In This Issue
• China International Women's Match Race
• Finn UK Masters and Open meeting, Warsash Sailing Club
• Robline in a nutshell…may we introduce the brand
• The 40th Rolex Middle Sea Race: Ready And Waiting
• Hong Kong to Vietnam Race: Two Trimarans Set to Challenge Speed Record!
• Sydney-to-Hobart yacht builder infighting ends in court
• 18ft - Madness: The Ultimate Boat in the Ultimate Location
• 2.4mR Class World Championship
• Randall Reeves to Complete Figure 8 Voyage Around Antarctica and the Americas on October 19
• Hal Wagstaff: New Zealand yachting loses true gentleman
• Featured Charter
• Featured Brokerage:
• • Swan 80 Island Fling
• • Dazcat 1295
• • Maxi 86 Windquest
• The Last Word: Eleanor Roosevelt
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
China International Women's Match Race: The Four Semi-Finalists Decided in Shanghai
After the morning briefing where the top four teams from the round robin stage earned the right to choose their opponent for the quarter-finals, racing took off in conditions that were very similar to yesterday with a solid breeze of 14 knots gusting to 20.
With a total prize purse of USD 30,000 on the line, the top eight teams got down to business on the race course in Shanghai for the penultimate day of the inaugural 2019 China International Women's Match Race.
The first quarter-final turned out to be a tight duel going to a fifth and deciding match. With a close last race where the Australian team led by Clare Costanzo showed their experience from the nimble asymmetrical boats they sail at home flew the gennaker wing on wing to starboard, succeeding in giving a penalty to the French team skippered by Margot Riou. After that maneuver made just after the last windward mark in the fifth match, the team safely sailed into the semis.
Swedish Team Bergqvist went out and sailed in a confident manner winning the second quarter-final 3-0 over French Skipper Vennin. Tactician Julia Carlssonmade the call for the favored pin-end and the team executed the plan which allowed them to be ahead from the start, giving them the freedom to play the windshifts up the course. This tactic proved to be a winning recipe and they won all their matches by a comfortable distance.
The results of the morning quarter-finals turned out to put all French hope and pressure on fellow countrywomen Pauline Courtois and her Match in Pink by Normandy Elite Team. The world number one and WIM Series leaders lived up to their ranking and gave a near flawless performance and did not give their Russian opponent any chances to pass.
Finn UK Masters and Open meeting, Warsash Sailing Club
Click on image to enlarge.
Warsash Sailing Club hosted the Finn UK Masters and Open event on 12th and 13th of October. The week before the event saw a deep Atlantic low pressure system hit the UK, providing the organisers with a real headache as to whether the event would go ahead, However, as the week progressed a weather window appeared to cover the entire weekend and sailors were told the event would go ahead.
Saturday 12th October dawned with a flat calm - much as was predicted. Twenty-five sailors entered the event despite the forecast.
The BFA Travellers Trophy was presented to John Greenwood whose overall score, no matter how bad a Warsash event, could not be bettered for the BFA Sliver Finn Trophy. Impressive new trophies for each competitor age group have been made and were awarded for the first time this year, together with £100 grants towards each age group's entry to a Worlds or European Championships.
Legend - GGM - GM - Master - Open - U 23
1. Ray New / John Greenwood / Lawrence Crispin / Roman Khodkin / Hector Simpson / James Skulczuk
2. Didge Everett / Martin Hughes / Allen Burrell / Kieron Holt / James Downer / Callum Dixon
3. Richard Hart / Peter Blick / Ivan Burden / Simon Percival / Peter McCoy / Jack Arnell
Sunday dawned much as predicted with heavy rain, a grey gloomy sky and lots of wind. After much debate - (about 10 seconds worth!) and watching the Fast Forties exit the river Hamble then quickly return, it was decided to cancel the racing and pack boats away before the worst of the rain showers. Unfortunately for some but to the benefit of others the overnight scoring had included an incorrectly applied discard, as the sailing instructions said no discard till five races had been completed. However the final results continued to show 'Mr consistent Crispin' to be the overall winner with every race result inside the top 3! The prizes were awarded by PRO Nigel Russell for the open meeting and David Howlett for the Travellers Trophy. Many thanks again to the Coop for providing the much needed support for this event.
The Warsash event brought to a conclusion the 2019 BFA season with the award of all the other age category trophies for the Travellers Series. An exciting programme is planned for 2020 with more events in a wider range of locations. -- Martin Hughes
Final Traveller Series Results
Robline in a nutshell…may we introduce the brand:
R...like Racing
If you want to be at the forefront of the regatta field, the you must not leave anything to chance. With Robline we are sure to enjoy success in your race. Evidence is given by well known brands and boat classes, just as M32 and TP52 boats as well as sailmaking factories as UK Sailmakers, Hyde Sails or Durtek.
