In This Issue
• 52 Super Series Finale
• Genoa to host the Grand Finale of the The Ocean Race 2021-22
• Revisiting an old friend - Beneteau First 53
• No start before Friday, with a hopeful weather window at the end of the week!
• Revised proposal to reform the governance of World Sailing released
• Charging Towards the Cape Verde Islands
• 12 Metre North American Championship
• Industry News
• Featured Brokerage:
• • Farr 60 - VENOMOUS
• • Swan 82-006 RS 'Mayang Sari'
• • JPK 1080 - Blue Note
• The Last Word: Robert F. Kennedy
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
52 Super Series Finale
Porto Cervo, Italy: A breezy Official Practice Race for the Audi 52 SUPER SERIES Sailing Week Porto Cervo proved a brisk warmup for what is shaping up to be a windy opening to the five-day 2019 season finale on Sardinia's Costa Smeralda.
A Mistral breeze of up to 28 knots gave the ten-boat TP52 fleet a suitable test before racing starts Tuesday as well as serving a reminder that anything can happen. Circuit leaders Azzurra, the home club favourites, put on an impressive display, appearing to throw down the gauntlet as they lead around the short, sharp windward-leeward track before wheeling away before the finish. Rivals Platoon came in early because of damage to their training mainsail and others prudently chose to foreshorten their training to protect crew and equipment before the five-regatta-season's finale kicks off tomorrow.
The Mistral is forecast to remain for the first three days of the event according to Quantum Racing's navigator Juan Vila.
The warning signal for Tuesday's first race will be at 1230hrs as the race committee seek to get racing in before the Mistral becomes too strong.
Entries:
Alegre - Andy Soriano (USA/GBR), 2018 Botin
Azzurra - Roemmers Family (ARG/ITA), 2018 Botin
Bronenosec - Vladimir Liubomirov (RUS), 2019 Botin
Gladiator - Tony Langley (GBR), 2017 Botin
Phoenix 11 - Hasso/Tina Plattner (RSA), 2018 Botin
Platoon - Harm Muller-Spreer (GER), 2018 Judel/Vrolijk
Provezza - Ergin Imre (TUR), 2018 Judel/Vrolijk
Quantum Racing - Doug DeVos (USA), 2018 Botin
Sled - Takashi Okura (USA), 2018 Botin
Team Vision Future - Jean Jacques Chaubard (FRA), 2015 Botin
Racing at the Audi 52 SUPER SERIES Sailing Week Porto Cervo starts on Tuesday 24th September and finishes on Saturday 28th September
Genoa to host the Grand Finale of the The Ocean Race 2021-22
Genoa will be the finish of the next edition of The Ocean Race, marking the first time the fully-crewed, around the world yacht race, known as the 'toughest test of a team in sport' will come to Italy.
The selection of Italy's top maritime city to host the Grand Finale of The Ocean Race in June of 2022 opens the event to a new audience in one of the most passionate sailing centres in Europe.
Since before the time of Christopher Columbus, Genoa has been considered one of the most important maritime centres in Europe, and continues to be the yachting capital of Italy.
The Ocean Race 2021-22 will see two classes of boats competing for the first time in 25 years: the high-tech, foiling IMOCA 60 class, as well as the one-design VO65 fleet that produced record-breaking performances and such compelling and close competition in the last edition.
The selection of Genoa as the finish line for The Ocean Race was revealed at the Salone Nautico Genoa (the Genoa Boat Show), the most visited boat show on the Mediterranean, on Monday morning.
Italy has long had a close relationship with The Ocean Race, which began as the Whitbread Race Around the World in 1973 with three Italian flagged entries on the starting line. Over the years, 11 Italian teams and over 130 Italian sailors have competed in the event first known as the Whitbread and from 2001 through 2018, as the Volvo Ocean Race.
In the last event Italian offshore sailor Alberto Bolzan sailed in his second consecutive edition of the Race. And Olympian and 49er FX World Champion Francesca Clapcich raced on board Turn the Tide on Plastic. Clapcich says having the race finish in Genoa will have a positive impact on youth sailing across the entire country.
The Ocean Race is scheduled to start from its home port in Alicante, Spain in Q4 of 2021 and finish in Genoa, Italy in June of 2022. The full Race Route will be confirmed in the coming weeks, with the sailing hotspot of Aarhus, Denmark and The Hague in The Netherlands already confirmed as host cities, along with Cabo Verde, which will be the first West African stop in the history of the Race.
Revisiting an old friend - Beneteau First 53
When Beneteau went looking for the right designers for their very much all-new First Yacht 53 the results were thought-provoking. As is the yacht...
