In This Issue
Vestas 11th Hour Racing arrives into Itajai
Team Brunel Is Ready
USA proposal to remove Finn, 470 and RSX from Olympics
What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine
More about the AC75 Class Rule
It's a Wrap! The 2018 Les Voiles de Saint-Barth Richard Mille
Win a trip to the Penultimate Race of the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18
Association Cup tragedy
It's 'Bravo' to the Bumper Water Wag & Flying 15 Fleets of Dublin Bay Sailing Club
Itchenor Sailing Club launches a new accessible sailing experience
Featured Brokerage
The Last Word: Eldridge Cleaver

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

Vestas 11th Hour Racing arrives into Itajai
Vestas 11th Hour Racing has arrived in Itajai - one week after leaving the Falkland Islands under jury rig, following a dismasting on Leg 7.

The blue boat docked into Brazil on Monday having been delivered the 1,500 mile trip by sailor Damian Foxall and members of the team's shore crew - Diego Torrado, Andres Guerra Font, Spencer Loxton and Diego Turell.

Work is now underway to lift the boat out of the water and fit a new Southern Spars mast, which has already been transported to Itajai.

Enright's team had passed Cape Horn in second place and was racing north towards Brazil when they dismasted on 30 March some 100 miles southeast of the Falkland Islands.

The crew motored to the archipelago and set about sourcing materials to construct a jury rig in order to get them to Itajai in time for repairs and to begin Leg 8 on Sunday 22 April.

www.volvooceanrace.com

* Five boats back in the water - two to go

It's been a big 24 hours in the Boatyard as the team works around the clock in Itajai to service the fleet, and Vestas 11th Hour Racing arrives for a new mast

Team Brunel Is Ready
With only 11.000 nm of the 45.000 nautical miles to go till the finish in The Hague. Team Brunel is in third place overall and has the second elapsed time sailed in the legs till now. While Vestas 11th Hour racing and Sun Hung Kai / Scallywag still have to dock in in Itajai, Team Brunel is ready for the In Port race on Friday April 20th and leg start on Sunday April 22nd.

Bekking: "If we had to leave today, we are ready. This last week our technical shore crew did an excellent job, helped by the boatyard and of course our own technical and painting specialists from Royal Huisman. In the meantime the sailing team had the opportunity to take some rest and spend some time with our loved ones. For me personally, it was the first time I was home in eight months so yeah that's pretty special. But even when you're at home you keep thinking about and preparing for the next leg. For example I did some high altitude training and went to the Norwegian snow with my wife and daughter."

For the next 5.700 nm leg from Itajai (Brazil) to Newport (US) Louis Balcaen (BEL) returns on board Team Brunel. The talented 29 year old sailor that sailed Leg 3, 5 and 6 and who is sailing his second Volvo Ocean Race. He will replace Thomas Rouxel (FRA). Rouxel has other commitments with the Gitana project in the next weeks.

Crewlist Team Brunel - Leg 8:
Bouwe Bekking - NED - Skipper
Andrew Cape - AUS - Navigator
Carlo Huisman - NED
Kyle Langford - AUS
Alberto Bolzan - ITA
Louis Balcaen - BEL
Peter Burling - NZL
Abby Ehler - GBR
Nina Curtis - AUS
Sam Greenfield - USA - OBR

At the end of the race there will be a bonus point for the team with the lowest total elapsed time sailed. With just over 22 hours between Dongfeng in first place and Team Brunel in second, it looks like this competition will be between these two boats. Third placed Team Mapfre is almost 4 days behind on elapsed time and this seems insurmountable, assuming all three boats do not encounter any major problems in the remaining part of the race.

Standings based on total elapsed time
Dongfeng Race Team - 94 days, 10 hours, 11 minutes, 49 seconds
Team Brunel - 95 days, 8 hours, 5 minutes, 47 seconds
Mapfre - 99 days, 1 hour, 15 minutes, 21 seconds
Team AkzoNobel - 100 days, 9 hours, 43 minutes, 27 seconds
Turn the Tide on Plastic - 100 days, 23 hours, 3 minutes, 3 seconds
Team Sun Hung Kai Scallywag - 102 days, 10 hours, 49 minutes, 7 seconds
Vestas 11th Hour Racing - 102 days, 13 hours, 31 minutes, 17 seconds

teambrunel.com
volvooceanrace.com

USA proposal to remove Finn, 470 and RSX from Olympics
Central to the USA proposal is the removal of the Finn and 470 dinghies and the RS:X board, and there replacement with new equipment/events.

The proposal supports a bold approach that differentiates the ten medal events across as many as seven disciplines in a wide variety of equipment types.

And claims that new events like the Offshore, Kite and Team events, plus a second medal opportunity could really create a surge of new interest in Olympic sailing across the broad spectrum of our sport.

Four mixed events would promote gender equality across our sport: from dinghies to foiling catamarans to Team Racing to Offshore Keelboats.

