In This Issue
• Second lost day at Finn Gold Cup following very unstable conditions
• World's fastest sailboats sign up for Rolex Fastnet Race
• BSI - World's largest heading press arrives in Denmark
• Shirley Robertson Podcast with Terry Hutchinson
• Collisions At Sea
• Magnificent May at the Royal Southern
• Optimist World Championship
• Maserati Multi 70 and Giovanni Soldini conquer the record on the Fastnet original course
• New Olympic News Page
• For the Record
• Letters to the Editor
• Featured Charter: Curanta Cridhe - 50ft Catamaran
• Featured Brokerage:
• • Swan 75-001 FD Kairos
• • Jeanneau Sun Fast 3600 - Jellyfish
• • Gunboat 60 ALAIA
• The Last Word: William Kunstler

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

Second lost day at Finn Gold Cup following very unstable conditions
Whilst different storms rage elsewhere in the sailing world, for the second day running, no racing was possible at the 2021 Finn Gold Cup after offshore Atlantic storms brought very unstable conditions to Porto.

It wasn't for lack of trying. After more than four hours trying to get a start away on the third day, the race team had to contend with 120 degree shifts, huge waves, waterspouts, hail storms, and wind ranging from 3-33 knots. However with a deadline to be back in the harbour before the ebb tide kicked in, the fleet was sent ashore with no more races on the board.

The course and marks were moved more than a dozen times with more than 10 starts attempted, but each time it was abandoned in the final minute and one shortly after the start got away on a huge shift. It was a long, cold day on the water. Full credit to the Herculean efforts of the race officers and their team to do everything possible to try and get a race away. But sometimes it is not meant to be.

There are two more days left in the Finn Gold Cup, with a maximum six races possible and one more needed to get a valid series. Conditions look set to stabilize, so the fleet is keeping everything crossed ready for Tuesday.

Results so far here

World's fastest sailboats sign up for Rolex Fastnet Race
While the Vendee Globe grabbed headlines over the winter with a record fleet of 31 boats, France boasts a yet more extraordinary fleet of boats - the Ultimes. Developed over the last 30 years by teams attempting to break the non-stop round the world record, the Jules Verne Trophy, these giant 32m long by 23m wide flying multihulls are the fastest offshore racing yachts by far. In August several will be competing in the Rolex Fastnet Race. If adequately brisk conditions materialise, these craft are more than capable of finishing in less than a day, despite the new course to Cherbourg being longer at 695 nautical miles.

In 2019 as most competitors had still to reach Land's End, a heavyweight bout was playing out in the final moments of the Ultime race between two titans - solo non-stop round the world record holder (and Vendee Globe winner) Francois Gabart, sailing with Jimmy Spithill on board MACIF and Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, co-skippered by Volvo Ocean Race winners Franck Cammas and Charles Caudrelier. MACIF led past the Lizard with her rival in hot pursuit, but by leaving their final gybe a little longer, Cammas and Caudrelier were able to sail a hotter angle into the finish and pipped their rival to the post, to win by a mere 58 seconds.

Both these boats will return to compete in the Rolex Fastnet Race's Open Multihull class, only MACIF has been acquired by Team Actual, which finished fourth two years ago on their previous Ultime trimaran. At the end of April, the trimaran emerged from Team Actual shed in its new livery. From their base in La Trinite-sur-Mer, skipper Yves Le Blevec and his team are currently still getting acquainted with their new beast. Comparing her performance with that of his previous Ultime, Le Blevec observes: "In light air it is similar and in big wind and big waves it is not much different, but in medium conditions the boat is between 10-15% faster."

While foilers usually prefer flat water, Le Blevec maintains that it is in fact in wavy conditions where they are seeing their performance gain. "With the old boat we had big difficulties to go fast against the waves because the boat falls into the troughs. On the new boat with the foils, it stays up out of the water and doesn't fall off into the waves, so they go faster."

Le Blevec, who won the 2015 Rolex Fastnet Race's IRC Canting Keel class with Nicolas Groleau's Bretagne Telecom, says that for the Ultimes the change of course to Cherbourg won't impact them greatly but he appreciates the improved logistics that the Cotentin port will offer.

www.rolexfastnetrace.com

Latest Provisional Entry List

BSI - World's largest heading press arrives in Denmark
The largest rod rigging head press in the world has arrived at BSI Group Headquarters in Denmark, following a huge logistical operation.

The press originally built for OYS weighs over 35 tonnes, stands 4m tall and runs on hydraulic pressure up to 600 bar. The press has the ability to head standing rigging up to an impressive breakload (BL) of 1,600,000 Ib.

