In This Issue
• Vendee Globe: A Week to Go
• Prada Cup - Round Robins 3 and 4 Revised Schedule
• Exciting career opportunities
• SailGP's Season 2 to feature eight global events
• New Classic - Aegean 600
• Wight Vodka Best Sailors Bar
• WMRT Tour Card Holders Announced
• New Dates for 2022 ORC/IRC World Championship
• Carpentier reflects on RORC Transatlantic Race
• James "Ding" Schoonmaker
• Featured Charter: Swan 78 Valkyrie
• Featured Brokerage:
• • J/105 - Fluke IV
• • Grand Soleil 43 - JUA KALI
• • Bavaria 50
• The Last Word: W. C. Fields

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

Vendee Globe: A Week to Go
The race at the front of the Vendee Globe is electrifying. None of the eight previous editions has ever witnessed a race finish as open and intense. Right now the leading skippers are trying to get their heads around a do-or-die sprint to the finish line in Les Sables d'Olonne which has now less than one week to run.

Even the most informed of France's pre-race race prognosticators did not project a podium finish for the maverick 35 year old from Saint Malo Louis Burton, but most avid race watchers now see the skipper of Bureau Vallee as having a small lead as he is furthest north and faster than his nearest rivals.

Even if the rankings have him fourth this evening - as he is to the west of his rivals - it looks like he may be first to round the Azores high pressure and connect with the low pressure express train to the finish line.

As the tension builds and time counts down to the finish, the skippers are feeling the pressure like never before. Thomas Ruyant continues to be quick but the skipper who originates from Dunkirk, Normandy was clearly frustrated that with no port foil he will be compromised during the final sprint and may lose out.

Predictions have the leaders arriving into Les Sables on the 27th January with as many as six boats arriving on the same day.

Top ten at 20 Jan 2021 - 21h (UTC)
1. Charlie Dalin - APIVIA, 2304.36 nm to finish
2. Boris Herrmann - SEAEXPLORER - Yacht Club De Monaco, 109.54 nm to leader
3. Thomas Ruyant - LinkedOut, 117.26 nm
4. Louis Burton - Valley 2 Office, 150.98 nm to leader
5. Yannick Bestaven - Maitre CoQ IV, 162.7 nm to leader
6. Damien Seguin - GROUPE APICIL, 168 nm
7. Giancarlo Pedote - Prysmian Group, 219.66 nm
8. Jean Le Cam - Yes We Cam!, 347.83 nm
9. Benjamin Dutreux - OMIA - WATER FAMILY, 370.15 nm
10. Maxime Sorel - V and B-MAYENNE, 625.1 nm

Tracker

www.vendeeglobe.org

Prada Cup - Round Robins 3 and 4 Revised Schedule
Following New York Yacht Club American Magic informing the Regatta Director that they will not be racing in Round Robins 3 and 4 of the PRADA Cup this weekend, the racing schedule has been revised as follows:

Saturday 23rd of January 2021 - Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli vs INEOS TEAM UK - Start at 16:00 NZT
Sunday 24th of January 2021 - INEOS TEAM UK vs Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli - Start at 16:00 NZT

In order to comply with the formality of the Regulations, after finishing the above races both competitors will have to take the start of a "ghost race" vs New York Yacht Club American Magic to allow the Regatta Director to award the point to the relevant team. The "ghost race" will then be suspended just a few minutes after the start. The rule of 25 minutes between the two starts will not apply to these "ghost races".

Should INEOS TEAM UK win the Saturday race, the Sunday race result will be redundant as INEOS TEAM UK would be the first classified team of the Round Robins and, as such, will go directly through to the PRADA Cup Final. In that event the two teams will have the choice whether or not to race on Sunday.

americascup.com

Exciting career opportunities
A+T is the rapidly growing manufacturer of high performance and beautifully engineered instruments for the superyacht and racing markets, see www.AandTinstruments.com.

