In This Issue
New Mediterranean inshore series launched
Scallywag joins the growing fleet Antigua Bermuda Race
Dragons prepare for Gold Cup 2020
Defi Atlantique: Guadeloupe - Horta - La Rochelle
39th St. Maarten Heineken Regatta - Varsovie
Outlaw’s clinical Farr 40 Australian National Championship victory
Local sailing clubs will compete for the Junior Warming Pan Trophy
M32s coming to Sperry Charleston Race Week
M32 European Series
Featured Brokerage
The Last Word: Galileo Galilei

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New Mediterranean inshore series launched
In 2019 the International Maxi Association (IMA) celebrates the 40th anniversary of its establishment by notable maxi boat owners of the day, Baron Edmond de Rothschild, Raul Gardini, John Kilroy and William Whitehouse-Vaux. From its modest, relatively low-key beginnings, today the Association, and the sport it represents, have grown beyond all recognition.

The International Maxi Association is formally recognised by World Sailing as representing the interests of maxi boat owners internationally and it is thanks to this arrangement that two World Championships can be held: for the Maxi 72s and the J Class, both classes officially affiliated to the IMA.

For the last three seasons the International Maxi Association has championed the Mediterranean Maxi Offshore Challenge (MMOC). This annual five event series starts with October’s Rolex Middle Sea Race and concludes with the Palermo Montecarlo the following August. It was designed by the International Maxi Association to encourage maxi boat owners to campaign their giant sailing yachts offshore.

For this, it's 40th anniversary year, the International Maxi Association is introducing a sister circuit, the Mediterranean Maxi Inshore Challenge (MMIC). Unlike its offshore sibling, the MMIC will run over a calendar year, kicking off with the Real Club Nautico de Palma’s Sail Racing PalmaVela in May and concluding in October with Les Voiles de St Tropez. Here the winner will be announced at a special gala dinner.

The 2019 MMIC will comprise:
Sail Racing PalmaVela (Palma, Mallorca) 8-12 May
Rolex Capri Sailing Week - inshores (Capri, Italy) 15-18 May
Rolex Giraglia - inshores (Saint-Tropez, France) 9-11 June
Copa del Rey MAPFRE (Palma, Mallorca) 27 July - 3 August
Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup (Porto Cervo, Sardinia) 1-7 September
Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez (Saint-Tropez, France) 28 September - 6 October

Competitors must compete in at least four of these events to qualify for a position on the MMIC scoreboard. Those who race in more can count their best four scores.

The four remaining events in 2019 will be:
Regata dei Tre Golfi (Naples, Italy to Capri via Ponza and Li Galli - doubling as the first part of Rolex Capri Sailing Week). Start: 10 May 2019
151 Miglia-Trofeo Cetilar (Livorno, Italy to Punta Ala via Giraglia rock). Start: 30 May 2019
Rolex Giraglia (Saint-Tropez to Monaco via Giraglia rock). Start: 12 June 2019
Palermo Montecarlo. (Palermo, Sicily to Montecarlo via Porto Cervo mark and Strait of Bonifacio). Start: 21 August 2019

Competitors must compete in at least three of these events to qualify for the MMIC trophy. Those who race in more can count their best three scores. Past winners have included George David’s Rambler 88 while the present title holder is Carlo Puri Negri and his Farr 70 Atalanta II.

The International Maxi Association has recently acquired two century-old silver trophies that are being repurposed as prizes for its Mediterranean Maxi Inshore and Offshore Challenges. The former will be awarded at the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda-hosted IMA members dinner at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, while the latter will be presented at an end of season gala in St Tropez. -- James Boyd

www.internationalmaxiassociation.com

Scallywag joins the growing fleet Antigua Bermuda Race
Photo by Dan Ling | Scallywag. Click on image to enlarge.

