In This Issue
• Safe and Secure Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020
• Rolex Fastnet Race - More than a race
• Splicing, Sailing, Repeat ...
• A Brand-New Concept For The World Of Sailing Records
• Screaming performer... and 100 per cent reality - Infiniti Yachts
• Entries open for Marlow Ropes Women's Match Racing Championship
• North Gulf Challenge ocean race
• Champagne sailing in the summer of 2022 in Denmark
• Launchings
• Featured Charter: J121 - Wings
• Featured Brokerage:
• • Ice 54 - Ice Yachts
• • SW110 Thalima
• • J Boats J/105 - Fluke IV
• Back on Monday, no Friday issue
• The Last Word: Frida Kahlo

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

Safe and Secure Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020
Version 2 of Tokyo 2020 Playbooks Released

The International Olympic Committee (IOC), International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 (Tokyo 2020) have today launched the second editions of the Tokyo 2020 Playbooks, with the version for Athletes and Team Officials (PDF).

Building on February's publication, the new Playbooks provide more specific details to participants about the countermeasures that will help ensure safe and successful Games for all those taking part and the residents of Tokyo and Japan. Some of the key measures in the Playbooks can be found in the five-party joint statement.

The publication of version two of the Playbooks builds upon the optimisation and simplification of operational plans, reduced delegations from all Olympic and Paralympic Movement stakeholders, and the decision and announcement in March by the Japanese side, and respected and accepted by the IOC and IPC, to not allow spectators from overseas to enter Japan.

The next version of the Playbooks (which is expected to be final) will be published in June 2021.

www.sailing.org

Rolex Fastnet Race - More than a race
Kai Greten will be sailing his Grandfather's beautiful wooden classic One Tonner Oromocto which is celebrating her 50th anniversary. Photo credit: YACHT/Jozef Kubica. Click on image to enlarge.

While this year's Rolex Fastnet Race will be highly competitive at the front of the fleet, for many among the record-sized entry of 453 yachts (at present), the objective of tackling the 695 mile course from Cowes to Cherbourg via the legendary rock off southwest Ireland is just to get round successfully. For many, personally, they are taking part to experience the challenge, a lifelong ambition, an adventure, a bonding experience with family and friends, to improve on a previous result or because, this year's race will be historic, for the first time in its 96 years finishing in Cherbourg. There are many reasons crews will be setting off from the Solent on the Royal Ocean Racing Club's premier event on 8 August other than to come first.

Several yachts are entered with crews from the British Armed Forces, competing in the Rolex Fastnet Race for their own trophies- the Inter-Regimental Cup: Best Service Boat under IRC and the Culdrose Trophy for the top Service Boat to the Fastnet Rock. The most high profile service entry is the Army Sailing Association's Fujitsu British Soldier. This team has enjoyed considerable success notably in 2018 when their X-41 won the RORC Season's Point Championship. They have since changed to the Sun Fast 3600 Fujitsu British Soldier which despite owning her since the end of 2019 they have yet to race it offshore due to the pandemic.

This year's youngest competitor 12-year-old Zoe d'Ornano, who will be on one of the Tall Ships Youth Trust's two Challenger 72s entered. A keen dinghy sailor and an experienced crew cruising with family and friends, she will use the race to raise awareness of the work of the TSYT while fundraising to give some of the country's most disadvantaged young people a life-changing experience at sea. Founded in 1956, the Tall Ships Youth Trust has supported over 120,000 young people, aged 12-25, the majority disadvantaged or disabled. It also helps young people redefine their horizons through adventure learning at sea." Zoe's Just Giving page: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/ZoeFastnet.

The Dutch Childhood 1 project is entered, aboard the former Team Brunel VO65. They race to raise awareness of children's rights while fundraising for the Childhood Foundation. In 2019 Childhood 1 participated in the RORC Transatlantic Race, winning the International Maxi Association Trophy for line honours.