The First Yacht 53 has a lot to live up to. There's the heritage of the First marque, which represents more than 40 years of offshore racing and cruising. There's the exceptional pedigree of a design team that combines 25 years at the forefront of America's Cup innovation with the groundbreaking flair of Brenta and Wally. And there's also the fact that nearly a decade has passed since the launch of the last offshore yacht to bear the famous brand name, the Juan K-designed First 30. It's fair to say that this is a long anticipated and eagerly awaited boat. Indeed, five First Yacht 53s had already been sold off plan before Beneteau began building the prototype.
The renaissance of Beneteau's First series began several years ago with a range of small, lightweight sportsboats, some with simple accommodation. It's a big step up from them to the brand new flagship of the range. The First Yacht 53 is a return to the mainstream cruiserracer, or "luxury performance", territory that used to define the brand, but it's a far cry from the Firsts of 15 years ago, which were designed for a full racing crew to live on board for several weeks. Most people don't sail like that anymore.
Full article in the October issue of Seahorse
No start before Friday, with a hopeful weather window at the end of the week!
The start date for the 22nd edition of the Mini-Transat La Boulangere is still an unknown, but there is one thing for sure: kick-off won't be before Friday 27 September. In the meantime, the wind conditions and, above all, the sea state will be too boisterous in the Bay of Biscay and offshore of Cape Finisterre. A more favourable weather window might well open up (or not…) at the end of the week.
The information was passed on to the 87 racers in the Mini-Transat La Boulangere early afternoon this Monday: given the weather conditions, no start will be announced before Friday 27 September.
"Taking into account the disparity of speed"
"Various fronts are sweeping the Bay of Biscay and the sea state is deteriorating. Over the coming days, there might be up to a 5-metre swell in the middle of the Bay, with a short period of 8 to 10 seconds between the waves. And all of that will be in upwind conditions. The boats wouldn't be able to handle such conditions," explains Denis Hugues, Race Director, who is studying the evolution of the situation in close collaboration with Christian Dumard, the event's meteorologist. "The decision made will take into account the diversity of the fleet and the disparities between the boats in terms of speed. All the racers, including those who are not so quick, need to be able to make Cape Finisterre in suitable conditions. That's what makes the situation complex", explains Jean Saucet, technical director of the Mini-Transat.
A favourable weather window at the end of the week?
Each day, a weather report will be sent to the skippers, who will receive at least 48 hours' advance notice, so as to give those who have left La Rochelle the time to get back. "We're monitoring a possible favourable weather window at the end of the week", explains Denis Hugues. "However, we don't yet have enough visibility as the various grib files are not in agreement. We're continuing to keep a close watch."
Revised proposal to reform the governance of World Sailing released
World Sailing's Board of Directors has approved and published a revised version of its Proposal to Reform the Governance of World Sailing, the world governing body of the sport.
The proposal, "Refreshing the Foundations for Our Future" was published in May 2019, Since then World Sailing's Board of Directors and Governance Commission have received extensive feedback via an online survey, correspondence and discussions. In response to that feedback several changes have been made and the Revised Proposal is now available to download here -
The Revised Proposal will provide a number of benefits to World Sailing's members, including:
- Greater participation and engagement in decision making in World Sailing
- Direct seats at decision making tables of World Sailing
- Increased powers at the Annual General Meeting
- Improved quality of decision making
- More efficient decision making
- Greater accountability and transparency
In addition to the Revised Proposal, a draft new Constitution and draft Regulations have been released and all three combined will provide World Sailing with foundations that are not only refreshed, but will also protect the members and the sport for the future.
Charging Towards the Cape Verde Islands
After the success of crossing the Scoring Gate yesterday first, Visit Sanya, China is currently leading the fleet in Race 2: The Commodore's Cup. It remains tight at the top however, with less than 20 nautical miles separating Visit Sanya, China from Qingdao and Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam.
After hiding its position from the rest of the fleet by using Stealth Mode, Qingdao reappeared to cross the Scoring Gate in second place at 13:04:00 UTC, one hour, 27 minutes and 45 seconds behind Visit Sanya, China. Qingdao is now two from two in picking up bonus points in the Clipper 2019-20 Race, with the team to add another two bonus points to its overall tally.
The interesting weather mentioned by Jeronimo Santos Gonzalez, Skipper of Punta del Este, is a developing tropical low which is moving across the path of the fleet. Clipper Race Meteorologist Simon Rowell reports that if the low develops into a hurricane, as forecasted, later in the week - well away from where the fleet will be - it will leave a band of no wind in its wake, making negotiating the Doldrums Corridor extremely interesting.
