In This Issue
• Champions warm to task in Hyeres heat
• Cervantes Trophy Race Preview
• 21st Jersey Regatta
• Dolan Ready to Go Solo
• Alinghi: Evolution and continuity in the 2019 season
• FSE Robline becomes Robline
• Bangor Town Regatta 2020
• Dennis Conner's America's Cup reality check
• Everything in it’s right place - UBI Maior
• 2019 Junior Olympic Regatta in Pensacola
• Featured Brokerage:
• • Whitbread Maxi ROTHMANS.
• • Finot Open 40 ANASAZI GIRL
• • Johan Anker 49Ft Q-Class Sloop
• The Last Word: Sam Kinison

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

Champions warm to task in Hyeres heat
The first day of the 51st Semaine Olympique Francaise in Hyeres saw the kind of conditions that the French Riviera specialises in: endless sun, testing breeze and diamonds dancing on the water. With the wind shifting from the northerly in the morning to almost southerly by the afternoon the best was required of the 197 sailors representing 49 nations - and the best prospered.

Programme (subject to change): Monday, April 29 to Wednesday, May 1: qualifying phase (one to three rounds per day) Thursday May 2 to Saturday May 4: final phase (one to three rounds per day) Saturday, May 4: Medal Races (30-minute round for the top ten in each series in which points count double) Saturday May 4: Award ceremony and closing ceremony.

Top three

Laser
1. Sam Meech, NZL, 2 points
2. Tom Burton, AUS, 7
3. Matthew Wearn, AUS, 8

Laser Radial Women
1. Maria Erdi, HUN, 5
2. Caroline Rosmo, NOR, 5
3. Jacinta Ainsworth, AUS, 12

RS:X Men
1. Mengfan Gao, CHN, 2
2. Mattia Camboni, ITA, 3
3. Radoslaw Furmanski, POL, 6

RS:X Women
1. Peina Chen, CHN, 2
2. Charline Picon, FRA, 4
3. Bryony Shaw, GBR, 7

Full results

More information on : evenements.ffvoile.fr/sof2019gbr.aspx

Cervantes Trophy Race Preview
115 yachts have entered the Royal Ocean Racing Club's Cervantes Trophy Race, with more than 600 sailors registered to take part. The race from the Solent to Le Havre will start from the Royal Yacht Squadron Line on Saturday 4th May at 0900 BST.

Spectators can watch the spectacle from the Cowes Parade and The Green, and also follow the progress of the fleet via the RORC website. Competitors will receive a warm welcome at Société des Regates du Havre, founded in 1838, it is the oldest yacht club in continental Europe.

The opening European fixture of the 2019 RORC Season's Points Championship, is the third race of the world's largest offshore racing championship, with in excess of 600 yachts expected to take part over the course of the season. The majority of the teams racing are Corinthian sailors, who will be taking on some top professional teams during the series. More often than not, the championship is won by an amateur team.

Teams will be racing for the Cervantes Trophy for the best corrected time under IRC. Gilles Fournier and Corinne Migraine's J/133 Pintia will be attempting to win the Cervantes Trophy for the fourth year in a row. The race to Le Havre is a special one for Pintia, Gilles has been a member of the Société des Regates du Havre for over 60 years.

Racing alongside Pintia in IRC 2 will be Thomas Kneen's JPK 11.80 Sunrise as scratch boat. Richard Neocleous' Oceanis 55 Julia has the longest water-line length for the class, and will be hoping for powerful reaching conditions. Four Beneteau First 40s will have a close battle; Susan Glenny's Olympia's Tigress, Sailing Logic's Dusty P and Lancelot II, as well as Ronan Banim's Galahad Of Cowes.

Over 60 yachts, the majority of the huge fleet, will be racing in IRC Three and IRC Four, 36 teams will be racing in IRC Two-Handed. Richard Palmer's Jangada returns to action, after a leading the main series overall for most of the 2018 season, before a rigging failure in the very last race, snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. Jangada is one of nine JPK yachts taking part in the Cervantes Trophy Race, including 2016 champion Louis-Marie Dussere's Raging-bee2. The 2017 champion, Rob Craigie's Bellino, sailed by Deb Fish & Will Taylor, is one of five Sunfast 3600 yachts racing.