To put this in perspective, the press was built specifically to complete the rigging on the 70m Mirabella V in 2003. Still the largest sloop in the world, the rod at the time was 'only' -750 (750,000 BL).

Subsequent projects after Mirabella V include heading award winning prestigious superyacht projects around the world, and it continues to do so today.

"Following the acquisition of OYS rigging into the BSI Group of companies at the end of 2020, it made good commercial sense to bring the press to Denmark," comments Morten Madsen, CEO of the BSI Group of companies. "With the press here in Denmark we will continue to service OYS Service Agents and customers, and we can now increase the capabilities and our offering to BSI Rigging customers also."

For more information on BSI Rigging and OYS Rigging, and the other companies within the group; Jefa Steering, GORI Propellers and Hundested Propellers please visit www.bsidk.com

Shirley Robertson Podcast with Terry Hutchinson
Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast is back for another Season, and gets underway with a two part interview with one of the sport's most decorated skippers. American sailor Terry Hutchinson has been a world champion sixteen times, he's twice been World Sailor of the Year and has competed in five America's Cup campaigns. Most recently he lead the New York Yacht Club's return to the Cup as the skipper and Executive Director of AC36 Challengers American Magic.

Talking in Auckland after the culmination of the Prada Cup Challenger Series, Hutchinson and Robertson spend much of Part 2 discussing American Magic's campaign at AC36, but kick off the podcast with tales of Terry's early career, during which he shares an admission that as a school boy in 1983, he skipped class to go and watch Dennis Connor, then sitting at 3-3 against "Australia II", ultimately lose the America's Cup...

"I thought, there's a big race going on and I need to go and watch this so I asked my teacher if I could go to the bathroom, and I just kept walking and walked down to Marmadukes in Eastport and watched Dennis go from winning that race to not winning. After the race was over I walked back into school and low and behold everyone was wondering where I was, my Mom was there wondering 'what did you do!', and I was 'Race 7 of the America's Cup was going on, I had to go and watch it!'"

It was a determination that would see Hutchinson rise through the ranks of the American sailing world, joining Paul Cayard in 2000 as main trimmer on board America One. The pair discuss Terry's early Cup exploits, including joining the 2003 Stars and Stripes campaign with Dennis Connor.

This edition of the podcast is in two parts and is available to listen to via the podcast page of Shirley's own website, at www.shirleyrobertson.com/podcast or via most popular podcast outlets, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcast and aCast.

Collisions At Sea
Class IMOCA and the Pole Mer Bretagne Atlantique launch a Call for Expressions of Interest (CEI)

The risk of collision at sea is a major cause for concern among skippers and protagonists in the maritime domain. With three retirements from the Vendee Globe linked to collisions, as well as other impact reported during the race, Class IMOCA is working to rally together the skills of the marine industry in a bid to break even more new ground in its search for solutions geared towards improving safety for sailors and the preservation of biodiversity.

Containers, blocks of wood, drifting ice, unreported craft, waste of all kinds, as well as creatures of the deep of very different sizes and behaviours, the risk of hitting something at sea is a threat that continues to loom large for racers and yet it remains a highly complex issue. With radars, AIS, thermal cameras and acoustic deterrents, the equipment is out there and over the past winter the Vendee Globe was another test run for work in this field, but there is still a way to go.

For several months, a think tank grouping together teams from numerous Classes (categories of race boat) and various specialists and networks such as that of Eurolarge Innovation, has enabled extensive sharing of experiences and knowledge. Following these exchanges, Class IMOCA and the Pole Mer Bretagne Atlantique marine science and technology cluster has drafted a Call for Expressions of Interest.

'Prevention of collisions at sea' CEI schedule
May 2021: official launch
October 2021: closing of applications
2021-2022: project support
2023: marketing
2024: Vendee Globe

Further information

Magnificent May at the Royal Southern
The Royal Southern Yacht Club May Regatta, supported by Doyle Sails, was the first big open event of the year for the prestigious yacht club located on the Hamble River. 72 teams enjoyed thrilling racing in The Solent with seven classes racing on two racecourses. Congratulations to the class winners: Tony & Sally Mack's J/111 McFly, Glyn Locke's Farr 280 Toucan, J/112E Happy Daize skippered by James Chalmers, Quarter Tonner Protis helmed by Ian Southworth, David Hitchcock's XP38 Red Five, Simon Patterson's J/70 Standfast and Peter Baines' XOD Felix.

