In This Issue
• Compacting In the South Pacific Tunnel To Cape Horn
• The Ocean Race's 'Off Watch' is now on your favourite podcast platform
• Wight Vodka Best Sailor's Bar
• America's Cup: Team New Zealand smash 100kmh barrier
• Seahorse Sailor Of The Month
• WASZP to serve as talent ID tool for SailGP Women's Invitational Camps
• J 45e: A New Performance Cruiser By J/Boats
• William (Bill) Bentsen
• Sadi Emmanuel Claeys
• Featured Charter: XP44
• Featured Brokerage:
• • Black Pepper Code 1
• • X-Yachts X43 - PARALLAX
• • Pilot Classic 47
• Back on Monday -- Happy New Year!
• The Last Word: Douglas Adams

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

Compacting In the South Pacific Tunnel To Cape Horn
In the strong, following W'ly wind and with the leading duo electing to stay north slightly – around 50 deg– the top of the fleet have compacted slightly more. Charlie Dalin (Apivia) – who slowed yesterday to consolidate his foil box repairs yesterday – has caught back some 40 miles on Yannick Bestaven (Maître CoQ IV) and Thomas Ruyant (LinkedOut) has returned more than 120 miles on Bestaven to be 202 nautical miles behind Bestaven.

As Cape Horn beckons this weekend it is as well Race Direction has opened the race area more by moving the ice barrier south in this area as there will be significant race traffic!

Fortunately for this lead group they will be into a new NW'ly flow today from a system which will take them east to exit the Pacific. Overnight Bestaven was not particularly fast and Damien Seguin (APICIL Group) is now close to Ruyant.

Those who had to gybe north to avoid the AEZ did not make as much, Maxime Sorel (V and B-Mayenne) and Louis Burton (Bureau Vallée 2), but from Giancarlo Pedote (Prysmian Group) up the second group are only one short day's racing behind the top duo. And with the new depression arriving from behind the trio Attanasio, Cremer and Burton should catch up more.

www.vendeeglobe.org

The Ocean Race's 'Off Watch' is now on your favourite podcast platform
The full first season of 'Off Watch: In conversation with...' is now available for download from your favourite podcast platform.

Just in time for the holiday season, you can now catch up with all 34 episodes of Season One.

We opened our first series with one of the legends in our sport - Ken Read - and our host Niall Myant-Best followed up with weekly conversations with some of the most interesting characters in sailing.

And earlier this month, we closed the season by speaking SiFi - Simon Fisher - currently preparing for another lap of the planet with the 11th Hour Racing Team.

We'll be back in the new year with season two, but in the meantime, go to your podcast platform of choice and enjoy these in-depth conversations with the best in the business.

Off Watch on iTunes

Off Watch on Spotify

Wight Vodka Best Sailor's Bar
Tonight's featured sailor bar is one of the more unusual ones in the world. The Columbia Yacht Club is a 372' ship docked in Chicago.

The MV Abegweit began service as an icebreaking railway, vehicle, and passenger ferry that operated across the Abegweit Passage of the Northumberland Strait, connecting Port Borden, Prince Edward Island to Cape Tormentine, New Brunswick, from 1947-1982.

In the winter of 1982-83, Columbia Yacht Club purchased the MV Abby as our new Club Ship. The Abby left the Northumberland Strait for good in April 1983 and remains "in service" today, hosting our members and their guests on the scenic Chicago lakefront at the foot of Randolph Street.

Columbia Yacht Club has been known as more than a ship on the Lake, as more than a sailing organization, as more than a dining room.

It has been known and continues to be celebrated as the club that fosters a deep sense of pride and camaraderie among its members, officers, and staff.

Members are drawn together by their love of the Lake, whether racing, cruising, power boating, or simply enjoying the view from the Club. From elegant dancing-under-the-stars celebrations on the Club Ship aft deck to casual parties on the dock; from quiet sunrise breakfasts to sunset dining; from the bustle of crews readying for races to quiet nights aboard your boat moored at the Club's docks, Columbia Yacht Club is always a place where you are "Welcome Aboard."

A reader submission on a special drink served aboard:

They make a James Bond Martini for me. Some people call them "Ted 'Tini's"

It's a vodka martini with a splash of gin, shaken, dry, up, cold and blue cheese olives.

Tell us about YOUR favorite bar: eurosailnews.com/sailors-bars or email us at

America's Cup: Team New Zealand smash 100kmh barrier
America's Cup defenders Team New Zealand have fired a shot across the bows of their challengers with claims they've broken the 100 kmh mark in training.

The revelation comes in an article in respected French magazine Paris Match which looked at France's influence on the current 36th America's Cup being held in Auckland this summer.