Read more soon!
The 40th Rolex Middle Sea Race: Ready And Waiting
At a press conference held, today, to officially launch the 40th Edition of the Rolex Middle Sea Race, the Royal Malta Yacht Club announced that it is set to welcome a fleet of around 115 boats to this year's race.
Previous overall winners, which include Frenchman Géry Trentesaux and Courrier Recommandé, victors in 2018; Maltese sailor Lee Satariano, who won the race in 2011 and 2014, making a return after an absence of three years with his new HH42, Artie III; and, Russian Igor Rytov back with his 2017 winning JPK1080 Bogatyr, this time racing double-handed. One of the most experienced entries is the Maltese yacht, Xp-Act, co-skippered by Timmy Camilleri, a four-time race-winner as crew and who will be competing in his 26th race. The race will also see the debut of US entry Wizard, owned by David and Peter Askew, and fresh from overall victory at the 2019 Rolex Fastnet Race.
Some 23 nations will be participating in the race, according to Commodore Zammit with entries from as far afield as Australia and Argentina. Italy is the most represented with 22 yachts ranging from the ORMA 60 Ad Maiora, skippered by Bruno Cardile, to the Akilaria 950 of Francesco Conforto. The British presence is strong too, with Sunrise, Thomas Kneen's JPK 1180, Trevor Middleton's Sun Fast 3600 Black Sheep and Nigel Passmore's Dazcat 1495 Apollo, among those to look out for. The French also have some strength in depth, with Eric de Turckheim's NMYD 54 Teasing Machine, Laurent Camprubi's JPK 1030 Jeanne and Gerard Logel's IRC52 Arobas 2 catching the eye.
In recent years, Russia has delivered a number of highly competitive entries. This year is no exception, with regular participants Sergey Bryuzga's Ker 40 Frogfoot and Nikolay Drozdov's Elan 350 Rosatom Sailing Team entered. Elsewhere, among the local Maltese entries, the Jarhead Young Sailors Foundation has entered two youth teams, one of which - JYS Jan - is an all-female crew; and there are two yachts which retired last year that will be looking to challenge for podium places: Marton Jozsa's R/P 60 Wild Joe from Hungary and Stefan Jentzsch's German entry, the Carkeek 47, Black Pearl.
There will be seven starts, with the first class, the Multihulls, starting at 1100 CEST. The remaining groups will follow at 10 minute intervals, with the guns of the Saluting Battery marking each start.
The 40th Rolex Middle Sea Race starts on Saturday, 19 October at 1100 CEST from the Grand Harbour.
Hong Kong to Vietnam Race: Two Trimarans Set to Challenge Speed Record!
A fiercely competitive fleet of nine boats are about to set off on the 9th Hong Kong to Vietnam Race with two starts on 15 and 16 October. The focal point of the race falls on two trimarans: Italian Maserati Multi70 racing against Hong Kong's Orma 60, SHK Scallywag/FUKU.
The trimarans' goal, other than winning in their category, will be to challenge the race speed record set in 2015 by Syd Fischer with Ragamuffin 100 which crossed the finish line after 42h 17m 24s and clocking an average VMG of 15.8kts.
SHK Scallywag/FUKU (previously Team Australia) is co-owned by Seng Huang Lee of Hong Kong and Meitatsu Fukumoto of Japan. Skipper David Witt aims to break the race record in his favorite race: "Winds are always strong and in the right direction, the water temperature always warm, Hong Kong is a great city to start from and Nha Trang is a great city to finish in."
SHK Scallywag/FUKU holds the World Sailing Speed Record Council record of 1d 5h 52m 23s between Sydney and Hobart achieving top speeds of 39.6kts.
To join the oceanic match racing is Maserati Multi70 who established the fastest Hong Kong to London sailing record in 2017. Maserati Multi70 performs better in strong wind conditions.
Also to be watched is American Bryon Ehrhart, Hong Kong to Vietnam Race 2013 IRC Racing 0 Division winner, who is returning to the race with his high performance yacht Maxi 72 Lucky competing against well-experienced Hong Kong to Vietnam Race veterans such as Ambush, FreeFire, Antipodes, Jinn, Lion Rock and Zanzibar from Singapore.
