The 58th Giraglia Rolex Cup came to an end after the 36 footer Viva Corte crossed the finish line some 56 hours after it set off on a long journey covering 241 nautical miles in the ocean. The title was won by Neville Crichton’s Shockwave (NZL), a mammoth craft twice the size of the puny Viva Corte. The tournament featured 220 yachts with most of them the size of the Viva Corte; one reason why Ivo Olivero’s achievement brought so much cheer to so many.

The main attraction of the Giraglia Rolex cup is the long distance race that starts from Saint-Tropez to San Remo, via the Giraglia rock.  Neville Crichton is no stranger to this event having won line honours five times and broken the course record twice. His win is the culmination of his good form at this tournament. Speaking after the win, Neville Crichton said that he would have loved to take the line honours but the presence of the 100 footer Esimit made it impossible. However, he was happy that he managed to win the competition.

Later at the awards presentation ceremony he was presented with a Rolex Submariner Chronometer for his efforts. Commending the hard work put in by the organizers he said that he would come back to defend his title next year.  However, he refused to comment whether he will be back with the Shockwave or some other boat.

Line winner, Igor Simcic is a newcomer to this event, having attained the second position in the 2008 tournament. That year, the winning yacht, Alfa Romeo II, raced by Neville Crichton, made a deep impression on him and he decided to acquire the yacht with an eye on winning the future competitions.    Ahead of this year’s race, Igor Simcic was confident of setting a new tournament record. However, the winds combined with some technical problems made sure that his plans were dashed to the ground. Commenting on the race, he said that they were satisfied that the yacht was the first over the line and had it not been for the technical issues they would have surely done better.

Simcic won almost all the major awards including the Trofeo Beppe Croce for being the first to the Giraglia rock.  He was also presented with a Rolex Yacht-Master Chronometer for his efforts.

Other awards included the best results obtained over both the offshore and the inshore race. The award went to Frank Noel, owner of the Near Miss (SUI) who received a Rolex Submariner chronometer as recognition of his feat. He was modest of his achievements saying that the result was due to the hard work put in by the team and other factors like a favourable wind that helped the yacht to keep up with the more powerful boats

The Rolex Commodore’s Cup is expected to draw competitors from a number of countries including Belgium, France, Great Britain, Honk Kong and Ireland.  The tournament will be conducted on the tight Solent course and is expected to be very competitive.

The Rolex Commodore’s Cup is characterised by intense competition and this year will see a continuation of rivalries old and new. The field includes some of the most talented yachtsmen in the world, spread generously, in all the classes of the boating championship.

The IRC Super Zero class features some of the most powerful boats in the competition promising plenty of high quality racing. Some of TP52’s that will be lighting up the Solent with their performances include Johnny Vincent’s Pace, Charles Dunstone’s Teamorigin Rio, the British Keelboat Academy’s John Merricks II and Rob Grey’s, Farr 52, Bob.

IRC Zero is stacked with talent from six different countries Including Rolex Commodore’s Cup contender, Anthony O’Leary’s Ker 39, Antix, who is the current Irish IRC Zero National champion having beaten Dave Dwer’s Mills 39, Marinerscove.ie very recently. The Marinerscove.ie is the current IRC National champions and is expected to put up a tough fight.

The IRC One will be contested by an international line up that includes class acts like the RORC Yacht of the Year, 2008, Philippe Delaporte’s Pen Azen.  Philippe saw the RORC IRC National as a perfect build up for the Rolex Commodore’s Cup that will be held in the month of August. He said that the crew will get accustomed to living in coves and the competitive atmosphere will help in preparing them for the tough conditions ahead.

The IRC One class includes First 40, La Response chartered by the duo of Andrew McIrvine and Peter Morton. The event will be the first instance when the First 40, La Response will be competing against its sister ship Coup De Coeur, raced by Marc de Saint Denis and Gery Trentesaux. The other top contenders in the class include Jim Macgregor’s Elan 410, Premier Flair, and Robert Davies Corby 36, Roxy 6.

The IRC Two class showcases the largest fleet in the championship exhibiting a wide variety of designs and sizes. Some of the top contenders in this class include David’s Aisher’s J 109, Yeoman of Wight, Wouter Borghij’s A 35, Tontin and Chris and Hannah Neve’s First 35, No Chance. Chris Neve was delighted with the performance of the First 35, saying that the new boat would increase their chances in the championship.

The IRC Three Class is represented by Mike and Jamie Holme’s J97, JIka Jika and Richard Sparrow’s J 92, Who’s to No.

