In This Issue
Women make history in winning Volvo Ocean Race crew
Dongfeng becomes first Chinese boat to win Volvo Ocean Race
Time to hang up the boots
Snipe World Masters
Luna Rossa Are Crowned Croatian Royalty
Fastsailing.It: Race Yacht Charter Italy And Mediterranean Sea
12 Metre Waypoint Series
Performance legacy
Audi Invitational Team Racing Challenge
Philosophie IV wins the Morgan Cup
Featured Brokerage
The Last Word: Timothy Morton

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

Women make history in winning Volvo Ocean Race crew
Sailing history was made on Sunday, as two women tasted victory in the around-the-world Volvo Ocean Race for the first time.

Carolijn Brouwer and Marie Riou were part of the Dongfeng crew that edged a thrilling final leg from Gothenburg, Sweden to The Hague after an arduous -- and at times tragic -- 45,000-mile global race. It was the closest-ever finish in the prestigious sailing event.

Brouwer and Riou's breaking of sailing's glass ceiling came about because of a change in rules for this 13th edition. All-male lineups were limited to seven sailors whereas mixed crews could feature nine or 10 sailors, depending on the combination of personnel. All seven teams featured male and female sailors.

"I said before the start of this last leg, 'I am about to start the most important race of my life,' and that's exactly what it's been," the 44-year-old Brouwer told CNN Mainsail. "Nothing is comparable to what we've just achieved today, it's awesome. I'm out of words, it's the best feeling and I can't thank my team enough."

Two-time Olympic sailing champion Shirley Robertson, who presents CNN Mainsail, tweeted: "A big day for Women in Sport... let's hope it's just the beginning! Inspiring role models."

www.cnn.com=

Dongfeng becomes first Chinese boat to win Volvo Ocean Race
Dongfeng Race Team pulled off a dramatic gamble to pip main rivals Mapfre and Team Brunel for overall honours in the Volvo Ocean Race - the first mainland-owned boat to win the planet’s most prestigious round-the-world yacht race.

Dongfeng, skippered by Frenchman Charles Caudrelier, on Saturday took the coastal route into The Hague in the Netherlands from Gothenburg in Sweden after findinging themselves more than 50 miles off the leaders heading for the finish line.

With their rivals coming in from the east, it seemed like the move would backfire but when it came to the finish, Dongfeng was able to overtake the leaders as they struggled for winds. It was the closest finish in the 45-year history of the race. The boat is sponsored by Dongfeng Motor Corporation, a Chinese state-owned car maker based in Wuhan.

Time to hang up the boots
There is a saying, ‘it ain’t over ‘till the fat lady sings’, and for sure this edition of the Volvo Ocean Race was not over until the singing started just ten miles from the finish line in The Hague. For a long while there was just a hum and the tune was in Spanish. Then it softened as Team Brunel made a last minute charge closing to within one mile from Mapfre, the leader, and the hum had a little Dutch mixed in with it. Mapfre and Team Brunel had chosen to sail down the western side of a traffic separation zone while the other contender for the top spot, Dongfeng Race Team, had made a bold and decisive decision to go east of the zone. It looked like a big mistake but with more wind and a better wind angle Dongfeng quickly closed the gap on the leaders and the fat lady started belting it out in Chinese. It was a stunning and historical victory for Charles Caudrelier and his crew on Dongfeng.

After a night of deserved revelry it’s time to dry out, clean up and go home. Foul weather gear needs to be rinsed, Dubarry boots need to washed and hung out to dry, the sailors need to get their sailing resume’s in order. Re-entry is going to be a challenge. After nine months and 45,000 miles of intense living chasing a goal across the oceans of the world, coming home to mow the lawn won’t be easy.

While Dongfeng Race Team may have won the Volvo Ocean Race everyone who participated at every level can call themselves a winner. This was a global competition that attracted the very best in the world. It was a level playing field but for those lucky enough to have chosen to wear their Dubarry Crosshaven boots, engineered and crafted to provide them a little bit of extra comfort in an uncomfortable environment.

www.dubarry.com

Snipe World Masters
Villamoura, Portugal: The event officially starts today with the Opening Ceremony and Cocktail at Condor de Vilamoura right after the practice race who was held today with a strong breeze of about 14 knots coming from 240. Tomorrow the first two races of the Snipe World Masters will take place not far from Praia da Falésia, Falesia Beach, for the iconic cliffs just behind it.

The schedule will then go on with two races per day until Friday June 29th, and then on the final day, Saturday June the 30th, only one race will be sailed. The PRO will decide the racecourse each day among the ones approved for World Master Championship as published on the SCIRA website.

