In This Issue
• Rolex Middle Sea Race Underway
• And then there were 60! Banque du Leman finally arrives to complete Route du Cafe line-up
• Heart of the system - A&T
• 18ft Skiffs Spring Championship, Race 2
• Mauritius Route Record: Francis Joyon Is On His Way
• Winning streak continues for Way of Life at Venice Hospitality Challenge
• American Trophy 2019 : Earendil hits the double for 2018 & 2019
• 2023 Ocean Globe Race attracts first entries
• Industry News
• Featured Brokerage:
• • Custom 42 - "Kuka Light"
• • INTUITION for sale
• • Class 40 - Concise 8
• The Last Word: Charlie Chaplin
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
Rolex Middle Sea Race Underway
The 2019 Rolex Middle Sea Race, the 40th edition of the 606nm classic offshore, set off from Grand Harbour Saturday. A fleet of 113 yachts, separated into seven starts, were wafted on their way by a very gentle northerly breeze that sent cat's paws across the harbour, and left plenty of traps for the unsuspecting.
For a second year in a row the first 36 hours of the Rolex Middle Sea Race have proved extremely challenging, testing the patience and commitment of the 113 crews participating. Yesterday's light wind start, was followed by a light wind passage north to Sicily. Overnight, most boats maintained momentum before the wind shut down for much of the fleet around day-break. A leading group of yachts have managed to capitalize on what wind was available and are breaking through into the Tyrrhenian Sea, while the vast majority are yet to reach Etna.
George David's Rambler (USA) exited the Messina Strait just before midday and double-headed reached towards Stromboli in a predominantly easterly wind. Rounding shortly after 17:00 CEST, Rambler has virtually matched her performance of 2018. At press time, eleven yachts, including the leading multihull Ad Maiora (ITA), were on the leg to the active volcanic island
In terms of fleet position, the American 88-footer benefited from passing through the strait just before the tide turned foul and stretched her advantage as those behind struggled. While 12 hours off the 2007 record pace, the crew will be encouraged by their improving position and the prospect of securing a fifth consecutive line honours title.
Behind, the picture has been evolving constantly. At sunrise, the maxi had a lead of 10nm over Marton Jozsa's RP60 Wild Joe (HUN). Two hours later the gap had stretched to 15nm and Wild Joe, on her own when the sun came up, found herself being rapidly caught by a group of yachts including Aragon (POL), Lupa of the Sea (ITA), R92 Pendragon (HUN) and, impressively, the French 52-footer Arobas2. Three hours later, as Rambler started the leg to Stromboli, the gap was 20nm, roughly the length of the infamous strait.
Having rounded Stromboli, the northernmost point on the course, Rambler is now on her way to Palermo. Wild Joe, Arobas2 and Kuka 3 (SUI) passed through the narrow channel separating Sicily from the mainland three hours in arrears, with Wizard (USA) next to follow. The gap to the leader is holding for the moment and whether it extends will depend greatly on the conditions encountered post-Stromboli.
The forecast shows predominantly light easterly winds for the passage across the north of Sicily. A localised area of higher wind pressure looks possible between Alicudi and Palermo, and this could benefit Rambler. Around Palermo, the southerly influence looks likely to increase, with the wind clocking to the southeast. There may then be a zone of very little wind to negotiate.
And then there were 60! Banque du Leman finally arrives to complete Route du Cafe line-up
Le Havre, France: Skippers Simon Koster and Valentin Gautier, of Class 40 Banque du Leman, are saying hello after their late arrival during pre-start of the Transat Jacques Vabre 2019, duo sailing race from Le Havre, France, to Salvador de Bahia, Brazil, on October 20, 2019 in Le Havre, France.
With a week to the start of the race next Sunday, Banque du Leman, the Swiss Class40 skippered by Simon Koster and Valentin Gautier docked in the Bassin Paul Vatine in Le Havre on Sunday afternoon. That completed the 60-boat line-up for the 2019 Transat Jacques Vabre Normandie Le Havre. The brand new Class40 - they launched on September 26 - damaged a bulkhead during qualification for the race and was permitted by the race management to fix it in La Trinite-sur-Mer (where it was built).
