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In This Issue
• Maserati victorious in Grenada
• France's Courtois Wins 2018 WIM Series Finale at Carlos Aguilar Match Race
• Seahorse Sailor Of The Month
• 18ft Skiffs NSW Championship, Race 2
• Wight Vodka Best Sailor's Bar
• Stiff competition - Hall Spars
• $20 million America's Cup Lottery fund
• America's Cup Future Dates
• Edake Wins Newcastle One Design Trophy
• All Set For A Family Affair At The Datchet Flyer
• Letters to the Editor
• Featured Brokerage
• The Last Word: Venkatraman Ramakrishnan

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

Maserati victorious in Grenada
After an intense 3,000 mile battle across the Atlantic from Marina Lanzarote to Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina, Giovanni Soldini's Maserati Multi 70 has taken Multihull Line Honours in the 2018 RORC Transatlantic Race in an elapsed time of 6 days, 18 hours, 54 minutes and 34 seconds. The team completed the 5th edition of the RORC Transatlantic Race at 06:54:34 UTC on Saturday 1st December.

Peter Cunningham's MOD70 PowerPlay, skippered by Ned Collier Wakefield was less than 46 minutes behind Maserati, finishing at 07:40:12 UTC after seven days of a fascinating duel and taking first place in the MOCRA Class. Whilst no quarter was given on the race course, the two crews celebrated together on the dock; such is the strong accord between the two rivals after a memorable experience.

Maserati Multi 70's crew was made up of seven professional sailors aboard the Italian trimaran; alongside skipper Giovanni Soldini, the Italian Guido Broggi (mainsail trimmer), Nico Malingri and Matteo Soldini (both grinder and trimmer); the Spanish Carlos Hernandez Robayna (trimmer) and Oliver Herrera Perez (bowman); the French François Robert (pitman).

Next to arrive in Grenada will be the largest yacht in the race, Pier Luigi Loro Piana's Baltic 130 My Song who at 0800 UTC have 1,171 miles to run and chasing the Monohull Race Record set by Nomad IV in 2015 of just over 10 days and 7 hours.

Sunday update:

Italian Supermaxi My Song, sailed by International Maxi Association member Pier Luigi Loro Piana has 723 miles to go and is expected to finish the race on Tuesday morning in Grenada. My Song is currently ahead of record pace for the monohull race record and hot favourite for the IMA Trophy for Monohull Line Honours.

Catherine Pourre's Eärendil leads the Class40s from Stephane Bry's French-Finnish Sirius. Henrik Bergesen's Hydra is third, and making up the miles after the pit stop for repairs.

Franco Niggeler's Swiss Cookson 50, Kuka3 was estimated to be leading the fleet after IRC time correction for the RORC Transatlantic Race Trophy. Kuka3 had 1,188 miles to go. My Song was estimated to be second after IRC time correction, with the smallest boat in the race, Trevor Middleton's British Sun Fast 3600 Black Sheep estimated to be third.

Results here: rorctransatlantic.rorc.org/results/2018-results.html

Race Tracker

France's Courtois Wins 2018 WIM Series Finale at Carlos Aguilar Match Race
St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands:Maintaining control, rather than having to regain control, is a strategy that earned France's Pauline Courtois and her Match in Pink by Normandy Elite Team of Maelenn Lemaitre, Louise Acker and Sophie Faguet first place at the 2018 Women's International Match Racing Series (WIM Series) Finale, hosted at the Carlos Aguilar Match Race (CAMR). This spirit of determination was evident during the first two days of the November 29 to December 2 event when Courtois's team went nearly undefeated in the round robin right through the last race in the finals when Courtois led the start to triumph 3-1 over Sweden's Anna Ostling.

True to plan, Courtois and her team sailed through the quarter final matches against the USA's Janel Zarkowsky winning 3-0. Then, they bested the Netherlands Renee Groeneveld in the semi-finals also with a solid 3-0 victory. This successful streak stopped in the first-to-three-win finals when Ostling earned the first match point.

In addition to Courtois' championing the WIM Series Finale at the CAMR, her Match in Pink by Normandy Elite team also won this year's five-race WIM Series. This makes Courtois' the only team to best two back-to-back WIM Series titles, in 2017 and now 2018.