78 boats from 15 Nations will battle it out from tomorrow to Saturday to be crowned Snipe World Master Champions 2018. Among them some really strong teams like World Champion Augie Diaz from the States, with crew Kathleen Tocke, from Portugal Tiago Roquettes with Tiago Morais, from Spain Damian Borras with Jordi Triay and from Italy the Class Commodore Pietro Fantoni with Bridget Wiatrowski. The above mentioned teams were all in the top spots of today’s practice race.

Four divisions of medals will be presented for trophies for the top three places in the following divisions:

Apprentice Master Division (45-54years)
Master Division (55-64 years)
Grand Master Division (65-74 years)
Master Legends Division (75years old and onwards)

The Id Crook Memorial Trophy will be presented to the top placing team for the Overall Master World Champion.

snipeworlds.org/index.php/masters-championship/

Luna Rossa Are Crowned Croatian Royalty
Photo by Max Ranchi, www.maxranchi.com. Click on image for photo gallery.

At just their second regatta together on the 52 SUPER SERIES, the Italian team on Luna Rossa today lifted the Zadar Royal Cup proving that the genesis of their America’s Cup sailing team is already gelling into a strong, racing unit.

Luna Rossa were sixth on their debut in Sibenik last month, short on time with their freshly launched TP52 and evidently still learning the dynamics of their on board communication. But on the beautiful waters off Croatia’s Dalmatian coast they looked a much more clinical, composed team sailing their Botin partners design which had improved upwind speed in the light airs to complement their already strong downwind abilities.

With Vasco Vascotto as tactician, Francesco Bruni steering and double America’s Cup winner Jimmy Spithill as strategist, the only non native Italian on board, Luna Rossa showed composure under pressure today.

The final points table for the regatta shows not only a points tie between second placed Phoenix and Takashi Okura’s Sled, the USA flagged team which has Ray Davies as tactician taking third step on the podium for the second consecutive regatta, fourth placed Provezza share the same tally as fifth placed Platoon and – in sixth Quantum Racing end up just one point behind them.

The Sibenik winners Quantum Racing still leave Croatia with their 2018 52 SUPER SERIES lead at four points but the Rolex TP52 World Championships next month in Cascais returns the fleet to the Atlantic and a different set of regatta winners may emerge.

Final 52 SUPER SERIES Zadar Royal Cup Standings:
1. Luna Rossa (ITA) (Patrizio Bertelli) (1,2,5,3,7,7,2,5) 32 points.

2. Phoenix (RSA) (Hasso/Tina Plattner) (3,7,1,6,4,1,11,3) 36 p.

3. Sled (USA) (Takashi Okura) (6,4,7,1,5,5,6,2) 36 p.

4. Platoon (GER) (Harm Müller-Spreer) (5,5,2,2,8,4,7,10) 43 p.

5. Quantum Racing (USA) (Doug DeVos) (9,6,3,7,3,2,5,7) (2 penalti) 44 p.

6. Alegre (USA/GBR) (Andrés Soriano) (2,9,9,4,1,10,9,1) 45 p.

7. Azzurra (ARG/ITA) (Alberto Roemmers) (4,10,10,9,9,3,3,4) 52 p.

8. Provezza (TUR) (Ergin Imre) (11,3,4,5,10,9,1,11) 54 p.

9. Onda (BRA) (Eduardo de Souza Ramos) (10,11,6,8,6,6,4,6) 57 p.

10. Gladiator (GBR) (Tony Langley) (7,1,11,11,2,DNF12,8,8) (2 penalti) 62 p.

11. Paprec Recyclage (FRA) (Jean Luc Petithuguenin) (8,8,8,10,11,8,10,9) 72 p.

2018 52 SUPER SERIES Overall Standings After Two Events:
1. Quantum Racing (USA) (Doug DeVos) 73 puntos.

2. Sled (USA) (Takashi Okura) 77 p.

3. Platoon (GER) (Harm Müller-Spreer) 77 p.

4. Luna Rossa (ITA) (Patrizio Bertelli) 81 p.

5. Phoenix (RSA) (Hasso/Tina Plattner) 91 p.

6. Alegre (USA/GBR) (Andrés Soriano) 96 p.

7. Azzurra (ARG/ITA) (Alberto Roemmers) 98 p.

8. Onda (BRA) (Eduardo de Souza Ramos) 103 p.

9. Provezza (TUR) (Ergin Imre) 110 p.

10. Gladiator (GBR) (Tony Langley) 128 p.

11. Paprec Recyclage (FRA) (Jean Luc Petithuguenin) 136 p.


www.52superseries.com

Fastsailing.It: Race Yacht Charter Italy And Mediterranean Sea
Giraglia Rolex Cup, Rolex Capri Sailing Week, Tour de Corse a la Voile, Copa del Rey, Les voiles des Saint Tropez, Rolex Middle Sea Race, Palermo-Montecarlo and many other races offered for race yacht charter in Italy.

