In This Issue
• RORC forced to cancel Season's Points Championship
• World Match Racing Tour Amends 2020 World Championship Format
• Kite Freestyle Presented by Robline
• SPINLOCK IRC Welsh National Championship - August 14 - 16
• Young sailors to 'Foil' from Lymington to Le Havre
• 2020 Melges 24 European Sailing Series
• Phil Sharp enters La Solitaire du Figaro race
• For the Record
• Industry News
• Elsa Green: 1945-2020
• Featured Brokerage:
• • Catana 65 Custom
• • TP52 - "Macchia Mediterranea"
• • GC32 Gunvor
• The Last Word: Lester Bangs
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
RORC forced to cancel Season's Points Championship
For the first time in the history of the club the RORC Season's Points Championship has had to be cancelled. Current restrictions continue to make it impossible to run overnight races for all IRC classes with the result that the last offshore race of the season, the Cherbourg Race has had to be cancelled. With only two races, the RORC Transatlantic Race and the RORC Caribbean 600 having been completed, and three required to constitute a series, the club has had no option but to cancel the 2020 Season's Points Championship.
Instead of the usual season ending Cherbourg Race, the RORC has confirmed the intention to run a two-handed race to Cherbourg. This race which will start on Friday 4th September is in line with current government regulation and has added significance in that the City of Cherbourg will host the finish of the Rolex Fastnet Race for the 2021 and 2023 editions.
The RORC Summer Series consists of three additional races on Saturday 15th August, Saturday 22nd August and Sunday 6th September. -- Louay Habib
World Match Racing Tour Amends 2020 World Championship Format
Organisers of the World Match Racing Tour have announced there will not be a World Tour leader-board for 2020 due to current travel restrictions from the Covid-19 pandemic preventing many competitors from attending events. The World Tour still plans to award the 2020 Match Racing World Championship with an updated format to be announced after 31 August.
The change to the 2020 format amends the previously published format with skippers accumulating points from events to the WMRT leader-board, and the Match Racing World Championship being awarded to the skipper with the highest points at the end of the season, counting their best three results plus the final event.
One of the main reasons for the amendment to the format is to ensure the world championship remains fair and open for skippers and teams, as WMRT Executive Director James Pleasance explains,
"As well as our primary concern for the safety of competitors and event organisers on the Tour during this pandemic, events also need to be accessible by teams, particularly when points count towards the world championship."
Despite not having a Tour leader-board for this year, there is still the opportunity to award the 2020 Match Racing World Championship which Pleasance is keen to make happen;
"We certainly want to award a meaningful and credible world championship for 2020. We are considering the option to host a single event championship, as well as ensuring a safe organisation of the event itself. We plan to update competitors by the beginning of September."
In the meantime, scheduling for the 2021 World Match Racing Tour is well underway including new event announcements and separate plans for a World Match Racing Tour Academy aimed at introducing sailors to the discipline of match racing and opportunities to compete at local and international events.
Kite Freestyle Presented by Robline
Robline with its Maui Series, designed as performance flying lines, took a step into this direction. The Maui Series is designed for Freestyle, Freeride, Wakestyle or wherever you need an as thin as possible line with maximum performance and a high safety factor. These lines are not created to make compromises but to deliver. Maui lines are available in 1.3 or 1.6mm and being able to carry weight of around 400 to 500kg combined with the best raw material and coating on the market.
Professional Freestyle Kitsurfer Stefan Spiessberger is testimonial of the Maui series and is trusting those lines in whatever windcondition.
You want to know more about these kitelines? Check out the Maui Series here
SPINLOCK IRC Welsh National Championship - August 14 - 16
Clwb Hwylio Pwllheli Sailing Club in conjunction with ISORA has led the way in North Wales, with a considered and steady return to keelboat racing, post the Covid Pandemic lockdown, with three well supported club races and two ISORA offshore events.
Both forms of racing having a careful regard to Welsh Government Regulations, and recommendations made by our sport governing body - RYA Cymru Wales.
It's important to note that there are hugely differing regulations across the four home nations, and different again to our neighbours across the Irish Sea in Ireland.
