In This Issue
A New Jules Verne Trophy Attempt For Spindrift Racing
Record maxi fleet for 2019 Regata dei Tre Golfi and Rolex Capri Sailing Week
Make Your Splice Right with Marlow’s NEW Splicing Tutorials
Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta: Grande Dame of the Concours d' Elegance
Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta
OSTAR and TWOSTAR in 2020
North Sails offers Offshore Performance Seminar in San Diego
Taittinger Royal Solent Yacht Club Regatta
Notice Of Race Issued For Transpac Tahiti Race 2020
Featured Brokerage
The Last Word: Donald Rumsfeld

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

A New Jules Verne Trophy Attempt For Spindrift Racing
At the conclusion of the team's 2018/19 promising record attempt in terms of performance, Spindrift 2, which was fully optimised in 2018, remains at the heart of the team's sports season.

Currently undergoing a complete analysis of her structure, while two new rudders are constructed, the black and gold trimaran is expected to return to the water this summer and start a new period of offshore training with her crew for another attempt at racing around the world, against the clock. The stand-by period for a Jules Verne Trophy start will be shortened to two months (October and November), so that the team can meet its other racing calendar commitments. The team will join the new TF35 Lemanic circuit in November and this will be followed by a continued programme.

After 13 magnificent years racing on the waters of Lake Geneva, Ladycat will retire from racing after this summer's iconic Bol d'Or Mirabaud. Her skipper, Dona Bertarelli, has been at the helm for the three victories in twelve years at this prestigious event, as well as many successes and podium finishes.

Not long ago 'flying' boats were perceived as the future of sailing - today they are a reality. The new kid on the block is the TF35, a very powerful, flying catamaran that has already attracted a number of visionary boat owners who will be competing in a five-event circuit on Lake Geneva and in Europe. Spindrift will be part of this circuit and will launch its new boat soon.

"In the first instance, I'm looking forward to a third attempt at the round the world record with Spindrift 2. Because of the sports and technical program for the TF35, we are a little more limited on the stand-by window. However, I hope that the weather will be with us and that we will have the opportunity to do the attempt again and try to beat the existing record. We will then focus on the TF35, the new boat in the Spindrift fleet. These carbon fibre 'dragonflies' can take off from just seven knots of wind and reach up to three times the speed of the wind! It's going to be very exciting and we are really looking forward to doing our first tacks on Lake Geneva," concludes Yann Guichard.

www.spindrift-racing.com

Record maxi fleet for 2019 Regata dei Tre Golfi and Rolex Capri Sailing Week
At least 27 maxi yachts will take to the Bay of Naples and its surrounding waters over 10-18 May for Rolex Capri Sailing Week. Maxi yachts this year representing such a significant percentage of the 150 boat fleet is partly due to the efforts of the International Maxi Yacht Association working in collaboration with Rolex Capri Sailing Week's triumvirate of organisers - the Circolo del Remo and Vela Italia, the Yacht Club Capri and the Yacht Club Italiano.

Rolex Capri Sailing Week sets sail on Friday 10 May with its famous prologue offshore race, the Regata dei Tre Golfi. Approximately 150 miles long, this starts from Naples and crosses the gulfs of Naples, Salerno and Gaeta. It then doubles back south, to the Li Galli islands turning mark off the Sorrento Peninsula before returning to finish line off Capri's Marina Grande. The unique aspect of Regata dei Tre Golfi is its midnight start off Naples' Castel dell'Ovo, following a traditional dinner at the CRV Italia's clubhouse in Santa Lucia Marina.

First held in 1954, the Regata dei Tre Golfi is the second oldest event in the Italian sailing calendar after Rolex Giraglia and celebrates its 65th edition in 2019. It also is the second of five events in the International Maxi Association's Mediterranean Maxi Offshore Challenge, that started with last October's Rolex Middle Sea Race and will conclude with August's Palermo-Montecarlo.

While Alex Schaerer's Maxi 72 Caol Ila R is due to return to defend her Regata dei Tre Golfi title, leading on the water this year will be American Jim Swartz' maxZ86 Vesper. Swartz has a long history in maxi boats first with his Swan 60 and then an STP65, both named Moneypenny. He has since campaigned a TP52 for many years before returning to maxis last year, chartering Mike Slade's Leopard for the Rolex Giraglia. This season he is campaigning Vesper, the former Morning Glory, originally built for Hasso Plattner.

Also competing will be Márton Józsa's Reichel Pugh 66 Wild Joe, sailing one of her first regattas since being recently fitted with a Dynamic Stability Systems lateral foil to increase her righting moment and performance.

