In This Issue
• All bets are off
• Kevin Escoffier: Foilers Are The Future Of IMOCA
• Registration is open for Charleston Race Week 2021
• West Marine US Open Sailing Series Launches in 2021
• America's Cup graphics copyright dispute
• Te Rehutai's capsize
• Industry News
• David Fraser
• Featured Charter: J121 - Wings
• Featured Brokerage:
• • Swan 77 RS - Bandolero
• • VR Yacht 47
• • ecoracer769
• The Last Word: Thomas Jefferson

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

Wight Vodka Best Sailors Bar -- Top Ten Announced, Vote Now for the 2020 Winner!

All bets are off
Normally by the 64th day of recent editions of the Vendee Globe, the solo non- stop race round the world has been distilled down to a choice of two or at the outside three potential winners.

But as the group of six chasing solo racers are now compressed to within 300 miles of leader Yannick Bestaven, and the skipper of Maitre Coq IV has seen his lead of 435 miles melt like snow in the Brazilian sun, to be just 38 miles ahead of Charlie Dalin (Apivia) this afternoon, it is clear any one of the top six or seven boats could hope to break the Les Sables d'Olonne finish line first later this month, probably around 28th or 29th. Indeed by tomorrow Tuesday there seems every chance that the leader for 17 days might have been passed.

* Bad luck strikes Pip Hare: She was sailing a 22-year-old boat, the oldest boat on the race, and making a fantastic Vendee. She was in the middle of the classification, having overtaken and leaving behind Alan Roura and Arnaud Boissieres, who are sailing in much more modern sailboats, with new foils.

But one of the rudders broke and we can see on this video a desperate Pip Hare, with the boat with the sails down, on a rough sea, saying that she has a spare but needs a calm sea to try to make a rudder replacement. Pointing to the stormy skies she says that bad weather is on the way and that she does not know when she will have conditions to change the rudder.

http://interestingsailboats.blogspot.com

* Sebastien Destremau discovers crack in bow of Merci

During a routine inspection of Merci, a large crack was discovered in the bow of the IMOCA at the bowsprit.

Destremau writes:

"This morning like every morning, I go out on the deck to go for my little walk. At the bow I discovered a crack across the bow at the bowsprit from side to side. A glance under the bow and I have the impression that the bowsprit is broken and separating from the boat. My biggest fear is for the anchoring point for the forestay of the J2 which is there. "

Taking advantage of the fact that Merci is sailing close to New Zealand, I made contact with Angelo Lavranos, the architect of the boat. After checking his files, Angelo is categorical, the bowsprit is not structural to the bow of the boat. There is therefore no risk of dismasting and Merci can navigate normally with her J2. That's a good news. The less good is that Merci will probably not be able to use any of its gennakers without a serious repair to the bowsprit. Angelo studies the photos of the problem to refine his diagnosis. We are really lucky to still be able to use our big J2. For the gennaks, it's a bit of a shame and it may slow us down quite a bit under certain conditions. I hope you are not in too much of a hurry to see us finish because this new incident may make me slightly late ... "

Top ten at 04 Jan. 2021 - 21h (UTC)
1. Charlie Dalin - APIVIA, 4721 nm to finish
2. Yannick Bestaven - Maitre CoQ IV, 20.39 nm to leader
3. Thomas Ruyant - LinkedOut, 53.84 nm
4. Damien Seguin - GROUPE APICIL, 62.65 nm
5. Louis Burton - Valley 2 Office, 97.35 nm
6. Boris Herrmann - SEAEXPLORER - Yacht Club De Monaco, 162.2 nm
7. Benjamin Dutreux - OMIA - WATER FAMILY, 192.89 nm
8. Giancarlo Pedote - Prysmian Group, 224.14 nm
9. Jean Le Cam - Yes We Cam!, 255.14 nm
10. Maxime Sorel - V and B-MAYENNE, 411.11 nm

Tracker

Kevin Escoffier: Foilers Are The Future Of IMOCA
The PRB skipper Kevin Escoffier, who was rescued from the Southern Ocean by Jean Le Cam six weeks ago after his boat suffered catastrophic structural failure, has been thinking about what a future IMOCA might look like for the 2024 Vendee Globe.