After much debate and taking advice from RYA CW and our partners Plas Heli and the Royal Dee Yacht Club, and discussing all the constraints imposed, we assessed that during an organised activity (event) that multiple households could sail together but must maintain 2m physical distancing. In addition, using "extended" households could be helpful to increase crew number without 2m distancing. However, recognising that not all boat owners could "extend" households, having potentially already taken this step with elderly relatives for example, we took the decision to limit crew numbers, as many other organisations (such as JOG, RORC) have done using the following formula:
IRC Fleets: Half the IRC rating crew number (rounded down) and add 1
NHC Fleets: LOA < 9m 3 crew > 9m 4 crew
The next hurdle to overcome was the limitation on event numbers, which is 30. To enable us to operate within this criteria, we have had to take the decision to split the regatta into "events", so for example the Coastal ISORA fleet is a separate event and competing for a separate trophy to the IRC 1 and 2 fleets or NHC Cruiser fleet (which may be split into two event classes)
Whilst we retain the regatta title of IRC Welsh Championships, for scoring and administration the three events will be run and managed separately and require a nominated person to do this.
Full information at the event site: www.ircwelshchamps.com
Young sailors to 'Foil' from Lymington (UK) to Le Havre (FRA) raising money for British & French Health services
On August 14th, 3 French and 3 British 'Waszp Class' sailors will attempt to cross the Channel to raise money for their respective health services, in a 'Foil for Life Challenge'. This will be the very first time that this type of foiling dinghy will attempt a Channel Crossing, so if successful will establish a new record, with the weather forecast looking very favourable.
The six sailors taking part in the challenge are the UK's Hattie Rogers (20 yrs. old from Lymington), Edward Higson (22, Draycote) & William Heathcote (17, Lymington), together with French sailors Pierre Leboucher (39, Nantes), Mael Garnier (19,Baie de St-Brieuc), and Corentin Horeau (31, Trinité-sur-Mer.), all of whom are experienced racers in these exciting Waszp Dinghies.
Given the restrictions placed on all boating through the Covid-19 Pandemic, this remarkable attempt is designed to highlight and thank the work of health services on both sides of the Channel who have been at the forefront of the battle to save lives. Crossing from Lymington to Le Havre, which is around 103 miles, money raised will go to the UK's National Health Service (NHS) and the French Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris (APHP), the largest hospital system in Europe, and one of the largest in the world. The sailors have set up dedicated fundraising pages for the NHS and APHP via the www.foilforlife.com website homepage and are looking to raise £5,000 or more.
The crossing is likely to take up to 10 hours, wind permitting, and the teams will depart the Royal Lymington Yacht Club dock at 06.30 on Friday 14th August.
In this time, safety is paramount, and the team will have three support boats and a media RIB in attendance throughout the crossing, and all aspects will be conducted in a responsible and Covid-secure manner.
www.foilforlife.com to donate
2020 Melges 24 European Sailing Series
Torbole, Italy - Sparkling final for the Melges 24 European Sailing Series regatta in Torbole, where a fleet of sixteen boats from seven nations has completed a series of eight races to crown the winner of the first event of the 2020 season.
At the eve of the final day, Altea ITA722 by Andrea Racchelli and Taki 4 ITA778 by Marco Zammarchi were tied in points at the top of the standings and the expectations for the last day of racing were high: the Race Committee was forced to leave the fleet ashore for approximately two hours with respect to the scheduled starting time, waiting for the breeze to stabilize and eventually calling the boats on the race course for the last two races of the weekend.
After a tight duel at only a few lengths of distance, Altea gained the bullet in Race 7, immediately followed by Taki 4 and White Room GER677 by Michael Tarabochia: in this way, Andrea Racchelli and his crew gained one-point margin over Taki 4 and started their final run towards the victory of the event.
In the eighth and final race, Altea definitely put the seal on her success: with Melgina ITA693 by Paolo Brescia gaining the last victory of the series and Altea finishing on second place, the crew by Andrea Racchelli was crowned winner of the first event of the 2020 Melges 24 European Sailing Series.
