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
MKB Bank Melges 24 European Championship 2014
Balatonfured, Hungary: A close to perfect scoreline from Matteo Ivaldi's Italian crew aboard the Swiss entry 'Blu Moon'has put them in the overall lead on the third day of the MKB Bank Melges 24 European Championship 2014 on Lake Balaton, Hungary.
Ivaldi's crew dropped only point one during the day - revelling in the strongest breezes of the championship so far to win the first two races and finish second in the final one.
The introduction of the series discard after six races means 'Blu Moon'drop their eleventh place from the opening day to go 17 points ahead at the top of the fleet.
A mixed day for the previous regatta leader Matteo Balestrero on ITA 693 'Giogi'saw him incur a 20 per cent penalty Z-flag at the start of the first race before chalking up a fifth and a thirteenth - a good enough score to put him in second overall tonight.
Meanwhile, Ian Ainslie's local team on HUN 392 'Strange Brew'- race winners on the opening day - fought their way back up the overall standings into third place after a 3, 4, 11, scoreline today.
Denmark's Peder Nergaard on NOR 787 'Henri Lloyd - Blow'won the final race after leading from the start and staying ahead at every mark despite being under considerable pressure throughout.
In the Corinthian division (no professionals allowed) Estonian sailor Tonu Toniste at the helm of EST 790 'Lenny'won the first two races before stumbling to sixteenth in the third. The 'Lenny'crew top the Corinthian standings and, impressively, sit in sixth overall.
Racing at the MKB Bank Melges 24 European Championship 2014 continues tomorrow May 8 with up to three more races scheduled. The championship concludes on Friday May 9.
Top five provisional results after 7 races, 1 throwout
1. Blue Moon, Matteo Ivaldi, SUI, 12 points
2. Giogi, Matteo Balestrero, ITA, 23
3. Strange Brew, Ian Ainslie, HUN, 37
4. AUDI, Riccardo Simoneschi, ITA, 46
5. Gill Race Team, Geoff Carveth, GBR, 51
Finn Europeans In La Rochelle
Two more race wins for Giles Scott (GBR) at the Finn Europeans in La Rochelle extends his lead to 18 points, and allows him to discard a second place from the first race of the day to leave him with four race wins out of five sailed. Andrew Mills (GBR) has moved up to second while Ed Wright (GBR) has discarded his BFD from race 1 to climb into third.
Though the day dawned wet, chilly and foreboding, the wind was in place from the start. Rising from 10 knots to around 15-16 in the second and third races, La Rochelle produced some great conditions, which when the sun came out for the second race today was almost akin to fizzy, golden, alcoholic beverage sailing.
Racing continues on Thursday at 11.00, with three more races planned, which would bring the championship back on schedule.
The opening races for the 2014 Finn Junior and Senior Championship consists of 10 races between Monday and Friday and will be followed by the medal race for the top 10 and the final race for the rest on Saturday 10, May. Each race will be covered live on Twitter. There will also be video summaries each day.
Top ten after five races
1. Giles Scott, GBR, 4 points
2. Andrew Mills, GBR, 22
3. Edward Wright, GBR, 23
4. Vasilij Zbogar, SLO, 25
5. Piotr Kula, POL, 30
6. Pieter-Jan Postma, NED, 31
7. Jonathan Lobert, FRA, 31
8. Thomas Le Breton, FRA, 31
9. Mark Andrews, GBR, 35
10. Josh Junior, NZL, 40
UK Solent 6.50
Saturday, 3rd May, saw the start of the UK Solent 6.50 race for Classe Mini boats, a a 310nm 'sprint' from the Solent to La Trinite run jointly by the Royal Southern Yacht Club and the UK Solent 6.50 Class. This is the first time the Royal Southern and the Classe Mini has worked together, along with Societe Nautique de la Trinite sur Mer, who handled the race finish. This was also the first solo Mini race for Toby Iles and only the second for Lizzy Foreman - so ground-breaking all round.
The fleet of five 21 ft boats was towed out to the start off the Calshot shore at noon, in very little wind, but right on forecast the breeze went south and started to fill in, under a cloudless blue sky.