This year the start is split over two days, with the slower IRC Racer 2 division setting out on 15 October, 24 hours ahead of IRC Racer 0, IRC Racer 1 and MOCRA Multihull classes on 16 October.
Sydney-to-Hobart yacht builder infighting ends in court
The boat builder behind some of the Sydney to Hobart's most memorable finishes has been rocked by accusations of sabotaged relationships and shoddy craftsmanship in a director feud that spilled into the Federal Court.
Acrimonious infighting erupted at McConaghy Boats - whose website describes it as the iconic race's "most successful builder" behind yachts such as Wild Oats XI, Alfa Romeo and Loki - after it was sold to a Cayman Islands-based company, MC2
Emails revealed in court proceedings that have since been dismissed by consent show the one of the directors of MC2, Graham Porter, describing another, Jonathan Morris, as a "poison ... that must be removed".
Mr Morris originally ran McConaghy with co-owner Mark Evans before it was bought by MC2 in an investment deal with foreign company Tiger Yacht Management, chaired by Mr Porter, in 2014.
Emails revealed in court proceedings that have since been dismissed by consent show the one of the directors, Graham Porter, describing another, Jonathan Morris, as a "poison ... that must be removed".
Mr Morris originally ran McConaghy with co-owner Mark Evans before it was bought by MC2 in an investment deal with foreign company Tiger Yacht Management, chaired by Mr Porter, in 2014.
On July 31 this year Justice Nye Perram made orders by consent dismissing the proceedings, with no orders regarding legal costs.
Mr Morri's solicitor, Drew James, declined to comment to the Herald, other than to say all proceedings between the parties had been resolved, with the terms remaining confidential. -- Angus Thompson in the Sydney Morning Herald
Full article: www.smh.com.au/national
18ft - Madness: The Ultimate Boat in the Ultimate Location
The 18ft Skiff class has always been a passion for Hartas Productions, with our director, Ollie, steering and in Sydney for six consecutive seasons, helming the now famous ILVE Silver Bullet! . This led us to filming the 2018 18ft Skiff European Championships last year which turned out to be one of our most successful videos of the year!
It was only natural then that we returned this year to film the European Championships again at Circolo Vela Arco on Lake Garda. Only this time, we made a deal for a bit more creative freedom. We decided to create our most ambitious film ever. We wanted to create a documentary that captured the true spirit and essence of what it is like to sail these boats in this location.
2.4mR Class World Championship
Click on image to enlarge.
Genoa, Italy: The waters of Genoa will host the 30th 2.4 mR Class World Championship. A day of training before the start for the 91 participants coming from 15 different countries. Heavy weather is forecast for the first day of races that will last until Friday the 18th
Up to 3 races a day are planned with a minimum of six needed to assign the title, which is open without distinction to both sexes and those both with and without disabilities. "In this sailing, in this case the 2.4 mR, is something unique among the Olympic sports," says Fabio Giuseppe Colella, council member of the Federazione Italiana Vela with responsibility for parasailing, "something that has made this little boat famous in the sailing sector is that we can see skippers with and without disabilities racing on equal terms, without special rankings to highlight this "difference" because, thanks to the peculiarities of the 2.4, people with motor disabilities can access the sport with the same chances as those without problems."
The weekend of October 12 and 13th saw the arrival of the boats and the welcoming of the cruise. On Monday 14th the first training race was scheduled for 2 PM. From Tuesday 15th to Friday 18th, there will be up to 3 races a day to reach the number needed to assign the title.
Randall Reeves to Complete Figure 8 Voyage Around Antarctica and the Americas on October 19
Devon, UK: Ocean Cruising Club Member Randall Reeves and s/v Moli will have completed an historic circumnavigation of both Antarctica and the Americas in one season. Randall Reeves departed from San Francisco just over one year ago on what he called the Figure 8 Voyage. This solo journey would take him around the Antarctic through the Southern Ocean, then up the coast of the Americas and through the Northwest Passage to return to San Francisco. This has never been done before.
Randall will arrive in Northern California in plenty of time to make it to the Golden Gate Bridge for his return on the 19th of October. He's going to gently potter down the coast and prepare for his return to civilization, so the official return date of October 19th is firm, weather permitting of course.
We're sharing some general plans now as some of the logistics are still being worked out. We're estimating based on tides that Randall will come under the Golden Gate Bridge between noon and 1pm (1300h PST, 1900h GMT) Saturday Oct 19th. If you're going to be on a boat, the assumption is that the rendezvous point will be close to Mile Rock.
