In This Issue
Winning Group 2019 JJ Giltinan Championship, Races 6 & 7
Biscayne Bay At Its Best
Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy Deputy Chief Executive
King George Lining Up For A Friendly Gallop
No plan B for Thomas Ruyant
Industry News
Eight Bells: John Thackray
Letters to the Editor
Featured Brokerage
The Last Word: Greg Iles

Brought to you by Seahorse magazine and YachtScoring.com EuroSail News 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

Winning Group 2019 JJ Giltinan Championship, Races 6 & 7
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Winning Group 2019 JJ Giltinan Championship, Races 6 & 7 Sydney Harbour: The New Zealand 18ft Skiff teams ASCC and Honda Marine shared the honours with comfortable wins in Races 6 and 7 on Day 5 of the Winning Group 2019 JJ Giltinan Championship on Sydney Harbour today.

ASCC (Josh Porebski, Jack Simpson, Dave Hazard), the current NZ champion, easily won the first race of the day, then defending JJ Giltinan champion Honda Marine (David McDiarmid, Matthew Steven, Brad Collins) won the latter race.

With just two more races to be sailed in the championship over the weekend, Honda Marine has a net score of 10 points, and a discard of only 4 points, and holds a strong grip on the title.

Conditions were far from perfect as a light, shifting SE breeze, which faded a little over the day, made things difficult for all teams.

It was an impressive day’s sailing by the kiwis, who proved far too good for their Australian opponents.

Racing continues on Saturday with Race 8 and concludes on Sunday afternoon when the blue ribbon will be presented to the championship winner after Race 9. -- Frank Quealey

The Winning Group 2019 JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship Race dates for the remainder of the championship are:
Saturday - March 9
Sunday - March 10

Top tive after seven races:
1. Honda Marine (David Mcdiarmid, Matthew Steven, Brad Collins), 10 points
2. Smeg (Michael Coxon, Mike Mckensey, Ricky Bridge), 19
3. Winning Group (John Winning Jr, Seve Jarvin, Sam Newton), 21
4. Asko Appliances (James Dorron, Harry Bethwaite, Trent Barnabas), 27
5. Ascc (Josh Porebski, Jack Simpson, Dave Hazard), 30

Live streaming is available on 18FootersTV
www.18footers.com.au/18-footers-sailing/18-footers-tv/

Biscayne Bay At Its Best
It was one amazing sailing day in Biscayne Bay, with typical Miami winter conditions of strong breeze, sunshine and small chop. Racing doesn’t get better than this for the 165 teams racing at the Bacardi Invitational Regatta. Race day 1 got underway in the J/70, Melges 24, Viper 640 and Flying Tigers 7.5, with the Star Class enjoying race day 4.

Two races for the Star fleet, to make up for no racing on Tuesday. A grueling and challenging day as the Star Class racing here respects the original Bacardi format, used since its inception in 1927, of races legs that are at least 2 miles long, and last up to two hours. With so much depth in performance, there were plenty of lead changes today as the shifty breeze further out on the bay tested the best.

One bullet went to French Olympic bronze medalist and SSL President Xavier Rohart with his crew Pierre-Alexis Ponsot, whilst American sailing legend Paul Cayard and Olympic champion Magnus Liljedahl picked up the other win.

Three races were wrapped up for the J/70 fleet, who are making their second appearance at the Bacardi Invitational Regatta. Three different teams took the race win glory, and it won’t be an easy task to grab victory amongst such super competitive talent.

Sailing resumes Friday with a scheduled 1100 hours start for all fleets.

Top ten, Star class,after four races, no throwout:
1. Eric Doyle / Payson Infelise, USA, 12 points
2. Diego Negri / Sergio Lambertenghi, ITA, 21
3. Eivind Melleby / Joshua Revkin, NOR, 28
4. Xavier Rohart / Pierre Alexis Ponsot, FRA, 32
5. Augie Diaz / Bruno Prada, USA, 36
6. Paul Cayard / Magnus Liljedahl, USA, 38
7. Lars Grael / Samuel Freitas Moraes Goncalves, BRA, 41
8. Allan Terhune, Jr. / Arnis Baltins, USA, 41
9. Jack Jennings / John Von Schwartz, USA, 43
10. Marcelo Fuchs / Pedro Trouche, BRA, 45