Most of Sunday was spent in light south to south-east winds of 7-9 knots, with Nikki sailing down the rhum line to Ushant, while the other boats had to make up to windward. By late Sunday evening, Nikki was 5 miles ahead of Mo Jo and Vertigo, with Mintaka 1 mile astern and Hudson Wight about 4 miles behind them.
Monday afternoon was spent under grey, overcast skies, on a fine reach across the Baie d'Audierne.
Mo'Jo entered Quiberon bay at 03.00 and turned north for the final 10 mile run to the finish line in the mouth of the river at La Trinite. Behind them Mintaka caught Nikki in the entrance to the bay and passed her as they too turned north. Nikki held off Vertigo to finish third overall and first solo boat.
The first four boats finished within 45 minutes of each other and Lizzy followed them in a few hours later/
Technically this was a very demanding race, with light winds at the start rising to 18 knots around Brittany. A close result after 310 miles and 64 hours of racing.
www.royal-southern.co.uk
www.mini650.co.uk
www.facebook.com/UkSolent650
Calling All Clubs & Class Associations!
In advance of the arrival of its 2014 products, Hudson Wight Performance Sailwear has limited availability of the much-admired 2013 HW1 'oilies' made with 3-layer OceanVent fabric. Clubs and Classes can now offer these to members at 25% off via the Hudson Wight Affiliate Scheme, making a full set only £300 while stocks last.
Affiliates will still receive their normal commission of 15% on every order placed by members and friends using their unique Hudson Wight Affiliate code via the website http://www.hudsonwight.com
Hudson Wight's prices are already far lower than other brands because they only sell direct via this innovative Affiliate Scheme. It's therefore a great deal for members and friends as well as a valuable new source of revenue for Clubs and Classes. Existing Affiliates are already enjoying the benefits of the Hudson Wight Affiliate Scheme but the scheme is open to ALL Clubs and Classes.
If you're not already an Affiliate you are almost certainly missing out so please drop Hudson Wight an email to discuss joining the Affiliate Scheme at: and they will contact you immediately.
Get on board right here, right now! www.hudsonwight.com/affiliates/affiliate-scheme
Gazprom Swan 60 Class Prepare For 750 Nautical Mile Nord Stream Race
The Gazprom Swan 60 Class is entering their final month of race preparation before their 2014 circuit commences on the 30th May in Russia. Over one hundred Swan 60 skippers and crew will be competing in the third edition of the annual Nord Stream Race. The first event is dominated by a 750 nautical mile offshore race from Saint-Petersburg to Warnemunde, Germany with a short stopover in Helsinki, Finland where inshore racing is scheduled on the 1st June.
Within the six Swan 60 entries confirmed, the fleet includes a brand new Swan 60 racing in the Nord Stream Race as 'Team China'. Recently launched at the Nautor yard in Pietarsaari (FIN), Team China has yet to prove themself on the Baltic race course.
The freshly formed 'Russian Youth Team' will not only be racing as a squad for the first time, but this will also be their offshore yachting debut.
Tim Kroger, heading up 'Team Europe', has shaken up his race strategy this year with the appointment of Ulrike Schumann as their female starting helmsman. Ulrike, an Olympic Yngling sailor from Germany is used to short course styles. The Gazprom Swan 60 Class is predicted to reach Warnemunde, Germany on 5th or 6th June, with a final prize giving on the 7th June.
www.gazpromswan60class.com
nord-stream-race.com/eng
West Kirby Sailing Club To Host The Wilson Trophy
The Wilson Trophy British Open Team Racing Championships are to be held on West Kirby's Marine Lake this weekend (9th - 11th May) and will be hosted by West Kirby Sailing Club (WKSC).
Now in its 65th year, this unique and spectacular team race sailing event will be welcoming 32 of the finest teams from around the UK, USA and Ireland including three teams from WKSC itself.
The 192 competitors will be sailing in 12-foot Firefly dinghies. Competition will be fierce this year as some of the traditional teams have disbanded, with sailors joining other teams to try and find that winning formula.
