Scuttlebutt Europe #3816

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

Rev Win The Double At Miami
An impressive sight of 10 M32 catamarans took to Biscayne Bay for the final event of the M32 Miami Winter Series this weekend. The event was rounded off in style as strong winds blew over the racecourse on Sunday allowing boats to fly at over 20knots. REV proved themselves as the team to beat this winter, skippered by Rick DeVos, winning both this final event and the overall Series title.

Friday's practice session saw new teams getting their hands on boats and testing new crew configurations. A steady 12-15knot breeze kept crews on their toes over the day, before some R&R (and perhaps a few cocktails) at the official event party hosted by E11EVEN in downtown Miami. Saturday was twisted into a sunbathing day as mother nature refused to play fair and delivered becalmed conditions over Miami.

Conditions on the final day more than made up for Saturday's disappointment with steady 15-20knot winds, allowing this record 10 strong fleet for the Series to race in the foreground of downtown Miami's impressive skyline.

Top five
1. REV, Rick DeVos, 68 points
2. Convexity, Donald Wilson / Jason Carroll, 60
3. XS Energy, Ryan DeVos, 57
4. Liftoff, Malcolm Gefter, 52
5. Bliksem, Pieter Taselaar, 32

m32series.com/results/miami-winter-series/

Charlie Dalin Winner Of The Guy Cotten Trophy
Charlie Dalin of France was the winner of the Guy Cotten Trophy of the French Beneteau Solo Annual Championship Series which concluded Saturday at Concarneau FRA.

Dalin finished the 270 nm coastal race in bright sunshine and a light breeze, 1 min 51 sec ahead of Erwan Tabarly FRA and Yann Elies FRA, 2 min 33 sec back in third.

Alan Roberts (Seacat Services) finished 19th of the 37 entries. Hugh Brayshaw (Offshore Academy 23) was 24th. Mary Rook (Inspire +) was 29th.

Beneteau Solo Annual Championship Series - Round 2

Top ten:
1. Charlie Dalin (Skipper Macif 2015) - time on course 1j 2h 21m
2. Erwan Tabarly (Armor Lux) - time behind leader : 1min 51sec
3. Yann Elies (Groupe Queguiner - Leucemie Espoir) : 2min 33sec
4. Adrien Hardy (Agir Recouvrement) : 3min 45sec
5. Thierry Chabagny (Gedimat) : 8min 31sec
6. Benjamin Dutreux (Du Flocon a la Vague) : 9min 49sec
7. Nicolas Lunvent (Generali) : 10min 27sec
8. Alexis Loison (Custopol) : 16min 54sec
9. Gildas Mahe (Du talent mais pas d'argent) : 19min 03sec
10. Sebastien Simon (Bretagne CMB Performance) : 27min 15sec

www.sailweb.co.uk

soloconcarneau.blogspot.com

Unicorn. Bigfoot. The Perfect Top-Down Furl.
Some sailors wondered if they'd ever live to see one! Starting the top of the furler the minute you pull the furling line was our engineering challenge.

The Reflex™ torsion cable was our breakthrough. It's a flexible drive shaft, resisting twist and reflexively transferring torque to move the head swivel NOW—where all beautiful furls MUST begin.

See it with your own eyes at www.harken.com/Reflex-video, or on your own boat!

European Match Race Monaco
Young French skipper Simon Bertheau struck back at Monaco Match Race to regain the lead of the European tour with a flawless victory of the Round Robin, leaving local skipper Francois Brenac on second place. Italian Rocco Attilli, bronze medaillist at the Youth European Championship finished on third place ahead of Austria's Helmut Czasny.

The first Monaco Match Race, perfectly organized the Yacht Club de Monaco with support of the Monegasque J/70 Association, saw three days of spectacular racing just in front of the world famous landscape of Monte Carlo. Bright sunshine and a light to medium but steady breeze offered the race management team headed by Thierry Leret the opportunity to run matches on all three days.

Simon Bertheau made it clear from the beginning that he is looking for his third win in a row at the European tour and to claim back the lead from Slovenian Dejan Presen. Behind the French team, there were close fights for the podium between the J/70 experts from Yacht Club de Monaco, Francois Brenac, the Italian youth team with skipper Rocco Attilli and the Vienna Match Race Team with skipper Helmut Czasny.

Bertheau is now back on the leader board with a maximum score of 150 points ahead of Slovenia Dejan Presen (110 points) and Austrian Christian Binder (100 points).

The European Match Race tour will now head to Szczecin Match Cup at the end of May before reaching its northern summit at Copenhagen in June. The second last stop will be at Germany's Ploen in August. The top eight skippers will qualify for the Grand Final which will take place in Ravenna from 8 - 10 September 2017.