Top five, J70
1. Carlo Alberini / Stefano Cherin / Jas Farneti / Marco Furlan, ITA, 9 points
2. Ryan McKillen / Jon Wallace / Mark Mendelblatt / Sam Loughboroguh, USA, 12
3. Giangiacomo Serena di Lapigio / Alessandro Franci / Ettore Botticini / Luca Faravelli, MON, 14
4. Joel Ronning / Victor Diaz de Leon / Patrick Wilson / Chris Stoke, U SA, 17
5. Will Welles / Zeke Horowitz / Jake Doyle / Reed Baldridge, USA, 19

Full results of all classes on YachtScoring.com

bacardiinvitational.com

Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy Deputy Chief Executive
Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy The Academy is creating a new role of Deputy Chief Executive in recognition of the continued growth in activity and the desire to deliver high quality and cost effective services. We are seeking a highly motivated individual with excellent leadership skills in a complex multi activity environment involving several teams of staff.

This is an exciting opportunity to become part of a high performing team in a dynamic and constantly changing environment where excellence and high standards are the norm.

Purpose
- To provide support to and act as the CEO's deputy
- To ensure the Academy has a qualified, experienced and motivated workforce
- To lead on operational procedures and quality standards
- To ensure the successful delivery of WPNSA events
- To manage the business administration and operating budgets optimising efficiencies and income generation
- To manage the facilities portfolio

Application
The WPNSA actively promotes diversity in its workforce and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. If you would like to join the Academy and feel you have the relevant skills and experience, please email Peter Allam, CEO, at for further details, including Job Description and Person Specification. If you would like to have an informal discussion regarding the role, please provide a contact number when responding by email.

The closing date for applications is 29th March 2019 and short listed candidates should be available for interview on 23rd April 2019.

wpnsa.org.uk

King George Lining Up For A Friendly Gallop
The King George Gallop is set to open a whole summer season of handicap competition in the Great British Sailing Challenge when the North London sailing club hosts its event on 16 & 17 March.

Last year the Gallop was launched as an eleventh-hour replacement for the Bloody Mary which couldn’t take place when water levels dropped low on the other side of London. King George Sailing Club received such great feedback from the sailors who took a punt on attending the new event that King George have decided to run it again, this time as a two-day regatta.

Following in the proven footsteps of multiclass handicap events like the Fernhurst Books Draycote Dash, The Tiger Trophy and the Datchet Flyer, the Saturday will be three back-to-back handicap races with Sunday concluding with a double-points Pursuit Race. The event is open to any monohull dinghy with an equal or faster handicap than a Topper 4.2. Fastest boat at last year’s Gallop was an International 14 sailed by Dan Holman and Graeme Oliver.

Future events: GBSC Calendar 2018/19
King George Gallop, King George Sailing Club - 16 & 17 March 2019
Weston Grand Slam - 20 & 21 April 2019
Derwent Dambuster, Derwent Reservoir Sailing Club - 11 & 12 May 2019
Wilsonian River Challenge, Wilsonian Sailing Club - 1 & 2 June 2019
Bala Long Distance, Bala Sailing Club - 22 & 23 June 2019
Mountbatten Centre, Plymouth - 8 to 10 August 2019
Ullswater Ultimate, Ullswater Yacht Club - 17 & 18 August 2019
Grand Finals, Rutland Water Sailing Club - 28 & 29 September 2019

www.sailingchallenge.org

No plan B for Thomas Ruyant: “I will be there at the start of the 2020 Vendee Globe"
Early this week, Thomas Ruyant visited the Persico yard in Bergamo (Italy) to see how work was going on his future IMOCA, a Verdier designed boat that is due to be transferred to Lorient in June before she is launched in late July. At the same time, the skipper from the North of France continues to search for more or one headline partners to accompany him during his second attempt at the Vendee Globe

Winner of major events in Class40 (2010 Route du Rhum), in Figaro racing (2018 Transat AG2R with Adrien Hardy) and in Mini 6.50 races (2009 Mini Transat), Thomas is also very experienced in the IMOCA class and is developing a very strong project. He has a lot going for him. We met up with the skipper to find out more.

Last Monday, in the Persico yard, you saw for the first time the hull and deck of your future IMOCA. What were your impressions?
“Fantastic! We’ve been thinking about this boat with the designer Guillaume Verdier for a year. It was great to compare what she really looks like with what we saw in the designs months ago and to be able to share that with my team and the workers in the yard. I am not a specialist in composite materials, but I could see that the quality was remarkable. The level of expertise and technical know-how is extremely high and everything has gone to schedule. This visit confirmed that Persico leaves nothing to chance. Everything is perfectly clean and tidy in the yard and when you enter, it feels like a laboratory. That is very reassuring when you know what this boat will be going through. Persico is one of the best composite yards in the world, so it is logical that today they are building one of the world’s fastest monohulls!”

