In This Issue
• Congressional Cup Win For Chris Poole
• The Transat CIC
• Harken At The Front: The Foredeck Issue
• Cup Spy : Tow and sail in Barcelona and Cagliari
• Tailored to the task - Dimension Polyant
• Admiral's Cup Revival
• Peters & May Round Antigua Race
• Mcintyre OGR
• The 5 Minute Warning
• Shawyer Qualified for the New York to Vendee Race
• Letters to the Editor
• Featured Charter: McConaghy 75 - JACK
• Featured Brokerage:
• • Nautor Swan 77
• • 2011 Judel Vrolijk TP52 / IRC 52
• • Pegasus 50
• • Swan 48-250 Scintilla
• • Advanced A62
• The Last Word: Carlos Castaneda

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

Back-To-Back Congressional Cup Wins For Chris Poole
The intensity of the 59th Congressional Cup, the opening event for the 2024 World Match Racing Tour, reached its peak today as USA's Chris Poole and his Riptide Racing team won his second consecutive Congressional Cup and Crimson Blazer. Poole and his Riptide Racing team of Joachim Aschenbrenner, Bernardo Freitas, Mal Parker, Luke Payne, and Harry West defeated five-time Congressional Cup winner Ian Williams 3-1 in a tense final.

After Williams won the second match against Poole to tie the score, Poole's team rallied to come back strong with two wins and a final score of 3-1 to be able to wear his second Crimson Blazer.

The Congressional Cup once again proved to be a highlight of the international sailing calendar, attracting top talents from around the globe and delivering thrilling competition from start to finish. As the day concluded, it not only crowned a champion, but showcased a spirit of camaraderie and sportsmanship that defines this prestigious event.

Long Beach Yacht Club is already planning for next year's 60th anniversary Congressional Cup, which will be held as part of the 2025 World Match Racing Tour. Rewatch the live streamed action on The Congressional Cup and World Match Racing Tour's YouTube channels.

thecongressionalcup.com

The Transat CIC
Brittany turned on its best Spring sailing weather - sunshine, puffy cumulus clouds and a decent 10-15kts of Westerly wind - to send the 48 strong Transat CIC fleet on its way from Lorient towards New York for the start of the legendary solo race across the North Atlantic.

The first edition of the race since 2016 was blessed with relatively benign, modest breezes for early Sunday afternoon's farewell to the fleet of 33 IMOCA solo skippers, 13 Class 40 singlehanded racers and two vintage craft. For the very latest generation of IMOCAs there was enough wind to accelerate on to their foils for increasingly long periods.

Of the 48 sailors who took the start, 33 are competing in the IMOCA class, 13 in the Class40 class and 2 in the vintage class.

After a sunny, spectacular start, the 48 solo sailors taking part in the Transat CIC had to deal with the first windy and bumpy night at sea, crossing a front with 30 plus knots of wind and a rough sea state. According to the 4pm rankings, Charlie Dalin (MACIF Sante Prevoyance), Nicolas d'Estais (Cafe Joyeux) and Patrick Isoard (Uship pour les Enfants du Mekong) are leading in the IMOCA, Class40 and Vintage classes respectively.

Just over 24 hours have gone since the spectacular start from Lorient, after a rather eventful night with winds in excess of 30 knots and a particularly unpleasant sea state, and after having cleared the TSS exclusion zone at Ushant around midnight, the bulk of the fleet has emerged almost unscathed from the first hurdle on their route to the finish line in New York.

Jeremie Beyou, one of the top hopes for the Transat CIC solo race from Lorient to New York is returning to Lorient after damage to his J2 forestay. The skipper of Charal made the decision to turn around after discussions with his technical team, to be able to make a repair as quickly as possible and carry out a complete check of the boat. Beyou will leave again quickly with a reduced crew to deliver the IMOCA to New York. As determined as ever Beyou wants to make sure of starting the New York-Vendee race on May 29.

thetransat.com

We add prodders to them. We tack ever more head sails to them. We stand on them making wild hand signals in the prestart. It's here. Harken At The Front: The Foredeck Issue.
Harken works hard developing the most innovative marine hardware on earth. To fuel new products, we listen to sailors all over the world - and the collaboration begins. On the docks, we pick up insights and share in our social media and on HarkenBlockheads.com.

