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

Light Offshore Race Held Today at the ORC Worlds
Photo by Max Ranchi, www.maxranchi.com. Click on image for photo gallery.

Copenhagen, Denark: The warm sunny weather today in Denmark generated just enough seabreeze to start an afternoon offshore race for all three classes, a necessary component to the format of the ORC World Championship 2016. This race is especially important for Classes B and C, whose 59 entries each have been split into two groups, and the results from the four inshore and one offshore race will be used to determine which teams advance forward into the Gold and Silver fleets.

Race managers had four course options of varied lengths ready at the starts held just off the harbor venue at Skovshoved, and chose a 37-mile track for Class A and a shorter 27-mile track for Classes B and C, mindful that the setting sun would take with it the light seabreeze and leave nothing in its wake. The Class A course started with a short windward beat, followed by a long spinnaker run to the island of Ven, just east of Rungsted. From there the fleet was supposed to wind its way south towards the Pinhattan buoy west of Barsebackshamn, Sweden, across back to the Middelgrund Fort at the mouth of the harbor at Copenhagen, and then to the finish at Skovshoved.

But the lack of wind and strong opposing current kept the Class A fleet stuck for hours near Ven, and with no prospect of a filling breeze coming to save them, race managers decided to abandon their race. This race will be re-scheduled for tomorrow.

Classes B and C were sent on a similar course, but rounded a mark south of Ven off the Swedish town of Landskrona, and thus had enough breeze to complete their course. First to round the top mark and the leader of the pack around this course most of the way to the finish was Claus Landmark's Landmark 43 Santa, the leader of Class B coming into today. The dying air on the last leg and some clever tactics, however, allowed Ralf Aspholm's MAT 1180 Datacom to overtake and pass Santa to take line honors in the race.

The forecast for tomorrow is for slightly more wind than today - 8-12 knots - so the plan is for inshore racing for Classes B and C to start at 12:00 and an offshore race for Class A to start at 10:00.

www.orcworlds2016.com

Helvetia Blue Wins Coastal Race In Roses
The half of the Tour Voile started in the Mediterranean Wednesday with Act 5 coastal race in Roses and a young and amateur team scored a victory for the first time. Helvetia Blue by Normandy Elite Team, skippered by 22 years old Guillaume Pirouelle, sailed a perfect race, being in the top boats on the start line, and chosing the right option offshore to increase their lead over the rest of the fleet, to cross the finish line ahead.

International team Oman Airports by Oman Sail will be very pleased with their 5th place today, as it is their best result since Dunkirk and since Thierry Douillard stepped off due to injury. Yesterday British skipper Stevie Morrison was hoping to have strong wind conditions in the Med as it requires less communication onboard and it seems that today's 15-20 knots winds was all thet needed to start performing again and build up confidence for the next few stages.

Stadium races start at 1130 AM local time.

Top five standings / General rankings:

1. Team Lorina Lemonade - Morbihan, Q Delapierre M Salomon, 443
2. Mutual Credit Britain, Nicolas Troussel, 419
3. Fullsize Veranda, Mourniac Jean Christoph, 404
4. Team Coved, Ducroz Aurelien, 397
5. Oman Airports By Oman Sail, Morrison Douillard S T, 380

Top five standings / Youth and Amateur

1 Team Lorina Mojito - Morbihan, Robert S R Perron, 374
2 Young Team France, Follin R-Fischer Guillou, 373
3 Natixis / Defi Yc St-Lunar, Champanhac Benoit, 369
4 Helvetia Normandy Blue By Elite Team, Migraine Vi Pirouelle G, 358
5 Dynamic Homkia, Dary Emeric, 342

After Thursday's inshore races at Roses, the fleet moves to Cruissan for Act 6 (of 9), then to Marseille, Hyeres and Nice.

Route map / schedule

www.tourvoile.fr

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

ORC column
And the world of offshore handicap racing seems to be in surprisingly rude health. Dobbs Davis

Design - Elegantly targeted
Two-handed offshore sailing is one of the biggest growth areas in the sport and so the Ofcet 32 shorthanded IRC racer is a timely new offering. Yann Dube, Eric Levet and Joe Lacey

Seahorse build table - Everywhere you look
Roland Gaebler joins the foiler revolution

Sailor of the Month
Different eras but two extraordinary yachtsmen

Seahorse build table - One for the warriors
Akihiro Kanai stirs the Bushido spirit

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.

Squalls, Lightning And A Lot Of Pressure
The Clipper fleet is contending with squalls, lightning and navigating the North Sea oil rigs, and with the lead changing multiple times in the last 24 hours, the pressure is intense.

Having passed through the Pentland Firth with its furious tides and eddies, the teams are now beating in stronger winds, but with the threat of shifty, patchy winds and more thunderstorms imminent, the course is anything but straightforward.