The 40-year-old Volvo Ocean Race winner and former Jules Verne record-holder, who is also an accomplished engineer and boat builder, believes there can be no doubt that foils are still the way ahead for a potentially winning campaign on the IMOCA championship and the Vendee Globe.

He told the IMOCA Class: "I think we have to be careful because when you look at this race we have to ask ourselves, what kind of boats are the three leaders? The reason we are a bit disappointed by the performance of the foilers is because we haven't seen the 30-knot speeds that we were expecting".

"But it is still the foilers who are ahead,"he added, "even if they have been sailing quietly. When you look at the north Atlantic (on the way south), they had less wind than the daggerboard boats. And even the foilers with issues - like Thomas Ruyant on LinkedOut who has only one foil, and Charlie Dalin who has foil issues with APIVIA - they are still ahead. So we can say what we want, but it is still three foilers that are ahead in the Vendee Globe right now."

www.imoca.org

Registration is open for Charleston Race Week 2021
2020 saw most events canceled, but Charleston Race Week will be back April 8-11, 2021. Organizers are offering reassurance that the event will be run safely while still delivering a professional, competitive, and fun event that Race Week is known for.

What's more, given the levels of uncertainty, the entry fees will be fully refundable. The Registration link and NOR are posted on the event's Yacht Scoring site. Early registration is encouraged, prior to January 31st, to save $100 and to aid organizers in finalizing plans.

Spring 2021 can't come soon enough to get back to the "Regatta Unlike Any Other."

www.charlestonraceweek.com

West Marine US Open Sailing Series Launches in 2021
US Sailing and host yacht clubs at spectacular sailing venues in Florida and California are thrilled to launch a new domestic racing and training series of Olympic-class regattas in 2021. The West Marine US Open Sailing Series offers an increase in high-quality Olympic-class racing for U.S. athletes with a long-term goal of attracting top-level international competitors to race in these regattas for years to come.

This series of regattas allows US Sailing to provide more support for sailors at these events through advanced and in-person coaching, training, and data collection. The series will become an important part of the training plans for young sailors participating as part of the Olympic Development Program (ODP), a US Sailing initiative supported by the AmericaOne Foundation that provides world-class coaching support to promising American youth sailors competing in high-performance classes.

2021 West Marine US Open Sailing Series:

January 15-18: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Lauderdale Yacht Club

January 21-24: Miami, Florida
Miami Yacht Club Youth Sailing Foundation

February 4-7: Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater Yacht Club, Clearwater Community Sailing Center, Tampa Bay Charities, Sail Life

June 11-13: San Diego, California
San Diego Yacht Club

July 9-11: Long Beach, California
Alamitos Bay Yacht Club, Long Beach Yacht Club, US Sailing Center Long Beach

August 13-15: San Francisco, California
St. Francis Yacht Club, Treasure Island Sailing Center, San Francisco Yacht Club, Richmond Yacht Club

usopen.ussailing.org/usopen2021/

America's Cup graphics: Sir Russell Coutts and Animation Research's Sir Ian Taylor in copyright dispute
Sir Russell Coutts' sailing interests have warned if graphics used by Sir Ian Taylor's Animation Research for pre-Christmas racing are used in broadcasting the 36th America's Cup, High Court action alleging breach of copyright will be filed.

The warning shot fired by two companies Coutts leads - Oracle Racing and F50 League LLC which trades as SailGP - has ramifications for how the upcoming Prada Cup and the America's Cup is broadcast.

A legal notice alleging copyright infringement during pre-Christmas racing over graphics used in what is known as the LiveLine system of augmented reality broadcasting was sent to Animation Research Limited (ARL) and two other parties on December 23.

Taylor – recently knighted for his work including pioneering development of world-leading real-time 3D visualisation for major sports broadcasts beginning with Virtual Eye for the America's Cup - says he's "deeply disappointed" that his fellow New Zealander served his company with a breach of copyright notice that could "seriously impact the coverage of both the upcoming Prada Cup and the America's Cup itself".

www.nzherald.co.nz/business/

Te Rehutai's capsize
Team New Zealand "cracked" under pressure leading to their spectacular crash during practice racing, according to one veteran observer.

And TNZ skipper Peter Burling has admitted the capsize would have blown previous boats to pieces.

