In This Issue
• Caribbean 600: The north south divide
• Call for Bids - 49er and 49erFX Sails
• Upscale Evolution - Elan Yachts
• Laser Radial World Championship
• Inaugural TF35 Trophy: Eight teams confirmed
• Trofeo Princesa Sofia Iberostar Documentary
• 12 Foot Skiff Interdominions
• Invisible Hand Pac 52
• Global interest in 2021 Youth America's Cup
• Glamour opening day at RS:X Worlds
• Featured Charter: Emily of Cowes (ex Hurricane)
• Featured Brokerage:
• • Gunboat 62 TRIBE
• • Swan 77-010 Mascalzone Latino
• • Excess 12 - NEW BOAT
• The Last Word: Leo Tolstoy

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

Caribbean 600: The north south divide
By dusk on the second day of the RORC Caribbean 600, the entire monohull fleet in the race were at the northern most extremity of the course negotiating the chicane of islands; Saba, St. Barths, and St. Maarten. Tilmar Hansen's TP52 Outsider (GER) is estimated to be leading IRC Zero and the race overall for the RORC Caribbean Trophy. Eric de Turckheim's NMD54 Teasing Machine (FRA) is estimated to be second. In third is one of the smallest boats in the race, Yoyo Gerssen's Ohlson 35 Cabbyl Vane (NED).

In IRC One, Giles Redpath's Lombard 46 Pata Negra is top of the rankings. Global Yacht Racing's First 47.7 EH01, skippered by Andy Middleton is estimated to be the leader of IRC Two after IRC correction. In IRC Two Handed, Richard Palmer's JPK 10.10 Jangada (GBR), racing with Jeremy Waitt, has the top position. In the Class40 Division BHB, sailed by Arthur Hubert (FRA), has a 15-mile lead.

Multihull Line Honours is expected to be decided tomorrow, Wednesday 26th February. The three leaders are together in the lee of Guadeloupe. Peter Cunningham's PowerPlay (CAY) led the charge into the wind shadow west of Guadeloupe, with Jason Carroll's Argo (USA) less than a mile astern. Giovanni Soldini's Maserati Multi70 (ITA) was some 20 miles behind but has now joined Argo and PowerPlay in the 'Guadeloupe Casino'. The three teams will be getting ready to let rip after La Desirade for the last 200 miles of the course. -- Louay Habib

Race Tracker

caribbean600.rorc.org

Call for Bids - 49er and 49erFX Sails
The 49er class invites expressions of interest to design and build 49er and/or 49erFX sails for the 2021-2024 quadrennial.

The 49er class welcomes world leading sail designers and manufacturers to bid on becoming our class sailmaker(s). The selected sailmaker(s) will have the opportunity to build sails for at least the four year period leading to the Paris Olympics, with the possibility to extend for further quadrennials.

The current 49er sails have been used since 2009 while the 49erFX sails have been used since 2012. The 49er class has had 3 different designs of sails over the years, while the 49erFX is coming off the original set of sails.

The class is seeking improve consistency and longevity of the sails, to keep the costs of campaigning as manageable as possible.

Each of the two rigs, 49er and 49erFX, has been updated for 2021 already, with CST being the new mast maker for the classes. The new masts are of the same geometry and bend characteristics as the previous generation of masts. The existing class masts are expected to remain class legal for the foreseeable future.

We invite all interested parties to get the full technical requirements via email. Expressions of interest are due by March 28th, 2020.

Upscale Evolution - Elan Yachts
Elan’s new flagship is the first sailing yacht styled by Studio F. A. Porsche

Have you ever wondered what a sailing yacht designed by Studio F. A. Porsche might look like? The answer is revealed in the pictures on these pages. The famous design studio founded by Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche – the man who drew the curves of the iconic Porsche 911 – has just designed its first-ever sailing yacht, working alongside Humphreys Yacht Design to give Elan’s new flagship model, the GT6, a unique combination of performance, comfort and style.

On deck Commissioned by Elan to bring its signature design values to the world of offshore sailing, Studio F. A. Porsche has produced a strikingly modern yet also classic design for the deck, cockpit and interior of the Elan GT6 that is guaranteed to turn heads in any harbour. A true grand tourer in all respects, the 49ft (15m) GT6 is optimised for fast, medium- range short-handed cruising. A natural evolution from Elan’s widely acclaimed GT5, the new GT6 is a big step up in onboard luxury from Elan’s previous models but it preserves the brand’s sporty DNA.