British Vendée Globe skipper Sam Davies has just entered her Initiatives Coeur in the 13-strong IMOCA class. Sam will be continuing her extraordinary fund raising efforts supporting the French charity Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque either through direct donations or, the cleverest part, from her three sponsors, each of whom donates 1 Euro whenever a member of the public clicks 'like' on the Initiative Coeurs Facebook or Instagram pages. Do it now! -- James Boyd

www.rolexfastnetrace.com

Provisional Entry List

Splicing, Sailing, Repeat ...
Learn how to splice, get to know Olympic medalists and dig deeper into the world of ropes on Robline's very own youtube channel.

Go behind the scenes in our manufacturing facilities and meet the people behind the brand! There is one thing that everybody in this industry has in common. Passion for sailing and passion for ropes.

If you want to know more about splicing and get helpful tips to become more effective, then join us with our ongoing series with master splicer Florian Urban.

Find the "how to splice" series and much more on Robline's youtube channel!

www.roblineropes.com

A Brand-New Concept For The World Of Sailing Records
For decades record-setting in sailing has been dominated by adventurers, pioneers, eccentrics and, in recent years, pro-sailing teams in custom built machines.

That is now set to change with the advent of a new platform that will enable any skipper and crew to use their yacht and its rating, to attempt a record course and then see their new benchmark time published.

Bringing a new concept to the world of sailing, 'Corrected Time Records' enables a new category of sailing record which is launching with the IRCRecords.com platform. Attempts will be calculated and ratified using the highly popular 'International Rating Certificate' system (IRC).

Whether a 100' supermaxi, standard production cruiser/racer, sports boat, high-tech racing yacht or a classic, the IRC rating rule is highly inclusive. Having a record that is based on corrected time rather than the more traditional elapsed time, allows teams to compete on a level playing field.

Managing Director Charles Darbyshire explains: "We've all enjoyed watching the high-profile teams going on standby then attempting & breaking the major records. We are very pleased to be launching the concept of corrected time records, which will make the skill and thrill of record breaking accessible to a much wider group of sailors, making best use of the equipment they already own or have access to. We wish IRC rated yachts the best of luck as they establish, then lower the corrected record times across our wide variety of challenging courses."

To compete and get on to the IRCRecords™ leader board, a current, valid IRC certificate will be required along with validation of the record attempt using data from a YB Tracker, which may be loaned from an IRCRecords™ partner, purchased at a discounted rate, or rented.

On setting a new record an official IRCRecords™ certificate will be issued and access granted to purchase copy certificates for crew members, and other IRCRecords™ 'record-breaker' merchandise.

www.ircrecords.com

Screaming performer... and 100 per cent reality - Infiniti Yachts
In today's world of foiling mania Hugh Welbourn's latest DSS Infiniti 52 is expected to be out and winning big IRC and ORC races long before some of its more fanciful rivals have (somehow) obtained a first rating

Land the plane, sink the putt or simply shoot to score- eventually the design process ends, or it is supposed to. Months of work and years of experience begin to take form as a physical entity. There is an interesting transition when committing to something, however small, in the design of a yacht. It is almost impossible for a single element of the design not to have a consequence within the remainder of the process. Of course, at an elemental level, everything weighs something; we have not managed to deal with that particular problem yet. However, in conjunction with the excitement and emotional energy that comes with taking plans and ideas to reality, is the knowledge that you have had to earn the trust and confidence of the end user. This sounds simple, but it goes far beyond basic economics of buyer and seller- this is a journey which ultimately places one half of the deal on a modestly sized, high performance sailing yacht, travelling at speeds hitherto within the reach of very few people, far, far from land.

Full article in the May issue of Seahorse

Entries open for Marlow Ropes Women's Match Racing Championship
The Marlow Ropes Women's Match Racing Championship will be returning to Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy over the weekend of 11-12 September 2021.

Entries for this popular fixture in the RYA Match Racing Series are now open for teams of three or four competitors, with windward-leeward racing in one-design Elliott 6M keelboats.