Silver medal, just three points behind, for Taki 4 by Marco Zammarchi with Niccolo Bertola at the helm, also the winner of the Corinthian division, and bronze medal for the reigning Italian champions onboard Melgina by Paolo Brescia.
The Corinthian ranking, led by the already mentioned Taki 4, sees Miles Quinton's Gill Race Team GBR694 in second place and Akos Csolto's Seven_Five_Nine HUN759 in third.
After the inaugural event on Garda Lake, the Melges 24 fleet will gather again on Attersee (Austria) at the end of the month of August.
Results Event website at Circolo Vela Torbole
Phil Sharp enters La Solitaire du Figaro race
OceansLab skipper Phil Sharp will be one of 35 solo skippers to contest in this notoriously competitive race challenged by shipping lanes, sandbanks, rocks and tidal currents. Achieving a good result in this race class, aboard a Figaro 3 (32 ft) one-design boat, means little sleep and close finishes with just minutes, sometime seconds apart.
The intensity of the racing is widely recognised and reported by French national heroes and Vendée Globe winners Michel Desjoyeaux and Alain Gautier as the hardest race in the world.
This will be Sharp's second entry after racing aboard a Figaro 2 in the 2011 edition, where he finished as 3rd rookie on an adjusted 18th position overall.
This week Sharp will join a fleet of 32 skippers to compete in the final warmup race ahead of La Solitaire du Figaro in the 44th edition of the Solo Guy Cotton. This return race from Concarneau around the islands of north Biscay will start on Thursday at 15:00 CEST and is expected to finish on Saturday.
This follows on from June's Solo Maitre Coq race, where on the final windy leg under spinnaker, the boat repeatedly spun out of control; the root cause of the problem has since been identified as faulty rudders.
How to Follow
Follow Sharp's journey this month as he makes a return to Class Figaro in his second event the Solo Guy Cotton Concarneau.
Race tracker and updates
Race website
For the Record
The WSSR Council announces the establishment of new World Records.:
Records: Around Britain and Ireland. 40 ft Outright, plus 60 ft and 40 ft Singlehanded
Yacht: "Ordago" Class 40
Name: Ian Lipinski. FRA
Dates:.2nd to the 9th July 2020.
Start time: 04;21;25 GMT on the 02/07/20
Finish time: 22;12;12 GMT on the 09/07/20
Elapsed time: 7 days 17 hours 50 minutes and 47 seconds
Average speed: 9.54 kts
Comments: Previous Records. Outright 40 ft: "Imerys Clean Energy". Phil Sharp. GBR. Aug 18. 8d 4h 14m 49s. Singlehanded 60ft and 40ft: "Roaring Forty" Michel Kleinjans. BEL. Jun 04. 11d 12h 26m 48s.
John Reed
Secretary to the WSSR Council
sailspeedrecords.com
Industry News
Zhik is proud to announce a collaboration with Plastimo, the prestigious marine industry safety manufacturer and equipment wholesaler, as their new distributor for France, Belgium and the French domestic territories.
With more than 50 years' experience, Plastimo is a household name in the French marine market, offering 11,000 products, all rooted in the brand's fundamental values of safety and ergonomy, to encourage enjoyable boating practice and professional service to the trade.
Zhik is working with Nacra 17 sailors, Quentin Delapierre & Manon Audinet in their bid for the 2021 Tokyo Games. The collaboration comes right on time as both companies are getting ready for the 2020 Vendee Globe and La Solitaire du Figaro. Zhik are clothing partners with 2012 Olympian, Pierre Leboucher who recently won the Drheam Cup Figaro duo class. British sailor, Alex Thomson, affiliated with Zhik since 2019, has recently qualified and is fine tuning, to get the HUGO BOSS to maximum speed.
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Yale Cordage, a longstanding leader for synthetic rope and cable solutions, has been acquired and recapitalized by River Associates Investments LP, alongside Yale management. Tom Yale, Chief Executive Officer and second-generation owner, will be continuing on as a board member and shareholder while he transitions out of his role as CEO of Yale Cordage. Bill Putnam will continue as President with Drummond Boord as Vice President of Operations and Sam Cooper as Vice President of Sales.
