Scuttlebutt Europe #3671

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

RIO 2016 Paralympic Sailing Competition
The sailors are all set, the boats are all prepared, so now it's time to focus on the action at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Sailing Competition. Sailing commences at 13:00 local time on Monday 12 September with 80 sailors from 23 nations racing across three Paralympic events.

How to follow the event:

Results / Entries

A full list of sailors racing at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games is available to view here Results will be available on World Sailing's Paralympic Website when racing starts on Monday 12 September.

Live Tracking

The racing will be available to watch in 2D and 3D via the live tracking. Live tracking will be available when racing commences

Live Tracking via the Sailviewer-3D Tablet App will be available for devices with 7" or greater screens.

Download the iOS Application
Download the Android Application

Live Blogging

The World Sailing media team will be following the racing LIVE on World Sailing's Paralympic Blog throughout Rio 2016. Follow LIVE here

Artemis Racing Take Toulon
Late summer sunshine greeted the thousands of spectators who made it out in force for Super Sunday at the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series Toulon, and it is Artemis Racing who leave France celebrating after taking the regatta honours.

Behind them, Softbank Team Japan went from last on Saturday to finishing second overall, an incredible turnaround, but the British boys on Land Rover BAR were also looking much happier than they had on Saturday night, ending up third overall from fifth the day before.

That result extends their overall lead in the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series as attention now turns to the final event in Fukuoka, Japan.

Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series Toulon Leaderboard:
Position. Team (Race Finish Positions) - Total Points
1. Artemis Racing (1, 1, 3, 1, 3, 5) - 76 points
2. SoftBank Team Japan (5, 4, 5, 2, 4, 1) - 71
3. Land Rover BAR (6, 6, 1, 3, 1, 4) - 70
4. Groupama Team France (4, 3, 2, 6, 2, 3)- 68
5. Emirates Team New Zealand (2, 2, 6, 5, 6, 2) - 63
6. ORACLE TEAM USA (3, 5, 4, 4, 5, 6) - 57

Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series Overall Leaderboard
1. Land Rover BAR - 437 points
2. ORACLE TEAM USA - 423
3. Emirates Team New Zealand - 420
4. SoftBank Team Japan - 399
5. Artemis Racing - 391
6. Groupama Team France - 360

americascup.com

Bertrand On Top Of The World
Cowes UK: The overall winner of the 2016 Etchells World Championship is John Bertrand (AUS), representing the Royal Brighton Yacht Club, with a crew of Paul Blowers (GBR) and Ben Lamb (AUS).

Runner up at the Etchells Worlds for the second year in a row, was Steve Benjamin (USA), representing the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club, with a crew of Michael Menninger , Ian Liberty and George Peet (all USA).

Third was Noel Drennan (AUS), representing the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, with a crew of Brian Hammersley and Andrew Mills (both GBR).

Race 9 was won by John Bertrand's team. In 2nd was Pedro Andrade (POR), with a team of Henry Bagnall and Charles Nankin, representing the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein, Germany. In third place was Ante Razmilovic (GBR) representing the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda Italy, with a team of Chris Larson and Stuart Flinn.

Final top ten:
1. Triad2, John Bertrand / Paul Blowers / Ben Lamb, AUS, 53.0
2. Scimitar, Stephen Benjamin / Michael Menninger / Ian Liberty / George Peet, USA, 69.0
3. Matatu, Noel Drennan / Brian Hammersley / Andrew Mills, SIN, 78.0
4. Swedish Blue, Ante Razmilovic / Chris Larson / Stuart Flinn, GBR, 81.0
5. Racer X 2, Mark Thornburrow / Mike Huang / Malcolm Page / Simon Cooke, HKG, 82.0
6. TQUILA, Seamus McHugh / Luis Doreste / David Vera Vera / Leo Ramio, SUI, 89.0
7. Tango, Chris Hampton / Sam Haines / Mark Andrews, AUS, 96.0
8. Aretas, Skip Dieball / Jon McClean / Jeff Eiber, USA, 99.0
9. Alfie, Lawrie Smith / Joost Houweling / Tim Tavinor, GBR, 114.0
10. Feng Shui, Andrew Wills / Anatole Masfen / Matthew Kelway, NZL, 114.0

Full results

2016.etchellsworlds.org

Something For Everyone - St. Thomas International Regatta - March 24-26, 2017
Photos by Ingrid Abery

There's nothing like feeling the wind through your hair and sailing through crystal clear water when you're riding the rail around island courses in the St. Thomas International Regatta (STIR).

