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From P McGinty
The biggest losers in the sorry routing saga are Hall , Golding and MacArthur and they have been badly let down by the race committee of the EDS Atlantic Challenge in not hearing the case and settling the whole thing openly instead of leaving a festering wound because they wormed out of the responsibility they have. It is not right to say "we cannot control it so we have to allow it" but the policing of the routing issue is not a new one. Sometimes it is hard for competitors to stomach how much better another skipper has done and the issue is not new. A quick flick through Parlier's book on the Vendée will show that he directly accused both Jourdin and Desjoyeaux of receiving 'adjusted' weather files which were banned.

But without any substantive proof. It is the same with Hall versus the others. Having read all the statements I wonder if the committee's 'lily-livered' refusal to hear the case also shows that, as well as wanting to try and protect the EDS event's corporate sensibilities, they also wanted to protect Hall as well since Gartmore (not just him but others on the boat, too) were in contact with outside sources for information during the race, directly from the boat. The others have each admitted that they made contact with the information source but not directly from the boat while racing. That Hall dislikes the fact that the statements of the router and that of Golding and MacArthur is odd given that if three people are telling the truth their stories should match and they are not simple stories either.

Perhaps a career alone on the high seas has got to Hall's head and it really is time for him to sit at home with his Calvados... It is all a little hard to figure why he is still hammering at this one, maybe there is some general resentment in his team or something, it does seem very un-Hall-like but he cannot afford to claim a high position? I recently watched his TV program on the BBC and at one point he claimed that footage taken by another boat was his second iceberg sighting (the sat dome told the truth). Hall should apologize to both Golding and MacArthur and get back to all drinking beer together at the end of the race, he has made a mistake and will be seen as a bigger man for recognizing that and the EDS Committee need to apologize to all the teams and the rest of us and pass out the mints to take away the bad taste.

Also from P McGinty
Has ISAF made the right decisions? In the windsurfing case - absolutely. Moving off of strict One Design for racing would be suicide for the sport, and completely disenfranchise all but the pros and high-income gear geeks. Unlike normal sailing, which is largely sailor-driven, Windsurfing has a very ugly, marketing-driven side which is choking the sport. It is a very short-sighted strategy by the industry that renders the sport "about the gear" rather than "about the sailing". I've no objection to formula sailing as a pro/high level manufacturer-sponsored event (a la NASCAR), but fair racing needs to be accessible.

Furthermore, Windsurfing is a sailing event. It needs to be One Design or at least involve craft that can sail a proper course and get a Portsmouth rating, and sail in all wind conditions short of dead calm. Analogy: should we replace freestyle wrestling with pro wrestling? Maybe when formula has matured to the point where it is possible to pick a One Design that is adequately stable and maybe add it as a second class. However, any "boat" that cannot be sailed in less than 8 knots of wind and doesn't point better than 45 degrees really doesn't represent the sport well.

From Adrian Morgan
Australia II: where were you? I was on a fast chase boat with a group of American journalists, whooping and yelling as they celebrated (prematurely) Liberty's victory. The two boats were some way off, approaching the bottom mark,under spinnakers before rounding up for the final beat. Liberty had been leading at the top mark. We could only judge the leader by the relative height of the masts. As the beers were being broken out from the ubiquitous ice cooler I sat alone, a little dejected as I was secretly rooting for the Aussies. As I watched the masts I noticed one was losing height relative to the other; but so fractionally it was difficult to be sure. I watched, riveted, amid the celebrations until I was sure, before speaking.

The atmosphere onboard evaporated. Beers were abandoned for binoculars. At the mark it was indeed Australia II. And she held it through back-breaking tack after tack to the finish. We were among the first to go alongside and the American journalists were as exuberant and genuine in their congratulations for the Aussies as they had been in anticipating another US victory.

From Adam Scott
Could Caulcutt be of benefit to GBR Challenge? Without a doubt, Johnny Caulcutt has not only an immense passion for the sport, but his vision, commitment and belief are a must for any challenge. In the intense world of today where companies/brands/challenges must fight for media space and sponsorship John has the proven ability within marketing and communication, but also the ability and sympathy on the water to support and guide the challenge to increased success.