Meanwhile, while Ostling was disappointed in not winning the WIM Series Finale at the CAMR, she sees the well-placed finish as an excellent platform for the future. This year, Ostling and her Team Anna crew of Anna Holmdahl White, Linnéa Wennergren and Annika Carlunger only competed in two WIM Series events following the birth of Ostling's youngest child in March.

Twelve teams of the some of the best women's match racing in the world, representing France, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Sweden and the USA, participated in the 2018 WIM Series Finale at the CAMR.

Final Standings – 2018 Carlos Aguilar Match Race:
(Skipper, Team Name, Country)

1. Pauline Courtois, Match in Pink by Normandy Elite Team, FRA
2. Anna Ostling, Team Anna, SWE
3. Renee Groeneveld, Dutch Match Racing Team, NED
4. Johanna Bergqvist, Team Bergqvist Match Racing, SWE
5. Margot Riou, APCC Women Sailing Team, FRA
6. Margot Vennin, Matchmoiselles by Normandy Elite Team, FRA
7. Octavia Owen, Athena Racing, GBR
8. Janel Zarkowsky, As One, USA
9. Linnea Floser, Peregrine Racing, SWE
10. Morgan Collins, Caribbean Wind Racing, USA
11. Sanna Mattsson, Swedish Women's Match Racing Team, SWE
12. Helena Nielsen, Team Nielsen, SWE

carlosmatchrace.com

wimseries.com

Seahorse Sailor Of The Month

Last month's winner:

Hunt Lawrence (USA)
'Hunt and Betsy Lawrence have already raised the level of sailing in the US, and they are just getting started!' - Dave Perry; 'American sailing's national treasure' - Lansing Hays; 'Hunt has provided me with so many opportunities I would never otherwise have had' - Blake Loncharich; 'Without him a whole marina full of historical classic yachts would no longer exist' - Richard Davies; 'Simply to say "thank you" from the wooden boat community' - Wendy Bliss; 'Hunt and Betsy Lawrence have accomplished something that the sailing world has never seen' - Don Costanzo; 'Congratulations on a life well lived!' - Lynda Lane.

This month's nominees:

Boris Herrmann (GER)
Softly softly the non Francophile presence in the Imoca fleet is growing - timely too as we approach the first use of the class in the 'not Volvo' race. Finishing a good 5th in the Rhum as skipper of the well-organised Yacht Club de Monaco entry for the next Vendee, Herrmann, like his fellow German Vendee challenger Jörg Riechers, has impeccable credentials including being a regular member of Francis Joyon's elite little band of brothers

Paul Meilhat (FRA)
Tenacious. Deserving. Reliable. Consistent. Like his friend and 2nd placed finisher in the Rhum, Yann Eliès, Meilhat, sailing a non-foiling Imoca, arrived in Guadeloupe knowing his sponsorship had ended and that his winning boat was on the market. Since retiring from the last Vendee Globe Meilhat has been banging in result after result on his ageing boat, capped by his impressive Route du Rhum success. Someone should open their wallet for this guy.

Seahorse Sailor of the Month is sponsored by Zhik, Harken McLube & Dubarry. Who needs silverware, our prizes are usable!

Cast your vote, submit comments, even suggest a candidate for next month at seahorsemagazine.com/sailor-of-the-month/vote-for-sailor-of-the-month

View past winners of Sailor of the Month

18ft Skiffs NSW Championship, Race 2
Sydney Harbour" Unfortunately, Race 2 of the NSW 18ft Skiff Championship had to be abandoned for the day, by Australian 18 Footers League officials today, when 25-30-knot Westerly winds, gusting to 40-knots, pounded Sydney Harbour.

Earlier, the start had been delayed in the hope that a race was possible, but ultimately the race officer was forced to make the difficult decision when there was no drop in the intensity of the wind.

The club's sailing committee will now have to meet to the discuss the details of a re-sail.

Next Sunday is Race 3 of the NSW Championship. The club's spectator ferry will follow all the racing action, leaving Double Bay Public Wharf, alongside the clubhouse, at 2pm.