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Boat shows going ahead in August, September and October
The calendar of this year's international boat shows has been decimated but at this point in time the following exhibitions are still due to take place between now and the end of October as reported to IBI recently by their respective organisers.
These events are all still subject to late cancellation due to the imposition of Covid-related restrictions, but as of today they have the agreement of their national and local governing authorities to proceed.
Helsinki Boat-Afloat, Finland: 13-16 August
Orust Open Yard Show, Sweden: 21-25 August (hosted by Hallberg-Rassy)
Boot & Fun Inwater, Berlin, Germany: 4-6 September
Cannes Festival of Yachting, France: 8-13 September
Atlantic City, USA: 10-13 September
Boats 2020 Southampton, UK: 11-20 September (smaller scale, not-for-profit event organised by British Marine in place of Southampton International Boat Show)
Friedrichshafen, Germany: 19-27 September
La Rochelle, France: 29 September to 4 October
Genoa, Italy: 1-6 October
Annapolis Sail Boat Show, USA: 1-4 October
Auckland Boat Show, New Zealand: 8-11 October
Annapolis Power Boat Show, USA: 8-12 October
Biograd, Croatia: 21-25 October
Fort Lauderdale, USA: 29 October to 1 November
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The International BoatBuilders' Exhibition and Conference (IBEX) has released details of its first-ever virtual tradeshow, IBEX Online: A Virtual Event.
Scheduled to launch September 29, the free digital tradeshow will be built around the concepts of Connection, New Products and Innovation, and Education, and will allow the industry to come together in a safe and productive environment.
Product demonstrations will be accessible via Tech Talk workshops being hosted by exhibitors throughout the event. Ongoing, new product announcements will be posted in a virtual press room as well promoted on IBEX social media channels, and visitors will have quick access to a digital show guide for additional reference.
Another component of IBEX Online: A Virtual Experience will be the Education Conference and its renowned Seminar Series, hosted by trusted industry partners. Featuring an expansive selection of exciting new content for 2020, the sessions will be delivered through a combination of live-stream and pre-recorded presentations, complete with interactive Q&A sessions, and one-on-one conversations. Details are available on the IBEX website's education page along with pricing for a full-access pass.
In addition, live, daily Keynote Sessions will focus on topics such as the State of the Industry, Sustainability, and Leadership. Keynote sessions are free to all event participants.
Registration for IBEX Online: A Virtual Experience will begin in August. For more information and answers to frequently asked questions, visit www.ibexshow.com.
Elsa Green: 1945-2020
Born Elisabeth van der Graaf in Rotterdam on 12 March 1945 the young Elsa grew up in the beach town of Rockanje sailing occasionally with friends until she and her brother, Rik, were given a wreck of a boat - no mast, keel, rudder or sails - that they brought back to life scouring friends and acquaintances for useful bits of wood and equipment. In her early twenties she began racing offshore. Elsa's brother recalls "in those days the crew were mainly men - but Elsa had extremely good eyesight and would often see buoys in rough seas faster than the men - in the days before GPS a very strategic weapon. Also, seasickness did not exist for her."
In the early 'Sixties Elsa was sailing with Dutch friends in Malta. Their yacht Bestevaer was lying alongside an American boat skippered by a young Californian itinerant sailor called Bill Green. It proved a fateful coincidence. Bill found reasons to visit the Netherlands and Elsa soon quit her job as a kindergarten teacher to go sailing with him. They lived a peripatetic existence, covering tens of thousands of (nautical) miles across Europe, the US and the Pacific, selling boats, managing builds, running charters and deliveries, and racing. Though Bill's name was synonymous with the racing scene at the time, Elsa was always a valued member of any crew. British racing sailor, navigator and author Peter Bruce recalls Elsa from one campaign of that time: "I thought I was pretty hot at trim but, as time went by, I came to realise that Elsa was even quicker!"
Eventually, in the mid-70s, they came ashore in Lymington, England. Daughter Saskia was born in 1976, son Jonathan (universally known as 'Pom') two years later. About this time Elsa, an inveterate entrepreneur, formed a company she named Green Marine, importing from the US yacht fittings and deck hardware either unobtainable or prohibitively expensive via normal channels in the UK.