The first day was cancelled due to high winds but it was well worth the wait. On Sunday, a southerly wind, piping up to over 20 knots in the gusts, delivered excellent racing conditions. The key areas to a top performance was spotting the shifts in wind direction and staying in the best breeze.

Tony & Sally Mack's J/111 McFly was the winner in IRC 1. The 16-boat fleet was bristling with high performance yachts flying hi-tech sails. Chris Jones & Louise Jones Makin's J/111 JourneyMaker 11 was second, just a point ahead of Michael Blair & Stevie Beckett's King 40 Cobra.

In the eight-strong HP30 Class, Glyn Locke's Farr 280 Toucan, with son Alex on the stick, won two out of three races to take the podium. Jamie Rankin's Farr 280 Pandemonium was second. Competing in their first race with a new boat, Alain Waha's FarEast 28 Cogital was third.

In the Club Class, David Hitchcock's XP38 Red Five was the winner, just a point ahead of two well sailed Contessa 32s. Martin Collen's Andaxi won two races but did not compete in Race 3 to place second on countback from Mark Catherall's Teela.

The 19-strong J/70 Class was racing in the inaugural J/70 UK Sprint Series. Five short, sharp races on a tight windward leeward course were designed for adrenalin pumping action. Simon Patterson's Standfast was the event winner, scoring two bullets. Paul Ward's Eat Sleep J Repeat was in the top three for every race but was second by a single point. Martin Dent's Jelvis was third, similarly just a point behind Paul Ward's team. Charles Thompson's Brutus II was fourth, scoring a race win in his brand-new J/70.

In the XOD Class, Peter Baines' Felix won two of today's races to win by a point from Gary Rossall's Little X. Andy Hamlett's Satu was third. -- Louay Habib

Full Results:

Optimist World Championship
Riva del Garda, Italy: Just over a month to go before the start of the most awaited youth sailing event in the international sailing scenario, the Optimist World Championship: after the postponement of the regatta in 2020, Riva del Garda is getting ready to welcome the best young sailors of the World.

With registrations still open, fifty nations have already confirmed their presence for the World Championship that will start on Wednesday 30 June in the waters of Lake Garda (Italy): considering qualifications, team races and finals, the participants will be engaged in an intense series of regattas that will end on July 10th, when the winner of the 2021 Optimist World Championship will be proclaimed, successor in the roll of honor to Marco Gradoni, record holder in the Optimist Class for having sealed three World Championships in a row.

The 2021 Optimist World Championship is organized by Fraglia Vela Riva, Riva del Garda Fierecongressi, Garda Trentino and AICO - the Italian Optimist Class Association.

2021worlds.optiworld.org/en/default/races/race

Maserati Multi 70 and Giovanni Soldini conquer the record on the Fastnet original course
Maserati Multi 70 and Giovanni Soldini crossed the finish line of the Fastnet original course on 8th May at 19:14:11 GMT (21:14:11 Italian time), conquering a new record: 595 miles from Cowes to Plymouth in 23 hours, 51 minutes and 16 seconds, with an average speed of 24,94 knots. The previous time, 25 hours, 4 minutes and 18 seconds, with an average speed of 23,73 knots, was set by Peter Cunningham's MOD70 PowerPlay only a month ago.

The Italian trimaran crossed the starting line off Cowes on 7th May at 19:22:55 GMT heading west.

It's a triple victory for Soldini and his crew, who are closing the record season in the English Channel with a rich haul. The Italian Team arrived in Cherbourg, north of France, on April 11th, ready to set sail whenever ideal weather windows arrived and, in just four weeks, they were able to conquer all three records they had their eyes on: from Plymouth to La Rochelle (12 hours, 15 minutes, 21 seconds), from Cowes to Dinard (4 hours, 30 minutes, 49 seconds) and the Fastnet Original Course (23 hours, 51 minutes, 16 seconds).

For this record, five skilled sailors raced aboard the trimaran alongside Giovanni Soldini: among them, for the first time aboard Maserati Multi 70, was Gerardo Siciliano, who was already part of Soldini's crew on ORMA60 TIM and part of Luna Rossa's team. With them also Guido Broggi, Carlos Hernandez Robayna, Oliver Herrera Perez and Matteo Soldini.

maserati.soldini.it

New Olympic News Page
We have created a new Olympic News page on the OffshoreDoubles.org website to keep you up to date with a bunch of links to articles and information about the Mixed Offshore Olympic Event.

We are happy that World Sailing is still firmly supporting Mixed Offshore as its "First-choice event for Paris 2024". World Sailing's staff have done a very good job of answering the IOC questions promptly and fully.