Fastsailing.it is a start up race yacht charter company operating in Italy with base in Rome providing a top race boat for the kind of sailors want to join a race and win it.

A small independent company, meaning that they can offer a personal service.

The boat is a 2017 Jeanneau Sun Fast 3600, designed especially for offshore racing and optimized in IRC.

Ready to race, full set of new sails, full equipment and electronic, assistance in each phase of the race.

The idea is to get the best pleasure from italian and nearby sailing and social events without compromises: a very new boat, very well equipped, for exigent sailors

Out of best events: club races or planned training with an offshore sailing instructor to improve sailing or just to amaze the windy Sardinia in summertime.

Visit www.fastsailing.it

12 Metre Waypoint Series
The Road to the Worlds Waypoint Series is a 3-year International 12 Metre yacht competition from May 2017 through the 2019 12mR World Championship, July 7 - 13 at Newport, RI. Twelves racing at specific "Waypoints" designated events in North Europe, South Europe and the Americas will be awarded points for both their participation and performance. At the culmination of this 27 regatta series, the 12mR yacht with the greatest number of points overall will be named the Waypoints winner.

This competition is open to all 12 Metre yachts with valid Measurement Certificates (including Appendix E Certificates) and current ITMA Membership status at the time of each Waypoints event in which they participate. All 12mR yachts worldwide may compete at any Waypoint event, whether within or outside of their home fleet.

The Waypoints to the Worlds series is heating up and with the first three (of 12) 2018 events now "in the books" very serious competitions are emerging in the Vintage Division of the N. Europe fleet as well as in our America's fleet Modern and Traditional Divisions.

www.12mrclass.com/waypoints/

Performance legacy
Over the years the builders of Grand Soleil yachts have repeatedly been forced to enlarge their trophy cabinet... and that performance heritage still flows through their current - and expanding - selection of racer-cruisers

Italian yard Cantiere del Pardo have been blending performance, luxury and contemporary style in their Grand Soleil range for 45 years. With the new Grand Soleil 48 the yard aims to raise the racer-cruiser bar to a whole new level.

‘Made in Italy’. Those three words can conjure up images of immaculately tailored suits and exquisitely engineered cars, of Pavarotti and Michelangelo, Sangiovese and bruschetta, the seemingly effortless elegance that is la dolce vita. Except, of course, it’s very far from effortless. The fine Italian thread running through the fabric of this nation is passion. Since its establishment in 1973, Cantiere del Pardo, based a few kilometres inland of Rimini, has been harnessing this emotional obsession with perfection and in the new Grand Soleil 48 it finds its latest, and perhaps most complete, expression.

She was drawn by the yard’s own design maestro Marco Lostuzzi, the third boat he has designed for Grand Soleil, and he worked closely with Milan-based Nauta Design on the styling. ‘The brief was to design a racer/cruiser that could be prepared for a racing customer or for a cruising one,’ says Lostuzzi, whose design philosophy is deceptively simple.

‘I design boats that are enjoyable and easy to sail. To achieve this I focus on the balance between sail area, displacement and stability. The mix has to be powerful, but not extreme.

Full story in the July issue of Seahorse magazine.

Audi Invitational Team Racing Challenge
Porto Cervo, Italy: The final day of the Audi Invitational Team Racing Challenge saw Newport Harbor Yacht Club clinch victory ahead of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS) and the New York Yacht Club - placed second and third respectively. The third edition of this event, organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda with the support of Title Sponsor Audi, hosted 14 crews representing seven prestigious international yacht clubs from the USA, England, Sweden and Italy, with a total of 55 races run.

Newport Harbor Yacht Club, led by Justin Law and Mac Mace, faced the home team from YCCS (skippers Antonio Sodo Migliori and Edoardo Mancinelli Scotti) to do battle for first and second place. Wins in two of their three races brought the Americans to first place ahead of the YCCS. Eastern Yacht Club (skippers Spencer Powers and Stein Skaane) then came up against the New York Yacht Club (Brian Doyle and Will Graves) in a fight for third place which was claimed by New York Yacht Club in consideration of their score in the round robins of the previous days.

