In This Issue
Luna Rossa confirm $109m sponsorship | Mount Gay Round Barbados Race record breakers | "Dasher" The World's First Fully Electric Luxury Motor Yacht from Hinckley Yachts | Winter in a Boat | Nobby's parting shot at ICRA | Hometown Heroes | Return of the Joker | Ocean Safety February Open Days | Gold Medalist ponders a comeback | Middle Harbour Yacht Club One Design Trophy | 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
Luna Rossa confirm $109m sponsorship
Italian America's Cup challenger Luna Rossa have confirmed a massive $109m sponsorship for the next event.
The €65m sponsorship comes from fashion house Prada, their long-term supporter, and will be paid over four instalments through to 2021 when the event is scheduled to be raced in Auckland.
The huge sponsorship confirms the level of intent from the Italians who are the challenger of record, working alongside America's Cup holders Emirates Team New Zealand to shape the 36th edition of the regatta.
Luna Rossa signed on as the challenger of record within seconds of Team New Zealand's cup-clinching race over Oracle Team USA in Bermuda last June.
The sponsorship will include participation in leadup events they indicated were planned for New Zealand, the United States, Asia and Europe.
Prada's chief executive officer and executive director Patrizio Bertelli also heads the Luna Rossa syndicate.
Luna Rossa were instrumental in seeing the America's Cup return to monohulls after three editions of racing in multihulls.
Mount Gay Round Barbados Race record breakers
Bridgetown, Barbados: Squally winds reaching 30kts from the north-east made for magical sleigh-ride, record-breaking conditions in the 82nd Mount Gay Round Barbados Race.
While the lively conditions in big seas proved too much for many of the 34 entries in the 60nm sprint around the Island of Barbados, for others it couldn't have been more thrilling. In total seven records were broken - the largest ever number of records broken in the history of the event.
One of the biggest heroes of the day was undoubtedly Trevor Hunte, the local adrenalin junkie who, on his Starboard Phantom Batwing 377 raceboard windsurfer, smashed his own record set in 2016 by just over four minutes with a time of 5h 30m 46s.
Arguably the most notable result of the day with a finish time of 4h, 13m, 37s was CQS, the 100ft multi-winged supermaxi from Australia skippered by Ludde Ingvall that not only broke the Absolute Monohull record but also established the 100ft and under record.
Among the young sailors taking on the challenging course today was Jason Tindale (27) in College Funds. He and his team from Barbados Yacht Club once again demonstrated their skill by sailing a tactically sound race. Having established the J/24 record in 2015 and bettered their time in 2016, they've done it again with a time of 8h 18m 9s.
The 50ft and under record went to the two-year old British custom-built Marc Lombard 46 IRC cruiser racer - Pata Negra - owned and skippered by Giles Redpath with a time of 6h 19m 53s. Having sailed from St Vincent yesterday, Redpath and his team of mainly locals, and some of who had never sailed before, did exceptionally well given the extreme conditions.
Conviction, the local Botin Carkeek-designed TP52 with David Staples at the helm sailed a great race and broke the 60ft and under record from last year by just over three minutes.
The extreme conditions were far from ideal for the four foiling kitesurfers who started out this morning. However, Kevin Talma persevered and was the only one who managed to complete the course and establish the Foiling Kitesurfer record with a time of 5h 42m 33s.
The Classic fleet, including The Blue Peter, Mat Barker's Alfred Mylne 65, Ruth, the local schooner, and a couple of working Brigantine - Tres Hombres and Fryderyk Chopin, glided gracefully up the west coast but the conditions took their toll and none managed to complete the course.
2018 records
100ft and under - CQS - 04:13:37
60ft and under - Conviction - 05:17:29
50ft and under - Pata Negra - 06:19:53
One-design J/24 - College Funds - 08:18:09
Singlehanded - Luna - 07:57:19
CSA - Whistler - 06:11:40
Windsurfer - Trevor Hunte - 05:30:46
"Dasher" The World's First Fully Electric Luxury Motor Yacht from Hinckley Yachts.
The Dasher 28 ft achieves a new standard of excellence, pairing modern styling with hi-tech composite construction. Designed from the outset for fully electric propulsion, the carbon-epoxy composite hull shape provides superior performance and handling. Dasher is powered with twin 80hp electric motors and dual i3 lithium ion batteries. No more volatile fuel tanks and associated hardware making it an ideal tender for Superyachts.
