Rolex Farr 40 Worlds Day 3
Plenty (Alex Roepers, USA) extended her points lead from one to four in the Rolex Farr 40 worlds today after three races in difficult wind and sea conditions on the offshore course, set north-east of the entrance to Sydney Harbour and conducted by Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron.

A light 10-12 knot breeze backed from south-southeast to east-southeast and held big differences in pressure. But the biggest problem for the fleet was the big, sloppy swell left over from the fresh southerlies of the previous two days, which made accurate steering and sail trim difficult, upwind and down.

Plenty, after 1-7-3 placings today, is on a total 29 points from nine races, followed by Flash Gordon (Helmut and Evan Jahn, USA), which had 4-5-5 placings today and Australian champion Transfusion (Guido Belgiorno-Nettis), 4-5-5 today, leaving them equal with Flash Gordon on 33 points.

Fourth on 38.2 points is Struntje light (Wolfgang Shaefer), which top-scored for the day, from 2-4-1 placings, to set aside the disappointment of a non-finish after an incident with a non-racing boat on the last race of the previous day, to still be in the running with the final two races of the 11-race series to be sailed tomorrow.

Results

farr40worlds.com

2016 JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship Race Five
The racing at the 2016 JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship, sponsored by appliancesonline.com.au, just keeps getting better, and closer with every race and the outcome won't be decided until the last race of the championship on Sunday.

A 5-12knot Easterly wind on Sydney Harbour today was the setting for yet another epic battle which wasn't decided until the last few hundred metres of the course.

Following a few disappointing results in the earlier races, the talented Asko Appliances crew of Marcus Ashley-Jones, James Dorron and Charles Dorron were back to their best when they took the hounours by a mere 17s.

Smeg (Lee Knapton, Ricky Bridge, Mike McKensey) finished second, with the rookie Noakes Youth (Ash Rooklyn, Daniel Nixon, Rhys Mara) only another 16s back in third place.

Early race leader, and defending champion, Gotta Love It 7 (Seve Jarvin) finished fourth, closely followed by De'Longhi (Simon Nearn) and Peroni (Nick Daly).

The championship is now at a critical stage with a lay day tomorrow and the final two races on Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday's race will probably give the championship a single leader, but whichever team holds the lead going into Sunday's race it wont matter.

This exciting championship will go down to the wire. -- Frank Quealey Australian 18 Footers League

Race 6 of the 2016 JJ Giltinan Championship will be sailed on Saturday (20 February). Race start time 4pm.

Race 7 (last race of the championship) will be sailed on Sunday (21 February). Race start time 3pm.

www.18footers.com

Seahorse March 2016
What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine

Reflections
Forty years after bursting onto the design scene as one of the 'golden child' generation of the 1970s, Ron Holland reflects on the journey since... and then considers how things may yet turn out

From Venice with love...
Rob Weiland looks at the good and the bad of how we are currently running our international racing and introduces some of the best boats in the 2016 pipeline

Put down the transmitter
Conrad Colman is a man on a mission... the 2016 Vendee Globe. In the meantime he's been keeping the wolf from the door working alongside top routeur Jean-Yves Bernot

Special rates for Scuttlebutt Europe subscribers:
Seahorse Print or Digital Subscription Use Discount Promo Code SB2

1yr Print Sub: €77 - £48 - $71 / Rest of the World: £65 www.seahorse.co.uk/shop/subs/

1yr Digital Sub for £30: www.seahorse.co.uk/shop/digital

Discounts shown are valid on a one year subscription to Seahorse magazine.

Rich Wilson Vendee Globe Update
Great American IV, delivered in early November to Southampton, UK, en solitaire Portland - Azores (8 days), then en double with Dee Caffari to Southampton (5 days), is now in the care of Joff Brown and his team there. The boat stayed in the water through December and January in hopes that we could find a coincidence of good weather and open schedule for IMOCA Measurer Rene Boulaire to come from France for an official measurement of the boat. Unfortunately, such a window did not open, so that step must be postponed until the spring. GA4 has come out of the water and is in the shed in Gosport, UK, for bottom paint, servicing of keel rams, desalinators, and a variety of other gear, this winter.

In January, we completed the detail of requirements to be Registered (vs Pre-Registered) in Vendee Globe 2016. We are #20 on the list with a limit of 27, and have selected our spot on the pontoon. We'll be on a finger pier, midway down the main pontoon, with Bureau Vallee, skippered by Louis Burton.

