by George David from the US, "Moneypenny" & "Numbers" both 52 feet long, also from the US and skippered by James Swartz and Dan Myers respectively will be seen in the harbour this week, gearing up for the event, in advance of their first race on Monday 14th July. http://spinnakerweb.net/article338.html While the GBR Red team started the final day of the Rolex Commodores' Cup with a comfortable lead, a double points scoring final race combined with a front passing over the Solent bringing with it solid 30 knot winds, even stronger gusts, rain and terrible visibility maintained the tension until the very last moments of the competition.