Once a quarter or so, we combine the highlights with video and often brand-new stuff in the next issue of our "At The Front" digital digest. We email it to about 10,000 who have subscribed. And sometimes, friendly media people pick it up so more sailors see it. Our latest issue features developments on the bow. In "At The Front... of the Pointy End" we asked a curated group of some very experienced bow men... bow women... bow sapiens to help us understand how things are different up front than in the back and indeed how things are different up there than... ever. We cover matching leach profiles in the triple headsail rig - including a bit on outriggers. We cover bow person techniques unique to match racing - including steering from the bow (it's a thing.) You should check it out. There will be no titanium ball-bearing spam from Harken - we promise. Simple, if you like what you see

Subscribe - It's Free.

harken.com

Cup Spy : Tow and sail in Barcelona and Cagliari
Four teams were active - two in Barcelona and the other in Cagliari. As reported earlier Emirates Team NZ sailed in fresh winds in Auckland, and American Magic had a brief reveal in Barcelona.

What happened in the Cup - April 26, 2024 - Updated:

- Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli - sailed today out of Cagliari. Report below.

- INEOS Britannia - tow tested in Barcelona. Report below.

- Alinghi Red Bull Racing - sailed out of Barcelona. See Report below.

- Emirates Team New Zealand - sailed beyond the Course A area for the 2021 America's Cup, and in winds recorded in the area at 20-25kts. The easterly swell running against the SW wind chop. See earlier report. Cup Spy watched today's session - which was impressive. They are expected to keep sailing until early May, resuming in Barcelona in early July.

- American Magic - revealed their AC75 unexpectedly today. At first glance the US boat shows a strong influence from Te Rehutai and its later progeny, the AC40. This is practicably evident in the bow treatment and the interface of the bow with the foredeck

- Orient Express Racing Team - Their AC75 is the other yet to be revealed. It is to an Emirates Team NZ design.

Read Richard Gladwell's full commentary in Sail-World.com

Tailored to the task - Dimension Polyant
Code sails and flying headsails put huge demands on the reliability of sailcloth. Now there's a solution

The advent of code zeros and flying headsails has produced a big leap forward in reaching performance among all boat types, from cruisers to flat-out Grand Prix racers. The market has responded favorably with sales of these sails being robust for all sailmakers at all scales.

To achieve the same levels of efficiency that decades of their development of upwind headsail sailcloth has produced, Dimension- Polyant has now put the same effort of development into the introduction of a new cloth style, CZ Uni Black.

The wide range of wind angles and wind speeds where these sails operate places tremendous demand on the reliability of sail material to perform as predicted in the design and construction process.

Full article in the May issue of Seahorse

Royal Irish Yacht Club Puts Head Above Parapet For Admiral's Cup Revival
The superb former Le Havre pilot cutter Jolie Brise was overall winner of the first Fastnet Race in 1925, and thanks to the meticulous maintenance of longtime owners Dauntsey’s School, she’s lined up to race the Centenary next year. Photo by Rick Tomlinson, rick-tomlinson.com. Click on image to enlarge.

The Royal Irish Yacht Club of Dun Laoghaire is so far the only club in Ireland which has indicated to Denis Byrne, Commodore of the governing Irish Cruiser-Racer Association and Vice Admiral of the Royal Cork YC, that it is prepared to undertake to provide two boats and crews for competition in the 2025 re-birth of the Admiral's Cup series, envisaged as concluding its competition as a central feature of next year's Centenary Fastnet Race.

With 14 nations registering interest, the format is flexible, as clubs or countries can be putting forth teams. It's a useful state of affairs at this stage of team assembly negotiations, as no individual names need to be mentioned. Thus where a suitable boat is not immediately available to the challengers, then if one is not being purpose-built (and some are), the alternative of charter options can be explored with the essential element of privacy.

Seasoned campaigner Mark Mansfield of Cork was already an impressive Admiral's Cup veteran before many of our readers were born, in fact he's probably in the reckoning to be the youngest AC skipper ever, but being Mark it's not something to which he gives undue attention.

Noting that an RIYC member has recently bought a Ker 46 which would fit in at the bottom of the upper rating band, he reckons that currently boat-less challengers will probably be aiming for charter of a TP52 or a PAC52 for the larger boat, and as modern a Fast Forty - or better still a Performance 40 - as they can secure, in order to challenge for the lower size band. For the rest of us, the fact that a Performance 40 is the small boat, with the entry fee at £5,500 for the biggies and £4,500 for the others, indicates that this is serious stuff, as those fees will be only a tiny fraction of the budget. But then the Admiral's Cup is not your average sailing silverware - it's pure gold in every sense.

WM Nixon's full editorial in Afloat magazine

Dawn Treader win Peters & May Round Antigua Race
Overall winners of the Peters & May Round Antigua Race - Ed Bell's JPK1180 Dawn Treader (GBR). Photo by Paul Wyeth/pwpictures.com. Click on image to enlarge.

