In This Issue
• Vendee Globe Start Approved For 8th November
• UK Sailing Clubs in struggle to adjust to the New Normal
• Yacht Racing Forum 2020, Portsmouth, UK
• Topper Worlds Coming To Cork Harbour In 2021
• State of Sailing
• Yesterday Hall Spars celebrated its 40th anniversary!
• Prada web series now online
• Event Update - Book Launch Party
• Tasmania eases coronavirus restrictions
• Superyacht business joins Challengers waiting for NZ border entry greenlight
• Featured Charter: First 40
• Featured Brokerage:
• • Goetz Farr 53 Custom
• • GC32 Malizia MON 023 For Sale or Charter
• • 85Ft Racing Sloop TAHIA
• The Last Word: An old Sami proverb
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
Vendee Globe Start Approved For 8th November
The start of the 9th Vendee Globe will take place on November 8, off Sables d'Olonne. This was confirmed by the Board of Directors of SAEM Vendee, the organizing company of the Vendee Globe, this Monday, June 8, a symbolic date since it is also World Ocean Day, five months before the Vendee Globe start.
Since the closing of the registration nominations on November 1st, 35 candidates have set themselves up to be on the starting line. As it stands today 18 skippers are already officially registered.
The SAEM Vendee also took the decision to set up a Start Village, which will open on Saturday 17th October. It will turn into the Race Village on 8th November then the Finish Village to welcome the skippers home from their round the world race. The arrangements for the general public will be adapted to public health requirements which may affect sporting events and they will have to be approved by the relevant authorities.
Saturday 4th July: Vendee - Arctique - Les Sables d'Olonne
The lockdown led to the cancellation of The Transat CIC and the New York - Vendee Les Sables d'Olonne, and the IMOCA class has set up a brand new race, supported by its headline partner, the Vendee department and the town of Les Sables d'Olonne: the Vendee - Arctique - Les Sables d'Olonne. A 3600-mile race with the start and finish line in place off Les Sables d'Olonne, with waypoints to the West of Iceland and the North of the Azores. The planned start date is 4th July.
Tuesday 1st September: registrations close and date by which they have to complete any additional qualifiers
Thursday 17th September: press conference
Friday 16th October: arrival at the Vendee Globe pontoon
Saturday 17th October: official opening of the Start Village
Sunday 8th November: 1202hrs UTC: start of the ninth Vendee Globe
While the start will be from the South Nouch buoy off Les Sables d'Olonne, the event will already be in full swing from the early hours that day with the boats leaving the pontoons and making their way out of the legendary harbour entrance in Les Sables d'Olonne.
UK Sailing Clubs in struggle to adjust to the New Normal
At present most sailing clubs remain locked-down, with bars, restaurants, changing facilities and toilets closed.
Clubs with permanent staff have most of their employees on the government furlough scheme until at least the end of June, and only have a minimum number working to maintain security and site safety.
Even the smaller clubs, which rely on volunteers to open and maintain/run the club, will struggle to provide more than individual social sailing, due to Health & Safety regulations and the requirement for safety assessments to be carried out.
This conflict of interests has led to ad hoc racing taking place, with small groups of single handed and family crewed dinghies taking part in 'scratch' racing from a fixed start line around fixed racing marks.
This can work well for small numbers of one designs, but becomes more complicated if handicaps and safety boats have to be considered.
But most UK sailing clubs exist (or were originally formed) to provide regular club racing for members, and we are seeing the stirrings of a return to that function, despite the many problems still to be overcome.
At Hayling Island SC, which has successfully resumed social sailing activities (but with the clubhouse still off limits), they intend to run some 'stripped to the bone' racing for members over the weekend of the 13 and 14 June to test the waters!
The 'Corona Cup' is intended for single handed boats and for boats sailed by members genuinely of the same household. It will comprise of a fixed line start/finish for slow and fast handicap fleets, and only fixed harbour racing marks will be used.
The club has drawn up a 'Covoid Racing Policy' to cover this event and racing will not take place if family-member safety boat crews are not available.