With the leaderboard having had many shakeups in the last 24 hours, Visit Seattle is currently holding the lead, with PSP Logistics in second and Mission Performance in third on day three of the Den Helder North Seas Challenge.

Chasing his team's first podium, Mission Performance Skipper Greg Miller described the last day's racing which saw it take a gamble which paid off.

"An interesting day has been had. Coming through the Pentland Firth was at first frustrating which turned into exhilarating as we came through the acceleration zone of the tide between mainland Scotland and the island of Stroma.

"Mission Performance was the only boat that chose to take this more direct route, which was a bit of a gamble but seemed to pay off. Then the long slog down the North Sea towards Den Helder and our penultimate stopover.

Race Viewer:
clipperroundtheworld.com/race/standings

Bruni To Lead Artemis Push For Glory
Francesco Bruni will make his Artemis Racing debut as helmsmen at this weekend's Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series in Portsmouth.

The former Luna Rossa sailor is replacing Nathan Outteridge, the Artemis skipper, who is in Brazil making his final preparations for next month's Olympic Games in Rio.

Bruni is looking forward to getting some racing time with a team who have won two of the world series events, in Bermuda in October and Chicago last month.

Outteridge, who won the 49er South American Championships last week alongside team-mate Iain Jensen, is full of praise for Francesco.

"It was a difficult decision not to make the trip to Portsmouth, but we're very fortunate to have Francesco to step in," Outteridge said. "He's been driving our development boats here, and has probably been spending more time sailing than I have. With his experience through the last campaign with Luna Rossa, I'm sure he's going to do a great job."

With the races in Portsmouth just days away the Artemis team will do all they can to bring Bruni up to speed.

www.royalgazette.com

Team GBR's Turn?
Looking at the Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup results for the last eight years, GBR won in 2008, Ireland in 2010, then GBR again in 2012 and Ireland in 2014. Given this sequence it should be Britain's turn to prevail once more in the Royal Ocean Racing Club's biennial event for three boat teams with Corinthian crews, that starts on the Solent on Sunday.

This year, Team GBR has two teams:

GBR Red:
La Reponse - First 40 - Andrew McIrvine
Alice - Mumm 36 - Simon Henning
Bengal Magic - J/35 - James Chalmers

GBR Blue
Ino - HH42 - James Neville
Cobra - King 40 - Michael Blair
Sunrise - JPK 1080 - Tom Kneen

La Reponse and Alice II were team mates in GBR White (sixth in 2010), while La Reponse returned two years later when she was fifth with GBR Red.

Admiral of the RORC and Captain of GBR Red, Andrew McIrvine is hoping that experience will pay, along with his team's preparation.

GBR Blue has an interesting line-up, including two highest rated boats in James Neville's HH42 Ino and Tom Kneen's new JPK 1080 Sunrise. For this year's Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup there will be separate starts for the main fleet and the 'small boats' (ie IRC TCC of 1.000-1.049) in each team. Within the former Ino has an IRC TCC of 1.230, 28 points higher than the next fastest boat, while among the 'small boats' Sunrise's rating is 1.048. In theory being ahead of their competitors, means these two will have the potential advantage of sailing in clear air.

The GBR teams are being supported by the Royal Yachting Association with past competitor and coach Jochem Visser employed as team manager and Volvo Ocean Race navigator Libby Greenhalgh providing weather info. -- James Boyd

commodorescup.rorc.org

Launchings
Click on images to enlarge

The new Bestevaer 45ST PURE is the only Dutch yacht to be nominated by the editorial teams of 11 European boat magazines for European Yacht of the Year 2016

'The PURE has a highly distinctive look', says Eeuwe Kooi, owner of KM Yachtbuilders. 'The design of Dykstra Naval Architects appeals to many people for its pilot house and the sturdy, straight bow. It not only looks strong and robust: it is. The yacht is made entirely of aluminium and has a watertight bulkhead fore and aft as standard. The long water line and ballast of almost 40% in both the fixed keel and the centreboard provide for good sailing properties. And the fact that we build this yacht in series means that we can keep the costs lower compared to a custom yacht."

The boat can be seen at Hiswa In water Boat Show (30/08 - 04/09) and the Southampton Boat Show (16-25/09).

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

Royal Huisman has announced that Ngoni, the 58m sloop designed by Ed Dubois, is currently being outfitting at the yard. With the aluminium work complete, the project remains on schedule for delivery in spring 2017.

The project was presented to the public during the 2014 Monaco Yacht Show and it was known as 'The Beast" due to the dramatic brief from the client.

The bow section with its flush deck furlers has been proved in wind tunnel tests to create less wind disturbance to the leading edge of the headsail when compared to a conventional bow.

