Is Larry Ellison's America's Cup-Style World Series About To Be Announced? | Seahorse Sailor Of The Month | Harken Spotlights Small Boat Continuous Line-Drive Furler at Hansboot - 10/28 - 11/5 | Tall Ship Oliver Hazard Perry: Recap of Incident in Newport Harbor | Sir Ben Ainslie to bolster Land Rover BAR Academy in Extreme Sailing Series Act 7, San Diego | 11th China Cup more international than ever | Where Sailing Comes First but the Rum is a Close Second? | Industry News | Letters to the Editor | Featured Brokerage
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
Is Larry Ellison's America's Cup-Style World Series About To Be Announced?
Larry Ellison, whose syndicate lost the America's Cup to New Zealand in Bermuda in June this year, is believed to be close to announcing a "World Series of Sailing" based on that regatta.
Reliable sources suggest that the proposed series will be contested at a number of venues around the world. The ultimate prize will be a spectacular trophy provided by French fashion house, Louis Vuitton, which was a major sponsor in Bermuda.
Teams from the USA, Sweden, Japan and France are said to be committed to the event and others are expected to follow, including one possibly headed by two-time Cup winner, Ernesto Bertarelli.
With many of the syndicates involved in "AC35" in Bermuda having retained some of their facilities there, it is now likely that one round of the World Series - possibly the first - would be staged there.
As Cup defender in Bermuda, Ellison changed the face of America's Cup racing with the introduction of spectacular high-speed, 50ft long hydrofoil catamarans.
The same boats would be used for the World Series and compete on unique, "spectator friendly" courses along the lines of those created in Bermuda. -- Rob Mundle
More at www.robmundle.com
Seahorse Sailor Of The Month
Stephen Baker (USA)
Big vote for Stephen and Mathias Coutts and in the end it came down to just two votes; next time. 'Stephen is humble, focused and a great role model for other kids' - Tom Homberger; 'A little guy but a great guy... and a great sailor!' - Fernanda San Roman; 'Calm and confidence, awesome' - Christina Nigro; 'Great attitude too' - Claudia Visnevski; 'Stephen has crushed this year in the Opti and he'll only improve!' - Rob Simmons; 'Stephen is an amazingly talented sailor and he's still improving so fast...' - Laura Tanton.
This month's nominees:
Hugely underrated Spanish helmsman who this year won his fourth J/80 world title - the last three consecutively - in a fleet that is increasingly becoming the new destination of choice for top current and previous Olympic sailors looking for something to do when they want to get away from it all... Tabares has also had considerable success in Mediterranean big boat regattas but has yet to catch the eye of the top international teams. Yet...
The Azzurra TP52 team quietly goes about its work, always practising and working away at the small things that make a boat go faster. Helmsman Guillermo Parada has been there from the start, along with tactician Vasco Vascotto... quite the pairing. This year they won the overall TP52 Super Series title and already have a new boat on order for what promises to be a mega-tough 2018 as the Cup teams go back to practising monohull sailing...
Seahorse Sailor of the Month is sponsored by Henri Lloyd, Harken McLube & Dubarry. Who needs silverware, our prizes are usable!
Cast your vote, submit comments, even suggest a candidate for next month at seahorsemagazine.com/sailor-of-the-month/vote-for-sailor-of-the-month
View past winners of Sailor of the Month
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Harken Spotlights Small Boat Continuous Line-Drive Furler at Hansboot - 10/28 - 11/5
The line is easy to install and can be removed without disassembly. Offset holes in the drive sheave grip line securely, with the stripper and feeder working together to prevent jamming. The line guard adjusts in 90-degree increments to accommodate attachments to the boat. The furler is used with an upper swivel or a hoistable halyard swivel to build a fixed or hoistable jib furling system.
Harken's continuous line-drive furler will be demoed during the Hamburg International Boat Show at Peter Frisch GmBH, Hall B5, Stand D.121.
Stop by and give it a go!
Tall Ship Oliver Hazard Perry: Recap of Incident in Newport Harbor
Newport, RI, USA: SSV Oliver Hazard Perry, Rhode Island's Official Sailing Education Vessel homeported in Newport, R.I. is back safe at her berth at Fort Adams State Park after an incident that left her disabled in inner Newport Harbor.
On the evening of Sunday, October 15, the 200-foot Perry, with 12 crewmembers aboard, was moving under diesel power from Bowen's Wharf - where it had been docked for the Bowen's Wharf Seafood Festival - to Fort Adams, located approximately a quarter mile away in the outer harbor. When her two propellers became entangled by one of the ship's dock lines, Perry drifted without engine power and came in contact with four boats that were docked nearby. During the incident, no one was injured and minimal damage occurred. Perry did not run aground, and thanks to the quick actions of the captain, crew, the Newport Harbor Master, Oldport Marine Services, the Narragansett Bay Marine Task Force and Coast Guard Station Castle Hill, the ship was secured in the northeast corner of the harbor with a safety zone established around her.