This one small step for club racing will hopefully signal the recovery of our sport and the opening and return to normal service for the hundreds of sailing clubs across the UK. -- Gerald New in Sailweb.co.uk
Status of major UK sailing clubs at 9 June 2020
Yacht Racing Forum 2020, Portsmouth, UK: Rebooting our sport following the pandemic
The next edition of the Forum, on November 23-24 in Portsmouth, UK, will give us the opportunity to get together, address the key issues of the moment and discuss how to get our sport back on track after a lost season and a complete disruption of the supply chain.
Legal, finance and insurance experts will help us understand how sailing events can be protected against cancellations for unforeseen reasons. The industry's leading personalities will share their recipes with us, and advise us on the best way to bounce back. Some of the best experts in marketing, sponsorship and communication will advise us on how best to come out stronger and united in 2021.
The sports' leading brands will share best practice and exhibit their latest innovations and products. The Design & Technology Symposium, provided by B&G, will focus on the latest developments and innovations within yacht racing. This includes technologies from the America's Cup, IMOCA or Mini classes, safety innovations, foils and flying boats, new sail technologies, materials and much more.
We look forward to welcoming you to Portsmouth, UK, on November 23-24, for a very special edition of the Yacht Racing Forum.
Detailed programme, speakers list and registration: www.yachtracingforum.com
Topper Worlds Coming To Cork Harbour In 2021
The 2021 International Topper World Championships come to Cork Harbour next year when they're hosted by the Royal Cork Yacht Club from 24-30 July 2021.
With over 200 sailors from around the world expected, organisers say it will be a great opportunity for Ireland's younger sailors to compete on the world stage - as well as a showcase of the Royal Cork and its facilities.
Ireland's Topper prospects will also have a chance to prove their mettle the following weekend at the other end of the island, as Ballyholme Yacht Club hosts the UK Topper Nationals from 2-6 August 2021.
The news will also come as a boost to Topper sailors disappointed by last month's cancellation of the National Series due to coronavirus restrictions, though it's hoped a number of regional friendlies can be arranged for August.
Details on the official launch of next year's Topper Worlds are coming soon.
afloat.ie/sail/sailing-classes/topper/
State of Sailing
An interview with Bob Stephens & Paul Waring reveals the effect the COVID-19 pandemic has had on their custom yacht design business and the world of custom yachts that they inhabit. We talked to them from a comfortably safe distance - a time zone away.
A yacht on open water seems like the ideal place to get away from the congestion of life on land. However, those aboard are in close contact. It's no problem for a family crew, but what about larger boats that require a good size crew to sail? Have you heard anything in the sailing community regarding this?
Bob: Regattas will be particularly hard, as boats often travel longer distances (across state lines, incurring quarantine rules) to attend. A regatta is often a great excuse to pull friends together from all parts of the country to sail together. These circumstances are too problematic for me to feel comfortable about, even if the shoreside festivities are curtailed or eliminated.
I have high hopes that this sailing season will inspire folks to use their boats in a more family-centric way - more cruising and daysailing. Let's use it as a catalyst to get us back to what we loved in sailing and boating in our youth - the thrill of speed for its own sake, a connection with the weather and the water, the simple enjoyment of our close family and friends as crew.
Paul: If your only goal for owning a sailing yacht is to go to regattas, you're likely going to be disappointed this season. We're seeing most regattas getting cancelled, and for good reason - it's just too challenging to operate a proper regatta with the social distancing challenges on board and state recommendations on shore. No regatta organization desires to find themselves in a policing role.
Larger vessels that operate with paid crew will likely look to industry standards and guidelines for their crew and guests. Then the owners of those yachts will have to decide how far to push for using their boats with family or friends - each is a case by case decision.
Many people seem to be looking to get their boats operational for the season with the aim that there'll be time for daysailing, weekend cruising, water skiing, picnicking, etc, but I'm hearing many aren't worried about the next yacht event. This year we'll miss those boat shows, poker runs and sailing regattas, but most folks simply want time outdoors to enjoy the water, if possible, and with small groups of friends or family.
