In This Issue
Quantum Racing and Phoenix Mastering Unusual Palma Seabreeze Conditions
Long Inshore Race Brings Challenges and Changes at the Half Ton Classics Cup
The magnificent fightback
Chris Poole and Riptide Racing Takes Early Lead In Detroit Cup
Two handed warriors battle to the finish
Speed records fall in ideal Masirah Island conditions
Laser Radial Youth Worlds
Launchings
Featured Brokerage
The Last Word: Galileo Galilei
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
Quantum Racing and Phoenix Mastering Unusual Palma Seabreeze Conditions
Photo by Max Ranchi, www.maxranchi.com. Click on image for photo gallery.
Thursday's two races contested by the ten TP52s at the Puerto Portals 52 SUPER SERIES Sailing Week proved particularly hard to read.
The fact that is was difficult to retain a high level of consistency across both races is perhaps best illustrated in today's results of the usually super consistent Sled, who won the first race, but finished tenth in the second, and in those of the Italian America's Cup challengers Luna Rossa, who came back from a weighty ninth in the first race to win the second race.
Over the two races, of which take the regatta past its midpoint, the best were the circuit leaders Doug DeVos's Quantum Racing, and Tina Plattner's Phoenix. Both scored an aggregate seven points over Races 4 and 5, and so lie first and second on the event leaderboard.
Regatta standings after five races
1. Quantum Racing (USA) (Doug DeVos) (2,4,2,5,2) 15 points
2. Phoenix (RSA) (Hasso/Tina Plattner) (5,3,4,4,3) 19
3. Azzurra (ARG/ITA) (Alberto Roemmers) (6,5,1,6,4) 22
4. Luna Rossa (ITA) (Patrizio Bertelli) (7,2,6,9 Penalty 2,1) 27
5. Platoon (GER) (Harm Müller-Spreer) (1,10,8,2,7) 28
6. Provezza (TUR) (Ergin Imre) (4,1,7,10,6) 28
7. Alegre (USA/GBR) (Andy Soriano) (3,6,3,8,8) 28
8. Sled (USA) (Takashi Okura) (8,9,5,1,10) 33
9. Gladiator (GBR) (Tony Langley) (10,7,9,7,5) 38
10. Onda (BRA) (Eduardo de Souza Ramos) (8,9,DNF11,2,9) 40
For full results, visit: bit.ly/2MznlZR
To watch the race: bit.ly/2e6o3tR
Long Inshore Race Brings Challenges and Changes at the Half Ton Classics Cup
Nieuwpoort, Belgium: Day four's Long Inshore Race at the Half Ton Classics Cup 2018 in Nieuwpoort, Belgium, proved to be both an incredibly closely fought battle between the top boats and a game changer in the overall standings. With the race carrying a weighting of 1.5 points and being non-discardable, and with only two further races still to sail the pressure was on everyone to achieve good results.
The morning dawned overcast once again, but as the boats arrived in the race area the wind was already at 8-10 knots from the south west and building. Race Officer Paul Charlier set a course which would take the boats back and forth along the Belgian Coast going as far west as the Nieuwpoortbank Buoy and as far east as the Binnenstroombank Buoy off Oostend, giving a course of 32 miles, which took the leading boats over five and a half hours to complete.
The final beat west back to finish at the Westroombank against the tide gave the option of sailing up the middle of the beat over the bank or going left and hitting the shallows inshore. A+ chose the shore and more than 20 gruelling tacks later they had passed five boats.
At the line General Tapioca led the fleet home followed by Checkmate XV and Harmony, but on corrected time Checkmate XV had taken a comfortable victory by a minute and fifty two seconds. It wasn't until the boats were ashore that second place could be confirmed with Harmony beating General Tapioca by just two seconds.
In the Vintage Divison for boats still sailing in largely IOR format (limited modifications to their rigs and foils are permitted) Waverider continues to lead the fleet and now has an almost unassailable lead of 9.5 points.
The championship concludes tomorrow, Friday 24 August. Although technically three races remain to be sailed, the fact that racing can't start before 10.30 and that there is a final race start cut off time of 13.00 means that in reality only two races are really possible to decide this closely fought series and decide who will take home the Half Ton Classics Cup this year.
Provisional Top Five After Seven Races
1. Checkmate XV - 2, 6, 6, (11), 2 , 1, 1.5 = 18.5
2. Per Elisa - 1, 1, 1, 4, 4, (20), 12 = 23
3. Harmony - 6, 8, (8), 1, 3, 2, 3 = 23
4. Waverider - 4, 3, 2, (10), 5, 3, 7.5 = 24.5
5. Red Cloud - 3, 4, 4, 3, (6), 4, 9 = 27
Full results: halftonclassicscup.com/results-2/
The magnificent fightback
After the hurricanes few thought that organisers would even run most of their 2018 regattas, let alone so successfully. Sailors and locals worked together to rebuild, because when you love something, you fight for it.