The US Sailing submission proposes to keep the Laser, Radial, 49er, 49erFX and Nacra17 and to add . . .

1. Men/Women Windsurf Triathlon - Using a twin tip board with a foiling option: One day each of the following equally weighted disciplines:

2. Team Mixed Kite Triathlon - Using a twin tip board with a foiling option: One day each of the following equally weighted disciplines:

3. Mixed Team Racing - Ideally, 3 on 3 in provided non-spinnaker dinghies. Minimum one helm and crew of the other gender.

4. Mixed Offshore Keelboat - Using yachts capable of Offshore sailing for 2 people to race for 48 hours. Category 2, Offshore Special Regulations.

The US Sailing proposal (like many others) throws several events at the Olympics that have little support structure (or interest) world-wide.

Rather than tackle the root problem of Sailing as an Olympic event - the lack of a genuine competition circuit, that provides a structure and builds an audience for the sport outside of the Games.

It assumes that creating new events only vaguely connected to sail racing will produce top international competition. In particular the vague "Triathlon" and "Team" events seem an exercise in dumbing-down.

This brings the real problem back to World Sailing who have grown their all-pervading management/committee culture while emasculating international dinghy racing.

They have back-tracked so many times that they now seem to have runout of any ideas for how to present the sport on a professional level. They now oversee a "professional" sport existing on government handouts.

The US Sailing submission to World Sailing will be considered at the May meeting in London to consider Olympic Events and Equipment for 2024.

Gerald New, his full detailed editorial in Sailweb: www.sailweb.co.uk

The US Sailing Proposal

Seahorse May 2018
What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine

Don't mess me around
One thing that can be sobering about developing products hand in hand with the world's highest-profile professional sailors is in the final analysis they actually have to go out and use what they have put their name to...

Getting organised
Range of boat type nuts... future plans secure Andrew Mcirvine

Counting blessings
Plenty to smile about... Rob Weiland

Oops!
The opening night of the Caribbean 600 did not go entirely according to plan for the team on the mighty Fujin. Paul Bieker and Jonathan Mckee

Master designer - Part I
Surely you didn't think we'd rush this one... John Rousmaniere

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More about the AC75 Class Rule
There were a bunch of unanswered questions from the America's Cup AC75 Class Rule Q&A last week, Ray Davies and Dan Bernasconi from Emirates Team New Zealand answer a few more questions on the specifics of the rule.

www.sailingscuttlebutt.com

It's a Wrap! The 2018 Les Voiles de Saint-Barth Richard Mille
2018 saw high-performance boats and excellent crews, challenging courses, ideal weather conditions, battles on the waves in every class, suspense until the very last minute, and a full schedule of special events that attracted locals as well as sailors from more than 15 nations.

All the elements came together to make this 9th edition of Les Voiles de Saint-Barth Richard Mille an exceptional event, and one that took place in a rather special context: just seven months after the major destruction caused by hurricane Irma, Saint Barth was ready to sail.

Just seven months after hurricane Irma literally destroyed the island, the challenge of organizing such a regatta seemed almost insurmountable, but it not only took place, it succeeded with gusto, thanks to a great show of solidarity by the sailors, the sponsors, the Collectivity of Saint-Barth, and the local population, as well as by the French and U.S. ambassadors of the event, Alessandra Sublet and Jimmy Buffett.

Buffett even held a surprise dockside concert one evening, much to the delight of the sailors and locals.

Throughout the week not only were the weather conditions fabulous, with 15 to 30 knots of breeze and big seas, but the 53 boats divided into seven classes engaged in some pretty incredible battles, many of which were decided upon by the last race.

The racers thoroughly enjoyed the new addition of a fifth day of racing, who were happy to have been able to compete in six races.

The same is true for the first Richard Mille Record Trophy, in which George David's Rambler 88 and Gilles Lamiré's La French Tech Rennes St-Malo were the trophy winners in Maxis and Multihulls, respectively.

François Tolède is already looking forward to next year's 10th edition of Les Voiles, which will take place on April 14-20, 2019. The organizers moved the event to one week later to coincide with the Caribbean's low season, meaning additional availability and off-season rates (which reduce by up to 30 percent).

Monies from the sale of the official poster of the 9th edition of Les Voiles de Saint-Barth Richard Mille were donated to the St Barth Coral Restoration Association.

Additionally, a portion of the profits from the sale of Les Voiles Code Zero clothing went to the association "Help Saint-Barth."

Truly, the best way to show your solidarity and support for the continued recovery is to come visit the exceptional island of Saint Barth.

www.lesvoilesdesaintbarth.com

Win a trip to the Penultimate Race of the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18
To celebrate Volvo Car Ireland's sponsorship of the Volvo Round Ireland, we are offering you the chance to win a trip for two to witness the Penultimate race of the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-2018. The last race before the final will take place in Gothenburg, Sweden, the home of Volvo, from the 14 - 21 June 2018.