Up to 10 teams will be duelling for supremacy and the winners will be selected to represent GB at the 2022 Women's World Match Racing Championship and invited to the RYA National Match Racing Grand Finals at Queen Mary Sailing Club, London, in October 2021.

For all the details and entry

North Gulf Challenge ocean race
'Pendragon' and 'XTC' class winners on Corrected Time... 'Merlin' takes line honors

For Mike Kayusa's Farr 40 'Pendragon' getting to the new wind outside of Tampa Bay proved to be the key to victory in the inaugural North Gulf Challenge ocean race. With the wind dying just outside of the Sunshine Bridge on Friday afternoon, the best choice was to head west, even a little southwest, sailing as fast as possible covering the shortest distance across the parking lot to reach the new wind.

The battle through that light air in the Spinnaker Class was between the 70-foot 'Merlin' and the 40-foot 'Pendragon'. The smaller boat made up its handicap time - then and there. She went on to finish first in the Spinnaker Class on a PHRF corrected time of 1d 12h 43m 59s, beating 'Merlin' by about two hours.

Chip Merlin's famous Bill Lee ULDB 'Merlin' did take line honors in Pensacola, setting a high bar for the next North Gulf Challenge. Hitting speeds in the high 20's and sailing steady 13's after the early light air, 'Merlin' surfed back toward the rhumb line and finished in the Florida sunshine, arriving at the Pensacola Sea Buoy at 4:09pm EDT - 3:09 CDT local time - Saturday.

In the Cruising Class, Thomas Glew's Beneteau Oceanis 461 'XTC' was first to finish and first cruiser with an elapsed time of 2d 04h 52m 48s and a corrected time of 1d 16h 44m 25s.

The last boat to finish was George Norwood's Island Packet 40 'Flagship' with a corrected time of 2d 17h 06m 57s. -- Talbot Wilson

Place, Sail - Yacht Name, Yacht Type, Owner/Skipper, City, State, Country -- Finish Date-Time, Elapsed, Corrected -- Class/Fleet

North Gulf Challenge Spinnaker Course

PHRF Spinnaker (PHRF - 4 Boats)
1. USA 40037 - Pendragon, Farr 40, Mike Kayusa , Ft. Myers, FL, USA -- 24Apr21 09:41:23PM / 1:10:36:23 / 1:12:43:59 -- 1 / 1
2. USA 8955 - Merlin, Bill Lee Custom, Chip Merlin , St Petersburg, FL, USA -- 24Apr21 04:09:50PM / 1:05:04:50 / 1:14:39:02 -- 2 / 2
3. 53311 - Ruby, Morgan 36-5, Christopher Chow , Tampa, FL, USA -- 25Apr21 04:45:35PM / 2:05:40:35 / 1:21:42:05 -- 3 / 3
4. USA 7 - Silver Surfer, J 112e, Harvey Ford Tom Mistele , St. Petersburg, FL, USA -- 5/DNF

North Gulf Challenge Cruising Course

PHRF Cruising (PHRF - 5 Boats)
1. USA 38 - XTC declared chute, Beneteau Oceanis 461, Thomas Glew , St. Petersburg, FL, USA -- 25Apr21 04:02:48PM / 2:04:52:48 / 1:16:44:25 -- 1 / 1
2. IP Star - Flagship, Island Packet 40, George Norwood , Riverview, FL, USA -- 27Apr21 12:18:31AM / 3:13:08:31 / 2:17:06:57 -- 2 / 2
3. USA 1 - Blue Heron, Catalina 425, Russell Hoadley , Tampa, FL, USA -- 6/DNF
4. 60832 - Corsair, Little Harbor 63, Thomas Rose , Palmetto, FL, USA -- 6/DNS

www.pensacolayachtclub.org

Champagne sailing in the summer of 2022 in Denmark
In July 2022, the largest sailing championship will be held in Aarhus since the Sailing World Championships in 2018. From 5 to 10 July, three of the classes will thus revisit Aarhus for the European Championships in 49s, 49erFX, and Nacra 17.

