In This Issue
• GC32 World Championship
• Transatlantic Race 2019 Fleet Contending with Light Patches and Gulf Stream
• Seahorse Sailor Of The Month
• Block Island Race Week: Mount Gay Race 4 Recap
• A Dramatic Day at Kiel Week
• Entries forming up for the 2019 ORC Sportboat European Championship
• Bouwe Bekking is joining HiQ 4 during AF Offshore Race
• Int. 5.5 Metre Class releases 70th Anniversary Yearbook
• HMS Pickle Trafalgar Weekend
• Featured Brokerage:
• • Farr 520 Performance - GODSPEED
• • Mighty Merloe - Orma 60
• • Marten 67 - "Caol Ila"
• The Last Word: Richard Feynman
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
GC32 World Championship
For the ten international teams competing off Lagos, Portugal at this second World Championship for the GC32 flying one-design catamaran class, a day of two halves plus a mix of conditions and starting formats provided a worthy test that caused even the most polished crews to falter. Nonetheless, after five races the top of the leaderboard is impossibly tight with four teams all within one point.
Day one of the GC32 World Championship, taking place with the support of the City of Lagos, Marina de Lagos and SOPROMAR, started in an uncharacteristic southwesterly, blowing across Lagos' bay and at times gusting to 16-17 knots. Two races were held in this before the lighter prevailing northwesterly filled in, requiring a new race course to be set up and a change from upwind to reaching starts.
While the top four teams came out close, all had deep results, the most polarised being those of Alinghi, which ended the day second but tied on points with the leader, Oman Air. The Swiss team won the first two races in the more stable conditions, and then race four. Race four was the most complex of the day when separate wind shifts up both sides of the race course created major compression leading to some hair raising, penalty-ridden moments as boats converged with closing speeds of 50+ knots at the leeward gate.
Today's grandes cajones prize went to Ben Ainslie who courageously steered the INEOS Rebels UK GC32 across the bows of the entire starting fleet, without rights on port tack, in the final race. "We wanted to start on port and head off to the right side because that had been paying," described Ainslie. "Then we looked at the way everyone was stacking up and the wind had gone a bit left and we thought 'it might open up' and it did so we went for it."
Nonetheless comfortably leading on the final run, their race nearly fell apart when a bad furl in a gybe subsequently prevented them using their gennaker. "Fortunately we had enough of a lead and there was enough breeze to two sail it down, but it was still close."
Racing continues tomorrow at the GC32 World Championship with a first warning signal scheduled for 13:00 (14:00 CET). More northwesterly breeze is forecast. -- Icarus Sports
Results
1. Oman Air, 18
2. Alinghi, 18
3. INEOS Rebels UK, 19
4. NORAUTO, 19
5. Argo, 23
6. Red Bull Sailing Team, 27
7. Team Tilt, 28
8. Zoulou, 36
9. CHINAone NINGBO, 42
10. Black Star Sailing Team, 45
Transatlantic Race 2019 Fleet Contending with Light Patches and Gulf Stream
The conditions on the open Atlantic Ocean are far from white knuckle, but the tactics playing out in the Transatlantic Race 2019 are never more interesting.
It's perhaps due to the lack of screaming conditions that the action is so compelling. Rather than dodging waves and squalls, the fleet is scampering around light patches while setting up for the effects of the Gulf Stream.
At the head of the fleet the supermaxi SHK Scallywag, skippered by Australian David Witt, seems to have sailed itself into a corner from which returning is going to come at a hefty price.
At today's 1530 UTC position report, some 48 hours after the race start, SHK Scallywag was about 170 nautical miles due west of the waypoint A2 marking the southwestern corner of Point Alpha, the ice limit zone. SHK Scallywag was 146 nautical miles north of Wizard on a bearing of 338, but was making 14.6 knots boatspeed on a heading of 156 degrees.
That has put David and Peter Askew's Wizard, the Juan Kouyoumdjian-designed VO70, into the virtual lead on the water. Wizard is south of the rhumbline sailing at 15.1 knots on a bearing of 106 degrees in south/southwesterly winds around 10 knots. Wizard, however, is far from in the clear as the crew attempts to slither between two patches of light wind.
SHK Scallywag, meanwhile, hopes to get to rhumbline or south of it before tacking back to starboard. But a light patch of wind awaits in that area.
Back in Portsmouth, R.I., last night, Joe Mele's Triple Lindy (below) had returned to shore to replace a burned-out alternator. The crew temporarily suspended racing yesterday shortly past 0600 UTC to return to port and make repairs.