The Peters & May Round Antigua Race was blessed with gorgeous conditions. The stand-alone race prior to Antigua Sailing Week was held in a warm gradient wind of 10-14 knots, just south of east, with a smooth sea state.

The overall winner, lifting the Peters & May Round Antigua Race Trophy, was Ed Bell's JPK 1180 Dawn Treader (GBR). Second was Jim Vos' RP37 Warthog (ANT) and third overall, winner of the CSA Racing Class and Monohull Line Honours, was Woody Cullen's Swan 58 Wavewalker (USA). Justin Scott's Outremer 51 Uhuru (USA) was the winner of the CSA Cruising Multihull Class, winning the Peters & May Multihull Line Honours Trophy.

The Peters & May Round Antigua Race is the perfect way for any team to tune up for Antigua Sailing Week. Local boats are also welcome to enter, even if they are not racing at the famous regatta.

All of the Dawn Treader team are from the UK, including three members of the Bell Family. Ed, Cate and their son George Bell are racing with friends from home, with Mark Spearman as Boat Captain. George Bell is taking time out before going to university and has raced thousands of miles on Dawn Treader this year, including the RORC Transatlantic Race and the RORC Caribbean 600. -- Louis Habib

Full results on YachtScoring.com

sailingweek.com

Aliana Withsecure & Evrika Finally Finish Mcintyre OGR
It was a long, painfully slow final two days to complete their circumnavigation. But, finally, Galiana WithSecure FI (06) and Evrika FR (07) crossed the Royal Yacht Squadron finish line in a moody windless, moonlight Cowes arrival. The Finns arrived at 23:12 UTC 24th April to a fanfare of flares and cannon fire from the stern of the Swan 55. The Finnish families, friends and fans expected nothing less from the passionate sailors. Upholding sailing traditions, the most impressive sail wardrobe of the fleet, OGR-themed songs, and yes, cannon fire being a hallmark of their adventure. And they didn't disappoint on their arrival. After wallowing just miles from the Royal Yacht Squadron finish line for two painful days due to lack of wind, Galiana WithSecure FI (06) finally completed their epic round-the-world adventure with the sleek style and class they've become renowned for.

Skipper Tapio Lehtinen and ten crew beamed with pride after completing their circumnavigation placing 9th in line honours and 8th in IRC for leg 4. It was a frustrating final few days for the Finns as the lack of wind halted progress 40 nm from the line - forcing the Swan to anchor in 50 metres ensuring they didn't lose miles due to the strong currents. The wait seemed like forever for those waiting in Cowes.

At 54 years old, the Swan 55, the oldest yacht in the OGR fleet, is raced by the youngest crew. She has turned heads and gained admirers around the world with her stunning design and immaculately polished deck - all that before she shows off her wardrobe!

The Sparkman & Stephens designed yawl has completed a drama-free race, placing 10th in line honours and 6th in IRC for both Leg 1 and 2. Leg 3 was an improvement, arriving into Auckland 6th over the line and 3rd in IRC.

Skipper Tapio Lehtinen who sailed in the 1981/2 Whitbread aboard Skopbank of Finland, is determined to pass down a sense of pride in Finnish sailing among young sailors. Something he has no doubt achieved with his crew.

oceangloberace.com

The 5 Minute Warning
Oh dear, Matt and Andy are really going to have to do better than this! Way over the 5-minute limit this week as Andy updates on the Olympic scene from drizzly Hyeres in the South of France.

The 'Last Chance' Regatta was the final opportunity for sailors to qualify their nations for the Olympic Regatta this summer, and it was tense all the way.

Meanwhile, Matt has been poring over the details of the AC75 hulls revealed thus far and is pleasantly relieved by the lines of the British entry from Ineos Britannia.

Out on the big wide ocean, Heather Thomas and an all-female crew on the 58-footer Maiden, originally skippered by Tracy Edwards in the 1989 Whitbread Race, have just sailed around the world again, not only completing the Ocean Globe Race but winning in the 14-entry fleet too. With the Transat CIC kicking off, there's plenty of action on IMOCA world too as the fleet builds up towards the Vendee Globe at the end of this busy year...

planetsail.co.uk
sailjuice.com

Canada's Scott Shawyer Qualified for the New York to Vendee Race
It's official: Scott Shawyer, the Canadian skipper of the IMOCA Be Water Positive, will be competing in the prestigious single-handed transatlantic race, the New York Vendee, which starts on 29 May 2024.

