In This Issue
• Racing Resumes On Saturday Under Alert Level 2 Restrictions
• First-ever ORC DH European Championship open for entries
• America's Cup Rialto: Feb 19 - Some key differences between the Finalists
• What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine
• World Sailing shares IOC vision for safe and successful Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
• Antigua Sailing Week 2021 Cancelled
• 11th Hour Racing and the 52 SUPER SERIES
• Phocea yacht fire: seven crew rescued from the vessel
• An Already Fractious Relationship
• ORA Ratings to Score Doublehanded Race in San Diego
• Letters to the Editor
• Featured Brokerage:
• • Bavaria C38
• • MAT 1340 - New Build
• • PC Yachts Pilot Classic 55
• The Last Word: Spock

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

Racing Resumes On Saturday Under Alert Level 2 Restrictions
PRADA Cup Final resumes on Saturday 20th of February NZT. Race 5 will see Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli facing INEOS TEAM UK, the race will start from 4:00PM local time weather permitting.

Race 5 and 6 will be held on Saturday and two races a day will follow until one competitor gets to 7 points wining the PRADA Cup.

COR 36 confirm they want to respect Public Health and the Protocols of the New Zealand Government. COR 36 offered its full support to the local authorities and ACE to implement the Level 2 Alert management plan provided for by the AC36 Event COVID-19 Management On Land and On Water Plans suspending the following activities:
- Main stage - Te Wero Island
- Simulator
- Guests hospitality facilities on shore
- Guests hospitality at sea
- Pre-race public shows
- Giveaways and gifts distribution

As Auckland is at COVID19 Alert Level 2 the following restrictions apply:
- 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 COVID19 Level 2 Guidelines.
- Public are reminded to always scan the NZCOVID19 Tracer App.

americascup.com

First-ever ORC DH European Championship open for entries
Sounio, Greece: The Hellenic Offshore Racing Club (HORC) and the Offshore Racing Congress (ORC) are pleased to announce that the entry process is now open for the first-ever ORC Double Handed European Championship to be held over 2-10 July 2021. The event is being held concurrently with the AEGEAN 600, a non-stop 600-mile full-crew race tour of the Aegean Sea that also starts and ends in Sounio.

The ORC DH Europeans is a new event in the portfolio of annual ORC World and European championships, one that harnesses the growing enthusiasm for Double Handed sailing following the proposal by World Sailing for this to be included as a mixed gender two-person offshore keelboat event in the Olympic program for the 2024 Games in Paris.

The regatta will be based at the Olympic Marine, gateway to the Aegean Sea, 70 km southeast from central Athens and just north of Cape Sounion. The format consists of a short Coastal Race and a Long Offshore Race worth 1.0 and 1.5 points, respectively, with registrations and inspections starting on Friday, 2 July and concluding on Sunday, 4 July before the Coastal Race start on Monday, 5 July. The intended length of this race is 10-12 hours on a course set in the Saronikos Gulf and the Cyclades islands.

After a recovery day on Tuesday, racing will resume on Wednesday, 7 July with the Long Offshore Race of 60-72 hours duration in the same course area in the Aegean. Awards will be given in a Closing Ceremony held on Saturday, 10 July.

Entries are open to all boats with a valid ORCi DH certificate with a GPH rating from 700 to 500 seconds per mile. Class divisions will be determined at the closing date for entries on 4 June, with no more than three classes defined with expected GPH ranges of 80-120 s/mi per class.

All entries are expected to have their boats and crew suitably prepared for Double Handed racing, and are expected to have experience in participation in offshore racing of extended duration. Trophies will be awarded to the top three winners in each class, and additional prizes may be awarded to the top three male, female and mixed gender crews in each class.

2021orcdheuropeans.org

www.orc.org

America's Cup Rialto: Feb 19 - Some key differences between the Finalists
On Sunday, we were onboard the TV photo catamaran, which was a novel experience - and allowed a different shooting angle - albeit it against some challenging G-forces, as the boat abruptly changed course.

From what we've seen on the water, the ability to spot changes in breeze strength and direction is the key difference between the two boats, who are getting around the course at remarkably similar average speeds - according to the on the boat information available through the online version of Virtual Eye. (In this version the viewer can break the race down and watch the key points in the race, from various perspectives, and in conjunction with some other tools that are available such the onboard video and audio, as well as the two produced and commentated video feeds.).