The Quarter Ton Cup would feature Paul Kelsey’s Runaway Bus, James Morland’s Menace and Lousie Morton’s Espada. Lousie said that it would be great if people turn up in large numbers at the boating competition.

The RYA announced the teams that would be competing in the Commodores Cup beginning Saturday 15th, 2010.  The championship is a biennial event, conducted on the trying waters around the Solent, featuring several in-shore and out-shore events that stretch over a period of seven gruelling days.

The Brits are the defending champions and are expected to come up with a strong showing at this challenging event. RYA GBR will be putting up a strong team comprising of Team GBR Red, Blue, White and Black; team GBR Red being the cynosure of all eyes, having won the event in style in 2008.

The competition will have each team entering one boat in each of the three IRC class rating bands. Accordingly, team GBR Red will feature White Heat (King 40, Class One), Quokka 8 (Grand Soleli 43, Class Two) and Premier Flair (Elan 410, Class Three).  Not to be left behind, team GBR White features Alice II (Farr 45, Class One), La Reponse (Beneteau First 40, Class Two) and No Chance (Beneteau First 35, Class Three).

Roger Wilson, head selector stated that the team was chosen in a way that maximized harmony between the team and the owner. According to him, this was important as the very success of the team depended on how well the team gelled with each other and how willing they were to put in the same level of commitment.

Team GBR Red is heavy on experience, with Premier Flair’s owner, Jim Macgregor having competed in the 2008 and 2004 events and Quokka’s owner Peter Rutter having won the 2008 event.  On the other hand White Heat that has comparatively less experience has been making up for it with excellent results in the 2009 IRC East Coast Championship, along with picking up a title event at Key West Week at Florida.

The Red Team captain sounded upbeat about the team’s chances at the Rolex Commodore Cup, saying that the team was professionally run and in Jim Macgregor they had an expert sailor.  According to him, teamwork was one of the reasons behind last year’s success, and they hoped to replicate last year’s success at the championship.

He further added that the competition would be tough this year as the field included several world class competitors gunning for the top prize.

Team GBR White is equally rich on experience with the duo of Chris and Hannah Neve on “No Chance�. Alice II is another top performer within the group having done exceedingly well in the Royal Thames YC David Diehl trophy April, last year. Last but not the least, RORC Commodore Andrew Mclvirne will be offering his invaluable guidance on the La Reponse.  The Class Two partner has had excellent results in the past, which include wins at all the major events except for the ones at the Warsash Spring Series and the Royal Southern YC Summer Series.

The Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series returns to the Watkins Glen International, after extensive renovations were made to the track last season.  Scott Pruett and his Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates co-driver Memo Rojas are the favorites at the Glen. However, many feel that NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson, racing with the GAINCOS/ Bob Stalling Racing team has a chance to upstage the favorites.

The Watkins Glenn International, second in distance to the Rolex 24 at Daytona, starts at 2 P.M on Saturday after the completion of practice and qualifying session on Friday.  The event will be televised by Speed in two parts starting from race start.

Pruett and the Ganassi Daytona Prototype team have always done well at the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series at Glen since their initiation to the event way back in 2004. In six appearances they have racked up an impressive array of three wins, one second place position and one third place position; the only blemish being an 11th place in 2006. However, the team received a major setback, when the No. 1 Telemex BMW-Riley was damaged in the recently concluded Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car event at Lime Rock Park, Connecticut. Pruett estimated that it would take $100,000 to repair the damaged car. However, he was confident that the team was up-to the task and the machine would be ready by race day.

Pruett and Rojas have had an incredibly good season, winning three events on the trot before the mishap at Lime Rock International interrupted their series of victories. The mishap occurred when the two time reigning champion Jon Fogarty, forced Rojas car off the tarmac in the opening lap. The duo of Fogarty and Gurney have had a disaster prone season so far, plagued by a series of mechanical failures and crashes that have put paid to their hopes to retain the championship.

The defending NASCAR champion has three top five finishes on the Glen’s 2.45 mile NASCAR layout. However, this will be the first time he will be racing on the traditional 3.4 mile circuit. Sounding very upbeat he stated that he was thrilled at the prospect of racing at the Glen.

Johnson, not used to racing for long hours, enlisted the help of Dale Earnhardt Jr. to set up a racing simulator so that he could get accustomed to the tough driving conditions.