Hot favourite for Monohull Line Honours will be the Volvo 70 Telefonica Black, skippered by Lance Shepherd, skipper of Liverpool 2018 in the 2017-18 Clipper Round the World Race. Catherine Pourre's Class40 Earendil, winner of the class for the 2019 RORC Caribbean 600 will be racing in the Class40 Division. Last year's Multihull champion, Seacart 30 Buzz, skippered by Ross Hobson, will be returning to action. Windward Sailing's CM60 Venomous, sailed by Fastnet veteran Derek Saunders, and Dutch Ker 46 Van Uden (NED), skippered by Volvo Ocean Race veteran Gerd-jan Poortman, will be racing in IRC Zero. In IRC One, Ed Fishwick's newly acquired FAST40+ Redshift is the scratch boat and expected to have a close battle with 2018 class winner, Ed Broadway's Hooligan VII.

www.rorc.org

21st Jersey Regatta
Scheduled for 6th to 8th September, this year sees the 21st edition of the renowned Jersey Regatta, the Island's 'flagship' sailing event.

As ever, the Regatta is open to local and visiting boats, alike, with racing for sportsboat, cruiser/racer, Quarter Ton, dayboat, dinghy, sport catamaran and windsurfer classes. The 6th Spinlock IRC CI Regional Championship is included in the programme and will, undoubtedly, be a major attraction for the cruiser/racer fleet.

The Regatta gets under way on the Thursday evening with an ice-breaking reception and skippers' briefing. A distance race for the sportsboat and cruiser/racer classes opens the programme on Friday whilst Saturday and Sunday feature back-to-back racing with boats competing over distance, round-the-cans and/or Olympic-type courses. The 'small boat' classes race separately over Olympic-type courses in the beautiful confines of St Aubin's Bay. Trophies and prizes are awarded for each day and overall prizes are awarded for the best boats in each class.

Jersey Marinas will be providing complimentary berthing whilst Condor Ferries is offering discounted fares for those wishing to transport their boats to the Island for the event.

The closing date for entries is 29th August but why not take advantage of the attractively low entry fees that are made even more enticing with an 'early bird' fee for those entering no later than 12th August. The Notice of Race and entry form are available on the Regatta website, jerseyregatta.com

For further information, please contact the Regatta office, , or call 00 44 (0)1534 732229.

Dolan Ready to Go Solo
After an excellent 14th overall and fifth in the final leg, when sailing with Damian Foxall in the doublehanded Sardinha Cup, Ireland's Tom Dolan is now ready to fly solo on his Smurfit Kappa as he takes on this week's Solo Maître Coq.

The first solo event for the Figaro Beneteau 3 starts Monday and has attracted a truly stellar cast, the fleet growing from the 34 which raced in the Sardinha Cup to 44 boats which have assembled in Les Sables d'Olonne for a series which comprises two days of 30-40 mile inshore races Monday, Tuesday followed by an offshore of around 400 naurtical miles which starts Thursday.

Among the big names of the French solo ocean racing scene, two times winner of the Vendèe Globe and three times winner of La Solitaire Michel Desjoyeaux joins the fleet for the first time to pitch himself up against Jérémie Beyou and Yann Eliès - both are also three times La Solitaire overall winners - and past La Solitaire victors such as Armel Le Cléac'h, Yoanne Richomme and legendary Route du Rhum winner Loick Peyron.

The weather forecasts suggest a week of light to moderate winds are in prospect. Dolan, who is from County Meath, is open minded, "I'll take what comes, certainly when it was light in the Sardinha Cup we seemed to have speed which is good but this will be much more about manouevres than out and out speed, so it is going to be interesting. We have done a few days of training, manouvres, manouvres, manouvres and I seemed to get on OK. I think I am quite good from the years in the Mini class. But for sure my weakness is getting off the start line. I am learning to stick to a routine and improve my timing to the line, but there is some way to go. It takes time and practice."

