Brought to you by Seahorse magazine, Scuttlebutt Europe 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

J70 World Championship - Day 3
Two races were held today on Berkeley Circle for the J70 fleet. The first one was in non-planing conditions of 8-12 knots and the second had winds of 15-20 knots.

It's impressive how competitive the fleet is. Yesterday's convincing winner, Flojito, scored a 20 and 10 today. Judd Smith who is third overall scored a 19, 1 today. Claudia Rossi (ITA) is the most consistent; other than her 15th in the first race, she has been in the top 5 each race but has yet to win one. She is now leading with 19 points.

Today's winner was Joel Ronin in his Catapult with John Kostecki calling the shots. The score a 1, 3 and are now in second place overall, 2 points behind Rossi.

There was actually a third race today that was abandoned at the half way point when the race committee realized the course had been set with 20 degrees of error. In this race Ronin and Smith were 1, 2 which is nearly identical to how they scored in the re-run of the race so justice was served there.

The top 5 are starting to shape up and with 5 races to go, any of them could win. Rossi is both fast and getting good starts so she is going to be tough to beat.

Onboard Calvi Network, we had an ok day. In the first race we made a nice comeback to finish 5th. In the second race of the day, I took us to the left side of the course looking for the early ebb current coming out of the South Bay but the right hand shift outweighed the current. We rounded the first mark about 15th and only managed to come back to 11th.

We are in 4th place overall, 10 points out of first. With 5 races left, there is plenty of opportunity to move up and down the scoreboard.

Tomorrow's schedule has three races planned. The forecast is calling for 15-20 knots. -- Paul Cayard, cayardsailing.com

Top ten after Thursday's racing:

1. Claudia Rossi, ITA, 19 points
2. Joel Ronning, USA, 21
3. Jud Smith, USA, 22
4. Carlo Alberini, ITA, 29
5. Julian F Neckelmann, ITA, 31
6. Robert Hughes, USA, 63
7. Stan Edwards, USA, 68
8. Bruno Pasquinelli, USA, 71
9. Matias Seguel, CHN, 78
10. Tim Healy, USA, 92

For complete results go to: https://www.regattatoolbox.com

Newport Nor'Easter
Newport, RI: One unique Newport characteristic that greeted Melges 32 competitors on the first day of the 2016 Melges 32 World Championship hosted by Sail Newport was the front edge of a strong nor'easter that brought 20-27 kt winds on the race course and provided a wild, thrilling day of racing.

Typically lasting 4-5 days, nor'easters bring strong winds in a northeast to southwest direction and can be accompanied by heavy rain. Fortunately, the rain held off and once the fleet became acclimated to the blustery conditions, it didn't take long for the leaders to find their speed and assert their positions.

A third race was scheduled for the day, however once teams began to assemble for the warning signal the breeze continued to build touching into the low 30s. PRO Reggio wisely abandoned racing for the day with a slightly tamer forecast for Day Two.

Three races are scheduled for Day Two which will bring the third day that the nor'easter has been present over Newport. Friday's conditions will be very similar to today

Top Five Overall Results (After Two Races)
1. Christian Schwoerer/Karol Jablonski, La Pericolosa, 6
2. Alessandro Rombelli/Terry Hutchinson, STIG, 6
3. Jason Carroll/Cameron Appleton, Argo Team, 7
4. Ryan DeVos/Mark Mendelblatt, Volpe, 9
5. Andrea LaCorte/Gabriele Benussi, Vitamina, 10

Full Results on YachtScoring.com

The 30th Anniversary Quantum Key West Race Week Is Scheduled January 15-20, 2017
Key West Race Week The regatta that started as a mostly fun series among casual racers and grew to the most important international regatta hosted in the U.S. is shaping up to be memorable: A new host venue in Old Town, the Waterfront Brewery, brings the nightly action back to the waterfront, Quantum Sails is back as title sponsor, the Florida Keys return as presenting sponsor and entries are building with the regatta just four months away.

Enter before October 1 to save between $3 and $5 per foot on your entry fee. Starts will be hosted for one-design and rated classes, and for the second year running monohull and multihull cruising classes. Don't have a boat? No problem. Charter opportunities are available through the National One Design Sailing Academy of Canada.