First launched at Newport International Boat Show, September 2017, it has won several prestigious awards including "Best Powerboat under 35ft" and "Best Green Yacht in Show".
Read more at www.hinckleyyachts.com/models/dasher/dasher/
For European Sales contact Innes McGowan :
Winter in a Boat
In recent years the idea of living on a boat has become increasingly popular, due in part to rising house prices and the yearning for a more 'community' based lifestyle. However, for some people, the winter season can bring about doubts, and pervasive winter boating myths, as most people worry about protecting their boats from the ice and snow or keeping warm.
Unfortunately, not everyone understands the difference between myths and simply taking the proper precautions to protect your boat and live safely on the water. With this in mind, here are our top 6 myth busting tips for surviving winter season with a boat.
Myth 1: You only need to cover your boat during the winter season
Myth 2: A boat isn't safe in a mooring during the winter
Myth 3: Boats are damp and cold during the winter
Myth 4: The pipes will freeze
Myth 5: The boat will be dark during the winter
Myth 6: There's too much involved in maintaining a boat in the winter
Full article: scuttlebutteurope.com
Nobby's parting shot at ICRA
Norbert 'Nobby' Reilly has resigned from the Irish Cruiser Racing Association (ICRA) over disagreements with its direction in the last 12 months.
In his resignation letter submitted yesterday (Thursday 18 January), the Howth Yacht Club stalwart and former ICRA commodore suggested that it is "probably a good time to wind up" the association, on the eve of a symposium to determine its future direction.
Reilly accused ICRA of "getting in the way of its own plan" since a memorandum of understanding signed in 2016 with the ISA, now Irish Sailing, led to a boost in its finances for cultivating and promoting cruiser racing in Ireland.
Of its €50,000 budget for 2017 - four times ICRA's revenue in 2015 - allocations of €11,000 were made for training and €8,500 for recruitment via CrewPoint.
But Reilly claims only €2,000 of the former was spent in clubs (Howth YC and the Royal Cork) which already have training programmes in place, with little spend or results for the latter.
Hometown Heroes
It was a hometown heroes welcome for David Witt and his crew aboard Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag as they rocketed into Hong Kong to take their first leg win of the Volvo Ocean Race. The racing had been intense since the Scallywag team snatched a surprising come-from-behind lead as the hunters hunted them with every bit of grit and determination, but they fended off all challengers by employing a well known inshore tactical strategy; they placed themselves squarely between those chasing and the finish line, and the tactic paid in spades. By winning the leg they became the first ever Hong Kong-flagged team to win a leg of the Volvo Ocean Race.
Much of the credit for their victory should go to Libby Greenhalgh who came on board as navigator in Melbourne. Libby, along with Annemieke Bes are the two females on board and their contribution has been massive. The leg from Australia to Asia is a minefield that needed to be navigated with a steady hand and steady head. After a bit of a rocky start Greenhalgh and skipper Witt saw their opportunity as the leading boats wallowed in the calms of the doldrums. Taking a calculated gamble they "cut the corner" turning toward Hong Kong before the rest of the fleet. The risk was that they would run out of wind but they skirted a windless zone on either side, remained in a steady breeze, and took a commanding lead. Some will say that they got lucky while others will know the truth; it was their Dubarry Crosshaven boots engineered and crafted to take on the tricky condition of the Pacific Ocean that gave them the winning edge.
Return of the Joker
Click on image to enlarge.
After spending decades off the radar and falling slowly into disrepair, the Bar Harbor 31 - initially named Joker - has resurfaced. Joker was the fourth of thirteen boats that comprised the fleet of Bar Harbor 31s which all left the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company's doors in the spring of 1903.
Joker's owner contacted Alec Brainerd of Artisan Boatworks because of his former affiliation with Seal Cove Boatyard, where he first dipped his toes into the pool of marine industry work. Brainerd founded Artisan Boatworks in 2002 and currently serves as the President. Under his leadership, Artisan Boatworks agreed to transport Joker to their Rockport, Maine yard and has plans to rebuild the yacht according to her original specifications.
While Joker may not be ready for her next sail just yet, many of her components have maintained their integrity throughout her roller coaster of a journey. Her keel, many parts of the deck hardware, and most of her original planking have been saved, continuing to give shape to the restored yacht. Surely this is a testament to the quality of the original build, which took place in Bristol, Rhode Island 115 years ago.