The America's Cup defenders will be licking their wounds and carefully checking their systems after capsizing during the first day of practice racing on Course E, near Maraetai.

Te Rehutai was quickly righted after it was dumped in the water during a race against Sir Ben Ainslie's vastly improved Ineos Team UK in an estimated 35 knots. But the TNZ boat was towed back to base.

The crash has breathed extra life into the America's Cup with the defenders - seen as invincible by many prior to the regatta - continuing to show some vulnerability.

www.nzherald.co.nz/sport

Industry News
The organisers of the Zagreb boat show, the Zagreb Fair Company, which was due to be held from 24-25 March, have decided to cancel the show due to Covid restrictions. New dates are expected to be announced later.

At the same time IBI has received news from the International Fair Company in Lisbon that the Nauticampo Boat Show which was to have taken place from 10-14 March has been cancelled for the same reason.

www.ibinews.com

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The Virtual Nautic digital boat show, initiated by the Federation of Nautical Industries to alleviate the consequences of the cancellation of physical boat shows, will take place March 12 and 13, 2021. The first confirmation was expected in mid-December, if the target of 200 exhibitors was reached. The organisers finally gave themselves more time and reviewed their requirements, but at the beginning of 2021 they decided to maintain the first edition. "Virtual Nautic" will indeed take place on March 12 and 13. We now have around a hundred files, with sufficient content to achieve the necessary critical mass. To do this, we have concentrated initially on the major brands" explains Alain Pichavant, General Manager of the Nautic Festival. The logos of around fifty brands are now highlighted on the site.

Although the Boot's postponement to April 2021 remains hypothetical in view of the changing health situation in Germany, its competition does not worry the director of Nautic Festival. The seasonality of the nautical industry has a greater impact on the organisation. "Le Boot and Virtual Nauric are two different levels of investment. A fully-bodied stand at Virtual Nautic costs 10,000 euros, whereas this only pays for staff travel expenses to a 9-day physical boat show like the Boot. Nevertheless, it is important for us that the Düsseldorf boat show is held. The problem that we may encounter is more the seasonality of yachting. In March, dealers and OEMs are busy enough to finish the winter work. They also deliver to the shops. The sales force is mobilised elsewhere and freeing it up even for 2 days can be complicated" admits Alain Pichavant in conclusion.

www.boatindustry.com

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Norway's Navico - parent company to the Lowrance, Simrad Yachting, B&G and C-MAP brands - announced today it has been named the preferred marine electronics supplier for the United Marine Manufacturers Association (UMMA) boat building group.

The UMMA is an association of 61 independent boat-builders who, while operating autonomously, have joined together to enhance their collective ability to address important industry issues which effect their survival and continued prosperity. Notably, UMMA represents a significant buying group, helping independent boat builders leverage their combined purchase volumes to secure more competitive terms than they could individually. Under the terms of the agreement, all Navico brands will garner preferred vendor status for the next two years.

The Navico Recreational Marine Division is one of the world's largest providers of leisure marine electronics. Lowrance is aimed at the fishing market, particularly in freshwater and near coastal areas. Simrad Yachting is focused on powerboat owners for cruising and sportfishing. B&G serves the sailing market from professional racers to cruisers. C-MAP provides electronic charts supporting and enhancing any on-water activity. The Simrad Commercial Marine Electronics division also offers a comprehensive portfolio of navigation solutions for the commercial market.

www.ibinews.com/

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The organisers of the Dubai International Boat Show (DIBS) have confirmed that this year's show will be held from March 9-13, 2021. This follows the postponement of DIBS 2020 from March last year to November, which was then subsequently cancelled.

www.ibinews.com

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Cowes Harbour Commission (CHC) has had a harbour workshop at the Kingston Wharf site in East Cowes since 2000, then leased and developed the boatyard operation in 2004 and acquired the site and wharf in 2012. The 10-acre waterfront marine employment site is home to the Cowes Harbour Services Boatyard, Commercial Marine Operations, and Self-Storage facility, as well as a number of onsite independent business tenants.

The last two years have seen significant changes with the departure of the two largest commercial tenants. Initially, Isle of Wight Aggregates took the decision to consolidate their operations onto their existing site in Cowes, and recently, Isle of Wight Fuels ceased their fuel import business by ship to Kingston Wharf. These commercial decisions by independent companies involved in bulk shipping and supply to the Isle of Wight will have significant implications for the harbour and are likely to result in the need to adjust strategic planning for the harbour and the Island.