We have continued to expand through the Covid period and are looking to build our sales and marketing team with two senior positions:-

Technical Support and Sales; a good technical grasp of marine electronics and good knowledge of superyachts and race yachts is needed, with opportunities to visit and sail at major regattas world-wide.

Sales manager; to expand our now well established footprint on over 400 superyacht and raceboats to the wider market of refit yards, brokers, new-build yards and electronics dealers. Some sales experience and knowledge of the market necessary, such as ex yacht broker, but not deep technical understanding.

Based primarily from Lymington, UK, these both offer competive salaries and the chance quickly to build senior management roles in an innovative and growing marine company.

Please contact . Please also pass on to anyone you know who might be interested.

SailGP's Season 2 to feature eight global events
SailGP has announced a full race schedule for its second season, which will feature eight national teams made up of the sport's best athletes squaring off in eight events across three continents.

The schedule represents an expansion from five events in the league's inaugural season (2019), and will kick off in Bermuda in less than 100 days, making stops in a total of seven first-time venues across five countries.

In addition to Bermuda (April 24-25) and previously announced new host cities Taranto (ITA, June 5-6), Plymouth (GBR, July 17-18), Aarhus (DEN, August 20-21), Saint-Tropez (FRA, September 11-12) and Cadiz (ESP, October 9-10), SailGP will also make its first visit to Christchurch for New Zealand's maiden grand prix on January 29-30, 2022. The season will culminate with the Grand Final in San Francisco on March 26-27, 2022, when the champion will be determined in a single $1 million winner-takes-all final.

April 24-25, 2021
Bermuda Grand Prix presented by Hamilton Princess

June 5-6, 2021
Italy Grand Prix | Taranto

July 17-18, 2021
Great Britain Grand Prix | Plymouth

August 20-21, 2021
ROCKWOOL Denmark Grand Prix | Aarhus

September 11-12, 2021
France Grand Prix | Saint-Tropez

October 9-10, 2021
Spain Grand Prix | Andalusia

January 29-30, 2022
New Zealand Grand Prix | Christchurch

March 26-27, 2022
United States Grand Prix | San Francisco (Season 2 Grand Final)

sailgp.com

New Classic - Aegean 600
And an almightily pleasant one at that... the latest 600-mile IRC/ORC offshore contest takes full advantage of some of the finest sailing waters on the planet

It's arguably the best place in the world for sailing. The weather's nearly always perfect with a reliable strong, warm breeze. The scenery is spectacular and exhilaration is virtually guaranteed. And now there's a new 600-mile IRC/ORC passage race around the Aegean, designed by local experts to deliver the ideal balance of challenge and fun on a grand tour of the Greek islands. A large and diverse fleet of entrants from 19 countries have already signed up, ranging from Orma and TP52 teams to family crews in midsize cruiser-racers and every sort of boat in between. Race-ready yachts are available for charter and there's free berthing in a dedicated race village before and after the event. The Aegean 600 looks set to be a major highlight of next year's Mediterranean sailing calendar. If you like the sound of it, here's what you need to know.

The race kicks off on 4 July, when the famous meltemi trade winds are almost as regular as clockwork in the Aegean.

Full article in the February Issue of Seahorse

Wight Vodka Best Sailors Bar
As voting on the top ten continues (until Friday January 29) to pick our winner, Chicago's floating Columbia Yacht Club still holds a sizable lead in the voting but the Soggy Dollar is making a good run and if they catch up, will be our first two time winner (Soggy Dollar won in 2010).

The top ten
Columbia Yacht Club, MV Abegweit, Chicago
Foxy's Tamarind Bar - Jost Van Dyke, BVI
Glenwood Pines - Cayuga Lake, Ithaca NY
One Bar Playa Blanca, Lanzarote, Canary Islands
Pier View - Cowes, IOW, UK
Royal Bermuda Yacht Club - Hamilton, Bermuda
Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club - Hong Kong
Royal Ocean Racing Club - London Clubhouse, England
Soggy Dollar - Jost Van Dyke, BVI
Swizzle Inn - Hamilton Parish, Bermuda

While you consider YOUR vote, enjoy another inaugural cocktail

Inaugural Partini
1 part Wight Vodka
1/2 part Mandarin Napoleon
1/2 part honey
3/4 part hot water
1/2 part lemon juice
1/2 part orange juice
Pinch of star anise powder
1 star anise

In a cocktail shaker, place the honey and hot water; stir to dissolve. Add Wight Vodka, mandarin Napoleon, lemon juice, orange juice, and star anise powder. Shake vigorously and strain into martini glass. Garnish with star anise and relish with pride.

