In This Issue
• Splendid Isolation - Point Nemo Beckons
• Yoann Richomme: "The Week Of All The Dangers"
• What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine
• Xpresso takes Cock of the Bay hat-trick on a perfect Boxing Day in Melbourne
• Circolo
• RORC Time Over Distance Series: Charlie Enright
• Six Steps to Bulletproof Manoeuvres
• Saint-Tropez and Cadiz added to SailGP Season 2
• America's Cup: Italian sail experts suggest fix to ailing British yacht
• David Neish: 1948-2020
• Featured Charter
• Featured Brokerage:
• • MILLS 41 - "Ambush"
• • Gunboat 62 TRIBE
• • Swan 115-001 Solleone
• The Last Word: Arnold H. Glasow

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

Splendid Isolation - Point Nemo Beckons
At less than one day from Point Nemo, the most isolated point on earth, Yannick Bestaven still has company in the shape of Charlie Dalin who is less than 50 miles behind. But as Thomas Ruyant finally profits from his more northerly position of recent days and returns to third, the leading pair have their buffer of nearly 270 miles.

Bestaven's position and timing remains better than his nearest rival's. Dalin is closer to the ice barrier and will have to tack again but they have still not found the faster reaching conditions yet.

They are now just less than one week to Cape Horn which all of the top three skippers should round for their first time. Certainly for the two leaders the forecast suggests they will get the full Cape Horn experience with winds in the Drake Strait exceeding 45kts with big seas and as of just now it is hard to see how they will avoid it without slowing down from the middle of the week.

Top ten at 27 Dec 2020 - 21h (UTC)

1. Yannick Bestaven - Maitre CoQ IV, 9241.44 nm to finish
2. Charlie Dalin - APIVIA, 85.82 nm to leader
3. Thomas Ruyant - LinkedOut, 282.07
4. Damien Seguin - GROUPE APICIL, 331.79 nm
5. Isabelle Joschke - MACSF, 337.29 nm
6. Boris Herrmann - SEAEXPLORER - YACHT CLUB DE MONACO, 345.98 nm
7. Jean Le Cam - Yes We Cam!, 347.74 nm
8. Maxime Sorel - V and B-MAYENNE, 376.02 nm 9. Giancarlo Pedote - PRYSMIAN GROUP, 380.94 nm
10. Benjamin Dutreux - OMIA - WATER FAMILY, 400.94 nm

Tracker

Yoann Richomme: "The Week Of All The Dangers"
Twice winner of the Solitaire du Figaro, and the 2018 Route du Rhum in Class40, also skipper of the VO65 Racing for the Planet, Yoann Richomme gives us his technical and strategic analysis of the Vendee Globe.

"On Christmas Eve, the fleet leaders are going through some crucial moments with different options taken by the three frontrunners: the leader, Yannick Bestaven, has managed to get out of the area of high pressure with a series of gybes along the edge of the Ice Zone before climbing a fairly long way north. He is now tackling the approaches to a low-pressure system (see image below) which is not that clear in terms of its position and the strength of the winds. On Friday, he is expected to enter an area of fairly strong Easterly winds, so will be sailing upwind; either he pushes hard in which case he will get 35 knots of headwinds gusting to 45, or he remains in the south of the low to protect himself. It will all be a matter of finding a compromise.

Two tricky effects due to the low

The centre of this low is moving in an unpredictable manner in the models, but the main idea is that it will deepen this weekend and Yannick is in for a double dose with, on Sunday, strong 40-knot winds backing northerly and gusting to 60 with 5m high seas, making this doubly difficult.

Today, it is hard to say whether he will manage to get away once on the other side of the low. It will all depend on the way in which he deals with the gale force winds that are forecast. He can either sail upwind in strong or very strong winds, slow down or try to cut across. In the end, I believe his gains will be fairly limited. In the best case scenario and looking at this optimistically, I think he may get over this hurdle with a lead of 300 miles over Charlie Dalin and Thomas Ruyant. The latter two will have to work hard in the coming days to stay in the same system as Yannick, as otherwise he may make his getaway.