The interesting weather mentioned by Jeronimo is a developing tropical low which is moving across the path of the fleet. Clipper Race Meteorologist Simon Rowell reports that if the low develops into a hurricane, as forecasted, later in the week - well away from where the fleet will be - it will leave a band of no wind in its wake, making negotiating the Doldrums Corridor extremely interesting.
12 Metre North American Championship
Photo by Onne van der Waal, www.vanderwal.com. Click on image for photo gallery.
Newport, RI: The 12 Metre North American Championship, hosted by Ida Lewis Yacht Club over September 19-22, finished with Courageous (US-26) at the top of the scoreboard to win not only its Modern Division but also the newly contested 12 Metre North American Cup.
Courageous, co-skippered by Newporters Ralph Isham and Alexander Auersperg, competed with the same crew (including helmsman Art Santry of Washington D.C./Newport, R.I.) that took third at this summer's 12 Metre World Championship in Newport and first in the global ROAD TO THE WORLDS Waypoints Series.
Isham noted that Defender (US-33), which finished second in the Modern Division in the hands of charterer/tactician Andy Rose and helmsman Tom Purcell (both of Newport Beach, Calif.), beat Courageous "quite definitively" on Saturday, when two light-air races (six knots) were held on Rhode Island Sound. A scoring penalty, however, put Defender behind Courageous in race four, and with only one victory compared to five posted by Courageous in the six-race series that counted for the North American Championship, victory was not within reach.
Intrepid (US-22), with owner Jack Curtin (Toronto, Ontario/New York, N.Y.) helming, was the third and final North American Championship finisher in the Modern Division. The Traditional and Vintage Divisions each had only one boat sailing - Columbia (US-16) and Onawa (US-6), respectively - so sailing under handicap in the North American Cup took precedence for them.
In order of finish, the North American Cup results were as follows: Courageous (built in 1974), Defender (built in 1983), Columbia (built in 1958), Intrepid (built in 1967), and Onawa (built in 1928).
The Ted Hood Trophy, awarded in each division for the best performance over the season, went to: Vintage - Onawa, Traditional -Columbia, Modern - Challenge XII (KA-10), and Grand Prix - New Zealand.
Modern Division (3 Boats)
1. Courageous (US-26), 12 Metre, Ralph Isham / Alex Auersperg, USA, 7
2. Defender (US-33), 12 Metre, Andrew Rose, USA, 12
3. Intrepid (US-22), 12 Metre, Jack Curtin, CAN, 17
Traditional Division (1 Boat)
1. Columbia (US-16), 12 Meter, Anthony Chiurco / Kevin Hegarty, USA, 6
Vintage Division (1 Boat)
1. Onawa (US-6), Christopher Culver, USA, 7
North American Cup (CRF MkII - 5 Boats)
1. Courageous (US-26), Ralph Isham / Alex Auersperg, USA, 8
2. Defender (US-33), Andrew Rose, USA, 19.5
3. Columbia (US-16), Anthony Chiurco / Kevin Hegarty, USA, 23
4. Intrepid (US-22), Jack Curtin, CAN, 24
5. Onawa (US-6), Christopher Culver, USA, 34.5
Industry News
British modern classic yacht company Spirit Yachts has won the inaugural Environment Award at this year's Southampton Boat Show.
Spirit Yachts was chosen alongside RS Sailing as joint winners of the first ever Environment Award by a panel of judges, including representatives from The Green Blue, British Marine and the RYA (Royal Yachting Association).
The award was presented on Thursday 19th September by world-renowned sailor and The Green Blue ambassador Mike Golding OBE.
Commended for its sustainable approach to exhibiting at the boat show, Spirit Yachts was chosen for its introduction of sustainable wooden Lignia decking and sharing environmental good practice with other marine businesses.
This autumn, Spirit Yachts is due to launch its largest ever sailing yacht, the electric drive, 34m Spirit 111, and its flagship power yacht, the 21.7m Spirit P70. The company has a healthy order book with ongoing construction of a hybrid Spirit DH65 (deckhouse), a fully electric Spirit 44E sailing yacht and a Spirit P40 superyacht tender. In the coming months, Spirit Yachts will start building a P48 power yacht and a DH72 sailing yacht.
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RS Sailing are proud to be jointly awarded British Marine's Environmental Award for their sustainability efforts alongside Spirit Yachts at the Southampton International Boat Show 2019. This British Marine award recognises exhibitors who have embraced environmentally responsible behaviour and sustainable work practices at the Boat Show.
