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Is she the fastest Farr boat? Probably not - new innovations take time to gel with the crew as they have to learn new ideas. Lights below at night that filter on deck will only annoy and frustrate the working crew, especially the helmsman. To win a Volvo Race you need an experienced crew and dedicated to the task. News Corp and illbruck are my tips, but all entrants need a degree of luck.

From Steve Jennings
Are you a speed freak - does the Inter 20 do it for you? We have owned our Inter 20 for two seasons and despite sailing cats for five years or more I never tire of the surge of acceleration as the cat powers up away from the beach. The Inter 20 is the best Catamaran I have owned out of many. Your test confirms the light handling on the rudders which is quite remarkable in such a powerful cat. Until recently I have sustained no damage whatsoever to the Inter 20 and would frequently point out how well built the cat was when compared with other high performance craft.

We had the misfortune recently to strike an underwater obstacle at full speed whilst in Southampton Water and broke both centre boards at hull level. Despite this no damage appears to have occurred to the centre board boxes. My daughters are successful in cat sailing circles and it is only with some difficulty can I persuade them to allow me a go on my own cat. The Inter 20 does it for me in a big way. A slight feeling of trepidation accompanies every launch in anything more that a F4. That sounds like a buzz to me!

From Robert B. Middlemas, Seattle
What are Dalts chances in the Volvo? If the deciding factor of any yacht race was based solely on time of preparation, then Dalts surely has failed. Thankfully, I think for all of us, this is not the case. Indeed, if it were true, most (if not all) of the results of the past would be rewritten. There are reasons why syndicates hire the very best, most experienced people they can find. The reasons for this are most often found south of 40 degrees, in the flat calms or in do or die situations. It is manifest in the fact that the same people seem to do well no matter what has transpired, both on and off the water. Add to that the value of leadership and the ability of inspire. People only achieve their true best when pushed by someone better.

Many times I have observed, on the docks, people of questionable experience scratching their heads, asking themselves how the old geezer with the slow boat beat them. Does Dalts wish he had more time? I am quite sure that he does. Is he trusting largely in his and his crew's voluminous sailing and racing experience, of which he alone has probably forgotten more than most of us will ever learn? This also I am quite sure of. From that perspective, Dalts seems well suited for a close battle.

From Jesse Falsone President Int 505 Class
Who is your choice of favourite for the title? I think the favourites are clear. Howard and Mike will win if the conditions are generally below 15 knots. Berstrom and Moss will win if it averages over 20 knots. Hamilin and Martin have superior speed in the light stuff on all points of sail. They have gotten faster since they won the worlds together in 1999 (France), and it was light there. They can hang with Bergstrom/Moss upwind in moderate planing conditions, and are probably faster off the wind in most, if not all conditions. Bergstrom is simply bionic upwind in heavy air, and won't be touched unless someone has made some significant improvements since the Durban worlds. I don't think this is likely. I think it's pretty simple, if its windy it will be Bergstrom/Moss, if not windy then the money is on Hamlin/Martin.

From Mark Homer
Laser on the right tack with new keelboat? Looks good to me, I have been crowing for years about the demand for a boat of this type. The K6 falls far short of this niche , and in my opinion is barely comparable. We already have the FF and from reports I hear it's still faster!. The new Laser Looks the ticket, something with high performance, easily manoeuvred around the country, and enough of a boat to stay out ALL day comfortably , and compete in keelboat regattas. Only snag I ain't got the loot, how about a competition to win one.