In This Issue
• ACE Current Race Schedule Update
• INEOS TEAM UK Statement
• What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine
• Royal Ocean Racing Club partners with British Keelboat Academy
• Campbell Field Talk Through the New Rolex Fastnet Race 2021 Course TODAY
• The AC75 Throttle - OnCourse Episode 10
• IRC Rating Certificates for Cape2Rio Race 2023
• Sail training on 'knife edge' as 'roadmap' published
• Rookie Team Takes On The Big Guns
• LEGO Maritime Festival at the USS Constitution Museum
• Letters to the Editor
• Featured Charter: SW105 Wolfhound
• Featured Brokerage:
• • NEEL 51 - Trimaran
• • Marten 49 - SUMMER STORM
• • Dazcat 1495
• The Last Word: Thomas Paine

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

ACE Current Race Schedule Update
While America's Cup Event is encouraged by the news that Auckland has come down to COVID Alert Level 2, one step closer to Level 1 potentially early next week, it is clear that COR are determined to remain inflexible to a change in the race schedule against the interests of the public and commercial benefits to the city and businesses. ACE has consistently maintained our preference to have the best opportunity to race at Alert Level 1.

Chair of America's Cup Events Tina Symmans said, "This is a disappointing situation, it is my responsibility to do my best to run the event with the best interests of the public and all stakeholders in mind. So with the current impasse, while not agreeing with the Challenger of Record, we want to see the regatta completed on the water".

ACE now considers the best solution that can be hoped for is to continue racing this weekend which will at least allow as much opportunity as possible for the public to enjoy the viewing in small gatherings or via the TV broadcast.

"Since Sunday, we have worked really hard on behalf of everyone in Auckland and all Kiwis to give COR the opportunity to demonstrate some honour and respect for this country and delay the PRADA Cup until we have a greater chance of everyone being able to enjoy and benefit from being back into Level 1" explained Symmans.

"Clearly they have forgotten the words of their leader Patricio Bertelli at the opening press conference who spoke about how privileged everyone is to be in Auckland without significant Covid restrictions and that therefore everyone has a commitment and responsibility to deliver great sportsmanship and the PRADA Cup to be a major sporting event."

"This plea has fallen on deaf ears and it's clear that their focus is solely on Luna Rossa taking the PRADA Cup rather than the greater good of the country who have worked so hard in order to be in a position to stage this event." Symmans concluded.

With this in mind racing under COVID19 Level 2 can continue with the following restrictions:

- Racecourses B & C will not be used for racing, to mitigate the chance of large public gatherings on shore, which are in line with Government Level 2 restrictions.
- No public viewing opportunities such as dock out shows or public screening of racing in the race village.
- Including gatherings of no more than 100 people in the America's Cup Race Village or public spectator vantage points around Auckland.
- Limited village activations to ensure no more than 100 people.
- 2 metre physical distancing, and face masks recommended.
- All bars, restaurants and cafes surrounding the Race Village can remain open in line with Ministry of Health COVID-19 Level 2 Guidelines.
- Public are reminded to always scan the NZCOVID19 Tracer App.

www.americascup.com

INEOS TEAM UK Statement
Following the statement from the America's Cup Event Ltd (ACE) today (LINK) :

INEOS TEAM UK respect the decision communicated by ACE to delay the PRADA Cup racing due to the current COVID-19 alert level in Auckland.

The result of the PRADA Cup final should be won and decided on the water in the agreed format of first to win 7 races.

INEOS TEAM UK fully respect the government's decision to curtail racing until it is safe to do so and would support a delay in the competition if that is required.

The solution put forward by ACE is sensible in ensuring both the safety of all in New Zealand, and the integrity of the sporting competition.

INEOS TEAM UK will continue with our race preparations and be ready to race when it is safe to do so.

www.ineosteamuk.com

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

Update
We (really) are going racing down in New Zealand, the extraordinary 2020/21 Vendee Globe, but why the pinnacle ocean race needs to move forward. Plus moody in Auckland? Patrice Carpentier, Jack Griffin, Terry Hutchinson, Denis Horeau, Yannick Bestaven, Bruno Trouble, Louis Burton, Jocelyn Bleriot A new and better world
Geoff Stock describes how Fibre Mechanics have gone about raising the bar even further with the build of the new CF520 IRC offshore racer The missing piece - Part II
And it’s time for Kostecki, Spithill and Coutts to learn how to race a multihull (and improve their swimming). Roger Vaughan He’s back!
But this time Swiss engineer Thomas Jundt decided to go all old-school and squeeze in a hull between the rig and foils... (Fast) horses for courses
Where Contender’s original Superkote fabric came in a choice of one now there is a variant for every occasion...