The prize includes two nights accommodation in a four star hotel for two people, dinner on both nights, a tour of the Volvo Ocean Race village and a spectator boat experience.

To enter simply follow the link below and sign up for a test drive at your local Volvo Dealer between now and the 4th May 2018! The winner will be announced on the 7th of May 2018.

*Terms and conditions apply

www.volvocars.com/ie/About/Our-Stories/Volvo-Ocean-Race/Competition#

Association Cup tragedy
West Sou'west winds of up to 36 knots were blowing were blowing the time of the incident in the 2018 Association Cup on Melbourne's Port Phillip. A Northerly had been blowing earlier, but the clocking around to the left would have made the Bay go from flat water to possibly 1.5-2m very quickly, as there is significant fetch available.

The annual event is held between the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria, Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron, Royal Brighton YC and Sandringham YC, and contested by teams from each club in both IRC and AMS. A joint statement will be issued tomorrow (Monday) by the clubs, as Police are presently taking statements from all parties. Max Peters fell overboard from his Adams 10, Top Gun, and was not able to be resuscitated. He was retrieved by another craft, also racing in the event. Our deepest condolences to the family, crewmembers, club friends and all racing out there today. -- John Curnow

www.sail-world.com/news/204136/?source=rss

It's 'Bravo' to the Bumper Water Wag & Flying 15 Fleets of Dublin Bay Sailing Club
Dublin Bay Sailing Club has saluted its largest one design keelboat and dinghy fleets on the eve of the 2018 season.

Boat entries everywhere are a perennial problem for organisers but that's not the case for either the Water Wag or Flying Fifteen fleets on Dublin Bay this season.

'Bravo the Water Wags and the Flying 15s who have - very conscientiously - heeded our previous appeals to get their entries to the secretariat in good time', DBSC Commodore Chris Moore told a meeting of DBSC's 22 classes this week.

Currently - at just a fortnight from the first race - Moore reported that only slightly more than 'half of the 320 boats who race with DBSC have registered'. 'The situation of IRC certs is infinitely worse', he added.

The oldest dinghy class in the world, the clinker-built Water Wag, with a history dating back to 1899, boasts 32-boats for the 2018 season to outstrip any other dinghy class on the Bay. Seymour Creswell is this year's DBSC Wag Class Captain.

Meanwhile, the evergreen Flying Fifteen class, based at the National Yacht Club, has 29 boats entered, according to the just published 2018 DBSC Yearbook. The keelboat class has recently launched a new website for its hosting of the 2019 World Championships on the Bay and celebrates its season start under FF Class Captain Mick Quinn at a pre-season reception at the East Pier Club on April 19th.

afloat.ie/sail/sailing-clubs/

Itchenor Sailing Club launches a new accessible sailing experience
Itchenor Sailing Club is launching a new accessible sailing experience for those looking to enjoy dinghy sailing in a relaxed atmosphere. Set in the beautiful Chichester Harbour, Itchenor Sailing Club has a 90-year history and benefits from being one of the few Clubs in the Harbour which can offer sailing at all states of the tide.

The Club has this year invested in three brand new 2000 dinghies that can be booked by members on a whole or half day basis from Wednesday to Sunday throughout the season. Ideal for beginners, family sailing and training, the Club's new fleet will give more people the opportunity to get out on the water and enjoy all the Club has to offer without having to own a boat.

Designed for families, couples and individuals looking to get involved in the sport for the first time or those wanting a stepping stone to get back into sailing, the 2000s can be used for exploring Chichester Harbour and basic training as well as fun racing if required. The 2000 Experience comes with weekly activities and events including training, cruising, beach picnics, racing and regattas, allowing members to have fun whilst developing their sailing skills and meeting other likeminded sailors.

To find out more about joining the new 2000 Experience at Itchenor visit www.itchenorsc.co.uk or call 01243 512400.

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Beautiful, 4 cabin (owner, crew and 2 x guest) example of Maxi-Dolphin's elegant semi-custom performance cruiser the MD65

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2007 Oyster 655 - ROULETTE. 1124000 GBP. Located in Lymington, UK.

Performance Oyster from the board of Humphreys with carbon rig and sailors' set up. Stunning maple innards and has the kerfuffle for blue water.

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1993 Nautor Swan 68 - SEA EAGLE OF SHIAN III. 575,000 GBP Located in Scotland, UK.

Handsome German Frers Swan 68 which is perfect for both a cruising and regatta role. She is a capable and fast bluewater cruising yacht with a great layout for owners, 6 guests and crew. She has had some great updates through life including paint, decks, and rod in 2008, new electronics, communications and entertainment in 2011 and she is constantly updated. Now laid up under cover, she is awaiting her next yachting family to awake her from her slumbers.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Ben Cooper
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See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/

The Last Word
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