In This Issue
Update on Vestas 11th Hour Racing and Scallywag
Star Western Hemisphere
Rambler 88 and La French Tech Rennes St-Malo Win the Inaugural Richard Mille Record Trophies
What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine
World Cup Series adds Italy, with Genoa hosting in 2019 and 2020
Clipper Race 9 Day 19: Wild Weather Arrives
Luna Rossa announces new team members
Camden Classics Cup: 24 Boats Already Registered
Featured Brokerage
The Last Word: Sun Tzu
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
Update on Vestas 11th Hour Racing and Scallywag
Five boats are currently in the cradles in Itajaí, being given a once over by the Boatyard team – but two, Vestas 11th Hour Racing and Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag, are still out on the ocean, and making their way north to Brazil.
The retirement of the two boats from racing means that Leg 7 officially ended when MAPFRE crossed the finish line on Monday morning local time – but still, there is a race against time to reach the sunny shores of South America, and for both, different reasons.
Vestas 11th Hour Racing are currently around 1000 nautical miles from Brazil and motoring under jury rig to Itajaí where they will receive their new mast and rig. Volvo Ocean Race veteran Damian Foxall is leading a delivery crew onboard.
Vestas 11th Hour Racing might have left the Falklands in their rear view, but for Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag, the South Atlantic archipelago is a landmark point in their delivery to Brazil – and at midday on Wednesday 11 April, they had just passed the islands themselves, leaving around 1500 nautical miles to go to Brazil.
The eight sailors delivering the boat to Brazil are Campbell Knox, Douglas Knox, Larry Jamerson, Matt Pearce, Peter Buckley, Peter Goldsworthy, Mariana Lobato and Willy Roberts.
Star Western Hemisphere
The Western Hemisphere 2018 will officially start April 12th with the first day of racing, in Miami, Florida. Organized by Biscayne Bay Yacht Club in conjunction with the ISCYRA, International Star Class Yacht Racing Association, the Western Hemisphere is one of the big five Silver events on the ISCYRA calendar and it will go on until Sunday April 15th with two races per day. It will be the second big event on Star boats held in Miami's Biscayne Bay within a little more than a month's time: on the first week of March on these water Diego Negri and Sergio Lambertenghi won the 91st edition of the Bacardi Cup.
Diego and Sergio won't be here, but the winners of the 2017 Western Hemisphere will. Arthur Asonov with David Caesar (USA) won the event last year in Cleveland, Ohio, on Lake Erie, with a four points lead over John MacCausland with Roger Cheer (USA). Both teams will be sailing this week trying to replicate last year's success, alongside some of the best Star sailors. Paul Cayard (USA) will be on the start line with Arthur 'Tutu' Lopes (BRA), local Augie Diaz (USA) will also participate with crew Bruno Prada (BRA), so will do former ISCYRA President Lars Grael with his loyal Samuel Goncalves (BRA) and SSL Finals's champion Frithjof Kleen (GER) will race with the American skipper Jack Jennings.
The long Brazilian Star sailing tradition will be well represented, after the United States it's the most represented country at the Western Hemisphere 2018, with 5 teams and the above mentioned crews. Among them Finn sailor Jorge Zarif, who's just arrived from Trofeo Princesa Sofia in Palma de Mallorca where he finished in fifth position. Jorge is not new to Star class, he raced on a Star for the first time in Nassau, Bahamas, at the SSL Finals in 2014, with experienced crew Henry 'Maguila' Boening where they finished 4th. He will race with Guilherme De Almeida here and we expect great things from the youngest sailor of the fleet.
The weather this week looks very 'Biscayne Bay', with westerly breeze between 10 and 18 knots, it might change towards the weekend, with a southerly breeze coming in on Saturday going up to over 20 knots on Sunday, when the Trophy and 750 SSL Points will be appointed to the winner
Star Class: starclass.org
ISCYRA facebook www.facebook.com/ISCYRA
Rambler 88 and La French Tech Rennes St-Malo Win the Inaugural Richard Mille Record Trophies
While the Maxis and Multis were off flying around the islands on a 49-mile hunt to win line honors for the inaugural Richard Mille Record Trophy, the CSA fleets battled it out in two 12-mile races. The top boats across the three CSA fleets are either tied on points in CSA 1 and 3 or within 2 points in CSA 2 after their first two-race day in the regatta.
This is the first year for the Richard Mille Record Trophy that rewards the fastest Maxi and Multihulls. The 49-mile course took the fleet up near Tintamarre, Saint Martin. Today's race also counts in the overall Les Voiles series for the Maxis and the Multihulls.
Rambler 88 stretched her legs and quickly pulled a horizon job on the fleet, finishing the race in 3:01.58, more than 28 minutes ahead of the Maxi 72 Proteus. Rambler 88 also won the day on corrected time. Proteus remains in first overall for the Les Voiles series, two points ahead of Rambler.
