In This Issue
• 2024 Etchells World Championships
• Black Foils win ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix
• Fox's are Hiring! Experienced Electronics Engineer
• OnCourse Ep30
• RORC Baltic Sea Race
• Seahorse Sailor Of The Month
• The Ocean Fifty Class Fills Up
• Selden Sailjuice Winter Series
• Women's World Match Racing Tour Schedule Changes
• Featured Charter: Ciutadella
• Featured Brokerage:
• • Fujin - 2015 Custom Bieker 53’ Catamaran
• • Melges 24
• • Botin 65 - Artemis
• • TP52
• • Reichel/Pugh 86 - Way of Life
• The Last Word: W Somerset Maugham

Brought to you by Seahorse magazine and YachtScoring.com EuroSail News is a digest of sailing news and opinions, regatta results, new boat and gear information and letters from sailors -- with a European emphasis. Contributions welcome, send to

2024 Etchells World Championships
Magpie Wins. Photo Suellen Hurling. Click on image for photo gallery.

James Mayo (1999) and Richard Allanson (2019) have previously won the Etchells World Championships, but this is the first time in 20 years that Graeme Taylor can claim the honour. Sailing AUS1486 Magpie, the trio were ecstatic when they crossed the finish line of the final race.

Taylor was on board Andoo Comanche when they had the line honours win ripped away from them in the final moments of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race after LawConnect rolled them at the finish, so this win brings something extra special for him.

"After losing the Hobart race on Comanche by 30-odd seconds, that was pretty tough. The first thing we said when we went across the line down there (in Hobart) is let's not lose the Etchells Worlds and make it a double whammy," laughed Taylor, with the realisation that he had pulled off a World Championship win finally becoming a reality.

Top 5 Overall
AUS - Graeme Taylor, James Mayo, and Richard Allanson - 40pts
USA - Andy Beadsworth, Brian Ledbetter, and Ben Lamb - 50pts
GBR - Graham Vials, Billy Russell, and Andrew Lawson - 55pts
GBR - Lawrie Smith, Richard Parslow, Ruairidh Scott, and Dave Hughes - 72pts
AUS - Michael Manford, Dean McAullay, and Nicholas Gray - 73pts

Top 5 Corinthians
GBR - Graham Vials, Billy Russell, and Andrew Lawson - 55pts
AUS - Michael Manford, Dean McAullay, and Nicholas Gray - 73pts
HKG - Jamie McWilliam-Peter Austin / Jim Bittl - 132pts
USA - Andy Beadsworth, Brian Ledbetter, and Ben Lamb - 148pts
AUS - Chris Pratt, Ethan McAullay, Michael McAullay - 149pts

etchellsworldsfremantle.com

Black Foils win ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix
Christchurch: New Zealand's 'Black Foils' - driven by Peter Burling - today claimed victory in front of an adoring hometown crowd at the the second-annual ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix in Christchurch.

After the cancellation of racing yesterday, SailGP implemented a 'Super Sunday' race format, consisting of three fleet races and then a winner-takes-all final podium race.

The first race of the day went the way of hometown favorites, the Black Foils, with New Zealand taking the lead on the start and finishing by overtaking France on the final mark to claim the opening victory on Lyttelton Harbour.

Critically, season leader Australia was ruled out of the event following a collision with a course mark just after the start, leaving them with event-ending damage to the green and gold F50. With the team heading into this weekend's racing in first place on the leaderboard, it was clear that this result would change the dynamic for the entire event.

The win for New Zealand and the resulting penalty points awarded to Australia for the damage caused in race 1 - a total of eight season points - sees the Kiwi's top the overall leaderboard, nine points in front of Australia. However, Australia have requested a points penalty review.

Another team to slide down the overall leaderboard following the weekend's racing was Nicolai Sehested's ROCKWOOL Denmark who was docked four season points for an incident at the start of the first race with Canada, causing substantial damage to the bow of the Danish F50. Sehested now resides in fifth overall.

ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix | Christchurch Results
1 - New Zealand
2 - France
3 - Canada
4 - Spain
5 - Germany
6 - Switzerland
7 - Emirates GBR*
8 - United States
9 - Rockwool Denmark*
10 - Australia*

SailGP Season 4 Overall Leaderboard
1 - New Zealand - 68
2 - Australia - 59
3 - Spain - 55
4 - France - 54
5 - Rockwool Denmark - 50
6 - Usa - 48
7 - Canada: 46
8 - Emirates Gbr - 45
9 - Germany - 27
10 - Switzerland - 22

sailgp.com

Fox's are Hiring! Experienced Electronics Engineer
Located on the River Orwell, Fox's Marina & Boatyard is one of the UK's leading yacht refit and repair centres uniquely positioned to provide a comprehensive array of marine services.

Their in-house electronics team offers a comprehensive service in all areas of marine electrical and electronic installation. With an unrivalled level of experience in all types of craft and their systems, including power, sail, private, and commercial vessels, their qualified marine engineers offer installation, integration, and full-service support for the leading names in marine electronics.

This busy department is on the lookout for another experienced electronics technician. If you are interested and fulfil the criteria below Fox's would love to hear from you.

Experienced Marine Electronics Engineer:
- Up-to-date knowledge of marine electronics systems
- Experience in multi voltage - 12, 24 and 230v systems
- Experience with Seatalk, NEMA and system interfacing
- Good communication skills - written and verbal
- Solid organisational skills with the ability to multi-task
- Physically fit - able to work inside and out on vessels ashore and afloat
- Comfortable working at height
- Team player with the ability to work alone when required
- Proven experience in the marine industry is preferred

Flexible working hours considered, based around 40hr week.

If you are ready to embark on an exciting career with a great team visit foxsmarina.com/career-opportunities

OnCourse Ep30
Before the six skippers had even started the solo race around the world in their 32m giant trimarans it was clear that the Arkea Ultim Challenge Brest was a very special race. While there is nothing new in solo circumnavigations, this challenge raised the bar beyond anything we have seen before.

And when each of the skippers stepped ashore after a 24,000 mile race that had seen most of them clock up more than 30,000 miles through the water, it was also clear just how much this race had meant to them.
"We are proud to be one of those who dared" - Eric Peron.
"This history belongs to us, it will be remembered for the rest of our lives" - Thomas Coville
"I am just happy to have got to the finish like I did" - Charles Caudrelier.

In this episode two of the pioneers of solo circumnavigation, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston and Dee Caffari talk exclusively to Matt Sheahan about what happened and why this race was so special.

With archive footage from 1994 Sir Robin also looks back at his team's performance aboard ENZA when they broke the record for a fully crewed circumnavigation while Dee considers what she has learned from the Ultims for team's current campaign to set a new record around the world.

https://www.planetsail.co.uk

Matt Sheahan's blog

Race of the (almost) midnight sun - RORC Baltic Sea Race
The first edition of the 600-mile Roschier Baltic Sea Race showed just how good the sailing - and racing - can be up here in high summer

Given the continued success and growing enthusiasm around the globe for 600-mile offshore races it was only a matter of time before demand for one in the Baltic became overwhelming. The biennial Roschier Baltic Sea Race, which first took place in 2022, has all the ingredients of a classic race of this type: a myriad of islands and lighthouses in a region steeped in maritime history, plus a tactically challenging course set on a typically windward-leeward axis that saw the lower-rated boats enjoying 300 miles of downwind sailing to the finish.

Historically most Europeans have tended to head south for their summer breaks and regattas, most often to the Mediterranean. However, the oppressive heatwaves of the past few years demonstrate that this no longer guarantees decent, comfortable weather.

Full article in the April issue of Seahorse

Seahorse Sailor Of The Month
This month's nominees:

Chris Sherlock (GBR)
While Sherlock will for ever be associated with the Farr 100 Leopard 3 his contribution to sailing and sailors extends far wider than that. However, Leopard's overall victory in the 2024 RORC Caribbean 600 was a nice excuse to put Sherlock forward with a nomination that is probably long overdue. The latest 'update' of Leopardwhich he managed last year was an epic, yet this almost 20-year-old Maxi is going faster than it ever has - so it clearly worked. And straight out of the box

