In This Issue
New Mount Gay Race Day To Launch 2019 BVI Spring Regatta
Swan One Design North European League
Superyachts to Gather in St. Barths for Bucket Regatta
Russian Bunker Prince team grabs Paul & Shark Trophy
Long Beach Congressional Cup April 3 - 7
M32 European Series - Fast cat warm-up
Industry News
Featured Brokerage
The Last Word: John Bercow

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

New Mount Gay Race Day To Launch 2019 BVI Spring Regatta
Mount Gay Rum was one of the original sponsors of the BVI Spring Regatta (BVISR) having first partnered with the popular Caribbean regatta in 1972 through its distributor, Road Town Wholesale. The brand, synonymous with sailing, has always been an active partner at the Regatta Village at Nanny Cay, but this year has boosted its support of the regatta, now in its 48th year. In addition to their Gold Sponsorship, Mount Gay Rum will sponsor the first day of the Regatta on Friday March 29th and is also the Official rum of the BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival.

Following the BVI Sailing Festival*, three days of competitive racing will kick off at 1000 on Friday March 29, with the new Mount Gay Race Day where around 90 boats and sailors from 20 countries will test their mettle on some of the world's best waters for sailing.

For further details, check out the regatta website and follow us on social media: #BVISR www.bvispringregatta.org,www.facebook.com/bvispringregatta www.instagram.com/bvisr/

* Round Tortola Race for the Nanny Cay Cup (Tuesday March 26), the Scrub Island Invitational (Wednesday March 27) and Lay Day, plus the BVI Spring Regatta Skipper's Meeting and Welcome Party on Thursday March 28.

www.mountgayrum.com

Swan One Design North European League
In 2017, Nautor's Swan launched the pivotal The Nations Trophy as a focal biennial event in the world of Swan One Design activity.

Following the success of the inaugural event in 2017, Nautor's Swan extended the concept by introducing a season long league in the Mediterranean to maintain the spirit of gentlemanly competition between countries engendered by the original event. 

The Nations Trophy Mediterranean League 2019 comprises four events:

Monaco Swan One Design (April 9th to 13th)
Scarlino Swan One Design (April 30th to May 4th)
Rolex Giraglia (Inshore races, June 9th to 15th)
Copa del Rey Mapfre (July 27th to August 3rd)

In 2019, the league concept is extended to the Baltic as well with the Swan One Design North European League which will be held during the Nord Stream Race (Kiel, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki, St. Petersburg, Juan 22nd to July 5th).

The Nations Trophy is the culmination of the Swan One Design Leagues season; it will be hosted at Real Club Nautico de Palma from October 8th to 12th and Nautor's Swan expect the participation of 40 yachts coming from all over the world and representing ClubSwan 50 class (17 boats), Swan 45 Class (9 boats), ClubSwan 42 Class (9 boats) and ClubSwan 36 Class (5 boats).

Full 2019 Racing Calendar and the preview for the next years (PDF).

Superyachts to Gather in St. Barths for Bucket Regatta
Harken at  Bucket Regatta Every March superyachts gather for the prestigious three-day St. Barths Bucket Regatta, which features racing and social events. The invitational regatta, scheduled for March 21-24, is for yachts 30.5 meters or greater, or yachts meeting the SYRA 90' Class criteria. It is an event conceived and hosted for the pleasure of sailing superyacht owners.

Among those participating is last year's overall winner, the Baltic 112 Nilaya. She is fresh off a Corsair Class victory in the Antigua Super Yacht Challenge, and is equipped with Harken winches, tracks, cars, blocks, padeyes, and a 32 mm Switch Track mast system with a halyard locking car. The mainsail has a custom Harken hydraulic outhaul control system.

Nilaya is skippered by Ryan Donaldson.

"Harken has always been my 'go to' for deck hardware since sailing Optimists," Donaldson said. "Now, sailing Nilaya the loads are slightly higher. At the top of this game we rely on Harken equipment with our lives. Their service is always prompt, reliable and innovative. You know you're dealing with the most experienced people in this industry and there's never a lack of knowledge shared."