The NASCAR champion will have to do a bit of juggling as he is also competing in the Gilette Fusion ProGlide 500 Sprint Cup. Johnson expects to put in a few minutes of training at the Rolex Series Practice session before rushing to Pocono for the session starting at noon. Depending on the qualifying time he expects to be back for a final crack at the training session starting 3.40 P.M Friday evening.

The competition for the New York Yacht Club’s annual regatta sponsored by Rolex is getting fiercer as the D-Day draws nearer. Starting, Friday, June 11, the Rolex sponsored annual regatta will feature class champions, historic classes and some of the largest boats seen on water. The competition will begin with the Around-the-Island race on Friday, followed by two days of gruelling buoy racing. The regatta is the oldest in

America, dating way back to 1845.
The championship is divided into several divisions like the PHRF, Classic, 6 Meter, 12 Meter and IRC, each division having its own favourite.  The Ran is one of the favourites in its class, having earned its fair share of appreciation at the Grand-Prix classics like the 2009 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, Rolex Fastnet Race and Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. The owner of any 72 footer Ran is confident that the yacht will be able to navigate the tricky course with ease.

The 69 footer, Reichel/Pugh designed, Bella Mente, owned by NYYC member Ken Read, earned a name for itself after winning its class at the Rolex Middle Sea Race in the year 2009. Another hot contender is the Puerto Rico-based yacht, Titan 15, owned by Tom Hill and designed by Reichel/Pug. This ocean beauty registered a second place at the Antigua sailing week and a win at the BVI Spring Regatta.

As the skipper of the il monstro, Ken Read, member NYYC, has been making just the right kind of noise for the last few days. According to him, the Rolex sponsored annual regatta is one of his “must do� events, with the ultimate prize reserved for the 2011-2012 Volvo Ocean race. He feels that the regatta is a fantastic opportunity for him to prepare for tougher circumstances ahead at the Volvo Ocean race.

The one design class will feature 15 entries, with the top billing reserved for the reigning National Champion Phil Lotz, who commandeered the Arethusa to top position in the inaugural New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup last year. According to Lotz, consistency will pay dividends in the long run as there are a number of equally good competitors. The Arethusa will also compete in the Rolex US-IRC National Championship in the second half of the race week. The skipper is confident as the boat showed good results at the 2008 IRC East Coast Championship, winning its class.

The Rolex Commodores’ Cup has announced its teams for the 2010 season. The grand regatta will begin on the 15th of August and continue till the 21st of August which leaves hardly three months in the hands of various teams for preparation that will be participating in the event. The Rolex Commodores’ Cup is of international repute that has all eyes set upon it and is being touted as one of the most exciting upcoming regattas.

The league of teams gearing up for the event includes South Africa that will be participating in the event for the first time. Teams from Northern European nations including France, United Kingdom and Ireland will be sailing in the regatta in great numbers which are seen as the spine of the whole event and so will team Hong Kong which is hoping to replicate its 2008 performance in the event. Organizers have revealed that there will be a total of twelve teams marking their presence in the 2010 Rolex Commodores’ Cup. The last date for registering in the event is 12th July, 2010.

The Rolex Commodores’ Cup is a blend of onshore and offshore racing, which takes place over a period of seven days. The racing programme features IRC rated boats. The upcoming season will mark the 10th edition of the Rolex Commodores Cup. The grand regatta event is slated to be held at Cowes, Isle of Wight in the United Kingdom.

Team Hong Kong, which is to be led by Jamie McWilliam looks forward to hit the waters to once again with the aim of dazzling at the event like they did in the year 2008. The collective effort of the team, along with the esteemed guidance of Jamie McWilliam paved way for a fifth position victory from among many seasoned teams that left many surprised last season. This year the team is quite determined and hopeful of winning over the Rolex Commodores Cup.

Speaking about their victory, Jamie McWilliam said that during the previous season, the team worked very hard for the regatta; however, they opted for brand new yachts or charters which had never been used for regattas before. This resulted in the team spending more time simply understanding about the boats rather than concentrating on building up their pace while the series was on. The mistake has been rectified and the determined team has invested in pre-owned boats for the regatta this year. The captain of the team revealed that the boats selected this year are mostly owned by Hong Kong based individuals. The team is scheduled to hit the UK IRC Nationals by late June and will also plan out a few summer weekends so as to do prior trials with the boats. The line-up of boats that the team will be sailing in includes the Tiamat, which gave an outstanding performance at the 2006 Rolex Commodores’ Cup; the Blondie, which also proved its worth in the 2008 Rolex Commodores Cup; and Rockall III which has created history in the United Kingdom.

