Volvo, Olympics, Vendee Globe and more sailing news

by Sail-World.com on 22 Jun 2012 Welcome to this edition of Sail-World.com's UK newsletter.

Samantha Davies has undertaken her qualifying voyage for this year's Vendee Globe, Helena Lucas topped the ISAF World Cup standings in the 2.4mR class as did Alison Young in the Laser Radial class.

For the teams racing in the fully crewed, around-the-world Volvo Ocean Race (VOR), only three scoring chances remain (two in-port races and one offshore leg), so the pressure is on for the front-running teams to perform.

Groupama, Telefonica, Puma Ocean Racing and Emirates Team New Zealand (ETNZ) are in contention for overall podium finishes, with Groupama 4 currently leading.

Longtime race leader Telefonica has all but concluded that theirs is likely a race for second-place, a fate that skipper Iker Martinez isn’t particularly thrilled about. 'We never ever thought about coming second in this race,' said Martinez.'

In America's Cup news, a fire broke out in the bulkhead of San Francisco’s Pier 29—home of an America’s Cup construction site—on June 20, but the blaze did little more than snarl traffic as the zone is being razed to make way for Cup facilities.

Also in Cup news, the fleet of AC45 wingsail-powered catamarans have taken to the waters of Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay in preparation for next week’s America’s Cup World Series Newport Act, which is the final event of the ACWS’s 2011-2012 season.

Kiteboarding made its way onto the international stage with its June 20th appearance at this year’s Kiel Week, the Clipper Around the World Yacht Race fleet is bracing for a walloping, and the foil-borne l’Hydroptère DCNS has entered the Pacific Ocean by way of the Panama Canal and a freighter, en-route to LA and her eventual assault on the Transpac record.

And we have all the news from Kiel Week as we close in on the London Olympics. Stay tuned to Sail-World.com for extensive coverage by our Team of the sailing from Weymouth.

Lots of local news too. Don't forget its easy to submit your news and pictures for publication. Simply go to Sail-World's front page and click on Submit News and Pictures.

Have a great week.