In the Multihulls, La French Tech Rennes St-Malo (IMRR), the Multi 50 trimaran skippered by Gilles Lamiré, took line honors and the trophy, finishing the course in 3:27.24.
CSA 1
Only a half point separates the top three boats as Conviction continues its strong run, tied at 10 with the Melges 32 Lazy Dog out of Puerto Rico, and a half point behind is Albator from France.
CSA 2
The battle is on between Ventarron and Blitz as two points separate them (5, 7), and there is no doubt Blitz's owner-driver Peter Corr has his sights set on earning the top spot before the week is out.
CSA 3
Credit Mutuel - PTO, a Jeanneau 3200 owned by Claude Granel and Marc Enig sits in the top spot today thanks to a first-place finish in the second race. They are tied at six points with Team Island Water World, the Melges 24 owned by Fritz Bus. Water World is the smallest entry in Les Voiles but as a local he and his team are extremely comfortable in the big breeze and swell that's been on order this week.
Thursday is the signature "Day Off" for the Les Voiles de Saint Barth Richard Mille participants. Fun and games will begin around noon at Nikki Beach. Friday, racing resumes at 10 am.
Seahorse April 2018
What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine
Design - Job done Last summer Turkey's Provezza Team added the Dragon world title to their trophy cabinet. Coach and technical co-ordinator Ron Rosenburg was there for every step of a long, ambitious, complex and faultlessly executed journey...
It gets no easier
Gentlemen and players... Rob Weiland
Seahorse build table - Flashing it up
And it's swanky new foils for an 'old' favourite
Tech Street: Pronto!
Tech Street: That was quick
RORC news
And a celebration of sorts! Eddie Warden-Owen
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.
World Cup Series adds Italy, with Genoa hosting in 2019 and 2020
Sailing's World Cup Series, the annual circuit for Olympic sailing and Para World Sailing, will touch down in Genoa, Italy in 2019 and 2020 for the European stopover.
Organised by World Sailing in collaboration with the Federazione Italiana Vela and Yacht Club Italiano, the Fiera di Genova will host sailors in Spring 2019 and 2020. Set against a dramatic coastline, with racing areas perfectly positioned in front of Genoa's seafront.
The 2019 Series will start at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic venue in Enoshima, Japan this September, before heading to Miami, USA in January. Genoa will be the final opportunity for sailors' to qualify outright for the World Cup Finals, which will be held in Marseille, France, the venue for the Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing Competition.
Enoshima will also host the first event of the 2020 series in the autumn of 2019, with Miami following early in the New Year. Genoa will be one of the last big European Olympic class events before sailors' head back to Enoshima for the 2020 World Cup Final; which will swiftly be followed by the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Sailing Competition.
The World Cup Series is a key touchpoint for fans and media to connect to the sport of sailing and develop support for athletes on their road to Tokyo 2020 and beyond. Over 2,000 of the world's leading sailors, representing 75 nations, have competed in the World Cup Series since its inception in 2008.
www.sailing.org/news/86639.php
Clipper Race 9 Day 19: Wild Weather Arrives
The forecast big weather arrived right on schedule with the Clipper Race fleet hit by powerful winds and waves on Day 19 of the race across the Pacific Ocean to Seattle.
After seeing the forecast earlier in the week, the fourth placed PSP Logistics decided to head south, a decision Skipper Matt Mitchell feels was justified following the conditions overnight. He reports: "Following a period of very light wind, the expected front came on in earnest. Thankfully we had changed early to our Yankee 3 in preparation. Very quickly we were down to three reefs and 40 knots of wind on the nose.
Despite the gale force winds and wild sea state, the strong safety culture across the fleet ensured all eleven teams remained on track and racing well towards Seattle. The importance of putting safety first was vindicated on board the seventh placed Garmin, as Skipper Gaëtan Thomas explains: "The wind was supposed to turn and it did back on a broad reach facing the waves from the previous gale. The boat jumped in the air and a nasty wave when we were shaking out a reef hit us badly.
"All the team were washed down. All the lifejackets inflated and the cockpit was full of water. Dave West was on the mast to spike the handy billy and he was safely double clipped but he was projected on the mast. Mei Fullerton in the cockpit received James Lawrie on her and her shoulder is quite in pain, but both of them are inside the boat now and nothing major medically is wrong - big scratch on the top of the nose and a couple of bruises but they are smiling and ok.
"Now the chaotic sea state due to the prevailing winds will come down soon and the waves will come more from the back which will be a massive relief for everyone."