12 maxis are currently entered in the Regata dei Tre Golfi, but their number will increase to 27 for the subsequent inshore and coastal races (including a much anticipated race around Capri) at Rolex Capri Sailing Week, over 15-18 May. This partly due to the additional entries from Mylius Yachts, competing for their annual Mylius Cup.

The line-up includes a particularly strong fleet of 60 footers, notably International Maxi Association President Benoît de Froidmont's Wally 60 Wallyño, Peter Dubens' Frers 60 Spectre, the all-conquering Mills Vismara 62 Supernikka of Roberto Lacorte, plus a trio of Swan 65s including Marietta Strasoldo's Lunz Am Meer. Then there are larger boats including the Baltic 78 Lupa of the Sea, multiple Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup class winner Riccardo de Michele's Vallicelli 80 H2O and the Spanish Swan 80 Plis Play.

For the first time in 2019, Rolex Capri Sailing Week's inshore and coastal races will form part of the International Maxi Association's new Mediterranean Maxi Inshore Challenge. This new championship also includes Rolex Giraglia inshores, Copa del Rey MAPFRE, Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and finally Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez. -- James Boyd

www.internationalmaxiassociation.com

www.rolexcaprisailingweek.com

Make Your Splice Right with Marlow’s NEW Splicing Tutorials launching this sailing season
Marlow Ropes Did you know that a well spliced rope will typically retain 90% of its strength?

Marlow Ropes is well-known for providing helpful education resources and advice for sailors, and this year, the leading rope manufacturer is pleased to launch a new and improved on-line collection of splicing tutorials.

From the advanced D2 (Dyneema) Eye Splice to the intermediate Excel Taper and beginner level Continuous Loop control line splice; Marlow will guide you step-by-step through a range of 11 splices, suitable for all types of sailor and for all abilities, allowing you to improve and master your seamanship skills to get your rigging ready for the start of the season.

With over 150 years of combined splicing knowledge and experience, splicing is integral to Marlow’s product and service, with their splicing service available to trade and commercial customers for bespoke rope assemblies, slings and strops across the industrial, vehicle and working-at-height industries. In the marine industry, Marlow works with leading rigging professionals and consults many of the world’s leading race teams (including the British, US and European sailing teams amongst others).

The full splicing collection will be released over the start of the summer. To view the first three films in the series, click here. For hands-on splicing demonstrations and advice, find Marlow at boat shows and events across the UK & Europe, or enquire about attending one of their UK nationwide Rope-Shows at a sailing club near you.

marlowropes.com

Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta: Grande Dame of the Concours d' Elegance
Click on image to enlarge.

Concours d' Elegance Overall winner of the Concours d'Elegance was the stunning Herreshoff design ketch Arrluuk. A faithful replica 1939 Bounty and a kindred spirit to last year's overall winner, 72' Ticonderoga, she was built in 1997 by Legendary Yachts.

Owners Steve and Tricia Frary, daughter Elizabeth 13, and son Nathan 11, have been cruising the Caribbean for the past fourteen months with the BVI and Bahamas on their horizon. Judges found it hard to believe that a family of four live aboard and cruise this magnificent yacht which brought about their unanimous vote for Overall Prize as well as first in Classic Class, Privately-maintained.

Taking home top awards was the icing on the cake. Arrluuk also earned a special limited edition LOCMAN watch for first in Classics Class as well as a Barrel of Rum and an inspiration to join the Regatta sometime in Arrluuk's long future. -- Jan Hein

* The 2019 Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta fittingly came to a close after Tuesday's Gig Racing and Cream Teas at the Admiral's Inn in English Harbour. Wind off the south coast was awol but it blew sweet and steady in Nelson's Dockyard, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Joining the mini Regatta for the first time were the Ponzi Class sailboats, the brainchild of Robbie Fabre. Rumour has it he built one for a swimming pool then schemed friends to grow the fleet. Six were in attendance, providing a crayon box of color with rig combinations from a designer's wildest dream. Performance wise, the fleet did well despite the need to paddle during tacking and some random sinking manoeuvres. -- Jan Hein

www.antiguaclassics.com

Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta
The 12th edition of the Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta, organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS) with title sponsor Loro Piana, is scheduled to take place in Porto Cervo from the 3rd to the 8th of June, 2019 and is set to be more competitive than ever with 24 superyachts already pre-enrolled. Owners who wish to join the fleet, including simply for the Rendez-vous aspect without competing, have to register until the 2nd of May.

The 2019 edition of the Regatta will feature two important novelties: an extended duration, with an extra day to hold a cancelled racing if that happens, and the fact that multihulls of over 50 feet can now participate. With three multihulls already enrolled, Ad Maiora, Dragon and R-Six, they will race in their own category alongside any other multihull vessels that may register.