In early February, I went to the Vendee Globe Press Conference for skippers in Paris. Our friends at the US Embassy, Fabienne Molle and Victoria Reppert, were able, on short notice, to get a meeting for me with the Ministry of Education. We three had an excellent meeting with three senior officials, in international programs, and in sports. Although there is a VG Education program, they liked our approach to put curricular topics into context with a real world event, secondly to offer a Team of Experts who write for the program, and answer student questions, and thirdly, to offer the chance for students to interact globally around curricular topics in a forum setting online, i.e, with students in USA, Taiwan and China via our partners here and there. We look forward to a collaboration in France, where the Vendee Globe is universally known.

A light sidebar! Before the afternoon Press Conference, Fabienne, Victoria and I went to lunch in a crowded Parisian restaurant. Seated at the last open table in the busy noon-hour, I turned to my left, and there was Jean-Pierre Dick, a Vendee Globe skipper! Jean-Pierre had given a wonderful talk at the New York Yacht Club in 2014 after his extraordinary effort in Vendee Globe 2012 where he sailed the last 2000 miles without a keel, and still finished 4th. We had a nice chat and I could introduce him to my Embassy friends. A nice moment! -- Rich Wilson

www.sitesalive.com/newslog-2016-feb/

470 World Championship
San Isidro, Argentina: Taking place from 20-27 February 2016, the 2016 470 World Championships will be raced on the waters off Club Nautico in San Isidro, a province just north of Buenos Aires.

The provisional entry list for the 2016 470 World Championship counts one hundred and sixty-eight sailors from 25 nations covering the six continents of the world

The preceding South American Championship served as an ideal warm-up, with racing on the same waters as for the 470 Worlds. A well-run event, the South Americans served up a mix of challenging and enjoyable racing and proved the experience of the Race Committee.

Australian Sailing's four-time World Champions Mat Belcher (QLD) and Will Ryan (QLD) are aiming to defend their title and take home an unprecedented fifth World Championship.

The hugely experienced world #2 partnership of Sime Fantela/Igor Marenic came close to unseating the Australians at the 2015 Worlds, going into the Medal Race just 1 point adrift, but couldn't get themselves ahead around the track, settling for silver. The pair have stood on the podium at all but one World Championship in the past seven years - adding to their silver in 2015 with a silver in 2014, bronze in 2012, 2011, 2010 and gold in 2009.

In the 470 Women's Worlds, world ranked #3 team of Lara Vadlau/Jola Ogar (AUT) count back to back World Championship titles in 2014 and 2015 on their scorecard.

Vadlau's acceleration through the ranks of the 470 class has been meteoric. She is a shining example of grit and determination, since first taking to the Olympic stage in 2012 and relatively fresh to the 470 aged just 18 years old. Vadlau finished at the back of the pack in London 2012, but four years later the Vadlau/Ogar success story has every shot at Olympic gold.

2016worlds.470.org

Dubarry Ultima - Loved by Sailors
It's hard to love a pair of boots. They either do a job or they don't. Some will have great grip and others will send you crashing down to the deck like some slapstick comedian. Some will keep the water out, others will leak like a pair of bespoke footbaths. Some will breathe to keep you comfortable, others will slowly baste your feet in their own sweat. Some will look great, others like you've just escaped from a circus.

Even if you do find a pair that ticks every box, that looks good, grips well and keeps you warm, dry and comfortable, you'd still struggle to love a boot. Unless, of course, it's a Dubarry boot. Take the Ultima, with its blend of rich, supple leather and durable man-made fibres, the hi tech GORE-TEX liner that acts like an air conditioner, the award-winning grip of the sole - yes, those are all there, recognised benchmarks of quality, but what you can't see or touch or smell is the soul. Ultima boots have it in abundance because, like you, they change. They gain experience at sea and improve with age just as surely as you do. That's why sailors love them.

Dubarry Ultima - Where will you go in yours?

dubarry.com

RORC/RYA Winter Seminars: More Dates Added
Following on from the great success we are currently enjoying holding a series of regional seminars entitled "bringing more people to the sport", we have now added even more dates and venues including Poole and Hamble. The seminars are presented by James Dadd (RORC Rating Office Director) and a representative from the RYA Technical Department.

Subjects for discussion include:

- getting more people out racing
- race planning
- IRC/local handicap/NHC
- Single Event Ratings
- misconceptions about IRC (dispelling those bar talk rumours!)
- any other points of interest relevant to cruiser racing

EVERYONE is invited whether you race under IRC or not, including those who currently race NHC or other local handicap, and anyone else who is interested in the future of club racing - please tell your friends!

