First of all I like to take the opportunity to wish all that read this Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

2011 had ups and lows for us. Some great racing, but the financial mayhem of recent years taking its toll on the number of teams competing. Not something that can be stopped, even not by cutting costs by 10 or even 20%.

The breaking up of the Audi and World Sailing Management partnership came at the worst moment, too close to the new season to have decent time to regroup, but what else is there to do than try?

No more Audi MedCup, will miss the many faces that made that fantastic event. Possibly it became too ambitious for the economic climate? It is sad to see so much work, time and money go down the drain…..

Thanks all that offered us advise and help on our way to a new racing series. We aim to announce the 2012 planning no later than Key West Race Week.

The best help you can give us right now is to join our racing with your TP52 or IRC52 whenever you can.

We aim to race as much as we can at existing events, like Copa del Rey, and for 2012 not put too much travel distance between them, so that it won’t be too hard to join us for a couple of them.

We are looking at PalmaVela, Conde de Godo (Barcelona), Porto Cervo, Copa del Rey, Valencia and a location in France.

Looking further ahead we aim to restrict our planning less to the Med and aim to travel more. For sure in the winter, so locations like Key West are obvious targets.

We strongly feel the boxrule is the way to go, but on the other hand we realise that clever streamlining with handicap systems is required. With PHR (Performance Handicap Rule) jumping into the game, in a spot the others left open, new opportunities arise. It will be interesting to see how that is going to work out.

Can not wait to get the show back on the road, hope to see many new and familiar faces in 2012.

Take care, Rob Weiland