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

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Royal Ocean Racing Club partners with British Keelboat Academy
In a new partnership between The Royal Ocean Racing Club and The British Keelboat Academy, temporary RORC membership will be given to the Academy's young members. The BKA is a transition programme run by the Royal Yachting Association to help young sailors, aged 18-24, move into yacht and keelboat racing.

This year marks a big change for the RORC with the legendary Rolex Fastnet Race finishing in France for the first time in its near 100-year-old history. This move has allowed the race to attract more entrants than ever before and more yachts on the start line means more crew needed to get the boats round the course.

With BKA members becoming part of the RORC for the year, they will be able to meet and sail with some of the many members who will be taking part, not only in the Rolex Fastnet Race, but also the many qualifying races during the RORC Season's Points Championship. For these young sailors, being able to deal directly with the RORC crew-match facility, as well as networking with owners and crew managers, will help them acquire the opportunities they need to further their ambitions and skills.

The British Keelboat Academy is an annual programme run from November to October. Applications for the 2021/22 programme will open around the start of the Rolex Fastnet Race in August this year, so sailors looking to compete in future should keep an eye out for applications in the summer.

www.britishkeelboatacademy.co.uk

www.rorc.org

Campbell Field Talk Through the New Rolex Fastnet Race 2021 Course TODAY
The biennial RORC Fastnet race is undergoing a seismic change this year. As reported here in Afloat, it's the first time since it's inauguration in 1925 that it will NOT finish in Plymouth in Devon but in Cherbourg in France.

As Afloat also reported, there are ten Irish boats entered for this year's race. The challenge will be new and quite different - certainly on the way back from "The Rock".

Here at North Sails, we have teamed up with professional navigator/weather router & Expedition/systems specialist Campbell Field to offer you a "Preparing For The Rolex Fastnet" webinar at 7 pm on Thursday 18th February 2021.

Campbell will be joined by our North Sails colleagues Ronan Grealish (originally from Galway, now based in Lymington) and Pete Redmond.

This is a "must-see and hear" for anybody who is serious about their offshore racing in 2021 and definitely for those planning to compete in the Fastnet!

Click here for more information and to register.

The AC75 Throttle - OnCourse Episode 10
Never has mainsheet trimming been quite so complex as it now is on an AC75. Olympic Gold medallist and six-time world champion, (three times in the foiling Moth), Paul Goodison explains just how complex and powerful an AC75 rig is and how he controlled it aboard American Magic. Steve Ancsell looks back at the extraordinary Vendée Globe finish. And as the pressure builds along the road to the America's Cup we review what happened in the opening two days of the Prada Cup Final.

Plus, more in Docktalk.

In this episode:
- Vendee Globe finish
- Paul Goodison on trimming by buttons
- Docktalk
- Prada Cup Final - Day 1 & 2 reviewed

IRC Rating Certificates for Cape2Rio Race 2023
The Royal Cape Yacht Club, Cape Town, South Africa are pleased to announce that yachts with a valid ORC and ORCi rating certificate can also now compete in the IRC Fleet in the Cape2Rio Race 2023.

The RORC Rating Office has agreed to use the ORC measurements to create an IRC certificate, and this will be managed on behalf of the entrants by the Cape2Rio Yacht Race Organising Committee working closely with the RORC Rating Office. This process will not require any re-measurement, but the ORC certificate must be valid for the applicable period of the race 2022/23 and will be converted to reflect the applicable rating as per the IRC 2022 edition. The cost of conversion will be absorbed by the Cape2Rio Race 2023 Organising Authority.

The Royal Ocean Racing Club welcomes this initiative and as a show of support for the Cape2Rio Race 2023, the RORC have allowed that any miles accrued in the past five years by sailors who have participated in previous Cape2Rio Races, will be eligible for inclusion in the minimum mileage requirement for membership of the RORC.

www.cape2riorace.com

Sail training on 'knife edge' as 'roadmap' published
UK Outdoors, an industry body for outdoor learning and activities, has devised a roadmap for the phased restart of domestic educational visits after Easter.

This comes as Andy Robinson, chief executive of the Institute for Outdoor Learning, calls the pandemic and the Department for Education's guidance 'catastrophic'.

Robinson says the industry is on a 'knife edge' with "thousands of jobs gone and a worrying acceleration in the number of centres closing forever."

He says: "Our £700m industry is on a knife edge. But with the right support and guidance, the sector can still be saved. Our Roadmap to Restart provides a clear and prudent proposal for a phased restart of the outdoor education sector in time for the critical summer term, giving providers a sustainable path to survival. If no action is taken and no additional support is provided, the sector stands to lose all its 16,000 jobs, snuffing out a vital British industry."

marineindustrynews.co.uk

Rookie Team Takes On The Big Guns
Shaw and Partners team, from left Shaun Connor, Harry Bethwaite, Jim Colley. Click on image for photo gallery.