France has no direct entry but there is plenty of French involvement behind the scenes, including Guillaume Verdier, Emirates Team New Zealand's hugely successful naval architect. -- Duncan Johnstone

www.stuff.co.nz/sport/

Seahorse Sailor Of The Month
This month's nominees:

Damien Seguin (FRA)
Seguin is well known to many readers as a double Paralympic gold medallist in the 2.4mR one-design, but the 41-year-old is currently putting up a mighty performance in the Vendee Globe… No 'easy' race for anyone, Seguin however was born without the use of his left hand, in spite of which before taking on the VG he had already competed successfully in the Figaro and Class40. We encourage readers to follow Seguin who as we write is lying a magnificent 7th overall

Natasha Lambert (GBR)
Currently mid-Atlantic with four other crew in her quest to become the first sailor to cross the pond using only breath and tongue to control her big 46ft cat. The 23-year-old suffers with athetoid cerebral palsy and has no use of her arms and legs. Lambert has already crossed the English Channel as well as a dauntingly impressive singlehanded lap of the Isle of Wight. In her free time… she is busy fundraising for her own sailing school as well as the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust

Last Month's winner:
Jean Le Cam (FRA)
Pictured: finally resting after saving his friend. 'I feel sorry for anyone coming up against Jean in this vote. Bravo, Jean!' - Campbell Field; 'Hero' - Jimmy Hellberg; 'Le Cam, le legende' - Simon Scammell; 'Still the master of the seas' - Patrick Lindqvist; 'Jean, as if kicking ass in an old boat wasn't enough, he ups the ante by rescuing Escoffier' - Dave Russell; 'Sailor of the year… of the decade?' - Antoine de Kerviler; 'This Vendee now has its hero' - Phillip Scherer.

View past winners of Sailor of the Month

Seahorse Sailor of the Month is sponsored by Musto, Harken McLube & 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

WASZP to serve as talent ID tool for SailGP Women's Invitational Camps
With a year like no other in 2020, both SailGP and WASZP have embraced the change, taken stock and further improved their programs to foster diversity and inclusion in the sport of sailing. Since its inception in 2016, the WASZP has provided sailors the opportunity to build their foiling skills, while engaging a new generation of athletes to begin their journey in the modern style of the sport.

Now, SailGP will be utilising WASZPs as the global championship holds invitational camps across the world to identify and select female athletes to join each of its eight teams starting in 2021.

Marc Ablett, WASZP head of product and global sales/marketing said: "It is with great pleasure the SailGP teams have turned to WASZP to kick start their talent identification programs for elite female sailors around the world. Many current and former Olympic sailors, as well as professional sailors, are using the WASZP as an affordable cross-trainer parallel to their existing programs."

The WASZP provides a level playing field for female athletes to compete equally against males, creating a fresh and inclusive event atmosphere. Many current WASZP events range from 20-40 percent female participation, which continues to grow.

The WASZP is already linked with SailGP through a strategic partnership with SailGP Inspire, the league's youth and community outreach program. The partnership successfully kicked off earlier this year in Sydney with a gender-balanced group of 16 young sailors from Australia, Japan and New Zealand taking part in an elite youth racing program, culminating in a final in front of the SailGP event crowds and broadcast globally.

The SailGP Season 2 calendar is taking shape, with nine events planned starting in Bermuda in April 2021. The 2021 WASZP events are being finalized, with the EuroCup circuit to feature around the SailGP calendar culminating in a blockbuster European Championships during August.

sailgp.com

www.waszp.com

J 45e: A New Performance Cruiser By J/Boats
Click on image to enlarge.

The J45e is a very much awaited boat and represents the continuation of a tradition that was broken more than a decade ago. J/boats used to have big offshore cruisers but since the J145 (48ft), launched 18 years ago, they didn't produce any bluewater performance cruiser bigger than 40ft. And even the bigger one, the J122e, with an interior renovated in 2014, had a 12-year-old hull.

There is also the J133, a 43ft boat, launched 14 years ago, but that one was much more of a racer than a performance cruiser, never having a version with the beautiful interiors that e-series offers.

You may even remember that J boats had once a performance cruiser with 53ft, the J160, the last one built 20 years ago, but since the J boat production was transferred to J composites, in France, never a big yacht was built there.

If you are American you may be wondering why the hell did J boats building went to France? Well, the answer is simple, the Europeans like J boats better than the Americans and more boats were sold in Europe than in America, so, for cutting costs they transferred the production to where more boats were being sold.

I really hope that the situation changes and Americans modify their tastes, which seem to go now more for motorboats and increase their preference for performance ones because J/boat tradition is an American one, they are still designed, as always, by Johnstone. I would be very glad if they were produced in the USA too, not only because they are American boats, but also because that would mean that Americans were more into sailing again.

http://interestingsailboats.blogspot.com

jboats.com/j45

William (Bill) Bentsen
William (Bill) Bentsen, Olympic medalist, National Sailing Hall of Fame inductee Class of 2017, and an internationally respected expert on the racing rules of sailing, died on December 25, 2020 at his home at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. He was 90 years old.

As crew for Buddy Melges, Bill Bentsen won a Bronze Medal at the 1964 Olympic Games in Japan (Flying Dutchman Class), a Gold Medal at the 1967 Pan American Games in Canada (Flying Dutchman), and, with third crew Bill Allen, a Gold Medal at the 1972 Olympic Games in Germany (Soling Class). In 1966, Bill finished first in division, elapsed time, in Yachting magazine's One-of-a-Kind Regatta, sailing a 38-foot Class A scow.