The front is yet to reach the leading teams, Sanya Serenity Coast and Qingdao, which, due to their northerly course, could potentially experience hurricane force gusts of between 70-80 knots. But Sanya Serenity Coast Skipper Wendy Tuck is ready, saying: "We now have three reefs and our storm jib the ginger ninja up. It's a bit unpleasant as its only slightly off close hauled, in the next couple of hours the breeze should come round to a nicer angle, but the gusts will increase later. The sea state is all over the shop and will get worse.
The fleet was originally expected to finish Race 9: The Race to the Emerald City and arrive into Bell Harbor Marina between Saturday 14 and Thursday 19 of April, but conditions in the early part of the race means the boats are now expected between Thursday 19 and Saturday 21 April.
View The Race Positions Here www.clipperroundtheworld.com/race/standings
Luna Rossa announces new team members
Cagliari, Italy: Luna Rossa has completed the first sessions dedicated to the selection and training of young talents from the world of Italian sailing and is pleased to announce the names of the first three sailors who will be part of the team and race in the upcoming regattas.
Matteo Celon, age 22, is a Laser-class sailor from Lake Garda who has also competed in the Extreme40, M32 and Melges circuits.
Enrico Voltolini, age 31, is a naval engineer. His sailing career starts in the Star class with a European and two Italian championship titles. From 2013 to 2016 he raced with excellent results in the Finn circuit representing the Fiamme Gialle military team.
Andrea Tesei, age 26 from Trieste, has sailed in the Olympic 49er class for the past five years, placing top10 in the world ranking and runner-up for the world title in 2015. He won a bronze medal in the 2017 European championships and obtained several titles and medals in national championships. Andrea has also raced in the main professional circuits such as in the Extreme Sailing Series, World Match Racing Tour and Melges World League.
The New Generation project has proved to be an excellent instrument to select a pool of young quality athletes and will continue throughout 2018.
Camden Classics Cup: 24 Boats Already Registered
Presented by Lyman-Morse, the Camden Classics Cup, now in its third year, is a two-day regatta that opens the classic racing season in Maine. The Cup is the anchor event of Camden Classics Week, a week of destination racing to and from Castine, Brooklin, and the outer islands; youth sailing; music, fine arts and film centered on the picturesque waterfront of Camden, Maine. It's a perfect week of racing, cruising, and serious camaraderie. The 2018 Camden Classics Cup dates are July 26-28. Classics Week wraps up Friday, August 3rd.
Registration is open and this year dockage at Lyman-Morse at Wayfarer is included in the registration fee. As a result, 24 boats have registered as of end March. Dockage is limited. There is also an Early Registration discount if you register before June 1. Proceeds from the Camden Classics Cup go to LifeFlight of Maine, with $50 of every registration fee going to this essential life-saving service. Last year, the Camden Classics Cup presented LifeFlight a $10,000 check thanks to sponsorships and participation.
A new addition to the fleet this year is a Small Boat Division for sailing yachts of a waterline length of 24 feet and under. Camden Classics Cup is working with Alec Brainerd, president of Artisan Boatworks to develop this class. "We hope to draw in Dark Harbor 20s, North Haven Knockabouts (AKA Dark Harbor 17s), and Camden HAJ boats," said Brainerd. "These classic fleets are integral to our summer sailing scene here in Penobscot Bay. It will be great to get them involved in the Camden Classics Cup." Last year, a beautiful and diverse fleet of 39 yachts gathered for the second annual Camden Classics Cup. From the Vintage Class, Chris Bouzaid's Luders 24 Leaf won the overall contest Cup between the Classic and Vintage Classes and was presented with the sterling silver Tiffany Cup. Mermaid, a custom Sparkman &Stephens design owned by Brooke Parish, won the Classic Class; Burt Keenan and Mystery, a Center Harbor 31, won the Spirit of Tradition Class. Ron Breault, owner of Marionette, took home top honors in the one-design class of S&S-designed Dolphin 24s.
Featured Brokerage
A powerful performer with fully battened main and carbon spars. A perfect solution for pleasurable cruising, with charter potential.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
-----------------------------------------
Magrathea is absolutely stunning inside and out with Hall Spars black carbon rig and carbon Vee Boom with slab reefing and North Sails for fast passage making and fun around the buoys too.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
-----------------------------------------
Her classic lines and cruising capabilities are the emblem of this ever lasting Swan model. Winner of the Swan Cup in 2000 and Antigua Race Week in 2001, 'Defiance' is a sea-kindly and fast performance cruiser that has a regatta winning pedigree.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
Nautor's Swan Brokerage - Giorgio Passarella
Tel. +377 97 97 95 07
http://nautorswanbrokerage.com
See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/
The Last Word
The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting. -- Sun Tzu
Editorial and letter submissions to
Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: or see www.scuttlebutteurope.com/advertise.html