In This Issue
Laser Radial Worlds
Have cake eat cake - GC32
How To Follow the 2020 RORC Caribbean 600
Jean Le Cam: The 2020 Vendee Globe Is A Pivotal Event
Has your website taken all its vitamins?
New Broom for Great Britain SailGP at Sydney
Man Overboard Recovery (Lecture Video)
Hamble Warming Pan
Industry News
Featured Brokerage:
• • Swan 601-002 'Wohpe'
• • GC32 Malizia MON 023 For Sale or Charter
• • Pogo Class 40 "Ocean's Eleven"
The Last Word: Stephen Hawking

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

Laser Radial Worlds
Melbourne Australia: All three medallists from the Rio Olympics will take to the water off Sandringham Yacht Club to compete in the ILCA Laser Radial Women's Championship which starts on Sunday. They head a star-studded field of 106 competitors from 40 countries, many of whom will be trying to qualify as their country's representative at Tokyo 2020.

Leading the charge will be Marit Bouwmeester from the Netherlands, the 2016 gold and 2012 silver medallist at the Olympics and a six-times world champion in the event. Marit has been training in Melbourne since December and won the Australian Championship in early January. Although she has already been selected for the Olympics by the Dutch Federation, she will still have a battle on her hands during the Worlds from countrywomen Mirthe Akkerman, Maxim Jonker and Daphne van der Vaart, who all pushed her during the Australian Championship.

Anne-Marie Rindom (DEN) is ranked number one in the world at present and is the defending world champion, having also won the title in 2015. She was 13th at the London Olympics and won the bronze medal in Rio.

Annalise Murphy (IRE) was part of an epic Laser Radial medal race at the London Olympics, where she missed out on the bronze by the barest of margins. She made up for that at Rio, taking silver behind Marit Bouwmeester.

Another former world champion, Alison Young of Great Britain, is currently ranked second in the world while Emma Plasschart of Belgium is ranked third.

Among those competing for a place at the Olympics are two Finn sailors, Tuula Tenkinen and Monika Mikkola. Ranked ninth and 14th respectively, they present a welcome challenge to the Finn selectors.

Even more intense will be the rivalry for Kim and Lin Pletikos of Slovenia, who are not only competing for an Olympic spot, but for bragging rights around the family dinner table.

The home crowd is also hoping to see a sailor selected for Tokyo.

There are 19 Australians in the field for the Worlds. Assuming there are no upsets, either Thomson or Stransky will need to finish in the top 10 to secure a seat on the plane to Tokyo. -- Roger McMillan / Laser 2020 Media

2020-radial-women.laser-worlds.com

Have cake eat cake - GC32
GC32 Corinthians racing America's Cup skippers, fast and rather lively foiling cats, sparkling venues and (very) professional race management... it's hard to find any holes in the latest GC32 Racing Tour package

A seventh season of racing for the one-design foiling catamarans of the GC32 Racing Tour dawns in 2020 with competition resuming in Muscat, Oman in March. Alinghi, with Arnaud Psarofaghis helming, scored a decisive victory off the Al Mouj Marina in November, handing them the 2019 GC32 Racing Tour crown. However, this year the local team fielded by Oman Sail will want to set the record straight, after the Adam Minoprio-skippered Oman Air was neck and neck with Ernesto Bertarelli's team throughout 2019, only to be beaten rudely on home waters.

With the demise of the Extreme Sailing Series at the beginning of last year the GC32 Racing Tour enjoyed a fresh influx of proteams.

Full article in the March issue of Seahorse

How To Follow the 2020 RORC Caribbean 600
The 12th edition of the ever-popular 600-mile dash around 11 Caribbean islands - the RORC Caribbean 600 - will set off from Antigua on Monday 24th February. The diverse fleet will be competing in four classes, with 74 entries sailed by over 700 crew members representing 37 nations.

Watch the starts live (with commentary) from 10.50 AST in Antigua (1450 GMT) via the RORC Facebook (search Royal Ocean Racing Club). Check out all the latest news and follow the progress of the race via the YB Races App or tracker on the event website.

For All The Latest News, Go To The Race Website: caribbean600.rorc.org The Live blog page will also be updated throughout the race with news from competitors, photos, video and audio.