Full story in the March issue of Seahorse

Rindom overcomes thunder storms and lightning to lead Laser Radial World Championship
Melbourne Australia: The weather played havoc again at the ILCA Laser Radial World Championships in Melbourne today. Two attempts were made to get Yellow Fleet started shortly after 2pm but a series of rolling thunderstorms, accompanied by lightning, forced the sailors to hurry back to the Sandringham Yacht Club before the course became dangerous.

There was a long wait onshore, but with the regatta already two races behind owing to light winds on the opening days, the AP flag came down at 5pm and the sailors rushed to their boats.

Now the problem was not lack of wind. A strong southerly had filled in behind the thunderstorms and was blowing a solid 22 knots. Yellow Fleet was put into sequence at 5.55pm and got a clear start at 6pm, to accompanying cheers from the committee boat. Blue fleet followed five minutes later, again to a cry of "all clear", and finally the men's fleet was also under way.

The racing was wild and furious, with big waves building and the wind staying above 20 knots. As they came ashore, the sailors looked cold and very tired.

It was a day when experience was likely to come to the fore, and so it proved. The Yellow Fleet race was won by Rio Olympic silver medallist Annaliese Murphy (IRE)

Rio Olympic Champion Marit Bouwmeester won Blue fleet, ahead of defending World Champion Anne-Marie Rindom (DEN) who moves to the top of the leaderboard, one point ahead of Bouwmeester, as a result.

Provisional Top 10
Women
1. Anne-Marie Rindom, Den, 6
2. Marit Bouwmeester, Ned, 7
3. Maud Jayet, Sui, 9
4. Emma Plasschaert, Bel, 14
5. Manami Doi, Jpn, 17
6. Sarah Douglas, Can, 21
7. Vasileia Karachaliou, Gre, 22
8. Line Flem Høst, Nor, 26
9. Agata Barwinska, Pol, 26
10. Pernelle Michon, Fra, 27

Men
1. Daniil Krutskikh, Rus, 2
2. Michael Compton, Aus, 5
3. Nik Pletikos, Slo, 17
4. Jordan Makin, Aus, 18
5. Daniel Costandi, Aus, 20
6. Rhett Gowans, Aus, 21
7. Caleb Armit, Nzl, 23
8. Brody Riley, Aus, 26
9. Zac West, Aus, 27
10. Zac Littlewood, Aus, 30

Full results

Inaugural TF35 Trophy: Eight teams confirmed
Click on image to enlarge.

Eight teams will compete in the first ever TF35 Trophy, with four Swiss crews transitioning over from the D35 and four new crews set to join the fray.

With the debut season planned to kick-off in May, Ernesto Bertarelli's Alinghi, Esteban Garcia's Realteam, Guy de Picciotto's Zen Too and Bertrand Demole's Ylliam XII - Comptoir Immobilier will switch to the newly developed TF35 from where the longstanding D35 left off. The TF35 has also caught the attention of the wider professional racing community with Dona Bertarelli and Yann Guichard's Spindrift racing, Erik Maris' Zoulou, Frederic Jousset's Team ARTEXPLORA and a confirmed eighth boat, to be announced next month, joining the fleet.

The innovative new design aims to offer top-level foiling to a broader audience of sailors, as Ernesto Bertarelli explains: "Thanks to the concept of T-Foils with an assisted flight control system, we should be able to foil downwind from 6-7 knots true wind speed and from 9 knots upwind. This is fascinating! Not many boats can achieve this today and this will deliver a new and exciting racing game.

"The flight control system will also allow owner-drivers to face professional teams on these cutting-edge foiling boats on the water, with the continuity of the friendly owner-class atmosphere from the D35 Trophy on shore."

Twenty-one months in development at the hands of a pioneering design team consisting of Gonzalo Redondo, Dirk Kramers, Luc Dubois, Marc Menec, Adam May and Jean-Marie Fragniere, the successful launch and trial of Boat Zero on Lake Geneva in September 2019, has now seen seven additional TF35s go into production.