For those who can't make it onto the water:
Live streaming of each race is available on 18FootersTV
www.18footers.com.au/18-footers-sailing/18-footers-tv/

Frank Quealey
www.18footers.com

Wight Vodka Best Sailor's Bar
Less than 30 days before the 10th annual Wight Vodka Best Sailors Bar is announced.

This year the winner gets not just a bottle of Wight Vodka and a commemorative scroll, they get a made to order, framed 3D map of their locale from Latitude Kinsale.

And prizes for best bar description -- a copy of the coffee table book TUIGA about the famed ship -- and best drink recipe -- a six month subscription to Seahorse.

Send us your thoughts, gossip, tall tales, drink recipes, and the name of the best bar in the world:

scuttlebutteurope.com/sailors-bars

Stiff competition - Hall Spars
Plenty of research, plenty of testing... Hall Spars is strengthening its position in the fast-moving world of the composite sail batten

As one of the most prolific mast builders in the world, Hall Spars knows a thing or two about building with carbon fibre – which is why they are able to offer their customers a serious step up when it comes to composite battens. Hall Composite Battens – or HCB – now produces the complete range of battens, from full-length mainsail battens for a 200-footer down to jib flutter battens for a 40-footer. These battens are game-changers, not just because of the way they perform. Readily available in major sailing hubs around the world, they're easy to get regardless of where your boat is.

There are three main types of these latest battens, which are all produced slightly differently and have different uses.

Compression battens
Flex battens
Ultraflex

Full tech report in the December issue of Seahorse

$20 million America's Cup Lottery fund
The Government has created a stand-alone Lottery fund in a bid to help the rest of New Zealand benefit from the 2021 America's Cup.

Internal Affairs Minister Tracey Martin unveiled the $20 million fund today, which was funded from the excess profits of the state lottery fund.

"While Auckland will be hosting the event, the fund aims to spread community gains across the country," she said.

"We don't want the America's Cup just to be of this amazing benefit to Auckland – we're trying to spread the love down the country."

The America's Cup Fund will be open until the end of December 2020 or until all the funding has been fully distributed.

Funding is available for capital projects and items that relate to or connect New Zealanders to the 2021 America's Cup.

An example for a project which could win funding would be a yachting club in the south island which wanted to buy an accessible boat for the disability community to use, Martin said. -- Jason Walls

www.nzherald.co.nz

America's Cup Future Dates
Some of these dates I found in the Protocol. Others were added in the AC75 Class Rule v1.1, e.g. setting the dates for freezing restrictions on how the FCS can be used (30-Nov'19) and for modifications to the FCS by ETNZ/Luna Rossa

30-Nov'18: Late entries deadline ($1M late fee)
31-Mar'19: Boat 1 can be launched
31Mar'19: Venues (and dates) of 2019 AC World Series
2nd half of 2019: 2 x America's Cup World Series Preliminary Events
30-Nov'19: Venues (and dates) of 2020 AC World Series
30-Nov'19: Foil Cant System usage restrictions frozen
20-Dec'19: Match Conditions: Notice of Race and Conditions for Racing
1-Feb'20: Boat 2 can be launched
30-Jun'20: Challenger Selection Series (Prada Cup) Conditions
31-Aug'20: Foil Cant System updates frozen
During 2020: 3 x America's Cup World Series Preliminary Events
1-Nov'20: Sailing Instructions for AC Match and CSS
December 10-20, 2020: America's Cup Christmas Race
February 2021: PRADA Cup Challenger Selection Series (CSS)
March 2021: The America's Cup Match

From Jack Griffin's Cup Experience News: club.cupexperience.com

See Jack's America's Cup Guide; club.cupexperience.com/americas-cup-guide/

Edake Wins Newcastle One Design Trophy
Race Officer Ted Anderson set today's course off Stockton Bight for the final two races of the Farr 40 One Design Trophy regatta. The fleet headed out for an early start due to the building wind forecast and the first race took place in very light conditions, followed by an hour postponement before the wind came howling in. Anderson called it a day after race six, with winds in excess of 30 knots coming from the west

The Sydney fleet occasionally tour to reciprocate interstate and regional owners travel and Joe de Kock is the reason behind the Newcastle One Design Trophy. The Midcoast Boat Yard and Marine owner has competed at two regattas this season as a substitute helmsman and this weekend he had the Good Form crew back together and the teams local knowledge proved beneficial. de Kock was happy to win the last race of the regatta resulting in second place overall. "It was wonderful having everyone here in Newcastle and we had some great racing. We sailed without a tactician yesterday which was difficult and today we had Lisa Darmanin".

