In This Issue
• U23 Finn World Championship
• 24-hour record for Ian Lipinski and Credit Mutuel
• Monaco Energy Boat Challenge reaches climax
• Young Azzurra Wins The Persico 69F Grand Prix 2.1
• Shirley Robertson talks to Kiwi big boat legend Mike Sanderson
• IRC Zero: Big boats getting read to roll in the Rolex Fastnet Race
• Etchells Youth Academy
• Tom Dolan Beaten By The Clock And Finishes Tour de Bretagne in 13th
• The treasure inside beer lost in a shipwreck 120 years ago
• Featured Brokerage:
• • ClubSwan 50-004 Mathilde M
• • J/122 - "Black Dog"
• • Kinetic Catamarans - KC62
• The Last Word: Sir Richard Branson

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

U23 Finn World Championship
Panagiotis Iordanou, CYP. Click on image to enlarge. Photo by Robert Deaves

Twenty ambitious young Finn sailors, from six nations, are taking part in the 2021 U23 Finn World Championship for the Jorg Bruder Finn Silver Cup, which opened on Sunday at Tihanyi Hajós Egylet (THE) on Lake Balaton, Hungary.

Domonkos Nemeth, from Hungary, leads overall after taking three bullets on a day that was all about speed and hiking. In fact the top three are all Hungarian sailors with Levente Racz in second and Bence Racz third.

The day was sailed in two halves with two nice races in a steady 10-12 knots, dropping down to 6-7 at times, before a thunderstorm caused the third race to be cancelled. After several hours waiting on shore a diminished fleet set out again in 15-20 knots and big waves.

The Finn U23 World Championship in Tihany continues until Thursday 15 July.

Results after Day 1
1. Domonkos Nemeth, HUN, 3
2. Levente Racz, HUN, 10
3. Bence Racz 12
4. Abel Szucs, HUN, 20
5. Sjoerd Hofland, NED, 25
6. Denes Ujvary, HUN, 26
7. Panagiotis Iordanou, CYP, 27
8. Mikhail Yatsun, RYF, 28
9. Andres Ivan Lloret Perez, HUN, 33
10. Zsombor Majthenyi, HUN, 33

Full results

2021.finnsilvercup.org

24-hour record for Ian Lipinski and Credit Mutuel
Ian Lipinski is definitely impressive on his Max 40 Credit Mutuel: a victory in the Transat Jacques Vabre in 2019 with Adrien Hardy during which they broke the record for the distance covered in 24 hours on a Class40, previously held by the duo Maxime Sorel / Antoine Carpentier, a new reference time on the Round Britain and Ireland Record in 2020 and here is a new record for 2021, achieved during the Les Sables Horta race, with Ambrogio Beccaria.

Credit Mutuel covered 428.82 nautical miles between Monday, July 5 (0h00) and Tuesday, July 6 (0h00) at an average speed of 17.9 knots.

This record was previously held by the same skipper - boat pairing; they had sailed 415.86 miles at an average speed of 17.3 knots between November 5 and 6, 2019.

www.class40.com

Monaco Energy Boat Challenge reaches climax
After a week packed with events, exchanges, races, successes and setbacks, triumphs and disappointments, the 8th Monaco Energy Boat Challenge (6-10 July) reached a peak on the final day with an endurance challenge and speed duels - enough to push the 32 teams in all 3 classes to the limits of their resources one more time.

The Open Sea Class faced their toughest endurance test yet, as they had to prove their capacity to go the distance by racking up laps on a 3nm mile course for as long as possible. Hynova won, almost equal on points with the Candela team, the Tenderworks team having been disqualified for breaking the rules despite their excellent result with 20 laps completed, the equivalent of a return trip to Cannes.

For the Energy and Solar classes the morning was spent on a timed elimination slalom event, won by the foiling Sunflare Solar Team ahead of students from Lausanne's EPLV on their foiling Swiss Solar Boat, and Dutch students on HAN Twente. In the Energy Class, the Italian Uniboat won ahead of the Monegasque E-Racing Team and students from WAVE.

The afternoon was dedicated to the "Championship Race", as the 8 fastest boats from Thursday's qualifying heats went head to head in the quarter, semi and finals inside the marina. There were some spectacular duels on an inner loop-outer loop course that delighted the crowds gathered to watch on Quai Louis II. In the Solar Class, Sunflare again showed its superiority, beating the Swiss EPLV in the best of three races. In the Energy Class, the Bologna University students' Uniboat consolidated its success, their hydrogen prototype winning the final ahead of the Monegasque E-Racing Team.

For all the results and details on the teams and technologies.

www.energyboatchallenge.com

Young Azzurra Wins The Persico 69F Grand Prix 2.1
Click on image to enlarge.

Saturday was the final day of racing at the first event in the foiling Persico 69F Cup organized by the YCCS together with Team 69F. The home team, Young Azzurra wins the Grand Prix 2.1 followed by the Swiss team Okalys Youth Project in second place and the Italian team team FlyingNikka 74 in third.