WHAT The Antigua Bermuda Race is organised by the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club in association with Antigua Sailing Week. The oceanic race will start from Fort Charlotte Antigua, just after Antigua Sailing Week on Wednesday 8th May. The 2019 Antigua Bermuda Race will be the third edition of the 935 nautical mile race through the Atlantic Ocean to Bermuda.

Two months before the start, 20 yachts have now expressed their intention to race. The 100ft superyacht SHK Scallywag, which will be racing with a full complement of world class sailors, has confirmed participation. The smallest is the Open 40 Raucous, skippered by Henry Rourke, which will race double-handed. Two of this year's entries have competed in all previous editions of the race. Pogo 12.5 Hermes, co-skippered by Meg Reilly (USA) and Morgen Watson (CAN), and Hanse 43 Avanti, skippered by Jeremi Jablonski (USA), which will be racing double-handed.

The American Hanse 42 Avanti, skippered by Jeremi Jablonski will be racing double-handed with John D'Angelo; both members of the Cedar Point Yacht Club, Westport, Connecticut. Jeremi has raced with John on Avanti for over 10,000 miles. However this will be the first time the pair has competed in this race double-handed. Avanti's main competition will be debutant Henry Rourke, racing Open 40 Raucous also double-handed.

Competing for the third time is the Canadian Pogo 12.50 Hermes, co-skippered by Meg Reilly and Morgen Watson. Collectively the team is known as Ocean Racers, an extended network of young sailors from all backgrounds. Meg reports that there are still berths available on Hermes for the 2019 edition.

Entry for the 2019 Antigua Bermuda Race is open for yachts racing under IRC, CSA, and ORCsy. Boats in divisions other than IRC may elect to use auxiliary propulsion during the race, with a time penalty adjustment. The standard entry fee is just US $500 per boat and $50 per crew member. Competitors will be eligible for discounted dockage at RBYC and should be exempt from the standard Bermuda entry tax. The Antigua Bermuda Race is supported by the Bermuda Tourism Authority and Goslings Rum which guarantees a rousing send-off in Antigua and a warm welcome at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. -- Louay Habib

antiguabermuda.com

Dragons prepare for Gold Cup 2020
Photo by Gilles Norman. Click on image to enlarge.

Gold Cup 2020 The Irish Dragon Nationals will be incorporated into the O’Leary Life Sovereigns Cup 2019 June 26 - 29 - Kinsale, Ireland. Already a good entry list in what should be an ideal warm up for the Dragon Gold cup in 2020. Four days of top class racing taking full advantage of Kinsale, the gourmet capital of Ireland.

The Event will also include IRC, Coastal, White Sail classes and the 1720 European championships . Avail of early entry deal online.

Email: www.sovereignscup.com

Defi Atlantique: Guadeloupe - Horta - La Rochelle
Part of the French Sailing Federation’s Class40 programme, this new event organised by Grand Pavois Organisation will depart from Guadeloupe on Saturday 23 March so that the crews (minimum of 2 people aboard) arrive in Horta in the Azores, then in La Rochelle, the arrival port for this first edition.

Although the boats will be gathered together from 19 March in the inner harbour of Pointe-à-Pitre, they will set sail from Guadeloupe on Saturday 23 March with a view to initially arriving in Horta, in the Azores, more than 2,200 miles away. A first interesting stage in terms of the weather conditions since it will be necessary to head northwards to find a westerly wind system, but remain sufficiently far south to avoid the effects of low pressures that may be more or less strong at this time of year.

The stopover at the Marina of Horta, the partner of this first edition, will be interesting in that it will allow a second part of the race in contact, with a grouped arrival in La Rochelle, the opportunity for some to change over crew members (two-man team qualification for the forthcoming Transat Jacques Vabre), and also to better evaluate the weather conditions as they near the arrival point (1,200 miles away).

Although the departure from Horta is currently scheduled for Monday 8 April, the boats should arrive on Saturday 13 / Sunday 14 April. It should be noted that the prize ceremony is scheduled for Monday 15 April in order to allow the Class40 enough time to prepare for other competitions in the year’s programme.