On Monday, October 16, after a diver cleared the propellers and both engines were operational, Oliver Hazard Perry Rhode Island coordinated with the U.S. Coast Guard to assess the situation and move the ship safely to its berth with USCG-required tugboat assistance. The relocation was completed by Monday at 5 p.m.
Owners/captains of the four affected vessels were contacted, and an investigation of the incident will be completed by the U.S. Coast Guard.
Sir Ben Ainslie to bolster Land Rover BAR Academy in Extreme Sailing Series Act 7, San Diego
Sir Ben Ainslie, the four-time Olympic gold-medallist and America's Cup sailor, is to return to the Extreme Sailing Series as helm of Land Rover BAR Academy for the penultimate Act of the season in San Diego, from 19 - 22 October.
The British sailing star, who recently finished a campaign in the 35th America's Cup as Team Principal and Skipper of the British challenger, Land Rover BAR, has previously competed in the Series in 2011 and in 2014.
This time Ainslie joins the UK-flagged youth team, which was set up in his name to train the next generation of British America's Cup athletes, as helm and mentor. The syndicate, the average age of whose trialists is just 21, currently sits bottom of the scoreboard. But the team has shown moments of brilliance competing against a seasoned fleet of some of the world's most accomplished sailors, including a second-place finish at Act 2 in Qingdao, China.
The eight-strong fleet of GC32s will race in San Diego Bay from 13:30 - 17:00 UTC-7 on Thursday 19 October and from 14:00 - 17:00 UTC-7 from Friday 20 - Sunday 22 October.
11th China Cup more international than ever
The 11th edition of the China Cup International Regatta is becoming more international than ever with the World Championship of the World Match Racing Tour set to join the 10 other racing divisions. Reigning World Champion Phil Robertson will be looking to defend his title in the high-speed M32 catamarans along with the rest of his Team CHN One.Ningbo crew. However, with around 1,500 sailors representing almost 40 different regions and nations, there will be plenty of other high-level competition going on around Daya Bay near Shenzhen, one of China's most advanced and up-and-coming cities.
Beginning with a skippers' briefing at the spectacularly located Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, the four-day regatta starts with a passage race to Daya Bay on 26 October and concludes on 29 October after three days of short-course racing around the cans.
The international fleet sees everyone from first-time racers to Olympic Champions competing alongside each other. The Beneteau 40.7 fleet is nearly always the most closely contested, and this year attracts entries from around the world including three teams from Russia. Yiihua Pocket Emirates Team New Zealand is back for a third year, skippered by Laurie Jury with a mix of youth and experience on board. The team is also bringing the sport's most famous trophy, the America's Cup, to display during the event and help enthuse a new generation of sailors in China. Others to watch in this hot one-design fleet include Team Mercedes-AMG skippered by New Zealander Bradley McLaughlin, My Side Team from South Africa and perennial strong performer Vanhang Longcheer which often has some of the best known Australian professionals among the crew.
In the IRC racing, Frank Pong's 75-foot Reichel/Pugh sled, Jelik, is most likely the one to beat across the finish line for line honours, although it's Tiffany Koo and Hero Racing who often set the pace on adjusted IRC handicap scores. Other notable IRC performers over the years include Shenzhen Seawolf and Lighthorse AlphaPlus.
There will be four race courses, and 11 racing classes:
- The 2017 World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) Finals held in the One Design M32 Class (with M32 Qualifying being held on Oct.24th-25th)
- One Design Beneteau First 40.7 Class
- J/80 Class
- HKPN A Class
- HKPN B Class
- IRC A Class
- IRC B Class
- IRC C Class
- One Design Bavaria Cruiser 37 Class
- ASAF Keelboat Cup Class
- One Design Youth Class
Where Sailing Comes First but the Rum is a Close Second?
Classes include Big Boat, Racing, Sport Boat, Cruising, Multihull, Bareboat and Club Class. Daily prize givings at Antigua Yacht Club are legendary as is the final awards party hosted in historic UNESCO-accredited Nelson's Dockyard.
Bragging rights, the best silverware and a photo op with the Queen's representative, the Governor General mean you get the best of all worlds - professionally run race management, incredible history and Caribbean beaches, parties and English Harbour Rum.
Mix that with a Fever-Tree ginger beer and you have the Perfect Storm.
Industry News
Arthur Beale & Fernhurst Books are hosting an evening looking at two contrasting voyages from our Making Waves series, Sailing Around Britain and Last Voyages.
Kim Sturgess, Sailing Around Britain, will discuss how, at the age of 50, he sailed around Britain in 50 day sails and 1 night passage. Nicholas Gray, will talk about some of the famous sailors featured in his book, Last Voyages, recounting their lives and last voyages.
Please join us on Wednesday 25th October, at 18:30 at the Arthur Beale shop in London (194 Shaftesbury Ave, London WC2H 8JP). A nominal £5.00 entry fee is charged but this is fully refunded on purchase of one of the books in the Making Waves Series (or any purchase over £15.000 from the shop).
Places are limited, so we ask you to email to reserve your place. For more information: www.arthurbeale.co.uk/events/
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The Volvo Ocean Race and its global distribution agency Sunset+Vine, the TV sports producer and distributor, which is part of the Tinopolis Group, announced their initial list of broadcast partners this week in advance of the race start on 22 October 2017 with an emphasis on core countries featuring boats, stopovers and sailors in the race - and a shift towards digital coverage.
