Brought to you by Seahorse magazine, Scuttlebutt Europe 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

ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami
Miami, Florida, USA: If the Chamber of Commerce had stayed up all night working at it, they could not have served up a better day for racing at ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami, presented by Sunbrella.

The second day offered a steady diet of breeze in the teens

We're still early in a regatta scheduled for six days of racing, including a Medal Race on Saturday for top-ten qualifiers. At stake are qualifying points and slots for the finale of the six-event international series that has become the proving ground of the would-be Olympic sailor.

The finale will take place in Abu Dhabi U.A.E. late in 2015, and after that - After that, an athlete is either ready for Rio and the 2016 Olympic Games, or not.

Top three by class:

470 - Men's Two Person Dinghy
1. Panagiotis Mantis / Pavlos Kagialis, GRE, 8
2. Luke Patience / Elliot WIllis, GBR, 7
3. Mathew Belcher / Will Ryan, AUS, 8

470 - Women's Two Person Dinghy
1. Jo Aleh / Polly Powrie, NZL, 5
2. Hannah Mills / Saskia Clark, GBR, 8
3. Sophie Weguelin / Eilidh McIntyre, GBR, 15

49er - Men's Skiff
1. Diego Botin / Iago Lopez, ESP, 7
2. David Gilmour / Rhys Mara, AUS, 21
3. Nico Delle Karth / Nikolaus Resch, AUT, 22

49erFX - Women's Skiff
1. Alexandra Maloney / Molly Meech, NZL, 10
2. Martine Sofiatti Grael / Kahena Kunze, BRA, 27
3. Leonie Meyer / Elena Stoffers, GER, 29

Laser - Men's One Person Dinghy
1. Robert Scheidt, BRA, 7
2. Matthew Wearn, AUS, 11
3. Nick Thompson, GBR, 12

Laser Radial - Women's One Person Dinghy
1. Anne-Marie Rindom, DEN, 5
2. Annalise Murphy, IRL, 7
3. Marit Bouwmeester, NED, 9

RS:X - Men's Windsurfer
1. Louis Giard, FRA, 10
2. Dorian van Rijsselberge, NED, 14
3. Byron Kokkalanis, GRE, 15

RS:X - Women's Windsurfer
1. Bryony Shaw, GBR, 12
2. Olga Maslivets, RUS, 13
3. Lilian de Geus, NED, 14

Nacra17 - Mixed Multihull
1. Gemma Jones / Jason Saunders, NZL, 9
2. Ben Saxton / Nicola Groves, GBR, 16
3. Vittorio Bissaro / Silvia Sicouri, ITA, 21

Finn - Men's One Person Dinghy
1. Giles Scott, GBR, 3
2. Jake Lilley, AUS, 6
3. Edward Wright, GBR, 16

2.4mR - One Person Keelboat
1. Megan Pascoe, GBR, 5
2. Bja Rnar Erikstad, NOR, 5
3. Helena Lucas, GBR, 5

Skud 18 - Two Person Keelboat
1. Daniel Fitzgibbon / Liesl Tesch, AUS, 6
2. Marco Gualandris / Marta Zanetti, ITA, 7
3. Alexandra Rickham / Niki Birrell, GBR, 8

Sonar - Three Person Keelboat
1. John Robertson / Hannnah Stodel / Stephen Thomas, GBR, 3
2. Aleksander Wang-Hansen / Per Eugen Kristiansen / Marie Solberg, NOR, 7
3. Paul Tingley / Logan Campbell / Scott Lutes, CAN, 7

www.sailing.org/worldcup/
miami.ussailing.org

Irish Sailors In Command Of International Sailing In London
Michael Boyd at Fastnet Rock.

It has been a typical winter season in London with the AGM of the Royal Ocean Racing Club in December, and then January saw the annual log adjudication announcements of the Royal Cruising Club - it's a cruising achievement assessment process which goes back to 1896, while the club itself is far and away the world's most senior cruising organisation, as it dates back to 1880. The RCC meeting was then followed nine days later by the Annual General Meeting of the Old Gaffers Association, founded 1963 and now maturing very well as an international body.