There will be a reception on Sunday (in Richmond CA) with a special event with members of the Ocean Cruising Club. One and all are invited and should include opportunities to tour the boat. We're excited to announce that past Vice Commodore of the OCC Tony Gooch (former owner of Moli and the first person to circumnavigate the world solo nonstop from the west coast of the Americas) will be on hand for Q&A.
Hal Wagstaff: New Zealand yachting loses true gentleman
There will be something, or more accurately someone, missing from this weekend's Yachting New Zealand annual general meeting and it won't feel the same.
Hal Wagstaff passed away recently aged 88 after a short stay in North Shore Hospital.
He was a regular attendee at the AGM, and was usually found resplendent in his blazer and Yachting New Zealand tie.
"He was always very courteous, professional and proper and was sometimes quite picky about correctness and protocol," Hal's eldest son Stephen explained. "He was always willing to share his knowledge and opinions and always willing to have a discussion with people."
Hal Wagstaff had plenty to talk about. He was an architect, sailor, yachting administrator and international judge and umpire but probably best known as a renowned boat designer.
He trained as an architect, moving to London in 1953 and, after working for several years in and around the UK merged his interests and began designing yachts. He built his first boat aged 16.
Hal developed, among others, the R Class, Cherub, Javelin and various keelboats. He enjoyed designing boats within classes that allowed innovation and evolution and designed and built the first moth to New Zealand in the 1960s and developed the design which was later adopted as the international Moth.
He managed the New Zealand sailing team to the 1972 Olympics, was a member of the executive on the New Zealand Olympic Committee (1970-93), Yachting New Zealand president (1989-91) and in 1994 he became the first New Zealander appointed as a vice president of the International Sailing Federation (now World Sailing).
He was widely recognised for his service and accomplishments, receiving an OBE in 1985, membership of the New Zealand Olympic Order in 1994, a long service gold medal from ISAF in 1998, life membership of both ISAF and Yachting New Zealand and he was also made a fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Architects.
But Hal was much more than a list of titles and accomplishments. He cared about the sport and the people within it.
Hal's full obituary: www.yachtingnz.org.nz
Featured Charter
Sunrise - JPK1180
Available for:
Caribbean Spring 2020
UK Summer 2020
Sunrise was launched in Spring 2018 and is hull number 2 of the JPK1180. Sunrise is the only JPK1180 available for charter and is exclusively available through LV Yachting
JPK have become known for building fast and very competitive race winning yachts. The 1010 and the 1080 have both been incredibly successful inshore and offshore. The 1010 won the its class in the 2013 Fastnet and the 1080 won the Fastnet overall in 2015.
The JPK1180 will be the fastest boat in IRC 2 with a handicap of 1.099, Sunrise has 2 modes an inshore mode with a short bow sprit and symmetric pole or an offshore asymmetric mode with a 1.7m bow sprit and 10m2 of extra downwind sail area.
See listing details in Seahorse Charters
Contact
Lucy Jackson - LV Yachting
Call: +44 2392 161272
Email:
See the the Seahorse charter collection
Featured Brokerage
2001 Swan 80 - Island Fling. 2200000 GBP. Located in Hamble, UK.
The iconic Swan 80 ISLAND FLING is the sixth of the seven Flush Deck versions built. Recently she is cruised for a few weeks in the summer and tucked away for ten months. A very good opportunity to step up to Swan's classic elegance, comfort, safety and performance.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
Sam Pearson - Ancasta Yachts
+447759 424900
+442380 016582
-----------------------------------------
Dazcat 1295. Circa £650k GBP.
The D1295 is a real performance choice for inshore and offshore events. As with all our Dazcats, having the self-tacking jib option and all the lines running back to the cockpit makes her easy and safe to manage even when shorthanded. The D1295, our fastest tacking Dazcat, has us awed by her super slick moves and stunning lines. She’s an ideal boat for racing and has already proven herself in RORC events coming 1st in multihulls in this year’s RORC Myth of Malham. She’ll also be one to watch in this year’s RORC Fastnet as she races against 4 of her Dazcat sisters, including two 1495s.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
www.dazcat.com/d1295.html
-----------------------------------------
2002 Maxi 86. 700,000 USD. Located in the USA.
WINDQUEST is an immaculate Maxi 86 owned by one of the premier families in our sport. used only a few weekends a year, she lacks for nothing and is always a 1st to finish contender as well as a always in the corrected time hunt Call for her full details
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
William Jenkins
410 267 9419
410 353 7862
See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/
The Last Word
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. -- Eleanor Roosevelt
Editorial and letter submissions to
Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: or see www.eurosailnews.com/advertise.html