Rolex, along with a few other major brands, will be seen sponsoring the Open Championship this year. The golf championship is one of the oldest and most prestigious championships among the four major golf championships held across the globe. The Open Championship is being organized by the R&A. The 2010 Open Championship also holds a special appeal following its 150^th anniversary. Other brands sponsoring the event include Doosan and Lexus.

Rolex has been lending its support to several sporting events. The main onus of the support is to bring across a common platform for the players from around the world and to help them display their talents in various fields of sport. The long legacy of support by Rolex in the form of sponsorships has given the career of many a sports stars the required boost and encouragement. Rolex has been a sponsor to sporting events like equestrian events, tennis tournaments as well as many golfing tournaments including the Open Championship which is the newest member. Rolex is a proud sponsor of the Open Championship and recognises the qualities like skill, precision and excellence, which are a prerequisite to earn the title of a champion, all the virtues which are well displayed by brand Rolex as well.

The Open Championship will be watched by a crowd of about 250,000 people live at the venue, while in 163 nations people will be watching the same on their television sets including North America and Europe. The governing body of the golf event- R&A is also the organizing body of the grand golfing event outside Mexico and USA. The Open Championship is also known as the British Open and takes place during the third weekend of July beginning Friday. The event is the third major golfing event to happen each year closely following the Masters and the US Open. The PGA Championship follows suit after the Open Championship. It also stands as the oldest of all four major golf events. The Championship is slated to take place on the Old Course at St. Andrews, which has so far hosted 27 Open Championships and will be staging its 28^th coming July.

To mark the 150^th anniversary of the famous golf championship a few of its past champions are being invited as well. On July 14^th, these champions will be playing four holes with regard to the old course. However, the celebrations will depend on the weather conditions that day. The 2010 Open Championship will reward the winner with prize money of £750,000.

The long list of champions who will be participating in the event includes Paul Casey, a British golfer who has won several titles including the likes of PGA Championships and WGC Accenture Match Play. Another major British golf player, Sir Nick Faldo will be seen competing at the championship. He has been a three time Open Champion and is also considered as one of the most successful players in the history of the Ryder Cup. The Open Championship scheduled to take place at St. Andrews this year will mark a 34^th Open Championship for the player who has also proved his worth at the Masters Tournament and got around 27 European Tour Victories to his credit.

Great Britain’s champion rider William Fox-Pitt together with his gelding Cool Mountain registered their top slot victory in the 2010 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event which took place from 22nd April to 25th April. The event has also marked William Fox-Pitt’s first step towards the coveted title of the Rolex Grand Slam. With their impressive performance the pair mounted a finishing score of 42.8 penalties. Born into an equestrian family, the talented rider started riding at the tender age of four years and took off his eventing career at the age of 15 years. William Fox-Pitt has twice remained the World Number One rider and has also bagged the title of British Number One for about seven times. The consistent performance and his unparalleled accomplishments have made him one of the most successful Three Day event riders from Britain. The rider also has an Olympic Bronze and a team Silver from the Athens Olympics to his credit.

William Fox-Pitt is the sole rider who has won four out of total five CCI****’s including Burghley, Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event and Badminton Tournament. In the year 2008, William Fox-Pitt registered his win at the HSBC Classic series which incorporates the top five Three Day Events worldwide.

Another rider from Britain who had caught everyone’s attention during this year’s Rolex Kentucky Three-day Event was Oliver Townend. Oliver Townend had already won the other two events- the Burghley Land Rover Horse Trials and the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials and with a victory in the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, the prestigious title of the Rolex Grand Slam could have fallen into his kitty. However, his sudden fall from his inexperienced horse left his dream unaccomplished.

William Fox-Pitt was followed up by Philip Dutton who with his gelding Woodburn earned a score of 47.7 and remained at the second position while the third place was bagged by Becky Holder who rode her horse Courageous Comet and erected a score of 49.2 penalties. William Fox-Pitt maintained his pace throughout the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. With a clean performance during the Cross Country round and a double clear in the show jumping round William Fox-Pitt and his gelding Cool Mountain left their fan following floored making his way to a clear victory at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. William Fox Pitt has remained victorious in a number of top championships including Burghley and Luhmuhlen, Badminton.

The Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event is the only four star three day event in the whole of America. The event marks for a prestigious platform for top most riders and talented horses from across the world to give a display of their excellence in various disciplines of eventing including Dressage, Cross Country and Show Jumping. Four star is a recognized rating for events of highest repute such as Olympic Games and the Worlds Championships. The event takes place over a time span of three days in Kentucky Horse Park. The winner of the event is rewarded with prize money of $250,000 along with a prestigious Rolex watch marvel.