Full analysis by Yoan Richomme in Tip & Shaft

Seahorse January 2021
What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine

Right size right boat
By the time that he began planning the 35th yacht in his Oystercatcher dynasty Richard Matthews had a pretty good idea of what he wanted. One look at the result and whether you want to win the Fastnet or Block Island Race Week we believe others will soon follow his lead

Building the proper toolbox
Michel Desjoyeaux is very focused in terms of what he sees as the correct role for his Mer Agitee operation. Jocelyn Bleriot

No introduction required
Rod Davis talks to Carol Cronin on the subject of... Rod Davis

Smorgasbord
Boys are on a roll. A fixed-keel 111ft DSS fast cruiser is the newest brief for Infiniti Yachts who tasked Clay Oliver with the foil details

1yr Print Sub: €77 - £48 - $71 / Rest of the World: £65 www.seahorse.co.uk/shop/subs/

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Xpresso takes Cock of the Bay hat-trick on a perfect Boxing Day in Melbourne
Under clear blue skies and with Melbourne's Port Phillip bathed in sunshine, a record fleet of 112 yachts, carrying 618 crew, set sail on Boxing Day in the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria's annual Cock of the Bay race.

Paul Buchholz's Cookson 50 Extasea took line honours, ahead of Gerry Cantwell's Marten 49 Carrera S, which led the fleet across the start line off Port Melbourne at 10.30am. Extasea took the gun at the Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron on Mornington Peninsula four hours and two minutes later.

In the handicap divisions, Ari Abrahams' Xpresso did a rare treble, winning Division 2 on IRC, AMS and PHF. Abrahams and his crew also recorded the fastest corrected time across all divisions in both AMS and IRC.

Peter Jackson's Niche, in Division 1, managed IRC and AMS but did not contest PHS. Paul Dynes Himalayan Women won Division 3 AMS and PHS.

Full results

Tomorrow morning, 22 of the yachts will again be under starter's orders as they set off on the ORCV Rudder Cup Race from Portsea to Devonport, in Tasmania. Once again, the forecast is favourable, with northerlies in the morning to propel the yachts out of Port Phillip before a south-westerly change should allow the leading yachts to beam-reach all the way across Bass Strait, putting the race record under threat.

However, the back-markers will be hoping a severe weather warning, issued by the Bureau of Meteorology, is ultimately downgraded. Winds of over 40 knots are expected to hit elevated areas of Western Victoria before moving across Melbourne on Sunday night.

www.facebook.com/OceanRacingClub

Circolo
If you ever get the chance to go to the Yacht Club de Monaco. Go. It's the most beautiful club in the world with an ambition as bold as the club is big. It's a stunner. Set on the harbour right by the famous tunnel used for F1 and runs the most incredible events all year round both on and off the water – who can argue with Lionel Ritchie, Duran Duran, Sting and Elton John as line-ups at their annual YCM Marina parties? (The best my clubs run is some old geezer with a banjo and a ukelele.) And on the water they host everything from a very competitive Optimist fleet, through Melges 24's and J70's to unbelievable Classics, right up to their flagship events – one of which is the Palermo-Monte Carlo race alongside others.

Let's imagine a world where the Circolo wins [The America's Cup]. They could try and squeeze a pint into a quart and host it in Mondello or they could shift up the coast to Cagliari. Or they could tap up their chums at the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda where bomb alley would provide the perfect setting – big winds, big waves, (I have never been so seasick in my life out there), and a ton of glamour.

Or, and this is the big call, they could ring up their old mucker and 'twinner' His Serene Highness Prince Albert – a Cup fan, I once explained to him what a tack, gybe, set was in classic karate yachting style – and host it in Monaco. Not a lot of wind in summer but would be stunning in winter. The Principality would be rocking. The jet set would be in town. Participation would rocket and the high rollers would flock. It would be THE Cup to end all Cups. The Yacht Club de Monaco would become the hottest ticket in town. I'd love to see it happen.