Harken's Tech Team will be at St. Barths. Email if you need assistance.

harken.com

Russian Bunker Prince team grabs Paul & Shark Trophy
It was clear that the fight to take the Paul & Shark Trophy, International Dragon Cup, would be tough and decided down to the very last race for the teams aiming at the podium. Going into the last racing day the Russian crew of Bunker Prince, skippered by 470 gold medallist Yevgeni Braslavets and flying the flag of local Yacht Club Sanremo, looked almost unbeatable with their solid margin of 9 points, but the tricky conditions of the Ligurian Riviera reshuffled the cards. The final two races were raced with a light and shifty westerly that never exceeded 6 knots, putting to the test the dragonists' ability and tactical skills.

At the end of the seven-races series two teams emerged at the top tied at points: Ivan Bradbury's Blue Haze with crew Lars Hendriksen and George Leonchek, and Russia's Bunker Prince skippered by Yevgeni Braslavets with Sergey Pugachev and Sergey Timokhov, that thanks to a higher number of wins grabbed the Paul & Shark Trophy 2019.

Despite their consistent series the other Russian team on Annapurna, with veteran Anatoly Loginov and crew Vadim Statsenko and Alexander Shalagin, did not manage to further catch up and finished on the third step of the podium.

Competition was intense also for the other first spots - prizes being awarded to the first five teams- with Germany's Khaleesi led by female skipper Nicola Friesen with Vincent Hoesch and Frithjof Kleen, scoring two good results on the final day and taking fourth place, while Switzerland's Sophie Racing with Hugo Stenberg, Bernardo Freitas and Martin Westerdahl finished the series in fifth.

The Paul & Shark Trophy is the first event of the season for the class in Sanremo, anticipating the Dragon 90th Anniversary Regatta planned for next October on the Ligurian Riviera, the event expected to be one of the top rendez-vous on a national and international level for the quality and number of teams taking part, so much that as of today more than 100 boats have already registered.

Full final results after seven races at this link

www.yachtclubsanremo.it/regate/

Long Beach Congressional Cup April 3 - 7
The Congressional Cup is one of the leading match racing events in the sport, bringing top talent from around the globe to contend in thrilling one-on-one bouts on the water. This prestigious Grade One Match Racing regatta, hosted by Long Beach Yacht Club since 1965, returns to Long Beach April 3 to 7, 2019. Top-ranked skippers and their teams vie in double round robins aboard one-design Catalina 37s; squaring off against each rival twice, with the lucky frontrunners advancing into semi-finals and finals.

This exciting competition takes place directly off the Long Beach Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier, where spectators can enjoy the action and commentary FREE OF CHARGE from 11:30AM to 5PM daily, April 3 to 7.

Compelling and insightful play-by-play will be announced by none other than pro TV personality Tucker Thompson, official Host of the 35th America's Cup. Thompson, a former champion sailor and TV host and producer, will be joined by special guests to emcee five days of Congressional Cup action, live from the heart of the race.

Can't make it to the waterfront? Friday April 5 through Sunday April 7, Long Beach Yacht Club will offer live-streaming coverage and features to viewers around the globe on Facebook and the event website: www.thecongressionalcup.com. Nightly press conferences - relevant to the day's racing, and always entertaining - will also be live-streamed, starting Wednesday April 3, at approximately 5:30pm.

www.thecongressionalcup.com

M32 European Series - Fast cat warm-up
M32 racing resumes in Europe this week with a warm-up event for the M32 European Series taking place in Sanremo, Italy over 22-24 March.

This will be a chance to blow away the winter cobwebs for the high performance one design catamaran teams and while it may not count towards the 2019 M32 European Series, all the teams taking part will be just as focussed and keen to win. Officer Mattias Dahlström.

The daily schedule will comprise windward-leeward courses with America's Cup-style reaching starts, over a three hour window. The first warning signal on day one will be at 1400 followed at 1300 and 1200 on the final two days, culminating in a prizegiving at 1600 on the Sunday at the M32 European Series regatta centre immediately outside of the Yacht Club Sanremo, who are hosting the event.