Full interview: stephenswaring.com/social-distancing-yachting/
Yesterday Hall Spars celebrated its 40th anniversary!
Receiving a Hall Spars' mast or boom means receiving a product that means something, which has 40 years of experience, knowledge and dedication engrained into the carbon fibre.
Read more about the history of Hall Spars and their 40 year journey in their latest article.
Prada web series now online
Debut screening on the team channels of the first season of the series CHALLENGERS FOR NOW. A view behind the scenes of the Cagliari headquarters through exclusive footage and interviews with the protagonists.
Viewers will be able to follow the backstage activities on shore and at sea, through exclusive imagines available to the public for the first time. The story of this tricky and arduous journey will be told by the sailors and team members themselves.
"Challengers for Now", created in collaboration with the team's creative partner M&C Saatchi, will continue the story with a second season, to be released after the summer, following the team up to its departure for Auckland. Between January and February 2021 the Prada Cup will be held in New Zealand: this competition between challengers will elect the team that will compete against defender Emirates Team New Zealand in the America's Cup races of March 2021.
Chapter one below. The entire series at www.lunarossachallenge.com/en/web-series
Event Update - Book Launch Party
Hosted by: Carol Newman Cronin
Thursday, June 18 from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM ET
On Zoom! See details for login info.
We're down to the last 10 "seats" for the Ferry to Cooperation launch party on June 18! Please RSVP if you plan to attend so we can be technically prepared. Thanks all, this is going to be fun.
RSVP for the party (June 18, 6:30 p.m.) by sending Carol an email at
Tasmania eases coronavirus restrictions
Tasmania today joined other Australian states and territories by allowing intrastate travel and staying overnight - a boon for recreational and commercial boating, says Australia's Boating Industry Association (BIA) in a statement.
BIA president Darren Vaux says the ongoing easing of COVID-19 restrictions is good news for the industry and a reflection of successful efforts to contain the virus.
The news from Tasmania follows moves by NSW, Queensland and Victoria over the past week which saw them join South Australia, Western Australia and Northern Territory in enabling people to travel within their state and stay overnight.
"The relaxation combines with the ability to go boating recreationally and together this will help accelerate the recovery of the boating sector which shares much common ground with tourism," Vaux says. "That is why the industry encourages efforts by state governments at this time to promote domestic intrastate travel; to promote access to our waterways for recreation.
"Australia has more than 900,000 registered boats and a countless number that do not require registration such as paddle craft and many small sail craft," he adds. "The majority of these are highly portable by trailer or by car topping and are used by millions of Australians to experience our wide variety of waterways from creek to coast.
"The easing up of travel and overnighting can only help all those households with trailerable boats or car toppers to get on the water, to visit regional areas and support regional economies. If you do not own a boat, there is always the option to hire a boat or take a charter which is a great way to experience the boating lifestyle."
America's Cup: $40m of superyacht business joins Challengers waiting for NZ border entry greenlight
With the America's Cup just over eight months away, the NZ Coalition Government's equivocation is set to cost the marine maintenance and refit industry tens of millions of dollars.
While it has been apparent for some time that New Zealand the COVID-19 epidemic under control, the Ministries of the tripartite government of Labour, NZ First and the Green parties have dithered over how to facilitate the passage of vessels and crews through the closed New Zealand border.
The superyacht entry issue is one of four that has been getting airplay over recent weeks.
The first was the entry of the fifty plus movie crew, who arrived in Wellington in late May via chartered jet, seemingly waved through a Border Exemption process that has suddenly become very problematic.
The latest issue involves superyachts turning away from New Zealand, a situation that has already cost the marine industry millions of dollars.
The high value traffic is headed for Australia and a new state-backed superyacht facility for which the Australian authorities are approving entry through their closed border. Australia (on a state by state basis) is at a higher level of COVID19 Alert than New Zealand.
Full article by Richard Gladwell in Sail-World.com
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The Last Word
It’s only when the mosquitos land on your testicles that you realise that violence is not the solution. -- An old Sami proverb
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