Samuel Manuard, whose designs have come to dominate the Class40, keeps pushing the limits with each generation and doubtless Banque du Leman will be no exception. But they are up against crews that know their boats and the class much more intimately.
"It's impossible to put a boat in the water one month before the start and say we are the big favourites," Gautier said. "We're in a phase where we're learning about the boat every time we sail."
Or as Koster said: "We feel like we've got a good machine, but we don't really know how to use it yet and it's not fully optimised yet."
Race start is Sunday October 27.
Heart of the system - A&T
A+T is mindful of the responsibilities placed on its instrument systems... (especially in the dark!)
It is a dark, moonless, windy night and you're running downwind in a steep swell in mid-Atlantic. The only thing between you and a standing gybe are the numbers on the instrument displays. The quality of the data is crucial. Accurate numbers that scroll in sync with your movements on the helm are as important as the link between the rudder and the wheel. Reliability is key. This is not a time for sluggish, inaccurate information, or for the system to go down.
It's easy to appreciate good data, solid engineering and sound reliability when the pressure is on. in such circumstances and behind the scenes, the processor is at the heart of the instrument system.
Full article in the November issue of Seahorse
18ft Skiffs Spring Championship, Race 2
The new ILVE team were in the top ten going downwind on lap one. Click on image for photo gallery.
Sydney Harbour: The Noakesailing 18ft Skiff team of Sean Langman, Ed Powys and Nathan Edwards produced another brilliant exhibition to score their second consecutive win in Race 2 of the Australian 18 Footers League's Spring Championship on Sydney Harbour today.
In similar conditions to last Sunday's opening race of the season, Langman and his team were never far from the lead over the entire course and proved too good for the challengers over the final lap of the course, despite having to give away a handicap advantage at the final windward marks.
Noakesailing crossed the finish line 42s ahead of Appliancesonline.com.au (Brett Van Muster, Phil Marshall, Kurt Fatouris).
Finport Finance (Harry Price, Matt Stenta, Angus Williams) was a further 27s back in third place, ahead of Dal Zotto (Jack Sprague), Yandoo (JohnWinning) and Birkenhead Point Marina (Tom Anderson).
After two races of the Spring Championship, Noakesailing leads the pointscore on 2, followed by Appliancesonline and Yandoo on 9, with Finport Finance, Birkenhead Point Marina and Winning Group (John Winning Jr.) on 15 points.
While the breeze was only around 8-10 knots, the race was a great battle to watch as the positions throughout the entire fleet constantly changed as the wind direction changed.
The Australian 18 Footers League's 2019-2020 Season continues next Sunday when the club will stage Race 1 of the Club Championship. -- Frank Quealey, Australian 18 Footers League
Mauritius Route Record: Francis Joyon Is On His Way
On Saturday 19th October, Francis Joyon left his home port of La Trinité-sur-Mer in Southern Brittany to head for the start line off the Citadel of Port Louis. At 0911hrs UTC (1111hrs French time), Francis crossed the start line in a light westerly wind. A few hours earlier, he gave us his final impressions about the weather opportunity, explaining that it was not ideal, but favourable enough given the context: "It's true that the wind isn't very strong. I'd have liked it to be stronger, but we don't have the choice as otherwise we would be facing strong headwinds. I need to pick up a light northerly flow by heading into the westerly winds first. After that, it should be fairly fast down the coast of Portugal and past the Canaries? I'm going to have to weave my way around the Cape Verde Islands. With Christian Dumard (router back on dry land) we're keeping an eye on a low pressure system forming further South, which risks interrupting the trade winds. That's why we wanted to start so quickly. The record can be smashed. I may well be a bit behind by the Equator, but I hope to make up for that during the rest of the voyage."
