Italy, well the Neapolitans at least, has discovered some new sporting heroes and many of them are British.

A legal petition by a leading San Francisco politician to derail progress on preparations for next year’s America’s Cup has been lodged in the California courts.

Ben Ainslie yesterday insisted that America's Cup commitments will not jeopardise his quest for a fourth Olympic gold this summer.

British yachtsman Brian Thompson was at the heart of a new French record-setting dash round the world which on Friday night broke the 46-day barrier and clipped over two days off the old record. Banque Populaire, a 132-foot trimaran, is skippered by Loick Peyron, who sailed round the world doublehanded earlier this year to win, with Jean-Pierre Dick, the Barcelona Race.

Tough conditions still face the Transat Jacques Vabre fleet of 35 yachts as it left Le Havre bound for Costa Rica after a 72-hour delay to allow the worst of an Atlantic depression to blow through at over 50 knots.

So now we know: there will be an All Blacks victory parade here in Auckland on Monday, starting near the harbour in Queen Street and covering what locals call the "Golden Mile" to either Aotea Square, near the town hall, or the Domain, the city's oldest park.

Double world match race champion Ian Williams is leading the Almeria grand prix, eighth on the Extreme Sailing Series 2011 calendar, at the half way point in Almeria, Spain.

Australia’s Torvar Mirsky took the top prize without putting in a tack in anger but, just by finishing third, Britain’s Ian Williams has taken over the lead of the 2011 World Match Race Tour.

Double world match racing champion Ian Williams moved a step closer to three World Match Race Tour wins in a row by notching up seven wins from eight starts in the fight for places in the knockout phase at St. Moritz, high in the Swiss Alps.

The threat of piracy has forced one of the top events in world yachting to change route to protect the competitors from the possibility of kidnap or murder.

Revenge was sweet for Dean Barker and his Emirates Team New Zealand as they grabbed the first fleet trophy of the America’s Cup World Series off Lisbon in a winner-takes-all single race.

Two more medals were won by Team GBR at the official Olympic test event in Weymouth, meaning that the target of four has already been achieved and there are chances for still more, not least from reigning Olympic champion Ben Ainslie.

The X factor hit Cowes fair and square between the eyes today as most of a fleet of 145 entered in a glorious celebration of their centenary year descended on the Royal Yacht Squadron start line.

Life turned upside down for John Pink when the 40-foot catamaran he was racing went head over heels at the Extreme Sailing Series off Cowes yesterday.