Racing starts at 1pm on Friday 9th May and continues through to late Sunday afternoon. Weather permitting, there will be over 350 fast and cut throat races to watch.
The three-day event will be an exciting and fun weekend for spectators and competitors alike with a thrilling demonstration of top level sailing, which is free to watch. The final rounds are scheduled to take place on Sunday from 1pm, when the action reaches its climax, with the top eight of 32 teams entering play-offs to take home the celebrated trophy.
The 2014 Wilson Trophy is delighted by the support it has received from many individuals and businesses, including leading sponsors: Carlsberg, Everite Windows, GJW Direct, MI Finance and Speed Medical.
Yachting World Seeks Journalist
Yachting World is looking for a talented multimedia journalist to join the team of this prestigious international yachting brand and work in print and online.
Our ideal candidate will have:
- News writing and editing experience
- Feature writing experience to a high standard
- Be able to commission high quality features and liaise with contributors to produce great features
- Experience with, and understanding of, social media
- Some experience of website content management and analytics
- Sailing knowledge, especially an understanding of amateur participation sailing
- Ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines.
- Experience with InDesign and PhotoShop would be helpful, as would familiarity with video editing programs such as iMovie or Final Cut Pro.
To apply for the job, please send your CV and a covering letter (stating your salary expectations) to the Editor: . Applications close on Friday 23 May.
See www.yachtingworld.com/news/
King Marine Launches TP52 Phoenix
Photo by Pierre Orphanidis, Vsail.info. Click on image to enlarge.
King Marine is the only Spanish shipyard involved with the European Aeroespace Agency, developing complex composite parts for the european aeroespace industry.
King Marine's available equipment currently includes the usual features of a high-tech shipyard plus other more 'extreme' tools including ultrasound testing equipment, a thermo camera, CNC 5-axis milling machine, 45m-long autoclave plus a CNC pre-preg plotter.
The experience harvested from thousands of R&D hours applied by King Marine for VOR and America's Cup projects is today increasingly being exploited by the aerospace industry, as well as being brought to a widening range of marine products including both fast cruisers and pure racing boats like the TP52.
The latest achievement at King has been the launching of Phoenix, the ninth TP52 built by the company and the first to be built under the 2015 rule. The boat, commissioned by the well-known Brazilian sailor Eduardo Souza Ramos, was designed by Botín & Partners. Some of Phoenix's distinguishing features compared with her TP52 predecessors include being built in a CNC-machined carbon female mould, carbon rigging, deeper draft, an ultra highmodulus bowsprit, rig deflectors, a larger cockpit, 70cm longer bowsprit and a structure that is some 200kg lighter.
Full article in Seahorse magazine:
www.seahorsemagazine.com
Industry News
FLAG Paints Ltd celebrated 75 years of business over the Bank Holiday weekend with a Thames Barge trip from Maldon. Over 40 staff, customers and long term suppliers enjoyed a good lunch followed by a sail along the River Blackwater on the Hydrogen, built in 1906 and now the oldest wooden working barge. FLAG Paints Ltd was started in East London in 1939 by Charles Wastnage and produced mainly wood finishes for the furniture trade but after the death of his son Geoff, the company underwent a management buyout and now produces a whole programme of specialist paints including a highly successful range of marine coatings and antifoulings."
For your chance to win a £750 cash prize why not enter the FLAG competition draw at flagpaints.co.uk/75-years
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The America's Cup Mobile App has won an Emmy Award in the Outstanding New Approaches - Sports Event Coverage category.
The win, coming in a new category at the Emmy Awards, recognizes a seismic shift in how the sport of sailing is covered and consumed.
Through the America's Cup mobile app, fans could get race results, video, race animation graphics, wind and tide information, and photos, as well as engage in chat, all in real time - on their tablet or phone, from anywhere in the world.
The America's Cup Mobile App was developed with Animation Research Limited.
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Yachting New Zealand is pleased to announce that Aon New Zealand, the country's largest insurance broker, has become a major sponsor of YNZ.