Cole Brauer (USA)
And bang... we seem to have a new international superstar. Although the Global Solo Challenge is 'just' one of the many Corinthian round the world events popping up now on a regular basis, and even though the GSC only rose to wider public consciousness in its final few weeks, in just that brief window, in terms of social media US skipper Brauer quickly eclipsed high-profile French 'rival' Clarisse Crémer... Too late for this Vendée Globe, but the next one should be a shoe-in

Last Month's winner:
Fede Waksman (URU) 'An excellent sailor and an even better person' - Alfredo Izquierdo; 'As a Uruguayan I know how hard a journey Fede had just to reach the startline' - Helga Sturzenegger; 'I hope Fede now finds the support to continue his great story' - German Fischer; 'Fede is a fantastic sailor! He made a hell of an effort to follow his dream and he deserves every bit of recognition he gets!' - Alberto Viera.

View past winners of Sailor of the Month

Seahorse Sailor of the Month is sponsored by Harken Derm, Musto and Dubarry. Who needs silverware, our prizes are usable!

Cast your vote, submit comments, even suggest a candidate for next month at seahorsemagazine.com/sailor-of-the-month/vote-for-sailor-of-the-month

The Ocean Fifty Class Fills Up
The Ocean Fifty Class has unveiled the 2024 calendar for the Ocean Fifty Series, the successor to the Pro Sailing Tour, along with the creation of a commercial subsidiary and the announcement of an eleventh ongoing project. Ten boats will be entered in the five new races this season.

After three years on the Pro Sailing Tour, the Ocean Fifty class is turning the page on this circuit created for these 50-foot multihulls. "There was a failure to respect the agreement that bound us to the organiser Upswing Prod, to the point where the balance of funding was reversed," explains Thibaut Vauchel-Camus, skipper of Solidaires en Peloton and new president of the class in place of Erwan Le Roux. "While initially the circuit was supposed to be self-financing and provide us with resources, in the end it was the class that bore around two-thirds of the costs of the 2023 season. What's more, there was a huge delay between the filming of the images by the on board reporters, completed in June 2022, and the broadcast of the series on Canal + in December 2023, creating impatience among our partners."

Another stumbling block in the eyes of the teams: schedules delivered too late, prompting Thibaut Vauchel-Camus to say: "Our objective today is for three-quarters of the programme to be known two or three years in advance, which will involve drawing up agreements with our partners."

After the separation with Upswing Prod, confirmed at the beginning of 2024, the class had to bounce back quickly to build its 2024 calendar, which is based on two new major events. The first, the Route des-Neuvas, is a 100% Ocean Fifty transatlantic race, organised by Ultim Sailing and the Route Saint-Pierre et Miquelon association, with the support of the start and finish territories, Saint-Pierre et Miquelon and the Saint-Brieuc conurbation.

Full article in the latest Tip & Shaft

Selden Sailjuice Winter Series: Fairer Racing = Higher Participation
Coming up this Tuesday evening, the organisers of the Selden Sailjuice Winter Series are running a Zoom meeting to explore the future of handicap racing, and how advances in technology can be used more widely to create a more attractive playing field for fair racing on the water...

Would you like to see more boats on the start line? Whether you're racing at your club or in open meetings, most of us like to see bigger numbers on the water.

Maximising participation remains one of the biggest challenges for most racing fleets. After strong turnouts at the recently completed Selden Sailjuice Winter Series, co-organisers Simon Lovesey and Andy Rice are hosting a special meeting on Zoom this Tuesday, 26 March. Taking place from 1930 hours GMT, this meeting has a special focus on handicapping and how it can be used to encourage fairer racing and greater participation.

Sign Up Here For The Zoom Call

and more details on this Facebook page...

sailjuice.com

Women's World Match Racing Tour Schedule Changes
The Women's World Match Racing Tour today announced changes to the 2024 Tour schedule after the unfortunate cancellation of the opening season events in Annapolis and San Francisco due to a shortage of registered teams. The updated Tour schedule will comprise four events for 2024 including the new women's event in Bermuda announced last week to take place in October.

'It is a great shame the Santa Maria Cup in Annapolis and Casa Vela Cup in San Francisco have had to cancel this year' commented WMRT Executive Director James Pleasance. 'Both the events were hugely successful last year and we look forward to welcoming them back on Tour for 2025. This year is an exceptionally busy year for women in sailing including the Paris Olympics and the first Women's Americas Cup in Barcelona, as a result the scheduling for sailors and teams has proved challenging.'