There was nothing at all unusual in the fact of these three meetings being held. But it was unusual that, in all three gatherings, the leading roles were filled by Irish sailors. W M NIXON takes up the story in Afloat:

When Michael Boyd became Commodore of the Royal Ocean Racing Club on December 1st 2014, it was at the conclusion of a year in which Ireland had performed exceptionally well in the club's international racing programme, with a clear victory in the Brewin Dolphin Commodore's Cup series, while Anthony O'Leary's Ker 39 Antix from Cork became RORC "Yacht of the Year" after a season which included winning the club's National IRC Championship and being Captain's Boat in the Commodore's Cup squad.

But it was steady years of service on committees and in the secondary flag officer roles, rather than Irish success in the club's racing, which led to Michael Boyd's elevation to the top post, allied to his long personal involvement of participation in all the main RORC events, and many minor ones too.

So when your reporter had lunch with the new Commodore just eight days ago, he should have kept the main man strictly on track for a serious discussion of the challenges that club and sport face. And so we did for a while. But when you're with somebody with Michael Boyd's personal enthusiasm for participation sailing, dusty discussions on administrative matters have to run in parallel with wide-ranging and entertaining talk of sailing, boats, sailing folk and the wonders of the sea - the man certainly knows his boats and places and people.

Much more from WM Nixon:

afloat.ie

SK2. Welcome To The New.
The fast and fun sportsboat with a canting keel. Developed by Swing Keel Sailing Ltd and built by Ovington boats.

The SK2 is equally a capable racer for 2-3 crew or a performance day-sailor with family and friends. Developed as a strict one design class in mind it is equally suitable for a wide range of mixed fleet racing. The SK2 has been shown to live happily and be equally competitive amongst dinghies, sportsboats and more varied inshore club fleets. A true cross-over boat.

SK2's thoroughly developed package provides a new experience. The difference is the canting keel. Easily operate manually the canting keel provides additional righting moment and allows full use of SK2's powerful sailplan. Together this makes the SK2 suitable for a wide range of wind conditions. It also offers an ideal trialling vehicle for those with an eye on something bigger.

Weighing in at only 210kg (hull & Keel) it is towable by any car. At this weight an SK2 is also easily launched by hand like a dinghy from the beach or a boat slip.

The SK2 can be seen on the water this winter in the GJW Sail Juice Series. It is starting to post notable results with a 2nd overall at the Datchet Flyer.

Come see us at the London Dinghy Show 28.02-01.03.2015 Stand F30

sk2sailing.com

World Championship Title In The Balance
London, UK: Monsoon Cup Malaysia, the final event of the 2014 Alpari World Match Racing Tour, is to take place in its new home of Johor, the southernmost state of Malaysia, over 10th-14th February. In addition to being the grand finale of the Tour, the event will also see the 2014 ISAF Match Racing World Champion crowned.

Much is at stake for Ian Williams and his GAC Pindar team. To date Williams has won the World Match Racing four times (in 2007-8 and 2011-12). If at the Monsoon Cup he can score a fifth World Championship victory, then he will surpass Australian Peter Gilmour's record of wins (in 1990, 1997-8 and 2006) and will enter the history books as the person to have claimed the world title the most times in the Championship's 27 year history.

In 2013, Williams narrowly missed out on achieving the record when he finished runner-up, five points shy of US Virgin Island skipper Taylor Canfield and his US One team. For the present championship, Williams is in better shape. Once again the main threat is Canfield, but going into the Monsoon Cup the British match racing ace holds a six point advantage over his rival.

Unfortunately in real terms this doesn't represent much of a cushion: Williams still has to finish within a place of Canfield if he is to secure his fifth World Championship title.

Mathematically as it stands, any one of the top five crews on the leaderboard could win the 2014 Alpari World Match Racing Tour.

From a prize purse of US$ 500,000 - the largest across the breadth of professional sailing - the World Champion and winner of the 2014 Alpari World Match Racing Tour receives US$ 100,000, the second placed finisher US$ 80,000, with prize money on a diminishing scale to all eight Tour Card skippers.