Watch The Start- Live On Facebook:
Live on Monday 24 February 10.50 local time (14.50 GMT)
Coverage with commentary from Fort Charlotte, Antigua will be streamed from the official website and the RORC Facebook Page.

Social Media: #Caribbean600
Instagram: search - @rorcracing
Facebook: search - Royal Ocean Racing Club
RORC YouTube: search - RORCRacing
Twitter: Follow @rorcracing

Track The Fleet: caribbean600.rorc.org/Race-Information/Tracking/

Class Start Times:
Provisional start times - In AST (+4 hrs GMT)
IRC 2, 3 & CSA only - 11:00
IRC 1 & Class 40 - 11:10
IRC Z & superyacht: 11:20
Multihull - 11:30
Note: A Warning Signal will be given 10 minutes before the Starting Signal

caribbean600.rorc.org

Jean Le Cam: The 2020 Vendee Globe Is A Pivotal Event
This will be his fifth Vendee Globe. Since the 2004-2005 race, a lot of water has passed under the bridge, but Jean Le Cam remains completely captivated by this exceptional race. The Breton sailor and the general public have formed a close bond over time.

In Port-la-Foret, Hubert, the monohull, which was given this nickname in honour of the late Hubert Desjoyeaux, Michel's big brother, is waiting patiently out of the water. She will soon enter the yard replacing Groupe Apicil, Damien Seguin's boat. For Jean Le Cam, the timetable is becoming clearer...

Vendee Globe: with your registration validated, we can expect to see Jean Le Cam at the start of the next Vendee Globe?

Jean Le Cam: I hope to be able to let myself in for that. We still need to win over a few partners to be entirely certain of being there at the start. But we're really going for that. However, we'll be doing things rather differently from in 2016. It was fascinating to set up the crowd-funding project and extremely enriching on a human level... But it was exhausting.

VG: how are you going to manage to get the required funding in that case?

JLC: We started out with the idea of bringing together four partners each investing the same amount in the Yes We Cam project. That is going to be the name of the boat. After that, everyone will be able to communicate as they wish around that name. The advantage of that way of doing things is that no one loses out. Each partner will contribute 280,000 euros a year, which is equivalent to a Figaro budget. Having said that, if one big sponsor wants to invest the whole amount, I'd find it hard to refuse.

www.vendeeglobe.org

Has your website taken all its vitamins?
PWA That's how the lead developers of the Progressive Web App (PWA) code described the goal... a website that can be opened by tapping on a screen icon and acts like an app, but doesn't have to be downloaded from the iTunes store or Google Play store. A website that can still load FAST on slow connections... or no connection at all if previously visited. A website that gets stored in your device's memory.

Google engineers figured it out and have released the technology for us mere mortals. Our latest effort is JBoats.com

You can see how to add to home screen here: jboats.com/add-pwa

And then try it out. We can do this for your website.

The cost depends on the size of your site and a few other factors... but will be under 500 GBP. Interested? Contact David McCreary at or

New Broom for Great Britain SailGP at Sydney
The new broom swept through Great Britain SailGP as they showed-off a new livery on their first day of training on Sydney Harbour.

Ben Ainslie and his team have only a few days to get to grips with their 2,400kg supercharged F50 as they prepare for their first competitive event - until now it has all been on the simulator.

The new British crew will join six other nations on the start line on 28 and 29 February for Sydney SailGP 2020, the first event of the SailGP 2020 series.

This season the SailGP fleet have been upgraded with a revolutionary new modular wingsail.

The new, modular wing can be assembled in varying lengths - 18m, 24m and 29m - allowing the teams to put on nail-biting nation versus nation racing in a greater range of conditions across the venues.

With a new wing also comes new speeds. Season 1 saw the Brits become the first SailGP team to break the elusive 50-knot speed barrier, but what can be expected for Season 2?

www.sailweb.co.uk

Round Ireland Yacht Race Man Overboard Recovery (Lecture Video)
It was about 1 am off the coast of County Kerry when John White came off the helm of Jedi, a J109, competing in the 2018 Round Ireland Yacht Race. Facing 30-knots on the nose and three to four metre seas, as White moved forward, a large wave crashed over the boat, knocking him overboard.

White joined helmsman Kenneth Rumball to share their learnings from the successful recovery of John, a fate that lead to Kenneth being awarded the RORC Seamanship Trophy.