As he once again tackles the Mauritius Route record, Francis Joyon will be carrying out his longest trip alone aboard IDEC SPORT. "It is around the equivalent of three Route du Rhum races," explained Francis. "There are hardly any moments when you can take the direct route. Ten years ago, I sailed 10,000 miles rather than the 8800 theoretical miles. This is going to be a much longer voyage on this boat than my previous solo trips, so it will be an opportunity to get to know the boat better."
The Mauritius Route record is the first act in the IDEC SPORT Asian Tour 2019-2020, a brand new campaign of records covering almost 27,000 miles.
Winning streak continues for Way of Life at Venice Hospitality Challenge
The sixth edition of the Venice Hospitality Challenge took place today, endorsed by the International Maxi Association. In this Gasper Vincec and the maxi Way of Life enjoyed their second consecutive victorious Saturday, following on from their having led the 2000+ strong fleet home in the Barcolana, in Trieste a week ago.
Organised by Yacht Club Venezia, the Venice Hospitality Challenge is a unique event that unites maxi racing with Venice's leading hotels, each yacht paired up with world-famous establishments such as the Gritti Palace, Cipriani and Hotel Danieli.
The start of the race is off the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute at the entrance of the Canal Grande, then heads up the Canale di San Marco to a mark off Sant'Elena, returning via a chicane off Piazza San Marco, on up the Canale Della Giudecca to a final turning mark off Venice's cruise ship terminal before returning to the start.
This year the maxi fleet grew from 12 maxis to 14, ranging from hard core racers such as Arca SGR (ex-Skandia Wild Thing), Portopiccolo Tempus Fugit (ex-CQS) and Golfo di Trieste (ex-Rambler 90), to fast cruisers such as the Mylius 76 E...Vai via an Il Moro di Venezia IACC yacht and three Farr 80/Maxi One Designs.
The event began on Friday night in Piazza San Marco at the Grancaffe Quadri with a 'meet the skippers' event for the public followed by a buffet dinner at the Ca ' Sagredo Hotel.
Today's start took place at 13:30 in ultra-light wind. Five yachts drifted over the line prematurely and were called OCS by the race team led by Alfredo Ricci. Way of Life (backed by The Gritti Palace), just got out from under the all-female Wind of Change crew on Golfo di Trieste (backed by the Hilton Molino Stucky). Despite nearly coming unstuck at the bottom mark when the spinnaker halyard got caught around the top of the furled Code 0, the Slovenian maxi extended away to win the race, to the delight of spectators and tourists lining the canals, in an elapsed time of 59 minutes and 58 seconds. 3 minutes 39 seconds behind, Golfo di Trieste was second, just under a minute ahead of the Farr 80 Idrusa (supported by the Palazzina) skippered by former Italian Olympic sailor Paolo Montefusco, which won the Maxi 2 class. -- James Boyd / International Maxi Association
www.venicehospitalitychallenge.it
www.internationalmaxiassociation.com
American Trophy 2019 : Earendil hits the double for 2018 & 2019
Catherine Pourre (Earendil # 145) and her crew won the American Trophy in 2018l the crew of Earendil repeated the feat this year with a first place on the RORC Caribbean 600 2019, thus keeping their title and the Class40 record for the event.
Antigua has traditionally started the season with the RORC Caribbean 600. With ten Class 40's at the start, including the participation of boats that participated for the first time in 2018 and remaining in the West Indies, a trio led the race to the forefront in an intense battle from beginning to the end of this 600-mile course between the Caribbean islands of Saint Martin and Guadeloupe.
The second race was between Newport and Bermuda, the Bermuda 1-2. A superb single-handed event for the 600-mile first leg and double for the return, as the American Jonathan Green (Privateer # 102) won the event in the combined time of the 2 heats in front of 4 of his compatriots, including a particular Micheal Hennessy, winner of the Route du Rhum destination Guadeloupe in the Vintage category in 2018, in his famous Dragon (# 54), arrived first in the round to go solo and2nd on the event in general.