With a 48' 10" overall length, but only 30' 9" at the waterline, the structural rigidity of the topsides, deck, and sheer were some of the most important aspects of N. G. Herreshoff's design. Fortunately, his experience in the boatbuilding world allowed him to do this without creating a cumbersome yacht. Rather, the "key strength-giving elements are lightweight, small in size, beautiful to look at, and simple to build," according to Maynard Bray in his publication Two Views of the Herreshoff Bar Harbor 31s.
The team at Artisan Boatworks will be working meticulously to preserve or replicate each of these details to pay appropriate homage to Herreshoff's historic strength and beauty.
www.classicyachtownersassociation.org
Ocean Safety February Open Days
Ocean Safety will be inviting yacht owners to familiarise themselves with their essential onboard safety equipment when the company opens its doors to customers at its Southampton depot on 3rd and 4th February 2018.
Ocean Safety Glasgow and Plymouth will run a similar event on Saturday 3rd February.
Hopefully you've never had to launch your liferaft or seen your lifejackets inflated, or even let off a fire extinguisher or flare. We all hope for drama-free boating, but it's worth being prepared, ready for coming spring.
You are invited to bring along your liferafts, lifejackets, and other serviceable onboard safety equipment to be checked by Ocean Safety's expert team. Everyone is welcome to turn up to watch general demonstrations which will be held throughout the day but if you want to see your own liferaft inflated or equipment opened and checked, you will need to make an appointment. This equipment can then be left for servicing and can be collected at a later date. During the day there will be plenty to see and do and the experts will be on hand to answer questions
Visitors to the Southampton Open Day will also see and take part in flare demonstrations and personal AIS recovery systems demonstrations. A full programme is now available on Ocean Safety's website.
Visitors will need to book a time slot for their liferaft inspection and demonstration by calling Emily at Ocean Safety on 02380 720800 or emailing . The open day runs from 10am- 4pm. For details of how to get there visit www.oceansafety.com
Gold Medalist ponders a comeback
The sparkling athletic career of American Anna Tunnicliffe Tobias, which includes a gold medal in the singlehanded Laser Radial class, a world match racing championship, an appearance au naturel in ESPN the Magazine's The Body Issue and a transition to an elite-level Crossfit career, bears the hallmarks of someone in full control of her destiny.
But if the next phase is to be successful, Tunnicliffe Tobias (Pittsburgh, Pa.) must come to grips with having someone else at the helm, at least on the race course. After a five-year layoff, she is contemplating a return to Olympic-level sailing, but not as a skipper.
This week, she will test out a new partnership by crewing for 2016 Olympian Paris Henken (Coronado, Calif.) in the 49erFX class in 2018 World Cup Series Miami, the second of four events that comprise an annual circuit of Olympic sailing for elite and professional sailors.
Middle Harbour Yacht Club One Design Trophy
Edake's winning streak continued at the Farr 40 Middle Harbour Yacht Club One Design Trophy in sublime summer conditions.
Two consecutive pointscore wins gives owner Jeff Carter some confidence rolling towards the season climax, but he's well aware that facing the full complement of 10 boats reduces the odds of a trifecta for the longstanding Sydney crew.
Over eight races on Sydney Harbour in 12 knot nor'easters on Saturday and up to 20 knots on Sunday January 21, Carter and his crew finished the MHYC series seven points clear of Rob Pitts' Melbourne boat Double Black, with guest tactician Joe Turner fulfilling the pressure-cooker role.
The one design fleet is working towards their state and national titles, which signal the end of the 2017-18 racing season. The NSW State Title will be hosted by MHYC over two days, February 3-4, then a month later the final non-pointscore hit-out at MHYC's Sydney Harbour Regatta before the finale, the Australian championship.
The Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron is the traditional home of the class' pinnacle event and this year the National Championship: John Calvert-Jones Trophy will be staged over three days, March 17-19 to fit in with the Property Industry Foundation Charity Regatta on the Friday.
For The Record
The WSSR Council announces the establishment of a new World Record:
Record: Outright South Pacific Ocean Intermediate Record
Yacht: "MACIF" 30 metre Trimaran
Name: Francois Gabart. FRA
Dates:. 25th November to the 3rd December 2017.
Start time: 21;00;00 on 25/11/17
Finish time: 12;20;00 on 03/12/17
Elapsed time: 7 days 15 hours and 20 minutes.
Comments: Previous record: IDEC. Frances Joyon. FRA. 12/01/17. 7d 21h 13m 21s
John Reed
Secretary to the WSSR Council
sailspeedrecords.com
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The Last Word
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