This being the first event of the M32s' European season, there will be a training aspect too, confirms Dahlström: "We will have longer briefings where we explain the multihull rules and how they differ to monohull rules. We can also discuss race management procedures and any technical aspects of the boat." Among the specialists on hand will be international rules expert and umpire Craig Mitchell and Jakob Wilson, from the M32's builder Aston Harald.

One of the five teams competing in Sanremo will be Richard Göransson's Inga Racing Team. The Swedish campaign, being better known for participating in the 6 metre, Melges 32 and 40 monohull classes, will be making its catamaran debut in Italy this week.

The Sanremo warm-up event will be two months out from the start of the M32 European Series proper. This five event series will see the M32 catamaran teams competing at five scoring events across Italy, Sweden and the Netherlands.

The 2019 M32 European Series formally kicks off in Pisa over 24-26th May, home port of Andrea Lacorte's Vitamina Veloce team. It then heads north to Medemblik on the Ijsselmeer in the Netherlands and continues with two events in Sweden. The first of these will take place mid-July off the sailing mecca of Marstrand while the second, to be held in mid-August, further north in Stenungsund, will comprise two days of racing prior to the annual 28 mile anti-clockwise lap of Tjörn island, the record for which is currently held by an M32.

The M32s return to Italy and Riva del Garda for the final event of the 2019 M32 European Series. This doubles as the Pre-Worlds after which the 2019 M32 European Series champion will be crowned. This event then runs straight into the M32 World Championship.

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 Tjörn Runt)
Pre-Worlds, Riva del Garda, Italy - 24-25 August
M32 World Championship, Riva del Garda, Italy - 26-30 August

www.m32world.com

Industry News
INEOS TEAM UK, the British Challenger for the 36th America's Cup, is proud to announce a continued collaboration with Coderus, a specialist in technical software development. Coderus, based at the high-tech Innovation Martlesham cluster at Adastral Parkin Suffolk, will use their expertise to offer unique high-performance solutions that deliver data to the sailing and performance teams. Software and systems experts will also be embedded within the team at the HQ in Portsmouth.

Coderus worked collaboratively with engineers from the British Challenger during the team's campaign for the 35th America's Cup, developing a 'tactical app' used onboard by Tactician, Giles Scott, a Rio 2016 Olympic Champion. The device provided fast and accurate tactical information to the crew whilst working at their maximum heart rate.

The team are currently working towards launching their first AC75 race boat this summer in the UK.

www.ineosteamuk.com

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New figures from UK industry association British Marine show that the country's boating sector grew for the seventh consecutive year in 2018, with total revenues up by 1.7% to £3.17bn.

According to the figures, direct revenue from the marine industry trade has contributed over £1.1bn of Gross Value Added (GVA) to the UK economy, supporting over 33,000 direct employees in marine businesses across the UK.

The UK's strong export performance continues to drive growth. In 2018, leisure marine exports surpassed £1bn for the first time since 2013, representing an increase of 16% compared to the previous year. This has been attributed to strong global economic growth in 2018 and a weak pound as a consequence of Brexit, making British products price-competitive compared to their international rivals.

The eurozone and wider EU remains an important market for the sector, accounting for 50% of all industry exports, although the US is fast becoming an increasingly important trading partner for British companies, now accounting for 25% of British exports. The US has also seen a high level of growth at 30%, along with Asia at 20% and South America at 39%.

www.ibinews.com/uk-boating-sector

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Bermuda is one of 15 countries that has been blacklisted by the EU for not having proper governance over tax standards. With Bermuda a leading superyacht flag and location for ownership structures, its blacklisting could have a direct impact on the yacht sector. The EU move appears to have come as a surprise and shock to the Bermudian government.

In a report in the Intelligent Insurer online media outlet, Bermuda's Premier, David Burt, admitted that the blacklisting was a setback but that he was confident that the North Atlantic island nation would soon be removed from the list. The report said that Bermuda had been moved from a grey list to the blacklist for having failed to have fulfilled commitments previously made.

www.ibinews.com

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The Clipper Race is pleased to reveal Spinlock as its new Official Lifejacket Supplier for the next two editions, 2019-20 and 2021-22, of the biennial round the world yacht race.