The third and final day of racing was very intense for all of the teams who, to recover the races that were postponed yesterday, started the day early at 7:00 AM at the YCCS Centro Sportivo for their briefing before heading out to sea. The Race Committee evaluated the conditions then set the course off Romazzino, where the Persico 69F fleet completed 8 races in Mistral breeze at 15 to 18 knots.

Monday July 12th will see practice sessions for the Persico 69F fleet ahead of the Grand Prix 2.2 event in the Persico 69F Cup that will be held at the YCCS from July 15 to 17. There will be three days to win this event and Young Azzurra will be sailing against eight other teams: Okalys Youth Project, Sailing Performance and Tixwave/Timeon that they sailed against in this event and five new teams: Groupe My Ambition, Section 16, Balthasar, Swiss Dental Solutions and GoatPower by Ulika.

www.yccs.it

Shirley Robertson talks to Kiwi big boat legend Mike Sanderson
This month on her podcast Shirley Robertson talks to one of the world's leading offshore and Maxi yacht skippers, from New Zealand, Mike "Moose" Sanderson. With tales to tell from the America's Cup, the Volvo Ocean Race and a host of successful Maxi yacht campaigns, Sanderson is a man who very obviously loves to talk sailing. Having left school early to pursue a career as a sail maker, he has spent his entire adult life immersed in the sport, and from his very first answer his enthusiasm and passion is there for all to hear.

Sanderson and Robertson sat down to talk just days after Emirates Team New Zealand's win at the 36th America's Cup, the pair kick things off with a short chat about the successful defence of the Cup, before moving on to Sanderson's early love of sailing and desire to make a living from the sport. HIs early inspiration was New Zealand's 1987 Freemantle America's Cup campaign, and of course Sir Peter Blake, and "Steinlager 2's" Whitbread win of 1990, both of which drove him to quit school and take to sailing. Within a few years he had attracted the attention of some big names, in a country where big things were happening in the sport of sailing. At twenty one he was on the crew of New Zealand Endeavour, off around the world on the Whitbread, and his career was well underway.

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. The podcast is produced and written by Tim Butt - for further enquires, please contact

IRC Zero: Big boats getting read to roll in the Rolex Fastnet Race
IRC Zero represents the glamour end of the keelboat fleet in the Rolex Fastnet Race. It's likely that we'll see line honours go to one of the maxis in the class, perhaps George David's 88ft defending line honour champion Rambler 88 (USA), if she can keep the freshly launched ClubSwan 125 Skorpios (MON) at bay.

Traditionally IRC Zero produces the most overall winners. Over the last 10 editions, half have been won by IRC Zero competitors, including Niklas Zennstrom's two-time winner Ran 2, while David and Peter Askew's VO70 Wizard won overall IRC honours and the Fastnet Challenge Cup in 2019.

Aside from the fully professional teams competing aboard the 'no excuse to lose' maxis, there is a growing charter market in the Volvo Ocean 65 and Volvo Open 70 boats. T

While there's enormous kudos in being first across the finish line in real time, every racing sailor knows that the real battle is on corrected time under IRC. Other boats to watch in this size bracket include the ever-competitive Teasing Machine (FRA). Designed by Bernard Nivelt and Alexis Muratet and built by King Marine in Spain, Eric de Turckheim's Teasing Machine is a powerful 54-footer with soft chines and a cockpit that has been fully optimised for crewed offshore competition.

At the core of the Teasing Machine campaign is project manager Laurent Pages, a Volvo Ocean Race winner in 2011/12. Above the water, the 54-footer bears strong similarities with a VO70 or VO65, with a similar deck layout and twin companionways with the pit in between. But Teasing Machine is designed to compete under IRC, with the major area of optimisation being her heavy fin keel and a number of concessions to comfort on board, including hot water, an oven and two fridges.

From the battle-proven to the barely-touched-the-water example of Sir Richard Matthews' new Oystercatcher XXXV (GBR), a Carkeek-designed custom 52-footer. While this may be the boat's first foray into the Rolex Fastnet Race, for Sir Richard it is his 24th assault on the Rock

If offshore racing is a game that rewards experience and sea miles, the group of sailors on Bretagne Telecom from La Trinite-sur-Mer will again be ones to watch for the overall prize. Second overall on IRC in 2019, boat builder and owner of this canting-keel Mach 45 Nicolas Groleau has campaigned Bretagne Telecom (FRA) in the past six editions of the race. She has twice won her class and stood on the podium on all but one occasion, so an overall race victory is surely only a matter of time and persistence for Groleau and his committed band of Breton hot shots.

Another entry with a strong focus on promoting youth participation is the Dutch Ker 46 Van Uden (NED), with Volvo Ocean Race veteran Gerd Jan Poortman looking to turn his crew of 18 to 25 year olds into world class offshore sailors. -- Andy Rice / RORC

Latest Entry List

www.rolexfastnetrace.com

Etchells Youth Academy
Click on image to enlarge.