Results

Philosophie IV wins the Morgan Cup
Nicolas Gaumont-Prat's French Beneteau First 40.7 Philosophie IV enjoyed a midsummer night's dream winning the 2018 Morgan Cup Race overall. Congratulations to all the class winners including Harmen Jan De Graaf's Baraka GP, Ed Broadway's Hooligan VII, Ross Applebey's Scarlet Oyster, Harry Heijst's Winsome, Ian Hoddle's Game On and Jack Trigger racing Class 40 Concise 8.

Although light winds were predicted for the race, the fleet experienced the remnants of a westerly sea breeze for the Squadron Line start, lasting long enough for a twilight exit from the Solent. Calms and complex local effects during the night, made observation and experience of light airs racing paramount. As night fell, the breeze dropped significantly resulting in somewhat of a park up off Portland Bill, giving an advantage to the higher rated IRC boats that had made the tidal gate. However, close to Midsummer the night was short, dawn broke before 5 a.m. and the lower IRC rated yachts enjoyed longer daylight racing with enhanced breeze.

In IRC Zero, Ker 46 Lady Mariposa skippered by Daniel Hardy, took Line Honours for the race in just under 18 hours. However, Harmen Jan De Graaf's Dutch Ker 43 Baraka GP corrected out under IRC to win the class by just over 22 minutes and take second overall for the race.

In IRC One, Edward Broadway's British Ker 40 Hooligan VII took line honours by just under two hours and with the highest IRC rating in the class was the victor by just over 18 minutes from Maxime de Mareuil's French Xp44 Orange Mecanix2. Hooligan VII was also third overall. RORC Commodore Steven Anderson's British Corby 40 Cracklin' Rosie was third in IRC One.

In IRC Two, Ross Applebey's British Oyster 48 Scarlet Oyster won the class and was fourth overall. Second place went to the wire, crossing the finish line less than five minutes behind Scarlet Oyster, was Vladimir Phillips Mills 37 Thunder 2 taking runner up in class by just 15 seconds from the Army Sailing Association's British Soldier, skippered by Lt Col Paul Macro.

In IRC Two-Handed, Ian Hoddle's British Sun Fast 3600 Game On was the winner by under four minutes after IRC correction from Charles Emmett's Sigma 36 British Beagle. Paul Kavanagh's Swan 44 Pomeroy Swan was third. In IRC Three, Philosophie IV was the winner with Game On second, Sun Fast 3600 Jellyfish, sailed by Kevin Armstrong, was third.

In IRC Four, Harry Heijst's S&S 41 Winsome took line honours for the class and the win after IRC time correction by just under ten minutes from Paul Waxman's SJ35 Imperator. British Beagle was third.

The Class40 dual between Halvard Mabire's French Campagne de France and Jack Trigger racing Concise 8 was won by Jack Trigger's team. Side-by-side for the early part of the race, Concise 8 got into the breeze just before Campagne de France after Portland and kept the lead to cross the finish line 15 minutes ahead of their rivals.

The next race of the 2018 RORC Season's Points Championship will be one of the longest. The 704-mile Volvo Round Ireland Race will start from Wicklow on the 30th of June.

rorc.org

Featured Brokerage
2012 Spirit 60DH - SPIRIT OF RANI. 1780000 EUR. Located in Cogolin, France.

Captivatingly good looking sailing yacht from the Spirit stable, built for regattas and family sailing. She accomplishes both tasks with total panache. British yacht building at its very best and she is maintained to the highest standards. Exceptional Spirit 60DH - the head turning is free. The yacht is recently varnished with Awlgrip 2 Pack varnish which has great endurance properties.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Ben Cooper
+44 (0) 1590 679 222

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Swan 60-909 'Windward'. 3,300,000 EUR. Located in Hong Kong.

‘Windward’ was launched in May 2014 and is ready for racing or cruising. Currently lying in Hong Kong, she is available for immediate delivery.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Nautor's Swan Brokerage - Lorenzo Bortolotti

Tel. +377 97 97 95 07
nautorswanbrokerage.com

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1996 Eric Goetz Maxi 80. 320,000 EUR. Located in Kiel, Germany

One of the original Iconic Maxi yachts is now available. She was originally built as the world famous 'Boomerang' under an IMS rating rule. Then converted to life in the Maxi fleet where she achieved first class honours for many years on the circuit.

Still maintained to the highest of quality, this is a really attractive all round proposition and offers a truly huge amount of bang for your buck!!

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Sam Pearson - Ancasta Port Hamble

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

The Last Word
I so totally refuse to 'make an effort to understand' the people who have become vectors for a fascist spectacular politics. -- Timothy Morton

Editorial and letter submissions to

Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: or see www.scuttlebutteurope.com/advertise.html