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Mark's latest article, which seemed to concentrate on the ethical issues around sports sponsorship, goes some way to explaining the dilemmas that a team can face when you have a 'controversial' sponsor.

Whilst highlighting the reasons for the controversy over Areva's funding of the French team, it's a shame he didn't expand on this by talking about how he feels about being sponsored by SAIC (a sponsor and a technical partner of OneWorld); a company which in part develops technology for military use, and has close ties to the US Military.

If ever there was an America's Cup sponsor that befits Mark's description of Areva as 'a company cut from the same cloth as those whose tracks can be seen trailing across the background in some of Mr Pilger's pictures' it would be SAIC. SAIC is also a particularly long running example of a potentially controversial sponsor seeking to improve it's image through involvement with sailing (as Greenpeace have alleged with Areva); it has been involved in the America's Cup since Stars and Stripes in the 1986/7 match, and most recently was part of Cayard's AmericaOne effort.

This reader thinks Geronimo will be fast

Geronimo should be faster than the cats in lighter conditions and could also be faster when running deeply. Theoretically the cats should be faster reaching in fresh to strong conditions. However there are other considerations as well. The central hull protects the forward beam from slamming and the tri structure may be stronger although relatively heavier. In addition, maintaining a high average speed in rough and light conditions is more important than top speed.

I was interested to hear Nick Maloney say that Orange's forward beam was humming along the surface when surfing and that the boat was pitching painfully in fresh upwind conditions. This may indicate that 62 days is going to be very hard to beat in the present G-class Ollier cats. I would have thought that de Kersuason's persistence and experience will mean that Geronimo should be the next boat to hold the Jules Verne. The real threat would seem to come from Playstation but we can't be sure that Fossett will start or finish next winter.

Kristian Hajnsek wishes to remind us of one other British entry in the mini-Fastnet

My name is Kristian Hajnsek, I'm from Slovenia and I've participated on the Mini Fastnet with no33 Aquitaine. I would like to mention that there was also one more British entry you've forgotten; it is Mini no193 Deception, skippered by Nick Bobb and Simon Dunn.

The Round Britain and Ireland doublehanded race started last weekend and Alex Bennett gave us his view

Far from being delayed by an hour, the Round Britain and Ireland race started on time (although the starter is well known for pulling the plug for any kind of reason). It wasn't rough at the start or blowing very hard. Sure, there was a reasonable swell coming in but it wasn't bumpy. Wind wise it was fine for at least one hour into the race. Sure, further out it would have been both windier and bumpier: most tris were reefed early in anticipation of this. As a side note: most monos were not, even though they didn't have the extra stability of a full crew. (Who says tris are more dangerous?) Cunning Plan didn't lose her rig before the breakwater: she lost it several hours into the race - I watched her all the way into QAB.

The way most of the monos were being sailed, this is not much of a surprise. I was pretty shocked by some of the set-ups these crews were attempting to sail with short handed. This goes for sail quality especially. Unfortunately, there were two much more interesting points that you missed. The Dutch Open 50 hit the bottom hard before the breakwater. They were playing devils advocate with the depth and ended up as the devil! And two monos had a near T-bone 14+ knot collision just after the breakwater: they both panicked into 360 turns when surrounded by the rest of the fleet. This was the "wax on wax off move".

Unfortunately, one went anti clockwise and the other clockwise: with full backed genoas, they nearly had a major collision going the other way(!) Anyway, RKJ will have no problem on his tri as long as he can hold it together. If he can't then I rate Meridian as maybe both class favourite and line honours even though she is tiny: just depends on the conditions!

It would seem your predications are coming true Alex...

As more boats retired from the Round Britain and Ireland due to bad weather we asked should the race start have been delayed ?
This anonymous readers thinks not
No. Quite sensibly, those who saw trouble ahead stopped in Falmouth and those confident enough to carry on have either got to Ireland or broken something and retired anyway.

No way! There is far too much of this going on in major events especially "open" ones. It's your decision to race. Also this race is sold as *difficult* because of the extra distance a yacht would have to sail in order to 'stand off' the coast in the bad stuff. Dealing with this circumstance (as in all sailing) is part of the deal. I think it sorts the well prepared boats early and preparation tells in a race like this. Better now than in the middle of nowhere (North sea?) Sure, there might be less competition from here on but the real question is: "why did some of those yachts believe they were in a position to start".

Mark Orr agrees
No, these yachts are meant to be racing 2 handed around Britain and Ireland. At some point they will experience heavy weather, it just happened on the first leg. They have had a hard time of it 35 - 40kts on the nose and at least 20ft swells. It would have been pretty horrible but all of then entrants will have qualified and should be prepared for the weather. It is a shame that so many have retired as it will break the excitement of the race. Well done to those that kept plugging on I bet the Murphy's tasted better than usual.

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