Vote for your favorite:
eurosailnews.com/sailors-bars

WMRT Tour Card Holders Announced
The World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) today announced the six skippers awarded WMRT Tour Cards for the 2021 championship season. Defending match racing world champion Taylor Canfield (USA) leads the line-up alongside six-time world champion Ian Williams (GBR), two-time world champion Phil Robertson (NZL), Eric Monnin (SUI) and first-time tour card skippers Nick Egnot-Johnson (NZL) and Maxime Mesnil (FRA).

The WMRT Tour Cards award skippers with invitations to the world-championship level events on the 2021 WMRT schedule including the Tour's long standing events - Marstrand Match Cup (SWE), Bermuda Gold Cup BDA), and Long Beach Congressional Cup (USA).

The 2021 championship schedule will be announced in the coming weeks as events finalise their dates amidst the ongoing covid-19 global pandemic

The six WMRT Tour Cards for 2021 are awarded entirely on merit. Cards are awarded to the top three placed skippers from the 2020 Match Racing World Championship in Bermuda, and the next top three ranked skippers from the last published World Sailing match race rankings (8 April '20);

Taylor Canfield, USA (Stars + Stripes USA)
Ian Williams, GBR
Phil Robertson, NZL (ChinaOne Ningbo)
Eric Monnin, SUI (Capvis Swiss Match Race Team)
Nick Egnot-Johnson, NZL (KNOTS Racing)
Maxime Mesnil, FRA (Match in Black by Normandy Elite Team)

www.wmrt.com

New Dates for 2022 ORC/IRC World Championship
After consultation between the Federazione Italiana Vela (FIV), the Unione Vela Altura Italiana (UVAI) and the Union Nationale pour la Course au Large (UNCL), the Offshore Racing Congress (ORC), the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) and the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS), the dates for the 2022 ORC/IRC World Championship have been changed.

The new dates for the event will be from 23 June to 1 July 2022.

A large fleet is expected to take part, with organization and race management provided by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda.

The new dates will avoid any overlap with the Rolex Giraglia regatta scheduled for mid-June.

The Notice of Race for the 2022 ORC/IRC World Championship will be published in June 2021, one year ahead of the regatta.

orc.org

Carpentier reflects on RORC Transatlantic Race
Antoine Carpentier's Class40 Redman crossed the finish line of the 7th edition of the RORC Transatlantic Race at 04:24 UTC in an elapsed time of 10 days, 18 hours, 24 mins and 13 secs. Despite finishing after Olivier Magre's Class40 Palanad 3, Redman's time was still exceptional. Make no mistake, this was a heavyweight contest between two of the world's best Class40 sailors, both racing fourth generation Mach 40s. Antoine Carpentier has been racing Class40s for 14 years, winning the 2017 Transat Jacques Vabre and class in the 2017 Rolex Fastnet Race.

"This is an amazing race for a Class40," commented Antoine Carpentier. "It is a great course for me to prepare for the Route du Rhum because the race is almost the same from the Canary Islands to the Caribbean. Interestingly, in this race we had a big problem with seaweed on the rudders, so we are thinking about how to deal with that.

"These new generation Class40s are very fast, especially downwind when you can sail faster than the wind. This extra speed does make it more uncomfortable on board, so it is quite difficult to sleep and eat. Thank you very much to the RORC. I understood that it was very complicated to keep this race going and I am very pleased that you chose to give us the opportunity. To let the race live was very important for me."