The majority of tacticians in the Australian class are male and de Kock laughed when asked about having women calling tactics on Good Form. "Having been married for twenty years, I'm used to being told what to do by a woman, so this obviously works well for me on the boat too."

Tom Quick and the Outlaw crew found themselves in unfamiliar territory this weekend and for the first time this season their consistent scores weren't quite enough to keep Edake and Good Form at bay. -- Jennie Hughes, Farr 40 Australian Class Administrator

Results: www.farr40.asn.au/results

All Set For A Family Affair At The Datchet Flyer
Lots of different combinations of families are entered safely ahead of this Monday's midnight deadline for discounted entry to the Datchet Flyer. Round two of the Selden SailJuice Winter Series is set to take place on 8 & 9 December.

While water levels at the London reservoir took a hammering during the long, dry summer, the water has come back up again sufficiently for good racing next weekend. There are lots of familiar names already entered and a few new ones besides. To make sure you get the low price, you need to enter at www.sailjuiceseries.com before midnight this Monday.

A year ago Peter Gray, Rich Pepperdine and Simon Forbes raced their National 18 to victory in a winter wonderland, and they're back to defend the title in what looks to be a milder outing than 2017's frosty affair.

In its 10 years the Selden SailJuice Winter Series has established itself as the place to race pretty much all types of dinghy, which is why some of the lesser-seen classes like the National 18 like to take advantage of the close handicap competition. The Norfolk Punt is another example, with Colin and Oly Murray looking to follow up on a strong showing at round one of the Series in November, the Fernhurst Books Draycote Dash.

The Murray father-and-son duo from Ullswater Yacht Club are one of a growing number of examples of families looking to enjoy racing alongside and sometimes even against each other. Eden and Josh Hyland from Chasewater Sailing Club are set to battle it out for family bragging rights in their Blaze singlehanders. Then there's Alex and Bob Horlock from Exe Sailing Club racing their Comet Trio MK2 together, the father and daughter RS800 speedsters Ralph and Sophie Singleton, and Ben McGrane who steps out of Roger Gilbert's 505 from Draycote and into the family Merlin Rocket which he sails with his hard-hiking wife Roz.

In the Ospreys, Ben and Simon Hawkes have committed to racing in all seven events of the Selden SailJuice Winter Series and at Datchet the son-father combo will enjoy some close class competition from Warsash warrior Phil Meakins and Weymouth's Emma Stevenson and Tim Bowden.

This event is also the second in the brand new Great British Sailing Challenge. And as ever, there are competitions within the competition and here's the update after round one at Draycote. -- Andy Rice

selden.sailracer.org

Letters To The Editor -
Letters are limited to 350 words. No personal attacks are permitted. We do require your name but your email address will not be published without your permission.

* From Robin Berwick

Probably mentioned before but..I am planning to sail offshore in a small wooden yacht and am concerned about being in the wrong place at the wrong time ie, in the path of an Ultime/IMOCA 60 travelling very fast with nobody on watch. Budget constraints preclude active radar reflector and AIS. I suspect Hugo Boss had all the latest wake up gear which obviously failed. I have always favoured single handed racers and have the greatest admiration for them BUT, not any more with the size and speed of the newest generation yachts. I believe organisers of events like the Route de Rhum etc are blinkered to the safety aspects and that someone will, before long, be killed. How big and how fast before single handed distance sailing is banned?

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The Last Word
Scientists are not movie stars or politicians who will feel insulted if they are not showered with accolades. Scientists are not interested in accolades. -- Venkatraman Ramakrishnan

Editorial and letter submissions to

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