Earendil won the American Trophy, ahead of Privateer, second in the Trophy tied with Earendil, Aîna by Aymeric Chappelier completing the podium.
Traditionally more active in even years, the American Trophy 2020 will see the Class 40 compete on the RORC Caribbean 600 as every year, the Atlantic Cup, doubles race, from Charleston (South Carolina) to Portland (Maine) via New York in June. This emblematic event of the American Trophy will be ideally placed in 2020 between The Transat, solo from East to West arriving in Charleston (Departure May 10) and the Quebec Saint Malo race (Departure scheduled July 12, 2020).
2023 Ocean Globe Race attracts first entries
Early response to the 2023 Ocean Globe Race, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first Whitbread Round the World Race has been enthusiastic.
Hundreds of sailors and many yacht clubs have become excited at the prospect of becoming involved, and commitments to enter now outweigh available places with sailors from France, Finland and the UK dominating the list. These include Whitbread veterans like Tracy Edwards who is currently making a global tour with an all-female crew aboard her 1989 Whitbread yacht Maiden
Finland's Tapio Lehtinen, a finisher in the 2018 Golden Globe Race, has entered a Swan 55 in the Adventure Class for production yachts between 47 - 55.25ft. He has just taken ownership of the Olin Stephens designed yawl Galiana, one of two Swan 55s now entered in the OGR, and will set out from Southampton UK bound for Finland at the weekend. First launched in 1970, Galiana is the second of 16 yachts to be built by Nautor to this design, which Tapio describes "As the classiest and most beautiful of the early Swans."
British yachtsman Alan Macmillan shares that view. He has entered his cutter rigged Swan 55 Ariana and is about to embark on a round the world cruise in preparation for the 2023 OGR, so here are two contenders who will be battling for line honours in their class
Demand for places in the Sayula Class for prescribed yachts between 57.4 and 65.5ft is equally high with five owners earmarking Swan 65s - sisterships to Sayula II, the original 1973/4 Race winner. One is French entrant Dominique Dubois, owner of the Multiplast Boatyard in Vannes, who previously owned a Swan 65, but sold it a few years ago to buy an ultralight boat to compete in last year's Route du Rhum solo transatlantic race.
Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the first fully crewed 1973 Whitbread Race and sailed in similar yachts with 1970's equipment including sextants and cassette music tapes, the 2023 OGR gives ordinary sailors the opportunity to race around the Globe for the first time in nearly 30 years.
Industry News
European Maritime Day (EMD) 2020 will take place on 14-15 May in Cork Harbour, it has been announced by the European Commission.
EMD is the annual EU meeting point on maritime affairs and a sustainable blue economy.
It targets maritime professionals, entrepreneurs and ocean leaders.
The event and exhibition will take place on 14-15 May 2020 in the City Hall of Cork and is co-organised by the European Commission, the City of Cork and 'Our Ocean Wealth' Summit.
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The Transat, the world's oldest professional solo sailing race, which will set sail from Brest in France to Charleston in the USA on May 10th 2020, has a new title sponsor in CIC, a major player in the French banking sector.
The race, which is owned and organised by OC Sport Pen Duick, the French subsidiary of international event organiser OC Sport, now officially becomes "The Transat CIC" for the 2020 and 2024 editions.
The 2020 edition of The Transat CIC will welcome skippers in four classes - Ultimes, IMOCA 60s, Multi50s and Class40s - to take on one of the great challenges in professional sailing. They face a gruelling 3,500-mile course and are likely to encounter storm force headwinds, rough seas and freezing fog.
Founded in 1859, CIC is a leading bank in France and abroad, and one of the largest banks in France, with a network of nearly 2,000 branches. It also has a strong international network and is present in 34 countries.
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Moonen Yachts, the Dutch superyacht builder that went bankrupt this summer, says Matthew and Louise Baxter of Australia are its new owners, replacing Mexican steel giant Altos Hornos de Mexico (AHMSA).