In late 2017 hearts sank for millions of people who know and love sail racing in the Caribbean as they watched the desperate news roll in hour after hour. Three major hurricanes tore an ugly path of destruction through the Leeward Islands during September and October. Two of them, Hurricanes Irma and Maria, both reached the highest measurable wind rates, revolving up to a level of Category 5 in strength. Those who observed the satellite meteorology were shocked to see the deeply-distressing images of three major hurricanes progressing in a merciless line through the Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. The sight of the tiny islands of Barbuda and St Barts, clearly identifiable and visible in the eye of these monstrous systems, was genuinely heartbreaking.
Considering how much catastrophic damage and devastation was caused to the civil and marine infrastructure in some areas, and considering how this destruction occurred only a matter of weeks before the opening of the Caribbean sailing season, one was left in little doubt that the CSA (Caribbean Sailing Association) regatta year would be somewhat different in 2018, to say the least. How could the various regatta organisers even hope to arrange racing in the face of such overwhelming logistical challenges?
The season was different and in a number of ways. Some events were indeed cancelled and there can be no doubt that a number of vessels chose to follow a different agenda during the 2018 season, excluding their usual Caribbean participation.
However given the monumental odds against, few would have believed early in 2018 that there would be a such a supreme effort made to rebuild the infrastructure so quickly in the many islands affected.
Full article in the September issue of Seahorse
Chris Poole and Riptide Racing Takes Early Lead In Detroit Cup
Chris Poole from New York and his Riptide Racing team is leading the pack of ten teams after the first day of racing at the 11th annual Detroit Cup. Eight flights were raced today under beautiful sunny skies and light to moderate winds with three flights and one match remaining to complete the first Round Robin tomorrow. Racing will be held daily though Sunday, August 26th, with two Round Robins planned, followed by Semi-Finals and Finals over the weekend.
Poole is tied on 5 points in six matches sailed with one of two local Bayview YC favorites, Ryan Seago, but in having defeated Seago in their match he wins the tie-break in the current standings. Nick Egnot-Johnson and his team from New Zealand is also on five points, but he too lost to Poole in their match.
Tomorrow similar weather is expected but the breeze will shift from the west to the south, making for more interesting and challenging conditions here on the Detroit River. -- Dobbs Davis
Complete results are posted online at www.matchracingresults.com, as well as on the event website at www.detroitcup.com
Standings after 8 flights:
1. Chris Poole (USA), 5-1
2. Ryan Seago (USA), 5-1
3. Nick Egnot-Johnson (NZL), 5-2
4. Will Boulden (AUS), 4-3
5. Pearson Potts (USA, 3-3
6. William Curtiss (USA), 3-4
7. Finn Tapper (AUS), 2-4
8. Clare Costanzo (AUS) , 2-4
9. James Wilson (NZL), 2-4
10. Will Cyr (USA), 1-6
Two handed warriors battle to the finish
Benjamin Schwartz and Chen Jin Hao's Figaro 2 El Velosolex SL Energies Group finished the 2018 Round Britain and Ireland Race on 23rd August 2018 at 05:01 42 BST in an elapsed time of 10 days 17 hrs 01 mins 42 secs.
The French and Chinese co-skippers had become friends as part of Dongfeng Race Team, winners of the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race. Horace (Chen Jin Hao) has competed in the last two editions of the round the world race and was competing in the Sevenstar Round Britain Race for the second time, having come third in class with Dongfeng's VO65 in 2014. For the 2018 edition, their Figaro 2 is the smallest yacht in the race and they have secured second overall and won both IRC Two Handed and IRC Two.
The French and Chinese duo put in a massive effort showing immense skill and determination. Having led overall for long periods of the race, their Figaro 2 was hampered by electronic issues which affected their autopilot, but they continued to push hard right to the end of the 1,805 nautical mile marathon.
Twelve teams are still racing in the 2018 Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race. Ross Applebey's Oyster 48 Scarlet Oyster and Ian Hoddle's Sun Fast 3600 Game On (Virgin media Business) are less than 50 miles from the finish. Class40 Aparito, skippered by Elin Haf Davies, with Chris Frost and Pip Hare, has retired. The boat and all of the crew are safe and well.
roundbritainandireland.rorc.org
Speed records fall in ideal Masirah Island conditions
American kiteboarder Rob Douglas took his third Kite Speed World Championship crown after racing in perfect conditions at the Masirah Island event in Oman earlier this week.