It won't however. The Kiwis will win this defence by a country mile. But we can dream. And all credit to the Circolo for achieving the impossible and proving that you don't need to be a super-club to mix it with the big boys. Small can be beautiful.

Magnus' full editorial in Rule 69 Blog

RORC Time Over Distance Series: Charlie Enright
This week's special guest for the RORC Time Over Distance series is Charlie Enright. Born and bred in Rhode Island, USA, the young skipper has already notched up two round the world races which have been nothing short of high drama. Charlie has also won the Rolex Fastnet Race and RORC Caribbean 600 overall, racing on the Askew brothers' Volvo 70 Wizard. Charlie's third lap of the planet is scheduled for the Ocean Race as the skipper of a new IMOCA60 11th hour racing.

Six Steps to Bulletproof Manoeuvres
"Your performance in a sailing race comes down to many, many different things, to the point where for some people it can be overwhelming," says Paul. "The key question to ask yourself about your last race is: what were the critical moments? What were the moments where I made the biggest gains and perhaps even more importantly, where did I make the biggest losses?

a. "For the things that went well, what can I do to repeat them?

b. "For the things that went badly, how could we have anticipated them and what could we do to make sure we avoid them in the future?

"It's important to start looking at where you were either adding or losing speed or adding or losing metres on the race course. This kind of analysis is an essential part of being able to make sense of your racing and then being able to turn that into some sort of a training program.

"So the racing is the measurement stick - it tells you where you are now and it gives you the clearest indication of what your skill set is on that particular moment. That critical analysis of your racing is often overlooked, but is simple to do and can be really powerful.

Here's the first half of Paul's Six-Step System for working on Manoeuvres...

www.sailjuice.com

Saint-Tropez and Cadiz added to SailGP Season 2
SailGP announced two new venues that will be added to the European leg of the global championship's second season in 2021. In two firsts for the league, SailGP will visit Saint-Tropez on the French Riviera on September 11-12, ahead of the first-ever Spain Grand Prix | Andalusia in Cadiz on October 9-10. The two new venues form part of an expanded season that is planned to feature nine events, with seven having now been announced.

With a long tradition of hosting prestigious sailing events, Saint-Tropez will provide a spectacular venue in France and a warm welcome for both the global league and the home team, hosted in coordination with the Societe Nautique de Saint-Tropez.

With the announcement of the Andalusian port city of Cadiz as the host of the Spain Grand Prix for the next two seasons, the league added its second new country for Season 2 following a competitive bid process that included five Spanish cities.

As previously announced, the Bermuda Grand Prix presented by Hamilton Princess will set the stage for Season 2 on April 24-25, before the league shifts to Europe for the first of five events, starting with the Italy Grand Prix held June 5-6 in Taranto, the other new country added to the line-up in Season 2. From there, the eight national teams will compete at the Great Britain Grand Prix | Plymouth on July 17-18, followed by the ROCKWOOL Denmark Grand Prix | Aarhus on August 20-21. The league has also announced that the United States Grand Prix in San Francisco will serve as the SailGP Season 2 Grand Final in April 2022.

SailGP Season 2 will be showcased around the world via partnerships with top-tier broadcasters in more than 100 territories, including exclusively in France on Canal+ and Spain via TVE and TV3. Other international broadcast partners include: SKY Sports (U.K./Ireland), CBS Sports (U.S), Fox Sports (Australia), TV 2 Sport (Denmark) and DAZN (Japan).

sailgp.com

America's Cup: Italian sail experts suggest fix to ailing British yacht
Italy's Quantum Sails President Vittorio d'Albertas and his colleague Pietro Pinucci have spotted a setup problem on INEOS Team UK which is slowing the boat, preventing it from fopiling.

The Italian pair have become YouTube stars with their comments on the new America's Cup AC75 class.

As well as the foil arm issue, they felt the Britannia bow shape generated less lift in light airs than its rivals, as they try to lift onto the foils.