However, this yard has so far only ever built one IMOCA before - Pieter Heerema’s former No Way Back (which was later bought by Fabrice Amedeo)...
“That’s true, but they have made boats for the America’s Cup, the Volvo and big monohulls like the TP 52s. The expertise in this yard is well-known. They aren’t used to building round the world boats, but we asked them to work on a composite ‘box’ with deck and structure. For the rest, our team will take over.”

www.imoca.org

Industry News
Musto, globally renowned for its high-performance sailing gear, has been named the Exclusive Official Technical Sailing Apparel Sponsor of Stars + Stripes, challenger for the 36th America's Cup presented by Prada. Co-founded by world champion sailors Mike Buckley and Taylor Canfield, Stars + Stripes' mission is to build an inclusive, authentic American team to win the America's Cup and inspire the next generation.

Building towards the competition's 2021 start date, the brand will be working closely with the team to develop best in class apparel that both meets and exceeds the demands of the best sailors in the world.

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Orolia is pleased to announce that its McMurdo FastFind 220 and Kannad SafeLink Solo Personal Location Beacons now operate with the Galileo GNSS system.

Continuing Orolia’s innovation and leadership role in Safety Electronics, the PLBs have been upgraded to include Galileo Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), the European Union's global satellite constellation.

These are the world’s first PLBs utilising the Galileo satellites’ capabilities and are the first of a series of new solutions coming from the EU-funded Helios project, led by Orolia, which has been set up to leverage the power of the new satellite system.

These multi-constellation receivers work with a wider range of satellites, offering increased global coverage and supporting accelerated rescue missions. Location detection is enhanced and can be more precise due to the beacons receiving coordinates from the Galileo satellite network in addition to the tried and tested GPS network. Signals can even be detected in high sided locations, such as canyons.

www.oroliamaritime.com

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The question over which organisation will acquire the long-term rights to manage one of industry’s premier boat shows remains open

The Anglo-Dutch business information and services company Relx PLC, owner of Reed Exhibitions, is pursuing its legal action against France’s Federation des Industries Nautiques (FIN) leaving the latter’s quest to take over the show still in doubt.

The long-running saga over who has the rights to own and manage the Cannes Boat Show is now heading into its third year of litigation. This follows Reed’s decision to lodge an appeal against the January 8th court ruling from the Tribunal de Grande Instance de Paris which awarded ownership and management rights of the show to FIN.

Reed did not accept the ruling which it claimed to be unenforceable and has now appealed against the decision to the Paris Cour de Appel for a further ruling on the dispute which could ultimately end up the Cour de Cassation (France’s supreme court of appeal) for a final resolution - a process which could take a further 12 to 18 months.

The action has already been through several conflict resolution sessions and court hearings since first raised in 2016, including an attempt at mediation by the mayor of Cannes. The legal costs both sides have incurred will have been considerable and when resolved will also involve compensatory damages for one side or the other.

The FIN’s last communication on the subject in January assumed that it had won the battle following the Tribunal’s ruling that Reed could no longer represent itself as the owners or managers of the show - overturning Reed’s assertion that it had a legal right to manage the show until 2041 based on its existing contract with FIN.

www.ibinews.com

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Turkey’s two rival boat shows have drawn to close, leaving much speculation as to how the events will unfold next year.

The Tuzla Boat Show opened first and ran from February 16-25 at Via Port Marina in Istanbul, followed by the CNR Eurasia Boat Show from February 23 to 3 March at the CNR Exhibition Centre - both on opposite sides of the city.

Nearly 150 exhibitors were in attendance, with a high proportion of sailing yachts on display. Sailing schools were also among the exhibitors.

This was the Tuzla show’s second edition, meaning there was quite a learning curve. Snowy weather in Istanbul created a significant difference in indoor/outdoor temperature, creating high levels of humidity inside the mega structure. On the last day, several exhibitors left the hall saying that physical conditions were not good for the boats on display.

After the difficulties of the Tuzla show, the CNR Eurasia Boat Show made a strong impression on both visitors and exhibitors. The show took place in an 85,000sq m covered area.

This year the CNR Eurasia Boat Show added a new hall for camping and caravan companies, which attracted much interest. Yacht equipment firms were particularly pleased, as many also provide equipment for caravans. Nearly 250 companies joined the exhibition, including 40 camping and caravan firms. Attendance was said to be satisfying.