The former aggregates site and wharf has been marketed for a couple of years but without significant resulting interest. CHC has therefore been considering alternative and strategically beneficial opportunities for further developing the potential of the Kingston site with its all-tide deep-water access and wharfage.

www.cowesharbourcommission.co.uk

David Fraser
Fraser Yachts has announced the death of its founder, David L. Fraser. A figure of the 20th century nautical industry, he died on January 6, 2021, at the age of 99.

Sailing since his youth, David Fraser quickly wanted to combine his passion for boats with his profession. In 1947, he founded his boat brokerage company in Newport Beach, California. In the 1960s, the company expanded and established itself throughout the United States, from San Diego to Seattle, via San Francisco and Florida. It becomes a reference in the world of brokers and expands worldwide in the 1980s, when he is joined by his daughter Diane Fraser. David Fraser continued his brokerage activity in the 2000s.

"David was a titan in the world of yachting and brokerage who touched the lives of many people during his long career. A passionate yachtsman, with a vision, a drive and a set of principles that not only built the company that proudly bears his name today, but also continues to apply the values, thoroughness and ambition for which he was famous," said Raphael Sauleau, Managing Director of Fraser Yachts

Sold in 1993 to the directors of the Italian broker Ital Yachting, Fraser Yachts kept its name and emblem, a profile of the great sailing ship Anna R Heidritter, the first on which David Fraser embarked. The company finally passed into the hands of the Italian group Azimut Benetti, before being bought in July 2019 by the American distributor Marine Max. It now employs 160 people in 20 offices, from Australia to Dubai, Thailand and Spain.

www.boatindustry.com/

Featured Charter
J121 - Wings. Located in the Caribbean.

The J/121 is a high performance, offshore capable speedster, sprinting along point-to point, around- the-island or adventure-style race.

Brand new in 2020, this J boat won’t disappoint J boat lovers and is available to charter in the Caribbean this winter or on the East Coast of the US next summer.

See listing details in Seahorse Charters

Contact
Lucy Jackson - LV Yachting
Call: +44 (0) 20 3920 6261
Email: lvyachting.com

See the the Seahorse charter collection

Featured Brokerage
1997 Swan 77 RS - BANDOLERO. 1600000 EUR. Located in Genoa, Italy.

Designed by German Frers, the Swan 77 is known for blending superb sailing performance with luxurious interior accommodations typically found only on much larger vessels.

See listing details in Nautor's Swan Brokerage

Contact
Giorgio Passarella
Nautor's Swan Brokerage
Tel. +377 97 97 95 07

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1999 VR Yacht 47. 195000 EUR. Located in Palma de Mallorca.

Completely refitted and updated German Frers designed performance cruiser from VR Yacht in Italy. Carbon/Kevlar construction for ultra-light displacement. Spacious 3-cabin double cabin interior layout. Just two owners, never raced and never chartered.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Tel: +34 675 236 174
Email:

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ecoracer769. POA EUR.

Northern Light Composites is proudly presenting ecoracer769, their first full natural fibers sportboat, combining innovative design and new construction technologies in order to win races in green, sustainable way.

The sailing boat is built from 100% flax fibre, with a recyclable core, and is introducing a new concept resin, which makes her completely recyclable. The mast, the keel and the rudder structures are made of aluminium and steel, and also the engine is electric - all chosen in the name of sustainability.

Length mt 7.69
Beam Max mt 2.80
Depth mt 1.80
Displacement kg 1.100
Upwind sail area m2 42
Downwind sail area m2 100
ORC rating 615 (preliminary)
Yacht Design Matteo Polli YD
Structural Enginnering
Alessandro Pera, Mattia Sconocchia

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
email
phone 0039 346 4944171
northernlightcomposites.com

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

The Last Word
I had rather be shut up in a very modest cottage with my books, my family and a few old friends, dining on simple bacon, and letting the world roll on as it liked, than to occupy the most splendid post, which any human power can give. -- Thomas Jefferson to Alexander Donald, February 7, 1788

Editorial and letter submissions to

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