To overcome that problem INEOS has had to apply excessive flap and/or rudder angle, which actually slows the boat, the Italians felt.

That could also be slowing them in turns, so they lose distance at each tack and gybe.

Vittorio pointed on the windy second day they were the fastest boat in a straight line but in the light winds they were slow.

www.stuff.co.nz/sport/

David Neish: 1948-2020
The Asian yachting community has been saddened to hear that David Neish passed away in Hong Kong on Tuesday, December 22. He was 72.

David was a well-known and popular figure in the industry since joining Asia-Pacific Boating as Advertising Manager in August 2005, later becoming Advertising Director. He worked for the publication until late 2018, when he co-founded Farfalla Marine with Mark Denny-Fairchilde.

Born in Hong Kong, he attended King George V school. He moved to England to study photography at the London College of Printing (now London College of Communication) and pursued his passion as a commercial and still-life photographer in the capital.

David returned to Hong Kong in 1987 and worked in the film industry and advertising. He then moved to the super car industry, working for Ferrari, before joining the yachting industry.

He was a prominent and popular figure at many boat shows and events across Asia and a regular visitor to the Cannes Yachting Festival and Monaco Yacht Show each September, as well as other international shows.

Gael Burlot, publisher of Yacht Style, said: "Like so many in the industry, we were heartbroken to hear about David, who many of us have been close to since he joined the industry. He was very well liked across the yachting field in Asia and by many more in the industry worldwide.

"We've shared and received so many tributes and kind words about him, and it was clear he made friends wherever he went. Many are shocked, but one nicely captured his spirit when he wrote 'David was one of the coolest and friendliest people I know. He really was one of a kind'. We're all sad to say goodbye to a dear friend."

Featured Charter
Figaro 3 - Raw. POA.

The Figaro 3 is the first production foiling one-design monohull. Resulting from a collaboration between Beneteau’s best experts and the Van Peteghem Lauriot-Prevost (VPLP) office, the architects of the two last boats to win the Vendee Globe, this boat is fast, powerful and very exciting to sail. It is equipped with foils, a slender and deeper keel, a setback mast and an extensive and large sail plan.

The Figaro 3 has recently been awarded Sailing Worlds “Boat of the Year” for 2019, with judges praising its sailing on all points of sail! Chartering the Figaro 3 will be the experience of a lifetime. A truly awesome racing machine, you are bound to have an exhilarating time on the water putting the boat through its paces.

See listing details in Seahorse Charters

Contact
Lucy Jackson - LV Yachting
Call: +44 2392 161272
Email:

See the the Seahorse charter collection

Featured Brokerage
2016 MILLS 41 - "Ambush". 350000 USD. Located in Hong Kong.

AMBUSH is an IRC41 from Mark Mills. With a detailed understanding of the IRC rule, this FAST 40 style racer was penned with a more offshore focus, whilst keeping similar DNA to the inshore flyers that we have seen taking IRC by storm. A great option for both an inshore and offshore calendar.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Sam Pearson - Ancasta Race Boats
+447759 424900
+442380 016582

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Gunboat 62 TRIBE. POA USD.

TRIBE is the original Gunboat- the trailblazing, iconic Gunboat, a timeless beauty with rock-solid construction and enviable performance, ready for her next owners’ adventures!

For full details go to... Gunboat Brokerage

Contact

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2015 Swan 115-001 Solleone. POA EUR. Located in Marina di Scarlino, Italy

Designed for comfort and performance, SOLLEONE is the first Swan 115 S Version, delivered by Nautor's Swan in Summer 2015. The magic combination of German Frers yacht design alongside a luxurious and elegant italian style interior designed by Nautor's Swan in house styling team and Michele Bònan.

See listing details in Nautor's Swan Brokerage

Contact
Nautor's Swan Brokerage - Lorenzo Bortolotti

Tel. +377 97 97 95 07

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

The Last Word
A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down. -- Arnold H. Glasow

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