Also, all Quantum Sails customers are eligible for free entry to race week with the purchase of a new suit of racing or performance cruising sails from Quantum before October 31. (Contact your sail consultant for full details.) Visit the regatta web site, Quantum Key West Race Week, for more information

Or to go directly to the online entry application form

keywestraceweek.com

B14 Worlds
The B14's enjoyed champagne conditions at their 2016 World Championships hosted at Circolo Vela Torbole, Lake Garda. Many of the competitors took out action cameras on their skiffs to produce some unique footage showcasing the intense action from the sailor's perspective.

The Wrap Up video from the event illustrates the perfect sailing conditions with pristine sunshine, great breeze and intense competition onboard these exhilarating physical skiffs.

Full information at www.b14.org

Watch the video:
www.vrsport.tv/video/

Norauto To Make Extreme Sailing Series Debut
The French-flagged sailing team NORAUTO powered by Groupama Team France, will join the Extreme Sailing Series fleet at the penultimate event of the year in Lisbon - the first of two wildcard entries to be announced this week. Nine world-class teams and the fleet of hydro-foiling GC32s will make their debut in Portugal's capital city from 6-9 October.

As official partner of the French America's Cup team, the NORAUTO crew will include a stellar line up dominated by Groupama Team France sailors. 30-year old Kiwi Adam Minoprio, a World Match racing champion with previous experience of the Extreme Sailing Series, will lead the team, and he is looking forward to the challenge.

Arnaud Jarlegan and Matthieu Vandame are both F18 world champions. 32-year old Nicolas Heintz is a European match racing champion with heaps of experience in the GC32, while Thierry Douillard, formerly of SAP Extreme Sailing Team, has two full Extreme Sailing Series seasons under his belt.

Four days of racing are planned in Lisbon, including a longer coastal race combined with the Series' signature Stadium Racing format. The action begins on Thursday 6th October.

NORAUTO (FRA) crew list - Extreme Sailing Series Act 7, Lisbon, Portugal
Skipper/Helm: Adam Minoprio (NZL)
Mainsail Trimmer: Arnaud Jarlegan (FRA)
Trimmer: Thierry Douillard (FRA)
Trimmer: Matthieu Vandame (FRA)
Bowman: Nicolas Heintz (FRA)

www.extremesailingseries.com

140 Years Of Maritime History. Happy Birthday Gitana!
Click on image to enlarge.

Gitana On 21st September 1876, Gitana, a 24-metre steamship built in England and assembled in Switzerland, sailed for the first time on Lake Geneva. Fitted out by Baroness Julie de Rothschild, this first boat, designed to break speed records, was a reflection of her owner's daring and modernity.

In her wake, the Franco-Swiss branch of the Rothschild family was to pass down this passion for sailing and innovation through five generations. The subsequent book written on the Gitana fleet spans freshwater initially, before hitting the open ocean, a journey which always involved naval architects and sailors giving life to these exceptional boats. To date, twenty-seven boats have sported the striking blue and yellow of the Rothschild family coat of arms and its equally iconic five arrows.

Within the Gitana Team, the offshore racing stable that was created in 2000 by Baron and Baroness Benjamin de Rothschild, engineers, athletes and experts continue that tradition today. On 6 November, the Mono60 Edmond de Rothschild will take part on the start of the Vendée Globe, with Sébastien Josse at the helm, a new 33-metre maxi-trimaran remains in build out of the spotlight.

Everything associated with the Gitana fleet pays homage to the family crest. Designed by Marc P.G. Berthier during the Edmond de Rothschild era, the boats fitted out since that time have often been the work of the sailor-designer Jean-Baptiste Epron. For this anniversary year, the Gitana mermaid, who has accompanied the sailors for over 15 years, has taken on an altogether different look... with a globe in one hand and her face turned towards the horizon, as created by American street artist, Cleon Peterson.

www.gitana-team.com/en/

Rolex Middle Sea Race, With Five Star Sailing
Click on image to enlarge.