"We have a lithium battery system," said Mele. "Typically, we run it down to 30 percent, where we start to charge it up again. We started the engine and within a minute there was foul-smelling smoke from the engine compartment. There were no flames, but smoke and we could tell in short order that the alternator had burned out.
"We saw a loose wire and reconnected it, attempting to repair it, but there was zero output from the alternator so we could tell it had melted. We could've carried on but I decided it wouldn't be prudent. We would've lost our comms and ability to transmit AIS. While it would've been valiant and heroic, it wasn't prudent. I didn't want to risk the welfare of the crew.
"We're not gutted, but disappointed," Mele continued. "We're determined to do the race and finish. It'll take more than a burned-out alternator to stop us."
At 0405:51 UTC, Triple Lindy restarted the race off Castle Hill Light.
Seahorse Sailor Of The Month
Last month's winner:
Asia Pajkowska (POL)
Five hundred-plus Polish sailors can't be wrong. 'I vote for Asia!!' - Jan Niedzi; 'She is the absolute best!' - Asia Dudkiewicz; 'Captain Pajkowska is absolutely a legend!' - Premo Jacniacki; 'She kept up the Polish tradition, pride and conceit are foreign to her' - Halina Mainska; 'I followed her cruise from beginning to end, I am a devoted fan' - Przemys Borowiecki; 'All Poland can be proud of her' - Tutomirova Besheniyenot; 'Asia started three months after the Golden Globe but beat the last finisher by four weeks!' - Krzesimir Kowaksli; 'Paul Cayard is a great sailor but I adore tough sailing women even more!' - Yvette von der Burchard
This month's nominees:
Vladimir Krutskikh (RUS)
Krutskikh won his third Finn World Masters title with a perfect score of seven wins in seven races… discarding one win in his final tally. ‘For me everything is good. I won seven races so I am happy…’ You would be, wouldn’t you? It’s worth mentioning that the class itself was also reasonably happy with a 248-boat turnout for its latest event: ‘Numbers are down on last year but this is still a good entry.’ An entry that most classes would kill for
James Lyne (USA)
world? (Letters, please) A string of TP52 success with Quantum Racing plus Maxi72, Melges 24 and Farr40s titles, he is now head coach at the New York YC's Terry Hutchinson-led American Magic Cup challenge. This former Finn and Flying Dutchman sailor - bit big now, lad - is also a Pom by birth. Should never have let him go
Seahorse Sailor of the Month is sponsored by Musto, Harken McLube & Dubarry. Who needs silverware, our prizes are usable!
Cast your vote, submit comments, even suggest a candidate for next month at seahorsemagazine.com/sailor-of-the-month/vote-for-sailor-of-the-month
View past winners of Sailor of the Month
Block Island Race Week: Mount Gay Race 4 Recap
Sailors woke up to a layer of fog for Mount Gay Race Day, but after a 3-hour delay, the sailors on 3 circles crossed the line getting in 2 races before hitting the docks and getting up to a delay rum tent party thrown by the iconic rum brand.
Robin Team has grown accustomed to winning. The Lexington, North Carolina resident has done so with regularity at major regattas all over the country, earning PHRF Boat of the Week at Key West Race Week and capturing the Palmetto Trophy several times at Charleston Race Week.
Team brought his J/122 Teamwork to Block Island Race Week for the first time in 2017 and added captured the IRC 2 North American Championship. Teamwork came back to the biennial regatta this year and carried a lot of confidence after claiming IRC 4 class at the New York Yacht Club Annual Regatta.
However, Teamwork is getting all it can handle from a Ker 11.5 named Peacemaker YCC. Skipper Leo Vasiliev posted a pair of bullets on Thursday and have overtaken Teamwork for the lead in ORC 2 at Block Island Race Week, presented by Margaritaville.
It was an afternoon start for the four Performance Cruising classes in the Pursuit Division. Rascal skipper Chris Schneider said his boat crossed the start line just after 2 p.m. to begin a six-nautical mile race in Performance Cruising 3 Non-Spinnaker.
The Ericson 39 passed the Bristol 35.5 Ida G and the Alden 44 Checkmate, but could not overtake the Taylor 42 Africa on Thursday. Rascal, which was launched in 1971, still leads the class after winning Monday's pursuit race and Tuesday's Around the Island Race.
A Dramatic Day at Kiel Week
A dramatic turn of events on the Nacra 17 race course has seen local sailors Paul Kohlhoff and Alica Stuhlemmer hold on to their yellow jerseys for the second day running at Kiel Week.