The Green Blue Environmental Award is a new addition to the show but sustainability has been a long-term commitment for RS Sailing. They have been implementing a Sustainability Programme for a number of years, analysing, improving and publicising recyclable aspects of their boats, recyclable packaging, clean energy sources, almost paperless offices, boat show functions, events, their operations and waste recycling.
With this in mind, the RS team sat down for their initial Southampton Boat Show planning meeting with a focus on sustainability. From greener transport, reusing equipment for their stand, fuelling the team with food and drinks not wrapped single use plastic, curbing nonessential paper and ditching giveaways, they made a conscientious effort to really limit the environmental impact. Riki Hooker, RS Sailing Director accepted the award at the ceremony last night and shared a simple message with the crowd "All it takes is a few small changes, some extra effort and planning and you can really quickly make a considerable difference. It's a challenge that the team and I have enjoyed and embraced, everyone should give it a go".
Inspired by the work of the small volunteer charity Sea-Changers who fundraise to provide grants for projects that have a positive impact on the marine environment, RS Sailing have been taking on new ideas from the experienced team at Sea-Changers to further their efforts. At event level, the RS Aero Class Association have partnered with the RYA GreenBlue to create a sustainability charter to drive real change in the impact of their regattas across clubs.
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Sky Sport will broadcast live all six days of December's 49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 world championships in Auckland, New Zealand, which is believed to be a world first for an Olympic class sailing world championships.
As many as 400 of the world's best sailors, including New Zealand's Peter Burling and Blair Tuke and Alex Maloney and Molly Meech, are expected to compete at the world championships in partnership with Hyundai New Zealand at the Royal Akarana Yacht Club from December 3-8.
Not only will world titles be on the line, but many countries will be using it as an Olympic selection event so the stakes will be high.
Sky Sport will screen live all six days of racing – six races a day - and also produce a daily highlights package, which will also be shown on free-to-air partner Prime TV.
On-the-water gyroscopic cameras will capture all the racing action, including state-of-the-art drones, and there will be comprehensive analysis and interviews from the boat park before and after the racing presented by a team of sailing experts.
Tracking and animation will also be provided by Animation Research Ltd, who are world leaders in graphics visualisation.
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Mustang Survival and Ocean Racers invite you to "Surviving the Middle" - A Special Industry Film Premiere at the 2019 Annapolis Sail Boat Show -
In October 2018, 4000 NM away from home, a mixed crew of 20-somethings ventured to take on the fierce autumn Mediterranean Sea and compete in the Rolex Middle Sea Race.
This MAN VS. NATURE adventure is captured in the "Surviving the Middle" documentary film, which follows the Ocean Racers team on their waves of challenges and triumphs throughout the non-stop 600-NM race around Sicily.
Join us at LEVEL on Saturday, October 12 right after the Annapolis Boat Show for an evening of networking and exploration. Complimentary cocktail & networking hour begins at 7 PM, followed by a special viewing of the film and Q&A with Ocean Racers co-skippers Meg & Morgen.
Curious what the film is all about?
For more information about the team, the race, and this adventure, please see press release here.
Featured Brokerage
1998 Farr 60 - VENOMOUS. 199950 GBP. Located in Cowes, UK.
A very comfortable and capable racing yacht. This Farr 60 excels offshore, with a simple and clean deck layout, bunks for 16 and comfortable saloon area. She has recently had new standing rigging, new mainsail and also generator. Running costs are minimised for the next few years.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
Berthon Yacht Sales
Tel: +44(0)1590 679222
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2003 Swan 82 Mayang Sari. 2,600,000 EUR VAT Paid. Located in Antibes, France.
One of the highest specifications and freshest of the desirable swan 82 raised salon models. MAYANG SARI has just had an extensive refit at New England Boatworks which included new blue hull paint, new carbon mast, new standing rigging, all new nav., sailing and communication electronics, new stern thruster, new generator, exterior canvas and much, much more.
See listing details in Nautor's Swan Brokerage
Contact
Giorgio Passarella
Nautor's Swan Brokerage
T. +377 97 97 95 07
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2017 JPK 1080 - Blue Note. 195,000 GBP.
Professionally maintained and race ready, Blue Note came 4th in the double-hand class in the 2017 Fastnet and 1st in the 2018 Cowes Week double-handed championship.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
Stephen Hopson
tel: +44 7789 117415
See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/
The Last Word
What is objectionable, what is dangerous about extremists is not that they are extreme, but that they are intolerant. The evil is not what they say about their cause, but what they say about their opponents. -- Robert F. Kennedy
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