The revised 2024 women's tour schedule also sees the addition of the newly announced women's trophy event in Bermuda to take place during the iconic Bermuda Gold Cup, a founding event of the World Match Racing Tour this year celebrating its 71st edition. The combined Bermuda events have been scheduled later in the season (29 Oct - 3 Nov) to ensure they take place after the America's Cup in Barcelona. Prize money will be awarded at both the Open and Women's Bermuda events.

Women's World Match Racing Tour 2024 (updated 22 March 2024)
Stage 1 - Santa Maria Cup, Annapolis USA, 23-26 April - Cancelled
Stage 2 - Casa Vela Cup, San Francisco USA, 2-5 May - Cancelled
Stage 3 - Normandy Match Cup, Le Havre, France 17-20 May
Stage 4 - Nordea Women's Trophy - Match Cup Sweden, Marstrand, 1-6 July
Stage 5 - KDY Women's Match Race, Skovshoved, Denmark, 5-8 Sept
Stage 6 - Bermuda Women's Trophy, Hamilton, Bermuda 29 Oct - 3 Nov

womenswmrt.com

Featured Charter
Ciutadella. Located in Menorca.

Built in 1967 in France by Esterel, CIUTADELLA is a custom-built motor yacht that will take you on an unforgettable voyage. Enjoy the best of modern yacht technology with understated beach house chic, combining magnificent classic styling with the comfort and efficiency of the latest yachts.

Summer High Season: July and August (35000 EUR / week)
Summer Low Season: June and September (28 000 EUR / week)
Extra Low Season : May and October (21 000 EUR / week)

See listing details in Seahorse Charters

Contact

See the the Seahorse charter collection

Featured Brokerage
Fujin - 2015 Custom Bieker 53’ Catamaran. POA USD.

Professionally maintained and in excellent sail-away condition, FUJIN is a custom 53’ all-carbon catamaran designed for the thrill-seeking adventurer or regatta winning owner.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Nils Erickson
SOMA Sailing LLC
+1 619-430-8935

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Melges 24. POA EUR.

The reputation of the Melges 24® precedes itself. Best known for its very competitive disposition and easy-to-sail personality, this modern sportboat maintains its status as a leader in high-performance, one design sailing.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Melges Performance Sailboats
W3730 Forest Glenn Street
Zenda, Wisconsin 53195
USA
Phone +1 262 275 1110
Email
melges.com

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Botin 65 - ARTEMIS. 1250000 USD. Located in San Francisco, USA.

Built by Knierim in 2013, ARTEMIS is the dream of competitive performance, whilst being easy to sail shorthanded and in turn key condition.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Ben Cooper
Berthon UK
Tel: 0044 (0)1590 679 222
E-Mail:

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TP52. 290,000 EUR. Located in Barcelona.

High Performance Full Carbon (DSPM-7,000 K.)

Designer: Botin & Carkeek
Builder: Goetz (EEUU 2007)
Updated: Longitud 0 (2015)

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
For more information:

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Reichel/Pugh 86 - Way of Life. 700,000 EUR.

WAY OF LIFE is quite simply an iconic Super Maxi 86, with an enviable racing history across the globe.

Reichel/Pugh have designed some of the world’s most distinctive, most enduring and consistently victorious racing sailing yachts. Built originally as MORNING GLORY, alongside sistership PYEWACKET. Her immediate successes in the top offshore events at the time made the world turn their heads to canting keel technology.

Way of Life has set distance records for both the Newport to Bermuda Race and Transpac (Los Angeles to Honolulu), as well as won the RMSR overall in 2006 and line honours in 2013. More recently Way of Life podiumed at the Rolex Maxi Yacht Cup in 2019 and won the 50th Anniversary of the Barcolana regatta overall in 2018.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact

See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/

The Last Word
I’ll give you my opinion of the human race in a nutshell... their heart’s in the right place, but their head is a thoroughly inefficient organ. -- W Somerset Maugham

Editorial and letter submissions to

Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: or see eurosailnews.com/advertise/