Five Star Sailing Onboard our Corel Farr 45 'Werewolf' (pictured at right)

You will join our skipper, John, and first mate Sam onboard our Corel Farr 45 for on the water training and preparation .You will be fully involved in the racing throughout, making you an important and valued member of the race team.

2016 Dates:

Arrive in Malta: Monday 17 October
Training starts: Tuesday 18 October
Coastal Race: Wednesday 19 October
Race starts: Saturday 22 October
Prize Giving: Saturday 29 October
Depart Malta: Sunday 30 October

Cost: £1,595 per person.

What's included?

All race entry and mooring fees, 3 days training and preparation, training in the Coastal Race and the Middle Sea Race, racing skipper, and first mate, food aboard the yacht whilst racing and training and team shirts to keep.

These crew places are for experienced racers and are not available to beginners. All crew members are expected to have medical insurance for the duration of the trip.

We are very keen for more helmsmen, trimmers, foredeck and mast.

For more information please contact John on 0034 618 406 747 or email

fivestarsailing.eu
www.facebook.com/fivestarsailing/

Launchings
Ilen The re-decking of the 57ft Conor O'Brien ketch Ilen (originally built Baltimore 1926) is the latest stage of this major restoration/re-build project to be nearing completion at Liam Hegarty's boatyard at Oldcourt on the Ilen River between Skibbereen and Baltimore writes W M Nixon. It is expected that the deck will be signed off by October 15th, and work will then proceed on more detailed work.

As part of the project, the new bowsprit – built by trainees in the Ilen Boat-building School in Limerick – was delivered down to Oldcourt last Saturday, and Ilen School Director Gary MacMahon reports a magic moment when Baltimore sailing legend Dermot Kennedy, owner himself of a similar ketch the Richard, called by Oldcourt on Saturday to give the deck his blessing and welcome the bowsprit to West Cork.

IIen was originally commissioned in 1925 by the Falkland Islanders to be their inter-island communications vessel after they had been properly impressed by her smaller sister, Conor O'Brien's own-designed 42ft ketch Saoirse, which called to the Falklands in 1925 after rounding Cape Horn during his pioneering global circumnavigation.

WM Nixon in Afloat:
www.afloat.ie/sail/

-------------------------------------------------

Brooklin

Brooklin Boat Yard in Maine (US) has begun construction of a custom 91ft, cold-moulded, flush-deck sloop for a repeat customer.

The boat will take 18 months to build and will be delivered in the spring of 2018. The yacht has been designed primarily for high-performance cruising along coastal US waters.

Featuring a completely flush deck, the yacht is said to have aggressively raked bow and reverse transom, teak deck and a varnished mahogany toe rail. Her design also features a twin cockpit configuration. The shipyard explains this is to keep the centre cockpit strictly for social interaction and all sail handling is led to the aft working cockpit.

With a carbon fibre mast and boom, the double headsail rig is operated by hydraulic furlers and the mainsail has hydraulic in-boom furling.

The yacht will be constructed with cold-moulded laminated wood using West System epoxy resin and vacuum-bagging, which is the yard's standard practice.

The design is by Bruce Johnson and the Brooklin Boat Yard design office.

www.superyachtbusiness.net

-------------------------------------------------

Y712

Following her unveiling last week, Dutch shipyard Oceanco has launched its largest yacht near Rotterdam today as the 106-metre sailing yacht Project Y712 is lowered into the water for the first time today. The mysterious bow cover was removed revealing a radical wave-slicing stem.

The project is the largest yacht designed by the Italian design duo at Nuvolari Lenard.

The next stage of the project will be the stepping of the yacht's three Dyna-Rig masts, similar to that of the Maltese Falcon.

Known for now only by her project name of Y712, the yacht is technically the largest private sailing yacht in the world, designed to travel under the power of her sails alone. The enormous 142.8-metre Sailing Yacht A, on the other hand, is classed as a sail-assisted motor vessel. Despite these technicalities, the two vessels are without a doubt some of the most advanced projects to have been completed over the last 24 months and are certainly set to contribute to the developments in the build, design and conception of superyachts for many years to come.

www.superyachttimes.com

-------------------------------------------------

Leopard Catamarans is proud to announce the arrival of the new Leopard 45.

