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
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In This Issue
• Spectacular Day on Charleston Harbor
• High Spirits Close Out Monaco Swan One Design
• Throw it out there - Nautor Swan
• Team CEEREF claims golden wheels at Porto Montenegro's conclusion
• As Popular As Ever, The Mini 6.50
• Sardhinha Cup
• Royal Thames YC sailing office vacancy
• Francis Joyon Ready To Explore Some New Horizons
• Camden Classics Cup
• Featured Brokerage
• The Last Word: Paul McCartney and John Lennon
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
Spectacular Day on Charleston Harbor
Sperry Charleston Race Week concluded in spectacular fashion with strong winds producing exciting action and several classes being decided during the last race.
VX One, J/88, Viper 640, Melges 24 and ORC C were the windward-leeward classes that went down to the wire. Winners for five of the six Pursuit Hybrid and Pursuit Race, which were unable to complete any racing on Saturday, were also determined on Sunday. Mike Bruno said following Friday’s racing that he’s been jinxed at Sperry Charleston Race Week, suffering problems that prevented podium finishes in 2018 and 2017. The Armonk, New York resident thought his bad luck would be extended when Wings was ruled on-course-side in Race 9 and had to restart.
However, there was a happy ending as Wings redeemed itself big-time in Race 10, which was held in 20-22 knot south-southwesterly winds with gusts approaching 30. Wings rounded the first weather mark in sixth then moved up a couple places by the downwind rounding. Bruno and crew turned it on from there, passing the remaining three boats to get the gun.
That victory in the final start of the three-day regatta gave Wings a two-point victory over Albondigas (Justin Scagnelli, West Nyack, NY), leading Bruno to breathe a huge sigh of relief.
Teamwork, a J/122 owned by Robin Team of Lexington, North Carolina, earned the Palmetto Trophy for the fifth time at Sperry Charleston Race Week. Jonathan Bartlett called tactics on Teamwork, which won all six races in ORC B class on the Hybrid Pursuit course.
High Spirits Close Out Monaco Swan One Design
A sun-filled, blue-sky day at the Monaco Swan One Design, hosted by the Yacht Club de Monaco, failed to produce the wind the event so richly deserved at the close of a stop-start week. With no races undertaken, so yesterday’s class leaders became the regatta’s overall winners. Leonardo Ferragamo’s Italian entry, Cuordileone, won in ClubSwan 50, Luis Senis’ Spanish team on Porron IX took home the Swan 45 prize and Lorenzo Mondo’s Far Star from Italy carried top spot in ClubSwan 42. In the battle for The Nations Trophy, Cuordileone and Andrea Masi’s ClubSwan 50 Ulika combined to give victory to Italy.
The final prize giving remained the usual uplifting, celebratory affair for a Swan One Design event despite the number of races contested. 14 boats here, 24 entered for Scarlino and then the Rolex Giraglia, some 40 expected at the Copa del Rey and as many as 45 at The Nations Trophy in October.
Racing in The Nations Trophy Mediterranean League 2019 continues with the Scarlino Swan One Design from 30 April to 4 May.
For full results and more information about the 2019 Monaco Swan One Design, visit: www.yacht-club-monaco.mc
Throw it out there - Nautor Swan
What has 36ft, a reverse sheer like a narwhal’s back, a dreadnought bow and chamfered shoulders, nine-foot draught, whale fin rudders with frontedge tubercles, a five-degree raked and fully adjustable HR40 carbon mast, a transverse sliding C-foil that jabs out of its topsides like extendable fangs - and no accommodation whatsoever? The new ClubSwan 36 looks breathtakingly extreme.
Its vital stats - SA/D of around 50 and ballast ratio of 47 per cent - promise interesting performance. And that’s without counting the tonne or more of dynamic lift that the foil generates on a broad reach with 15° of heel. Hard on the wind and heeled a bit further, that same foil produces so much sideways force that you’re looking at negative leeway. Judging the right moment to tack, to lay a windward mark without overshooting it, requires you to recalibrate one of the basic instincts of sailing.
Full article in the May issue of Seahorse
Team CEEREF claims golden wheels at Porto Montenegro's conclusion
The Bay of Tivat came good for the final day of the 44Cup Porto Montenegro with three races held and a most worthy winner in Igor Lah's Team CEEREF. The Slovenian team led this first event of the 2019 44 Cup from the outset. Today neither they nor Vladimir Prosikhin's Team Nika won a race, but showed impeccable consistency, both enjoying a trio of podium place results, elevating Team Nika from fourth to second overall.
Today's opening race got underway in light conditions, but eminently race-able by the nimble RC44s. In this Chris Bake's Team Aqua won the pin and then match raced Team CEEREF for the duration, ultimately finishing ten boatlengths ahead.