Twitter, Facebook, Apple and Samsung will bring race content to the most popular digital platforms in the world, while Spain (TVE/Teledeporte), Portugal (RTP), Brasil (TV Brasil), France (Sport+), South Africa (SuperSport), Australia (Fox Sports), New Zealand (Sky NZ), UK (Sky Sports) and Holland (NOS) all feature national channels or premier sports broadcasters covering the race programming throughout the nine months starting this month with the Volvo Ocean Race's one hour race preview special.
Other premium broadcasters in top markets include J-Sport (Japan), Sport TV (Turkey), TG4 (Ireland) and Sweden's TV3 Sport.
On the digital side, Sunset+Vine has delivered partnerships for the race with leading online and mobile platforms such as Sina.com (China), Twitter (Global), Tencent (China), Aftonbladet Sport (Sweden), Samsung (Asia) and OutsideTV.com (USA) to bring the race's award-winning content to smartphones, desktops and tablets.
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The Construction in Process Stage at the upcoming METSTRADE Show will include a new round table session on boat construction & recycling techniques. The event on the second day of the show will feature a line-up of speakers and participants from a wide range of countries and disciplines. The stage will also host demonstrations of manufacturing processes throughout the three days of METSTRADE 2017, which runs from Tuesday 14 to Thursday 16 November.
After its launch last year, the Construction in Process Stage will make a return to the 2017 edition of the METSTRADE Show in the RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre. Throughout the three days of the event, this dedicated demonstration area will offer live presentations on how materials showcased in the Construction Material Pavilion (CMP) are actually produced.
Organised in cooperation with Simonetta Pegorari, a communications & marketing specialist in composite materials, the event will focus on the highly topical subject of new materials and construction techniques for boats and yachts and end-of-life of FRP materials. The round table will provide a forum for the exchange of knowledge and ideas between technicians and yacht designers, while the public will also be given the chance to interact with the expert speakers and gain a greater understanding of the latest environmental, technical and regulatory issues.
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Garmin International, Inc. has announced that it has been selected as an official supplier for the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-2018, providing its action and 360 cameras to the seven teams competing in the 45,000-mile race around the world.
As an official supplier, Garmin's flagship waterproof1 action cameras, the VIRB® 360 and VIRB Ultra 30, will be used on each boat to capture high-quality video that can be easily edited and shared with race fans around the globe. The Volvo Ocean Race spans four oceans, touches six continents and stops in 12 landmark cities. It begins Oct. 22, 2017 in Alicante, Spain and ends in late June 2018 in The Hague, Netherlands.
This waterproof VIRB Ultra 30 is an ultra HD action camera that captures 4K/30fps video with GPS G-MetrixTM data overlays that show performance metrics like how far, how high and how fast the user went. It also features voice control2 so users can tell the camera to start, stop and "remember that." It features an LCD touchscreen display and high-sensitivity microphone that even work through the waterproof case.
For a more immersive experience, the VIRB 360 captures fully spherical 360-degree video in up to 5.7K/30fps resolution with 360-degree audio, and it includes built-in sensors for augmented reality G-Metrix data overlays.
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 Euan Ross:
On behalf of the middle-class retirees of Hampshire, who were once gainfully employed and indeed also once part of the now-defunct Rule 69 community, I guess we will have to come to terms with our impending irrelevance. But perhaps not yet….
Mr Larry Ellison might have presided over the recent America's Cup regattas, but that in itself hardly merits elevation to a coveted niche in the pantheon of our sport. Pedestal honours in this instance might be more fittingly awarded to Nick Holroyd's design team for the 34th Challenge. The 2013 TNZ brains trust circumvented the AC72 rule to transform the brutish big cats envisaged by Team Oracle into fiendishly clever flying machines. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Featured Brokerage
The first of this breed to enter brokerage captivity. A Volvo Ocean 65 that is absolutely ready to go, having undergone a full refit at the Volvo Ocean Race. A full technical breakdown of this yacht is available on request.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
Ben Cooper
+44 (0) 1590 679222
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Classic S&S from 1976 always stored under cover and heavily updated - bit of a barn find really!
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
Ben Cooper
+44 (0) 1590 679222
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Composite rocket ship from Comar Yachts. 2005 build and comprehensively optimised in 2008 with new keel, rudder, carbon rig and a funky suit of Banks D4 sails.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
Ben Cooper
+44 (0) 1590 679222
See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/
No Issue Thursday
Your humble narrator is away for the Thurday issue. Burying an old friend and true American hero at Arlington National Cemetery. A man who held a very high rank in the US Army and stood up, spoke loudly against torture during the Iraq war.
He saw more death and destruction than anyone should. That took its toll on him. In his memory, at the request of his widow, I state and ask to those suffering from depression: it's not "unmanly" to need help. Seek help. And get all the guns out of your house and office. Please.
The Last Word
If someone else is paying for it, food just tastes a lot better. -- Gilbert Gottfried
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