In short, about 3,500 nautical miles along a route that is highly uncertain at this time of the year, where powerful weather systems circulate and may require competitors to make drastic route choices.With a team-mate or a reduced crew, the Defi Atlantique Guadeloupe > Horta > La Rochelle replies in all aspects to the requirements of the Class40, always hungry for new experiences and new horizons.

Departure from the Guadeloupe Region, off the coast of Pointe-a-Pitre!
The departure of this first edition of the Defi Atlantique Guadeloupe > Horta > La Rochelle will be from Pointe-à-Pitre on Saturday 23 March at 11 am, local time. A coastal route will have to be completed before leaving Guadeloupe and will promote the treasures and diversity of the archipelago’s islands. Note that it is the first time that an Atlantic return race will depart from Guadeloupe.

13 crews are registered for this first Defi Atlantique Guadeloupe - Horta >- La Rochelle

List of crews here: www.defi-atlantique.com/les-inscrits

39th St. Maarten Heineken Regatta - Varsovie
Varsovie is a Swan 100S raced by Tomek Ulatowski from Poland. With a totally amateur crew, Tomek races Varsovie at all the major events in the Caribbean. This year at the 39th St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, Varsovie offered places on board for young St Maarten sailors Nina Manley, 21, and Maike van ‘t Laar, 23. We had “the most amazing day” racing as part of the Varsovie’s crew. “We had a great start,” said Nina, “and chose to head close to the shore to beat up to the first mark. It was fantastic on board, especially running the long distances along the deck.” Henry Harris, Bowman and Mate on Varsovie complemented them on their enthusiasm. “They were really eager to get involved and always smiling,” he said.

Outlaw’s clinical Farr 40 Australian National Championship victory
Tom and Alan Quick’s Outlaw sailed in a league of its own at the three-day Farr 40 National Championship: John Calvert-Jones Trophy, eight wins from 10 starts creaming the rest of the fleet and creating an extraordinary 22-point buffer back to second.

Outlaw’s clinical win on Sunday March 10, 2019 is their first Farr 40 win but second national championship victory in as many weekends for the Sydney crew. Last weekend Tom Quick chartered a Sydney 38 for the annual Sydney Harbour Regatta and beat that one design fleet for the national crown.

“We’ve had two great weekends. I’m really proud of everybody and really privileged to be sailing with such a good group,” the delighted skipper said, adding, “I’m very happy our preparation has paid off.”

At the trophy presentation held at the host Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, Australian Farr 40 class president Gordon Ketelbey officially announced that Sydney will host the 2020 Farr 40 World Championship in September or October. The international class last gathered in Sydney for the ultimate trophy in 2016 and before that in 2011 and 2005.

“The worlds in Sydney next year will be perfect timing for us; we are very lucky to have been given such a great platform from Guido [Belgiorno-Nettis],” Quick continued. “Last season was a nice learning curve but we had 27 people through the crew and while I haven’t counted, it’s been around half that this season which has made a big difference.”

Among the spectators watching the fleet race north from three starts off Clark Island in the NNE breeze 12-15 knots was former Farr 40 owner and Australian Sailing president Matt Allen plus John Calvert-Jones, Australia’s first-ever Farr 40 world champion.

Final results app.sailsys.com.aus

Local sailing clubs will compete for the Junior Warming Pan Trophy
Under 18s from local sailing clubs will race in this junior inter-club competition, taking part on Saturday 23 March.

This is the first and largest meeting for junior class racing on the Hamble River this year. The aim is to accommodate all children under 18 years old by providing races for Optimist, Topper, Pico, Feva, Tera, Mirror and Mixed PY classes. This event is part of the HRSC Centenary celebrations and is open to non-members.

The regatta is attracting interest and has been earmarked as a ‘local derby’, encouraging the three clubs on the river to extend its local rivalry across all age groups. Hamble River Sailing Club, Royal Southern Yacht Club and Warsash Sailing Club, along with other local clubs, will compete for the opportunity to walk away with the 2019 Warming Pan Trophy.