Set for March 24 to 26, 2017, STIR is the most user-friendly sailing competition in the Caribbean.

Register in CSA (Caribbean Sailing Association); IRC; Multihull; CSA Bareboat; Beach Cat or One Design classes with a minimum length of 20 feet. New this year in a One-Design Melges 20 Class. Plus, the Offshore Multihull class is shaping up to be fantastic with Gunboat, Bieker and HH designs already registered.

Register now too for the second Round the Rocks Regatta. This stand-alone tune-up for STIR, set for March 23, features an awesome circumnavigation of the neighboring 19-square mile island of St. John, home of the Virgin Islands National Park. There's something for everyone on shore as well! Nightly parties, day-time beach games and live music, food and drink.

World-class racing, the chance to trade tacks with America's Cup, Volvo Ocean and Olympic crews on the water and off is what earns STIR its motto, 'We Love It Here' You will too. Discount for Early Entry.

Normandy Channel Race
Patrick Maurin, President of the Race Committee for the 7th Normandy Channel Race is a punctual man. In line with the programme, at 15:00 GMT on the dot, the race got underway, making the best of the fine weather conditions to offer the 27 Class40s a great show course as a prelude to the 1,000-mile race to England and Ireland.

In a constantly building easterly breeze, the duos initially rounded a windward mark before going on to hunt out a mark set off Luc sur Mer in downwind conditions. Next up came a short spell of upwind conditions that saw the fleet head back to the start line before setting a course towards the Saint Marcouf islands offshore of Utah Beach on the Cotentin, at the end of an introductory section of around 7 miles. This enabled all the crews to get the measure of what will be an exceptional edition of this Norman classic

The fleet of Class40s are set to devour the English Channel at a good old lick this evening and tonight as they make their way towards the Solent. The easterly wind, which is due to gradually clock round to the south-east, will favour their passage as they slip along downwind. The negotiation of the eastern tip of the Cotentin peninsula and its currents will call for vigilance and inspiration from the sailors, who won't be planning on much shut-eye tonight.

To follow the race, the cartography is updated every 15 minutes:
www.normandy-race.com/index/followrace

Maxi 72 World Title For Bella Mente
American Hap Fauth's Bella Mente retained her Rolex Maxi 72 World Champion's crown at the conclusion of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda and the International Maxi Association.

The defending champion had led from the outset of the regatta, although at one point on Friday her advantage had dropped to less than a point. Today the tables turned and winning the first race in 10-12 knots was enough for Fauth and Bella Mente to hang on to their World title with a race to spare.

The biggest class completing at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup was Wallys. This was won by the biggest, fastest boat, Thomas Bscher's Wally 107, Open Season, which claimed today's first race.

One of the star performers of the day was Jean-Charles Decaux's Wally 77, J One, which won the final race elevating her to second overall.

The remaining classes sailed a singleton coastal course today.

Kim Schindelhauer's 33m Winwin scored a final race win to consolidate her lead in the Super Maxi class. This class included the impressive match racing between the Js, Velsheda and Lionheart. Lionheart claiming the final coastal race to win overall on countback, under the J's JCA handicap system, retaining their Corinthian King's Cup for a fourth consecutive time.

In the Maxi Racing class, Mike Slade's Leopard 3 benefitted from George David's Rambler 88 being OCS. The British maxi then maintained a tight cover over her thoroughbred American rival to score her third bullet of the series and with it overall victory.

Similarly Pier Luigi Loro Piana's My Song scored her third win today to come out on top in the Maxi Racer-Cruiser class, in what could be this Farr 84's final regatta under her present ownership. Her replacement, a Reichel-Pugh 130, has been on the dock in Porto Cervo all week.

www.internationalmaxiassociation.com
yccs.it

Keep A Lid On Things
Collisions and draft limits with Rob Weiland

In the heat of the Mediterranean summer the 52 Super Series is now in Puerto Portals where the 10 TP52s stick out like extraterrestrial beings between the hundreds of motoryachts moored in this popular marina.

It is, however, a good place to race from. The boats are close to the sailors' lounge area, close to their containers and close to the shops, restaurants and bars with tourists parading the promenades. Add a few palm trees, beaches and plenty of accommodation and you get the picture. Never a dull moment, certainly not on the water, where the sea breeze functions like clockwork this year with all of the boats dialled into the conditions with consistently impressive levels of precision.