The largest yacht enrolled so far is Q, built by Alloy Yachts to a design by Ed Dubois and measuring 51.7 metres. Just two metres behind her, a 49.8-metre Perini Navi Silencio, returns to the Costa Smeralda after winning in its class at the Perini Navi Cup in 2018. Another returning winner is the 39.6-metre Baltic 130' My Song, owned by YCCS member Pier Luigi Loro Piana which won the Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta last year and was recently declared Boat of the Year at the Italian Sailling Federation's Sailor of the Year awards.

The Southern Wind Rendezvous and Trophy returns to Porto Cervo for its 14th edition with a fleet of 10 boats currently pre-enrolled. Kiboko Tres will be making her debut in June. The yacht represents the second unit of the new 32-metre model, launched in October 2018 and now in the Mediterranean after completing the transatlantic journey from Cape Town where she was built.

The SW-RP90 All Smoke, designed by Reichel/Pugh and Nauta Design, will also make its regatta debut. The current holder of the trophy, the SW102 Seawave will fight to retain the title, while the SW82 Grande Orazio owned by YCCS member Massimiliano Florio, will compete on a level playing field with her sister ship Ammonite, returning from the Southeast Asia for the occasion.

yachtharbour.com

www.yccs.it

OSTAR and TWOSTAR in 2020
With the start of the next Original Single Handed Transatlantic Race (OSTAR) and Two Handed Transatlantic Race (TWOSTAR) just a year away, entries and enquiries are flooding in. With the scheduled start in Plymouth UK in May 2020 alongside the TRANSAT, this promises to be a very special event with both corinthian and professional racers gathering together to mark the 60th anniversary of the birth of single handed oceanic racing. Initiated in 1960 by Blonde Hasler and the Royal Western Yacht Club of England who remain the race organising authority, the first race saw just 5 boats compete. This race was won by Sir Francis Chichester with the second race being won by the legendary Eric Taberly. Entries swelled to 125 boats in 1976 before the professional element of the race split to form the TRANSAT in 2004. The Corinthian element continued to race every four years in the OSTAR with the RWYC.

Today the OSTAR (now run together with its twohanded sister TWOSTAR), has received entries from the USA, UK, Poland, Switzerland. Some are first timers eager to fulfil a life long ambition to race the north Atlantic, while others are either those that have a desire to better their previous times or some that see the race as a pathway to prove themselves for a career ahead in professional short handed yacht racing.

The RWYC welcomes applicants for entry to the 2020 OSTAR TWOSTAR. Entry Forms, the Notice Of Race and further details are available on the websites at rwyc.org/ostar/ and rwyc.org/twostar/ or by email: or

North Sails offers Offshore Performance Seminar in San Diego
When racing offshore, sailors have to be prepared for anything and everything, and when the ocean tosses up a new challenge, it's what you have done to prepare that will be essential.

So on Thursday, May 16th from 6 - 9 PM North Sails San Diego will host an Offshore Performance Seminar, featuring two-time Volvo-race skipper Charlie Enright and veteran offshore and America's Cup navigator Peter Isler.

Topics covered in the seminar include:
- Sail Selection
- Weather & Routing
- Squall Management
- Watch Systems
- Food & Gear
- Safety
- Maneuvers
- Communication

RSVP for this free event and join us to talk directly with the experts and hear what they do to prepare for offshore adventures, such as the upcoming 50th edition Transpac and any of its qualification races and passages.

North Sails San Diego is located at 4630 Santa Fe Street, San Diego, CA 92109.

Register now while there's still space

Taittinger Royal Solent Yacht Club Regatta
The 2018 Taittinger Royal Solent Yacht Club Regatta was a record breaking year for entries with 198 boats and around 1,000 crew racing off Yarmouth in the Western Solent. This year, the 12th edition of the regatta is predicted to attract similar numbers and Champagne Taittinger and the Royal Solent Yacht Club are joined for the first time by Isle of Wight-based, independent financial planners, Rouse Limited as supporting sponsor of this increasingly popular regatta.

Over the regatta weekend from Friday 26th-Sunday 28th July, the majority of classes will have two races on Saturday with one race on Sunday started from committee boat lines off the Island and Mainland shores. The range of classes competing in the 2019 Taittinger Royal Solent Yacht Club Regatta is famously diverse with a yachting design timeline reaching back over 100 years including SB20; Contessa 32; Folkboat; Gaffers; four IRC Divisions; IRC Classic Cruiser; IRC Swan; J24; J80; J109; two RYA NHC Classes; Sigma 38; X One Design (XOD) and Yarmouth One Design (YOD).