The only racer to reach a top speed of over 50 knots in ideal kiteboarding conditions on the island's flat and shallow lagoon, Douglas pipped French defending world champion Alex Caizergues to the title, with British rider Dave Williams repeating his third-place finish of last year.
Robert Harding (USA) and Enrico Giordano (ITA) completed the top-five positions in a competitive international field. Douglas' US compatriot Mandi Browning won the women's class ahead of Britain's Anna Weld.
A total of 15 of the kitesurf circuit's highest profile riders had gathered in Oman for the high-adrenaline event, which again built on the Sultanate's growing reputation for ideal kiteboarding conditions.
Hosting the championship for the second successive year, Masirah Island also saw riders from Sweden and New Zealand among the entries.
Laser Radial Youth Worlds
The day started again with waiting. A covered sky and limp flags due to the lacking wind were dominating the picture of the marina in Schilksee on Thursday morning. So the first start of the Laser Radial Youth Worlds was postponed for two hours.
In the boys' fleet, the leading three sailors started with only one point of difference into the final races. The Italian sailor Francesco Viel only had one point more than his fellow countryman Guido Gallinaro and Julian Hoffmann from Oberstdorf, who had the same point score and has the writing "Rio2016" on his boat. Background: It is the Laser from Philipp Buhl, which he had sailed at the Olympics. "I know him from our club. It is cool to sail with the boat of a good friend, who has sailed the Olympics with it", said the 15-year old. But he did not just benefit from the boat of the friend, that had already successfully passed the Olympics test, but also gets tips from the World Championship bronze medal winner from Aarhus, said Hoffmann.
"Until now everything went so well" was Race Organizer Fabian Bach's summary so far. "We had completely different conditions so far. Much wind on Monday and then light winds the last days - for each sailor something." With the shifts from 10 to 20 degrees, the experienced teams on the race courses had to puzzle a bit, but that's part of the game. "With the stable conditions, we in the race committee are very satisfied." For the following days, they are expecting more wind again. "For tomorrow, the forecast is really good. More in the upper part."
Top five, girls:
1. Matilda Talluri, ITA, 31 points
2. Matilda Nicholls, GBR, 40
3. Ana Moncada Sanchez, ESP, 41
4. Julia Buesselberg, GER, 45
5. Valeriya Lomatchenko, RUS, 55
Top five, boys:
1. Uffe Tomasgaard, NOR, 35
2. Guido Gallinaro, ITA, 39
3. Cesare Barabino, ITA, 47
4. Josh Armit, NZL, 51
5. Michal Krasodomski, POL, 53
Full results: manage2sail.com/de-DE/event/WM#!/
Launchings
Leaving the CDK Technologies yard: the 60-foot monohull CHARAL ready to head out to sea!
The IMOCA 60 Charal left the yard in Port-La-Foret, Brittany this Tuesday 21 August 2018. Over the past 12 months, the Charal Sailing Team, partner Charal, naval architects VPLP and the CDK teams have become one behind the doors of CDK Technologies, where they have been working very hard to achieve the perfect osmosis.
This time, foils take center stage in design and construction. These are the centerpiece of the IMOCA 60 CHARAL. They determined the rest of the monohull; the hull will be adapted to the functioning under foils, an essential evolution which will make it possible to gain in performance.
The previous experience of Jeremie Beyou on the Vendee Globe was decisive in the design of the cockpit. The latter, adapted to the gauge of Jeremie Beyou, determined the positions of bar, watch and maneuver or the viewing angles of the sails.
www.charal.fr/page-voile/imoca-60-charal/
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Carkeek Design Partners achieved their third podium takeover in round 4 of the FAST40+ series at the Lendy Cowes Week (August 4-7).
Three generations of Carkeek boats now occupy the top 4 places in the overall leaderboard of this high-performance planing monohull class.
Niklas Zennstrom's newly-launched Carkeek-designed Ran VII made it four regattas from four in their debut season, but they were pushed harder than ever in Cowes. The Swedish Ran VII had to come from behind on the last day of racing to beat Girls on Film. Hitchhiker got better and better over the regatta and followed their second place in the last round with a third in Cowes.
Peter Morton, the owner/skipper of Girls on Film, was unequivocal when asked about whether they thought they were going to win in Cowes. "No, they are significantly faster upwind and unless they make a mistake it's no contest," he said.
Under a blazing sun but stable north-easterlies, Ran VII could only manage two fourth places in the first two races. But followed that with three wins with Girls on Film second each time. In race 6, Girls on Film, a point ahead overall, could only manage sixth. They went into the final race level on points, but Ran won with Girls on Film fourth.
