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

Opening Day At Worlds Puts Alessandro Rombelli's 'Stig' In Charge
Photo by Max Ranchi, www.maxranchi.com. Click on image for photo gallery.

Riva Del Garda, Italy: After Garda's past rainy days and a short morning postponement ashore, the 57-strong Audi Melges 20 World Championship fleet welcomed plentiful sunshine and a nice 8-10 knots of breeze to the Lake Garda racing arena. Three races are now complete in the 10-part racing series with former Gold Cup Champion and Audi Sailing Series Champion Alessandro Rombelli aboard STIG ahead by 7 points.

In second and third overall are the Kilroy's from California, USA. John Kilroy's Samba Pa Ti finished deep in Race One, but had nice fourth place finishes in Races Two and Three to currently sit in second place. Eleven year-old Liam Kilroy on Wildman was by far the story of the day. Fresh off the starting line, he came on strong early to score a 3-2 in the first two races. Despite a deep 20th place finish in Race Three, Liam's initial great performances helped him preserve his top three position.

Tomorrow, Championship racing continues with an earlier than previously scheduled 09.00 warning to take advantage of some variations on the breeze.

Top five after three races:

1. Alessandro Rombelli / Daniele Cassinari, STIG; 11-1-2 = 14 points
2. John Kilroy / Paul Goodison, Samba Pa Ti; 13-4-4 = 21
3. Liam Kilroy / Steve Hunt, Wildman; 3-2-20 = 25
4. Russ Lucas / Harry Melges III, Shimmer; 5-6-16 = 27
5. Achille Onorate / Malcolm Page, Mascalzone Latino, Jr.; 18-9-3 = 30

melges20.com
www.yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=1189

Transatlantic Race 2015 Fleet Expanded
Three years ago, 26 boats started - and finished - the Transatlantic Race 2011, from Newport, R.I., to the south coast of England. Anticipating greater interest in the Transatlantic Race 2015, race organizers - the Royal Yacht Squadron and New York Yacht Club in association with the Royal Ocean Racing Club and Storm Trysail Club - set an early limit of 50 entries, which now looks to be well exceeded. A particular feature of the 2015 event is its coincidence with the Squadron's 200th anniversary celebrations and races.

A fleet of more than 50 boats has already registered, with another 50 yachts indicating interest. The early entry discount expires on September 15, and the first of three staggered starts takes place off Newport on June 28, 2015. "It's great to see how many sailors have signed up," says event co-chair Patricia Young, of the New York Yacht Club. "Given the evident interest, the organizing clubs have waived the fleet limit."

The Transatlantic Race 2015 charts a 2,796-nautical-mile course from Newport, R.I., to Lizard Point, South Cornwall, England. Pre-start activities will take place at the New York Yacht Club's Harbour Court clubhouse in Newport, while awards will be presented at the Royal Yacht Squadron's Cowes Castle clubhouse on the Isle of Wight. Three separate starts-June 28, July 1 and July 5-will feature up to 50 boats ranging from 40 feet to 289 feet in length.

transatlanticrace.org

Dubarry Ultima - Classic Craftsmanship
It's been said of Ireland that it's a lovely country, just needs a roof. True, we get more than our fair share of rain from the storms that barrel in from the North Atlantic, but it's not so bad - it's not for nothing that we're known as the Emerald Isle.

In this part of the world we're also well used to making our living on the sea, in the sturdy Galway Hookers built by hand with traditional tools by local boat builders. These bluff-bowed gaff cutters have plied their treacherous trade on the often vengeful waters of the Bay for over 200 years. If ever there was a place where folk would appreciate a quality traditional sea boot - and had the craftsmanship to make one - it's here.

So it's here, in the town of Ballinasloe, just inland of Galway Bay, that Dubarry started making boots in 1937. We've honed our traditional boot-making virtuosity, found sources of the finest quick-drying, long-lasting leathers, and perfected the technology behind a warm, waterproof classic boot with award-winning grip. What else could we call the world's best traditional sea boot, other than Ultima?