As if this were not pay day enough, there is also substantial prize money on offer for the Monsoon Cup itself with a prize purse of MYR 1,475,000 (US$ 412,760) up for grabs and with the winner receiving MYR 310,000 (US$ 86,750).

Follow all the action on LIVE streaming from 10-14 February at www.wmrt.com

EFG's Star Winter Season
The 3rd Star Winter Series presented by EFG (SWS) and hosted by Miami's Biscayne Bay was a shining success. Not only have all five regattas had stronger participation than last year but the final one, the Mid Winters, grew 35% with 45% of the sailors international (CAN, SWE, BRA, UKR, ARG, ITA and GER). Social Media has gone wild with over 9000 followers on Facebook for the Star Winter Series page.

The winners of the 2015 Star Midwinters were Augie Diaz and Arnis Baltins by 8 points over Brazil's Lars Grael and Samuel Gonçalves. 3rd place and 14 points behind the Brazilians were Peter Vessella and Guy Avellon.

This was the last regatta in the Star Winter Series for 2014-2015. The Overall results include a very familiar name at the top. America's Cup skipper Paul Cayard was the 1st place skipper. Olympian Magnus Liljedahl and Brian Terhaar split the responsibility of being Paul's crew over the four races (you are allowed to drop one). They won by beating Rolex Yachtsman of the Year Augie Diaz and Arnis Baltins with Peter Vessella and Guy Avellon in 3rd place.

With the Star Worlds here in Miami at Coral Reef Yacht Club in 2016, the SWS participation will continue to grow.

Final Results (PDF)

Local Skipper Matt Jerwood Leads Warren Jones Regatta
Perth, Western Australia: Perth based skipper Matt Jerwood made a strong opening on the first day of the Warren Jones International Youth Regatta today on the Swan River, winning his first six matches, before suffering two losses, but retains the overall lead.

The American team led by Peter Holz from Chicago claimed second place on the leaderboard, despite being without their skipper. Holz was delayed en-route by cancelled flights and missed connections, so crew member Jordan Reece took over the helm and steered the team to a five win, two loss scoreline.

Three teams share third place, Denmark's Joachim Aschenbrenner, Chris Steele of New Zealand and another local skipper Lachy Gilmour.

Being sailed on Perth's Swan River, the event is being hosted by the Royal Perth Yacht Club, and organised by Swan River Sailing.

The twelve teams competing were subjected to a variety of wind conditions to compliment the constant heat, which remained around 38 degrees C for most of the day. The morning easterly breeze was fitful and shifty, with the gust feeling as if they came straight from a blast furnace. After a windless lunchtime interval, a steady but weak seabreeze established itself, but provided little relief from the heat.

The regatta continues until Friday. -- John Roberson

Results:

1. Matt Jerwood, South of Perth Y.C. - 6 wins 2 losses
2. Peter Holz, Chicago Match Racing Centre - 5 / 3
3= Joachim Aschenbrenner, Royal Dansh Y.C. - 4 / 1
3= Chris Steele, Royal New Zealand Y.S. - 4 / 1
3= Lachy Gilmour, Royal Freshwater Bay Y.C. - 4 / 1
6= Sam Gilmour, Royal Freshwater Bay Y.C. - 3 / 2
6= Kohei Ichikawa, Japan Sailing Federation - 3 / 5
6= Jay Griffin, Cruising Y.C. of Australia - 3 / 5
9= Mark Lees, Royal Southern Y.C. - 2 / 3
9= Sam Ellis, Cruising Y.C. of Australia - 2 / 3
11= Malcolm Parker, Royal Prince Alfred Y.C. - 0 / 5
11= Will Boulden, Royal Freshwater Bay Y.C. - 0 / 5

32nd Biennial Pineapple Cup - Montego Bay Race
Montego Bay, Jamaica: Set to begin Friday, February 6, the 32nd edition of the venerable Pineapple Cup - Montego Bay Race will start in Port Everglades, Florida, and send its 12-boat fleet on a 811 nautical mile course to Montego Bay, Jamaica. George Sakellaris's (Framingham, Mass.) 72-foot Shockwave will be the largest boat competing, so it should be interesting to compare her results with those turned in by the balance of a fleet comprised primarily of 40 footers.