With the high-performance boats all accounted for, attention is now on the remaining boats which are still racing for the RORC Transatlantic Race Trophy. The next boat expected to finish the race will be the first team in IRC Two-Handed. Sebastien Saulnier and Christoph Affolter, racing Sun Fast 3300 Moshimoshi, are expected to finish the race on January 24th. Moshimoshi is approximately 100 miles ahead of Tim and Mayumi Knight's Pogo 12.50 Kai. -- Louay Habib

rorctransatlantic.rorc.org

James "Ding" Schoonmaker
US Sailing is saddened to learn of the recent passing of World Champion and National Sailing Hall of Famer, James "Ding" Schoonmaker who passed away on Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at the age of 87.

"Ding has been a tremendous friend to US Sailing over the years," said Cory Sertl, President of US Sailing. "He was an amazing contributor to the sport on many levels especially his support of US Sailing Team sailors who compete internationally. He has been a personal friend and supporter of all of us who volunteer for the sport. Ding will be greatly missed by all who had the honor of knowing him."

Schoonmaker earned his first sailing victory in 1944 at the age of 11 off Watch Hill, Rhode Island. He has spent his summers in Watch Hill and winters in Florida over the past 85 years. At the age of 19, he placed second in the Olympic trials in the Star class and was named the team's alternate in Helsinki. He earned that honor again in 1964 at the Games in Tokyo. Along the way, Schoonmaker won North American, South American, Western Hemisphere and European Championships, including the 1975 Star World Championship.

He was awarded the Nathanael Greene Herreshoff Award, US Sailing's highest honor, in 1988 and the Beppe Croce Award, World Sailing's highest honor, in 2011.

Among his philanthropic work was creating the US Sailing Center in Miami. He worked closely with the US Olympic Committee to establish Miami as an official US Olympic Training site. In his honor, the 2021 West Marine US Open Sailing Series event in Miami this week will be named the James "Ding" Schoonmaker Memorial Regatta.

He also established the World Youth Sailing Trust to help aspiring sailors in emerging countries and the US Sailing Foundation in 1990.

www.ussailing.org/news/james-ding-schoonmaker/

Featured Charter
Swan 78 Valkyrie PRICE Located in Antibes - South of France.

Delivered in 2007, VALKYRIE is a 78 ft custom yacht built by Nautor’s Swan. VALKYRIE fills the role of Bill Tripp’s concept of a Café Racer, a fast, sleek and comfortable yacht.

See listing details in Seahorse Charters

Nautor's Swan Charters - Nicolo Telese

Tel. +377 97 97 95 07

See the the Seahorse charter collection

Featured Brokerage
2002 J/105 - Fluke IV. 69,000 TAX PAID GBP. Located in Plymouth, UK.

The J/105 is one of the best boats to come out of the J-Boats stable and "Fluke IV" has been totally re-furbished.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Contact
Sea Ventures (UK) Ltd
Swanwick Marina
Swanwick Shore Road
Swanwick
Hampshire SO31 1ZL
+44 (0)1489 565444

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2008 Grand Soleil 43 - JUA KALI. 95000 GBP. Located in Lymington, UK.

A very successful IRC racing yacht, the Grand Soleil 43 is also a comfortable family cruising yacht, well-mannered and simple to sail. Only a few have the carbon rig and optimised for racing as well as cruising, and JUA KALI is one of these.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

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

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The BAVARIA C50. POA EUR.

Beauty and performance. Perfect view of the sails, the course and all the fun.

Our aim was to make the BAVARIA C50 nothing less than a new benchmark in the 50-foot sailing yacht category. It offers an elegant, flat hull line and stunningly dynamic silhouette. Everything is clear and minimalist, reflecting our understanding of good, modern yacht design. No other yacht offers so much space, so much comfort and so many possibilities.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
bavariayachts.com/sailing-yachts/c50

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

The Last Word
If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Then give up. No sense being a damned fool about it. -- W. C. Fields

Editorial and letter submissions to

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