Team CEEREF's victory at the 44Cup Porto Montenegro was by seven points from second placed Team Nika, in turn two ahead of Team Aqua, with Peninsula Petroleum relegated to fourth after a disappointing final race. Incredibly even though Lah's team won the seasons in both 2016 and 2017 and came close last year, the 44Cup Porto Montenegro is their first event win since the World Championship in Sotogrande three years ago.
However Lah was most proud to have won with his son Tine on board. "I feel proud that he's sailed his first regatta and won it," he said. "We had great starts. Everything was in place like it should be, and the team work was okay, especially since we only had one day of practice. I was really surprised, because I had a feeling we weren't going to race at all and then we have got in nine races - Montenegro has been brilliant."
From Montenegro the RC44s head up the Adriatic to Rovinj, Croatia for their second event of the season, the Adris 44Cup over 29 May to 2 June.
44Cup Porto Montenegro results (After 9 races)
1. Team CEEREF, Igor Lah, SLO, 27
2. Team Nika, Vladimir Prosikhin, RUS, 34
3. Team Aqua, Chris Bake, GBR, 36
4. Peninsula Petroleum, John Bassadone, GBR, 38
5. Tavatuy Sailing Team, Pavel Kuznetsov, RUS, 46
6. Bronenosec Sailing Team, V. Liubomirov & K. Frolov, RUS, 50
7. Aleph Racing, Hugues Lepic, FRA, 54
8. Artemis Racing, Torbjörn Törnqvist, SWE, 59
9. Charisma, Nico Poons, MON, 63
As Popular As Ever, The Mini 6.50
After the first races of the year which were sailed in the Mediterranean, this Friday the Mini 6.50 season started on the French Atlantic coast with the start of the Plastimo Lorient Mini. It appears that interest peaks in odd numbered years when the MiniTransat La Boulangère takes place, and 2019 is no exception to that pattern. Tip & Shaft takes stock as the 2019 season starts.
Record participations have already been seen in the first Mediterranean races - the Arcipelago and Italian Grand Prix in particular - and now races in the Atlantic are showing the same upwards spike. "When a Mini-Transat goes well as it did in 2017 when there is good weather and racing all the way, everyone wants to do the next race. The waiting lists are shorter after Mini race upwind across the Bay of Biscay ", smiles Denis Hugues, race director of the Mini-Transat La Boulangère.
The race across the Atlantic currently has more than 100 applicants for the 84 places, 42 sailors who have met the qualification criteria to date (1,000 miles solo on a defined non racing course and 1,500 miles in a race, of which at least 500 must be solo). Hence there is a race to record the necessary miles which started at the beginning of this year, partly contributing to the big entries on the Med.
The trend is also reflected in the development of the training centers. Now in addition to those which have been running for several years - La Rochelle, Lorient, Concarneau, La Grande Motte - others are also seeing significant growth. "The program in Barcelona has developed a lot, as well as that of La Turballe. The latter attracts Mini sailors from Nantes", confirms the president of the Mini class, Sébastien Pebelier. A new training group has just been created in Ouistreham.
tipandshaft.com
www.classemini.com
www.minitransat.fr/en
Sardhinha Cup: Excellent Final Leg Fifth Place for Dolan and Foxall on Smurfit Kappa
After minor frustrations marred the first two legs of the Sardinha Cup, Ireland's Tom Dolan and Damian Foxall on Smurfit Kappa finished the first offshore series for the new Figaro Benetau 3 class on a high note, securing an excellent fifth place on the 280 nautical miles third and final stage. They finished in 14th place overall.
"That is more like the result we felt we were capable of. On the first two legs we were sailing fast and generally going in the right direction. But this was a leg when most things went right." smiled Foxall on the dock this morning in Saint-Gilles Croix-De-Vie on the French Vendée coast, the host port of the event and 'home' to boatbuilders Beneteau.
After their 13th place in the shorter, opening Vendée Warm Up leg, then 20th on the first long offshore stage and their fifth on this leg - which was shortened this morning from the scheduled 320 miles to 280 miles - the Smurfit Kappa pair finish 13th overall
From a 'mediocre' start from Saint-Gilles-Crox-De-Vie on Thursday afternoon, the flying Irish duo hit their stride in breezes to 20 knots and proved fast on the 130 nautical miles downwind to a turning mark off Arcachon, south of Bordeaux. They were well inside the top ten of the 32 boat fleet at the southernmost turn.
Yesterday, Friday, Dolan and Foxall gained places on the ensuing upwind stage when there was little wind and the key was working the wind shift created as the sea breeze came in close to the land.