Virtual Eye shows that the gains made by Luna Rossa were the result of spotting better wind pressure and taking advantage of it. Getting into more wind pressure pays a big dividend in the AC75, due to the fact that the wingsailed monohulls sail in multiple of two or three times the speed of wind. The advantage is that upwind the leader extends as they get into the stronger breeze, but downwind the chaser should be able to reduce the margin.

However the wind spotting ability of Luna Rossa was so good that the Brits couldn't make an impression.

Richard Gladwell's full article in Sail-World.com

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

Getting it down on paper
Francois Chevalier and Jean Sans look at the first era of the AC75 and at how some of the details have been playing out in Auckland

Instant recognition
Nautor’s Swan has a unique reputation and its current offering is truly extraordinary, ranging from the most luxurious of world cruising yachts to some of today’s most advanced and sophisticated one design racers

Protecting us from ourselves
This is surely among the most intelligent marine applications of wireless technology yet seen?

Paul Cayard - Disclaimer issued
And calling it early is never easy!

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

1yr Digital Sub for £37.50: www.seahorse.co.uk/shop/subs/

Discounts shown are valid on a one year subscription to Seahorse magazine.

World Sailing shares IOC vision for safe and successful Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
World Sailing's preparations for the rescheduled Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games are firmly on track following discussions with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee and the Summer Olympic International Federations to ensure the Games proceed in a safe environment for the athletes, officials, locals and spectators.

In order to safeguard the Games, the IOC, International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and Tokyo 2020 have taken proactive steps to produce a robust series of Playbooks which outline the responsibilities of all Games participants - Federations, Press, Broadcasters, Athletes and Officials - and the rules that must be followed to ensure the Games remain safe.

The Playbooks have been developed jointly by the IOC, the IPC and the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee and are based on the extensive work of the All Partners Task Force, which also includes the World Health Organisation, Government of Japan, Tokyo Metropolitan Government, independent experts and organisations from across the world.

Tokyo will welcome 350 sailors from 60 nations to race across the ten Olympic sailing events on Sagami Bay in Enoshima, Japan. Despite the delay, sailors around the world have maintained focus and sharpness by continuing their preparations with training camps and competitions as the clock ticks down to the first event on 23 July 2021.

The Playbooks can be viewed and downloaded here.

Antigua Sailing Week 2021 Cancelled
Event organizers will be joining local government and the international community in working to limit and eradicate the COVID-19 spread by cancelling the 2021 edition of Antigua Sailing Week (ASW), including the Peters & May Round Antigua Race, which were scheduled for later this year - April 24 - 30.

The timing of this decision for the cancellation was taken after in-depth consideration of the obligations participants have to charter companies, hotels and villa companies, shipping companies, and also taking into account international travel restrictions and an inability to organize an impenetrable bubble for the safety of all participants, volunteers and the wider community.

The cancellation of the 2021 event further compounds the financial blow to the non-profit entity which organizes this internationally respected event, as well as to the greater local community. The staging of the event results in a positive economic impact for the destination to the tune of EC$6 million each year. This is a giant loss to the economy of Antigua and to the yachting sector in particular.

Participants on the 2021 entry list can opt to have entry fees transferred to 2022 which is scheduled for April 30 - May 6, however they must re-enter via the 2022 entry page.

Further information: www.sailingweek.com

11th Hour Racing and the 52 SUPER SERIES
Extending a successful six-year relationship that has grown stronger and more productive with each racing season, the 52 SUPER SERIES and 11th Hour Racing announced today a new three-year agreement.

From small, simple initiatives that began in 2015 focused on the circuit's community of sailors and staff, the sponsorship has grown to deliver a multifaceted programme that fully engages the circuit's participants and stakeholders and inspires shifting to sustainable behaviours through its global reach.

The development and integration of a climate action plan is fundamental to all ongoing 52 SUPER SERIES initiatives. The aim is to reduce or manage greenhouse gas emissions or compensate for them when they are unavoidable. On a local level, all events will follow a forthcoming sustainability plan.

Leading by example, the 52 SUPER SERIES will introduce "Lighthouse Initiatives," which are practical, technical solutions applicable to other sailing events such as:

- Robot race marks, thus reducing fuel used by support boats.
- Electric RIBs.
- A solar-powered race office.
- Electric TP52 engines.