Dubarry Ultima - Where will you go in yours?

dubarry.com

J/70 Sailing Champions League Starts In Europe
Copenhagen, Denmark)- For the first time in European sailing history, the top European sailing club will be identified at the new SAILING Champions League, which takes place from 17th to 19th October in Copenhagen, Denmark. Together, the German Sailing League (Deutsche Segel-Bundesliga), the Danish Sailing League (Sejlsportsligaen) and the European Sailing Federation (EUROSAF), are inviting 36 of the top sailing clubs, from 23 nations, to Copenhagen to compete for the title of "Best Sailing Club".

The introduction of the SAILING Champions League (SCL) follows shortly after the national sailing leagues successfully started in Germany and Denmark. The first league was the German "Deutsche Segel-Bundesliga" (DSBL) in 2013.

Each participating club will send a crew of their four best sailors. They will sail in fleet races in Copenhagen on six J/70 one design sailboats, which have proven their worth in the leagues. Short races, one-design boats and a standardized race course, will provide high-level competition.

In 2015, the top two clubs from each of the European countries with national leagues will automatically qualify for the SAILING Champions League. If there is no national league in a country, the clubs qualify according to their status in the world rankings of the Olympic classes.

There will be also wild cards available for selected clubs.

sailing-championsleague.com

Octogenarian Leslie Green Crowned MC38 Australian Champion
After playing bridesmaid at both Audi Hamilton Island Race Week and the Australian Championship last year, Octogenarian Sydney yachtsman Leslie Green and his Ginger crew were crowned the MC38 Australian champions for 2014, at Hamilton Island.

Ginger had enough points on the rest of the fleet to claim the Championship yesterday, but fair sportsman and passionate yachtsman that he is, Green, who hails from Sydney's Eastern Suburbs, elected to finish the 12-race series with the rest of the fleet/

In this highly competitive one-design owner driver class, CYCA member Green battled the elements and the rest of the fleet to take the title. Even finishing sixth out of seven boats in today's final race after leading the fleet could not dampen Green's enthusiasm.

He said dockside this afternoon. "I am absolutely thrilled - the whole crew is. Winning the Australian Championship is magnificent, what more could you want? It was a wonderful event."

On their win, Green said: "If you make mistakes in one-design fleets you pay; so we obviously made fewer mistakes - except for today," he said of the race that took the fleet on an islands course, taking the boats on a spinnaker run on sparkling waters past qualia, Hamilton Island's luxury resort, making for scenic pictures.

"We led as we turned at the first mark, the hardest part of the course, and then we went the wrong way, as did Vino (Chris Hancock). The rest of the fleet went right and we went left. We made a big tactical error and didn't wake up in time to do something about it."

Seven MC38s took part in the Championship, but with Neville Crichton and Lang Walker the next to take delivery of new boats, and Howard Spencer's highly competitive Menace due to return to Australia from New Zealand next year, expect to see larger numbers at regattas in the future. -- Di Pearson

www.hamiltonislandraceweek.com.au

New Atlas Provides Thorough Audit Of Marine Life In The Southern Ocean
A new atlas, providing the most thorough audit of marine life in the Southern Ocean, is published this week by the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR). Leading marine biologists and oceanographers from all over the world spent the last four years compiling everything they know about ocean species from microbes to whales.

It's the first time that such an effort has been undertaken since 1969 when the American Society of Geography published its Antarctic Map Folio Series.

More than 9000 species are recorded, ranging from microbes to whales.

The Atlas contains around 100 colour photos and 800 maps. It was launched at the SCAR 2014 Open Science Conference in Auckland, New Zealand on Monday 25th August.

British Antarctic Survey www.antarctica.ac.uk

From Sail-World.com: www.sail-world.com/index.cfm?nid=126062

Get Control Of Your Website... And Go Mobile...
What do JBoats, the New York Yacht Club, Royal Ocean Racing Club Rating Office, Finn Class, International 505 Class, Neil Pryde Sailmakers and the Farr 30 class have in common?

Websites built by Sailing Source.

Founded in 1994, we've been at this for 20 years and have a client list unmatched in the marine industry. Events we've covered include the 1996 Olympic sailing events for ISAF (IBM crashed and burned, we delivered), the Bermuda Gold Cup, countless world and national championships.