He also raced iceboats, initially competing in the 12-foot DN Class and then in a 42-foot Class A stern-steerer that he owned with Walter Larkin. Don Frankel was his usual crew; later, Erich Schloemer crewed. Bill was a member of the Skeeter Ice Boat Club.

Bill Bentsen became keenly interested in the racing rules as a college student when he fouled out of a race at the Chicago Yacht Club and the protest committee chairman, Clare Udell, took the time to explain, word by word, the intricacies of the rule he had broken. The incident inspired Bill to study the racing rules with great care, and in the decades that followed he became a major contributor to their interpretation, revision, and simplification.

When Janet Baxter was president of US Sailing, she dedicated The Racing Rules of Sailing 2005 – 2008 to Bill in recognition of his work.

In 1994, Bentsen received the Nathanael G. Herreshoff Trophy from US Sailing in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the sport. In 2008, he received that organization's Harmon Hawkins Trophy for his work in the field of race administration. In 1972, he was named to the Inter-Collegiate Yacht Racing Association College Sailing Hall of Fame; in 2008, to the Inland Lake Yachting Association Hall of Fame; and in 2017, to the National Sailing Hall of Fame.

In 2007, US Sailing's Judges Committee named him Judge Emeritus in recognition of his distinguished service as a competitor and sailing official. In 2009 and 2016, Bill Bentsen was the recipient of Lake Geneva Yacht Club's Marie Kramp Award for Outstanding Service.

In 2009, Bill Bentsen was honored to receive World Sailing's Beppe Croce Trophy from the president of the organization, Goran Petersson of Sweden. The award recognizes outstanding voluntary contributions to the sport.

www.sailingscuttlebutt.com

Sadi Emmanuel Claeys
It is with great sadness that World Sailing reports the passing of World Sailing Vice-President 1994-1998, Sadi Emmanuel Claeys (BEL) at the age of 74.

Sadi was an icon in Belgian sailing and had a major international presence in the sport for 50-years. He was as the Chairman of the Royal Belgian Sailing Club and Belgian Sailing, then KBYV and was also President of the Belgian 420 Class and a member of the Board of the Olympic Committee.

His presence was felt on the international stage and before becoming a World Sailing Vice-President in 1994, a position he held through to 1998, he was Chair of Class Policy and Organisation Committee (now Events) Committee, a Council member and a former Presidential candidate.

A visionary with a strong appearance, he founded the Spa Regatta from 1989 to 1999 and in the Spring of 2020, Belgian Sailing awarded him the Fellowship of Jacques Rogge Trophy, the highest award in Belgium. As a close friend of Jacques Rogge, the former IOC President, the award was highly appreciated by Sadi for his special contribution.

In addition, Sadi was also a sailing representative at the Belgian Olympic Committee for the national team in Montreal 1976 and Barcelona 1992.

World Sailing sends its condolences to Sadi Emmanuel Claeys' family and friends.

www.sailing.org

Featured Charter
XP44

The XP44 combines impressive performance with simplicity of handling, appealing to all.

A highly optimised hull shape offers exemplary performance in a range of wind conditions, on all angles of sail, under both ORC and IRC handicap systems. Key elements of the hull design include reduced upright beam and wetted surface area, while the transom shape ensures that as windspeed builds and the boat powers up, the overall waterline length increases for additional speed.

For full details please visit .. bit.ly/2tXnUFb

See listing details in Seahorse Charters

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

See the the Seahorse charter collection

Featured Brokerage
2013 Black Pepper Code 1. 395, 000 EUR. Port Grimaud, South of France

This beautiful 40 feet sailing yacht, built entirely of carbon, was designed in the characteristic Black Pepper® style. She is an exceptional vessel, offering all the necessary elements to ensure pure pleasure: elegance, technology choices, ergonomics, design, materials, comfort and stunning performances. Ideal for a weekend or more spent sailing, she is sure to satisfy any sailor's requirements. Her contemporary aesthetic promises a comfortable getaway, and she offers unparalleled performances underway.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact

04 67 66 39 93

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

2019 X-Yachts X4E - PARALLAX. 450000 EUR. Located in Southampton, UK

Almost brand new X43 - launched in September 2019 and has only been delivered from Denmark to the UK. Has many benefits and upgrades from the standard yacht and MUST BE SOLD in 2020. Massive saving on a new yacht.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

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

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

Pilot Classic 47. 575,000 EUR.

Designed by Hoek Design with the first hull in build and due to be delivered in mid-2021. The PC47 is a scaled-down version of the PC 55, designed for weekending and daysailing with exceptional sailing performance. A winning combination of style, timeless elegance with a very high end build both in materials and finish.

Construction is in full composites with a Coracell M foam core, epoxy glass skins and a carbon grid system creating a light and very strong yacht. Safety features include watertight bulkheads fore and aft with alarms and a crash bow in the lower forward bow are standard.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Mark Speirs

+44 7818 119 656

Back on Monday
A few days of family, food and drink and no issue until Monday January 4. A very Happy New Year to one and all... and here's to putting 2020 in the rear view mirror.

The Last Word
Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so. -- Douglas Adams

Editorial and letter submissions to

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