Foxall moves on to his next major project now. Asked if his experience with the new Figaro and his ebullient compatriot Dolan might tempt him to return to the Figaro in which he cut his solo and short-handed teeth some 20 years ago, Foxall said: "I suppose it is 'never say never', but for sure it is great, great racing. It felt very familiar and it was nice to be in that comfort zone."
Won overall by three times La Solitaire champion Yann Eliès sailing with French-based British co-skipper Samantha Davies, the Sardinha Cup has been a useful first event for the fleet and for Dolan who now starts his solo training looking towards the season's pinnacle, June's La Solitaire URGO Le Figaro.
Final top five:
1. Saint Michel - Yann Elies / Samantha Davies, FRA, 21 points
2. Bretagne CMB Performance - Lois Berrehar / Thomas Rouxel, FRA, 34
3. Groupe SNEF - Xavier Macaire / Achille Nebout, FRA, 35
4. Groupe Royer Secours Populaire - Anthony Marchand / Paul Meilhat, FRA, 39
5. Leyton - Arthur Le Vaillant / Pascal Bidegorry, FRA, 46
www.tomdolanracing.com
sardinhacup.com
Royal Thames YC sailing office vacancy
The role is fast paced and varied managing sailing events both in Cowes and at Queen Mary reservoir and also at the Clubhouse in Knightsbridge. The candidate should have a background in event management and a knowledge and interest of sailing. Some weekend and evening work will be required for which time in lieu will be granted.
Francis Joyon Ready To Explore Some New Horizons
After his incredible victory in the 2018 Route du Rhum, this year, Francis Joyon will be tackling some very different challenges, most of which are brand new. After a tour in the Mediterranean in the spring, he will begin his 2019-2020 IDEC SPORT ASIAN TOUR with a programme including two famous records (The Mauritius record between Port-Louis in Brittany and Mauritius and the Clipper Route between Hong Kong and London), as well as four new courses in the China Sea for which he will set the reference time with a crew. His faithful trimaran, IDEC SPORT underwent a major refit during the winter with this in mind to ensure her reliability. The maxi-trimaran was relaunched on Friday 5th April in Vannes before heading back to her home port of La Trinite-sur-Mer. We met up with the record-breaker aboard his boat…
IDEC SPORT was relaunched last week. What was done during the winter refit?
“The Route du Rhum was tough on the boat, which suffered in terms of her structure, particularly the daggerboard housing. We got the Multiplast yard involved to get everything back in shape. There was quite a lot of work to do on the electronics, changing all the cables on the boat and the nets. The aim was to ensure IDEC SPORT was as reliable as possible, as we have around 25 or 30 thousand miles to cover in the year ahead.”
You will be taking part in an ambitious campaign of records, called the IDEC SPORT ASIAN TOUR. It will begin with the Mauritius record, a solo record you know well, as you started it ten years ago. The time to beat is 26 days, 4 hours and 13 minutes…
“Yes, on a course between Port Louis and Port Louis (Lorient and Mauritius). The good season is in mid-October and the time frame is relatively short. With that timing, we hope to round the Cape of Good Hope without getting nasty weather and reach Mauritius before the cyclones. In 2009, I had to go a long way south of the Cape of Good Hope, as further north there were strong headwinds. I hope to sail a more favourable, shorter course this time. I still hold the solo record. There have been several attempts to improve on it, in particular, Lionel Lemonchois, but he capsized, although he was ahead of my reference time.”
After Mauritius, you will move to crewed sailing. What records will you be tackling in the China Sea?
“We are launching four new ocean records. The first will take us from Mauritius to Singapore. Then from Singapore, we will go to Vietnam. The following two records will be from Vietnam/Shanghai and Shanghai/Hong Kong. I have already sailed on those seas, but have never had a stopover there. It is going to be fun with the crew discovering places we don’t know. There are going to be some discoveries and adventures.”
Camden Classics Cup
Sign-ups are streaming in for the fourth annual Camden Classics Cup, July 25-27th.Currently there are 43 on the Scratch Sheet.
The 2019 NOR, Crew Waiver and rules for the Yacht Club Challenge are all updated and posted.
We'd like to give a big shout-out to Stephens Waring Yacht Design. Thanks to their generous support, dockage is included in your registration (while it lasts and it won't). Last year, the docks were full and Saturday night's dance party sold out, so don't delay in registering. As an additional bonus, we're offering an early bird discount through June 1st.
Check the Scratch Sheet and Register Today to join the action.
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The Last Word
When I get older losing my hair
Many years from now
Will you still be sending me a Valentine
Birthday greetings bottle of wine -- Paul McCartney and John Lennon
Your humble narrator can, as of today, hum that as a personal totem.
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Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: or see www.eurosailnews.com/advertise.html
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