The hull combined with a powerful 71m (234ft) Rondal mast demanding high forestay tensions requires all the stiffness that advanced engineering can mastermind. A detailed Finite Element Analysis (FEA) of the structure as a whole revealed considerable compressive down forces.

The superyacht builder says the reverse inflection to the sheer alone has accounted for a 12% increase in strength for an equal amount of material.

www.superyachtbusiness.net

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

The build of the 46 metre superyacht Unfurled brought together an all star cast of players in the world of high performance super sailing yachts. The owner selected Vitters Shipyard and designer German Frers to collaborate for the first time in the making of his latest addition in a line of high performance cruisers.

Outside, a clean flush deck hides the intricate web of halyards and sheets that are neatly tucked away and out of site for a flawless finish to match the elegant design of Unfurled. A sweeping cockpit structure adds a sporty feel to the exterior.

Unfurled features a large sail plan with a 660 square metre square-top mainsail by North Sails. A Southern Spars all-carbon mast, roller furling boom and carbon fibre standing rigging is one of the most modern fitted on board a sailing yacht to date. Vitters developed special drums onto which the downwind sails could be stored.

www.superyachttimes.com

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

Beneteau recently announced the Americas premiere of the new Oceanis Yacht 62 at the United States Sailboat Show in Annapolis, October 6-10 2016.

The first model of the Oceanis Yacht range is characterized by an eye-catching sporty line recognizable among thousands.

Lined with large windows, she boasts a strikingly elegant profile. She is reassuring to handle and finds full expression in a chined hull, twin rudders and a sail plan that is perfectly balanced. This new flagship, available in 3 or 4-cabin configuration, accommodates family and friends with all the comfort at sea you've come to expect from Beneteau.

www.beneteau.com

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

The German-Danish TeamGaebler and the specialty chemicals company Evonik from Essen have joined forces to bring high-tech sailing to a new level. "Our SpeedFoiler is an ultra-lightweight, foiling catamaran that will achieve exceptional performance never before seen in our sport," announced Olympic medalist Roland Gaebler.

The new boat class, which is sailed by two persons in the trapeze, is not only aimed at professionals. Ambitious amateurs can also use the SpeedFoiler to compete in open regattas. The first prototype of the 7.62-meter-long SpeedFoiler is currently in the planning stage and will be built in the summer.

The SpeedFoiler was designed for the FoilingWorldCup and the Little Cup and has the dimensions of a C-class multihull: The length is 7.62 m, and the width is 4.26 m. The mast height is 12 m. The sail area ranges from 90 square meters (light wind) to 28 square meters (strong wind). Martin Fischer, an eminently respected multihull and hydrofoil designer, worked on the project.

www.speedfoiler.com
www.foilingworldcup.com

Letters To The Editor -
Letters are limited to 350 words. No personal attacks are permitted. We do require your name but your email address will not be published without your permission.

* From John Burnie: BREXIT is confirmed - not one GBR entry in the ORC World Championship, currently taking place in Copenhagen. And with no entries from NZ, AUS, USA or from any other significant sailing nation from various parts of the world one has to wonder how significant this regatta is as a "world championships".

ISAF should take note regarding this - so far they have failed to endorse any IRC World Championships event on the basis that the IRC rule is too parochial. If the ORC Worlds were to be held say in Sydney I wonder how many entries would appear?

Featured Brokerage

1997 Custom Gorbon 66. 875,000 USD. Located in San Diego, CA USA.

Professionally maintained, and in excellent condition. Built as a Thoroghbred Racer, raced for 3 years, and refit into a luxury racer/cruiser. Built in Turkey, and has been sailed to the West Coast of the United States.

Dual wiring 220v and 125v with chargers, inverters, and outlets for each.

Fore and aft staterooms have their own ensuite heads and showers, centerline queen beds, and seating. Captain's stateroom has a double bed and ensuite head/shower.

Dinette has seating for 10 with entertainment center and settee. Large navigation area to plan routes and monitor progress.

Watermaker, generator, refrigeration, icemaker, and hot/cold pressure water.

Details

Contact
Yachtfinders/Windseakers
San Diego, CA USA
Clark Hardy
+ 1 619 224-2349

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

2007 JPK 110 - LANNA AEL. 135000 EUR. Located in Brittany, France.

The JPK brand of yachts are world IRC beaters and Lann Ael is a beautiful example of her class. She is complete with an excellent sail inventory and trun key ready to go to the next rega

Details

Contact
Ben Cooper
+44 (0) 1590 679222

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

2011 Sly 47 - NEVERALONE. 220,000 GBP. Located in Elba, Italy.

Great looking cruiser racer that is optimised for performance ocean crossings and which offers speed, comfort and epic passage times.

Details

Contact
Ben Cooper
+44 (0) 1590 679222

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

The Last Word
He is not only dull himself; he is the cause of dullness in others. -- Samuel Johnson

Editorial and letter submissions to

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