Next season, the Yachting New Zealand youth development programmes will be given a boost through Aon's investment in the Aon Fast Track programme and training clinics around the country. YNZ member clubs will also have access to special insurance deals to assist with some of the challenges they are currently facing in this area.
The sponsorship also complements Aon's well established connection to yachting through the very accomplished team that previously sailed as Full Metal Jacket, now sailing under the Aon Racing banner.
Aon New Zealand is New Zealand's and the world's largest insurance broker, with 76 offices locally throughout New Zealand, employing 780 staff and servicing the insurance needs of many thousands of clients.
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Southern Spars has announced the new Rig Pro International management team, led by Des Davis and supported by Gavin McPherson.
Having worked for Rig Pro International for over a year, Davis will now oversee every aspect of the Rig Pro International operation, managing the Rig Pro International team with efficiency and ensuring a smooth experience for customers. Hailing from the South Island of New Zealand Davis cites sailing as his true passion, and also rebuilds classic yachts in his spare time.
Supporting Davis in his role, McPherson's main remit will be to manage the planned and emergency work for Rig Pro International customers, facilitating co-ordination between the customer and Southern Spars and Rig Pro International teams. A background in engineering and sailing, together with extensive knowledge of the products and how they are used and abused places him in good stead for this role. Having learnt to sail in Tauranga, McPherson began his sailing career racing One Design models, before progressing to working with some of the world's most prestigious yachts and marine companies, including a stint as boat captain on Alpha Romeo II.
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The publishers of Yachting Life magazine, which serves Scotland, the North of England and Ireland, have made the strategic decision to reduce frequency from a monthly to a bi-monthly publication commencing with the forthcoming July/August issue.
Editor Alistair Vallance cites a seismic shift in national marine-related advertising away from print to an online presence and an increase in the use of social media as big industry names strive to become global brands.
'And in the 'if you can't beat them join them' idiom, Yachting Life's website will now carry weekly 'seafacts' listings which also attract regular advertising to the site.
'Also, we will of course continue to promote the digital version of each YL edition. 'So which UK sailing magazine will be next to venture down the bi-monthly route?' asks Alistair Vallance.
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Poncin Yachts is to change its name to that of its subsidiary, Catana, to better reflect its exclusive position as a catamaran builder. In 2012, Poncin sold off its Harmony Yachts monohull brand to focus on developing top-of-the-range Catana catamarans
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McEwan's has been announced as an official sponsor of this year's Silvers Marine Scottish Series, the country's most prestigious yacht racing regatta. The treasured Scottish beer brand is no stranger to the Scottish Series, having sponsored the event from 1986 to 1991, and has returned to support the race this year to mark its 40thanniversary.
The Scottish Series is an annual event organised by the Clyde Cruising Club (CCC), the largest sailing club in Scotland, and attracts more than 100 yachts every year from all over Britain. The four day series begins in Clyde and ends with a variety of races in Tarbert Loch Fyne.
This year's event will take place from Friday 23rd May to Monday 26th May and launches with a race from Gourock to Tarbert followed by a mix of course and passenger racing in Loch Fyne AND concluding with the overall prize giving on the Monday.
www.scottishseries.com
www.mcewans.co.uk
Featured Brokerage
1998 Farr Concordia 62.
DUX, is a Farr Concordia 62, custom built by Carroll Marine of Bristol, Rhode Island. A near sister ship to the Farr CM-60's Numbers, Rima and HISSAR, DUX is exciting and easily handled, with all the comfort of a cruising yacht in a competitive racer. This yacht is very fast for its size with excellent handling ability and an emphasis on light-air performance with substantial downwind sail area. Carbon fiber composite construction, with loads of interior space and a large workable cockpit, Dux is sturdy and perfect for racing around the buoys, offshore distance racing or extended cruising.
The CM 60 concept was established to meet the client's demands for an exciting but easily handled boat, competitive under multiple racing handicaps, with the ability for simple conversion to a performance cruiser at some time in the future. The Concordia 62 extends on this platform to produce a comfortable cruising yacht with exceptional speed and performance.
See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/
The Last Word
Painting is so poetic, while sculpture is more logical and scientific and makes you worry about gravity. -- Damien Hirst
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