Both describe in detail the key points they think lead to the successful recovery of John, proper preparation, pre-sailing drills, sufficient training for all the crew and ultimately having the right gear, as well as knowing how to use it.

White describes the surreal experience of being away from the boat, and the exemplary Seamanship exploits undertaken to retrieve him safely, and indeed get back racing. Rumball shares his experiences as Skipper but emphasises how the training he provides in the day job as chief instructor at the Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School kicked in. A frank and sobering discussion on the good fortune it was to correctly install AIS MOB devices, ensure that everyone had the latest lifesaving kit is undertaken.

This is a must-watch for any skipper or crew member who races offshore but would appeal to a wider audience with an interest in yachting as John and Kenneth recant the compelling story, which thankfully had a happy outcome.

The video is divided into chapters as follows:

Preparation - 2 mins 30 seconds
Build Up - 14 mins 20 seconds
Man Overboard - 20 mins 20 second
The water - 30mins 20 seconds
Gear - 34 mins 40 seconds
Recovery - 51 mins 00 seconds
Rest of the Race - 1 hour 10 mins 40 seconds
Published in INSS, Round Ireland

Man Overboard Recovery

Hamble Warming Pan 2020 includes RS400 - Sunday 29th March
Hamble River Sailing Club is pleased to announce its invitation to the RS400 class to join the 58th Hamble Warming Pan dinghy open meeting, along with all non-trapeze dinghies rated PY 970-1172 and Foxer dinghies. Classes within the PY group will race in two handicap fleets with those mustering eight boats or more getting a separate start, and four or more racing in a PY fleet receiving a class prize. The first start of three back-to-back races is scheduled at 1200 with food and drink available at the clubhouse before and after racing.

An Early-Bird entry rate (£10 single-hander, £15 double-hander) is available NOW online until 22nd March, standard entry rate until the 27th, and late entry rate available on the day. Full details and the Notice of Race can be found at the HRSC website http://www.hrsc.org.uk

First run in 1962, back then the Warming Pan was the season opener, with new designs in the highly competitive Merlin Rocket and National 12 classes being launched and tested for the first time. These boats became the bedrock of this great event and now HRSC is inviting competitive sailors in the non-trapeze dinghy classes to come and experience the unique fun of the Hamble Warming Pan. For more details contact the Hamble River Sailing Club on 02380 452070 or

www.hrsc.org.uk

Industry News
The European Commission has sent Malta an additional letter of formal notice for using an incorrect method of calculating VAT on the lease of yachts.

Following an initial letter of formal notice - a first warning - on 8 March 2018, Malta modified its laws to align it with the necessary requirements under EU law.

But these new national rules are still not completely in line with EU law, the Commission said.

Malta uses a "distance-based" method when calculating the effective use and enjoyment of a yacht outside the EU, so as to attract yacht owners to register their boats in Malta without being charged VAT when they use the boat outside of EU waters.

"EU rules do not allow such a method to be used but require the use of a timebased method. The Commission is now sending a complementary letter of formal notice to Malta in order to ensure full compliance with EU law. Without a satisfactory response within two months, the Commission may decide to address a reasoned opinion to Malta."

www.maltatoday.com.mt

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The High Performance Yacht Design Committee is pleased to announce that HPYD7 will take place in Auckland, NZ during the 36th America's Cup in early March 2021 (Dates to be confirmed).

Papers are invited on all topics relating to the design of high performance power and sailing yachts, including:

 

  • structural design and analysis
  • aerodynamics and hydrodynamics
  • performance prediction and full scale testing
  • wind tunnel and towing tank testing
  • computational methods
  • hull, appendage and foil design
  • control systems
  • regulations and rating
  • rules routing and tactics

 

Abstracts are due 1st June 2020 and final papers are due 1st November 2020. All papers are reviewed by an international technical panel. See www.hpyd.org.nz for more details.

The abstract should be one page and submitted to

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Sailing Inc., headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, is proud to announce it is expanded its premier boat brokerage services by adding a J/Boats dealership in Charleston, South Carolina. The brokerage will serve the South Atlantic region, selling the entire line that ranges from the 22 ft. J/70 to the 40 ft. J/122e, featuring a broad mix of both cruising and racing yachts.

Known for their aesthetic elegance, excellent build quality, and attention to detail, J/Boats are revered worldwide. Sailed by cruisers and racers alike, the Johnstone family designs are in a class of their own, offering a model that fits any application.