Spinlock will be kitting out each of the eleven Clipper Race crews with Deckvest VITO lifejackets, the latest Performance Safety Lines and personal AIS devices when they embark on the epic 40,000nm race this summer and will provide expert training and support, for both organisation and crew.

With 85 per cent of Spinlock products currently being exported, the award-winning manufacturer is focusing on markets outside of the UK and will utilise the global marketing platform offered by the Clipper Race route to grow opportunities and brand awareness in markets where the sport of sailing must be encouraged, cultivated and developed.

spinlock.co.uk
clipper-ventures.com

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The Transpacific Yacht Club is pleased to announce Sevenstar as the logistics partner of choice for the global transports of these members of the Transpac fleet, and will be providing tailored solutions from Australia, the USA, Europe and the Caribbean.

Supporting the race locally is Sevenstar's San Francisco representative Kris Caren: "We very much look forward to work closely with the race organization and the teams to provide them with the top-level service that we are known for. In addition to the international transports we are working on providing a mast-up, keel-on solution from Hawaii to the West Coast."

"We are pleased to establish this partnership with Sevenstar," said Transpacific YC Commodore Tom Hogan. "Their help in providing logistics solutions means we can have even more entries from all over the world, giving their owners and crews the ability to take part in this special anniversary edition of this great race."

For more information about how Sevenstar can help your team, with both the transport of your yacht, but also containers, personal gear, spares and sails, please contact:

Wouter Verbraak: , or Kris Caren: .

2019.transpacyc.com

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Salcombe Yacht Club is excited to announce Salcombe Gin as the principle sponsor for Merlin Rocket Week (7th - 12th July), one of the most prestigious events in the dinghy racing calendar.

Inspired by the coastal vitality of Salcombe, and adventure on and around the water, the multi-award winning Salcombe Gin is the perfect fit for the highly esteemed Merlin Rocket Week. With its distillery, tasting bar and "Victuallers" retail shop located on Island Street, Salcombe; Salcombe Gin is truly a local business with global aspirations having recently been named 'World's Best Gin Design' at the highly acclaimed World Gin Awards 2019. A 'Salcombe & Tonic' is becoming the drink of choice amongst the sailing fraternity.

Co-founders Angus Lugsdin and Howard Davies have their roots in Salcombe having met there whilst working as sailing instructors at the Island Cruising Club's Egremont in 1995. The pair have since established the now burgeoning Salcombe Distilling Co. and launched Salcombe Gin in 2016.

Both Angus and Howard recognise the long and illustrious history of the Merlin Class which is also synonymous to Salcombe. Howard remarked: "We are thrilled to be supporting this fantastic event. It's always such an action packed week with a brilliant atmosphere around the town. We look forward to welcoming sailors and spectators to relax after the racing with the ultimate sundowner, a 'Salcombe & Tonic'."

Merlin Rocket Week is a popular annual Salcombe event which takes place every July. Yachts take to the water in their scores and the crowds gather to watch the action unfold from the shore. The race includes up to 100 entrants and never fails to create a spectacle for those watching from the nearby beaches. The races are held from Sunday until Friday as the contestants battle for the title of Merlin Rocket Week champion.

alcombeyc.org.uk
salcombegin.com

Featured Brokerage
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See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

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Epoxy vacuum-bagged Baltic 52 with carbon rig and fantastic cruising specification. Stunning Sparkman & Stephens lines and sparkling performance in all weathers.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

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GRABAU INTERNATIONAL
Lead broker - Alex Grabau
Tel: +44 (0)1590 673715
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Raceboats Only 2011 Ker 40 - "Hooligan VII". 260000 GBP. Located in Hamble, UK,

Want an IRC or ORC winning boat, capable of Inshore and Offshore success?... Look no further Hooligan VII is now available at a fraction of the new boat cost and with recent optimization is back at the front of the rating game! Very strong inventory and recent cosmetic improvements too.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

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Sam Pearson - Ancasta Race Boats +64 277733717 +44 2380 016582

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

The Last Word
For far too long the House of Commons has been run as little more than a private club by and for gentleman amateurs. -- John Bercow

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

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