The teams will now go through their full crew selection process before the start of the season. The 2020 event calendar will be announced in the coming weeks. For more information on the TF35 Trophy, visit www.TF35.org

2020 TF35 Trophy entry list:

Alinghi (SUI 100)
Owner: Ernesto Bertarelli (SUI)
Tactician: Nicolas Charbonnier (FRA)

Realteam (SUI 7)
Owner / Helm: Estaban Garcia (SUI) / Jerôme Clerc (SUI)
Tactician : Sebastien Col (FRA) / Denis Girardet (SUI)

Spindrift racing (SUI 10)
Owners: Dona Bertarelli (SUI) / Yann Guichard (FRA)
Tactician: Xavier Revil (FRA)

Team ARTEXPLORA (FRA 009)
Owner: Frederic Jousset (FRA)
Tactician: Fabien Henry (FRA)

Ylliam XII - Comptoir Immobilier (SUI XII)
Owner: Bertrand Demole (SUI)
Tactician: Erwan Israel (FRA)

Zen Too (SUI 4)
Owner / Helm: Guy de Picciotto (SUI) / Frederic le Peutrec (FRA)
Tactician: Tanguy Cariou (FRA)

Zoulou (FRA 007)
Owner: Erik Maris (FRA)
Tactician: Thomas le Breton (FRA)

The eighth TF35 team is to be announced next month.

For the full crew lists visit www.TF35.org/teams

Documentary Celebrates 50 Years Of The Trofeo Princesa Sofia Iberostar
Featuring exclusive interviews, insightful commentary and historical footage, the new documentary The Race of Our Sailors is a virtual journey of the history of the Trofeo Princesa Sofia Iberostar. The annual regatta is widely recognised as one of the most prestigious competitions on the international sailing calendar and features European, World and Olympic champions from around the world. The documentary is now available on the Olympic Channel global media platform at http://olympicchannel.com and its mobile apps.

Produced on the occasion of the Trofeo Princesa Sofia Iberostar's 50th anniversary in 2019, The Race of Our Sailors includes relevant anecdotes recalled by the overall winners from each decade.

Renowned Olympic sailors such as Ben Ainslie, Santiago Lange, Paul Richard Hoj-Jensen, sisters Begoña and Natalia Via-Dufresne and Jordi Calafat share their personal experiences of the regatta and their thoughts of the event's importance within the international sailing community.

The film also features several key figures behind the event organisers, including Jaime Carbonell, Ferran Muniesa and Maria Antonia Ferrer, who recount the development and popularity of the Trofeo Princesa Sofía Iberostar regatta, as well as highlights the patronage of the Spanish royal family and the race's impact on Olympic sailing.

12 Foot Skiff Interdominions
The 60th edition of the 12ft Skiff Interdominion Championships is underway on Wellington Harbour, hosted by the Worser Bay Yacht Club. OK, 60 years this event been going on - let that sink in a bit!

In 2005, Nicholas Press won his first interdominion trophy, as a skipper. Sailing with Brad Yabsley out of Sydney's Flying Squadron. He has then gone on to engrave his name on the Silasec Trophy as overall winner an impressive eight times. Can the 60th anniversary of the event be his ninth? Or can Brett Hobson and Cameron McDonald hold firm to reclaim the title after winning it 11 years ago in Brisbane sailing on Garde?

The racing is tight, and the fleet is well mixed up. Some absolute blinders are coming out, with Jono Clough and Hamish Hall-Smith taking a line win in heat 5, after returning to the line at the start thinking they were OCS - they weren't... yet they won. Putting them 4th overall.

The 60th kicked off on Sunday 23rd of Feb, in Wellington. Hosted by Worser Bay Boating Club, who have just opened their stunning newly built clubrooms. The breeze was a typical Wellington blustery Southerly, with the invitation race seeing the spectacular speeds and boat handling that only a 12ft skiff can demonstrate.

Top five after five races:
1. Nicholas Press / Andrew Hay, AUS, 10 points
2. Brett Hobson / Cameropn McDonald, AUS, 16
3. Ginge Vallikngs / Sam Richardson, NZL, 20
4. Jono Clough / Hamish Hall-Smith, NZL, 23
5. Eli Leifting / Matt Metson, NZL, 27

Results

www.sail-world.com

www.wbbc.org.nz

Invisible Hand: This Pac 52 racer sees the TP52 class return to its offshore roots
Photo by Erik Simonson. Click on image to enlarge.

Invisible Hand one of a new generation of 52-footers that represents a return to the offshore roots of the TP52 class, and a resurgence of level-rating grand prix racing on the west coast of the US. Erik Simonson reports

The original Transpac 52 Class (TP52) left an indelible mark on US west coast sailing, but the few that were left racing in California represented a wide range of vintages and race only under handicap. The launch of the Pac 52, a new offshore-specified 52ft class, in 2017 was an attempt to recapture some of that TP spirit and get level rating grand prix racing started up again in California.