For over 40 years, Sailing Inc. has been a trusted provider of premium sailing and marine related products, services and support. With multiple locations in the Eastern United States, Sailing Inc. is positioned as a dealer/distributor for many of the industry's best brands including Harken, Gill, Garmin, New England Ropes, VX One, Laser Performance, Bic Sports and J/Boats.

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Kimo Worthington, who was on teams that won the America's Cup and a major round-the-world race, has been hired as general manager of the United States SailGP team.

Recently retired as an executive with North Sails, Worthington said his main role in running the team would be to take pressure off skipper Rome Kirby during the global league's second season.

"Rome was getting pulled in all different directions and getting taxed," Worthington said in a phone interview. "He needed someone to come in and take the pressure off. The skipper goes sailing and I take care of everything else. I just remove obstacles to make it easier for them to go racing. I did the same thing at North Sails. I removed obstacles so they could sell sails."

Worthington, 60, sailed with the fathers of three of the U.S. SailGP crewmembers. He was a teammate of Kirby's father, Jerry, with Bill Koch's winning America3 team in the 1992 America's Cup. In 1995, Worthington was head coach of what started out as the first all-women's team in the America's Cup, and Kirby was one of his coaches.

www.thelog.com

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Metstrade show director Irene Dros said she is stepping down after 18 years with the event to pursue new career opportunities.

Dros oversaw the event as it grew from 714 exhibitors in 2001 to 2,000 from 53 countries last year. There were 26,984 visitors from 122 countries at the 2019 show.

"Having worked for the world's greatest trade show for almost two decades, the time has come for me to move from Metstrade to a new challenge," Dros said in a statement.

"I am honored to have played my part in organizing this platform and I have enjoyed investing lots of energy into its growth," said Dros. "With a visitor appreciation of 8.7 in 2019, I could not be prouder of what we have achieved, and I am now ready to focus on a new adventure."

www.tradeonlytoday.com

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Following a successful partnership over the last two seasons, North Sails has today announced we will continue as an 'Official Technical Partner' of the 52 Super Series sponsored by Rolex. The 2020 circuit, now in its ninth season, will again play host to a stellar list of sailors and boats, with 12 boats from eight countries all vying to be number one. Year after year, the competition gets more compelling, with teams forced to out-think and out-sail each other in the high performance, one design TP52s. As an Official Technical Partner, North Sails will bring their world-leading expertise, design and sail technology, as well as sailor support to the fleet, with ten boats choosing cutting edge North Sails 3Di.

www.northsails.com/sailing

Featured Brokerage
Raceboats Only 2004 Swan 601-002 'Wohpe' 800,000 Euros Vat Paid. Located in Monaco.

Swan 601 Wohpe, winner of the Swan 60 class at the 2014 Rolex Swan Cup, is now on the brokerage market and available for sale. Since winning the Rolex Swan Cup in 2014, she has undergone a comprehensive refit and now features a new teak deck, all new painting on deck and superstructure.

The Swan 601 has proven to be a serious competitor in both ORC and IRC classes and difficult to catch in light conditions. Well set up for offshore or inshore events, Wohpe is a turn-key program and ready for the Autumn regatta season.

Currently lying in Monaco, Wohpe is available for inspection by appointment.

See listing details in Nautor's Swan Brokerage

Contact
Lorenzo Bortolotti
Nautor's Swan Brokerage
T. +377 97 97 95 07

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Raceboats Only GC32 Malizia MON 023 For Sale or Charter. 200’000 excl.VAT EUR.

Experience the foiling revolution with this 30+ knot GC32 flying catamaran, ready to compete on the GC32 Racing Tour.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Christian Scherrer
email:

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Raceboats Only 2006 Pogo Class 40 "OCEAN'S ELEVEN". 90,000 EUR. Located in Barcelona, Spain

The OCEAN'S ELEVEN Class 40 is a Pogo 40 signed by Finot-Conq and built by Structures in France. Previously known as PICOTY with skipper Jean-Edouard Criquioche, he has always had good racing results. This sailboat is at the same time reliable, marine, well maintained and equipped. OCEAN'S ELEVEN also has a comfortable interior and is suitable for long-distance cruises with reduced crew.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact

+33 (0)467 66 39 93

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

The Last Word
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