It was a breezy, shifty and cooler day on the race course that made consistent sailing difficult to achieve on the frisky foiling 17ft catamaran, although Vittorio Bissaro and Maelle Frascari seemed to have the best handle on the conditions. The Italians came from behind to win the first race of the morning and were in command until half way through race two. Foiling into a routine gybe on the second downwind leg, Frascari failed to hook on to her new trapeze securely and fell overboard.
Now singlehanded with the gennaker still flying, Bissaro put on a strong display of great seamanship to turn the catamaran around and sail back upwind to Frascari who was swimming towards the boat as fast as she could.
Once back aboard, the onboard live camera showed that Frascari was in some pain. Her foot had clipped the razor sharp edge of the rudder as the boat sailed past. It looked like the Italians would have to retire from the rest of the day, as Kohlhoff and Stuhlemmer powered their way to victory in the second race.
It was a good day out for German crews in the 49erFX fleet, for Victoria Jurczok and Annika Lorenz in particular. Scores of 3,1,2 lift the Germans to first overall, two points ahead of the reigning World Champions from the Netherlands, Annemiek Bekkering and Annette Duetz. Tied on points with the Dutch are yesterday's leaders, the young Swedish team of Vilma Bobeck and Malin Tengström who started well with a race win but then slipped up with a 19th and 10th. Bobeck was laughing at her own ineptitude today.
The Antipodeans continue to stamp their authority on the Men's 49er fleet, and it was the irrepressible Kiwis, Pete Burling and Blair Tuke, who enjoyed a solid day with a 3,1,2 from their qualifying fleet. This lifts the reigning Olympic Champions to first overall, two points ahead of yesterday's stand-out crew, Will and Sam Phillips from Australia.
The breeze is forecast to be lighter for Friday, so that could see a change in the pecking order.
Kieler Woche, which takes place from 22 to 30 June, divides into two halves. The first half focuses on the international classes and is mostly about keen amateur sailors competing against each other. The second half shifts its gaze to the Olympic events. Across the whole nine days, Kieler Woche hosts more than 4,000 sailors from 60 nations, competing in more than 1,900 sailing boats. -- Andy Rice
Entries forming up for the 2019 ORC Sportboat European Championship
Portoroz, Slovenia - Organizers from the Yacht Club Marina Portoroz (YCMP) and the Offshore Racing Congress (ORC) are welcoming all owners and teams of racing keelboats between 6.00 - 9.15 m in length, who are less than 2000 kg in weight, and have a DSPL/Length ratio of <6.00 to enter the 2019 edition of the ORC Sportboat European Championship being held over 24-30 August here in Portoroz.
For this entry fee competitors will enjoy three days of measurement and practice races, a long-distance Coastal race, and three days of inshore races with top-quality race management and free dockage during the event.
Teams who want to participate but may not be able to bring their own boat may consider chartering one of six available Simonis-designed Fareast 28R's. A 6-day charter includes a race-ready boat, a set of sails from OneSails, a valid ORC certificate, and a Tohatsu ouboard engine,
Already on the entry list are teams from Austria, Germany, Italy, Slovenia and Ukraine, with more expected. Among them are some who wish to defend their titles from the 2018 ORC Sportboat European Championship in Porto Piccolo, Italy. For example, Davide Ropotez's Melges 24 Destriero from Italy is entered, who won the Gold medal in Division A last year and placed third overall.
Similarly, the 2018 Silver medal winners in Division A and B are also returning: Agnes Watger's Esse 850 Khulula from Germany in Class A and Ugo Guarnieri's Delta 84 Chardonnay from Italy in Class B.
Bouwe Bekking is joining HiQ 4 during AF Offshore Race
The fight for line honors in the World's largest annual offshore race, AF Offshore Race, just got even tougher. One of the World's current most experienced offshore sailors, Bouwe Bekking, is coming to Stockholm to join his old boat Brunel, now HiQ 4. HiQ has put together a very competitive team for the 2019 race. The goal is to beat last year's speed record for mono-hulls, that was set by the 90-footer CQS.
"It feels great to be back on the water. Eleven years ago, we beat the speed record around Gotland with a trimaran. Now we are also aiming for the mono-hull record. It is clear that it will be tough, but with good winds we have the chance to beat it, says Erik Ridman at HiQ.
This is also great news for all the hundreds of thousands of spectators that we anticipate will visit Skeppsholmen in Stockholm during the weekend. Please join us on the docks, looking at all these beautiful boats and a packed event schedule.