Quite convincingly at the 2013 "MoBay," Shockwave won both overall honors and her IRC division after finishing just 58 minutes short of the elapsed time record (two days, 10 hours and 24 minutes, set in 2005 by Titan 12).

In 2013, when Michael Hennessey's Class 40 Dragon had the misfortune of losing both of its "kites" off the coast of Cuba, it was forced to limp the last 300 miles to the downwind finish.

Hennessey has entered again with the same boat, which he said "loves the typical reaching and running conditions of the MoBay race."

Hennessey, like three others of the five Class 40s competing, will sail double-handed this year rather than with a full five-person crew like he had last time. His team will be scored against the other Class 40s as one-design and additionally under a PHRF handicap to determine the overall outcome in that division, which will be racing for the Silver Seahorse Perpetual Trophy.

There is also a division for IRC, which will be racing for the Pineapple Cup Trophy. The Silver Rose Bowl Perpetual Trophy is presented to the first monohull boat to finish.

IRC
Hot Ticket, King 40, Jim Hightower, Temple, Texas
Miss Jamaica/Team Easy Skanking, J/120, Richard Hamilton, Montego Bay, Jamaica
Miss Maris, J/122, Mark Jordan, Mount Pleasant, SC
Shockwave, Maxi 72, George Sakellaris Framingham, Mass.

PHRF 1
Senara, Farr 395, Jim Eamonn/Bill deLisser, Miami, Fla.
Tampa Girl, J/120, William Terry, Tampa, Fla.
Vortices, J/145, Chris Saxton, Plymouth, Mich.

Class 40
AMHAS, Class 40, Davis MacKenzie, Mill Valley, Calif.
Dragon, Class 40, Michael Hennessy, New York, N.Y.
First Light, Class 40, FK Day, Chicago, Ill.
Oakcliff Racing/Bodacious Dream, Class 40, Jeffrey MacFarland, Oyster Bay, N.Y.
Pleiad Racing, Class 40, Edward Cesare, Norwalk, Conn.

www.montegobayrace.com

Australia Day Honours
In the 2015 Australia Day Honours List the Chairman of the Australia Day Regatta Management Committee John Jeremy and Olympic yachting gold medallist David Forbes have been honoured.

John Jeremy has been made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to the preservation and celebration of naval and maritime history, David Forbes awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his services to yachting.

John was able to celebrate his AM award yesterday aboard HMAS Canberrra, flagship of the 179th Australia Day Regatta on Sydney Harbour, where he co-hosted a luncheon for vice-regal, civic, defence force and yacht club representatives to watch the regatta and other maritime activities.

John is a Life Member of the Australian National Maritime Museum, a Council member of the Australian Register of Historic Vessels and a past President of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects, Australian Division as well as an active member of many other organisations associated with ships and the sea.

David Forbes is one of Australia's most successful but modest yachtsmen, a world champion, Olympic gold medallist and an Australian representative in major international yachting events. Since starting his sailing in dinghies at Avalon Sailing Club on Pittwater he has won ten Australian championships in a range of dinghy and one-design keelboat classes.

Notably, David steered the Star class yacht to victory in the 1972 Munich Olympics becoming, along with John Cuneo in the Dragon class, Australia's first Olympic sailing gold medal winning helmsmen.

David Forbes was Australian Yachtsman of the Year for 1972-73 and has been inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame. -- Peter Campbell

www.sail-world.com

Featured Brokerage
2007 J/109 - Oh Sir Jasper. 99500 GBP. Located in Lymington, UK.

A low hours and good order J109. Ready for class racing, or family cruising, whatever takes your fancy.

Call for her full details.

Details

Contact
Ben Cooper
+44 (0) 1590 679222

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

The Last Word
History is a vast early warning system. -- Norman Cousins

Editorial and letter submissions to

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