We build sites that our clients can easily manage themselves with a content management system... and have full mobile capability. The same website and content works on any device: laptop, desktop, tablet or phone. Blogs, photo albums, videos, weather and wind... whatever your company, club, class or event requires.

Interested? Need to bring your website into the modern, mobile era?

Contact us at or

Launchings
Click on images to enlarge.

The J/97 needs little introduction. In 2013, the J/97 won its IRC class at events including the UK IRC Nationals, Cowes Week, the South West IRC Nationals, Dartmouth Regatta, West Highland Week, Brighton Marina Yacht Cub Regatta and Abersoch Keelboat Week. A J/97 was also declared overall winner of the Scottish Series - three different J/97s have taken this title since 2011.

For 2014, the J/97 has had a mini-remodel and evolved to become the new J/97E, with the aim of broadening her appeal to both racers and cruisers.

The most significant alteration is in the deck layout where the traveller has been moved half a metre aft and is now on the cockpit sole. This move provides 50% more working cockpit space and with the primary winches also moving aft the crew have an increased operating space. A factory fit wheel is now available with a Jefa steering system combined with JP3 self-aligning bearings to give a beautifully light feel to the helm.

jboats.com

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The proliferation of stylish high-end daysailers continues with this new model from this quality boat builder based in the Dutch port of Ijmuiden. The Saffier Se 33UD is designed with sailing performance in mind, but is also intended to be easily tamed when necessary.

The boat sports a powerful rig and fast underwater hull shape, with a modern keel profile, plus a 40cm fixed carbon bowsprit from which code zero sails or asymmetric spinnakers can be flown. Vacuum building techniques help to make the boat light enough for its performance potential to shine through.

An impressive feature for a boat of this size is the cockpit, which has space for 10 people, including two-metre long benches on each side. The aft deck can be used as a sunbathing platform and the folding transom makes for easy access for swimming or for transferring to a tender. Although the boat is intended primarily as a daysailer, the low-profile foredeck conceals a surprising amount of useful accommodation. There are up to four berths, a compact galley with running water and a fridge, plus room for a toilet.

www.yachtingnewsreport.com

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J/122 Evolution Southampton Boat Show Debut

New for 2014, the look of the J/122 has been transformed, with new coach roof windows in line with those on the J/88, along with the addition of hull windows, the first J/Boat to display this most welcome feature. Below decks the living space is rejuvenated, with the large galley and saloon finished in a combination of a satin finish light mahogany woodwork and white lacquered finish, with corian galley worktops

jboats.com

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The unveiling of the new Beneteau Oceanis 35 at the next Festival de la Plaisance de Cannes (Cannes Boat Show) 2014, demonstrates the maturity of this small evolving cruiser concept. It takes up the appealing concept of the 'three-in-one' cruising yacht of its elder 38-foot sister and is supplemented at the same time by a lifting keel version.

Leaving its owner the choice of initial layout, among the three available - Daysailer, Weekender and Cruiser - the idea is to be able to add or subtract a number of items over the years. With the Oceanis 35, you can have a 'no-frills' sailing yacht, adapted to each person's use, for a price that is adjusted accordingly.

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Mills Yacht Design's latest project is the sleek and aggressive 62′ SuperNikka for Italian owner Roberto Lacorte. A combination of light powerful carbon racer and fully featured family cruiser, SuperNikka is based on a chined light offshore-oriented raceboat hull with tall rig and deep lifting keel, perfect for targeting Mediterranean racing with his existing team.

A keen racer and creator of the 151 Miglia offshore race Mr. Lacorte also enjoys cruising every summer with his family, and needs his yacht to be as functional as it is fast to provide the best of both worlds.

To help deliver this, in 2013 he asked Mills Design to join the team producing his latest yacht, tasked with producing the exterior geometry: hull and deck surfaces, appendages, and rig, while the Vismara Marine team produced the interior and engineering, integrating her aggressive racing character with amenities such as the lifting keel, a dinghy garage in the transom, and underdeck dodger stowage to produce the best of both worlds. Due to launch in Spring 2015, hull lamination is complete and deck and bulkhead construction is well advanced.

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The Last Word
The thing the sixties did was to show us the possibilities and the responsibility that we all had. It wasn't the answer. It just gave us a glimpse of the possibility. -- John Lennon

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