Up to 200 crews from over 35 different nations are expected to compete in 49er, 49erFX, and Nacra 17 in Aarhus, and in Sport Event Denmark, it is with great satisfaction that Denmark once again will host major, international sailing championships.

Aarhus has previously hosted the Hempel Sailing World Championships, and The Ocean Race 'fly by' in 2018. In 2021, a 29er World Championships, and a SailGP are in the pipeline, while 2023 will be the year of the first Danish stop-over in The Ocean Race's history.

Contact:
Sport Event Denmark: Lars Lundov, CEO, Cell +45 40 31 48 55
Sailing Aarhus: Jon Koch Hansen, CEO, Cell +45 27 14 18 02

Launchings
The Classe Mini 6.50 is the perfect playground for an Olympic offshore campaign. They have the largest fleets and the strongest competition. The legendary Mini Transat and Mini Fastnet are some of their highlights.

Sailors of all weights and sizes can sail a Mini 6.50 at the top level. Simple, seaworthy and affordable yachts for OSR 3 category.

The new Vector 6.50 one design Class Mini comes with a very good price performance ratio. New and superfast scow design for maximum speed on all courses. Well proven & winning construction and equipment for rough offshore conditions.

A Classe Mini yacht is 100% sailing and self-sufficient with solar energy. Easy handling and transport on a trailer. The Vector 6.50 is made for offshore racing category A/B and OSR 3.

Winner of the MiniSolo (1st and 2nd overall) and first in Classe Mini at the new Baltic500 race! -- Roland Gaebler

www.vector650class.com

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The latest collaboration between Humphreys Yacht Design and Oyster's own in-house design studio, the new Oyster 495 has clean hull lines and carries her beam well aft, which contributes to form stability and sailing performance. This 50 foot sailboat features the same twin rudder configurations found on our larger yachts. She is light and easy on the steering, offering fingertip control in even the most boisterous conditions.

Add a range of technology to make shorthanded sailing even easier, including in-mast furling and push-button B&G sail handling controls operated from the helm positions, she will be a joy to sail. All these elements combined she will be responsive and fast-moving, with an ability to offer consistently high speeds for excellent passage-making.

oysteryachts.com/new-sailing-yachts/oyster-495/

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The Ultim trimaran Banque Populaire XI exited the yard in Lorient, Brittany this Tuesday 27 April 2021

Having built the majority of the Banque Populaire boats, including the Maxi Trimaran Banque Populaire V in 2008, the largest racing multihull ever constructed, CDK Technologies is sincerely grateful to the Sailing Bank for trusting in them.

With this latest launch, CDK Technologies is delivering its fourth giant (Ultim Banque Populaire XI skippered by Armel Le Cleac'h, preceded by Banque Populaire V, now known as Spindrift 2 skippered by Yann Guichard in 2007, Francois Gabart's Macif in 2015, and Armel Le Cleac'h's previous Banque Populaire IX in 2017). It's a fantastic result for all the CDK teams, who have managed to reorganise themselves in the face of the disruptions resulting from the health crisis.

Project manager of the Maxi Banque Populaire XI build process, CDK Technologies subcontracted the central hull and the floats to its partners (Multiplast in Vannes, Brittany and Fibre Mechanics in Lymington in the UK).

The new maxi trimaran, created by the VPLP architectural firm and GSea Design (structural calculations), is breaking new ground with elements such as her lifting surfaces and her foils, which measure twice the size of those from previous generations. This latest iteration will be even more robust to better integrate the constraints of flight.

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Southern Wind has announced the launch of a new "smart custom" bluewater cruiser, the fourth of its versatile SW105 high-performance cruiser collaboration with Nauta Design and Farr Yacht Design

SW105#4 Taniwha was christened in Cape Town on Sunday and will now undergo sea trials before leaving on her maiden voyage. A stand-out feature of the new vessel is a GT (Gran Turismo) deck configuration conceived by Nauta Design. "This new deck design has an innovative and clean look that is driven by the methods of composite construction and by racing yacht styling," said Massimo Gino from Nauta Design. " We think that our GT design will be a successful new style because it rests on a solid base of concepts which are the expression of a pure design", Gino said in a statement.