European Match Race Tour top ten standings after Event 4 of 8
1. Simon Bertheau, FRA, 150
2. Dejan Presen, SLO, 110
3. Christian Binder, AUT, 100
4. Vladimir Lipavsky, RUS, 75
5. Helmut Czasny, AUT, 55
6. Patryk Zbroja, POL, 50
7. Teo Piasevoli, CRO, 40
8. Francois Brenac, FRA, 40
9. Rocco Attilli, ITA, 35
10. Adam Smith, AUS, 30

European Match Race Tour Monaco Final Results
1. Simon Bertheau - FRA
2. Francois Brenac - FRA
3. Rocco Attilli - ITA
4. Helmut Czasny - AUT
5. Max Trippolt - AUT
6. Max Bulley - SUI
7. Piotr Harasimovics - POL
8. Thomas Badri - FRA

www.facebook.com/europeanmatchracetour

Irish Sea Offshore Racing Association
Just two weeks now until the first ISORA races of the year, on April 22nd, a coastal race from Pwllheli to Pwllheli sponsored by Global, forming part of the Global displays Welsh coastal series, and the full ISORA series and simultaneously a coastal race from Dun Laoghaire to Wicklow, sponsored by Viking Marine forming part of the RAYC coastal series and of course the full ISORA series.

Both races will be tracked by YB and further information and entries are invited at isora.org/index.php/racing/2017-notice-of-race

So What Is It Like To Sail In Cuba?
The tiny island of Cayo Largo is a big earner of foreign currency for Cuba. Cut off from the world by the USA embargo and bullying, Cuba has had to survive and develop as it can. In Cayo Largo, in addition to the resorts, there is the modern marina to encourage tourism. A bar on the marina serves cocktails and snacks, a hotel and restaurant a medical clinic, small shop and post office, turtle farm and the marina office.

Immigration is taken very seriously and the officials are friendly and smiling but the process is not taken lightly. Crew lists are inspected with passports and all crew present, duly stamped and signed, before we are free to enjoy the island.

Water and power are available on the quay when they are available in the town. The nearby airport brings tourists in and out and five taxis service the resorts which line a strip of white sand beach along the southern shore.

The bay outside the harbor is a perfect anchorage for yachts not in need of water or town services. The white sand beach Playa Sirena, recently rated in the world top ten, is just outside the anchorage and her stunning white sand wraps around the entrance to the bay where skippers beach their catamaran for passengers to step ashore.

In the same bay the famous iguanas have a similar white sand resort to themselves and the tourists wade ashore to inspect these local vegetarian inhabitants. With the warm water, soft white sand and the sunshine in this protected bay it is too easy to suppose this paradise is never changing. But hurricanes have been known to wreak havoc here.

The area is the perfect leisure day place to rest after the long two day motor sail from Cienfuegos. Swimming or walking, resting or exploring our crews are met with the now customary experience of meeting polite, helpful people at every turn. The WIFI however continues to frustrate any hardy habitual addicts who cannot leave it alone.

Part of a three part series in MarinerBoating.com:

www.marinerboating.com

Seahorse April 2017
What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine

World Sailing - Showcase - Olympic Offshore Sailing
Gary Jobson and Stan Honey write on a subject with potential to deliver a fantastic step forward for Olympic sailing

The sixth generation
Combine a designer with a long history of racing success with a boatyard famous for delivering outstanding yachts for long-distance luxury cruising and the result can be most acceptable

Seahorse build table - Half Ton days are here again
Mark Mills' new 31-footer joins the party

RORC - Caribbean speeding
And the Phaedo is no longer having things all her own way. Eddie Warden-Owen

A not so secret ambition
Portugal looks headed for the Volvo Ocean Race

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Helly Hansen Warsash Spring Series
Another day of varied racing conditions on day 5 of the Helly Hensen Warsash Spring Series a light and hazy day for crews, but certainly not lazy.

A sunny spring day, 10 knots of SE breeze, swinging right to SW and increasing a couple of knots was the forecast, and as the committee boats arrived on station SE with up to 10 knots of breeze was what they found.

On the inshore White Group line IRC4 was sent away cleanly to their first windward mark, however the J70 start was a much more eager affair and with the fleet firmly over the line on the gun a general recall ensued.

To persuade the fleet that there were other places to start rather than the inshore less tide pin, race officer Peter Knight put more bias into the line and got the fleets away for an hour of close racing, with the numerous J70 fleet in particular enjoying exciting times through the leeward gate.

During the second race, however the wind hesitated so due to the dying wind, the decision was taken to shorten the course and the fleets were shortened to 2 or 1.5 laps, but still got a finish. When the breeze did fill in again it had moved to a SW sea breeze of 12 to 15 knots, and the committee boat moved inshore to start race 3.

Again, the J70s were over eager and had to be recalled, but the use of the black flag installed discipline, and they restarted ok, other classes got away with individual recalls and enjoyed three short sharp laps with a steady sea breeze.