This year’s Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event which was touted as the best opportunity of Oliver Townend’s career to win a Grand Slam, turned into a nightmare when an accident led to his being air lifted off the Kentucky Horse Park grounds.  Oliver Townend’s chances of winning the trophy this year were marred and the prize money of $350,000 continues to remain a distant possibility. Townend had marked his victory in the other two events namely Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials and the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials earlier in the year and was geared up to prove his worth in the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event in succession. The victory in the event would not only have resulted in him taking over the title of the Rolex Grand Slam along with the hefty prize money, it would also have made him the second rider in the history of eventing to have won the coveted title after Pippa Funnel.

Oliver Townend had chosen less experienced horses for the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event which is being viewed as the prime reason for him having lost his chances. The less fortunate rider was very sure and confident about the new horses- Ashley Cruise Master and ODT Master Rose that he had planned to ride for the race. Townend went on record saying that he did not regret not having chosen Carousel Quest for the event, whom he had saved for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games which is slated to take place during the fall this year. This decision of the rider had come as a shock to many of his fans since Carousel Quest had enough experience of three day events and had also participated in the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event last year. Oliver Townend was riding Carousel Quest when he registered his victory in the 2009 CCI**** Badminton and Burghley CCI****.

Following the long ordeal caused by the Icelandic volcano ash, Oliver Towend’s presence at the event had remained unsure. The determined rider had to make his way to the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event through train route, a long cab ride together with an airplane ride. However, his efforts did not meet the end.

Riding on the ODT Master Rose, Oliver Townend had maintained the seventh position with a total of 51 penalties. The talented British rider was 10 fences away from the home with a 30-obstacle and about 4 miles route when Ashley Cruise Master witnessed a fall at the rail jump of 3 foot, 11 inches height which was one of the elements from the three-part Hollow. This led to Oliver Towend’s fall from the back of the horse, leaving him injured. Oliver Townend was then taken to a nearby hospital wherein he was evaluated by the doctors. The mishap also put a question mark over his participation in the upcoming Badminton tournament.

The prestigious title of the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event was bagged by fellow British rider, William Fox Pitt who registered his victory with a score of 42.8 penalties. The rider was upset by Oliver Townend’s accident, which consequently lessens the chances of Britain lifting the glory at the races.

Oliver Townend, is one troubled man these days. The man who till a few days back was all geared up for the 2010 Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event, is now facing a lot of trouble in order to make his way into the grand event. The Icelandic volcanic ash cloud which has led to the cancellation of all the flights to and from Europe including the UK, has proved to be highly detrimental to anyone but Oliver Townend’s dream to swipe the coveted title of the Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event. The twenty seven year old rider is keeping all hopes intact for making it to the event in time. Reportedly, the man is leaving no stone unturned to hit the field.

With his consecutive two victories in the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials and the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials, Oliver Townend has all eyes on him. With two major titles already in his kitty, he has to win only the Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event to be the winner of the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing Title. The spirited rider from the United Kingdom is not ready to have it lying down and is highly determined that he would not only make it on time but would also be victorious in the event. The 2010 Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event would mark the defining moment of his eventing career which in case of victory would earn him about £230,000, together with a Rolex marvel and not to mention admiration and respect from eventing lovers across the world.

Oliver Townend considers his whole eventing career to be a build up for an opportunity like this one and there is no way he is going to let go of this. The volcanic eruption in Iceland which left dangerous ash particles floating in the atmosphere, and let to all flights being stranded left Oliver Townend to take a decision to do a strenuous train and car journey. He started on Sunday from Shropshire base from where he took a London bound train from where he then boarded a plane for Paris. This was followed by a fourteen hour long cab journey from Paris to Madrid. So far the man has already spent a sum total of £1,600 and now hopes to catch a flight from Spain to the United States.

Even after so much travelling, Oliver Townend does not seem to show even a slight sign of fatigue. Rather, the champion is running high on spirits and is more than sure that his efforts will pay off and that he would make it. In his own words, he considers the whole experience more like an adventure and calls it a Yorkshire thing to take on any challenge. He said that he is not the only one who is troubled by the ash. Oliver Townend said that it is his duty to make sure that he participates in the Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event.

He went on to add that he was more than excited by the whole experience and calls it a part of the game. Right now Oliver Townend’s attention is on getting a flight to Lexington where his fate will be written this week.