"The interior design is 100% new. It's the result of a well-planned mixture of materials and geometries that we have developed on our most recent yachts. It's elegant and understated but never predictable" Gino said.

Another notable design feature is a minimal coach-roof, to lend the vessel sleek lines "and a wider cockpit area on a single level," SWS said. "The helm positions have been moved closer to the gunwales for better views forward and aloft, allowing a generous sun pad area just below the maneuvering cockpit and a garage for a 4.2m tender," the company said.

High-tech lightweight material s- including titanium deck, mast and boom fittings - were preferred to maximize performance, with hydraulic and electric power management systems geared accordingly.

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VMG Yachtbuilders of the Netherlands has unveiled updated versions of the Puffin sailing yachts. Designer Olivier van Meer has redrawn the 42ft, 50ft and 58ft models.

The new, improved Puffin is a yacht with attitude.

Over the last 25 years, 65 Puffin sailing yachts have been built. Why improve on something that works well? It's a question of refocusing, Van Meer tells this newsletter.

"Puffins have been built, in all sorts of lengths. There was a 37ft Puffin, a 41ft Puffin, a 46ft version and so on," he says. "What we did was pick 3 popular models and have them define the new standard Puffins. And we did that to keep a lid on the price of the boat."

Van Meer does not exclude drawing other lengths in the future. "Puffins are semi-custom sailing yachts. Everything that happens on that boat has been created in line with the owner's wishes. And that adds to the price of the yacht."

The back-to-basics Puffins start at 820,000 Euros, excluding VAT. All are built by VMG Yachtbuilders. "The new-look Puffin of today," says Barend Kol, head of marketing at VMG. "The deckhouse, for example, has a slightly continuous roof and sides so you sit more sheltered in the cockpit."

The all-aluminum Puffins can have a fixed keel or a centerboard keel that makes dry-docking possible. The daggerboard box is under the floor, so it takes up no space saloon space. At the stern is an optional, fold-away swimming platform.

www.vmgyachtbuilders.nl

www.oliviervanmeer.com

www.jachtbouwactueel.nl/

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.

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 on the East Coast of the US this 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
2021 ICE 54. 610000 EUR. Located in Italy, La Spezia.

ICE 54 has a freebord increased by 6 cm that allow the generation of wide interior. Therefore ICE 54 joins the ICE 52 production, enhancing the characteristics of comfort, luxury and habitability. The “scimitar-like” design of the bow and “smiling” carving shape of the stern, trademarks of the shipyard, come from the regatta boat ICE 33.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact

+33 (0)4 67 66 39 93

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2010 SW110 Thalima. 5,900,000 VAT Paid EUR. Located in Barcelona, Spain.

SW110 Thalima is Southern Wind flagship. This yacht is the perfect blend of a high-performance and nimble yacht, fun to steer, aesthetically linear and a bluewater yacht to sail around the world in safety and comfort.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Southern Wind Shipyard (Pty) Ltd
Salita Dinegro 7/1,
16123 Genoa, Italy

Tel. +39010 570 4035

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2002 J Boats 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. Proven to be fast, easy to sail and exciting, they have excelled in short-handed race events as well as fully crewed round the cans.

"Fluke IV" has been totally re-furbished. Rigging replaced, up to date B&G electronics, great set of North 3Di sails, new rigging, new engine 120 hours ago.... and the list goes on. She has been equipped with Oceanic racing in mind, so with very few tweaks she will be ready to go!

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

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

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

Back on Monday, no Friday issue
Some travel and then some Dad - Daughter time prevents a timely Friday issue, so your humble narrator will return for the Monday May 3 issue. Happy May Day!

The Last Word
I tried to drown my sorrows, but the bastards learned how to swim, and now I am overwhelmed by this decent and good feeling. -- Frida Kahlo

Editorial and letter submissions to

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