The FAST40+ Class limits the number of professional on board. Zennstrom had amateur navigator, Tom Needham, on board and for him it has been a dream. "It's been amazing, it is a really lovely boat," Needham said.
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The new Hylas H48 is on her way. The latest build from Hylas Yachts has departed Queen Long Marine in Taiwan and will make her world premiere at the Newport International Boat Show and the United States Sailboat Show Annapolis in September and October respectively.
For the H48, the security of the deep center cockpit makes it the ideal on-deck gathering place for skipper and guests, with space for lounging and conversation. Wrap-around cushioned seating is served by a centerline drop-leaf table forward of the centerline helm station.
Control of the yacht is centralized in the cockpit, thanks to a powerful sail plan that's easily managed, with an optional self-tacking jib on the inner forestay of the cutter rig, and use of only primary winches, which helps keeps deck spaces clear and uncluttered of unnecessary lines and with thoughtful considerations such as shrouds that don't interfere with the wide side decks. The design allows for safe movement fore and aft, both for the work of sailing the boat and relaxing at sea or at anchor. Wide transom steps lead to a swim platform within the scoop transom.
To make the most of her length overall of 48 feet, Hylas and Dixon have created a hull with abundant volume, thanks to a 14-foot, 6-inch beam that carries well ab. Constructed of solid hand-laid fiberglass isophthalic gelcoat, the H48 has solid lead fin keel, and a sturdy semi-skegged rudder, which combines strength and performance. Additionally Hylas has incorporated a saildrive, which improve the positioning of the engine within the hull, reduces the amount of space required and also helps to further reduce vibration under power.
Below decks, there are two- or three-stateroom layouts available, both with two large heads/ shower compartments.
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Brooklin Boat Yard completed delivery this summer of the $7.1 million Sonny III, a highly customized high-performance 91-foot yacht designed for day sailing and blue-water passages. The owner is 94-year-old Albert Phelps, who said, "I need a project."
The yard's delivery crew landed the yacht in Jamestown, R.I., where owner Albert Phelps, who is 94, keeps his boats.
Yard owner Steve White told Mainebiz that Phelps is a retired real estate developer with homes in Norwalk, Conn., and Boynton Beach, Fla., and he keeps his boat in Jamestown.
Brooklin Boat Yard built the Sonny and Sonny II, both 70-footers designed by Dieter Empacher of Marblehead, Mass.
The biggest challenge was a shorter time frame than usual for the size of the job.
"Because he was 93 when we started, the contract said he wanted to have his boat before he died," said White. "We were literally building the boat as we were designing it, trying to stay ahead.
Designed by Bruce Johnson and the Brooklin Boat Yard design office, construction took 18 months.
Sonny III provides numerous solutions to the owner's mobility concerns, including chair lifts at each companionway, a power reclining chair in the master cabin, a side-boarding ladder and a transom-boarding platform.
Featured Brokerage
2015 KER 56 Canting keel - VARUNA VI. 1,750,000 EUR. Located in North Germany.
Custom built in 2015 at Knierim Individual Yachts in Germany and design by Jason Ker. There is currently hardly an offshore yacht in this size on the world-wide regatta circus, which in recent years has caused more sensation with its successes and extreme design than "Varuna VI"! The ship is uncompromisingly optimized for IRC and competitive at the highest level for all international ocean races. "Varuna VI" is an ultra-light high-tech carbon racer of the latest generation with Canting Keel and Dagger boards with maximum speed potential. Top speeds of over 30kn are possible. A long list of top scores and various wins at some famous offshore races of recent years speak for themselves! The ship is currently fully serviced and ready for transport to a new port of destination. It comes on own transport cradle incl. service container.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
Florian Kirchner
mobile +49(0)170-235 20 29
office +49(0)40-605 631 86
Office in Hamburg
Detailed specs at: www.kirchner-mares.com
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2007 Club Swan 42-010 ' Quintessence'. 285,000 EUR. Located in
Quintessence has been professionally and meticulously maintained since new. The deck has been recently painted with Non-skid with additional non-skid areas tastefully added.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
Nautor's Swan Brokerage - Giorgio Passarella
Tel. +377 97 97 95 07
nautorswanbrokerage.com
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2012 Carkeek 40 - GALAXY. 495000 USD Located in Japan.
Built in 2012 by McConaghy Boats, to a high Carbon/Nomex/Epoxy spec, she has achieved top level success on both HPR and more recently IRC. Newly added FAST 40 transom scoop and with a new rig, she is bang of for IRC and ORC optimisation and a cost effective way into the FAST 40 world.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
Sam Pearson - Ancasta Race Boats
+64 277733717
+442380 016582
See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/
The Last Word
Wine is sunlight, held together by water. -- Galileo Galilei
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