The recent performances by the rookie Shaw and Partners Financial Services 18ft Skiff team may have come as a surprise to many casual observers but it is no surprise to those who know the individual members' sailing records and the obstacles the team has had to overcome earlier in their rookie season together in the 18s.

Over the past four weeks, skipper Jim Colley, sheet hand Shaun Connor and bow man Harry Bethwaite have put together a series of top placings which has the team currently in fourth place overall in the Australian Championship.

After missing Race 1 of the Australian Championship, when the team's hull was being repaired at the boat builders, the team has shown its true ability with two second placing results, as well as one fourth, two sixth placings and one seventh.

In Race 7 of the championship, the team led on the spinnaker run home only to go down to the defending champion, and current series leader, tech2 by just 17s.

There is no doubt that the team's future looks very promising and a wonderful addition to the Australian 18 Footers League fleet.

Harry Bethwaite, the son of twice JJ Giltinan world 18ft Skiff champion, and designer of the 29er and 49er Olympic class boats, has already established himself in the 18s. He sailed with James Dorron for three seasons, and was a member of the Asko Appliances team which won the 2018-2019 Australian Championship.

The current Australian Championship continues next Sunday when the Australian 18 Footers League conducts Race 9, the final race of the championship, on Sydney Harbour.

The defending champion tech2 team and Smeg, the only threat to tech2 retaining the title, are equal on 16 points, but tech2 has a two points lead over Smeg on net points after each team discards its present worst performance.

Smeg would need to defeat tech2 by at least two placings to have any chance of taking out the title.

While only tech2 and Smeg have any chance of winning the title, and Noakesailing can finish no better or worse than third overall, the battle for fourth place is a three-way battle separated by just two points. -- Frank Quealey, Australian 18 Footers League Ltd.

The top ten placings on the NET points table are:
Tech2 - Jack Macartney - 11
Smeg - Michael Coxon - 13
Noakesailing - Sean Langman - 30
Shaw and Partners Financial Services - Jim Colley - 37
Finport Finance - Keagan York - 38
Winning Group - John Winning Jr. - 39
Yandoo - John Winning - 43
Andoo - Marcus Ashley-Jones - 53
The Oak Double Bay-4 Pines - Aron Everett - 58
The Kitchen Maker-Caesarstone - Jordan Girdis - 70

www.18footers.com

LEGO Maritime Festival at the USS Constitution Museum
Ok, we know we're telling you about a lot of events happening all at once this week, but we couldn't let this one pass us by. The Constitution Museum's annual LEGO Maritime Festival has also gone virtual this year and it is coming up fast. Dust off those bricks, and get building! Are you really ever too old to play with LEGOs?

Calling all LEGO brick fans - the USS Constitution Museum is bringing its popular LEGO Maritime Festival online! Get ready to build throughout February School Vacation Week with fun activities designed for all ages. From competing in our annual LEGO Ship Shape Competition to a LEGO tour of USS Constitution, there is something for everyone in this week-long online event.

ussconstitutionmuseum.org

Letters To The Editor -
Letters are limited to 350 words. No personal attacks are permitted. We do require your name but your email address will not be published without your permission.

* From Stan Pearson:

I have a short reply to the post by * From Guy Nowell (a Brit, and proud of it) - Asia Editor, Sail-World.com

Only because he finished by saying Whatever, for anyone who isn't a Kiwi, it is one more good reason to join Team ABNZ - Anyone But New Zealand.

Firstly lets all be reminded that the only reason that there is the Cup on right now is that it is being held in a country who managed to get COVID under control from the start. So we should all be thankful NZ won the cup in Bermuda and then moved on to these ultra boats.

Secondly as far as forward planning goes if he thinks that ETNZ forward planning is an example of presumptuous winning then equally the Brits quickly signing up to be the next challenger of record can only be seen as presumptuous losing.

And moving on from this if there should be a rightful pretender to the next edition of the America's Cup then clearly this is the best option on the table right now.

www.facebook.com/foilingweek/videos/749500415695360/

Personally while I would prefer to see the Brits as the Challenger (it's been a while) any opinions we have on the merit of such are based on the performance on the day. In the AC the winners always get first choice in future planning. The loser's best option is then to be challenger of record to be able to mount the best challenge.

Featured Charter
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See listing details in Seahorse Charters

Contact
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Fax + 39 010 570 4065
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See the the Seahorse charter collection

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See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
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Marten 49 SUMMER STORM is about the best sub 50ft cruiser/racer that money can buy. Full recent refit and a number of regatta successes in the past few years keep her current and a very comfortable yacht to cruise. The benefit of the lifting keel really does come into its own.

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See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

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

The Last Word
Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigues of supporting it. -- Thomas Paine

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