Dates:
Feb 23rd - Cardiff Bay YC
March 8th - Sussex YC, Brighton
March 9th - Royal Temple YC, Ramsgate
March 10th - Little Ship Club , London
March 15th - Royal Harwich YC
March 23rd - Parkstone YC, Poole
March 29th - Royal Southern YC, Hamble

Details

An Eye For Innovation - Biography Of Austin Farrar Republished
Austin 'Clarence' Farrar saw an opportunity for innovation in almost everything. Although not a well-known public figure, he was known and respected by those who met him and worked with him.

His work on dinghy design and building, and subsequently as one of the leading sailmakers of his day, stays with us today. His work on the design of spinnakers and wing rigs is still current and many of today's sailmakers learnt the trade under Austin.

David Chivers' fascinating biography of Austin Farrar 'An Eye for Innovation' was first published in 2007, but has been out of print for a number of years. It has now been republished under a new cover and new format and is available through Amazon across all its distribution platforms.

'An Eye for Innovation' tells the story of a fascinating man and is a must read for anyone interested in the history of yacht and sail design and maritime innovation.

Published by Boatswain Books (boatswainbooks.uk) it is available through all Amazon channels for £10, £13 or $15. -- Robert Deaves

Cutty Sark Dinner
If people would like the opportunity to have dinner under the Cutty Sark on the 11th March they should check this out:

mydonate.bt.com/events/rspatlantic2017/263033

A black tie event, the price includes alcohol.

It is for raising funds for the Rona Sailing Project www.ronasailingproject.com to take children to sea to race their Transatlantic Campaign www.atlantic2017.org .

Signal Flags APP
The international maritime signal flags represent letters and numbers. In addition to the letter these flags have further meanings in seafaring.

The appealing app SignalFlags Tool tells you the meaning of both a stand-alone flag in different maritime situations as well as the meaning of the flag in combination with other flags.

On the detail screen for each flag SignalFlags Tool also shows the phonetic name including the international pronunciation as well as the associated International Morse Code. By tapping on the Morse Code you can show the code using light signals. For all letters which are used as a sound signal you can also play the sound signal.

www.2k-yachting.de/en/apps/signalflags.html

Editor: they also have one for Ensigns:
www.2k-yachting.de/en/apps/ensigns.html

The RYA Sail For Gold Ball Is Back
This 4th July will see the British sailing community come together in London to celebrate the sailors of the Olympic and Paralympic teams striving to sail for gold at Rio 2016.

The Sail for Gold Ball, held only in each Olympic year, serves as both a British Sailing Team fundraiser and a celebratory send-off for the selected Games sailors, this time on their way to Rio in pursuit of gold in their respective 10 Olympic and three Paralympic events.

This year the Ball will be delighted to welcome new patrons Iain Percy OBE and Adam & Sarah Gosling OBE who join long term supporters Sir Charles Dunstone, David & Patsy Franks, Richard Matthews, Barry & Fianne Stanford, and David Tydeman among others.

Tickets and partnership opportunities are now available either directly from the website www.sailforgoldball.co.uk or by contacting Kate Mardel-Ferreira at

Featured Brokerage

2010 Davidson 70. 895,000 USD. Located in Italy.

PENDRAGON is our latest central listing,that we have been asked to market and sell due to her current owner realizing that a larger boat would suit his needs better. She is a Franklin built, Lauri Davidson designed mini maxi that is presently located in Italy. She is an imaculate yacht from her three spreader Southern spar rig down to her lifting keel. No expense was spared to make her the fastest and prettiest girl at the prom.

Details

Contact
Please contact William Jenkins at 410-267-9419

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1972 Swan 48. 99,000 EUR. Located in Lelystad, the Netherlands.

SWAN 48 hull 018 and was built in 1972. Since that time, she has had only 3 owners. The SWAN 48, designed by Sparkman & Stephens, was a resounding production success for NAUTOR in their formative years with a total of 46 being produced from 1971 through 1975.

Classic S&S design.

She has recently been refitted (new painted hull, new antifouling, new windows, new upholstery etc.)

Details

Contact

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2009 Beneteau First 40 ZEPHYR. 135,000 GBP. Port Hamble, UK.

The boat benefits from some very attractive go-fast improvements, including a professionally faired hull (in mint condition), upgraded carbon rig package and a fixed carbon bowsprit for asymmetric and reaching sails.

"Zephyr" has led the from the front of the fleet for the last three years and is the perfect boat for some serious IRC racing in 2016 and beyond.

Details

Contact
Joe Hall
Farr Yacht Sales Europe
+44 1983 200901

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

The Last Word
Determine never to be idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time who never loses any. It is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing. -- Thomas Jefferson

Editorial and letter submissions to

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