The IOC statement to World Sailing on 15 April made it clear that the IOC was continuing to review and assess the Mixed Offshore Event; they have not rejected it. That communication from the IOC did, however, ask World Sailing to provide alternatives that were consistent with a clearly outlined framework of six criteria. While this was not a good sign, the IOC is still assessing the Mixed Offshore Event and its unique strengths relative to the likely alternatives of adding yet another board or dinghy event to the existing nine board and dinghy events. The World Sailing Mid-Year meeting is this coming week, culminating in a council meeting on Friday to decide on which alternatives to supply to the IOC. There is no vote at the meeting regarding the Mixed Offshore Event since it already is and will remain World Sailing's first choice.

The decision lies with the IOC Executive Board who meet in early June. Action items for us as a community are to continue to get a positive message supporting the Mixed Offshore Event to the IOC through the press and the sailing community at large.

We are continuing to push forward to grow the discipline no matter which way the decision goes. Many of those who oppose the Mixed Offshore Event for Paris 2024 support the event for 2028 recognizing: a) that it represents a large portion of our sport, b) it is very different from all the other dinghy/board events, and c) it offers unique media and digital sports opportunities.

As Offshore Doubles, we have forged a strong partnership with Seahorse Magazine and have started writing a column each quarter. Our column this month appears in the digital edition.

www.offshoredoubles.org/olympic-event-news/

For the Record
The WSSR Council announces the establishment of 2 new World Records:

Record: Cowes to Dinard
Yacht: PowerPlay. MOD70
Name: Peter Cunningham/Ned Collier Wakefield GBR and 7 crew
Date:.22nd April 2021
Start time: 09;00;37 UTC on the 22/04/21
Finish time: 13;39;40 UTC on the 22/04/21
Elapsed time: 4 hours 39 minutes and 03 seconds
Course length: 138 NM
Average speed: 29.67 kts
Comments: Previous Record: "Phaedo 3". Thornburg/Thompson. USA/GBR. Sep 15
4h 48m 57s

Record: Cowes to Dinard
Yacht: Maserati70
Name: Giovanni Soldini ITA and a crew of 6
Date:.22nd April 2021
Start time: 09;13;40 UTC on the 22/04/21
Finish time: 13;44;25 UTC on the 22/04/21
Elapsed time: 4 hours 30 minutes and 45 seconds
Course length: 138 NM
Average speed: 30.58 kts
Comments: Previous Record: PowerPlay. Peter Cunningham. 22/04/21. 4h 39m 03s

John Reed
Secretary to the WSSR Council
sailspeedrecords.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 Philip Crebbin: re: Olympic Team Racing

This photo is from the prizegiving of the London Pirates 2-boat Team racing event on the last occasion I participated, with Jon Redding (second from right) as my partner. This was in 1979. I also won it with David Wilkins (twice) and Nick Martin. Anthony Landamore (left) was always my crew. Click on image to enlarge.

It is an interesting idea to have Team racing as one of the disciplines in the Olympics. But I would particularly like to support Malcolm McKeag in proposing that it should then be 2-boat team racing. Based just on "last boat loses", it is then easy to follow and is much more exciting, both to watch and to participate in.

I remember fondly the years of the annual London Pirates 2-boat team racing competition, held in Enterprises at Wraysbury, which I won with various partners four times back in the 1970s, with Anthony Landamore as my crew.

The great thing about it is that you can absolve a foul on a leg by going round the next mark last, with no rights over the others at the mark. So there were rarely any protests - I think I remember one actual protest in all the five years that I sailed in the event.

Of course, for a more serious competition, you can now have umpires to decide who is at fault in an incident, and define which boat, if any, has to go round the next mark last. You then sometimes have the interesting aspect of two boats from opposite teams having to go round the next mark last for different incidents up that leg. Then these two boats maintain their rights against each other at the mark, but not against the other two boats, which have to be the first two boats round the mark.

I can still specifically picture one occasion that happened, when none of the four boats would go round a mark, because one boat of each team had accepted a penalty, and the other two boats were each trying to delay their rounding and help their team member with a penalty to be ahead of the other boat with a penalty round the mark. It got quite complicated and it was some time before any boats went round the mark!

It really is a great spectator sport, as well as a great participant sport, and a thousand times better than 3-boat team racing in my view!

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The Last Word
We've dealt with jury tampering, wiretapping, a defendant that was literally gagged, and a judge who's been handing down rulings from the bench that would be considered wrong in Honduras, so I'm a little less interested in the law than I was when this trial began. -- William Kunstler

Editorial and letter submissions to

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