This first solo race in the Figaro Beneteau 3 will be a chance to refine and improve techniques ahead of June's La Solitaire URGO Le Figaro.

www.tomdolanracing.com
www.solomaitrecoq.com

Alinghi: Evolution and continuity in the 2019 season
25 years after its first multi-hull took to the lake, Alinghi is launching its 2019 sporting season on Lake Geneva. Meet us at the Société Nautique de Genève from May 3rd to May 5th for the first of the seven events of the final D35 Trophy, in which seven teams will take part.

Pierre-Yves Jorand, Team director: "The D35 fleet has reduced in size for this last championship, but to see the diligence of the boats in pre-season training, I think that the battle on the water will be intense and that each race will be hard-fought. Nothing more is needed to motivate the team less than a week from our first race!"

It is the final D35 Trophy because, after 16 years of good and loyal service, the Décision 35 will, at the end of the season, pass the torch to the brand new TF35. This 35-foot catamaran equipped with "T" foils (hence its name) will become, from 2020, the backbone of the one-design championship that has run from 2004 to 2019 with the D35.

Before this transition, the teams will, together, be focused upon testing, developing and debugging the very first TF35, which is currently under construction and which should pull its first edges on Lake Geneva this summer. This is how Alinghi will use its free time between each event in 2019, participating actively in the development of this new racing machine.

After a number of successful appearances in recent years, Bryan Mettraux officially joins the core, permanent team, an appointment that meets the requirements of a packed annual calendar, the specifications of foil racing and, as ever, the team's commitment to young Swiss sailing talents.

Sailors
Ernesto Bertarelli (SUI) - Helmsman and skipper - D35 & GC32
Arnaud Psarofaghis (SUI) - Co-helm and co-skipper (GC32) and mainsail trimmer (D35)
Nicolas Charbonnier (FRA) - Tactician - D35 & GC32
Bryan Mettraux (SUI) - Headsail trimmer - D35 & GC32
Timothé Lapauw (FRA) - Floater and foil trimmer - GC32
Coraline Jonet (FRA) - Floater - D35
Yves Detrey (SUI) - Bowman - D35 & GC32
Nils Frei (SUI) - Coach and spare crew - D35 & GC32

Technical team
Joao Cabecadas (POR) / David Nikles (SUI) / Claudy Dewarrat (SUI)

Team director
Pierre-Yves Jorand (SUI)

alinghi.com
d35trophy.com

FSE Robline becomes Robline
For those who did not realize it yet, there is a new brand name at the market - Robline. Having its heritage in the 1990s where company TEUFELBERGER acquired FSE, the German yachting brand, and the yachting line segment of Roblon, the Danish rope manufacturer. Together they became FSE Robline back in the days.

To not stop moving forward TEUFELBERGER decided to give this brand a new appealing look - Robline features now the colours monsun grey and cucuum instead of red and blue. Why? Because we want to be forerunners and stand out from the crowd!

www.roblineropes.com/en/
www.teufelberger.com/en/

Bangor Town Regatta 2020
Bangor Town Regatta is Northern Ireland's premier keel boat regatta, set on the shores of Belfast Lough the event offers excellent yacht racing for numerous classes of yacht.

Following on from the successful event in 2018, the Bangor Town Regatta events team has begun the process of building upon the previous event.

Royal Ulster Yacht Club will be the host club in 2020, offering a superb location and backdrop for both competitors and spectators alike to follow the event on and off the water.

The event will take place over four days from Thursday 25th to Sunday 28th June, providing a total of 9 races over this time period.

Quay Marinas who operate Bangor Marina will be supporting the event within their marina complex with the added attraction of shore side facilities in and around the marina.

Ards & North Down Borough Council is offering its support to this event, with competitors being able to access their website via Bangor Town Regatta Website to book accommodation and all amenities that the town of Bangor has to offer.

On behalf of the Bangor Town Regatta events team and Royal Ulster Yacht Club, I would like to welcome you all to Bangor and wish you happy and successful sailing.

Gavin Watson, Chairman, Bangor Town Regatta 2020

www.facebook.com/bangortownregatta2018/

Dennis Conner's America's Cup reality check
America's Cup great Dennis Conner doubts Malta and the Netherlands will make it to the start line in Auckland with their ambitious challenges.