“There has always been a little rivalry between the clubs on the river. This event gives junior sailors the chance to follow in their parents’ footsteps and compete for recognition,” says Alice Ryan, Event Director at HRSC. “We look forward to putting on a fun, exciting and competitive event for our young sailors living around the river”.

Up to four races are scheduled and the racing will be held in the Hamble River and Southampton Water. The intention is to start and finish racing at the HRSC clubhouse, allowing parents to watch from the shore.

www.hrsc.org.uk

M32s coming to Sperry Charleston Race Week
The M32 is coming to 2019 edition of Sperry Charleston Race Week, adding another thrilling element to an already action-packed event. Class organizers brought two of the high-speed catamarans to last year’s regatta to assess the logistics and came away determined to add Sperry Charleston Race Week to the annual racing schedule.

This is an international class with teams from Sweden, Switzerland and The Netherlands expected at Sperry Charleston Race Week. Rev, the current Corinthian World Champion led by skipper Rick DeVos, headlines a fleet of 10 boats. Other top teams include Bliksem (Peter Taselaar) and Convexity (Don Wilson). There will be a hometown entry as Charleston residents Hunter Stunzi and Ed Norton will lead Team Torrent.

“Charleston checks so many of the boxes we look for in venues - nice conditions, easy logistics, a fun city with great night life and a rocking beach party!” said Dave Doucett, Director of M32 North America. “We did some test racing there last year and absolutely had a blast. We are looking forward to bringing a strong fleet and enjoying some exciting racing in a beautiful locale.”

The M32 is an owner-driver class that features numerous top professionals as crew because these boats “are always pushing the boundaries,” according to Doucett. Individual races tend to last less than 20 minutes and plans call for completing eight or more starts per day in Charleston.

charlestonraceweek.com

M32 European Series
M32 racing resumes in Europe this month with new opportunities for aspiring teams to get involved.

Throughout the 2019 M32 European Series, the M32’s manufacturer Aston Harald will be making two circuit boats available. The first of these will be lent to a ‘development team’, following in the tradition of the M32 Academy. This might be a youth team or a women’s team or a local team with the right credentials looking to step-up and gain experience on a professional racing circuit alongside fully professional and owner-driver teams.

The second will be a test boat. Aboard this, for example, teams coming from monohull classes, who wish to experience high adrenaline racing for the first time on an ultra-fast but simple two sail catamaran, in a professionally managed, World Sailing-recognised circuit, can pitch up and compete against the M32 European Series’ mix of pro and owner-driver teams. This they can do on a fully race-prepared M32. The organisers can set up potential owners and teams with M32 crew, as required.

As Ian Williams, skipper of 2018 M32 European Series winner GAC Pindar, and Vice President of the M32 Class Association, puts it: “It provides the opportunity for people to come and try it out. They don’t have to rig or de-rig it. They can just fly in, fly out and have a good time in between.”

Warm-up racing for the M32s will take place in Sanremo, Italy over 21-24 March, two months out from the start of the M32 European Series proper. In 2019 this will comprise five scoring events across Italy, Sweden and the Netherlands.

Teams interested in trying their hand at M32 racing should contact Mattias Dahlström at for details regarding the boats on offer from Aston Harald.

2019 M32 European Series schedule
San Remo, Italy - 22-24 March (non-scoring warm-up event)
Marina di Pisa, Italy - 24-26 May
Medemblick, Holland - 21-23 June
Marstrand, Sweden - 19-21 July
Stenungsund, Sweden - 15-17 August (two days inshore racing followed by the Tjorn Runt)
Pre-Worlds, Riva del Garda, Italy - 24-25 August
M32 World Championship, Riva del Garda, Italy - 26-30 August)

m32world.com/europe

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The Last Word
In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual. -- Galileo Galilei

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