I think, not 100%, since there are no forum threads speculating, but....
I believe, the Google sandbox is done with! - Maybe :)
Why do I say so. Well, about a handful of sites I launched within the year, all sandboxed for [company name] are now all ranking #1 for [company name].
The thread coverage is about new changes at Google, but I think this is directly related to the sandbox.
I hope to have more "proof" for you, with client permission, as soon as possible.
Let me know if you have sites that seem to have dug out of the box.
Update: forum threads linked to in this entry mention the sandbox.