With no solo IMOCA races in recent months, it was obligatory for Scott to complete a rigorous 1200 nautical mile solo qualifying passage, set by the Race Director. With his race boat in solo race configuration the course set had to include a minimum of 120 nautical miles sailed upwind, in at least Force 5 wind and sea conditions. His course was monitored by his team and Race Direction to ensure that obligatory maneuvers and waypoints were executed. During the passage Scott saw a range of North Atlantic conditions with consistent 25-30 knots and 5 metre swells.

Whilst qualification was the main objective, the testing passage also allowed the Canadian skipper to get into full on solo mode and further test his boat's capabilities, electronics systems and to work on his sleep patterns. It's no secret that Scott has struggled with sea sickness which he has tackled head on and is now able to manage with a strict pre-departure routine and sea sickness patches.

Departing and circling back to the team's Spring training base in Cascais, Portugal, Shawyer returned from his journey on 12 April after 7 days at sea. Tired but exhilarated from his first major solo trip that sees him qualify for the prestigious New York Vendee race, this qualification marks a significant milestone in Scott's ocean racing journey.

canadaoceanracing.com

Featured Charter
McConaghy 75 - JACK.

The 2023 McConaghy 75 sailing catamaran JACK is available for charter with her 4 crew members for up to 8 guests.

2024 Planning:
July/August: Greece
September/Oct: Spain

Navigation under e-Charter licence (28 days) in Greece this summer then she will head back to Barcelona for the America's Cup (high season rate during that period)

Charter Rate (High Season): 70 000 EUR / week
Charter Rate (Low Season): 65 000 EUR / week

See listing details in Seahorse Charters

Contact
Charter Department
Bernard-Gallay
Phone : +33 (0)467 66 39 93
Mail :

See the the Seahorse charter collection

Featured Brokerage
Nautor Swan 77. 1490000 EUR. Located in Tuscany, Italy.

German Frers-designed ocean-cruising Swan from Nautor in 2003, and the very last Swan 77 out of the mould. Beautifully presented, continually updated and ready for the season. A very special yacht by any margin.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Michele Antonini - Grabau International (Italia)
Tel: +39 333 74 89 281
Email:

-----------------------------------------

2011 Judel Vrolijk TP52 / IRC 52. 420,000 USD. Located in Western Australia.

This TP / IRC 52 has so much pedigree, built as Azzura then to become Shogun, Ichi Ban, Envy Scooters and now Crush. She has as excellent performance record under IRC and ORC and comes complete with an extensive up to date inventory that will sure to impress.

- Offshore and Inshore modes
- Wheel steering & Tiller steering
- Optimised IRC /ORC keel package 2023 by Judel Vrolijk
- New standing rigging & turnbuckles 2021
- Excellent North sails wardrobe
- Cat 1 offshore safety
- Professionally maintained

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact

T: +61 414 332 255

-----------------------------------------

Pegasus 50. POA EUR.

Blue water cruiser for freedom at sea

Comfort, safety, quality and speed, the cardinals of the Pegasus yachts team. The Pegasus 50 offers an exclusive modern layout boasting an open flow from deck to interior for maximum comfort. Attention to details throughout this gorgeous and innovative yacht delivers the ultimate in quality and safety... for a short getaway or an ocean crossing adventure, with multiple crew or single-handed! With remarkable performance and agility, she will take you the distance and deliver superb sensations. The Pegasus 50 delivers the perfect harmony for your sailing adventures.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Miha Breskvar
E-mail:
Skype: miha.breskvar
Mobile: +386 41 686 096

-----------------------------------------

Swan 48-250 Scintilla. 1,350,000 EUR Ex VAT. Located in Henan, Sweden.

Swan 48 ‘Scintilla’ is at the top end of the specifications for the Swan 48. The interiors combine modern design and classic elegance, featuring sumptuous woodwork, high-quality fittings, and spacious living areas that offer both comfort and functionality for extended journeys on the water.

See listing details in Nautor Swan Brokerage

Contact
Giorgio Passarella

-----------------------------------------

Advanced A62. POA EUR.

A Quantum leap in Hydrodynamic Technology. A true “Gran Turismo”, the A62 melds state-of-the art hydro and aero hull dynamics with seductive deck styling and appeal.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Advanced Yachts
Via Brera 6, Milan - 20121 - Italy
Tel: +39 02 433507224
Mobile: +39 335 7055966

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

The Last Word
The aim is to balance the terror of being alive with the wonder of being alive. -- Carlos Castaneda

Editorial and letter submissions to

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