She will make her European debut at the International Multihull boat show in April 2017 (La Grande Motte, Southern France). With naval architecture by Simonis & Voogd Yacht Design, and with exterior and interior design by the world-class team at Robertson and Caine, the Leopard 45 Sailing Catamaran builds on the best attributes of the current Leopard range.

The exterior styling has evolved into a sharper, more angular look, topped by a sleek new saloon hard top, which extends from aft cockpit to forward cockpit. The aft area and the forward cockpit have increased in size, and she is finished off with a saloon sized overhead skylight.

Vale Jim Kilroy
John B. "Jim" Kilroy (May 1, 1922 - September 29, 2016) owned and raced the record-breaking Kialoa sailboats from the 1950s to the 1980s, helping pioneer the era of maxi yacht racing.

In 1962 he and his KIALOA I crew won the San Diego-Acapulco race in record time. Within two years, KIALOA II had been designed with even faster speeds in mind.

KIALOA III, a maxi yacht, was the dominant sibling, winning the 1975 Sydney-Hobart race with a record time that stood for 21 years. A 1982 article described her legacy this way: "From her debut in 1975 until her retirement last year, Kialoa (a Hawaiian word for 'long, beautiful canoe') took part in 24 SORC (Southern Ocean Racing Conference) races. Time and again she was first across the line only to have some little 42-foot creep bring the wind from behind and beat her on corrected time. Still, Kialoa won four of her 24 SORC tests on corrected time - a remarkable showing, considering that in the same period only three other biggies out of a total of 19 won so much as one race without benefit of age allowance."

Kilroy followed up with KIALOA IV and KIALOA V

A 1988 New York Times profile of maxi-yacht owners noted that "Kilroy is remarkable for his dogged participation in all phases of the sport. After the boat is launched, he is skipper, primary helmsman and personnel director. He and his sailing team run their own program for the development of sails, and they wrote the computerized performance guidelines for his boats long before the personal computer was popular."

Featured Brokerage
Raceboats Only 1989 Imoca Open 60. 220,000 EUR. Located in West France.

Ex ROXY has competed in all Vendee Globe races but the last two and she used to hold the East to West single handed around the world record for several years. She was completely upgraded in 1998 under the supervision of the designer Marc Lombard. This included the canting keel and many other improvements. She was completely overhauled for the 2004/2005 Vendee Globe. Many successful and famous sailors have sailed on board : Philippe Poupon, Bertrand de Broc, Philippe Monnet, Simone Bianchetti, Mich Birch, Anne Lyardet and Samantha Davies.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Tel : +33 (0)4 67 66 39 93
email :
Web : www.bernard-gallay.com

-----------------------------------------

Raceboats Only 1997 Imoca Open 60 Grey Power (ex-Fila). 190000 EUR. Located in the United Kingdom.

Winner - Atlantic Alone 1998 (Giovanni Soldini)
Winner - Around Alone 1999 (Giovanni Soldini)
4th - Transat Anglaise 2000 (Giovanni Soldini)
6th - Transat Jacques Vabre 2001 (Bruno Laurent)
5th - Route du Rhum 2002 (Antoine Koch)
8th - Transat Jacques Vabre 2003 (Antoine Koch)
3rd - Velux Race Around Alone 2006 (Sir Robin Knox-Johnston)
3rd - Route du Rhum 2014 (Sir Robin Knox-Johnston)

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Tel : +33 (0)4 67 66 39 93
email :
Web : www.bernard-gallay.com

-----------------------------------------

Raceboats Only MC60 - NEW BOAT

It’s surprising how much bigger the new MC60 looks than its 50ft sibling. But all of these very modern-looking new Ker designs feature plentiful accommodation along with a balance of modest displacement and rig size to deliver sparkling pace

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
McConaghy Boats

+61 2 999 777 22
www.mcconaghyboats.com

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

The Last Word
National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity. -- Hagbard Celine

Editorial and letter submissions to

Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: or see www.scuttlebutteurope.com/advertise.html