The event's status as the South Coast's most popular yacht club regatta has meant that early registration for this year's event is strongly recommended. Anne Kyle, Commodore of the Royal Solent explains: 'We aim to welcome as many boats as we can and usually fill Yarmouth Harbour to capacity,' says the Commodore. 'There was spectacular racing last year and it was a real pleasure to see so many satisfied sailors having such a great time on the water, and the town of Yarmouth buzzing with activity,' she continues. 'Given the increasing popularity of this regatta, any new or returning competitors would be wise to register early to avoid disappointment.'

The deadline for entries to the 2019 Taittinger Royal Solent Yacht Club Regatta is 22nd July 2019, but the Early Bird Discount remains until 13th June 2019.

Taittinger Royal Solent Yacht Club Regatta 2019 Notice of Race

www.royalsolent.org

Notice Of Race Issued For Transpac Tahiti Race 2020
Even though still over a year away, excitement is building for the 16th edition of the Transpac Tahiti Race 2020 starting on 28 May 2020. Already five entries representing a broad range of boat types have signed on to compete in the 3570-mile voyage from Los Angeles to Papeete, first sailed in 1925.

With this strong initial interest, organizers from the Transpacific Yacht Club have issued a Notice of Race that invites seaworthy Monohulls of any length over 30 feet and offshore Multihulls of any size to apply for an invitation to compete. The Notice of Race is posted on the Yacht Scoring website as well as Pre-Registration can be found at

For scoring Transpacific YC will be using the ORR ocean racing rule with a custom wind matrix to handicap the boats.

The first entry in this cycle of the race, last run in 2012, is Matt Brooks's 53-foot S&S-designed ketch DORADE. This classic ocean racing yacht launched in 1930 was one of the most successful of the era, winning the 1930 Transatlantic Race, the 1932 Newport-Bermuda Race, and the 1936 Transpac race from LA to Honolulu.

Under Brooks's recent ownership, the boat has been updated and restored, and is ocean racing again in many of the same races, even finding similar success as 80 years ago: in 2013 she once again took the overall King Kalakaua Trophy in the Transpac.

The DORADE team is well-organized, with Brooks already naming his sailing team for the race, many from the successful 2013 Transpac win: he will be joined by Matt Wachowicz, Kevin Miller, Eric Chowanski, John Hayes, Mike Giles, and Steve Branaugh.

The other current entries include another team with multiple Transpac wins, Roy Disney's PYEWACKET, with the latest version being his Andrews 70 from San Diego. And in the same genre of fast light offshore greyhounds is Damon Guizot's LA-based Reichel/Pugh 77 ZEPHYRUS. These two would be the current first-to-finish favorites on this course.

Benoit Parnaudeau's Class 40 NACIRA is currently the only Tahiti-based entry, and Bill Boyd's Morgan 38.2 DAD'S DREAM from Long Beach is doing the race representing Hawaii YC.

www.transpac-tahiti.com

Featured Brokerage
Raceboats Only 2007 Open 50 JOYEUX. 295,000 EUR. Located in Brittany, France

Originally built for a round world race, she was conceived by renowned architect and sailors. Perfectly suited for solo and double handed race, she is in good condition and ready to race the next Route du Rhum Fast and reliable, clear deck layout, sleek lines, all is thought to sail her easily.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
BERNARD GALLAY Yacht Brokerage

www.bernard-gallay.com
Tel +33 (0) 467 66 39 93

-----------------------------------------

Raceboats Only 2000 Swan 56 - "Akarana". 525000 GBP. Located in Cowes, UK.

AKARANA has the preferred arrangement with a master cabin forward, two cabins aft with upper and lower berths, and a proper fore-peak forward. A new T-keel was installed in 2012 reducing the draft, improving the balance while maintaining the exceptional sailing performance. New Teak deck in 2014.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Sam Pearson - Ancasta Yachts
+64 277733717
+44 2380 016582

-----------------------------------------

Raceboats Only 1977 Nautor Swan 47. 170,000 EUR. Located in Salerno, Italy.

An evergreen classic, designed by S&S and built as only Nautor can, GRAMPUS II offers sparkling sailing together with build quality that is never to be repeated. Perfect for serious cruising, these yachts also shine in the Regatta circuit and are rare to the brokerage market.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
GRABAU INTERNATIONAL
Lead broker - Michele Antonini
Tel: +39 333 74 89 281
Email:

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

The Last Word
We do know, of certain knowledge, that Osama Bin laden is either in Afghanistan or in some other country or dead. -- Donald Rumsfeld

Editorial and letter submissions to

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

Search the Archives

SEARCH SEARCH

Our Partners

Seahorse Magazine

YachtScoring.com

Wight Vodka

Robline Ropes

Harken

Marlow

Navico

Translate