The AF Offshore Race starts in the centre of Stockholm Sunday June 30th and runs through the archipelago, via Sandhamn and round the island of Gotland and finishes in Sandhamn, approximately 350 nm. In the 2019 race some 230 boats ranging from 24 to 80 feet, gathers in Stockholm on Thursday and Friday to prepare for the start.
Int. 5.5 Metre Class releases 70th Anniversary Yearbook
To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the International 5.5 Metre Class and the 100th Scandinavian Gold Cup later this year, the International 5.5 Metre Association has published a commemorative yearbook.
Edited and compiled by Robert Deaves, it is packed full of stories about the people, the boats and the races that have defined this once Olympic class, as well as a recap of the 2018 season.
With contributions from many of the sailors who have been and are still involved in the class the Yearbook is an attractive, 144 page, A4, photo heavy book that will immediately appeal to all those who have or still sail a 5.5 Metre.
Stories include:
- Foreword from Robin Aisher
- History of the 5.5 Metre
- Birth of the Scandinavian Gold Cup
- Story of the 2018 Worlds and Gold Cup in Cowes
- 5.5 Metres in The Bahamas
- Profiles of Carabella, Volpina and Barranjoey
- Class revivals in Australia and North America
- Complete results list from 1952 to 2018
All current members of National 5.5 Metre associations will be receiving a free copy through their class association.
A limited number of additional copies are available for sale at a cost of £25 plus shipping. Discounts are available for purchase of 5 or more copies.
Please contact the 5.5 Class for further pricing, or order see use link for more details and ordering
HMS Pickle Trafalgar Weekend
Click on image to enlarge.
Buckler's Hard will start the summer with a bumper maritime weekend on July 13th - 14th with the arrival of a tall ship - the full-size replica of Battle of Trafalgar's HMS Pickle - as well as a model boat display celebrating its proud nautical history.
On both days across the weekend, visitors can see the period-perfect HMS Pickle recreation and climb aboard for tours and chat to crew members. The original HMS Pickle was a survivor of the Battle of Trafalgar and took news of Admiral Lord Nelson's death back to Britain.
The distinguished topsail schooner will sail along the Beaulieu River to moor at Buckler's Hard for the weekend, giving a taste of life in Nelson's Navy. Inside the Maritime Museum, visitors can see one of only two scale models of HMS Pickle - the second was presented to the Queen in 1958 as a gift for the young Prince Charles. Both models were built by a Royal Navy serviceman, whose grandson has loaned one to the Buckler's Hard museum.
Then on Sunday 14th the Portsmouth Model Boat Display Team will pay tribute to HMS Pickle with a display featuring pyrotechnics and remote control scaled-down boats on the Beaulieu River, subject to tides and conditions. Visitors can watch miniature sailing ships as they take to the water and fire their canons, with the chance to see some of these incredible models, including galleons, frigates and destroyers, up-close in a static display.
www.bucklershard.co.uk/hms-pickle-trafalgar-weekend/
Featured Brokerage
2004 Farr 520 Performance - GODSPEED. 295000 EUR. Located in zya' Xbiex, Malta
The Farr 520 Performance Cruiser is a real gem of a yacht. Fast, fun to sail and the same hull as the Farr 52 one design, but with a much more sedate interior. Not many of these were built and so having one on the market is almost a unique opportunity. Only in her second ownership, she has done more miles in the last year than the last 15 and been well serviced and looked after with a good electrical and instrumental refit.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
Ben Cooper
Telephone: +44(0) 1590 679222
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2014 Mighty Merloe - Orma 60. 1,500,000 USD. Located in San Diego, CA.
Mighty Merloe is turn-key and race ready. Not only did she win the Transpac in July 2017 but she crossed the finish line in only 4 days, 6 hours and 33 minutes, shattering a 20 year old record by more than a day. A complete refit of the boat was completed in the winter of 2018 including a full structural ultrasound inspection of the boat and appendages.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
Kurt Jerman 619-571-3513
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2009 Marten 67 - "Caol Ila" 2000000 EUR. Located in Sardinia.
Occasionally a jewel of a yacht is built. Coal Ila should be seen and sailed to truly appreciate her exquisite detail and thrilling performance. Simplistic arrangement allows for short handed sailing, as well as competitive fully crewed racing. Lifting keel arrangement, really ticks the boxes.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
Sam Pearson - Ancasta Race Boats
+64 277733717
+44 2380 016582
See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/
The Last Word
From my knowledge of the world that I see around me, I think that it is much more likely that the reports of flying saucers are the results of the known irrational characteristics of terrestrial intelligence than of the unknown rational efforts of extra-terrestrial intelligence. -- Richard Feynman
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