The common opinion is that two boat shows in Istanbul is not necessary in Turkey’s current economic climate. The shows have also divided the marine sector in the country and created tension within the industry.

www.ibinews.com

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The Royal Torbay Yacht Club are pleased to announce that Darwin Escapes, one of the UK’s leading holiday park operators, has been appointed as headline sponsor for the J/70 2019 World Championship.

The Royal Torbay Yacht Club are pleased to announce that Darwin Escapes, one of the UK’s leading holiday park operators, has been appointed as headline sponsor for the J/70 2019 World Championships being held in Torquay August 29th to September 6th. The club has a long and distinguished history of hosting major international events and is looking forward to welcoming the J/70 class to Torquay.

The J/70 World Championships 2019 will bring elite racing sailors from around the world to the internationally renowned sailing destination of Torbay, on the English Riviera, where they can expect to enjoy a cordial welcome, first class racing and great hospitality.

For more details about the J/70 UK Class: www.j-70.co.uk

2019 J/70 World Championship website: www.j70worlds2019.com

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Following a long career in sailing spanning two Olympic Games, numerous America’s Cup cycles and everything in between, native Kiwi Tom Dodson has rejoined North Sails as a Sales Expert with a particular focus on the vibrant superyacht segment. Based out of New Zealand, Dodson will bring his knowledge and expertise to an already impressive team and will work with superyacht owners and crews around the world including regattas in the Caribbean and Mediterranean, ahead of the expected influx to the Pacific in time for the 2021 America’s Cup in Auckland.

Having first joined North Sails New Zealand as Managing Partner back in 1986, he left to join Team New Zealand in 1998 then joined Southern Spars as President in 2004.

Eight Bells: John Thackray
John Thackray John Thackray passed away on March 5 after a long battle with cancer, surrounded by close friends and his nephew from England. He was 73 years old.

Born in Kirkby Malzeard (UK), he grew up sailing in the English Channel and the North Sea area where he quickly developed a passion for the sea and the finer points of racing a sailboat.

During his racing career, he raced onboard the famous maxi boats of the day such as Kialoa, Running Tide, and Charisma. His racing resume was extensive with Atlantic and Pacific Ocean crossings, many Bermuda Races and major regattas around the world. He was a superb trimmer and often managed the boat as the chief boat maintenance worker.

In the 1997-98 Whitbread Round the World Race, then the seventh edition of the around-the-world sailing event, he was assistant shore manger on our Whitbread 60 Chessie Racing, the entry from the Chesapeake Bay and the first American boat finisher in the race.

While sailing Leg 5 from Auckland NZ to Sao Sabastiao, Brazil, through the treacherous South Ocean, Chessie Racing broke its’ donkey engine which was needed to shift water ballast and make fresh water.

JT, as he is known by the sailing community, scrounged the many parts required in Annapolis, also securing charts and other equipment in great need, and then flew to Chile, took a long cab ride to Ushuaia and met Chessie Racing offshore so it could successfully complete the leg to finish third. The extraordinary efforts of JT are remembered fondly by the racing team to this day.

In recent years, JT served as captain on Grand Slam, a 75-foot Feadship and several smaller competitive fishing boats. JT is a member of the Storm Trysail Club and the Royal Ocean Racing Club, and for many years was a member of the Annapolis Yacht Club.

Fittingly, his ashes will be distributed in his favorite seas off Miami, the Chesapeake Bay near Annapolis, and The Channel. A remembrance will be held in Annapolis at a future date. -- George J. Collins

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 Euan Ross:

Perhaps it’s a symptom of the endemic hyperbole we endure every day in every aspect of modern life, but the arrogance of this generation - always seeking to ‘make history’ without taking the time to read history and learn from it doesn’t bode well for sustainable progress. When I started sailing Merlins as a young lad in the mid-sixties, I got hold of a copy of the class rules. I was intrigued to see that ‘double-luffed mainsails were prohibited’. All the development classes, which shared a common genesis, had this restriction. At that time, the only boats about with such sails were the rare cruisers with eccentric Ljungstrom rigs; so why mention it? However, and unlike many ‘heads-down’ experts today, the guys who formulated class rules through the twentieth century knew their history and were aware of L. Francis Herreshoff’s work in the 1920s and that it had attracted enough attention to trigger a ban. When Sting sang “history teaches nothing”, it was a lament on our inability to learn from experience, not pragmatic advice.

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The Last Word
The journey home is always a journey to the well we came from. -- Greg Iles

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