In the combined white group, Betty (J/80 Jon Powell) leads from Jester (J/80 Mike Lewis) with Cosmic (J/70 Patrick Liardet) in third place. Betty (J/80 Jon Powell) also leads the J/80 fleet with Offbeat (J/70 David McLeman) leading the J70 fleet and Trouble & Strife (SB20 Radley College) dominating the SB20 fleet. Radley College have now had a string of firsts in the SB20s in the Spring Series so far, and are working up towards the SB20 World Championships in Cowes in August.

Leading the Series by class:
IRC1 Night Owl II - Julie Fawcett
IRC2 Sailplane - Rob Bottomley
IRC3 Quokka - James Crew & Peter Rutter
IRC4 Silver Shamrock - Stuart Greenfield
J/109 Jiraffe - Simon Perry
J/88 J-Dream - David & Kirsty Apthorp
Combined White Group Betty
J/70 Offbeat - David Mcleman
J/80 Betty -Jon Powell
SB20 Trouble & Strife - George Barker

warsashspringseries.org.uk

Boating World Mourns Loss Of Carlo Riva
The world of yachting is bidding farewell to Carlo Riva, who passed away today in his home town of Sarnico at the age of 95.

Just four letters epitomize the history, the legend, the technology and the appeal of Italian made yachts. The history of a family and of an extraordinary man, the legend of a whole era that saw the launching of Italian design onto the world stage, from the days of "La Dolce Vita" through to the present day.

"Carlo Riva has left us, the greatest of them all. The world has lost a brilliant creator of boats, a master ofstyle, a giant in Italy's industrial and business history. To me, this is a personal loss of a master, an example of brilliance, of commitment and of dedication to work", commented Alberto Galassi, the Ferretti Group's Chief Executive Officer. "Carlo Riva taught us all the meaning of vision, creativity and passion. His vision and inexhaustible innovative energy make him the leading personality in the 20th century yachting world, a man whose extraordinary creations have already become legends. Carlo Riva's boats will always be the finest in the world, a source of inspiration to all of us who feel a strong sense of responsibility for the stewardship of and for taking forward into the future the leading brand in world yachting."

In 1962, with the production of the Aquarama, Riva became the foremost and iconic boatyard in the yachting world. Some 21 of these boats were sold during the first year of production, and a year later the Super version was brought out. The Aquarama remained in production until the '90s, and the last one made, #784, is still housed in the museum of the Boatyard, in Sarnico.

Carlo Riva showed entrepreneurial foresight yet again in 1969, when he created the first fibreglass boat, demonstrating great capacity for innovation while at the same time preserving traditional values.

In 2005 in Monaco, the home he loved, Carlo Riva was conferred the title of ''Personnalite de la Med' by Prince Albert Il of Monaco.

Carlo Riva died peacefully in his home town of Sarnico on 10 April 2017.

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 Alistair Skinner:

In reply to Jock Wishart.

I think he has a point (or two). No doubt many will remember the race between Alinghi and ENTZ where the kiwis had to unwind a penalty close to the finish and lost the lace with the two boat almost completely overlapped - now that WAS good television.

Similarly with the VOR, the move to One Design (and of course the AIS requirement) has meant closeness of racing and indeed finishes unheard of in the race's history let alone the control of costs which is vital for the race's future.

However, being billed as "Life at the Extreme" means the race has to evolve. Personally I hope the decision is for a monohull with IMOCA style foils rather than a multihull - but more reliable than an Open 60, which as a class suffered an around 40% attrition rate in the last Vendee .

I say this for no other reason than if a freak wave throws a monohull over it generally comes up the other side, battered, perhaps broken, but more often than not still viable. If a multi gets thrown over it usually only gets half way round and you aren't going to make much of a jury rig from a daggerboard. Too often in the current offshore multihulls we have seen reports of multihull racers having to be picked up by passing ships.

Trouble is in the Southern Ocean there are no passing ships.

Featured Brokerage
2008 Sly 53 FURTIF. 295000 EUR. Located in Port Napoleon, South of France.

FURTIF was constructed with sophisticated techniques and software which have enabled the perfect combination of weight, length, width and waterline. She can be maneuvered short-handed. As well as being a fast performance yacht, the interior and accommodation offer great comfort when cruising.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

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2002 Farr 52 FURTIF2. 180000 EUR. Located in Toulon, South of France.

She was built in 2002, refitted in 2008 in New Zeeland by the current owner and brought to France in 2012. She has been optimized for the IRC racing. 2016 Rating : TCC = 1.288. Well maintained and ready to go.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

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2012 SEATEC Multi 50. 110000 EUR. Located in La Rochelle, France.

TRIBULATIONS was designed by Nigel Irens and built with the same mould as Fujicolor (Mike Birch) and Fleury Michon IX (Philippe Poupon). Named Laiterie du Mont Saint Michel in 1987 and skippered by Olivier Moussy, she was then taken over by Olivier Kersauzon as the Esso Super Plus.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact

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

The Last Word
England's difficulty is Ireland's opportunity. -- Daniel O'Connell

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