52superseries.com

11thhourracing.org

Phocea yacht fire: seven crew rescued from the vessel
The 75.13-metre sailing yacht known as Enigma and Phocea caught fire this morning off an island near Langkawi, Malaysia. While at anchor less than one nautical mile northeast of Pulau Singa Kecil (Lion Island), the 530 GT yacht was tended to by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), who rescued seven crewmembers who are reported to be safe and uninjured.

Once the fire was detected by a local patrol vessel, rescuers from the Malaysian Maritime 6 FLASH boat began fighting the flames and have been continuing to do so despite strong wind conditions. Kedah and Perlis MMEA director, Maritime First Admiral Mohd Zawawi Abdullah, said in a statement that the weather was "making the operation difficult."

Enigma was built as a single-handed race yacht in 1976 to the design of Tim Heywood and interior designer Beiderbeck s. After crossing the Atlantic in 1976, she was converted to a cruise ship by her original builders, the French shipyard DCAN. In 1999/2000 her owner, a well-known individual after whom the 104.85-metre Lady Moura was named, ordered a major interior and exterior refit at the Lürssen shipyard in Germany. The yacht was again sold in 2010 to her current owners. Enigma accommodates 12 guests in a master suite, one VIP, two double and two twin cabins, and sleeps up to 23 crew members.

www.superyachttimes.com/yacht-news/phocea-yacht-fire

An Already Fractious Relationship
Luna Rossa skipper Max Sirena is relieved that the Prada Cup final will continue on Saturday, but feels the extended conflict over the rescheduling has done further damage to an already fractious relationship.

The saga developed an unseemly tone on Wednesday and Thursday, with all kinds of implications conveyed through rival press releases and interviews, and words like "honour" "fairness" "respect" and "sportsmanship" thrown into the equation.

Something that might normally be hammered out behind closed doors became uncomfortably public, provoking accusations and counter-claims.

Sirena is grateful that America's Cup Events (ACE) backed down from their proposal to reschedule the races to next weekend, which would have also entailed moving the America's Cup match, but said the process had been avoidable.

Sirena also rejected the inference that the Challenger of Record's (COR) stance reflected a single-minded desire to see Luna Rossa progress from the Prada Cup final.

"We are here to race and there was no real reason why we shouldn't race," said Sirena. "They always drop on us all this bullshit about fairness and loyalty. We are the first ones that want to go out on the water, even today. There is no way Luna Rossa wants to win without even racing.

www.nzherald.co.nz

ORA Ratings to Score Doublehanded Race in San Diego
With publication of its notice of race for the North Sails Doublehanded Distance Race at the NOOD on March 20th, the Helly Hansen NOOD Regatta officially added a new event within the larger event for monohull boats 24 to 48 feet long racing with a crew of two. To score the fleet of diverse boats, the organizers chose the Offshore Racing Association to provide its ORA-1 ratings, which are based on its proprietary velocity prediction program (VPP).

San Diego YC will use simplified "ORA-1" ratings in this race, which the ORA will provide at no charge for boats with ORR or ORR-Ez ratings. A third pool of local boats may also choose to race, ranging in style from comfortable cruising boats whose owners are interested in a short-handed challenge, to one-designs such as Hobie 33 or J/120 whose owners can't find a large enough number to have their own class start at the NOOD. Boats such as these can apply for and receive a certificate for a modest fee, which will vary depending on the availability of the design's offset files.

Because there aren't many permanent marks on San Diego Bay, Johnson may introduce the use of virtual marks - GPS waypoints - and provide boats with YB Trackers that will add interest to post-race analysis and prove each boat rounded all marks.

According to NOOD Regatta event director, Jennifer Davies, the new doublehanded short-distance race will be offered at all five 2021 NOOD events organized by Sailing World magazine - San Diego, St. Petersburg, Annapolis, Chicago, and Marblehead.

The doublehanded format had already been given a boost by its selection as a new event in the 2024 Olympics and NOOD Regatta sponsor North Sails has been promoting doublehanded racing for more than a year. In 2020, the format gained more momentum because it's so COVID friendly.

See event registration at YachtScoring.com

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 John Burnie:

I read with interest in EuroSail News that the Dubai International Boat show has been postponed until 2022. Will Princess Yachts be allowed to attend or will they be locked up following usual protocols?

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The Last Word
Insufficient facts always invite danger. -- Spock

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