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The Doyle Sails group continues to expand and strengthen with the exciting appointment of highly regarded superyacht expert Scott Zebny as Global Superyacht Sales Manager and Partner in Doyle Sails Palma.
Scott joins Doyle Sails after 33 years as one of the lead superyacht specialists at North Sails. Initially he was based in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida before relocating to Palma, Spain and has since worked with many high profile superyachts such as Athena, Hyperion, EOS, Inoui, Unfurled, Twizzle, Meteor and Ethereal. Scott has also immersed himself in the J-Class scene, working first hand with Endeavor, Ranger, Hanuman, Rainbow and Lionheart.
Scott will be the Global Superyacht Sales Manager and responsible for the coordination of Doyle's worldwide superyacht sales, including end-to-end project management and service support. He will also play a key role in the continued development of superyacht shipyard and supplier relationships, ensuring seamless collaboration in a demanding marketplace.
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AkzoNobel's Awlgrip brand will be the official coatings supplier for the New York Yacht Club's American Magic team that is challenging for the 36 America's Cup.
American Magic will use Awlgrip's HDT Flag Blue for the hull color of the team's first AC75 foiling sailboat. The company's new HDT topcoat will be used above the water line and Griptex nonskid will be applied to the decks.
AkzoNobel spent more than three years developing Awlgrip HDT topcoat including collaborating with participants in the Volvo Ocean Race boatyards in 2017-2018.
"For the AC75, it's important for us to use the most advanced and durable paint products on the market," Terry Hutchinson, skipper and executive director of American Magic. HDT coatings were the perfect choice for us as we pursue the America's Cup."
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As SailGP celebrates its first anniversary, the overall impact of the new global championship has been revealed, highlighted by a total global event audience of 1.8 billion across broadcast, social, press and in-venue audiences. In its inaugural season, SailGP attracted more than 133,000 spectators to see the world's fastest sail racing, while making a significant contribution to the five host cities, adding a total economic impact of US$115 million.
After launching in London in October 2018, SailGP opened its season four months later in Sydney in February 2019. Following a successful kick-off, the six national teams representing Australia, China, France, Great Britain, Japan and the United States proceeded to events in San Francisco, New York, Cowes (England) and finally, the SailGP Season 1 Grand Final in Marseille, France, where Tom Slingsby's Australian team was victorious, capturing the SailGP Championship trophy and sailing's largest monetary prize - US$1 million.
The five global SailGP events resulted in an overall economic impact of US$115 million - an average of $23 million per event - topped by $29 million for Marseille at the three-day grand finale of Season 1. The U.S. saw the biggest return, with more than $44 million put into the economy between the San Francisco and New York events. The total expenditure across all five cities in relation to SailGP equated to US$130 million.
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Harken will launch a new concept in service when it opens its ProCare Center October 1 in Palma. It will be a collaborative venture with Harken's exclusive Spanish distributor, Equipyacht.
Mark Gardner of Harken UK will manage the ProCare enterprise.
"In Peter Harken's words, our goal is to support our customers beyond their expectations," Gardner said. "Harken ProCare - Palma is just one more step towards accomplishing this goal. Palma de Mallorca is a hub for Superyacht and Grand Prix sailing and is home to some of the best marine engineers and agents who help to support this network. Because of this, the demand is high for Harken technical support and factory knowledge."
"To help fill this demand, we are collaborating with Equipyacht Spain to have a physical presence within Palma de Mallorca," Gardner said. "We will be able to work more closely with our existing network of agents and suppliers to provide them with real-time face-to-face technical backup. This, in turn, allows them to respond to their clients' needs more quickly and efficiently."
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2008/2011 World famous R/P 74. 699,000 USD. Located in Michigan USA.
INTUITION was formally known as WIZARD and BELLE MENTE. Under her past two owners, she did nothing but win sailboat races from Jamaica to Hawaii with two barn doors to Hawaii as well as countless races won and every now again a course record.
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Class 40 - Concise 8. 300,000 GBP.
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See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/
The Last Word
We think too much and feel too little. -- Charlie Chaplin
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