In 1974 the inspired Bill Green persuaded the Royal Lymington Yacht Club to stage an invitation match-racing regatta modelled on the highly successful Congressional Cup run by Long Beach YC in his native California. Bill became the on-the-water advisor/ guru and Elsa the shoreside Queen Bee. She ensured everyone had food to eat, boats to sail and places to sleep. And on top of all this Elsa was now helping 2 friends run a French restaurant based in a Dutch (of course) barge.
At this time Bill worked with close friend Jeremy Rogers in his yacht building company Contessa Yachts and when that firm ceased production Bill and a colleague decided to set up on their own. Elsa's little company, Green Marine, was resurrected in a new guise when in 1982 Bill and Elsa along with Ian and Dianne King set up shop with their first build for British owner Peter Whipp - the One Tonner and later Admiral's Cupper, Panda. Elsa was the Financial Director, untrained formally but with a keen eye for incomings and outgoings. It was a precarious beginning: there was no bank loan for the start-up, just that vote of confidence from Peter Whipp and Bill's credit card.
World leaders in advanced composite construction Green Marine went on to build some of the fastest racing boats and classiest cruising yachts of their time. Bill and Elsa enjoyed working with friends from their racing days - Doug Peterson, Ron Holland, German Frers, Bill Tripp. Elsa always made sure that everyone was well looked after, dragging her small children down to the factory in the middle of the night to bring home-made food to the guys on night shift or cooking for the non-stop visitors to the family home - customers, sailors, designers - all enjoying the lively atmosphere and good food.
When Green Marine was sold in 2010, Elsa stepped up the travel - a life-long passion, even of the aeroplane variety - and more recently relished her role as Oma to her 3 young grandchildren.
In 2008 Elsa had been diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). Her illness was well-managed but despite seeming full of life she had low immunity. In June of this year her condition worsened. She went into hospital and things seemed hopeful until a non-Covid-related infection took hold and suddenly she was gone.
Due to Covid regulations in the UK there will be an attendance-restricted cremation on Friday 14th August but Saskia and Pom invite Elsa's friends and extended family to light a candle (or several), honouring the light she brought into all of our lives, at 6pm British Summer Time (1700 UT). Condolences, memories and photos can be sent to the family at
Warm-hearted, generous, sympathetic, enthusiastic, funny; supportive mother, partner, sister and Oma and the warmest person, the kindest friend and the most fun party-goer-and-giver Elsa's absence will be felt profoundly.
Let Jim Pugh have the last word: "If there were more Elsas, the world would be a better place". -- Malcolm McKeag
Featured Brokerage
Full-custom Catana 65 bluewater catamaran with carbon deck, Twaron hull reinforcement, carbon rig and so on. Hull No.7 of 7 built.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
Lead broker: Matias Renlund – Grabau international (Scandinavia)
Tel: +358406861501
Email:
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Cookson built TP52 designed by Reichel Pugh. Ex "Near Miss" and "Team Vision Future", she was always a boat ahead of her time. Winner of 2017 IRC Europeans and 2nd Copa Del Ray, beating 2015 designs, shows the potential! Upgrades in 2019 and 2020 - ready to go and turn heads.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
Sam Pearson - Ancasta Race Boats
+447759 424900
+442380 016582
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Boat build number 20 is in excellent conditions and sailed only four events in the GC32 Racing Tour season of 2016. Equipment is almost brand new and everything is race ready.
The boat comes with a 40ft HQ container that was also purchased new in 2016. The container comes with benches, tools and all gear needed to mount and maintain the boat (incl. rotating cradles for ease foil fitting).
Current location is in storage in Barcelona.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
Christian Scherrer
email:
gc32.org/market-place/
See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/
The Last Word
Rock 'n' roll is an attitude, it's not a musical form of a strict sort. It's a way of doing things, of approaching things. Writing can be rock 'n' roll, or a movie can be rock 'n' roll. It's a way of living your life. -- Lester Bangs
Editorial and letter submissions to
Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: or see www.eurosailnews.com/advertise.html