Malta Altus and DutchSail, along with Stars & Stripes from California, are the three late entries who have been accepted but now face a race against time for funding and construction.

Conner fears it's too much, too late especially with the 2021 event taking on the radical new 75-foot foiling monohull design.

"The best sailor in the world can't win the America's Cup without a boat, so show me the money,

"After the money comes, the people, the technology, the lawyers ... I can't tell you how many regattas have been influenced by the lawyers. A lot of knowledge and a lot of wasted time has gone into the event without knowing the rules and it has bitten people."

The three late entries have walked a legal tightrope to stay involved. It's now a question of can they be truly viable.

Conner described the Stars & Stripes syndicate which he has given his famous team name to, as "a very enthusiastic group of folks, they are trying hard and they can make it to the dance as well".

But he doesn't see anyone else joining the heavyweight challenges of Luna Rossa, American Magic, and Team INEOS UK.

Duncan Johnstone's full article: www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/

Everything in it’s right place - UBI Maior
Best known for the elegant and well-engineered equipment that is used on many of the world’s fastest raceboats, UBI Maior’s technology is also increasingly seen aboard the most stylish and innovative cruiser-racers

When the builders at Vismara were approached to use their well-honed skills in crafting a beautiful new luxury performance yacht designed by Axel De Beaufort/Guillame Verdier, they needed to be assured their suppliers to the project met their own high standards. They chose UBI Maior as the supplier for most components of the deck hardware and sail-handling systems.

The vision for this new 69-footer called Nacira 69 was one not yet attempted in this genre: take the best elements of the Imoca 60 class yachts and adapt them for shorthanded luxury racing and cruising. Built in pre-preg carbon with a deck-stepped mast placed well aft towards the longitudinal centre of the yacht, Nacira has a more open interior for cruising along with the very latest in offshore performance design from the creators of many Imoca 60s as well as larger ocean greyhounds such as Comanche.

Full article in the May issue of Seahorse

2019 Junior Olympic Regatta in Pensacola
Youth sailors from all across the country are invited to the Pensacola Yacht Club (PYC) starting June 28 for the 2019 USA Junior Olympic Sailing Festival presented by BBVA Compass. Sailing is scheduled for June 29-30 with registration, clinics and practice Friday June 28. Registration is now open through Regatta Network.

PYC has accepted the US Sailing invitation for the club to host the 2020 US Sailing Youth National Championship next June. So, the 2019 JO in Pensacola will be bigger and better than ever. The 2019 event will offer practice on the 2020 Youth National Championship courses.

PYC will now offer racing in three Olympic performance development classes… the 29ers, Nacra15 and the Techno 293 windsurfer in addition to the traditional Opti Class (and green fleet), the 420 and the Laser classes. Five boats or more will constitute a class for the newcomers.

Featured Brokerage
1989 Whitbread Maxi ROTHMANS. 190,000 EUR. Located in Stockholm, Sweden.

Whitbread Maxi 81 ROTHMANS is an iconic yacht. She has been well restored and covered to be as close to the original as possible; with upgraded electronics and in very good working order. Currently being used as a private yacht, she is also a superb platform for charter.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Please Contact: Ben Cooper
Telephone: +44(0) 1590 679222

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2001 Finot Open 40. 86000 EUR. Located in Grenada.

Formerly known as SPIRIT OF YUKOH and BARONESSA V, the Finot Open 40 ANASAZI GIRL is beautifully built, finished and equipped to the highest standard. Launched in 2001, she remains professionally maintained.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact

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1925 Johan Anker 49Ft Q-Class Sloop - Leonore. 600000 EUR. Located in France.

This thoroughbred sailing yacht continues to turn heads and offer only transom views. Q-Class yachts offer fun racing for a bunch of friends in boats that look gorgeous - at the dock or on the water - with performance that lives up to looks.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Barney Sandeman
+44 (0)1202 330077
33 High Street
Poole, Dorset
BH15 1AB
United Kingdom

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

The Last Word
The Russians haven't been to the moon. You know why? Because they're space pussies... You really want to impress us? Bring us back our FLAG! -- Sam Kinison

Editorial and letter submissions to

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