The TP52 story began in 2000, when a contingent of Californian sailors sought a new racing class, something smaller than the 70ft sleds that had been surfing their way to victory in the 2,225-mile LA-Honolulu Transpac Race for the previous two decades. They were after a planing design of about 50ft that was simple to sail, could handle round-the-cans races and scoot across the Pacific in a hurry.

The Transpac Yacht Club, which organises the biennial race, proposed a new class to a few local naval architects, including teams from Alan Andrews Yacht Design, Nelson Marek and Reichel/Pugh. The club settled on a 52ft box rule concept, and enlisted designer Bill Lee to help form the rule. Their aim was to have new boats on the start line of the 2001 Transpac Race: the TP52 was launched.

For the following five years there was glory aplenty for west coast TP52s both inshore and offshore, including trans-Pacific races. But the TPs evolved rapidly, adopting square-topped mains and bowsprits. The first generation boats aged quickly as the costs of remaining competitive spiralled, and with no formal organisation or class association, west coast orders slowed.

Enter the 'core of four': American owners Manouch Moshayedi, Victor Wild, Frank Slootman and Tom Holthus. These founding members banded together to form the Pac 52 Class Association, primarily to bring grand prix level rating racing back to the west coast of the USA. Although each owner comes from a slightly different yacht racing background, they all wanted to eliminate the handicap element in the new class.

A version of this article was first published in the September 2017 edition of Yachting World.

www.yachtingworld.com

Global interest in 2021 Youth America's Cup
The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron has had significant interest from yacht clubs all over the globe entering teams into the revamped 2021 Youth America's Cup.

With the initial entry period closing Saturday 29th February, the RNZYS can confirm that ten teams have already officially entered the event and it is shaping up to be a melting pot of global youth sailing talent. Since the event was announced, there have been over forty high quality expressions of interest received. Many of these clubs or teams are still in the process of getting their entry completed so the event is looking to be fully subscribed as planned.

Whilst entries remain open past this initial entry period, those entering 1 March - 30 September 2020 will incur a late entry fee. Teams receive preferences to training periods pending the order in which the entries were received so the earlier the entry the better.2021 Youth America's Cup

Teams that have entered so far span from countries all over the world, with confirmed entries from; New Zealand, China, Australia, Italy, Hong Kong, Switzerland(2), Russia, Argentina and the Netherlands.

livesaildie.com

Glamour opening day at RS:X Worlds
Sorrento, Australia served up a perfect opening day for the 116 sailors competing in the 2020 RS:X World Championships. Whilst there was a slight postponement to the published schedule, the wind soon filled in and once the fleets arrived at the race course on Port Philip Bay, there was an idyllic 15 knots blowing in from the south creating a fast, flat and sunny race track to blast around.

Sorrento Sailing Couta Boat Club are the hosts for this year's World Championships and the experience of their volunteers and race management teams shone through today. They perfectly called the southerly shift in the wind and got the timing spot on to launch the fleet leading to the best possible start to the event.

The two fleet of men's racers were up first with the 70 men sailors split evenly between blue and yellow fleet racing. This meant that the Dutch duo of reigning Olympic champion Dorian Van Rijsselberghe and reigning World champion Kiran Badloe would not race against each other on the opening day, both having an opportunity to boss the differing fleets that they were in.

In the battle for the Oceania Olympic spot, it is New Zealand's Antonio Cozzolino who has just edged in front of Australia's Grae Morris. Whilst these two sailors sit a little lower down the rankings, the urgency to beat the other will remain all week and through to the final leg of the final race on Saturday.

The women's fleet followed the men and also notched up their scheduled three races onto the scoreboard. At the end of the day it is Poland's Maja Dziarnowska who was the most consistent in scoring 2, 5, 4 and she holds a comfortable 6 point lead over Emma Wilson from Great Britain in second place overall. The 2018 World Champion from the Netherlands, Lilian de Geus, sits in third place overall and took the win in the final race of the day. De Geus narrowly missed out on a medal at last year's event and will be looking to rectify that at this event before she heads to Tokyo. -- Icarus Sports

www.sscbc.com.au/news-features

www.rsxclass.org/worlds2020

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See listing details in Seahorse Charters

Contact

07990 875563 (mid-Atlantic and incommunicado 24 Nov-8 Dec)
emilyofcowes.com

See the the Seahorse charter collection

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Excess 12 is for those who dream of a cruising catamaran that provides real sailing sensations

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The Last Word
Seize the moments of happiness, love and be loved! That is the only reality in the world, all else is folly. -- Leo Tolstoy

Editorial and letter submissions to

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