During the practice race we had our first and hopefully last accident of this year, a collision that took Xio Hurakan out for the duration of the event. Her port side carbon rigging was severed cleanly by a bowsprit wiping over her deck at the shrouds.

Since the changeover to composite rigging we have seen more damage with rigging than we did previously with Nitronic rod. Not surprisingly as rod rigging has gone through decades of evolution whereas composite rigging only recently moved into the smaller sizes of raceboats.

Most of the damage has been operator related. The learning curve is steep but I feel we stepped onto the train at the right moment and for sure we should not get out at the next station but enjoy the benefits of composite rigging and learn to avoid the pitfalls.

Full article in Seahorse:
www.seahorsemagazine.com

French Sailor And His Pet Red Hen Make It Through The Northwest Passage
After 32 days, French skipper Guirec Soudee and his pet red hen, Monique, have sailed through the Northwest Passage.

The pair are now heading to Kodiak, Alaska to rest after their 3,400 miles journey from Greenland.

"The Northwest Passage is behind us!" writes Soudee.

"I seem to be the youngest sailor to have crossed alone and one thing is sure: Momo is the ONLY hen of the world!"

Soudee, 24, met Monique after stopping in the Canary Islands while starting his circumnavigation in his 1985 Scorpio Yvinec 9.

The Breton native is choosing an untraditional route for his voyage, and has just spent a year in Greenland.

He and Monique spent the winter in total isolation.

The voyage through the Northwest Passage was far from easy, with icebergs and violent currents.

Soudee also had to cope with an autopilot which didn't work "since we had sailed too close to the magnetic pole", resulting in little sleep.

The voyage of Soudee and Monique has attracted worldwide media coverage, and has now been turned into a children's book, Transatlantic Monique.

voyagedyvinec.com/livrebook

www.ybw.com

For The Record
The WSSR Council announces the establishment of a new record time by a 20 ft catamaran.

Route sailed: Marseilles to Carthage.
Yacht: "Feel Good". F20 catamaran.
Names: Vittorio Malingri and Nico Malingri ITA
Dates: 5th to the 6th August 2016
Start time: 04;35 on 05/08/16
Finish time: 23;33;19 on 06/08/16
Elapsed time: 1 day 18 hours 58 minutes and 19 seconds
Distance: 455NM
Average Speed: 10.58 kts

Comments: There has been no previous attempt under the WSSR rules, however there was a generally accepted time of 2d 5h 52m in 2010 by Yvan Bourgnon

John Reed
Secretary to the WSSR Council

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 Virginia Crowell Jones:

Interesting footage, and I can see two of our local boats: MALABAR II and ISHMAEL, as well as the knock about schooner ADVENTURE (rebuilt/restored -- but apparently with the engine/bilge pump running!) and then way off the distance in a few shots, you can see what I'm 99% certain is the new (2014) steel version of COLUMBIA.

Great to see a real Gloucester fishing schooner out with another even if it is a (dare I say this?) replica. I wish that there were some photos closer up of COLUMBIA but will continue to look. I'm not sure who the staysail schooner is or some of the smaller schooners but the Gloucester races pull in boats from all over.

* From Eddie Mays:

These are just my personal thoughts and I may well be treading a lonely path. It won't be the first time (or last probably)

There has been a lot of comment for a long time about the suitability of sailing as a sport that can be commercially viable to TV and sponsorship and this is still very much in my opinion undecided.

However, with the advert of drones and increasing technology, there are an increasing number of video reports appearing on yachting websites. It is a shame that these are so unstructured that it is impossible to get a feeling for the racing. Most of the time it appears that are random shots, usually very brief, of boats racing. If you are lucky then towards the beginning, after the compulsory 45 secs of shore shots, you might get 10 secs of the start. After that anything can happen. At no time are you given a sense of how the race is progressing. The best videos I have watched spend time at a mark or on a leg of the course allowing the viewer to get a sense of what is developing. A brief caption showing which leg of the course we are watching would be helpful. Even the delightful cut aways to young female interviewers, which again seem to be compulsory, don't add to the coherency of the overall report.

If you are going to provide a daily video of an event / championship then please can we have a more structured approach to it. Amazingly allowing more & longer sequences is far more interesting. Less shots of flags on poles, boats on the beach / in the marina and let's have the interviews after the racing shots would be appreciated

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The Last Word
The only thing new in the world is the history that you do not know. -- Harry Truman

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