Trofeo Pirelli-Copa Carlo Negri
Santa Margherita (ITA), May 1-4

Giraglia Rolex Cup
Saint Tropez (FRA), June 8-10

Rolex Trofeo de la Reina
Valencia (ESP), July 10-13

Copa del Rey AUDI Mapfre
Palma (ESP), July 26 - Aug 2

Trofeu Quebramar-Chrysler
Cascais (POR), Aug 28-30

Trofeo Cesar Manrique
Puerto Calero (ESP), Oct 16-18

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Everything is ready for the first regatta of the fleet in Valencia

Thursday, 12 July 2007: The crews were working relentlessly this morning, preparing the boats for the first race of the Trofeo de Reina.

According to Pepe Ribes, bowman on Zurich, the races will be spectacular, especially downwind, where the GP42's are exceptionally fast. In yesterday's trainings, the yachts powered ahead at 17 knots.

Not only are the boats faster, their small size makes crew work much more demanding but at the same time exciting and fun. The fleet might be small this year, yet Ribes sees a very promising future and wouldn't exclude 40 boats by the end of the decade.

The main difference from the bigger professional classes such as the TP52's or the America's Cup lies in the smaller size of the yacht and the number of crew. Space is limited and sailors used to ample and comfortable yachts need to adapt.

In addition, according to the GP42 rule there is no limit on crew number but on total weight, 800 kilos. For example, Zurich has 9 crew while the rest of the teams have 10 or even 11.

Even if this might seem as a disadvantage, it actually gives the class its interest and excitement. When a yacht is approaching the buoys at 16 knots, the bowman has to anticipate in a greater degree compared to the America's Cup races last month when average speed was around 9 knots.