AUCKLAND by MAUFALONEPERCIVALE

Fantastic: Alessandra Sensini has won again!

She knows the waves and the winds. She knows the pleasure to be alone, on a piece of wood, with a little sheet as sails, in front of the Sea. Alessandra Sensini-from the Italian Maremma- yesterday in Auckland, New Zealand, has prepared an huge gift for the 26 of January, her birthday day: 38 year old and still the best woman in the world of windsurf! Oh! I am so happy and full of emotions for her new goal! Brava Alessandra. You are the Enormous Light that brights for Us! With my deep Love and of all the Italian women... Thanks. Mau

NEWS FROM THE BARCELONA WORLD RACE

As you remember the Barcelona World Race has started the 11 November 2007 in Barcelona and it will finish in February 2008, again in Barcelona. It is a new two-handed, non-stop, Round the World yacht race and it will be held every 4 years. For the first time this race will see the world's best professional sailors from both solo and fully crewed disciplines competing against each other in teams of two. They will race over 25,000 miles, over 3 months, across the planet's most hostile and challenging oceans in high performance IMOCA Open 60 monohulls. Never before has a two-handed, non-stop round the world race been staged and there has never been a crewed non-stop round the world race in monohulls. In this Race there is the British yachtsman Alex Thomson that I have personally met in Antigua and his Australian co-skipper Andrew Cape ("Capey"). The story of Alex Thomson is amazing. He set a new 24hr solo monohull World Speed Record in December 2003 covering 468.7nm at an average speed of 19.5 knots during the Défi Atlantique, in which he finished 3rd. At 25, Alex Thomson became the youngest skipper ever to win a Round the World Race - the Clipper Race 1998/99. In October 2005 Alex Thomson stepped forward as the only skipper to confirm that he will be racing "3 in 3": Three Magnificent Round the Worlds: -the solo VELUX 5 Oceans in 2006, -the inaugural two-handed Barcelona World Race 2007 and -the blue ribbon Vendée Globe 2008. Unfortunately Alex’s yacht HUGO BOSS suffered keel failure during the VELUX 5 Oceans, forcing him to abandon ship in the Southern Ocean and retire from the race. Alex has one dream: to be the first Briton to win the Vendée Globe (*Vendée Globe - Around the world, single-handed, non-stop, without assistance. The Start is in November 2008, Les Sables d'Olonne, France. The Finish is in February 2009, Les Sables d'Olonne, France. The blue ribbon event that launched Dame Ellen MacArthur to fame. Three months around the world's oceanic wildernesses, alone, non-stop and without any outside assistance. Official supplier of legends since 1989 and run every 4 years since, this epic race has yet to be won by a non-francophone URL=http://www.vendeeglobe.org/ URL=http://www.alexthomsonracing.com/ The news is that Alex and Capey have begun their return trip up the Atlantic Ocean, towards the finish of the Barcelona World Race. Having rounded Cape Horn at 01:13 GMT on Sunday 13th January 2008, HUGO BOSS is currently just over 6,000 nautical miles from the finish line in Barcelona. They are in second place and they are expected to reach the finish in approximately four weeks time. "Having spent the last 6 weeks in the Southern Ocean, the warmer conditions in the South Atlantic will be welcomed with open arms. With the boat breaking conditions of the deep south behind them, Alex and Capey will now look to make inroads into the lead of first placed Paprec Virbac. The final drag race to the finish will be tricky, with several areas of unstable conditions. The Doldrums in particular will be a real test for HUGO BOSS and Paprec Virbac, and could offer Thomson and Cape the opportunity to close the gap. Thomson commented: “It’s a great feeling to be heading north back up the Atlantic. We have had some pretty variable weather down here over the last few weeks, from high winds and big seas to mill pond conditions - I am certainly looking forward to a bit of warmth! Capey and I are very happy with our position at the moment, as we wait to see what the weather gods dish out. Unfortunately, Paprec Virbac is a little too far ahead to catch on boat speed alone, so we are in need of a little bit of luck with the weather to close the gap further. Thomson continued: “This has been a fantastic race for us onboard HUGO BOSS. Rounding Cape Horn and leaving the Southern Ocean behind represents a huge milestone for me. We have learnt a tremendous amount about the boat and I personally have learnt a lot from Capey about round the world navigation. We are really looking forward to getting back to Barcelona and seeing all our friends and family. Not long to go now!”" Later we will speak more about this race. For today I suppose ...it is enough! Have a nice night.

The New Year 2008 has come!

And with Sweetness the New Year 2008 has come.

We were waiting, wishing, dreaming of it. A New Story will start for Everybody. A New Life will begin. I suppose Better than Yesterday. We have to make the Today better than Yesterday, peaceful and happier.

We are able to do it. Everybody, Wherever. Trying to help others and transforming good dreams in reality. If you like you can tell us your good desires. Your sailing experiences, your projects.

We will listen to them.

I Wish YOU a Beautiful New Year!

And where are you in this New Year 2008 Eve?

My dear Friends,

wherever you are I hope the Best to You!

The 2007 has been a hard year for many of us. Stressful and Mean.

Now, in the beginning of the New Year 2008 I Hope that All the Good Wishes that are not been satisfied until the 2007 will be realized in the 2008!!!!!!!!

Let the Moon caresses Everybody, Everywhere, with sweetness and tenderness.

We deserve it! Good Luck to YOU (and to me too)!

Mau

And where are you in th