The Royal London Etchells Youth Academy prizegiving and drinks reception were hosted by the Royal London Yacht Club this weekend during the Etchells South Coast Championships.

A program of training plus success in the Etchells Academy trials entitles teams access to racing in the active and welcoming Cowes fleet. This includes the use of a competitive Etchells keelboat and a year's membership of the Royal London Yacht Club. With the 2021 European Championships and 2022 World Championships scheduled in Cowes, these sailors have a real chance to make a mark on the fleet.

The class Academy is generously supported by David Franks and the Royal London Yacht Club. The class is also very fortunate to have David Bedford for coordinating the training and the coaches, Graham Sunderland and Karl Schafer for the maintenance and upkeep of the boats, and all its very supportive members. The Etchells Academy can boast a wealth of successful sailors as alumni who have progressed to compete in the professional sailing scene.

For 2021, two new teams were granted a boat from the trials event in May, with a team from the Royal Thames Yacht Club, and two alumni outfits. Teams were presented with new branded kit at the reception, so do keep an eye out for the sailors donning it!

Those teams are led by:
- Ines Pont Sanchis, sailing Shamal
- Will Birchall, sailing Sumo
- Thea Crawshaw, sailing Ziggy
- Jake Hardman, sailing Pulse
- Sam Jones, sailing Mano

www.rlyc.org.uk

Tom Dolan Beaten By The Clock And Finishes Tour de Bretagne in 13th
A faltering wind and strong contrary tide put paid to the hopes of Ireland's Tom Dolan and French co-skipper Tanguy Leglatin of rescuing a solid final race result on the Tour de Bretagne a la Voile which finished today in Quiberon, Brittany.

Dolan and Leglatin, sailing Smurfit Kappa-Kingspan, were one of the ten boats in the field of 32 which were timed out, crossing the finish line outside of the time limit today and so scoring maximum points. This dropped Dolan and Leglatin from his intermediate standing of eighth on the General Classification after Saturday's 25th place finish which was also scored in light and fickle conditions.

"It is not the way we wanted to finish the week. We have had a tough couple of days which did not go our way. We made a few mistakes which we have learned from but ultimately in this fleet you have to be able to be consistent all the way through the week and we did not manage that." said Dolan on the dock in Quiberon at the end of the seven racing stages which started in Saint Malo a week ago on Saturday. "We are disappointed, of course we are, but this was not a key regatta, this was most of all about validating the new sails I have for La Solitaire and for sure I have been quick enough, but unfortunately that is not enough if you are going in the wrong direction."

tomdolanracing.com

Final top five after 8 races
1. Gardons La Vue, Martin Le Pape / Sebastian Col, FRA, 46 points
2. Breizh Cola, Gildas Mahe / Frederic Duthil, FRA, 60
3. Primeo Energie - Amarris, Achille Nebout / Fabien Delahaye, FRA, 64
4. Guyot Environnement-Ruban Rose, PIerre Leboucher / Nicolas Andrieu, FRA, 73
5. Region Normandie, Alexis Loison / Guillaume Pirouelle, FRA, 78

Full results

The treasure inside beer lost in a shipwreck 120 years ago
Long-forgotten yeast strains are being sought out from shipwrecks, abandoned breweries and other locations in the hope they could be put to good use if resurrected.

As the diver gently eased himself through a hatch into the sunken hold, he could see the shipwreck's treasure lying in wait for him. It had been down there for more than 100 years. But now some of it was about to be freed from its resting place.

The explorer in question, Steve Hickman, a dive technician and amateur diver, carried a small, netted bag with him. The treasure he was after was beer. Preserved in the hold of this vessel were row upon row of glass beer bottles, partly buried in silt.

The wreck was the Wallachia, a cargo ship that sank in 1895 off the Scottish coast following a collision with another vessel in heavy fog. The Wallachia had just departed from Glasgow and was packed with various kinds of cargo, including large containers of a chemical called tin chloride. But the ship also had thousands of bottles of alcoholic beverages aboard. Many of them have been preserved in the cold water where the ship lay on the silty seabed for more than a century.

Since he began diving to the Wallachia in the 1980s, Hickman has retrieved dozens of bottles containing whisky, gin and beer. But his recent visit, a team effort with several companion divers, led to something unusual. The bottles they retrieved were handed to scientists at a research firm called Brewlab, who, along with colleagues from the University of Sunderland, were able to extract live yeast from the liquid inside three of the bottles. They then used that yeast in an attempt to recreate the original beer.

In 2018, a similar project in Tasmania used yeast from 220-year-old beer bottles found on a shipwreck to approximate a beverage from the 1700s. But the study of the Wallachia yeast revealed a surprise. Those beers contained an unusual type of yeast and the team behind the work is now evaluating whether this long-lost strain could have applications in modern brewing or could even improve beers today.

www.bbc.com

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The Last Word
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